YESTERDAY'S WOMEN

Eliza Forlonge

When Eliza Forlonge arrived in Australia in 1831 she came with a family, a flock of the finest wool sheep and an amazing story of adventure.

It all started in Scotland when in 1826 Eliza Forlonge discovered one of her sons showed early symptoms of tuberculosis. Having already lost four of six children to the disease she was not prepared to give up another.

Eliza was born on 21 October 1784. She married wine merchant, John Forlonge, when she was twenty. With the prospects of losing 14 year-old William they decided Australia’s climate would be beneficial. Eliza studied the economic climate of Australia and discovered its thriving sheep industry lacked fine-haired wool breeds. These were Saxon merino, so to the German state of Saxony Eliza would go first.

Supported and financed by a number of people, including her sister-in-law Janet Templeton, Eliza along with her two sons headed to Saxony in 1827.

Once at her destination Eliza spent the next three summers travelling the countryside seeking out the best merinos. She paid for them with gold sovereigns kept hidden in her skirts. When she made a purchase the sheep were left behind while she traipsed the country looking for more. To ensure her fine stock were not replaced with inferior quality a special brass collar was padlocked around their necks.

Along the way she encountered sceptical peasant who thought she was a witch. In one town she was arrested on suspicion of sheep stealing. While her papers and story were checked out she spent a week in gaol. At times she and her sons dressed as peasants in the hope of fitting in as they walked over 500 miles.

Most of the time she was alone except for the shepherds she hired. William worked in a leading sorting house to learn wool classing and Andrew continued his schooling. Eliza did take time to learn the local language and how to select the finest sheep

Once Eliza had secured the required number of merino she returned to collect them. Then herded the flock across country to Hamburg, from where they were transported back to Scotland.

Upon returning Eliza was persuaded to sell her flock of 100 to the Australian Agricultural Company. So once again she traipsed Saxony, this time her previous experience allowed her to collect even better merino. Her reputation now preceded her, and sheep owners were no longer sceptical of the eccentric Scots woman prepared to pay them a good price.

William sailed to Australia with the first shipment in 1829. He was headed for NSW, but when the ship stopped in Van Diemans Land (Tasmania) Governor Arthur offered him a grant of land to settle there. Eliza, John and Andrew followed in 1830 with more sheep. Eliza and John took up land adjacent to William’s. But it was Eliza who managed it while John was kept busy with other ventures.

During a trip to England in 1834 John died and the running of the sheep properties was now in the hands of William and Andrew. With the settlement of Victoria in 1826 grazing lands were opened up and in 1839 they crossed to the mainland with 1200 sheep and took up tracts of land. Eliza remained behind to manage their affairs in Van Diemans Land.

The business was expanding but there was also a shortage of labour due to the abolition of transportation. To alleviate this Eliza returned to England in 1840 and arranged for over 200 emigrants to come to Australia.

Eventually Eliza decided it was time to move on and joined William at his property near Bendigo in 1844. They remained there for six years before moving to Seven Creeks near Euroa. William was away a lot and it was left to Eliza to run the sheep station. This she did extremely well.

Years later while sick, Eliza lay in bed looking out of the window at the Garden Ranges. She pointed to a spot at the foot of the hills and said that was where she wanted to be buried. And so it was there she was laid to rest when she died on 5 August 1859.

Today out along Furlonge Road there is a memorial in the shape of a bale of wool. Erected at Eliza’s gravesite it reads In memory of Mrs John Forlonge with her sister-in-law Mrs Janet Templeton imported the first fine wool sheep to Victoria.