HISTORY OF ESTATE NAME

Mount Pierrepoint was named by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836. Major Mitchell arrived in Australia in 1827 to become the Surveyor-General of the colony of New South Wales, a position he held for 27 years. He was responsible for the placement of roads, bridges and towns, and as a result of leading four expeditions of exploration, he carried out most of the surveys of Eastern Australia, which lead to new grazing lands being established in southern Victoria.

Major Mitchell named Mount Pierrepoint after Major Charles Pierrepont who served in the 26th Regiment of Foot with the British Services and fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was promoted to the position of Major in 1811, as sketching officer, to survey and map the terrain. Charles Pierrpont was killed on the 19th September 1812 "..in the attack of the hornwork at Burgos", Spain. (Appendix 1 of "Wellington's Headquarters", S.G.P Ward). In an unpublished paper, "British Military Map-Making in the Peninsular War" by Yolande Holdson, a paragraph explains the connection between Major Mitchell and Major Pierrepont: "…The famous topopgraphers, Bainbrigge (Mount Baimbridge is located north of Hamilton), Mitchell, Freeth, Pierrepont and Colleton, to name a few, were among the early 'graduates' of the first army educational system to be introduced to this country."

Charles Pierrepont is buried in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist Church, Perlethorpe, Nottinghamshire which is part of the Thoresby Park estate.

Exerpt from “Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip” by Billis & Kenyon, .  “Pierrepoint”, or “Grangeburn No. 1”, South of Hamilton, Portland Bay Licence No 123, taken out by Jas Brown in 1845.  Pierrepoint was of 14,000 acres carrying 400 cattle and 6,000 sheep.  The license was cancelled in 1860 after changing ownership 3 times and was sold in 1903.  The bluestone homestead was neglected over the years and was demolished during the 1940s..  The second “Pierrepoint” was built by the Schultz family approx 1907 consisting of 5 brick rooms with 4 more being added in the 1920s.  It was referred to as “Pierrepoint” from the 1930s when the son, Oscar, took possession of the property and remained in the Schultz family until 1983.

 

(Photo courtesy of Audrey Brown, England)
(History courtesy od Anne Grimshaw, England)