Mr Justice George Webb of Croton Hurst, Caulfield

George and Matilda Webb and their baby left London on June 4, 1852 on the Kent, and arrived in Melbourne on September 23 (1).  George was to have a very successful career in Melbourne, becoming a Supreme Court Judge. He would come to own a large mansion in Caulfield, Croton Hurst (2),  but this success was tempered by a sad private life, as in the first eight years of his time in Victoria he faced the death of two of his children and his wife and years later another daughter died at the age of nineteen.

George Henry Frederick Webb was born on July 12, 1828 to Samuel Webb, a Naval officer and his wife Isabella Sweet. In 1850 he married Matilda Sarah Fields and their first child George Edward was born in 1852 (3). Little George passed away at the age of eighteeen months on October 18, 1853. George placed personal notices in the newspapers commemorating family milestones and they are interesting because they tell us where the family was living at the time, his occupation and what I feel is unusual for the time, made reference to his deceased children. Little George's death notice says he was the only child of Mr. George H. F. Webb, of Little Collins-street, Melbourne and Richmond (4). A daughter, Matilda, was born on April 14, 1855 when the family were living in Prahran. She died at the age of three months on July 12 and the notice says she was the infant daughter and only remaining child of Mr. George H. F. Webb, Government shorthand writer, Melbourne (5).  Their third child, Isabella Elizabeth was born on October 24, 1856 and their address was St Kilda (6). Their pain was not yet over as Matilda died of consumption at the age of 29, on October 22, 1860, at Burwood, near Sydney, the beloved wife of Mr. George H. F. Webb, Government shorthand writer, Victoria (7).  

George remarried on April 18, 1862 to Sophia Sarah Agg and his occupation in the marriage notice was barrister-at-law (8). When their daughter Sophie was born on May 27, 1863, the notice said she was born at Croton-Hurst, Caulfield, [to] the wife of George H. F. Webb, barrister-at-law (9).  Isabella passed away on March 13, 1876 and her death notice told us that she died at Bombay, of small-pox, taken in India whilst en route from Melbourne to England, Isabella Elizabeth, eldest surviving daughter of George H. F. Webb, of this city, barrister-at-law, aged 19 years (10). The notice of the marriage of his daughter Sophie on October 4, 1883 has these details -  at Croton-Hurst, Caulfield, by the Rev. J. Reid, William Farrar, only son of the late Henry Langdon, of Melbourne, merchant, to Sophie Sarah Annie, only surviving daughter of George H. F. Webb, Q.C. (11).

Mr Justice Webb in 1886, the year he became a Judge of the Supreme Court

Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, June 1 1886  State Library of Victoria Image A/S01/06/86/88

These public notices firstly show that he was a devoted family man. After Isabella died in 1876, George commissioned a marble scuplture in her memory, the work being undertaken by Charles Summers (1825 - 1878), known for his Bourke & Wills statue. It is now at the Caulfield (Glen Eira) Town Hall (12). This was not the first time the Webb family had commissioned a work from Charles Summers. He had previously created a bust of James Hemming Webb (13), George's brother. The bust was presented to the National Gallery in 1887 and it was apparently regarded as one of his most successful works (14).

Secondly, they indicate that he was professionally ambitious. When George arrived in Melbourne he worked as a reporter on The Argus for a short time until he joined the Public Service as a stenographer; he had practiced this profession in London (15).  In October 1854 he was promoted to the Government shorthand writer, where he supervised the pool of shorthand writers who serviced both the Government and the Supreme Court (16).

Soon after his arrival in Melbourne, George promoted his short-hand writing skills and experience with this public notice. 

The Argus, October 6, 1852  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4787506

In 1858 George attended the course for articled clerks at Melbourne University and was admitted to the Bar on 6 December 1860 (17) and as his 1862 marriage notice says, he became a barrister-at-law. Webb was appointed as a Queens Counsel in January 1879 (18) and had a very lucrative practice. So lucrative, in fact, that when he was offered the role of a judge on the Supreme Court in 1874 that he refused the appointment. It was offered to him again in May 1886 and this time he accepted the honour (19). 

George's well paid profession allowed him to build a large house, Croton Hurst  on Hawthorn Road, near the corner of Glen Eira Road in Caulfield. An article in The Herald in 1937 and the impending demoliton on Croton Hurst said that it Claimed to be the first house built in the Caulfield district, and erected in 1859, "Crotonhurst" gained its name from the dense growth of bush croton that covered Caulfield in the early, days, and made it difficult for Mr Justice Webb to find the 17-acre estate after he had purchased it at an early city land sale. Originally a four-room and kitchen building, the house had a dining wing added in 1868, more additions were made in 1880, and it was completed in 1889, when the distinctive tower also was erected (20).

Croton Hurst, c. 1919, showing the distinctive tower, which was completed in 1889.

Photographer: Rose Stereograoh Company. Image enhanced by Paul Caine. See footnote 21 for the original image.

Croton Hurst was advertised for lease in May 1860 as the family were away for a few months, presumably in New South Wales, where Matilda died in the October.  The house was described as containing a dining, drawing, three bed rooms, and dressing room, kitchen and servants' room, large garden and paddock, stable, coachhouse, &c. Also, good Library, legal and general (22). The 1872 Shire of Caulfield Rate books list the building as brick, 16 rooms and stables on 19 acres, so either the dates listed in the 1937 article are incorrect or more than a dining wing was added in 1868. The 1882 Rate books describe it as 20 rooms and the 1891 Rate books as 30 rooms (23). 

George Webb's advertisement for the short-term lease of Croton Hurst in 1860.

The Argus, May 19, 1860 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5682713

George Webb died of bronchitis and influenza at the age of 63 on September 26, 1891 (24). His funeral was held at Croton Hurst with a service  conducted by the Reverend John Reid (25), assisted by the Reverend H. B. Macartney (26). The funeral procession then left for the Melbourne General Cemetery where the Reverend Reid gave the address (27).  George left Croton Hurst to his only surviving child, Sophie Langton (28). His wife, Sophia, died four years later at the age of 76 on October 16, 1895 (29).

In March 1914 Croton Hurst was partly destroyed by a fire. The fire was reported on in The Age and we will reproduce it here to show how opulent the house was - 

A destructive fire broke out yesterday morning at Crotonhurst, a mansion of 30 rooms, owned by Mr. W. F. Langdon, and situated at the corner of Glen Eira and Hawthorn roads, Caulfield. The outbreak was first noticed in the billiard room, which, with its contents, was destroyed. The picture gallery and ballroom were also considerably damaged, but the efforts of the brigade prevented the fire from spreading over the whole building. Some valuable pictures were destroyed or damaged. Expensive statuary, which was in the damaged section of the mansion, was saved. The mansion is being repaired and painted at the present time, and it is thought that the outbreak was caused through some wood work becoming ignited during the operation of burning off old paint. The building and contents are insured in the Insurance Office of Australia for £6500. "Crotonhurst" was built some 30 years ago for the late Mr. Justice Webb, whose daughter is Mrs. Langdon. Part of the contents of the billiard room was a valuable pipe organ, which was totally destroyed (The Age March 12, 1914) (30)

Crotonhurst Avenue and Langdon Road, two reminders of Croton Hurst, were established as part of the Crotonhurst subdivision in 1915, when 31 superior villa sites were put up for sale (31). There was another  subdivions sale in 1919 with a further 23 allotments (32).  

In 1923 there was an interesting application to convert the Croton Hurst stables into flats. This was rejected by the Caulfield Council on the same basis that a similar application by the owners of  Labassa had been refused.

Application to convert Croton Hurst stables into flats.

The Argus, September 20, 1923 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1992927#

The end for Croton Hurst came in December 1937 - The demolition sale tomorrow of Crotonhurst in Walworth avenue, near the town hall, Caulfield will remove an old district landmark.....Most of the original 17 acres was sub-divided some years ago, and the land is now built on. The remaining land has now been subdivided into nine allotments, and will be developed by the new owners (33).

Advertisement for the demolition sale of Croton Hurst

The Argus, December 4, 1937 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11129666

The Glen Eira Historical Society (GEHS) says that some of the decorative features of Croton Hurst were used in the new home of Sophie (or Dottie as she was known) Langdon. Her house was Choto Croton at 411 Beach Road, Beaumaris. This house has also been demolished, another victim of developers and the slack heritage protection on the part of local Councils, however as at June 2020 the gates from Croton Hurst still remain on the property. You can read about it in the GEHS June 2020 newsletter, here. It would be interesting to know how many of the superior villas built after the 1915 sub-division sale still exist in Crotonhurst Avenue and Langdon Road. I will have a look one day when I am in the area. 

Trove list

I have created a list of articles connected to George Webb, his family, his career and Croton Hurst, on Trove. Access the list, here.

Footnotes

(1) Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923 available on Ancestry, originals at Public Records Office of Victoria.

(2) Croton Hurst is now also written as Crotonhusrt, but it was originally two words, and unless I am quoting from a newspaper article that is how I am spelling it. The 1860 advertisement when it was advertised for lease lists it as two words, his personal notices regarding births etc of his family has as two and his Will and Probate papers have it as two words, amongst other documents.

George Webb's Will, showing Croton Hurst as two words

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 7591/ P2, unit 187, item 47/329

(3) England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973; England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 and birth date of his son comes from his death notice (see footnote 4)

(4) The Argus, October 19, 1853, see here.

(5) Matilda's birth notice The Argus, April 16, 1855, see here; death notice The Argus, July 12, 1855, see here.

(6) The Argus, October 25, 1856, see here.

(7) The Age, October 23, 1860, see here.

(8) The Argus, April 17, 1862, see here.

(9) The Argus, May 28, 1863, see here.

(10) The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, June 10, 1876, see here.

(11) The Australasian, October 20, 1883, see here.

(12) Glen Eira Historical Society newsletter, No. 11, November 2016, p. 5, see here.

(13) James Hemming Webb, died August 21, 1881 - his short obituary reads We have to record the death of Mr. James Hemming Webb, Government shorthand writer, which took place at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. B. C. Harriman, on August 27. This event was not unexpected, as the deceased had been ailing from dropsy for a long time, and had been absent from his official duties on sick leave for about five months. Mr. Webb, who arrived in the colony in 1857, succeeded his brother, Mr G. H. F. Webb, Q.C., as Government shorthand writer, about 14 years ago, and this position he has held ever since. He leaves a widow and nine children, and his death will also be regretted by a very large number of colonists, as he was very widely known and much esteemed. The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, September 10, 1881, see here.

(14) The Argus, January 29, 1887, see here. The bust was presented to the National Gallery by his daughter, Elizabeth Clara Agg, the wife of William Henry Agg

(15) The Argus, October 6, 1852, see here. There is an overview of his career in The Australasian of May 8, 1886, see here.

(16) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by Robert Miller, see here.

(17) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by Robert Miller, see here.

(18) The Argus, January 18, 1879, see here.

(19) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by Robert Miller, see here and The Australasian, May 8, 1886, see here.

(20) The Herald, December 1, 1937, see here.

(21)  My fellow historian, Isaac Hermann, purchased his own copy of this postcard, below, and we wondered what the building was in the background and with some research on my part discovered it was Croton Hurst. I found the information and an image in From sand, swamp and heath: a history of Caulfield by Peter R. Murray and John C. Wells (City of Caulfield, 1980).  Paul Caine kindly enhanced the image and and as there appears to be very few images of Croton Hurst, this is gold.  An original of this postcard is also at the State Library of Victoria and it is reproduced below. Croton Hurst is at top right.

View of the Wards, Caulfield Military Hospital, c. 1919. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.

State Library of Victoria Image H42809/3 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/381662

(22) The Argus, May 19, 1860, see here.

(23) The Shire and City of Caulfield Rate books are on Ancestry, 1857 to 1953.

(24) Death notice in The Argus, September 28, 1891, see here.

(25) Reverend John Reid, Minister of the Congreational Church and founder of the Melbourne Shakespeare Society. He died in January 1911, read his obituary in The Argus of Janaury 21, 1911, here.

(26) Reverend Hussey Burgh Macartney (1799 - 1884), Church of England Minister. Read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by A. De Q. Robin, here.

(27) Description of the funeral is in the The Herald, September 29, 1891, see here.

(28) A comprehensive report of the contents of his will was in The Age, November 18, 1891, see here. His daughter Sophie, also known as Dottie, married William Farrer Langdon (1860 - 1943) in 1883. He was the son of Henry Langdon and Mary Grace Farrer. Sophie and William had eight children - Frank Henry Webb (1884 - 1912), George Rupert Webb (1885-1889), Isabel Webb (1887), Mary Grace (1889), Sophie Violet Webb (1891), William Webb (1893), Georgie Helen (1894) and Marcus Webb (1897). She died June 21, 1948, death notice is here.

(29) Death notice of wife, Sophia, is in The Australasian, October 26, 1895, see here.

(30) The Age, March 12, 1914, see here.

(31) Advertisement for the sale in The Argus, October 30, 1914, see here. An advertorial was in The Herald, December 9, 1915, see here.

(32) Prahran Telegraph, April 5, 1919, see here.

(33) The Argus, December 6, 1937, see here.

The Lady Loch - the Yarra river steam ferry

The Lady Loch, a steam ferry built at Johnson's Tyne Foundry, commenced operation on August 29, 1884. She provided much needed access for passengers and vehicles over the Yarra River between the City and South Melbourne, crossing from Spencer Street to Clarendon Street.

The Lady Loch, steam ferry.

Steam Ferry on the Yarra. Photographer: Charles Nettleton. 

State Library of Victoria Image H3793

The Age had a comprehensive report of the ferry a few days before the first journey -
As an evidence of the rapidly growing requirements of the city, and the consequent necessity of providing the most rapid means of transit for those engaged in business, the Harbor Trust authorities have just had completed to their order, by Messrs Johnson and Co., of the Tyne Foundry a steam ferry, which will ply for hire between Spencer and Clarendon Streets, thus connecting the two cities. The ferry, which is of particularly, massive construction, is so built as to convey vehicles of all descriptions across the river, so that in a few days drivers wishing to reach any part of South Melbourne from the north-western part of Melbourne will save considerable time by utilising the ferry instead of crossing the Falls bridge (1), as they have had to do hitherto. 

The length of the ferry, which is of composite build, is 59 feet 6 inches, with a breadth of 36 feet 4 inches, and a depth of 12 feet 3 inches. At each end is a well 9 feet 9 inches in depth, constructed so as to allow the chain on which the ferry works to have ample room to pan backwards and forwards to the engine room. The angle iron frames and reverse angle irons are 3.3g inches in thickness. Below the water line the body of the vessel, which is of iron, is covered with redgum 4, inches in thickness. The decks are constructed of kauri pine 3 inches in thickness, and the roadways, which run on the two sides of the ferry, are covered, in additon to the kauri pine with redgum to the depth of 3 inches. Two movable stages are placed at either end, and these are lowered as vehicles enter or leave the ferry by a pair of engines specially made for the purpose, each having an 6 inch cylinder with 12 inch stroke. The hauling, or main engines of the ferry, have also been most carefully prepared, the contractors having to pay due regard to strength while also bearing in mind that space must be economised. The cylinders in this case are 12 inches in diameter with a 24 inch stroke, and the chain which this engine is supposed to haul is 1¼ inch in thickness. The two boilers are of the marine return tubular order, each being 8 feet 9 inches in diameter and 9 feet 9 inches long. The shells of the boiler are 7/8 inch in thickness, and are treble rivetted all over. The boilers will work to a pressure of 100 lb. to the square inch, and have been tested up to 200 lb. hydraulic pressure ; and in order to retain the heat they have been coated with Bradbury's composition, manufactured by Messrs. C. P. Bradbury, of Hoddle-street, Collingwood. The ferry has been constructed with due regard to the comfort of passengers, the portion of the vessel allotted to them being covered in, while seats are ranged along the outer side. The whole of the vessel has been neatly painted and cost the Trust the sum  of £9,500. The ferry will commence running in a few days, as soon as the necessary approaches on either side of the river have been completed. (2)

The ferry was designed by W. R Rennick, who started his working life as an engineer with the Melbourne Harbour Trust, during which time he supervised the construction of Queen's Bridge. He later moved to the Railways Department  and was responsible for the design of various station buildings, railway bridges and the the coal canal at West Melbourne amongst other work. William Robert Rennick retired in July 1924 and died in 1938 at the age of 78 (3).

The ferry was built by Messrs Johnson and Co., of the Tyne Foundry, on the south bank of the Yarra, at Lorimer and Tyne Street intersection, near South Wharf.  The foundry was established by John Currie Johnson, around 1873 (4). There was a description of the foundry in The Age in October 1883 - The extensive works of this firm are situated to the west of Wright and Orr's docks, on the South bank of the Yarra. The area of ground is 2 acres 1 rood 4 perches, of which about 1 acre is covered with buildings. The latter comprise a carriage building shop, waggon shop, boiler yard and shed, shipbuilding yard, smiths' Bhop, engineers' shop, forge shop and pattern shop. The average number of men employed during the year is 300 a week, the  wages sheet being about £800 per week (5). 

Apart from the ferry the foundry built other vessels including the steam boat Sprightly (1875); the tug Pelican (1880) and the sand dredge, Pioneer (1949). The Pioneer is pictured, below. The Foundry also supplied the wrought iron work on the Eastern Market, which opened December 1879,  built mining equipment and portable steam engines (6). The Foundry closed about 1970 (7). 

Ports & Harbour dredge, Pioneer, under construction at 

Johnson's Tyne Foundry, South Melbourne, c. 1948

State Library of Victoria Image H2008.39

John Currie Johnson had arrived in Melbourne in 1853 and worked at Langlands Foundry (8) before establishing his own company.  Johnson and his family moved to Footscray in 1860. His obituary said he was elected a member of the Footscray Council in 1865, holding a similar position at South Melbourne at the same time (9). He was actually elected to the Footscray Council in 1867 and resigned in 1870, and to South Mebourne (or Emerald Hill as it was then called) Council in 1880. He successfully stood again for Footscray Council in 1881 and was Mayor the same year. He retired from South Melbourne Council in 1883 and Footscray in 1884 (10).  John died in 1903 aged 77 (11).  His son, James Ritchie Johnson, later managed the Foundry; he had undertaken his apprenticeship at Langlands. In common with his father, he was also a Councillor at Footscray, from 1903 until 1931, being the Mayor on two occasions. He died in 1945 aged 87 (12).  John Currie Johnson had a numerous other sons (13) including one named Henry Langlands,  a tribute perhaps to his old employer, Robert Langlands.  On the subject of names, John was born in Newcastle on Tyne, so I presume that is the source of the name of the foundry, which gave its name to the street. 

Advertisement for the Tyne Foundary

Emerald Hill Record, July 7 1882  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108472968

The steam ferry had been launched a few months previously on June 23 1884, at a ceremony attended by members of the Harbour Trust including the Commisioner, John Nimmo, M.L.A., representatives from the South Melbourne Council and various politicians. The vessel was then  finished off in the water and the approaches on both sides of the river completed before she was put into service (14). 

At the launch Miss Daisy Johnston, John Currie Johnson's daughter, broke the time-honoured bottle of wine said one report (15) or the customary bottle of champagne said another (16) and and christened the ferry the " Lady Loch," to honour the wife of  the Victorian Governor, Sir Henry Brougham Loch (17).

There were comments from the start about the appearance of the vessel. Mr J. M. Bruce of the Harbour Trust addressed this issue at the launch -
There was no doubt as to the ferry being a thing of much utility, though, perhaps, severe critics might be disposed to question its beauty. It was, perhaps, only a half compliment to name it after Lady Loch. Considering the nature of the locality, and its liability to floods, it would have been more appropriate to have called it the "Noah's Ark," and it would in the future probably be found very useful in conveying people from the dangerous low-lands of South Melbourne to the more secure levels on the north bank (18).

The Lady Loch

The new steam ferry, Spencer-Street. Published in the Australasian Sketcher December 17, 1884.

State Library of Victoria Image  A/S17/12/84/204  

Ferries had been operating between Spencer Street and Clarendon Street from the 1850s. Archibald Cook was the licensee of the Spencer Street ferry from 1854, and due to the commencement of the Lady Loch, the Harbour Trust paid him £860 compensation to forfeit his licence (19).  Cook's vessels were passenger only vessels and did not carry vehicles or livestock (20) and thus there had been  agitation to have a bridge at this location from the 1850s (21). However Melbourne and South Melbourne had to wait until 1930 for a bridge - the Spencer Street bridge opened on February 12 (22). 

The Lady Loch was still operating in 1920. There was a report in The Argus of June 1920 about her  - Once again the ferry is being run with small boats, as the ponderous old steamer, with its square build and flat bottom, is laid up for a badly needed over-haul. Those accustomed to using the ferry are not altogether sorry for the change. A swift motor-launch does a continuous service from 5 a.m. to midnight, and the crossing is made in about a minute. So efficient is the working that the other morning a tally showed 523 passengers were carried in 20 minutes (23) These swift motor-launch were operated by a company which employed only returned soldiers (24). A report in 1924 on the retirement of Mr Rennick, the designer of the ferry, referred to it as the old steam ferrry that plied  at Spencer Street for many years (25)  which implies to me that it was no longer operating. The Lady Loch was auctioned off  for scrap in May 1928 (26).

 The end of the Lady Loch. 

The Age May 15, 1928 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/18866162

Trove list - I have created a list of articles relating to the Tyne Foundry and John Currie Johnson and his family, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Falls Bridge was built in 1860 and was replaced by Queen's bridge in 1889. It crosses the Yarra from Queensbridge Street, South Melbourne to Market Street. The Falls were caused by a rocky bar across the the Yarra, which were removed 1883 - 1885, to help alleviate flooding -  see articles in The Argus of May 24, 1883, here and December 3, 1884 here.  Princes Bridge at Swanston Street was built in 1850s and the current bridge dates to 1888. The bridge from Spencer Street to Clarendon Street in South Melbourne was opened in 1930 and the King Street Bridge, linking Kings Street to Kings Way was built in 1957. eMelbourne is a good source for the history of the early bridges and roads https://www.emelbourne.net.au/
(2) The Age August 25, 1884, see here.
(3) William Robert Rennick. Reports of his retirement which list some of his works and his career highlights can be found in The Herald July 8, 1924, see here and The Argus July 9, 1924, see here. His obituary was in The Argus, May 20, 1938, see here.
(4) Date of establishment. An article in The Age of October 1, 1883 (see here) said it was established in 1872; John Currie Johnson's obituary in the Footscray Independent of March 21, 1903 (see here) implies it was founded around 1875. It is listed in Sands McDougall Directory in 1875.

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1875.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

(5) The Age, October 1, 1883, see here.
(6) The other projects can be found in various newspapers reports, see my Trove list, here. Some examples of portable steam engines can be found on the Engineering Australia website here.
(7) Closure date comes from a City of Port Phillip Heritage Review, see here.
(8) Short history of Langlands foundry is on eMelbourne, here. 

(9) Footscray Independent, March 21, 1903, see here

(10) Election  to Footscray Council in 1867 reported in The Age of March 2, 1867, see here.  Resignation from Footscray Council from The Argus, November 18, 1870, see here.  Election to South Melbourne Council from Emerald Hill Record, August 13, 1880, see here.  Re-election to Footscray Council reported in The Age, August 12, 1881, see here.   Elevation to Mayor at Footscray reported in the Australasian, August 20, 1881, see here.  Resignation from South Melbourne Council reported in The Argus August 10, 1883, see here. Resignation from Footscray Council reported in the Footscray Independent August 2, 1884, see here.    The fact that he was elected to South Melbourne Council in 1880 came from South Melbourne: a history by Susan Priestley (Melbourne University Press, 1995)

(11) Information about John Currie Johnson's life comes from his obituary in the Footscray Independent, March 21, 1903, see here. It also comes from the History of Footscray by John Lack (Hargreen / City of Footscray, 1991)
(12) James Ritchie Johnson - information about his life is from his obituary in The Argus, September 28, 1945, see here; an article about him in the Footscray Independent of March 3, 1904, see here and History of Footscray by John Lack (Hargreen / City of Footscray, 1991)
(13) John Currie Johnson married Ann Hughes in 1855. They had Thomas Watson (registered Emerald Hill, 1856), James Ritchie (Emerald Hill, 1858), John Currie (Emerald Hill, 1860), William Samuel (Emerald Hill, 1862), Annie Eleanor (1864 - 1878), Henry Langlands (Footscray, 1866), Albert Toney (Footscray, 1868), Francis Ernest (Footscray, 1870), Mary Charlotte (Footscray, 1872). They also had a daughter, Daisy, who launched the Lady Loch, but I cannot find any reference to her birth, in the Victorian Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages. Daisy was possibly a pet name for Mary Charlotte.  Ann, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret (nee Richardson) Hughes, died in 1892 at the age of 56. John then married Flora McInnes in 1892 and they had one son, Neil Laing Johnson in 1893, born when John was 67. 
(14) Reports of the launch can be found in The Herald, June 23, 1884, see here; The Argus June 24, 1884, see here; and the Emerald Hill Record, June 27, 1884, see here. 
(15) Emerald Hill Record, June 27, 1884, see here. 
(16) The Argus June 24, 1884, see here.
(17) The Herald, June 23, 1884, see here.
(18) Emerald Hill Record, June 27, 1884, see here.
(19) The Argus, May 23, 1882, see here and The Argus, June 10 1885, see here.
(20) The Argus, August 30, 1884, see here,  reported on the fares and timetable - The steam ferry will ply from 6 a.m to 7 p.m in summer, and from 7 a.m to 5 p.m in winter. The row boat will ply from 5 a.m to the time the steam ferry begins operations, and from the time the steam ferry ceases until midnight, the charge per passenger being 1d up to 10 p.m., afterwards 2d. Weekly tickets, not available after 10 p.m., will be issued at 6d each. For every vehicle drawn by one horse the charge will be 3d , or 1s. per day ; do, two horses, 4d , or 1s 3d per day ; do, three horses, 6d , or 1s 6d per day ; do , four horses, 1s , or 2s per day. For every horse, cow, or bullock, 2d ; for every pig, ½d , for every sheep, ½d , for each score of sheep 4d.
(21) Report in The Age, March 27 1856 (see here) is the earliest I can find -  A meeting was held on Tuesday evening in the great iron store, for the purpose of taking into consideration the best route for the proposed road from Emerald Hill to, and bridge across, the River Yarra.....The Council had endeavored to procure a line of road from Clarendon street to the Yarra opposite Spencer street, and bridge across the river. It appeared that the Government were disposed to favor the views of the Council, but seemed inclined to substitute a steam-punt for a bridge.

(22) The Argus, February 13, 1930, see here.

(23) The Argus, June 25, 1920, see here.

(24) The Argus, June 25, 1920, see here.

(25) The Herald, July 8, 1924, see here.

(26) The Age May 15, 1928, see here. There was a report in the Williamstown Chronicle, July 7, 1928 (see here) that the ferry was offered to them for a breakwater. I don't know what the outcome of that was.