Thompson's Road (1) runs from Patterson Lakes, through Carrum Downs, Cranbourne and Clyde nearly to the Cardinia Creek, so essentially all the way west to east across the old Shire of Cranbourne. It was, I believe, named for Patrick Thompson, early land owner and member of the Cranbourne Road Board.
According to the Cranbourne Shire Rate Books, Patrick Thompson owned 308 acres, lots 19 and 22 in the Parish of Lyndhurst – the land was on either side of what is now Thompson's Road. The land was originally owned by C. & R. Wedge - Charles and Richard Wedge, who along with their other brothers, John and Henry had extensive land holdings. They were the nephews of the surveyor, John Helder Wedge. They had arrived from Tasmania in 1836 and took up land at Werribee. They later acquired the Bangam and Ballamarang runs, 42 square miles which ran from essentially modern day Hampton Park to Frankston and covered the Carrum Swamp (see map, below).They held this property collectively, which they called Banyan Waterholes, until 1852 when it was divided between them (2).
You can see Patrick Thompson's land on the map below, it is outlined in red.
I don't know when Patrick purchased this land from the Wedge Brothers, the Cranbourne Shire Rate books start at 1863, the earlier ones are missing, but in October 1856, Thompson was listed in the State Government Gazette as being appointed a Trustee of the land set aside for the Presbyterian Church, so we could presume that he owned the land then.
Patrick Thompson was elected to the newly created Cranbourne Road Board on July 8, 1860 and held the position until 1863. Other members of this first Road Board included Alexander Cameron, James Smith Adams and Edward Malloy, who were also fellow Trustees of the Cranbourne Cemetery (3). Dr Gunson in his book, The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire book says that his property was called Oaklands (4). In April 1863, Patrick Thomson held a clearing sale of stock, crop, implements and household furniture and the farm was advertised for lease, in consequence of his leaving the district, but I have no information as to where he went to.
Another advertisement appeared in The Argus of May 22, 1863, leasing Oaklands for three years. There was a good description of the farm -
The farm contains 308 acres, 200 of which are black soil, of the richest description. It is divided by a Government road in two equal parts, and subdivided into nine paddocks, nearly all of which are fenced and drained; 130 acres of the land have been under cultivation, 20 acres thereof under English grass and clover. There is a good house, dairy, three-stall stable, and farm offices, spring-wells, and water-holes, with other conveniences, all in complete repair; likewise a close-fenced garden, planted with choice fruit-trees, and vines in full bearing. It would be interesting to know where his house was - his block bordered Evans Road as well as being either side of Thompson Road (called a Government road in the advertisement), so he had a good choice of road frontage.
1863 is, as I said before, the first year that the Cranbourne Shire Rate Books are available and James Sloan is listed as leasing lots 19 and 22 from Patrick Thompson. This is the only mention of Thompson in the Rate Books, though James Sloan is listed until 1867. From 1864 to 1866 there is no owner listed – so we can’t tell if Patrick Thompson still owns the land. In 1867, Sloan is still listed as the rate-payer, however the owner is listed as Atkinson. There are advertisements in The Argus in 1868 advising that Sloan is selling all his dairy stock and farm produce.
From 1868 until 1874, William Cameron is listed as the rate-payer of lots 19 and 22 and the owner is still listed as Atkinson. William Cameron held an immense clearing sale at Oaklands on March 2, 1874 selling the whole of his dairy stock, dairy plant, farm implements etc.
I know nothing about Patrick Thompson's personal life, and I don't know for sure if Thompson's Road was named for him, but the fact that he had land on either side of the road and was a member of the original Cranbourne Road Board makes it highly likely that it was.
Footnotes(2) The information on the Wedge Brothers comes from The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson (Cheshire, 1968), p.34, 52-53. Their holdings are also listed in Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip by R.V. Billis & A.S. Kenyon (Stockland press, 1974) You can read about their uncle, John Helder Wedge, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.
