George Cheyne (settler)

George Cheyne (8 April 1790 – 5 June 1869) was an early settler in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Cheyne was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1790, the fourteenth of seventeen children. His father, John Cheyne was a doctor and his mother was Margaret Edmonstone.

He arrived in Fremantle aboard the Stirling with his wife and daughter, and a cargo of merchandise including a prefabricated house, 14 merinos, cattle and a pair of rabbits. He intended to settle in the area along the Swan or Canning Rivers as a farmer but found the best land was taken.[1] Undeterred he pressed on to King George Sound and found business sites around Albany and selected land around the Kalgan River, Moorilup and on Mistaken Island.[1]

Cheyne acquired land in the Kendenup area in 1832[2] and Cape Riche[3] in 1836.[4]

In 1839 Cheyne sold 20,000 acres (8,094 ha) of his land around Kendenup to John Hassell, who developed it as Kendenup Estate.[5]

Cheyne moved permanently to Cape Riche in 1842 to trade with the crew of whalers in the area.[6] He also introduced the Moir family, relatives of his from Scotland, to the area, with his nephew Andrew Moir arriving in 1841.[6] Moir acquired the property from his uncle in 1858.[7] By 1843 Cheyne was supplying whalers operating in and around from his property at Cape Riche with items such as water, fuel, provisions, and fresh meat and vegetables. In 1837 Cheyne founded his own whaling operation on Doubtful Islands Bay.[5]

He also. acquired more grazing land along the Pallinup River and around Broomehill while establishing himself as a merchant, sandalwooder, whaler and shipchandler. Cheyne built a large granite house in Albany in 1862 then went to England to secure a better deal for his wool from his brokers. He then bought a house in Sussex and sold his Albany house to John Hassell.[1]

Cheyne died in Dumfries, Scotland in 1869.[8]

Several geographical features bear Cheyne's name including:

References
  1. "Why The Name Of Cheyne Marks Our South Coast". The West Australian. Perth. 28 October 1950. p. 21. Retrieved 7 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Kendenup 1840-1940". Western Mail. Perth. 23 May 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 7 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Early Albany". Albany Advertiser. Albany, Western Australia. 27 April 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 6 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Upgraded and Expanded Biographical Notes - Western Australian Exploration 1826-1835". Western Australian Explorers’ Diaries Project. 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  5. "Albany's Early Years: 1837 - 1846". Albany Gateway. 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  6. Donald S. Garden (1977). Albany; A panorama of the Sound. Thomas Nelson Limited. ISBN 0170051676.
  7. "Andrew Moir". Great Southern Pioneers. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  8. "George Cheyne". Ancestory.com. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
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