Day 46

Our pre retirement trial trip- day 46

The aim today was to visit Penwortham, home and final resting place of John Horrocks. Job done ✔️ and so much more 🥰

It’s been a busy day today, but we did fit in a visit to the historic town of Mintaro and it’s beautiful pub, the Magpie Stump Hotel, and ended the day with a glass at Wines by KT to celebrate a successful day 🍷

One of the reasons that brought us to explore the Clare Valley was its link to Horrocks.
Those that know the area will know of Mount Horrocks, Horrocks highway…….well the town of Penwortham was founded by John Horrocks

We knew this and was in search of his cottage and final resting place, and a chance conversation with a lady in the tourist information office led us to the president of the Mount Horrocks Historical Society - Wendy.
Which then led to a chance visit to their Watervale Institute and an opportunity to look through boxes of archived information including Horrocks family trees and diaries.
And an offer to open up the cottage for an escorted tour.
We feel so lucky and privileged to have met Wendy, David and Meredith and thankful for the time they took and the information they provided us to further investigate any links we might have with the Preston Horrocks’s.

A little history of John Ainsworth Horrocks

On this trip that we first learnt of John Ainsworth Horrocks, pastoralist, pioneer and explorer, who was allegedly shot by his own camel and which ultimately resulted in his death.

We were keen to learn more about John and establish if there was any family connection given he was born 22nd March 1818 at Penwortham Lodge, near Preston, Lancashire, England.

He was one of 13 children of Peter (and Clara) Horrocks, whose father was a member of parliament for Preston, cotton mill owner and manufacturer, having established Horrocks, Miller & co.

John was sent to South Australia with his brother Eustace in 1839 aged 21
He was the first white man to settle in Ngadjuri country, and he established the township Penwortham after his home.
He is said to have built the first stone cottage for his brother (whilst he lived in a tree!) and established the first vineyard in the district. He later built himself a manor house - Hope Farm and raised money to build the first church-St Mark’s.

On 29th July 1846 he left on an expedition near to Lake Torrens with his camel but an accident on the shores of Lake Dutton on 1st September resulted in him being shot and loosing the middle fingers of his right hand and a row of teeth. He was taken back to Penwortham, arriving on 19th September and dying from his wounds on 23rd September. He He was buried in land that had been planned for the church.Leer más