Mouyong,
Edgars Road,
Little River

A large pastoral property with a large bluestone shearing shed, a bluestone building and a timber house.

1997

Context Pty Ltd

City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997

text

eng

Mouyong remains a large pastoral property, retaining a large bluestone shearing shed, another bluestone building and a timber house (moved to the property).

The bluestone shearing shed is one of few examples remaining in the western region, and one of several Chirnside woolsheds. It is said to use a similar rectangular floor plan to the surviving Chirnside woolsheds at Werribee Park, Mokanger, Mt William, Mt Elephant and Carranballac, but is substantially smaller. It retains a small tower (presumably a woolpress tower), a similar feature having been removed from the Werribee Park woolshed (but surviving at Mokanger). It may also be the work of 'architect cum builder' Parlane Colquhoun who built the Mokanger shed, and undertook many other building projects for the Chirnsides. Other known examples include the woolsheds at Deanside and Eynesbury.

This property on the west side of Edgars Road is associated with the early district squatter George Synnot and later with Andrew Chirnside. The Mouyong pastoral run of 26,225 acres was licensed in about 1841 to squatter George Synnot. The run appears to have included land on both sides of the Werribee River.

In 1853, Mouyong was leased to George's brother Monckton. Then in 1859, after it was subdivided into Bareacres East and West, the eastern section (the site of Allotment 10B) was held by Andrew Chirnside.

The Synnots, according to Paul de Serville's account in 'Port Phillip Gentlemen' were 'gentlemen by birth'. George was the third son and Monckton the sixth son of Walter Synnot of Van Dieman's Land. Both were grandsons of Sir Walter Synnot of Ballymoyer. George eventually returned to die in England in 1871, while Monckton married Annie Wedge Laurence of Formosa, Van Dieman's Land, the granddaugter of Edward Davy Wedge of Werribee.

An RGO search confirmed that in 1853 George Synnot became the Crown Grantee of the 640 acres in Allotment 10B, Parish of Bulban, after the payment of 640 pounds. In 1857 George Synnot sold the property to Lucius McManus for 10,200 pounds. In the same year, McManus sold to William Kaye and James Butchart, pastoralists, for 6,000 pounds, while leasing the property for 5 years at 500 pounds a year. The search also confirmed that by August 1858 Thomas Chirnside had secured the property for 7,450 pounds, subsequently transferring it to Andrew Chirnside. Mouyong remained in Chirnside ownership for some years.

More recently, the property went out of Chirnside hands and in 1980-81 was sold to Gradena Jan Nominess Pty Ltd of Dandenong for $150,000. The following year, Mouyong returned to Chirnside ownership. The new owners were Ann Elizabeth Chirnside, medical practitioner, of Mount Rothwell, Little River and Timothy James Young, solicitor after the payment of $179,200.