The table below lists events in Lucy’s story alongside some events in the
history of Victoria.
Lucy’s Story |
Date |
Events in Victoria |
|---|---|---|
|
1840
|
Port Phillip District population estimated at 10,000. | |
| 22 May Birth of Lucy Bell in Tillicoultry, Scotland. |
1843
|
|
|
1851
|
13 January Colony of Victoria comes into existence.6 February Black Thursday Bushfires burn from the vicinity of Melbourne to the SA border.June Gold discovered at Clunes in the vicinity of Ballarat. |
|
|
1853
|
Chinese population in Victorian goldfields reached 2000. | |
|
1854
|
3 December Soldiers and police attack the Eureka Stockade. | |
| 20 April Arrival of Lucy Bell and her family in Geelong in the Colony of Victoria; family settles in the District of Buninyong. |
1855
|
Population of Victoria: 347,305 [Source: Victorian Year Book] July Introduction of responsible government in the Colony of Victoria. |
|
1860
|
Land Sales Act 1860 (Nicholson Act) was the first Victorian legislation concerning the sale and selection of Crown land. |
|
|
1862
|
Land Act 1862 (Duffy Act) set aside ten million acres of land to be gradually surveyed for allotments of 640 acres. |
|
| 16 October Marriage of Lucy Bell to Swiss immigrant John Singer. |
1863
|
|
| 8 March Birth of Lucy and John Singer’s first child, Charles Leopold, in Buninyong. |
1865
|
Population of Victoria : 617,791 [Source: Victorian Year Book] Amending Land Act (First Grant Act) allowed for surveyed allotments of 40-640 acres to be made available for selection. It required the lessee to make improvements to the selected land and reside on it to qualify to purchase the land at the end of the lease. |
| Birth of Lucy and John Singer’s second child, Lucy Caroline. |
1866
|
|
|
1869
|
Land Act 1869 (Second Grant Act) made Crown land across the whole Colony of Victoria available for selection, including unsurveyed land. |
|
|
1870
|
Married Women’s Property Act 1870 passed in Great Britain to allow women to keep their own property and earnings after they are married. |
|
| Birth of Lucy and John Singer’s third child, Agatha Katherine.John Singer applies for two adjoining allotments, one in the parish of Yarrowee, the other in the Parish of Lynchfield. |
1872
|
|
| 16 June Death of John Singer of strangulated hernia.Lucy applies for letters of administration to give her authority to administer his estate. |
1873
|
|
| 28 July Marriage of Lucy Singer to Peter Campbell. |
1874
|
|
| Birth of Lucy and Peter Campbell’s first child Henry (survives only three days). |
1875
|
Population of Victoria: 823,272 [Source: Victorian Year Book] |
| Birth of Lucy and Peter Campbell’s second child Rose Jane.Lucy obtains letters of administration. |
1876
|
|
| Leases of Yarrowee and Lynchfield allotments transferred to Lucy Campbell. |
1878
|
‘Black Wednesday’, referring to the mass sackings of judges, magistrates and courts to save the Government money. |
| Grant of Yarrowee land. |
1880
|
Ned Kelly hanged. |
| 29 JanuaryDeath of Lucy Campbell at a waterhole near family home.30 January Magisterial inquiry produces finding that Lucy Campbell accidentally drowned. |
1885
|
Population of Victoria: 991,869 [Source: Victorian Year Book] |
