The Emigrants
FROM ARMADALE,
SUTHERLAND TO
GEELONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA....
The journey of Donald Munro and Georgina Ann Scobie Mackay who emigrated in 1854 on 'The Hornet'.
Donald Munro built a house in what became one of the suburbs of greater Melbourne. He called it Armadale House and that is why the Melbourne area has a place called Armadale.
Donald and Georgina's son James followed Ms parents out to Geelong, talking his own family with him.
James Munro became Premier of The State of Victoria and Attorney-General in the late 1890s.
As a politician and local worthy James was committed to the Temperance movement all his life.
James suggested and promoted the incredible idea of an 8 hour working day -8 hours work, 8 hours leisure and 8 hours sleep - which was adopted in Victoria.
James created the first Building Society and Bank.
"The Victorian Permanent Building Society was founded by Mr. Munro in 1863, and for 17 years he was secretary of that institution."
Great financial crisis followed the boom years of the 1880s during the 1890s. This ruined the Bank and the family for a time. The economic crisis resulted from the 'land boom' and what in today's global economic crisis might be called 'overheating' fuelled by land speculation. The newspapers of the time were full of analysis of the causes and consequences -and the matter was personalised in terms of the Munro family involvement.
