Stephen Henty
Stephen George Henty (3 November 1811 – 18 December 1872) was a farmer and politician in colonial Victoria, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. Henty was born in West Tarring, Sussex, England, the son of Thomas Henty (1775–1839) and Frances Elizabeth, "née" Hopkins. Henty arrived at the Swan River settlement with brothers James and John in 1829. In 1836 Stephen settled in Portland. In 1839, Henty led an overland expedition to explore the Mount Gambier region. He was the first white man to climb the peak and view the blue crater lake. In 1842, Henty and his brother  Edward laid claim to the land around Mount Gambier and established a sheep station there. Conflict with the local Aboriginal residents quickly ensued that same year with Henty's men shooting a number and burning their corpses. In March 1844, a band of Aboriginal people led by Koort Kirrup took a large number of Henty's sheep. Henty's men pursued and engaged them in a prolonged skirmish which resulted in the colonists having to retreat. The "Southern Australian" reported that other white pastoralists in the region were also having difficulties with Aboriginal attacks on their farmsteads and they resolved  to form hunting parties and raid them "indiscriminately" if police protection did not come. The situation proved too hard for Stephen Henty, and even though Koort Kirrup was captured, Henty abandoned the Mount Gambier property later in 1844 with significant loss of capital. In November 1856, Henty was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Province, a position he held until November 1870. For much of the period of Henty's Council membership, he and his family lived at "Findon" a mansion he built in Kew Melbourne. Family. Stephen George Henty married Barbara Whilemena Bayntun–Sandys (1806–1891), daughter of  Sir Edwin Bayntun–Sandys, Bart. Their children include: