Francis Findlay

M, #30396
Land-Gembrook*12 Feb 1885 GEM--19. Transfer from Margaret Lumsden Fraser to Francis Findlay. 313a 3r 1p.1 
Land-Gembrook*31 May 1897 GEM--19. Transfer from Francis Findlay to Agnes Sarah Brooks. 313a 3r 1p.2 

Citations

  1. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1647-389 - Francis Findlay of Albert Road South Melbourne Inspector of Government School Buildings - C/T 1658-444.
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Agnes Sarah Brooks wife of Lawrance Brooks of Gembrook South Farmer.
Last Edited26 Jun 2025

Agnes Sarah Matthews

F, #30397
Married NameAgnes Sarah Brooks. 
Marriage*1876 Spouse: Lawrance Brooks. VIC, Australia, #M646/1876, Agnes Sarah MATTHEWS & Lawrance BROOKS.1
 
Land-Gembrook*31 May 1897 GEM--19. Transfer from Francis Findlay to Agnes Sarah Brooks. 313a 3r 1p.2 
Land-Note*31 May 1897 GEM--19: Mortgagee: James Ballantyne. Mortgage 177760. Not discharged. Mortgagor was Agnes Sarah Brooks.3 
Land-Gembrook*b 9 Dec 1901 GEM--19. Transfer from Agnes Sarah Brooks to James Ballantyne. 313a 3r 1p.3 

Citations

  1. [S27] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Marriages) (online) "#M646/1876, Agnes Sarah MATTHEWS & Lawrance BROOKS."
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Agnes Sarah Brooks wife of Lawrance Brooks of Gembrook South Farmer.
  3. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Mortgage 177760. Not discharged - property sold by mortgagee.
Last Edited26 Jun 2025

John Robert Smith

M, #30399
Land-Gembrook*9 Dec 1901 GEM--19. Transfer from James Ballantyne to John Robert Smith. 313a 3r 1p.1 
Land-Gembrook*20 Jul 1903 GEM--19. Transfer from John Robert Smith to Jorgen Peder Holdenson. 313a 3r 1p.2 

Citations

  1. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - John Robert Smith of Gembrook South Farmer.
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Jorgen Peder Holdenson of Pakenham Farmer.
Last Edited19 Apr 2024

Jorgen Peder Holdenson

M, #30400, b. 1858, d. 31 Jul 1921
Name Variation Jorgen Peder Holdenson was also known as Jorgen Peter Holdensen. 
Birth*1858 Sejstrup, Jutland, Denmark. 
Marriage1881 Spouse: Katrine Lindberg. Denmark.
 
Note1901 In 1901 his brother, Poul John Holdenson, was appointed Consul General for Denmark in Victoria.1 
Land-Gembrook*20 Jul 1903 GEM--19. Transfer from John Robert Smith to Jorgen Peder Holdenson. 313a 3r 1p.2 
Land-Gembrook*26 Oct 1911 GEM--19 (part). Transfer from Jorgen Peder Holdenson to Thomas Montgomery Black Ashley Smart. Transfer 664954 - land for Pakenham Upper Hall. Trustees Thomas Montgomery Black, Jorgen Peder Holdenson, Ashley Smart.3 
Land-Note*21 Oct 1915 GEM--19 (part): Mortgagee: The London Bank of Australia Limited. Mortgage 353380 - Discharged 6 Sep 1920. Mortgagor was Jorgen Peder Holdenson.4 
Land-Gembrook*6 Sep 1920 GEM--19 (part). Transfer from Jorgen Peder Holdenson to Harold George Howling. 8a 2r 17p.5 
Death*31 Jul 1921 Pakenham Upper, VIC, Australia, #D11571/1921 (Age 63) (par Holden Jensen Petersen HOLDENSON & Magreta NESSEN) - as Jorgen Peder HOLDENSON.6 
Death-Notice1 Aug 1921 HOLDENSEN.—On the 31st July, after a short illness, at his residence, Pakenham Upper, Jorgen Peder, loved husband of Katrine Holdensen, and father of Marie, Magretta, Mina (deceased), Holden (deceased), Dagmar (Mrs. Priest), Thyra, Lindberg, Povl (late A.I.F.), Jens, Anna (Mrs. Smith), Nora, and Ejnar.7 
Land-Note*13 Dec 1927 GEM--19 (part). Red Ink No 2876931. Jorgen Peder Holdenson died on 31 July 1921. Letters of Administration have been granted to Kathrine Holdenson of Upper Pakenham Widow. Dated 13 Dec 1927.8 
Land-Gembrook*13 Dec 1927 GEM--19 (part). Transfer from Jorgen Peter Holdensen to Katrine Holdensen. 304a 2r 37p.8 
(Witness) Land-Note22 May 1940 GEM--19 (part) Red Ink No 3847877. Ashley Smart of South Gembrook Orchardist the survivor of the proprietors named herein is by direction of the Commissioner of Titles, now registered as sole proprietor of the land now comprised herein.9 
(Transfer from) Land-Gembrook22 May 1940 GEM--19 (part). Transfer from Thomas Montgomery Black Jorgen Peder Holdenson to Ashley Smart. Red Ink No 3847877. Ashley Smart of South Gembrook Orchardist the survivor of the proprietors named herein is by direction of the Commissioner of Titles, now registered as sole proprietor of the land now comprised herein.9 

Family

Katrine Lindberg b. 1859, d. 9 Mar 1933
Children 1.Berthe Marie Holdensen b. 1882, d. 19 Jun 1943
 2.Magretta Holdensen b. 1883, d. 1957
 3.Mina Holdensen b. 1885, d. 23 Feb 1907
 4.Holden Holdensen b. 1886, d. 3 May 1919
 5.Dagmar Holdensen b. 1888, d. 1972
 6.Thyra Holdensen b. 1889, d. 1981
 7.Lindberg Holdensen b. 1891, d. 8 Oct 1933
 8.Povl Jorgen Holdensen b. 1 Apr 1893, d. 1957
 9.Jens Peter Holdensen b. 1895, d. 1965
 10.Anna Holdensen+ b. 1898, d. 1977
 11.Nora Holdensen b. 1900, d. 1979
 12.Ejnar Holdensen b. 1904, d. 13 Jun 1989

Newspaper-Articles

  • 28 Sep 2011: History gets sold off
    The last parcel of land owned by one family for 109 years has now been sold.
    THE FINAL piece of history has been sold in Pakenham Upper for the Holdensen and Smith families.
    The last 10 acres of the property known as “Linden” at Gembrook Road was sold this month, ending 109 years of ownership from the one family.
    Former resident, 90-year-old Ron Smith (who now lives in Yarrawonga) said the property had a long history for his family.
    “I thought some people might be interested to know about it,” Mr Smith said.
    “We think it’s a pretty interesting story, and to have had the land in the family for so long is special for us.”
    He said two Holdensen brothers came to Australia with their families from Denmark in 1895.
    Peter worked in Melbourne and older brother Jorgen, with his wife Katrina, settled with their 11 children on a dairy farm in Toomuc Valley in 1898.
    In 1902 they purchased a 320-acre property at Gembrook Road (now known as Pakenham – Healesville – Kooweerup Road), Pakenham Upper.
    They cleared the land, planted 25 acres of apple orchard and named it Linden.
    Over the years the family donated land for the public hall and tennis courts to the Pakenham Upper township and as generations came and went the property was divided and handed down to loved ones left behind.
    Jorgen Holdensen died in 1920. His wife Katrina stayed at Linden with other family members until her death in 1933.
    After her death the property was divided up between her 11 children.
    Ron Smith purchased the homestead on Linden along with 100 acres in 1942 and his mother Anna Smith nee Holdensen (later known as Anna Lutz) kept 30 acres where she lived until her death in 1977.
    “In 1944 I met and married Isobel (Bonnie) Goldsworthy and continued to live in the original homestead,” Mr Smith said.
    “We continued to produce apples from the orchards among other farming.”
    In 1970, Mr Smith sold their property to Ron Lambert who had purchased other farms around the property.
    “I stayed on and worked for him for 14 and a half years,” he said.
    “And then we moved to Yarrawonga to be closer to our family.”
    Once his share of the land was sold, all that was left was Anna’s 30 acres which was subdivided and left to her immediate family including the last 10 acres that have now been sold, ending 109 years of ownership. Anna Lutz, Ronald Edward Smith10

Citations

  1. [S50] Miscellaneous Source, http://www.danesinaustralia.com/poul-john-pj-holdenson.html
  2. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Jorgen Peder Holdenson of Pakenham Farmer.
  3. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Thomas Montgomery Black, Jorgen Peder Holdenson and Ashley Smart all of South Gembrook Orchardists - joint proprietors - C/T 3548-512.
  4. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Mortgage 353380. Discharged 6 Sep 1920.
  5. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Harold George Howling - C/T 4370-863.
  6. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online) "#D11571/1921 (Age 63) (par Holden Jensen Petersen HOLDENSON & Magreta NESSEN) - as Jorgen Peder HOLDENSON, Death registered at Pakenham, Australia."
  7. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Mon 1 Aug 1921, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4682545
  8. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Red Ink No 2876931. Jorgen Peder Holdenson died on 31 July 1921. Letters of Administration have been granted to Kathrine Holdenson of Upper Pakenham Widow. Dated 13 Dec 1927.
  9. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 3548-512 - Red Ink No 3847877. Ashley Smart of South Gembrook Orchardist the survivor of the proprietors named herein is by direction of the Commissioner of Titles, now registered as sole proprietor of the land now comprised herein.
  10. [S18] Newspaper - "The Gazette", Pakenham Gazette (Vic.), 28 Sep 2011 - viewed online 28 May 2025
    By Melissa Meehan.
Last Edited26 Jun 2025

The London Bank of Australia Limited

?, #30401
Land-Note*21 Oct 1915 GEM--19 (part): Mortgagee: The London Bank of Australia Limited. Mortgage 353380 - Discharged 6 Sep 1920. Mortgagor was Jorgen Peder Holdenson.1 

Citations

  1. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Mortgage 353380. Discharged 6 Sep 1920.
Last Edited19 Apr 2024

Harold George Howling

M, #30402, b. 1895, d. 1969
Birth*1895 
Land-Gembrook*6 Sep 1920 GEM--19 (part). Transfer from Jorgen Peder Holdenson to Harold George Howling. 8a 2r 17p.1 
Death*1969 Prahran, VIC, Australia, #D7584/1969 (Age 74) (par Richard HOWLING & Ellen REID) - as Harold George HOWLING.2 

Citations

  1. [S185] Property Titles ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria), C/T 1658-444 - Harold George Howling - C/T 4370-863.
  2. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online) "#D7584/1969 (Age 74) (par Richard HOWLING & Ellen REID) - as Harold George HOWLING, born Surrey Hills. Death registered at Prahran, Australia."
Last Edited19 Apr 2024
 

NOTE

Some family sections show only the children who were associated with Upper Beaconsfield.

Some individuals may be featured because members of their family were associated with the Upper Beaconsfield area, even though they themselves never lived here.