FOUNDERS OF THE HOWLONG MECHANICS INSTITUTE 21st October 1887

Armer Ovens BOYLE; James STANTON; William HAMILTON;
James PIERCE-SMITH; William Henry EASTERBY

ARMER OVENS BOYLE:
was the Founding Father of the Howlong Mechanics Institute. He was, 'Mr. Howlong of the 1867 to 1880's,' born in Newry, Ireland, 1835. He arrived in Australia in 1854 and by the early 1860's became the proprieter of the Howlong Hotel. His business interests were wide and covered publican; Royal Mail Contractor; Post Master; store keeper; stock and station agent; auctioneer; landowner and Justice of the Peace. He was Chairman of the Howlong Committee that honoured the NSW Premier, Sir Henry Parks in september 1887. He also organised the formal opening of the new bridge across the Murray. On the 21st October 1887 and in the evening he opened the Howlong School of Arts. His son William was a jockey in Howlong's famous One Hundred Mile horse race. [MORE] Armer died in 1906 aged 70 years old and is buried in the Howlong Pioneer Cemetery.

JAMES STANTON:

WILLIAM HAMILTON:
was born in Glasgow Scotland in 1833 and, like many Scots joined the Victorian Gold Rush in 1852.

After working in the gold fields he became a business man,married the daughter of Armer Boyle and took over the General Store run by Armer in 1877 for the next hundred years the store was operated by the Hamilton family. He is buried in The Howlong Cemetery.

WILLIAM HENRY EASTERBY:
was born 1833 in Preston Lancashire. In 1855 William sailed to Melbourne on the 'Red Jacket' and proceeded to Beechworth where he met and married Sarah Ann Withers of Ullina Station and set up residence in Wahgunyah. In 1866 a prospectus was issued for the Howlong Co-Operative Flour and Saw Mill Company run by Edward Stevenson Russon and Charles Edgehill. The increased agricultural trade at Howlong induced him to build the "Mill Hotel" opposite the flour mil, which was opened for business on march 23rd 1871. At about this time he erected a substantial home in Hawkins Street named "The Acacias." From 1874 he served as Secretary of the Howlong Bridge Movement that sought to replace the existing punt. The bridge was opened on Friday 21st October 1887, after which a banquet was held in the newly constructed School of Arts at which references were made for an early Federation of Australian States. He is buried in the Howlong Pioneer Cemetery.

JAMES PIERCE SMITH:
was born in Sydney in 1838. James father was James Smith and his mother was Charlotte Pearce. His uncle Matthew Woodward Pearce was the owner of Howlong Station from 1839 to 1866. Knowing the area James and two of his brothers, on reaching adultood came to settle and take up land in the Howlong District. James Pearce Smith married Emma Mary Lester of "Morebringer" in 1868 and built their home four miles out of Howlong on the Corowa Road and named it "Sunbury" Deirdre and Ian Izon are the current residents of "Sunbury". Deirdre is a direct descendant of James Pearce Smith. He is Interred in The Smith family vault at St. John's Church Parramatta.