John KING was born 1811, Devonshire, England, son of John KING and Mary ___ and he was married in 1855 to Mary DWYER, born 1829, Co Limerick, Ireland, daughter of Michael DWYER and Catherine TWIGG.

John KING was the manager of "Retreat Station" on the Glenelg River, north of Casterton in the 1840s and 1850s. He was mentioned in the historical Souvenir Booklet of Merino & Henty, published in 1837:

"Mr John KING, who had been manager of Retreat Station for 13 years, came to Merino with his wife and infant son in 1857 and established the property now so well and favourably known as "Blink Bonnie". After the death of her husband John in 1858, Mrs KING carried on the farm with the assistance of her two sons till her son John was old enough to shoulder the burden, which he did most successfully. The flat adjoining the house has produced wonderful crops of oats and is very fertile."

John KING and Mary DWYER appear to have had the following children:

1. John KING b. 1856, "Retreat Station", Casterton, Vic, m1. Mary NOLAN, m2. Sarah MUTCH (see family details below);

2. William KING b. 1857, "Retreat Station", Casterton, Vic, m. Mary Ann MATHESON (see family deayils below);

3. Andrew DWYER / KINGb. 1868, Casterton, Vic?????;
   [Did Mary KING (nee DWYER) have a son Andrew in 1868, (her husband John KING had died in 1858) at Casterton who lived at Deniliquin, NSW and married an Ellen FISHER at Deniliquin, NSW in 1895 ????]

John KING, b. 1856 "Retreat Station", Casterton, appears to be the son of John KING 1811-1861 and Mary DWYER 1829-?, married in 1877 to Mary NOLAN, daughter of William NOLAN and Margaret CARROLL and they had one known child. Mary died in 1887 and John KING married again in 1887, this time to Sarah MUTCH, b. 1868, Merino, daughter of Henry MUTCH and Susannah ASQUITH. John and Sarah KING had a family of 10 born at Merino from 1889 to 1911.

John KING and Mary NOLAN had the following children:

1. William John KING b. 1879, Merino, Vic;

John KING and Sarah MUTCH had the following children:

1. Eveline Mary KING b. 1889, Merino, Vic, d. 1925, m. John QUIGLEY;
2. John Albert 'Claude' KING b. 1890, Merino, Vic, d. 1963;
   • 1st AIF, Cpl 2392, 2nd Pioneers
   • enlisted 11-07-1915, RTA 3-07-1919
   • Named on Merino War Memorial
   • Glenorchy Estate Soldier Settler
3. Vincent Reuben Henry KING b. 1893, Merino, Vic, d. 1916, France;
   • enlisted WW1 24-06-1915
   • served in WW1 as Pte 2393, 23rd Battalion, AIF
   • KIA 22-07-1916, Somme, France
   • Named on Casterton War Memorial
   • Named on Merino War Memorial
   • Named on Villers Bretonneux Memorial, France
4. Dorothy Susan KING b. 1896, Merino, Vic, m. William Henry WELLNER;
5. Marjorie Ethel KING b. 1898, Merino, Vic, m. Walter 'Wattie' ROWE;
6. Hilda May KING b. 1900, d. 1900, Merino, Vic;
7. Leslie David George KING b. 1902, Merino, Vic;
8. Cecil Leon Hamilton KING b. 1903, Hamilton, Vic;
9. Muriel Elsie KING b. 1907, d. 1907, Merino, Vic;
10. Roy Eric KING b. 1911, Merino, Vic, m. Sheila Ann BARDEN;

William KING b. 1857 "Retreat" Station, Casterton, Vic., son of John KING and Mary DWYER, was married in 1878 Vic to Mary Ann MATHESON b. 1860 Geelong, Vic, dau of Alexander MATHESON and Isabella GRAHAM.

William had a brother John KING, b. 1856 "Retreat Station", Casterton who married Mary NOLAN in 1877. Mary died in 1887 and John KING married again in 1887, this time to Sarah MUTCH, b. 1868, Merino, daughter of Henry MUTCH and Susannah ASQUITH. John and Sarah KING had a family of 10 born at Merino from 1889 to 1911.

William KING & Mary Ann MATHESON had the following children:

1. Alexander John KING b. 1880 Heywood, Vic, m. Margaret Emma jane McCREDDEN;
2. Margaret Isabel Winifred KING b. 1882 Hotspur, Vic, d. 1889, Omeo, Vic;
3. Leon Herbert William KING b. 1885 Macarthur, Vic, m. Gertrude Ethel May BROWN;
4. Daisy Madelaine KING b. 1887 Macarthur, Vic, d. 1888;
5. Albert Claude KING b. 1887 Macarthur, Vic, d. 1888;
6. Ira May KING b. 1888 Macarthur, Vic., m. Edward James CLIFFORD;
7. Bertha Doris KING b. 1891 Omeo, Vic.;
8. Olive Margaret KING b. 1893 Omeo, Vic, m. Joseph Owen MURPHY.