H.B. Loch was born in Scotland in 1827 and had an active global career as a soldier, diplomat and administrator. He was knighted in 1880 and became Victoria's 7th. Governor in July 1884. I have seen reference to his visiting Mt Buffalo in 1881 prior to his becoming Governor. There are other references to his visiting the Harrietville gold fields but this may or may not have been on the same Buffalo trip. It may have been later in his role as Governor. Has anyone seen any reference to what was/were the date(s) of the Harrietville visit(s) ? I have also seen reference to a possible 1853/53 H.B.L. visit to Australia & NZ 30 years before he became Governor. Has anyone perhaps seen a biography that might confirm this? Pat Morgan Corte Madera, California

Not much to go on Pat but something to add to your story. Mick Dougherty, one of the best coach drivers known, was charged with the responsibility of taking Lord Loch 3 times, Lord Hopetown (Marquis of Linlithgow), Lord Brassey, Sir George Clarke, and the Rt Hon Lord Henry Tafford Northcote and Lady N, on tours of the north east. Mick worked for Crawford and Connolly (another plug here, (g)) from about 1875 until he met with an accident and broke his leg. He then worked on Mt Buffalo looking after the animals there. He drove the HIgh Plains routes in summer until the snow stopped the coaches and then he went back until summer driving the chiltern Beechworth run. Not much for you, but thought it interesting that you ask this question the same week I found out more about Mick. Denise Boss, Crawford and Connolly.

Dear Pat, I have this a reference to LOCH in my encyclopaedias which is quite informative and will send in a separate email. My ggrandfather Henry FOSTER who was a Victorian Parliamentarian had an article written about him in a Melbourne Gossip Magazine called Table Talk. I found this reference on Jacqui Cunningham's site "It's Old News" which has a searchable index of Victorian Newspapers, and can copy at a reasonable cost. I imagine there would also be a reference to him in the Victorian Parliamentary Biography and you could contact the Victorian Parliament for further information. I was also able to obtain a picture of my ancestor from them. If you use google and type in Victorian Parliament Australia it will take you to the site. There is also some on this list (from memory) who has a book called Cyclopaedia of Victoria from which I also received a reference to my ggrandfather. Hope this helps, ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ Regards, Mary of Melbourne FOSTER, Coventry - PRITCHARD,Coventry - GEOFFREY, Middlesex - ORCHARD, Warminster, Wiltshire STUART,Glasgow, - EDWARDS,England, GREATZ,NSW - PFITZNER, Prussia WILLIAMS,CUNNINGHAM, HUMPHREYS,MULVIHILL - All to Victoria Australia

from Grolier Encyclopaedia under heading LOCH Henry Brougham LOCH, 1st Baron Loch of Drylaw (1827-1900), Governor of Victoria, son of James Loch, MP was born on 23rd May 1827. He entered the Royal Navy in 1840, left it as a midshipman in 1842, and was commissioned in the Bengal Cavalry in 1844. In 1852 he was made adjutant of the famous irregular corps, Skinner's Horse. When the Crimean War began he was sent to Bulgaria to assist in organizing irregular Turkish cavalry, and served throughout the war. From 1857 to 1860 he was attached to Lord Elgin's missions to China and Japan, in 1858 taking to England the Treaty of yeddo, and in 1860 the Treaty of Tientsin, after being treacherously captured by the Chinese and exhibited in a cage, together with the correspondent of The Times. In 1861, having left the army, Loch was appointed secretary to Sir George GREY, the Home Secretary. In 1863 he was made Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man, and in 1882 Commissioner of Woods and Forests. In 1884 he was appointed Gov. of Victoria, and reached Melbourne in July of that year. His term of office coincided with the prosperous years of the regime of Duncan Gillies (q.v.), and his lavish hospitality and encouragement of philanthropic and educational movements soon made him widely popular. He took leave of absence in March 1889 to visit England, and during his stay there was persuaded by the British Gov. to undertake the administation of South African affairs as High Commissioner for South Africa and Governor of the Cape Colony. He therefore returned to Melbourne for a month only (October-November 1889), and proceeded thence to Cape Town, where he remained until 1895. Retiring in that year, with a barony, he lived privately in England until his death, on 20th June 1900. He was created C.B., 1861; K.C.B., 1880; G.C.MG., 1887; G.C.B., 1892; P.C. and baron, 1895. He married in 1862 Elizabeth VILLIERS, niece of the 4th Earl of Clarendon, who bore him a son and two daughters. from Grolier Encyclopaedia under heading HIGINBOTHAM When Sir Henry LOCH, during his term as Governor, wished to leave the colony for a time, the ex Governor of South Australia was put in as his locum tenes; when the situation recurred at the end of 1892, it was decided to install the senior puisne judge, Hartley WILLIAMS, over HIGINBOTHAM'S head. Governor of Victoria 15.7.1884-15.11.1889 Sir Henry Brougham Loch, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., afterwards Baron Loch of Drylaw, Governor and Commander in Chief. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ Regards, Mary of Melbourne FOSTER, Coventry - PRITCHARD,Coventry - GEOFFREY, Middlesex - ORCHARD, Warminster, Wiltshire STUART,Glasgow, - EDWARDS,England, GREATZ,NSW - PFITZNER, Prussia WILLIAMS,CUNNINGHAM, HUMPHREYS,MULVIHILL - All to Victoria Australia