Thomas Cogger Allchin
One of the most enterprising early settlers of Mornington was Thomas Allchin, who had been born in Kent England in 1825. He was a Carpenter and Builder by trade who came to Victoria in the mid 1850’s.
Sarah Allchin
In 1857 he married Sarah Jagger in Melbourne. In 1859 Thomas Allchin built a general store at the corner of Main and Albert Street, which he supplied with goods that he collected in Melbourne using his boats "Governor Latrobe" and "Maggie".
Thomas Cogger Allchin
He had a contract for supplying sleepers to the Geelong Railway line and he also had a contract to supply firewood at 17/6 a ton to the Army Barracks in Melbourne.
Thomas Allchin bought the land opposite their shop in 1865 and Thomas eventually built a bank which was leased to the Oriental Bank in 1875, later leased to the Colonial Bank in 1880. Thomas and Sarah Allchin had four children, Emmie who was to marry Robert Olley, Thomas, Ella who married William Sym Cook of "Morven Manor" and Charles Allchin, who at the age of 20 years, drowned in the Football Disaster.
Plans were made for their family home "Sutton Grange" in Tanti Avenue in 1877, the bricks being made in Thomas Allchin’s brickfield in Gordon Street. Included in this residence was a tower overlooking the bay that enabled Thomas to scan the shipping movements in and out of the harbour. Thomas Cogger Allchin died at Mornington on November 17th 1901.
T. C. Allchin's Mornington Store
