Michael
"We feel an agricultural district like ours should be represented by a practical farmer," the notice read.
According to Dr John Gorey's research, James Gorey had acquired 71 acres at Malmsbury in April 1855, but retained interests at Heidelberg until at least 1857.
South Bourke covered the Heidelberg area.
According to the Victorian Parliament's website, Ricardo represented the electorate from July 1857 to August 1859. Ricardo arrived at Port Phillip in 1843.
He farmed at Heidelberg and Templestowe and by 1856 had leasehold of house and land at Bulleen, freehold property at Heidelberg and both freehold and leasehold in Melbourne; active in farming; magistrate at Templestowe 1858; convened meeting to establish the Templestowe road board in 1860 and became chairman; briefly c1876-1877 had hay and corn store in Brunswick.
An interesting co-signatory to the petition was William Day. A man of the same name, possibly his son, farmed alongside Edward Gorey (James' son) near Whroo in the early 1900s.