Former Naracoorte Lucindale Mayor David Hood has explained how his forebears traded with First Nations people at Allendale East around 170 years ago.


As a result, weapons and possum skins made their way back to Scotland where his Hood ancestors originated.


This insight into colonial life was one of the pertinent points of his 45-minute address to a recent meeting of the South East Family History Group in Millicent.


Mr Hood is a long-time member of the SEFHG and has been active in local government, the Liberal Party and other community groups for many years.


He was instrumental in 2020 in securing bound editions of the now-defunct Naracoorte Herald newspaper for the SEFHG Research Centre.


Much of his talk focussed on his great grandfather Rice Hood who was 54 years of age when he fibbed about his age to qualify for a free passage.


He emigrated to Australia from his native Scotland in the early 1850s.


Joining the family patriarch were his wife Janet and their nine children.


Consideration was given to trying their hand at the Victorian Goldfields and indeed a contemporary map of the area printed on cloth remains in the family ownership to this day.


After a brief stay at Strathalbyn, the Hoods leased land at Allendale East.


Despite disease and bushfires, the family prospered with Rice Hood becoming active in public life and living until the age of 87.


He bred heavy horses, founded the Presbyterian Church at Allendale East and was elected first chairman of the ill-fated Port MacDonnell District Council.


The guest speaker then described how the next generation of Hoods were involved in a variety of commercial enterprises.


They ranged from holding the licence of the Bellum Hotel at Mount Schank, to having a freight business with a string of livery stables as well as cutting redgum sleepers for the new Pinnaroo rail line.


Mr Hood then highlighted the activities of his late father as well as his son who now works on the family farm near Naracoorte.