Elias Andrews was born in Steeple, Essex and christened there on 28 February 1819. On 20 July 1850 Elias married Eliza Davey at Bradwell-near-the-Sea. Elias was a labourer. No profession is recorded on the marriage certificate for Eliza, though she could read and write. Elias could not.

They immigrated with their two children, Daniel (born 1851) and Sarah (1853) to Australia. They arrived at Portland on the ship Hooghly on 19 March 1854. Elias was one of a group of Scots who had immigrated to work on properties in the Portland Bay area. He was 35 years old when they arrived in Australia.

Elias went to work for Edward Henty at the Muntham pastoral run near Merino, south-west of Coleraine, Victoria. Edward had first been a squatter at Portland Bay in 1834. Elias probably only worked for the Hentys for a few years before moving on, possibly as a gold prospector. Many of his fellow Scots who stayed in the Western District bought land in the 1860s and 1870s, although they often had to have another job to bring in money to support their families and their farms. For some unknown reason, Elias did not follow their example.

Seven more children followed their arrival in Australia: Mary Ann (1855), Charles (1857), James (1859), Peter (1861), Hannah (1863), John (1866) and Elijah (1868). Eliza died on 29 December 1869.

The family moved around Victoria and later through New South Wales to Queensland. Mary Ann was born at Muntham Station where Elias worked as a labourer or farmhand. Peter was born at Condah near Hamilton and Hannah in Bendigo.

In 1875 Elias and most of his family moved from the Condah area. They worked as farmers and graziers and later carted farm produce. Their income depended on the climate (there was a drought in 1874) and the income that farmers were making. With hard times in the Western District, the family moved to northern Victoria and later to the Riverina in New South Wales. It is believed that Elias spent some time prospecting for gold near Bendigo. When times are tough, people will look for any type of work they can find.

Elias spent the period from 1880 to 1886 in 'The Corner', the dry area where the borders of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia join. Again, the family worked on a pastoral property, Warratta. In September 1882, Elias and his son Charles were granted forty acres for which he paid fifty pounds. This is the first evidence that Elias actually owned land, but it was in New South Wales. For the first 28 years in Australia, he had always worked for others.

Later some of the family returned to Victoria, settling near Kerang and Colac.

Elias also returned to Victoria but the date of this is unknown. He died on 11 November 1897 at the Immigrants' Home, St Kilda Road. He is buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

• Democracy
• Government
• Representative government
• Responsible government
• Self-government
• Structure of responsible government
• Towards responsible government
• The Constitution
• Lucy Bell
• Thomas Henty
• William Barak
• Elias Andrews
• John Chandler
• Frederick Thomas Sargood
• William Foster Stawell
• Acts of Parliament about Voting and becoming an MP
• Voting systems
• Acts relating to land use and care
• Consolidation Acts
• Land Acts in Victoria
• The Chaffey Agreement