Married Life- the early years.

Life at first for the newly married couple must have been Rosy...money was plentiful,business was booming and travel was on the cards.
Immediately after the marriage,Joseph took his bride to Geelong for a few days before travelling to nearby Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula for an additional ten days.
In mid-April they boarded the 'City of Hobart' and sailed to New Zealand, where they remained for three months. In July 1864, Joseph and Fanny returned to Victoria and settled into a residence in Caroline Street, South Yarra.
The Bishops relocated to St. Kilda to a house in Lansdown Terrace in 1865, and remained there for about two years. It was during this period that the formerly wealthy Joseph began to see a decline in his business ventures.
In 1865, Joseph Bishop and Co purchased the famous Soho Foundry in Ballarat. A letter written to his nephew Henry Bishop in 1863 talked about the inharmonious relationship between Joseph and his business partner Edward Keep, and their plans for dissolving their partnership in the near future. This must have happened around1865-66, as for the years 1860-1865 the following entries were found in Melbourne Sands Directories:
1860, 1861 & 1862:
Bishop & Keep (Bishop, Jos, Keep Edw), wholesale ironmongers, 37 Elizabeth Street.

1863: Bishop, Joseph (of Bishop & Keep), Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
Bishop & Keep (Bishop Joseph, Keep Edward), wholesale ironmongers, 37 Elizabeth Street.

1864: Bishop, Joseph (of Bishop & Keep), Menzies' Hotel, Latrobe Street
Bishop & Keep (Bishop, Joseph, Keep Edward), wholesale ironmongers, 37 Elizabeth Street.

1865: Bishop, Joseph (of Bishop & Keep), Caroline Street, South Yarra
Bishop & Keep (Bishop Joseph; Keep Edward)wholesale ironmongers, 37 Elizabeth
Street.

The Ballarat & Ballarat East Directory for 1865-66 had the following entry:
Eyre Street: Bishop, Joseph & Co, Soho Works.

The year 1864 saw many references to Joseph Bishop appearing in the Victorian Government Gazette in relation to his mining investments. Examples of such investments are as follows:
Lower Huntly Deep Lead Mining Company: nominal capital 7,200 pounds in 600 shares of 12 pounds each. Joseph Bishop, Caroline Street, South Yarra, 73 shares. December 5, 1864.

Victoria Reef Gold Mining Company, Upper Goulburn: nominal capital 5,000 pounds in 1000 shares of 5 pounds each. Joseph Bishop, Melbourne, 50 shares. November 19, 1864

The Buningyong Gold Mining Company Ltd: nominal capital of 80,000 pounds in 4,000 shares of 20 pounds each. Joseph Bishop, Melbourne, 50 shares. Edward Keep, Melbourne 50 shares. September 19, 1864.(In December of 1863,The Buningyong Gold Mining Company had declared a nominal capital of 50,000 pounds in 400 shares of 125 pounds each. Joseph Bishop 5 shares, Edward Keep 5 shares)
These are but a few examples of Joseph's many investments in mining, and it was to mining speculation that he turned when his ironmonger's business turned sour in 1866.