Frontier and pioneer life -- Australia -- Queensland
Berkelman and Lambert discovered and settled Elizabeth Creek and
Listowel Downs. Mr. H. E. King was the first Land Commissioner, and
superintended the laying out of Tambo, the first town on the Barcoo. The
price of carriage for supplies in those day was £46 per ton. Cameron and
Crombie took up Barcaldine in 1864 with sheep from New England, and, in
conjunction with Mr. Allen, they also took up Home Creek, Enniskillen,
Minnie Downs, Vergemont, and Evesham. They brought their stock by the
Burnett, the Dawson, and Springsure, over the Expedition Range. There
was the usual trouble with the blacks after settling down. The natives
killed the shepherds and robbed the huts of rations and cooking utensils
that were very difficult to replace in those days. The Peak Downs was
first reported on by Dr. Leichhardt, but many years elapsed before
occupation set in. Among those who were prominent in the opening up and
early settlement of the fine tableland of Peak Downs, with its rich
soil, were De Satge and Milford, of Wolfang; Mackay, of Huntley; Gordon
Sandeman, of Gordon Downs; Hood, of Hood and Manning; and Lamb and
Black, of Yamala.
As the character of the new country became known, many other runs near
Hughenden were occupied by overlanders struggling along with stock,
among them was Fairlight, on the basalt ridge, held with sheep by Henry
Betts. Afton Downs, as has already been mentioned, was taken up with
sheep by Mr. Ranken, who deserted it later with a considerable loss of
stock owing to drought. Kirk and Sutherland, who had come from Suttor
Creek with sheep in 1863 were also dried out from Marathon, and suffered
great losses. Both of these runs now possess flowing streams in every
direction, formed by artesian bores. Notable among the early settlers
was the family of the Annings, father and sons, from Victoria. They held
Reedy Springs, on the head waters of the Flinders, Charlotte Plains, and
several other stations formed by their enterprise; the sons still occupy
the same country, and have grown gray in pioneering. Another Victorian
firm, Muirson, Jamieson and Thompson, occupied Mount Emu with sheep in
1862, after much travelling about in search of suitable country. Mrs.
Thompson, with a young family, accompanied her husband in those early
pioneering days of roughness and privation, and lived at Mount Emu for
many years, where her large family grew up, and her sons are now
occupying runs throughout the district. The hospitality of Mount Emu was
proverbial, and the refinement that prevailed in all the arrangements at
the head station gave additional value to the welcome that was extended
to all travellers. On the Burdekin country, the family of the Hanns,
father and sons, possessed themselves of Maryvale, a splendid piece of
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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