His EXCI+,t,i,FNCY S[R MATTI{FvC NATHAN, P.C., G.C.M.G. Governor of Queensland the Earlyhs1orvof Marwick Districtand Pioneers ofthe DarlingDowns. IF This is a blank page CONTENTS PAGE The Early History of Warwick District and Pioneers of the Darling Downs ... ... ... ... 1 Preface ... ... ... .. ... 2 The. Garden of Australia -Allan Cunningham's Darling Downs- Physical Features ... ... ... 3 Climate and Scenery .. ... ... ... ... 4 Its Discovery ... ... ... ... ... 5 Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple ... ... 7 Formation of First Party ... ... ... 8 Settlement of the Darling Downs ... ... ... 9 The Aborigines ... ... ... ... 13 South 'roolburra, The Spanish Merino Sheep ... 15 Captain John Macarthur ... ... ... ... 16 South Toolburra's Histoiy (continued ) ... ... 17 Eton Vale ... ... ... ... 20 Canning Downs ... ... ... ... ... 22 Introduction of Llamas ... ... ... 29 Lord John' s Swamp (Canning Downs ) ... ... ... 30 North Talgai ... ... ... ... 31 Rosenthal ... ... ... ... ... 35 Gladfield, Maryvale ... ... ... ... 39 Gooruburra ... ... ... ... 41 Canal Creek ... ... ... ... ... 42 Glengallan ... ... ... ... ... 43 Pure Bred Durhams ... ... ... ... ... 46 Clifton, Acacia Creek ... ... ... ... 47 Ellangowan , Tummaville ... 48 Westbrook, Stonehenge Station ... ... ... ... 49 Yandilla , Warroo ... ... ... ... ... 50 Glenelg ... ... .,, ... 51 Pilton , The First Road between Brisbane and Darling Downs , 52 Another Practical Road via Spicer' s Gap ,.. 53 Lands Department and Police Department ... ... ... 56 Hard Times ... ... ... 58 Law and Order- Justices of the Peace ... ... ... 60 Police Magistrate ... ... ... ... ... 61 Town of Warwick ... ... ... ... ... 62 Separation ... ... ... ... ... 66 Municipal Progress , Municipal Town Council ... ... 67 Street Improvement , Bridges, Etc. ; Wattle Scented Warwick; Members of Parliament ... ... ... 69 Queensland 's First Parliament , Queensland 's First Governor ... 70 Church of England ... ... ... ... ... 71 Presbyterian ... ... ... ... ... 72 Methodist , Roman Catholic ... ... ... ... 73 Banking , Medical Men ... ... ... ... 74 Lawyers ... ... ... ... ... 75 Blacksmiths and Wheelwrights, General Stores ... ... 76 Carpenters and Builders , Post and Telegraph Officers ... 77 Chemists and Druggists , Boot and Shoe Makers, Saddle and Harness Maker, Plumbers and Tinsmiths, Education ... ... 78 Lands Department-Early Settlement ... ... ... 80 Labour Conditions ... ... ... ... 82 Wages and Labour .. ... ... ... ... 83 Sheep Washing , Bush Work , Carrying , General ... ... 84 First Saw Mills ... ... 85 Pit Sawyers ... ... ... ... ... 86 Washpools, Newspapers ... ... ... ... 87 Agriculture ... ... ... ... ... 88 Wheat ... ... ... ... ... 90 Alfalfa or Lucerne ... ... ... ... ... 91 Orchards and Vineyards ... ... ... ... 92 Cotton ... ... ... ... ... 93 Dairying - ... ... ... ... ... 94 Gold, Coal .. .. ... ... ... 95 Tin Ore , Blood Horses and Race Meetings ... ... 97 Races, Etc ., 1859 ... ... ... ... ... 99 Water Supply ... ... .:. ... ... 100 The Macintyre River, Queensland 's First Solar Eclipse ... 101 The Darky Flat Massacre ... ... ... ... 103 Town of Warwick-Land Purchases prior to 1852 ... 105 THE EARLY HISTORY OF WARWICKDISTRICT AND PIONEERSOF THE DARLINGDOWNS. Dedicated to His Excellency Sir Matthew Nathan, P.C., G.C.M.G., Governor of Queensland , with the Author' s compliments, as a slight appreciation of the encouragement given to record an accurate history of the very early settlement of the Warwick portion of the Darling Downs, which was the first occupied. My parents were intimate friends and school mates of the Leslie Brothers and Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple before these gentlemen left Scotland , and still kept in touch with these pioneer settlers after they first occupied Toolburra, Canning Downs, and Talgai. When my parents arrived at Warwick in 1853 the friendship was continued with the Leslies , but, unfortunately , Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple had passed away in 1843. It is this portion which is not altogether accurate , because Mr. Henry Stuart Russell was an acquaintance only of the gentlemen mentioned, and had to rely to a great extent on information given him years afterwards by Mr. Leith-Hay, when he (Mr. Henry Stuart Russell) began to record certain events for his Genesis of Queensland." Besides this the Gammie Bros. were also intimate friends of my parents. Any other historical efforts which have been made since Mr. Russell's work was published are of later dates, and do not include important historical records which are referred to by me, obtained first hand from actual pioneer settlers. If a history is to be of any value It must be accurate, and I have confined myself to facts, which I trust will give His Excellency the satisfaction of knowing that he has been, to a great extent, the in- spiration for having them published, which will harmon4e with the gratification felt generally by the Citizens for the great help rendered by him in everything tending to promote the welfare of Queensland. In conclusion I would like to record my thanks to my old and esteemed friend Mr. F. W. Allen, a native of Canning Downs, for the assistance he has given me in this matter; also the relatives of the Pioneers who have kindly contributed photographs. THOMAS HALL. "Leslie Villa," Warwick, Queensland. PREFACE. For some time past it has become apparent that the very earliest settlement of the Southern corner of the Darling Downs has been leisurelybrushed on one side, particularly as regards the efforts of the rank and file who accompanied the first squatters, or were employed by them later on. Although the thoughtful por- tion of the community will not begrudge the pioneer squatters any of the honour to which they are entitled-indeed they will be only too anxious for all praise to be given to them-still , they feel that the people who came under their wing, and afterwards established themselves as part of the fine yeomanry , and business people of the State, should not be lost sight of in the chronicle of the early se t t'ement. As there was no cultivation worth speaking about until 18 years after Mr. Patrick Leslie reached the Darling Downs, my re- marks will, for that interval refer principally to live stock, wool and matters incidentalthereto. I would have preferred to have seen this written by an abler pen than mine, but as the links of the pioneer chain are being snapped daily, I have been asked to record as many of these as I can ere it is too late. As there were no printed records of current events at the very earliest period, I shall have to rely, to a certain extent upon memory, but those who have made a practice of memorising mat- ters will understand that it can be done with wonderful accuracy. THE EARLY HISTORY OF WARWICK DISTRICT. The Gardenof Aedralia--Allan Cunningham's Darling Downs. Physical Features. Resting on a foundation of carboniferous rocks, where the Walloon coal measures are prominent , still to be covered by the has- alts and Pliocene strata, in which are contained all that remains of the life of a bygone period . The remains discovered included the Talgai skull recently found near Allora, which in itself is fairly clear evidence that in this part of the continent the aborigines flourished in the pliocene Ice Age. In the same drifts and stratas are found the remains of immense marsupials and crocodiles, with a div4rsity of animal forms all in huge sizes, associated with a one- time luxuriant growth of vegetation . That the climatic conditions thin were very different to that experienced at the present time, is certain. All of this makes the Darling Downs an intensely interest- ing portion of the continent , for those who understand geology and appreciate the lessons it unfolds, not the least interesting part being that lying around Warwick. It seems very likely that the continent had been convulsed by two distinct volcanic eruptions as many of the huge fossil remains are found lying on top of a red alluvial strata under the black . The ani- mals appear to have been overwhelmed by volcanic mud, and two dis- tinct flows of basalt, one much harder and more fliaty than the other. As a result of these flows the denudations from them have covered most of the surface of the Darling Downs, with a rich volcanic black soil, varying in depth from one to two hundred feet, while on some of the high mountain crests we still find some rich chocolate deposits. In the lower depressions, as the effect of weather conditions, the rich black soil has been carried down by water, and filled them up until we find a large portion of the surface now rich alluvial plains with very few trees, but covered by the richest grasses and most nourishing herbage. Concisely, it includes the valley of the Condamine River with its sources, also those of its tributaries , for many miles , and these, as they meander through Its plains, are, in their permanent holes, filled with splendid edible fish such as cod, perch, and fresh water cat. At other places where no surface water exists it can invariably be obtained at shallow depths, in large quantities. With an annual average rainfall of 29 inches , and generally an early wet season, such an area of fine soil fit for cultivation, including over six thousand square miles of alluvial plains, it followed that this was soon to be placed on trial by the settlers who came as pioneers in 1840 and afterwards. Unlike some of Queensland's mountains, those bordering the Darling Downs, which average from two to three thousand feet high, are all cover( d