Oliver SMITH, J.P., b. 25th March 1860, Oxley Plains, Vic, d. 6th March 1936, Bris...
Name/Title
Oliver SMITH, J.P., b. 25th March 1860, Oxley Plains, Vic, d. 6th March 1936, Brisbane, Qld
Oliver SMITH, J.P., b. 25th March 1860, Oxley Plains, Vic, d. 6th March 1936, Brisbane, Qld
About this object
Oliver Smith, JP was born 25th March 1860 at Oxley Plains, district of Wangaratta, Colony of Victoria to David and Susannah Smith, who came as unassisted immigrants from England on the "Walter Scott", landing at Port Phillip on 16th July 1857.
As a small boy, one of Oliver's jobs was to bring in the cows for milking. Without a pair of boots for his poor little feet, he found great comfort in the warmth of newly dropped cowpats! When he was 25 years old Oliver came to Queensland, working for a time on `Carandotta Station'.
He later commenced business at Urandangie (in 1892) and then in 1901 he became the proprietor of the Federal Hotel there before moving to Green's Creek, some 12 miles from Duchess. From 1900 it was his dream to combine sheep farming with agriculture, including experiments with fruit, lucerne, etc. and he conveyed his thoughts on this to the government of the day, seeking assistance from that government for pioneering the gulf country.
Eventually, at the age of 48 years, on 27th August 1908 Oliver took his family, possessions, and stock (including a herd of goats and 100-odd draught horses) from Green's Creek to the selection beside the beautiful `Beamesbrook' (named by explorer Leichhardt after Walter Beames, Esq of Sydney), south of Burketown.
It is probable that he determined to settle on this ever-running river shaded by ti-trees, figs, bush pears, Leichhardt and cabbage-tree palms when passing by on his trips to Burketown to collect supplies for his Urandangie store. He named the property, which comprised two small agricultural farms, `Brookdale'.
After constructing the homestead, which still stands after numerous cyclones (including Cyclone "Ted" in 1976), they set to work on the great barn, shearing shed, sheep and horse yards and fencing the boundary and paddocks. This kept the family busy for many months. He stocked the property with 1300 ewes purchased in Hughenden in 1909.
From the first clip some of the ewes cut over 7 pounds, and by 1912 he could report to the Lands Department that "I may state that I started sheep breeding here three years since with the sympathy of one and all and I can say that sheep have been most successful. The last clip was a record one, the ewes cutting up to 9 and 10 lb fleeces last year." This success encouraged others to take up land in the district and stock with sheep.
Oliver must be credited with establishing this industry in this particular area of the gulf, where it survived drought, floods and dingoes for some 40 years. The previous try on `Floraville' was destroyed by a natural disaster (one man and 10,000 sheep lost), which occurred again over 100 years later in 1974, when most of the gulf was flooded and thousands of sheep, cattle and horses were lost.
In the days before motorised transport the wool was taken by horse wagons to the wharf at Burketown, thence by ship ("Porpoise" was one) down the Albert River to meet the "Kalatina", and later the "Wandana" at the Heads, on its long journey to Brisbane. One year a boatload of his wool was lost at sea.
Palm trees, 60 feet and more in length, were used extensively in building sheep yards. The heart of the palm was good to eat. The leaves dried, stripped and plaited, made into good shady hats. The stockmen's were made with a star shaped piece of leather over the crown and were used a lot in the early days. The Australian hat of the pioneers!
Oliver set up two iron saw benches and a wood burning engine, etc., and cut timber growing on the property to build the new shearing shed with some sheep pens also under cover. The old barn covered a large area, where wool was stored; vehicles, engines, blacksmith's shop, feed and tack rooms were all under cover. Sadly, this was mostly destroyed by fire at the end of World War II in 1945.
A water-wheel on the river supplied the homestead and surrounding garden of fruit trees and poincianas, and the vegetable garden in the cooler months, with water. The pretty bright green Gutta-percha trees followed the gullies and creeks to the rivers and was a backdrop for the wildflowers in bloom. The yellow daisies, red and white bachelor-buttons blended with the pretty blue-bells and violets and the dainty little yellow-pink buttercups and white lilies.
For entertainment we were fortunate to have the old gramophone with a huge speaker and cylindrical records, and the beautiful Polyphone of German origin, with its huge metal discs, bringing us the delightful music of Strauss and other composers and the singing of Harry Lauder and Dame Nellie Melba. Oliver also played the concertina.
`Brookdale's' boundaries were extended to run cattle, and Oliver introduced polls into his herd of shorthorns. First the Red (old `Jasper', `Archer' and `Gracemere' from Archer Brothers of `Gracemere' Station), and later the Black Poll in an effort to reduce bruising in the stock; also in the hope they would better handle the Gulf heat.
Oliver had a repugnance for the cruel practice of de- horning. It is a matter of family pride that Oliver's brand of L.I.Q. (horizontal Q) was never put on any beast not his own.
As a Councillor of Burke Shire he wanted the Shire to connect hot bore water to all houses in the town but this splendid idea lacked support. Over 50 years later the townsfolk are still waiting for hot water from the bore.
Oliver's father, David Smith, was a farmer and his grandfather, David Wanty Smith, had also been a farmer in Norfolk, England, so perhaps heredity played a part in the success of his foray into grain cultivation, particularly corn. He was also able to amass a huge haystack for stockfeed.
The year Oliver purchased the "Gray" must have been one of the good years. These vehicles were rare in that part of the country and long before driving schools, service stations and motor mechanics. He taught himself to drive and to service the machine. The Gray opened up a new world for the family, although at times it seemed reluctant to stop - a "whoa", along with a foot pressed hard on the brake worked well in the end!
A trip to town was reduced to a half-day jaunt, broken by a picnic at the brook bridge. The Gray also provided easier access to all the social life abounding now that the area was opening up to other settlers; race meetings, dances, picnics; even more uplifting, when the North Queensland Bishop came in 1928 to confirm three young ladies (including Oliver's daughter Violet).
The depression was a hard time for the man on the land, and when men came to `Brookdale' asking for work, Oliver could only reply, "Plenty of work, mate, but no money"; however they never left empty handed. Drought, too, was a trial for him, as was too much of a good thing in the form of the wet.
One year, after an extra long wet, food supplies ran low and they were reduced to fat lamps when the carbide ran out, so the flooded river was crossed with horses and packsaddles and washing-tubs used to ferry supplies across on their return.
Civilization was slowly improving the lot of the settler, with the advent of the Flying Doctor, two-way radio, and better mail facilities. A visit from Sam-ra-khan with his treasures in a horse-drawn van provided more light relief. Oliver was a great reader and he used to talk of when the atom would be split, long before it was!
I really think he was born before his time. He admired our pioneer aviators, and named three of his sons after three of them - Ross Smith, Cobham and Mollerson (he never had the pleasure of flight - the nearest he came was on his big bag horse, named `Aeroplane').
Three of Oliver's sons, Harold, Ollie and Sydney were soldiers of the First World War; unfortunately only one, Sydney, survived, Harold and Ollie both being lost in 1917, within six months of each other.
Two more of his sons and one daughter, namely George Ross and Walter (Gil) and Victoria, served in the Second World War. That beautiful spot on the globe could perhaps claim a record. Five sons and one daughter of one man to serve in two world wars!
When two of his sons took up land bounding `Brookdale', Oliver supplied their foundation herds and helped in many other ways. `Brookdale' today is in the capable and caring hands of his son, George Ross Smith and his wife Gloria.
It would appear that only the big and successful stations are newsworthy - the stations whose owners live in the cities or overseas. They and their owners will be recorded in the history books for future generations to read about. It could be that our history should tell of the battlers as well; the little bloke who battled the odds on the land. Their contributions to this country were considerable. Oliver Smith, JP stands out among these.
Oliver Smith, JP was born 25th March 1860 at Oxley Plains, district of Wangaratta, Colony of Victoria to David and Susannah Smith, who came as unassisted immigrants from England on the "Walter Scott", landing at Port Phillip on 16th July 1857.
As a small boy, one of Oliver's jobs was to bring in the cows for milking. Without a pair of boots for his poor little feet, he found great comfort in the warmth of newly dropped cowpats! When he was 25 years old Oliver came to Queensland, working for a time on `Carandotta Station'.
He later commenced business at Urandangie (in 1892) and then in 1901 he became the proprietor of the Federal Hotel there before moving to Green's Creek, some 12 miles from Duchess. From 1900 it was his dream to combine sheep farming with agriculture, including experiments with fruit, lucerne, etc. and he conveyed his thoughts on this to the government of the day, seeking assistance from that government for pioneering the gulf country.
Eventually, at the age of 48 years, on 27th August 1908 Oliver took his family, possessions, and stock (including a herd of goats and 100-odd draught horses) from Green's Creek to the selection beside the beautiful `Beamesbrook' (named by explorer Leichhardt after Walter Beames, Esq of Sydney), south of Burketown.
It is probable that he determined to settle on this ever-running river shaded by ti-trees, figs, bush pears, Leichhardt and cabbage-tree palms when passing by on his trips to Burketown to collect supplies for his Urandangie store. He named the property, which comprised two small agricultural farms, `Brookdale'.
After constructing the homestead, which still stands after numerous cyclones (including Cyclone "Ted" in 1976), they set to work on the great barn, shearing shed, sheep and horse yards and fencing the boundary and paddocks. This kept the family busy for many months. He stocked the property with 1300 ewes purchased in Hughenden in 1909.
From the first clip some of the ewes cut over 7 pounds, and by 1912 he could report to the Lands Department that "I may state that I started sheep breeding here three years since with the sympathy of one and all and I can say that sheep have been most successful. The last clip was a record one, the ewes cutting up to 9 and 10 lb fleeces last year." This success encouraged others to take up land in the district and stock with sheep.
Oliver must be credited with establishing this industry in this particular area of the gulf, where it survived drought, floods and dingoes for some 40 years. The previous try on `Floraville' was destroyed by a natural disaster (one man and 10,000 sheep lost), which occurred again over 100 years later in 1974, when most of the gulf was flooded and thousands of sheep, cattle and horses were lost.
In the days before motorised transport the wool was taken by horse wagons to the wharf at Burketown, thence by ship ("Porpoise" was one) down the Albert River to meet the "Kalatina", and later the "Wandana" at the Heads, on its long journey to Brisbane. One year a boatload of his wool was lost at sea.
Palm trees, 60 feet and more in length, were used extensively in building sheep yards. The heart of the palm was good to eat. The leaves dried, stripped and plaited, made into good shady hats. The stockmen's were made with a star shaped piece of leather over the crown and were used a lot in the early days. The Australian hat of the pioneers!
Oliver set up two iron saw benches and a wood burning engine, etc., and cut timber growing on the property to build the new shearing shed with some sheep pens also under cover. The old barn covered a large area, where wool was stored; vehicles, engines, blacksmith's shop, feed and tack rooms were all under cover. Sadly, this was mostly destroyed by fire at the end of World War II in 1945.
A water-wheel on the river supplied the homestead and surrounding garden of fruit trees and poincianas, and the vegetable garden in the cooler months, with water. The pretty bright green Gutta-percha trees followed the gullies and creeks to the rivers and was a backdrop for the wildflowers in bloom. The yellow daisies, red and white bachelor-buttons blended with the pretty blue-bells and violets and the dainty little yellow-pink buttercups and white lilies.
For entertainment we were fortunate to have the old gramophone with a huge speaker and cylindrical records, and the beautiful Polyphone of German origin, with its huge metal discs, bringing us the delightful music of Strauss and other composers and the singing of Harry Lauder and Dame Nellie Melba. Oliver also played the concertina.
`Brookdale's' boundaries were extended to run cattle, and Oliver introduced polls into his herd of shorthorns. First the Red (old `Jasper', `Archer' and `Gracemere' from Archer Brothers of `Gracemere' Station), and later the Black Poll in an effort to reduce bruising in the stock; also in the hope they would better handle the Gulf heat.
Oliver had a repugnance for the cruel practice of de- horning. It is a matter of family pride that Oliver's brand of L.I.Q. (horizontal Q) was never put on any beast not his own.
As a Councillor of Burke Shire he wanted the Shire to connect hot bore water to all houses in the town but this splendid idea lacked support. Over 50 years later the townsfolk are still waiting for hot water from the bore.
Oliver's father, David Smith, was a farmer and his grandfather, David Wanty Smith, had also been a farmer in Norfolk, England, so perhaps heredity played a part in the success of his foray into grain cultivation, particularly corn. He was also able to amass a huge haystack for stockfeed.
The year Oliver purchased the "Gray" must have been one of the good years. These vehicles were rare in that part of the country and long before driving schools, service stations and motor mechanics. He taught himself to drive and to service the machine. The Gray opened up a new world for the family, although at times it seemed reluctant to stop - a "whoa", along with a foot pressed hard on the brake worked well in the end!
A trip to town was reduced to a half-day jaunt, broken by a picnic at the brook bridge. The Gray also provided easier access to all the social life abounding now that the area was opening up to other settlers; race meetings, dances, picnics; even more uplifting, when the North Queensland Bishop came in 1928 to confirm three young ladies (including Oliver's daughter Violet).
The depression was a hard time for the man on the land, and when men came to `Brookdale' asking for work, Oliver could only reply, "Plenty of work, mate, but no money"; however they never left empty handed. Drought, too, was a trial for him, as was too much of a good thing in the form of the wet.
One year, after an extra long wet, food supplies ran low and they were reduced to fat lamps when the carbide ran out, so the flooded river was crossed with horses and packsaddles and washing-tubs used to ferry supplies across on their return.
Civilization was slowly improving the lot of the settler, with the advent of the Flying Doctor, two-way radio, and better mail facilities. A visit from Sam-ra-khan with his treasures in a horse-drawn van provided more light relief. Oliver was a great reader and he used to talk of when the atom would be split, long before it was!
I really think he was born before his time. He admired our pioneer aviators, and named three of his sons after three of them - Ross Smith, Cobham and Mollerson (he never had the pleasure of flight - the nearest he came was on his big bag horse, named `Aeroplane').
Three of Oliver's sons, Harold, Ollie and Sydney were soldiers of the First World War; unfortunately only one, Sydney, survived, Harold and Ollie both being lost in 1917, within six months of each other.
Two more of his sons and one daughter, namely George Ross and Walter (Gil) and Victoria, served in the Second World War. That beautiful spot on the globe could perhaps claim a record. Five sons and one daughter of one man to serve in two world wars!
When two of his sons took up land bounding `Brookdale', Oliver supplied their foundation herds and helped in many other ways. `Brookdale' today is in the capable and caring hands of his son, George Ross Smith and his wife Gloria.
It would appear that only the big and successful stations are newsworthy - the stations whose owners live in the cities or overseas. They and their owners will be recorded in the history books for future generations to read about. It could be that our history should tell of the battlers as well; the little bloke who battled the odds on the land. Their contributions to this country were considerable. Oliver Smith, JP stands out among these.
Subject and Association Description
Ancestors: Grandparents - David Wanty Smith married ?
Parents: David Smith married Susannah Wright
Siblings: Frederick (died in infancy), half brothers Hugh and Edward
Resided: 1860 : Oxley Plains, Vic|1885 : `Carandotta' Station, Queensland|1892 : Urandangie, Qld|1907 : Green's Creek, Qld|1908 : `Brookdale', outside Burketown, Qld
Ancestors: Grandparents - David Wanty Smith married ?
Parents: David Smith married Susannah Wright
Siblings: Frederick (died in infancy), half brothers Hugh and Edward
Resided: 1860 : Oxley Plains, Vic|1885 : `Carandotta' Station, Queensland|1892 : Urandangie, Qld|1907 : Green's Creek, Qld|1908 : `Brookdale', outside Burketown, Qld
Object number
USH00442
USH00442
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