The Jilletts - Sheep - Early Tasmanian Affairs - Sheep Stealing -
For many it became their Bread and Butter
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There would
not be too many Australians who would not have heard of Saltbush Bill
Sort of an
Aussie Icon! But just how many would
realise that one of the verses related directly to the Jillett Brothers in
Queensland?
SALTBUSH BILL by A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson
Now this is the law of the Overland that all in the West obey -
A man must cover with travelling sheep a six-mile stage a day;
But this is the law which the drovers make, right easily understood,
They travel their stage where the grass is bad, but they camp where the grass is good;
They camp, and they ravage the squatter's grass till never a blade remains,
Then they drift away as the white clouds drift on the edge of the saltbush plains;
From camp to camp and from run to run they battle it hand to hand
For a blade of grass and the right to pass on the track of the Overland.
Now this is the law of the Overland that all in the West obey -
A man must cover with travelling sheep a six-mile stage a day;
But this is the law which the drovers make, right easily understood,
They travel their stage where the grass is bad, but they camp where the grass is good;
They camp, and they ravage the squatter's grass till never a blade remains,
Then they drift away as the white clouds drift on the edge of the saltbush plains;
From camp to camp and from run to run they battle it hand to hand
For a blade of grass and the right to pass on the track of the Overland.
For this is the law of the Great Stock Routes, 'tis written in white and black -
The man that goes with a travelling mob must keep to a half-mile track;
And the drovers keep to a half-mile track on the runs where the grass is dead,
But they spread their sheep on a well-grassed run till they go with a two-mile spread.
So the squatters hurry the drovers on from dawn till the fall of night,
And the squatters' dogs and the drovers' dogs get mixed in a deadly fight.
Yet the squatter's men, though they hunt the mob, are willing the peace to keep,
For the drovers learn how to use their hands when they go with the travelling sheep;
But this is the tale of a jackaroo that came from a foreign strand,
And the fight that he fought with Saltbush Bill, the King of the Overland.
Now Saltbush Bill was a drover tough as ever the country knew,
He had fought his way on the Great Stock Routes from the sea to the big Barcoo;
He could tell when he came to a friendly run that gave him a chance to spread,
And he knew where the hungry owners were that hurried his sheep ahead;
He was drifting down in the Eighty drought with a mob that could scarcely creep
(When the kangaroos by the thousand starve, it is rough on the travelling sheep),
And he camped one night at the crossing-place on the edge of the Wilga run;
'We must manage a feed for them here,' he said, 'or half of the mob are done!'
So he spread them out when they left the camp wherever they liked to go,
Till he grew aware of a Jackaroo with a station-hand in tow.
They set to work on the straggling
sheep, and with many a stockwhip crack
They forced them in where the grass was dead in the space of the half-mile track;
And William prayed that the hand of Fate might suddenly strike him blue
But he'd get some grass for his starving sheep in the teeth of that Jackaroo.
So he turned and he cursed the Jackaroo; he cursed him, alive or dead,
From the soles of his great unwieldy feet to the crown of his ugly head, With an extra curse on the moke he rode and the cur at his heels that ran,
Till the jackaroo from his horse got down and went for the drover-man
With the station-hand for his picker-up, though the sheep ran loose the while, They battled it out on' the well-grassed plain in the regular prize-ring style.
Now, the new chum fought for his honour's sake and the pride of the English race,
But the drover fought for his daily bread with a smile on his bearded face.,
So he shifted ground, and he sparred for wind, and he made it a lengthy mill,
And from time to time as his scouts came in they whispered to Saltbush Bill -
'We have spread the sheep with a two-mile spread, and the grass it is something grand;
You must stick to him, Bill, for another round for the pride of the Overland.'
The new chum made it a rushing fight, though never a blow got home,
Till the sun rode high in the cloudless sky and glared on the brick-red loam,
Till the sheep drew in to the shelter-trees and settled them down to rest;
Then the drover said he would fight no more, and gave his opponent best.
So the new chum rode to the homestead straight, and told them a story grand
Of the desperate fight that he fought that day with the King of the Overland;
And the tale went home to the Public Schools of the pluck of the English swell -
How the drover fought for his very life, but blood in the end must tell.
But the travelling sheep and the Wilga sheep were boxed on the Old Man Plain;
'Twas a full week's work ere they drafted out and hun them off again;
A week's good grass in their wretched hides, with a curse and a stockwhip crack
They hunted them off on the road once more to starve on the half-mile track.
And Saltbush Bill, on the Overland, will many a time recite
How the best day's work that he ever did was the day that he lost the fight.
They forced them in where the grass was dead in the space of the half-mile track;
And William prayed that the hand of Fate might suddenly strike him blue
But he'd get some grass for his starving sheep in the teeth of that Jackaroo.
So he turned and he cursed the Jackaroo; he cursed him, alive or dead,
From the soles of his great unwieldy feet to the crown of his ugly head, With an extra curse on the moke he rode and the cur at his heels that ran,
Till the jackaroo from his horse got down and went for the drover-man
With the station-hand for his picker-up, though the sheep ran loose the while, They battled it out on' the well-grassed plain in the regular prize-ring style.
Now, the new chum fought for his honour's sake and the pride of the English race,
But the drover fought for his daily bread with a smile on his bearded face.,
So he shifted ground, and he sparred for wind, and he made it a lengthy mill,
And from time to time as his scouts came in they whispered to Saltbush Bill -
'We have spread the sheep with a two-mile spread, and the grass it is something grand;
You must stick to him, Bill, for another round for the pride of the Overland.'
The new chum made it a rushing fight, though never a blow got home,
Till the sun rode high in the cloudless sky and glared on the brick-red loam,
Till the sheep drew in to the shelter-trees and settled them down to rest;
Then the drover said he would fight no more, and gave his opponent best.
So the new chum rode to the homestead straight, and told them a story grand
Of the desperate fight that he fought that day with the King of the Overland;
And the tale went home to the Public Schools of the pluck of the English swell -
How the drover fought for his very life, but blood in the end must tell.
But the travelling sheep and the Wilga sheep were boxed on the Old Man Plain;
'Twas a full week's work ere they drafted out and hun them off again;
A week's good grass in their wretched hides, with a curse and a stockwhip crack
They hunted them off on the road once more to starve on the half-mile track.
And Saltbush Bill, on the Overland, will many a time recite
How the best day's work that he ever did was the day that he lost the fight.
The property in the Barcoo was one of the Jillett
Bros, and they were the ones being referred to in the poem.
By introducing the
Jillett/Bradshaw Family to the descendants, it is very clear that while Australia's
rode on the Sheep's Back so did the family of Robert Jillett and Elizabeth
Bradshaw.
Initially after they returned
from Norfolk Island, and re-settled in New Norfolk and York Plains, they did so
with huge flocks of sheep.
They held Government contracts to
supply meat to the colony. Lots of
meat. To be able to fulfil their
obligation they needed two components:
Animals and land with water.
In 1808 Elizabeth stepped off the
Lady Nelson, with around 30 sheep, which were perhaps her breeding stock, and
19 which no doubt were ready for market which had a value of £59, and were 1.2
grown (perhaps 12 months wethers)
Her total land was 15.5 acres
cleared and 68.5 not cleared. While that
does not correspond to her land purchases it is what was recorded at the time.
She was a Third Class Citizen.
The settlers and inhabitants from
Norfolk Island were divided into three classes:
The first class consist of discharged marines and old servants of the Government who will be allowed food and clothing free of charge for two years, also four workmen rationed and clothed. These are to have priority in everything.
The second class will be those who have been convicts but have earned complete freedom; they will be clothed and victualled and given two men to work for them for two years.
The third class covers all those islanders owning land or building but with no claims on the Government. They will be clothed and fed from Governments stores for 12 months, with two men to help clear their grants of land in Van Diemen’s Land for the same period.
All classes are to be supplied with farm implements and other tools for use in cultivating the soils on their land.
The first class consist of discharged marines and old servants of the Government who will be allowed food and clothing free of charge for two years, also four workmen rationed and clothed. These are to have priority in everything.
The second class will be those who have been convicts but have earned complete freedom; they will be clothed and victualled and given two men to work for them for two years.
The third class covers all those islanders owning land or building but with no claims on the Government. They will be clothed and fed from Governments stores for 12 months, with two men to help clear their grants of land in Van Diemen’s Land for the same period.
All classes are to be supplied with farm implements and other tools for use in cultivating the soils on their land.
For every acre of cultivation they had
left behind at Norfolk Island, four acres of land were to be granted them by
Gov Collins, and two acres for any unimproved land they may possess. They
were also to receive free rations for them and their men.
In 1803 orders were given for the first
group of Norfolk Islanders to be removed. All moveable property belonging
to these people, including their livestock, was to be taken at the cost of the
Government, to any place they chose.
The first Norfolk Islander to arrive at Hobart was George Guest, who came on the “Sydney” with Joseph Holt. George brought with him his wife and six children and a flock of sheep. Gov Bligh, when hearing of the arrival told Collins to buy any of the sheep that he could for £2/2/- per head. However many died during the voyage.
Some of the islanders were billeted
with the residents of Hobart Town, and some offered to waive all claims against
the Government if Gov Collins would give them livestock equal in value to the
homes they had left behind on Norfolk Island.
They were offered sheep and Bengal cows, instead of the houses, outhouses and barns they had been promised. They required clothing and bedding, but there was none to be given. Instead of 386 people expected, there were nearly 800, being the whole of the establishment from Norfolk not including the military.
Some of the characters had been described by Capt Piper, Commandant of Norfolk Island, as being “desperate characters”. (Robert Jillett was one such person)
By the calculations, Elizabeth
should have been granted 60 acres in lieu of the cultivated land, and another
137 acres for her uncultivated lands.
That raises a question - Did
that happen?
According to some reports
from Robert Jillett, he refers to the land grant, as his wife's from lands on
Norfolk Island.
HOBART
TOWN GAZETTE, December 6, 1817.
Reference to ownership of land.
"Robert
Jillett, late partner with Martha Hayes, William Littlefield and Martin Hunt of
FRIENDLY FARMS situate at Prince of
Wales Bay and from thence to the Rivulet at New Town". (Martha Hayes was considered by visiting
Irish exile General Joseph Holt in 1806 to be "a
beautiful girl: the prettiest violet I saw growing on the Derwent". She had been mistress to Lieutenant Bowen,
together they were the parents of the first (illegitimate) European child born
in Tasmania, etc. etc.)
Note: LAND GRANTS IN VAN DIEMEN'S LAND (State
Archive Microfilm records, not pursued in detail.) An old map of location of land granted in the
New Town/Glenorchy district shows Robert Jillett as the grantee of Grant No.
19, 140 acres, located on the south side of Prince of Wales Bay, near the
present site of the Electrolytic Zinc Company's works. [See later for trespass notice from Hobart
Town Gazette, December 20, 1823, giving location and name of "Jillett's Point"].
HOBART TOWN GAZETTE, December 20,
1823: notice cautioning all persons
"against trespassing upon my farm of 120 acres (sic) of land, being my
wife's claim from Norfolk Island, situate at Prince of Wales Bay, and known by
the name of Jillett's Point, upon pain of prosecution to the utmost rigour of
the Law. R.JILLETT".
Poor old Governor Collins had no idea how he could fulfil these
conditions when he received the orders from Sydney. Most of his men were
old or feeble and some of them even the soldiers had been forced through lack
of supplies to make their own clothing from the skins of kangaroos and possums.
This was made worse still by the apparent ignorance in London of the
supply of building material and stock that the Governor could put his hand on
at a moment’s notice, when in fact there had been a famine in Tasmania in 1806
and a great shortage prevailed of screws, axes, nails and other implements
required for building houses.
Even Mathew Bowden wrote of the shortage to his colleague in London.
Robert Jillett and his older sons, William and James each held contracts
to supply meat to the colony.
The life of a sheep farmer in Tasmania in the early 1820's was not easy.
They had to contend with the loss of animals to the environment, the
wild dogs, and hungry natives, who resented the use of their traditional
"kangaroo hunting land", being overtaken by the Colonists.
Between 1817 and 1824 the
colonial population rose from 2000 to 12,600 and in 1823 alone more than 1000
land grants totalling 175,704ha were made to new settlers; by that year Van
Diemen's Land's sheep population had reached 200,000 and the so-called Settled
Districts accounted for 30 per cent of the island's total land area. The rapid
colonisation transformed traditional kangaroo hunting grounds into farms with
grazing livestock as well as fences, hedges and stone walls, while police and
military patrols were increased to control the convict farm labourers
While Robert and the elder boys grazed lands which had been granted as
leases, in Back River, and in the Oatlands area, they appeared to settle down
and marry.
1821 JILLETT,
Robert, Hobart Gazette, 3 March
1821, [Hobart Town
Intelligence].Criminal Court, Thurs Jan 23, 1821.
"William Williams, alias
Scrammy Williams, was capitally indicted for feloniously stealing, in the month
of August 1819, at YORK PLAINS, 150 sheep, the property of Robert Jillett, a
settler.
Robert Jillett Senior died in 1832 at Back River in New Norfolk.
At his death, Robert Jillett, was
20. He was born in 1812. The two younger sons were born 1817 and 1819.
After his father died in 1832, Robert Jillett Junior inherited the
weatherboard house in Hobart. Perhaps he
became a bit of a "wild boy".
Tasmanian (Hobart Town, Tas. : 1827 -
1839), Friday 6 December 1833, page 6
Robert
Gillett, John Williams and John Monday, all native youths aping the Tom and
Jeffries creating a disturbance in the streets of Hobart Town at 10 o'clock
last night, and with maliciously injuring the property of Samuel Maddox, by
pulling down his sign-post, to the damage of 10s., were fined 10s. and costs,
and in default, to be imprisoned, kept to hard labour for fourteen days, and
each to find sureties for their good behaviour.
Trumpeter General (Hobart, Tas. : 1833 - 1834), Friday 11 July 1834,
page 4
INSOLVENT "DEBTORS’ COURT-
Monday. — A Costly Dog.— Samuel Stanbury was opposed by Mr. Cresswell on
the part of two persons, named Gillett and Barker; he was supported by Mr,
Cooke.—The insolvent was a tobacconist in George Street, Tottenliam-court-n ad.
Some time since, Mr. Gillett, one of his opposing creditors, brought an action
against him for the recovery of a dog, but it was abandoned, and the insolvent
afterwards discovered that Mr. Gillett had obtained possession of the dog in
question. He then commenced an action against Mr. Gillett, and coupled Mr.
Barker with him, on whose premises the animal was seen. Strange as it may
appear, nearly 4001. has been expended in litigation on the dog.
By 1835, Robert Jillett Junior was confirmed to be residing at York
Plains. Elizabeth Jillett was living at
New Norfolk.
Then 1837 brings some interesting facts, as reported in the Hobart
papers. The events occurred in July.
Richard Walter was charged with sheep stealing, and at his trial he was
found "guilty".
But also in the charge sheets was
Thomas Jillett. He was arrested for
"stealing lambs". He was found
"not guilty".
1837
Quite a set of circumstances!
Thomas was 20 years of age.
By 1837, young Robert Jillett appears to have left the Colony. He did go to Kaputi in New Zealand, confirmed
by passage on a ship out of Sydney, in 1839.
Did Robert Jillett Junior disappear as a result of "sheep stealing
activities?".
There were problems with cattle belonging to Gillett. Within 3 weeks, Thomas Salmon is claiming cattle belonging to Gillett. Were these in fact matters meant to be in reference to Robert Gillett?
The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839) Friday 28 July 1837 p 3 Article
It would not take a detective very long to put two and two together and
come up with four.
Shortly thereafter, Thomas called for persons who had claims against him
to lodge their appeals.
The Report regarding the Sheep
Stealing
Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), Friday 4 August 1837, page 3
POLICE REPORT.
A most extensive and systematic plan of sheep stealing has recently been
discovered in the Oatlands district, through the exertions of the local
constabulary, and which will no doubt break up one of the worst gangs of sheep
and cattle stealers that ever existed, and who have for a long period been
carrying on with impunity their depredations on the flocks of the neighbouring
settlers, Mr. James Lord and Mr. Daniel O'Connor, have, we understand, been
sufferers to an alarming extent.
The discovery was made in the following manner- Constable Barbery (who
for this service has been ordered a ticket of leave by the Lieutenant Governor)
rode over to a Mr. Jillett, who resides at York plains, in the Oatlands
district, in order to serve a summons on that person, but found that he was not
at home.
A man, however of the name of Walters, said he would soon return; the
constable, therefore, determined to stay and put his horse up in the stable,
and whilst so doing, heard, as he thought, the bleating of a dying sheep, and
on looking through a crevice, he perceived a sheep just killed and another not
quite dead; he said nothing, but went into the hut, and then asked the man why
he did not go and finish the sheep he had left, at the same time offering his
services (being a butcher by trade), the man at first declined, but upon being
pressed, took Barbery into the stable, and by means of a sliding panel let him
into a small slaughter house, where there was a well for the receipt of the
blood, &c. and another sliding panel opened into a drawing yard, through
which sheep could be put without being noticed- this slaughter house was a
narrow slip taken off the stable so as to be almost imperceptible except upon
close examination.
Barberry immediately without giving any alarm or making any remarks,
rode back to Oatlands, procured assistance, returned to the place, and there
found twenty-two sheep bearing the brand of Mr. James Lord. Walter has since
been convicted and sentenced to transportation for life.
Mr Barberry was actually Mr Burbury.
Coventry Herald 13 September 1839
Extract
from a letter, received recently in this City, from Thomas Burbery, and dated
Oatlands, Van Diemen's Land, February 25, 1839, will be interesting to many of
our readers:-
On my arrival in this Colony
I was hired to the service of Thomas Ansty, Esq; from from good behaviour I was
made Field Police Constable in the Oatlands Police, which duty is this country
is very hard; I remained in that situation three years and six months before I
got my liberty, which situation I must have had eleven years for the same, if I
had not done that which twenty men would have been frightened to have done in
England; but liberty or death I was determined to have. I must now inform you how it was obtained:-
Sheep
and cattle stealing is carried on in this Colony to a great extent, especially
in our district which is a great grazing country.
One day while on my duty in the bush, I had to serve a summons on a
person of the name of Jillett, a native of the Colony, who with his companions,
have been a dread to the Island for the last fifteen years; and many a long
night have the police watched them, but dare not take them.
When I got there - they not knowing I was a Constable, as I was riding a
fine horse belonging to our Clergyman, which I was breaking in for him - I
caught them slaughtering sheep belonging to a gentleman in our district, which
I well knew; they being such desperate characters, I was in fear of my life,
but I could not get away from them, and I
had to face them with two small pistols and succeeded in securing them,
without loss of life, and brought them to Oatlands with me that night.
When on their trial at the Assize Court, for my conduct in the affair, I
was persuaded by the Judge to apply for my liberty, which I did, and got it,
besides about fifty pounds as a reward from the settlers in the district.
I still keep a butcher's shop in the township of Oatlands, and am doing
pretty well in it; I have had a new one built since I got my liberty; I have
£100 for the ground, it runs 50 feet in front of the main street and 250 feet
back into another street, where I have built my stock-yard which Government use
as a public Pound, which will be worth £30 a year to me from what is impounded
in it.
My house has got nine rooms in it, contains 35,000 bricks besides
stones, with a fine stable for three horses, and a slaughter-house, attached to
it.
The property has cost me £500.
Since I got my liberty I have been appointed to the situation of
District Constable, which is worth £70 a year.
I have twenty-two Petty Constables under me, whom I have to pay every
month, 1s 9d per day. I deal in horses
and cattle, by which I get a little, and I keep three servants, two male and
one female; we are blest with four children; we keep a few milking cows, make a
little butter and sell a little milk.
"I would give all I am possessed of at this moment if I could but
see you all together, but I never shall.
We hope to return, with family, to England in about ten years, if God
spares us."
Oh dear! The Jillett's were a
problem.
This article was published in Australian
Dictionary of Biography,
Volume 1, (MUP), 1966
Thomas Burbury (1809?-1870), landowner, was
born in England, the son of William Burbury, formerly quartermaster in the 4th
(Queens Own) dragoons. In March 1832 Burbury, a cottage-industry weaver, was
sentenced to death at the Warwick Assizes for having taken part, in the
previous November, in burning down Beck's steam factory at Coventry, where the
weavers had been threatened with unemployment through the installation of new
machinery.It was one of the last recorded examples of industrial 'Luddism' in England. On the intercession of Edward Ellice, M.P. for Coventry, the sentence was commuted to transportation for life. Burbury arrived in Hobart Town in the York on 29 December 1832. His gaol and hulk reports gave him a good character and 'respectable connexions', and the surgeon-superintendent's report described his conduct on the voyage as 'excellent'. His wife Mary and an infant daughter followed him to Hobart in the Gulnare, which arrived in February 1833.
In March 1834 he was assigned for service as a constable at Oatlands, and four years later was promoted district constable. Commended for his share in capturing sheep-stealers and tracking down bushrangers, he was granted a ticket-of-leave in December 1837 and a free pardon on 30 October 1839, also receiving local testimonials to his character, and pecuniary rewards.
Soon after arrival he had started acquiring land in his wife's name, first in the township of Oatlands where he built a dwelling house and the offices for his butchery. He first rented and later owned extensive lands at Tooms Lake, Little Swanport, Tin Pot Marsh and the Race Course Marsh near Oatlands on which he ran his herds. In 1842 he was the clerk of the Oatlands Race Course, became district pound keeper in 1853, and was elected to the municipal council in its first elections at Oatlands in January 1862. He died at Oatlands on 30 July 1870.
For thirty-eight years Burbury had taken part in every public movement in the district and was a member of every public body, commanding general esteem and confidence. He left four sons and a daughter.
His youngest son, Arthur James, a lawyer, married Elizabeth Isabel, granddaughter of Richard Lewis. His other children married well and their descendants continued to fill respected roles in Tasmanian society.
They included Sir Stanley Charles Burbury (1909-1995), Chief Justice of Tasmania, and the state’s first Australian-born governor (1973-82).
http://www.burbury.net/index.html?articles/cov00058.html&2
Reading Thomas Burbury's biography reveals some interesting facts.
He lived in Oatlands in High Street
He was a member of the Turf Club
He was in elected positions in the town.
So perhaps the Jillett's were not such a problem as he made out in his
letter to his family in England.
Thomas Jillett and John Jillett
They both lived in Oatlands, Thomas lived in High Street
They were both members of the Turf Club
They were both in elected positions in the town.
Or did he have a problem with just one of the Jillett brothers?
In 1842 there was an unfortunate accident in New Norfolk, when 3 of Mr Gillett's men drowned in the river while washing sheep.
In 1855, Thomas Jillett joins with Thomas Burbury in calling for action
of those terrible imports from Norfolk Island.
Mr Burbury, the Agricultural convict did quite well for himself.
As did Thomas Jillett, born in the Colony, businessman, grazier,
property owner, and in many business ventures with his 3 brothers, William and
James Bradshaw and John Jillett.
After the death of the children, Thomas and Mary Ann Jillett relocated
to Victoria. He became the owner of
several sheep stations, and even hired Capt George Phillips to transport his
stock between Tasmania and Victoria.
Capt Phillip's daughter married Alfred Jillett, Thomas and Mary Ann's
eldest son.
The success with the sheep depended on his son's involvement in the
family business. Known as Jillett Bros,
their stories of droving sheep were recorded in the family "bible".
Alfred Charles Jillett
He
married Catherine Phillips, at the home of her parents Captain George Phillips
at Battery Point in 1878.
The children were
·
Frank
Arthur Jillett 1879 1946 m Marcia Cran Richardson
·
Reginald
George Jillett 1880 1882
·
Eileen
Mary Jillett 1885 1956 m Reginald Victor Judd
·
Katie
Isabella Jillett 1888 1953 m
Claude Annesley (Harold Sedgwick) p Samuel
Herron
·
Reginald
George Augustus Jillett 1890 - 1987 m Violet Cecilia Bryant and Mary Porter
Frank
and Marcia's children were
·
Marcia
Mary Jillett 1918 - 1991 m David Brasingthwaite
·
Alfred
Henry Jillett 1920 - 1991 m Pauline
Hedley
·
Richard
Frank Jillett 1921 - 2006
·
Tasma
Ann Jillett 1936 - c2015
Eileen Jillett married Reginald Victor Judd and
had
·
Enid
Victoria Daisy Judd 1911 -
1996 m Colin Esmond Stehr and Donald
Wilkie
·
Reginald
Judd 1912 - 1986 m Shirley Therese Railey
·
Ailsa
Eileen Judd 1914 -
1956 m
Charles Garnet Kierath
·
Norman
Keith Judd 1919 - 1942
·
Edith
Judd 1922
- 1996 m Gordon William Briggs
Katie Jillett married Claude Annesley who was
born Harold Sedgwick
They had
three children
·
Hazel
Dorothea Annesley born 1911 d
1911
·
Valerie
Annesley born 1915 - 1980 m Gordon Forster
·
She
partnered Samuel Herron and had two sons
·
James
William Herron 1924 - 2007 m
Emily Jackson
·
Wilfred
Herron 1927 - 2000 m
Gweneth Bauer
Reginald George Jillett 1890 - 1987 married Mary Ann Porter
Reginald
Thomas Jillett 1928 - 2015 m
Thelma Hayden
George Jillett
George Jillett was born 21st March
1847 at York Plains in Van Diemen’s Land, second son of Thomas and Mary Ann
Jillett.
On 5th December 1869 he started for
Mr Robert Moffatt, Wycheproof Station, in Victoria, and on 7th
February 1871 he sailed for Tasmania.
In 1872 he married Laura Lavinia Shone, and he
left with his father Thomas Snr to look at Buddyina station, in NSW which
Thomas purchased and left George in charge.
In 1873
he was living in Melbourne and had Queensland interests with Alfred of
Balpannah, Wilpeena, Ballkingcleroche and Duneed (Rockhampton and Port Curtis
area), auctioned and sold to Thomas
Moffatt
In 1878
he was on Wallandry Station and on Buddicower Station
In 1887
He is mentioned in the sale of Wallandry Station in the Lachlan District of NSW
On 11th
September 1879 he left for Queensland, for Fishers?
Between
1879 and 1880 he travelled with 12,452 sheep from Kerang to Thurrulgoona and
Greendale.
In 1889
George was a JP at Greendale.
His wife
Laura lived at Greendale with him, and painted a watercolour of the homestead. (Now
In the care of great nephew, Ian Jillett)
In 1900
he was Vice President of the Rifle Club at Tambo
On 1st
February 1900 he purchased 3V, 4850 acres from Arthur Jillett
Laura
died 1902 while in Launceston, of typhoid.
In 1906
with Tasman, he had a grant to modify fencing 2V and 3V (8850 acres).
In 1909
he married Frances Cara Ruby Miller at Melbourne.
In 1917 George was mentioned as the informant
of his brother Henric's death, and was listed as residing
at 36 Manning Road, Double Bay
In 1915
he lived in Sydney, as it relates to probate on his mother, Mary Ann Jillett’s
will
He lived
at Croydon Park, Parkes New South Wales and died in Sydney 28th
September 1935.
In 1936
there was probate of his will.
Another of the early pioneers in the Queensland
grazing industry passed away in the person of Mr George Jillett, of the firm of
Messrs Jillett Bros., of Greendale station.
The late Mr Jillett was a native of Tasmania, and
in company with his brothers came to the Barcoo where they purchased Greendale
from the N.Z. Land Company in 1881.
The late Mr Jillett resided with his brothers on the
station until 1910, when he left for Croydon, New South Wales, to live in
retirement.
Until quite recently he had maintained fairly good
health, but three months ago began to fail. In his younger days he was a noted
horseman over jumps and on one occasion rode a mare owned by his father, named
Black Bess, into fourth place in a Grand National Steeplechase.
Besides his widow he is survived by two brothers,
Mr. E. F. Jillett (Greendale) and Mr Tasman Jillett (Chatham).
Laura painted the homestead, Greendale, it remains
in the family.
Arthur Jillett
Extracts
from the Jillett diaries (written by Arthur) show how travelled they were
across Australia.
Diary of 1879 started from Bridgwater to
Kerang, Swann Hill on the Murray River, Yanga (lake) mustered weaners at
Balranald (12452 of them), Paika Creet,
Box Creek, Glen Emu, Tilltill, Hatfield, Clare Station, Kilpera,Hanford, Lake
Victoria Station, Tarrawena Station, Tintinallogy, Billilla on the Darling
River, Murtee Station, Nelyambo, Curranyalpa, Winbar, Gunderbooka, Yandaroo,
Bourke, Port Burke, Warrego River, Fords Bridge, Enngonia, Barringun,
Tinenburra, Thurrulgoona.
Then back to
Melbourne: Thurrulgoona, Touin Creek,
Balalie, Engonia, Bourke, Yandra, Gundabooka, Louth, Dunlop, Compodore,
Curranyalpa, Buchamby, Nelyambo, Paddington, Yarrock, Deniliquin, Redbank,
Echuca, Kilmore then train for Essenden, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane,
Maryborough, Rockhampton, Westwood, Gogango, Duaringa, Wallaroo, Dingo Town,
Walton, Blackwater, Comet, Minerva Creek to The Graveyard, Springsure,
Greendale. 3rd October, 1880, then he went back to Melbourne, with
Thomas, Henric, George and Edward (his brothers).
The diary continues in 1886.
1st May,
With Tasman, started from Greendale for Isisford – also Henrice to
Ravensbourne, Malvern Hills, Thornleigh, Smith Lagoon, Albilbah, Tolundilly
Creek, Isis Downs *8376 sheep), Thornleigh Creek, Isisford, Avington, Alice
Downs, Blackall, Northampton, Enniskillen, Greendale.
1st January 1887: 13
September 1888, he went from Tambo by coach to Charleville, then a train to
Roma, Brisbane to Sydney by steamer “SS Katoomba” and steamer to Melbourne.
15th November, 1888,
Mother (Mary Ann Jillett), Fran and Amy and Arthur started from Melbourne to
Launceston in “”SS Flinders”, caught the mail train to Hobart and were met by
father (Thomas) and Uncle Shone.
14th January, 1889,
Left Hobart on train for Launceston.
Caught the “SS Pateena” at Launceston.
Arrived in Melbourne 15th January. Left Melbourne “SS Rodondo” 19th
January. Jervis Bay towed by steamer
“Kiama” “SS Burweh” towed them to Sydney.
Left Sydney on “Burweh” to Brisbane, 28th January,
Maryborough to Rockhampton, left by train to Alpha, by buggy to Tambo. Alfred came for me in the buggy 8th
February 1888.
26 March 1889: With Tasman and 10624 wethers for Cassilis
and Tom. Enniskillen, Northhampton,
Blackall Reserve, Home Creek, Patrick Creek, Alice Reserve, Barcaldine
Reserve. Wire from Alfred to return to
Greendale with the sheep as they had rain.
18th April 1889 Lagoon Creek, Patrick Creek, Blackboy Creek,
Home Station Creek, Alice Downs, Skeleton Creek, Blackall Reserve,
Northhampton, Greendale with 10264 sheep.
11 June 1889: Greendale:
With Tom, started for Cassilis with 5 horses. Northhampton, Alice Downs,
Home Creek, Barcaldine, Stainburn Downs, Aramac, Muttaburra, Lerida, Katandra,
Mills Creek, Sesbania. Cassilis on 24th
June 1889. Edward camped out lambmarking
at Cassilis.
31st August 1891: Left Cassilis for Melbourne. Richmond Downs,
Hughenden by coach, Townsville by train, Sydney by Leura, train to Melbourne,
“SS Flora” to Hobart
19th October 1891:
Phoebe (wife) Alfred and I (Arthur) to Richmond with Tom. Coach to Hughenden, Townsville. Left in “Arrawatta” fro Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne 3rd November 1891.
On 10th
March 1892 Arthur had married Phoebe Broadribb (a cousin on the Shone
side).
Arthur
and Phoebe lived at Montrose House, Rosetta, Tasmania. Now for a mystery, when Arthur died he left
£500 to his wife,, to his sister-in-law Mrs Frances C Jillett he left £1000,
and to a Miss Florence Weldon (an unknown lady to this family) he left £6000. Research reveals that Florence Weldon also
lived in Rosetta Tasmania.
Phoebe
was the daughter of William Brodribb and Elizabeth Currie. Her father had two daughters named Phoebe,
different wives, different middle names.
In the
1880’s Arthur was a member of the Tambo Racing Club – Gentleman Rider.
In June
1888 He was the lessee of Greendale,
Portion 3V Gf15, 4850 acres, and held it until 1921
Arthur's
home in Rosetta was named Undine. It is
now a B&B.
Henric Thomas
Jillett was the
third son of Thomas and Mary Ann Jillett, and ws born on 27th
November 1848 at York Plains in Oatlands, Tasmania.
He was involved with the sheep
grazing interests of his brothers, and with the stories outlined in the
extracts from the novel “Bell of the Barcoo”.
On 23 September 1872 he left to
go to join his brother George at Buddyina Station with Lindlay, Moffatt and
Band.
On 28th August 1879 he also left for Queensland on the trip
from Kerang to Thurrulgoona with 12,452 sheep then on to Greendale.
On 1st
May 1886 he left Greendale to Isisford with 8376 sheep.
Somewhere along the way
Henric or Henry or Harry, as he was
often called, had a relationship with an Annie Robinson, resulting in the birth
of at least two children.
Herbert George Jillett who was born at Cloncurry in 1884
Harry Jillett b 1887 born Coolah
NSW
In
1889 he married Evelyn Isabel Wilkinson and they had a daughter Nancy. Nancy died in 1914 in New South Wales. In 1892 he was listed as living in North
Sydney
Around
1896 Evelyn Jillett was made bankrupt, she had been operating a tea room in
Sydney.
In
1900 she divorced Henric for adultery with person and persons unknown!
In
1903 he was at Cassilis Station.
In 1910 He left Hobart for Sydney
In
1911 he left Townsville to travel to Sydney
In
1913 he married Elizabeth Mary Lette, whose family were from Tasmania and
Cooma. She was the grand-daughter of
Peter Lette and Elizabeth Peck. She had
been married in South Australia, and had a daughter Rosa Harrison. They had a daughter Nancy, in 1914, who died
shortly afterwards.
He
died 6th August 1917 aged 68.
His
son Harry married Pearl Hall in 1913, and his other son Herbert George married
in 1911.
Harry
was in Goulbourn Prison on three occasions, and went by several alias, ie Harry
Gillett, Harry Robinson, and his own name.
Harry had grey eyes, the same as his grandfather!
There
is an entry for the death of Annie Robinson in 1900. Death recorded in Inverell. Mother Rose
The
boys would have been young at that stage, and they were raised by Cliff Wells
and his family at Rocky Creek. It is rumoured
that Mrs Wells became pregnant to Herbert George Jillett. The reason given for the children to be with
the Wells family is that their father went to Grafton.
On the wedding certificate of
Herbert George Jillett it lists his father Henry as a publican at Tent Hill. Tent Hill is an area around Emmaville in NSW
where tin was mined extensively.
The likeness of Henric’s son Harry, to that of his
brother’s son Robert is remarkable. The
only difference is Harry ended up in jail, and Robert was a POW killed in
Sandraken.
This story is to be found
in the http://newspapers.nla.gov.au site and relates to Harry Jillett
The Brisbane Courier (Qld) Wednesday 7th September 1921
A Remarkable Case
Unusual circumstances attended a case of false pretences heard in the Toowoomba Circuit Court yesterday, when Walter Gillett, who pleaded guilty to two separate charges, was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr Kingsbury) stated that the accused went into the Q.N. Bank Toowoomba, at a time when the regular teller was absent on holidays, and a teller from a country centre was relieving. The accused introduced himself as "Gillett, from St George" and said he was down to buy cattle at a sale in Toowoomba.
As it happened there was a resident of St George named Jillett. Accused presented that he had forgotten his cheque book, and asked the teller for a blank cheque form, and also asked him to fill it up for him. The teller filled in the form for £30, accused signed it, and the teller foolishly cashed it. Two or three days afterwards accused called at a suburban hotel in Toowoomba, where he spent money freely, and said that he was a son of the late "Mr. Jillett" of St George.
He asked the proprietor of the hotel if he would cash a cheque for him and said "the teller at the Q.N. Bank knows me. The hotelkeeper replied that he would go to the bank with him. At the bank the teller identified the "man from St George", but in this case the publican endorsed the cheque which was for £40, so he lost the money, not the tell who cashed it.
In three days the man raised £70. Mr Kingsbury said the accused was "one of those gentlemen from the South who think we are unduly lenient in Queensland". He read a list of previous convictions for forgery and uttering false pretences, against accused in New South Wales, dating from 1912. Accused had a number of aliases, said they were not sure that Gillett was his right name. None of the money obtained by accused had been refunded. His Honour, in sentencing the accused said that he was one of the unfortunate class of persons who were always signing cheques and always getting caught, and he would have to protect the community.
The Brisbane Courier (Qld) Wednesday 7th September 1921
A Remarkable Case
Unusual circumstances attended a case of false pretences heard in the Toowoomba Circuit Court yesterday, when Walter Gillett, who pleaded guilty to two separate charges, was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr Kingsbury) stated that the accused went into the Q.N. Bank Toowoomba, at a time when the regular teller was absent on holidays, and a teller from a country centre was relieving. The accused introduced himself as "Gillett, from St George" and said he was down to buy cattle at a sale in Toowoomba.
As it happened there was a resident of St George named Jillett. Accused presented that he had forgotten his cheque book, and asked the teller for a blank cheque form, and also asked him to fill it up for him. The teller filled in the form for £30, accused signed it, and the teller foolishly cashed it. Two or three days afterwards accused called at a suburban hotel in Toowoomba, where he spent money freely, and said that he was a son of the late "Mr. Jillett" of St George.
He asked the proprietor of the hotel if he would cash a cheque for him and said "the teller at the Q.N. Bank knows me. The hotelkeeper replied that he would go to the bank with him. At the bank the teller identified the "man from St George", but in this case the publican endorsed the cheque which was for £40, so he lost the money, not the tell who cashed it.
In three days the man raised £70. Mr Kingsbury said the accused was "one of those gentlemen from the South who think we are unduly lenient in Queensland". He read a list of previous convictions for forgery and uttering false pretences, against accused in New South Wales, dating from 1912. Accused had a number of aliases, said they were not sure that Gillett was his right name. None of the money obtained by accused had been refunded. His Honour, in sentencing the accused said that he was one of the unfortunate class of persons who were always signing cheques and always getting caught, and he would have to protect the community.
Thomas Shone
Jillett 1850 -
1897
Thomas Shone Jillett was the
third son of Thomas and Mary Ann Jillett.
He was born on 29th July 1850 at York Plains Oatlands
Tasmania.
He never married. He died of typhoid on 14th
December 1897 at Charters Towers in Queensland, and was buried at the Charters
Towers Church of England cemetery (no 641).
At the
time of his death he died intestate and it took 50 years to settle his estate.
On 13th May 1869 he
left Mornington Park for a position in Melbourne with William Croly’s office at
the salary of £50 per annum
He then
joined with his brothers in the sheep grazing ventures.
In
1872 he started for Buddyina Station
In
1879 he left for Queensland with 12,452 sheep from Kerang to Thurrulgoona and
on to Greendale.
In
May 1886 he left from Brisbane to travel to Sydney by boat. He was also a steward of Tambo Racing Club.
On
26th March 1889 he left Greendale for Cassillis with 10,624 wethers
and then came back to Greendale.
He
left Greendale on 11th June 1889 to Cassisllis with 5 horses.
Newspaper death notice:
"Jillett - On 14 th
December, at Charters Towers, of Typhoid, Thomas Shone Jillett of Cassillis
Station, Qld, fourth son of the late Thomas Jillett, aged 48 years."
"We deeply regret to have to
announce the death of Mr Thomas Jillett, the Senior partner of the firm of
Jillett Bros. Of Cassillis and Greendale Stations and one of the best known and
most popular Pastoralists in the West (says the Hughenden Observer of December,
22nd).
Mr Jillett was admitted into the Charters Towers Hospital about three
weeks ago suffering from typhoid.
Everything possible was done for
him at the institution but the poor fellow never rallied and he died at
6 o'clock on Tuesday last, 14th instant.
We understood Mr Jillett contracted the fever through drinking water
form a tank which had not been cleaned out for some considerable time.
It was also reported that Tasman Jillett had
arrived at Hughenden last week also suffering from typhoid caused the same way,
but that report was not correct, although a person did arrive from the Station
ill and is at present in hospital. Many
will be the expressions of regret at Tom Jillett's death, as he was universally
liked. As straight as a dye, he would
fight for what he considered his rights to the bitter end, and it was only just
prior to his death that a struggle with the Land Board over an unequal division
of Cassillis terminated. Mr Jillett was
47 years of age at the time of his death and had been in Queensland about 17
years coming over from Tasmania in 1882.
His father and his brothers were first on Greendale in the Central District
but subsequently acquired Cassillis."
Edward Frank Jillett 1862 -
1947
Edward was born 6 May 1862 at
Springfield in Van Diemen's Land. He
died on 28th September 1947 at his home 107 Adelaide Street
Clayfield and was cremated. Edwards parents
were Thomas and Mary Ann Jillett.
He married Flora Kathleen Cameron
Christison at the Church of St Thomas at Hughenden on 28th October
1905. He with other brothers came from
Tasmania via Victoria and New South Wales to Queensland in August and September
1879. Edward married when he was 43
years old. He and Flora had 8 children.
Thomas
Edward Jillett b 1908
Clare
Shone Jillett b 1909
Thomas
Frank Jillett b 1913
Jack
Christison Jillett b 1914
d 1958
Arthur Bruce Jillett (Ned) b1917
Robert
Edward Jillett b 1919 d 1945 POW
Thomas Frank Jillett 1913 - 1992
Thomas was the third son of
Edward Frank Jillett and Flora Kathleen Cameron Jillett (nee Christison) and he
was born 5th March 1913, in the original “Greendale” homestead and
all his life had an enduring love for his place of birth.
After completing some primary
education at “Greendale”, he and his
brother Jack (Tuffy) attended the Church of England Prep. School in Toowoomba,
and for the rest of his formal education went to Church of England Grammar
School in Brisbane. Following this he
was employed as a jackaroo at “Thylungra” eventually being promoted to
sub-overseer. Due to his father’s
failing health, he returned to “Greendale” as an overseer, becoming at the age
of 27, manager of both “Greendale”(shown below) and “Gartmore” stations, in
Queensland.
With the outbreak of World War
Two, he endeavoured to enlist, but due to his essential position in the grazing
industry, he was prevented from serving in the armed forces. With the threat of Japanese invasion, he
joined the Australian Defence Corps, and was instructed in guerrilla warfare
and spent many nights away from home. An
air raid shelter was built and preparations were made for a scorched earth
policy.
Work was doubly hard from lack of
man power during this period, but being a practical man, employed Eve as a
fox-baiter by having her drag a freshly killed sheep skin behind the sulky and
to drop fox bait while on the way to family Sunday picnics.
After the war, in the 1950’s
there was a period of intense activity and danger due to the series of
bushfires, one with a front of 150 miles.
It was not uncommon for him to be away from “Greendale” for a week at ta
time organising and fighting these fires earning him the title “The King of the
Bush Fire Fighters”.
In 1956, between January to
October, trouble in the shearing industry involved him as an organiser for the
grazier’s stand against the Australian Workers Union, travelling as far away as
South Australia to employ shearers to work on black listed properties. Threats of violence to him and his family
forced Tom to carry a side arm for protection.
Tom was well noted for his Animal
Husbandry, Management and Horsemanship, being able to yoke and drive 19 draught
horses to cart timber from “Gartmore” to “Greendale”.
A man to whom his word was his
bond, he believed in being firm but fair with his men. Many is the man today who had his start on
“Greendale” and who were helped into a successful life by Tom’s example.
Tom’s knowledge of sheep enabled
“Greendale” wool to attain top selling price in the 1963 Brisbane Wool
Sales. His introduction of Egelabra rams
in 1941 has ensured that “Greendale” wool is still now highly respected. Angus cattle brought to the district by Tom
caused much mirth with the local wags, but he had the last laugh as any stray
black cattle on the common automatically belonged to Tom.
Forever a practical man, when
faced with the problem of Tetanus infected ground, he devised the first
portable sheep and cattle yards, a measure soon adopted by others in the
district.
During the 60’s when wool prices
were high, he invested not in his comfort, but in the properties by refencing,
building a new shearing shed and sinking large dams ensuring that “Greendale”
has been watered even in the worst droughts.
The homestead which Tom said did
not earn any bread and butter came last, while the run was kept in pristine
condition.
Not content to be a leading
grazier, he fully involved himself in the local community serving on the Tambo
Shire Council for many years as Councillor and Deputy Chairman. He also served on the hospital boards of both
Tambo and Blackall, acted as assistant stipendiary of the Tambo District Race
Club, was a member of the Queensland Turf Club, Tattersall's Club, Blackall
Club, Charleville Club, Brisbane Club, the Tambo Masonic Lodge and was patron
of Tambo Rugby League Football Club.
He
even managed to find time to fish with the Moreton Bay Game Fishing Club where
he caught the world record Turrum.
Thomas married Eve Wastle 18th
April 1939, and they had 4 children.
They divorced May 1978. He died 5th
September 1992 aged 79 at Tarragindi, in Brisbane.
·
Ruth
Roberta Jillett
·
Ian
Thomas Christison Jillett
·
Heather
Christine Jillett
·
Prudence
Ailsa Jillett
Thomas married for the second
time at age 66 to Roseann Smith (nee Tomlison) in 1979.
Just for a moment consider the
life lead by Eve Jillett (nee
Wastle), from her own words, delivered to a conference in August 1988.
Pioneering in
the “Thirties”
Dear Madam President, Miss
Campbell, members, friends
I have always been very much
aware, that the Q.W.H.A”’s most important function, is it emphasis on
“history”, therefore it was with some reluctance, that I agreed to give these
personal anecdotes of some of my experiences, out west, (actually the Tambo
district, Central Queensland) in the “thirties”. I fear the only research I have been able to
do, is my own memory. I expect you have
been hoping for a learned treatise. I do
hope you will not be disappointed.
Some of my friends and
acquaintances here today must excuse these repetitions, my apologies. I am so happy to see some good friends,
especially the ones I worked with here, for some years. Thank you for coming.
Filled with missionary zeal, after
completing my nursing training at the Royal Brisbane, and Lady Bowen Hospitals,
I was appointed to the staff of the Tambo District Hospital, in charge of the
operating theatre and maternity wing.
Tambo is situated 32 miles north west of Charleville and 60 miles south
west of Blackall, with a population of a fluctuating 400 to 500. Tambo is an old town, at one stage it had 9
hotels, was a repeater station for the “Inland Telegraph”. Readers of Mary Durack’s “Kings in Grass
Castles” will recall the Duracks road from “Thylungra” Quilpie, to register
their lands at the “land Court” in the 1800’s.
The hospital was staffed with a
resident doctor, four trained nurses, and nurses aides. We were kept very busy, as due to the
deplorable state of the roads, which had originally been wagon and coach
tracks, the town and country folk sought medical assistance at the local
hospital.
Quite major surgery was performed, with good
recovery rates. You can imagine my
dismay on my first morning on duty to discover the instruments were sterilised
on a primus stove, and all bowls necessary for surgery were boiled up by me in
a wood copper, in the yard! I
anticipated dire results as I had been trained so thoroughly in sepsis, but I
am pleased to report in my two years, no wound broke down, and n patient
succumbed
After two years at the hospital, I married a local grazier, whose family
had been in the district for quite some years.
“Greendale” was purchased by the Jillett family in 1878, there has never
been absentee landlords, during those 110 years and at present my eldest
daughter Ruth and her husband manage the property.
I had tremendous admiration for
my father and mother-in-law. They were
true westerners. He, came, at the age of
18 years, after leaving Scotch College in Melbourne, with 50 Chinamen, to put
down a dam.
He camped out with the men for six months and
never saw a European, existed on salt beef and damper and the vegies the
Chinese grew. Incidentally the Chinese
put down the dam, removing the soil with baskets on their shoulders. After all these years the dam still holds
well, and is a wild bird sanctuary.
My mother-in-law drove a four in
hand, from Hughenden to Tambo, six months pregnant and with two small children,
her only company an aboriginal boy. She
was well versed in all the crafts, she endeavoured to teach me the art of
candle making, (my candles never stood upright), soap making, (my soap always
turned on itself) and when immersed in water left a white scum and no
suds. My jams and preserves improved
over the years and I learned to cope with snakes, bush fires, mice, rats,
grasshoppers, dust storms, that many of you have experienced also.
Two days after returning from our
honeymoon, the cook was rushed to hospital and I was confronted with an
enormous double oven wood stove, an enormous piece of meat and an enormous
knife, and discovered I was to prepare meals for 11 hungry men!
In my own home, I had never
cooked for any more than six family of average appetite. My first attempts were disastrous, but I
learnt to cope with a 6am breakfast, always porridge, and cooked meats of
different ways, smoko 9am gem scones, tea cakes etc, cooked by me, lunch 12md
curry grill etc, smoko 3.pm brownies, biscuits, also cooked by me, and dinner
6.00pm, soup roasts and vegies and desserts, either milk puddings and dried fruit
in the summer and boiled and steamed puddings in the winter.
Laundry was also one of my
chores, up at 4am, huge big wood copper out in the back yard, clothes lines
sustained by wood props which invariably fell down on a windy day. My husband, his two brothers and two
jackeroos all wore moleskins, and they had to be scrubbed clean on a scrubbing
board, with a scrubbing brush, a time consuming job as they were always covered
with saddle grease. I loathed mole
skins! The ironing was done by said
irons on a wood stove.
Inevitably, my nursing skills
were called upon and many occasions and during World War 11 I was “manpowered”
by the Army for emergency at the Tambo Hospital, consequently most of the Tambo
flok always called me “Sister”.
I separated milk, made butter,
tended poultry, the huge garden and the homestead, which was double storied and
66 squares.
World War 11 erupted and our men
enlisted. My two brothers-in-law could not wait, until they were 18 to do so
and were in the “Forgotten Eight Division”.
They were both taken prisoner at Singapore. The younger one just disappeared after being
transported to Borneo, and the other one, the “Burma Road” and hell ship to
Japan to work in the salt mines. He
survived to return home and is now sadly a mental and physical wreck.
Poor Ned (Arthur). Our only hope of news was to ring the steward
at the “Blackall Club” each night at 10pm to hear the news as the radio was
just constant static. With petrol
rationing our car was put up on blocks.
Our son was eight months old before I went into Tambo which was only 16
miles away, consequently the only vehicle used very sparingly was a
utility. By this time I had acquired 3
small children, so on Sunday, the sulky and horse were prepared and our only
outing away from the homestead was a trip around the dams to look at the toughs
and the water.
Needless to say we also combined
pleasure with business as at the back of the sulky, a freshly killed sheep skin
was dragged and it was my duty to throw out poison fox baits. My husband joined the VDC and was called on
for duty.
After the “Fall of Singapore” we
had three evacuees, an English woman of 26 and her two small children who came
to us after witnessing horrifying experiences.
I had been in correspondence with Joan, (she had been hospitable to my
two brother in law) we had a full house, with my retired in-laws returning
after the bombing of Darwin and Townsville, and after the Battle of the Coral Sea, my own sister with
her young baby. Air raid shelters were
built, scorched earth policy discussed (dams and bore drains to be poisoned
homestead to be burnt down and all the shed).
My husband had grown up with aboriginals and was aware of good caves in
some trap rock country on the property. We were all to ride over and live in
these caves, provision was made for basics, seeds, salt, tea, flour etc, in the
event of a Japanese invasion.
We all felt “If Freedom is still
left we are Rich”.
The wethers on the property were
drenched for worms when necessary, and that necessitated the men camping out
some 30 miles away. I was never able to
cut a sheep’s throat for meat so whilst the men were away, we lived high on
turkey geese, ducks and chooks. I must
tell you about “Dawn” a wonderful retired sheep bitch. One had only to sharpen the butcher knife on
a steel and she would run down the killers, which were the sheep we used for
meat. We also had an old whether a
“Judas” sheep called Tony, who would also bring the killers up into the sheep
pen.
Of course our children all had
pet lambs and they taught them to lead, mouthed them for a bit, rode them and
jumped them over hurdles at the sheep shows which were held each Saturday
afternoon in the tennis courts.
This interesting account provides
an insight into the difficulties of living in the 1930’s at Greendale.
Robert Edward Jillett was born 6
August 1919, his death was listed as 5 June 1945, as a Prisoner of War
Sandakan, Borneo.
Robert enlisted in the 2nd
A.I.F. in August 1940 No 17167 – 19th Battery, 2nd 10th
Field Regiment 8th Division.
He sailed on the “Queen Mary” in
December, 1940, to Malaya. He was there
for a year and he played foootball for Australia. He was stationed mostly in Penang. He was taken prisoner of Japanese Imperial
Army in February 1942 at Changhi, Singapore.
He was then sent to Borneo in June 1942, along with 2000 Allied
prisoners of war, as part of E Force.
The 500 Australian and 500 British POW’s who
made up E Force left Changi on 28th March 1943 on board the SS
DeKlerk, arriving at Berhala Island, adjacent to Sandakan Harbour, on 15th
April 1943.
The POW’s were held there
until 5th June when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The net day they were transferred to the 8
Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound.
From that time the only
communication from him was an Imperial Japanese postcard. There is no knowledge of his whereabouts,
when, where or how he died.
He is commemorated on the Labuan
Memorial Panel 2 at the Australian War Memorial.
His mother was the executor of
his will, and she had a long running battle with the Army to get his soldier’s gratuity. He left his estate to his sister Betty.
Arthur Bruce Jillett
Arthur Bruce Jillett was born 27th December 1917. He was married on 29th May 1951 at Brisbane to Mavis Sinclair.
He enlisted in the 2nd A.I.F. in August 1940 No 17166, 19th Battery, 2nd 10th Regiment, 8th Division. He sailed on the “Queen Mary” December 1940 to Malaya. He was on the Burma Road and then the Japanese Hell Ship to Japan, where he worked in the salt mines until the Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. He returned to Australia in November 1945.
Prisoner of War
Clara Shone Jillett
Clare was born in 1909, and she
married James Lawrence King. Se lived at
35 Lukin Street Clayfield in the late 1940’s.
Joyce Kathleen
Jillett was born
in 1906. She married Roderick Mc Leod
and lived at Woodford in the 1940’s.
Betty Flora Jillett was born 1926. She married Robert Scott Crichton, and lived
in Charleville.
Tasman Jillett
Tasman Jillett was born 28 June
1867 in Melbourne. He died November 1957
in Brisbane.
From the Jillett diaries:
Tasman met, married and divorced within 6
weeks around 1901, an actress who lived with her mother in Sydney. As she had no domicile he had to pay
maintenance.
He married Margaret Chister
(Chester) in the Registry Office pre 1939.
Tasman was a horseman in the Boer
War. He lived at Chatham and Cassilis
stations, and later at Myagah Road, Ashgrove.
In 1886 along with Arthur and
Henric he went from Greendale to Isisford with 8376 sheep, and then back to
Greendale.
In December 1886 he had 4000
acres Greendale 2V and 5329 acres Resumed portion GF No 7
On 26th March 1889 he
went with Arthur and Tom and 10624 wethers from Greendale to Cassilis and then
back to Greendale.
The
truth is a little different, but it depends on who is telling the story to
whom!
At the time of his birth, Tasman’s parents
had not long since shifted to Victoria, having sold up land, property and
business interests at Oatlands, where the Jilletts had associations extending
back to a sheep run leased as early as 1817, though they lived at New Norfolk,
near Hobart. In 1842 Thomas lived at Oatlands, in his own brick house,
and employing two men. After marrying in 1844, Thomas accrued a considerable amount of property, including the Callington Mill flour milling business, several shops and houses, besides building a substantial stone house “Springfield” around 1848.
The family lived on the “Springfield” property, where there is an even older building, “Jillett’s Hut”, dating from 1827 or even earlier. The house still stands as the present homestead of the neighbouring large and historic St Peter’s Pass property, having been purchased in 1865 by Askin Morrison.
It seems likely that Thomas and Mary Ann cashed up their assets, intending to make a new life for their burgeoning family on mainland Australia, possibly free from the convict stain in both their families. Both returned to Tasmania in their older age and died in Hobart.
Tasman presumably grew up in the Lachlan region of NSW. There, in 1872, his father had purchased Buddyana station, moving back to Dundonald, Broadmeadows, Victoria, around 1878 and to Fernhill, Flemington in 1881. Perhaps the day-to-day operations of Buddyana were in the hands of Tasman’s older brothers.
After the sale of this property these older brothers - George (32), Henric (31), Tom (29) and Arthur (21), contracted to drive 12,500 sheep from Yanga in northern Victoria, to a property on the Warrego River in southern Queensland. Their northward journey took about 160 days with loss of 119 sheep. Their return south on horseback took 42 days. Arthur, the youngest brother on this journey kept a diary that allows one to trace their track and contains skeletal details of the trip.
Soon after this epic journey, Thomas Jillett’s family bought two stations in Queensland, Greendale near Tambo, in the Blackall region, and Cassillis near Hughenden, both apparently operated by the brothers. Arthur continued to keep diaries and his younger brother Tasman, aged nearly 19, first appears on one of several droving trips between the two properties, a distance of 389 miles (about 650 km), commencing in May 1886. Tasman was subsequently associated with various properties in the Tambo district and further afield in Queensland including: Cassilis, Greendale, Gartmore, Withersdane, Oxford Downs, Rosedale, Begonia, Chatham, Horton Green.
Tasman partnered Mary Noral Elizabeth Maitland Cairney, and had a child with her in 1896.
The child was named *Tasman Jillett Maitland Cairney and the parents never married.
Tasman served in the South African War (“Boer War”), leaving in 1902 as a private in the 4th Australian Commonwealth Horse.
He lived for some time in South Africa where, in December 1913, aged 46, he briefly married Kathleen Mary (Lola) Wood, aged 26, a vaudeville artist and pianist. Tasman returned to Australia in January 1914, the couple were separated in the following month, and he lived in Sydney until around 1920.
In June 1933, aged 66, Tasman was married for a second time, at Augathella, Queensland, to Margaret Chisler (née Ritchie), aged 48. He died, aged 90, at Brisbane in November 1957.
His
father was Tasman Jillett
Mother Mary Norah Elizabeth Maitland
Cairney Born 26 Mar 1878 D 13
Dec 1957
* Tasman
Jillett Maitland Cairney was born 21 Dec 1896 in Charters Towers married Doris Ellen Stocker (b 1904) on 5 Dec 1925 in Charters Towers in Queensland.
They had a daughter Beverley
Joyce Maitland-Cairney. She married
James Croning (b 1922 – 2008) in 1947.
He
enlisted in the WW1 when he was 21 but only got as far as New Guinea when the
war ended.
He worked in sugar mills around
Innisfail for a while as a youth, then worked as a printer before he became an
attendant at Eventide Home in Charters Towers and then Sandgate. He lived in Kennedy St Sandgate. He died 2 Aug 1953 aged 56[1]
[1] Note from John
Jillett: I have had correspondence with
a Peter Croning, Brisbane, who is convinced he is descended from Tasman Jillett
but had not at that stage managed to clinch the link
Mary Ann Jillett lived at 6 Auvergne Avenue Mt Stewart, a house with Historical value.
Will of THOMAS JILLETT, formerly C:\ndp\del\captchaFormof Wallandra and Buddigower Stations, in the Colony
of New South Wales, thereafter of Hawthorn, near Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, and late of Hobart, in Tasmania,
Esquire, Deceased.
Notice is hereby
given that, after of Wallandra and Buddigower Stations, in
the Colony of New South Wales, thereafter of Hawthorn, near Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria,
and late of Hobart, in Tasmania, Esquire, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that, after the expiration
of fourteen days from the date of the publication hereof,
application will be made to the said Honourable Court that
PROBATE of the WILL of the above named deceased may be granted
to THOMAS SHONE JILLETT, of Cassilis Station,
Richmond Downs, in the colony of Queensland, Gentleman, and
EDWARD FRANK JIL.LETT, of Greendale Station, in the Tambo district, in the said colony of Queensland, Gentleman,
two of the Executors named in and appointed by the said Will
of the said deceased, reserving leave for ALFRED CHARLES JILLETT, of Greendale Station aforesaid, Gentleman,
TASMAN JILLETT, of Cassilis Station aforesaid, Gentleman, and
ARTHUR JAMES JILLETT, of Tasmania, Gentleman, the other Executors named in the said Will, to come in and
prove at any time hereafter.
Excerpt
from the book "Tambo State School Centenary 1876 - 1976
Greendale:
The lease of Greendale was applied for in 1861 by Mr Dillon, along with other leases which were disputed by Mr J.T. Allen. Mr Allen had surveyed the area personally and it appears Mr Dillon's applications were made on the survey of the explorer and landholder Mr Frederick Walker. Litigation took place with the Land Commission Rockhampton. However, due to Mr Allen's accurate description of the lands for which he had applied, he was granted the leases of "Elizabeth Creek" and "Enniskillen", while Mr Dillon held "Greendale". A considerable number of old records in the district have been destroyed by fire and Greendale is one of the 6 properties affected. The loss of these records adds to the difficulties of putting together a full and accurate history.
Ownership of Greendale passed from Mr Dillon to the New Zealand Land and Mortgage Co. In January 1881, it was reported in the hands of a Mr. Jillett of Melbourne, although the actual purchase date was sometime in 1878. There were 6 selectors, Messrs. George, Alfred Charles, Thomas Shone, Arthur James, Edward Frank and Henric Thomas Jillett. Mr Thomas Shone Jillett later purchased Chatham to reside there. Mr Arthur James Jillett lived at Wethersdane, now a portion of Isoroy, while Mr Edward Frank Jillett made his home at Greendale.
To the south and west of Tambo township, there were a large number of small freehold blocks which could have been resumed from the original Greendale leases, as paddocks for the teamsters.
One of these blocks was in the name of J. Rutherford of Cobb and Co. (This was probably the Cobb & Co "spell" horse paddock). Other blocks were held by M. Sheridan, M Palmer, M Mulhern, G foote, G Riddell, H.B. Taylor, H.T. Walsh, J.Watson, M.A. Milne, D.C.Milne, F.W. Hewson and B. Goffage. A number of these blocks have been consolidated into the present Greendale Holding.
It is reported that Greendale was the setting for one of the famous bush verses - "Saltbush Bill". Grass was often scarce on the stock route and it was the habit of drovers to cut the bottom wire of a fence to allow their sheep to stray through to the better feed in the station paddock. Saltbush Bill had done this on Greendale only to be apprehended by one of the station owners. The poem relates the ensuing fight which lasted for hours until such time as Saltbush Bill was satisfied that his sheep had had their fill.
With the loss of the country known as Isaroy, the Jillett Family purchased Gartmore. The original lease to Mr Dillion is thought to cover what is now known as Greendale and portion of Isaroy. The family of Mr Edward Frank Killett controls most of this area today. Mr. Thomas Frank Jillett at Greendale and Mr Arthur Bruce (Ned) at Uanda.
Gartmore
A portion of what is now Gartmore is called Haughton's Green and as George Haughton was a coach driver in 1880, he could perhaps have been an early owner.
An area of 53,000 acres, it was purchased by Jillett Bros, prior to 1920 and managed by Frank Alfred jillett, a son of (should be nephew) of Arthur James Jillett of Wethersdane.
Gartmore was sold by Mr. H Walker who carried out considerable timber treatment and pasture improvement on the property before reselling it to Lloyd Wilson, who held it for a short period.
It was subsequently sold to the present owners, the Tully family of Quilpie.
Greendale:
The lease of Greendale was applied for in 1861 by Mr Dillon, along with other leases which were disputed by Mr J.T. Allen. Mr Allen had surveyed the area personally and it appears Mr Dillon's applications were made on the survey of the explorer and landholder Mr Frederick Walker. Litigation took place with the Land Commission Rockhampton. However, due to Mr Allen's accurate description of the lands for which he had applied, he was granted the leases of "Elizabeth Creek" and "Enniskillen", while Mr Dillon held "Greendale". A considerable number of old records in the district have been destroyed by fire and Greendale is one of the 6 properties affected. The loss of these records adds to the difficulties of putting together a full and accurate history.
Ownership of Greendale passed from Mr Dillon to the New Zealand Land and Mortgage Co. In January 1881, it was reported in the hands of a Mr. Jillett of Melbourne, although the actual purchase date was sometime in 1878. There were 6 selectors, Messrs. George, Alfred Charles, Thomas Shone, Arthur James, Edward Frank and Henric Thomas Jillett. Mr Thomas Shone Jillett later purchased Chatham to reside there. Mr Arthur James Jillett lived at Wethersdane, now a portion of Isoroy, while Mr Edward Frank Jillett made his home at Greendale.
To the south and west of Tambo township, there were a large number of small freehold blocks which could have been resumed from the original Greendale leases, as paddocks for the teamsters.
One of these blocks was in the name of J. Rutherford of Cobb and Co. (This was probably the Cobb & Co "spell" horse paddock). Other blocks were held by M. Sheridan, M Palmer, M Mulhern, G foote, G Riddell, H.B. Taylor, H.T. Walsh, J.Watson, M.A. Milne, D.C.Milne, F.W. Hewson and B. Goffage. A number of these blocks have been consolidated into the present Greendale Holding.
It is reported that Greendale was the setting for one of the famous bush verses - "Saltbush Bill". Grass was often scarce on the stock route and it was the habit of drovers to cut the bottom wire of a fence to allow their sheep to stray through to the better feed in the station paddock. Saltbush Bill had done this on Greendale only to be apprehended by one of the station owners. The poem relates the ensuing fight which lasted for hours until such time as Saltbush Bill was satisfied that his sheep had had their fill.
With the loss of the country known as Isaroy, the Jillett Family purchased Gartmore. The original lease to Mr Dillion is thought to cover what is now known as Greendale and portion of Isaroy. The family of Mr Edward Frank Killett controls most of this area today. Mr. Thomas Frank Jillett at Greendale and Mr Arthur Bruce (Ned) at Uanda.
Gartmore
A portion of what is now Gartmore is called Haughton's Green and as George Haughton was a coach driver in 1880, he could perhaps have been an early owner.
An area of 53,000 acres, it was purchased by Jillett Bros, prior to 1920 and managed by Frank Alfred jillett, a son of (should be nephew) of Arthur James Jillett of Wethersdane.
Gartmore was sold by Mr. H Walker who carried out considerable timber treatment and pasture improvement on the property before reselling it to Lloyd Wilson, who held it for a short period.
It was subsequently sold to the present owners, the Tully family of Quilpie.
Chatham
Was selected in 1880's by Ivor Peyton. Lord Bros sold it to Jillett Bros. It was the residence of Tasman Jillett. Jack, a son of Ted, took over control on the retirement of his uncle.
Was selected in 1880's by Ivor Peyton. Lord Bros sold it to Jillett Bros. It was the residence of Tasman Jillett. Jack, a son of Ted, took over control on the retirement of his uncle.
JILLETT PROPERTIES:
6 Dec 1886 Tasman: 4000 acred Greendale 2V-5329 Resumed portion of Greendale Run GF No 7
23 Oct 1886 4850 acres Greendale Portion 3V No 15GF
15 Feb 1887 Edward Selection No 61 App Carrangarra Port 8 211 acres Por 34
1st June 1888 Arthur: Lessee of 4850 acres Greendale Port 3 V GF 15
August 1888 & 1898 Arthur Greendale Run G F N 15 Port 3V Rental 1penny per acre
1909 Renewed for 1.5 pence per acre per annum
1918 Renewed for 2.25 pence per acre per annum
1921 Renewed 2.5 pence per acre per annum
1890 Edward Carrangarra Port 8 Por 34
1898 Same
1st Feb 1900 George purchased 3V 4850 from Arthur
1904 Lease Extension for 10 years
1900 Alfred No 8
1904 Lease extension for 10 years
1908 Lease extension 2d per acre per annum
1918 Lease extension 3d per acre per annum
July 1924 Alfred's Will Farm No 8 left to Aubrey Halloran and Edward Jillett (Trustees of will)
June 1927 GS 5330 Lease renewed 28 years No 8 Edward
March 1928 Drought relief: Part of aggregation of 5330, 5427, 5445, 5450, 5329, 5337: 26,000 acres Freehold Total 118,731 acres
1906 Tasman and George 2V and 3V (8850) acres Grant to modify fencing
24 Oct 1906 Tasman gave George GF7, 4000 acres "in consideration of love and affection" (South Afticva - Boer War)
31 Dec 1926 Lease renewed 28 years
June 1927 5337: Lessee George (part of aggregation of 6 grazing selections Greendale Holding, 26,000 acres Freehold Total Aggregation 118,731 acres
July 1925 Grazing selection No 5337 - 4850 acres 3V 2d per acre per annum
2 February 1926 Grazing selections 7,8,15,29,53,63,253,731,743
Jillett Bros: Stock partnership -- Shares due
Edward Frank Jillett 24/100 th
Arthur James Jillett 11/100th
Tasman Jillett 37/100 th
George Jillett 11/100 th
F.K. Jillett 1/100 th
Estate of A.C. Jillett 7/100 th
Estate of H.T. Jillett 3/100 th
Estate of T.S. Jillett 3/100 th
As trustees, A.C., A.J., E.f., and J. Jillett 3/100 ths
1910: Exchange 342: Greendale Holding 59 sm Rent 40 shillings Jillett Bros Alfred, Arthur, Edward and Tasman (Lessees) Wethersdane.
6 Dec 1886 Tasman: 4000 acred Greendale 2V-5329 Resumed portion of Greendale Run GF No 7
23 Oct 1886 4850 acres Greendale Portion 3V No 15GF
15 Feb 1887 Edward Selection No 61 App Carrangarra Port 8 211 acres Por 34
1st June 1888 Arthur: Lessee of 4850 acres Greendale Port 3 V GF 15
August 1888 & 1898 Arthur Greendale Run G F N 15 Port 3V Rental 1penny per acre
1909 Renewed for 1.5 pence per acre per annum
1918 Renewed for 2.25 pence per acre per annum
1921 Renewed 2.5 pence per acre per annum
1890 Edward Carrangarra Port 8 Por 34
1898 Same
1st Feb 1900 George purchased 3V 4850 from Arthur
1904 Lease Extension for 10 years
1900 Alfred No 8
1904 Lease extension for 10 years
1908 Lease extension 2d per acre per annum
1918 Lease extension 3d per acre per annum
July 1924 Alfred's Will Farm No 8 left to Aubrey Halloran and Edward Jillett (Trustees of will)
June 1927 GS 5330 Lease renewed 28 years No 8 Edward
March 1928 Drought relief: Part of aggregation of 5330, 5427, 5445, 5450, 5329, 5337: 26,000 acres Freehold Total 118,731 acres
1906 Tasman and George 2V and 3V (8850) acres Grant to modify fencing
24 Oct 1906 Tasman gave George GF7, 4000 acres "in consideration of love and affection" (South Afticva - Boer War)
31 Dec 1926 Lease renewed 28 years
June 1927 5337: Lessee George (part of aggregation of 6 grazing selections Greendale Holding, 26,000 acres Freehold Total Aggregation 118,731 acres
July 1925 Grazing selection No 5337 - 4850 acres 3V 2d per acre per annum
2 February 1926 Grazing selections 7,8,15,29,53,63,253,731,743
Jillett Bros: Stock partnership -- Shares due
Edward Frank Jillett 24/100 th
Arthur James Jillett 11/100th
Tasman Jillett 37/100 th
George Jillett 11/100 th
F.K. Jillett 1/100 th
Estate of A.C. Jillett 7/100 th
Estate of H.T. Jillett 3/100 th
Estate of T.S. Jillett 3/100 th
As trustees, A.C., A.J., E.f., and J. Jillett 3/100 ths
1910: Exchange 342: Greendale Holding 59 sm Rent 40 shillings Jillett Bros Alfred, Arthur, Edward and Tasman (Lessees) Wethersdane.
1911 After Court Case, surrendered 10 sq mile Greendale and got 4 sq. mile of Gartmore.
23 May 1912 Jillett Bros Lessees of Greendale Holding
8 August 1913 Jillett Bros surrendered 5678 acres of Greendale. Granted 2230 acres
1916 Gartmore: Grazing Homestead 253
Hughenden 5 April Edward: Cambridge Parish 9914 acres POrt 30 GF91
13 July 1900 Edward Port 29, GF 910, 10086 acres
31 Dec 1902 Port 10, GF917, 196961 acres Parish Burleigh transferred to Henric Jillett
4 Dec 1903 GF 917 Sold by Henric to Edward
Thanks to Ann Jillett for this information from the Jillett Diaries
Henry Lawson
In 1896, Henry Lawson published
"While the Billy Boils". One of the short stories in it is
entitled
"Hungerford". Here
is an excerpt from that story:
"We camped on the
Queensland side of the fence, and after tea had a yarn with an old man who was
minding a flock of goats and sheep; and we asked him whether he thought
Queensland was better than New, South Wales, or the other way about.
He scratched the back of his
head, and thought a while, and hesitated like a stranger who is going to do you
a favour at some personal inconvenience.
At last, with the bored air of
a man who had gone through the same performance too often before, he stepped
deliberately up to the fence and spat over it into New South Wales. After which
he got leisurely through and spat back on Queensland.
"That's what I think of
the blanky colonies", he said. He gave us time to become sufficiently
impressed, then he said: "And if I was at the Victorian and South
Australian borders I'd do the same thing".
He let that soak into our
minds, and added: "And the same with West Australia - and -
Tasmania". Then he went away.
The last would have been a tong
spit - and he forgot Maoriland.
We
learned afterwards that his name was Clancy and he had that day been offered a
job droving at "twenty-five shillings a week and find your own
horse". Also, find your own horsefeed and tobacco and soap and other
luxuries, at station prices. Moreover, if you lost your own horse, you would
have to find another, and if that died or went stray you would have to find a
third -or forfeit your pay and return on foot. The boss drover agreed to
provide flour and mutton when such things were procurable.
Extracts from
“Belle Of The Barcoo” (1996) with
references to Jillett.
It seems that the very large
original properties from 1862 were Tambo Station and Nive Downs Station and Mt
Enniskillen. Minnie Downs (originally Elizabeth Creek) appears to be another
major property. Most other stations appear to be split off's from these
properties. However Greendale appears to
have been a major property in the area.
It seems that the Jilletts
originally took up Greendale and another station at Hughenden. This was called Cassillis and appeared to be
owned by Thomas Shone Jillett.
Drensmaine Station was 23,680 acres was
part of Chatham station which was owned by the Jillett family. In the late 1950's when the Jillett brothers
split up their country and re-allocated various property portions to family members,
Drensmaine together with Uanda (which was formerly part of Greendale) became
the property of A.B. (Ned) Jillett – who later sold the property to the
Sargoods.
Chatham Station: It may have originally been
called Darbys Point.
Consisted of several blocks – the
first taken (7224 acres) up by James Rutherford (Cobb & Co) in 1886. A second block of 15500 acres was selected in
1891. And a third portion of 3921 acres in 1896.
Somewhere most of the blocks
passed to the Lord Brothers – who eventually sold different portions off to the
Jillets. On the 6th December 1923, Tasman Jillett (brother of Edward
Frank (Ted) Jillett) of Greendale bought the second Partion of 15500
acres). Tasman Jillett bought the 3921
acre block in 1923 also. 9,402 acres of the original block (query if original
block) was sold to Edward Frank Jillett in 1925.
Jack Jillett (son of Edward Frank
(Ted) Jillett) took over Chatham on the retirement of Tasman Jillett. After the
(early) death of Jack Jillett his wife and sons continued to run the property
until it was eventually sold it to IE and KM Walker in 1987.
Greendale station. Originally selected on 4th
November 1861 by John Moore Dillion of Sydney.
Dillion applied for other runs too but was refused. He also ended up
forfeiting Greendale – which was then taken up by Berkelman and Lambert on 4th
May 1863. The size was 60 sq miles.
During 1863, JT Allen was in
dispute with Berkelman and Lambert of Greendale station over the ownership of
Elizabeth Creek (later named Minnie Downs).
It was initially resolved in favour of JT Allen – however both parties
claimed they had stocked Elizabeth Creek.
However 1865 was a dry year and Allen removed his stock because there
was no water. He was slow in returning
stock and Berkelman and Lambert requested the previous decision be set
aside. Ownership was finally decided in
Berkelman and Lamberts favour and awarded the lease of Elizabeth Creek on 14th
August 1867.
The lease was transferred again
in 1864/1865 and to ANZ Land Company Limited in 1866. They held it until 1884 when the lease was
transferred to Thomas Jillett and NZ Loan and Mercantile Agency Coy Ltd of
Melbourne.
The Jillett family claim that the
ownership of Greendale began from about the year 1878 and their residence on
the station from the early 1880's;
however no Jillett s are listed on the electoral roll for the Tambo
Police District for the years 1878 to 1881 inclusive; but they were certainly
at Greendale by 1882 and quite possible earlier.
In 1886 three blocks, totalling
9061 acres, resumed from the original Greendale holding were selected by three
brothers of Thomas Jillett ; Tasman (who later transferred his block to another
brother, George); Edward Frank who, in 1901, transferred to his brother Alfred
Charles, and Arthur James who also transferred his area to George. In 1923, Flora Kathleen (wife of Edward
Frank) Jillett selected 2653 acres which then remained part of Greendale.
There were seven Jillett
selectors – G (George) – A.C (Alfred Charles) – T.S. (Thomas Shone), A.J.
(Arthur James) – E.F (Edward Frank) – H.T. (Henric Thomas) – F.K (Flora
Kathleen who was Edward’s wife). T.S
later purchased Chatham to reside there – A.J. Lived at Weathersdane (now a
portion of Isoroy) while Edward. Made his home at Greendale.
To the south and west of Tambo
Township, there are a number of small freehold blocks which may have been
resumed from the original Greendale lease as paddocks for teamsters. Some of these blocks have been consolidated
into the present Greendale holding.
It is reported that Greendale was
the setting for one of the famous bush verses – Salt Bush Bill. SBB allowed his
sheep to stray onto the Greendale paddocks only to be apprehended by one of the
station owners. The fight etc.....
Over the years the Jilletts often
transferred their various blocks among family members. Thomas Frank Jillett and family controlled
Greendale while Thomas’s brother Arthur Jillett. (Ned) built a homestead on the
Uanda blocks about 1960 and lived there.
In 1972 Ian Jillett and his sister Ruth Thomas (nee Jillett) purchased
McFarlane from the estate of PP Doyle but in 1977 resold the property.
Ian then sold his share in
Greendale to his brother in law, Anthony
(Tony) Thomas and left the property.
The management of Greendale then came under the control of Ruth and Tony
Thomas
Ruth was Thomas Frank Jillett’s
daughter.
In 1993 Greendale was sold to Graham Walter
Bauer and Rosslyn Bauer – its present owners.
Uanda station was a portion of
Greendale. In 1959 the Jillett family
partnership was dissolved and AB Jillett took the Uanda blocks and part of
Chatham (Drensmaine) as his share. He built a home on the Uanda portion and
lived there with his family In 1977 Ned Jillett sold Uanda to Geoffrey Richard
Herbert Lee.
Gartmore:
Gartmore was a Greendale resumption of 53,015 acres in two blocks.
In 1913, Frank Alfred Jillett
took up both blocks of Gartmore. In 1919
he transferred it to his brother Arthur James Jillett. In 1919, it was again transferred, this time
to another two brothers, Edward Frank and Tasman Jillett. About 1948 they sold the station to H.
Walker. It was again sold in 1977 and in
1983, Gartmore was divided into two and sold.
One portion was bought by
Clifford and Beres Birchley – this portion was then called Old Gartmore as the
original Jillett homestead had been situated there. The other block was sold and resold and
eventually called Mt Blunt so the Birchleys reverted to calling their property
Gartmore.
Tambo Pony Club:
Arthur (Ned) Jillet first president in 1961. He became patron in 1971 till 1981. Mrs AB Jillett was amongst the first club
members. The club shield is called the
Uanda Shield (Uanda Station was owned by AB Jillett from 1959 – as above). When
a club shield has filled all of the name places it becomes a memorial shield
and is replaced by another named shield.
Arthur
Jillett was also a member of the polocrosse club and the racecourse/showground.
World
War:
It
appears as though no Jillett from Tambo enlisted in WWI.
Arthur
Jillett and Clive Jillett (and Robert Jillett) enlisted for WWII – Robert was
killed in action.
Council:
It
was originally know as the Tambo Divisional Board which was established on 30th
June 1881:
Tambo
(Subdivision 3) was part of the Kargoolnar division.
It
appears that Jilletts were not landholders so were not voters/ part of the
board when it was formed.
Part
of the rules for the existence of the boards was that they had to elect new
members every year. However, in a note on page 486 – dated 10th May
1882, the name of George Jillett appears as a member of the 1882 Tambo
Divisional Board (they were requesting free rail passes)
On
24th July 1884 – there was a suggestion to subdivide the Tambo
division to ensure equalised spending across the division. Opponents to the subdivision included George
Jillett (board member) and Henric Jillett and AJ (Arthur James) Jillett and
Thomas Jillett.
Elections
were held each March – appears to run from 1st July to 30th
June. A certain percentage of the board
was supposed to resign each year. This
was circumvented by a member resigning voluntarily and being replaced by
someone of whom he approved – who then resigned after a month and was replaced
by the original member. The board was
supposed to meet monthly but appeared to meet bi-monthly in the late 90's.
George
was a member of the 1887 board – and is a member in 1897 – and is a member of
the 1898-1899 board also.
On
31st March 1903 – all boards became town/shire councils except
Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville which became cities.
George
became a member of this first Tambo Shire Council – this also included the
towns of Alpha and Jericho. There were 6
members (including the chairman). In
November George moved the amalgamation of two divisions and increase the number
of councillors to 7 – carried.
Edward
Frank Jillett was a member of the 1923 council.
George
was not a member of the 1927 council.
These
are only references in the book with regard to some interesting issues – so
when George left the council is not known and whether others served is not
known.
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