Henry Grosvenor Simpson

Male 1841 - 1913  (71 years)


 

North Family, and the Qld Properties they owned

Bellevue Homestead, Brisbane River and history.

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PIONEER FAMILY. NORTHS OF WIVENHOE. LINKS WITH THE EARLY 'FORTIES. By "A FIFTY-EIGHTER." In writing about early settlers in Queensland, I am not referring to those so-called 'Pioneers" that we sometimes read about, who travelled from Europe to Australia, about 20 years ago, in well-appointed mail steamers, and after arrival in Bris- bane, reached their future home by rail or coach and there encountered fearsome dangers from imaginary bushrangers, wild blacks, dogs, and snakes, and lived in daily fear of their lives I am thinking, rather, of the men and women who left their homes 60, 70 or 80 years ago, for almost unknown Austialia, travelling in small ill-found and often unsea- worthy vessels, and on arrival made good a home by then own exertions, and reared families who made Australia the fine countiy it is at present among such real pioneers was the late Mr Joseph North, a lieutenant in the 68th Light Infantiy Regiment, who came to New South Wales in 1841. in charge of the military guard on board the ship Sarah which carried the last batch of convicts who land- ed in New South Wales Not long after his arrival in Sydney, Mr North resigned his commission, and in about a years time induced his father Major North (also of the 68th Regiment) to leave his home at Kilduff, in Ireland and voyage to Sydney Major Noith had fought in the Peninsular wars, under the Duke of Wellington and was present at the Battle of Waterloo His wife and sons, William and Francis (who in 1864 was nominated to the Legislative Council), came too, and some years later his daughter Elizabeth (who later on married Mr Thomas Bell and was the mother of Mr J T M Bell, of Camboon and Coochin Coochin). ARRIVAL IN QUEENSLAND. The Norths came to Queensland early in 1843, and bought Fernie Lawn station from the Uhr Bros. Fernie Lawn was the nearest station to Ipswich on the Brisbane River, and was made possible for occupation when the embargo on settlement within 50 miles of the Brisbane Penal Settlement was raised in May, 1842. Before the sale of Fernie Lawn one of the Uhr brothers had been killed by the blacks while working sheep in a yard near the site of Lake Manchester it was there that Mr Uhr was buried. That he put up a good fight is shown by the fact that his gun was found with the stock broken and the barrels bent. The surviving brother, who was interested in Wivenhoe, the adjoining run higher up the Brisbane River, which he held with the late Mr. J. S. Ferriter. a retired Royal Naval man, who was Emigration Agent in Brisbane, and also owned an interest in Barambah run. Wivenhoe homestead is situated about a mile from tho old "Wivenhoe Inn," a famous place, as it was on the road to the Upper Brisbane, Burnett, and Dawson stations, and the first place of call from Ipswich. PURCHASE OF WIVENHOE. Wivenhoe was bought by the Norths in 1849, and another property named Northbrook, on the east side of the river, was also secured. Sheep were run on Wivenhoe and cattle on the other properties. Mr. Joseph North lived at first on Fernie Lawn, but afterwards on Wivenhoe, where his son, Mr. Robert North, of Indooroopilly, was born. Major North lived on Bellevue, a part of Wivenhoe lease, and William North on Northbrook. Mr. Joseph North had a large family, including two daughters, one of whom married Mr. F. O. Darvall (Registrar-General), and the other Mr. F. V. Nicholson, formerly of Noogoora, and afterwards of Humberstone, a part of Durundur on the Stanley. Humberstone had been selected by the late Mr. Harold Adcock. After purchase Mr. Nicholson changed its name to Villeneuve. Both these ladies had large families. About 1868 several of Mr. Joseph North's sons moved up to Northern Queensland, and secured two fine runs on the Belyando, named Morray Downs and Doongmabulla, which they held with many vicissitudes until the early part of this century. In 1870 Major North's fourth son, the Rev. Roger North, paid a visit to Queensland, and some of his family settled here. About that time the Government resumed many of the settled district runs for closer settlement, so the North family disposed of some of their country. In 1872 Bellevue was sold to Messrs. Alexander D. Campbell and Henry Grosvenor Simpson. Mr William North sold Northbrook to his brothers and Major North divided his interest among his family, and retired to Ipswich, where he resided till his death a few years later . There are many descendants of Major North still living holding honourable positions throughout Queensland, and some of the family still reside near the old family home of Wivenhoe. The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Saturday 28 January 1933

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