Charles Collins (1856 - 1931)

Born 16 Feb 1856 in Grass Valley, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Fitzpatrick) Collins — married 14 Nov 1889 in Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died 24 Dec 1931 at age 75 in Gascoyne, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

According to Bonnie Milne in her 2002 book, Amelia, "No birth or baptism record was found for Charles, details of his birth come from him"

Hearried Elizabeth Mary Ann Fitzpatrick on 14 November 1889 in Carnarvon.^[1]

The death of Mr. Charles Collins, of Glengurgh Station, took place in the Carnarvon hospital on December 24th after an illness extending over several months. With him passes yet one more of the few remaining pastoral pioneers of the Gascoyne, men who have battled hard and faced conditions unknown to the present generation in their endeavour to open up the then unknown lands which have proved such a big asset to the State. His passing has caused widespread expressions of regret from his numerous friends throughout the district, and of sympathy with his bereaved sons and daughters, Messrs. Charles Dalgety, William, Bertram, and Monte, Maude (Mrs. Ullinger), Annie (Mrs. Bailey), Grace (Mrs. Milne), Elsie (Mrs. Fitzgerald), and seventeen grandchildren. His wife, daughter of the late J. Fitzpatrick, of Dairy Creek Station, predeceased him in 1928.

The late Mr. Charles Collins was born in York (Western Australia) in 1856, and spent his early life on his father's farm and driving a team between York and Perth. In 1878 he left York, and joining the cutter Annie Agnes sailed for the Gascoyne district. After being at sea for some five days they called at Dongarra to land a passenger, and whilst alongside the jetty a blow came along and forced the cutter on to the beach north of the jetty, where she remained for a number of years. Mr. Collins and Mr. Thomas Bird, who was also a passenger, left Dongarra carrying their swags, and arrived at Geraldton two days later and stayed there about a week, leaving for the Gascoyne on the schooner The Naughty Lass in command of Captain Lydix. They reached Dirk Hartog two days later, and after a week's stay they left for the Gascoyne, where they were employed by Messrs. Monger and Brown on the Gascoyne Station, now known as Brick House. In the year 1881 Mr. Collins took 500 wethers from Carnarvon to Oakabella (Geraldton) via Tamala and Murchison House for Mr. L. Surges. These were the first sheep sent from the Gascoyne. After delivering the sheep he travelled on the Northampton train to Geraldton. This line, the first in Western Australia, was then in course of construction.

Proceeding to York he interviewed Mr. Henry John Monger for the purpose of raising finance to start sheep-breeding on the Gascoyne. Mr. Monger agreed to supply 2,000 sheep and plant to Messrs. Charles Collins and Thomas Bird, who arranged as partners to overland the sheep by way of Moore River, Mingenew and Mullewa, and up the Murchison River through Milly Milly and across to where Landor Station is now situated, thence down the Gascoyne River to the mouth of the Lyons. From there they travelled up the Lyons for about 80 miles. At this spot W. Collins, a brother of Charles, was wounded in eleven places with spears by wild natives, though none of the wounds proved fatal.

The party then travelled a further 20 or 30 miles up the river to where Minnie Creek Station now is, and then across country to the Minilya River, and travelled down, to where they had previously taken up a pastoral lease which now forms part of Minilya and Wandagee Stations. During the trip the losses of sheep were so heavy through lack of water that only a few hundred were left on arrival at their destination. After living for some time on this property Charles Collins sold out to his partner, Thomas Bird, and obtained employment at Clifton Downs and afterwards at Dairy Creek, and in 1889 was married to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John and Rose Fitzpatrick, of Dairy Creek Station. Later on he and Thomas Bird were proprietors of the Port Hotel, which was then the only Hotel in Carnarvon. Some time afterwards Charles Collins left Carnarvon and took up a pastoral lease on the Upper Gascoyne, known as Glenburgh, where he and Mrs. Collins lived for many years, and reared a family of eight children. In 1924 Mr. Collins purchased Carey Downs Station, but after the death of his wife in 1928 he left his pastoral properties to be managed by his sons, and took up residence in East Carnarvon with his eldest daughter.—Northern Times." ^[2]

The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians

COLLINS. Charles, b. 1825 (England), d. 16.7.1895 (York). arr. 20.8.1842 per Silllon Taylor, m. (Toodyay) Elizabeth ADDERSON b. 1835 d. 5.3.1891 (York). Chd. Charles b. 1855. Amelia b. 1857 (York Wesl), Ann Elizabeth b. 1859, William b. 1860, Margaret b. 1861 (York Wesl), Henry b. 1862. James b. 1864, Alfred Adderson. Emily b. 1867 (York Wesl) d. 1869. George Alfred (=Adderson?) d. 1870, Alice Jane b. 1874 (York Wed), Susannah b. 1874 d. 1938, Amy Cecilia b. 1877, Arthur Edward b. 1878, John b. 1879. Appl. for land 1853-1857 in Avon district. Listed in York Census 1859 Labourer. Lit. Wesl. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ WA Marriage Index 1890/42
2. ↑ A GASCOYNE PIONEER (1932, January 16). The Irwin Index (Mingenew, WA : 1926 - 1956), p. 2. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251881637
3. ↑ The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians, pre-1829-1888, Vol 1, C, pg 605. [compiled by Rica Erickson] https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/bicentennial-dictionary

• WA Death Index 1931/21