Charles (Rankin) Nixon (abt. 1854 - 1937)

Born about 1854 in Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Frederick Dougan Nixon — married 10 Feb 1870 in Church of England, Tumut, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 1937 at about age 83 in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

On her 90th birthday the following press report was published:^[1]

90TH BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR

MRS. C. NIXON

EARLY PIONEER OF NORTH COAST

Mrs. C. Nixon has recovered from a recent illness and is enjoying comparatively good health at the home of her daughter, Mrs. R. King, at Massinger Street, Byron Bay. Mrs. Nixon, who was one of the early pioneers of the Far North Coast, will celebrate her 90th birthday this year. Chatting with this wonderful old lady is an entertaining experience, and in a recent interview she recalled many of the details of her interesting life.

At the age. of seven years she came out from Scotland with her parents, brother and sister. She is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Rankin, and was baptised the somewhat unusual name of Charles, after a favorite uncle, who had given his life in the service of his country.

MUTINY AT SEA

Despite the fact that 83 years have passed, since the memorable voyage from her native land, Mrs. Nixon's recollections of it are remarkably vivid. The voyage occupied four months and three days and was considered a record trip, she said with a smile. It was the ship Forest Monarch, a proud sailing vessel of American build.

"There was a mutiny on board during the voyage" she recalled, "owing to the seamen being supplied with bad pork, but they were not dealt with severely when they eventually arrived in Sydney."

"What a difference now!" she exclaimed.

Upon arrival in Australia, the Rankin family settled at Tumut. Mr. Rankin's brothers had preceded him to this country, and now their descendants have large station properties at Tumut and Wagga.

EARLY LIFE

On February 10, 1870, Miss Charles Rankin was married to Mr. Frederick Dougan Nixon according to the rites of the Church of England, at Tumut. Her husband was born at Florence, Italy, and was the third son of the late George Russell Nixon, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, and was a nephew of the late Bishop Nixon, first Anglican Bishop of Tasmania. There were nine children of the marriage and one died in infancy. The daughters were Jane (Mrs. McDonald) Port Kembla; Rosalie (Mrs. Kennedy) Ewingsdale; Anna (the late Mrs. Campbell, of Perth, W.A.) ;. Mary (Mrs. R. King), Byron Bay; Florence (Mrs. Layton), Byron Bay; and Violet (Mrs J. Morrison), Sydney. The three sons living are all residing in Queensland - Frederick Archibald, George Charles and Louis William; William Henry, died in infancy. At present, Mrs. Nixon has thirty-three grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

REMOVAL TO TWEED

For about, seven years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Nixon continued to live at Tumut, and Mr. Nixon's services were much in demand as a horse-breaker. Throughout his life he was a splendid horseman. Then they removed to the Tweed district and there the late Mr. Nixon was engaged in cedar-getting. Although they were not actually the first settlers in this district, they were among the pioneers, and there they raised cattle, sheep and horses, and in addition they grew wheat, which was converted into flour.

NO TROUBLE WITH BLACKS

"In the cedar-getting business, the aboriginals were of great assistance to the white settlers," . remarked Mrs. Nixon. "My husband and I always got on well with the natives and we found that they were not the idle loafers which they are often made out to be. They were annihilated, not by the whites,, but by themselves. Drink was their curse. They would agree to work only for money which they would spend on drink, and, when drunk, they used to fight. Often the brawls resulted in deaths. They were a perfectly simple people until they became affected by the bad habits introduced by some. of the whites."

IN QUEENSLAND

From the Tweed, the Nixon family moved to Nerang Creek, Queensland, and there they selected 320 acres. "When first I saw the beautiful country there, I thought our fortune was made," she said. "We thought that all we had to do was to fell the timber and float it down the river; but, alas, after we. moved there, there was a three years' drought.

"But the timber there was marvellous — great cedar giants and timber of every kind. Mr. Nixon, with the willing help of two blacks, built a splendid house without even the use of a spirit level. That home, I consider, was the most beautiful I ever had. It was situated right on the edge of a bend in the river at a very pretty spot."

Mrs. Nixon shudderecJ as she recalled. the venomous snakes and other pests with which the place abounded. "It had other drawbacks, too," she added, "for all our provisions had to be obtained from a tiny store 18 miles distant, and were carried on packhorse. I remember that when we went there, Mr. Nixon ordered a ton of flour, and, having one of the largest ovens imaginable, I used to bake every day."

MAIL TO TWEED

Disillusioned with the place which at first gave such promise, the family were glad to remove to the tiny Nerang Creek settlement. There they took up a large holding, "The Oakes," which since has been divided into several dairy farms. Mr. Nixon obtained the mail contract from Nerang Creek to the Tweed. In those days the trip occupied a day's journey on horseback, and was through the four-mile scrub.

AT TUMBULGUM

Eventually, they came back to the Tweed and settled at Tumbulgum. There, Mr. Nixon obtained the licence of the Junction Hotel. Mrs. Nixon recalled the pleasant friendships with many of the pioneering families of the Tweed River, among them being the Boyd, Skinner, Wells and McGregor families.

Later, the Nixon family went back to Queensland, this time to Mt. Morgan. "At this stage of his life, my late husband suffered a great deal with asthma," said Mrs. Nixon. "While up north he worked, for a time, in the sulphur part of the gold mines, and, though very few men could stand the atmosphere there, happily, it was the means of a complete and effective cure for the distressing malady."

RETURN TO BRUNSWICK

The family returned to the Brunswick River, and Mr. Nixon secured the licence of the first hotel there, the old "Court House."

Mr. and Mrs. Nixon formerly owned the property now known as Suffolk Park, at Broken Head. Disposing of this, the old couple retired to Byron Bay, and. lived quietly there until Mr. Nixon's death about 15 years ago.

Mrs. Nixon still resides at Byron Bay, now at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. R. King. In recent months, a cataract has covered the sight of her left eye, whilst the sight of the other is very dim, thus robbing the old lady of her favorite pastime of reading and writing; but she is still an interesting conversationalist. Her voice, too, is dimmed by the years; yet there still remains that dauntless spirit which made the pioneers of this country, and gave to their descendants a splendid heritage.

Sources

1. ↑ Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949) Sat 30 Jan 1937 Page 7

• NSW BDM marriage 3504/1870
• NSW BDM death 10679/1937 showing parents Archibald and Jane Maxwell