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While researching people within my family tree I have from time to time stumbled upon generic and interesting articles relating to the Scottsdale district. This space has been created to bring these items together
A series of articles published 1909-1910 North-Eastern Advertiser entitled Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 1 31 Dec 1909
It is now over fifty years ago since this (one of the most fertile parts of Tasmania) was first discovered by the late Mr James Scott, and settled upon by the earliest pioneer settlers, and one would perhaps sometimes like to write a few lines about many of the early pioneers, and the hard struggle some — nay, I think all — that helped to open up this North East Coast half a century ago, had. But to attempt to write any description of the early days is almost certain to bring down upon the head of the writer, whoever attempts such a thing, such an avalanche of displeasure from at least some of the sons and daughters of the old settlers, that he may never again recover from the amount of wrath poured upon him for having written some little incident or other, that took place in the days of long ago, when their parents were perhaps not quite so well off in the World's goods as some of their children appear to be today, as it is a well known fact that the life of the early pioneers of this or any other out of the way new country, is truly a hard one. Yes, there is more than enough hard toil, and little or no luxuries.
Still, in those days every man felt it his duty to help his neighbour over against him to the best of his ability.
But as I was just remarking, no matter how careful one may be, or how nicely anything may be said about some people, they are really so thin in the skin that one wonders whether there is any skin actually left, as some people are so easily offended that it seems to be a case of 'skin off,' and anything that is written about them or their dear family, always appears to rub upon the raw flesh, no matter how kindly the story is being told.
Well, Mr Editor, nothing can be further away from the writer's mind than to state anything that is not absolutely correct in the first place, and in the second place not to write anything that any reasonable person could take exception to, but should you think that a rough and ready, short account of Scottsdale past and present would be of any interest to your readers, and you can find space for some, then I hope from time to time to send you along a few lines. Only let it be clearly understood that in no instance does the writer knowingly purpose to write anything with the intention of giving offence to anyone. But one must be allowed to tell the simple story, either of what has been told of the doings of the early pioneers before I arrived in the district, or of what the writer has seen while living among the people for many years. I may, however, here state that should any one of your readers object to have their names mentioned in this short account of Scottsdale and its people, if they will send you a line into the office to that effect, Mr Editor, stating that they do not wish their names, nor the names of any of their family, dead or living to appear in 'Scottsdale Past and Present,' then I hereby agree the[?] names shall be left severely alone forever.
When this district was discovered by the late James Scott, fifty years ago, it was called Scott's New Country, and was known by that name for many years afterwards, when it was named Scottsdale. Mr Robert Scott, J.P, Ringarooma, and Mr Thos. Scott, Penguin, are sons of the founder of this district. One is not quite sure who were the first pioneers to actually settle down upon their selections in the new district, but I think the honour must be held among the names of the late Thos. Cox, T. D. Heazlewood, Thos. and James Campbell, John Cunningham, Alex Farquhar, Thos. Diprose, Edward Bonser, Peter Miller, Thos. Tucker, William Smith, William James, George Tyson, Dugald McGilp, and James Shearer. Many of these arrived in the new settlement just about the same time, and it is just a question which was the first building erected — the late Thomas Cox's manfern house, T. D. Heazlewood's little cottage, or Campbell Bros. old hut in what is now McGilp's, top paddock.
When Cox arrived he brought with him two mules. One of these animals did not live a great while, but the other mule lived and worked hard for many years, and was at last killed by some falling timber, but not until such time as it was entitled to a well-earned rest.
As far as hearsay goes, and after all one has only memory to depend upon, not having any memoranda or diary to refer to, the first fruit garden planted was laid out by the late John Cunningham and the late Alexander Farquhar, on land now owned hy Mr H. B. Lade, but was then known as Stuter's block, adjoining the Burnside road. This is where Cunningham and Farquhar erected their first bush home in Scott's New Country. Both these early settlers were obliged to leave their young wives and little families, for a little time at least, while they returned to what was, then called 'Up Country,' so as to earn money to keep things going on their new selection.
While the two men were away earning the money that was then much needed, Mrs Cunningham and Mrs Farquhar both lived together for the sake of enjoying each other's company in the dense and lonely bush. Some time after this Cunningham, obtaining a good billet under Government, as superintendent of the erection of the telegraph line from Hobart Town to Launceston, he left the new settlement for a few years, and then returned as an inspector of roads, which the Government was this time beginning to have opened up, which position Cunningham held for thirty years, while Farquhar on the other hand stuck to the land to the end of life's chapter.
Both these two early pioneers have crossed the bar, but both Mrs Cunningham and Mrs Farquhar are still hale and hearty, but they look more advanced in life than they did when they did when they helped to plant that orchard fifty years ago.
When Mr T. D. Heazlewood arrived on his selection, at what was then called Tucker's Corners, and upon which the town of Scottsdale how stands, he brought with him a team of working bullocks, but there was no grass then in the new settlement, and the up-country bullocks did not take kindly to the rough scrub, consequently Heazlewood had the misfortune to lose the whole team, which, to say the least of it must have been very discouraging to any young man beginning life in such a bush and so many miles away from the outside world. This, however, did not discourage the young pioneer, as he [?]ed to push ahead, and a few years later came to the conclusion that it was not good for man to be alone, so having set his house in order, he returned to Longford, the district where he first saw the light, and where a Miss Mary George was anxiously awaiting the young man from the New Country.
And so it came to pass that Mr T. D. Heazlewood had the honor to take the first bride into Scott's New Country.
Many years after this event he came to realise that the lines had fallen to him in pleasant places, and that he certainly had a goodly heritage, as by this time the township had begun to spring up at Tucker's Corners, and he (Heazlewood) could now sell any of his township blocks at £160 per acre.
This would at any rate make up for the loss of his good team of bullocks, which were the first team of bullocks to enter the new settlement.
Campbells, McGilp, and James Shearer commenced to open up their land at what is now known as Jetsonville, but had the misfortune to have their second or third harvest all burnt by a scrub fire. This was when Campbells used to live in their first hut, in D. McGilp's, top paddock, and many a new and weary, travel-tired stranger was made welcome under their hospitable roof.
Thomas Campbell, James Campbell, Dugald McGilp, and James Shearer, were all single men at this time, and were all working on their 320 acre selection, which they named Musk Field, but in later years, when they all settled down in life, each man had his own 80 acre portion of the big block and since then every man has skimmed the cream into his own can.
The late Dugald McGilp was the first of these four young Scotchmen to settle down in life. He married Janet, the eldest daughter of the late Joseph Bald, of Hope Farm. Theirs was the first marriage (8 Dec 1865) that ever took place on the North East Coast, and the ceremony was performed by the late Rev. J. B. Harris. There were a large number of friends present at the gathering, which was kept up all night, and the late Kenneth McLennan, of Spring Hill, supplied the music for the dancing, from his violin.
(To be Continued).
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 2 07 Jan 1910
When the late Thos. Campbell paid his first visit of inspection to the new settlement he received his instructions how to act from the late James Scott, who told him that his nephew, J. R. Scott, was making a trip to the new district, and that he ( Campbell) had better go along with him, which Campbell gladly did. Before leaving to go to Mr. J. R. Scott's place, he noticed that Campbell, the young Scotchman, was wearing a pair of light boots that was in no way fitted for such a long bush journey, and he advised him to get a strong pair, which he did. He then called upon Mr. J. R. Scott, and they both set out for Scott's new country. Just as they were ready to start, Mr. Scott, who was taking a horse with him, told Campbell to hand up his swag and he would put it on the horse — which be did — and, said Campbell, he walked with me every step of the way, while the horse carried our two swags. I thought, said Campbell, that Mr. Scott was one of the most kind-hearted men I had ever met. On arriving at the new settlement Mr. J. R. Scott was anxious to push on to Branxholm where he had already applied for some of the present Branxholm Estate, including tbe big marsh on the south side of the Ringarooma. They arrived there safely and erected their tents, and Scott and two other men went out to mark out their blocks, leaving the young Scotchman to attend to camp duties. At that time there were a good number of badgers to be found about the marsh, and after the other men had left camp, Campbell noticed one of these strange animals, and was somewhat afraid of the queer looking beast, and his first idea was to climb up into one of the many low trees that were growing round the edge of the marsh, but seeing the animal running away, he plucked up courage and took after it, and to his surprise he was successful in bringing the badger down by the aid of his tomahawk. He then took it into the camp and threw it under one of the bunks so as to show it to the others when they returned home in the evening, and ask them what the strange beast was. Now it so happened that while the surveyors were out at work that day their dogs killed a badger, and they, thinking to have a lark with their new chum young Scotchman, took it home with them to the camp, and told Campbell that it was a very savage animal, and that it would attack and kill a man, and that whatever he did if he should ever meet one of these wild beasts he must be very careful. Campbell listened attentively to the good advice given, and then said; "Ah, weel, I 'a got one o' they strange beasties," pulling the dead badger from under the bed, "but he didna' kill me, anyway." Mr. Scott, being anxious to return to Launceston as soon as possible, when the blocks were surveyed, he and Thos. Campbell made what they thought a bee-line for Cox's Creek in the new settlement, but they found the scrub very thick, and the country rough and broken, and getting away too much to the north missed the settlement altogether, and were out in the bush for several days. "I don't exactly know where we are, Campbell," said Mr. Scott, "but sooner or later, if we keep on, the Brid River must pull us up," and tired out and hungry they at last struck the track somewhere between Muddy Creek and Bowood.
One of the first road contracts ever paid for by the Government in this district was the cutting of a narrow dray track from William Edwards' Vine Grove, along between H. Briggs and J.Sheehan and John Williams' land and between Williams', Lister's and Robert Tulloch's selections, thence away to the Brid River at the foot of the big sidling. This work was done by James Shearer, Dugald, McGilp and Thos. Campbell; but before this the late William Edwards' had paid out of his own pocket some eight or nine pounds to Alexander Farquhar and, I think, James Bowser, to cut a rough cart road from Tucker's Corners to his ( Edwards') land at Vine Grove; and after this road had been cut, Edwards and his two sons — Arthur and Tom — Thos. and Richard Harris and Fred Biggs went along and chopped up the catheads and filled up the holes. Some years after this the Government opened up the road from Bridport right through the new district to the Brid River at Springfield. This work was done by Messrs. Hay and Tankard, and, I think, Barnard. Mr. Hay was the late John Hay, No. 2, from the Huon district; and it was while the deepside cutting was being put in along the side of Bonner's Hill at Jetsonville, that Edward Smith, one of the early pioneers, rode a horse over the cutting one dark night, and fell among the men's tools, and was so severely cut about the face that he will carry the marks to his grave.
Quite a number of the early pioneers arrived here at the same time, in the years 1859 60 61 and 62 and among these were the late E.W. Bonner, John McBean, Alexander Gill, Joseph Bald, Thos. Diprose, Rev. T. B. Harris, John Williams, William James, Alexander, Thos. and George James, William Edwards', Authur and Thos. Edwards, Thos. and Richard Harris. Then later on again, Thos Loone, James Hosie, William Blyth, Bray, Fred and Dave Watson, Andrew Ruthorford, Smithton (the New Zealander), John McKerrow, T.W. Massey, Robert Brande, H. Briggs, F. W. Briggs and others.
ever held on the North-East Coast of Tasmania. The business of that meeting was to make arrangements for the bringing in of the mail from Bowood once every two weeks, and if memory serves me correctly there were two offers made for carrying the mail from Bowood to Thos. Cox's, at Cox's Creek, a distance of 14 miles — one from Mr. Thos. Harris for the sum of £6, and the other for £5 from Mr William McBean. The tender of W. McBean for the sum of £5 was accepted, and the term of the contract was to be six calendar months. The late Thos. Cox was asked to act as Post Master, which position he accepted, and carried out the duties to the entire satisfaction of the early pioneers. (NB There is a revision of the above - see instalment 4) At that time there was no store or business place in the new settlement, although [[ Mr, Cox sold a few little odds and ends while keeping the Post Office, and so did the late William Tyson, but neither of these two establishments; could be looked upon as universal providers. Some of Cox's stock lines were tobacco, matches and clay pipes, and one can remember buying the old fashioned Ewebank nails from Mr. Tyson's at 6d. per lb, and it did not take many of those nails to weigh a pound. Of course our wire nails had not then been invented, and I can well remember when they were first placed upon the market, the people used to despise them, and say, "Why, those round, new-fangled wire nails will never hold timber together."
of any little pretensions started in Scotts new country was opened by Mr. Thos. Massey in the house where Mr. Albert Camm now lives at Jetsonville. This business was carried on successfully for some time. I mean that Mr. Massey certainly never went broke, but if he made a fortune he kept that part of his business to himself, as he never gave banquets, nor did he drive a coach and four, but was always content to ride upon his little bay blood mare, which was as good a bit of horse flesh as a man wished to put a saddle on. If the public don't believe this statement, I would refer them to Mr. A. James, Woodlands, as he rode Massey's mare many a time. The next general store was opened by Mr. T. D. Heazlewood, on his farm at Tucker's Corners, where the Town of Scottsdale now stands, and as this locality was by this time about the centre of the district, the Post Office was removed from Mr. Cox's residence to Mr. Heazlewood's general store, where it remained for many years, until such time as Mr. Heazlewood concluded that he was entitled to a well-earned rest, and as Mr. Thos. Tucker, who had been Post Master of Longford when he carried on the business of a general storekeeper there, was about to open a general store in Scottsdale, Mr. Heazlewood kindly handed over the Post Office to his Brother-in law, Mr. Thomas Tucker. The rich North East Coast tin mines having been discovered by Mr. Renison Bell, money flowed into this district in abundance. Mr. Tucker was a good business man, and as there were no bad debts in those days, and profits were in favor of the storekeepers more than they are at the present time, it is generally believed that Mr. Tucker, after many years of honest toil, did fairly well, and in due time he and Mrs. Tucker decided to take a trip home to England, and so they retired from business altogether, having first handed his good business over to his two sons — Messrs William and Ernest Tucker. I regret to say that some year or so after this Mrs Tucker took ill and died, after which Mr. Tucker went to live in Launceston, where he still enjoys good health. (To be Continued).
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 3 14 Jan 1910
One of the most interesting events
that takes place on a pioneer's new
selection is when, some spring morning, one of the youngsters runs in
from the little sheep paddock, with the
exclamation, ' Oh, mother, do come
out and see our beautiful little lamb ;
why, mum, I believe this must be the
first lamb of the season,' Well, be
that as it may, there can be little doubt that there must have been rejoicing among the good wives of the early pioneers of Scott's New Country when the news was passed round from one selection to another, that at Mr Alex. Farquhar's home, a fine, bouncing baby boy had arrived, and as this was the first white child born in the new settlement, it should be one of the most interesting events that had taken place up to that time. The new arrival was named Thomas, and to this day Mr Thomas D. Farquhar resides on his farm on the Burnside road. While many other men have settled down to a happy married life; Mr Farquhar has never taken any chances but still continues to live on in single blessedness.
The next event of a similar nature took place on the farm of the late John McBean, when his daughter Isabella was born. Thus it was that Thomas Farquhar and Isabella McBean were the first man
and woman born in the new district of
Scott's New Country. Then people
began to increase on the North East
Coast. But in these days of thirty and forty years ago, most families were larger in number than they usually have been during the last twenty years.
The cartage of goods from Bowood or Bridport, to Scottsdale, was very expensive in those early days. ' Many a ton of potatoes the late William Edwards' paid me six pounds (£6) per ton to cart from Vine to Bridport,' says Mr James Campbell, ' and I used to tell him I did not know however he could afford to pay such a high price, and Edwards would reply that it paid him all right, as he sold the potatoes in Longford at £12 per ton.' The carting and packing of goods from Bridport to Branxholm and Ringarooma was £9 per ton. In the early times a small vessel would come round from Launceston once every few months, with supplies for the settlers. These goods were at first carted out to Bowood, and brought into the settlement as required, but afterwards the goods were stored at Bridport on the arrival of the boat, and then carted directly into Scottsdale. The early pioneers as a community, were a very hard-working class of people ; indeed, had it not been for this fact they would never have attempted such a hard, uphill fight as the opening up of a dense forest under such unfavorable circumstances, when there were no roads made, and not a bridge across any one of the many rivers and creeks to be found on the sixty miles of rough bush country to be travelled between the then town of Launceston to the far away new district of Scott's New Country, by way of Mount Direction, over the Den Ranges, and through the Lower Piper River district. As may be imagined, the road then was only cut the width of a dray, through exceedingly rough and hilly country, and so bad was the road in places that at least one pioneer family found it im- possible to get over the Den Ranges. This was the late Mr William James and family, and having reached this part of the steep hills, turned back, and lived at what is now Invermay. A few months later they made another start for the North East Coast, and this time succeeded in completing the journey.
As I said before, nearly all the pioneers were hard-working people. But
it must not be forgotten that most of
the first settlers were either Scotchmen
newly out from the farming districts of
Scotland, or Englishmen from the manufacturing towns of England.
Very few of them had been any time
in Van Dieman's Land, end none of
them knew anything whatever about
clearing and cultivating our heavily
timbered country, so that, while one
and all worked hard year in and year
out, not knowing the best way to clear bush land, they did not open up nearly so much of their blocks as they would in the same space of time now-a-days.
Instead of setting to work and ringing their timber, cutting tbeir scrub down
and burning it off, sowing their land
down with grass so as to raise and
fatten cattle that would walk away to
market, and thus save cartage and
freight, they for the most part cut down only a few acres each year, and cleared it up like a flower garden.
As this clearing usually had to be done
in the winter time, it meant very hard work indeed, and by working under
this system it took a much longer time
to open up this heavy scrub coast land than it otherwise would have done.
Then again, although the new settlers nearly always grew good crops in those days, as almost any crop put in would give a good return to the husbandman, still (on account of so much more rain falling in those days, before the district was opened out in the way it is now) anything in the way of corn would often be half spoiled owing to the damp harvest weather. Nearly all the wheat grown would be a very dark color, and would therefore not bring anything like the top market price when it arrived in Launceston.
(To be Continued).
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 4 21 Jan 1910
It often happened in the early days, when the boat came into Bridport so
seldom, that the settlers ran out of
many lines of provisions, and in such
cases every man borrowed of his
neighbour over against him such
articles of food as he and his family
had need of, and in those day every
man considered it part of his religion to help his neighbour whenever there was a chance to do so, and chances came very often. Among the pioneers in those early days many could not afford to aly in a very large stock at a time, and the people often found themselves short of flour, one of the main articles of daily food. When this happened, and it often did happen, there used to be a general run around among one's neighbours, and so long as there were 24lbs of flour in the bottom of one settler's bag, the other fellow was always welcome to the half of it. But it often happened that all the flour there was in the settlement was used up, and people had to depend on what was then known as:
This was the wheat ground up by steel hand mills into good; rough brown flour, which of course was rather on the coarse side, but was very wholesome food. There were several of these hand mills in the district, and these did service for the whole community, as, like other things, these mills were always available to be used by any of the settlers that had no mill of their own, and while these machines did their work fairly well, they did it exceedingly slow. Many a youth's arms ached until they felt like dropping off long before the bushel of wheat was put through the mill, and many were the hard things thought against the inventor of the steel flour mills. One doesn't know how many of these machines there were in the district at the time, but John McBean, E W Bonner, James Shearer, William James, William Smith, and T. B. Harris all had one each.
From the earliest days of the settlement there were always found men who preached the gospel and remembered the Sabbath day, and among them may be mentioned the names of the late Rev. T. B. Harris, E. W. Bonner, Peter Miller and others, but Messrs. Harris, Bonner and Miller were the first three to hold public services and preach to the people. These services were at first held at Glenco, the residence of the late Peter Miller, down near the swimming bath in front of Mr. Len Edwards' Hotel, but this was too far away from what in those days used to be called the low end of the scrub, now known as Jetsonville. (Springfield was always referred to in those days as "up the scrub"). So the pioneers met together and decided to build the first church, which was known by the name of the Union Chapel. The late Thom. Cox gave one acre of land on the top of Cox's Hill where God's Acre is now situated, and in the centre of this land the chapel was erected. As far as I can remember there was really no money collected towards putting up this structure, but every man belonging to that little Israel brought his share of the timber required to child the church. When the building was completed every man was allowed to make after his own heart whatever design of a seat he chose whereon he and his family were to sit during service time. Without doubt those pews were the most heterogeneous set of seats it would be possible to meet with in any sanctuary. Some were low seats with comfortable backs to them; some were seats with high backs that would allow a big youngster to fall through on to the floor; others again were plain split planks of wood with holes bored in them, and four legs driven into them, the top of each leg standing up above the seat any height to say one and a half inches. Yes, there is no doubt that the seats in the old Union Chapel at Ellesmere were of many different designs, while on the other hand, some of the sermons preached in those early days were equal at least to many of the sermons we hear nowadays in our fashionable churches.
Since writing about the meeting
that was called about the carrying of
the first mail into the district, a gentleman who is in possession of the
original minutes has kindly sent them
along, and as I think they may be of some interest to your readers, I give a copy of them below. The first public meeting in Scott's New Country was held at the residence of Mr. Thos. Cox, sen., on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1866, and are in the handwriting of the late E. W. Bonner:-
"At a meeting of the inhabitants of Scottsdale, held at Mr. T. Cox's, sen., Wednesday, October 18, 1866, it was proposed and carried unanimously that a branch mail be at once established between Bowood and Scottsdale, and that the tender of Mr. J. McBean for four shillings each trip for six months be accepted, to be carried every alternate Saturday, commencing on the 21st inst.
"The following persons were present: Rev. T. B. Harris (chairman), Messrs. T. Tucker, T. Massey, T. D. Heazlewood, J. Heazlewood, Smith, McKerrow, McLellan, T. Cox, sen., T. Cos, jun., G. Tyson, W. Tyson, Watson, J. Hosie, J. Shearer, D. McGilp, T. Campbell, J. Campbell, A. Rae, Jas. Loone, J. Pearson, J. Bald, E. W. Bonner, Mr. J. McBean, A. Farquhar, T. Hutchison, W. Stewart, P. Miller. "The undermentioned were elected a committee to see the arrangement carried out, to receive subscriptions, and see that the contractor be paid at Messrs. J. Campbell, T. Tucker, W. Tyson, J. Heazlewood, and T. W. Bonner."
(To be Continued).
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 5 28 Jan 1910
When the Union Chapel was first built, services were held every Sunday
afternoon, when either the Rev. T. B.
Harris, Mr .E. W. Bonner, or Mr Peter Miller would conduct the ser-
vices. About the same time a Sunday
scbool was started in the same building by the late Mr William Tyson. Mr
Joseph Heazlewood (who now lives in
Launceston) and the late Thos. Cox, junr. The late William Tyson was
appointed superintendent, which position he held for many years. The
first Sunday school anniversary picnic was held in Mr Joseph Heazlewood's
paddock, fronting the main road, and
the crowd of people who attended that first picnic, outside the school teachers and the children themselves, were —
Mr Alfred Brewer and Mrs Brewer, of Bowood. The next two years the
school picnics were held in the paddock of the late Thos. Cox, junr. behind where the house now stands, and
at both these anniversaries there were
a good number of the settlers present,
and ever after that the Sunday school
treats were always looked upon as one
day in the year, at least, when settlers from both ends of the scrub (Jetsonville and Springfield) would meet each other and talk over the happiness and hardship of a pioneer's life. This Sunday school was well conducted, and the behaviour of the children was
good. Each child was allowed to
learn as many verses of Scripture,
hymns, and catechism as they could
commit to memory, and for each four
verses said correctly they were paid a black ticket, on which was printed a verse of Scripture, and for four of these
black tickets the child could procure
one red or blue ticket and for so many
of these the child could buy a handsome Scripture picture card, or a nice
book of some kind, but even in those
early days, when the children were so much better behaved than in these times, some of the young scamps
would convert these red and blue
tickets into current coin of the realm and buy pocket knives or such like things with them. One can well remember the superintendent of the
school being of a poetic turn of mind,
and at some of these meetings, after
speeches he would favor those present
with one of his own compositions on
current topics, which would run something like this —
In those days all the provisions required for these great tea-meetings
were freely given by the people, and so
the whole of the proceeds of the annual
gathering went to the purchase of books and the upkeep of the school.
There was but one general store in Scottsdale at the time of which I am writing, and that was owned by
Mr T. D. Heazlewood. It was a
general rule for that gentleman to give each year all the tea and sugar required for the annual treat and in the
poem composed by the aged superintendent would be found such lines as
these—
Besides the three names already mentioned (Messrs Harris, Bonner and
Miller), who conducted the services in
the Union Chapel for many years, occasionally some minister of the Gospel
would pay a visit to the district, and preach when there. Among these
were the Revs Harcourt and Nye
(Wesleyan), Rev. David Lindsay (Presbyterian), Revs. Mitchell and George Watson (Anglican). As years passed by, Messrs William Brown and Charles Perrin, two evangulists belonging to what was then known as the Plymouth Brethren, arrived here and held special services for some considerable time, and many people were
brought in under their preaching — so
much so that no less than 120 people
were baptised on two Sundays in Tucker's Creek, in Kellow's Paddock.
Of these two evangelists, Wm. Brown was a Scotchman, and Charles F.
Perrin was an educated Irishman, and both were good preachers. At that
time all the people of the settlement attended the old Union Chapel, and as
far as religion was concerned every
man was on the same level, and for the most part every man did what he could to help his brother into the
kingdom, for in those days men spoke
often one to another of things pertaining to the better land.
After this church matters went well
for a considerable time, then a number of those brought in under the preaching of Messrs. Brown and Perrin de-
cided to break bread every Sunday, and
the remaining portion of the congregation only did so once a month. This
led to a division among the church
people, and those who favored the
teaching of Brown and Perrin decided
that they would erect a sanctuary of their own, and so the Gospel Hall was built. This was in 1876. These
were the first section of the people to
leave the old Union Chapel. Some
time after this, those still remaining in the first churcb decided that they
would contribute towards the support
of a resident minister, and so the services of the Rev. George Mather, a
young minister from the Longford district, were engaged.
Misunderstanding, however, arose among the church people, and it was then decided that those of the congregation who leaned towards the Wes-
leyan Church persuasion should leave the old hive, and invite the Wesleyan
Church minister to the district. This
was done, and the Wesleyan Church
body appointed the Rev. Robert
Thomasson. At first Mr. Joseph
Heazlewood's barn was used as a church until such time as the Wesleyan church was built at Ellesmere, just
above Cox's Creek. The Rev. R. Thomasson, during his stay in Scottsdale, came very near losing his life,
being badly kicked by his horse when
going into the stable. After Mr Thomasson's term had expired, during
which the church was built, the Rev. D. J. Flockhart waa appointed, and it was this gentleman who, with the assistance of Mr. John Simpson (of
Simpson Bros.) started the Scottsdale Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, the foundation of
the Scottsdale Mechanics' Institute
and Public Library, and it was during the time that the late Rev, William Dawson was stationed in Scottsdale that the parsonage was built near the
church at Ellesmere, and it was also
during Mr. Dawson's term that the
present Methodist site was procured,
as it was Mr. Dawson's idea that the church at Ellesmere was too far out of the way from the rising township at Tucker's Corners — his idea being that if you want to catch fish, it is always
best to throw out the net for them
in either a river or the open sea,
where the fish are known to abound
in fairly large shoals. While there was a good deal of opposition among
the members of the Wesleyan Church at the time, Mr Dawson's contention has proved true, for the site chosen by the deceased minister is now in the very centre, of the compact and rising town of Scottsdale.
With reference to the two evangelists above mentioned, Mr. Perrin preached his last sermon in the Launceston Mechanics' Institute about 85 years ago, from the text, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth, etc." Mr Perrin was then in good health, but he never preached again, as he then left the Launceston Conference, and went down to the North West Coast. While crossing a creek across the road on the other side of the Forth township, his cart became stuck in the creek, with the result that he got wet, caught cold, took rheumatic fever, and in a few short days was called away to his reward. He was buried in the Forth cemetery, and his many friends in Scottsdale and elsewhere erected over his remains a monument to his memory.
The last I heard of William Brown was that he had returned to Scotland, married somewhat late in life, had no family, and was settled down to his old trade again (that of a tailor) and preached regularly round the district where he lived.
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 6 11 Feb 1910
After the Wesleyan portion of the congregation had left the old Union Chapel, most of the Christians that still remained in the old hive were people that at one time or another belonged to the Scotch Churches, either in the Old Land or out here in Australasia, and these decided to retain the services of the Rev. G. J. Mather, and they still continued to worship in the first sanctuary, until such time as they erected the Presbyterian Church at Ellesmere, the church where the Presbyterians still assemble. It is a neat, well constructed building, with a Sunday School building a little in the rear, and the manse, a comfortable homestead, in which the Rev. Tho. Cunningham, who has been the Minister for many years, now resides. In the old days, whenever any one section of the congregation decided to strike out on their own particular line of church government, it was not an unusual thing to hear the remark passed that the old Union Chanel had swarmed again.
The Presbyterians were the last swarm to abandon the old hive, that for many years flowed with pure milk and honey of the good land of Canaan. For several years after this the old building continued to be used as a State School, when Mr John Simpson, (of Simpson Bros.) had charge of that institution, and it was in this very building that the Government first established the first State school ever opened on the North East coast, on the east side of the city of Launceston, when they appointed the late Mr William Burr to take charge. This would be about the year 1868, as one can remember that it was about the same time that the Duke of Edinburgh paid his historic visit to Australia and
Tasmania and it was during His Royal Highness's visit to Sydney, that he was shot down by the hand of the assassin, the bullet entering the Duke's back. Some few years after the Presbyterian Church was erected the Anglican Church people, who by this time were becoming more numerous in this corner of the State, decided to lay the foundation of their church in
this district, and asked that an Anglican Church minister should be sent
along to work these parts, when the
Rev. J. Clampitt was appointed, and
at first he held services in the Court House at Ellesmere.
After a time the Springfield church
and parsonage was built, where for several years at least the minister resided, but the Anglican people too appeared to have made a similar mistake
to the Wesleyans, as they did not
build their church near enough to the
centre of the population, and they, like
the late Rev. William Dawson, came
to the conclusion that the best place to catch fish was to get right on the bank
of a deep, broad stream, that abounded
with fish of every kind, and so they
decided to erect a substantial church in the town of Scottsdale, which decision they have not yet had cause to regret.
And some time after the church was
completed, they built the present
rectory, and leased the Springfield
rectory to be used as a private house,
but they still held services in the
Springfield Church, and the church
ground, which has been used as a cemetery, now contains the bodies of a number of those members of the Anglican Church which have fallen
asleep during the past twenty-five
years. On February 20th, 1887, the
Roman Catholic Church was opened
in the centre of the town of Scottsdale, when the opening ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Maitland, the
Bishop of Hobart and the Rev. Dean
Beechinor, but up to the present time
there is no resident priest stationed in
this district, but as a general rule one of the Launceston priests pays a visit
to this district and conducts services about once a month. The Catholic Church, until quite recently, stood in
the centre of the town, but a few weeks
ago it was removed to a new site along
the Bridport road to the west end of the town.
It is now about 24 years ago since
Major and Mrs Graham, and Captain
Howe travelled from Launceston by
Loone and Bonner's coach to open a
branch of the Salvation Amy in this
district, their first services being held in the Mechanics Institute, which the Army continued to rent for some time, after which they decided to erect the
present Army Barracks, which stands
in Victoria street. It was Captain
Kyme, when stationed at Scottsdale
that formed the Women's Brass Band in connection with the Salvation
Army. This was the first Women's
Brass Band ever formed in Australia.
Capt. Kyme was a splendid conductor,
and it was really wonderful how these young women came the front with
their band, and as it was the first
Women's Brass Band under the Southern Cross it may not be out of place to mention what names one can now remember of the young ladies that were members of that historic
Band. Let one think for a moment, to begin with Miss E. Simpson, Miss Rose Hardy, Miss Ada Richardson, Miss A. Lister, and Miss Edith Lister, and here memory fails.
The Army still continues to hold its own in these parts, and many a weary worn out officer looks to Scottsdale as one of the green spots in Tasmania, where a man that works hard can make sure of a good square meal, and have a comfortable bed to lie down upon. There is still another section of the Christian Church in Scottsdale, which although they prefer not to be classed as any particular denomination, to distinguish them from the other section of the church ???tant they are sometimes referred to as the Exclusive Brethren. ?????? started ?????? The Re?????? of Scottsdale, on the north east coast of Tasmania, we have the City of Seven Churches.
(To be Continued.)
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number 7 18 Feb 1910
The first hotel opened in Scottsdale
was called the Dogwood Tavern, the
late Thos. Beswick, of Derby, was the proprietor, and the site on which the hotel was erected was where Mrs. W. E. Roses's shop now stands. Business however, in those early days in the hotel line was not as brisk as after the North East Coast tin mines were discovered and in due course Beswick decided to leave Tucker's Corners and remove to the Back Creek new gold field, some four miles west of Lower
Piper, where he opened a baker's business during the time the alluvial gold diggings were being worked. One well remembers Beswick's furniture arriving at Back Creek on the same day that the first steam engine arrived on
the new diggings. The late W. Tankard had just erected his calico restaurant, in which one enjoyed a good dinner.
The second hotel licence applied for was by the late William Edwards', for the Vine Grove Hotel, where Miss Sailer's home now stands, and many
of the early pioneer tin miners will well remember the homely welcome they always received from Mr Edwards and his family. Edwards was a man whose hand never shook when he cut a man a meal. The third hotel was owned by Mr J. Lethborg at Springfield; and was known by the name of the Traveller's Rest. This hotel was burnt down many years after and the only thing that now remains
of the old Traveller's Best is the old stone chimney and the apple tree in
the garden. The next hotel opened
was by the late William Smith, one of
the earliest pioneers of Scott's New Country. This building was erected on his property at Cox's Creek, opposite where Mr Hawkes' home now stands. The fifth hotel licence was
applied for by Mr Albert Counsell and was called the Inveresk Hotel, where for several years the Counsells' (Albert and Richard) did a roaring business. This hotel is now owned by Mrs M. A. E. Quinn, and stands at the corner of Main and Brid streets. The sixth hotel was erected on the opposite corner of Main and Brid streets by Mr Andrew Anderson and was known as the Commercial Hotel, which after some years Anderson sold to the late John Lord.
This hotel has for many years been known as Lord's Commercial Hotel, although the business has been carried on for many years by Mr L.D. Edwards, who at one time well known in the Lefroy district. The Scottsdale Hotel, now owned by Mr John Terry, was built and opened by Mr Edward Smith, one of the early pioneers of this district. The Camp Hotel, on the Ringarooma Road, was erected by John McIntyre after the tin mines were discovered. Later on this business was purchased by the late Henry Webb, and is now owned by Mr Isaac Reeve.
After the days of the old hand steel flour mills, and the brown Tommy flour that so many of the early settlers did so well on for a number of years Mr Thos. Tucker decided to erect a flour mill on the banks of what is known as Tucker's Creek. Tucker's flour mill was driven by water power and if memory serves me right the price charged for gristing wheat was nine pence per bushel, two pounds loss in the grinding of each bushel. Mr Tucker's venture proved a success, as many of the little cocky farmers then grew a few acres of wheat; and the flour from this mill was to say the least of it, a vast improvement upon than turned out from the old hand steel mills.
<centre>-------------------------</centre>
A correspondent informs that in addition to the ladies named in our last issue as members of the brass band in connection with the Salvation Army in Scottsdale some years ago, Mrs Purcell and Mrs Baker were also members of tbe band. Our readers will remember that "Longfellow" was unable to remember the names of the whole of the members, and we are consequently under an obligation to our informant for supplying the missing names.
(To be continued.)
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number ? 11 Mar 1910
I notice that some kind friend has taken the trouble to put me on the right track with reference to the names of the members of the first Women's Brass Band In Australia.
In reply to your informant, allow me to say that I said I did not remember all the names at the time. And now permit me to say that the information tendered by your correspondent is incorrect, as he stated that Mrs Purcell and Mrs Baker were members when the band was started. This, however, was not the case. Both
these ladies were members of the
same band at a much later date, perhaps two years or more after the band bad been in existence, but they certainly were not members at the time of which I was writing. The names of the eight ladies that formed the band were : — the wife of Captain Kyme, Mrs Fred Reeve, Miss Rosa Hardy, Miss E. Simpson, Miss Ada Richardson, Miss Sarah Richardson,
Miss Annie Lister and Miss Edith
Lister, and Captain George Kyme
of the Salvation Army, who was a
first class teacher of music, was Band master, and brought this band to the front in a wonderfully short space of time ; so much so that the late Mr Wallace, Bandmaster of the Launceston City Band, said when he heard
them play for the first time in the
streets of Launceston, that he had
never heard anything so good that had
been got up in such a short space of time. While on this subject, it may perhaps interest some to know that the writer saw Captain Kyme when he
and his family of sons formed one of
the many brass bands that played in
the great procession of the first day of January 1901, at the opening of the Commonwealth of Australia in Sydney,
when the procession took one hour and eight minutes to pass the Sydney
post office in Martin Place, and the
last time the writer dropped in with
Captain Kyme was on board the
steamer Manuka on a trip from New
Zealand to Sydney a little over three
years ago. Kyme had been teaching music in New Zealand for some two years and had done very well and was returning home to Melbourne. It was his intention at that time to take his eldest daughter and go over to the United States of America to set up his method of teaching music there.
But to get back again on to our "Scottsdale Past and Present." The first man to erect a blacksmith's forge and make a set of horse shoes in the New Settlement was Mr Thos. Loone, who then lived at Jetsonville on the farm that is now occupied by Mr James McDougall, close to the large oak tree. Mr Thos. Loone, who has for many years lived at Hill Top, a few miles outside Deloraine, did what blacksmithing was required in those early days (there was no such thing as metal for the horses to travel on at the times of which I am writing) until such time as the late James Hosie arrived in the district, when he set up in business as a blacksmith, at the farm now owned by Mr Alf. B. Brewer, and very shortly after this Mr Andrew Rutherford joined Hosie as a wheelwright and plow builder, and these two tradesmen turned out some good work. Rutherford making some good drays which lasted for many years, and the rattle of these carts could be heard long after Rutherford had left Tasmania, and pitched his camp at Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, where he and his family still reside. It was Andrew Rutherford and our Mr Alexander Gill Senr., that erected the first two Government buildings in Scottsdale, the school master's residence, and the old police office at Ellesmere. The frames of these two buildings were built out of sawn timber. This I think was the first time sawn timber had been used in the district, unless it had been used a little before this in the building of Mr Joseph Heazlewood's house at ' Morning Side.' This sawn timber was of course all cut by hand with a pit-saw, and it was not until some years after this that Mr Alex Gill erected the first saw mill in this part of Tasmania, from which he sent away some of the best timber ever landed on the Launceston wharf, both gum and blackwood. Later on Mr Wyett from Beaconsfield started a saw mill here, and later on again Mr P. H. Tucker erected a good milling plant and sent away a huge quantity of sawn timber. The late Mr W. M. Campbell did a considerable amount of business in the timber line, and in later years Mr J. W. Gofton erected several saw mills, he having as many as four mills working at one time, and from these mills sent away an enormous quantity of timber. During the last few years Messrs Dakers, Tucker, and Thurley have been in the sawmilling business, as well as Robert Boyd, George Hudson, George Peddle and William Warren at Lisle Road. (To be continued )
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number ? 25 Mar 1910
When the first pioneers arrived in Scott's New Country, they, of course
had no knowledge whatever of scrubbing and clearing heavy bush land.
Indeed, many of them had never seen
a decent-sized gum tree until they arrived in the new settlement, for we
must not overlook the fact that most
of them either came from the manufacturing town of England, or the
farming districts of Scotland (a few only from the green valleys of old Ireland). Not one of these men knew anything about clearing our heavy
timbered bush land. So, instead of
ringing their land out as soon as possible, so as to assist nature in clearing
the dense forest, they almost to a man
only cut down a few acre's of bush
each year, which they nearly chopped
into matchwood. If a man took a
job scrubbing four or five acres for
any one of the settlers, the agreement
was usually worded so as to contain a clause to the effect that all timber felled up to one foot in diameter was to be lopped or cut up into 12ft.
lengths. That meant that an ordinary dogwood had to have at least three and sometimes four cuts put through it. What price scrubbing in those days ? Instead of the early settlers
cutting down as many acres of their
scrub land as possible, and sowing it
down with grass, rearing and fattening
cattle until such time as nature itself out the stamps, when it could be cleared fit for the plough at much less cost than it could be cleared out in the green, nearly every man just cut down his few acres (and very few at that}, and then started to clean it up like a flower garden. This entailed many months of hard work during the autumn and winter.
When the land had been made as fit for an onion bed they would set to work and chip their ranch in with
wheat, with a hoe. The grain put
in on the new burnt-off land grew up
to some 6 or 7ft. high, but frequently,
on coming to maturity, it would take
the rust or blight an badly that it
would be useless, and the straw in
many cases only fit for pig bedding.
In those daye droughts were never known, there being plenty of rain every year. This meant that the crop put in on the new rich soil would grow like magic, and the earth bore fruit abundantly and yielded its increase by handfuls. But owing to the
moist climate the grain would often be discolored. When harvested it would
either be threshed out with a stick
and a half, called a flail, whipped out
over the side of a tub or, later on, by
the late Mr. William Proctor's (of
Lower Piper} three horse threshing
machine. This latter, unfortunately
for the poor little cockey who had to
feed all the machine men, would as a rule, break down twice one week and three times the next.
The precious grain had then to be carted to Bridport, and it was the duty of the producer, when the vessel arrived in Anderson's Bay, to tramp down to the port, a distance of twenty miles there and back, and help carry the wheat or other grain on board, give the captain a hand to push his gallant vessel down the Brid River, out into the open sea, and then return home to clear up another acre or two of his newly burnt-off scrub land, and chip in his next year's crop.
Although the pioneer farmer of Scott'a New Country had in some cases to pay up to 2s each for the bags in which he sent away his year's grain to market, yet not infrequently it would be sold at a very low price, owing to the grain being so discolored through the wet harvest. If memory serves me right, I believe wheat from this district in the early days, badly damaged by the wet, was sold in Launceston as low as one shilling per bushel.
The reader will clearly understand that I am now writing of the early early struggles and hardships of our early pioneers, and not of our present easy going time, when our young men wear white waistcoats, and part their hair down the centre.
(To be Continued)
Scottsdale Past and Present (By LONGFELLOW)
Number ? 01 Apr 1910
The first to break away from the "two acres and clear it up on the onion bed" principle, was Mr John Hookway, of Apple Tree Farm. Mr
Hookway came from Somersetshire, in the south-west of England, and being
grown to manhood before he left his native land, he always spoke in his native dialect. When Hookway landed in Australia, he made his way to the Victorian gold diggings, and being a hard-working, steady man, saved a
little money, sent home to England for the girl he loved, and whom he had left behind him when he came to Australia, and on her arrival was married and decided to settle in Tasmania.
So he came over and purchased his first 200 acres of land from the late William Edwards', of Vine Grove. He then set to work to clear his land by an altogether different method than it had been done up to that time, though should this paper ever fall into the hands of Mr Thomas Edwards, of Croydon, North Queensland, it is quite likely, Mr Editor, that you may hear from that gentleman, as I know that he always maintains that it was his father that first sowed some of his land down in grass in the rough after
it had been burnt off, without having it cleaned up. But be that as it may,
as far as the writer is aware, late John Hookway was the first man to have his
land scrubbed, burnt off, and sown
down in the rough, without picking up any of the timber. To begin with, I remember there was great consternation among the working men of the
day when it became known that the new settler, Hookway, only intended
to pay 15s. per acre for the scrubbing
of his heavy bush land, as up to that
time no one ever dreamt of paying less than one pound per acre for such work.
But the reader must not overlook the fact that at that price — one pound per acre— it had all to be lopped into 12ft,
lengths, but Hookway's idea was to
save 25 percent in the price of the scrubbing to begin with, and as for lopping the scrub, or cutting it up into matchwood, Hookway "did reckon" that if he had a large area scrubbed the five would do all the lopping that
was required. And so it did, and in
this way 6s. per acre was saved in the scrubbing of the land. When the
scrub was burnt off Hookway sowed
the land down with mixed grasses in the rough as it was. Then was the time the trouble was supposed to begin, as the neighbors reasoned this way —
that the whole of Hookway's land that
he had sown down would grow a crop
of Scotch thistles so dense and high
that neither man nor beast could get
through them nor see over the top of
them. Just what the people said
came to pass exactly. Up came the
young grass and clover, and so did the Scotch thistles. Where they grew too thick Hookway would cut tracks with a billhook, so that his little son, who was not old enough to milk a cow, could drive the cows home at milking time. All this time the other settlers who had the welfare of the district at heart, would reason with the new comer, and say, " Why, unless you cut your thistles and clear up your land, Mr Hookway, the district will be ruined," as it must be remembered that up to this time our little farmers would go out of their way half a mile to cut down, or chip up with the hoe, a thistle that was only one foot high.
But the new chum from the Victorian gold diggings did not waste his time in that way at all. His only trouble was to get down as much of his scrub as possible, burn it off, and sow it down with grass, and when remonstrated with his reply was something like this— "Well, as for the cattle not being able to get about among the timber that is left lying on the ground, I do reckon the cows have a lot more time to look among the timber to find the grass than I have to clear up the timber, until such time as I do get the rest of my land scrubbed, and besides, I do be anxious to get a few acres ready to put in a small orchard, which will be growing into profit while the wife and I do be milking the cows and a-making of the cheese, and I do reckon that when the timber on the grass land and the stumps be dry and rotten, that it will not be half the trouble to clear the land in the summer time, when the fires can be kept going."
Of course, many of the men that spent so much time clearing the land in the wet winter season, came to the conclusion that John Hookway was not a wise man. But time soon proved that he was, as before long the dense crop of Scotch thistles grew themselves out, and in their place came an abundant crop of rich feed, upon which the cows milked splendidly, laid down, and grew fat. The cheese paid handsomely at 10d. per lb. wholesale, and Hookway's bacon, of which he made a large quantity, sold at 10d. per lb. also. The young orchard came on well, and in a few years gave a good yield of fruit. His young cattle soon increased, and his dairy herd numbered thirty, all of which he milked with his own hands, as it took Mrs Hookway all her time to make and attend to the cheese, and at the time of which I am writing the two boys (Charlie and Jim) were too young to assist in the cow-yard.
The outcome of Mr Hookway's new method of clearing bush land was that he made a lot of money long before many of the other landholders had opened out their selections, and the great crop of thistles that always grew on the newly-burnt land never caused John Hookway the loss of one night's rest.
(To be Continued).
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) Fri 30 Dec 1910
A Reminisence.
Contributed.
We are now at the close of another decade, and when one looks back over the past ten years, what a great change has taken place, not only in the district itself, which has very much improved during that time, but also in
its inhabitants. Many of those that
were with us when the Commonwealth
of Australia was launched, tea years ago, have long since gone the way of all flesh, to return to us here no more.
And still the world goes on the same as ever. No, not the same as ever,
because the world to-day is advancing
at a much faster speed than it ever
advanced in tbe same short space of
time in the past history oi our race.
When we see what has been accomplished by science and invention during
that period it makes the thoughtful man almost dumb with astonishment,
as who, in these last days of tbe dying
year, 1910, can tell what great thing
science may accomplish ; something
that may revolutionise our present system of doing things. And yet, we are becoming so used to hearing of new and wonderful inventions in these
latter days that we take things for
granted, and sometimes think that
this beautiful world in which we live
in scarcely worth our living in. We
forget all the time that we belong to the
greatest nation under Heaven, Great
Britain, upon whose dominions the sun never sets. We as the smallest part of the British nation are privileged to live in the fair, fertile and
sunny land of Australia, and we not
only live in Australia, but we enjoy tbe
privilege of living here in Tasmania,
which is without doubt the garden of
Australia as far as beautiful climate and lovely scenery is concerned.
This is wandering somewhat wide of the mark, only, when one thinks of our beautiful mountain scenery, our
lovely lakes, rivers, caves, evergreen
trees, and the magnificent ferny
bowers with the sparkling waterfalls
leaping from one tier of rocks to another, down the sides of our great
mountains, it makes one think that
not only are we living in a wonderful
age, but that we here in Tasmania are living in a beautiful and fertile country.
And yet, in this beautiful country things are always changing, and, as I
said before, many of those that were
with us ten yours ago have passed
across the Jordan to that land where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.
This reminds one how few of the
pioneer settlers that worked hard
in the early days of the settlement to
open up this dense forest are still
with us today. Just let us look
back forty or fifty years ago. How few there are of those that had arrived here then, selected land, and
commenced to clear away the dense
bush and fell the great trees so as to erect their first bush homes.
If I remember correctly there are
not more than some twenty or thirty
of them still in the flesh, and they
are as follows : — Robert Jones, Thos
Tucker, T. D. Heazlewood, Mrs E.
Bonner, Mrs Martha Cunningham, Mrs Jane Farquhar, James Campbell, John Smith, Edward Bonser,
John A. McBean, John Bald, William
McBean, Thos. Harris, Miss Eliza Harris, George Harris, Miss Alice Cox, Alex James, Miss Mary Ann Cox, Alex Gill, Mrs W. Fysh and Mrs D. McDonald.
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) Tue 24 Dec 1912
SCOTTSDALE FIFTY YEARS AGO.
(By 'Early Pioneer,')
This Xmas fifty years ago, there had arrived in Scotts New Country —
since named Scottsdale — about 19 or
20 families of the first pioneers to
select land and settle in this district,
and as far as memory serves me there
were as follows. — Thomas Cox and family, Thomas Tucker, William Smith, William James , Thomas Diprose, Rev T.B Harris, Alex Gill,
Peter Miller, Thomas and James
Campbell, Donald McGilp, John Cunningham, Alex Farquhar, John McBean, Joseph Bald, George Tyson, E. . W. Bonner, Thomas George,
Edward Bonser, John Williams, T.
D. Heazlewood and Robert Jones.
Of these there living in the district to-day all that are left of them, which are as follow: — Mrs Martha Cunningham, James Campbell, Mrs Jane Farquhar, John and William McBean, John Bald, Miss Alice and Miss Mary Ann Cox, Alex Gill and William Gill,
Thomas Harris, Miss Eliza Harris, George Harris, Mrs W. M. Campbell,
Robert Jones. J. G. H. Cunningham, Thomas Farquhar. E. J. Bonner,
Thomas George. About 22 souls and
there are still in the land of the living, but now reside in this district, a number of those 10 pioneer families,
namely— Thomas Tucker, Edward and
James Bonser and some of their
sisters, T, D Heazlwood and Mrs
Heazlewood, John and James Smith,
Mrs Boss (South Africa), Mrs M.
Fysch (Launceston), Mrs D. McDon
aid, Mrs Peter Brewer, Mr W. T. Tucker, Thomas Loone. There may be others still living, but those are
about all one can now remember. Yes!
there are Mrs Dan. M'Dougall (Ringaroomarooma), Mr E. T. Williams (Melbourne). I should not omit to mention
the Brewer family, who, 50 years
ago, resided at Bowood. Of this family there are only three now living
— Charles Brewer Lilydale, Mrs
Fanny Jones (Ferney Hill) and Mr T. H. Brewer (Scottsdale).
It will be 54 years next April since
Thomas Tucker, Thomas D. Heazlewood and Jamie Campbell arrived
here. The late William Lester, Robt.
Jones, Alex James, and a few others
came down in the early days selected ,
their land, and returned up country
again for a few years before they came
to reside upon their selections,
A good number of families arrived
47, 48 and 49 years ago, and among these are the following— F. W. Briggs
and family, Andrew Rutherford, A.
B. Smyth, James Hosie, John Pear, eon, B.Brand, J. Heazelewood, Loones, Johnstones, Pinners, Berwicks, Listers, Cherrys, Lethborg, I.
M'Kerrow, M'Lennan, W. Edwards,
and no doubt many others that one
cannot now remember. But as it is
the year of Jubilee with a fairly good
number of the early pioneers of this
North-East Coast district, I thought
that perhaps the above short account of those who were living here 50 years ago, may not be out of place, and in some cases prove of some little interest.
To my many old friends of 40 and 50 years ago, as you and I will never live to see another Jubilee of the opening up of this North East Coast, I desire to wish you all the compliments of season
December 23rd, 1912.
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) Fri 11 Jul 1913
THE SCOTTSDALE
DISTRICT.
A REVIEW.
(Contributed.)
This has been one of the finest winters we have experienced on the North-east Coast, but now that the
rain has set in, the better it will be
for the tin mines that are in need of water.
It is now about 54 years since the
first pioneers settled in Scottsdale.
Fifty one years ago there were only
seventeen or eighteen farmers in the district. Their names were Thomas Cox, William James, William Smith, Edward Bonser, T. D. Heazlewood, Thomas Tucker, Thomas Diprose, T. B Harris, Alex Gill, Thomas And James Campbell, Dougall McGilp.
James Shearer, Joseph Bald. E. W. Bonner, Alex Farquhar, John M'Bean,
John Cunningham, George Tyson —
Mr George Tyson was the first man
who died in this district. Mr Robert
Rhodes, of Lower Ford, near Bowood,
was the first person to be buried in
the Ellesmere cemetery. He died in 1863.
The late E. W. Bonner was the first Justice of the Peace appointed on the North-east Coast, and the late
Alfred Brewer, of Bowood, was the
second.
Those of the first pioneers still alive and enjoying good health are Thos. Tucker, T, D. Heazlewood, the Misses Cox. A'f James and his brothers and sisters, John Smith. Bonser's family, Harris' family, Gill's, McBean's, John Bald, Mrs Cunningham, Mrs
Farquhar, James Campbell, Thomas Farquhar, and may be some others.
The marriage of the late Dougall
McGilp and Janet Bald, was the first
celebrated on the North east Coast.
They were married by the Rev T.
B. Harris, at "Hope Farm," the residence of the bride's parent.
The Rev T. B. Harris, E. W. Bonner and Peter Miller were the
first preachers of the Gospel in the
district, and the services were held at
"Glenco," the residence of the late
Peter Miller, opposite Lord's Hotel
That was before the old Union chapel was erected at Ellesmere.
Land is beginning to change hands ,
more freely of late. I hear that Mr
E. O. Jones has resold the farm that
he purchased a few months ago from
Mr James Patrick, Mr Fred Lister
being the buyer of half the land ad
joining the railway line. Nearly
every piece of Government land avail
able in this district has lately been applied for.
Mr Albert Farquhar, who has
passed through a severe illness lately,
and was on the way to convalesence, is not too well again.
Mr John While, of "Sweetwater," who is getting well along the journey
of life, and who seldom leaves his
home, but who always takes the
keenest interest in the politics of Aus
tralia, was driven into town to record his vote at the Federal election. Many
of our aged people will be glad indeed
when the postal vote is again restored to the electors of Australia.
Report says that one of our earliest |
pioneer settlers has sold out his farm.
If this should prove to be the case the
purchaser has secured a good property.
Every truly British subjcct through
out the Commonwealth of Australia,
will be pleased to see that the Post Master General has decided to do away with Ihe present unsightly kangaroo postage stamp, and have a new stamp struck, bearing the King's bead
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 10 Jun 1914 Page 6
PIONEERS OF SCOTTSDALE.
(Contributed.)
As it is now about 56 years since the early pioneers first settled in Scottsdale, then called Scott's New Country, it may not be out of place to put on record the names of those who are still living and in good health to-day. It was, I think, in 1858 that Messrs. Thos. Tucker, T. D. Heazlewood, and James Campbell arrived in this district. These three gentlemen are still living, and so are the following pioneer settlers:—Mrs. Martha Cunningham, Mrs. Jane Farquhar, Mrs. Elizabeth Bonner, Mrs. T. D. Heazlewood, Thomas, George, John, and James Smith and their two sisters, [[Alexander Gill, Thomas, George, and Eliza Harris, John and William McBean, and their three sisters, Mrs. Fysh, Mrs. D. McDonald, and Mrs. Barling, of Launceston; Alex James, George James, and their sisters, Mrs. McDougall, Mrs. Singline, and Mrs. Carey; Miss Alice Cox, and Miss Mary Ann Cox; Mr. Edward and James Bonser and their sisters, John Bald, E. J. Bonner, Edward Williams, Robert Jones, Mrs. R. Brand, Charles Brewer, Thomas Brewer, and Mrs. Fanny Jones. Mrs. Fanny Jones christened the first gold crushing battery erected in Tasmania; it was the Pioneer gold mine battery at Lyndhurst (Waterhouse). Mr. Robert Scott, whose father (the late James Scott) discovered this district, is still living at Ringarooma.
The late Thomas Hogarth was the first man to take cattle into the Ringarooma district. He travelled by way of Mount Barrow. The sons and daughters of the late Martin Stephenson, who was one of the early pioneers of this coast, are alive and well.
All the other early pioneers of this coast have long since crossed the bar. The names I remember were John Cunningham, Thomas Campbell, Dugald McGilp and his wife, John McBean and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bald, Mr. and Mrs. W. James, Mr. and Mrs. William Smith, E. W. Bonner, Alex. Farquhar, both father and son, Thomas Cox, senior and junior, and their wives, James Shearer, Robert Brand, Ernest Bonner, Mrs. Tucker, William and Martin Stephenson, William and James Bald, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bonser George and William Tyson and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Watson and their two sons (Bray and Winn), John and Thomas Rutherford, Mr. and Mr. John Pearson, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Harris and Richard Harris, Mr. and Mrs. William Edwards', Mr. and Mrs. E. Williams, Mrs. Alex. Gill, Thomas, James, George Scotts, William Johnstone, George Gould, Alfred and Peter Brewer, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Cherry, William Lister, Robert Tulloch, William Tulloch and wife, Jonas Cherry, jun., and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Briggs, Mr. and Mrs. J. Lethborg, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth McLennan, Donald McLennan, John McKerrow, Daniel Smith, John and Robert Jetson and their wives. These and many others, including the late Mr. and Mrs. William Burr, who opened the first state school here, have all long since crossed the great divide, and have passed to that country whence no traveller can return.
But it is pleasing to note that the first two white children born in this north-east district are still alive and well. I refer to Mr. Thomas Farquhar, of North Scottsdale, and Mrs. A. Barling, of Launceston.
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 10 Jun 1914 Page 6
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) 27 Jul 1917 Page 2
Sir— As it is not generally known who were the first Pioneers of this District, as one who was here in November, 1859, I herewith give the names who were here at that time ;
- Thomas Campbell,
- James Campbell,
- D. McGilp,
- James Shearer,
- T. D. Heazlewood,
- Thos Tucker,
- Edwin Boon,
- Peter Miller,
- Thos George,
- James Bonser,
- Thos Diprose,
- George Tyson,
- Alex Farquhar,
- John Cunningham.
The following came in April, 1860 : —
- John McBean,
- William James,
- E. W. Bonner.
There may be others, but these are the residents. I came to Scottsdale with my father in November, 1859, and came again with our family in April,1860.
— Yours etc.
ALEX. JAMES.
Ellesmere
Scottsdale Pioneer Settlers
ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THEM
(Contributed)
31 July 1923
Reading in the papers the other day that Mr. John McDonald, of Launceston had reached the great age of 99 years, reminds one of some of our aged Scottsdale pioneers who are still travelling along life's journey. The other day we laid to rest our oldest pioneer settler, in the person of the late Elizabeth Bonner, who had turned 91 years of age. We still have with us Mrs. Urquhart, widow of the late Captain Urquhart, of Launceston. This lady although not one of the early pioneer settlers, has resided in this district for a great number of years, and while she has been bed-ridden for many long years past, she in not called upon to suffer a great amount of pain. Mrs. Urquhart, who has always been a fine stamp of woman, is in her 94th year.
Mr. Gustavus Hardy, another old landmark, well-known in the Lower Piper and George Town district over fifty years ago, is still with us in the flesh. Mr. Hardy is 88 years of age.
Mr. Edward Carr Dinham, who at one time ran a steamship service between Launceston and Bridport, is still hale and heatry at the age of 81 years.
Mr. Dinham is father of Mr. George Dinham, the merchant. Mr. Fred. Briggs, who at one time played a prominent part as a member of the Tasmanian Council of Agriculture, touring the State and giving lectures on the subject of the best grasses for cattle pasture, is now doing his 78th. lap of the journey of life
Mr. Thomas Harris, Miss Harris, and Mr. George Harris, three of the early
pioneers, are alive and well, with the
exception of Mr. Thomas Harris, who has not been in good health for some time. Mr. Harris is 78 years of age.
Mr. John and Mr. William McBean, who arrived in Scottsdale as small
boys some 62 years ago, are still with
us. Mr. John McBean has suffered a great deal from his old enemy — asthma
Mr. John Bald, a resident of this district for G2 years, can, at the age of 72,
still shear a sheep like a young man
without making his back ache. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Heazlewood, who now reside in Launceston, are facing the ninetieth mile stone. Mrs. Heazlewood is enjoying good health, but her husband is not so robust as in former years. Another old resident of Scottsdale (Mrs. T. D. Heazlewood) is also living in Launceston. Another early pioneer of this district in the person of Mr. Edward Williams, who now resides in Melbourne has reached the age of 74 years
About the only others of the early Scottsdale pioneer settlers left, who were living in this district 61 years ago, are : — Mrs. I. Singline, Mrs. D. McDougall, Ringarooma ; Mr. James Bonser, Branxholm; Mr. E. J. Bonner, Bridport; Mr. John Cunningham, Derby; Mrs. W. Fysh, Melbourne; Mrs McDonald, Launceston; Mr. William
Gill, Mr. Thomas Farquhar, Mrs. Peter Brewer, Launceston; Miss Alice Cox, Mrs. Helen. Ross, (nee Smith), South Africa; Mr. John Gill. Burnie; Charles Brewer, Lilydale; Thomas Brewer, Bridport; John Pinner, Mrs. James McDonald, Mr. George James, and perhaps one or two others. It was Miss Alice Cox's father (the late Thomas Cox), who erected the first house in Scottsdale, about 64 years
ago
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) Tue 31 Jul 1923
Examiner (Launceston, Tas. ) Wed 31 Oct 1923
Some interesting personal history was
expounded by Mr. A. W. Loone, who served in the Legislative Council for many years, and who received the title of "honourable" in recognition of his long connection with that Chamber. He has always been an active man in the district, and has won the respect of the community, which goes with an unselfish life of service. Apart from his legislative career, he has been a live member of the various organisations which have tended to advance a district, such as the North Eastern Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Probably no man other than a commercial traveller is on the move about the state to such an extent as is the case with him, and he has amassed an incalculable fund of information about the state and its activities which makes him a valuable asset to any board or association.
Mr. Loone, a native of Bath, England, arrived in the Scottsdale district as a child of six years old with his parents in 1863, from Glenore. In reminiscent vein he chatted with the "Examiner" representative on Monday night on a favourite topic of his, the early days of the North-East. He related how the first day's
journey from Glenore towards the Scottsdale district took the party, comprising his
parents, his brother, and the baby, to
Dilston, where he slept out in the yard of the hotel under a dray. Three days later "Scott's New Country" was reached.
The good land which had been thrown open to selection was the attraction, and his father took up bush farming. Those were the days for bumper crops, for the paddocks were hemmed in by dense forest, and whatever was put in grew well. Wheat and potatoes were the principal crops, the former being threshed with a flail, and ground in steel flour
mills by hand. The bran was sifted out and used, the users calling it "brown Tommy." The pioneers lived all the year round on it, and fattened, although
when a bag of light flour was available
the people "thought it Christmas," as Mr. Loone aptly put it.
"We were the twentieth family to take up our residence in the district (Scott's New Country)," went on Mr. Loone.
"There was a road to our place from Jetsonville, and from there a dray track cut through the bush up to Tucker's Corners (the present town of Scottsdale).
The bulk of the residents were situated then around Jetsonville and included T. and J. Campbell, Dougal McGilp, Jas. Shearer, Joseph Bald, John McBean, John Cunningham, Alexander Farquhar, George Tyson, Thomas Cox, William James, William Smith, Edward Bonser, Thomas Diprose, T. D. Heazlewood, Thomas Tucker, Alexander Gill, Rev. T. B. Harris, David Pinner, John Williams, Robert Bran, the Brewers (of Bowood), and Robert Rhodes (the first man buried in the district; I wasn't at his funeral, but I saw it pass along). In those days we used to receive our mail from Launceston, via Bowood, 12 miles from Scottsdale. The early settlers also got a few provisions there occasionally, as there was no store of any description in the new settlement. Besides those I have mentioned, there were several people who held land awaiting settlement.
"The settlers held a meeting," he continued, "and called for tenders for carrying the mail once a fortnight from Bowood to Thomas Cox's creek at Ellesmere. William McBean had the contract to carry the mail for £5 for six months, doing the journey once a fortnight on foot. The late E. W. Bonner was secretary of this primitive farmers' union.
"I remember arriving in the district one Sunday afternoon. My mother was carrying a little infant, nine weeks old, and my brother and I were riding on the load of our belongings. Passing a big hole where a tree had been blown out, the cart capsized and turned turtle on top of us two. The pad formed by the bedding saved us from being killed.
That was just down where the present Jetsonville state school stands.
"The first general store opened at Scottsdale was by the late Thomas Massey in the same house as James Jetson now occupies at Jetsonville. Before this, however, we could always buy a clay pipe and a few boxes of matches from the late Thomas Cox, who was the first settler in the district. It was he who gave the acre of land on which the old Union Chapel was erected. It was in this building that the first state
school was opened in Scottsdale district
in 1868 by the late William Burr. The second store opened was on the present town of Scottsdale, by the late T. D. Heazlewood, and the third business place was at Gladswood, where Mr. John Beattie now lives, at Jetsonville, by the late John Cunningham, who was for many years road overseer in this district. By this time the Government had let the first mail contract to come through Pattersonia over the Meredith Range. There was only a track, and the contractor (the late Edward Bonser) used to do the journey on horseback. Mr. Heazlewood was the postmaster, at his store. Later Mr. Heazlewood became weary of welldoing, and let the late Mr. Thomas Tucker take the contract. Mr. Tucker opened a store, and kept the post office in the shop that Mrs. Charles Winter now occupies. The first hotel opened in the district was opened by the late Thos. Beswick at Tucker's Corners, under the name of the Dogwood Tavern, on the Bridport side of the Coronation Hotel. Subsequently the late William Edwards opened
the Vine Grove Hotel, the property now owned by the Warden (Mr. H. G. Salier)
a mile and a half from the present post
office. Prior to Mr. Tucker having the
post office he had erected a flour mill on what is known as Tucker's Creek, just below the town, on the Ringarooma-road.
He used to charge 9d a bushel for gristing wheat. This silenced the old hand steel flour mills for ever.
"Everybody worked hard in those days.
The wages were 10s a week and keep for a man who worked from 6 a.m. to 6
p.m., and after tea rolled logs together
for a couple of hours. In the early
days of the hand flour mill, when a bag
of white flour arrived in the district,
via Bowood, the neighbours would share
it - it was such a luxury - and thus it
went the round. There were swarms of wallaby and kangaroo, and the rivers were heavily stocked with blackfish and
herrings, bream, mullet, and flounders were plentiful at Bridport.
"From the earliest days of the settlement nearly everyone spent one day
of the year (Boxing Day) at Bridport,
travelling by any vehicle that was
available. The first sports I remember were held on Christmas afternoon
in the late Dougal McGilp's top paddock, and the great event of the day was catching the pig with the greasy tail. I wasn't
there, but I didn't miss the fun, for I was hoeing potatoes in a paddock near
by, and got a grandstand view. The
late Samuel Beswick, who afterwards ran
the first mail coaches from Launceston, but was then a boy, was the winner of the contest. The afternoon was spent by a parody on football, shinty, and other games, with a few races to keep up the competitive spirit. The first shooting match on the North-East Coast was fired off at Bridport. The prize was a bullock, worth £5, and was won by Mr. William McBean, of Jetsonville. The first horse-race on this coast also was held at Bridport and was won by Mr. Thomas Beswick's bay mare Topsy. The prize was a £5 saddle. The late Edward Bonser had a grey mare, Sis, which was a wonderful beast to go, and later she was the pride of the district at the races. The Counsel Bros., of Bellamy, Lower Piper, and the late Thomas Malley, also used to run horses at Bridport.
Counsel Bros. ran some fine stock, including a grey horse called Dicko-Dick. We
also held foot races at Bridport, and John McBean, Wesley Burr, and Albert Counsel were the three crack runners of the day.
The first cricket match was played later on on Stephenson's Marsh, about 4 miles
north-east of Bridport, between the Scottsdale and Waterhouse cricket clubs.
There were a number of miners at Waterhouse, as the Lyndhurst show was going
then. The Scottsdale team was captained by the late Bray Watson, who had
played against the first All-England eleven in Melbourne for Ballarat some time
before. He once threw a ball 118 yards, side-on, to the wickets, and knocked them
down. "That," put in Mr. Loone, "is recorded in 'Bell's Life.' " The three
highest scores on the Scottsdale side were Bray Watson, 20; John McDougal, 18; and Thomas Dazeley, 14. Edward Brain captained the Waterhouse team. On the day
that this first match was played there was a 120 yards footrace between Mr. Albert Counsel, now of Winnaleah, and [[ Mr. John McBean, of Scottsdale. Counsel winning the race in exceeding good time by about a yard.
"The first preachers of the gospel in the district," proceeded Mr. Loone, "were the late Rev. T. B. Harris, the late Mr. E. W. Bonner, and the late Mr. Peter Miller. These three men were all Wesleyans, and all came from the district of Longford. Mr. Bonner was appointed the first registrar of births, marriages, and deaths, and the council clerk and secretary of the Road Board. At Mr. Bonner's death 26 years ago his widow, the late Mrs. Elizabeth Bonner, was appointed registrar. It was this lady who was the first woman in Australia to marry people. She passed away a few months ago at the age of 93 years. The late Alexander Gill erected the first sawmill in the district, at his farm just outside the township, well nigh 50 years ago.
To-day there are on the north-eastern line between Launceston and Herrick, nearly 50 sawmills.
"When the tin mines were first discovered by the late Mr. Renison Bell,Messrs. Thos. Heazlewood and Thos. Tucker both cut up their frontages, which now form the town of Scottsdale. The present Mechanics' Institute was started by Rev. David Flockhart in the first Wesleyan Church erected at Ellesmere.
Mr. Tucker then gave a block of land on which the present building now stands.
In the early days it was known as the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. To-day there is a very fine library for a country district, and all the important daily papers are filed.
(To be Continued.)
Examiner (Launceston, Tas. ) Wed 31 Oct 1923
"Opening up the North-East Coast".
A lecture delivered by Mr A W Loone at the Mechanic's Hall 30 June 1926
North-Eastern Advertiser (Scottsdale, Tas.) Fri 2 Jul 1926
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 21 Jan 1933
How everything has altered, when one takes a 70 years' look across the
beautiful district of Scottsdale. Then
our only road was a cart track cut
through the dense forest, only just wide
enough to let a dray pass along. Now
there are beautiful metal roads nearly
everywhere. Then you could not see
five chains through the thick scrub,
but to-day one can stand upon any hill
and look out across tens of thousands
of acres of rolling hills and valleys covered with crops, and abundance of splendid pasture of the richest description, while the everlasting mountains,
clothed in azure blue, stand like sentinals on two sides of the beautiful district of Scottsdale, with its cattle,
sheep, and horse grazing on a hundred hills.
Never before since the district has
been opened, and much of it cleared,
has there ever been a more abundant
growth of rich pasture as at present. We have truly had a wonderful season for abundant growth.
As we enter the year 1933, it may
perhaps not be out of place to mention a few facts of Scottsdale and its people.
The population of our town is one
thousand people, and that of the whole
municipality is three thousand souls
We are forty miles from the city of
Launceston. The town has a good
water supply which is lifted five hundred feet from the Brid River, which never runs dry, and from that source we have a splendid electric system.
There are several good business places in the town, some nice private residences, and many beautiful flower gardens.
The town of Scottsdale is twelve
miles in from the sea at Bridport, which
is becoming a well sought-out seaside resort.
There are ten state schools in our
district. Mr. T. A. Lay has charge of
the State High School. The state
school teachers are as follows:-North
Scottsdale, Miss Mariane Furlonge; Forester Settlement, Miss Joan Brook;
Jetsonville, Miss A. W. Sturgess; Brid-
port, Miss M. Kiddle; West Scottsdale,
Miss J. T. Jacobson; Springfield, Mr. G. E. Cunningham; South Springfield.
Miss Beryl Forsyth: Tonganah, Miss
Winifred Smith; Lietinna, Miss Myrtle Creedon.
Some of our landholders, owing to
the low price of produce, are having a
very good time. Dairy butter is
selling to the stores from sixpence to
tenpence per pound, and eggs seven pence a dozen. Year by year the
small farmers are going in for more
cows, and dairying appears to be the
mainstay of the small landowner. This district produces the best class of potatoes.
There are two hotels in Scottsdale.
The members of the municipal council are as follows:-Messrs. H. G
Salier (Warden). W. E. Rose (treasurer), R. Coplestone, B. Murphy,
M.H.A., Tasman Newman, W. McCann.
J. B. McGilp, A. C. Hookway, R. J. Wadley, and E. Button (council clerk). Miss Olive M. Tucker (assistant council clerk), and Mr. G. S. Chapple (inspector and health inspector).
The following are justices of
the peace:-Messrs. Samuel Hawkes.
Edmund Button, A. W. Loone, A. W.
Biggs, David Beattie, Alexander Coplestone, W. E. Rose, H. B. Holmes, H. G
Salier. J. B. Mc.Arthur, G. W. Burrows,
H. B. Lade, A. H. Thorpe, George
McGowan, Robert Murphy, M.H.A.,
Senator J. B. Hayes, A. G. Galloway, J. M. Firth. Mrs. Ada M. Rose.
Mr. W. E. Rose has for years past been chairman for General and Petty
Sessions. The three members of the
Licensing Bench are Mr. E. L. Hall
(Stipendiary Magistrate), and Messrs
Robert Coplestone and J. B. McArthur. J.s.P.
We have a good Public Library, of which Mr. Sylvester Charles Falconer is the secretary.
Inspector Harry Hill is in charge of
the police, with Trooper Gunton and Constable A. N. Goss assisting. The council clerk (Mr. E. Button) is registrar of births, marriages, and deaths.
Mr. Harold Fry's motor service from Derby passed through Scottsdale on
its way to Launceston daily, so also
does Annear's service 'bus, while the airplanes between Launceston and
Flinders Island pass over the town of
Scottsdale almost daily. A. W. Suter's
motor service runs between Scottsdale and Bridport daily.
Among the leading orchardists in
Scottsdale are the following:-Messrs.
George McGowan, O. A. Tucker, F. F.
Tucker, and Harold Holmes. Among
the leading farmers are the names of
Messrs. H. G. Salier, G. W. Burrows,
F. Lister, George Pinner, Roy Ranson,
David Beattle, J. B. McGilp, and John Beattie.
The leading sheep and cattle men
are Messrs. D. von Bibra, H. B. Lade,
G. W. Burrows, E. O. Jones, Gordon
Cunningham. The outstanding name
in connection with horses is Mr. G. W. Burrows.
There are seven churches in Scottsdale, and four resident ministers:
Rev Walter Walters. Church of England; Rev. Osborne Keen, Methodist:
Rev. J. Harwood, Presbyterian; and
Captain A. Grey, Salvation Army.
Messrs. C. Unwin. J. Simpson, C. Jensen and A. T. Jessop take a leading
part among the two sections of the
Christian Brethren. Rev. Father J.
Ryan, Roman Catholic, resides at Derby, but attends the Scottsdale Church regularly.
Seventy-two years ago there was
born to the late Alexander and Jane Farquhar their second son, whom they
named Thomas David. He was the
first white child born in the newly-discovered district of Scottsdale, or
Scott's New Country, called after the
late James Scott, the discoverer of the
country, but then nick-named Cox's
Paradise, after the late Thomas Cox, who erected the first building in the new settlement.
Thomas David Farquhar first saw
the light on the selection next to the
portion of land on which he now lives (Burnside road), and so our first-born
son, after seventy-two years, still lives
among us, and his only trouble seems
to be that he is getting old early! Mr.
Farquhar, who has never taken an
active part in public life, is a quiet, unassuming, good citizen, and has spent his whole life in "single blessedness."
We have, living among us, a number
of aged people who have outlived the "alloted span," and are well up among the eighties. They are the following ladies and gentlemen:
Rev. W. H. Youlton, in his eighty seventh year. Mr. Youlton has preached the Gospel for over 50 years. Mrs. Youlton is 85 years of age.
Mr. Samuel Hawkes is nearly eighty
seven. He has been a mining man, a
landowner, and he served eight years in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.
Mr. and Mrs. George Allen are still
with us. Mrs. Allen is our oldest resident, and in her eighty-ninth year.
Mr. Allen is a good authority on bee keeping.
Mrs. Adeline Briggs is eighty years
of age.
Mr. Sydney Unwin is eighty-four years, and was at one time a coffee
planter in Ceylon.
Mrs. Emma George is eighty-five
years of age.
Mr. Thomas Easterbrook is eighty
odd, and was a stone mason.
Miss Eliza Harris is eighty-six years,
and was one of Scottsdale's earliest
pioneer settlers.
Mr. Robert Jetson, about eighty-six, an early pioneer settler.
Mr. George Harris, farmer and
builder, early pioneer settler.
Miss Annie Edwards, eighty-four
years.
Mrs. Walter Jessup. eighty years.
Mrs. William Slaughter, well into
the eighties.
Mr. William Bennett, eighty years,
miner and carrier.
Mrs. Zam-Patti., eighty-eight years.
Mrs. Mary Murphy, eighty-four
years of age.
Mr. John Bald, farmer and pioneer settler, is eighty-two.
Mrs. M. Calder, eighty-seven, well
and favourably known in the district of Boat Harbour, North-West Coast.
Mr. John Pihan, eighty years, retired
seaman.
Mrs. Kate Sutherland is eighty-two
years of age.
Mr Richard Easterbrook, eighty-one,
farmer.
Mr. Bissett, farmer.
We have two banks-the Commercial
Bank of Australia, manager, Mr. H. A.
Permezi; teller, Mr. H. K. Symons;
and clerk, Mr. T. Hogg. Bank for
Savings, manager. Mr A. W. Biggs; assistant, Miss W. Biggs.
There are two solicitor firms- Messrs. Bushby and Button and Mr.
Hector Craw.
We have three resident doctors.
They are-Dr. Davies. Dr. Hay, and Dr. Robertson. Dr. Robertson has his
own private hospital.
The officials of the Parents' and
Friends' Association, Scottsdale. are:
President. Mr. H. G. Salier; vice-presidents, Messrs. D. McLennan and A. N. Parsons; treasurer, Mr. E. Button,
secretary, Mr. J. M. Firth; auditor, Mr.
H. Craw; executive, Messrs. H. G.
Salier, D. McLennan. T. Lay, G. S.
Chapple, and J. M Firth; ladies' committee, Mesdames A. S. Porteous, A.
French, S. E. Wells, J. A. Gofton, G.
S. Chapple, H. Harvey, V. Patterson,
T. Lay, W. J. Irwin, E. Gill.
There are not many large herds of milking cows, but among the largest of
them are David Beattie and Son's 46 cows. H. J. Jessup 36 cows, D. McLennan 30 cows, Mont Ranson, Veska and Vaibar, J. Reynolds, Max Heazlewood, T. and G. Wilson, C. Unwin, L. Blackberry. R. Wadley, Willis Bros., A. T. Squires, M. M. Lette, George Gofton, R. Tulloch, W. J. Freeman, J. Campbell, W. Dakers. A. V. Jessup, J. Williams., Syd Stagg, Arthur Haley, Wing and Ranson, John Beattie, W. Bald, Jas. McDougall, R. Tyson, R. Murphy, Thomas Denison, G. Young, Henry Jessup, Tas. Priestley, Mrs. Jane O'Keefe and Sons, W. A. McKerrow, N. S. Bostock, W. G. Lawes. Also H. H. Briggs and Sons have a splendid herd of pure Jersey cows.
The North-Eastern Soldiers' Memorial
Hospital is a very fine, up-to-date
country hospital, which, with the Nurses' Home, cost twelve thousand
pounds. This, we are proud to say is paid for. Credit is due for the rais-
ing of a large amount of money for the
erection of this establishment to two gentlemen—Mr. Donald McLennan and
Mr. Frank Solomon.
The members of the Hospital Board
are:—Mr. Arthur Sweet, chairman;
Mr. C. Gordon, vice-chairman; Messrs.
Will McCann, J. J. Waldron, A. W.
Loone, Robert Murphy, M.H.A.; J. B
McArthur, Mrs. A. M. Rose. Mr. W.
J. Fahey is the secretary, and Mr. Lou
Berwick caretaker.
Dr. G. J. Davies is the medical
superintendent of the hospital, and Dr.
Arthur Hay surgeon. The matron is
Miss E. Galloway, under whose splendid
management the institution holds its
own, and is a credit to the district. The
following are the nursing staff:-Sister
C. Bonney, Sister A. Walker, Nurse
Lenna Sulzberger, Nurse Doris Tucker,
Nurse Maisie Dean, and Nurse Roma
Edwards. Since the hospital was
opened twelve years ago one thousand
and ninety children have been born there.
Messrs. A. Sweet and J. J. Waldron
represent the Ringarooma Municipality
Council on the Hospital Board.
In connection with the State High
School Farm, a board was formed, consisting of the following gentlemen:
Messrs. H. G. Salier, chairman; W. C.
Morris, the former headmaster of the
High School, secretary; Donald McLennan, treasurer; F. W. Hicks, Agricul-
tural expert; and E. Propsting. These
gentlemen have for a number of years
past been carrying on this farm for the
benefit of the State High School
scholars, and they have raised pure
stock, also a pure breed of pigs. They
also have the services of Mr. W. J Fahey as agricultural adviser, while in
Mr. K. McLennan as overseer the board
has always had a man who has put his
whole interest into his job. This
board has been subsidised by the Government.
The following are the business places
of the town:--Messrs. G. M. Dinham
and Co., general merchants and drapers (three shops): H. A. and M. E.
Sutherland, general store; Len Brown.
general store; A. W. Loone, general
store: Mrs. C. Winter, grocery store;
Mr. H. Sutherland is a tailor, so also is
Mr. G. Stagg: Mr. H. Northeast is a
jeweller: Messrs. Northeasts are
drapers; Mr. A. S. Porteous, dentist;
Mr. T. A. Newman is the proprietor of
the picture theatre: Messrs. A. E. Osborne and Son are the proprietors of
the "North-Eastern Advertiser;" Mrs
W. H. Tapsell has a fancy goods shop.
Mr. F. T. Killworth is a saddler and
harness maker: Messrs. W. J. irwin.
E. F. Sowter, and Arthur Brill are
bakers and confectioners: Messrs. W. Jacobs, L. B. Ranson and Sons, Leth-
borg and Bald, and C. McKerrow,
butchers; Mr. Sydney Sutherland and Mr. George Sellers and Sons are blacksmiths; Mr. E. C. Ricketts is the owner
of Lord's Hotel, while Mr. H. T. Steele
is the owner of the Scottsdale Hotel
Mr. A. G. Galloway, chemist; Mr. A.
E. Lockwood manages the Y.M.C.A.;
Mr. Ivan Dyer is the stationmaster;
cycle works are run by Mr. Rus Harris
and Mr. W. McCann; motor works are
carried on by Mr. T. A. Newman and
Messrs. Dinham and Company; there
are three boot and shoe shops, owned by Messrs. J. Cunningham, A. J. Lewis, and Joseph Davies; three hair dressing
saloons, carried on by Mr. W. A. Pin-
ner, Mrs. W. A. Pinner, and Mr. W.
Wurr; dressmaking establishments are
conducted by Miss Perkins, Miss Beatrice French, Miss Eileen Dutton, Mrs.
R. D. Tait, Mrs. C. D. Sutherland.
The directors of the Scottsdale Cooperative Dairy Co. are:-Messrs. G.
Gowland (chairman), H. J. Jessup, W.
T. Freeman. V. H. Briggs, J. Graham,
E. O. Jones, R. Murphy, M.H.A., and
C. A. Hook (manager).
Mr. A. N. Parsons, well known in the
early days of Zeehan, has had charge
of the Scottsdale post and telegraph
office for the past thirteen years, and his present staff are:-Mr. A. G. Sharp,
postman; D. G. Stephens and V. T.
Ranson, telegraphist, Telephonists
are:-Misses C. V. Camm, E. N. Gra-
ham, and N. Webster; mechanic, Mr.
D. Ingles; linesman, Mr. N. Andrews.
Post offices in other parts of the
municipality are:-Springfield, Mr. R
J. Fulton; Bridport. Mrs. M. E. C.
Suter; Jetsonville. Mr. Charles Loone;
Lietinna, Mrs. K. Webb; South Spring-
field, Mrs. V. Frost; Kamona, J. Hewett.; Forester, Mrs. J. Shea; Koomeela, Mrs. L. Easterbook; Bungana, Mr. Alex Adams; Tonganah, Mr. A. T. Jessop .
The three principal poultry keepers
are Mr. Charles Northeast, Mr. Herbert Simpson, and Mr. Joseph Davies.
Mr. J. M. Firth is the forest ranger.
Sawmilling is not now the flourish-
ing industry it was a few years ago, although there is a slight improvement.
The following sawmills are now working:-Mr. J. A. Gofton, 3 mills; Mr. Geo.
Peddle one million top of the Great
Sideling; Joseph Gofton, one mill; Bis-
sett and Gofton, one mill; H. Ling, one
mill; Sydney French, one mill. The pity
for both the master and men is that
sawn timber is not worth two to three
shillings per hundred feet more than it is at the present time.
Mr. R. E. Casboult is the Government
Inspector of Roads throughout the
North-East Coast.
The North-Eastern Agricultural Association holds a two days' show each
springtime. Mr. E. O. Jones is the president and Mr. T. C. Loosmore is the
secretary. There are 250 paid-up members in the association.
There was also an autumn show held
last year. Mr. D. McLennan is the president and Mr. F. H. Loosmore is the
secretary.
There are eighty members belonging
to the Scottsdale Agricultural Bureau.
The president is Mr. Robert Murphy.
M.H.A. and the secretary, Mr. T. C. Loosmore.
Mr Murphy is also a member of the Tasmanian Potato Marketing Board at
Burnie, North-West Coast. There are
two benefit lodges, the Oddfellows, 110 members, V. Hand, master; F. H. Loosmore, secretary; H. Gofton, chairman
for year; and the Druids, 143 members,
J. A. Campbell, local president of branch; L Berdick, secretary.
The Dorset Lodge of Free Masons is a very strong body in this district. Mr. B. W. Turner, of Derby, is the Worshipful Master and Mr. H. Bertram is the secretary. In this lodge there are over one hundred members.
The Fire Brigade Board also achieve good work in our district. Mr. A. E. Osborne is the superintendent, Mr. P. T. illworth is deputy superintendent. Members are Messrs. C. Bald, W. A. Rose, C. Scott, A. Pinner, W. A. Pinner, A. Steele, M. Steele, C. Gregory, M. Gregory., G. Whitehead, G. V. Ricketts, D. Campbell, and D. Winter, secretary.
Brighter days are ahead. Our farmers are having bad times, owing to the low price of all they produce, not a few of them are settling down to make the best of things as they are. Many of them are cutting out a good deal of the sport and pleasures they indulged in during the boom times, and are determined to live within their means. They are prepared to put their shoulder to the wheel of prosperity, and lift hard all the time, as they can see on the distant horizon, the gleams of a brighter day. May it he so for us all.
On behalf of the people of the Scottsdale municipality, we wish the other forty-six municipalities in Tasmania a bright and prosperous new year.
A. W. LOONE
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 21 Jan 1933
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 2 Jan 1935 Page 10
Sir,—It is seventy-two years ago to-day, January 3, 1935 (=1863), since the Hon. Arthur William Loone arrived in Scott's New Country, as Scottsdale was then called. There are some seven persons still living who were here before Mr. Loone came.
We have living with us to-day Mr. Thomas Farquhar, who was the first white child born in Scottsdale, 74 years ago last month. Mr. Farquhar is of a quiet, unassuming disposition, and has never taken a leading part in public affairs, always being content to paddle his own canoe.
Miss Eliza Harris, who has just turned her 88th year, was the eldest daughter of the Rev. T. B. Harris, and in the early days of the settlement conducted a school.
Mrs. M. Fysh, now residing in Melbourne, is the widow of the late William Fysh, of Fysh and Barling, well known butchers, of the Quadrant, Launceston, in days gone by.
Mrs. E. J. Bonner, of Bridport, who for many years kept the Jetsonville and Bridport post offices, is another. Then there is Mrs. Emily Carey, widow of the late Albert Carey.
Mr. John Gill, carpenter, now lives at Burnie, and Mr. James Bonser, who in his young days used to carry the mails through the mountains on horseback to Launceston, now lives retired in Launceston.
Seventy-two years ago there were some thirty pioneers settled in this new district. The names are as follow: Thomas Hutching, Thomas Loone, Thomas Farquhar, Thomas Campbell, Thomas Cox, sen., Thos. Cox, junr., Thomas James, Thomas Diprose, Thomas Tucker, Thomas W.* Heazlewood, Thomas George, Thomas Harris, sen., Thomas Harris, jun., John Cunningham, Alex Farquhar, John McBean, Joseph Bald, James Campbell, Dougal McGilp, James Shearer, William James, William W. Smith, E. W. Bonner, Alex Gill, T. B. Harris, Alex James, George Tyson.
Taking a rough estimate of the 30 families at five persons in each family, there were about some 150 men, women, and children in Scottsdale 72 years ago.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) Wed 2 Jan 1935 Page 10
- should it read Thomas D Heazlewood rather than Thomas W?
https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/S/Scottsdale.htm - Jeff Jennings (circa 2006)
Scottsdale is the centre of the Dorset Municipality in north-east Tasmania. Located in a rich agricultural and forestry based area, it had a population of 2000 in 2004. In 1853 James Scott explored the north-east to find productive land, and in 1859 the first land was selected in 'Scott's New Country'. The hamlet of Ellesmere grew up, boosted by the discovery of gold at Lyndhurst in 1869 and later tin at Derby, Branxholm and Moorina. In 1889 a railway line was opened to Scottsdale, and later extended to Branxholm and Herrick. In 1893 Ellesmere was renamed Scottsdale. Significant stepping stones in its development were the Mechanics' Institute and the North East Agricultural and Pastoral Society (Scottsdale Show) in 1881, the newspaper North Eastern Advertiser in 1911 and the North East Soldiers Memorial Hospital in 1921.
During the Second World War a vegetable processing factory opened, followed by the Armed Forces Food Science Establishment in 1949. In 2004 the town's population was static with the closure of the vegetable processing factory and the tendency of people to live at Bridport and commute to work. The town supports two large softwood processing factories and relies on forest-based industries as well as agriculture.
- Further reading:
- E Hookway et al, Scott's New Country, Scottsdale, 1980;
- G & S Miller, Of rascals and rusty relics, Hobart, 1979;
- A Loone, Tasmania's North East, Launceston, 1981;
- D Beswick et al, As the river flows, Ringarooma, 1988.
In 1927/8 the book Tasmania's North-East by the Hon. A. W. Loone was presented in serial form in the Launceston Examiner. An editorial regarding the book appeared on 11 Oct 1928 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51505435
Here are the links to the instalments as sourced via Trove. The newspaper articles were not printed in the same order as the chapters of the book. The list below follows the chapter sequence of the book.
- BOOK CHAPTER (EXAMINER DATE PUBLISHED INSTALMENT)
- I (03/12/1927 01) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51451812 Early expeditions/Earliest Pioneers
- II (07/12/1927 02) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51452343 Difficulties/Inexperience/
- III (10/12/1927 03) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51453008 Neighbourliness/Problems
- IV (14/12/1927 04) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51453449 Roads/Stores/Mail & other
- V (17/12/1927 05) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51453945 Stores & Post Office
- VI (21/12/1927 06) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51454504 Sport & Entertainment
- VII (24/12/1927 07) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51455087 First Brides/Churches
- VIII (28/12/1927 08) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51455445 Mechanics Institute/Early Ministers/Public Institutions/Sawmilling
- IX (31/12/1927 09) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51455982 Sawmills cont./Council of Agriculture/Life On The Land
- X (04/01/1928 10) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51456497 Potatoes/Grasses/Bracken
- XI (07/01/1928 11) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51457040 Pioneering Methods/Flax/ Orcharding/ Rail & Shipping
- XII (11/01/1928 12) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51457501 Blacksmith/Buildings/Education/ Settlers/Sunday School
- XIII (14/01/1928 13) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51458062 Ringarooma
- XIV (18/01/1928 14) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51458485 Census 1861 & 70/Mining
- XV (21/01/1928 15) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51459075 Gold mining
- XVI (25/01/1928 16) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51459502 Tin mining
- XVII (28/01/1928 17) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51460155 Ringarooma tin mine
- XVIII (01/02/1928 18) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51460623 The Old Nugget Mine/Derby's First Store
- XIX (04/02/1928 19) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51461152 Diprose's Enterprise/Derby Business/Ringarooma
- XX (08/02/1928 20) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51461728 Moorina/Weldborough
- XXI (11/02/1928 21) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51462379 Road To Lottah
- XXII (15/02/1928 22) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51462837 Lottah/Gould's Country/St Helens/Scamander/St Marys/Fingal
- XXIII (18/02/1928: 23) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51463442 Gold 1852/R V Legge/St Marys Hospital/G W Burrows/H Salier/G Dinham/D McLennan/F Solomon/Waterhouse station/W Morgan
- XXIV (22/02/1928 24) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51463987 Lilydale
- XXV (25/02/1928 25) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51464553 Railway Line/St Leonards Tin Mine/R Coplestone/J Smith
- XXVI (29/02/1928 26) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51464968 Bowood Estate/Council/Mining
- XXVII (03/03/1928 27) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51465554 Mt Cameron mines/Elder People
- XXVIII (10/03/1928 28) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51466711 Flinders Island
- XXIX (14/03/1928 39) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51467353 Accidents & Deaths
- XXIX (cont) (17/03/1928 40V http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51467885 Accidents & Deaths (cont)
- XXX (18/04/1928 37) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51473034 Henry Webb/Phillip Bros/Water Races
- XXXI (21/04/1928 38) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51473774 Briseis Mine
- XXXII (25/04/1928 39) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51474330 Early Pioneers: Tin/Pyengana District/Cheese/Fingal
- XXXIII (07/03/1928 28) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51466105 Tamar River
- XXXIV (21/03/1928 41) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51468449 History of the Tamar
- XXXV (24/03/1928 32) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51469005 More About the Tamar
- XXXVI (28/03/1928 33) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51469597 Tamar District
- XXXVII (31/03/1928 34) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51470359 Early Visitors
- XXXVIII (05/04/1928 35) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51471182 The Morals Of The Time
- XXXIX (06/04/1928 36) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51471263 Tragic Kangaroo Drive/Black Against White/Victoria Settled 1834
- XL (19/05/1928 40) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51478668 Decline Of The Aborigines (Addendum)
- XLI (26/05/1928 41) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51479934 Decline Of The Aborigines (Conclusion)
LANDHOLDINGS
Property | Owner | Location | Comment | |
Bannockburn | Farquhar | Jetsonville 8km NE of Scottsdale | In 1859 Alex & Jane F settled near what is now Jetsonville, initially camping in a hollow tree. They were among the first settlers to take up land in the newly explored North-East opened up by James Scott in 1855. | |
Befni | Oliver Tucker | Minstone Rd Scottsdale | Orchard 50 acres | |
Beulah | Thomas Tucker | Scottsdale | ||
Branxholme | J R Scott | Ringarooma | North of and adjacent to Legerwood | |
Blytheswood | Wm McLennan | Nth Scottsdale | Purchased by Thomas & Annie Campbell from Wm McLennan | |
Boobyalla | John Cunningham | |||
Cairn Brae | McLennan | Location? | Dan McLennan | |
Cox's Creek/Paradise | T Cox | 1m from centre of present day Scottsdale | First resident of the district, arriving 26 Feb 1859 | |
Dilkhoosa | Capt William N Holmes | West Scottsdale | ||
Haere Mai | Edmund Button | Scottsdale | Eleanor St. Maori for Welcome | |
Highfield | Thomas Brewer | Scottsdale | ||
Hope Farm | Jos Bauld | location? | ||
Kia Ora | Ranson | Legerwood | ||
Krushka Town | Christopher Krushka | Ringarooma | a rural property was subdivided into lots by landowner Christopher Krushka. It was initially known as Krushka Town before being renamed Ringarooma in November 1888, taking on the name of a coastal town near Bridport, which was renamed Boobyalla. | |
Legerwood | J Scott | Ringarooma | First inland property cleared in the N.E. 21 Jan 1881 | |
Lenna | Charles Stammers Button | Scottsdale | On Ringarooma Rd. Home with aerated waters factory adjacent | |
Meldreth | George E Linton | South Springfield | ||
Muskfield | Col Chugg | Jetsonville | at 1926 belonged to Col Chugg. Thomas & Annie Campbell resided there after marrying | |
Spring Hill | Kenneth McKerrow | - | 25 acres | |
Sunnyside | George Fry | |||
Torres | William McBean | Jetsonville | ||
Viewfield | John McBean | Scottsdale | ||
Vine Grove | William Edwards | - | Sons Arthur, Tom et al |
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