John Atherton (pioneer)
John Atherton (9 August 1837 – 16 May 1913)
Childhood and early life
He was born in
Emigration to Australia
He arrived in Sydney, at the age of 7, during 1844 on the brig Briton with his parents and his 6 siblings; James, Alice, Rebecca, Edmund, Harry and Thomas. He had two further siblings, Esther and Richard, who were born in New South Wales.[2]
Education and Life experiences in New South Wales
He was educated in the family home, Bald Blair, located near
Life in Rockhampton, Queensland
At the age of 20, he accompanied by his brother James, he over-landed sheep to the newly-opened
Marriage
During September 1862 he married Catherine, daughter of Captain W. Grainger, former superintendent of police in
Taking his bride to Woodland, near Emerald, Queensland he soon sold out and took up an adjoining property, which he named Corio.
Adventurous and courageous, the pattern of his life was already set. A noted authority on the habits and customs of the
Cattleman & Prospector
He found a market for his cattle by overlanding them to the Palmer River goldfield in 1873, repeating the feat when the Hodgkinson field opened in 1875. Unlike James Venture Mulligan and others, he was a cattleman first; past experiences had made him wary of mining ventures, but contrary to popular belief the ubiquitous prospecting dish attested to his interest. A brother-in-law was mining warden at Bendigo for some time. Atherton drove his Shorthorn herd north into the wilds once again, the party including his two sons aged 12 and 10, and took up Basalt Downs (Cashmere) on the headwaters of the Burdekin River, selling out after eighteen unprofitable months. Meanwhile he had explored over the ranges to the tableland country, where he finally settled at Emerald End on the banks of the Barron River, the long pilgrimage over. He remained on this property for thirty-seven years, visiting Cairns in 1877 and later shipping his cattle from Redbank, Queensland on the Cairns inlet. Many roads, including the Gillies Highway to the coast near Cairns, follow this noted pathfinder's trails and he also shortened considerably the existing road over the range from Atherton, Queensland to Herberton, Queensland. Many of his place names remain today. Known as the 'Squire of Emerald End', he discovered tin while prospecting in 1879, joyfully naming the stream Tinaroo Creek, now the site of the storage dam for the irrigation areas of Mareeba-Dimbulah. Later he led a party to the great tin deposits known to him and thus Herberton, Queensland became established.[2]
Founder of Mareeba
He is acknowledged as the founder of
Early development of the Mareeba area
He was ingenuous man with a native tendency to call a spade a spade, he insisted that he 'saw little of either place', but the speed of the area's development was greatly aided by his efforts. Unlike others, mainly transient prospectors and cedar-hunters, he was undeterred by drought, flood and the loss of his stock through Aboriginal depredations. His fine homestead, built with Chinese labour,
Atherton Horses
Atherton's E.E.2 brand horses were famous throughout Australia, and in his enterprising way he also bred mules with the advent of the mines.[2]
Discovery of Mineral Wealth and Development of the Region
The discovery of minerals caused him much personal anxiety about the future of his homestead and land. Originally in the unsettled areas as a crown lands lessee before the Act of 1884, he was still agitating for completion of arrangements in 1895 and had lost faith in promises of the government. Neither the Lands nor Mines Departments accepted responsibility for the area until eventually, after enlisting the aid of various friends, his runs were acknowledged to be under the jurisdiction of the Department of Lands.
The arrival of the railway and the closeness of the township caused him to move his stock to Nyechum, Queensland.
Family
Children of John and Catherine Atherton:
- Edmund Henry Atherton (1863-1919)
- William Atherton (1865-1940) [6] took up Chillagoe, Queensland, near by on the tributaries of the Mitchell River.
The discovery of copper resulted in the growth of the Chillagoe township.
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- Lucy Julia Atherton (1867-unknown), who wrote his bibliography which was published in 1969 [2]
- Esther Annie Atherton (1869-1962)
- Ada Mary Atherton (1871-unknown)
- Kate Maud Atherton (1873-1951)
- John Grainger Atherton (1875-unknown)
- Mabel Alice Atherton (1877-1880)
- Chillagoe, and was Secretary for Mines from 1929 to 1932.
Later life
In later life he continued to dress like an overlander and was a colourful figure, carrying all his life a facial scar, the result of a stone tomahawk thrown from ambush. President of the Turf Club in 1908, he was also patron of the Mareeba District Mining, Pastoral, Agricultural and Industrial Association. He was a member of the Church of England throughout his life.
He died at his homestead on 16 May 1913 and was buried in the family cemetery at Emerald End, Mareeba.[8]
Legacy
His family papers collection[9] have been preserved by the State Library of Queensland. The collection consists of a journal dated 1884, correspondence, postcards, photographs, maps, sketches, invitations, share certificates, poems, etc... also correspondence from his sister Alice and other members of his family. There are a total of 107 letters, ranging from 1877 to 1896, mainly between members of the Atherton family, describing life and conditions on Emerald End Station. There is also some of his correspondence with Robert Philip, J. Byrnes and various officials of the Queensland Government regarding land in the Mareeba District.[10]
Biography
- Pike, Glenville; Mareeba (Qld. : Shire). Council (1957), Mareeba, the town founded by John Atherton, Mareeba Shire Council, retrieved 12 September 2020[11]
- Australian Dictionary of Biography; National Centre of Biography (1969), Atherton, Lucy (ed.), Atherton, John (1837–1913, Australian National University, retrieved 12 September 2020
- Bolton, Geoffrey Curgenven. A Thousand Miles Away : A History of North Queensland to 1920. Australian National University Press, 1963 [12]
- Votes and Proceedings (Legislative Assembly, Queensland), 1886, 2, 1113
- John Atherton family letters, 1862-1958 (State Library of Queensland)
References
- ^ "Atherton One Name Study source for J Atherton". Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Atherton,Lucy (1969). "Australian Dictionary of Biography: Entry for John Atherton of Northern Queensland". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Atherton One Name Study - Entry for Edmund Atherton". Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Atherton Tableland Guide - Founder of Mareeba - John Atherton (pioneer)". Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Chinese Community in New Queensland". Queensland’s Past Online. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Atherton One Name Study - Entry for William Atherton". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ Family history research Archived 17 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Atherton, a pioneer" (PDF). The Cairns Post. 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Portrait of John Atherton at the State Library". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "State Library South Bank Collection: OM67-26 John Atherton Papers 1859-ca. 1940". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Mareeba, the town founded by John Atherton". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "A Thousand Miles Away : A History of North Queensland to 1920". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
