The Task Of Establishing The New Settlement Was Confided To Mr. Jardine, Then Police Magistrate Of Rockhampton, Than Whom, Perhaps, No Man Could Be Found More Fitted For Its Peculiar Duties.

An experienced official, a military man, keen sportsman, and old bushman, he possessed, in addition to an active and energetic temperament, every quality and experience necessary for meeting the varied and exceptional duties incident to such a position.

It was whilst making the arrangements for the expedition by sea, which was to transport the staff, materiel, and stores of the Settlement, that Mr. Jardine, foreseeing the want of fresh provision, proposed to the Government to send his own sons, Frank and Alexander, overland with a herd of cattle to form a station from which it might be supplied. This was readily acceded to, the Government agreeing to supply the party with the services of a qualified surveyor, fully equipped, to act as Geographer, by noting and recording their course and the appearance of the country traversed, and also horses, arms, and accoutrements for four native blacks, or as they are commonly called in the colonies, Black-boys. Although the account of poor Kennedy's journey from Rockingham Bay to Cape York, in which his own and half his party's lives were sacrificed, was not very encouraging for the intended expedition, Mr. Jardine never for a moment doubted of its success, and looked forward to meeting his sons at Somerset as a matter of course. In the prime of youth and health (their ages were but 22 and 20), strong, active, and hardy, inured to the life and habits of the bush, with an instinct of locality, which has been alluded to as having "la Boussole dans la tete," they were eminently fitted for the task, and eagerly undertook it when proposed.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 11 of 205
Words from 2951 to 3251 of 55599