I (Richard Atherton) have decided at the request of several of my family to tell all I know of my parents and family. My father (Edmund Atherton) came of old farming stock near the town of Wiganin Lancashire, England. My mother, Ester Ainscough, was from the same locality. They were married there, my father talking on the farm where his forefathers had spent their lives, for many generations, and there my parents remained until they had a family of seven, when they agreed there was not sufficient room for such a large family and decided to look for a new home in a country eventually deciding upon Australia and in 1844 sold their home and set sail from Liverpool in the sailing ship Great Britten taking four months on the voyage to Sydney. The first place they sighted land and went ashore there for one day, and then took shop again for Newcastle from where they struck out into the Australian bush to look for a home.

 

The family consisted of James, eldest about fourteen with Alice, Rebecca, John, Edmund, Henry and Thomas, in the relation they are placed and in age being about one tear between each.

 

My sister Esther and myself were born in Australia spaced about one and three years after the landing, my birthday being 26th of October, 1847.

 

The first consideration after landing was to obtain employment while gaining experience. In 1848 got a lease if a portion of Tilbuster Station, about five miles from Armidale in the New England District of New South Wales with some sheep (I do not know how many). The rent for the sheep and land to be one half the wool each year, and to return the same number and same ages at the end of the term, five years. It was usual for that time in that District for station people to carry on farming in conjunction with station work, and as my father was a farmer he took more kindly to that then stock. Farming was very profitable and in consequence of a large influx of people caused by the discovery of gold, which took place about that time, putting food stuff to famine prices. Wheat was sold for one pound a bushel and I think in some cases higher, the yield being as much as sixty bushels to the acre on good land, but labourers were very scarce and wages high; however as a set-of against the high wages they worked faithfully and well doing their best to give value for what they received; there were no unions or strikes. I only mentioned that because they are so different now.

 

The sheep did well, and farming was profitable, but in the midst of prosperity trouble came. My brother Henry about ten years old, was out shepharding a flock of sheep, when he went into a water hole to have a bathe and not being able to swim got drowned. The little dog he had with him brought the sheep home in the evening and when the search party went out he took them straight to where he had last seen his little master. He, my brother, was buried in what is now and old district cemetery. I think it has quite disappeared; the last time I was in Armidale I could not find it.

 

When the term of the lease had expired for the country leased from Tilbuster and known as Flint No, my father bought a station with some cattle, named Bald Blair about twenty-five miles north of Armidale, and moved the family with al of the worldly possessions consisting of a number of flocks of sheep, some cattle and the working plant, bullock teams etc. Bald Blair soon proved not suitable for sheep; they became badly effected with footrot, Fluke, and a swelling under the jaws knowed as bottle and died very fast. In consequence of which it was decided in 1856 to start them under my brother James’ charge out to what is now Queensland, but at that time a portion of New South Wales, known as Morten Bay and further north to Port Curtis; the latter included the Rockhampton District where the sheep eventually got to after a whole year or more on the road. The diseased condition of the sheep is what caused them to be so long on the way.

 

There was no Rockhampton at that time, only a shed, the Archer Brothers had put up to land their goods in, which were brought from Gladstone in their own Cutter’ they also gave all the assistance they could by bringing up supplies for other people in the Cutter as the only other way was by road by teams.

 

A piece of the country was leased or lent by the Archer Brothers, a part of Gracemere, about fifteen miles south of Rockhampton to keep the sheep on for a time, while a suitable place was found to form a station, and about that time my father and my brother Edmund came out of bringing a mob of horses, some for use and some for sale, father taking part in exploring for suitable sheep county. One one trip Mount Hedlow was found and taken up, but was not thought of as suitable for sheep and later a piece of country was taken up on the Fitzroy river, in a direct line about forty miles west from Rockhampton and names Rosewood and the sheep taken there.

 

After the sheep left Bald Blair cattle were brought to restock the country but the family did not remain there. A piece of land about 178 acres was bought about three miles from Armidale and taking in most the land that had been farmed during the occupation the Flint Nob. A house was built and the family moved there; that place was named Mount Pleasent.

 

Three of us the youngest Thomas, Esther, and myself were sent to a public school. The schools were not managed by the state as they are now., the one we went to was under directorship of the clergyman and the English Church. He appointed the teacher and held examinations etc. We walked in and out to school fully three and half miles each way.

 

About forty acres of Mount Pleasent was farmed, the ploughing was done by bullock team with big wooden ploughs, hard work and slow, the balance of the land was used as a grass paddock for the working stock.

 

It was after Mount Pleasent was put in order that my father and brother Edmund with one hired man left with the horses for Rockhampton. he was away for about a year and during that time the farming of Mount Pleasent was successfully managed by my mother. My father seemed taken with the country about Rockhampton by the unlimited space and a year after his return to Armidale he decided to sell out there and move to Mount Hedlow. My brother John and Edmund were sent to assist with the moving of cattle. They travelled overland per horse doing the trip in three weeks and in about six months after their arrival all was ready for the big move.

 

We left Bald Blair on the first day of April, 1860 with 2000 cattle, 70 horses, 3 bullock teams, and old fashioned two wheeled dray, and a covered-in one horse cart; the journey was a big event in its way, being a larger mob of cattle than usually travelled in one lot. The whole family travelled with the cattle except my brother James. The journey took about four months and was in every way successful.

 

We arrived at the place that had been picked for a home site about the end of July. the country was in splendid order, plenty of water everywhere and much of the country covered with fresh green grass four to sic inches long.

 

The name of the place, Mount Hedlow , was taken from a black’s name, or rather it was a black’s name for a mountain about a mile from where the station was formed and afterwards named by my father The Iron Pot from its resemblance to a butcher’s boiler turned upside down.