Obituaries Australia

Henry Blyth, n.d.

from Pastoral Review and Graziers' Record, 16 August 1956

Mr. Henry Brougham Blyth, of Yalcowinna, Cooma, N.S.W., died at a private hospital at Bellevue Hill, Sydney, on 12th July at the age of 95.

He was born at Ross, Tasmania, and lived on his father's property there until, as a young man, he went to the mainland with letters of introduction to Mr. Learmonth, of the Western District of Victoria, and to Mr. F. S. Falkiner, of Boonoke, Conargo, N.S.W. He was taken on as a jackeroo at Boonoke, and not long afterwards went to Moonbria, Jerilderie, N.S.W., another Falkiner property which he managed for about two years in the 1880's. He then became stud sheep classer for the Falkiner interests, and later for the A.B.C. Bank, and during this period he travelled extensively through New South Wales and Queensland.

In 1897 Mr. Blyth married Miss Catherine Chapman, eldest daughter of the late Mr. C. W. Chapman, of Melbourne, and took over the management of Gunnee, Inverell, N.S.W., and Tandawanna and Newinga, Talwood, Q., for the Chapman family and Mr. John (later Sir John) Higgins. He lived at Gunnee until it was cut up in about 1904 and then purchased a portion of the property near Delungra and which he called Grantham.

He went to the Monaro in 1910 and bought Wambrook Station, of 12,000 acres, at Cooma, from Mr. Henry Coppard. This historical old station was first taken up by William Bridle, who was born in 1797 and arrived in Australia in 1815. He crossed the Blue Mountains with Governor Macquarie and later bought and leased large runs on the Monaro.

In about 1920 Mr. Blyth sold Wambrook to the Australian Estates Co. Ltd. and purchased Hill Station, Queanbeyan, A.C.T., but he then returned to Cooma and bought Oak Vale from the Cosgrove family. He retained a portion of this property, which he called Yalcowinna, and also held leases near Adaminaby, at the time of his death.