Obituaries Australia

The death occurred at Southport this week of Mr. John Jardine, a member of the well-known family of northern pioneers who formed the first cattle station in York Peninsula in 1865, establishing themselves at Cape York, says the Brisbane Courier of the 22nd instant. Mr. Jardine had been unwell for some time, and had gone to Southport to recruit: but pneumonia unexpectedly supervened, and he died on Tuesday. The funeral took place at Southport on Wednesday. Mr. John Jardine was formerly associated with his brothers in their pastoral pursuits in the north: but for a number of years he had lived in Brisbane, where he was engaged with the firm of Alpin, Brown, and Crawshaw, Limited. He was connected by marriage with the Murray-Prior family and with Dr. Lightoller of Heatherlands, Albion. He left a widow and grown-up family. The exploit of the Jardine brothers in penetrating from the base to the apex of York Peninsula is part of Queensland history. Mr. John Jardine, father of these youths—for their ages when they undertook the expedition were but twenty and twenty two years respectively—had been appointed Police Magistrate to found the settlement, at Somerset, Cape York. He had filled a similar position at Rockhampton from the time of the Canoona rush, and proceeded thence to his new post, by sea. His sons, Frank and Alexander, resolved to take a mob of cattle overland and form a station on the mainland facing Albany Island, where the Government establishment was to be created. They broke from the frontier at Carpentaria Downs on Einasleigh Creek, the party consisting of six whites and four black boys, with forty-one horses, a mule, and the cattle. In spite of the clever horsemanship and resolution, the expedition proved very perilous. Frightful country had to be passed over, and time after time they were attacked by blacks, who dogged their foot steps throughout the journey, and after one severe pitched battle they found thirty dead blacks left on the field, while a number of wounded escaped. The cattle and horses rapidly dwindled, and the last 300 miles had to be covered on foot. In spite of all obstacles, however, the adventurers reached Albany without the loss of a man, though nearly all their horses had perished and about half the cattle had been lost by the way. Mr. Frank Jardine still carries on the old station at Cape York, but his brother Alexander early relinquished pastoral life, afterwards occupying various offices in the public service, eventually succeeding the late Mr. W. D. Nisbet as Engineer for Harbours and Rivers, from which position he retired some years ago.