Chapter 6.8
Charlotte Elizabeth Mosman/Jardine 1860-1890
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| Charlotte Elizabeth Mosman |
Charlotte’s life was a short and frequently sad one. Her twin Emily Maria died of diphtheria in Sydney when they were seven. Her first child, John Maule Jardine, died before he was one year old when she had only recently lost her mother Harriet Mosman, brother Adam, and sister Lady Cecilia Palmer.
But on to happier times when in 1883 at age 22 she married Alexander William Jardine in Brisbane. Alex was nearly 20 years older than her and had already had a memorable and notable life. They had another son Arthur Hugh in 1886 but Charlotte would not live to grieve his loss in 1918 in action on the Somme. Her daughter Evelyn Stella was born in 1888 and would marry one of Australia’s real war heroes. Her history is shown in the next Chapter.
The sadness continues as Charlotte died of tuberculosis in 1890 at only 30. She had been ill for a time and, probably because she needed to be nearer better medical care, at the time of her death she was living in Brisbane away from her Rockhampton home. She was staying home at Goldicott, Toowong, a mansion owned by either Charles Depree a renowned concrete engineer or Archibald McDowell, soon to be Queensland Surveyor General.
Alexander William Jardine 1843-1920
It’s the exploits of her husband Alexander William Jardine many years before their marriage that are notable. He was part of a group, including his brother Frank, who drove a herd of cattle from Ravensbrook to Somerset Station on Cape York in 1863-1864.
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| Alexander Jardine |
In 1864, the British and Queensland governments established the settlement of Somerset on the Cape York Peninsula. Named Somerset was intended as a refuge and supply depot for passing ships, a base to establish a connection with Britain via the Torres Strait, and a counter to the presence of a French colony (including a naval station) on New Caledonia. An early sketch of Somerset shows a government residence, a customs house, a police magistrate’s house, marines’ barracks, and a medical superintendent’s house.
With government approval, in 1864 John Jardine senior, his son John and surveyor Richardson, with government approval set sail for the Somerset to establish the settlement. John senior realised that the settlement needed supplies so had arranged for his sons Frank, 22, and Alex,20, to deliver horses, cattle and supplies overland. That meant a long trek starting in October 1863 over unknown virgin bush country known to be populated by unfriendly natives.
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| Jardine party October 1863 |
With his brother Frank, Alex and a party including a surveyor, four native police troopers, 250 cattle, and 40 horses set out in October 1864 from the then farthest out station of Northern Queensland to travel over untraveled bush to the property at the top of Cape York.
Geographically the trek solved the course of the northern rivers emptying into the Gulf of Carpentaria, of which nothing was known previously. It also discovered how little of the York Peninsula is good pastoral land.
The hardy young bushmen met with, and successfully combated with, almost every accident by flood and field that could well happen to such an expedition. First, an arid waterless country forced them to alter course for upwards of 200 miles, causing a delay which meant that later on they had to travel during the height of the rainy season when the rivers were swollen and the wet ground nearly impassable.
Early in the trip they lost half their food and equipment by a fire, due to carelessness of some of the party. The scarcity of grass and water, and poisonous plants caused more delay and serious losses of half their horses. They had to alter course significantly during the rainy season adding six weeks to their journey.
Throughout the whole journey they faced the incessant and determined stalking and hostility by the local natives, who could have eventually killed the whole party. The blacks were very numerous on the Peninsula, and were the most savage and warlike of all the Australian aborigines. They had never seen white men or horses and cattle and were naturally suspicious and aggressive. Naturally also, mostly when attacked, the party shot back and left many dead natives behind them.
The hardy young bushmen met with, and successfully combated with, almost every accident by flood and field that could well happen to such an expedition. First, an arid waterless country forced them to alter course for upwards of 200 miles, causing a delay which meant that later on they had to travel during the height of the rainy season when the rivers were swollen and the wet ground nearly impassable.
Early in the trip they lost half their food and equipment by a fire, due to carelessness of some of the party. The scarcity of grass and water, and poisonous plants caused more delay and serious losses of half their horses. They had to alter course significantly during the rainy season adding six weeks to their journey.
Throughout the whole journey they faced the incessant and determined stalking and hostility by the local natives, who could have eventually killed the whole party. The blacks were very numerous on the Peninsula, and were the most savage and warlike of all the Australian aborigines. They had never seen white men or horses and cattle and were naturally suspicious and aggressive. Naturally also, mostly when attacked, the party shot back and left many dead natives behind them.
The trip took five months as they forced their way through scrub and swamps and crossed at least six large rivers. One of them was the Jardine River which was subsequently named after the brothers.
They reached Somerset Station on Cape York on 2 March 1865 with only 12 horses and 50 cattle. The trip had taken about five months to cover over 1,000 miles, the last 200 on foot, some without boots. They were in rags, weather-beaten, thin as crows, but undaunted, and didn’t think they had done anything out of the ordinary.
One can well imagine the joy of John Jardine when the ragged, bedraggled little party hove in sight, but unfortunately most of the much-needed little herd of cattle had succumbed on the way.
They reached Somerset Station on Cape York on 2 March 1865 with only 12 horses and 50 cattle. The trip had taken about five months to cover over 1,000 miles, the last 200 on foot, some without boots. They were in rags, weather-beaten, thin as crows, but undaunted, and didn’t think they had done anything out of the ordinary.
One can well imagine the joy of John Jardine when the ragged, bedraggled little party hove in sight, but unfortunately most of the much-needed little herd of cattle had succumbed on the way.
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| Somerset Station |
Frank settled at Somerset station on the Cape. He was well known for his efforts to dispossess, frequently violently, all Aborigines from Cape York. He set up a pearl fishery and “imported” many South Sea Islanders to work on his boats. He continued to live at Somerset and died there in 1919. The station is now derelict and only its memories survive.
Alex returned south to eventually become Chief Engineer for Harbours and Rivers for Rockhampton. After Charlotte died he eventually remarried at age 67.