The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld : 1875 - 1929), Saturday 3 April 1926, page 13, 14

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72018326

THE RAINBOW TRAIL

i»ME BILOELA FARMS.

(By-'Seagee').

Mr. Boy Brown, one of the sons of Mj.Alfred Brown, serir, late of ValentinePlains Station, on the eoutb-wegt aid*and opposite the Bilolea railway station,'

holds. a typical Prairie perpetual leaseblock of 200 acres upon which be hfiTcarried out some \'wy substantial improvements during the t«o years that he has

been in possession. A fine stE-roomed

bungalow Toofed dwelling is to be found '.-

here and the block is a fivewire fence consisting of three plain, and.two barbs which make a good aheeai

proof fence, eo that the 265 merinos.'

mostly wethers, which run on the pro.perty are in a safe enclosure. Mr. Brown;Uaa Uad cheep h«re for about IS months

and found that they did very well, ao

recently he increased his little flock bythe addition of another 200 wethers front

th; Springsure district. Very little epeargrass is to be fount! on this Prairie

.

country, most of which is well -suited to

the raiding of sheep. Mr- Brown -'can

claim to be tbe pioneer sheep faruer. It ~

is fully SO years since any of the station*

in the district carried sheep. His_cr

perience will certainly be Hi benefit to

other settlers, some of whom - will, 'axk

doubt, follow his example 'and ran a few.

cheep on their holdings.

Mr. Brown is the big storekeeper of

Biloela and in hie Pioneer Store can befound almost everything to meet the re

quirements of tUe surrounding set

tlers.

The post and telephone allowancaoffice, trhicfa at present is located at Mr.Brown 's private house, will shortly for

greater convenience be removed to tho

store. Dealing-'-in stock is 'another of

Mr. Brown's activities his many yeargexperience of station life fitting Slim ?

weU for this calling. .

Water on Mr. Brown's farm is ob

Water on Mr. Brown's farm is ob

tained from a well 50 ft in depth wiier»

good water was struck and. at the timo

of my visit a pump had bees installed

thereon and a Cooper 3 h.p. engine was

alongside ready to be rigged up. Then .

are also in a deep gully some natural

waterholea which hold water for a con

siderable period. Mi. Brown who 4s a

Justice of tbj Peace is well to tbe for*

in every movement for the advancement

of the town and district.

Mr. Alfred Brown aenr., who I men

tioned in a previous article as being tfca

owner for £5 years of Valentine Plam* .

»: Stater, Ot tomc«t«a of wluca is:

_

Bttn&ted «nly three miles Inm Biloelavj' and which station wts *Jse resumed

S . *er closer settlement purpose some two

f *years ago, owss or oF On Mocks ad

:£ joining this property of Ms eon— Mr.

-'

Boy Brown— wakfe be is .verting is cen

jum-tion irith the latter, i- Tbe area of:.'

Uiis adjoining block fc 214 acres abont

c

'

10 acres or which have teen cleared and

v

~

eii acrrs of wiiea carries tie finest crop;-?

yof corn that I. have se; far eees- U the

~. district. Me variety is-~»0 days ami* the cobe xrlnck axe #t*good sise, are Tell

f''

filled out and stouH coos be ready fori ;

.

pulling. .A long deep golly rons rightp;

through- this property and holds water

?? for several months in the year. Water?

can slto-fc' obtained bv sinknig abo.t

^.; J ft. anywhere on this Beck.

c:'

Immediatel? opposite the laltmeB

r. lioned WeeM with only.' U-e road *eiir%

twcea, is the, farm of a aeireomor, Air.

\- G-. B, Anderson, wbo arrived cure tfcrre:'?

months ago on his Hoot'irt 210 surra

^ trhirb has a 'frontage .of 'one mile to

- ? Kroorobit Creek, with goodr holes Oust

:- in. 3Ir. Anderson has, been a fanner

:'V. and dairvmau all bis .life and hails

** ifrom Kyogle, a great oViQiog centre-?. in New Soutt Walesl. He was fortucsie

-?. in New Soutt Walesl. He was fortucsie

. in ^ecurin; a Uock witli 156 acres prat.

-:',

'

tically all cleared, some of it having

r/ previously been -under tte plough. V^IU:'--

id tliree weeks after bis aniiai Ue pbr^'v

„ ,chased cattle and soon eommenc-ed

^ dairying, scjidua^ his cream to the

^''

ffonn bntter lartory. The dairy befl

;.;' !

.consists of 25 milkers of'siixed treid

[v; aome if Jersey strain. .Mr. Ander-nr.'s',y- intention is to pa in for grade Jerse.rf,

^' ~

Uie class that he favours ^ing tbe^' Jeiscy-Ajrikire' cross of Trkicfa he 423t

. bad a good deal of experience. Mr. W.:-'. ~

JUidereon, one of Hr..G. R. Anderson'sJ'

f sons, t«s an »d joining block o£ 2S0

^ . acres vith KroomWt and EariBoe crec!^z'f

.

. running through. !Ehe two properties are

*.-'-_- fceiBg forked in conjunction and tHe

;».''4S0 acres in the ttro blocts make a

^' splendid dairying propositicn. A srrsM

-..

Jiouse and a dairy bos been erected, a

'*'; - weB ETmk 12 ft. in which a. good water.|.

supply WTt6 strock *t S ft, and fencing-^ ; and other improY£iQcirC£ ar& now in

[;' ? ianij and being pushed along ngtfronsl; .

[.., It is intended to grow roru and. a little

'^?-.- ' cotton, bat th^ main industry is to be

F,' .dairying, that being, in Mr. Anderson's

?:

'

opiuionT the farmers sun . of iiope.

Sfr. Joseph H. Ninnese, who holds,-. - Hosailc Park, an area of 206 acres, uc

;:/'

. in^ an adjoinjng block on the west

i'

eidc of Jtr. G. B. 4n«terson% farm, is

-.-.- -al-'Hj frt»m Kyogle and has had mach,

?*- '? farming aad dairying experience. .This

iarm is an example of what can lie AC'

. compli^lisJbyoBeiminon a. farm. In tlie

%? short space of tea taaii two years 100

^ - '. Acres 6t land has been cleared, boundarys *

?' '*

and subdivision fences have been erected.P;V

'

and house, yards, etc., built, besides™- ?

.vhicji 3tlr. ^*inness has done n^i liis onn

ti - ploughing and- planting. Xast vfctr 10

^' '^'?

acres u-as put under cotton, butit*

waB

fe^, planted a bit late; stfli a fair crjp

^'. ..

-

. resulted. Brown millet to the extent _cf

f' - mx ^cres was also grown and a'viry

?

? : fair crop realised £40 per ton. Peanuts-

''.'

.

* and sonflavceri trere also, cultiratefl as'

fee4 dTor fnvia ana stock, Tius 70

-

.

* as^??:

'

.

;. fee4 dTor fnvia ana stock, Tius year 70

^-

^ acres of Durango coMon ^aw tbe Ught'

... and it nnw being picked and win aver

*

age snout t»« bales to the aex. Of £^n

-.'*

-

-. Bou-ers five acres, are in ajad Bov, just

«t tlie '

flowering sta«e. mate a- {lor-,;

.- ^. feoas and trilliant ahow^ A lair irambe/

-/'' «f fowls are kept oa this farar, to*

.-\ feed for ihem being- grown 4H» the farm..-?'?''

. The brewl liked best is tie Leglfctaf-

'

y Kack Oipin^toD eross and of these' 100

i^ .. .

find, a 'good luuce- at -Rosaile Park. _Tke

K^- source of' water supply is a gurij- oon'?%*.

. taining big waterlwles wJA4i last for^.

'

.

eewraI'

'months, but a -bore is *o so.'.j

-; down so as. to obtam a permanent tnp?' '.

? fir- Dairying will ften be' carriedon.

,;'

-Hr. Umell Harold, irhfl was a l.ir.d

-V gijide on tht Bumett and ^lidV land

'?- ? and was rhe means of as*i^ting a jircttt

~- -% . many of the settlrrs to secure soitaj'-l^-..'

sfaring blocks, also se-nred for liim-elf

f'.- - one of 230 acres,- which he' has namedK,.

: 'ten,' fronting {he ;£ilo-da railway staV. ' lion and lving between tiie' railwray .and

i'

, the old Prairie homestead Mock. Oeo includes «n agricultural })Uin of 2flO arres

%'?.

.

pra.tically all deaied. Mr. Harold baa

X' ' only- recelity come into oc-ciffiarien.

Tbe CaUile SawmQlmg Co- in whkli=-... Mdertakiajr Sir. tfarold is i»tere.=tia.

? - hM its mill estabifebed on this blockand is doing a. fine business m hard^

:?

'

«*»d sawn: timber, suBphiag tlw needs?*'' «f tie-tettlert,

many of *hom are cpm4'.- DMiiii«g-»o buad. Xlie raUway «t

:'\ btnxtioh, lirrigatioiL- Sbtte farm, aad.'

-

? wad* i»i»rojreJnent departments are alsoI,

....

uiuvre ,of eawb hardwood freal ttisri:':,: aailL A site for a bore has been'.'?', ''

rhascn on this fane by the Omenatat: «!Jvntr, -who anticipate ttrikiss; nt«. ..J*. at ldO ft, and the. department weD?S-V :?_

.

barrr is expected to cone along shortly'.?-'/?'*

?to t«t the tomttaesBJof tfce-pw-ia«y.

%L'-.--

? Mr- Harold's bdcntM*. 5s to tnrnh'iB

&'*?' M0 «on» -nf:o.«.d«ee^-*trm. At Ot?

'?

'.

ttw «| my risit improTeneBts im

^ .

. &-'*-£ v- and included tfce erection of

^ .

. &-'*-£ v- and included tfce erection of

email new residence to replace the tem

porary abode in which Mr. Harold has

been housed.-Mr. A. P. Duke, a ton of tie lat«

Mr. Jasnes Duke, a well-known dairyman «f Terantin, has secured rhe old

Prairie- homestead block and an. ad

joining, block, which ais son James ha. i

taken up, . linage up tie total acreageheld by the Dates to 480 acres. Dairy,

ing is the industry carried on and a

fine herd of cattle is to fac. found here,

brought from the farm of Mr. Duke'sfather at Eumandi. Tbe cows in this

herd are all tested cows, and comprisepure bred Jerseys front Burton's Stnd,'

Brisane, pure red XUawarra. Min.-j«gShorthorns and good grade cows of

both breeds. The leader of the herd is

Spider, a pure red Till of the latter

reed. Cj- to 38 head of these fine

«ows sure being, milked, and a number- of

heifers are coming on, so thai tbe tfceof the herd irill soon be' increased. Thebuildings on this -homestead an. tieoldest in' tie wnole district. Tilemain residence waa origfaaUy roofedwith tbingles, but over this, in rceest

ran, a second roof of tbe nsoal ironhas keen jnrt, rendering the banding«. wry *ool -out ia Oc beat of aaaw.

B»tk tbis and the large kitchen ^redah.rid** ami tte walls of hot* iave own

?orea-ler Biasketry fce w as-ta «niWethe defenders better to keep off-in the

early days attacks -r! marauding blacks.

In the matter of water supply Mr.

Duke U fortunate in having on the

homestead block the old station weH

upon which there is a windmill, as well

as a Fulto and Joboson engine, both

of which do their share as occasion .re*

quires in keeping filed a huge fnpprr

quires in keeping filed a huge fnpprrtank of 30,000 gaSlmrc. also a smaller

houfe tank, from wfifch t&e water is

laid on to fie hom&itead 'bpildings.

Aa mentioned* in a preTions' arudc,Mr. Duke provides freer for the- provisional school, a

.

fine large faoXMiirJir

formerly .tbe bachelor's anarterB*. andftore, from which tbe partitions nave

been removed, making a fine roomyschool room, Eufficienfly lcrge to

accommodate, if required, eightyscholars and those who ride to schoolalso hare free grass and water f^r theirponies. Fre use of tbis school bolldinjj,

also c{ a. pliVer-pIano and lights, ii

also given by- Mr. Dnke ^for dances^ !eoii^

certs, ic field in jjd of any ?nsoraoec?

for tie 1»BeBt; of -the to'wi!.. :~t'

.

lira. Dofceiuta-a bobbj to wojci 5wr

Las net with « good deaj of sa'ceen,aoJ Oat is die breeding of Mgti-cbsJPomeranian dogs. It eeesos etcuuge'ttraat^ttest ieaulBor titth dogs Co far

^™?S?^ ^ Amongst these «ttHjrtfre little ytb, are: to Da found flveI»ii«-»i!uiere *t Brisbane 'AowS, In*-Mes which many ;firrf and orUsr piiu

?^?^?j'Ji''..-^: *-/?!---ii^'J-Ji -?'-

-

iiave- been woo. fry Mm. Duke's stud at

snburfaan and conntry sliovs. The lea*

der-olthestodis by Honghton GoWmite,'of the famous Marsdcn SltuU BdsbaM,'elumpion of the Birohna Dog Sbir,for several years. 5irs..Dnke also bas ???

another pet dog Bobbles, a Fekinea;,

also a prize-winner at Brisbane aad

country sliows.1

Messrs. Jarvis Brothers, two born

and-bred farmers from Kent, England, -.

are near neighbours of Mr. Duke ; it.

fact, onlv a road is between them. Tl-c

brothe-Ts' who hold two blocks, have

between lliem 500 3-Te°. Tbcy bar*

held their blocks alwut two years ami

eecured on one blocfe tl;e line larjre

former station barn aud a cortajw dos*?

by fitr fhst flier had a roof over th?ir

heads and storage for fodder right iron

heads and storage for fodder right iron

tfie start. They are msfcinp good -w

of the bant, too, for in it they had at

the time of my visit a large quantityof Sudan grass hay from two acres of

tins good fodder plant, besides * good1

deal of busn hay ; also plenty of

storage room for their cotton, two bales

of which, weighing 550 ft. each, I sa»

these hefty brothers loading on to «

dray for conveyance to the railway.

They believe in packing their half?

well, as less biies are required, and

they are easier to load, not being- given!

to sag. *Last xear they held the. record

for the heaviest bale of cotton sent to

tbe ginnery ; it registered1 f.36 Jti. Fully

100 acres of laud had been cleared

and trougBt urtder the plough bf- these

hard-working brothers. Last year 38

acres of cotton mis pot in and TWdp.i

a fair' crop, and this year's 20 acrca

will go about {SO ft.to the acre. A

nastral waterhoie and large house tanks

have been the source of water supplrso far, but it U intended later to bore

for a more adequate supply.

Hi. flodfrey Frances MTtae, a native

of Victoria, holds a farm of 300

acres of Agricultural land a.ljoining that of -Mr. Joseph B.Kinness above deseirbed. To thi?farm he has given the nftrae of Etlan

donan, after a castle in Scotland, tae

stronghold of the JlSit or rather 'Mse.Sue » Clan. Mr. G. F. JTBae saw ser

vice in the South African War and in

tic last Great War tie w*s a SergeantMajor in the I lth Light Horse and put2b a strenuous time, both in Egypt and

France, and, was mentioned in de

spatches. It was rather a coincidence,

too, that he and soother soldier -nsere

tbe only two in the whole regiment tfcat

went right through *the campaign -free

from inth wounds and sickness. Mr.

VBae Ehowed me a eery fine boob, bound

in tartan, and called 'The Clan Mac

Bae wiUi its Rolls of Honour and of

Service in the Great War1' compiled tyEUa MacRae-Gilstrap, wife of Ljeu

tenut-Coknel John Mu£&e.Oilstrap,

tenut-Coknel John Mu£&e.Oilstrap,the pAsent' head «f the Clan. It is »

splendid record of the brave doings of

the men of this great name 'the wide

world o'ern

on the side of Britain and

her Allies in tbe great srrafr$le and

includes among** the number Hr. G. F.

MEae, two of bis brothers, aad ausyother Austrslianf.

- Ellaadotuii, tlm castle before bws

thmed, for a pleat many years was noth

ing but an old crumbling ruin, but tie

present head of the Clan has had it re

stored at great expense and SB it has

come back tcTsxach. of its ancient grandeur. However, to get back to EUan

donan, the farm, the soil of which ap

pears to be loo rich to grow eatton. as

owing to the rapid growth of weeds it

seems aunst 'impossible to keep the eot

tonclean. Some fanners-have, to & greatextent, got over tbe difficulty by spacingtheir plants very vide, leaving 4 ft.*

or

5 ft. of space between the plows as well

as tbe rows, .and. then by cresscultivat.

ing keeping the -weeds in check. Xuoemedoes extremely well here. A paten of ^

an acre far Mr. M'R*e late in

Mar last has, up to March 1st instant,

given five -cuttinffs of splendid growth.Cotton to dm extent of five, acres was

put in as 'an experiment, bnt late plantMi«, frost, and weeds gave it such.-* doingthat not jnuch 'cotton resulted. Com,potatoes, a&d ail kinds of vegetables and

fodder do well in this rich soil and the

land wrtit its wonderful growth of good .natural praises is ideal dairying coun

try. Water in fair supply is Co be badin a, creek bordering- the road . just opposit* tbe M'Bxe resjdean, but it is -

intended to bore for water which, itis'

expected to strike at a- reasonable depthand ao secure an ample supply. Dairying lias been co*wieBeed in .» small waytiie intentUM being. to increase, tbe herd

and make dairving tbe main, industry.Mr. WBae U tlw Chairman «i tbe

BiloeU Local Producers' AFSociatJoa, a,

~

-

lire local body conaktag of Beajrfy ,0 -

members. . . .

\ '

-

.

.

'

Jfaifhes artk eaier if carrirf -? tieri«hi.-hW-5-**»tft' the Tntistco*t,'-« ?

pickpo^jtr. «»*»* »««?«% S» 6kthe le£t-h»Ba pocket.

At diuuera little girl became feig&gyelalfid *t ? wsessieriaa ? the widifcowf of

tbe eiickea «o1ier fltit. M. tki» UxlatJf, brotta maVrlBd iSej^eJij:

'They're ifaqiUilwiga. r« *a* One'

uMnmes uA Saddy taai't lot * BMtir~

:^

ar'jeti' ,

- ?-,*?; : '' ''-4