William Loudon

Story

In 1861, 20 year-old William Loudon had daring dreams for himself and his 18 year-old sweetheart, Janet Gordon. He wanted to be a land owner, something he knew could never be achieved on the family land in Ayrshire, Scotland. Both he and his father John were still only farm labourers working on his grandfather’s land. Worse still, as a younger son, inheritance was impossible.

But, during the 19th Century, change was happening in Scotland as the English Industrial Revolution spread north. Railways were being constructed through Ayrshire, linking coal deposits to the growing manufacturing town of Glasgow. Land was needed for track corridors and Grandfather, like other canny landholders, claimed the section on his farm was his very best, so, of course, he required good compensation. Young William accepted a small portion of the cash, and, taking advantage of an assisted migrants’ grant offered by the new state of Queensland (separated from NSW in 1859) set out to follow his dream. Janet Gordon promised to wait.

In December 1861, he arrived in Brisbane on the ‘Persia’. In 1862 he chose land in the Brisbane River Valley beyond the edge of settlement west of Ipswich, thus getting the maximum area for his available cash. Three years of hard work followed – clearing land and acquiring livestock – farm horses, some sheep and a few cows. Then, with the rapid spread of population in the Brisbane Valley, he sold the land for a good profit. He immediately invested in an even larger area further north in the next Queensland frontier, the Rockhampton district. He moved his stock to this well-watered property which he called ‘The Swamp’.

He was now in the financial position to afford Janet’s passage. She was met by William when her boat the ‘Golden City’ berthed in Brisbane on January 3, 1865. They were married on Jan 21 in the Presbyterian Church in Adelaide Street, Brisbane, immediately departing by boat for Rockhampton.

For the next five years, they developed the new farm, growing in wealth, but enduring the tragedy of the deaths in 1867 of their first two children – toddler John and newborn Mary.

Economic change again caught up with William. By 1870 far north Queensland was in the grip of gold fever. The lure for William was not the gold, but the opportunity to acquire an even larger property and do what he did best – farming. They sold The Swamp in 1871 for a good profit and set out with 3 year-old Agnes and 1 year-old William for the Etheridge goldfield. They joined a group of Scottish immigrants making the slow overland trek north. Adults and livestock walked; babies and household goods went on the carts. The group composition changed on the way as members took jobs or were forced to delay due to an emergency. For William and Janet one of these occurred in 1872 in the gold rich city of Charters Towers when baby Jessie was born.

By 1875 William was in possession of a large tract on the Gilbert River. His farm flourished, growing corn for the horses of the Cobb and Co coach routes servicing the mining towns. As well, he supplied beef for the numerous mining camps. They worked their farm for over 40 years with the help of their family. This included five more children born on the property – George, Hugh, Maud, Jeannie and Grace.

In 1917, with their children married and established in separate careers, they sold the farm to return to Rockhampton for their old age. Their wish was to be buried near the graves of the little ones they had left there 50 years earlier.

William and Janet typify the ambitious, resourceful and enduring spirit of the pioneering migrants of our land.

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