Recently I was looking for a book about early days of Queensland and found this great work of William Henry Corfield. I got a free ebook from Amazon. The “Reminiscences of Queensland 1862-1899” presents an adventurous life of a future state politician. Originally in 1920 he prepared an essay for the Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland yet due to the popularity he decided to write a longer, extended piece about early days of Queensland.
In the book, he wrote about the life mostly in the western country. The time frame covers years from his arrival in Australia in 1862 until 1899 just before the Federation was formed. Below is the foreword to the book from 1921, explaining why he wrote the book.
The reasons for this book are as follow: —Whilst talking over early days with Mr. Courtenay-Luck, the popular Secretary of the Commercial Travellers’ Club, that gentleman suggested that I should write a paper, to be read at a meeting of the Historical Society of Queensland. In writing that paper, so many long-forgotten men, places and incidents came back to memory that I thought my reminiscences might prove interesting to others. I may be occasionally incorrect in dates, or in the sequence of events, but I relate facts and personal experiences. As they are, I leave them to the kind consideration of readers.
W. H. Corfield
Sandgate, October 1920
Corfield was born in Somerset, England in 1843. At the age of 19 years old, he was visited by uncle H. C. Corfield who had a cattle station in Queensland, and then he decided to migrate to Australia. After 137 days on the ship “City of Brisbane”, he arrived in Brisbane on 26th June 1862 (I found a list of passengers of this ship in a The Courier). During the trip, he learnt that “[they were] going to a land of promise, where in the evening of his life, a man – as the reward of his labour – would sit in the shade of his own fig tree and enjoy the rest he had earned”.
During the period author covered in this memoir, he was engaged in many various professions. For the first 6 years in Australia, he was managing his uncle’s Clifton station 88 kilometers north-west of Maryborough. When his uncle declined pay rise from £300 to £400 he was considering going back to England, yet decided to take part in gold mining without much success, though.
(…) I decided to remain in Australia, and try my hand at gold digging. Both Carolan and myself were novices at the game, especially in putting down a shaft. We decided to go up on a spinifex ridge, out of sight, to sink, what turned out to be a three-cornered shaft, and so gain experience. (…) Carolan and his mate determined to sink another shaft at the deep sinking to hit the lead again. We had a consultation, and decided I should take in as partner an old miner known as “Greasy Bill”, who possessed a horse and cart, cradles, and all the plant required for shallow sinking. (…) Carolan had now sunk his second shaft with no payable results, and as I was dissatisfied with the results of my venture, we both decided to go prospecting. I afterwards met “Greasy Bill” at the Cape township, where he informed me that after I had left he had struck it rich in both claims. Others told me he had boasted he had got five hundred pounds out of the claim by abstracting the gold from the bag when I was not looking, and that the claim I pegged out was good throughout.
After an unsuccessful short career as a gold miner, he heard that “carriage of loading to the gold field was very high.” He found that carrying goods between sea ports like Townsville and towns in the west was more profitable and decided to start as a carrier. By 1878, he had three bullock teams. During these 10 years, he travelled all around north-west Queensland delivering goods to most remote towns. It wasn’t an easy life, especially because there weren’t many roads and wet season was making it difficult to travel.
The wet season set in much earlier this year, and caught us in the flooded country beyond the Normanby River, but by double banking the teams, and working in the rain, we reached an anthill flat which was boggy that it was impossible to cross unless we made a sound road. We had passed two teams camped, but as I was within 15 miles of my destination, I determined to push on. My drivers and I cut down saplings, and made a corduroy, across which we sledged the twelve tons of loading. This was rather risky, as we had a quantity of dynamite on, the explosive caps of which were inserted in 50lb. bags of flour. During our work, which took three days to complete, the other teamsters would frequently ride past and say, “That’s right, boys, make a good road for us”, but did not offer to help. This riled me and my men.
In 1878, together with his business partner Fitzmaurice, he settled in Winton and opened a store and a year later a hotel. The business was profitable but there was a high risk in accepting cheques – the nearest bank was 400 km away at Aramac.
After putting a skeleton shed covered by tarpaulins, I obtained from Ayrshire Downs two loads of wool for our teams, returning to Townsville. In the meantime, Fitzmaurice has disposed of £600 worth of goods. I was occupied a whole day pasting the pieces of the torn and damaged cheques. I then started for the nearest bank, which as at Aramac, 250 miles away. (…) I was very pleased when at last I reach Aramac, after bank hours, and handed the money to Mr. Fulton, the bank manager of the Queensland National Bank, and the next morning found only £30 of them dishonoured. (…) On my arrival, I found that Fitzmaurice had sold out most of the supplies except the grog, which he was keeping for the hotel.
Corfield during early years of Winton become a very important person and in 1888 when the previous representative for the district passed away, he was nominated as a conservative candidate for the Legislative Assembly.
On our trip down, Mr. Philp mentioned that the McIlwraith party would require a representative for the Gregory in place of the late Mr. Thos. McWhannell. He hinted to me that probably my name as successor would be acceptable to Sir Thomas McIlwraith. I replied, “I know nothing of politics, and have no desire to take them on.” (…) In March presented me with a requisition to become the McIlwraith candidate. This was signed by nearly all the inhabitants of Winton and pastoralists of the district. (…) Finally, when the nomination day came round, I was the only candidate. So I was returned unopposed.
Corfield was very active in the Parliament, his electorate was very important to him and sometimes he voted against his leader. In 1898, his business partner had health issues and Corfield was needed to return to active business.
It seems to me that the end of my Parliamentary life might be the end of my reminiscences. The opening of railway communication with Winton brought new conditions into our lives. The days of pioneering, bullock-driving, the trips by Cobb and Co., which were not always trips of comfort or of pleasure, were things of the past. In place of the crack of the whip and the rumble of the coach were heard the whistle and snorting of the engine. We were now within civilisation, so far as convenience might go, but whether we were morally and socially better or worse is a very open question. The great distances, the open plains, and the loneliness and monotony which is generally characteristic of the western country, even in these days of comparative closer settlement, have formed the western character.
In The Queenslander published few days after Corfield’s death, he was remembered as a very important person in early days of Queensland.
Mr. W.H. Corfield.
THE late Mr. W. H. Corfield, ex-M.L.A. for Gregory, whose death at the age of 84 years took place in Brisbane on Friday, was another of the dwindling pioneers who blazed the trail for present-day Queenslanders. Mr. Corfield arrived in this State in 1862, and, with the exception of two trips to England, spent and worked the whole of his life in it. He had the usual experiences of men of the past in the pastoral, mineral, carrying, and commercial industries, and of these he wrote in his book of reminiscences. He represented Gregory in the State Parliament for 11 years, from 1888,’ retiring for business reasons in 1899. To his advocacy and efforts, the extension of the Northern railway to Winton was due. Though never a “roads and bridges member,” be obtained much assistance from various Ministries, which materially helped in the development of Winton and the Gregory district. At a celebration of Mr. Corfield’s birthday, a couple of years ago. one present who knew him from 1877, in speaking to the toast of his health, said: “In 1886, on Mr. Corfield’s return from England, I took the chair at a dinner to welcome him back to Winton. I said then’ we who have known Mr Corfield have’ ever found him to be square and upright. Much has happened since then, but I still find him to be the same.” Those who have had the acquaintance of Mr. Corfield in later years endorse that eulogy. About three years ago he met with a severe accident, from which he never wholly recovered, and for the past year or more was invalid. Mamy old Northern and Western pioneers will learn with regret the passing away of Harry Corfield, old-time pioneer and good citizen. Among the many wreaths placed on the coffin was one from his widow.
The author wrote the memoir in easy language and shares many anecdotes. When reading this book I learnt a lot about the early history of Queensland, it was fascinating to read the stories from the participant of the events. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who would like to see and feel the life of the pioneers during the second half of the nineteenth century. With the Queensland Week coming soon in June (4-12) I definitely recommend this book to everyone who would like to learn about the early days of this state.
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