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Facts and Events
Zachariah Austin was born in 1869 at Tetsworth in Oxfordshire, England, son of Sarah Austin, formerly Tuffrey, and her husband Abel Austin, an agricultural labourer. Shortly after Zachariah's birth the family moved to Chipping Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, adjoining the town of High Wycombe, where his younger sister was born and where the family appears in the 1871 census.
In 1874, when Zachariah was about five years old, the family emigrated to Australia. They sailed on the 'Glamorganshire' from London on 11th January 1874, arriving at Maryborough in Queensland on 3rd May 1874, sixteen weeks later.
On 11th October 1890, aged 21, Zachariah married Sarah Nicholls, another emigrant from England who had arrived the previous year. They went on to have eight children together between 1891 and 1907, although one died young.
Electoral rolls list Zachariah at Urangan from 1903 to 1934, where he was described as a farmer. In the mid 1930s he moved to nearby Scarness.
Sarah died in 1940, aged 72. Zachariah outlived her by nearly sixteen years. In 1953 he was interviewed by the Maryborough Chronicle as one of the longest-standing residents of the area. He described his childhood after arriving in Queensland with his parents and his life, and his adult life as a farmer.[9]
Towards the end of his life he was living at 58 Torquay Road in Scarness with his son, Gramp Abel Austin. Zachariah died on 28th February 1956, aged 87. He was buried alongside Sarah at Polson Cemetery in the Point Vernon area of Hervey Bay.
References
- ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).
b. Zacchaeus AUSTIN, March Quarter 1869, Thame Registration District, Volume 3a, page 618, mother's maiden name Tuffrey
- ↑ Baptisms register, in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, England. Parish Registers.
BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Tetsworth in the County of Oxford in the Year 1869
No. 159 / 1869 May 30th / Zechariah / Abel & Sarah / Austin, 3 months / Tetsworth / Labourer / J.W. Peers, Vicar
- ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
Class RG10; Piece 1403; Folio 167; Page 48, 2 Apr 1871.
Address: The Marsh, Chipping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Abel Austin, head, married, male, 24 [1846/7], Ag[ricultural] Laborer, b. Tetsworth, Oxfordshire
Sarah Austin, wife, married, female, 30 [1840/1], b. Bicester, Oxfordshire
Charles H[enr]y Austin, son, male, 3 [1867/8], b. Acton, Middlesex
Zacharia Austin, son, male, 2 [1868/9], b. Tetsworth, Oxfordshire
Sarah Ann Austin, daughter, female, 3 months [1870/1], b. Chipping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Thomas Hanell, lodger, unmarried, male, 30 [1840/1], Carter, b. Little Ringshill, Buckinghamshire
George Twitchen, lodger, unmarried, male, 15 [1855/6], Plough boy, b. Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- Queensland, Australia. Assisted Immigration 1848-1912 (Queensland Government).
'Glamorganshire' sailed from London 11 Jan 1874 arrived at Maryborough 3 May 1874
Free
Austin, Abel, 28
Austin, Sarah, 34
Austin, Charles H[enr]y, 6
Austin, Laureus [presumably a mistranscribed 'Zacceus' or similar], 4
Austin, Sarah A., 2
Austin, Selina, 1
- Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980.
1903: Urangan polling place, Wide Bay Division
Austin, Zachariah / M / Urangan / farmer
Other Austins at Urangan:
Austin, St. John Lucky Sly / M / Urangan / farmer
1905: Urangan polling place, Wide Bay Division
Austin, Zachariah / M / Urangan / farmer
Other Austins at Urangan:
Austin, St. John Lucky Sly / M / Urangan / farmer
1906: Urangan polling place, Wide Bay Division
Austin, Zachariah / M / Urangan / farmer
Other Austins at Urangan:
Austin, St. John Lucky Sly / M / Urangan / farmer
1908: Howard sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Sarah, Urangan, housewife, F
Austin, St. John, Lucky Sly, Urangan, farmer, M
Austin, Zacharich [sic], Urangan, farmer, M
1913: Howard sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Elizabeth Ann, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, St. John, Lucky Sly, Urangan, farmer, M
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1917: Howard sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Elizabeth Ann, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, St. John, Lucky Sly, Urangan, farmer, M
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1919: Howard sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, St. John, Lucky Sly, Urangan, farmer, M
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1922: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, St. John, Lucky Sly, Urangan, farmer, M
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1925: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1928: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, famrer, M
1932: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan]
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1934: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Urangan or Scarness]
Austin, Edward, Scarness, labourer, M
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Meryl Violet Helen, Scarness, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Urangan, farmer, M
1936: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Scarness or Urangan]
Austin, Edward, Scarness, labourer, M
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Meryl Violet Helen, Scarness, home duties, F
Austin, Sarah, Scarness, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Scarness, M
1937: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Scarness or Urangan]
Austin, Edward, Scarness, labourer, M
Austin, Jane, Urangan, home duties, F
Austin, Meryl Violet Helen, Scarness, home duties, F
Austin, Sarah, Scarness, home duties, F
Austin, Zachariah, Scarness, M
1943: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Scarness]
Austin, Zachariah, Scarness, M
1949: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Scarness]
Austin, Gramp Abel, 58 Torquay rd., Scarness, labourer, M
Austin, Percy Franklin, Scarness, M
Austin, Zachariah, Scarness, M
1954: Pialba sub-division, Wide Bay division [all Austins at Scarness]
Austin, Gramp Abel, 58 Torquay rd., Scarness, labourer, M
Austin, Zachariah, 58 Torquay rd., Scarness, M
- ↑ Death index, in Queensland Government. Queensland Civil Registration.
d. Zachariah AUSTIN, 28 Feb 1956, Queensland, son of Abet [Abel?] & Sarah Tuffrey, Registration Number 000773, Page 82
- Findagrave.
Polson Cemetery, Point Vernon, Queensland, Australia:
In Loving Memory of
SARAH AUSTIN
DIED AUG. 1, 1940,
AGED 72 YEARS.
ZACHARIAH AUSTIN
DIED FEB. 28, 1956,
AGED 87 YEARS.
- Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Maryborough, Queensland)
Page 2, Monday 20 Mar 1922.
A FARMER INJURED.
On Saturday afternoon, a farmer named Zachariah Austin, residing at Nikenbah, was leading a draught horse along the Chapel road, when he was pulled against the side of the road, and had his leg fractured. The Ambulance Brigade was advised, and Austin was conveyed to the General Hospital.
- ↑ Maryborough Chronicle (Maryborough, Queensland)
Page 3, Wednesday 13 May 1953.
HE CAME WITH THE PIONEERS IN 1874
EXACTLY 79 years ago last week Mr. Zachariah Austin, of Scarness, arrived in Australia with his parents in the sailing ship, Glamorganshire. Now aged 84 years, and in full possession of all his faculties, he has some interesting reminiscences of a lengthy lifetime spent in the Maryborough district. Our representative met Mr. Austin on Saturday afternoon as he got out of his son's car at Scarness to record his vote. He did not need the assistance of "How to Vote" cards, and had quite made up his mind on how he was going to fill in his ballot paper.
People who make a name for themselves in politics, or perform some spectacular service to humanity in the field of research, or invest several thousands on a racehorse, naturally receive plenty of publicity.
On the other hand a man who lives for over eight decades, fully occupied in going about his normal business, raising and providing for his family, paying taxes and helping his neighbour must have made his influence felt in many directions, even if quietly and unobstrusively.
On May 8, 1874, Zachariah Austin, then aged five years, made his first acquaintance with the district in which he was to spend so much of his lengthy life when he and his parents and brothers and sisters were put ashore at the Cliffs, Fraser Island. From there they were taken by lighter up the Mary River and housed at the Immigration Depot, four months after they left their homeland.
MAN OF PARTS
Mr. Austin was more inclined to talk about his father, than about himself. Their first home was made in the Degilbo district and Mr. Austin, senior, who was a blacksmith and very handy man generally turned his hand to carpentry and soon had a house erected for his young family. Apparently during his earlier life in England he had knocked round quite a lot and picked up a wealth of general knowledge, not the least valuable of which in his new home was that gained from three years' service with a veterinary surgeon.
Mr. Zachariah Austin remembers that a young lad employed on Degilbo station at that time was Ted Hastings, who was
known in later years as an authority on horses, and who only recently died in Maryborough at an advanced age. Other
names which he readily recalls were Frank Farley, W.M. Elliott, J. Messner and Mat Moreton.
After a period of four or five years in Degilbo the elder Mr. Austin decided to travel farther afield and there was plenty of demand for his services as a carpenter and blacksmith. He built the first rifle butts at Granville, several shingle-roofed houses, and miles of fencing under various contracts.
Eventually Mr. Austin senior took up a selection behind Booral, at the River Heads. It was there that his young family were broken into tho rudiments of farming and where Mr. Zachariah Austin and his brothers and sisters were thoroughly drilled in the gospel of hard work. Mr. Austin senior died aged 87 years.
PROGRESS OF THE BAY
Mr. Austin, referring to the progress made at the Bay, said that when he first knew it the population comprised mostly aboriginals. The River Heads and adjoining waters formed the regular fishing places for the natives, and oysters were very plentiful. He agreed that the development of Hervey Bay had been amazing, but pointed out that the sea had encroached on this foreshore for many chains. The aboriginal name
for Pialba, when he first came to the district was Baralba, but Mr. Austin said he had no interest in the controversy to change the name from Hervey Bay.
Conditions for working men were hard in those days and Mr. Austin remembers building the first drain on the Doolong-road. It had to be 6ft. wide and 1ft. deep. All the soil had to be spread to form the road and the contract price was 4/- a chain.
For erecting a two-rail fence Mr. Austin was paid the sum of 1/6 a panel. Seventy years ago he erected the one-rail fence which still stands on the Maryborough side of Saltwater Creek. 'It was looking a bit ragged the last time I passed it,' he remarked.
Although times were hard they managed to live and have a bit of sport, he said. By hard work a man might make 5/- a day, so there was no money to waste on useless luxuries.
MARRIED IN 1890
Mr. Austin in 1890 married Miss Nicholls, who also came out from England. His wife died within a few months of the golden anniversary of their wedding.
They reared a family of five sons and two daughters. One of the daughters is Mrs. Manskie, of Maryborough, and the other, the late Mrs. Wheeler, died several years ago. Mr. "Bill" Austin, who is employed at Messrs. Hyne and Son's sawmill, Mr. Albert Austin, Kawungan and Mr. Arthur Austin, Nikenbah, are sons.
There is another son, Ted, in Brisbane, and one son, James, died four years ago. Mr. St. John Austin, of Torquay, is a brother, and Mrs. Anderson, Pialba, is a sister.
Mr. Austin takes an intelligent interest in all that goes on around him. He knows the land in the district better than most people.
He believes also that the Wallum country is capable of being put to profitable use, but he thinks there is still plenty of good land to be had developed first.
He admitted that the recent research into the lack of trace elements in poorer country was an altogether new development as far as he was concerned, and might have big possibilities provided some means could be devised for drainage.
Since the death of his wife Mr. Austin has been living alone at Scarness and is a very keen gardener. His health has always been excellent, but he complains that his knees "get a bit stiff" if he stands still too long. In his early manhood he suffered severely from rheumatism which he claimed he cured by wearing a cloth belt filled with sulphur.
FOUR MONTHS AT SCHOOL
Mr. Austin states that one of the reasons why they left the Degilbo district was because his father wished to have his children educated. As a result of his father's laudable intentions Mr. Austin went to school for four months which apparently satisfied all concerned. Nevertheless Mr. Austin can read a newspaper and keep himself in touch with current events.
It is interesting to note that his son, Mr. Arthur Austin, holds the original certificate of registration, dated August 15, 1887, of the "ZAO" cattle brand taken out by Mr. Zachariah Austin. The brand is now Mr. Arthur Austin's brand.
Mr. Austin was born in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, on March 1, 1869. With his family on the Glamorganshire were about 400 other immigrants. Mr. Austin realises that 79 years is a long time, and he wonders whether any other immigrants who came from England on the ship are still alive. If so, he would be interested to hear from them.
Mr. Austin has obviously accumulated a fund of information and knowledge, much
handed down from his father and much gathered as a result of his own experiences. He has also retained a sense of humour which enables him to view with a tolerant eye the antics of the younger generation. When the complex problems of modern civilisation prove beyond him he seeks refuge in his garden, secure in the knowledge that all vegetable life at least works in accordance with fixed laws and principles, that the sun rises in the east and that it invariably rains after a drought.
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