Green, William Benjamin (b. 22 Mar 1837, d. 23 Jul 1901)

Note: Baptised at St Martin-in-the Fields church, London, on 27 April 1837, William Benjamin was the only child of William Green 2 and Mary Anne Frances Green [nee Foster/Ashmead]. At age 19 years he arrived in Sydney with his parents on the Dunbar
on 27 September 1856. Also on board were his uncle Charles Henry Green and his wife Caroline [nee Stewart]. The latter couple had been on vacation/convalecence in England and were returning to Australia, whereas William Benjamin and his parents
were visiting the Colony for the first time.



No information has been found regarding William Benjamin's activities for the next three years or so but during the later months of 1860 his presence in Toowoomba Qld was reported in the local newspaper on a number of occasions. He attended a
Ball accompanying ladies from the Alford and Boulton families; he attended and was active at a public meeting that had been called to seek nominations for the positions of Councillors for Toowoomba's first Council; he attended and was active at
a meeting that elected the first Church Wardens for St Luke's church, Toowoomba; he as Manager of Mondure Station in the South Burnett District, purchased in 1860 by his father William Green and a London partner Thomas McEwen, was advertising
in a Toowoomba newspaper that he had sheep from Mondure for sale.



Then, on 6 December 1860, he married Elizabeth Alford at St Luke's church, Toowoomba, and proceeded to Mondure Station. The church register reads that "William Benjamin Green, Batchelor, born at London, occupation Sheep Farmer, age 23, place of
residence Mondure, parents William Green, Sheep Farmer, and Mary Ann Green maiden name Foster [should it have been Ashmead?] married Elizabeth Alford, Spinster, born at Paterson NSWales, no occupation, age 20, place of residence Toowoomba,
parents Thomas Alford, Auctioneer, and Elizabeth Alford maiden name Boulton." Witnesses were Thomas Alford and William Green; Officiating Minister was Benjamin Glennie. The entry in the register, including all the signatures, is written in the
same hand.



Record of the marriage is also kept in an official register at Queensland Archives and that record shows William Benjamin's age as 24 years [in fact he was 23 years and 8 months], William Green's occupation as Grazier and Thomas Alford's
occupation as Commission Agent. That entry also records that "the consent of Thomas Alford.....was given to the marriage.....Elizabeth Alford being under the age of 21 years".



There is a letter in family papers stating that the Best Man at William Benjamin's wedding was Ernest de Satge. He was an elder brother of Oscar de Satge. From a very "well connected" life in England, they had arrived in Melbourne in 1853 when
still in their teens. Ernest proceeded to Queensland where he had letters of introduction to squatters on the Darling Downs. He worked on and managed pastoral runs on the Downs and it would have been his involvment in grazing activities that
William Benjamin got to know him. Oscar moved into Queensland in 1854 after working for a time in the Victorian Public Service and also became involved in grazing pursuits. He won a seat in the Queensland Parliament in 1869 and developed into a
very prominent citizen of that State. He wrote a pioneering classic "Pages from the Journal of a Queensland Squatter", detailing an expanse of 50 years residency in Australia.



William Benjamin managed Mondure, a run of about 350 sqmls, until about 1875 when ownership changed and he moved to adjoining run Barambah as temporary manager for the purpose of a bangtail muster preparatory to the Moore brothers taking over
as new owners of that run.



The Greens had eight children while at Mondure [one died at infancy], then two were registered at Toowoomba and one at Nanango. Writings about each of these children appear separately.



Not a lot is known of William Benjamin's activities after his muster at Barambah but there is evidence that Elizabeth settled in Toowoomba to be close to her widowed mother. Her father, Thomas Alford, had died in 1864. However, what evidence of
William Benjamin's activities that does exist indicates that he continued to be involved in some activities in the Nanango District - on several occasions between 1865 and 1884 he is listed in Pughs Almanac as a Commissioner of the Peace -
in 1880 he was appointed Secretary and Joint Auditor of the original Barambah Divisional Board which was formed " to remove control of roads and bridges from the Public Works Department to the Board.....". He was replaced in 1885 [reference
Pioneering into the Future] - from 1880 to 1888 he held a position of Clerk in Nanango - he appears to have been Secretary of the Race Club at least during some of those years [reference as above].



In 1886 William Benjamin was admitted to Dunwich Benevolent Asylum because of "ill health". He listed his occupation as Accountant and wrote that his wife [and seven children] was living on the Mort Estate at Toowoomba; his eldest son William
was at Warnambool Downs [south of Winton], Ernest was on Mount Marlow Station [north of Adavale], Charles was on Yabba Station [east of Nanango]. The admission record is noted that he was discharged from Dunwich on 1 February 1887.



Next evidence of his movements is an application for readmission to Dunwich dated at Charleville on 23 October 1893. He listed son William as a Stockman at Fort Constantine [north of Cloncurry], Ernest as a Sheep Overseer at Wigton [South
Burnett District], Charles on a Station on the Burnett [it would have been Yabba], John as a Clerk at Royal Bank, Brisbane and "six daughters unmarried" - it should have read four daughters and two sons - living with their mother in Milton
[a suburb of Brisbane, adjoining Toowong]. William Benjamin stated his occupation as Accountant, he had been working at Albert Raynor's hotel, Tambo Road, for six months but had left to go to Tambo hospital where he was a patient for about
three weeks.



The application has several notations added on the front, four of which appear to be stamps of the Immigration Department in Brisbane. Another is by an Immigration Agent directing the application to the Government Medical Officer for a report,
who wrote on 27 November 1893 "Applicant has suffered from an ulcer of the leg. In my opinion Green could earn his living if he kept away from the drink". Then followed another notation on 28 November "He must be ironed out". Another notation
is ineligible but finally there is written "Admit, by Colonial Secretary's direction" dated 30 November. The reverse of the form contains a note by a doctor that William Benjamin "had been suffering from an ulcer of the leg and is physically
unfit to work for a living". Another notation reads that "this applicant is from Tambo way, therefore no householders know him". William Benjamin's original record of admission is noted "Readmitted 5 December 1893" then follows On Leave
notations 23 July to 31 July 1895, 6 September to 21 September 1898, 6 February to 13 February 1900. Finally is written "Last seen by Medical Superintendent 23 July 1901, Died 23 July 1901, Buried 24 July 1901". He was 64. William Benjamin was
buried at Dunwich but his body was later exhumed and transferred to Toowong cemetery "by licence". Entries in a register of Home Secretary's correspondence, at Queensland State Archives, show that on 21 August 1901 The Medical Superintendent
was written to asking why a report on "illness of inmate Green" had not been submitted; on 10 August 1901 the report was received; on 4 December 1901 he wrote that "coffin of Green now ready to be exhumed.



Burial at Toowong cemetery was completed on 6 December 1901. Buried on the right of William Benjamin is his eldest son William James Green. These two graves are listed as Portion 11, Lot 518, A and B in Queensland Family History Society Toowong
Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions Volume 3. [Portion 11 is close to the cemetery's office and is bounded by Boundary Road and 15th Avenue]. Buried on the left of William Benjamin is his wife Elizabeth. Unfortunately the headstone of that grave
has been destroyed and the grave is unmarked.



William Benjamin's father died in London on 5 September 1877 and left his estate to his wife Mary. It consisted of "effects under 450 pounds, no leaseholds" and included an annuity of 156 pounds per annum. Mary died at Bath on 27 August 1889
and left her estate of 374 pounds 8 shillings and 2 pence to her "dear son William Benjamin Green of Nanango, Queensland".



William Benjamin would have been happy to receive his inheritance in 1890. His family had been living on the Mort Estate at Toowoomba in 1886 but there is evidence that they lived at Milton. Brisbane, in the 1890s. Perhaps the funds from
England assisted them in settling at their new address.



In 1893 William Benjamin was living alone in Charleville [or Tambo?] from where he applied for readmission to Dunwich. His re-entry there occurred on 5 December 1893 and the marriage of his daughter Mary Godfrey Elizabeth Green to Arthur Leslie
Hely occurred the next day at St Thomas's church, Toowong.



William Benjamin Green is listed on the Welcome Wall, Darling Harbour, Sydney - Panel 30, Column 1, Line 145.

Given Name: William Benjamin

Occupation: Station Manager, Accountant.

Change: Date: 22 Jun 2019
Time: 11:36

Note: A history of the Alford family is extensively recorded in "Alford Family Notes", which was published in 1908. Pages 141 to 144 of that book record the migration to Australia of Thomas Alford [designated Thomas Alford Senior for these Family
writings] and his subsequent marriage; those pages and page 132 show details of the eight children his wife bore between years 1840 and 1854. Information concerning each of them appears in their personal Notes.



Elizabeth was the first child of Thomas Alford Senior and Elizabeth Boulton who had married on 7 August 1839 at Paterson, West Maitland Parish, NSW. She was born at Paterson on 9 June 1840.



After the birth of her sister, Mary, on 7 May 1842 the family moved to Queensland. After a brief stay at Cambooya on the Darling Downs they moved to The Springs nearby. That settlement was later named Drayton by Thomas Alford, after a small
village in his home County, Somerset. Mrs Alford was one of the first three white women to settle on the Downs and daughters Elizabeth and Mary were the first white children taken onto the Downs.



Moves to Toowoomba [originally known as Drayton Swamp or The Swamp], Brisbane, back to Toowoomba then to Pikedale Station [it seems Elizabeth did not accompany the family to Pikedale], finally resulted in the family settling in Toowoomba in
1859. On 6 December 1860 Elizabeth married William Benjamin Green at St. Luke's church, Toowoomba and moved immediately to Mondure Station in the South Burnett District of Queensland, which had been purchased by her husband's father, William
Green, and his London partner Thomas McEwen.



Elizabeth was only 20 years and 6 months of age at that time and her Marriage Certificate is noted that consent to her marriage was given by her father. Also regarding the wedding, there is a letter in family papers stating that there were
eight bridesmaids, two of whom were named as Mrs. Molle-Raff, "a childhood friend of the bride", and Miss Beit. She was a sister of William Beit who was managing Westbrook Station on the Downs for the owner J.D.McLean. In 1862 John Donald
McLean, Arthur Hodgson [later Sir Arthur] and Charles Henry Green, William Benjamin Green's uncle, became owners of Goomburra Station, near Allora Qld.



Elizabeth Green bore eight children at Mondure - William James 1861, Thomas Ernest 1863, Charles 1865, John 1866, Mary Godfrey Elizabeth 1868, John Alexander 1870, Ellen Frances 1872 and Frederick Patterson 1874. In the mid 1870s the family
moved to adjoining Barambah Station for a time but births of Elizabeth's next two children, James Warwick 1876 and Florence Ethel 1878, were rigistered at Toowoomba. At that time Elizabeth's widowed mother was living in that town. Birth of
Elizabeth's 11th child, Adeline Sarah 1880, was registered at Nanango Qld.



It appears that at some time in the 1880s Elizabeth chose to leave Station life to settle her family at Toowoomba. There is evidence that she was living there in 1886 when her husband entered Dunwich Benevolent Asylum. She was 46 years of age
and was left looking after seven children aged between 18 years and 6 years. Then there is evidence also that the family was living at Milton, Brisbane during the 1890s, but for how long is difficult to determine.



Four daughters and two sons were living at home when William Benjamin re-entered Dunwich in 1893 [he had been living alone at Charleville/Tambo]. He had brief leaves of absence from Dunwich in 1895, 1898 and 1900, probably to revisit Elizabeth
and family at Milton. Three of the family had weddings at adjoining Toowong in 1893 [Mary], 1895 [Ellen] and 1896 [Charles]. Also, son Ernest wrote in his Memoirs that in about 1899 or 1900 he and his wife and baby daughter "came back to my
mother in Brisbane".



William Benjamin Green died at Dunwich in July 1901 and was reburied at Toowong in December of that year. Perhaps, therefore, it was some time after this that Elizabeth moved back to Toowoomba where she lived with her mother at corner of
Russell and West Streets until her death on 25 October 1905 at age 65 years, just 13 days after her mother had passed away at age 87 years.







Elizabeth Green is buried at Toowong cemetery at the left of her husband's plot. At his right lies the body of their eldest son William James Green. Their graves have headstones and are numbered Portion 11, Lot 518. A and B. Unfortunately the
headstone on Elizabeth's grave has been destroyed leaving her grave unmarked.



Elizabeth's mother has been recognised as one of the Darling Downs' pioneering women, having moved there in 1842 when Queensland was opened to free settlement. Elizabeth herself was two years old then, she moved on to Mondure Station after her
marriage in 1860, bore and raised 11 children and struggled without a breadwinning husband during years of his absence. She also merits recognition as a pioneer of the Darling Downs' early settlement.

Given Name: Elizabeth

Change: Date: 22 Feb 2019
Time: 16:02

Note: William Green 2 was the eldest child of William Green 1 and Harriet Forster who married at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, Middlesex, London, on 22 January 1803.

William Green 2 was born in London on 30 March 1804 and baptised at St. Martins on 3 May 1804. Record of his marriage to Mary Anne Frances Foster/Ashmead has not been found but a son was born to them at Putney, London, on 22 March 1837 and he
was baptised at St. Martins on 27 April 1837.



Mary Ann Frances Foster/Ashmead was born at Bath on 16 August 1813 but information regarding her parents' names and the names of other members of that family has not been found. After her husband died at 8 Eaton Terrace, St John's Wood, London
on 5 September 1877, Mary moved to 3 Munster Terrace, Fulham, just 23 days after the death of her husband. She later moved to Bath where in 1881 she was boarding at 7 Lambridge Place, which was the residence of Mrs Caroline Shere and her family
- daughters Ada 15, Rosa 11, a niece Jane 22 and a servant Sarah Kelly 19.



Mary died at 40 Grosvenor Street, Bath on 27 August 1889. In her Will she bequeathed all her property of every description to her "dear son William Benjamin Green of Nanango, Queensland". Executor of the Will was her "friend Eldon Watts of the
War Office, Pall Mall. Witnesses were Frances Hatchard of 3 Munster Terrace, Fulham [the same address as Mary's when she executed her Will] and H.V.Cleasby of 9 Munster Terrace, Fulham. The value of her estate was 374 pounds 8 shillings and 2
pence and Probate was granted on 8 November 1889.



Record of baptism of William and Mary's son William Benjamin Green at St Martins church on 27 April 1837 shows William 2's occupation as Tea Man and address Pall Mall. As William 2's father had also been prominently engaged in the Tea industry
it appears that son followed in father's footsteps. Searches through microfilm of London Directories have disclosed the following -



Green, Wilson and Burton, Wholesale Tea Dealers - Pigots 1827-28

William Green, Teaman to His Majesty, 120 Pall Mall - Robsons 1830-31

William Green Esq, Lodge Road, St John's Wood - Robsons 1830

William Green, Tea Dealer - Pigots 1832

William Green, Teaman to His Majesty, 120 Pall Mall - Kellys 1831-36.



There was a notable change in records of 1838, William Green's listing as a Teaman/Tea Dealer ceased.



The next record found was 1851 England Census which confirms William's birth year and place. His occupation in 1851 is recorded as Coalmerchant and at that time he, his wife Mary, son William Benjamin and 2 female servants were living at
"Victoria Road, Newington Parish, St Marys Abbots Residential District".



In June 1856 William 2 sailed from England on the Dunbar and arrived at Sydney on 27 September 1856. Accompanying him was his wife Mary, their son William Benjamin, William 2's youngest brother Charles Henry Green and his wife Caroline [nee
Stewart]. The latter two were returning to Australia after a vacation in England; William 2 and family were visiting Australia for the first time.



Besides moving to Queensland some time after embarking at Sydney, it is not known what activities William 2 and his son were engaged in during the next three years. However in 1860 William 2 and a London friend Thomas McEwen purchased the lease
of Mondure Station, a run of about 350 sqmls in the South Burnett District [refer Wilderness to Wealth] and William Benjamin and his new wife Elizabeth [nee Alford] moved on to the property to manage it.



The length of William 2 and Mary's stay in Australia is not known but William Green, Mondure, is listed in Pugh's Almanac 1863-64 as a Commissioner of the Peace and this appears again in 1868 with his address Nanango. Perhaps these listings
were for William Benjamin?



William Green 2 died at 8 Eaton Terrace, St John's Wood, Middlesex, London, on 5 September 1877. Notice of his death appeared in the Darling Downs Gazette, Toowoomba, on 7 November 1877.







William 2 had executed a Will on 8 February 1876 in which he bequeathed to his wife 'the annuity of 156 pounds per annum to which she will of course be entitled" and "everything else which may belong" to him. [the basis/source of an apparent
automatic annuity, of quite reasonable substance, merits investigation].





Executors of the Will were Alfred Taylor of Victoria Road, Kensington and Eldon Watts of Eltham and the War Office. Probate was granted on 31 October 1877 and the value of the estate was "Effects under 450 pounds, no leaseholds", which seems
modest wealth for the deceased.



Regarding Eldon Watts who was Executor of the estates of both William2 and Mary, the England Census of 1881 lists him as aged 43 years, unmarried, occupation Principal Clerk, living with his brother James Watts, 45 years, and the latter's wife
Frances M. Watts, 37 years. Also listed in that Census is the other Executor of William 2's Will, Alfred Taylor, Retired Public Servant, 70 years, married.



Witnesses to William 2's Will were A.L.Foulkes and F.F.Foulkes. The latter does not appear in the section of the 1881 Census which was searched. However A.L.Foulkes is listed therein - occupation Curate, aged 40 years, married to Nancesan
F.Foulkes, family of four sons and one daughter. William 2's Death Certificate shows A.L.Foulkes, Nephew, 17 Norfolk Road, Marylebone, as having been present at the death. Inclusion of the word "nephew" opens an avenue for further searching of
the Green family.



Searching ancestry.co.uk shows William Green born about 1804, died September 1877, Marylebone London, source BMD, which confirms information previously obtained. 1861 census shows birth 1804 London, Civil location, residing at Middlesex.
William 2 would have returned to London from Australia by that time.

Given Name: William

Occupation: Tea Dealer, Coalmerchant,Pastoralist, Gentleman.

Change: Date: 5 Oct 2018
Time: 15:06

Note: When searching for Family Tree information about the Greens commenced in 1985 word was passed down that the maiden name of William Benjamin Green's mother was Ashmead. Searching at that time and since has failed to find confirmation by way of
birth or marriage records.



Some years later a copy of William Benjamin Green's admission to Benevolent Asylum, Dunwich, on 4 November 1886 was obtained on which his mother's maiden name is recorded as Mary Ann Frances Foster. Maiden name Foster has also been found to
appear on William Benjamin's Marriage Certificate of 1860. As no confirmation of this has been found by way of birth or marriage records, these might have been mistakes by William Benjamin because his Grandmother's maiden name has been found
to have been Forster.

And there is further uncertainty as to correctness of Mary's maiden name. A Great Granddaughter, born in 1880, was Adeline Sarah Green. After she married Felix B.T Koch she named their first daughter Patricia Alford Ashmead Koch. Alford was
Adeline's Grandmother's maiden name. Was Ashmead the maiden name of Adeline's Great Grandmother?

Nevertheless, for the Green Family Tree, Foster [and sometimes Foster/Ashmead] has been adopted as Mary Ann Frances's maiden name and the correctness thereof has not been established.



Searching has failed to find record of Mary's birth. However an entry in an old birthday book, in possession of Charles Green on 'Moorabinda', reads "M.A.F.Green 16 August 1813" and this has been accepted as her birth date.



Searching has also failed to find record of Mary's marriage to William Green. However their names appear as parents on baptism record dated 27 April 1837 for their son William Benjamin Green.



1851 England Census records Mary's birth place as Bath, Somerset and her birth year as "about 1814". She was living at "7 Next 'The Ferns', Victoria Road, Newington, St Mary's Abbots" with her husband William, son William Benjamin and 2 female
servants Marianna Alfred and Marianna Muslin.



In June 1856 Mary and her husband and their son sailed from London on the Dunbar and arrived at Sydney on 27 September 1856. Before returning to England her husband, jointly with a London friend Thomas McEwan, purchased the lease of Mondure
Station in Southeast Queensland in 1860. Mary and William appear in the 1861 England Census as residing at Middlesex. More searching is necessary to acquire more detail.



Evidence of Mary's death was found in Probate records held in NSW Genealogy Society and a copy of her Will was obtained from London. It was dated 28 September 1877, her address was 3 Munster Terrace, Fulham, Middlesex, her Executor was Eldon
Watts [who had been her late husband's Executor] and she bequeathed "all my property of every description unto my dear son William Benjamin Green of Nanango, Queensland".



Mary's husband died at 8 Eaton Terrace, St. John's Wood on 5 September 1877 but Mary was not residing at that address when she executed her Will only 23 days later. Fulham is a short distance south of St. John's Wood, both on the western
outskirts of London. A copy of Probate was also obtained which recorded that Mary Anne Frances Green, formerly of 3 Munster Terrace, Fulham but late of 40 Grosvenor, Bath, Somerset, died at her home address on 27 August 1889. Probate was
granted on 8 November 1889. The value of the estate was 374 pounds, which was less than her husband's small estate of "under 450 pounds" 12 years earlier.



Examination of the England 1881 census revealed further information. Found was Mary A. Green, widow, 67 years [which confirms the assumed birth year of 1813], annuitant [she was left an annuity of 156 pounds per annum in her late husband's
Will], boarder at Walcot [Bath], born at Bath. Also found was the address of the house at which she was described as a boarder on the night of the census - 7 Lambridge Place, Walcot, Bath. The Head of the house was Caroline Shere [nee Wallis,
husband James, not present]; other occupants were the Head's two daughters Ada [15] and Rosa [11], a niece Jane Shere [22] plus a domestic servant Sarah Kelly [19].



Other evidence of Mary's death is an entry in St. Catherine's records of Deaths for the quarter ended September 1889 - Mary Anne F. Green, 77, Bath.



Referring back to Mary's Will, her Executor Eldon Watts of the War Office is listed in the 1881 census - occupation Principal Clerk, aged 43 years, unmarried, living with his brother James Watts [45 years] and the latter's wife Frances M. Watts
[37 years]. There were two witnesses to the Will, which was signed in 1877, neither of whom are listed in the section of the 1881 census that has been searched. Frances Hatchard was residing at the same address as Mary was when the Will was
signed - 3 Munster Terrace, Fulham. Mary was probably a boarder; perhaps Frances Hatchard was a boarder too? H.V. Cleasby's address was 9 Munster Terrace; perhaps he/she was a friend living nearby?



Acquisition of a Death Certificate has confirmed the date of death as 27 August 1889 and place as 40 Grosvenor, Bath. Change of residence had occurred since 1881. Present at the time of death is recorded as Mary E.Gray of the same address as
the deceased.

Age 77 at time of decease throws some doubt on the presumed year of Mary's birth.



Searching ancestry.co.uk shows Mary Anne Frances Green born about 1812, died September 1889, Bath, Somerset, source BMD 1837-1983.

Given Name: Mary Anne Frances

Change: Date: 14 Feb 2014
Time: 16:44

Note: 'Alford Family Notes' state that Thomas Alford "was born in St Audries Rectory [West Quantockshead, Somerset, England] on 16 September 1817, baptised privately on 1 October and received into church the following year. With his elder brother
[Charles Richard Alford who was later to become Lord Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong] he was taught in childhood by a governess at home and following his brother to London in due time lived in 31 Fenchurch Street with John Coles Symes and his
sister Mary Symes and attended the 'Merchant Tailors', a celebrated London Public School. His school days over Thomas bade farewell to England "never to return" and sailed to Australia". It is here therefore that we pick up Thomas Alford
Senior, being the first of the forebears of the Sellwoods to arrive in Australia.



Contrary to what is written in Alford Family Notes however, Thomas's initial venture into overseas travel did not in fact terminate in Australia but it was to America he first sailed resulting in a brief stay before returning to England. A note
he wrote in a Journal/Diary that he kept in 1858 when he was working on Pikedale Station in Queensland was that on 5 September 1837 he was "at Brockville, Upper Canada, North America". Also in that Journal/Diary he wrote that he "left England
10 May 1838". Unfortunately documentation of his journey to Australia has not been found but family descendants claim that he changed ships at South Africa and arrived in Sydney on the Hashemy on 25 January 1839. Aboard that ship was the
Boulton family with whom Thomas was to become associated through marriage.



The first that is known of him in his new country is his marriage to Elizabeth Boulton on 7 August 1839 at Paterson NSW in West Maitland Parish of the Hunter River District. A daughter was born to the couple on 9 June 1840 at Paterson and by
1841 Thomas was trading as a Merchant but his business failed and he became bankrupt. Another of his activities at that time was Secretary of Paterson Steam Boat Company.



Another note in Thomas's Pikedale Journal/Diary is that on 24 March 1842 "he arrived first at Brisbane in the Shamrock". Searching has revealed that that ship had left Sydney on 19 March carrying Governor Sir George Gipps, a party of officials
and citizens and 26 steerage passengers. The Moreton Bay/Brisbane/Queensland area had been opened for settlement and the purpose of the Governor's visit was "to view the country and determine upon the site of Government Reserves". Thomas was
apparently interested in assessing the northern settlement as a suitable location for him to set up a new business and he was convinced by his visit because the family moved to Brisbane in about July 1842. A second daughter, Mary, had been born
at Paterson on 7 May 1842 and she was baptised in Brisbane in August by the Reverend Handt.



The family quickly moved on to the Darling Downs [and was the first family with children to do so] and after a brief stay at Cambooya they settled at nearby The Springs. A township grew and Thomas named it Drayton after a village near Curry
Rivel in his home County Somerset. He opened the first store on the Downs, obtained a licence for the Downs Inn, opened the first Post Office and purchased some blocks of land. His premises also became known as an accommodation house. It is
written in 'Leichhardt The Dauntless Explorer' by Colin Roderick [page 204] that in June 1843 when Leichhardt was travelling from the NSW Central Coast to Moreton Bay he "put up at Thomas Alford's accommodation house at the head of the range
where he found it very agreeable to have a bit of comfort after the rough life in the bush".



Unfortunately Thomas's Drayton operations failed, as did a short-lived carrying business between Drayton and Ipswich and he was bankrupt again in 1851. At that time the family [three children were born at Drayton] moved to a district nearby
which was known as The Swamp where Thomas set up a home and a store to service travellers between Brisbane and the Darling Downs. Mrs Alford called her home Toowoomba and in later years that was officially adopted as the name of the township
that grew there. A religious service was held in the Alfords' home, Toowoomba, by the Reverend Benjamin Glennie in 1852 and the Alfords' third son, Henry King Alford, born 22 July 1852 was the first male child baptised at Toowoomba.











Between September 1852 and January 1853 Thomas made two trips to the Bingara goldfields in Northern NSW in attempts to generate income but on neither occasion was anything gained. Diaries recording details of both those expeditions are still
in existence and recount the considerable difficulties experienced. Then in 1854, as the venture at Toowoomba had not succeeded, apparently not being suitably located for full use by the travelling dray teams, Thomas moved his family to
Brisbane where he conducted a business as commission agent and horse salesman in premises on the corner of Albert and Queen Streets. Unfortunately that business also failed and Thomas was bankrupted again in 1856. Twin sons were born in
Brisbane.



1858 saw him working at Pikedale Station, south west of Warwick, where he was manager of the many shepherds who attended the livestock on that Station. His Pikedale Journal/Diary, which has been preserved, contains a record of his daily
activities from the date of his arrival at his house at the 15 Mile, 17 March 1858, to 31 December of that year.



Back in Toowoomba in 1859, Thomas resumed auctioneering activities, first at Argyle Showrooms and yards on the corner of Ruthven and Margaret Streets, later on land he purchased in Russell Street and on which he built yards and a wool room. The
business developed successfully after 20 previous years of struggling.



Having been engaged in wool and livestock activities for some years, Thomas shared the view of some leading squatters and pastoralists on the Darling Downs that "annual competitions could improve the breed of stock". A public meeting was called
for 29 July 1861 at Toowoomba at which an association was formed with a view to developing the concept. Trustees, a Committee and a Treasurer were elected and Thomas Alford Senior was appointed Secretary. That association became the Royal
Agricultural Society of Queensland.



Thomas died at Toowoomba on 31 January 1864 aged only 46 years. He is buried at Toowoomba/Drayton cemetery; alongside is the grave of his wife Elizabeth who died in 1905. Also fenced in on the large family plot are the graves of Elizabeth's
parents and other Boultons and Alfords.



Thomas Alford's contributions to the pioneering of Australia are documented in a book filed at Queensland State Library and Mitchell Library in Sydney - Thomas Alford 1838 to 1864 - by R.D.C.Alford. A small park - Alford Place - in the
central business area of Toowoomba is named after Thomas. There is also an Alford Street in Toowoomba.



Record of Thomas's name can also be found on Internet - www.cyndislist.com - "Fifty Years in Queensland, Some Queenslanders in Bygone Days - Thomas Alford Senior, Arrived Darling Downs 1842".



He is also listed on the Welcome Wall at Darling Harbour, Sydney - Panel Number 4, Column Number 2, Line Number 106.

Given Name: Thomas

Occupation: Storekeeper, Commission Agent, Auctioneer.

Change: Date: 30 Mar 2019
Time: 11:55

Note: The Boulton family arrived in Sydney on the Hashemy on 25 January 1839 and settled at Paterson in the Hunter River District of NSW. Elizabeth was the eldest of 10 children born to George and Elizabeth [nee Staples]. She was born at Redditch,
Worcestershire, England on 17 November 1817.



On 7 August 1839 Elizabeth married Thomas Alford Senior at Paterson, West Maitland Parish in the Hunter District of NSW. Two daughters were born at Paterson - Elizabeth on 9 June 1840 and Mary on 7 May 1842 - and the family left Paterson and
sailed to Moreton Bay in July/August 1842. After Mary was christened there by Reverend Handt, the family moved to the Cambooya district on the Darling Downs and Elizabeth was one of the first three white women to move on to the Downs and her
two daughters were recognised as the first white children to settle there.



After a brief stay at Cambooya the family settled at The Springs where a township grew and Thomas Alford named it Drayton. Children Thomas, Frances and Charles George were born at that settlement, then followed a move in about 1851 to another
virgin district close by which was known as The Swamp. There Elizabeth named her home Toowoomba, which name in later years was officially adopted for the town which grew there. Son Henry King Alford was born and christened at Toowoomba, the
first white male child to be so recorded.



Elizabeth's next move was to Brisbane in 1854 where twin sons Richard Symes Alford and William Boulton Alford were born, then to Pikedale Station in 1858 and finally back to Toowoomba in 1859.



Resettling in Toowoomba, Elizabeth's husband Thomas commenced an auctioneering business and, this proving successful, no more family moves were undertaken.

However after a period of only five years, Elizabeth was left widowed; her husband died suddenly on 9 January 1864 aged only 46 years, leaving five children between the ages of 17 years and 9 years for her to raise[ eldest daughters Elizabeth
and Mary had both married in 1860 and 1861 and Thomas Junior, being 19 years of age, was away working; he spent about six years in the 1860s at Mondure Station which his brother-in-law William Benjamin Green was managing].



Elizabeth lived in the family home at the corner of Russell and West Streets, Toowoomba until her death on 12 October 1905, aged 88 years. Her daughter Elizabeth Green [nee Alford], who was also living there and had been for several years, died
13 days later aged 65 years.



Elizabeth is buried in the Toowoomba/Drayton cemetery alongside her husband Thomas. Several other Alfords and Boultons lie in the same family plot.



Elizabeth's very early settlement on the Darling Downs has been recognised as having some historical significence. Her name can be found on Internet - WWW.cyndislist.com - "Fifty Years in Queensland, Some Queenslanders of Bygone Days - Mrs.
Thomas Alford - One of the earliest residents of the Darling Downs - August 1842 - who named Toowoomba".



George Boulton and Family are listed on the Welcome Wall, Darling Harbour, Sydney -

Panel 30 - Column 1 - Line 143

Elizabeth Boulton is listed on Line 144.

Given Name: Elizabeth

Change: Date: 30 Mar 2019
Time: 12:00

Note: The eldest child of William Benjamin and Elizabeth Green.Born on 7 November 1861 at Mondure Station in the South Burnett District of Queensland, William James [Willie] Green lived his whole life on the land. When the family moved from Mondure
to adjoining Barambah in the mid 1870s, Willie was a fully fledged stockman of the tender age of about 16 years. It is recorded in Wilderness to Wealth by J.E.Murphy and E.W.Easton that ".....a bangtail muster at Barambah produced what was
perhaps the finest coterie of stockriders ever gathered together at one time in the South Burnett. There were Willie, Ernest and Charles Green, Con Powell, Jack Kendall, Jack Walters, Barambah Paddy and Billy Barlow, black boys, and peerless
Bob Sexton....."



The Green family seems to have moved to Toowoomba in the late 1870s [children were born there in 1876 and 1878] and Willie Green went west. He returned for a brief visit in about 1885 then took off again taking his brother Ernest with him.
They worked briefly at Mount Marlow Station [northeast of Windorah], then Warnambool Downs [south of Winton] from which they drove 250 fat bullocks to Bourke NSW [over 900km south] and trucked them to Sydney saleyards. After returning to
Warnambool Downs Willie moved to Lake Nash Station [over the border, southwest of Mt Isa], then in 1893 he was at Fort Constantine Station [near Cloncurry]. That same year he took up management of Ardoch Station, a run of 714 sqmls between
Quilpie and Thargominda. Ardoch had been taken over by the QN Bank from William Sly and Willie managed that run for the Bank [there are separate writings about Ardoch].



On 18 November 1895, at Roma Qld, Willie married Angelina Taylor Pope [born at Blythdale, Roma, 3 October 1866, parents Richard Pope and Mary Murray who married in 1864]. William Richard Green was born at Roma on 31 May 1897. A second son,
Richard Benjamin, was born at Roma on 21 March 1901 but died at birth. Angelina died the next day, 22 March 1901.



Willie's second marriage was on 9 April 1902 to Charlotte [Lottie] Harriett Smith [born 1 August 1872 in Queensland, parents Alexander Hammond Smith and Mary Ann Marian Hooper who had married in 1865]. The church register records that the
marriage was conducted at the home of the bride at Miles Qld. William James Green was listed as Widower, born at Mondure, occupation Station Manager, age 41, residing at Ardoch, Thargominda, parents William Benjamin Green, Station Owner, and
Elizabeth Alford. Charlotte Harriett Smith was listed as Spinster, born at Coondame [?], Burnett Qld, no occupation, age 29, residing at Miles, parents Alexander Hammond Smith, Clerk of Divisional Court [?] and Mary Edith Hooper. The record of
marriage is not signed by William James Green. Where his signature should appear is written "Lottie Smith". Underneath is the signature of the bride. Witnesses were A.H.Smith [father of the bride] and George Mundell [unknown]. The Officiating
Minister was W. Maitland Woods.



Willie Green left Ardoch in 1906 to manage Maryvale [Merivale] Station, north of Mitchell. In 1912 he registered a cattle brand in his name for use on "Merivale, via Mitchell". There are separate writings about many brands which were registered
by Alfords and Greens and many others from 1872 to 2000. Willie returned to the Ardoch district, probably before 1920, and purchased and settled on Ingeberry Station, about the northern boundary of Ardoch, near Toompine. While at Ingeberry he
purchased a run to the east of Toompine which was known as Saltbush Downs. It comprised about 45000 acres and the purchase was made for the benefit of sons George and Les. George stayed on Saltbush Downs, eventually purchased it, married and
raised a son. However Les joined his parents when they sold Ingeberry and moved to Monamby Station, about 70 miles west of Charleville on Quilberry Creek, a tributary of the Paroo.



A search at Queensland Archives disclosed that Monamby was purchased in the name of Charlotte Harriett Green. Correspondence on the Archives file shows that a transfer of Monamby from the Commissioner of Trade to George Alexander Sevil and
dated 16 December 1927 "had not been finalised" because Sevil "did not intend to go on to the run". Then follows a letter from solicitors Cannon and Peterson stating that Sevil had "sold Monamby to Charlotte Harriett Green, wife of William
James Green, for 1476 pounds 14 shillings and 8 pence, subject to a mortgage for 6023 pounds 5 shillings and 4 pence in favour of the Commissioner of Trade".



The file thereafter continued to record Charlotte as owner of the leasehold and in the 1940s Reginald Warwick Green was being referred to in correspondence as Manager. There are more separate writings about Monamby.



Willie remained on Monamby until his death in Brisbane on 24 September 1932. He is buried at Toowong cemetery, his grave adjoining those of his parents. Lottie died in Brisbane in 1947. A lifetime on the land commencing during the pioneering of
Western Queensland merited Willie being registered in 1995 as an Unsung Hero of the Outback at the Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach Qld, one of five Green brothers to be so recognised.

Some writings about him have been supplied to The Kilkivan and District Historical Society Inc.



Children born to Willie and Charlotte were -



George Ernest Green, born 10 June 1903 at Charleville. He married Clara Jane Elizabeth Crowe on 27 August 1927. The ceremony was conducted at the bride's parents' home on Glenvalley Station, which adjoined Saltbush Downs where George lived.
They had one child, Kenneth George, born 28 June 1928 at Quilpie, who has written his Memoirs about his and his father's lifetimes. George Green died on 14 March 1969 at Brisbane and Clara died on 21 January 1996 at Mackay Qld.



Norman Leslie [Les] Green, born 23 October 1905 at Roma. He married Elizabeth Ellen [Nell] Richardson on 1 August 1933 at Quilpie; their only child was a daughter June Margaret Green, born 21 June 1935 at Quilpie. Les lived at Maryvale and
Ingeberry, then Monamby and in 1936 he and his brother Reg purchased an adjoining run, Dempsey. Les died on 30 October 1936 at Bundaberg. His wife died at Brisbane on 14 April 1968



Reginald Warwick Green, born 26 September 1910 at Roma. He married Lyla Lottie Heinemann on 6 June 1932 at Cooladdi Qld; their only child was Reginald Warwick [known as Warwick], born 10 March 1934 at Charleville. Reg died at Redcliffe on 27
September 1986. Lyla died a few years later.



The only surviving child to Willie and Angelina Pope was William Richard Green, born 21 March 1907 at Roma. On 26 April 1920 at Toowoomba he married Nelle Thomas [born 27 November 1900 at Scone NSW, parents William A Thomas and Emma Bonner who
had married in NSW in 1889]. It appears this relationship was not accepted by his parents and William Richard left the family circle, never to return. He made his own life, always on the land, and died at Buderim on 18 December 1973. His wife
died at Brisbane on 4 May 1984. Children born to this couple were Joanne Helena, born 29 March 1921 at Toowoomba and Robert Lawrence, born 17 March 1926 at Winton.



Allan Warwick [Mick] Green, a son of Willie Green's brother James Warwick Green, knew Willie quite well and he has written -

"I often met Uncle Willie when we were out in the west and also when I was at Brisbane Boys College. He owned a couple of sheep properties near Quilpie and two of his sons, Les and Reg, owned a property near Cooladdi [between Quilpie and
Charleville] called Dempsey. Uncle Willie's main property was called Ingeberry. He always wore one of those white helmets that a lot of British forces used to wear when serving in India because they were cool to wear. I also remember meeting
him at Corones Hotel in Quilpie when Dudley, Esther [my brother and sister] and I stayed the night there on our trips back and forth between school and Springfield Station at holiday time. I remember he used to sprinkle water on the sheets of
his bed on the very hot nights out west where the temperature often went up to 125 degrees F.

Dudley and I stayed at BBC during the Easter and Michaelmas holidays [as they were in my time] because they were only a week's duration and it was too far to go all the way out to Springfield [northwest of Quilpie]. Uncle Willie used to call at
the school with his car and take us for a day's outing, which was very good of him".



Newspaper death notice -

The death occurred yesterday of Mr William James Green of Monamby Station, Quilpie district. ....he was the eldest son of the late William Benjamin Green of Mondure Station, Burnett district. The family is one of the most widely known in the
Burnett district engaged in pastoral pursuits

The late Mr W.J.Green was a good horseman and an excellent judge of cattle......

Given Name: William James [Willie]

Occupation: Station Manager.

Change: Date: 20 Aug 2019
Time: 11:33

Note: Died one day after the birth and death of her second son Richard Benjamin Green.

Given Name: Angelina Taylor

Change: Date: 1 Jan 2019
Time: 12:29

Note: Besides daughter Angelina Taylor Pope, other children were



Janet born 12 February 1865

Samuel Richard born 12 September 1868

Mary born 14 August 1870

Maria born 17 May 1872

Alexander Murray born 2 July 1874,

Given Name: Richard

Change: Date: 4 Jun 2018
Time: 12:20

Given Name: Mary

Change: Date: 20 Nov 1999

Given Name: Richard Benjamin

Change: Date: 30 Oct 1998

Given Name: William Richard

Change: Date: 11 Sep 1998

Given Name: Nellie

Change: Date: 11 Feb 1999

Note: William James Green's first wife, Angelina Taylor Pope, died in 1901leaving a son William Richard aged less than 4 years. A year later and while still managing Ardoch Station William James Green married Charlotte Harriet Smith. Birth of her
first son George Ernest was registered at Charleville; births of her next 2 sons Norman Leslie and Reginald Warwick were registered at Roma, near Blythwaite ,where apparently her parents were living.



After living at Ardoch then at Maryvale north of Mitchell, the family settled on Ingeberry Station on the Bulloo River. Charlotte had "companion help" there from a young Josephine Pollard, her cousin. Leaving Ingeberry in 1927/8, the family
[except William Richard who had left the family and George Ernest who had settled on Saltbush Downs] moved on to Monamby Station, about 70 miles west of Charleville on Quilberry Creek. Monamby was purchased in Charlotte's name.



The following information was written by Herb King in the 1980s. His father had taken up 'Rubyvale', also on Quilberry Creek, in 1910.



Bobby Cameron first settled on Monamby in 1913. His two sons and one daughter each had a block. They weren't there long when they sold to the State, probably at a good profit.



Pastoral Inspector McGoogan was very impressed with the lagoons. There were also 2 big holes in Quilberry Creek, one mile and eight mile. The latter is now very silted up. There was a grave about the eight mile where there was a big bush
sheepyard. Probably a shepherd who died on the job. These same lagoons proved death traps in the 1918 drought. The 2500 cattle dwindled to 800.



The State sold Monamby to Mr Seville and sacked McGoogan. I don't know when Seville sold to the Greens [1927/8] but Mr Green had long admired the country along Quilberry Creek and probably wanted to get a little closer to civilisation so when
the opportunity arose he purchased Monamby, moving in from Ingeberry on the Bulloo.



Cattle were replaced by sheep as the selections were dognetted, this being a condition of lease, selections to be dognetted within three years. Earlier shepherds had to shepherd their flocks against dingoes. The early Monamby woolshed had 50
stands and quarters to match. A bore was put down for the scour and wool was brought in from Bierbank Station, Cheepie. The bore went down crooked for some reason and there were two earth tanks either side, sunk by bullock team, to take the
flow.......



The old Monamby homestead was very large and built on Quilberry Creek. It was at ground level and overhung with vines and was flooded on numerous occasions. Mosquitos and snakes were always a worry. During the 1950s when good seasons, good
prices and reasonable taxation coincided, Reg Green built the new Monamby homestead out of flood level but still within the vista of creek flats.



The rest of Herb King's story is incorporated in Notes for Norman Leslie Green and Reginald Warwick Green



Charlotte Harriet Green died in Brisbane on 28 March 1953. Records show her name as Harriett Charlotte Green.

Given Name: Charlotte Harriet

Change: Date: 8 Jun 2006

Note: Besides daughter Harriett Charlotte Smith other children were-



Mabel born 24 August 1869

Mary Florence born 25 December 1870

Emilie Constance born 5 January 1875

Violet May born 2 May 1883

Alexander Charlton born 27 November 1885.



The railway line west of Charleville was completed in 1917 and Quilpie became a town. In describing the early establishment days Vince Challenor wrote The Tough Old Goat - Life and Times at Quilpie [ISBN O 646 34185 5]. In it he listed names of
some of the early businessmen, tradesmen etc in that town, among whom was Alex Smith, Pound Keeper.



Harriett Charlotte Smith [Charlotte Harriet], married to William James Green, was at Ardoch, Maryvale, Ingeberry and Monamby Stations, all in the Far Southwestern area not so very far from Quilpie. Perhaps Alex Smith, Pound Keeper, was her
brother Alexander Charlton Smith.

Given Name: Alexander Hammond

Change: Date: 23 Sep 2004

Note: Also spelt Marion.

Given Name: Marian Edith

Change: Date: 8 Jun 2006

Note: Information about George Ernest Green's lifetime has been taken from Reminiscences written by his son Kenneth George Green in 1997.



George Green was born on 10 June 1903 while his father, William James Green, was managing Ardoch Station, near Toompine in Far Southwest Queensland. He was the first child of his father's second wife, Harriet Charlotte Smith.



William James Green left Ardoch in about 1906 and moved on to managing Maryvale [Merivale] Station, north of Mitchell. Some time in the 1910s he purchased and settled on Ingeberry Station, west of Toompine, where George and his brothers were
raised. First schooling was by Governesses, then George attended College in Brisbane.



Ken Green has written that in about the early 1920s William James Green purchased Saltbush Downs, east of Toompine, mainly for the benefit of his sons George and Les. It appears however that only George settled on it and he later purchased it
from his father. Les apparently stayed with his parents. Saltbush Downs comprised about 45000 acres, some rough sheep yards and a small hut to live in, no power, no phone.



In 1927 George Green married Clara Jane Elizabeth Crowe, daughter of George Crowe who owned Glenvalley on Saltbush Downs' northern boundary. Hard work for the next 10 years resulted in better living accommodation, improved fencing, new sheep
yards and wool shed and survival during good and bad seasons. Intersperced, the family had a brief holiday in Sydney.



George Crowe died in 1937 and settlement of his estate saw George and Clara Green owning Glenvalley in addition to their Saltbush Downs. Hard work continued for another 10 years then George purchased Prairie, adjoining Saltbush Downs' southern
boundary, for his son Kenneth George [then aged 19 years]. Ken took that run over 2 years later.



Some financial records still in Ken's hands show that during the 1940s wool was selling at about one shilling per pound but in 1951/52 the price had risen to about 6 shillings. This substantial change in fortune enabled George to put a Manager
on his 2 Stations and retire to a home in Wavell Heights, Brisbane.



In 1954/55 George sold Glenvalley, bought a property called Uralla, near Meandarra Qld, then swapped it for a property - Glengarry, Tara Qld, 36 miles distant - that son Ken had purchased in 1953, having sold his Prairie.



In 1959 George Green had a severe heart attack and as a result of complications he had a leg amputated. Keeping control over Saltbush Downs, such a distance from Wavell Heights, became too onerous to continue so it was sold a short time later
after over 35 years ownership. Glengarry was sold in 1965 and George Green died in 1969.



Ken Green's Reminiscences contain many interesting stories about his father's interesting lifetime.

Given Name: George Ernest

Occupation: Pastoralist.

Change: Date: 4 Oct 2020
Time: 13:50

Note: Death and funeral notice -

Reginald Warwick Green of Ernest Street, Woody Point, late of Charleville, passed away at Peninsula Private Hospital 27 September 1986, husband of Lyla, father of Warwick, Grandad of Vanessa and Harvey, funeral at Albany Creek Crematorium.

Given Name: Reginald Warwick

Occupation: Station Owner.

Change: Date: 20 Aug 2019
Time: 11:52

Given Name: Debbie

Change: Date: 14 May 2013

Given Name: Clara Jane Elizabeth

Change: Date: 28 Oct 2018
Time: 16:28