SIXTY YEARS IN QUEENSLAND.

MEMORABLE PIONEERS.

By J. T. S. Bird.

No. 53. JOSIAH JAGGARD.

A genuine townsman for more than 63 years of his adult life, Josiah Jag-gard, of Kent-street, Rockhampton probably holds a unique record. Day by Day he has seen the Central Queens-land capital slowly emerge from a mere village to be a city of importance with its trade and commerce steadily ad-vancing. He can walk the streets and admire the fine buildings and hand-

some shops that are taking the place of mere makeshift wooden structures. The lovely wide straight streets, stretching away at right angles for one or two miles, are unsurpassed in the State for comfort and cleanliness. There is no need there to cut away corners and open thoroughfares at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Just imagine what the Greater Brisbane Council would give if it were possible to exchange Queen-street for East-street as a thoroughfare. In spite of all the money spent on it the chief street of the capital remains dusty and dangerous through its heterogeneous and crowded traffic. And yet how few of the inhabitants of Rockhampton really appreciate the ad-vantage they possess. Mr. Jaggard has indeed watched some marvellous changes during his constant

residence of over six decades. And as he is still hale and hearty, despite his 87 years, be is likely to witness still more advancement if the writer's information is not very much astray. Mr Jaggard has not sought prominence by aspiring to public positions, but none the less the welfare of the city has ever been his keenest desire. A quiet self-contained man, in his younger days he made duty his password and pushed forward doing his business faithfully and leaving the affairs of others severely alone. BACK TO EARLY LIFE. Josiah Jaggard was born at Walsham, I2 miles from Bury St. Edmunds, Suf-folk. England, early in 1838, which makes him a few months younger than Captain Sykes. He was educated at a private local school. His father was a tenant farmer under Lady Lloyd's sway.. Mr. Jaggard's grandfather was one of those who formed a volunteer army mainly to watch and resist Napoleon Bonaparte who in the zenith of his glory frequently threatened to make a descent on the tight little island, and make its inhabitants suffer. Hap-pily the British Navy, under command of Lord Nelson, was well informed of Napoleon's movements, and safeguarded the English coast opposite to France. Then came the route of the enemy at Trafalgar, and Napoleon's 100,000 veterans encamped at Boulogne did not have the chance of crossing the Chan-nel to England. Napoleon wisely at-tacked the Germans instead, and at Jera. in 1806, North Germany was at Napoleon's feet. Mr. Jaggard has a good memory, and he recollects the disastrous Irish po-tato famine of the early forties, and all the important happenings up to the Crimean War. About that period the Wesleyan Re-form Movememt occurred, which ended in a big secession of some 30,000 fol-lowers. All this pother was not a question of Faith or Belief, but of Church Government. He remembers Jennie Lind, the Swe-dish, Nightingale, afterwards Madame Goldsmidt, who charmed the world with her marvellous singing. OFF TO AUSTRALIA. It was in 1854, when 18 years of age, that Jaggard Induced his parents to allow him to depart for Australia, the new land of gold and opportunity, which was attracting thousands. His father saw him off at the Finningham railway station, while William Jag-

gard, a cousin, afterwards a member of the Bury Town Council, accom-panied him to London. They visited that wonderful resort, the Crystal Palace and Gardens, and other places of note. Later the youthful emigrant pro-ceeded by train to Liverpool and at Birkenhead boarded the ship John and Lucy, which had been chartered to take emigrants to Sydney. The voyage out was unimportant and Jaggard in due course arrived safely at his desti-nation. He found employment in and around Sydney, and evidently the alluring goldfields failed to draw him so far afield. A VERITABLE MIRACLE. Mr. Jaggard was in Sydney at the time of the wreck of the immigrant ship Dunbar in 1857. The sad story has been told by the writer more than once, but it was so extraordinary in some respects that it will bear re-peating. This weIl-known ship was wrecked in heavy weather during the night, through the captain mistaking the Gap for the entrance to the harbour. Though the Dunbar was expected, the first knowledge of the misfortune was a lot of wreckage floating up the har-bour early in the morning. The heavy gale that had been blowing naturally caused people to surmise a disaster had occurred, and quite a number flocked off to the South Head, where a lot of wreckage was still is evidence. Every person was watching to see if there were any signs of life about or any dead bodies. At length someone spied what looked like a body on a ledge of the almost perpendicular rocks, about 200 ft from the top of the cliff. The more they looked the more people were satisfied it might be a human being and perhaps alive. How to get the man up was the problem, but at length it was solved by someone undertaking to descend at the end of a rope and ascertain. This was probably a sailor, but no one seems to have though it worth while to preserve his name, though it was un-doubtedly one of the most brave and intrepid feats ever performed. At length the necessary rope was obtained and the daring man let down the face of the rock to the place the body was ly-ing on. It was a man all right, and what was better he was still alive. The rescuer made the man secure to the end of the rope and gave the signal to 'haulaway.' He was pulled success-fully to the top, and then, presumably the gallant fellow who had risked his

life in such a perilous undertaking was also hauled up. Now comes the extraordinary part of the story. The Dunbar struck the rocks with such force that she began to break up at once, and passengers, sailors and all kinds of wreckage were being dashed about and against the rocks, the human beings were either dashed to pieces and killed or they were drowned. One enormous wave carried Johnson — for that was the saved man's name right up the face of the rocks and deposited him safely on a narrow ledge in the rocks ! No subsequent wave ever came so high or it might easily have washed Johnson off. It was marvellous, and to most people will appear a special act of Providence to save the man. It was said that Johnson was on the ledge for thirty hours, and the poor fel-low fully alive to his dreadful predica-ment, thought of ending his misery by throwing himself into the sea. For tunately he did not do so and was thus saved as stated. The Government found Johnson employment in the Cus-toms Department, and be was one of those sent to Rockhampton with Mr W. J. Brown. Sub-Collector in 1858. Johnson died in April, 1915, aged seventy-eight years. The story of the wreck of the Dun-tar was told to the writer first in 1863, by the late Mr. R. E. Lyons, who as a lad of sixteen was attracted to the Heads in consequence of the wreckage floating up the harbour. Mr. Jaggard. who apparently was also on the spot, gives no further particulars except that Johnson was supposed to die in New castle whither be had gone from Rock hampton. ln Rockhampton Johnson was employed as one of the Govern-ment's boat crew. TRADERS OF THOSE DAYS. With the exception of the mail steamers of the P. and O. Company. and the Great Britain, an anxilary steamer, most of the trading between Britain and Australia was carried out by clipper ships. These vessels, mostly of 1000 or 2000 tons, were built for speed with sharp bows and they used to make speedy voyages on occasion Tha return was usually round Cape Horn, though sometimes they went to China or the East Indies for cargo. These vessells were advertised as "fast-sailing clipper ships". Mr. Jaggard re-members the nmaes of some of them : Maid of Judah, Rifleman, Vimiera, Damascus, and Ninevah. He also re-members the mail steamer Bombay.

There was in Sydney about this time a Dutch galiot, a verv ancient looking craft, built on the lines or a reduced model of The Ark, for which reason, apparently, it is remembered. ATTRACTED TO ROCKHAMPTON Recognising the sound advice, 'it is not good for man to be alone,' Mr Jaggard in December, 1860, was married to Miss McCaffney by the Rev. Mr Reid a Presbyterian minister, and father of Sir George H. Reid, the eminent barris-ter and politician, who was for a con-siderable period premier of New South Wales, and Prime Minister of the Com-monwealth. Then he was appointed High Commissioner for Australia in England, and subsequently entered the British House of Commons. Soon after his marriage Mr. Jaggard turned his attention to the progress be-ing made in the Rockhampton district and early in 1861 the newly-wedded couple left for the rising town on the Fitzroy by the steamer Eagle, which took so many of the oldtimers in the same direction. At that time Calliungal Station was one of the most important in the dis-trict, and the late Captain "Bobby Towns, and Co, held a controlling in-terest in it. The manager was Hugh Robinson, assisted by E. G. Woods. who looked after the cattle department. On this station Jaggard secured a pos-tion as storekeeper and bookkeeper, and being on the road to the West there was a fair amount of traffic, travellers constantly needing provisions. Those well-known colonists of that period, Messers. Sellheim and Toussaiet were preparing to take up and occupy a new station on the Burdekin River, most of the country in that direction being then unallotted. WILLS OF CULLIN-LA-RINGO About the end of September or early in October of that year (1861) the Wills party, numbering about thirty, and con-sisting of men, women, and children, as well as sheep, horses and all the neces-saries for starting a station, called at Calliungal. The party was travelling to-wards Cullin-la-ringo, in tbe Springsure district, where Mr. Wills had secured a large area for sheep-breeding. The party were all well and in great hopes of soon having a nice home. Mr Wills and his followers were sped on their journey with every good wish. But alas the next news heard of them was that soon after arrival all had been slaughtered by the treacherous blacks. The greatest horror was felt at

Calliungal, where such a short time previously, all had seemed so happy and hopeful. That sad story has already been told in some detail, and it need only be re-peated that nineteen were ruthlessly slaughtered, and that six escaped, three being away at a neighbouring station, and three were overlooked. Needless to say men from the neighbouring sta-tions with the Native Police. terribly avenged the outrage. SETTLED IN ROCKHAMPTON. Early in 1862 having spent about a year at Calliungal, Jaggard returned to Rockhampton and obtained employment in the Customs Department, then in charge of the late William John Brown Mr. Jaggard adds his testimony to that of others as to the popularity and worth, and general high esteem held for that gentleman by the community at large. After his sudden death at Emu Park, a marble slab was erected to the memory of Mr Brown in the Presbyterian Church, of which he was an honoured member. A DISASTROUS FIRE. Few things are so discouraging in a small community trying to make head way, as to get a set-bark through a big fire. This happened to Rockhamp ton in August. 1882, the year in which Jaggard entered the Customs service. The temporary Custom House at the time was a four-roomed wooden build ing and an iron store, which was used as a bonded warehouse. There was also a tailor's shop and dwelling house owned by Henry Pros--sen. The 'Bulletin' office was next; that paper having been started about thirteen months earlier. John Ruther-ford's chemist shop was at the corner, and it was also used as a temporary post-office. This position was from where the Bank of New South Wales is, down to the Custom House. The fire swept away the Customs buildings, Prosser's tailor's shop and cottage; the 'Bulletin' office; and slightly damaged the corner premises. The ' Bulletin ' plant was also de-stroyed, and of course caused a tempor-ary stoppage to the issue of the paper. G. H. Buzzacott, a brother of the pro-prietor, and William Davis, the fore-man, started at once for Sydney, ob-tained a new plant, returned, and the "Bulletin" like the fabled Phoenix, sprang life again after a break of three weeks, and has continued with out interruption ever since. The pre-mises secured for the new office was a

portion of Richmond House. There the paper was printed and jobbing carried on till the new two-storied premises were built in Denham-street, such pre-mises now being a portion of James Stewart and Co's emporium. Mr. Feez. one of the chief merchants, gave the Sub-Collector such temporary accommodation as he could afford for the goods salvaged from the fire until other premises could be secured. What is now the Belle Vue Hotel was secured, and the cellars and ground floor used for Customs purposes, until a new Cus-tom House and Bonded Warehouse were erected. Meanwhile temporary offices were built on the land at the back of the premises destroyed, between Quay-lan and East-street, Henry Prosser, too, put up a new shop, and in a few months the damage done by the fire was practically over-come as far as the public was concerned. EARLY SHIPPING. The first immigrant ship from Eng-land was the Persia, which put into Gladstone Harbour, then known as the Port Curtis Harbour. She brought 454 immigrants, most of whom were after-wards sent to Rockhampton by the steamer Eagle. Next came the Eutopia, which an-chored off Sea Hill, November 6, 1862 She had 324 immigrants. The Beejapore was the next. She anchored in Keppel Bay June 25, 1863, bringing over 700 immigrants. She arrived in ninety-one days from Queens-town, Ireland, a very fine passage. The Hannah More should have been the second ship in Keppel Bay, but she had an unlucky time from the start and had to put into Moreton Bay for provisions, and most of her immigrants, 420, were sent to Rockhampton. Then followed the Saldanha, Rock-hampton, Bayswater, &c, in fairly quick succession. The first vessels from Britain to come direct to the Rockhampton wharves were the Jolly, Prospero, and Wood-bine. ADVANCE IN POSITION. In the sixties the salaries paid to the Customs employees were low, but Mr. Jaggard received such increases as were available, with permission to live upon the premises. Promotion came about fifty years ago when he was appointed Locker in charge of His Majesty's Bonded Warehouse. At that period the building was that at present used as an engineering workshop by Messrs. W. Breckels and Co. Later Jaggard was transferred to the

new Bonded Warehouse erected by Messers. Walter Reid and Co. Limited. "In these positions" says Mr. Jaggard, "I was not popular, the hospitalities being considered too restricted". Prob-ably this is a mistaken idea, for there are comparatively few who blame a man for doing his duty as he see it, particularly in safeguarding property placed in his charge. THE STARRY HEAVENS. Mr. Jaggard's life though neither exciting nor adventourous, has had its amusements and pleasures as well as its joys and sorrows. Without claiming to be an astronomer in the usual acceptation of the term, he has always taken great interest in that wonderful science. When his eldest son was alive and at home they used to devote what spare time was available to the study of the engrossing subject. Being pos-sessed of a good telescope they were able to survey the heavenly bodies at their leisure. To those with an in-clination that way the study of the stars in their courses is of absorbing and never-ending interest. Young in his 'Night Thoughts ' says: — "An undevout astronomer is mad" Mr. Jaggard retired from the Customs service under the age limit in 1903, after a faithful service of forty-one years. MOSTLY FAMILY AFFAIRS Josiah Jaggard had a family of six, four sons and two daughters. His wife has been dead several years. The eldest son William N. Jaggard, was born in 1862 at Calliungal Station but all the others were born in Rock-hampton. Quite early in life William Jaggard was at school when Mr. Bar-foot was the head teacher, and that venerable scholar is believed to be still alive, and residing at Sandgate. Young Jaggard developed more than usual scholastic ability and as he progressed had a great wish to take a University course. Unfortunately the facilites for acquiring a secondary education were not like those of to-day, and as hls father's circumstances did not per-mit him to risk the expense, Willie be-came a teacher in the Central Boys School. He passed his exams with facility and, when quite young was ap-pointed head master at the Alpha school, where some of his scholars were bigger than himself. There he met Miss Maud Markwell, daughter of Mr. R. A. Markwell, and later married her. He was promoted to the Pink Lily SchooI, Rockhampton, and later was again promoted to the Crescent Lagoon School. That was in 1903 and he remained there for 11 years. The situation of the school did not appear to suit him and in June 1914 the clever and popular Willie Jaggard died, leaving a widow and one daughter. Mrs. Jaggard and her daught-ter subsequently left tor Brisbane. where the daughter married Mr. Fos-ter. The eldest daughter Alice was born in 1864 and married Mr Herbert Rath-bone builder and contractor. After a few years they left for New Zealand. where some years subsequently both fahetr and mother died, Ieaving six children, two of whom were sons. Three of the girls came to Rockhampton and lived with their grandfather. One of the girls since married the Rev W. F. Hudson, another Mr. A. Williams, while the third. Miss Dorren Rath-bone, still lives with her grandfather and aunt. The second son, born in 1866, left Townsville for the South Sea Islands in 1902. on the schoooer Sybil, and was never heard of again. Another son George E. Jaggard, born in 1868, spent some years in Western Australia as agent for the Lake's Creek Company. He contracted malaria and had to return home, where be got a position with the Mount Morgan Com-pany but died in 1922. The youngest son, Frank A. Jaggard, is connected with a large firm in Perth, Western Australia. Miss Rebecca A. Jaggard, the plea-sant good-looking youngest daughter, is unmarried, having chosen rather to remain at home and look after her parents, and others of the family who needed her sympathetic care. During the eighties, thinking his sons might like to take on outdoor modes of life, Mr. Jaggard secured a few pieces of land for them on the north side, but they all took up occupations other than the cultivation of the soil. HOW TO GROW OLD. Mr. Jaggard states that he has al-ways enjoyed good health, never hav-ing been absent from duty except through accident. This is the more remarkable from the fact that in the early days fevers of various descrip-tions were so rampant that scores of people were prostrated. Asked to what he attributed his un-broken good health and mental and physical activity at an advanced age, Mr. Jaggard replied:— "My fine health I owe to the goodness of God, absten-tion from strong drink, moderation In

eating and walking exercise. In the last named I feel no sign of age." The answer is a fitting one, and the more it is examined the better it appears. It is also a strong index of Mr. Jag-gards character leaving it quite un-neccessary ............. Moderation in all things. FINAL REMARKS As.Mr Jaggard was always one deeply concerned in his home life and the advancement and prosperity of his children, it is quite evident from the deaths that occurred that he must have had some periods of great sorrow. He did not inflict his griefs on others knowing well "There is no flock, however watch'd and tended, But one dead lamb is there: There is no fireside, however defended, But has one vacant chair." May Mr. Jaggard's good health con-tinue and his remaining years be plea-sant and free from sadness.

Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929), Saturday 16 May 1925, page 64

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. JAGGARD'S CASE.

To the Editor.

Sir, An unwarranted attack on me was made at the Council meeting on Wednesday last, when it was stated that

I had been a source of trouble in connection with prickly pear for years, and that I was the Council's worst offen-der.

Now, sir, there is no foundation whatever for these charges, for no member or officer of the Council has ever

spoken to me by way of complaint, and the principal source of trouble was on my side - in finding the money to pay the annual rates during the last forty odd years. Scores of people are noticing the insult added to injury, after the unjust treatment I had received, following the summons. Another false statement made was that I had held the prickly pear land in question for 50 years, whereas I have held it only since early in last year.

I am, &c

J. JAGGARD.

Rockhampton, May 28, 1926.

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Saturday 29 May 1926, page 8