Hann Family Grave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hann Family Grave |
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Hann Family Grave, 1999
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| Location | Bluff Downs Station, Basalt, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1864 - 1865 |
| Official name: Hann Family Grave | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 24 June 1999 |
| Reference no. | 601789 |
| Significant period | 1860s (fabric) |
| Significant components | headstone, grave surrounds/railings, burial/grave |
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The Hann Family Grave is a special heritage site located at Bluff Downs Station in Basalt, Queensland, Australia. It was built between 1864 and 1865. This grave is important because it tells the story of the Hann family, who were early pioneers in North Queensland. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on June 24, 1999, which means it's protected for future generations.
Contents
The Hann Family's Journey to Queensland
The Kennedy District in North Queensland was one of the first areas where European settlers arrived. This area was officially opened for settlement on January 1, 1861. Many early settlers, called pastoralists, wanted to find land here to raise sheep for wool.
One of these early settlers was Joseph Hann and his family. They had moved from England to Victoria in 1851. However, they weren't happy with their land there. Hearing about the growing wool industry, they decided to move north to Queensland, just like many other Victorian pastoralists.
Joseph and his son, John, sailed to Rockhampton. There, they met William Hann, another son, who had traveled separately. William had bought horses and equipment and rode overland to Port Denison, arriving in February 1862. Joseph found that most of the land near the coast was already taken. So, he decided to explore the area west of the Burdekin River.
Finding New Land
During a two-month trip, the Hanns found ten large areas of land, called "runs," on a high plateau west of the Burdekin River. Joseph Hann described these areas as "fine sheep country" with "lagoons, waterholes, beautiful volcanic tablelands."
After finding this land, Joseph and his sons went back to Victoria to sell their property. But when they tried to buy sheep, there weren't enough available. This was because many other pastoralists were also moving north, and there was a high demand for meat in Victoria. To meet the government's rules for their new land, Joseph and William traveled to the Darling Downs. They bought 3,000 cattle and arranged for more cattle to be brought to their land.
The Hanns arrived at Bluff Downs with their cattle in February 1863, after a very long journey of six months. For the next two years, they worked hard to set up their stations. Even though they started with cattle, raising sheep for wool was still their main goal. Wool could be stored easily and was lighter to transport than meat, which spoiled quickly.
Sad Times for the Hann Family
By 1864, the Hann family started to see their hard work pay off. However, that year also brought great sadness. In January, Joseph Hann drowned in the Burdekin River while crossing it near the town of Dalrymple. His wife, Elizabeth, was heartbroken and her health got worse. She died on June 24, 1864. William and his wife, Mary, also lost their baby son, William, in February 1865 at Bluff Downs. While Joseph's body was never found, Elizabeth and baby William are buried on the bank of the Basalt River near the Bluff Downs Homestead.
To help pay for their large land holdings, the Hanns had three partners: Richard Daintree, Rivett Henry Bland, and Edward Klingender. In 1864, Richard Daintree came to help manage Maryvale Station with the Hanns. Richard Daintree was also very interested in photography and geology. He spent some of his time exploring and surveying the land.
Challenges and Discoveries
Even though the land west of the Burdekin River seemed promising, the Hanns soon faced difficulties. The mid-1860s brought droughts and a tough economy. Things only started to look up when gold was discovered in western Queensland in 1867, thanks to Richard Daintree. This discovery helped the family's pastoral business become successful.
In 1868, Richard Daintree became the first government geologist for North Queensland. In 1869, he moved to London to represent Queensland. Because of this, the partnership between Hann, Bland, Daintree, and Klingender ended in April 1869.
After the partnership ended, the Hann family made some changes. They realized that raising sheep was not profitable in the Kennedy region, even with new markets for meat from the gold fields. By 1870, William Hann decided that sheep were not suitable for the area. He left Maryvale Station with 19,000 sheep and collected another 6,000 from neighbors. He then began a long journey south to sell them, which took eleven months.
A New Beginning and Community Work
After selling the sheep, the Hann family decided to focus on Maryvale Station. They bought it completely from their former partners and sold their share in Bluff Downs in December 1871.
After William returned from the south in 1872, the Queensland Government asked him to lead an expedition to explore Cape York Peninsula. His team looked for minerals and good land for farming. During this trip, gold was found at the Palmer River, which led to a gold rush in 1873. At its peak, the Palmer Gold Field had over 30,000 people. This created a huge new market for the cattle farmers in the Kennedy region, helping them to survive and thrive.
After William's successful trips, the family moved to Maryvale Station and started raising cattle again. More gold discoveries in North Queensland and the growing demand for meat in the 1870s made Maryvale a very successful cattle station. The Hann family built a strong farming tradition that continues today.
With their stations doing well, William found time to help his local community. He was a founding member of the Townsville Hospital Board, the Townsville Race Club, and the Show Society. He also gave £1000 to help build St James Cathedral in Townsville and served in local government.
Sadly, William Hann died at the age of fifty-two in a drowning accident off The Strand in Townsville.
What the Grave Looks Like
Bluff Downs Station is a large cattle property about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of Charters Towers. The Basalt River flows through the middle of the station. The land north of the river has open, rolling black soil, while the south has red basalt rock formations.
The Bluff Downs homestead is located on a bend in the river. The Hann family grave site is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) downstream from the homestead, on the western bank of the Basalt River. It sits on a small "bluff" or raised area of land, about 5 meters (16 feet) above the river. The base of the bluff is slowly eroding away.
The grave site is shaded by a few eucalyptus trees. There is one main grave that belongs to members of the Hann family. It has a concrete base and is surrounded by an iron fence with decorative spearheads and corner posts shaped like tulips. A white marble headstone stands at the grave, facing the river. Some small trees are growing from the grave itself.
The words on the headstone read:
"Sacred to the memory of Joseph Hann who was drowned in the Burdekin River, January 4th 1864 aged 49 years. Elizabeth his wife died June 24th 1864 Aged 54 years. Also of William, son of William and Mary Hann died in February 1865 aged 2 weeks".
Next to this grave, there is a neat pile of old ironwork and concrete bases. These are the remains of another grave's fence.
Why the Grave is Important
The Hann Family Grave is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it helps us understand the history of Queensland. It is a memorial to three members of the pioneering Hann family who were among the first Europeans to settle in North Queensland. Joseph Hann and his sons, William and John, were very important in exploring and settling the Kennedy Region.
William Hann, in particular, was a key figure. The Queensland Government asked him to lead an exploration trip to Cape York in the 1870s. During this trip, he discovered gold on the Palmer River, which led to a major gold rush. William Hann, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth and father of baby William, became a well-known member of the North Queensland community. The grave reminds us of their contributions to the region's development.
