The Henry Family
Memories of the Henry Family
The Henry family arrived in Brisbane in June, 1863. There were the parents, 4 sons and 3 daughters. One daughter died on the journey. They came on the ship called, “Golden Dream.”
For the first six weeks they lived just south of Brisbane before buying land at Fig Tree Pocket. The Father and sons cleared the land and built a home alongside a big fig tree that gave the area its name.
In 1864 the family moved again but this time to the other side of the river, near where DFO is today. They lived near the river and made many of the boats that the farmers used to transfer goods down to Brisbane. It was a busy spot, where all the rafts would pass carrying the timber down to Brisbane on the high tide. Sometimes they would hear the voices of the men singing as they went up and down the river.
In 1864 Robert Henry’s wife died in a hospital at Ipswich. Robert walked all the way home from Ipswich to bring the sad news to the children.
During these years the Henry’s also grew crops on their farm, like other settlers did too. They grew maize, potatoes, pumpkins, arrowroot and also cotton for a little while. Sugar cane was also grown for a while and there was a floating sugar mill that went up and down the river to crush the cane. It would stop and tie up at each farmer’s wharf, crush and move on to the next one. In the 1870’s heavy frosts ruined much of the cane and then sugar cane farming started to move further north in Queensland.
Life along the river was a happy one, where everyone shared in the good times and the bad.
In 1871 the Henry’s moved once again, back across the river, to a larger property now known as Kenmore. They had to clear the land again and used the timber to build the house. In the same year a small hall was built by the Orange Lodge on the Brookfield side of the creek. It was used for Lodge meetings, a primary school and Church services and the Henry family were part of all of these. Young Frances Henry went to school there from 12 to 14 years of age and this was all the schooling that she had in her whole life.
The Henry family were growing up and many of the sons and daughters married and moved to properties of their own within the district.
In 1887 Robert Henry built a new house in the modern style of the day on his property in Kenmore and lived there with his youngest daughter, Frances, until he died in 1890.
Robert Henry will be remembered as a great pioneer of this area and one who helped our area become what it is today.
The Henry family arrived in Brisbane in June, 1863. There were the parents, 4 sons and 3 daughters. One daughter died on the journey. They came on the ship called, “Golden Dream.”
For the first six weeks they lived just south of Brisbane before buying land at Fig Tree Pocket. The Father and sons cleared the land and built a home alongside a big fig tree that gave the area its name.
In 1864 the family moved again but this time to the other side of the river, near where DFO is today. They lived near the river and made many of the boats that the farmers used to transfer goods down to Brisbane. It was a busy spot, where all the rafts would pass carrying the timber down to Brisbane on the high tide. Sometimes they would hear the voices of the men singing as they went up and down the river.
In 1864 Robert Henry’s wife died in a hospital at Ipswich. Robert walked all the way home from Ipswich to bring the sad news to the children.
During these years the Henry’s also grew crops on their farm, like other settlers did too. They grew maize, potatoes, pumpkins, arrowroot and also cotton for a little while. Sugar cane was also grown for a while and there was a floating sugar mill that went up and down the river to crush the cane. It would stop and tie up at each farmer’s wharf, crush and move on to the next one. In the 1870’s heavy frosts ruined much of the cane and then sugar cane farming started to move further north in Queensland.
Life along the river was a happy one, where everyone shared in the good times and the bad.
In 1871 the Henry’s moved once again, back across the river, to a larger property now known as Kenmore. They had to clear the land again and used the timber to build the house. In the same year a small hall was built by the Orange Lodge on the Brookfield side of the creek. It was used for Lodge meetings, a primary school and Church services and the Henry family were part of all of these. Young Frances Henry went to school there from 12 to 14 years of age and this was all the schooling that she had in her whole life.
The Henry family were growing up and many of the sons and daughters married and moved to properties of their own within the district.
In 1887 Robert Henry built a new house in the modern style of the day on his property in Kenmore and lived there with his youngest daughter, Frances, until he died in 1890.
Robert Henry will be remembered as a great pioneer of this area and one who helped our area become what it is today.