RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: queencorgi1 on Tuesday 25 November 25 09:51 GMT (UK)
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I am exploring the life of Eric Lewis Conran (1887-1924). In 1908 (possibly sooner) his address was 'Point Pure, Gatton (or Gratton)' according to newspaper reports, and when he joined the Royal Flying Corps in England in 1913 he gave his occupation as 'squatter'.
I had a look for Point Pure on line and it looks extremely steep! Can anyone shed light on what Eric would have been doing there? Did he actually own land, and how was he making a living?
His father was very wealthy -- I don't know if that would be a factor.
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174899508?searchTerm=point%20pure%20gatton
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I'm assuming you've checked Trove re. newspapers - several snippets about the Conrans at "Pure Point Gatton"
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Col 2 - I think this is Eric in 1907. I have seen the name Feez associated with Gatton/Pure Point. There' a Blackfellow Creek south of Gatton.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124235613?searchTerm=conran%20gatton
Appears more than a "squatter"!
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/284500206?searchTerm=conran%20gatton
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Gatton is in the Lockyer Valley and is beautiful, rich farming land. Today it is considered the “food bowl” of South East Queensland. It was settled in the mid-1800s.
I think you will be looking for “Point Pure Station” which was at Woodbine. A homestead was built there in about 1870, and was named after the prominent rocky outcrop above the creek. The station was later re-named “Glen Rock”. It is now national park.
This gives a lot of detail about the history, and mentions Point Pure Station.
https://parksleisure.com.au/wp-content/uploads/parc-library/361-0-Cameron%20et%20al_Glen%20RockOverviewHistoryCulturalHeritageValues_2000.pdf
Your Eric Conran was possibly working originally as an overseer or manager on the Station. As pastoral land opened up, he may have purchased some in the vicinity, planning to start his own farm.
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84138140?searchTerm=conran%20gatton
Click on "Page 8" - foot of col 1
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There are quite a few files relating to Land for the Conrans in the Queensland State Archives.
These are not viewable online, but you can request digital copies.
Eric Conran is mentioned from about 1896.
There are also land files from the 1870s for Thomas Wills Conran and Henry Lewis Conran.
https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/arts/heritage/archives/starting/search-the-records/search-the-archivessearch-catalogue
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Thank you all, that's brilliant!
Yes, I did think the term 'squatter' a very odd one for Eric to use, given his family background -- actually owning the land sounds much more plausible. He clearly did acquire some farming skills, though, as on one occasion when his plane had made a forced landing in France during the war he milked a cow in order to have milk for his tea ...
If Eric is actually mentioned from about 1896 he would only be 9, which suggests that his father Harry made the original purchase,
I've been through Trove looking up 'Eric' references (and his father and other relatives too) which is where I got the Point Pure/Gatton references from.
As I commented on a previous RootsChat thread about Eric, I'm astonished how frequently the Conrans travelled between England and Australia -- sometimes three times in a year. Although Eric became a British army officer in 1909, he continued to visit Gatton right up until 1914.
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If Eric is actually mentioned from about 1896 he would only be 9, which suggests that his father Harry made the original .
More likely, that the index of the files include records of land acquisitions in the Gatton area across a period of time, ( 20 or 30 years ) staring in 1896.
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Thank you!
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This article explains the use of the term squatter in Australia in the 1800s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_(Australian_history)
It also explains the family's apparent wealth in being able to afford to travel to and from England.
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Jennaya, thank you so much! That is a riveting article and I can see that the Conrans fit precisely into this category of wealthy landowners frequently visiting England. As previously mentioned, Harry Conran (Eric's father) followed his brother Tom in making a fortune from the gold mining rush at Kalgoorlie -- he described himself as the 'legal manager', whatever that was. I feel sure it was a better way to make money rather than actually digging or panning for gold.
Always good to put your subject into his context! Thank you again.
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What is interesting is that Eric referred to himself as a “squatter” in 1913. I don’t think it would have been a term commonly used by young men at this time to describe their occupation. Farmer or landowner would have been used, I think.
Of course, Eric wasn’t a squatter, and his father and uncle had never been squatters.
By using the term “squatter” we get an indication of how Eric saw himself, and more importantly how he was letting others know that he was of a certain class / social status.
What is ironic, is that the British military staff reading his attestation papers, probably had no idea of what he meant by a “squatter”.
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As I commented on a previous RootsChat thread about Eric, I'm astonished how frequently the Conrans travelled between England and Australia -- sometimes three times in a year.
When you consider travel between England and Australia at this time was about 6-7 weeks. Doing that return voyage about 3 times each year, meant spending a huge amount of time sitting on a ship in the ocean. Seems rather unproductive, doesn't it?
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Hi, yes agree exactly with both your comments.
Eric would have presented himself as exactly what he was, a young man who'd grown up in an affluent household. The British army would I'm sure have been as baffled by the term 'squatter' as I was! I can only think Eric used it because he appears to have been very keen to show he was physically and mentally tough. He took some insane risks during his flying career (OK, you can say that any RFC pilot did that) including volunteering to do experimental night flying without either lights on the plane or on the ground, which surprisingly didn't lead to his fiery death. He also really wanted to pressurise others into taking risks as well -- 'I'll do it, are you chicken?' type thing.
I also think this business of sailing to and fro from Australia two or three times a year, yes, was a strange thing to do, although the (many) sailing lists I've now read through show that it was really common for wealthy Australians. Once in England the Conrans would rent a large country house and take part in upper class activities like hunting and winter sports, demonstrating their membership of that class, I suppose.
So -- 'I'm a tough Aussie but I'm also an English gentleman'?
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Scroll down to read an article about the squattocracy who saw themselves as members of the aristocracy.
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/squattocracy
I think they had enough money to employ managers while they were on their overseas jaunts.
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Thank you, that's a good article!
I'm quite sure they used managers when they were there, as well. This thread has been very interesting and thought-provoking, helping me to understand Eric much better.
Readers of this thread may like to know that Eric's sisters both 'married well'. Alleyne married the Hon Mountjoy Upton who succeeded his father as the 5th Viscount Templeton. Nancy married Wadham Heathcote Diggle of the Grenadier Guards. Although I haven't been able to find out much about him, he was also evidently of aristocratic stock.
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Ladies Field, 1 Feb 1919
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Yes indeed! She actually had the medal presented as she was entering the church, according to another account -- and I would imagine that is a unique experience.
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Was it on their wedding list!
See col 2 of "Continental Daily Mail"
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bd6t514266634/f3.item.r=(prOx:%20%22heathcote%22%205%20%22diggle%22).zoom
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Thank you!
I really like 'known to his intimate friends as Pasha, as he actually was a Pasha'
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I was impressed with that line.
Everything I look at re. the pair inevitably involves the great and the good.
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Absolutely, for both sisters!
Eric by contrast with his sisters disappears into relative obscurity after his court martial in 1916. Although the verdict of 'guilty of indecency' was quashed, he never served on the Western Front again, and in contrast to 1914-mid 1916, Trove and indeed the British Newspaper Archive throw up relatively few newspaper mentions of him. I suspect that the 'mud' of the court martial stuck. One important aspect of my research is seeing how these court martials affected the future lives of the officers concerned, whether or not they were actually given a prison sentence or cashiered.
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It was "Baby" interested me. I spotted a Trove reference re. St Moritz which led to (col 1)
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4131370v/f2.item.r=(prOx:%20%22baby%22%202%20%22conran%22).zoom
Made a note to find out just what she may have been driving/riding
Thanks for a great post.
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Thank you for the compliment -- and thank you also for this latest reference. I already knew that Eric and his sisters had competed in skiing competitions in Switzerland -- but yes, 'Baby' Conran adds a touch of colour to the story.
You will like to know that in August 1912 both Eric and Alleyne Conran were competing in the International Horse Show at Olympia in London. This family was evidently scarily sporty -- and I think also scarily competitive. I feel the girls may possibly have found their subsequent lives as decorative aristocratic wives a little dull.
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Magic.
Yet to check out what "sporting activity" was going at St. Moritz - and that's not a euphemism.
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I was delighted to come across a photograph from the 'Ladies Field' Magazine of 24 Feb 1912 in the British Newspaper Archive. 'Ski-juring' or 'ski-juring' involved a horse rider towing a skier behind them. The photograph is captioned 'Miss Nancy Conran skijuring with the Crown Prince of Germany' -- Nancy is riding side-saddle, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a tie, towing the Prince.
I feel sure everyone who's read this thread is very happy to have this information!
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I'd found out what ski-juring involved - good to see it in action, tho' not quite the charging across frozen lakes I came acoss.. Yet again, the article involving Nancy reflects the great and the good.
regards