Canning Creek Station can boast an interesting pioneer pedigree being originally selected by George Leslie of Leslie Brothers' fame * (eg the first settlers on the Darling Downs at Canning Downs near where Warwick now stands).  George Leslie owned Canning Creek Station from 1840 to 1846 before passing it on to Mr St. George Richard Gore, of the Yandilla Station Gore's.  Mr Gore became a member of Queensland's first Legislative Assembly in 1860.  He surrendered his Canning Creek lease in 1869 and acquired a stud property called Lyndhurst, near Warwick. He is commemorated by a statue in Warwick, a street in Toowoomba, a highway and a railway station.  There are also records relating to the leasing of Canning Creek by Captain Robert Gerard Moffatt in 1848 and Robert Tertius Campbell until 1852. 

 

Situated 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Millmerran on the road to Inglewood, Canning Creek Station was named after the Hon. George Canning, the British Prime Minister who died in office in 1824. 

 

The following timeline of events will be updated as more information comes to hand.

 

CHRONOLOGY

1840        Selected by George Leslie

1846        Sold to St. George Richard Gore

1848        80,000 acres of land named 'Canning Creek'. Captain Robert Gerard Moffatt - Claim to

                lease of Crown Lands beyond the settled districts.  Captain Moffatt dies (aged 47) at

                Canning Creek.  Sheep station and sheep of the late Captain Moffatt auctioned.

1852        Robert Tertius Campbell (1811-1887) gained the lease of North Branch of Swamps Run in

                1849, and continued leasing Canning Creek until 1852.

1860        St. George Richard Gore, member of Qld’s first Legislative Assembly

1869        Gore surrenders lease and acquires Lyndurst, near Warwick

1876        Canning Creek resumption of land

1876        Owned by John Ronald Macansh (husband of Isabel Gore, daughter of St George Richard

                Gore)

1880        Albert Ezzy takes up a 160 acre "prickly pear" lease at Canning Creek called "Bendemeer".

1885        6 Apr 1885 Application for establishment of Provisional School signed by John Jones, John

                Hain, Frederick Cornford, Albert Ezzy, David Sharp and Harry Curtis

                Provisional School built by Albert Ezzy and Fred Cornford on 2 acre site on Bringabily

                Creek. 

               15 Nov 1885  Canning Creek Provisional School No. 484 opens. 

               15 Nov 1885 - 1900   Harry Curtis, Teacher at School

1886        Bringalily Creek Receiving Office, Post Office opens at School, Harry Curtis in charge.         

                Mail route to Inglewood, children at the school posted and received letters for their parents. 

1880’s     Late 1880's a separate Bringalily Post Office building erected near the school (see photo). 

1889        Sept.  Inspector Ross reports new school-house was badly needed.

1900        Early in 1900's approximately ten Chinese men grewing tobacco on the property near creek

                on area known as Chinatown.  Woolshed was originally built as a tobacco curing shed.

1900        Listohan Receiving Office (Post Office) opens at Canning Creek Station

1900        Mr John Jones, Manager of Canning Creek Station, assisted by Mrs Jones in charge of

                Listohan Receiving Office.

Early       1900’s Post Office renamed Bringabilly.

1902        New school built by Messrs Silver and Mabbet. 

1902        Average school attendance, ten pupils.

1905        Mr Stanley Nicholas, acquires Canning Creek Station, and appointed Receiving Office

                Keeper.

1905        Canning Creek consisted of: 120 square miles, leasehold; 5,600 acres, freehold; 50 square

                miles, occupational lease (later Bringalily).  3,000 head of cattle, mostly Shorthorns.

1908        December, Bringabilly Post Office closes

1909        Canning Creek Provisional School becomes State School

1910        Bringabilly Post Office reopens.

1911        May, Bringabilly Post Office closes for final time.

1911        July, Listohan Receiving Office name change to Canning Creek.

1912        Mr Stanley Nicholas dies and Canning Creek Station sold to Mr George Gray (connections

                with Quinlan, Gray Company, Whisky Importers of Brisbane)

1912        Mr George Jones, father of Bill Jones of nearby “Wodonga” horse stud, head stockman at

                Canning Creek Station. 

1912 – 1922     Mr George Gray establishes large dairy with the areas first milking machines installed

                with 100 Friesian cows being milked. 

? – 1920   Canning Creek Cheese factory operates.

1922       18 April - School closes as full-time school and re-opens as half-time school.

               Miss M.V. King teacher at both Canning Creek and Glenside Schools.

               20 June – School closed. 

               School building transferred to Nidi Gully.

1922/23  Canning Creek Post Office closes.

1922       George Gray sells Station to Mr McNamara

1925       Mr McNamara sells to Mr William Edwards.

1934       Mr Edwards sells to Mr Jack Chandler in 1934. 

1934 – present    Canning Creek owned by Jeff and ? Chandler, sons of Mr Jack Chandler. 

 

THE PEOPLE OF CANNING CREEK

 

CAMPBELL, Robert Tertius.  The NSW Government Gazette published a list of transfers of runs dated 11 October 1848 recording the transfer of Glengallan from Colin Campbell to the unrelated Robert Tertius Campbell (1811-1887) with whom Colin Campbell banked, and it appears that the three Campbell brothers died in 1853. Robert Tertius Campbell, whose father was a Director of the Bank of New South Wales, was related to the Campbells of Duntroon in the Monaro district, and had been lessee of Jondaryan in 1845, gained the lease of North Branch of Swamps Run in 1849, and continued leasing Canning Creek until 1852. The NSW Government Gazette dated 30 July 1852 recorded that RT Campbell transferred his interest in Glengallan to his partner Charles Henry Marshall, who had previously been his managing clerk and whom he took into partnership in Glengallan it appears in 1849-50. RT Campbell then moved on to the newly opened Burnett District.

 

CHANDLER, Graham and Martha, Canning Creek

CHANDLER, Harry

CHANDLER, Ian

CHANDLER, Jeff and Pam, Current owners of site of Canning Creek Station. 

CHANDLER, Jack, Purchases Canning Creek from William Edwards, 1934.

CLARK, Miss ?, Teacher at Canning Creek School, early 1900's

CORNFORD, Frederick, Signatory on application for first School, 1885

CORNFORD, Jim, Brother of Fred

CURTIS, Chub, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

CURTIS, Dot (Dorothy), Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

CURTIS, Harry, Signatory on application for first School, 1885. Teacher at Canning Creek Provisional School No.484 from 1885 to 1900.

CURTIS, George, Pupil at first School, 1885

CURTIS, Roy, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

 

EDWARDS, William, Owns Canning Creek 1925 and sells in 1934 to Mr Jack Chandler

EZZY, Albert, Signatory on application for first School;  built first school with Fred Cornford, 1885

EZZY, Charles, Purchases adjoining "Bodamba" property from St George Richard Gore.

EZZY, George, Pupil at first School, 1885

EZZY, Julie, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

EZZY, Roland, Pupil at first School, 1885

EZZY, Maude, Pupil at first School, 1885

EZZY, Clare, Pupil at first School, 1885

EZZY, William, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

 

GORE, Isabel, Daughter of St George Richard Gore and wife of John Ronald Macansh, owner, 1876

GORE, St George Richard One of the “Grass Barons” in early Darling Downs settlement.  Owned Canning Creek 1846 – 1869.   See more on St George Gore.

GRAY, George, Purchases Canning Creek from Stanley Nicholas in 1912.  Family connections with Quinlan, Gray Company, Whisky Importers of Brisbane Establishes large dairy, installs area’s first milking machines.  Sells to McNamara.  1912 to 1922

 

HAIN, John, Signatory on application for first School, 1885

 

JONES, Bill, Owner of “Wodonga” horse stud and son of George Jones. “Wodonga” location of first Canning Creek school and Post Office.

JONES, Ada, Pupil first School, 1885

JONES, Alfred, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

JONES, Cis, Pupil first School, 1885

JONES, Flora, Pupil first School, 1885.

JONES, George, Head stockman at Canning Creek, 1912

JONES, John, Signatory on application for first School. 1885. Manager of Canning Creek, in charge of Listohan Receiving Office, 1900

JONES, John Jnr, pupil first school 1885

JONES, Mrs John, assists husband John in running Listohan Receiving Office, 1885

 

KING, Miss M.V., Teacher, Canning Creek School, May to June 1922

 

LESLIE, George, First settler of Canning Creek Station, 1840. Brother of Patrick and Walter; Leslie Bros. being the first settlers on the Darling Downs, at Canning Downs, now Warwick

 

MABBET, George, Builds new Canning Creek School with ? Silver/Silou, 1902

MACANSH, John Ronald  Purchases Canning Creek after resumption, 1876

McNAMARA, ?, Purchases Canning Creek from George Gray, 1922  Sells in 1925 to William Edwards

MOFFATT, Robert Gerald,  was born 1800 at Ballymahon, Co. Longford, Ireland. Married Helen Church at Lisburn Cathedral, Ireland in 1828. Arrived in Command of the Guard on the convict ship Nithsdale in 1830. Replaced Lieutenant Donelan in command of the Military attachment stationed at Port Stephens in 1832. Magistrate at Parramatta 1834 until 1843. Died at Canning Creek, in March 1848 aged 47.

 

NICHOLAS, Stanley, Acquires Canning Creek Station, 1905 and appointed Receiving Office Keeper.  Dies 1912 – Station sold.

 

PATTERSON, Andy, Manager of Canning Creek Station for St George Richard Gore 1840's.

 

REDDIE, Stanley Austin, Born at Canning Creek, 1894 served WWI - ANZAC, Dairyman

 

SHARP, David, Signatory on application for first School, 1885

SHARP, Harold, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

SHARP, Margaret, Pupil at first School, 1885

SHARP, Lindsay, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

SHARP, Tom, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

SHARP, William Daniel, Stockman, Canning Creek, 1913 - 1963

SILVER, or SILOU, Builds new Canning Creek School with George Mabbet, 1902

 

WALLACE, Clara (nee Mills), Teacher, Canning Creek, 1915

WALLACE, Alan, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

WALLACE, Murray, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

WALLACE, Nellie, Pupil Canning Creek School, early 1900's

WHITBREAD, Reginald and Julia (eldest daughter of Albert Ezzy), inherit "Bendemeer".

 

References:

Millmerran & District Schools Centenary, 1982

* Back Creek and Beyond, Millmerran’s Story of Change 1881-1981, edited by Nell Macqueen. 

Australian Electoral Rolls

Captain Moffatt: http://www.jenwilletts.com/searchaction.php?page=2&surname=moffatt&ship=&firstname=captain

The NSW Government Gazette, 1848