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| Above: A composite image of John Henry
Crompton's embarkation on 31 July 1914 Source: Passengers Lists leaving UK 1890-1960 TNA BT27 Click to open a 232kB A4 landscape image |
1805 Info 8c: John Henry Crompton
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Sailing to Australia
Five days before the outbreak of World War One, John Henry was on his travels again, this time bound for Australia.
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| Above: A composite image of John Henry
Crompton's embarkation on 31 July 1914 Source: Passengers Lists leaving UK 1890-1960 TNA BT27 Click to open a 232kB A4 landscape image |
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| The Australian newspaper ship reports plot the
RMS Otway's 1 progress around Australia to
Brisbane. The dates lack preciseness due to information being passed from State to State
by telegraph.
On 7 September 1914, The Argus, of Melbourne, reported the RMS Otway ‘running four days late’ at Freemantle due to the declaration of war. Source: Trove Digitised newspapers (Accessed: 31/08/14) The Bendigo Advertiser lists the arrival of RMS Otway in the Port of Melbourne on 11 September 1914. Source: Trove Digitised newspapers (Accessed: 19/12/17) RMS Otway arrival at Sydney’s Circular Quay was reported by The Evening News of Sydney on Monday 14 September 1914. It was due to sail to Brisbane on ‘Wednesday next’, the 16 September 1914. Source: Trove Digitised newspapers (Accessed: 19/12/17) |
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The Queensland Times of 07 September 1914 reported the Otway's pending
arrival with 114 Englishmen of whom 52 were single men and five full-paying passengers.
Of the 810 passengers 59 were destined for Brisbane. There is no evidence of John Henry
being on an assisted passage so he would have been one of the five full-paying passengers.
Source:
Trove Digitised newspapers (Accessed 19/12/2017)
The Launceston Examiner reported the arrival of RMS Otway and therefore John Henry’s arrival in Brisbane on 19 September. Source: Trove Digitised newspapers (Acessed 19/12/17) |
Farming in Elimbah, Queensland
The surviving part of the 1939 letter sent by
Thomas CROMPTON to his daughter-in-law Eileen CROMPTON, in Kenya, records John Henry's
travels before arriving in Australia. 'Harvey CROMPTON [John Henry] - Farmed in S. Africa for a time, then in Canada. He was killed in France in Australian Army.'Not a great deal is known about this part of his life. However, his army enlistment papers show him to be a farmer of Elimbah, Queensland, on the road north of Brisbane. Later Australian Red Cross papers from witnesses of his death papers of the suggest he was a labourer. Right: a map locating Elimbah north of Brisbane |
Right: The red square shows the location of Elimbah |  |
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Some details of John Henry's life in Elimbah can be gleaned from his 1915 letter sent to and retained by Alex POSTANS, his neighbour in Alberta.
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| harvest you are now busy with will be a bumper & swell
your pockets, are banking 7 cwt. heaps. With this war on you are in the best place to
benefit, for the West produces the supplies that are indispensable to England and my
folks over there write that very many farmers are giving up their places because of labor
[sic] shortages. Out here there are a great number enlisting now & as most of the
Drought [sic] has broken there will be a scarcity of men for harvest which comes Nov &
Dec. The Queensland sugar crop was a failure & this state is still dry up country.
Endless train loads of sheep are coming down to the coast seeking pasture & our
District is being over run with them. We have lots of grass yet & a couple of nice
showers lately
Page 2 but we need very much more to make things grow. Winter is over, it compares very well with an Alberta Summer, several light frosts but never heavy enough to kill potatoes & even tomatoe [sic] plants have come through although set back abit [sic]. But we are only 10 miles from the sea. In another month we shall be longing for a bit of your ice & snow no doubt. We are planting an acre of pineapple plants but as they take 18 months to bear it is a long wait, we also have a few banana shoots beet oats & hope to grow oranges later on. However one has to crawl pretty slow at first on a foce[..] selection & we shall have to get out & work to make “smakers”. I am troubled with rheumatics at times & not fit to take a turn in the trenches. Good luck to [Sydney Arthur] Gurnett, he is a healthy looking soldier if anyone feels like it they can get all they want of fighting these days. I have two brothers [Walter and Arthur] in it & two nephews [Harry and Jack] & many other relations doing their bit. I promised Mrs Postans to send a picture or two & these are the best I have & were taken at Wakefield over a year ago & only received last week. My mate & self were “taken” at Brisbane lately when we went down to the Exhibition [Saturday 21 August 1915] but it was a failure. The picture I mean the show was very good indeed, the cattle were see back of Photos enclosed. |
| Page 3 especially a sight for sore eyes both beef & dairying. In the selling class of young shorthorn bulls a yearling was priced at $39 00 [sic] he was a beauty. Hunt’s little lot would be nowhere in it here, the squatters hold land by the hundred square miles with countless stock. An ordinary Govt lease in the far north is 60,000 acres. In a time of drought like the late one the losses are immense I hear of one man who has lost 20,000 head already. With a certain rainfall [……..] it would make splendid country for settlement but it cannot be. The state is about the size of Alberta & and much the same population. A labor [sic] Govt was returned last election & now all Austa but Victoria, the lead state, is in the workers hands. Time will tell if it is a success. They have certainly passed a lot of useful legislation & are seeking to improve the lot of the masses. Old age pensions are in vogue, workmen’s compensation, 8 hours day, minimum wage, prices of certain commodities are fixed for the time & so on. I consider their land policy needs reforming at present it is too dear & hard to get to attract settlers, but the workers do not want e[…] grants they want the whole for themselves if what one of them told me is correct. I wonder how they will raise needed loans in hard times if they peruse that policy. Page 4 The N.F.As appear to be doing helpful work. I hope fro[…] has a better time out this year. The Elevator must have done a lot of good & I think members should back it up to the limit. I have never had a line from the Company since first oa[….]ibing & wish you would let them have my address, have been expecting to hear of an Instalment coming due, has there been any call? If there is I can arrange with the Merc’t [Mercantile] Bank Edgerton to meet it. Being out of Canada I would be glad to sell the shares some one will be wanting them after a while. I appreciate your efforts on my account [Ted ‘Goodnight’] Lumby told me you were putting in a word for me. I wrote him lately. Have you married off any teachers lately? [Reference to a teacher at Sligo School a mile to the north of the homestead] How are the girls [Marion and Ellen, known as Nellie] & Richard Joe & everybody around. I would like to drop in & see you all & partake in one of Mrs Postans pleasant & very enjoyable spreads. But it is that kind of pleasure that brings home to one the [.]aiseries of batching [sic] & I’m booked here for a while yet. A sister is now on the water coming out & may join me later on. |
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| BRISBANE'S 1915
EXHIBITION. THE PEOPLES DAY. A HUGE ATTENDANCE. |
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| When the Show Ground gates swung aside on August 11 and the holiday crowd, which reached great proportions at quite an early hour commenced explorations the people quickly determined that little or nothing had been left un done to secure their comfort, stimulate their interest, increase their knowledge, and provide food for their whole-hearted amusement. In ring, in pavilion, in cattle and dog and poultry stalls, every- where, in fact, everything was complete. The very last nail had been driven, the very last detail of each display had been finally and satisfactorily adjusted. From fodder grasses to foodstuffs, from the raw material, to the manufactured article, whatever their | description—and they embraced probably the whole gamut of Queensland's productions—the articles were in their appointed places, arranged to the brightest and most tasteful advantage, the prize winners decked with the order of their award or adorned with the coveted blue, red, or yellow ribbon. A feature which was placed in position, and which commanded appreciative attention, was the Horticultural section. This formed a leafy bower, in which sweet peas took pride of place, but in which roses and ferns and pot plants, and a wide variety of mother beautiful favourites of our gardens, had ample representation. All of the pavilion exhibits were again admired by thousands, the side shows were well | patronised, and, large numbers of sightseers crossed from the main grounds, and viewed with pleasure the fruit, sheep, swine, and poultry sections. The main ring was encircled from early till late by lovers of sporting events, variety to which was given during the afternoon by a march past of the soldiers, headed by the band of the 31st Battalion, and the appearance of the warriors was greeted with hearty cheers. The greatest interest was, of course, taken in the judging in the ring of horses, and the bareback hunt, the parade of dogs, the grand parade of horses and cattle, and the trotting and hunting event. At times excitement ran high, and the various competitors were rewarded by warm applause. |
| Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Old Elimbah and Glass House Mountain This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets |
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1. Glass House Mountain fruit growing 3. Glass House Mountain dairying |
2. Elimbah station c.1953, from a family album suggesting a relative visited Elimbah |
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A montage of modern Elimbah
| Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Images of old Elimbah that Jack may have seen This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets |
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1. Soldier's Hall, 3 Coronation Drive in 2019 3. General store, Beerburrum Road, overview in 2019 |
3. General store, Beerburrum Road, close up 4. Uniting Church, 10-12 Coronation Drive in 2019 |
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Glass House Mountains fifteen minutes from Elimbah - Scenes Jack may have seen
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| Above: Glass House Mountains panorama |
| Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Glass House Mountains This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets |
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1. Glass House Mountain fruit growing 3. Glass House Mountain dairying |
2. Elimbah station c.1953, from a family album suggesting a relative visited Elimbah |
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| More information 1 |
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| This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass |
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Version A17 Updated 03 June 2023 |
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