Patrick Leslie
Encyclopedia
Patrick Leslie was a Scottish
Settler
in Australia
. Leslie and his two brothers (Walter and George) were the first to settle on the Darling Downs, and he was the first person to buy land in Warwick
.
Partick Leslie was born in Warthill, also known as Meikle Wartle
in Aberdeenshire on 25 September 1815. He was the second son of William and Jane Leslie. His father was the 8th Laird of Folla and 9th Laird of Warthill, JP, DL, 27th in line of descent from the 1st Baron of Balquhain.. The Leslies were members of the Church of Scotland
.
In December 1834, Leslie left London
as a passenger aboard the convict transport Emma Eugenia, arriving in Sydney
in May 1835. By 1836 he was managing Collaroi, a property owned by his uncle, Walter Stevenson Davidson, in the Cassilis district of New South Wales
. Later on he rented Dunheved farm at Penrith
. Leslie was a poor manager
however, and his activities drew criticism from his uncle, who was forced to sell the property to his relations, E. W. T. Hamilton and George Clive, by 1840. Leslie was left deeply in debt to Davidson as a result of this episode. When his brothers Walter and George arrived in the colony, Patrick decided to look for new land to the north.
station, then the most northerly settled district in New South Wales, and formed Toolburra and Canning Downs
(at 28.226419°S 152.065747°E), the first stations on the Condamine River
, before the river had been identified as a tributary of the Darling River
. Leslie met explorer Allan Cunningham
at the home of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur in Parramatta. In 1840 Leslie, accompanied by a convict named Peter Murphy, followed in the footsteps of the explorer. On the return trip to Sydney he marked a trail by cutting into the trees. This became known as "Leslie’s marked tree line".
On his return to Sydney Leslie married Catherine (Kate), daughter of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur, at Parramatta on 9 September 1840. His best man at the wedding was Stuart Donaldson
. On July the 2nd 1840, the first head station was established by Walter Leslie at Toolburra. Walter and George Leslie then set about building a residence at Canning Downs. Although the three Leslie brothers claimed all the land to the head of the Condomine River, including its tributaries, they were forced to give up most of the claim to new arrivals because of the requirement that all land claimed had to be adequately stocked..
In 1841 Leslie and his wife travelled from Sydney to Brisbane aboard the Hunter River Steam Navigation Company steamer, Shamrock. They were then counted as the first family to make the journey from Brisbane to the Darling Downs. By 1841 the Leslies had sold their interest in 'Toolburra' and moved to 'Canning Downs' which was managed by George and Walter Leslie. When the Leslies first settled on Canning Downs, they had 6000 sheep, two teams of bullocks and drays, one team of horses and a dray, 10 saddle horses, and 22 convict employees. The task of building up the property during a time of depression proved too difficult and Patrick Leslie was ruined financially by 1844.
In 1845 Leslie acquired 14 hectares of land in his father's name on the banks of Breakfast Creek, Brisbane
and built Newstead House
, where he lived while pasturing flocks at Canning Downs. In 1846 he acquired 'Goomburra' on the Darling Downs. Newstead House was sold to his brother-in-law, John Clements Wickham
, the following year. 1851, he also bought nearby Gladfield Station. Leslie left Australia with his wife and son in 1854 and returned to Britain.
In 1847 the New South Wales government asked Leslie to select a site for a town on Canning Downs station. It was to be known as Canningtown, the local Aborigines knew the area as Gooragooby, but the name Warwick was eventually chosen. At the first land sale in Warwick 1848 Patrick Leslie bought the first allotment. Today much of the water supply for city of Warwick is drawn from Leslie Dam
, and larger than life granite sculptures of and Patrick and Catherine Leslie are located in a park adjacent to the dam wall.
from 19 November to 19 December 1857. He was also the leader of the Moreton Bay separatist movement, presiding over the first public meeting held at Drayton
to press this issue.
, arriving in Auckland on the 20th October 1868. He purchased land in Waikato
, where he established a productive farm and sheep stud at Wartle, just south of Hamilton
, on New Zealand’s North Island. He sold his New Zealand holdings due to failing health in 1879, returning to Australia in his retirement.
Sydney. Leslie was survived by his wife, Catherine and four grandchildren.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Leslie and his two brothers (Walter and George) were the first to settle on the Darling Downs, and he was the first person to buy land in Warwick
Warwick, Queensland
Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Local Government Area. In 2006 the town of Warwick had a population of 12,562....
.
Early life
Meikle wartle
Meikle Wartle is a small rural village in north-east of Scotland. It is around 7 miles north of Inverurie.Local facilities include a village hall , a garage and general store, a B&B and a public house. There is also a mansion house nearby, by the name of Warthill House...
in Aberdeenshire on 25 September 1815. He was the second son of William and Jane Leslie. His father was the 8th Laird of Folla and 9th Laird of Warthill, JP, DL, 27th in line of descent from the 1st Baron of Balquhain.. The Leslies were members of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
.
In December 1834, Leslie left London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a passenger aboard the convict transport Emma Eugenia, arriving in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in May 1835. By 1836 he was managing Collaroi, a property owned by his uncle, Walter Stevenson Davidson, in the Cassilis district of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Later on he rented Dunheved farm at Penrith
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
. Leslie was a poor manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
however, and his activities drew criticism from his uncle, who was forced to sell the property to his relations, E. W. T. Hamilton and George Clive, by 1840. Leslie was left deeply in debt to Davidson as a result of this episode. When his brothers Walter and George arrived in the colony, Patrick decided to look for new land to the north.
Activity on the Darling Downs
In 1840 Patrick Leslie started with stock from a New EnglandNew England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
station, then the most northerly settled district in New South Wales, and formed Toolburra and Canning Downs
Canning Downs
Canning Downs was the first residential establishment built by a white person on the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia. It is located a short drive from the town of Warwick and originally extended south east to Killarney and the McPherson Range...
(at 28.226419°S 152.065747°E), the first stations on the Condamine River
Condamine River
The Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, Australia...
, before the river had been identified as a tributary of the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
. Leslie met explorer Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
at the home of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur in Parramatta. In 1840 Leslie, accompanied by a convict named Peter Murphy, followed in the footsteps of the explorer. On the return trip to Sydney he marked a trail by cutting into the trees. This became known as "Leslie’s marked tree line".
Stuart Donaldson
Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson was the first Premier of the Colony of New South Wales.-Early life:Donaldson was born in London, England. He entered his father's firm at the age of 15 and was sent first to Mexico , for business training, and then to Sydney, where he arrived in 1835...
. On July the 2nd 1840, the first head station was established by Walter Leslie at Toolburra. Walter and George Leslie then set about building a residence at Canning Downs. Although the three Leslie brothers claimed all the land to the head of the Condomine River, including its tributaries, they were forced to give up most of the claim to new arrivals because of the requirement that all land claimed had to be adequately stocked..
In 1841 Leslie and his wife travelled from Sydney to Brisbane aboard the Hunter River Steam Navigation Company steamer, Shamrock. They were then counted as the first family to make the journey from Brisbane to the Darling Downs. By 1841 the Leslies had sold their interest in 'Toolburra' and moved to 'Canning Downs' which was managed by George and Walter Leslie. When the Leslies first settled on Canning Downs, they had 6000 sheep, two teams of bullocks and drays, one team of horses and a dray, 10 saddle horses, and 22 convict employees. The task of building up the property during a time of depression proved too difficult and Patrick Leslie was ruined financially by 1844.
In 1845 Leslie acquired 14 hectares of land in his father's name on the banks of Breakfast Creek, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and built Newstead House
Newstead House, Brisbane
Newstead House is Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence and is located on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River,in the northern Brisbane suburb of Newstead, in Queensland, Australia...
, where he lived while pasturing flocks at Canning Downs. In 1846 he acquired 'Goomburra' on the Darling Downs. Newstead House was sold to his brother-in-law, John Clements Wickham
John Clements Wickham
John Clements Wickham was a naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was a Lieutenant on HMS Beagle during her second survey mission from 1831 to 1836, which took the young naturalist Charles Darwin on what became the subject of his book, The Voyage of the Beagle...
, the following year. 1851, he also bought nearby Gladfield Station. Leslie left Australia with his wife and son in 1854 and returned to Britain.
Warwick
Leslie Dam
Leslie Dam is located ten kilometres from Warwick Central Business District in Queensland, Australia. Freshwater fishing and water sports facilities are available....
, and larger than life granite sculptures of and Patrick and Catherine Leslie are located in a park adjacent to the dam wall.
Politics
Leslie was elected as member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Moreton, Wide Bay, Burnett and MaranoaElectoral district of Moreton, Wide Bay, Burnett and Maranoa
Moreton, Wide Bay, Burnett and Maranoa was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1856 and named after and the early settlements of Moreton Bay; Wide Bay, near Maryborough; the Burnett River, near Bundaberg; the Maranoa region of...
from 19 November to 19 December 1857. He was also the leader of the Moreton Bay separatist movement, presiding over the first public meeting held at Drayton
Drayton, Queensland
Drayton is an outer southwestern suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Toowoomba Region.The first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs in c.1842...
to press this issue.
New Zealand
Patrick Leslie and his family moved to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, arriving in Auckland on the 20th October 1868. He purchased land in Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
, where he established a productive farm and sheep stud at Wartle, just south of Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, on New Zealand’s North Island. He sold his New Zealand holdings due to failing health in 1879, returning to Australia in his retirement.
Retirement and death
In 1879 he retired to Milson's Point, Sydney, where he died on 12 August 1881 following a short illness. He was buried in plot 799 at St Thomas’ Anglican Church Cemetery in West Street Crows NestCrows Nest, New South Wales
Crows Nest is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Crows Nest is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.-History:...
Sydney. Leslie was survived by his wife, Catherine and four grandchildren.
External links
- First Settler on the Darling Downs at Toowoomba City Council
- Patrick Leslie from The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work
- Newstead House website
- Clan Leslie Society
- Canning Downs still exists today.
- Photograph of Canning Downs in 1894
- Collection of hand written letters by Patrick Leslie to Sir Donald Maclean