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History of the pastoral stations in the Lawn Hill Riversleigh area
We drive through the
When in the
Frank Hann also explored the East Pilbara around
Some of his
diaries have been published as Do Not Yield to Despair: Frank Hugh Hann's Exploration Diaries in the Arid Interior of Australia, 1895-1908
When
we reached the Lawn Hill and Riversleigh area in
In the 1870s, Frank Hann purchased numerous
leases launching the beginnings of the South Esk Holdings, which later became the Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company.
Hann accumulated # 9,000 square kilometres of land in total. Frank Hann was at “Lawn Hill Station” in
Facts from The Lawn Hill Diaries. Frank Hann was a diligent record keeper, however what
happened to the dairies of his twenty years at Lawn Hill remains a mystery.
Frank Hann was born on 19 October 1846 and
came to
During his time at “Lawn Hill”, Hann made extensive journeys droving cattle to the
He was also involved in a number of exploratory trips including one
for the Queensland State Government to survey a proposed railway line from Blackall to the Gulf and to establish a port at Point
Parker, just west of Burketown.
By the 1890’s Hann was suffering from a combination of misfortunes led by falling beef prices
and drought as well as losses from ticks and red water fever. He had refused to sell in better times and was eventually overtaken
by low prices.
The Bank of New South Wales in Townsville questioned his handling of Lawn Hill Station and set about dictating
conditions for his management of the property. Hann decided to leave the property in 1895 to find better fortunes in
Although Frank Hann at age fifty was virtually broke and homeless he decided to
look for new pastoral lands and new mining prospects hence spent the next twelve years exploring
Frank
Hann documented his exploration of
An accident put him on crutches in 1918 and
he retired to Cottesloe,
He may have died a pauper, but that is not known to the many who learn of his exploratory expeditions from the wealth
of places which bear his name, and the history he has left behind.
Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company
In the mid 1870s, Frank Hann purchased numerous leases launching the beginnings
of the South Esk Holdings, which later became the Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company. Hann accumulated 5233.7 square
kilometres of land in total. Over the next century several graziers became leaseholders of the land, until the famous 'cattle
king' Sebastiao Maia arrived in
The
remaining leases are now run by the Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Company being a partnership between Zinifex as the operators of
the Century Zinc mine, and the local Waanyi Aboriginal people, who are the majority owners.
Joe Flick
Lawn Hill Station has had a colourful past, including the story of the fatal shootout between bushranger Joe Flick and Police Sergeant
Alfred Wavell on 27 October 1889. The graves of both these men lie close to the homestead, as do the graves of other early pioneers. Lawn Hill Station
Newspaper extracts about the Flick murders
The Flick Murders at Lawn Hill
Death of Joe Flick
News is to hand of the death of the notorious
half-caste Joe Flick, who recently escaped from the Normanton lock-up, and was tracked to a hut at Lawn Hill Station by Constable
Wavell. Flick fired and killed Wavell on the spot. Mr. F. H. Hann, owner of the station, then attempted to arrest Flick, and was also
shot, but was not dangerously wounded. Flick also shot a black boy, who is dying. Flick escaped during the night while a heavy storm
was raging.
LATER
Further particulars of the affair show that on Sunday at noon Constable Wavell and two troopers arrived
at Lawn Hill Station, in close pursuit of Joe Flick, the half caste desperado, who recently escaped from Normanton lock-up. Flick
shot one of the trooper’s horses from under him, and made for the dining-room, under fire from the troopers. Wavell followed him to
the dining-room on foot, calling upon Flick to surrender, but Flick fired through the window at Wavell, who was about 25 yards away,
and shot him dead. A man named Bird was the only person on the station at the time, and he armed himself and sent a message to Messrs.
Doyle and Waller, who were in the vicinity at the time. They came, armed themselves, and watched the dining-room, which is a detached
hut, in order to prevent the escape of Flick. About sundown Mr. F. H. Hann, owner of the station, with O'Shea and a black boy, who
were out on the run all day, returned to the station, and Mr. Hann immediately went towards the dining-room, and called upon Flick
to surrender. Flick came to the window, and Hann pointed to Wavell's corpse in an endeavour to persuade Flick to surrender. Quietly
assuring him of safe treatment, Flick said he would surrender if Mr. Hann came to the door. Hann went to the door and opened it, and
Flick immediately fired. The bullet entered Mr. Hann's left breast and passed round, coming out under the left arm. Flick fired again,
but without effect, as Mr. Hann fell. Hann fired his rifle at Flick, and crawled away. All hands then fired on the hut, in order to
wound Flick, who barricaded himself in the hut, which was watched all night. About 1 o'clock next morning a heavy storm set in, and
it was so dark that it was impossible to see a yard ahead, and it is presumed that Flick escaped at that time. At daybreak the hut
was entered, and spots of blood were found, and some pieces of cloth which were saturated with blood. It is, therefore, supposed that
Flick was wounded. Under the leadership of Mr. Hann all hands started in pursuit, the station black boy taking up the tracks, but
before a quarter of a mile had been traversed, the tracker was shot through the chest by Flick, who was lying in am bush in heavy
timber on the edge of Lawn Hill Creek. Several shots were then fired in the direction in which Flick was supposed to be, but the bush
was very dense, so that it is not known whether Flick was disabled or not. O'Shea was then dispatched to Burke with the above particulars.
When he started the black boy was dying. Much sorrow is expressed at Wavell's untimely end, as he was a general favourite.
BURKETOWN,
2 November 1889.
Further news from Lawn Hill Station this morning states that after the tracker was shot Flick's hiding place
was closely watched on Monday night, and on Tuesday he was found to be dead, the body showing numerous bullet wounds. From the heavy
traces of blood in the hut, it is supposed he was badly wounded whilst concealed there. This accounts for him only travelling a few
hundred yards from the station during the storm of Sunday night; no doubt, he was wounded to death when he fled from the hut to the
creek. The tracker died on Tuesday morning. Mr. Frank Hann, is still doing well, and no bad results are anticipated. Constable Wavell
never moved from where he fell, and although not examined for many hours after, it seems to be certain that death was instantaneous.
Constable Wavell, who lost his life while endeavouring to capture Flick, was very highly respected. He was about 35 years old,
dark, slim, and about the medium height, possessed great activity. He was of superior address, and when stationed at Corinda on the
Nicholson, about 80 miles from Burketown, was a general favourite with squatters and carriers. Over twelve months ago he was removed
to Normanton, and was no doubt selected to pursue Flick because of his knowledge of the country at the rear of Burketown. There are
several in Townsville who knew Wavell, and all agree in stating that he was a brave and unassuming man.
Joseph Flick was the
son of a white father and half-caste mother. He was about 26 years of age, and since his arrival in the Gulf some four years ago from
the Warrego with his father, he has been a persistent evil-doer. The quarrel with Cashman, which has led up to all the trouble, took
place at the Brook, 20 miles from Burketown. Cashman kept a hotel there, and the hole where the bullet intended for Cashman went through
the wall, is still on view.
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