John Carolus Dufty 1861
was born 1861 in Sheepwash, Devon, England, and died 1934 in Nhill, Victoria, Australia.. He married BETSY LYDIA ANDERSON 6 September 1894 in Residence of Archibald Anderson, Blairgowrie, near Stanbury, Australia, daughter of ARCHIBALD ANDERSON and ANN DUFTY. She was born 16 June 1869 in Bald Hills in the District of Yankalilla, South Australia, Australia.
Notes for JOHN CAROLUS DUFTY: John Carolus left Winkleigh, Devon , England in 1881. He arrived in Victoria, Australia aboard the Lusitania in January 1882.
Death Registration: 18823 Died at the age of 74 years.
BETSY LYDIA7 ANDERSON (ANN6 DUFTY, WILLIAM5, BRYAN4, BENJAMIN3, BENJAMIN2, JOHN1) was born 16 June 1869 in Bald Hills in the District of Yankalilla, South Australia, Australia. She married JOHN CAROLUS DUFTY 6 September 1894 in Residence of Archibald Anderson, Blairgowrie, near Stanbury, Australia, son of JOHN DUFTY and PENELOPE PACKER. He was born 1861 in Sheepwash, Devon, England, and died 1934 in Nhill, Victoria, Australia..
Children of JOHN DUFTY and BETSY ANDERSON are:
| Name | WINNIFRED BESSIE DUFTY | JOHN ANDERSON DUFTY | CONSTANCE ESLER DUFTY. | CONSTENCE ESTHER DUFTY |
| born | 1895, Netherby, Australia (about 20 km north of Nhill) Birth Registration: 23283 | 18 March 1897, HNhill, Victoria, Australia. | 1898, Nhill, Victoria, Australia. Birth Registration: 28202 | 1898, Nhill, Victoria, Australia.Birth Registration: 17756 |
| married | 1920.Marriage Registration: 6937 | |||
| to | ALFRED BENJAMIN FROST, | |||
| died |
| Name | ARCHIBALD BADEN DUFTY | JANNIE PENELOPE DUFTY | BARBARA JEAN DUFTY | ALFRED CAROLUS DUFTY |
| born | 1900, Nhill, Victoria, Australia. Birth Registration: 21119 | 1902, Nhill, Victoria, Australia Birth Registration: 12598 | 1904, Nhill, Victoria, Australia; Birth Registration: 27786 | 1906, Nhill, Victoria, Australia; Birth Registrationz: 20967 |
| married | 1934. | |||
| to | HUGH CAMPBELL MCCALLUM. | DORIS BROWN, | ||
| died |
| Name | ALFRED HORACE DUFTY, | THOMAS PACKER DUFTY |
| born | 1908, Nhill, Victoria, Australia Birth Registration: 5683 | 1 October 1911, Lorquon, Australia ( few km from Netherby) Birth Registration: 29887 |
| married | 1938 | |
| to | AVONIA FLOR GRIFFITH, | JOAN. |
| died |
COW PLAINS EXPEDITION.
Or the Train Line that never was.
I. Jan 7th 1908.
The proposed District Railway Construction Inspection of the North country. Government Official Inspection: Arrangements have been made for the official inspection of the country lying North of the 36th parallel, through which by a line from Nhill to Cow Plains. The Premier proposes to ask the Railway’s standing Committee to shortly take evidence upon. Messrs.
Kenyon, (Engineer) of the Department of Agriculture. Harvey, (Lands Dept.) & Campbell, (Railways) will constitute the Government party. They will be accompanied by Mr.J.Sargent of Yanac North, as a guide and probably a local representative. The
trip is a big undertaking and will mean roughing it, akin to a Central Australian Expedition, with Two 8 horse teams and two traps. At
11am on Thursday they will start from Kozminsky’s Hotel, the first stage to Pinaroo will take two weeks. When water can be obtained a depot will be found.The tour will be extensive.
After
leaving Cow Plains, the next stop is Willoughby Springs. Stopping at water holes to Red Bluff, Ouyen, Pine Plains, Milmed, Tullyvea and back to Nhill. January 10th 1908.
The Cow Plains & Pinaroo Inspection.
Mr. Dufty provided the light draught horses left at the Commercial Hotel for the Inspection. A press party from Melbourne covered the trip. Mr.Kenyon and party will resume their exploratory work of delineating the Northern boundary of good settlement land back to Pinaroo and will return to the settlement. Finally they will work to Pine Plains, Chinaman’s flat and along the Southern Country abutting the Vermin Proof Fence, and immediately North of Netherby. The time anticipated is 20 to 21 days. January 24th 1908.
Opening Cow Plains.
Government’s
proposal. Hundreds of bores to be put down, and a million acres to be settled between the South Australian Border and the Mildura Railway line in the North West corner of the State. About 90 miles. There is a strip of the best country in the Mallee, with an average width of 25 miles, this is the verdict of the Director of Agriculture, who returned to Nhill yesterday, after having traveled across a portion of this area laying between Inaroo in South Australia and Cow Plains. They
were engaged in making a survey between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 acres of good Mallee country. The same class of land to the Westward over the South Australian border into Pinaroo and Lamaroo, which are connected with the South Australian Railway system by a light branch line from Tailem Bend, near Murray Bridge. It is 70 miles long. Since this line was built about 2 years ago, nearly all the whole of the land along it has been taken up, and is being cleared and will be under wheat. The
first 50 miles of the railway runs through very poor country with a light sandy soil, the vegetation is stunted Mallee and Heath and Spinifex. One redeeming feature is that water can be obtained almost anywhere by putting down a bore to 100 to 250 Ft. The wheat yield this year has varied from 8 to 12 bushels. At
Pinaroo about 60,000 acres will be in crop next year.
The Victorian Extension of this territory is looked upon as much superior land and general conversation on the South Australian side of the Border is in regard to the probability of the Victorian land being thrown open, and the chances of the South Australian applicants obtaining blocks. The
Pinaroo Railway Station is within 3 miles of the border, and it would be possible to cart wheat to it from a distance of 10 miles, so that a portion of the Victorian land would be served without any extension of the present railway.By this means an area of 125,000 acres might be adequately settled. If this territory belonged to South Australia, no doubt the railway would be extended and the land settled forthwith. An extension of the railway from Pinaroo to Ouyen on the Mildura Line would pass through this fertile land, and from the Victorian point of view, the only disadvantage is that South Australia is the natural outlet for all this territory. The distance from Ouyen to Melbourne by the Mildura line is 289 miles, while its distance from Adelaide, supposing the new line from Pinaroo to Ouyen is constructed, would be 250 miles.
As far as the land is concerned, it is stated by Dr.Cherry that without a doubt, we have a larger area which is as well adapted to growing grain as well as any part of the Victorian Mallee.The sandy country through which Mr.Kenyon’s exploring party was traveling last week, embraces an area of 2,000,000 acres, forming the Southern half of the County of Weeah. In regard to the latter it is of greatly inferior quality to the Northern portion already described, but is comparatively easy if access from the Victorian Railways at Nhill and Jeparit. The
detailed examination already carried out by the exploring party is the only way of deciding what portions are available after settlement. Mr.Kenyon and his party have established a depot at Cow Plains. This information is required by the railway’s standing committee which has to decide on the relative claims of the Ouyen/Pinaroo extension, or a railway from either Nhill or Jeparit into this territory, which at present is not used at all and only carries birds and wild dogs. The bores which have been put in on the South Australian side of the border, reach water at an average depth of 225 ft, the bore is 5” in diameter. As a rule, from 100’ it goes through layers of sand and limestone is reached. The water in the upper strata is rather too salty for live stock until they become used to it, but that which is obtained after boring through the limestone is very fresh and scarcely distinguishable from rain water. The contract price for the bores is £100. Down to 250’, and 5/- per foot for any depth below that necessary to strike rain water. Water can be obtained anywhere, instead of a likely spot being chosen for the bore, the most convenient place is picked. For instance, if there is any machinery such as an oil engine, the bore is put where the engine can be used to pump it. In other cases, windmills are used, and the average supply is over 1,000 gallons per day from each bore. The Premier stated yesterday, that as soon as the exploring party had finished its work, the Government would proceed to settle 1,000,000 acres of their land and would put down bores on every 500 acres. February 4th 1908.
Exploring party returns to Nhill
Welcome home at Kozminsky’s hotel.
Mr. Kenyon chatted freely on the proposed railway connection. They were away for 25 days and drove over 600 miles of country. He recommended in his report to the Government that 1,500,000 acres be made available for immediate settlement.In the evening, citizens of Nhill met them, Mr.Towns in the chair, Mr.Kenyon said that at “Cow Plains”they came to the good country where they picked up the “Argus” team of reporters. They worked nearly to Hopetoun, down West at “Outlet creek”, and from Netherby Northward.
II. April 17th 1908.
THE PROPOSED RAILWAY TO NETHERBY & COW PLAINS.
Another visit from the Standing Committee.
III. Fresh Evidence to be Taken.
Received a note from Robert Stanley Esq. MLA. Enclosing an important announcement re the Railway. He called the Kenyon party a “Romantic Trip”, and the local claims “Quite out of the running”. They were antagonistic to the scheme, and favored and urged the claim of a cross line from Ouyen to Pinaroo. Then
followed an interesting bit of information, a Government surveyor had been notified that he was to conduct a minute water survey of all the country between the Little Desert and Cow Plains. This intimidation at once illustrated the Government’s interest in the district’s South:- i.e. Nhill, Netherby Etc. That survey is still in progress, and we are now somewhat perplexed to receive a communication which revives all the old arguments, claims, and rivalries of the respective routes. In short we know as much now as we did 12 months ago. A letter from Thomas Gilchrist, Sec. State Parliament House, Melbourne, dated 9th April 1908, advising the committee will meet at the Shire Hall on Monday May 11th at 11-00am.May 15th 1908.
Proposed District Railway.
Visit of the Standing Committee.
Very bad weather, roads bad. The official party left the Commercial Hotel and it took them 9 hours to get to Netherby. Before they arrived, the farmers were waiting, they were very cross. Mr.Young said that this was proof that the railway was needed badly. He publicly announced that he would give the farmers a railway. They formed a petition of 71 farmers, and I quote: “We, the undersigned farmers of Yanac, North Yanac, Baker, Netherby and Lorquon most respectfully request that your consideration and recommendation of a line. That you make the starting point in Nhill for the following reasons:-That Nhill being our market town and having done practically all the trade of the district for the last 26 years, it has business associations that cannot be broken.According to Mr.Kenyon, and I quote in your report of 1905. A line from Nhill to Netherby would be 21 miles long and cost £51,000. While a line from Jeparit to Netherby would be 22 miles and cost £58,000.The Nhill proposal would also be much cheaper in regard to purchase of land, there being a 3 chain road available most of the way, while the whole of the land from Jeparit to Netherby would have to be purchased.Again, we have found Nhill to be the best market for our wheat, it having a large up-to-date flour mill that ensures us a better price than can be given by shippers, sometimes to the extent of 3d per bushel.A line to Nhill would be used considerably for the carriage of fire-wood, of which we have a supply.We maintain, and are supported by your report, page 5, that a line to Nhill would draw 1/3 more traffic than a line to Jeparit.Goods of class 1,2,3, can be delivered from Melbourne to Netherby for the same cost as at Jeparit.Nhill being situated on the Inter-colonial line offers facilities and conveniences that a branch line such as one from Dimboola to Jeparit cannot hope to give. Taking into consideration the inconveniences and freight of a line from Jeparit we are assured that much carting would be done in Nhill by teams. Therefore, we ask that the line should start from Nhill.
The First witness was John Carolus Dufty, another, Thomas Hamlyn Lang, Michael Francis O’Dea and Frank Hiscock. . May 19th 1908.
Proposed District Railway.
Taking Evidence at Jeparit.
The full standing committee met at Jeparit re the Netherby,Yanac & Cow Plains railway accompanied by Mr.Stanley. MLA. Mr.
O.H.Roediger, chairman of the Lorquon and district league, said he did not think it feasible to build a line to Cow Plains from either Jeparit or Nhill. He did favor a line being constructed to Yanac by the shorter route from Jeparit and would consent to his land being loaded against loss., but entirely refused to have this land loaded if a railway to Cow Plains from this direction. Mr.Thomas Affleck, Lorquon, refuted the statement that Nhill was the market town for the district and did not favor the Cow Plains railway. Mr.Herman Reichelt, Lake Hindmarsh, also concurred with the former.Mr.Robert Chrittenden, Lake Hindmarsh, also Mr. Louis O’Sullivan appeared before the Standing Committee and condemned the quality of land. Mr. Eugene O’Sullivan agreed.
Mr.James Menzies, (probably Sir Robert Menzies father) acting secretary of the Lorquon District Railways league. This was his resolution:-The league would not support or guarantee a line from Nhill to Netherby. They would support a line to Yanac and would guarantee it against loss.They would be entirely opposed to any further extension towards Cow Plains.
He said that the Jeparit extension would better serve the whole country than the Nhill extension and would be better led. He said he had seen the Propodollah desert only 3 months ago, and looking over it, it presented the same appearance as nature left it. The country Last up-dated Monday December 08, 2014