Isabella Lucy Eliott

Shafston at Kangaroo Point, the home of the Eliott family in Brisbane. Brisbane Images, Brisbane City Council.

The Eliotts’ are all renowned for their ‘suaviter in modo,’ but never that I know of for their ‘fortitude in re.’ They are all red tape men, and are led rather than lead.

John Bull, Letter to the Editor, Toowoomba Chronicle, 24 Apr 1869

PROLOGUE

Our first story opens with a woman whose husband is known to colonial historians and those well versed in the history of Queensland politics: Mr Gilbert Eliott, the first speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Queensland. Their sons would also go on to occupy important public positions, but relatively little has been written on Isabella herself. As is common for the study of her era the focus of historians on her family has been on the legislators, public servants, and parliamentarians, and as Isabella, her daughters-in-law, and granddaughters were without professional careers their lives have not been recorded in detail.

As well as the diary from the John Oxley collection I have dug further into Isabella’s life and that of her family members to better understand her in the context of her broader social network. Isabella is one of the more privileged diary keepers and this is apparent in its contents, which largely function as an aide de memoir to a middle-class woman.

To slightly confuse matters Isabella’s maiden name was Elliot and her married name Eliott. There are four distinct Scottish families of note all called Elliott with varying spellings, and Isabella and Gilbert hail from two of these different families. They married in Scotland and had three sons - Francis Willoughby, Henry Alexander, and Gilbert William – before emigrating to the colony of New South Wales.

Gilbert initially arrived in Sydney without his young family in Feb 1838 on the Upton Castle. He was a member of the entourage of Sir George and Lady Gipps, arriving for Sir George to take up the governorship of New South Wales. Employed as the governor’s aide-de-camp, Gilbert also quickly acquired land holdings in the colony. Using his social and military connections Gilbert secured his position before returning to Scotland to fetch his young family to Sydney in November 1839. Isabella’s husband then held official positions in Sydney and selected land at Walcha, before they moved north to the Wide Bay area, finally settling in Brisbane in the wealthy neighbourhood of Kangaroo Point.

Gilbert Eliott, 1870

State Library of Queensland

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Isabella’s adult sons prospered in Queensland. The family selection on Waka Waka Country near Yenda flourished under the management of son Henry, and Gilbert’s position as the Queensland member for Wide Bay (1860-1870) meant that the family were well provided for and moved in very influential circles.

The Eliotts’ eldest son Francis married a Sara Jane Richards. One of Isabella’s early diary entries mentions a visit from Captain Richards (RN) of the war ship HMS Hecate engaged in a survey of the coast near Hinchinbrook Island. Although Sara’s father is a Captain this does not appear to be the same man. Sara’s father is W. Richards, but perhaps this other Captain is a relative too. When mentioned in Isabella’s diary Francis is referred to as ‘Frank’, and he and Sara had at least six children: Elinor, Francis Willoughby Charles, Gilbert William Henry, Edward Percy, William Russell and Clifton Hazlewood.

Likewise, the Eliotts’ youngest son Gilbert William had a large family and a prosperous career. Based in Toowoomba Gilbert junior and his family were in frequent contact with Isabella and Gilbert. Gilbert junior married Jane Penelope Thomson, the granddaughter of successful emancipist Mary Reibey. They had several children including the Katie who is living with her grandparents at the opening of the diary. Katie was born in Sydney in 1855, and followed by Helen, Maud, Constance, Gilbert Francis, and Harry the youngest born in 1866.

Isabella and Gilbert’s middle son Henry pursued a promising career in the Queensland public service, before being prematurely struck down by illness in his early thirties. While Henry’s death occurred at his parents’ home Shafston at Kangaroo Point in 1868, it occurs within one of the extended gaps in Isabella’s diary and is not referred to at all. Henry had worked with the future Justice Sir Alfred Stephens and later at the family’s property at Yenda. At the time of his death, he was the Registrar of the Metropolitan District Court in Brisbane.

The fall of the Yenda into the Burnett, c1852-53. James Gay Sawkins. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales. The Burnett River is the primary water source for the areas surrounding both Yenda and Mingo.

THE DIARY

Isabella’s diary begins in her later years. The diary is not particularly enlightening at first glance: most of the entries are very short, and describe visitors and visiting others, the comings and goings of various family members, and record the extremes of Queensland’s weather which she never seems to have found comfortable. Occasionally an entry is longer than the others, particularly those that describe travel. Isabella’s diary also stops and starts abruptly; beginning in 1863 it quickly tapers off before beginning again in 1868, shortly after the death of Henry.

The first part of the diary begins in August 1863, and opens with a mention of Katie, who from context lives with the Eliotts and is almost certainly their granddaughter. ‘Gibbie’ is also at the house, and we learn from further reading and some intelligent guesswork that this is their son and Katie’s father, Gilbert jnr. Granddaughter Katie is spending the day with a neighbour, Mrs John Douglass, while several guests dine at the Eliotts’ home. Katie’s father Gibbie then travels by sea to Wide Bay. The diary quickly settles into Isabella’s daily routine of visits both to and from neighbours, and the occasional trip into town by the ferry. Isabella is short and to the point, which sometimes results in understatement with almost comical effect:

“Tues 22 - The Parliament prorogued. Mr William Gore arrived.”

The family nicknames assigned to children and grandchildren are one of the more endearing aspects of Isabella’s diary and show us a little piece of intimacy in a family known only publicly and in a very formal sense. The nicknames can also be a bit of a curse: Isabella writes to remind herself of her own comings and goings rather than for any future reader. Mentions of people who seem to come and stay cannot be identified with any certainty, although for example Nelly and Blanche appear to granddaughters: having stayed with Isabella in Brisbane for a short time they then accompany her to their parent’s home to Toowoomba in April 1864.

Isabella’s diary gives us a view of the neighbourhood, and the residents they visited regularly. Some they appear to be on close terms with, and Isabella mentions several neighbours with whom they spend their time – the John Douglasses, the Tom Joneses, Galloways, Edwards, Loves, and Brownes to name but a few, and anyone looking to build an idea of the social circles of the colonial families of Kangaroo Point would do well to start with Isabella’s detailed lists of neighbourhood visits. Further names – Mowbray, Shaw, Thornton, Lamb, Kent, Haly, Little, Darvall, Creyke, Gore, Buttershaw, Sheridan – provide a valuable source for family historians hoping to discover little insights into how their ancestors may have lived.

Notable guests at the house included the future Queensland Premier Sir Robert Mackenzie and his wife and children. Lady Mackenzie and her daughter Kate visit at least once, and it appears that the younger Mackenzies may spend some time with the younger members of the Eliott household during Christmas school holidays.

One ‘Captain Hope’ is a constant visitor and overnight guest and is mentioned consistently over the years of Isabella’s diary keeping. I think it very likely that this is Captain the Hon. Louis Hope, who was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and builder of the historic property of Ormiston House near the Cleveland foreshore. He appears to be on intimate terms with the Eliott family, and Isabella mentions his name in conjunction with both sittings of the House and his travelling to and from Cleveland which fits this identification. Captain Louis Hope is also their landlord and a pioneer in the Queensland sugar industry, and is now recognised as an early and significant exploiter of South Sea Islander labour.

The Eliotts’ home in Brisbane was Shafston, a waterfront on Kangaroo Point, and the house in which their son Henry died in 1868. Built by the Reverend Robert Creyke, it was bought in 1852 by Henry Stuart Russell and then in 1859 by Captain Louis Hope who then leased it to tenants including the Challinors and Eliotts. Isabella notes in her diary that the Creykes are also still neighbours, and they visit each other in the course of their local social calendar. Shafston is still standing on Kangaroo Point today and is commonly held to be the third oldest colonial home in Queensland.

Ravenscott on the Brisbane River, 1853. Conrad Martens. State Library of New South Wales. Ravenscott was the original name of Shafston.

Isabella’s household watch the shipping news with great interest, being the primary form of communication for the colonies. Late ships are often missed and commented upon, such as the worry at The Telegraph perhaps being lost in a heavy storm in 1863, and the relief at hearing that it had managed to shelter in Port Stephens. Isabella’s entries show how slowly correspondence moved: they received their “June letters” on 18 August 1863, informing them that one Admiral Eliott had died. The Admiral Eliott mentioned in the letters is likely Isabella’s first cousin Admiral Sir George Eliott, who died on 24 June 1863 in London. Sir George and Isabella shared a grandfather in Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Baronet of Minto.

Gilbert is frequently away from home, either occupied with the long sitting days of state parliament or engaged in related activities such as business lunches and dinners, attending on the Governor at Government House for various occasions, and tending to the family’s own business interests, sometimes traveling to Wide Bay to oversee their land holdings in person. Isabella’s days are blissfully busy as she visits and is visited by an endless parade of friends and neighbours. Katie often accompanies her into Brisbane, and they sometimes meet Gilbert there for lunch if his schedule allows.

When Parliament is sitting Gilbert works extraordinary hours, often home between 10pm and midnight if at all, and sometimes packs for an intended stay in the city. Isabella notes that on at least one occasion he sat until 3am before returning home in time for breakfast.

The diary jumps from January 1864 to January 1869. Whether Isabella used another journal in the intervening years or simply stopped recording her daily movements is unknown. A major incident which occurred during this hiatus in Isabella’s diary but worthy of note is the murder of an employee of the Eliott family near Yenda. Isabella’s husband Gilbert and son Henry were involved in the prosecution of a police officer for the murder of an Aboriginal employee named Jimmy in 1864. Their involvement in the investigation and trial gives us insight into the values held by members of the Eliott family. Jimmy, his wife and baby, and a Chinese labourer called Tommy were walking together when met by Gilbert on the road. They told him of their intention to walk to Mingo and so he left them to walk on, before coming across the Maryborough Native Police. Their commanding officer, Lieutenant Harris, asked if Gilbert had seen any Aboriginal men. Gilbert answered that he had met Jimmy in the road with his family, but that he was a good man who was no trouble and did not need their attention. The troop rode off, and some time afterwards Jimmy’s body was discovered lying in the road with a bullet wound in his back.

Gilbert was instrumental in bringing the shooting to the attention of the local police and insisting that the matter be pursued. He swore under oath that Jimmy was of good character, as did station master James Cameron. Harris could not keep his story straight and wavered between the apprehension of a well-known criminal to swearing he had never seen Jimmy before. The press decried the despotism of the Maryborough Native Police who had been riding roughly through Aboriginal camp sites before the shooting. Harris would later sue Eliott for his testimony against him. Harris lost, and the general attitude in the local press was that he certainly deserved to.

Early view of Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland, c1864. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. This is the Brisbane Isabella would have navigated with her granddaughters and servants as they shopped and met with Gilbert for lunch during parliamentary session breaks.

By the time Isabella’s diary takes up again in 1869, granddaughters Blanche and Nelly from the Eliott household in Toowoomba are staying at the house at Kangaroo Point. A near constant feature of many of the entries in this section is the weather. The mercurial nature of Southeast Queensland’s weather was often worthy of comment, with Isabella remarking on the extreme humidity and sudden and heavy rains and thunderstorms. On Thursday 21 January 1864 she wrote: “Thunder storm – high wind and violent rain began about 7pm said to be the heaviest rain ever known in the colony – 3 ½ inches rain fell within an hour – a great deal of damage done at many of the stores. Kingsfords etc. Thermometer 88.”

Although most of her entries are very brief sometimes Isabella will elaborate, particularly in unusual circumstances such as holidays and trips to see Gibbie and his family in Toowoomba. Isabella’s visits to Toowoomba put a different spin on her frequent weather reportage – for here it is too cold, and everyone always ill. In their visit of May 1864, she states that “Gibbie and the children have all bad colds particularly the Baby who has bronchitis.” Leaving Nelly and Blanche at home, Isabella returned to Brisbane with son Gibbie and granddaughter Katie, who seems to live more often at Brisbane than with her parents in Toowoomba. Gibbie accompanies the women to Brisbane then returns home.

Not everything is the diary is clear. Isabella’s notes are so short and obviously for her own benefit. I would love to know what pursuit or lessons Katie was undertaking when Isabella reported that “Katie began with Mrs Button yesterday May 18th [1869].” I cannot see a Mrs Button offering tuition or the like in the newspapers so far. Perhaps Katie had become a governess?

They spend Christmas of 1869 in Toowoomba again, during which time Isabella’s daughter-in-law Jane becomes extremely unwell. Isabella is worried for her and the duration of the illness – over 3 weeks – but thankfully Jane recovers. The beginning of 1870 sees Isabella in a slightly more talkative state of mind. Grandson Bertie returns with them to Brisbane to start school, and she takes numerous drives around Toowoomba and surrounds, remarking that it is quite a pretty place. The diary peters out again by the middle of the year, becoming more perfunctory once again.

Over the years the neighbours have remained on close terms, and the Lambs, Mowbrays, Darvalls, and Thorntons in particular are clearly mainstays in the Elliots’ lives and very close to Isabella.  As 1870 progresses Isabella starts to mention more often a young family member by the name of ‘Hadgee,’ who I believe is their youngest grandson, Harry Elliot of Toowoomba. She sends young Hadgee some fetching red socks, and soon after young Hadgee comes to visit in Winter with mother Jane and sister Maude – no doubt a grateful respite from the inland chill of the Downs. The whole family stays until December – “Gibbie Jane Katie Hadgee and Maude started by the coach this morning at 8.30 and arrived at Toowoomba at 6pm.” Bertie stays in Brisbane for Christmas with his grandparents.

Isabella also occasionally mentions house staff – Jessy, Emma, Anne, Lizzy – giving us a rare insight into the existence of working women whose lives are not usually documented beyond birth, marriage, and death unless they find themselves in legal trouble or involved in great scandal. Jessy in particular seems to be Isabella’s chamber or upstairs maid, and Isabella’s diary shows that she was very solicitous of Jessy’s health, having sent for a doctor on at least one occasion and clearly being worried.

The opening of 1871 brings a sudden round of deaths – the Governor himself passing on January 2nd, according to Isabella at 10 minutes past 11am. She also learns a few days later that her old friend Mrs Thompson died on Christmas morning. Murphy the jailer at Toowoomba, known to the Eliotts through Gibbie’s profession of magistrate, was thrown from his horse and died on the 11th. Isabella also mentions word of the passing of Sir William Denison from England – an important colonial figure and former Governor-General whom they may well have known personally. A gloomy start to the year.

In their final months Isabella and Gilbert slow their pace. Gilbert had retired late in 1870 and they could now spend more time with family and friends. They undertook renovations on the Brisbane house, and Bertie received three new green leek parrots as pets for his new room.  Isabella’s final diary entries are far less ordered. Many appear to be filled in after the fact, with dates added and sometimes changed where she has confused them. She writes of Wed 24 May that “Gilbert went to the Levee wearing his new order of St Michael and St George for the first time.” That same month Jane and Gibbie welcomed another daughter.

Isabella’s last two diary entries in June 1871 read:

“Wed 28th Gilbert went to Toowoomba by the 1am coach and evening train

Thur 29th Mrs Thornton lunched here.”

On the 30th of June in Toowoomba, Gilbert Elliott suddenly died. Isabella was made executrix of Gilbert’s will in July but followed her husband only months later, passing away in the early hours of Christmas Day in the home of her son Gilbert jnr. in Toowoomba.

Many years later, extracts from Isabella’s diary were read at an “I Remember” event attended by over 100 women at Newstead House in October 1954, including 3 of Isabella’s great-granddaughters.