William Joyner purchased the “Samsonvale Run” in 1845 from Darling Downs squatters James Sibley and Joseph King.
He died in 1847 in a shipping accident, and his wife, Isabella decided to sail up from Sydney and manage the property.
This irrigation dam is about a kilometer from where the family built “Aust House” in 1865.
This area is rarely visited, and some of the scrub is very thick. It made me wonder what Isabella would have thought of it when she arrived in 1847.
Hi Neil,
I love reading your musings. I’m a Dayboro local and historian. I have just heard about ‘Aust house’ I cannot dind a location for it anywhere. Do you think you could send it to me?
Thank you!
Nik
G’day Nik
I think the location in under water now. If you want a good look at the land which comprised the remains of the “Samsonvale Run” where Aust Hous was, I suggest you visit the old Samsonvale Cemetery at the end of Golds Scrub Lane in Samsonvale. Look North-east over the water and you’ll see “Joyner’s Hill” – it’s the tallest hill in the area near the water. (Photos in this post: http://nbe.me/5363) Aust House was probably about 400 to 500 metres to the right of the hill. There are some public access trails in the area which you might be interested in exploring. Much of that land was part of the Samsonvale Run, and there are still mango trees planted by the Joyners, and remnants of old dams built by them. You access them from the end of Postmans Track. See http://nbe.me/4397
Hope this helps.
Neil