104:
579:
19:
574:
143:
The new work of forming a port at
Cleveland Bay and the establishment of the settlement of Townsville was undertaken by a partnership of Towns and Black. Black is credited with erecting the first wharf, surveying the first allotments and supervising the erection of its first buildings. He is said to
123:
and at the end of 1863, he took up a further large area of land, which became known as
Woodstock Station. However, harsh conditions forced him and many others to surrender their lands to the banks as they were unable to meet their heavy mortgage commitments. Then aged 34, he became general manager
128:' pastoral interests, which included Fanning, Woodstock, Inkerman, Jarvisfield and other large holdings. Headquarters were established at Woodstock, and the long haulage of goods from Bowen was found troublesome. On the map it could be seen that the nearest coast was but twenty miles away. When
160:
Black left
Townsville at the end of the year 1867, and his loss was keenly felt by the residents of North Queensland. As there had been no farewell ceremony, it was arranged to send him presents of an illuminated address and a valuable gold cup. From
95:, which re-opened on 16 April 1857 as Princess's Theatre and Opera House, and was its first manager. Although described as a "magnificent theatre", the £60,000 cost of the Theatre Royal's construction ultimately bankrupted Black.
191:
111:
Black was attracted to the opportunities of the new colony of
Queensland. With W. A. Ross, C. S. Rowe and W. Longshaw, he formed a group to go furthest north and take up pastoral land. They reached
640:
451:
429:
235:(the 50-metre hill) in Townsville City was named after him and was the name of the first land sale in Townsville; Black's home was on the top of Melton Hill. The road to the
534:
602:
Black to gold : from gateway to golden lands : the true story of the founding of
Townsville by John Melton Black to the finding of gold at Charters Towers
505:
476:
172:, London, he had married Marion O'Dowds, whom he first met in Townsville. Their family consisted of five sons and a daughter. Black died in 1919 aged 89 years.
115:
on 18 April 1861, where they founded
Fanning Station. This was near the site of the Macrossan Bridge. Black was claimed to be the first man to cross the
103:
619:
184:, with particular mention made of four men: Robert Towns, Andrew Ball, Mark Watt Reid and John Melton Black. As at 2020, the monument is located in
379:
133:
69:, in 1830, the son of a physician. Black became a merchant and moved to London. It was there that he heard of the Australian goldfields.
421:
545:
165:
he proceeded to Europe, where he made an extensive tour before settling down in London. There he established a printing business.
680:
634:
609:
81:
where he made his fortune, not by mining gold but by establishing a business as a carrier. In 1855 he established the first
670:
180:
On Sunday 1 November 1964, a monument commemorating the "100th
Anniversary of Settlement in Townsville" was unveiled on
144:
have built the first house in
Townsville. He was a stockman, merchant, surveyor, newspaper editor and pioneer of the
129:
185:
85:
in
Melbourne on the north side of Bourke Street, able to hold more than 3000 people. The opening production was
675:
137:
627:
Sir Robert Philp
Lecture Series : selected lectures on North Queensland history from the CityLibraries
92:
169:
38:
274:
584:
John Melton Black by W. J. Doherty published in the Townsville Daily Bulletin on 10 July 1934 page 7
82:
541:
232:
181:
87:
513:
484:
398:
665:
660:
8:
236:
149:
50:
42:
630:
605:
373:
112:
353:
Melbourne, School of Historical Studies, Department of History, The University of.
120:
354:
231:
Black River (both the river and the suburb of Townsville) are named after him.
116:
325:
297:
654:
583:
269:
207:
193:
145:
107:
John Melton Black's residence, the first home in Townsville built around 1865
393:
355:"Theatre Royal – Entry – eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online"
125:
46:
34:
30:
78:
62:
578:
148:
in Townsville and surrounding districts. He served for two terms as
66:
18:
330:
302:
162:
22:
John Melton Black, first mayor of Townsville from 1866 to 1867.
599:
334:. No. 1, 155. Victoria, Australia. 5 July 1858. p. 6
219:
Monument for the 100th Anniversary of Settlement in Townsville
587:
306:. No. 774. Victoria, Australia. 14 April 1857. p. 1
41:
to find a suitable site for a port and then established the
573:
620:"Townsville's Neglected Founder: The Mysterious Mr Black"
326:"A Peep Behind the Scenes of the Princess's Theatre"
604:, Charters Towers, Qld. Charters Towers Archives,
188:between the Centenary Fountain and the bandstand (
136:were sent to explore, they made the discovery of
119:with flocks and herds. He liked the prospects of
652:
422:"100th Anniversary of Settlement in Townsville"
629:, Townsville City Council, pp. 104–115,
37:, Australia. Black ordered the expedition of
617:
378:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
582:This Knowledge article contains text from
410:– via National Library of Australia.
342:– via National Library of Australia.
314:– via National Library of Australia.
286:– via National Library of Australia.
600:Brumby, Michael; Brumby, Michael (2014),
102:
17:
653:
352:
506:"Black River – suburb (entry 44571)"
504:
402:. Melbourne. 10 July 1855. p. 5
264:
262:
260:
258:
256:
254:
252:
475:
239:is called John Melton Black Drive.
13:
593:
477:"Black River – river (entry 2913)"
14:
692:
646:from the original on 14 June 2020
618:Gibson-Wilde, Dorothy M. (2009),
535:"A brief history of suburb names"
432:from the original on 14 June 2020
249:
586:(public domain in Australia via
577:
572:
527:
681:British emigrants to Australia
567:
498:
469:
444:
414:
386:
346:
318:
290:
278:. Qld. 10 July 1934. p. 7
1:
242:
155:
98:
56:
49:. He served for two terms as
29:(1830–1919) was a pioneer of
7:
671:Colony of Queensland people
72:
45:and the associated town of
10:
697:
275:Townsville Daily Bulletin
175:
542:Townsville City Council
510:Queensland Place Names
481:Queensland Place Names
108:
88:The School for Scandal
23:
514:Queensland Government
485:Queensland Government
452:"Anzac Memorial Park"
359:www.emelbourne.net.au
106:
93:Astley's Amphitheatre
21:
676:Mayors of Townsville
208:19.2553°S 146.8230°E
91:. He also upgraded
77:Black immigrated to
394:"The Theatre Royal"
270:"JOHN MELTON BLACK"
203: /
186:Anzac Memorial Park
150:Mayor of Townsville
51:Mayor of Townsville
426:Monument Australia
237:Townsville Airport
213:-19.2553; 146.8230
109:
61:Black was born in
43:Port of Townsville
24:
636:978-0-9807305-2-4
611:978-0-9579009-7-4
27:John Melton Black
688:
647:
645:
624:
614:
581:
576:
561:
560:
558:
556:
551:on 23 April 2012
550:
544:. Archived from
539:
531:
525:
524:
522:
520:
502:
496:
495:
493:
491:
473:
467:
466:
464:
462:
448:
442:
441:
439:
437:
418:
412:
411:
409:
407:
390:
384:
383:
377:
369:
367:
365:
350:
344:
343:
341:
339:
322:
316:
315:
313:
311:
294:
288:
287:
285:
283:
266:
227:
226:
224:
223:
222:
220:
215:
214:
209:
204:
201:
200:
199:
196:
121:North Queensland
696:
695:
691:
690:
689:
687:
686:
685:
651:
650:
643:
637:
622:
612:
596:
594:Further reading
570:
565:
564:
554:
552:
548:
537:
533:
532:
528:
518:
516:
503:
499:
489:
487:
474:
470:
460:
458:
450:
449:
445:
435:
433:
420:
419:
415:
405:
403:
392:
391:
387:
371:
370:
363:
361:
351:
347:
337:
335:
324:
323:
319:
309:
307:
296:
295:
291:
281:
279:
268:
267:
250:
245:
218:
216:
212:
210:
206:
205:
202:
197:
194:
192:
190:
189:
178:
158:
101:
75:
59:
12:
11:
5:
694:
684:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
649:
648:
635:
615:
610:
595:
592:
569:
566:
563:
562:
526:
497:
468:
443:
413:
385:
345:
317:
289:
247:
246:
244:
241:
177:
174:
170:Hanover Square
157:
154:
134:Mark Watt Reid
117:Burdekin River
100:
97:
74:
71:
58:
55:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
693:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
658:
656:
642:
638:
632:
628:
621:
616:
613:
607:
603:
598:
597:
591:
589:
585:
580:
575:
547:
543:
536:
530:
515:
511:
507:
501:
486:
482:
478:
472:
457:
453:
447:
431:
427:
423:
417:
401:
400:
395:
389:
381:
375:
360:
356:
349:
333:
332:
327:
321:
305:
304:
299:
298:"Advertising"
293:
277:
276:
271:
265:
263:
261:
259:
257:
255:
253:
248:
240:
238:
234:
229:
225:
187:
183:
173:
171:
166:
164:
153:
151:
147:
146:meat industry
141:
139:
135:
131:
127:
122:
118:
114:
105:
96:
94:
90:
89:
84:
83:Theatre Royal
80:
70:
68:
64:
54:
52:
48:
44:
40:
39:Cleveland Bay
36:
32:
28:
20:
16:
626:
601:
571:
553:. Retrieved
546:the original
529:
517:. Retrieved
509:
500:
488:. Retrieved
480:
471:
459:. Retrieved
455:
446:
434:. Retrieved
425:
416:
404:. Retrieved
397:
388:
362:. Retrieved
358:
348:
336:. Retrieved
329:
320:
308:. Retrieved
301:
292:
280:. Retrieved
273:
230:
179:
167:
159:
142:
126:Robert Towns
110:
86:
76:
60:
26:
25:
15:
666:1919 deaths
661:1830 births
568:Attribution
456:Google Maps
338:6 September
310:6 September
233:Melton Hill
211: /
198:146°49′23″E
130:Andrew Ball
655:Categories
555:17 January
519:17 January
490:17 January
406:17 January
364:17 January
282:17 January
243:References
217: (
195:19°15′19″S
182:The Strand
156:Later life
138:Ross Creek
99:Queensland
57:Early life
47:Townsville
35:Queensland
31:Townsville
399:The Argus
140:in 1864.
79:Melbourne
63:Edinburgh
641:archived
430:Archived
374:cite web
73:Victoria
67:Scotland
461:14 June
436:14 June
331:The Age
303:The Age
633:
608:
176:Legacy
163:Sydney
644:(PDF)
623:(PDF)
588:Trove
549:(PDF)
538:(PDF)
113:Bowen
631:ISBN
606:ISBN
557:2016
521:2016
492:2016
463:2020
438:2020
408:2016
380:link
366:2016
340:2021
312:2021
284:2016
132:and
124:for
590:).
228:).
168:At
657::
639:,
625:,
540:.
512:.
508:.
483:.
479:.
454:.
428:.
424:.
396:.
376:}}
372:{{
357:.
328:.
300:.
272:.
251:^
152:.
65:,
53:.
33:,
559:.
523:.
494:.
465:.
440:.
382:)
368:.
221:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
