OBITUARY.
PASSING OF A PIONEER.
<By " Battler.">
1929
Died at Wattlebank, near Rockhampton, on April 20, John Osborne Mylrea, one of the most popular graziers of the district. John Mylrea was born at Beechworth, Victoria, on March 23, 1850. His father, John Mylrea, was Manxman, who landed in Victoria at the time of the great gold rush and did well as a digger, later setting up as an hotelkeeper at Burbank, fourteen miles from Avoca. He was also well in at the rushes at Fiery Creek, Lamplo, and Back Creek. He came over to Queensland and took up Lake Learmonth in 1862. The property was called after the lake of the same name in Victoria. He stocked with sheep, and found out some years later that the country did not suit them. The sheep were sold to Oscar De Satge for eighteen pence a head and young Johnny took them out to Wolfang on the Peak Downs. Soon afterwards a lot of country was thrown open on the Fitzroy River, and John Mylrea, Senr., purchased 10,000 acres. That purchase kept him battling for the rest of his days, and the country finally went to increase the holdings of P. F. Macdonald. Mr. Mylrea died at Mona Vale at the age of seventy-eight years.
After young Jack took the sheep to Wolfang, he took the Wolfang cattle to Coreena. With him were two boys well known in Rockhampton in later years—they were A. O. Sullivan and Ramsden G. Talbot, now of Ripple Brook, and the long-distance teetotaler of the St. Lawrence district. It was when Johnny Mylrea was at the Lake that the Rockhampton bushrangers broke gaol. The lad used to ride across to " Flash Charlie's " for the mail. One day riding up he noticed a number of bullock teams clustered about the front of the house. This was unusual, and being of rather a shy nature, he kept in the timber and rode up to the back of the house. He found the place had been bailed up by Fagan and Wright. Fagan came out of the house with a pistol in his hand and attempted to catch the pony's bridle. However the lad broke for-the bush, hurried by a couple of shots fired after him. Johnny Mylrea looked after different shearing boards for De Satge and others, and then returned to the coast, where he and Sullivan took up Calleeweera.
In 1878 A. O. Sullivan, who had come into a considerable sum of money, wrote John Mylrea and asked him to join him in a trip to the Territory. He consented and sailed for Sydney. Twenty-one horses were bought at George Kiss's bazaar at £12 per head. They were shipped on the Dutch ship Atgeh, and were just two weeks on the voyage from Sydney to Darwin. The wet season was on when the party landed at Darwin, so they waited for fine weather. They had with them a copy of A. C. Gregory's diary and a sextant. The party consisted of A. O. Sullivan, a Sydney man named Arthur McDonald?, and John Mylrea, the bushman of the party. They travelled out to the Katherine and crossed to the Victoria River, which they followed to its head, then crossed to Sturt's Creek, from where they went to Hooker's Greek and struck the desert. They battled on for some days until the water nearly ran out, and no doubt men and horses could have perished only for having a bushman with Mr. Mylrea's knowledge with them. He at last persuaded Sullivan to turn back, and making for a gap he had noted in the ranges, made through it in the night and struck the Victoria River. That ended Sullivan's search for cattle country in the Territory. Mr. Mylrea described the Victoria country as being extremely beautiful. The blacks were in thousands, but were not hostile. After their arrival in Darwin they disposed of the horses and took passage by the S.S. Mecca for Townsville. The Mecca piled up on a coral reef in Torres Straits, and had to go to Brisbane for repairs.
On his return to Rockhampton, John Mylrea took up Wattlebank, where he remained to the time of his death. Mr. Mylrea married Katherine, daughter of James Steele of Glenroy. He leaves a widow, six sons and two daughters to "mourn their loss. Two sons, William and George, gave good service in the big war. Mr Mylrea was buried by the side of his father and mother at his brother James's home, Mona Vale. There was a very large attendance at the graveside, from Rockhampton and the surrounding district. Vale a white man!