Australian pastoralist
Patrick Durack
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Durack in 1880
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Born
| March 1834
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Died
| 20 January 1898
(1898-01-20)
(aged 63)
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Nationality
| Irish and Australian
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Occupation
| Pastoralist
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Spouse
| Mary Costello
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Children
| Michael Durack
|
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Parent
| Michael Durack & Bridget Dillon
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Patrick Durack
(March 1834 ? 20 January 1898) was a pastoral pioneer in Western Australia.
[1]
His family were struggling tenant farmers from Magherareagh near
Scarriff
in County Clare, Ireland, who moved from Ireland to
New South Wales
in 1853. Two months after arriving in New South Wales, his father, Michael was killed accidentally. He settled his mother and siblings, and moved to Victoria, returning 18 months later with £1000.
[1]
On 31 July 1862 Durack married Mary Costello, only daughter of Michael Costello, a native of County Tipperary, and his wife Mary Tully, a native of County Galway. Patrick and Mary had eight children (two of whom died in infancy), including
Michael Durack
.
Goulburn provided insufficient outlets for Durack's energy, land hunger and organizing powers. Along with his brother Michael and brother-in-law
John Costello
, they set out to establish a property in
South West Queensland
in 1863. Drought conditions almost killed the men, but they continued around the country pegging claims to some 44,000 square kilometres (17,000 sq mi).
[1]
The men established both Kyabra and
Thylungra
Stations in 1868
[2]
with 100 cattle. By 1877 the Duracks had a herd of approximately 30,000 head of cattle.
[3]
Durack and his brother Michael trekked across the north of the continent from Thylungra at
Coopers Creek
in
Queensland
. They left in 1879 with 7250 breeding cattle and 200 horses, heading for the
Kimberley
region of
Western Australia
near
Kununurra
, arriving in 1882. The 4,800-kilometre (3,000 mi) journey of cattle to stock
Argyle Downs
and
Ivanhoe Station
is the longest of its type ever recorded.
[4]
In 1885, he retired to Brisbane. Later that year he purchased gold-crushing machinery from Sydney and began mining on the Kimberley goldfields. In 1889 he learned that financial disaster had overtaken his Queensland interests. He died in
Fremantle
on 20 January 1898.
[1]
Kings in Grass Castles
is a 1959 novel based on his life and times by his granddaughter Dame
Mary Durack
. In 1998 it was the basis of a TV mini-series of the same name.
[5]
References
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External links
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