2021

Gracemere is a rural town and locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. The area was first explored by Europeans in 1853, when the Archer brothers arrived looking for pastures for their sheep. They settled by a small lake, originally called "Farris" or Padgole lagoon which was named Gracemere in 1855. The name Gracemere comes from "Grace", the name of Thomas Archer's wife, and "mere" which is a Scottish term for the lake.[2][3] They also located a suitable landing point for supplies on the nearby Fitzroy River, which later became Rockhampton. In July 1855, Charles and Thomas Archer with around 30 other people including four Native Police troopers, four Aboriginal men from the Burnett River, and their wives, left the Archer's Eidsvold pastoral station in order to construct the Gracemere run. The Commissioner for Crown Lands in the Leichhardt region, William Wiseman, joined them to help locate the most appropriate area, and in August 1855 they determined the area next to the current Gracemere lagoon was best. The local Aboriginals led by "King Harold" wished to obtain peaceful conditions with the Archer brothers and in return for allowing the indigenous people to live in the area, the Archer brothers utilized Harold's people to aid in forcibly "restraining the outside blacks" who were resisting British occupation. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracemere,_Queensland#:~:text=The%2....

Some Aboriginal people work for the settlers. They are dressed in European clothes, fed European food, and live in camps near the homestead. They play a vital role in the development of the Queensland pastoral industry. The owners of Booubyjan had a good relationship with the Aboriginal people who lived and worked on the station. They commissioned FW Whitehouse to paint the portrait of Cobbo, which was hung on the homestead. Source: cherbourgmemory.org/booubyja-cobbo-at-booubyjan-station-1...

The Kunja (Gunya) were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland. Norman Tindale calculated Kunja lands as having spread over some 12,000 square miles (31,000 km2) of territory Warrego River from Cunnamulla north to Augathella and Burenda. Their western extension lay somewhere between Cooladdi and Cheepie. Their eastern boundary lay at the present day Morven and Angellala Creek. Charleville was on Kunja land.[1] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunya_people