Francis Lascelles Jardine

Francis Lascelles (Frank) Jardine (28 August 1841 – 1919) was an Australian pioneer associated with the exploration and settlement of Far North Queensland.

In 1864 Jardine, with his younger brother Alexander William Jardine, travelled 1200 miles from Rockhampton to Somerset on the Cape York Peninsula, at the time his father John's cattle station. They started with 42 horses and 250 head of cattle. The trip took 10 months during which time the party was constantly opposed by the area's inhabitants as they forced their way through scrub and swamps and crossed at least six large rivers, including the Jardine River which was subsequently named after him. They reached Somerset on 2 March 1865 with 12 horses and 50 cattle. Jardine's men survived, in poor health; they left a trail of dead Aborigines, dead horses and cattle and all their equipment^[1] Jardine claimed to have personally killed 47 people, with a total death toll for the trip of over 200. Both brothers were elected Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society and received the Murchison Award. In 1866 Frank settled on a station near Somerset and was appointed police magistrate in 1868. He died in 1919 of leprosy and is buried at Somerset with his Samoan Princess bride Sana Solia.

Further reading

• Works by Frank Jardine at Project Gutenberg
• The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work by Ernest Favenc at Project Gutenberg, Chapter 10, by Ernest Favenc

References

• Clarke, Frank G. (1998). "9. Frank Jardine - the twice buried pastoralist.". The big history question: snapshots of australian history. NSW: Kangaroo Press. pp. 43–46. ISBN 0-86417-954-5. It would be true to say that Frank Jardine shot his way through to Somerset. His personal tally of ... 47 by the time the party reached its goal ten months later. These notches [on his carbine's stock] commemorated only confirmed kills ... 
• Lack, Clem (2006, updated continuously,). "'Jardine, Francis Lascelles (1841 - 1919)',". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Australian National University. Retrieved 2007-03-22. In 1866 Frank settled on a station near Somerset and was appointed police magistrate in 1868. Confusion between his government and personal activities led to frequent complaints and in 1875 he was superseded by H. M. Chester. On 10 October 1873 at Somerset Jardine married the seventeen-year-old Sana Solia, niece of the Malietoa Laupepa; they had two sons and two daughters.  Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Works by or about Francis Lascelles Jardine at Internet Archive
• Works by Frank Lascelles Jardine at Project Gutenberg