Agnes Wilson née Hunter (1832 – 1918), farmer and land owner, was born in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland 9 May 1832 and arrived in Queensland in 1858. She married James Wilson in Scotland in 1851 and the couple went on to have ten children. James and Agnes first lived in Ipswich, then worked on Clifton Station for six years before purchasing property in the Darling Downs region of Allora. Agnes died 15 March 1918 at her son Richard’s home in Allora.
Agnes Wilson was born in Alloa, Clackmannashire, Scotland on 9 May 1832 to parents Mary and James Hunter. She married James Wilson on 19 September 1851 in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The couple had three daughters born to them in Alloa; the first of whom, Mary Ann Able born in 1852, died in infancy. The next two, Christina born in 1855 and Mary Ann born 1857, accompanied their parents on board the Alfred to Moreton Bay on 19 September 1858.
A James Wilson is listed in the State Electoral Roll for Ipswich in 1860 as “Householder, Brisbane Street, Ipswich”. It is not known how long they stayed in Ipswich but James sought employment on Clifton Station, where he and Agnes remained for some six years before moving to the Allora district, where he lived and farmed for the rest of his life.
James and Agnes Wilson had a Land Order and their first land purchase was in partnership with Courtney Spry. Together, they leased Portion 772, County of Merivale, Parish of Gladfield. The 134 acre lease is dated 1873. Later, in 1879, the couple selected land in Allora Parish (Lots 55 and 59) and made a further 200 acre selection in 1884 in the same parish, all known as Allora Exchange Land, part of Goomburra.
The Wilsons farmed this land all their lives and James died on the property on 2 May 1907. He was buried on 3 May 1907 in grave no. 394 in the Presbyterian Section of the Allora Cemetery. Sadly, in 1996 the grave was found to be unmarked.
He was survived by his wife Agnes, five married daughters, Christina, Mrs. Henry Gwynne; Mary Ann, Mrs Albert Gartner; Agnes, Mrs Samuel Holmes; Janet, Mrs Allan McLeod and Adelaine, Mrs Edwin Smyth. The couple also had four sons, David, James, Richard and William. One daughter and two sons predeceased him.
Son Richard fought in the Boer War and returned. In later years, during the Great War of 1814-1918, ten grandsons and two great grandsons answered the call of their country and saw active service, one of whom received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry in the field.
Information for this biography was provided by the Allora Historical Society and submitted by a Wilson family member.
Citation
Lee Butterworth and Lisa Ford, ‘Agnes Wilson (ńee Hunter) (1832 – 1918)’, Harry Gentle Resource Centre, Griffith University, 2020 (updated 2023), https://harrygentle.griffith.edu.au/life-stories/agnes-wilson/.
Archival Resources
Qld reg. BDM, Death Registration: Agnes Wilson
Agnes Wilson, daughter of James and Mary Hunter, d. 15 Mar 1918, Reg. No. 1918/C/1300.
John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland 7916, Darling Downs Area Photographs 1870-1930
Miscellaneous photographs of the Darling Downs area including Allora State School and Clifton Station.
QSA Item ID ITM64097, Selection file: Spry, Courtenay; Wilson, James, Warwick, 1868-1887
QSA Item ID ITM64303, Selection file: Spry, Courtenay; Wilson, James, Warwick, 1868-1887
QSA Item ID ITM339031, Passenger lists of immigrant ships, 1848-1855
QSA Item ID ITM339032, Passenger lists of immigrant ships, 1855-1859
QSA Item ID ITM2821842, Wilson, Agnes, Ecclesiastical (will) file
Newspapers
1917 Personal Notes, The Brisbane Courier, 25 July 1917, p. 7.
1917 Personal Notes, The Queenslander, 20 October 1917, p. 40.
1918 Obituary, Toowomba Chronicle, 25 March 1918, p. 6.
1950 Family Notices, The Courier-Mail, 20 January 1950, p. 16.
Online Resources
State Library of Queensland: 1st division Clifton Estate, Darling Downs [map, 1885?]
