Spouse: Ethel May ADDISON (MCPHEE)-5008. Children were: Living.

Spouse: Zella Margaret NIEMANN (MCPHEE)-67. Zella Margaret NIEMANN (MCPHEE) and Albert John Edmond MCPHEE were married on 27 January 1940.⁹³⁹ Married Albert McPhee 27/1/1940 (Brother of Lily Niemann nee McPhee, spouse of Leslie
Niemann)
Children were: Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Robina Mary SMITH ( MCPHEE)-5010. Robina Mary SMITH ( MCPHEE) and John Donald MCPHEE were married on 1 May 1877 in Adelaide SA. Children were: Albert Harold MCPHEE-5007.

Spouse: Sandra MCCOLLOCH (MCPHIE)-5014. Sandra MCCOLLOCH (MCPHIE) and Alexander "McPhee" MCPHIE were married on 8 March 1782 in UK Scotland. Children were: James "McPhee" MCPHIE-5011.

He died before 1854 in UK Scotland assumed. He was buried in UK Scotland assumed.

Spouse: Eleanora ANDERSON ( MCPHIE)-5018. Eleanora ANDERSON ( MCPHIE) and James MCPHIE were married about 1764 in UK Scotland assumed. Children were: Alexander "McPhee" MCPHIE-5013.

Spouse: Ann FYFE ( MCFIE MCPHEE)-5012. Ann FYFE ( MCFIE MCPHEE) and James "McPhee" MCPHIE were married on 23 September 1826 in UK Scotland Ayrshire. Children were: John Donald MCPHEE-5009.

Spouse: Joseph KNEVITT-4732. Mary MEALY ( KNEVITT) and Joseph KNEVITT were married on 5 October 1837 in Launceston Tas. Descendant Peter Knevitt provided me with a document "The Descendants of Joseph Knevitt " which is included in the family documents. The following extracts have been included for interest.
Apart from James, Joseph & Mary Knevitt had the following children: George Knevitt 1838-39, Launceston Tas.; Eliza Knevitt ( m McWaters) 1840 - 1918 buried at Leighton SA probably; Catherine 1842-52, buried Burra SA.; William 1844-1866, died at Mintaro SA.; Henry 1848-57 died at Sugarloaf Hill Head, Burra SA.; John Joseph 1853-1853 Burra SA.; George Knevitt 1856-1925 born at Mintaro SA, Died in Broken Hill, buried in the RC Cemetery. Children were: James KNEVITT-754.

Spouse: Johanna Friederika Maria JACOBSEN (MEYER)-5390. Johanna Friederika Maria JACOBSEN (MEYER) and Anton Hinrich MEYER were married on 25 October 1849 in GERMANY - Bremen. "no children found" genealogy.net

Spouse: Living. Children were: Living, Living, Living, Anthony Michael MILLER-1305.

Spouse: William TRIPLETT-4198. Emily Jane MILLER (TRIPLETT) and William TRIPLETT were married on 13 January 1867 in Chinlford SA.¹⁰⁷⁴ Children were: Mary Elizabeth TRIPLETT-4227, Emily TRIPLETT-4234, William George TRIPLETT-4229, John Henry "Jack" TRIPLETT-4230, Samuel TRIPLETT-4231, Selina Lily Emma TRIPLETT-4206, Robert TRIPLETT-4232, Thomas Evien TRIPLETT-4233, James Frederick TRIPLETT-4226.

Spouse: Stephen BROWN-4445. Children were: Elizabeth Jane BROWN (LANGMEAD)-675, Caroline BROWN ( BURTON)-4660, Stephen BROWN-4661, Eliza Mitchell BROWN-4662, William Mitchell BROWN-4663, James Henry BROWN-4664, John BROWN-4665, Margaret BROWN-4666.

Spouse: Annie FITZGERALD (MOCATTI)-857. Annie FITZGERALD (MOCATTI) and Rodolfo MOCATTI were married in 1894 in Broken Hill NSW.⁴⁹¹ Stephen Fitzgerald does not list the following child although it may be the registered name of one of the children listed.
birth: 7873/1894 MOCATTI TULLIO R M RUDOLPH ANN BROKEN HILL
death: 3677/1894 MOCATTI TULLIO R M RUDOLPH ANN BROKEN HILL

Children were: Victor James MOCATTI-4726, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Living. Children were: Living, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Victor Hugh BERRY-1207. Sylvia Margaret MOORE (BERRY) and Victor Hugh BERRY were partners Children were: Living, Living, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Mary MORGAN (NEE UNKNOWN)-4454. Mary MORGAN (NEE UNKNOWN) and Unknown MORGAN were married about 1765 in UK - Wales - Glamorganshire assumed. Children were: William MORGAN-4452.

Spouse: Jane "(possibly)" MORGAN (NEE UNKNOWN)-4507. Children were: Mary MORGAN (HOPKINS)-89.

Spouse: Alfred John SANDFORD-4844. Elizabeth Meril MORGAN ( SANDFORD) and Alfred John SANDFORD were married on 2 April 1878 in Wentworth NSW - St Johns Church.^24,1077 Children were: George Alfred SANDFORD-4869, John Henry "Harry" SANDFORD-4870, Ewan SANDFORD-4871, Hugh Charles SANDFORD-4872, William Henry SANDFORD-4873, Albert Benjamin SANDFORD-4874, Agnes Lillian Rachel SANDFORD ( ST CLAIR)-5319, Sofire A E "(? sofie)" SANDFORD-4875.

Spouse: William HOPKINS-88. Mary MORGAN (HOPKINS) and William HOPKINS⁷⁰¹ were married on 5 October 1832 in UK Wales - Llanilid Dist. of Bridgend Glamorganshire.⁷⁰² Appears to have resided in Coychurch at the time of marriage.
According to Marie-jeanne Shaw, William & Mary had three children named James who died between 1848 and 1853. These are not listed in this family record at this time.This would make the number of children 12 in total.
The 1881 Welsh Census indicates Mary is the Head of the household is 68 yrs and the following people resided with her: Jane 37, daughter unmarried; Hopkin Hopkins, 29 Son, Widower, Carpenter; Edward, Grandson 5 born Newcastle, Scholar, Ann J 3, Grand daughter, born Newcastle. The Grandchildren probably belonged to Hopkin Hopkins. William Hopkin(s) was about 20 years older than his wife Mary Morgan. It is likely the farm they owned [Gwt near Llanilid, Glamorgan] belonged originally to Mary's family. In the 1841Welsh Census William's occupation is listed as Victualler - Hotel owner.
The records indicate they had ten children, Seven died in Wales, Two (David Thomas and Thomas James) emigrated to Australia and the fate of the eldest, Mary, is unknown.

The family grave [Grv 74] at Llanilid also contains the remains of Catherine Jenkins b 1758 d 1829. No suggestion of her relationship to the Hopkins family. Similarly,
The nearby [Grv 73 ] which is the crypt / multiple internment, for the Morgan Family contains Mary Fowle / relict of Edward Fowle, late of Treoyse who died Feb 16th 1865 age 31 yrs.

Children were: Mary HOPKINS-4444, William Jnr HOPKINS-777, Ann HOPKINS-778, George HOPKINS-779, Jane HOPKINS-780, Daniel HOPKINS-781, David Thomas HOPKINS-511, Hopkin "Twin 1" HOPKINS-782, Thomas James "Twin 2" HOPKINS Snr-86, Edward HOPKINS-4357.

Spouse: William MORGAN-4452. Children were: Mary MORGAN (HOPKINS)-89.

Spouse: Unknown MORGAN-4453. Mary MORGAN (NEE UNKNOWN) and Unknown MORGAN were married about 1765 in UK - Wales - Glamorganshire assumed. Children were: William MORGAN-4452.

Spouse: Harriet Jane UNKNOWN NEE (MORITZ) (DEVINE)-306. Harriet Jane UNKNOWN NEE (MORITZ) (DEVINE) and Charles George MORITZ were married about 1880 in Victoria probably.¹⁰⁸⁰

Spouse: Elizabeth Amelia "Norma" GEE (MORRISON)-5413. Elizabeth Amelia "Norma" GEE (MORRISON) and Clarence Ronald MORRISON were married about 1930 in Broken Hill probably.⁵¹⁵ NSWBDM Marriage record lists Elizabeth's surname as "Gen". Should be GEE. "They had three daughters, the youngest of whom is my mother (10/12/1933 - 3/2/2010 ) "
"My Husband & I with our eldest daughter moved to Western Australia in 1985. We both still have immediate family living in Broken Hill. " Gee Descendant Jul 2010

Spouse: First name unknown MORRISON (UNKNOWN NEE)-856. First name unknown MORRISON (UNKNOWN NEE) and Kenneth MORRISON were married in UK - Scotland - North Uist - probably. Children were: Effie MORRISON (MCDONALD)-492.

Spouse: Living.

Spouse: James Snr MCDONALD-14. Effie MORRISON (MCDONALD) and James Snr MCDONALD were married on 14 November 1865.

Spouse: Kenneth MORRISON-855. First name unknown MORRISON (UNKNOWN NEE) and Kenneth MORRISON were married in UK - Scotland - North Uist - probably. Children were: Effie MORRISON (MCDONALD)-492.

Spouse: Johann Diedrich Conrad OSTERMANN-5380. Anna Margarethe MULLER (OSTERMANN) and Johann Diedrich Conrad OSTERMANN were married on 4 March 1831 in GERMANY - Bremen.¹⁰⁸⁷ "No children found for this marriage."
The consent of the father of the groom was born on 3/3/1831 by the notary bglank recorded and given to the act. Witnesses: Bernhard Mueller, 39 years old, tobacco manufacturer, and William Ludwig KOCH, 25 year old camp guards ( in the madhouse ? ) genealogy.net

Spouse: Living. Children were: Mary MUNRO-720.

Spouse: Murdo (mac Ruairdh) MCDONALD CROFT-719. Mary MUNRO and Murdo (mac Ruairdh) MCDONALD CROFT were married. Children were: Alex (Mac Mhurchaidh Ruairdh) MCDONALD-68, Effie MCDONALD (MCDOUGALL)-725, Mary MCDONALD (CROFT)-726, Margaret MCDONALD CROFT(MAC R-727.

Spouse: Living. Children were: Living, Living, Living, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Living. Children were: Living, Living, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Robert James CARR-172. Elizabeth Jane "Bessie" MURPHY (CARR) and Robert James CARR were married on 22 April 1887 in Roma Qld.¹⁸⁴ Children were: Mary Jane CARR (EDWARDS) Jr-1022, Bessie Josephine CARR (DILLON)-1023, Lilian Daisy "Lily" CARR (TASSELL)-1024, Maud Annie CARR (COOK)-1025, Maggie May "Margaret" CARR (FINLEY)-1026.

Spouse: Joan STACE ( MURRIE) ( KIDD )-5243. Children were: Living, Living.

Spouse: Hugh Charles SANDFORD-4872. Margaret NEE UNKNOWN (SANDFORD) and Hugh Charles SANDFORD were married about 1910. Children were: Margaret SANDFORD-4911.

Spouse: Marion WESTLAND (NEILSON)-904. Children were: Mary NEILSON (NOLAN)-189.

Spouse: Patrick Michael NOLAN-43. Mary NEILSON (NOLAN) and Patrick Michael NOLAN were married on 24 March 1887 in Bendigo Vic - then known as Sandhurst - St Andrew's Manse. Children were: Hubert Westland NOLAN-190, Marion Elizabeth NOLAN-191, Alfred (Twin) NOLAN-192, Harry (Twin) NOLAN-193.

Spouse: May Victoria SANDFORD(NEWMAN) (HARDWARE)-4879. May Victoria SANDFORD(NEWMAN) (HARDWARE) and Unknown NEWMAN were married in 1922 in unknown place.²⁴ They had at least one child (female) who married a Wakefield.

Spouse: John VAUGHAN-1573. Rachel Grace NICHOLL (VAUGHAN) and John VAUGHAN were married. Children were: Mary Nancy VAUGHAN (WHITE)-1570.

Spouse: John Henry "Harry" NIEMANN-96. Mary NICOLSON (NIEMANN) and John Henry "Harry" NIEMANN were married in 1896 in Armadale Vic..¹⁰⁹⁶ They¹⁰⁹⁶ lived in Northern Territory - Victoria River Station in 1896. Victoria River Downs (VRD)
The Big Run
On 12 September 1819, Philip Parker King discovered the mouth of the Victoria River. Twenty years later, in 1839, Captain J. C. Wickham arrived at the same spot in the HMS Beagle. Crew members of the Beagle followed the river upstream into the interior for more than 200 kilometres.

In August 1854, Augustus Charles Gregory, assistant surveyor in Western Australia, was appointed leader of the North Australian Expedition. When they set off in 1855 from Moreton Bay it would be more than a year before they returned safe and well to Brisbane. They explored large areas of the Victoria River catchment area and went as far as 500 kilometres south to the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. The expedition was a great success and once and for all proved that there was no inland sea but plenty of land suitable for pastoral development.

Members of the expedition were his brother H.C. Gregory, Dr (Sir) Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, botanist, J.R. Elsey, surgeon, J.S. Wilson, geologist, J. Baines, artist and storekeeper, J. Flood, J. Fahey, H. Richards, G. Phibbs, C. Humphries, R. Bowman, C. Dean, J. Melville, W. Shewell, W. Dawson, W. Selby and S. MacDonald.

Some considered the country good enough to establish a tropical State, called Albert, after Queen Victoria's husband, with its capital on the Victoria River. However in 1863 the Northern Territory was annexed by South Australia. One early visitor to the region was Rev Julian Edmund Tenison Woods who travelled south from Darwin and called the river the Australian River Nile. Another well known visitor was John Flynn. In 1895, as a fifteen year old, he experienced first hand the rugged conditions of the outback when he was marooned for a month on a sandbar in the Victoria River.

Among some of the first to take out leases in the district were Charles Brown Fisher, born in London on 25 September 1817 and Maurice Lyons, a Melbourne Magistrate. Fisher was the second son of James Hurtle Fisher and had by 1875 become one of the wealthiest men in Australia. Together they stocked Victoria River Downs in the early 1880s. Most of the stock was overlanded by Nathaniel Buchanan who set out from Wilmot in 1881 with 20,000 head of cattle.

Buchanan had been, and still was, associated with the opening up and stocking of several stations in the Victoria River district and the Ord River region. Born in Ireland in 1826, he arrived in New South Wales with his father in 1832. He later conducted several exploring expeditions in Northern Australia with William Landsborough. In 1896 he assisted L.A. Wells to find his cousin Charles who had perished during the Calvert Expedition.

Fisher and Lyons also appointed Lindsay Crawford as manager. Crawford had been one of Charles Todd's men on the Overland Telegraph construction team and telegraph operator at Daly Waters. After many initial difficulties, and almost financial ruin Fisher was able to profit from his hard work and investment before the station was sold to Goldsbrough Mort & Co.

With white population slowly increasing in and around the district and an Aboriginal population of some 4000, Mounted Constable Willshire, formerly of the Central Australian Police Corps was stationed at Gordon Creek in 1894 to maintain law and order. This really meant keeping the Aborigines 'in line' on what would become Australia's largest pastoral property and cattle station in the world.

After Lindsay Crawford's resignation in 1894, Goldsborough appointed Jack Watson from neighbouring Auvergne station as the new manager. During his time the station consisted of 21,000 square kilometres and had 30,000 cattle and some 500 working horses. Watson died on 1 April 1896 while swimming stock across the Katherine River. He was replaced by his brother Robert. When Robert and his family arrived, his wife became the first white woman to live on the station.

On 30 January 1900, the station was sold to a syndicate made up of Sidney Kidman, Alexander Forrest and Isadore Emanuel who appointed Denis James Ronan as manager. He was later replaced by Richard Townsend. Alf Martin took over in 1926 and became its longest serving manager from 1926 until 1945.

During his years at the station he had many visitors among them the Governor of South Australia, Sir George Le Hunte in 1905 and Larry Wells, who surveyed the district in 1907. Other frequent visitors were Mick Madrill, who started a mail run, Randell Stafford and Harry Peckham, much better known as 'The Fizzer' from the book We of the Never Never.

Born in February 1872 in Adelaide, Peckham worked as a stockman at Renner Springs before he secured a mail contract in 1902. He obtained the mail contract for VRD in November 1907. He became well known and liked by every body in the remote outback. While attempting to deliver an urgent letter, seeking medical attention for a seriously ill woman on Victoria River Downs, he drowned swimming the flooded Dashwood crossing. His body was later recovered and buried on the river bank but later re-interred at the Elsey Station Cemetery on 14 September 1944.

Victoria River Downs was sold in March 1909 to Bovril Australian Estates for £180,000 with Sidney Kidman becoming a member of the Board of Directors until 1922. Although some reasonable profits had been made before the sale to Bovril, matters improved vastly when meatworks were built at Darwin by Vestey Brothers and by the Western Australian government at Wyndham. When the railway was extended from Pine Creek to Katherine transport costs were reduced remarkably. It also reduced the isolation of the district to some extent.

Nearby Humbert River station remained as Crown Land after VRD was formed and was taken up in about 1903 under Pastoral Permit by Newton and Kearney in 1903. It was resumed by the SA government in 1908 for use as an Aboriginal reserve, but this never happened. Billy Butler obtained a Grazing Licence in 1914 and he sold this to C.F. Schultz in 1919.

In 1919 Thomas Graham was appointed manager. During 1922 there was an outbreak of malaria Humbert River station, which caused the death of more than ten per cent of the station workers. Sister E.M. King, of the Australian Inland Mission, turned the homestead into a hospital to care for the sick and dying. Later a proper hospital was built which became known as Wimmera House. It closed down in 1942. Both the original homestead, which is located some kilometres south of the current Victoria River Downs homestead, and the hospital are now listed as part of the National Estate.

In August 1926 Alfred Martin became the new manager and had his wife and large family living with him at Victoria River Downs at the head station on the Wickham River. He still faced many problems such as low beef prices and later the 1930s depression. Martin, a butcher by trade had first worked for Durack but later went droving. From then on he managed Carlton, the VRD bullock depot at Wyndham for seventeen years. Martin turned out a great administrator and knew all there was to know of the meat industry.

During his time, VRD had its first official race meeting. In later years proceeds of these meetings went to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Hell-fire Martin, as became known, remained on VRD until 1945, carrying the station through droughts, depression, war and resumptions. He retired through ill health and was replaced by Hartley Magnussen. Since that time the Big Run has been carved up leaving only about 12,000 square kilometres.

Well known carver, dancer and painter, Alan Griffiths was born in January 1933 at Victoria River Downs Station where he lived and worked as a stockman until 1957. In 1965 he went to Argyle Station where he married his promised wife Peggy. Alan and Peggy performed the Bali Bali Balga ceremony for the 1997 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award.

In 1960 the station was bought by Hooker Corporation, from William Buckland, who made many improvements, particularly in transport. By this time it employed a hundred men and the homestead had the appearance of a small country town. There was the manager's house, a store, kitchen, mess, offices, radio room, single men's quarters, bakery, blacksmith, saddlery, workshops and garages.

The station was sold once more in 1984 to Peter Sherwin for $12,000,000. By 1986 Sherwin had become Australia's largest cattle breeder. It was also during his time that heli-mustering, the rounding up of cattle by helicopter, first started as early as 1970, became very popular. Finally in October 1989 VRD was bought by Robert Holmes a' Court through his Heytesbury Pastoral Company. After his death in 1990, his wife Janet took over. The Big Run has since enjoyed the most stable and profitable period in its 120-year history, entrenching its status as the king of cattle stations.
Ref Flinders Rangers Research
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October 2006
My interest in john & Mary Niemann was sparked by becoming aware of two books. "The Spirit of the Daly" Peter Forrest & Life on the Daly river" Nancy Polishuk.
John Niemann and his second wife Mary must have been quite amazing people. He was born New Zealand, moved to Sandhurst ( Bendigo), studied in Melbourne and became a Chemist, married his first wife Alice Webster, who died in Warracknabeal Vic. He married Mary nee Nicolson in Sydney.

John & Mary headed for the Northern Territory and at great risk attempted to set up a meat extract business at Victoria River. Victoria River was completely isolated and they almost came to grief on the sea voyage there. Their short stay there wasn't any improvement upon the voyage ! That didn't last long before they moved to the Daly River. At that time it also required a sea & river journey.
Both of the books mentioned, illustrate that the 'Daly' is a littany of failure, floods, crocodiles, snakes and during the wet season almost total isolation. There were very few settlers in the area even after World War 2.
The Aboriginal people were their only company and provided most of the labour for the farms, the mines and any other endeavour. By 1899 they were apparently 'peaceful' people, one suspects because they never forgot the massacres that took place after some Aboriginals killed miners in 1884. They were subsequently hunted and it is estimated 150 men women & children were murdered.
The privations for John, Mary and the two girls would have been no less than for any other settler. However both books convey a sense of community which provided something quite special & necessary !
With some understanding, but no personal experience I am totally impressed by the fact that they seemed to have been undaunted by the risks and challenges. It is little wonder they are listed conspicuously amongst the pioneers.
Not satisfied with six years on the Daly, they moved to Pine Creek. Maybe not quite as isolated but nonetheless would have required considerable determination.
The Niemann's are a 'mobile lot' . Others in the family went to New Zealand, Fiji and while closer to home, still daunting, Broken Hill. And one died (suspected murdered) off the coast of Western Australia, having 'chased his fortune' in northern Western Australia.

It is necessary to read the books to gain a better understanding of John & Mary's adventures on the Daly.

The following is an extract from "The Spirit of the Daly"

In 1899 John and Mary Niemann came from Melbourne to the Daly River, to settle at the New Uniya site which the Jesuits had recently abandoned. John Niemann was a_chemist, and he was encouraged by swashbuckling pastoralist Captain Joe Bradshaw (of Bradshaw's Run, on the Fitzmaurice River) to come north to operate a meat extract plant. There was little market for Territory live cattle, and Bradshaw resolved that it might be more profitable to slaughter cattle and to produce meat extract from their carcasses. After an abortive investigation of the Victoria River locality it was decided that the best site for the works would be on the Daly, to whence Bradshaw could walk his cattle overland.
The Niemanns were to spend the next twenty years in the Territory - on the Daly, at Pine Creek, and in Darwin. On her return to Melbourne Mary Niemann wrote a series of articles which were published in the Melbourne Leader newspaper on May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12, 19, 26, July 3. 1920. Mary vividly recalled their arrival at the old mission, which Neimanns called 'Monea':
[The full article is within the Documents attached to this family ]
[A similar article is in the Niemann family book; especially the account of their brief exploit to Captain Bradshaw's cattle station.]

It is interesting, if not a little bizarre that John 'escaped' from mining to become a Chemist and yet was drawn back into mining when in the Northern Territory. He did return to his work as a Chemist when the family returned to Adelaide.

Children were: Catherine Nicolson "Kit" NIEMANN (HENNESSY)-110.

Spouse: Grace Irene HART (NIEMANN)-2420. Grace Irene HART (NIEMANN) and Alan Thomas NIEMANN were married on 11 March 1939 in Brunswick Vic.⁶⁰³ Children were: Living, Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Living. Children were: Norman MacGillivray NIEMANN-117, Jessie L. NIEMANN (CAFISO)-118.