Henry Plantagenet Somerset

Henry Plantagenet Somerset (19 May 1852 – 11 April 1936) was a pioneer pastoralist and politician in Queensland, Australia. Somerset was a liberal politician who represented the district of Stanley in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1920, and canvassed successfully for the extension of the Brisbane Valley railway through the Brisbane River Valley to the rich timber reserves in the Blackbutt Range and beyond. Both the Somerset Dam and the local government area of Somerset Region are named in his honour. Early life H. P. Somerset's family claimed descent from John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford through the Beaufort line. Henry was the second son of Colonel Charles Henry Somerset and Christina Emma Thompson and was born at Fort Armstrong in Kaffraria, Cape Colony (now South Africa) on 19 May 1852 where his father was a serving officer with the 72nd Highlanders. In 1855, his family moved to India, and remained until the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 after which his mother returned to England with her four young children. They were cared for by relatives until Henry's father returned in ill health and both his parents died in 1863 when Henry was 11. The following year Henry Somerset was sent to Wellington College by his guardian, General Edward Somerset, where he remained until he was 18, excelling at sport, music and art. Wellington College had been established by Queen Victoria for the education of her army's orphans in 1859 and Henry's years there provide the most joyous chapters of his autobiography. Farming in Queensland On the advice of Charles Grant Tindal, with whom Henry shared a love of thoroughbred horses, Henry paid £40 for passage to Queensland as a sailor-passenger on the wooden barque Polmaise and a land order for 40 acres. On arrival he met William Bowman, manager of Mount Brisbane Station on part of which the township of Esk was built and accompanied him to New South Wales. Henry returned to Queensland and worked for David Cannon McConnel, from 1872 to 1874, at Cressbrook Station. He established Mount Marlow Station for James Henry McConnel in 1875 where his head stockman was James MacPherson the bushranger, known as the Wild Scotsman, after his release from prison.