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Nathaniel BUCHANAN (1826-1901)
Buchanan, a son of Lieutenant C. H. Buchanan, was born near
Dublin in 1826. He arrived in New South Wales with his father in
1832, and as a young man was part owner with two brothers of Bald
Blair station. In 1850 the brothers went to the Californian gold
rush, but returned to Australia after a short stay to find that
their station had been mismanaged and lost in their absence.
During the next few years Buchanan had much experience of
overlanding. In 1859, with William Landsborough , he explored new
country, principally on the tributaries of the Fitzroy, Queensland,
when both suffered many privations and were found just in time by a
rescue party.
Buchanan then joined Landsborough and others as owners of Bowen
Downs station near Longreach, which for a time prospered. However,
a time came when cattle were almost unsaleable, and the price of
wool dropped so low that the station had to be given up and
Buchanan was practically penniless.
After much experience in droving and mining Buchanan, in October
1877, with a companion, S. Croker, began to investigate the country
from the known regions round the Rankine to the overland telegraph
line, some 500 miles away. They discovered much good new land,
which forms part of the Barkly Tableland, and has since carried
some of the largest herds in Australia.
Throughout the seventies and eighties Buchanan did a large
amount of pioneering, working principally in northern, Queensland
and the Northern Territory. He had another property, Wave Hill, for
a period, but he lost this in 1894 on account of a great fall in
cattle prices and the difficulty in getting markets.
His son, Gordon Buchanan, had taken up land at Flora valley in
1887 and Buchanan now made this his headquarters. About two years
later, with another man and a black boy, he started with camels and
equipment provided by the South Australian government to find a
stock route from northern Queensland. He went from Oodnadatta up
the line to Tennant's Creek, and then westward to Sturt's Creek.
About 40 miles mi from Hooker's Creek he sighted the hills now
named Buchanan Hills, and next day came to a branch of Hooker's
Creek. From there he went to Hale's Creek and the Sturt, and then
to Flora valley. Attempts were made to find a practicable stock
route to the west without success. Returning to Flora Creek he
prepared a report for the South Australian government which added
much to the knowledge of the country, though Buchanan had failed in
his main object.
In 1899 Buchanan, now 73 years of age, bought a farm on Dungowan
Creek, 22 miles from Tamworth, and he died there in 1901 still
working. He married in 1863 Catherine Gordon who survived him with
a son.
Buchanan was a great bushman, and though he never led an
important expedition, a fine explorer. Probably no other man knew
the country from northern Queensland round an arc to Western
Australia so well as he did. He seldom made much money for himself
though he was a pioneer on Bowen Downs, on the Barkly Tableland, on
the Roper River, and on the Victoria River, and pioneered the trail
from the Kimberleys towards Perth. But he made possibilities for
other men who in many cases reaped where he had sown.