Richard Grenfell (1839-1909)

#52ancestors

Richard Grenfell was born in 1839 in Cornwall and left to sail to South Australia with his family in 1848. His father, also named Richard, was a miner. The Grenfell family lived in the mining community of Burra for 4 years, before settling on a farm in the Clare Valley.

Area in the Clare Valley where the Grenfells settled – Google Maps

This mining and farming background was to have an influence on the life of young Richard, who spent his adult years doing both.

He farmed on land opened up for settlement after some good seasons north of Goyder’s line, an imaginary border in South Australia between areas suitable only for grazing to the north and those where crops could be planted. Drought followed the good years, and Richard once again turned to mining.

Abandoned farm north of Goyder’s Line

Richard’s wife and children went with him to remote mining camps at Blinman, then to Silverton and Broken Hill in NSW and finally to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Hut made of saplings – Blinman, South Australia

I’ve written about Richard before – see this post.