Family honours Wicksteed
New plaque remembers great man
THE family of an esteemed and respected legend of regional Australia has celebrated the centenary of his passing with a proper headstone in Toowoomba.
Wicksteed Charles Barton died 100 years ago this weekend in his Hume St home, having built an incredible life around entrepreneurialism and pastoral work across country New South Wales and Queensland.
He was buried in Toowoomba-Drayton Cemetery in 1918, mysteriously without a headstone.
His descendants, spanning seven generations, converged on Toowoomba on Saturday to properly recognise Mr Barton’s legacy and impact on Bourke and Toowoomba.
His great-great-granddaughter Jenn Bedlington, who came up from Canberra to attend the service, said she was one of several family members to discover his final resting place and arrange for a proper plaque.
“It was her (Glenys Abel) wonderful idea to actually get together, open our pockets and actually get the memorial plaque put up,” she said.
“We’ve all done different parts of the family history and uncovered different parts of this history.”
Born in South Australia in 1839, Mr Barton and his brothers rose above their modest upbringings to become respected and wealthy business-owners in a variety of fields.
Mainly based in the Bourke district of NSW, Mr Barton and his family at some point moved to the Toowoomba region and remained there until his passing.
Mrs Bedlington said her ancestor embodied an entrepreneurial spirit throughout his life.
“They did all sorts of things like mining and pastoral work, and that’s not where they came from,” she said.
“He was a pastoralist, but an entrepreneur as well.”