The first squatter in Imbil was John Daniel MacTaggart who took up 2 clocks of country called Bunya Creek and Bluff Plains. The area given for these runs was 16,000 acres each or 25 square miles. It was in July 1851 that MacTaggart submitted the tender for these runs. That meant, in all probability he has occupied the country just prior to this. The tender for these runs were accepted and on the 30th of May 1857 the commissioner for crowns lands recommended that cedar Creek or Caeder Creek be called Yabber Creek. In 1857 MacTaggart sold out his interest in the runs to Clement and Paul Lawless. Under the crown’s land Alienation Act of 1868 they were consolidated as Imbil and Clement and Paul Lawless were recorded as Lessees. On October 21st, 1873 John Ellworthy and Matthew Mellor took over Imbil from the Lawless family. They did not have sufficient capital to pay for the station outright so they raised a mortage with Ellen Lawless, a widow. They owed her nearly 6000 pounds – this was due to be paid in instalments – one due in 1874 and the other in 1865 with 7 percent interest. The property was mortgaged with nearly 3000 head of cattle some of which were branded CR or PLI on the off rump.
History
This is the story of Imbil as told by Joy King in the book ‘Imbil – Jewel of the Mary Valley’. The book is available for your reading pleasure when you stay at Elsie of Imbil.
What we can surely tell you is the Deed of Grant, a copy of which you can see when you stay at Elsie of Imbil, is that William Elsworthy, his heirs and assigns, on the 25th of June 1878, were granted 677 acres commencing on the right band of Yabba creek on the northwest corner of portion eight hundred and seventy six and bounded thence on the East by that portion bearing south fifty six chains and forty links and passing through a post one hundred and twenty links from said creek on the North by that portion bearing East thirty seven chains to an anabranch of Yabba Creek thence by that anabranch Southeasterly to a point bearing North and distant one hundred and thirty links from a post bearing 243 degrees 5 minutes and distant eighteen and three quarters links from an Apple tree marked 1112 again on the East by a line bearing South forty chains and twenty links on the South by a line bearing West ninety four chains and two links on the West by a line bearing ninety three chains and ninety five links to Yabba Creek and passing through a post one hundred links from said creek and again on the North by that creek downwards to the point of commencement.
Thankfully at some time he decided to subdivide and sell and on the 22nd of May 1916 Walker Sanderson purchased in Imbil. The Imbil Railway Station became an official Railway Station in 1916 and a photo records Elsie of Imbil standing proudly in the background once the home of Walker Sanderson. Other families have lived in the home sincebu 1916 but the history of the house remains with the Zillmanns. Edward George Zillmann and his wife Elsie Mary purchased her on the 3rd of September 1945 and after Ted’s death in 1982, Elsie struggled to maintain the home and sold her on the 9th of January 1992 to move to Gympie to live.
It wasn’t until 2012, whilst on a holiday at Cabins by the Creek, that Elsie’s daughter Joan and granddaughter Karen saw her property for sale. Karen, her sister Donna and their respective husbands Tony and Stuart purchased the property and the rest is the future…