Richard Blackwell (pioneer)
| Alley Family Graves | |
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Alley Family Graves, 1997
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| Location | Gillies Highway, Gordonvale, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 17°07′01″S 145°46′26″E / 17.1169°S 145.7738°ECoordinates: 17°07′01″S 145°46′26″E / 17.1169°S 145.7738°E |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1887 - 1977 |
| Official name: Alley Family Graves | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 23 August 1999 |
| Reference no. | 601141 |
| Significant period | 1887,1889,1929,1930, 1943, 1977 (historical, fabric) 1887- (social) |
| Significant components | headstone, burial/grave, plaque, grave surrounds/railings |
 Location of Alley Family Graves in Queensland
Alley Family Graves (Australia)
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Alley Family Graves is a heritage-listed cemetery at Gillies Highway, Gordonvale, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1887 to 1977. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 August 1999.
The Alley Family Graves sites contains the graves of William Saunders Alley and his wife Mary Alley, George Gorham Alley and his wife Mary Ellen Alley, Sarah Blackwell, and Willie (adopted infant son of Richard and Sarah Blackwell). There are also memorial plaques in memory of Richard Blackwell, James Healy and Bridget Hill (formerly Healy), and William Saunders Alley (b.1887 d. 1977). The site is located fronting the Gillies Highway, with sugar cane surrounding on three sides.
WS Alley was born in London and grew up in Gosport. He was the son of a Commander in the British Merchant service, and at a young age went to sea and travelled extensively. Late in 1854 he became a member of the crew of the John Davies which sailed from Liverpool for Australia, arriving at Moreton Bay in May 1855. He left the ship at Brisbane and married Mary Banks, who had been a passenger on the John Davies. Mary was born at Logniddry, County Haddington, Scotland. They had three children, Sarah (who married Richard Blackwell), Mary (who married Tom Williams) and George Gorham (who married Mary Ellen Healy).
In Brisbane, WS Alley was the proprietor of several hotels. He was also the owner of punts which ran between Brisbane and Ipswich. He left Brisbane c.1877 for the Blackall Mine in the Banana district, and then to the Mount Perry goldfields. From there he proceeded to Cairns and settled at Cairns and Smithfield. He was involved in trading and timber-getting at Smithfield and ran a steam launch, the Countess, and a sailing ship from Cairns to Smithfield. He was also involved in timber-getting on the Barron River with his son-in-law Richard Blackwell and his son George Gorham in 1878. He was attracted by the stands of timber on the Mulgrave River, and with his family was the first to take a bullock team to the Mulgrave River (near where Gordonvale is today) in 1878. The journey to the Mulgrave took nearly three weeks, hacking a passage through swamp and scrub. On arrival at the Mulgrave they camped near where the Mulgrave Sugar Mill is located today.
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Wikipedia