Jenny Kroonstuiver Libri

'Winton' begins with the story of Bill and Beat Swann who met and married in Hillston NSW in 1926. The story of their farming life through two wars, the depression and their later years is told through the eyes of their eldest and youngest sons, two of their fourteen children. The book then traces the stories of the fifteen people who arrived in Australia in the mid-nineteenth Century, and their families. They arrived in five different states and included agricultural labourers, sailors, domestic servants, miners, a convict and a copywriter. Courageous, hard workers, they headed for the bush and new towns and farms, eventually all coming together in the Riverina area in the early 1900s. Part 2 goes further back into the heritage of the Swann family and traces the story of the many historical characters who are part of the Swann ancestry. Beginning with the Kings of Wessex and the Vikings, the Swann history includes kings, queens, knights, saints and many nobles. Many of these ancestors fought each other in bloodthirsty battles for power, established new colonies such as New York, fought in the crusades and were present at great moments of history.

The narrative traces the heritage of eight families, including the Lees and Pointons, pivotal in settling the Kilcoy region, Darling Downs, and western Queensland. Many became magistrates, bankers, and community leaders. For families like the Lees, Deuchars, and Allans, Australia represented new challenges and the promise of wealth and adventure. Backed by wealthy Scottish financiers and buoyed by the wool industry's early prosperity, they established new stations in the region. These families were central to Glengallan, near Warwick, where significant family events unfolded in the mid-late 19th century. Others, such as the Whites and Pointons, fled poverty in Staffordshire, seeking a fresh start. With limited resources and large families, they joined thousands heading to Australia, lured by tales of gold and opportunity. Their willingness to work hard and take risks led many to success, with some recognized in the Australian Stockmen's Hall of Fame. They supported separation from NSW and were influential members of the Nationalist Party, becoming well-known figures in the colony. Although wealth diminished over generations, their legacy endured. In the 1950s, Ruth Lee, a trained mothercraft nurse, felt drawn to western Queensland, where she met Eric Swann. Their journey represents a new generation of pioneers who established a vast sheep station in Western Australia.