Trombone's Troubles

Henry Plantagenet Somerset's Trombone's Troubles depicts the first three decades of his life, including his early childhood days with his family in India at the time of the Indian Mutiny, his schooldays at Wellington College and his years spent as a jackeroo and a station manager in Queensland. Through his eyes, we relive Queensland pastoral life in the 1870 with its rich tapestry of people and events. Henry arrived at Moreton Bay in the barque Polmaise in 1871 after three months at sea. He began his station life in the Brisbane Valley while working for the McConnel family at Cressbrook Station. Henry won the heart of Katharine McConnel daughter of David Cannon McConnel. On their engagement, they travelled overseas and were married at the British Legation, Berne, Switzerland in 1879. Henry established his home property at Caboonbah in 1890 and he and Katharine became an integral part of their local community.Henry days as a jackeroo and stockman left an enduring love of Queensland. which is reflected in his memoirs. Above all his account of his experiences in the bush shines a light on his personality and reveals him to be a man of action and compassion, a capable and caring individual, a grazier, politician and visionary.The reader will delight in the specially selected appendices which highlight their lives and dramatic times at Caboonbah in the Brisbane Valley. Henry is most famous for his role in the 1893 Great Brisbane Flood which is vividly described in Appendix B. The Somerset Dam and the Somerset Regional Council now bear his name, worthy and enduring tributes to the memory of a man of substance, whose favourite quotation was Write me as one who loves his fellowmen.