Water was discovered in the “Farina Creek” by early pioneers in the 1850’s and became the “Gums” stock watering hole on the major Beltana to Marree stock routes. In July of 1859 this land was taken up by G H Davenport and W Fowler and by 1876 the town land adjacent was leased by Mr A M Woolridge and renamed “Government Gums”. To maintain the water supply Mr Woolridge sent William and Francis Humphries and their daughter Sarah in March the same year to maintain the water holes. The town of Government Gums was later declared on 21st March 1878 and renamed Farina by the Governor of South Australia.
Demands for a railway started to emerge in the city, around the 1870’s to fulfil the carting of ore from the many new mines that were being brought into work and the first stages of this was to be known as the Transcontinental Railway linking Port Augusta to Darwin via Palmerston. The then assistant engineer for the Public works Department a Mr Robert C Paterson declared that the 200 miles of this proposed route into the stony desert would not be satisfactory and decided that Government Gums with its own water supply, could support a railway on this route. This railway was later to be called the “Great Northern Railway”. A tender was later awarded to Barry, Brookes & Fraser during 1877 to construct the railway at a total cost of 533,000 pounds.
At the time it was a great responsibility placed on the Humphreys family to maintain the wells and water holes for the early town and railway.
In later years Sarah Humphreys and Henry Stanford who’s family had grown to 12 children, lost two of their sons in WW1 and WW2.
Henry Max Stanford 24/04.1917 and Lawrence William Stanford 27/08/1942.
Demands for a railway started to emerge in the city, around the 1870’s to fulfil the carting of ore from the many new mines that were being brought into work and the first stages of this was to be known as the Transcontinental Railway linking Port Augusta to Darwin via Palmerston. The then assistant engineer for the Public works Department a Mr Robert C Paterson declared that the 200 miles of this proposed route into the stony desert would not be satisfactory and decided that Government Gums with its own water supply, could support a railway on this route. This railway was later to be called the “Great Northern Railway”. A tender was later awarded to Barry, Brookes & Fraser during 1877 to construct the railway at a total cost of 533,000 pounds.
At the time it was a great responsibility placed on the Humphreys family to maintain the wells and water holes for the early town and railway.
In later years Sarah Humphreys and Henry Stanford who’s family had grown to 12 children, lost two of their sons in WW1 and WW2.
Henry Max Stanford 24/04.1917 and Lawrence William Stanford 27/08/1942.
- ABT 1826 - Birth -
- ABT 1884 - Death -
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PARENT (U) ? | |||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
PARENT (U) ? | |||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
CHILDREN | |||
F | Francis (Andrews) Humphreys | ||
Birth | ABT 1826 | ||
Death | ABT 1884 | ||
Marriage | ABT 1847 | to William Humphreys |
PARENT (M) William Humphreys | |||
Birth | ABT 1820 | ||
Death | ABT 1879 | ||
Marriage | ABT 1847 | to Francis (Andrews) Humphreys | |
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
PARENT (F) Francis (Andrews) Humphreys | |||
Birth | ABT 1826 | ||
Death | ABT 1884 | ||
Marriage | ABT 1847 | to William Humphreys | |
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
CHILDREN | |||
M | Joseph Humphreys | ||
Birth | 1860 | Farina South Australia | |
Death | 1867 | ||
F | Sarah(2) Humphreys | ||
Birth | 1868 | Farina South Australia | |
Death | 1954 | ||
Marriage | ABT 1888 | to Henry Stanford at Farina South Australia | |
F | Mary Francis Humphreys | ||
Birth | ABT 1852 | Farina South Australia | |
Death | ABT 1937 | ||
F | Sarah (1) Humphreys | ||
Birth | ABT 1853 | Farina South Australia | |
Death | ABT 1856 | ||
M | William Henry Humphreys | ||
Birth | ABT 1858 | Farina South Australia | |
Death | ABT 1891 |
1 Francis (Andrews) Humphreys b: ABT 1826 d: ABT 1884
+ William Humphreys b: ABT 1820 d: ABT 1879
2 Joseph Humphreys b: 1860 d: 1867
2 Sarah(2) Humphreys b: 1868 d: 1954
3 Helen Stanford b: ABT 1888 d: ABT 1948
3 Annie Stanford b: ABT 1889 d: ABT 1936
3 Sarah Stanford b: ABT 1891 d: 1969
3 Henry Max Stanford b: 21 AUG 1893 d: 24 APR 1917
3 Elizabeth Stanford b: 1896 d: 1974
3 Henrietta Stanford b: ABT 1897 d: ABT 1991
3 Joseph Stanford b: ABT 1899 d: ABT 1994
3 John Stanford b: ABT 1901 d: ABT 1994
3 Lawrence William Stanford b: 25 MAY 1905 d: 27 AUG 1942
3 George Stanford b: ABT 1907 d: ABT 1980
3 James Stanford b: ABT 1909 d: ABT 1981
3 Philip Stanford b: ABT 1912 d: ABT 1998
2 Mary Francis Humphreys b: ABT 1852 d: ABT 1937
2 Sarah (1) Humphreys b: ABT 1853 d: ABT 1856
2 William Henry Humphreys b: ABT 1858 d: ABT 1891