• From mother England came a crew,
    Stevenson, wife and children too.
    The Great South land was home to be,
    To work hard their survival key.

    A free man from hills of Surrey,
    Seeking life close to the Murray.
    Handy with tools and keen to toil,
    Their life was to be drawn from soil.

    The times were tough and food was short,
    As drought and famine left them naught.
    Then storm and flood destroyed their crop,
    Dreams were fading and heads did drop.

    When illness struck the eldest child,
    One hundred miles through bush so wild.
    For help to bring life saving pills,
    Across unyielding browning hills.

    With spirits flagging hopes were dire,
    When more disaster, a bush fire!
    What more could this poor family bare,
    Nature needed to show a care.

    They had by chance a twisted fate,
    Staked a claim on a golden gate.
    Loaded land was beneath their feet,
    Now hard work and their dreams could meet.

    So others came from far and wide,
    A gold rush was to be their ride.
    Stevenson hit the greatest seam,
    And safe was their Australian dream.

    The family from the Surrey rise,
    Had found a life that they did prize.
    Home was now on Australian soil,
    Good luck carried their gravelling toil.