My 3x great-grandfather, Francis (Frank) Philip Toms, emigrated to Australia in the late 1850s. How he ended up in Australia is a story for another time.

In his early years in New South Wales, Frank worked as a drover moving sheep from place to place. I’ve been able to read a diary from this time written by him. While droving days can be a bit monotonous, it’s eclectic and holds tantalising clues to his life.

Frank’s diary covers a journey from Coolamatong, south of Berridale, north to Gundagai and back again in the middle of winter 1861. It was just four-and-a-half months before he married my 3x great-grandmother Margaret Dennett, and he mentions her almost every day.

Following are some excerpts transcribed from the diary which give a sense of the life of a drover, and of Frank’s strong feelings for Margaret. Note: The original diary was not always easy to read and spelling and punctuation was variable, as you’ll see.

21^st June Started from Coolomatong for Gundagai with sheep…

22^nd June …Bad night’s rest last night. Could not sleep. Thinking of my own beloved. Very good camp for wood and water. Lovely night until about 11pm when it came on to blow a perfect hurricane. Had to get up and fasten the tent down as the pegs drew….Not much sleep. We had some rain as well.

23^rd June Sunday we left our camp about 9 and came on to within sight of the great town of Cooma….We had not such a bad camp considering it is so near a township…

Monday 24^th June …On the road today met a wedding pair. O how I wish it was my own one and myself but I trust before our 4 months are over to be happy.

Sunday 30^th June Church day at Jedjedzerick. Wish I was with her I love….Foggy morning. Troopers passed up (unpleasant, _). Had a jolly good wash and put on a clean shirt….Thinking much today of my own beloved. God grant that she is well and I trust that I may yet make her a good protector and that she may be good and true to me. Gave the men a good feed of dumplings and boiled mutton. Looks like rain.

Wednesday 3 July Rather dirty looking morning. Came on passed the springs to the Canbery crossing place…

Thursday 4^th July …Came on passed the Ginninderry….Trust my darling is all right. We are now more than half way. O how glad I shall be to see _ again. We camped about a mile from Ginninderry near the place that we last camped. Very high wind with flying showers. American anniversary day. A very poor one for brother Jonathen I expect. Baked two cakes. Showery.

Friday 5^th July 2 weeks out today. Mr Robert discharged Scotchey in consequence of his general disrespectful behaviour. We have not had a pleasant day through him since we have been on the road. I expect he will try and make mischief when he gets home. Very dirty day windy with rain. Mr R stayed with the leading mob of sheep. I came on and camped near B_ on our old camping ground. I expect my darling girl will be looking out for a letter from me but I have had no chance to send one…

Saturday 6^th July Showery morning with sleet. We came on and camped close to where we did last year. Mr R went on to Yass to write letters and get a man. Looks very unsettled weather. Not a long stage today. Sheep on the camp at about 1pm. Lots of people passing. Saw a fellow that travelled with me to Twofold Bay about this time 4 years…

Sunday 7^th July God’s day. I kept the morning watch and made bread. It was very cold, showering and a frost. I came on with the cart….Give myself praise for getting the cart through 2 or 3 of the places without any accident. Camped close to Hoskins sheep yards where we worked the sheep last year….Trust my beloved one is well. I hope to write her tomorrow. Met diggers going on the Gundaroo road…

Monday 8^th July …Wrote a letter to my dear dear intended. I trust she is well. O that I was sure she thought of me sometimes too. I think she does. I find that now I am away from her I love her even more than when I was with her…

Tuesday 9^th July …Cloudy, overcast afternoon. Trust I may hear from darling M in Gundagai. The shepherd at the camp last night kindly lent me 2 Yass papers. Had a jolly good read…

Wednesday 10^th July …4 troopers passed through Bowning and camped about a half miles from the aforesaid place. I was very busy making bread in the afternoon, killed a fat wether the best I think we have had yet….I hope my precious little lover is well. Longing to see her…

Sunday 14^th July …Camped about ½ mile from Sheeans house ….Wrote to my darling little M. Hope by this day fortnight to be nearer her. Looks like rain again.

Monday 15^th July Very squally dirty day….The roads were very bad today so much rain having fallen lately quite a river in some places….Mr R went on to Gundagai to meet the person who is to take delivery of the sheep. I hope he will be there to meet him…

Wednesday 17^th July We came on to within one and a half miles of Gundagai. Mr R and Mr T went on and came back without getting and information concerning the sheep….Mr _’s men camped with us. Two poor devils hired with him one of them a Devon man. Gave him a blanket and the other a rug. I really felt for the poor fellows. Trust my own beloved one is well. Often often think of her. Fine night and the day also was very fine…

Thursday 18^th July We came on to Gundagai….Hope and trust we shall get rid of the sheep as I am anxious to get back to my own one. A month on the road today. This time 3 months I hope to be happy to crop the sheep near _ Creek….Came on to rain heavily in the middle of the day but cleared off about 3. Gundagai in a beautiful mess….Went to the Post Office but no letter. Hoped there would have been one. Out of sight out of mind I suppose.

Friday 19^th July Foggy morning. Up very early to get breakfast so that we might get to work and make the bread and count the sheep….Thank God we delivered the sheep all right….We went in to town after and got a few things. I had a peep at the celebrated Jack in the Boot a bush ranger….Trust my darling got my letters all right.

Saturday 20^th July …We intended to camp at a place where there was plenty of grass but finding no water we had to come on to where we camped. This day was a devilish long day of it over such bad road. After supper it came on to make rain again. We camped for dinner near the big paddock on the other side Jugiong. Made a young cake after coming on the camp but I was rather tired. Trust my darling is well. Looks very rainified. Rained nearly all night.

Sunday 21^st July …We camped for dinner about 2 ½ miles from B_. By this day week I hope to be at Coolomatong. Trust and hope to find my darling well. Hope to write her tonight. Wrote her a letter in pencil…

Wednesday 24^th July …Mr R left us for Queanbeyan and we went on crossed the river at the Canbery crossing and came on and camped about a mile and a half from Tugerenon. Cold evening but looks better than it has for some time. Mr R gave me a note to get any thing that might be required on the way. Hope and trust my darling pet is well. Long to see her…

Thursday 25^th July …was in hopes about 10 days ago that I would have been home today but hope and trust to be so tomorrow. Looks much like rain. Came on through Cooma. Had a look at some jolly things at Cohens. Hope to get some of them soon. Camped for the night at Colringdon. Fed old Jolly with hay.

Friday 26^th July …Gave Jolly a good feed of hay. Did not get much sleep last night thinking of my own love. I got some barley from Kelly. I also bought a hat at the M_ store. We came on and camped for dinner at C_ creek. Gave the horse a good feed and then pushed on over.

Saturday 27^th July Left the camp early and came on over the _ which was not too high. Came on there being no room in the Ch_ came on and camped at Olivers for an hour or two…

Sunday 28^th July Just as we were leaving breakfast the master came up and had some tea with us. We struck from the camp and came on to Jegederick. Met my own precious darling. Did not know her at first but she was well thank God.

Frank married his Margaret at St Mary’s Church, Gegedzerick, near Berridale on 26 October 1861. He was 30 and she was 21, and they went on to have seven children, one of whom died as a baby. Sadly, Frank and Margaret’s time together was short. After an illness of some months, Frank died on 24 May 1873, when he was just 42. Margaret, who never remarried, died many years later on 20 March 1917.

Selected references

Personal Papers – Francis Philip Toms’ diary, June – July, ca. 1860s, State Library of New South Wales, nZNZWOQn, https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/nZNZWOQn.

‘Local Intelligence’, The Manaro Mercury, 31 May 1873, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114396627, accessed 2 February 2025.

‘News and Notes’, The Bombala Times, 23 March 1917, p. 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134565306, accessed 2 February 2025.