The mercurial Henry Alexander Wickham: 'American tobacco planter' on the Herbert

Vidonja Balanzategui, Bianka

Abstract

In the 1870s, the Herbert River Valley in north Queensland was on the frontier of settlement in Australia, its unknown potential attracting men and women, rich and poor, from across the world. While some persevered, a few, while leaving little trace on the Herbert, achieved infamy or fame elsewhere. One such person was the mercurial Sir Henry Alexander Wickham. This article will examine Wickham's years on the Herbert as a tobacco planter and argue that his failure to successfully cultivate tobacco in north Queensland between 1877 and 1886 was the result of factors commonly facing imperial adventurers, rather than a reflection of purely personal shortcomings.

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Queensland History Journal

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1836-5477

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Royal Historical Society of Queensland

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