Edward Wellington “Ted” Sutton 1864

Edward Wellington “Ted” Sutton 1864 - 1934

Ted as he was called was born,educated and worked in the Singleton District until along with his brothers,Abraham,John,Richard, and David,received a contract to build the telegraph line from Singleton to Deepwater. On completion of the line the Sutton brothers were asked to take the line on to Yetman and it was completed in 1889. The Sutton brothers decided to settle there and in 1888,Ted bought a property called “Wellington Vale”,later changing the name to “Bibilar”,in the North Star District which had an area of 4000 acres. Ted married Amy Hughes at the Branxton Church in 1895. They were a remarkable couple achieving in an area which to others seemed a hopeless task.They were faced with terrible privations whilst living in their tiny shack,which was completely surrounded by scrub,where wild cattle,horses,dingoes and snakes were in abundance. Bush Tucker was always on the menu most of it being collected by Ted’s wife Amy. Amy was a skillful horsewoman and assisted with the running of the property and at the same time gave birth to a total of 14 children. In most cases Ted acted as midwife. Ted supplemented his income by building and fencing on other large properties. His magical powers of water divining were in great demand for other new settlers. He built his own woolshed in 1910 and sheep from surrounding properties were hand shorn by Ted and his sons.Ted pioneered the wheat industry in North Star,the first crop of 50 acres was grown on his property “Wellington Vale” in 1908.Ted Sutton and his son Cecil began building the legendary Hotel in 1913.When the war broke out his sons Cecil and Garnett enlisted,both of them returning wounded. Ted who was afflicted with a permanent knee injury carried on the building alone and it was completed in 1914. It was a splendid building,surrounded by stables, meat house and stock yards. The hotel had twenty rooms and a verandah all around and a large kitchen where Amy and the daughters cooked wholesome meals.After David died in 1918,Ted inherited “Wilby” and bought “Boomerang “ in 1920. A further block was added in 1926 and he called it “Capernum”. At this time he owned about 2000 sheep and 100 head,each of cattle and horses. Ted opened a phone exchange at “Wilby” and after two years it was renamed North Star.The mail exchange was moved from “Cleveland” and it and the phone exchange became one. The opening up and the progress of the area by the Suttons helped to prompt the construction of the Moree to Bogabilla railway line,which was opened in the 1930’s. The name North Star became the name of the railway siding and Ted Sutton moved the Post Office and the mail exchange to the present site of the township,which automatically became North Star.Ted later erected the first general store in the township. Ted always prided himself on his choice of transport and was one of the first to own a car in the district. Ted in November 1934 was returning from a court case at Goondiwindi where he was fined for failing to eradicate rabbits from one warren on “Wilby” when his car rolled over and he was killed.It seems uncanny that a man who had fought such unbelievable odds against pests in a place in which he became a legend should be deprived of his life by circumstances brought about by bureaucracy. (Footnote)Details from Land Newspaper dated Jan.22 1987 by Gene Makim.