Shep's Place Family Tree

Two years later they were among the copper miners at Burra, still further north ‎(90)‎ miles who lacking funds to build houses lived in the burrowed out dugouts in the creek bank and that is where James who marr-ied Christina Kerr was born in 1849. When the gold rush to Victoria commenced in 1851 the entire male population of Kapunda where the Dunstones were again by then took off. The eldest son John aged 14 was the oldest male left in that town. Many returned poorer than when they set out.

John Dunstone returned with sufficient to purchase three 50 acre sections near Clare. He knew nothing of farming but set about learning, and pitched tents for his family until he could build them a dwelling. He felled timber and fenced, only to be hit by severe drought the first year and Clarinda paid 15 sovereigns for 3 bags of flour. Gradually with other settlers nearby of what became Springton village, the Dunstones prospered in spite of the cheap Californian imported wheat which dropped the price of local crops. With practical commonsense the family won through and established Spring Farm, Clare.

John Dunstone died at Clare on 21 Jan 1881 aged 64 and Clarinda on 25 Aug 1890 aged 72. Both were buried at Spring Farm Cemetery. The headstones are still there.