Who is John Joseph (Jupiter) Mosman? Expand John Joseph (Jupiter) Mosman (1861-1945). (Extracts from Wikipedia) Jupiter Mosman, was born in north-western Queensland. When he was a small boy, he turned up at Kynuna Station south of Julia Creek in western Queensland. Hugh Mosman, owner of Tarbrax Station, was visiting Kynuna Station at the time and adopted the boy and named him John Joseph Jupiter Mosman. He called him Jupiter because his eyes were "large, luminous, and as limpid as a planet". Hugh Mosman sold his property, Tarbrax, and decided to go prospecting. He travelled with Jupiter, to Ravenswood where he became acquainted with the prospector George Clarke and together with a Mr Fraser commenced a prospecting expedition in 1871. The expedition set out from Ravenswood heading for the Seventy Mile Pinnacle, (now known as Mount Leyshon) after which they swung back towards the high bluff, (now known as Towers Hill), as it was an easily seen landmark. In December 1871, the party arrived on the western side of the bluff and camped beside a creek where Jupiter discovered the gold-bearing brownstone quartz that led to mining of the deep-vein reef that they called the North Australian. Their claim was registered in Ravenswood. It was the first mine on the new Charters Towers goldfield. Many mines were later established that provided a much-needed boost in the development of north Queensland. Jupiter parted ways with Mosman in 1891 and went back to the land either gold-prospecting or working cattle. He retired and lived at Eventide Home for the Aged in Charters Towers where he died on 5 December 1945 aged 85. Did you know Charters Towers was called 'The World'? It was said one didn't have to go anywhere else because everything was had in Charters Towers.
Educating Jupiter Expand Jupiter went to school in Newtown, NSW and afterwards attended Lyndhurst College, Sydney, where he was baptised as Roman Catholic and christened John Joseph. There he did well at sports such as cricket, football and running. At cricket, he was a medium-fast bowler, a good fielder, and a sound batsman. He could run 100 yards in 11 seconds. Hugh Mosman was a keen horseman who enjoyed competing in steeplechase races. He taught Jupiter how to ride and about horse racing more generally. They rarely opened a gate, preferring to jump their horses over it.
Jupiter's Working Life Expand After Jupiter had completed his schooling, Hugh Mosman and Jupiter returned to Charters Towers. When Hugh Mosman left Charters Towers in 1891, Jupiter decided he would join Hugh Mosman's nephew as a drover, taking a mob of cattle owned by Messrs Collins and White from Beaudesert near Kynuna to Wodonga in Victoria. The journey took six months and five days and no beasts were lost. Later Jupiter worked for Messrs Rourke and Monroe at Lolwoth Station at Dotswood. He worked at a number of other pastoral stations, including Wombiana, and Stockyard Creek with Messrs Soilleux and Roberts. When he had the opportunity, Jupiter went prospecting and is credited with discovering other mineral-bearing areas.
The Townspeople help Jupiter Expand In his final years, Jupiter Mosman was cared for at the Eventide nursing home in Charters Towers. Aboriginal people were not normally admitted to the home, but the people of Charters Towers successfully petitioned the Queensland Government to allow him residence there because of his historic association with Charters Towers.
Jupiter wins shares in casket prize Expand CHARTERS TOWERS, March 4. Among those to participate in the second prize in the Golden Casket to day was Jupiter Mosman, who held a half-share in a shilling share ticket with Mr. W. Bourke, a taxi driver. Jupiter Mosman has lived at Eventide Home for the Aged for several years. He figured prominently in the discovery of the Charters Towers field, and was with Mosman, Clarke and Fraser, as a little blackboy, when, In 1872, they first set foot on the present site of Charters Towers. He is now an aged man, and his share of the prize, about £83, will provide him with additional comforts in his declining years. For months past he and Mr. Bourke regularly had been taking tickets, but this Is the first time that fortune has Fix this textfavored them in a decent way.