John son of John Gilby 1824-1882 and Mary Harrison 1826-1903. He was the eighth child of ten. His father was a labourer but later took on work as a Carter, driving the big wagons. John did attend school, he was highly educated. He left home at the age of seventeen boarding a Ship called the Flying Cloud and arrived in Brisbane, Qld. He headed for Ipswich where he took up a trade building houses. After a number of years the lore of mining took him to the Herberton area. He mined himself in the many rivers. In 1886 he purchased farm land at Flaggy Creek. In 1892 he married a young Danish immigrant, Anna Katrina Hall from N***** Creek. (Now called Wondelca).
John with a help from a neighbour began clearing the land. He told how he and his mate would be working the big cross cut saw. Rifle always at hand because they would be stalked ready to be speared. John knew his cousin had come to Victoria. John traveled down on horseback in a small group. The Victorian Police pulled them up, thinking at first if they were part of the Kelly gang.
John and Anna had six children born in the Herberton area. Jack 1892-1945, Annie Elizabeth 1893-1930, William 1894-1894, David Henry 1895-1960, Arthur Albert 1898-1957, Ada 1899-1939. Sometime in the late 1890’s, John had money and took his wife and children back to England to visit his mother.
On returning he sold his farm and moved down to Biggenden. Waiting for the government to open Ban Ban Station for selection. Their home was at Spring Hill. All except Jack were enrolled in the Biggenden Mine School. Here Thomas 1901-1933, Ivy May 1904-1944 and Lillian Emily 1906-194)7 were born. Finally Ban Ban opened and John was the first selector. He also selected land across the road for his youngest sister Ada and her Husband Lewis Brooks. The new town was called Coalstoun Lakes. In 1911 his daughter Elsie Jane 1911-1982 (The first white child born in the area. Finally their last son Henry Norman 1913-1977 was born. As his sons grew up, John selected more land for his sons.
John was a tough man, he was able to find water with a diving rod. Acknowledged by Qld’s best. Once he was high up on the windmill when he saw his grandsons being chased by the local bullies. John slid down to the ground and took on the bullies who ran away. John lost his wife in 1929 and sadly one by one his children also died before him. When old age made life hard, his son Arthur brought him to live with his family in Gayndah. In July 1945 his first born son died in Brisbane Hospital. Arthur had been there with Jack. Within a week John himself passed away. He was about 87 years old.
