John Henry (Jack) Barron & Dargins Gray

A little information on John Henry (Jack) Barron who was 3rd child of 15 to William Barron and Hannah Wooden.

"John Henry (jack) Barron was born 2/5/1874. He lived in Nowra and Burrier until he had problems with the law. He faced trial on perjury. He skipped away to North Queensland where he become a stagecoach driver. He was well renowned for his horsemanship skills. Poems and ballards have been written about his exploits. He was ultimatley murdered in a hotel in North Queensland."

- From the book Woodens an Australian Saga

Photo sent to me by Ted Robl who is rewritting book of peoms about Breaker Morant and interested in anybody who had ridden Dargin's Grey

The following Information come from the Simply Australia Website which is the e-zine on Australian folklore.

DARGAN'S GREY
When old Lance Skuthorp had his show out Clermont way,
And he and Dick were in their prime and so was Dargan's Grey,
And bushmen bold had heard Lance boast and fling a challenge round
To any man to ride the grey within the show tent ground.
And Barron, on the Broadsound mail, who feared not even hell,
Had heard about the vicious grey and heard the stockman tell,
About the roll of notes Lance offered to put down,
Upon the grey on any night to any man in town,
And Clermont town was all agog when Barron swung his team,
With skillful hands and cunning lash a-gallop through the gleam.
To hear Lance Skuthorp make his boast with backing for the grey,
And tell the crowd he'd ride the horse and put his gear away.
And Jack was vain and loved a fight and loved to go the pace,
And few would dare to fling a taunt or insult in his face.
And bushmen flocked to Cossman's yards to see the Broadsound crack,
As flash as ever man could be astride of Dargan's back.
But Skuthorp, he was confident and agreed to let him use,
His kneepad saddle on the job for he thought he couldn't lose.
And the blindfold on his head and struggling like a lion,
Barron grabbed his nearside ear with a grip of iron, And once aboard the whitling grey and all pretence had fled,
Barron vowed to stay aboard nor give the grey his head.
But Skuthorp cursed and fumed and swore and made a hostile show.
Both Barron's arms were bands of steel and never let him go.
And that is thirty years ago, Ah yes but bushmen still relate
How Barron rode that fearful grey but rode him with his weight.
But Jack is dead long since poor chap, but it is often said,
He never would have sat the grey if he'd given him his head.

...

DARGIN'S GREY
John Low asks:

- Did Dargin's Grey tour inter-state?

- Or did the name enter the folk tradition and get passed on to other champion grey buckjumpers?

Any further information about Dargin's Grey or, more specifically, about the poem would be most welcome.

Does anyone know of any other poems/songs or, indeed, any photographs?

On 11th March 1898 the following advertisement appeared
in The Lithgow Mercury:

CHALLENGE
We are willing to BACK THE GREY HORSE (Dargin's Grey) TO THROW ANY MAN for any amount up to 15 pounds, and plenty more, if required, from outsiders.
Full particulars and conditions from H. SMITH. Lithgow Street, Lithgow.

According to Bill Wannan, who confirmed the horse's status as a folk icon by including him in his Dictionary of Australian Folklore, Dargin's Grey was bred in the 1880s at Capertee near Lithgow. Purchased by Arthur Dargin in the early 1890s, he was exhibited at the Lithgow Show and soon acquired a reputation as a bit of an equine prodigy, testing the skills of many noted horsemen. A. G. Stephens wrote of him in The Bulletin in 1906, stating that “though some have tamed [him], none has ever broken his rebellious spirit.” Harry 'Breaker' Morant was one of the horsemen who managed to stay on board. Another, Jack Prendergast, said: “I believe that if the grey was lying down at his last gasp and anyone got on him, he'd get up and buck himself to death.”

Some time ago I was given a copy of the following poem. The source from which it was extracted (and any earlier provenance) is unknown but, interestingly, the location of the incident described in the poem is clearly North Queensland, a long way from Lithgow!

Note about the poem:
Jack Barron was a legendary coach driver who, for many years, drove the mail run from Clermont to Broadsound (now St. Lawrence) and later ca. 1919 the run from Clermont to Mt. Coolon. In the early 1920s he drove the Mt. Coolon to Collinsville coach and it was while working this run that he met his death at the old Bowen River Hotel when he was shot during a pub brawl.

- John Low

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This forum has asked questions about the great buckjumping horse Dargin's Grey, at times wrongly recorded as Dargan's Grey. The terror was given its show name by its third owner Arthur Dargin. I was told many years ago that its "paddock name" was Misty. However, the horse was named after Arthur Dargin and as such the name Dargan should not be used. The poem on the forum tells that Jack Barron rode the four-legged Satan and this I very much doubt. If the poet was correct then the well known Jack Barron rode Skuthorpe's Dargin's Grey. Lance Skuthorpe named this grey horse in honour of the TRUE Dargin's Grey. Horsemen of the day told that Lance's grey was but a pig rooter and cow kicker. Lance admitted that his Dargin's Grey was an inferior horse to the real thing. It's is asked did Dargin's grey travel up to Qld? Both did. "Martini" ( Martin Breheny) the showman came to obtain the grey and his show was all about Qld. including Thursday Island.
I have only seen the one photograph, drawing I think of the grey. It was is 1963. I do not recall in what publication it was, and at the time I was not collecting too much. Getting about the country with a swag restricts that sort of thing. It was a good article and I have kicked myself in recent years for not collecting more in those days.

I trust that these few snippits help.
Jim McJannett.

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Came across you site re Dargin's Grey. I am Jack Barron's Great Grandaughter. We did not know much about Jack Barron, only that he drove a mail coach from around the St Lawrence area. As I am just researching Jack Barron, am wondering if you have any other information on him at all. It is believed he married my Granmother (full blood aboriginal at St Lawrence) and they had 3 children, Topsy Francis Barron, Stanley and Percy.

If you can help at all it would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Karen

[John Low:Karen, I wish I could help you with more information about Jack Barron but alas the brief account of him that accompanied the poem in Simply Australia is all the information I have. I would love to know more and have always thought I might do some more research when I had the time. I imagine some of the histories of North Queensland would yield further information and probably the historical resources of the State Library of Queensland's John Oxley Library would be worth investigation. I'm sorry I can't be more help.]

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I am now trying to trace Karen and have a couple of leads but nothing has come through as yet. Will keep updated.

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