Places: Ralstons around Evandale, Tasmania
Includes: Nile, Logan, Hampden, Deddington

Not only is Evandale or Morven as it was originally called, the home of my father's family but also my mother's - the Ralstons. More on the history of Evandale at a later date.

Evandale, Tasmania.

Nile (previously Lymington) is a bout 13 kilometers south-east of Evandale.

This edited Google map shows Evandale (top left) and the very straight road to Nile in the red box.
The South Esk River can be seen meandering southward from Evandale and the tree lined Nile River can be seen
making its course from Nile towards the cloud. Deddington is situated under the cloud.

Hampden

     
Above is a section from a larger map, on display in the Evandale Museum, of the Nile/Deddington areas. It quite clearly shows the the original grant to Robert and sons John and Matthew Ralston and subsequent purchases and leases. In 1825 John Ralston was granted 300 acres (to the left of the underlined "Hampden"). In 1829 Matthew Ralston was granted 640 acres but John later passed on interest in this land to his brother Matthew and by 1858 it became part of the 3406 acre Hampden owned by Matthew. Matthew also purchased more land, leased Glen Stewart and Crown land and owned Marathon. Note the grant of John Glover, the famous artist, to the east of Hampden.



This edited Google map with has the Hampden section from the previous map roughly overlaid to show its actual location.

                                        
                      
Hampden (about 4000 acres) is near Deddington. which was described as consisting of an inn, a post-office, a small hall, a few cottages, the ruins of an old goal and a chapel. Deddington was named by the famous artist John Glover and his two-story Georgian home Patterdale still stands at Mills Plains.

                       
                                                             Patterdale still stands at Mills Plains.

Logan


Ralstons were closer to Evandale as well. Detail from an edited map on display in the Evandale Museum.
Red numbers and label have been added to indicate the creation of Logan.

1. 800 acres located to Robert Ralston.
2. 500 acres, Dalness, located to David Ralston (married Janet Ralston)
3. 800 acres located to Robert Ralston 22/11/1824, Logan.
4. 303 acres purchased by John Ralston
5. 940 acres purchased 1881 by William Henry Ralston, Charles Edward Ralston (sons of John Ralston), D McKinnon.
     Not all of this purchase is visible on this map and contained an area known as the Black Forest.
6. 100 acres purchased by John Ralston
7. 550 acres granted to Allan McKinnon, husband to John's daughter, Anna.

 
An edited Google map roughly showing the seven locations from the previous map. Might not be accurate.   
                                        
        
           Logan homestead.

It is said that the estates of Matthew Ralston of Hampden and John Ralston of Logan eventually became a continuous stretch of pastoral land 10 miles (16km) long and 2  miles (3.2km) wide.  

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