Falconer West Hutton
Surveyor Falconer West Hutton (1861-1933) was born near Glen Innes a year before his family relocated to Raspberry Creek, Rockhampton. After five years at Newington College, Parramatta, where he secured honours in the university examinations, he was articled to Surveyor Arthur Francis Wood in 1879.
For the next two years, he worked on surveying expeditions around Central Queensland, then worked in the Survey Office while he completed his surveying qualifications.
From there, he worked with Licensed Surveyor T. O'Connor around Rockhampton and St. Lawrence before obtaining contracts from the Surveyor General's Office to work around Herberton and Atherton (which he named).
When the Tableland proved too wet for his liking, Hutton returned to Central Queensland, where he worked various jobs before surveying work in the Barcoo and Thompson River districts.
After he married in 1890, he continued working for the Survey Office in Rockhampton, Longreach, Jundah and Alpha. In 1898, Hutton purchased Comet Downs, left his wife and family there with a manager to run the property, and continued his surveying around Longreach, Windorah, Blackall, Springsure, and Clermont until the 1902 drought reduced his herds on the property by 90 per cent.
After the drought ended, he returned to surveying, re-established the herd on Comet Downs, eventually sold the property and settled in Rockhampton.
Hutton was fifty-four when he enlisted in the A.I.F. at the height of the First World War. After active service on the Western Front from Christmas 1916, he returned to Rockhampton, operated a stock and station agency, and served as an Alderman of the Rockhampton City Council until the 1933 election.
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