Hello Anne,
I have just seen your post - 24 Dec. 2009, on Surnames from far North Qld.and noticed that you mentioned Cooktown, Laura, Coen and others.
My g.grandparents were both in Cooktown and Laura from around 1883 - 1890. My g.grandfather,
George Richard Dunstan came from Cornwall, England arriving in Cooktown in Sept. 1883, and my g.grandmother, Dorathea Monaghan came from Ballymote, Co. Sligo arriving in Dec. 1884.
George worked as a labourer on the Cooktown to Laura Railway Line, and Dorathea was for a time the Housekeeper to the Catholic Priest in Cooktown, she then moved to Laura where she took up dressmaking.
Although Dorathea (aka Dora) immigrated out to Australia on her own at the age of 19, I believe that she may have came out to a relative ? but in having said that, George and Dorathea married on the 11 Oct. 1887 in Cooktown. (4yrs. after George arrived & 3yrs. after Dorathea arrived)
The couples first 2 children were born in Sandown / Cooktown, the family then moved to Normanton where George eventually became an Engineer in charge of the Normanton to Croydon Line, his name is on the list of Engineers in charge of that line which I got from the Normanton Railway some years ago.
If you have any information that you think would be helpful, I would love to hear from you.
Rita (Ken)