About Jerilderie

The lands of the Jeithi Aborigines was first occupied by pastoralists in a land rush begun by cattlemen in the 1848. Within the next decade the beginnings of the town began to emerge and by 1860 at had been gazetted. Wheat was first planted in the 1870s and merino studs began replacing cattle in the 1880s. The whistle of the first train surprised the townspeople in 1884 as it arrived unannounced and they did not even know the line had been completed. After World War II the town fell into decline as farms began reverting to larger holdings. Recent irrigation has resulted in the development of rice and vegetable growing and the establishment of two tomato-processing plants.

The town's name is derived from 'Djirrildhuray', which is from the language of the Jeithi Aborigines, the region's first occupants. It is thought to mean 'with reeds' or 'reedy place', probably referring to its situation on the banks of Billabong Creek.

Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, poses in front of a portrait of a regal relative.

Strange as it may seen, a resident of Jerilderie is believed by many to have a more legitimate claim to the throne of England that Britain's present reigning monarch. Medieval scholar, Dr Michael Jones claims Queen Elizabeth's claim to the throne is illegitimate because King Edward IV, who reigned from 1461 to 1483, was not of royal blood; he was the illegitimate son of a French archer. Dr Jones concludes that tracing the correct path, British-born Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, who migrated to Jerilderie in 1960 in search of adventure was the true King of England and the Commonwealth, when his research was made public in a television documentary in 2004.

The documentary by Britain's Channel Four followed Dr Jones' extensive research into the monarchy, and concluded the Jerilderie councillor's ancestors were cheated out of the crown in the 15th century. Mr Abney-Hastings was a descendant of England's House of York, whose dynastic struggle with the House of Lancaster became known as the Wars of the Roses and was dramatised by William Shakespeare. Dr Jones found documents in France's Rouen Cathedral that he believed showed King Edward IV, who ruled with a brief interruption from 1461 to 1483, was illegitimate.

The historian believes that Edward's father, Richard of York, was fighting the French at Pontoise when he was conceived, while his mother Cecily was 200 kilometres away at Rouen, allegedly in the amorous arms of a local archer. If true, the crown should have passed on to Edward's younger brother George, the duke of Clarence, who was a direct ancestor to Hastings.

Mr Abney-Hastings showed little interest in pursuing his claim to the monarchy. However, he joked that his claim to the crown could prove lucrative if confirmed. "I reckon I might send Lizzie (Queen Elizabeth II) a bill for back rent. The old girl's family have been living in my bloody castle for the last 500 years," he said. Abney-Hastings had two sons and three daughters with his wife Noelene Margaret McCormick. His eldest son, Simon Abney-Hastings, held the courtesy title Lord Mauchline until his father's death on 30 June 2012. He then succeeded his father as the 15th Earl of Loudoun.