FRANK Jardine carved out a colourful reputation at Somerset near the tip of Cape York in the late 1800s and early 1900s, ruling his remote fiefdom with such bloodthirsty ruthlessness that local tribal society disintegrated.

The 22-year-old Jardine, his younger brother Alexander and eight others made a dramatic entrance to the area in 1864, driving a mob of cattle and horses through unmapped country from a station at the head of the Gilbert River.

Clothed in tatters and wearing hats of emu skin, they emerged from their 10-month odyssey with 12 horses and 50 cattle out of the original 42 and 250 — having prevailed against hostile Aborigines and an equally hostile landscape. Tribesmen harassed the party with grassfires, destroying most of their camp and provisions before 80 warriors mounted a concerted attack at the Mitchell River. The Jardines drove them into a swamp and shot them to pieces.

Frank replaced his father John as government resident at Somerset and, in 1873, married Sana, the 17-year-old niece of the king of Samoa, who helped him entertain visiting dignitaries with sumptuous meals on silver trays. When the administration was transferred to Thursday Island, Frank bought the residency on the hill overlooking the Albany Passage.

The Jardine family before the expedition: Frank Jardine (seated left), John Jardine (seated right) who was not allowed to go to Cape York, surveyor Archie Richardson (standing left), Alick Jardine (standing right) and two unidentified Aborigines holding double-barrelled Sniders. Photo John Oxley Library, 16692

Jardine came to rely upon Manilamen, Malays and Samoans to run his pearling and copra operations — yet he never lost the cruel streak that marked his dealings with local tribes.

Historian John Singe researched the following story for his book, The Torres Strait: "Dan de Busch, a half caste Samoan who was reared at Somerset, told of a time when Jardine, looking across Albany Passage with a telescope, saw an Aboriginal man fishing from the rocks. Without saying a word, he took his rifle and with great deliberation placed a bullet in the man's chest, shattering a shell he wore suspended from the neck.

"Jardine then blew his whistle and when his retainers ran up, told them to go across to Albany Island in the whaleboat to pick up a crocodile he had just shot. After rowing through a stiff current to the spot indicated by Jardine, they discovered the dead man with the broken shell ornament around his neck.

"The wanton killing put a chill of fear through the whole Somerset community."

Jardine died of leprosy in 1919. Sana died four years later.

For years afterwards, ships passing the old residency would fire a salute.