Daniel Ratcliffe Flint was born on November 16, 1831. His father was Daniel Flint, and his mother was Sarah Flint, nee Ratcliffe. His mother died in April or June 1838. His father remarried Elizabeth Cook, and they had a daughter, Sarah, when they decided to travel to a new life in South Australia.
They arrived at Port Adelaide on September 6, 1840. Pretty soon they departed Port Adelaide and set off a Portland in what was then known as New South Wales. It was here he had his ninth birthday. What a great life the young fellow had in this place. New animals to identify and learn about new trees and flowers, lots of sunshine and lots of freedom to roam around the countryside. He was later attracted to Victoria by the gold rush of 1851 when he was nearly 20 years of age. We next find him seeking investors in a gold mining venture in which he was to become chairman of the Mining Board of Ararat. Daniel was also elected a member of the Legislative Assembly, in Victoria so we can see from all of this he was a respected and able to lead people. Daniel returned to South Australia very soon after resigning from Victorian Parliament and may have done some contracting in the Robe before moving to Robe before purchasing his own property.
On Friday, the 13th of November 1863 he married Elizabeth Farrell in Mount Benson. They had seven children. He was very involved in the Robe community. He was appointed to the Council of Education for Robe for three years. In May 1878. He was Grandmaster of the Robe Lodge of the independent order of Old fellows Manchester unity. Records show he wrote a number of letters about local issues of the Robe district to government people. Daniel died on his property while shifting cattle on the sixth of October 1887 aged 55 years.
(an abridged version of the video transcript)