The Aboriginal people have inhabited Australia for at least 40,000 years. The Cape York Aboriginal practiced tradition hunting well into the 1900’s. In the 1800’s Aboriginal people had increased contact with Europeans due to the establishment of fishing, pearling and pastoral interests.

For many years there was talk of establishing a settlement at the tip of Cape York and in 1863 a government regency was built at Somerset, In July 1864 Captain John Jardine, a police magistrate from Rockhampton arrived by ship to Somerset Bay to establish a settlement at Somerset. Seeing the need to be self sufficient in this remote area, Jardine obtained permission to herd cattle & horses overland.

Captain Jardines two eldest sons Frank & Alec would head the team on the drive and on the 11th October 1864 they set out from Carpentaria Downs Station near Rockhampton with 250 head of cattle and 41 horses. It proved to be one of the most incredible tests of endurance recorded in Australian exploration. Frank & Alec finally arrived at Somerset on 2nd March 1865. In recognition of his trek overland with the cattle, Frank Jardine was granted grazing land West of Somerset, the property was named "Lockerbie".

In 1877 the property at Somerset was abandoned with the administration being transferred to Thursday Island. Descendants of the Jardines lived in the residence for many years, then it was leased out and finally destroyed by fire in 1960 a sad end to a fine old Homestead.