▁a ▁prominent ▁Queensland ▁politician , ▁but ▁his ▁association ▁with ▁Ball ande an ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁concluded ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁Henry ▁Hay ter ▁Nicol , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁man aging ▁Ball ande an ▁for ▁Mack en zie , ▁was ▁granted ▁a ▁lic ence ▁to ▁dep ast ure ▁stock ▁on ▁Ball ande an ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁he ▁was ▁granted ▁an ▁official ▁le ase . ▁The ▁establishment ▁of ▁Ball ande an ▁as ▁a ▁successful ▁past oral ▁property ▁is ▁attributed ▁to ▁Nicol . ▁His ▁first ▁home ▁on ▁the ▁run ▁was ▁a ▁b ark - ro of ed ▁sl ab ▁h ut ▁close ▁to ▁W ash pool ▁Creek . ▁Re put edly , ▁when ▁the ▁cre ek ▁s ilt ed ▁up ▁and ▁formed ▁a ▁sw amp , ▁Nicol ▁constructed ▁a ▁four - room ed ▁sl ab ▁c ott age ▁with ▁a ▁stone ▁fire place ▁and ▁a ▁sh ing le ▁roof ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁later ▁head ▁station . ▁An ▁early ▁trav eller ▁on ▁the ▁Dar ling ▁Down s , ▁writing ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁of ▁a ▁ ▁journey ▁through ▁the ▁Gran ite ▁B elt , ▁re called ▁that ▁Nicol ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁built ▁the ▁rendered ▁brick ▁house ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁still ▁res ided ▁in ▁a ▁sl ab ▁building . ▁ ▁Nicol ' s ▁le ase ▁passed ▁to ▁John ▁Brown ▁W att ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Like ▁Mack en zie , ▁W att ▁was ▁an ▁abs