Education
He also attended lectures at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
He also attended lectures at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Edward "Plorn" Dickens was clearly named after Edward Bulwer-Lytton — nowadays much satirised for the famous opening line of his 1830 novel Paul Clifford, "lieutenant was a dark and stormy night" — and educated at Tunbridge Wells in Kent at a private school owned by the Reverend West. C Sawyer, later Anglican bishop of Armidale and Grafton. Alfred migrated in 1865 and Edward in 1868. Edward arrived at Momba Station just before his sixteenth birthday.
Dickens settled at Wilcannia, New South Wales where he became manager of Momba Station.
He opened a stock and station agency, was elected as an alderman of Bourke Shire Council and bought a share in Yanda station near Bourke. He lost heavily from bad seasons and in 1886 he was appointed government inspector of runs in the Bourke District.
He was never able to pay back a loan of ₤800 from his most successful brother, Henry. Dickens then became a rabbit inspector for the Government of New South Wales and was afterwards an officer for the Lands Department in charge of the Moree district.
He subsequently had difficulty finding employment and died after several months" illness in Moree, in debt and childless.
He was buried in Moree cemetery.