With plans underway for the first tour of Australia by an English cricket team, Wills announced his retirement from sport.
At his father's beckoning, Wills agreed to leave Victoria to help found and manage a new family property, Cullin-la-ringo, on the Nogoa River in outback Queensland.
He prepared for six months in country Victoria where learnt the crafts of a squatter.
In his will, Horatio—showing a "deep understanding" of Tom's personality—wrote that his son would be removed from the station and receive a diminished inheritance in the event of "misconducting himself" as manager.

In January 1861, Tom, Horatio and a party of employees and their families travelled by steamer to Brisbane, disembarked in Moreton Bay, and then, with livestock and supplies, set out on an eight-month trek through Queensland's rugged interior.
Food was scarce and Tom hunted native game to fend off starvation.
They suffered many other hardships and even death when, in Toowoomba, one of Horatio's men drowned.
On the Darling Downs over 10,000 sheep were collected.
The size of the Wills party attracted the attention of local Aborigines, and the two groups engaged in games of mimicry.
Wary of entering the region's frontier war, Horatio sought peaceful coexistence with the Aborigines.
The party reached Cullin-la-ringo, situated on Kairi Aboriginal land, in early October, and proceeded to set up camp.
With plans underway for the first tour of Australia by an English cricket team, Wills announced his retirement from sport. At his father's beckoning, Wills agreed to leave Victoria to help found and manage a new family property, Cullin-la-ringo, on the Nogoa River in outback Queensland. He prepared for six months in country Victoria where learnt the crafts of a squatter. In his will, Horatio—showing a "deep understanding" of Tom's personality—wrote that his son would be removed from the station and receive a diminished inheritance in the event of "misconducting himself" as manager.
In January 1861, Tom, Horatio and a party of employees and their families travelled by steamer to Brisbane, disembarked in Moreton Bay, and then, with livestock and supplies, set out on an eight-month trek through Queensland's rugged interior. Food was scarce and Tom hunted native game to fend off starvation. They suffered many other hardships and even death when, in Toowoomba, one of Horatio's men drowned. On the Darling Downs over 10,000 sheep were collected. The size of the Wills party attracted the attention of local Aborigines, and the two groups engaged in games of mimicry. Wary of entering the region's frontier war, Horatio sought peaceful coexistence with the Aborigines. The party reached Cullin-la-ringo, situated on Kairi Aboriginal land, in early October, and proceeded to set up camp.
Tom Wills