The Avoca and District Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, collecting and researching the history of Avoca, Victoria, and the surrounding district
In addition to yesterday’s post some comments by Tom Woolman
Have been a member since the 1980s, because I’d heard that my late mother’s mother’s father had been born “up in the Pyrenees” and his wife at “a pub in Bung Bong”, then nothing until what I vaguely remembered from visiting them as a child on their farm in Torrita/Underbool in the Mallee.
For a very small number of $, the Society provided me with an amazing amount of very relevant information, which, over time, I shared with now late siblings of the grandmother I never knew because she had died in 1927. That gave me the motivation to keep sharing information with the Society. When I retired from full-time work in 2006, I became a drive-in/out volunteer research assistant, and was exposed to the massive amount of information the Society had for just about any family who had been in the area for quite a while. 80,000 index cards to local records held take some beating!!
These days, the Internet can reveal some history for about just about any colonial, through what’s freely available on social media, government websites like the Public Records Office, the Victoria Government Online Archives 1836-1997, the National Archives of Australia, plus paid websites like Ancestry, and probably best of all, at the National Library of Australia. TROVE, the free Historic Newspapers Online at www.trove.nla.gov.au
In Trove, the Society has online, not just the local papers for the Great War Years 1915 -1918 (funded by the Commonwealth), but also the local papers from the first surviving paper in 1863 to 1900, funded locally. It puts Avoca “up there” with Ballarat, Castlemaine, Bendigo and Maldon as preservers and sharers of local history. (That’s also very useful to the nearby towns who don’t have many of their historical papers online, because when Avoca was having a “slow news day” the paper would sometimes print something about a nearby town).
If you’re going to contact or visit the Society, here are some tips from this ancient volunteer helper. If you have the time, find out as much as you can about the background to the question(s) you have, where you have already researched, and what you found of relevance. Send that to the Society well in advance so there is time for us to think about it a length. Your skills are NOT being assessed – we’re just trying to make best use of your and our time.
Bring your questions with space to write the answers/tips. And bring your $30 research fee, which we use to keep the Society afloat. We’ll definitely say “We totally understand,” if you say your family gave it to you on condition you didn’t go on and on all the way home about the new stuff you found out, and how you want to come back very soon. Most of us have been there! and years later, most of them are glad we did.
Here’s a photo from an album which has been in the care of the descendants of another son of my “Mountain Hut, Pyrenees” great great grandparents, the one who was the last to leave what’s now known as MCVICAR’s Gate. Before the help from the Society, I had no idea they or the photos existed. Of his siblings who lived to adulthood, three were male, and five female, so expertise in dressmaking was probably inevitable. In the photo, Eliza MCVICAR, is the tallest with the tape measure around her neck, outside her High St. Avoca, “Dressmaking, Millinary, and Fancy Goods” shop, (which burnt down in 1894), while her assistants, from the left, are Kitty LATCH, Miff POWERS, and Tot KAYE. The sign under the verandah advertising Mr DOUGHTY’s business around the back, is “Wholesale and Retail Tinsmith”. The property was owned by John COGHLAN OF Avoca and was insured in the Royal Insurance Company, the shop and dwelling for 100 pounds and the stable for 20 pounds, the local Agent being John ROSS. The newspaper report includes the extra names of FRAYNE, MICKLE, DOWNTON, BANNISTER, BROOKS, CALNAN, and GOLDER.
Eliza MCVICAR, is the tallest with the tape measure around her neck, outside her High St. Avoca, “Dressmaking, Millinary, and Fancy Goods” shop, (which burnt down in 1894), while her assistants, from the left, are Kitty LATCH, Miff POWERS, and Tot KAYE.
FIRES IN AVOCA. The alarm of fire was sounded on the fire-bell about a quarter to six on Saturday morning, and the public speedily turned out to find that a stable at the rear of Miss McVicar's dressmaking establishment, and an outbuilding on Mrs Frayne's property were on fire. The Fire Brigade were on the scene with great promptitude, and had the water on from the Victoria Hotel tank just in time to overt a disastrous conflagration. When the water came through the hose Mr Doherty's workshop was on fire, and had this not been at once mastered the fire would undoubtedly have swept away the whole of the buildings from the Victoria Hotel to Mr Mickle's barber's shop, which would have been a very great loss, the buildings in danger were the Victoria Hotel, Mrs. Frayne, stationer ; Miss McVicar, dress maker ; Mr Doherty, tinsmith ; Mr G. Downton, draper ; Miss Powers, bookseller,, and Mr Mickle, hairdresser. These were unquestionably saved owing to there being a fire brigade in the town, and every credit is due to the firemen under Lieutenant Bannister for the work they did. The stable destroyed was insured for £20, and the buildings above mentioned together with stock, were protected to the extent of some £3,300. The loss sustained by Miss McVicar is about £15. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it is generally surmised that is was caused by a swagman, who, without permission, used the stable as a sleeping place. This suspicion is strengthened by the fact that one had been hanging about the place. A second alarm was given on Sunday morning just as the churches were coming out, and on this occasion the fire proved to be in an unoccupied house, the properly of Mr H. Brooks, adjoining Mr D. Calnan's residence. The Brigade, under Foreman Guard, were on the spot very quickly after the bell was rung, and got the engine on to Mr Lusby's tank. Again they proved to be of much use, for though Mr Calnan's place had caught and could not be saved the buildings on both sides, occupied by Mr Golder, sen., and Mr H. Powers, jun., were saved. Valuable assistance was rendered by some of the public at this fire, and those who did come to the fore to give the brigade a helping hand are deserving of much credit. Both of the places destroyed were uninsured.
In the 1850s and 1860s George Young, my husband Greg’s great great grandfather, followed the Victorian gold rushes from Beechworth to Maryborough. He settled finally at Lamplough, a few miles south-east of Avoca.
On his father’s mother’s side Greg’s great grandfather Frederick James Cross, who had been born at Buninyong near Ballarat to a gold miner, took up mining and later farming near Homebush, a few miles north-east of Avoca. John Plowright, another of Greg’s great great grandfathers, also worked as a miner at Homebush.
The Avoca and District Historical Society https://avocahistory.net.au/ was founded in 1984. It has amassed an extensive card-index of references to Avoca people and events, compiled from many differerent sources. This material has not been published online, so if you are researching Avoca family history it is well worth a visit. For a small fee the Society will look up material on your behalf.
Avoca and District Historical Society former Avoca court house July 2021
Major Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor-General of the Colony of New South Wales from 1828 to 1855, undertook several journeys of exploration. His third, in 1836, took him south into what is now Victoria. On 10 July he recorded in his journal that he and his party
crossed a deep creek running westward which I named the Avoca, and we encamped on an excellent piece of land beyond it.
There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet; Oh! the last rays of feeling and life must depart, Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.
2. Yet it was not that nature had shed o’er the scene Her purest of crystal and brightest of green; ‘Twas not her soft magic of streamlet or hill, Oh! no, — it was something more exquisite still.
3. ‘Twas that friends, the beloved of my bosom, were near, Who made every dear scene of enchantment more dear, And who felt how the best charms of nature improve, When we see them reflected from looks that we love.
4. Sweet vale of Avoca! how calm could I rest In thy bosom of shade, with the friends I love best, Where the storms that we feel in this cold world should cease, And our hearts, like thy waters, be mingled in peace.
A footnote to the poem published in 1808 states: “The Meeting of the Waters” forms a part of that beautiful scenery which lies between Rathdrum and Arklow, in the country of Wicklow, and these lines were suggested by a visit to this romantic spot, in the summer of the year 1807.
The meeting of the waters. The print shows a view of the confluence of three rivers, the “River Avonbeg”, “River Avonmore”, and “River Avoca”, in the “Vale of Avoca”, County Wicklow, Ireland. Includes four lines of verse from the poem “Avoca, the Vale The Meeting of the Waters” by Thomas Moore. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2002710554/.
The Irish town of Avoca is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, situated on the River Avoca.
In Irish the town is called Abhóca; it was formerly Abhainn Mhór, meaning ‘the great river’.
The Avoca area in Ireland has been associated with copper mining and is also famous for its handweaving. The town has been used as a filming location for several films and television series. The BBC series Ballykissangel (1996-2001) was filmed there.
Sources
Mitchell, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1855 (1839-01-01). Three expeditions into the interior of Eastern Australia : with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix and of the present colony of New South Wales. T. & W. Boone volume 2 retrieved through http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00036.html
Currier & Ives, and Thomas Moore. The meeting of the waters. In the Vale of Avoca, County Wicklow Ireland. Wicklow Avoca County Ireland, 1868. [New York: Published by Currier & Ives 152 Nassau St. New York] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002710554/.
When I first began exploring our family heritage, I had little idea of how captivating—and time-consuming—this venture would become. As is often the case, the romanticized narrative of one’s family history tends to differ significantly from reality.
Initially, gathering information was a challenge; those in my lineage with active memories could only reach back a generation or two. Fortunately, through online connections, I eventually met fellow researchers Nell Rowland and Jan Andrews, who have spent over three decades delving into the Rowland family history. I have also drawn from the published works of other family members, including Neville Rowland Taylor (Via the 19th Hole) and Vincent Ernest Squires (Our Pioneering Ancestors). Much of our contemporary understanding is thanks to their dedication.
I still vividly remember visiting my grandparents, Arthur and Eva Rowland, at their residence, ‘Tranquility,’ on Dandenong Road in East Malvern. While those were joyous occasions, family tales were rarely shared. One exception was a story my grandfather Arthur told about an incident involving “Squizzy” Taylor, the notorious 1920s gangster, and a shooting at a billiard parlour above Arthur’s drapery shop in Glenhuntly. Recently, my uncle Darryl shared further insights into ‘The Professor’ (Leonard James Rowland), as passed down by Arthur. It became clear that while the exploits of our ancestors were known, they were rarely discussed in detail.
Bound for South Australia is my attempt to narrate our story using authentic records accumulated over the last 35 years. I hope that present and future generations find this account a valuable resource. In writing this, I believe I have paid a modest tribute to our pioneering forebears, William and Frances Rowland, and their enduring contributions to our nation.
— Neville Rowland
Chapter 1: Cornish Roots and Rural Life (1776–1839)
The story of the Rowland family begins in the 18th century in Cornwall. Richard Rowland was born in 1776, and on December 6, 1799, at the age of 23, he married Rebecca Launder in Antony, Cornwall. Rebecca was born in August 1776 to William Launder and Elizabeth (née [Unknown]). While Elizabeth was a local, William hailed from Botus Fleming, a village further inland along the Tamar River.
Richard and Rebecca settled in the Antony region, where they raised six children amidst the tumult of the Napoleonic Wars. By 1844, Richard’s will identified him as a “Yeoman Landholder and Farmer,” indicating he was a man of some standing who owned multiple dwellings and parcels of land.
The children of Richard and Rebecca were:
Richard (b. 1800): A garden laborer who eventually moved to Devonport.
Rebecca (1803–1803): Passed away in infancy.
Mary Ann (b. 1805): Married John White.
John (1806–1836): Died young in South Wilcove.
William Richard (b. 1807): Our direct ancestor, who married Frances Corney Budge.
Elizabeth (b. 1811): Married John Bone.
William Kelley (b. 1816): Married Ann Rebecca Hicks. In a move that was unusual for the time, Richard’s will passed the bulk of the family farm and wealth to this youngest son, rather than the eldest.
William Richard Rowland, our pioneer, grew up in Antony and trained as a butcher and a turner. On June 2, 1835, he married Frances Corney Budge at St. George’s Church in East Stonehouse. Frances came from a farming family; her father, George Budge, had also served as an innkeeper.
A cherished family heirloom from this era is a brooch originally belonging to Frances’s mother, Jane Budge. In a remarkable turn of events, the brooch was lost in an Australian farm paddock around 1900. Fifty years later, it was rediscovered by children looking for doorstop rocks; the brooch had been encased in a “fusion” of two rocks, likely caught in a plough decades earlier, preserving it in near-perfect condition.
Image in brooch of young lady is that of Jane (Haynes) Budge (1772-1818) (approx. age 17 years).
By the late 1830s, the Industrial Revolution and poor harvests had plunged rural England into a deep recession. Facing limited opportunities, William and Frances—now with three young sons: George, William Anderton, and Richmond Easto—began looking toward the new colony of South Australia. Unlike New South Wales, South Australia was advertised as a “convict-free” province, offering a fresh start for hardworking families.
Chapter 2: The Voyage of the Warrior (1839–1840)
On October 9, 1839, while living in Saltash, William applied for emigration. The family was assigned embarkation number 3871. On November 26, 1839, they boarded the SS Warrior at Plymouth.
The five-month journey was grueling. As steerage passengers, the Rowlands lived in cramped quarters with only six feet of headroom. Privacy was non-existent, and sanitation was poor; while women had access to water closets, men performed their ablutions on the upper deck. Disease was a constant threat, and the ship’s doctor relied on primitive remedies, such as belladonna for scarlet fever and rum-soaked figs for seasickness.
The Warrior arrived at Port Adelaide on April 17, 1840. The “Port” was then a mosquito-infested mangrove swamp nicknamed “Port Misery.” Passengers had to be carried to a mud-bank shore by longshoremen, only to find their belongings scattered and damaged.
A letter from fellow passenger James Sawle highlights the disillusionment many felt:
“The emigrants are the subjects of plunder… you reach the land of promise… your floor is nothing but the earth and dust… your dear children crying with hunger and cold.”
Despite the harsh welcome and the exorbitant costs of food and transport, the Rowlands persevered.
Chapter 3: Pioneering in South Australia and the Victoria Gold Rush (1840–1854)
The Rowlands initially settled in Blakiston, near Mt. Barker. By 1843, records show William was successfully farming wheat, barley, potatoes, and peas, while tending to cattle and pigs. After four years, they moved to the Sturt River settlement, where Frances gave birth to seven more children.
During their final years in South Australia, William worked as a gardener for Captain Ray Boucaut at Sarnia Cottage. Captain Boucaut was a prominent figure whose son later became the Premier of South Australia. It was during this time that William likely contracted “consumption” (tuberculosis), which would eventually lead to his death at age 47.
In 1852, the family’s trajectory changed again with the discovery of gold in Victoria. William’s eldest son, George, then 17, headed to the Avoca goldfields. His journey was not without peril; he survived an attempted robbery in his tent, though a gunshot wound left two of his fingers permanently joined.
Convinced of the opportunities in Victoria, George persuaded the rest of the family to join him. Life in the goldfields was a struggle against inflation; a bag of flour cost a staggering £18, and water was sold by the bucket. The family moved between Avoca and the Simson’s Ranges (now Maryborough), setting up camps and working the “Tucker Bank” and “Blackman’s” leads. By early 1854, the Rowland brothers had begun to see success, marking the beginning of the family’s long history in the Victorian goldfields.
Chapter 4: The Golden Years and Beyond
By mid-1854, the Rowland brothers had firmly established themselves in the Avoca region. While the work was physically grueling, the “Tucker Bank” lead proved to be a fruitful endeavor. This period was characterized by a “rush” mentality; as soon as gold was rumored to be found in a new gully, hundreds of miners would pack up their tents and move overnight.
Following their success at Avoca, the brothers turned their attention to the burgeoning settlement of Maryborough. Unlike the swampy, mosquito-ridden arrival at Port Adelaide fourteen years prior, the Victoria goldfields offered a different kind of hardship: red dust, scorching summers, and the constant threat of “bushrangers” targeting successful miners.
Life on the Diggings
The family base camp on Deep Creek (Carisbrook) became a hub of activity. While the men were at the leads, the women of the family—led by the resilient Frances—managed the domestic front. In a landscape where fresh water cost a shilling a bucket and vegetables were a luxury, maintaining a household required immense ingenuity.
The brothers utilized a “cradle” to wash the gold-bearing earth. It was a repetitive, back-breaking process:
Digging: Excavating the “pay dirt” from shafts that could be anywhere from a few feet to thirty feet deep.
Sieving: Passing the earth through a perforated metal plate to remove large rocks.
Cradling: Rocking the wooden machine while pouring water over the dirt, allowing the heavy gold particles to settle behind wooden “riffles” at the bottom.
A Growing Legacy
Despite the transient nature of mining life, the Rowlands began to integrate into the permanent fabric of the Victorian colony. The children of William and Frances, who had arrived as toddlers or were born in the mud huts of South Australia, were now coming of age.
Tragically, the family patriarch, William Richard, succumbed to consumption (tuberculosis) during this era. Having survived the 18,000-mile journey from Cornwall and the early lean years of the South Australian bush, he passed away at the age of 47. He left behind a legacy of endurance and a family that was now well-positioned to thrive in the “Lucky Country.”
As the surface gold began to thin out, the family transitioned from prospecting to more stable industries. Following the path of many Cornish mining families, some members moved toward trades—blacksmithing, carpentry, and drapery—while others returned to their ancestral roots in farming and gardening.
The story of “The Professor” (Leonard James Rowland) and the brushes with notorious figures like Squizzy Taylor in the 1920s mark the shift from the pioneering era to modern Australian history. These tales, once hushed or forgotten, serve as the final links in a chain that stretches back to a small cottage in Antony, Cornwall.
Genealogical Summary: The First Generation in Australia
Richmond Easto Rowland (1839-1892) and his wife Elizabeth Sarah Rowland née Squires (1841-1938)
As the gold rush era began to transition into a period of more permanent settlement, the Rowland family’s story moved from the transient life of the diggings to the establishment of deep roots in the Victorian soil.
Chapter 6: The Shift from Gold to Growth
By the late 1850s, the “easy gold” on the surface leads of Avoca and Maryborough had largely been exhausted. The era of the individual “puddler” and his cradle was being replaced by large-scale company mining. For the Rowland brothers, this marked a pivotal moment of choice: to follow the new rushes further inland or to settle and build a life in the burgeoning townships.
George Rowland, still bearing the physical scars of his early days on the goldfields, became a figure of some local renown. Having been one of the very first to break ground in Avoca, his knowledge of the “Tucker Bank” and “Blackman’s” leads made him an informal authority for newcomers. However, the high costs of living that had once plagued the family—where water was a shilling a bucket—slowly stabilized as bullock teams were replaced by more reliable transport and established local shops.
George Richard & Mary Ann Rowland née Smith at the wedding of their niece, Laura Beatrice Rowland; “Merrifields”, Rathscar – 6 Apr 1904.
Community and Resilience
The family’s relocation to the area near the present-day Maryborough Hospital was not just a move for mining; it was a move toward community. While the men worked the deeper shafts, the family became part of the social fabric of Carisbrook and Maryborough.
Frances Rowland, now a widow following William Richard’s passing, remained the cornerstone of the family. Her resilience, forged in the cramped steerage of the Warrior and the mud-banks of “Port Misery,” ensured that the younger children received the stability their father had worked so hard to provide. The stories passed down through the generations suggest a household of quiet discipline and deep Cornish pride.
Frances Corney Rowland née Budge (1813-1900)
Chapter 7: The Dawn of the 20th Century and ‘Tranquility’
As the 1800s drew to a close, the pioneering grit of the first generation began to manifest in the professional successes of the second and third. The family moved from the rural ruggedness of the goldfields toward the growing suburbs of Melbourne.
The Glenhuntly Connection
Arthur Leonard Rowland, the grandson of the original pioneers, established himself as a draper in Glenhuntly. It was here that the family narrative took a colourful turn into the “Roaring Twenties.” Arthur’s drapery shop, with its billiard parlour situated above, became the setting for one of the few stories he chose to share: the shooting incident involving the infamous gangster Squizzy Taylor.
While Arthur was a man of quiet respectability, the fact that his premises were even tangentially linked to the Melbourne underworld provides a stark contrast to the rural, Methodist-influenced upbringing of his Cornish ancestors. It was a sign of the times—the “New World” had become a place of bustling commerce, urban legends, and modern drama.
Arthur Leonard Rowland (1899-1986), son of George Arthur & Thurza Jane Rowland née Lacy. Arthur married Eva Milley Moscenia Paddle 24 Mar 1928 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, North Road, Gardenvale East, Victoria. Photograph shows Arthur aged 21 years. After working for Dimmey’s of Richmond a number of years, Arthur struck out and built his own business in Glenhuntly Road, Glenhuntley; aptly named ‘Rowlands Drapery’ which operated there, Balaclava and in other suburbs. The Glenhuntley shop operated for 63 years.
‘Tranquility’ and Leonard James Rowland
The residence known as ‘Tranquility’ on Dandenong Road, East Malvern, became the heart of the family in the mid-20th century. It was here that my grandparents, Arthur and Eva, hosted the joyous gatherings I remember so well.
It was also the era of Leonard James Rowland, affectionately known as ‘The Professor.’ Though his exploits were well-known among the elders, they were often discussed in hushed tones, perhaps reflecting the lingering Victorian-era sensibilities of his parents. Recently shared insights from my Uncle Darryl have helped fill these gaps, painting a picture of a man whose intellect and character left a lasting impression on all who knew him.
Leonard James Rowland (1869-1960). Known to locals as “The Professor”, during his life his occupations were that of a Farmer, teacher, musician and composer. He had a music shop in Maryborough. He is the grandfather of Bruce Rowland who wrote the music score of “The Man from Snowy River, “Phar Lap” and other films.
Conclusion: A Legacy Secured
From the estuaries of the Tamar River in Cornwall to the dusty leads of Avoca and the leafy streets of East Malvern, the Rowland family has traversed a vast distance—not just in miles, but in circumstance.
The discovery of the Jane Budge brooch in a ploughed paddock fifty years after it was lost serves as a perfect metaphor for our family history. Like that brooch, our stories were once buried, hidden by time and the silence of previous generations. By prying apart the “rocks” of forgotten records and fragmented memories, we have recovered a history that remains in remarkably good condition.
William Richard and Frances Rowland arrived in a land that offered them nothing but a mud bank and a challenge. Through their endurance, they transformed “Port Misery” into a portal of opportunity, leaving behind a nation and a family that continues to honour their name.
Quite a gloom has been cast over the district by the lamented death of Mrs. Eliza Squires, storekeeper, and one of the oldest and most respected residents of Homebush Lower. The sad event took place on Friday evening at about 8 o’clock.
The deceased, who was 71 years of age, had been a great sufferer for the last three or four years, though she bore her sufferings, which during the last few months have been very severe, with great patience and fortitude. Everything possible was done to relieve her, but despite unremitting medical attention and the best of nursing by her daughters and a trained nurse (Nurse Amy Squires of Bendigo) and Mrs. Lardnersen, of Maryborough, she gradually became worse, and passed peacefully away as above stated after several hours unconsciousness.
The deceased was the relict of the late Mr. John T. Squires who predeceased her about 20 years ago. A family of five sons and five daughters, viz., Messrs Frank, William, Charles, Herbert (Bet Bet) Leopold, and Misses Frances, Laura, Eva, Clarice, and Mrs. R. B. Trounson, are left to mourn the loss of a good and loving Christian mother, who was beloved of all who knew her.
She was of an amiable and generous disposition; in fact nothing seemed to give her greater pleasure than the dispensing of hospitality. Mrs. Squires will be sadly missed by her friends and their numbers are legion, and her demise, although not unexpected, nevertheless created profound regret.
She was born at Mount Barker, South Australia, and came overland with her parents to Victoria at the opening of the gold fields, arriving at Avoca in 1854.
Mrs. Squires has lived in the district ever since that time. The Messrs G and C Rowland of Rathscar, Wm. and J. Rowland (Homebush), A Rowland (Bung Bong) and R Rowland (East Melbourne) are brothers of the deceased.
The flag at the State School was flying half mast on Saturday and the cricket match which was to have taken place between the Excelsior and Imperial Clubs was postponed out of respect for the deceased.
The funeral took place on Sunday, the remains being interred in the Avoca cemetery. The cortege was a very lengthy one, residents of all the surrounding districts assembling to pay their last tribute to one who was held in high esteem. The remains were borne from the hearse to the graveside by the five sons of the deceased and her son-in-law (Mr. R. B. Trounson). The service very impressively was conducted by the Rev J. R. Currie, minister of the local Methodist Church. The rev gentleman made reference to the late Mrs. Squires sterling qualities. He said that one had only to look at the face of their departed friend to note something of the purity ~her character. He had only known Mrs. Squires for six months, but he was pleased to have had that privilege. He felt sure he was expressing the feelings of all present when he said the bereaved ones had the sympathy of all, and he trusted the good influence of the deceased lady would long remain in the hearts of the sons and daughters who were left. Many floral emblems were placed on the coffin by her friends. The hymn Rock of Ages was feelingly rendered by those assembled. Mr. H.F. Classen carried out the mortuary arrangements.
Obituary. (1914, November 4). Avoca Free Press and Farmers’ and Miners’ Journal (Vic. : 1900; 1914 – 1918), p. 2. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151625029
Thirty-five cairns or tablets commemorate the 1836 expedition of Major Thomas Mitchell in Victoria. These include monuments near Ararat, Lexton, Talbot and Newstead.
MEMORIALS TO MAJOR MITCHELL The Historical Society of Victoria is engaged in an extension of the memorials to Major Mitchell, the explorer. About 10 have been erected, and a further 12 are being built. It is expected that memorials at Talbot, Lexton, Shirley, Buangor, and Stawell will be unveiled at the end of March the Governor of Victoria, Lord Somers. Writing to a keen Mildura supporter of the society's aim, the secretary states that probably an article will be supplied to the Education Gazette, accompanied by pictures, relative to the recently unveiled memorials to Captain Sturt.
AUSTRALIA FELIX. MITCHELL'S EXPLORATION. TWO MEMORIALS UNVEILED. (BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER) BEAUFORT Friday -In the early spring of 1836 Sir Thomas Mitchell, having penetrated Victoria as far as Portland turned north again for Port Jackson, whence he had set out on his famous exploration. On September 24 of that year he made a camp near what is now Lexton, and on the following night he halted within a mile or so of Talbot. Today the Historical Memorials Committee, which has followed the explorers' trail from Albury along the Murray River to the South Australian border, marking it by the erection of cairns, unveiled memorials near the sites of his camps at Lexton and Talbot. Ten memorials now mark the path of the expedition, and the work of the memorials committee is almost completed. The cairn at Talbot stands on the summit of Mt Greenock. In a gully to the south Sir Thomas Mitchell pitched camp. On the following day, so he recorded before continuing his journey north, he climbed alone to the summit of the mountain and looked out on the country, to which he had given the name of "Australia Felix." The cairn marks the spot where he stood that morning. The view which it com-mands is beautiful. To the west are the Pyrenees and to the east, the Cotswold Hills; to the north and to the south rolling plains are lost to sight in heavy bush. Sir Thomas Mitchell was looking for pastoral grounds, and on his return to Sydney, so enthusiastically did he describe the country which he had viewed from Mt. Greenock, that two years later McCallum, a Scottish settler, took up 60,000 acres in the district, and remained there for more than 20 years. Other settlers quickly followed his lead. Less than 50 years after Sir Thomas Mitchell had announced the results of his ex pedition Talbot was a well-established township, with two breweries and 20 hotels. The cairn, which can be seen from several miles on all sides, was unveiled by the president of the memorials committee (Sir James Barrett), in the presence of a large gathering of residents of the surrounding districts, children from the Talbot school, the president (Councillor J. Carter) and members of the shire council and members of the memorials committee. The story of the exploration was briefly told, and the children were asked to preserve the cairn as one of the greatest memorials in Australia's history. Praise was given by all the speakers to the work of the memorials committee and the chairman of the local committee (Mr W. H. Hutchins). Sir James Barrett also unveiled the memorial at Lexton. The cairn stands almost in the centre of the township at the junction of two roads. The gathering included the president of the shire council (Mr W. Coutts). Sir James Barrett and other mem bers of the committee thanked Mr J. V. Parsons, head master of the Lexton school, for his part in erecting the memorial.
ARARAT. This year the Ararat district completes 100 years of history with the anniversary of the travels of Major Mitchell and his thirty odd followers. After passing through the county slightly to the north and west of Ararat, and ascending Mount William on 14th July, 1836, the party travelled over the plains to the south from the vicinity of Mount Stavely and halted near the foot of Mount Cole on 23rd September of the same year. A cairn on the Western Highway, near Middle Creek, marks the line of the explorer's route, and on Wednesday a ceremony will be held at the spot to commemorate the occasion. The first settler in the neighborhood of Mount William was Matthew Gibson, who pitched his tent on the Hopkins River in 1839. C. B. Hall, who gave his name to Hall's Gap, at the Grampians, made on overland trip from Sydney In 1840 ln search of a station, and took up the Lexington run, near Moyston.
Representatives of the Ararat Shire and Borough Councils and the Ripon Shire Council at a conference here discussed the proposal to commemorate the passing of Major Mitchell, the explorer through this district in 1836. It was decided to join in erecting a cairn about 16ft high near Buangor, at a point where Major Mitchell’s track crossed the Western Highway, and also to place a memorial tablet on the cairn at the summit of Mount William, in the Grampians which the explorer climbed during his 1836 journey.
Argus, 31 March 1930.
Middle Creek, Sunday - Another erection on the path of Sir Thomas Mitchell`s exploration of 1836 was unveiled in the Western District yesterday was unveiled by Sir James Barrett, president of the Historical Memorials Committee. The memorial which was erected by the Shire of Ripon and Ararat and the borough of Ararat stands in a conspicuous position on the side of the Princes Highway, within a short distance of Middle Creek.
MAJOR MITCHELL'S CENTENARY. Celebrations at Talbot. TALBOT, Monday. — The celebrations in connection with the centenary of Major Mitchell's journeyings to Mount Greenock took place on Saturday afternoon, and were very successful. Although a bitterly cold wind was blowing, with sleet falling at intervals, some 300 persons were present. The president of the shire (Cr. H. Solomano) was at the head of affairs. Notable addresses were given by Mr. R. G. Leggett, of the His torical Society of Victoria; Mr. W. H. Elwood, district Inspector of schools; Mr. G A. Street, M.P., and Mr. D. R. O'Neill, president of the local progress association, at whose initiative the celebrations took place. From the summit of the mount a representation of the progress of Major Mitchells party was watched with interest, twelve horsemen making a spectacular sight. At the conclusion of the proceedings visitors from Melbourne and other centres, were entertained at the A.N.A. Hall. Numerous speeches were delivered, the general opinion being that the function had been one of the best organised and most enjoyabIe that had taken place in the town.
MEMORIAL CAIRN UNVEILED AT NEWSTEAD A MEMORIAL CAIRN at Newstead, commemorating Major Mitchell, was unveiled on Thursday. NEWSTEAD, Friday, — The cairn erected in the public park opposite Newstead State school as a memorial to the explorer, Major Mitchell, was unveiled by the secretary of the Historical Society of Victoria (Mr. Daly). School children, shire councillors and representatives of various public organisations were present. The cairn was erected by the shire council and the progress association.
In March 1836 Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792-1855), surveyor-general of New South Wales, began an expedition, his third, to explore the Colony. He was instructed to travel to Menindee, then down the Darling to the sea, if it flowed there; or, if it flowed into the Murray to go up the Murray to the inhabited parts of the colony.
During the expedition Mitchell went up the Murray till 20 June when he reached the junction of the Loddon where the country seemed so promising that he turned south-west into what is now Victoria and was so enchanted by the area he called it Australia Felix.
Travelling chiefly west and south he reached the mouth of the Glenelg on 20 August and some days later, to their mutual surprise, he found the Henty brothers already established at Portland. He turned north-east. On 17 September, in order to speed his return, Mitchell split the party in two, taking 14 men with him and leaving the remainder with Stapylton to follow with the bullocks and drays. He reached the Murray on 17 October and on 3 November arrived back in Sydney ahead of the main party.
The rapid occupation of Australia Felix followed. Already settlers from Van Diemen’s Land [Tasmania] were crossing Bass Strait and soon others were driving their flocks south-west along the tracks which Mitchell’s heavy wagons had cut into the earth on their return to Sydney.
Major Mitchell’s Journey Through Australia Felix, 1836 from “The Old Pioneers’ Memorial History of Melbourne From the Discovery of Port Phillip to the World War”. Retrieved through Victorian Collections Mount Cole and Mount Macedon are indicated with purple arrows
Part of Hansford, H. (1928). Map showing Major Mitchell’s track through Victoria : from June 13th. to October 18th. 1836 Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2497089707 Mount Cole and Mount Macedon are indicated with purple arrows
This morning a thick fog hung over us; but having well reconnoitred the country beyond I knew that I might travel in a straight line over open ground for several miles. When the fog arose some finely wooded hills appeared on our right; but after advancing seven miles on good firm earth we again came upon very soft ground which obliged us to turn and wind and pick our way wherever the surface seemed most likely to bear us.
NATIVE FEMALES.
The fog was succeeded by a fine warm day, and as we proceeded we saw two gins and their children at work separately on a swampy meadow; and, quick as the sight of these natives is, we had travelled long within view before they observed us. They were spread over the field much in the manner in which emus and kangaroos feed on plains, and we observed them digging in the ground for roots. All carried bags and when Piper went towards them they ran with great speed across the vast open plains to the southward.
CATTLE TRACKS.
This day we perceived the fresh track of several bullocks, a very extraordinary circumstance in that situation. The beautiful yellow-wreathed acacia was not to be seen after we quitted the open country. The ground was becoming almost hopelessly soft, when we reached a small run of water from the hills and, by keeping along its bank, we had the good fortune to reach an extremity of the range where the solid granite was as welcome to our feet as a dry beach is to shipwrecked seamen.
ASCEND MOUNT COLE.
We had at length arrived under Mammala, the bluff hill which had been my landmark from the time I left Mr. Stapylton. I found this was the southern extremity of a lofty range which I lost no time in ascending after I had fixed on a spot for the camp. It consisted of huge blocks of granite,* and was crowned with such lofty timber that I could only catch occasional peeps of the surrounding country: nevertheless I obtained, by moving about among the trees with my pocket sextant, almost all the angles I wanted; and I thus connected the survey of the region I was leaving with that I was about to enter. My first view over this eastern country was extensive, and when I at length descended to a projecting rock I found the prospect extremely promising, the land being variegated with open plains and strips of forest, and studded with smooth green hills of the most beautiful forms. In the extreme distance a range much resembling that on which I stood declined at its southern extremity in the same manner as this did, and thus left me a passage precisely in the most direct line of route homewards.
(*Footnote. Consisting of pink felspar, white quartz and silvery mica.)
ENTER ON A GRANITE COUNTRY.
The carts had still however to cross the range at which we had arrived and which, as I perceived here, not only extended southward but also broke into bold ravines on the eastern side, being connected with some noble hills, or rather mountains, all grassy to their summits, thinly wooded and consisting wholly of granite. They resembled very much some hills of the lower Pyrenees in Spain, only that they were more grassy and less acclivitous, and I named this hill Mount Cole. To the southward the sea-haze dimmed the horizon: but I perceived the eastern margin of a large piece of water bearing south-south-east, and which I supposed might be Cadong. It was sheltered on the south-east by elevated ground apparently very distant, but no high range appeared between us and that inlet of the sea. On the contrary the heights extending southward from this summit, being connected with the highest and most southern hills visible from it, seemed to be the only high land or separation of the waters falling north and south. With such a country before us I bade adieu to swamps and returned well pleased to the camp, being guided to it only by the gushing torrent, for I had remained on the hill as long as daylight lasted.
MANY RIVULETS.
September 24.
The morning was rainy and our way having to be traced up the ravines and round the hills was very tortuous for the first three miles. We then reached the dividing part of the range and descended immediately after into valleys of a less intricate character. Having passed over the swampy bed of a rivulet flowing southward, and having also crossed several fine bold ridges with good streams between them, we at length encamped near a round hill which, being clear on the summit, was therefore a favourable station for the theodolite. This hill also consisted of granite and commanded an open and extensive view over the country to the eastward.
September 25.
One bold range of forest land appeared before us and after crossing it we passed over several rivulets falling northward, then over a ridge of trappean conglomerate with embedded quartz pebbles, and descended into a valley of the finest description. Grassy hills clear of timber appeared beyond a stream also flowing northward. These hills consisted of old vesicular lava. We next entered a forest of very large trees of ironbark eucalyptus, and we finally encamped in a grassy valley in the midst of this forest.
September 26.
We first crossed more hills of the trappean conglomerate on which grew ironbark eucalypti and box. The rock consisted of a base of compact felspar with embedded grains of quartz, giving to some parts the character of conglomerate, and there were also embedded crystals of common felspar. By diverging a little to the right we entered upon an open tract of the most favourable aspect, stretching away to the south-west among similar hills until they were lost in the extreme distance. The whole surface was green as an emerald and on our right for some miles ran a fine rivulet between steep grassy banks and over a bed of trap-rock.
MAMMELOID HILLS.
At length this stream was joined by two others coming through similar grassy valleys from the south; and when we approached two lofty smooth round hills, green to their summits, the united streams flowed in an open dell which our carts rolled through without meeting any impediment. I ascended the most western of these hills as it was a point which I had observed from various distant stations, and I enjoyed such a charming view eastward from the summit as can but seldom fall to the lot of the explorers of new countries. The surface presented the forms of pristine beauty clothed in the hues of spring; and the shining verdure of these smooth and symmetrical hills was relieved by the darker hues of the wood with which they were interlaced; which exhibited every variety of tint, from a dark brown in the foreground to a light blue in extreme distance.
LAVA, THE SURFACE ROCK.
The hills consisted entirely of lava and I named them from their peculiar shape the Mammeloid hills, and the station on which I stood Mount Greenock. In travelling through this Eden no road was necessary, nor any ingenuity in conducting wheel-carriages wherever we chose. The beautiful little terrestrial orchidaceous plants Caladenia dilatata and Diuris aurea were already in full bloom; and we also found on the plains this day a most curious little bush resembling a heath in foliage, but with solitary polypetalous flowers resembling those of Sollya.* When we had completed fourteen miles we encamped on the edge of an open plain and near a small rivulet, the opposite bank consisting of grassy forest land.
(*Footnote. This has been ascertained to be a new species of the genus Campylanthera of Hooker, or Pronaya of Baron Hugel, of which two species were found by the latter botanist and the late Mr. Frazer at Swan River. Campylanthera ericoides, Lindley manuscripts; erecta, fruticosa, glabra, foliis oblongo-cuneatis mucronatis margine revolutis, floribus solitariis terminalibus erectis, antheris subrotundis.)
HILLS OF LAVA, OR MAMMELOID HILLS, FROM MOUNT GREENOCK. Horizon: Mount Byng Pass. [Mount Alexander]
ABORIGINAL IMITATIONS.
September 27.
I was surprised to hear the voice of a Scotchwoman in the camp this morning. The peculiar accent and rapid utterance could not be mistaken as I thought, and I called to inquire who the stranger was, when I ascertained that it was only Tommy Came-last who was imitating a Scotch female who, as I then learnt, was at Portland Bay and had been very kind to Tommy. The imitation was ridiculously true through all the modulations of that peculiar accent although, strange to say, without the pronunciation of a single intelligible word. The talent of the aborigines for imitation seems a peculiar trait in their character. I was informed that The Widow could also amuse the men occasionally by enacting their leader, taking angles, drawing from nature, etc.
While the party went forward over the open plains with Mr. Stapylton I ascended a smooth round hill, distant about a mile to the southward of our camp, from which I could with ease continue my survey by means of hills on all sides, the highest of them being to the southward. I could trace the rivulets flowing northward into one or two principal channels, near several masses of mountain: these channels and ranges being probably connected with those crossed by us on our route from the Murray. In these bare hills and on the open grassy plains, old vesicular lava abounded; small loose elongated fragments lay on the round hills, having a red scorified appearance and being also so cellular as to be nearly as light as pumice. We this day crossed several fine running streams and forests of box and bluegum growing on ridges of trappean conglomerate. At length we entered on a very level and extensive flat, exceedingly green and resembling an English park. It was bounded on the east by a small river flowing to the north-west (probably the Loddon) and abrupt but grassy slopes arose beyond its right bank. After crossing this stream we encamped, having travelled nearly fifteen miles in one straight line bearing 60 1/2 degrees east of north. This tract was rather of a different character from that of the fine country of which we had previously seen so much, and we saw for the first time the Discaria australis, a remarkable green leafless spiny bush and resembling in a most striking manner the Colletias of Chili. Sheltered on every side by woods or higher ground, the spring seemed more advanced there than elsewhere, and our hard wrought cattle well deserved to be the first to browse on that verdant plain. The stream in its course downwards vanished amongst grassy hills to water a country apparently of the most interesting and valuable character.
September 28.
The steep banks beyond the river consisted of clay-slate having under it a conglomerate containing fragments of quartz cemented by compact haematite.
SNAKES EATEN BY THE NATIVES.
The day was hot and we killed several large snakes of the species eaten by the natives. I observed that our guides looked at the colour of the belly when in any doubt about the sort they preferred; these were white-bellied, whereas the belly of a very fierce one with a large head, of which Piper and the others seemed much afraid, was yellow. On cutting this snake open two young quails were found within: one of them not being quite dead. The country we crossed during the early part of the day was at least as fine as that we had left. We passed alternately through strips of forest and over open flats well watered, the streams flowing southward; and at nine miles we crossed a large stream also flowing in that direction: all these being evidently tributaries to that on which we had been encamped. Beyond the greater stream, where we last crossed it, the country presented more of the mountain character, but good strong grass grew among the trees, which consisted of box and lofty bluegum. After making out upwards of eleven miles, we encamped in a valley where water lodged in holes and where we found also abundance of grass. We were fast approaching those summits which had guided me in my route from Mount Cole, then more than fifty miles behind us. Like that mountain these heights also belonged to a lofty range, and like it were beside a very low part of it, through which I hoped to effect a passage. Leaving the party to encamp I proceeded forward in search of the hill I had so long seen before me, and I found that the hills immediately beyond our camp were part of the dividing range and broken into deep ravines on the eastern side. Pursuing the connection between them and the still higher summits on the north-east, I came at length upon an open valley enclosed by hills very lightly wooded. This change was evidently owing to a difference in the rock which was a fine-grained granite, whereas the hills we had recently crossed belonged chiefly to the volcanic class of rocks, with the exception of the range I had traversed that evening in my way from the camp, which consisted of ferruginous sandstone. With the change of rock a difference was also obvious in the shape of the hills, the quantity and quality of the water, and the character of the trees. The hills presented a bold sweeping outline and were no longer broken by sharp-edged strata but crowned with large round masses of rock. Running water was gushing from every hollow in much greater abundance than elsewhere; and lastly the timber, which on the other ranges consisted chiefly of ironbark and stringybark, now presented the shining bark of the bluegum or yarra and the grey hue of the box. The Anthisteria australis, a grass which seems to delight in a granitic soil, also appeared in great abundance, and we also found the aromatic tea, Tasmania aromatica, which represents in New Holland the winter’s bark of the southern extremity of South America. The leaves and bark of this tree have a hot biting cinnamon-like taste on which account it is vulgarly called the pepper-tree.
ASCEND MOUNT BYNG.
I could ride with ease to the summit of the friendly hill that I had seen from afar, and found it but thinly wooded so that I could take my angles around the horizon without difficulty. Again reminded by the similar aspect this region presented of the lower Pyrenees and the pass of Orbaicetta, I named the summit Mount Byng. [Now known as Mount Alexander]
RICH GRASS.
A country fully as promising as the fine region we had left was embraced in my view from that point. I perceived long patches of open plain interspersed with forest hills and low woody ranges, among which I could trace out a good line of route for another fifty miles homewards. The highest of the mountains lay to the south and evidently belonged to the coast range, if it might be so called; and on that side a lofty mass arose above the rest and promised a view towards the sea, that height being distant from the hill on which I stood about thirty miles. A broad chain of woody hills connected the coast range with Mount Byng, and I could trace the general course of several important streams through the country to the east of it. Northward I saw a little of the interior plains and the points where the various ranges terminated upon them. The sun was setting when I left Mount Byng but I depended on one of our natives, Tommy Came-last, who was then with me, for finding our way to the camp; and who on such occasions could trace my steps backwards with wonderful facility by day or night.
EXPEDITION PASS.
September 29.
The range before us was certainly rather formidable for the passage of carts, but home lay beyond it, while delay and famine were synonymous terms with us at that time. By following up the valley in which we had encamped I found early on this morning an easy way through which the carts might gain the lowest part of the range. Having conducted them to this point without any other inconvenience besides the overturning of one cart (from bad driving) we descended along the hollow of a ravine after making it passable by throwing some rocks into the narrow part near its head. The ravine at length opened, as I had expected, into a grassy valley with a fine rivulet flowing through it, and from this valley we debouched into the still more open granitic country at the foot of Mount Byng. The pass thus auspiciously discovered and opened, over a neck apparently the very lowest of the whole range, I named Expedition-pass, confident that such a line of communication between the southern coast and Sydney must, in the course of time, become a very considerable thoroughfare. The change of soil however introduced us to the old difficulty from which we had been happily relieved for some time, for we came once more upon rotten and boggy ground. We met with this unexpected impediment in an open-looking flat near a rivulet I was about to cross, when I found the surface so extremely soft and yielding that from the extreme resistance a bolt of the boat-carriage gave way, a circumstance which obliged us immediately to encamp although we had travelled only four miles.
EXCURSION TOWARDS PORT PHILLIP.
September 30.
Compelled thus to await the repair of the boat-carriage I determined to make an excursion to the lofty mountain mass which appeared about thirty miles to the southward, in order that I might connect my survey with Port Phillip, which I hoped to see thence. The horses were not found as soon as they were required, but when we at last got upon their backs we were therefore less disposed to spare them.
DISCOVER AND CROSS THE RIVER BARNARD.
We crossed some soft hollows during the first few miles, and then arrived on the banks of a small and deep river with reeds on its borders, and containing many broad and deep reaches. It was full and flowed, but not rapidly, towards the north-east, and it was not until we had continued along the left bank of this stream for a considerable way upwards that we found a rapid where we could cross without swimming. The left bank was of bold acclivity but grassy and clear of timber, being very level on the summit; and I found it consisted of trap-rock of the same vesicular character which I had observed in so many other parts of this southern region. Beyond the river (which I then named the Barnard) we first encountered a hilly country from which we emerged rather unexpectedly; for after crossing a small rivulet flowing in a deep and grassy dell where trap-rock again appeared, and ascending the opposite slope, we found that the summit consisted of an open level country of the finest description. It was covered with the best kind of grass and the immediate object of our ride, the mountain, was now visible beyond these rich plains. Some fine forest-hills arose in various directions to the right and left, and indeed I never saw a more pleasing or promising portion of territory. The rich open ground across which we rode was not without slight undulations; and when we had traversed about four miles of it we came quite unawares to a full and flowing stream, nearly on a level with its grassy banks; the bottom being so sound that we forded it without the least difficulty.
EMUS NUMEROUS AND TAME.
Emus were very numerous on the downs and their curiosity brought them to stare at our horses, apparently unconscious of the presence of the biped on their backs whom both birds and beasts seem instinctively to avoid. In one flock I counted twenty-nine emus, and so near did they come to us that, having no rifle with me, I was tempted to discharge even my pistol at one, although without effect. Kangaroos were equally numerous. Having proceeded three miles beyond the stream we came to another flowing to the westward between some very deep ponds, and it was probably a tributary to the first.
THE RIVER CAMPASPE.
At twenty-two miles from the camp, on descending from some finely undulating open ground, we arrived at a stream flowing westward, which I judged to be also a branch of that we had first crossed. Its bed consisted of granitic rocks and on the left bank I found trap. We had this stream afterwards in sight on our left until, at two miles further, we again crossed it and entered a wood of eucalyptus, being then only five miles distant from the mountain, and we subsequently found that this wood extended to its base.
EFFECTS OF A STORM IN THE WOODS.
The effects of some violent hurricane from the north were visible under every tree, the earth being covered with broken branches, some of which were more than a foot in diameter; the withering leaves remained upon them, and I remarked that no whole trees had been blown down, although almost all had lost their principal limbs and not a few had been reduced to bare poles. The havoc which the storm had made gave an unusual aspect to the whole of the forest land, so universally was it covered with withering branches. Whether this region is subject to frequent visitations of a like nature I could not of course then ascertain; but I perceived that many of the trees had lost some of their top limbs at a much earlier period in a similar manner. Neither had this been but a partial tempest, for to the very base of the mountain the same effects were visible. The trees on its side were of a much grander character than those in the forest, and consisted principally of black-butt and bluegum eucalypti measuring from six to eight feet in diameter. The rock was syenite, so weathered as to resemble sandstone.
ASCEND MOUNT MACEDON.
I ascended without having been obliged to alight from my horse, and I found that the summit was very spacious, being covered towards the south with tree-ferns, and the musk-plant grew in great luxuriance. I saw also many other plants found at the Illawarra, on the eastern coast of the colony of New South Wales. The summit was full of wombat holes and, unlike that side by which I had ascended, it was covered with the dead trunks of enormous trees in all stages of decay.
PORT PHILLIP DIMLY SEEN FROM IT.
I had two important objects in view in ascending this hill; one being to determine its position trigonometrically as a point likely to be seen from the country to which I was going, where it might be useful to me in fixing other points; the other being to obtain a view of Port Phillip, and thus to connect my survey with that harbour. But the tree-fern, musk-plant, brush, and lofty timber together shut us up for a long time from any prospect of the low country to the southward, and it was not until I had nearly exhausted a fine sunny afternoon in wandering round the broad summit that I could distinguish and recognise some of the hills to the westward; and when I at length obtained a glimpse of the country towards the coast the features of the earth could scarcely be distinguished from the sky or sea, although one dark point looked more like a cape than a cloud and seemed to remain steady. With my glass I perceived that water lay inside of that cape and that low plains extended northward from the water. I next discovered a hilly point outside of the cape or towards the sea; and on descending the hill to where the trees grew less thickly I obtained an uninterrupted view of the whole piece of water. As the sun went down the distant horizon became clearer towards the coast and I intersected at length the two capes; also one at the head of the bay and several detached hills. I perceived distinctly the course of the Exe and Arundell rivers and a line of mangrove trees along the low shore. In short I at length recognised Port Phillip and the intervening country around it at a distance afterwards ascertained to be upwards of fifty miles from Indented Head, which proved to be the first cape I had seen; that outside (at A) being Point Nepean on the east side of the entrance to this bay. At that vast distance I could trace no signs of life about this harbour. No stockyards, cattle, nor even smoke, although at the highest northern point of the bay I saw a mass of white objects which might have been either tents or vessels. I perceived a white speck, which I took for breakers or white sand, on the projecting point of the north-eastern shore. (B.) On that day nine years exactly I first beheld the heads of Port Jackson, a rather singular coincidence. Thus the mountain on which I stood became an important point in my survey, and I gave it the name of Mount Macedon, with reference to that of Port Phillip.* It had been long dark before I reached the base of the mountain and picked out a dry bit of turf on which to lie down for the night.
(*Footnote. Geboor is the native name of this hill, as since ascertained by my friend Captain King, and it is a much better one, having fewer letters and being aboriginal.)
PORT PHILLIP, 50 MILES DISTANT, AS SEEN THROUGH A GLASS FROM MOUNT MACEDON. Left to right: B, River, Indented Head, A, Woody Hill.
Portrait of Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, c.1835.
In 1858, “ a mining party from White Hills” (early Maryborough), James McVicar, his brother in law, William McNab, and “Reither”, were searching in the Pyrenees.
McNab was an ex-convict, described by the court as “imperfectly educated.” Convicted in 1840, for house breaking in East London, he had been transported to Tasmania for a decade. We don’t know how McVicar, a book binder, and his wife, Caroline Janet McNab, a book folder, starting her 13 known pregnancies, found Caroline’s brother William when they arrived in Sydney in 1853.
The party found the continuation of the Malakoff Lead, near Landsborough, and named it the Glasgow Lead. McVicar, when approached by the roving collector for a new building for Maryborough Hospital, (who was competing with collectors for other new hospitals like Amherst, Ararat, and perhaps Dunolly), then gave a surprising donation of 10 shillings, a lot for a poor family.
In 1859, in a narrow valley north of Amphitheatre, a rush began,creating a very dangerous field, named “Mountain Hut.” McNab and the McVicars settled in, as well as mining creating a Glasgow Store (as they had done at Creswick, Lamplough and perhaps White Hills).
In 1861, their dray, laden with earth, overturned in the narrow valley, killing McNab.There was no inquest probably because it was obvious what had happened. The McVicars then paid for an expensive plot in NOT the Mountain Hut or Amphitheatre Cemeteries, but Avoca’s. (see William McNab’s entry in FindAGrave)
In 1896, McVicar, after dying in the Amherst Hospital, joined him, but Caroline Janet, who had left him years before for the bright lights of Avoca, and who died in the Muckleford School residence in 1916, is buried in a modest grave on the other side of the Cemetery Creek. ( Some of the Gollops of Avoca are descended from Child 2, I am from Child 7, and our USA cousins from Child 4.)
The place where William Mcnab died is so steep and now so shady, it is difficult to photograph.
Part of Mountain Hut Track from Google Street View (2008) The surface of the track these days is drained through the outlet gutters on either side of it
Here are, on tin, McVicar at the back, Reith on the left, and McNab, probably part of the celebrating at finding “their” Glasgow Lead.
A second photograph by Richard Daintree: The Barkly Navarre diggings with miners, winches, cottages and gum trees. In the left foreground is large gum tree with posters relating to Barkly Gold, Wright Tobacconist and a Library. State Library of Victoria Accession Number H36592
The Barkly Navarre rush
Newspaper articles reporting on the rush about the time Richard Daintree photographed the diggings:
The rush at Barkly, near Navarre, appears to be progressing in the most satisfactory manner, and indeed it seems likely to be one of the most important that has taken place for some time. Tho following respecting it is from the correspondent of the Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser of Wednesday last : " Another claim was bottomed yesterday half a mile ahead of any others on the deep lead ; the same day, three others intervening ; and all with good propects. In the opinion of the miners, no lead of such extent, or so remunerative, has been opened sine lnglewood. Some hundred claims are now worked, covering more than a mile in length of payable ground. Immense paddocks of washdirt are accumulating round the shafts. Notwithstanding the wide field here opened for employment, little or no accession to the population has been made. Our golden produce is steadily increasing. Much more would be forwarded, but every puddling machine is engaged ; many parties are compelled to wait until after Christmas, the old tub and cradle system being too tedious and expensive where there is so much washdirt."
MINING SURVEYORS' REPORTS. We have received a copy of the reports of the Government district mining surveyors for the month of November last, and published at the commencement of the new year by Mr. R. Brough Smyth, secretary for mines. The following are a few summarised extracts :— ... AVOCA DIVISION. — ( Wm. Byrne, surveyor.) — Mining population — Alluvial, 3,100 Europeans, 758 Chinese, quartz, 900 Europeans. Steam-engines, 5, of 80- horse power. Distinct auriferous quartz reefs, 17. The decrease in population has been very slight here, and is owing to a rush to Navarre. Except a rush to a mile east of Redbank there is little change. At the rush in question, the sinking is seventy feet, and the yield of the washdirt about two ounces to the load. There has been a great improvement in quartz mining, which is becoming more remunerative.
At Barkly (Navarre) things were looking well, the workings covering fully three miles of ground; the stone at the Monte Christo Reef was yielding 2 oz. to the ton. Still the people were leaving the place for New Zealand.
GOLD AND OUR GOLDFIELDS. The Deep lead at Barkly, Navarre, has progressed very satisfactorily during the month, though during the past week some of the shafts sunk there have turned out badly. The lead, however, is now being worked for an extent of upwards of three miles, and a large number of miners are reported to be doing exceedingly well upon it. The shallow sinkings here are nearly worked out, and those still at work upon them are for the most part employed in fossicking. Some of the reefs in this district are yielding good stone; that recently crushed from the Monte Christo has been giving two ounces and a-half to the ton, and the stone from the Slaughteryard is also improving. The gold from this reef has recently been assayed in town, and has been found to be of a very fine quality.
BARKLY At Barkly the deep lead keeps up its character for richness and longevity ; the quantity of washdirt procured from some claims there is most astonishing. Were the Government to form a reservoir it would be of no little service. Were a rate of 3d per load imposed upon stuff washed there as a private speculation it would prove remunerative. Talking about rates, members for the new road board (Avoca) are soon to be appointed. This will come rather hard on people in a small way of business on the Barkly rush, trade being anything but prosperous To account for this state of affairs I may simply state that for the last three months as soon as a claim was worked out the owners made swift tracks for New Zealand, draining the place of ready money. This has caused a great deal of injury to trade, many storekeepers having been brought to a state of collapse. Things are, however, at length becoming more settled, and the prospects of the place for the winter season are decidedly good. Only the other day a rush took place between the Malakhoff and Moonambel, about four miles from the deep lead, Barkly; payable gold has been struck already in three claims, in twenty-four feet sinking. Not much can yet be said upon the merits of the place; it certainly possesses that rather vague quality of looking likely. A few days will, however, tell a tale. As soon as prospecting parties can he induced to try their luck there can be no question that many rich finds will be unearthed in this quarter. This I am satisfied of, that, in the present dearth of new gold fields,no place holds forth better promise to the mining population than the Navarre district; with scarcely any exception anyone can make a living. Many claims have been abandoned on the old lead, that are continually taken and retaken up. When it is considered that the lead it now at least four miles long, varying in width from one claim to twenty, and that at no time there has been resident more than 4,000 or 5,000 actual miners, some of the claims taking six months to work out, the matter is at once explained.
Richard Daintree
Richard Daintree (1832-1878) was a geologist and photographer. He was born in Huntingdonshire, England, the son of a farmer. He matriculated at Christ’s College, Cambridge, in 1851, but left after a year because of ill health. In 1852 he joined the gold rush to Victoria but was not successful at prospecting.
From 1854 to 1856 he worked as an assistant geologist in the Victorian Geological Survey. He returned to England to study assaying and metallurgy at the Royal School of Mines Laboratory. While there he became interested in photography. He returned to Melbourne in 1857 and he rejoined the Geological Survey as a field surveyor in January 1859. He pioneered the use of photography in field work. In 1864 he moved to Queensland.
He died of tuberculosis in England aged 45. The Daintree River in Far North Queensland was named for him in 1873, and the adjacent national park, declared in 1981, also carries his name.
See also:
G. C. Bolton, ‘Daintree, Richard (1832–1878)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/daintree-richard-3350/text5043, published first in hardcopy 1972, accessed online 6 January 2026.
