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Aston | Bald Hills | Bibbenluke | Bombala Station | Bukalong | Bungarby | Burnima | Cambalong | Currowong Cambalong | Curry Flat | Dangelong | Delegate Station |Geennig | Gunningrah | Jincum Bill |Jincumbilly | Juntion | Kybeyan | Little Plain |Lobbs Hole | McLeay Flat | Maffra | Maharatta | Middlingbank |Mount Cooper | Nandawar | Taylor's Flat | Wag Wag | Waterloo | Early History of the Bombala End of the Monaro District
Early
History of the Bombala End of the Monaro District Bombala
Station | Jincumbilly
| Cambalong | Bald Hills | Aston
| Maharatta | Little Plain
| Delegate Station | Currowong
| Burnima | Bibbenluke | Geennig
| Jincum Bill | Wag Wag | Waterloo
| Bukalong | Gunningrah | Mount Cooper
| Taylor's Flat | McLeay Flat
| Curry Flat | Bungarby
| Maffra | Juntion FORWARD Thomas Fleming came into the Monaro District with Duncan McFarlane’s party in 1833. At the time Henry T. Edwards talked to him in the late 1880’s, he was a man of about eighty years of age - a sound, strong, man. He was living at Ingram’s Farm or selection on Boucher’s Creek at the Crossing on the road to Cambalong. His memory seemed sound and clear. William McKay came to the Monaro some six years after Thomas Fleming. Henry T. Edwards recorded and rewrote his notes at Bibbenluke in 1890 and H.A. Rose, Parkside, Nimmitabel N.S.W., made a copy 29th August 1975. This copy was deposited in the National Library of Australia at Canberra and I received a photocopy of it early in 2003 thanks to Therese Lloyd who traveled to Canberra and spent hours searching through boxes of information and ordered copies for me. I have reorganized and rewritten the notes using the cut and paste technology now available. I have tried to be consistent in spelling of names although I am not sure that the spelling I have used is correct. Where I was not sure if differing spellings referred to the same person, I have left the spelling as I found it in the Rose version. For example, Pettrick, Pethrick, Pethee, and Petrick could possibly refer to the same person. The information has been organized by station or run and as people moved among stations references to individuals may be found under more that one station. I have added some birth and death dates where I have been able to find reliable information and added some information relating to Henry T. Edwards where appropriate. My admiration and respect for my Edwards ancestors and cousins has motivated me to do this work. They totally amaze me. As someone who has lived in Canada all my life, I am not familiar with the Monaro District. I would welcome feedback and corrections. Maureen McGee, Introduction The Monaro Plains, or, as they were originally called, Brisbane Downs, were in the early days of the settlement covered with aboriginals, kangaroos, emus and native dogs (Warrigals). The aboriginals were not very fierce or hostile on Manaroo. The system under which runs were taken up by early pioneers, known as squatters, was as follows: They traveled up from the then settled portion of the country with a team of bullocks, rations, and men who were usually assigned servants, taking with them sheep or cattle, sometimes both, to stock or hold possession of any unoccupied country they might find. When they came to a spot they fancied, they pitched their camp and settled down, marked out the boundary of the land they wished to occupy, and then sent a description to the Land Commissioner and apply for a Crown License to occupy. Description and value were often indefinite in the extreme, and never ending disputes arose between the adjoining occupants. Interlopers often came and settled on parts of the runs and in many instances ousted the original occupants The rents charged by the crown were nominal. The rent or license for such runs as Bombala, Gunningrah and Bibbenluke proper would be from 10 pounds to 40 pounds per year. A 10-pound license was the lowest granted and would be considered equivalent a run for 5,000 sheep or 500 head of cattle. The men with sheep had much the best of it and generally succeeded in hunting the cattle holder as the sheep and shepherds formed a much more permanent occupancy than cattle. About 1833, the first men came up and took possession. These were Captain Ronald Campbell (1786-1871) and his brothers, Dr. I.B. Campbell, Pat Prendergas, a man known as Ned, the Tinker, a man known as Hairy Jacob and Bobby, a Scotch boy who cooked for the party. This party traveled up with Duncan McFarlane’s party as far as Jincumbilly. The two parties camped there together and then the Campbell party went on to the Bombala Station and took it up. The Campbell family still held Bombala Station in the 1890’s. A man named Adams the Shoemaker either came up with the Campbells or joined them shortly after the first settlement. He and the other men mentioned as belonging to the first parties who came up were all assigned servants (convicts), but they were excellent men in all respects and had probably been sent from England for trivial offences. The Bombala Township was first proposed to be located at Gows’ Hut on the Bombala Run at the crossing of the river on the old Sydney road, but opposition raised by the Campbells caused it to be removed to where it now stands. A Bong Bong came and settled down at Gows’ Flat, but as the Campbells had possession they drove him away. I think the name of this Bong Bong was Gow and that the flat was named after him. The Township of Bombala, so called from being on the Bombala River, is situated on land on the East side of the river which originally formed a portion of the Maharatta Run, and the land on the west belonged to the Bukalong Run and was called Cootalmyong by the aboriginals. The Bukalong Run embraced a large area which originally included all Gallagher’s Plain that is now called "Terine" or Tyroine". Jincumbilly Cambalong or Campbulong Station This name is a corruption of the Aboriginal one, but what that was I never could ascertain. This Station was taken up by Hoskins a short time before Campbells took up Bombala Station. Hoskins belonged to a Sydney firm known as Hughes and Hoskins. (Terry Hughes well known in early Sydney History). They were merchants. Joseph Bowles was Hoskin’s stockman and a man named Thomas Liscombe was the first overseer. Liscombe was a rather bad lot. He settled on part of Cambalong, but after some Court words went to Bald Hills Merridugah and was later at Buide. During the time that Joe Bowles was stockman for Mr. Hoskins, cattle were speared by the Blacks when drinking from a round waterhole at the head of Pine Hut Creek which was enclosed by walls of rocks with only a narrow entrance. Cambalong was occupied successively by:
A man named Clements was Boyd’s overseer at Cambalong in Sparke’s time but whether connected in business I cannot say. Jack Shoulders was living at the old dairy station on Slaughter House Creek (Properly the Dairy House Creek), as the Slaughter House Creek is really what is now known as Pine Hut Creek where Kinghorn had a sheep station. Ruifhorn sat down at Cambalong and Hughes and Hoskins went to law with him and finally drove him off. Ruifhorn then went to the Bald Hills on Delegate River and was the first licensee of that small run. Bald Hills was occupied successively by:
Aston A man named Black Tom was left in charge of sheep. "Black Tom" killed a lot of blacks at Aston in self-defence and the bodies were burnt. Alexander Hamilton afterwards of Woolway Station then came to Aston but whether as manager or part owner I cannot say. But, at any rate, he afterwards bought out Kingsworthy and Lord (Lord’s Hill is called after the latter). Fifties was overseer at Aston in Hamilton’s time. A man named Ryan, father of the Glenroy Ryans, was an assigned servant of Hamiltons. Terry Ryan was an assigned servant of Alec Hamilton’s and was a lifer and therefore could not hold a crown license. It was said he was sent out for murder. He made a lot of money sly grog selling at Aston. D. McKeachie (brother of Alexander McKeachie of Delegate Station) was a storekeeper at Aston. He died and was buried there. Burns was also a storekeeper at Aston. He was killed by a fall from his horse on "Burn’s Hill" now called after him. Dr. Anderson had sheep on Anderson’s Plain but I think the Aston lessees hunted him. Maharatta Maharatta was taken up by May and Throsby, the latter of Bong Bong and the former an English gentleman who returned to England some years after. May was manager and lived at "old Maharatta" on Sausy Creek where the Willows now stand. Tommy Warburton was stockman and lived first at Black Springs on the road near Roseneath and afterwards moved to the present site of Maharatta old Homestead. Two assigned servants came up with May and Throsby:
John McKinlay (1819 – 1872), the explorer, used to be at Maharatta a good deal in May and Throsby’s time. He took delivery of a mob of cattle there one time and drove them overland to Adelaide. McKinlay and Alex McKeachie of Delegate Station used to be a good deal together at the time. Donald McKay, father of William McKay of Wallendibby lived at old Maharatta with Mr. May. A Dr. Robinson whose wife was a connection of the Throsby’s lived at the Willows at old Maharatta in 1848. Duncan McKay, father of George McKay formerly of Bukalong, lived at Maharatta in May and Throsby’s time. He died there and was buried in what is known as the permanent Common paddock below the old Race Course opposite the gates. There are several graves there although little, if any, trace of them now remains. Throsby sold to George Hebben about 1852 to 1856. Mr. Hebben was a connection of Throsby’s. Hebben sold to Moses Joseph (1812-1899), a Sydney merchant, about 1861. Bombala Township now stands on a part of the Run and was called Messmate Maharatta. Maharatta also embraced Aundundralo. Little Plain Charles Campbell, father of Frederick Campbell of Yarralumla was apparently mixed up in all the Stations taken up by "Merchant" Campbell. In fact, he must be identical with the latter. Clarke was the first overseer. Campbell sold to Lang and Robinson. They were overseers first, but the latter had an interest in the Station. They sold to John Nicholson who had a small Station called Dundunnrah previous to this. Probably, it was only a piece cribbed from Maharatta. Nicholson was a Bong Bong man and son of Captain Nicholson, at one time Harbor Master of Sydney. Charles Lawson settled at Craigie, a portion cut off from Little Plain. Delegate Station There is an old tradition that before Campbell took it up McFarlane, McLaurin and Wright, the father of J.E., A.H., and Murry Wright had possession of Delegate. There are also stories that Imlay of Bega had possession of Delegate and that he had cattle there, but the matter is doubtful. The early settlers moved and wandered about capriciously, especially those who had cattle. Those who had sheep hunted the cattlemen out. Currowong Burnima Galbracth, a Bong Bong who was possibly related to the Cordeuas, took Burnima up about 1833. The Cordeuas used to come up to the Station in Galbracth’s time. Alexander Graham, late of Gunningrah was one of the overseers and John Gow was another. Other early overseers were Gilbert McCallum and McClement. Burnima was owned successively by:
William Wallace managed for King and Wallace. David Ryrie managed Burnima for himself and his brother. Bibbenluke Joshua Moore sold to Ben Boyd. Ben Boyd came out in the early days of the Colony to found the Royal Bank. He carried on business in temporary premises in Wynyard Square as a bank then turned his attention to buying stations. The country was almost insolvent at the time and many of the station properties were in the control of merchants. Boyd persuaded the merchants to approach the squatters and he bought the stations for a song. He called himself "Ready Money Boyd" and he acquired properties all over Australia but he retired or was deposed from the management of the Boyd Bank and Stations. He left Australia early in 1850 Ben Boyd sold to William Bradley whose heirs still had possession in the 1890’s. Henry Hogath was storekeeper part of the time. Liscombe had "Bandi". Overseers were:
Henry T. Edwards arrived at Bibbenluke on Tuesday, March 25, 1862 and took charge of Bibbenluke as superintendent on March 26, 1862 – "day hot, a good deal of thunder". He still held this position in 1890 when he rewrote notes he had gathered from talking with Thomas Fleming. Geennig Jincum Bill or Wangellie. A Mr. Clensendor, known as "Clear-em-off" sat down on the Jincumbilly portion of the run at the crossing of Mt. Cooper. He left and Mr. Petrick apparently owner of the run sold to Ben Boyd who sold to William Bradley who incorporated this run with Bibbenluke. Wag Wag or Sherwin's Hill Waterloo Bukalong G.Garnock settled on Mt. Pleasant, a corner of Bukalong. It was named Mt. Misery. Pickering Peak was named after Pickering of Snape and Pickering of Bell’ Life Newspaper. They were mixed up with Garnock. Gallagher’s Plain was a portion cut off Bukalong by Garnock or given to him by E.M. Boucher. It was named after James Gallagher, a shepherd of McFarlanes. His party and the Campbells as mentioned in the account of Bombala Station all apparently traveled up together. A man named Thomas Fox, who went over the Snowy River at Marinumbla and, at the time, lived at Foxs’ Plain drove the team for McFarlanes party. Jacob Ken’s stockman showed them Bukalong and the McFarlanes settled there, just in the Creek where the old Homestead now stands McFarlane sold to John Boucher. Gow was McFarlane’s overseer first and went to Currowong afterwards. The Myles were shepherding at Bouchers on the Creek in 1848. The blacks were very troublesome. A black fellow named Go Go Rig nearly killed Thomas Fleming when he was hut keeping near Gallagher’s Plain where Kyles’ now live. The creek that runs down at the back of old Tyronie Homestead is called Wash Pen Creek as McFarlane and Boucher used to wash their sheep there. Gunningrah Pethrick was the first overseer. David Bell of Spring Flat was also overseer for John Terry Hughes and lived at the Homestead for some years. Tommy Fleming was stockman part of the time. Mount Cooper Successive owners were:
Taylor's Flat McLeay Flat There is no reliable information on who first took up McLeay Flat but the following were successive owners or lessees:
Curry Flat
(Jardine) Bungarby Maffra Juntion Notes, Henry Tollemache Edwards and Thomas Fleming, 1893, H.T. Edwards Papers, National Library of Australia, MS 5704 Records, 1855-1898, Bibbenluke Station and Henry Tollemache Edwards, N.S.W., National Library of Australia, MS 2963 |
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