A Desert Landscape

On Friday last, we visited Birubi Point (near Anna Bay, Port Stephens NSW) at the entrance to the sand dunes of Stockton Beach.

These are the largest continuous mobile sand dunes in Eastern Australia , stretching a distance of some 32kms and up to 1km wide, covering an area of 2500 hectares. The sands would have been deposited some six thousand years ago and were home to the aboriginal ancestors of the Woromi tribe.

This is an exotic landscape - white sand dunes up to 40m high, clouds casting their shadows over the sands, tourists, camels, horses and concrete pyramids!

But what are these strange structures?

During World War II, the area was heavily fortified. Running across the

beach into farmland for several kilometres was a line of heavy concrete pyramids (about 3000 in total) designed to slow down tank movements.

Many of these 'tank traps' as they were known, are still where they were placed in 1942. On closer inspection, each pyramid has a serial number and the date when it was made, rendered into the concrete.

A wonderful experience! Again bringing together a piece of the geography and history of our land.

Monument to the Canadian Exiles

Moving on from Cabarita Park, which stands at the entrance to Hen and Chicken Bay, the search was on to find the monument to the fifty-eight French Canadian convicts who were sent to New South Wales for their part in the 1837-1838 uprising against the British administration in the Canadian provence of Quebec.

We did a short walk in the midday sun along Exile Bay to Prince Edward Park and then drove around to Bayview Park at the head of Canada Bay. It was here that we finally located the monument.

It had previously been at Cabarita Park where on 18 May 1970, the Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau unveiled the plaque to mark the 130th Anniversary of the landing of the Canadian exiles in Sydney.

Following the reclamation of Bayview Park, Concord Council moved the monument there in February 1984. This is closer to the historical roots of the story of the exiles.

Arriving in Sydney Harbour on 25 February 1840 on the Buffalo, the fifty-eight convicts were transported to the Longbottom Stockade on the site of the present day Concord Oval. Bayview Park is the actual landing spot from where they would have disembarked en route to the Stockade along Wharf Road (Burwood Road).

Circumstances saw these prisoners treated somewhat more humanely than most other convicts. They were industrious and hard working and were generally accepted by the early colonists. Archbishop John Bede Polding lobbied the Administration on their behalf.

In 1841, Governor Gipps gave permission for the convicts to be granted Tickets of Leave and by 1842 many had found employment. Finally between November 1843 and February 1844 free pardons were awarded to all. All eventually returned to Canada except for two who died and one, Joseph Marceau who married a nineteen-year-old Englishwoman and settled in Dapto on the South Coast of NSW.

Although this story is not popularly known, the convicts of the Buffalo have been well researched.

History Services NSW holds records on all the fifty-eight convicts, in a handy summary format giving dates and details in particular of their Tickets of Leave and Absolute Pardons

If you would like to research any of this information go to:

http://www.historyservices.com.au/convicts.htm

The story of the Canadian exiles in the Concord area has been commemorated in the naming of the inlets of Hen and Chicken Bay viz France Bay, Exile Bay and Canada Bay. These areas have been much transformed in recent years with new residential developments.

Our excursion today has been very interesting, greatly enhancing both our historical and geographical knowledge of the Parramatta River.

Federation Pavilion at Cabarita Park

The Federation Pavilion at Cabarita Park, Sydney 2009.

Transporting history!

On a visit to Cabarita Park on the shores of the Parramatta River yesterday, we located the original Federation Pavilion which was used at Centennial Park in Sydney on the occasion of the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.


It was in this Pavilion that the Oath of Office was adminstered to the Governor General, Lord Hopetoun by Sir Frederick Darley, the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of NSW.

Centennial Park, Sydney, 1 January 1901

Source: http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/

In 1903 the Council of Concord bought the Pavilion and moved it to its current location at Cabarita.

And so a piece of Australia's History was transported!

It is believed that the wooden framework of the current pavilion at Cabarita would have formed the wooden superstructure of the Centennial Park model. This supported decorative layers of plaster of Paris which formed the ornate rotunda used for the ceremonies on the day of Federation. The plaster of Paris however quickly disintegrated.

The major events in the History of New South Wales leading up to Federation on 1 January 1901 are featured in an extensive Chronology on the History Services NSW website at:

http://www.historyservices.com.au/nsw_colonial_chronology.htm

Finding Bennelong

On Tuesday, while on our way to have lunch by the Parramatta River, our "Nav Lady" took us via the route of Watson Street, Putney where we spotted Cleves Park which is the location of Bennelong's grave. I had tried to find the grave site on a previous occasion in the nearby Bennelong Park.

Cleves Park was originally part of the Kissing Point property of James Squire, the First Fleet convict who established the first commercial brewery in the colony at Kissing Point in 1798. It was here in James Squire's orchard, that Bennelong was buried when he died on 3 January 1813.

It was reported that Bennelong often wandered onto the Squire's property and was befriended by James. He erected a plaque to commenorate his dear friend. The current monument was funded by the Australian Bicentennial Authority.

Interesting name, Cleves Park. My wife had an Uncle Cleve. I have not been able to trace the origin of the name?

Bennelong is the best known of our Aboriginal people at the time of the arrival of the First Fleet. Befriended by Governor Phillip, after his "capture" in November 1789, he straddled two cultures, attempting to build bridges between them. This of course took a terrible toll on him.

The following is an extract from the Historical Records of New South Wales, Volume 2, page 711 [correspondance of Daniel Southwell dated 27/7/1790, on the escape of the Aborigine, named Bennalong, from Sydney Town] which illustrates his dual role.

"We have had little or no intercourse with the natives for a long time past, and Woolaraveray Bennalon [Bennilong], from whom we hoped so much, effected his escape on 3 May 1790, at a time when he was supposed to be well reconciled to his situation.

He laterally slept in the same room with the Governor’s steward, and before it was light he pretended suddenly to be disordered, upon which the other opened the door, not doubting but he would soon return; at last, tired with waiting, he thought proper to go and see how and where Woolaraveray Bennalon was. Not finding him, and after calling repeatedly, soon concluded what had happened, and accordingly went to the Governor’s room with the unwelcome news".

For a portrait of Bennelong go to the History Services NSW website at http://www.historyservices.com.au/nsw_colonial_chronology_1804_1817.htm

Pioneers' Track

On Tuesday last, Mary and I did a bushwalk along Pioneers' Track which meanders through Epping, Beecroft and Carlingford in Sydney's northwest.

This opened up many surprises about the early history of the area.

We entered the track at Midson Road where Devlin's Creek forms the boundary between Epping and Beecroft. The surrounding area is the site of the original land grants in Epping (then named the Field of Mars Common) made to Captain William Kent (170 acres on 12 May 1796) and his nephew Lieutenant Willam Kent (460 acres on 18 April 1803).

The younger Kent called his property William Farm. It was not a working farm but both Government and private contractors removed timber from the property between 1816-1835.

In 1835, James Devlin purchased the property renaming it The Devlin Estate. Devlin, like Kent did not live on the farm but allowed former convicts to rent and farm the land.

Devlin's Creek is named after James Devlin and Kent Street, Epping of course after the Kents.

We then came upon came upon Ray Park which was the site of the first orchard that grew the Granny Smith Apple on a commercial basis.

At the Orchard Road exit, we came upon the history of the first settlers in what is now the Hornsby Shire. David Kilpack was transported as a convict to New South Wales on the First Fleet aboard the Scarborough. In June 1791, he married Eleanor McDonald who had been also transported as convict aboard the Lady Juliana in 1790. Kilpack received his freedom in 1794 and was granted 30 acres at Mobbs Hill (Field of Mars) where the couple settled. The following year he was granted another 50 acres.

History Services NSW has records for both David Kilpack and Eleanor McDonald . It also has 10 records of convicts assigned to James Devlin. For example:

"James Hillyer, aged 18 years, who arrived in Port Jackson on 18 February 1833 from Sheerness on the convict ship, Camden. It is recorded that he was assigned to James Devlin at Kissing Point in 1833. He was granted his Ticket of Leave in 1843 at Parramatta. In 1844 at Hunters Hill, he applied to marry Mary Ann Jones who was born in the Colony ".

If you are researching your local area history, History Services NSW may hold records of early convict settlers in a summary format that you cannot get from any other source.

You should go to our website at:http://www.historyservices.com.au/convicts.htm

The First Fleet - Why Sydney Cove?

Kurnell on Botany Bay

Over the past few weeks, Mary and I have visited the sites where the first European visitors came ashore in our land- Kurnell on Botany Bay where Captain Cook landed in 1770, and Camp Cove just inside the entrance to Sydney Harbour where Captain Phillip came ashore on 21 January 1788.

But our early settlement was not just a question of history but of more importantly of geography. Captain Cook visited Botany Bay in autumn and generally experienced "gentle breezes and pleasant weather". He came ashore on the southern and more sheltered side of the Bay and found a water supply to water his ships.

Captain Phillip however, on bringing the First Fleet to Botany Bay some eitghteen years later, did not find Botany Bay an ideal place for settlement. There was poor sandy soil that was unsuitable for growing crops; there was a lack of sufficient fresh water; parts of the Bay had shallow water and thus the ships could not be moored close to shore; and it was buffeted by strong southerly winds.

What a decision for Captain Phillip in January 1788, in command of the eleven Ships of the First Fleet and some 1350 men, women and children, when he had to venture north to find a more suitable place for settlement.

He intended to explore Broken Bay. But there was another bay which was sighted and marked, but not entered by Captain Cook, which he named Port Jackson, after George Jackson, Judge-Advocate of the Fleet.

On the afternoon of 21 January 1788, Captain Phillip and his party sailed into Port Jackson and went ashore at present day Camp Cove, a sheltered beach just inside the entrance to what is today our beautiful Sydney Harbour.

Captain Phillip explored Port Jackson further and chose Sydney Cove as the place of settlement as it had a "good spring of water".

An entry in the journal of one of the officers of the First Fleet describes the beauty of Port Jackson as:

“having the finest terra’s, lawns and grottos, with distinct plantations of the tallest and most stately trees ever seen in any nobleman’s grounds in England, cannot excel in beauty those which nature now presented to their view. The singing of the various birds amongst the trees, and the fight of numerous parraquets, lorrequets, cockatoos, and macaws, made all round appear like in enchantment; the stupendous rocks from the summit of the hills and down to the very water’s edge hanging over in a most awful manner from above, and forming the most commodious quays by the water. The moulds here are a foot and a half down as rich as any garden in England will afford; there are also many very lofty firs, and here is also the cabbage-tree.“having the finest terra’s, lawns and grottos, with distinct plantations of the tallest and most stately trees ever seen in any nobleman’s grounds in England, cannot excel in beauty those which nature now presented to their view. The singing of the various birds amongst the trees, and the fight of numerous parraquets, lorrequets, cockatoos, and macaws, made all round appear like in enchantment; the stupendous rocks from the summit of the hills and down to the very water’s edge hanging over in a most awful manner from above, and forming the most commodious quays by the water. The moulds here are a foot and a half down as rich as any garden in England will afford; there are also many very lofty firs, and here is also the cabbage-tree.

From extensive research from the Historical Records of New South Wales, Volumes 1 and 2, [Sydney Government Printer, 1892-1901], I have compiled the following chronologies on the History Services NSW website:

1. A chronology of Captain Cook's discovery and exploration of Botany Bay. Go to
   http://www.historyservices.com.au/resource_material_botany_bay.htm
   
   


2. A Chronology of the First Fleet Arrival at Botany Bay and subsequent Settlement at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson. Go to: http://www.historyservices.com.au/resource_material_first_fleet_chronology.htm
   
   
   
   
   

Brush Farm House

On Sunday 14 June 2009, Mary and I visited Brush Farm House at Eastwood, NSW. Ryde Council was holding one of its Open Days there to show off the restoration of the heritage property which was completed in 2007.

Brush Farm House and estate is very much part of of the natural and cultural heritage of NSW. It is one of Australia's oldest remaining houses, being built in 1819-20 by the explorer Gregory Blaxland. It was a two story brick building on sandstone foundations in the Colonial Georgian style.

Ryde Council purchased the property from the NSW State Government in 1990 and set in place a conservation project that has not only restored the building as a legacy of our early heritage but has opened it up for public use.

The Blaxlands were among the first 'settlers of responsibility and Capital' to come to the young colony of New South Wales. The early Administraion encouraged such settlers promising them land, convict servants and free passages. Gregory Blaxland and his brother John were friends of Sir Joseph Banks, and it appears that it was he who strongly enocuraged them to emigrate.

History Services NSW has numerous records of convicts assigned to Brush Farm and Gregory Blaxland. For example:

Edward GING who arrived in Port Jackson on 27 July 1817 from County Cork on the convict ship, Chapman. It is recorded that he served Gregory Blaxland of the Brush Farm for four and a half years until 16 November 1822. He was granted his Certificate of Freedom in 1823 and was granted land at Campbelltown in 1825.

If you are researching a convict ancestor who was assigned to Brush Farm, you should go to our website at:
http://www.historyservices.com.au/convicts.htm