Australian history. 1827 exploration of Great Lakes (Myall, Forster, Tuncurry area near Newcastle and Port Macquarie) New South Wales, Australia

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AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY

As we have previously stated, the original owners of this community after European settlement was the Australian Agricultural Company.

Its people sought to make a fortune with agricultural pursuits in this region.

Nonetheless, they had to find this out for themselves. It was in the pursuit of this knowledge that surveys were carried out.

Surveys were done generally seeking better classes of soil and climatic conditions and other surveys for the purpose of defining the legal boundaries of A.A. Co Land.

ROBERT DAWSON EXPLORES

The surveys were apparently done by Robert Dawson (1824-1828).

He was seeking what borders ought to be fenced and what, because they faced a river, a mountainous escarpment, or the sea, would not require the use of erected boundary barriers.

From his report on April 30, l827, from Port Stephens we quote :

"I have at present seen no reasons for regret at having settled at Port Stephens - on the contrary I believe the soil is fully equal to the average of the colony and the advantages of a good port with navigable waters to which the proposed grant is bordering on is of the utmost consequences..."

He goes on to define the proposed boundaries of the grant, but reserves any decisions to recommend the company settle on these until the surveys are complete and that he personally has the opportunity to traverse the land to the Manning and there, with the aid of boats explore this northern boundary.

HUT KEEPER SPEARED

He takes every opportunity to travel about the land as ....

"Having been called upon within the last fortnight to go in pursuit of three natives belonging to a remote tribe on the River Myall who robbed three of our convict shepherds and afterwards speared the hut keeper."

"I was enabled at the same time to examine a part of the country which had not been seen before, such as the borders of Smith's and Wallis's Lakes and the line of country between Port Stephens and the head of the Myall River."

"I was not successful in securing the objects of my search (the natives) but was much gratified with the fine country that surrounds the Lakes."

SMITH'S, MYALL AND WALLIS LAKES

"I travelled about 21 miles on the borders of Smith's Lake which I found connected by navigable water with Port Stephens through the Myall River."

"Its position with regard to Wallis's Lake is not correctly laid down on the plans hitherto published. (At this time Dawson did not realise the Smith and Myall Lakes were not connected bodies of water.) Smith's and Wallis's Lakes are separated on the north only by a very narrow neck of land not half a mile in breadth and over which the natives carry their bark canoes. I passed between the two lakes to the sea without obstructions. Smith's Lake is not connected with the sea on the east as laid down in the chart and its waters are fresh and constantly used by the natives."

(Click on the picture below to see a larger version, then use your Web Browser's back arrow to return to this page.)

Aerial View of Wallis Lake

"The water in Wallis's Lake is salt and connected with the sea at Cape Hawke. It is properly speaking the harbour there - the bar at the entrance of Cape Hawke from the sea is formed of rocks and will only admit boats or very small craft going in there."

"We have however, internal navigation by the River Myall as far as Smith's Lake and should it ever be thought advisable the junction of the two lakes may be formed across the neck of land before described at a very moderate expense, thus uniting Cape Hawke with Port Stephens by internal navigation."

(That piece about the shallowness of the Wallis Lake bar was from the report, printed a couple of weeks ago of Cromarty who came to grief there in a dinghy when exploring - but why was he exploring there? He and a group of experienced sailors, and why was he put ashore? Read on of Dawson's report).

CAPE HAWKE TO MANNING RIVER

"The country near the coast between Cape Hawke and Farquhar (Old Bar) and Harrington Inlets where the River Manning discharges itself is represented as being of excellent quality."

"The internal communications therefore by water to Cape Hawke would facilitate to an extraordinary degree the settlement of the country towards that quarter of our northern boundary along the River".

EXPLORING FOR COAL

He goes on to state that the explorers sought..... "The discovery of coal which was supposed to abound near the sea there".

He then tells of the upsetting of Cromarty's boat on the bar, then states....."the weather being unfavourable the sloop was driven off and the boat adventurers were compelled to proceed on foot to Port Macquarie."

"It is the opinion of the conductor of the expedition (Mr. Cromarty) that there was only water sufficient on the Bar at its entrance at high water for small craft of 20 or 30 tons - that the Harbour itself was safe and extensive but he saw no appearance of coal there".

WHAT IF?

What plans we were subject of as early as l827? Let us just think on it awhile, what if we had deposits of coal here?

What if the A.A. Co had, when labour was cheap, opened a canal through Wallis, Smith to Myall Lakes as a navigable waterway to Port Stephens? It opens up vast possibilities doesn't it, but alas, for better or for worse it was but a man's dream and never realised! Well. Not yet anyway.

Copyright © 2002, Great Lakes Historical Society Ltd, C/- Great Lakes Museum, Capel Street, (P.O. Box 23), Tuncurry, New South Wales, Australia, 2428. Original content in these Web pages is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be produced by any process or any other exclusive right exercised without written permission from the copyright holder.