I've been everywhere, man!

Great Great Great Great Great Uncle James and the Brumby Horse

Peter — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:51:56 +0000

Whilst the weather is not supportive of my travels around Australia at the moment, some desk research into my family tree has enabled me to travel not only around Australia but also through time as I discover some Australian ancestry.

I first came to Australia in 2001. It was a big deal. It was a journey to the other side of the world taking about 22 hours to complete. I was going to be away from home and all I was familiar with for a record 6 weeks.

But lets put this in perspective and compare this journey to that of an early Australian and one of my relatives – my Great Great Great Great Great Uncle James (yes – that’s five greats!).

James Brumby was born in Scotton in Lincolnshire, England and with thanks to a family bible it is even known that he arrived at 7pm on Thursday the 18th of July, 1771. At six foot tall with brown hair, grey eyes, sallow complexion and round face, James set sail for Australia with the Third Fleet, from Portsmouth Harbour on the 27th of March 1791 – aged 19.

Unlike my flight of 22 hours, it took James 201 days until 14th of September 1791 to arrive at Port Jackson, New South Wales aboard the “Britannia”. The Britannia was one of 11 boats containing over 2,000 convicts making up the third fleet to the new country. However, unlike many of his travel companions James was a free man and was being paid to make the journey as a soldier. There were 150 convicts aboard James’ boat. 21 would not complete the journey.

I think it is fair to say James prospered in the new country. After being given 25 acres of land in Lane Cove (and then having it taken off him because the Lietenant did not have the authority to give land grants) he ended up with some 100 acres in the District of Mulgrave Place, lying on the banks of the Hawkesbury.

However, on 1 August 1801, James was transferred to Van Diemen’s Land – or Tasmania as it is now known as a sergeant in the New South Wales Corps. This caused something of a problem as James had put his land to good use and had bread a number of horses. So, on his departure, as he was unable to take the horses with him, he released many into the surrounding bush. These horses were seen on occasion by other settlers and became known as “Brumby’s horses” later to become “Brumbies” and thus, an Australian icon was born.

It is also reported that James was always ready to help others. In 1813 he successfully prosecuted a man for cruelty to cattle, and there are reported instances of his kindness to Aboriginals.

James went on to become a ferry owner, racehorse breeder and police officer before departing this world on 14 September 1838 leaving a widow Elizabeth (whom he had married on 18 March 1811) and two sons who went on to become prosperous landowners in Tasmania’s Longford district.

My venture to the other side of the planet may have occurred some 210 years after my ancestor but I get a sense of reassurance given my ancestors success in a harsh world compared to today. I only hope now that I may meet a descendant of one of the wild horses James is perhaps responsible for – and a distant relative when I next venture to Tasmania.

The Australian Dictionary of Biography contains the following entry regarding James – http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010154b.htm

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That’s Life Magazine

Peter — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:53:01 +0000

I’m pleased to report that my “I’ve been everywhere” journey has been reported in this weeks “That’s Life” magazine. I feel I am destined to be remembered in dentist and doctors surgeries for the rest of the decade!

I am grateful for being contacted for the opportunity to present the story, and further more, for their payment which is being donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation.

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The final countdown

Peter — Sat, 29 May 2010 10:56:46 +0000

I have four more places in four Australian states left to visit before I can claim “I’ve been everywhere” – Darwin, Birdsville, Oodnadatta and Tibooburra. Four of the more remote locations in Australia and possibly a further 5,000km of travelling.

But I’m excited. The more remote, the dustier the road, the bluer the sky and the more colourful the characters you meet. Hopefully this will all go to make a memorable grand finale to this project.

However, things are on hold until the weather improves. Bitumen and dust roads are good but muddy and flooded roads are less enjoyable. High rainfall earlier this year is making some of towns hard, if not impossible to reach. My new friends are the RACQ Travel and Explore Oz websites as they show me which roads are passable and which require a boat (yes really!).

In the mean time, I am happy preparing the final stages of my journey and also stepping up my fundraising for the collection for the Fred Hollows Foundation. I recently received a pair of cardboard ‘cataract simulation’ spectacles and they demonstrated how a cataract is so close to blinding someone. Yet for just $25, the problem can be fixed – only not everyone has $25 to fix the problem hence the need for the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Please, kindly click this link to make a donation or consider advertising on these pages. It really does not matter how large or small your donation is – they ALL help to make a difference. 100% of your donation will reach the charity. Thank you.

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Grong Grong, NSW

Peter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:06:58 +0000

Grong Grong is another small rural village which is unlikely to be a destination for tourists. A hotel, church, disused railway line and grain bins are the highlight of this location

The name Grong Grong is an Aboriginal term meaning “bad camping ground” or “very bad camping ground”.

If you have any further information on this town, please let me know – thank you.

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Jerilderie, NSW

Peter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:04:33 +0000

For some time I had been wanting to visit the site of Ned Kelly’s (the bush ranger) last stand at Glenrowan and I took the opportunity to call into this town when visiting Wangaratta earlier in my travels. However, I have to say, for a more low key and less “in your face” experience, Jerilderie is a better destination for the Kelly enthusiast.

Jerilderie was visited by Ned Kelly and his gang on 10 February 1879. The outlaws captured the town’s two policemen and imprisoned them in their own cell before dressing in the police uniforms. They then told the locals that they were reinforcements from Sydney sent to protect them from the notorious Kelly Gang. Of course, given this great disguise, the gang proceed to the local bank where they stole over than two thousand pounds. They then proceeded to the Telegraph Office (pictured above) and chopped down the telegraph poles.

The gang then held 30 people hostage overnight in the Royal Mail Hotel where Ned Kelly wrote what has become the famous Jerilderie Letter. This documents Kelly’s passionate pleas of innocence (despite just robbing the bank) and desires for justice for both his family and the poor Irish settlers of Victoria’s north-east.

Todays Jerilderia is a pleasant, sleepy kind of affair enjoying the tourist dollar and income from Tomatoes – the area around Jerilderie produces a quarter of all tomatoes grown in Australia and other crops.

Interestingly if Gulgong is known as the $10 Town, Jerilderie could have become known as the $100 town as it is the childhood home of Sir John Monash honoured military commander whose image adorns the Australian one hundred dollar note.

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Wanganella, NSW

Peter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:03:21 +0000

A detour up the Cobb Highway took me to Wanganella, a small village with little for the visitor. However, I was interested to learn from the Tourist Information lady at Deniliquin that it was the birthplace of the Peppin Merino.

In 1861, George Hall Peppin and his two sons, experienced English sheep breeders, established a Merino stud at Wanganella station, north of Deniliquin. There, the brothers developed the Peppin Merino, able to thrive in drier inland regions. Today, as many as 70 per cent of Merinos in Australia are said to be directly descended from these sheep.

Sheep farmers collected to errect a bronze statue of a Peppin Merino at Wanganella and this is pictured above.

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Deniliquin, NSW

Peter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:02:13 +0000

As you drive into Deniliquin you can not help but notice that It’s flat. Very flat, flatter than Captains Flat and a lot of other flat things. Indeed, Deniliquin is on the Hay Plains, the area with the smallest deviation of elevation on Earth.

So what do you do with all this flat area? Well, I thought I’d pop into the Peppin Heritage Centre, which incorporates the Visitor Information Centre, to find out. The building was Deniliquin’s first public school and it still has an original classroom, together with desks, to bring back disturbing childhood memories. It also includes a museum that is dedicated to the Peppin family. However, I mention their achievements more under my Wanganella entry as this is where they originated from.

The museum is well laid out and you through significant points in the district’s development from its origins as a woolgrowing region to the development of the local rice industry and an introduction to the Deniliquin Rice Mill which is considered the largest rice mill in the Southern hemisphere.

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Bendigo, VIC

Peter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:01:08 +0000

Another early start meant another early arrival, this time into Bendigo.

Bendigo is another town founded off the spoils of the gold rush and you can not fail to be impressed by the splendour of the many extravagant Victorian buildings that line the wide streets of Bendigo.

Whilst mining stopped in Bendigo in 1954 it has since recommenced with the Bendigo Mining Ltd performing operations in the town at Kangaroo Flat plant from 1 October 2006 but initially ceased due to limited reserves after eight months in May 2007. During this time 175,966 tonnes of ore were treated producing 26,735 ounces of gold. Operations have since recommenced.

Tourists can go down 85 metres at the Central Deborah Gold Mine (pictured above). The mine operated from 1939 to 1954 and was the last commercial mine to operate in the Bendigo goldfields before Bendigo Mining started operations.

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Ballarat, VIC

Peter — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:30:07 +0000

I first encountered close ties with the Australian Gold rush when I was in the historic New South Wales town of Gulgong where gold was discovered towards the end of the rush. Ballarat was there nearer the start with gold being found three miles to the north east of the town in 1851 and an influx of over 10,000 miners descended on the town. But not everything was sweet in Ballarat with events culminating in miners ultimately participating in the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854.

Ballarat still has many buildings serving from its gold rush era. The Gold Exchange being one particularly imposing building. However, as much as I would have liked to wander round the real town, I decided to head to Sovereign Hill and the reconstructed working gold mine town constructed in the 1960s and opened on 29 November 1970. Soverign Hill is amazing.

With reconstructed buildings and staff wandering round in costume, mine tours, Cobb & Co coaches much of what I’ve written about is brought to life. This is a high quality museum experience. Similarly, the adjoining Gold Museum is informative and fun to wander round looking at gold in many different forms.

One chunk of gold from Ballarat is of particular note is the Welcome Nugget. Found by a Cornish miner in 1858, and the second largest gold nugget in the world, it weighed 69 kg and was valued at £10,500 pounds when found.

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Geelong, VIC

Peter — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:15:56 +0000

From a distance I thought I was going to really enjoy Geelong. I say from a distance as I took the route signposted as the scenic route to this seaside town and took in a great view including the Cunningham PIer – I was curious. Could it be that I’ve found Australia equivalent to Blackpool? With a long pier in view I was optimistic that the “Kiss Me Quick” hats, jars of cockles, candy floss and funfair at the pier would be my next destination.

So, I continued along the scenic coastal drive into the town and pulled up at the theatrical entrance to the pier and commenced my trek down to the end where I was sure the action would be taking place. Alas this was not the case. Whilst a great view was to be had, and by the number of fishermen, a potential good catch, it was not the type of pier I was hoping for. At the end is one restaurant and a conference centre – no candy floss in sight.

It appears the pier was more of the working kind in times gone by rather than a place for entertainment. From at least the 1920s until the 1950s the main use of the pier was for inbound coal traffic and after falling into disuse was transformed into a more leisurely pier in the late 1990s.

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