North of Longerenong Station – Assault on Aborigines

Victoria Timeline Map Longerenong

On the 17th October 1844, Horatio Ellerman, who was residing with Darlot at Brighton Station on the Wimmera River adjoining Horsham at the time, obtained a warrant from the Justice of the Peace, J Allan Cameron, for the arrest of an Aborigine by the name of ‘Jim Crow‘, for threatening to kill Ellerman and all the settlers in the area, and, carry off their stock . . .

On the following day, Cameron ordered Sergeant James Daplin of the Border Police together with three privates under his command together with Ellerman, to execute the warrant.

In the process, Jim Crow and another Aborigine known as ‘Charlie‘ were shot dead on a plain some 40 km north of McPherson’s station, Longerenong, on the 19th October 1844 . . .

ON the 29th July 1853 His Excellency Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe addressed a circular letter to a number of the remaining early settlers (noting that many had already passed away by this time), requesting information as to the time and circumstances of the first occupation of various parts of the colony of Victoria, Australia.

The following transcript of the letter from William Taylor in response to this request, provides an insight into the region and its inhabitants at the time:

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TO HIS EXCELLENCY CHARLES JOSEPH LA TROBE, ESQ.,

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA.

Longerenong, Wimmera, 16th November 1853.

SIR,

I have the honour to forward to Your Excellency the enclosed information, and trust that, although late, it may still be of some use.

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Wishing Your Excellency a pleasant and agreeable voyage,

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I have the honour to be,

Your most obedient servant,

WILLIAM TAYLOR.

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His Excellency Charles Joseph La Trobe, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROGRESS OP THE SETTLEMENT OF THAT PORTION OF THE WIMMERA DISTRICT AROUND AND BEYOND MOUNT ZERO, DURING 1843-46.

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1843.

In July of this year Mr. Darlot occupied his present station with about 300 head of cattle.  In November my partner, Mr. McPherson, started to look for new runs, and followed the course of the Wimmera from Mrs. Greene’s present home-station, at that time an out-station of Mr. John Allan’s.  The Wimmera was at that period unoccupied from Allan’s out-station to Mr. Darlot’s.

1844.

In February we started our sheep from a station on the Moorabool, 20 miles from Geelong, and occupied our present homestead on the Wimmera about the end of the same month.  At that date, with the exception of Mr. Darlot’s 300 cattle eight miles lower down the river, there was no stock north of Cameron’s heifer station (Navarre) or west of the Avoca to the Glenelg, that I was aware of.  About this time Mr. Hamilton, manager for B. Boyd, Esq., occupied the eastern branch of the Wimmera for ten miles above and below where the township of Glenorchy is now fixed.

Mr. Mills, manager for Messrs. Brodie and Cruikshank, passed our station about the 20th March with 3,000 sheep, and occupied the station now held by Mr. Splatt (Wouwondah) a few days afterwards.  This was the second flock of sheep that passed into the country beyond Ledcourt ours being the first.

We saw no natives till we were on the station two months.  Afterwards they came in very quickly till they numbered about 100 men, women, and children.  At this time they were in the habit of stealing a sheep occasionally at night.

In September, about 40 natives attacked one of our shepherds, threw several spears at him, and took his flock from him within a mile of the homestead.  The overseer mustered the men, and the sheep were regained within an hour.  During the winter the natives were very troublesome.

Mr. W. J. T. Clarke, at the Pyrenees, lost 1,000 sheep; he had a shepherd badly speared.  After this Captain Dana and the native police arrived at the Pyrenees, followed the natives, and overtook them near Ayrey and Nicholas present homestead at that time unoccupied country.

At Boyd’s station (Ledcourt) the natives stole during the winter about 800 sheep.  The station was constantly annoyed by their stealing sheep, which they generally drove towards the Richardson, and occasionally behind Mount Zero.

Messrs. Brodie and Cruikshank had 200 sheep stolen.  Messrs. Darlot, Ellerman, Mills, and McPherson tracked them for two days, and found them near Mr. Baillie’s present station (Polkemet) in a gum scrub.  They had killed ten, and carried the carcases away, breaking the legs of those left behind alive.  This was their usual plan to prevent the sheep straying, and at the same time annoy the settlers.  Brodie and Cruikshank’s loss that winter was in all about 900 sheep.

In November of this year Messrs. Creswick occupied the Avon Station.  During December Messrs. Wilson occupied a station on the Richardson, near Rutherford’s present station, but afterwards (in December) moved down the Wimmera, east of Mount Arapiles, where Mr. Firebrace’s station now is.

1845.

During January Major Firebrace brought up 6,000 sheep, and claimed the run occupied by Messrs. Wilson, and having no license, Messrs. Wilson were compelled to move lower down the river, where Mr. Baillie now is, but left during the winter, being afraid of the natives, and sat down where their present station is three miles below Horsham with 2,000 sheep.

Messrs. Baillie and Hamilton claimed the portion of this run adjoining Ledcourt, in February, but were removed by the Crown Lands Commissioner.  About 10th February they occupied the ground vacated by Messrs. Wilson, below Major Firebrace’s, with 3,000 sheep.  About the end of February Rutherford and Robinson took possession of the run (on the Richardson) now in occupation of Messrs. Rutherford, Dennis, and Ayrey & Nichol, with 3,000 sheep.

About 10th March Joseph Thier occupied the run on the Avon, now Love’s.

About this time we occupied the lakes north of Mount Zero and the Yarriambiack Creek, for twelve miles.  Messrs. Wilson immediately afterwards built two stations lower down the same creek Kewell and Muckbilly.

About the 20th March Messrs. Donald and Macredie came to Longerenong looking for runs.  On questioning the natives, we found there was good water to the north-east, a day’s journey distant.  Two days afterwards my late partner, Mr. McPherson, started with them, taking a native as a guide, and the same evening struck the Avon below the station of Horsfall, who had been there about a week previous.  Next day they followed the Avon to Banyeyong the water they started for. Mr. J. Donald immediately left for Melbourne to get a license and bring up stock.

Mr. W. Patterson occupied his station on the Wimmera in April with 3,000 sheep.

Mr. Geo. Urquhart occupied Maryvale in July with 4,000 sheep; Mr. Glendinning the Salt Lakes in October and November with 2,000 sheep.  In November Messrs. Scott occupied their run on the Yarriambiack Creek.

In April of this year Mr. Robinson, the Protector of Aborigines, first visited the Wimmera, and penetrated as far as Lake Hindmarsh.  Mr. H. Darlot and other settlers accompanied him; they saw very few of the natives.

The losses of the settlers in sheep by the natives were again considerable this winter.  Messrs. Baillie and Hamilton suffered most severely.  In all, they lost 1,000 sheep, besides lambs, and were continually harassed, being near the scrub, where the natives had plenty of cover.  Major Firebrace and Mr. Patterson also lost several hundred sheep.  The old system of breaking the legs was still carried on.

The stations higher up the river escaped this year.  The country on the Richardson and Avon being settled, the blacks had no place to take the sheep to.  On the Glenelg, also, the settlers were comparatively unmolested, as the Wimmera and the country about Mount Arapiles was a great resort of the natives with stolen sheep.

In August Mr. Horsfall, on the Avon, had a hut-keeper murdered by the natives, with a spade that was in his hut.  The murderers were never taken.

After the first year’s occupation, the demeanour of the natives was generally friendly to the settlers.  On many of the stations their services were of great value in looking for strayed horses, and especially sheep.  Several of them have shepherded for eight and ten months at a time, and were the best shepherds in the district.  Not being afraid of losing their flock, they allowed them to spread over a large tract of country.  They were also useful in pointing out the permanent water-holes.

1846.

This year, in January, Mr. Steiglitz occupied the country around Lake Hindmarsh with sheep; Messrs. Shaw and Ellerman the Antwerp Station in February.

This year Mr. McGuinness occupied the lake that the Yarriambiack flows into.

In May of this year Captain Fyans, Commissioner of Crown Lands, first visited this part of the district, and we occupied Munarp towards Banyeyong.  In June Dr. Thomson brought sheep up, and laid claim to 150,000 acres, a great extent of which had been already occupied by others.

I believe that Your Excellency is aware that the country in the Wimmera district, at least this part of it, was, when occupied, poor and thinly grassed.  Since it has been stocked with sheep, the grass has improved so much that I am sure it will now fatten more than double the number it could have done at first.

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WILLIAM TAYLOR.

 

View other important events in this Region’s History . . .

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