Y ellom u ndi ANDREW BARBER J O H N H U NTER M argaret C atchpole GOMBEREE Yellomundi was a Darug elder, one of Andrew Barber was the last Aborigine Governor of NSW 1795–1800 Margaret Catchpole arrived in the colony left is one of the most moving of the Gomberee was an important member the first of the Traditional Owners to in the district who had direct nineteenth John Hunter had captained a vessel in a convicted horse thief. Before she died, flood descriptions available. of the Darug tribe. According to Captain meet with Europeans in 1791. century associations with the she had become a free and independent Watkin Tench, who met Gomberee in the , and returned as governor ‘This happened the 22nd of last March Hawkesbury. He was born at ‘Lilburndale’, woman, much admired in the Hawkesbury 1791 while travelling with Governor He was paddling on the river with his in 1795. On his arrival he found that [1806]… Some poor creatures riding on Sackville, in the 1850s, though neither for her services as a midwife, storekeeper, Phillip on his second expedition to the son, Deeimba, and Gomberee (possibly more land grants had been given than the houses, some on their barns, crying of his parents was Darug. and farm overseer. Hawkesbury, he was ‘a man of middle his father), when they came upon were registered, with Hawkesbury out for God’s sake to be saved, others Governor Phillip, who was leading his age, with an open cheerful countenance, His mother, Ballandella, was a Wiradjuri being the most affected. The result of She acquired her own small collection firing their guns in the greatest distress second expedition to the Hawkesbury. marked with small pox, and distinguished child who had been brought by Major this would have been to deprive around of stock, which she kept on the Rouse for a boat. There were many thousands After stopping to give the explorers by a nose of uncommon magnitude Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor-General, 77 Hawkesbury settlers of their land, property while she went to work for of head [of pigs]– all kinds of cattle directions, and later joining them around and dignity’. from the Riverina. By 1839 Ballandella had Hunter not intervened. the Dight family on the Richmond lost, and so many bushels of all sorts a campfire, Yellomundee operated on was in the care of the Ascough family Lowlands, and it was there that she Gomberee offered gifts of string and Colbee, an Aboriginal man from the He also showed much sympathy for the of grain was lost so now this place is in of Wisemans Ferry, to whose children a spear, and left his canoe to help the area and a member of Phillip’s Hawkesbury’s distress in the 1799 flood: experienced the terror of a sweeping great distress.’ she became nurse until she was 15, explorers find their way along the river party, to remove two splinters from a ‘Applications are coming to me, from Hawkesbury flood. The description she when she married John Luke Barber, bank. Later, he and some other Darug spear wound. every quarter of this distressed district a Darkinjung man from the Macdonald men sat around the Governor’s campfire. for cloathing and bedding, of which we Captain Watkin Tench recorded: Valley. They had two sons, Andrew have none to supply. I will do all I can to ...riding on the houses, some on their barns, The following morning Gomberee ‘…Yèl-lo-mundee…took the cup, and filled and Harry. his mouth with water; but instead of moderate their distresses, and I trust demonstrated his skill in climbing trees Andy was well-known and respected I shall not be censured shou’d it crying out for God’s sake to be saved... in search of animals. Tench observed: swallowing it, threw his head into Colbee’s bosom; spit the water upon for his knowledge and for his skilful occasion some expence.’ ‘He mounted to the height of twenty ploughing, fencing and horse breaking. him; and immediately after, began to Despite his support, Hunter received G rono -B ooks families ANDREW THOMPSON feet, in nearly as short a space as if he For a time after his wife died, he lived suck strongly at his breast, just below the a long list of complaints from 14 had ascended by a ladder, although alone beside Ebenezer church, before The first of the family to settle in the Andrew Thompson was one of the few nipple…he retired a few paces, put his Hawkesbury farmers, titled ‘Expenses the bark of the tree was quite smooth moving down river to the Sackville Hawkesbury was John Grono, a seaman convicts sent from Scotland, and despite hand to his lips, and threw into the river a of Farming at the Hawkesbury’. In this and slippery; and the trunk four feet in Aboriginal Reserve and Mission, on the Buffalo, which arrived in the colony a substantial sentence (14 years) his stone…When he returned to the fire-side, and in a later plea, grievance was piled diameter, and perfectly strait… he established in 1889 for the local in 1799. As well as farming, he diligence and good character saw him Colbee assured us that he had received upon grievance, unwisely suggesting descended with as much ease and signal benefit from the operation…and aboriginal community. Andy Barber established a flourishing boat building rapidly promoted from stonemason’s that Hunter was not taking the necessary agility, as he had raised himself.’ assured us that Yellomundi was a died in 1943 and is recorded as the business, and built up a considerable labourer to Constable, Chief Constable actions to make real improvements. MARY ARCHER Cár-ad-yee, or Doctor, of renown… not last person living on the Reserve to stake in sealing in Bass Strait and and then Magistrate — the first Hunter was greatly disaffected by New Zealand. ex-convict to be so honoured. only he, but all the rest of his tribe were die. Some of the original reserve On 19 September 1799, Mary Archer this affront, and although he later Cár-ad-yee of special note and skill…’ is now under the ownership of the By the time of his death in 1847, he Thompson’s business activities were witnessed the cold-blooded murder of acknowledged that some of the settlers’ Yellomundee, a.k.a. Yaramandy continued Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land was considered the colony’s foremost equally successful. He commissioned two Aboriginal boys by a gang of European complaints might have been justified, to be prominent in local affairs throughout Council following the successful land ship builder, his largest, the Australian, a punt-like structure, and installed it as youths. The next day, in an action that he turned a deaf ear and continued to the first decade of European settlement. claim in 1993. being ‘100 feet long, and of 270 tons a floating bridge to link South Creek was both courageous and most unusual, speak ill of them. In 1804, he was one of two ‘district burthen’. He was buried at Ebenezer with the Hawkesbury, close to the she reported them to Chief Constable chiefs’ to be summoned to discussions Church, which he had helped to found. government stores and wharf. As a Rickaby. Without her intervention, it is with Magistrates Marsden and Arndell reward, Governor King granted him the John Grono’s daughter, Margaret, married likely that the murderers would have when violence flared in that year. right to collect tolls from all travellers another seaman, Alexander Books, and avoided any sort of trial or punishment. using his ‘bridge’, with the exception of they went to live at Webbs Creek. The Rickaby acted promptly, locating the government workers and officials. Hunter received a long list of complaints from 14 Hawkesbury families carried on the boatbuilding trade victims’ remains, and investigating together, continuing to use the half hull King also gave Thompson valuable suspects. Eight men were brought to farmers, tit led ‘Expenses of Farming at the Hawkesbury’ models and traditional techniques and brewing utensils and licences. Meanwhile, trial, and five of them were convicted. methods of John Grono. Thompson had built up a fleet of trading LACHLAN MACQ U A R I E - Governor of NSW 1810-1822 Mary Archer must have been aware vessels which carried Hawkesbury The Hawkesbury was mentioned in the towns Richmond , Castlereagh, Windsor’s leading citizens, Andrew John’s son, William Grono, described that she would confront criticism and grain to Sydney markets, or were used very first brief that Macquarie received Windsor, Wilberforce and Pitt Town. Thompson, after whom Thompson some of those techniques in diary entries intimidation from her neighbours. What in the sealing trade. when he was appointed Governor of Under Macquarie’s administration, Square is named. Such acts brought of March 1866, during the building of the she could not have foreseen was that her NSW: he was instructed to secure the Windsor acquired more than 14 public Macquarie into conflict with the ‘pure Esther Maria: ‘…Thursday 1. We went When Andrew Thompson died on 22 action would precipitate legal change. colony’s food supplies, which had been buildings of various kinds, including merinos’, who wanted to keep civil up the Crecke And got A loge to Cut October 1810, after a heroic effort to Forcing a formal investigation allowed ravaged by the regularity and severity St. Matthews Church, designed by the rights and judicial privileges for Beemes for the wesel and got Stuf for assist the victims of flood, the Sydney a trial, and the killers’ subsequent of the Hawkesbury floods, and he was convict architect, , themselves, and in holding out for a A pit to Cut the Beemes on. Sataday 3. Gazette eulogised: ‘…he not only exposed conviction set the precedent by which Alex And Tomas fliched Alf the log up in required to ‘lay out Townships of a and regarded as one of the most wider distribution of power and influence, himself to personal danger, but laid the other Europeans throughout the to Beemes has We Came ome We Herde convenient size and extent’ according beautiful buildings in . Another Macquarie helped to pave the path to foundation for that illness which has settlement would be held legally that the Windsor punte Was swomped to his own judgement. He named the exconvict to be elevated was one of Australian democracy. deprived the World of a valuable Life…’ accountable for killing Aborigines. putin Catl Acros the river.’

Hawkesbury REGIONAL MUSEUM PEOPLE OF THE HAWKESBURY J O H N T E B B U TT ANDREW TOWN It was in his Windsor observatories Governor of NSW 1806–1808 Andrew Town was said to be a racehorse that John Tebbutt made discoveries At the time of Bligh’s arrival, the colony judge ‘without peer’ and it was that were to bring him world renown, was in trouble, partly because of the considered that ‘no man in Australia including the sighting of two comets, in disastrous Hawkesbury floods. Bligh had done so much to improve the 1861 and 1881. He conducted regular, at once organised flood relief. He also breed of all classes of stock’. systematic observations, and published tried to fix the labour shortage, and the In 1877 Town purchased Hobartville, People of The Hawkesbury his results in many letters and reports influence of ‘trading sharks’. a fine property built by William Cox in the Sydney newspapers and in At the same time, he established a Jnr, for use as a thoroughbred stud. British astronomy circles. When offered farm for himself at present-day Pitt The unbeaten 1880 Melbourne Cup A HAWKESBURY REGIONAL MUSEUM FACTSHEET the post of Government Astronomer Town. This was greatly resented by and Victorian Racing Club Derby around 1862, he declined, preferring to his enemies. In particular, it was winner, Grand Flaneur, was soon continue his work at Windsor. noted that Bligh’s farm benefited from acquired, producing in his turn two He was elected a Fellow of the Royal the acquisition of Government stores more Cup winners: Bravo and Patron. and stock, without payment. Bligh Astronomical Society in 1873, and, 22 By the early 1880s, Hobartville Stud argued that he had set up the farm years later, accepted the position of as a model, to show settlers the best boasted 130 broodmares and 40 inaugural president of the Sydney branch methods, just as King George III had draught mares, as well as pedigreed of the British Astronomical Association. done in — an argument with cattle and pigs, carriage horses, ponies Recognition of Tebbutt’s outstanding which Hawkesbury settlers tended to and trotters. Its annual yearling sales contribution to world astronomy agree. After his arrest during the ‘rum attracted buyers who came by special continued after his death, with the rebellion’, 15 of them signed the trains from all over Australasia. bestowing of his name on a lunar crater following address: Guests enjoyed liberal alcoholic by the International Astronomical Union ‘…We no sooner began to feel the refreshments in the shade of the old (1973) and on the first $100 note (1984). benefits of your administration and see oak trees, and a free luncheon was M U R I E L P O W E R your benevolent plans than our spirits provided in a huge marquee that sat began to revive, and our hopes to brighten, 300 patrons at a time. In two decades, In the 1930s and 40s, Muriel Power that by industry we would be able to Hobartville sold 747 horses, valued at was a regular visitor to Waterford, the support our families in comfort, improve 95,000 pounds. Richmond property of her son Bob, and our farms, and leave our children with a during these visits she promoted equal Despite appearances, Town was prospect of supporting themselves by a rights for women, and participation in not a successful businessman, and similar conduct…than we were alarmed the arts. in the lead-up to the 1890s economic at your being arrested; and we solemnly recession, he lost his horses, his Under the banner of the NSW Arts and protest against that act and declare we properties and his fortune. Town left Crafts Society, which she started and led, had no foreknowledge, act, or part in the the district in October 1889, and died Muriel gave expert tutorials in her said rebellion…’ studio. She initiated the printing of small at Rockdale in February 1890, aged 49. Finally the British Government volumes of literary efforts, displayed decided the matter of the Hawkesbury Images: the astronomer, John Tebbutt collected art works and crafts, and set farm and Bligh’s conduct generally. It and his Windsor observatory. up a 1,000 volume personal library for the concluded in his favour, and the mutiny use of women and others in the district. was judged an illegal proceeding.