A Sturdy Little Boy, About Four Years Old, Trudged Be Side the Bullock Driver As the Heavily-Laden Wagon Made Its Toilsome Way Along the Sandy Track
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es A sturdy little boy, about four years old, trudged be side the bullock driver as the heavily-laden wagon made its toilsome way along the sandy track. William Forrest's flour-mill had been destroyed by fire, and he was moving his family possessions to a new site. J ohn, his son, insisted on striding manfully beside his father. William Forrest, a Scot, had come to Western Aus tralia to settle at Australind. As prospects were not good there, he bought a small block of land close to where the Preston River flows into Leschenault Estuary. Here William Forrest built a cottage, and beside it a flour-mill. In the humble dwelling, some of William Forrest's eight sons were born, including John in 1847, and Alexander, two years later. John Forrest as a boy spent most of his time in the open. Native boys were his playmates; and, under their direction he learned to hunt kangaroos, to trap fish, to dis tinguish tracks of native animals, to imitate calls of birds, and to find his way surely about the bush. He learned, too, something of the language and customs of the natives, and he developed a sympathy for and an understanding of them. John Forrest was sent to Perth to attend what was then known as Bishop's School, but is now Hale School, named after its founder, Bishop Hale. When he was 18, Forrest entered the Government Survey Department. His capacity for leadership was so evident that when he was a young man of 22 he was selected to take charge of an im portant exploring expedition-to search the eastern part of Western Australia for traces of the missing explorer Leich hardt. (In 1848, Leichhardt, in charge of a party of six men set out from Moreton Bay in Queensland. He planned to cross Australia to the Swan River. Nothing has ever been found to indicate the fate of this disastrous expedition.) There were persistent reports that white men had been killed by natives, and that their bones were bleaching near a salt lake in the interior. 113 114 THE WESTERN STATE It was on 15th April, 1867, that the party consisting of seven men and including Alexander Forrest and a native guide named Tommy Windich, set out from Perth. After journeying about 150 miles in a north-easterly direction, they entered stunted scrub country, with water extremely hard to find. The men skirted Lake Moore; but, when they reached a larger lake-Forrest named it Barlee-they attempted to cross. The dry surface crust gave way and the horses were bogged. The pack-horses had to be unloaded and the stores carried to dry land by the men, who seemed to sink deeper into the mud at every step. Soon natives were met, and Forrest questioned them closely about the reported murder of white men. From what the natives told him, Forrest was convinced that the bones seen by them were not the bones of white men, but of horses lost by the explorer Austin. SIR JOHN FORREST Proceeding eastward, Forrest named a hill Mt, Leo nora, and built a cairn of stones on its summit. As Forrest looked over the surrounding country, he weighed up its possibilities, little dreaming of the wealth concealed below the surface. It is quite likely that Forrest walked over the spot where the Sons of Gwalia Goldmine is situated. Forrest JOHN FORREST 115 named another hill Mt, Margaret, but was forced back soon after by lack of water. Forrest neither solved the mystery of Leichhardt nor did he find good grazing country. But he had led his men with smoothness and efficiency over an arduous journey of 2,000 miles, and had made a reliable survey of unknown country. When a party was organised to survey a route for an overland telegraph line from Albany to Adelaide, "the young explorer" as Forrest was now called, was placed in charge of the expedition. Forrest decided to profit by Eyre's experiences in his tragic Adelaide to Albany journey. He arranged for a small ship-the "Adur"-to meet him at selected places along the coast, thus assuring fresh supplies of food. Meeting places for the explorers were Esperance Bay, Israelite Bay, Eucla and Fowler Bay. Four white men and two natives-including of course Forrest's well-trusted Tommy Windich-set out from Perth in 1870. The party made good progress through Kojonup and Ravensthorpe to Esperance. Forrest led his party east along a route farther inland than Eyre's track; but, although the country was in places well-grassed, the ex plorers found no permanent water. However, the "Adur" kept to schedule, and Forrest as yet had no anxiety regard ing supplies. In his diary Forrest records the celebration of the Queen's Birthday at Israelite Bay. "May 24th. All hands from the 'Adur' came ashore, and I drew them up in line under the Union Jack, which was duly hoisted near the camp. We presented arms; sang 'God Save the Queen' vigorously and fired a salute of 21 guns, finishing with three cheers." On the next stage to Eucla men and horses suffered severely from thirst-they travelled 116 miles without lo cating water. Forrest refers to the vertical cliffs (in places 300 feet high) which stretch along this part of the coast. The explorers looked at the mighty waves crashing against the rocks and withdrew in awe. All were delighted when they finally sighted the Eucla sandhills. Now came the most trying stage of the journey. The 15 horses were rationed to one gallon of water a day. At the end of four days, they were in a pitiable condition eyes sunk, nostrils dilated, and all thoroughly exhausted. As the men had to walk and pull the horses they too, were soon worn out. 116 THE WESTERN STATE "I have been continually in a great state of anxiety," Forrest writes, "and during the last sixty hours I have had but five hours' sleep." But, when the head of the Great Australian Bight was reached, an abundance of water was found near the surface. The worst of the journey was now over. Adelaide was reached after a journey of five months. Forrest and his men were warmly welcomed, and Forrest's account of the coun try led to a start being made with a telegraph line between Port Augusta and Albany. This was completed in 1877. Forrest's third expedition was into Central Australia. He planned to lead a party from Geraldton across the in terior to the Overland Telegraph Line, and then to Ade laide. Included in the party were Alexander Forrest and Tommy Windich, whom Forrest regarded as essential. Of Tommy, Forrest said: "I cannot speak too highly of him. He is a first-class bushman, and is really invaluable as a water-finder." Tommy always rode with Forrest at the head of the party, and Forrest trusted and confided in him. The first part of the journey was through well-grassed country. But, as usual, water was hard to find. However, a good supply was named Windich Spring; and, to a splendid pool which they found early in June, Forrest gave the name Weld Spring in honour of Governor Weld. On the plains nearby there was plenty of grass, and Forrest declared that Weld Spring was the best spring he had found in the coun try. Delicacies such as emu eggs, kangaroo tail soup, cocka too soup, pigeons and parrots enlivened the fare. Men and horses rested thankfully here. It was at Weld Spring that the explorers were attacked by natives. At the time there were only four of the party in the camp. The attack was sudden. "About 40 to 60 natives came running towards the camp, all plumed up and armed with spears and shields." A volley from the men's rifles halted the natives. They were about to make another attack, but one more shot was fired, wounding one of the leaders. The natives broke and ran. The explorers now entered very difficult country. Spini fex slowed down the pace, and soon most desolate country stretched before them. They were now over 1,000 miles from any settlement, and some of the party urged Forrest JOHN FORREST 117 to return before it was too late. But Forrest resolutely turned his face eastward and inspired his party to continue. Men and horses were parched with thirst and com pletely exhausted when in the neighbourhood of the Mus grave Range the explorers found plenty of water, and also trees bearing wild figs, which proved most palatable. At last the explorers saw on the horizon a welcome sight-the posts of the Overland Telegraph Line. They broke into long-continued cheering. Forrest notes in his diary: "I feel very thankful to that good Providence that has guarded and guided us through an unknown country." Soon they rode into a telegraph station where the lines men, to mark the occasion, served a special dinner-roast beef and plum pudding. Southward to Adelaide they continued, to be greeted by cheering crowds and a city gay with flags. Forrest had completed the last great task of Australian exploration. Two years after the expedition had returned to Perth, Tommy Windich died, all his worldly possessions being a £1 note and a shot-gun. Forrest wrote a letter to "The West Australian" praising Tommy and stating that it was his intention to care for Tommy's grave at Esperance. The letter concluded: "To me, who have had him as my only companion on many trying occasions, the tidings of Tommy's death is ex ceedingly sad and I feel I have lost an old and tried com panion and friend." 118 THE WESTERN STATE Forrest the statesman deserves longer treatment than space permits here.