Dayle Green' and Libby Connors 2 EXPLORING THE BASIN Rich Pastures and Five years later Surveyor General The Darling River Basin had been Promised Lands John Oxley set offwith Evans to occupied by Aborigines for 30 000 George Evans became the first known determine where the western flowing years before the new white colonists European to look upon the rivers and Macquarie River might lead. But the pushed their way over the mountains plains ofthe Darling Basin. In river would not give up it's secret and into the outback. For the clans November 1813 Evans descended easily-Oxley was defeated by the that inhabited the Basin, the Darling from the Blue Mountains into the flooded reedbeds and endless was mapped out in stories and songs .valley ofthe Fish River, and explored channels ofthe Macquarie Marshes. that described the rivers and the the upper reaches ofthe Macquarie Unable to find their way through the """'.;l countryside. For the Europeans, the Valley. He returned with a diary full marshes, Oxley and Evans turned east ~... ...., ~24 geography ofthe Basin was a ofglowing descriptions-a promised and discovered the Liverpool Plains, perplexing jigsaw puzzle that took land ofJush pastures, rich soils and another fertile area with great over fifty years to complete. The park-like woodlands. The promise of agricultural promise. framework of the river system that such rich rewards ensured that within By 1824, British colonisation to made up this vast inland Basin was a year of Evans' return the first road the south of Sydney had reached the mapped out by the government over the mountains had been southern coastline ofthe continent appointed explorers who set off constructed. and was extending west along the across the Divide in search of new Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers. Much pastures, imaginary rivers and ofthe country to the north remained dreams of an inland sea. The intrepid unknown to them. However, one pastoralists who followed in their thousand kilometres north of Sydney footsteps filled in the finer details of was the newly established and remote the landscape. penal settlement of Moreton Bay. It A Noble River Governor Darling was so pleased Fifteen years after crossing the Great with Sturt's achievement that he Divide, Evans, Oxley and immediately requested him to lead a Cunningham had contributed second expedition along the significantly to the picture ofthe Murrumbidgee River to determine Darling Basin by 'discovering' most whether it joined the Darling. Sturt ofits eastern tributaries. But the and his party attracted considerable ultimate course ofthese rivers attention from the local clans as they remained a mystery to the colonists. travelled along the lower Speculation about their destiny Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers in optimistically suggested that they their whaling boat. flowed into a large inland sea. Oxley Sturt bid farewell to around ISO had come across impenetrable Aborigines when breaking camp one had been established by sea and the marshes on both the Lachlan and morning but was soon met by a governor's office was eager for Macquarie Rivers, adding fuel to this hostile war party ofaround 600 information on the territorial claims fanciful theory. Charles Sturt was people on a large sandspit further in its interior. appointed as the man who would down the river. Just when Sturt was In April 1827 the botanist, Alan attempt to solve the puzzle. Sturt forced to raise his rifle in defence, a Cunningham, headed north from himselfwas a strong believer in the warrior who had been following Sturt Sydney with a party ofsix convicts idea ofan inland sea-it was to be a for several days threw himselfinto and eleven pack animals to relentless quest that would almost the river and crossed to the sandspit a::til UJ investigate the commercial potential cost him his life. to confront the crowd. Sturt described ..J ~ ofthe northern interior and Sturt and his party set out from in his diary how the Aboriginal man til CJ determine ifan overland route to Wellington in November 1828. In trod its margin with a vehemence Z.. a::til Moreton Bay could be established. preparation for their encounter with and an agitation that were UJ a:: The party travelled north from the inland waters they carried with them exceedingly striking. At one moment g "­>< UJ Hunter River, traversing the Namoi a boat, nautical almanac, boat pointing to the boat, at another z i::l and Gwydir Rivers, before reaching compass, signal flares and shaking his clenched hand in the "­o a:: ::> the river now known as the provisions for five months. faces ofthe most forward, and UJ UJ :r Macintyre. From there Cunningham Travelling through the Macquarie stamping with passion on the sand. .... turned north-easterly exploring the Valley, the drought stricken country Sturt's brave warrior friend various creeks and luxuriant they encountered made a mockery of convinced the group that Sturt should floodplains ofthe Condamine Valley their hopes. Even the Macquarie go unharmed and the party dispersed. which drain the rich uplands less Marshes, which had defeated Oxley, Only when the tensions had subsided than 160 kilometres west of Moreton were parched and lifeless. When did Sturt notice that the sandspit Bay. He had mapped one ofthe most Sturt's party finally stumbled down marked the entry ofa large new river fertile ofthe Darling's headwaters­ the banks ofthe Darling near from the north-the Darling. well-watered grasslands, which Bourke they found only salty water Europeans would covet for pasture coming from springs in the riverbed. and the proximity to a seaport. Nonetheless Sturt sensed the Cunningham named this rich area importance ofthe river and he later the Darling Downs. named it in honour of Governor Darling, who had appointed him to lead the expedition. Charting the Darling Sturt had taken the honour of 'discovering' the Darling River, but the colonisers wanted more detailed In Search of the Kindur information and the task ofexploring The exploits ofa runaway convict, I could not believe at first that this its cour~e was assigned to Mitchell. George Clarke, alias 'lbe Barber', was the Kindur---as it neither With the largest and most aggressive were responsible for the next phase of answered the idea I had formed of expedition yet seen in Australia, European exploration of the Darling that river from Barber's Mitchell tra'velled by way ofthe Basin. Clarke escaped from his description-nor did it appear to me Bogan River, reaching the Darling posting near Singleton and spent five sufficiently far to the northward for in May 1832. years living on the Namoi River with the centre ofthe basin formed by the His previous travels had already the Kamilaroi clan. When re-captured, Coast mountain. made him familiar with the his amazing adventures stirred the Mitchell followed the Gwydir traditional landholders' assertions of interest ofthe government and the downstream hoping in vain that it their rights ofownership and their newly appointed Surveyor General, might lead to greater waters. But the reluctance to allow Europeans to Major Thomas Mitchell. Clarke told of channels ofthe Gwydir grew smaller penetrate their lands. On the banks a mighty river flowing from the and less significant and it appeared ofthe River, Mitchell built a depot, Liverpool Plains to the north or north­ that it too would lead to the Darling which he named Fort Bourke. It took west. To this, Mitchell added his own River. Travelling northwards again, the form ofa stockade to defend the vision-that such a stream, which he Mitchell encountered the largest river stores while the main party explored called the Kindur, might flow right the expedition had yet seen-the the river by boat. However if Mitchell across the continent, forming a direct Barwon. But after following this river had spent more time studying the line ofcommunication to India and downstream Mitchell became river and less time erecting a England. convinced that this river and the stockade, he would have realised that Mitchell's expedition departed Darling were one and the same. A the river was very shallow. After one from the Hunter Valley in November tragic tum ofevents laid rest to any day ofdragging the boats over rocks 1831. Along the Namoi River the party further plans for exploration. An and sandbars, the party were forced found remnants ofClarke's escapade attack on the depot left two members to abandon the boat trip and return in the form ofstockyards and ofthe party dead and the remaining to Fort Bourke. After a short Aboriginal shelters on the banks ofa stores in short supply. Mitchell reconnaissance the stockade was lagoon, which is now called Barbers turned his back on 'the Kindur' and abandoned and the expedition Lagoon. As they continued down the returned to Sydney. continued on land. valley, Mitchell began to suspect that the Namoi would lead to Sturt's previously discovered Darling River. It was presumed that this river flowed to the south-west. From Narrabri, Mitchell turned northwards, crossing waterless plains and dry creekbeds in search ofhis great river. In January 1832, he stood upon the banks ofthe Gwydir River, perplexed and somewhat disappointed: - --------------- A month after leaving Fort Bourke Mitchell turned inland near Mitchell's party arrived at Laidley's Dareton and reached the Darling Ponds, now known as Menindee River 30 kilometres north ofthe Lakes. Although his orders had been Murray junction. Not wishing to to trace the course ofthe Darling waste any more ofhis time with the Our Brightest Hopes Destroyed River to its ultimate end, the frequent 'survey ofdeserts' Mitchell turned the During this time, Charles Sturt, appearance ofthe fearsome Barkindji expedition squth instead ofnorth having already contributed people daubed in war paint made towards Laidley's Ponds.