42 The Western Australian Historical Society The Lefroys at Walebing 43 The Lefroys at Walehing Here they paid £50 each in order to secure the undoubted asset of experience under colonial conditions. For twelve months or so, (Compiled by R. E. CRANFIELD) they were thus occupied, gaining the knowledge which they had decided was necessary before they could hope to succeed on the Much of the following information was obtained from a diary land on their own account. written by Gerald de Courcy Lefroy, which was found among some old boxes at her Guildford home by Miss Helena King, one of the "SPRINGHILL" diarist's grand-daughters. In an early month of the year 1844, the brothers had left Tipper. The earlier pages were perished, but with much labour and con­ ary, and were renting a property at Springhill where they grazed siderable difficulty the whole of what was still legible was typed sheep under the care of shepherds. This venture made progress, and and deciphered by Miss King III collaboration with Mr. E. M. Riley, we can learn much of their daily lives from the diary referred to of Darlington, whose wife is another grand-daughter of de Courcy which was kept by Gerald de Courcy Lefroy. Lefroy. The first entry in the diary is dated October I, 1844. It states: This article records the activities of an extension of the Irish "Made 251b. butter, and helping to prepare for shearing". Another branch of the Lefroy family which established itself in Western item that; month was, "Fleece weights are about 41b. for wethers Australia in 1842. The two first representatives of this branch in and 31b. the others." During the shearing period, de Courcy noted Western Australia were Anthony O'Grady Lefroy and his brother, down, "a little grog would be very nourishing at the end of the day." Gerald de Courcy Lefroy. Other entries in the Gerald de Courcy Lefroy diary throw light Before proceeding with a narration of events in this State, the on that period of their life at Springhill and a few extracts are as following details of family history are worthy of mention. follows: The Irish branch of the Lefroys was descended froin Huguenots Ocotber 29, 1844: "Preparing tobacco water to treat the sheep who in 1587 had migrated to England from France to escape the for scab." Next day: "Shepherd left with our 728 sheep for our oppression Protestants were then suffering in the latter country. 'station', twelve miles away; native John with him." The station These Huguenot Lefroys were in the course of time assimilated was apparently the nearby sheep run and its surrounding area of into the English population, and two centuries later, a descendant, feed. November 6, 1844: "Planting melons, Indian corn and pump­ one Anthony Peter Lefroy, held a commission in the British Army. kins. Cut down wild mustard. The price of wool bales is 10/-, if During the course of this officer's duties, he was stationed in Ire­ home made, 6/- each." land, and there two of his sons married Irishwomen. November 8: "Mowing our crop with scythes. Two of us are One of his grandsons was the Reverend Henry Lefroy, Vicar of doing 3% to 4 acres a day between us. Anthony won't take any Santry, near Dublin, who married Dorothea O'Grady, daughter of brandy for his stomach pains. Put on men at 14/- an acre, to help the O'Grady, head of the O'Grady family and grand-daughter on cut crop, less 12/- a week for grub." her mother's side of "The de Courcy", chief of another ancient Irish December 29: "Taking up and stringing onions. We have an family. advance of 10d. lb. on the wool. Parson Meares says the price of The two sons of the Rev. Henry Lefroy were respectively, wheat is 7/- a bushel." Anthony O'Grady Lefroy, born at Limerick in 1816, and Gerald de May, 1845: "Ploughed 10 acres in 7 days. C. Wittenoom here Courcy Lefroy, born at Tipperary in 1819. today. Got in wheat just in time before rain." C. Wittenoom was When these two young men were aged 25 and 22 years respec­ father of F. F. B. Wittenoom and granduncle of the principal tively, they were visited by a second-cousin from England, one, present owners of Cranmore Park. Henry Maxwell Lefroy, who told them of his determination to seek June 11, 1845: "Our wheat crop amounted to 34 acres." his fortune in Western Australia. He evidently transmitted his own June 23: "Helms wants to let Springhill to us for £40 a year. enthusiasm for the venture to his cousins, for in 1842, Anthony The mortgage is £800. It should suit us." O'Grady Lefroy and Gerald de Courcy Lefroy left Ireland together June 24: "Spent the day at Sam Moore's. Met Elizabeth and and became pioneer settlers in the Swan River Colony. was impressed. She is not yet 14 (Editor's note-this was Elizabeth Brockman, who later became de Courcy's wife). "TIPPERARY" July 14: "Tailed 394 Iambs." Soon after arrival here, the brothers went to the farm property October 21: "Killed a sheep, 581b. Butcher gives 9/- each. Sells "Tipperary" at York, owned by Sam, Lock and William Burges. in Perth for 5d. a lb." 44 The Western Australian Historical Society The Letrous at Walebing 45 October 25: "Looked in at Miss Meares. Once a year quite He decided to set out again. together with a Mr. Butcher. and enough! Our sheep numbers now 1036. Borrowed a wool screw." a native. in a northerly direction, and go at least a hundred miles. (This rudimentary wool press was used at Walebing until about He reached the Priests' Station on New Norcia where Salvado had 1900) . recently arrived. on December 2, and from there borrowed a fresh "Sold 150 bushels of wheat by tender for 6/6 a bushel." horse which enabled him to ride on another twenty-one miles to June 18, 1846: "Had a long wongi about prospects of W.A. and what is now Walebing and a total distance of seventy miles. advantages of Ceylon. Decided nothing could be done here unless a On his return to "Priests'," he had seen in the vicinity, the lot more good land is found to feed the sheep." station prior to settlement, which became Walebing, and which he Coming. as the Lefroy brothers did, from the lush land of Ire­ described as "very good." His words are: "Some fine. open country. land. it was only to be expected that they would not be wholly with some bad, intervening." The latter would be between the satisfied with prospects at Springhill, and so their eyes turned to present New Norcia settlement and Walebing, which is scrub, look for better opportunities elsewhere, and they made all possible ironstone hills and some poison undergrowth. De Courcy left enquiry about other districts. "Priests'" on December 2 and was back at Bolgart on December 4, 1846. AN EXPLORATORY TRIP On December 8, 1846, de Courcy went to Perth and secured his Now follows a significant entry which records the beginning squatting licence. Back at Springhill (which was still his head­ of the Lefroys' contact with Walebing: quarters) a week later. de Courcy drove a pair of bullocks attached June 17, 1846: "Hillman, a surveyor, and I, are going out for a to a cart, to the sheep camp. From the latter he returned with the month into the bush, exploring." shepherds and some personal belongings. O'Grady brought back June 22: "Started on trip. Anthony came part of the way. Our the sheep. party consists of Hillman, two natives and myself. with three On December 15, 1846, the brothers started the journey from horses and a dog. We did fifteen miles the first day." Springhill to "Victoria Downs," as Captain Scully's farm at Bol­ June 23: "Started 8 a.m. Stopped 4.30 p.m., travelled 20 miles gart was called. De Courcy reached Bolgart on the evening of the N.E. by E. Slept at Wooremaning." 20th. and Anthony arrived the day following at 10 a.m. with the The diary continues the story of the trek; an average of about sheep. ' 20 miles a day being maintained for the next six days. On June 30, A start was immediately made in making sheep yards from 1846, they reached a salt lake which they called Lake Synot. On local timber, which indicates the proximity of Scully's to the future the following day, proceeding then in a N.N.Westerly direction, Bolgart township. they reached three lakes which they named respectively, Hillman. Thus Victoria Downs, near Bolgart, took on importance in the de Conrey and O'Grady, By June 2, water supplies were nearly Lefroy brothers' interests and became the stepping stone from exhausted, and so the party split up to search for more. They which they went on to develop their flocks in the occupation of found water the following day, after being sixty hours without it. Walebing about sixty miles North. a most frightening ordeal. Replenishing their bottles, and drinking It would appear that the sheep were soon after shepherded up their fill. they pushed on with renewed vigour, and reached the to, and on. the Walebing property, but continued to be shorn at "priest's place" (New Norcia) on July 9. Their return journey to Bolgar-t, until 1848. Springhill was completed on July 15 after they had covered a total We learn from the diary that Mr. Clinch, who had a station distance of 276 miles.