Sydney – Port Jackson – Picture from Australia’s Heritage Magazine 1969

Published: 19 Aug 2019

1825

Five years into a new decade with a new king on the England throne, with the death of his father mad George and after some years of prosperity along Fish River a feeling of wellbeing had developed on Elsie Downs.

It was late winter, already spring had announced its arrival. Elsie stood at her kitchen window, viewing the silver and golden splendour of the wattle bloom, while her thoughts digressed to the day she first spied the stand of trees. Much had occurred since that day in eighteen hundred and seventeen. She had given birth to three children, firstly a boy before loosing a girl at birth, little Elizabeth Rose, burying her close to that wattle, while the following year came another boy.

Her first, young Hamish was now almost eight while Edward her youngest, six. Sam also past on that year and by his wishes was also buried close by the wattle stand. That had been a sad time as Sam was well loved and the kindest man anyone had met. Sam never shook off his so called swamp fever and during that last month it refused to pass, ending in cold sweating and a cough that turned into what was believed to be pneumonia.

Hamish wished to take Sam in the cart to Parramatta for medical attention but Sam being his usual stubborn self refused, saying he would either get over his ailment, or it would take him out. He died that same night with everyone in attendance and a smile on his face.

There had been eight good seasons and prosperous, the colony had spread across the mountains, following the rivers west, north and south, bringing their sheep and cattle while occupying every acre of grass that could be found.

The Town of Bathurst was well established and there was now a new Governor with the name of Thomas Brisbane, sent out to instigate the Bigge Report on Macquarie, believing his predecessor had been much too lenient towards convicts and generous with his grants and tickets of leave.

Thomas Brisbane, another Scot and of some importance in the army and peerage was somewhat surely and governed by Whitehall but did have an interest in developing the colony further, introducing currency reform as well as land and social changes.

Bahloo had grown into a man, now estimated to be in his mid to late twenties and with good food had become somewhat portly, while his magnificent black matted hair had began to fall, turning premature grey around the temples. He still went walkabout but mostly only short distances along the river. The boys had built him a house at his place of choosing. It was quite small, one room but it was his wish although most nights found him camped by the river, only moving inside when the wether chilled.

A police station had been locally established at Bridge Town, now its growth had passed two hundred residents, while one of Lachlan Macquarie’s last appointments was to install district magistrate upon Edward, a roll he wore with pride and executed with fairness.

The gold in the wash held out but became difficult to work, having to dig deeper and pan for it, yet gain by its sale had swollen the Estate bank account beyond any of their belief and questions were raised on how the Estate faired so well but the promise to Macquarie held.

Eventually a decision to mine no more was agreed, at least until that day in the future when the cry would come from Bathurst – “Gold! I’ve found gold!” Until then and when the mood was right to dig, gold would be collected and squirreled away, besides their agent George Roberts Esquire of Pottinger Street Sydney had made his fortune and as his association with Macquarie was no more, and like the Governor he also returned to England to live high on the hog during his final years.

As for Piers, he caught his Sarah and from a heated romp in the tavern’s barrel room came pregnancy and with the authority delegated to Edward as magistrate, an underage marriage was permitted. Some time later the birth of a baby boy, who Piers named Samuel.

Edward and James settled into a comfortable country life while leaving most of the running of the Estate to Hamish as he had developed a flair for management and slipped into the role without suggestion or question. Between them all there was strong relationship that appeared to strengthen over time and to Hamish’s lads Edward and James became their uncles.

This was the building blocks of a new nation conceived out of a social experiment that had not been planned to be as such. It was intended to be a prison for the dregs of British society, placed far enough away so they would not return but what was not realised was most of those harden criminals were simple honest folk attempting to survive. Given the chance they did and developed into citizens of a brave new country that eventually spread across an entire continent to become one nation – Australia.

End

From an English prison colony to one of the Great Nations of today. This how it started. Let Gary know you are reading: Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net.

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