22nd September.
This morning an hour's ride brought us to Bolgart Spring, after an
absence of forty-seven days, during which we had travelled 953 miles,
traversing three degrees of latitude and nearly four and a half of
longitude.
The discovery of coal and country available for settlement on the coast
to the north of Swan River was deemed to be of such importance that the
Government dispatched Lieutenant Helpman in the colonial schooner
Champion to procure a sufficient quantity of the coal to admit of its
being practically tested as to quality, and also to ascertain what
facilities existed for its conveyance to a port for shipment. A volunteer
party, consisting of Lieutenant Irby, Dr. Meekleham, Messrs. Gregory and
Hazlewood, accompanied Lieutenant Helpman to Champion Bay, now the site
of Geraldton, and thence by land to the coal-seam on the Irwin River, a
distance of ninety miles, and brought down about half a ton of coal to
the vessel. This coal, though of fair quality and suitable for steam
purposes, proved, however, to be so remote from any suitable port for
shipment that it has hitherto not been available for commercial purposes.
The primary object of the voyage having been attained, it was considered
desirable to avail of the opportunity to examine the country to the
northward and ascertain its capabilities for settlement; for though
Captain, now Sir George Grey, had seen some good country on his journey
along the coast from Gantheaume Bay to Swan River, in 1839, Captain
Stokes, who landed from the Beagle subsequently and ascended Wizard Peak
about twelve miles inland, had distinctly negatived the existence of any
country capable of occupation, though, as an illustration of the
difficulty of ascertaining the real capabilities of country by partial
and hurried inspection, it may be observed that this has since become one
of the most prosperous districts of Western Australia in regard to its
pastoral, agricultural, and mining industries.
For the purpose of making this examination of the country, Messrs. A.C.
Gregory, H.C. Gregory, and Lieutenant Irby, taking three horses and three
days' provisions, left Champion Bay on the 20th December, the following
being a copy of the journal:--
20th December, 1846.
At 6.20 a.m. left the bivouac and followed the shore of Champion Bay
about a mile northerly; then steered 87 degrees over a scrubby country;
at 7.20 crossed the Chapman River; and at 8.0, being a quarter of a mile
north from Mount Fairfax, altered the course to 66 degrees, the country
being thinly covered with wattle scrub and some grass; at 8.45 crossed a
large branch of the Chapman with several small pools of water in the bed;
the country beyond was more scrubby and the soil gravelly; at 9.0 changed
the course to 18 degrees, and at 9.20 again crossed the Chapman River
just below a pool of apparently permanent water; at 9.50 crossed a
granite ridge, beyond which the country improved, with many large patches
of grass to the eastward; at 10.20 ascended a high flat-topped hill of
red sandstone resting on granite, which proved to be the eastern point of
Moresby's Flat-topped Range. From this hill Mount Fairfax and Wizard Hill
were visible to the east; grassy hills rose gradually from the Chapman
River for seven or eight miles; steering 10 degrees over grassy country,
the soil was composed of detritus of granite and trap rocks; at 11.0 came
on a large party of natives, some of whom accompanied us for about a
mile, pointing out places where we should find water. At noon turned to
the north-east and entered an extensive valley with some patches of
grass, but not generally of a good character; at 12.30 p.m. crossed a
small watercourse trending west; followed it about half a mile, and then
steered north-west over scrubby flats till 1.0, when we struck a small
stream-bed with small pools of water, and halted till 1.20, and then
followed up the stream to the north till 3.0, when we bivouacked.
21st December.
At 6.35 a.m. steered north over a hilly country with scrub, grass,
York-gum, and wattle--the prevailing rocks red sandstone, quartz, and
granite; at 8.30 crossed a stream-bed with pools of brackish water
trending east, and at 8.50 entered a good grassy country which appeared
to extend ten to twelve miles to the east and north--clumps of York-gum,
jam-wattle, and sandalwood were observed on some of the hills. After
crossing several small watercourses, at 9.45 ascended an elevated sandy
tableland covered with coarse scrub; and at 10.35, not seeing any
prospect of better country, changed the course to west, and following
down a deep gully, at 11.7 came to a small pool of salt water; following
the watercourse south-south-west, at 11.25 came to a small hole dug by
the natives, in which the water was fresh, though the pools above and
below were salt. Halting till nearly 1.0 p.m., resumed a westerly course,
crossing several deep grassy valleys trending south; at 1.35 steered 211
degrees over a hilly, quartz, and granite country with very good grass;
at 2.30 again came on the stream-bed, the country improved and
well-grassed, with scattered jam and black wattle trees as far as the
country was visible; at 3.50 the stream was joined by a branch from the
east, and following it to the west-north-west till 5.0, bivouacked in the
bed of the stream, water being obtained by digging in the sand.
22nd December.
At 6.35 a.m. steered 220 degrees over a fine grassy country; at 7.0
ascended a small ironstone hill, from which we observed a deep valley
trending to the south-west; to the north and west the country was open
and grassy for twelve miles, presenting at one view fifty or sixty
thousand acres of fine sheep pasture. Continuing a south-west course over
granite country with some good grass, but not equal to that seen the
previous day, at 8.0 crossed a small stream-bed, which we assumed to be
the Bowes River of Captain Grey; we ascended steep limestone hills on the
west bank, and from the summit observed the large white sand patch on
Point Moore bearing 170 degrees; turning south three-quarters of a mile,
crossed the Bowes River at its mouth, which was choked up with sand; we
then steered south-east with the intention of following Captain Grey's
route to Champion Bay; but, after traversing sandy downs with limestone
rocks for four miles, one of the horses became so footsore that we
descended a deep ravine to the sea-beach, which was followed southerly,
and after crossing the dry mouth of the Buller and Chapman Rivers,
reached the landing place in Champion Bay at 1.10 p.m.
On the 23rd the party and horses were shipped on board the Champion and
reached Fremantle on the 28th.
***
THE SETTLERS' EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHWARD FROM PERTH, UNDER MR.
ASSISTANT-SURVEYOR A.C. GREGORY.
1848.
As the stock belonging to the settlers on the Swan River had increased to
the full extent of the pastoral capabilities of the known available
country, it became of pressing importance to push forward the exploration
of the Colony of West Australia, and accordingly, in 1848 the
Surveyor-General, Captain Roe, conducted an expedition to the south-east
of Swan River, while the settlers organised one to proceed to the north,
and made application to the Government to grant the services of Mr.
Assistant-Surveyor A.C. Gregory as the leader of the party.
THE SETTLERS' EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHWARD FROM PERTH, UNDER MR.
ASSISTANT-SURVEYOR A.C. GREGORY.
We could not do justice to the enterprise and exertions of the gentlemen
who discovered the new tract of good land to the northward in any other
way than by giving Mr. Augustus Gregory's Journal entire:--