Caledonia Australis by Don Watson

Author:Don Watson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 1984-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

McMillan left no trace of the first twelve months of his life in Australia. He was soon out on the Monaro with Macalister’s stock and searching for pastures unaffected by the drought. Had he thrived on civilised company he might have suffered the same mental agonies as Farquhar MacKenzie endured: but McMillan was hardened to loneliness before he arrived, and did not much care for civilisation.

In February 1839 he reached Carrawong, the most northerly of MacFarlane’s stations. We do not know who else was there, but many years later McMillan said it was from discussion with the Monaro blacks that he learnt about the good land in the south they called Cabone Benel and the barbarous tribe which inhabited it. That makes for a good saga of exploration but it is more likely that he heard about it from white settlers there, and that it was with them he discussed a foray. However, he chose a Monaro Aborigine, one of the very few survivors of the tribe, to accompany him. His name was Jemmy Gibber (the Scots had obviously named him) and McMillan later said it had not been easy to persuade him to go. Jemmy was said to have an ancient fear of the Kurnai. He had been employed by a squatter on the Monaro named Edward Bayliss. He has often been referred to as ‘Chief of the Monaro tribe’, but Aboriginal tribes did not have chiefs. Whites created them from among those who survived their conquest of the land. They granted them special favours and responsibilities, gave them brass plates which were worn around their necks and said they were chiefs.

Carrawong station lies in a frosty valley on the Carrawong Creek a few kilometres east of the Delegate River. It is a silent place, except for the screech of cockatoos which gather and sit perpendicular in the trees at dusk to catch the last rays of the sun. Grey-backed magpies still make their way across the valley in silent spurts, like airborne squid. The low hills to the south do not look impregnable.

McMillan rode back to his master at Clifton to seek approval for an expedition and funds to supply it with provisions. Lachlan Macalister was enthusiastic. So in June McMillan was ready in the Carrawong Valley. He had arms and provisions and Jemmy Gibber to help him find his way through the hills.

After four days’ travelling Angus and Jemmy reached a hill near the Snowy River about 10 kilometres from Buchan. McMillan named it Mount MacLeod. From the top he said he could see as far as Corner Inlet. After four days in the bush he could now see a man’s domain; he could have his own little dream of empire. He should also have seen John Wilkinson, who had been at Buchan at least a month with his stock.

Wilkinson had arrived there a day ahead of Edward Bayliss. Bayliss had actually been there first, but he had gone down to the Ninety Mile Beach and the lakes to look for something better.

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