Bylong Valley

1875

8 May 1875
THE GRAZIER
A Trip to Bylong,
IT'S long since I have promised myself a sight of the Bylong Valley and it's cattle; but circumstances have somehow always prevented me from making the journey. During the late stock show in Sydney, however, I not only received an invitation from Mr. John Lee, but at the same time a good-natured offer from Mr. J. T. Tindale to drive me from Wallerawang to where I wanted to go, and back to Mudgee; and, taking advantage of both, I left the Metropolitan railway terminus by the mail train, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20th April, to meet my good friend and intending jehu at Wallerawang. Arrived at Host Shaw's, from whence do start the well-horsed and driven coaches of Cobb and Co., on their journey from the rail to Mudgee, I found that Mr. Tindale had started on his way that afternoon, and that I was to overtake him by the mail, which, as the seats were all taken, seemed rather a difficult matter. On to the top of that coach I wouldn't have got for one pound, nor on to the foot-board for two of those very useful Royal effigies; but by the help of "Mick," and a very good-natured jockey, who let me have his inside place, I came in comfort, such as a crowded vehicle can afford, as far as the hostelry of Eames', six miles on the road (they will call it five), where my friend, buggy, horses, and a good bed awaited me. In the morning it turned out that the horses were not such a certainty, only one being available; but Tom Eames was never yet known to leave a friend in the lurch, and we soon had his favourite, quiet old buggy horse pressed into the service, an arrangement to which Mrs. Eames (a country-woman of my own, by-the-bye) was a consenting party. Then we despatched a "spatchcock," with the usual accompaniments, all prepared in the well-known style of this popular hostelry, and starting away at a rational hour, arrived in good order at the Crown Ridge, now kept by George Paddison, formerly Mr. E. K. Cox's stud groom, and now a most obliging and courteous Boniface. There we baited our horses and selves, and following on our journey, pulled up for a moment at the Round Swamp, proceeding up towards Sid Brown's, at Cunninghame's Creek, which, we reached just as the coaches arrived from Mudgee and Rylstone on their down trip. Here were our quarters for the night, and having had a good deal of rain during the day, which made the roads very heavy, we were not sorry when the well-served, boiled "Bubbly Jack," with oyster sauce, made its appearance. Not having been up the road for a couple of years, I was struck with the great improvement in the roads, which are now really very good travelling, as may be inferred from the fact that several friends of mine made the journey from "The Crown" into Mudgee easily in buggies, during a short day, and Mr. Thomas Lee came in from Brown's before 11 o'clock in the forenoon: I may dismiss the road, then, with this remark that a few places only, have yet to be metalled, and that it would have been just as well to finish this work before the rain commenced, there being plenty of stone broken on the ground. Leaving Cunninghame's Creek in good time next morning, we trotted quietly into Mudgee by half-past two o'clock, found quarters at Moses's well-kept Royal Hotel, and, after dinner, strolled down the town. Possibly, we should have gone to Bylong by way of Rylstone; but after the rain of Wednesday, my well-skilled charioteer thought it best to go the longer road, which we did; and so, on Friday morning, having looked out for "nuts and bolts," and seen to the oiling of the wheels, we made tracks for the Bylong country, of which I have heard great things for many a long day.
The way from Mudgee to Bylong lies over the bridge, past the race-course, as though one was going to the Cooyal diggings; and after passing the public house of Gossidge, at Budgee Budgee (where, by-the-bye, we arrived just in time to have a cow milked for us), the traveller passes, as it were, between Havilah and Cooyal, through the country of Mr. N. P. Bailey on the one side, and S. A. Blackman on the other. So for miles the road lends through fences, the country being almost entirely taken up, either in purchased blocks of the original proprietors or later free selections, until the accent becomes steeper, and a considerable drag leads to the top of the "Munghorn," the dividing range between the Western and Eastern watershed; and a great difference in the temperature is noticeable as soon us one dips down on to the Maitland waters. The road down the Munghorn is a long descent before the bottom is reached on the eastern side, and there are several very rough places, which travellers in vehicles cannot do better than negotiate on foot, whether going up or down. The top of the Munghorn is about twenty miles from Mudgee, and from this point, as well as even further out, sawyers deliver sawn timber in the town at 20s to 22s 6d a hundred feet. From this point there's no small amount of coaching required to pilot a buggy and pair down the different gaps and passes, and I certainly recommend driving with breechings as well as breaks. The "Wallar" Gap, for instance, is a fine specimen of a bush road, where Nature has been allowed to reign in all her glory without the intervention of art; and I may safely say that the difficulties in the way of the coachman must be seen to be appreciated. We got safely down this ugly place, and then arrived at the "Wallar" township, where are two public-houses, a post-office, blacksmith's shop, and store.
Here is a small Roman Catholic Church, used also as a school, from which I saw a fine lot of children rushing out to play, avouching the prolific nature of the soil and healthful climate; and a Church of England is in course of building. The mail from Mudgee to Barragan has hitherto been running this way, and the Bylong residents have had ten miles to send for their letters; but on and after the 1st of May a branch mail service has been established to run twice a week to and fro between Wollar and Grocy, passing through Bylong, and thus connecting the Maitland and Mudgee lines, of communication. At present the time-table promulgated by the postal authorities, is very inconvenient, and not likely to prove workable; but I have no doubt the Postmaster-General will meet the wishes of the residents on this branch line, and make certain alterations which they are about to suggest for his consideration, and thus the new service will be a real instead of only a nominal benefit to the community.
Wallar is thirty miles from Mudgee, and here the road branches off into three - one leading up the creek to Barragan, which is seven miles further, a second crossing the creek to Bylong, and a third taking travellers down the creek. Having fed horses and ourselves at Willoughby's public-house, when again the poultry yard was drawn upon, we continued our way, to finish the concluding nineteen or twenty miles of the journey; and after two or three miles pretty good going, arrived at the far-famed and much-by-travellers dreaded "Wollarai Gap." We had taken the precaution to put on breechings at Waller, and having locked the hind wheels securely with one of the bushman's best companions, Mr. Tindale, on foot, proceeded to steer his pair of greys down the rocky pass. This feat he accomplished "secundum artem;" and, no mistake, it is a feat requiting both skill and nerve. It doesn't do to halt between two opinions on the middle of this precipice; for, having once started to make the descent, there's no such thing as turning back, neither is there a right or left hand turn off from the main track, by which the traveller may find a get-out. Well, we got down all right, and after unfastening the wheels, went on our way, being now in the Wollerai country of Mr. McDonald, through whose slip-rails we passed shortly after getting to the bottom of this "gap." The two crossing-places of the Goulburn River had still to be negotiated, and very bad they seemed to me, even with the road in good order as it was; but I discovered that their then state was positively good travelling compared with that they were in on our return, three days later, after some heavy rain. Supposing us to have safely done these crossing-places, I may remark that I have never seen anything to equal them, neither have I ever passed, through so rough a country, with so many bad bits of road, as one comes across between the top of the Munghorn and the Goulburn River. I wonder much that the residents of Bylong, and in the neighbourhood of Wallar Barragan, and Wollerai have not long since made some show of mending those bad-places, for a couple of hundred pounds will go a long way towards it; but now as there is to be a mail route along the worst part, and many of the dwellers in these parts have taken to buggy travelling in preference to the raddle, I, dare say we shall see something done before very long. I heard the question mooted, and I know that Mr. T. J. Tindale has offered a very liberal sum towards making the two Goulburn crossing-places, and Wollerai Gap, provided the people on this side of the latter difficulty will see to the portion between it and the Munghorn. Travellers on the Mudgee road from six to ten years ago have a lively recollection of ."Mrs. Maddock's Pinch," "The Cherry Tree," "The Crown Ridge," "Aaron's," and the "Stoney Pinches," which were bad enough in all conscience; but, compared, with Wallar Gap, Wollerai Gap, and the Goulburn crossing-places, even the notorious "Stony Batter" and "Petticoat Lane" are as "pigmies to Hyperion," and I can hear of no other place bearing so doleful a name ns a road, unless it be "The Gulph," between Rylstone and Barragan, where the sun is said to shine but an hour or so a day, and that only at pretty long intervals. The country one passes through en route from. Mudgee to Bylong is of the most miserable description, as hungry-looking as you can imagine, or have ever conceived within the bounds of your philosophy; and, as I suppose myself to have now crossed the Goulburn, and to be going through the "Coggen" paddocks, the upper end of Mr. John Lee's country, adjoining Bylong, I must here say that it seems as though one had got into a perfect Paradise, a sort of oasis in the desert, so tremendous is the change from the top of the Gap of Wollerai. The country gets better all the way down the valley, till one reaches the first Bylong homesteads, those of Mr. John Lee and Mr. J. T. Tindale, and then I don't think anything can be more beautiful, either for its picturesque scenery, as a natural valley surrounded by a high range, or as a piece of splendidly-trussed grazing country, where the most luxuriant growth of natural grasses and herbage are to be found, and whore the stock are never anything else but rolling fat, without any outside aid from artificial feed.
This Bylong country was originally taken up more than fifty years ago by the grandfather of the present Tindale family, and the late Mr. William Lee, of Bathurst, who, I think, were shown this rich basin by the blacks, about the same time, and agreed to divide the possession between them. Mr. Lee had previously been in possession of "Capertree," but being dispossessed of that nice piece of grazing land, by sale from the Government to Sir John Jamieson, he went further afield, and with his friend Mr. Tindale took up this Bylong Valley. The valley commences about ten or twelve miles below Mr. John Lee's homestead, and the good growing country continues for about five or six and twenty miles up the creek on both sides; the valley never being very wide, and in some places narrrowing in considerably. In different places smaller flats branch off, running up among the limestone ridges, and affording capital shelter to cattle and horses from all sorts of weather. I sent you last week some account of Mr. J. T. Tindale's place, and all I must now add is that the sheep run of the Messrs. Tindale is Barragan and Cumbo, managed by Mr. Edward Tindale, who resides at Barragan, where there is considerable purchased land. Mr. Anthony Tindale lives about four miles up the creek from Mr. J. T. Tindale's; and Mr. William Tindale is only a mile from the latter; and the family property, together with the separate locations of the different brothers, form as fine an estate as can be found in a long search. In fact, I question whether this Bylong valley can be excelled anywhere. I have never seen its equal.
It is now more than thirty-five years since the late Mr. William Lee set to work to make the most of his grand piece of country by the importation of pure bred shorthorn cattle for the establishment of a first class herd; and during the whole of that time there have never been any but pure bulls of the very best used in the herd. What wonder therefore that the "Lee" cows are proverbial for excellence throughout the colony, and that there is not a breeder of pure Durhams in New South Wales who is not anxious to have the blood. I had heard a great deal of the Bylong cattle as a lot, of the beautiful quality cows and splendid fat bullocks that were to be seen in the paddock of Mr. John Lee. But I saw certainly more than I expected. The pure-breds, by which I believe are meant those that are traceable distinctly to Mr. William Lee's own importation, and nothing else, are distinguished by two notches in the ear, while the three-quarter herds have but one notch; but when it is considered that these so-called three-quarter breds have been, for more than thirty years, bred from none but the purest of the pure bulls, and originally sprung from the best cows and the purest there are in the colony, it will not be wondered at when I say there is indeed very little difference, if any, discernible between the two sorts in a majority of instances; that, as a rule, there is not a pin to choose between them, and that I believe in most herds they would almost all be dignified with the double notch, as a badge of purity. I saw a number of really good cows and heifers, in all of which the old and well known "Lee" speciality - head and horn stands out with marvellous prominence; and the more one rides through this wonderfully good herd, the more does this stirling attribute force itself upon one's notice. Cows, two-year-olds, weaners, all the females have it alike; there's not such a thing as a coarse one to be found; the steers and young bulls may be classed the same way; and I have certainly never seen anything better than this season's crop of calves, among which are a great preponderance of males, as I learnt from Archy - generally the case in the herd. The young bullocks, now fattening for market, and all in prime condition, are a very good lot; true Durhams, with nice short well-turned horns, capital coats, and lots of quality everywhere; and a look at the plentiful and soft hair for which the herd is remarkable, tells at once of the quick feeding capacity, so valuable to the herd-master, and yet so difficult to secure. I had often heard friends of mine say, "Ah, Clydesdale! you must go to Bylong to see bullocks;" and I had seen some grand specimens once or twice at our shows, which kept up the prestige of pure Durhams and did not trench on the precincts of the "Fat Cattle of any Breed;" but I may be permitted to say that I never saw a pen of fine fat bullocks, coming from anywhere else, that could be put down as belonging to any breed at all. This may be heresy, but it's fact. I can't stand "long horns" for pure Durhams; and the only short decorations I've seen among our pens of fat bullocks have ornamented the heads of bullocks from Bylong. On Monday last I saw three grand bullocks, two whites and a red, one of the whites and the red being especially good, which if kept till our next show will, I think, defy competition not only for well put on beef without artificial food, but for keeping up the true character of the "improved shorthorn;" for they have marvellous good heads, and really remind one forcibly of "the Cow with the Crumpled Horn." The calves of this year are a very grand lot indeed, and having seen their dams, I was very anxious to see the bull, "Scotchman," the sire of many of them. "We had a long search for him, but at last he turned up, with a nice little lot of cows, which, to show his appreciation of quality, had nearly all of them the two notches. Scotchman is a Bylong bred bull, a light roan, with a really splendid "Lord Allthorp" head and capital horn. He is a very oven beast, and seeing that he has up to five years old never fed on anything but Bylong grasses, he certainly does give good evidence of Mr. John Lee's judgment in keeping him for a sire. His young stock are really magnificent; and I have no doubt that by the time this is read the Hunter River and other buyers will have fully endorsed my verdict by their biddings at Campbell's Hill, West Maitland. Of this year's calves I can only say that they are a grand lot - colour, shapes, hair, and character, being all there; and I don't suppose a crop of calves can be found in the colony showing such quality for number. So much for the stock, and now a few words for the country. Beautiful flats, growing naturally the most nutritious, sweet grasses and herbage, reach from one end of the valley to the other, flanked by undulating slopes, reaching up to the limestone ranges by which the basin is surrounded. On the fiats the want of sufficient stock is very apparent, for à tremendous growth of coarse grass completely chokes the beautiful feeding which struggles to get through, and the cattle and horses have no chance of making the most of what Providence has given them. For my own part, I have no doubt that Bylong (Mr. Lee's) would do quite better than now for a thousand head more cattle than are on it at present; and there are some splendid places where lucerne and other artificial grasses could be grown, which are now turned to no account. How the good old hickory-faced free selector's wife lambasted his cow in the bail, how the welcome rain came while I was at Bylong, and how I got out of the valley, must be left for another yarn. At present, I can only say, once more, that I have seen nothing in Australia to please me so well as the country and the stock, and that I am, as always, the cattlemen's servant, CLYDESDALE1 .

1913

26 November 1913
Bylong Country.
I Parted with Tom Payten at Blayney. He came on to Sydney, but my mission carried me to the Mudgee line on a promised visit to Messrs. Thompson and their new studs down in the Bylong country. Mr. Herbert Thompson, the head of the family, met me with a new car, and we speeded along the highlands for about 13 miles, till we came to the downward track, where the waters run into the east coast; while a few hundred yards to the left the moisture runs west into the Cudgegong River, thence to the Macquarie, on to the Barwon, down into the Murray, and strikes the salt water somewhere in South Australia. That is certainly a long way for water to travel; but the eastern trail is not nearly so lengthy. These mighty hills are drained by Bylong, Widden, and other creeks, which run into the Goulburn, and that stream joins the Hunter about 70 miles from the sea. On the western side the codfish are to be had, and as you advance west the screeching talking galahs become more plentiful; but codfish do not exist on the eastern fall, and the galah seems to know the exact boundary, for he never by any chance ventures over it2 .

1922

24 August 1922
A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP
WELLINGTON TO RYLSTONE VIA MUDGEE.
(By W. S.)
Thirty three miles from Rylstone is Bylong and although not exactly in the strict line of the heading, still as my business took me there, and as Bylong's claim for railway communication by means of the Maryvale, Gulgong, Sandy Hollow line is great, perhaps a description of the place may be of interest to the many readers of the Wellington “Times” and also to the Railway League at Wellington which appears to me to be somnolent and by this means will if they do not mind lose this line as well as the Wellington - Werris Creek line which was lost solely through Wellington holding Dubbo's claims too cheap. Active militancy is the only way that Wellington will succeed in getting this very necessary line constructed, and my advice is the sooner they get at it the better chance there is of success. To reach Bylong from Rylstone there is a very good road, 0n which a daily motor lorry runs, with mails, passengers and goods. This however, is held up sometimes by heavy rains, some of the creeks being bridgeless and the black soil flats get so heavy that the car simply has no chance to get along so has perforce to wait until creeks fall and flats dry up. The Rylstone Shire Council, however, is doing much in the way of road work. I was given to understand this has been one of the most expensive roads in the Shire to construct on account of the distance of suitable road material in many of its worst places that had to be formed and gravelled. But no matter what haulage is used (except rail) or what class of road is provided for such, farming will never pay with thirty three miles cartage added on to the cost of production. Hence, Bylong, like many other of our best farming districts has been almost stagnant for want of railway communication and its produce must go Sydney way, while its natural outlet is Newcastle or else Port Stephens. The people of Bylong are determined to get a railway and will give yeoman help to do so, so I would say to the Maryvale - Wellington League to get stirring and get at it. On the road from Rylstone many fine farms are seen, but mostly cattle and sheep are raised, not much cultivated lands, though lucerne, oats, potatoes, maize and any other crop requiring heavy black soil to produce would grow with profit. The rainfall is good and regular and the water supply first-class, nearly every little creek is a running one. It was on this class of country that John Lee produced the famous Bylong beef, that was noted some years ago throughout Australia as the highest type of beef and beef cattle. Lee was the great rival of John Andrew Gardiner, of Gobolion, in producing cattle for Sydney, Bathurst, and Orange meat markets. In those days it was sufficient to know that either By long or Gobolion bullocks were on the list to bring a small army of butchers to the yards from Sydney - many came and Skillicous - and Andy Flanagan, of Bathurst, always made them pay for them, and how the two great cattle men crowed over one another when either beat the other for prices. Once John A. beat Lee with his bullocks at Bathurst R. and W. Oakes was selling for both cattle kings. John A. was jubilant, but presently Lee beat him badly with his fat cows price, and Lee laughed. John A. stuttered badly in his excitement "Come and have a drink boys" and so they did. Yet there are men today who disparage Gobolion lands as no good. My advice is, get in Diggers for your cut, don't take too much of it, got a nice river frontage and go in for lucerne growing and dairying, there is plenty of hard work and cash in it too; that land will be worth £56 per acre by and bye. But back to Bylong. Some of the farms seen along the road are Mr. Aubreys, Keech Bros., A. Keech, J. Taylor's and many others. All bear evidence of being well to do men, but, very little of the land is soon to be cultivated. Then follow the farms of Messrs Britton, Slew and Mogg. There is a neat school near the road, herewith a number of children attending same have a long distance to come. Near the 16 mile post a turn off goes to Messrs Dewey Bros., of Crowee, who are almost graziers only, although there is plenty of good land available for agriculture. Mr. Masters has a snug property, as also Mr. Davis and Mr. Leighton. The stock are of good type and in good condition. Near here a turn off takes you to several fine farms, Mr. Grayston and H. and S. King. Getting back on to the main road, the rain that had been threatening
began to fall, and like Wellington I I prayed but not for Blucher, but for a good camp and less black mud. I have struck Coonamble and the Moree black soil plains, but for its cling I will back Bylong mud by a long way. However, I got cover at Mr. Davis' hospitable farm for a while and as the rain cleared off made another push along. There are many fine properties all along here, all engaged in grazing or dairy farming. Messrs McPherson, of Torrie Lodge, P. Tindale, Wyomere, and Codrington of Barrumbalong Stations, all have very fine properties, but little cultivation, although there is plenty of such land available. Of course if the railway was handy much of these holdings would be placed under farming by the holders themselves or else to share farmers. Another property is that of Mr. Traill, of Wigelmar, which is pretty well used for grazing. On all these holdings a deal of cattle is raised. There is no doubt the railway may cause some of these properties to go into Closer Settlement. The land along here is some of the richest in the State, suitable for intense culture, and their water supply splendid. Mr. Thompson, of Wingara, has a very fine property, mostly used for grazing, so has Mr. Chapman, Bylong like most small country places has its contract post office. There is a fine cheese factory, the manager of which is Mr. Saxelby. The cheese produced has a very high name among buyers in Sydney and other districts, but the cost of carriage is a killer to the producer, and this cannot be avoided until the iron horse runs through Bylong. The district besides being noted for its pasture and stock was for many years ago a central figure in the newspapers, owing to the stealing of the imported blood horse, the Duke of Athol, which was stolen out of the stable of Mr. J. T. Tindale, of Bylong. From the time the horse was locked up for the night nothing certain has been known as to what became of the equine King. The police made desperate efforts to find him as a big reward was offered for. his recovery, but they did not suc ceed in doing so. The burnt carcase of a horse was found, which was said to be the remains of the great horse but many who knew the horse well still dispute the identity of the great sire and the heap of charred bones. Others hold that the horse was got to a place far out in Queensland, where he was used at the stud for many years, but so far there is no reliable information as to what became of him and it is scarcely likely it will after so many years. If the horse was taken simply to kill it was a dastardly crime, deserving the death penalty of its doer,
Mr. Tindale was presented by the public with a cheque for £1000 to compensate him for his great loss, but the loss of such a sire to the State would be counted probably by thousands of pounds. The remains of the old building from which the horse was taken can still be seen at Bylong3 .

31 August 1922
A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP
WELLINGTON TO RYLSTONE VIA MUDGEE.
(By W. S.)
Perhaps one of the finest properties in the celebrated Bylong Valley is that of Mr. McIllrees. It is well improved and comprises some of the best of the land4 .

1925

24 April 1925
THE BYLONG VALLEY
(By R. W. R. Thomas.)
Being on my way to the Sydney Royal Show and having plenty of time, I thought I would divert my course slightly and pass through Bylong Valley, of which I have heard so much and at the same time pick up one of my sons who had been getting some station experience in that part of the State. Leaving Mudgee I went via Budgee-Budgee and Cooyal, over the Dividing Range at White Munghorn, into the village of Woolar, on the Eastern slopes. I did not stay in this vicinity, but continued on, all down hill, the valley opening out in all its beauty, as I descended.
It was truly a magnificent sight, surrounded, as it appeared to be, by wonderfully shaped ranges a thousand feet high, their bare stone frontages in places showing up remarkably as the setting sun lowered. lighting up here and there differently shaped precipitous rock formations. They were all colours, from gold and grey to brown and black. This was one of the finest views I have beheld for a long time, the varying outline of the many ranges, and the plain below all helped to beautify the scene.
The road was good with a smooth surface, the little car running as usual. On reaching the plain I took the left-hand track, after following which for a couple of miles "Wollarah" homestead appeared at the foot of a magnificent range. This station belongs to Mr. Hunter White. The manager, Mr. Pyne, was out but soon returned as it was getting dark.
I saw some nice horses here, also some Shorthorns. They breed remounts for the Police Department. I saw the sire used. He is a grown cob, in the real sense of the word, not high about fourteen three I should say. He showed splendid action and has a great constitution. This place originally belonged to the late Sandy MacDonald.
BYLONG
From here I went on along the Valley calling at some of the places en route until I got to Bylong, which is a small township although a stranger would hardly believe it, being so scattered.
I met my son here, and we lunched with Mr. Hawkes, manager of Sunnyside property, lately bought by Mr. Thompson, of Tarwyn Park.
Mr. Thompson was away, but we had the pleasure of seeing some of his blood stock, including "Valais", who cost £14,400. There are very fine stables here. Mr. Readford is the manager.
THE VALLEY
For most of the following items I am indebted to Miss R. Ryan of the Dept. of Education and my son who has been here for a couple of months or so.
THE BYLONG VALLEY
The Valley was named Bylong by the blacks, many years ago, of course, who camped on the "Dry Greek." The name means "a good camp." The blacks in later years moved to Wollar where they remained until Jimmie and Joe Governor commenced their deeds of outlawry, and the Government, seeing the necessity of removing them for the safety of the white people took them away to "Brewarrina."
Mr. William Lee was the first white man to settle in Bylong about the year 1821. He was a silent proud man, who scorned favours from the curled darlings of Macquarie Street. He was a man of great energy and spirit, and a real pioneer - his success as a stock breeder is written in broad letters on hundreds of cattle stations, in the stud book, and on the Turf Records of Australia.
STARLIGHT
After satisfying himself that the Valley was good fertile land, Mr. Lee brought his friends John Tindale to Bylong, Lee settling on one side of Bylong Creek, near the old home stand - now owned by Mr. George James, whilst Tindale settled at a place close to the old Bylong Creek crossing now known as the "old stables" from which the horse "Duke of Athol" was stolen by bushranger Starlight. (Robbery Under Arms).
On the day of the theft the owner and men were on the other side of Mount Penny branding cattle. A black boy conveyed the news to them. Mount Penny was named after a convict who dressed in wallaby skins; he, was found and captured by Mr. Lee.
EARLY DAYS
Lee and Tindale afterwards received grants of land from the Government, and then owned a considerable area. Much of this latter was purchased by Messrs. Thompson Bros. John Tindale left all his property, grants and selected land to his three sons.
In connection with these early settlers of over a century ago it is interesting to be reminded of the Sydney Gazette of the twelfth of July, 1826, which refers to the situation as follows:- "The backwardness of individuals to give information to trace the banditti, which frequent the roads to their haunts has long been a matter of deep regret as this negligence on the part of the settler has allowed them to carry on their depradations with great success.
"The causes are easy of solution. The poor and remote settler has been withheld by fear of reprisals. The principal facilities have been afforded them by stockmen and individuals who have connived their deputations. On the other hand we find the good effect "of a prompt and determined spirit." Mr. Tindale, whose establishment was plundered, fearless of consequences, personally accompanied the police with Mr. Lee and two others."
The bushrangers caught, R. Johnstone, J. Jennings, R. Carter, J. Moran, Matt Craven and Thos. Kayenough, were sentenced lo death." "Sydney Gazette 13/9/26: "Later still in the vicinity of Growee there were two bushrangers, one of whom was known as "Cussed Jack," and was shot dead by the Police in Hefferan's Hole"5 .

References