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1800-1819 : Sources for Aboriginal Studies

1801

Grant's Voyage to Hunter's River

In June 1801 Governor King sent an exploration party to the Hunter's River led by Lieutenant Grant and Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson. There mission was to report on "where the most eligible place would be to form a settlement, both with respect to procuring coals and for agricultural purposes". Their report informed the Governor of the alluvial flats as being "a very fit situation for forming a settlement for the cultivation of grain or grazing". They also reported on the presence of oyster shells along the beaches as well as good quality timber along the river. A small party were left behind to mine the coal at the present site of Newcastle, but due to the misconduct of a commanding officer the small settlement that had been working the seams was abandoned in 1802. Among their reports are observations of Aboriginal people.

Note: When reading the following accounts from Grant's voyage please be aware that they confused the rivers with one another and "regarded the Williams as the main stream and refer to it as the Hunter in their reports. The Hunter upstream from its confluence with the Williams they named the Paterson. Although the confluence of the (present) Paterson and Hunter was shown on their map, they did not explore the Paterson." (From T.M. Perry Australia's First Frontier: The Spread of Settlement in New South Wales 1788 - 1829. Melbourne University Press, 1963 p.56 note 8)

14th June 1801. Hunter River. REMARKS, &c., on board His Majesty’s armed surveying vessel, Lady Nelson, in Hunter River, 1801. By LIEUT. GRANT, COMMANDER, H.R.N.S.W., Vol.IV, pp.404 - 409. [Transcription] [Meeting with an elderly native on the 23rd June 1801]

Compare this account with  Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to meeting aboard the Lady Nelson of Budgerie Dick and King Bungaree in June 1801.

24th June 1801 - Ensign Barrallier to Governor King. (King Papers) Historical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 413-414. [Transcription and Translation from the French by Emeritus Professor Ken Dutton] Describes the terrific waves around Nobbys and the entrance to the Harbour. He mentions a map (that is now lost) but that could possibly this one recently located by Doug Lithgow in the State Library of NSW 

25th June 1801. Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson to Governor King. (King Papers), H.R.N.S.W., Vol.IV, pp. 414 - 416. [Transcription] [Refers to a native befriended by Barrallier and Grant and brought aboard the Lady Nelson]

25th June 1801 - Surgeon Harris to Governor King. (King Papers) Historical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 416-418. [Transcription ] [Notes the shyness of the natives]

11th August 1801 Lieut. Colonel Paterson to Governor King (King Papers) Historical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 447-448. [Transcription] includes Lieutenant - Colonel Paterson's Journal and Discoveries at Hunter River Historical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 448-453. [Sighting natives in the vicinity of Ash Island and later, a canoe]

21st November 1801 - Mr M. Mason to Governor King (King papers) Historical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 627-628. [Transcription ] [Report of meeting 60-70 natives of peaceful disposition, theft of blankets, drinking of spirits.]

11th December 1801 Mr Surveyor Grimes on Hunter's RiverHistorical Records of New South Wales, V.4 Ed. by F.M. Bladen Sydney, 1896: 634-635. [Transcription ] [Description of the landscape]

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to Pirate Point Pirates and Natives in 1801.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to the Wild Man of the Newcastle Forest.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to social intercourse with a Newcastle Chieftain.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to Dr Mason's description of the peaceful nature of the natives.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account of Barrallier and Grimes opinion on the hostile nature of the natives, sacred places and native duel on Prospect (Obelisk) Hill.

1802


Barrallier, Francis, 1773-1853. Letter received by Banks from Charles Francis Greville, April 1802 (Series 23.25) Includes Greville's translation of a letter received by Greville from Francis Barrallier titled `Extract from Ensign Barralliers Letter to Mr Greville', ca April 1802. [Sir Joseph Banks' Papers] State Library of New South Wales. [Contains a description of the entrance to Hunters River and Patersons River, with descriptions of the Natives seen there.]

1803

Please read Lieutenant James Grant's account of his visit to Hunter's River and Ash Island with some general observations of the Aboriginal people (812 KB PDF) from pages 149 -172 in:

Grant, James. The narrative of a voyage of discovery, performed in His Majesty's vessel the Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen, with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801 and 1802, to New South Wales / by James Grant. To which is prefixed, An account of the origin of sliding keels .. London : Printed by C. Roworth … for T. Egerton … , 1803

1804


Lieutenant Menzies correspondence with Governor King. May - Nov. 1804. from Historical Records of Australia 1, 5: pp.411-425. (1.62 MB PDF) Concerning relations with Aborigines at Newcastle including threats of attack on timber-getters.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to struggles between cedar getters and Aboriginals in the Upper Hunter.

See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to use of Aboriginals to catch bushrangers.

1807


Coal River N.S. Wales, 1807 / watercolour by I.W. Lewin. [Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales PICMAN Database]

Newcastle, 1807 / watercolour by T.R. Browne (1776 - 1824). Watercolour on paper. Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

Lewin, J. W. (John William), 1770-1819 Nobby Island from Coal River (1807) (Newcastle Region Library)

1808


See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to double murder committed by Port Stephens native known as "Robert" at Stockton in October 1808.

The Coal River or Port of Newcastle New South Wales … / watercolour drawing possibly by John William Lewin. [Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales PICMAN Database]

1809


See Henry William Hemsworth Huntington's account relating to discovery of Telligerry Creek in 1809.

1812


Newcastle, in New South Wales, with a distant view of Point Stephen. 1812 by T.R. Browne (1776 - 1824). Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

View of Hunters River, near Newcastle, New South Wales. 1812 by T.R. Browne (1776 - 1824). Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

1813


Skottowe, Thomas. The Skottowe manuscript : Thomas Skottowe's select specimens from nature of the birds, animals, &c. &c. of New South Wales / edited, with an introductory essay, by Tim Bonyhady ; natural history consultant: John Calaby ; foreword by Sir David Attenborough. Sydney : David Ell Press : Hordern House, 1988. Drawings by T.R. Browne.

For a complete set of images from this recently digitised manuscript please click here:
http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/ebindshow.pl?doc=pxa555/a642;thumbs=1 [Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales PICMAN Database]

1816


Joseph Lycett (c1774/75 - 1828) Newcastle, New South Wales, looking towards Prospect Hill. c.1816-1818. [Detail 1] [Detail 2] [Detail 3] A gift by Port Waratah Coal Services to Newcastle Region Art Gallery. Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

1818


Oxley to Macquarie. CSIL 4/1814 (1st Nov 1818): 50e. (216 KB PDF)
John Oxley, Surveyor General, reporting on attacks by Aborigines near Port Stephens.

Walter Preston (fl.1811-1820) Newcastle, Hunter's River, New South Wales. c.1818 -1820 [1.02MB Version] [Detail] Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

Walter Preston (fl.1811-1820) Corroboree, or dance of the natives of New South Wales, New Holland c.1818 -1820 Photographed by Bruce Turnbull [Courtesy Newcastle Region Art Gallery]

[Corroboree at Newcastle / oil painting by Joseph Lycett] c.1818 [State Library of New South Wales] [Image ]

 

1819


Morisset to Campbell. CSIL 4/1807 (4th Jan 1819): 12-12a. (244 KB PDF) Concerning the use of Aboriginal trackers in search parties.

Monthly Returns of Punishments, Newcastle, CSIL Special Bundles 4/1718. (Sept 1819): 89.(57.6 KB PDF) Includes convicts punished for harming Aborigines.