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SURVEYOR THOMAS FLORANCE.
“First Survey from Jervis Bay to Moruya.
“On the 29th November, 1827, Surveyor Florance commenced the survey of the coastline and some of the estuaries between Jervis Bay and Moruya. The portion from Jervis Bay to Conjola appears to have been surveyed in 1827, but the survey of the remainder, and some areas around St. George’s Basin were carried out chiefly in the months of April, May and June, 1828.
“Florance shows the entrance to Conjola to be a ‘dry bar,’ so that its outlet to the sea was evidently intermittently blocked in those days as now. He quotes the native name of the estuary, of which he made a fairly complete survey, as Cundjuhrong (with the accent on the first and second syllables), now spelt Cunjurong, and calls the small Island near the entrance Green Island.
“Florance apparently named St. George’s Basin, and he records its native name as Bherwherree; while the narrow inlet leading thereto was named Sussex Haven. He mentions Garden and Sepulchre Islands within St. George’s Basin, and gives the name of a point northwest of the islands as Pelican Point. Other names appearing on his plan are Cudmirrah or Swan Lake, Canal Lagoon, and Red Head. A spot at the mouth of a creek on the western side of Bowen Island is called the ‘watering place,’ and this is probably where Alexander Berry obtained fresh water in January, 1822.
“The name of ‘Wreck Bay’ is of later origin, though the exact date of its earliest use cannot be stated. A vessel called the Juniper, with a considerable quantity of wine among its cargo, was wrecked in the locality about the year 1850. The name became universal after the wreck of the ship Walter Hood, from Aberdeen, in April, 1870, while in September, 1876, the spot became famous to mariners as the scene of the Dandenong wreck. It is understood that other small craft have been wrecked in the locality.
“BURRILL TO NARRAWALLEE.
“On the 13th May, 1828, Florance commenced a survey at Burrill Mouth (spelt Bhurrill), and traversed the coast to Narrawallee, which he called Nurrahwherre. The south point of Ulladulla Hrabour, Warden Head, was entered by Florance in his field-book as Long Nose Point, but happily he did not place this name on his plan, and so it was never adopted. It would seem that the native name of the pretty little boat harbour, now known as Ulladulla, was Wollahderrah, for Florance records it in his field-book as ‘Wollahderrah or Wasp Harbour,’ but gives no hint as to why it was called Wasp Harbour. Local tradition says that the native name referred to the crescent shape of the beach, or to the fact that the curving shoreline of this inlet rendered the spot a place of safety for the natives’ canoes.
“The Surveyor shows the position of a reef running out into the water, and upon which the pier has since been erected. Just to the westward of the reef he indicates that a small fresh water creek flows in from the south, while to the west of the little creek he shows the position of ‘Gunyahs,’ which is evidence that the spot was the site of a native camp.
“The position of Millard’s Creek is clearly shown, but without any names, while the north head of the Harbour is entered as Wasp Head. Possibly the presence of numerous wasps at this point suggested the name of Wasp Harbour to Surveyor Florance.
“The small rounded headland towards the north end of Coller’s Beach is referred to as Flint Point, and the entry, ‘Two flints,’ appears in the field-book. The origin of this name can easily be traced to the hard quartzite or flinty rocks which overlie the darker shales at this spot.
“The small creek to the north, now known as Mollymook, is called Teal Creek (spelt Teel), and to emphasise the point that the creek is so named because of the presence of teal ducks, the surveyor has made a small sketch in his field-book of a man shooting at some birds in the water. It is refreshing to know that in those early pioneering days, inclination could be found to blend a little artistic humour with the cares and labours of the day, but possibly the thought of prospective roast duck accounts for the light-heartedness which is indicated by the sketch.
“A rock near the entrance to Narrawallee was called Preservation Rock, but no reason is assigned to the name.
“On the 15th May, 1828, Surveyor Florance traversed Narrawallee Creek up to within about half a miles of the present bridge on the main road.
“It is clear that the necessity for a soil survey of Australia was recognised in those early days, for there are many entries in Florance’s field-book to show that at various points he collected samples of earth, which were numbered for the purpose of identification.
“BATEMAN’S BAY TO BURRILL.
“On the 28th May he commenced a survey on the northern side of Bateman Bay and traversed northerly along the coast. He refers to Wasp Island at the southern side of Durras Inlet and to Point Upright on the northern side, but does not mention the name Durras. He regards this inlet as a ‘good boat harbour,’ and also the spot now known as Kioloa. The island now shown on maps as Grasshopper Island, north of Point Upright, was called Platter Island by Florance. By the 31st May, 1828, he had reached Murramarang, but does not refer to the locality by that or any other name, though on his plan, her wrote across the site of the present holdings, ‘very open excellent land.’ On several occasions he mentions the island opposite as Mit Island, the present Murramarang Island, and notes the position of a ‘limpid lagoon’ on the mainland containing excellent fresh water, and also refers to a range of ‘trap rock’ to the south-west. This range is that now known as the Big Bundle Mountain. No reference is made to any habitations in the locality, nor does he note the presence of white people in any of the area traversed between Jervis Bay and Bateman Bay. From this it may be inferred that there was no settlement at Murramarang on the 31st May, 1828.
“The headland opposite Murramarang Island was called ‘Aqua Point,’ evidently from the numerous springs which flow from under the sandhills.
“It is understood that the ‘limpid lagoon’ referred to by Florance remained fresh water until the year 1870, when, during the wet season, the grass-covered sand between it and the ocean was broken through. Since that time it has been intermittently closed from the ocean, and during the summer of 1915-16 was sufficiently fresh for the stock to drink.
“The locality has special interest in connection with Australian history, for it is was first here that one of the first settlements on the south coast was formed, and, moreover, it is the locality where Captain Cook first sighted the native inhabitants of Australia.
“Many bearings are taken throughout to the Pigeon House, and Florance records the native name as Dithol, with the accent on the first syllable (Dit).
“Mention is made of Meroo Lagoon (Mherroo), Termeil Lagoon (Turmeil) and Toubouree. He calls ‘Toubouree or Crampton Island,’ ‘Casual Island,’ probably owing to the fact that it is only casually an island, being sometimes connected to the mainland by a sand-spit.
“The inlet now known as Willinga is recorded as Mherrhingo. On 8th December, 1929, Surveyor Hoddle mentions the name of ‘Wallinga’ on the northern boundary of Morris’s 1920 acres. A survey was made of Burrill Lake up to the head of tidal water near Woodstock, the latter portion being completed on the 30th June, 1828.
“It will be readily understood that in this coastal survey, the surveyor had chiefly met with poor, sandy land. The upper portion of Burrill, however, where for the last two miles, from Simmons’s Flat, it narrows into the form of a river, is in the midst of good country. This so impressed Surveyor Florance that he named this portion of the channel Good Land or ‘Terra-Bona Creek,’ though the name has not been perpetuated.
“BATEMAN’S BAY TO MORUYA.
“In June, 1828, Surveyor Florance made a survey of Bateman Bay and the lower Clyde which he refers to as the Bhundoo River. The survey extended up to and included portion of the Buckenbowra River, which is referred to as McLeay’s River. Surveyor Hoddle had just previously traversed the upper part of Buckenbowra, having arrived there from Braidwood and Araluen. It would seem that Bateman Bay and the lower Clyde were known by the natives as Yangary, while the portion above the vicinity of the Bay was called Bundoo. Florance gives the name of the Bay as ‘Yangary or Bateman Bay.’ On the 18th June, 1828, Florance notes that on the eastern side of McLeay’s River, a little more than a mile above its junction with the Clyde, and below the site of what is now known as Austin’s Crossing, there were a deserted bark hut and stockyard. He incidentally mentions at this period that he was in possession of a boat.
“The creek now known as ‘Waterfall Creek’ is called ‘Gobah’ by Florance, and is evidently the native name.
“In view of the name of McLeay being applied to the lower portion of Buckenbowra River, it seems not unlikely that the hut and stockyard referred to were the property of Alexander Macleay, who may have intended to start a settlement there.
“This portion of the Buckenbowra River is now often called Runnymede Creek or River, after a homestead on its banks which, many years ago, was named Runnymede by Mr. Henry Clay Burnell, after a spot on the Thames River near where he went to school, and where the famous Magna Charta was signed by King John in 1215.
“As evidence of the amount of adjusting necessary in connection with the old link chain, the following note made by Florance in his field-book on 28th May, 1828, is of interest:- ‘Chain up to this date measured 67 feet feet, now minus three quarters of an inch.’
“Surveyor Florance traversed the coast from Bateman Bay to Moruya (the native name of which he spelt Mherroyah), and gives Whaynbah as the native name of the spot now called Pretty Point.
“On Sir Thomas Mitchell’s Colony map of 1834, Pretty Point is called Wainba.
“Florance records Burrewarra, Tomaga and Broulee as native names, but with slightly different spellings from that now adopted. He also refers to Tollgate Islands, at the entrance to Bateman Bay, and calls one of the inner ones the Tollhouse, and as this appears to be the first time that these islands are referred to by any designation, it may fairly be assumed that the name of Tolgates was bestowed upon them by Surveyor Florance.
“Thomas Florance, who went to New Zealand from Australia, was a son of James Florance, Barrister-at-Law, Chichester, England, aslo an uncle of Dr. E.H. Florance, of Cootamundra, New South Wales, and garndfather of Mrs. J.E. Pinhey of the Commercial Bank, Milton. He died in New Zealand in the sixties.
Cambage, R.H., Captain Cook’s Pigeon House and Early South Coast Explorers, Samuel Lee, Sydney, 1911. pp. 15-18.
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