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“SURVEYOR ROBERT HODDLE VISITS THE PIGEON HOUSE.
“Surveyor Hoddle visited the Pigeon House and Yadboro in October, 1828, and this was probably the second occasion when white men reached the locality. He was engaged in making some of the early feature surveys on the South Coast, and was at Buckenbowra as early as March, 1828. Whencarrying his survey from the Araluen district to the mouth of the Moruya River, he notes that there was occupation at Merrecumbene in that month. On abouth the 14th March, 1828, he recorded the position of G.D. Browne’s house, hut and stockyard on the south side of the creek at Buckenbowra, and refers to the stream as the Buckenbowra or McLeay River. In October of the same year he refers to the house as the overseer’s house.
“It would seem that he used pack bullocks for transport, a common custom in those days, for on one occasion, when surveying in the Kangaroo Valley district, he came to a very steep part of the mountains, and mentions that ‘the bullocks refused to walk up without the loads.’ In one of his field-books is a pencil sketch of a horse and bullock, each with a pack-saddle, headstall, and winkers. On the 14th June, 1831, when in the Bundanoon district, he made the following entry:-
“ ‘Encamped in the dusk at Marilee Creek, having had an accident is descending the mountain to kill a young red pack bullock, named Shafter, No. 150, bred at Emu Plains.’
“In 1828 he surveyed the Clyde River up to a point just above its junction with Yadboro Creek, and recorded the native name of the Pigeon House as Tytdel or Diddel, from where he took bearings, to prominent points.
“His surveys made it clear that the Pigeon House River of Alexander Berry did not flow eastwards to the ocean, but was really the main head water of the Clyde.
“On the 27th December, 1828, Hoddle commenced a survey from his camp at Croobyar (which he spelt Croobear), and traversed down Narrawallee Creek until he joined Surveyor Florance’s survey a little more than half a mile below the present bridge on the main Nowra road.
“His next work, apparently undertaken the following day, was to traverse the Creek upwards to its source from Croobyar, and he mentions the presence of huts somewhere near the site of the present homestead. A few days afterwards he traversed part of Woodstock Creek, which he called a branch of Bhurril Creek, to the tidal water, and joined Surveyor Florance’s survey.
“Hoddle’s reference to the huts at Croobyar in December, 1828, seems to be one of the earliest authentic records of the formation of the settlement on the Croobyar Estate by Alexander Macleay. Had anyone been in occupation in May, 1828, it would seem likely that Surveyor Florance would have continued his survey at Narrawallee Creek up to this point, and it therefore seems probable that occupation commenced at some period between May and December, 1828.
“The names of Woollahderrah and Nurrahwherre, as quoted by Surveyor Florance, were given by Hoddle as Ulladulla and Narrawallee respectively.
“Early in April, 1829, Hoddle made a survey of Durras Water, and referred to it as salt lagoon. The first reference to the name ‘Durras’ appears on Surveyor J. Larmer’s road plan, dated Aug., 1840.
“On the 23rd April, 1829, Surveyor Hoddle commenced a feature survey which ran northerly from ‘Mr. McLeay’s land, Croobear Creek,’ to St. George’s Basin. In this survey he shows the position of a bridge across the Creek just below the huts, and indicates the position of a hut and stockyard on the north side of the Creek. He also records the word Maniya, as though it might have been a native name. This survey shows the position of ‘Sawyers Huts’ just south of the Yackungarrah Creek, which crosses the present main road on the northern portion of Kendalldale; and at a point about a quarter of a mile south of this a track is shown bearing south-easterly towards Narrawallee across what subsequently became Mr. James Warden’s property. A note regarding this reads:- ‘Thick impenetrable brush; track cut through for the purpose of carrying away the cedar.’
“Sawyers huts are recorded in three other localities to the northward near Currowar Creek, one locality being north-westerly from the present Yatteyattah Scholl, and the other two near Mr. McLean’s homestead. The position of a bridge is shown across Currowar Creek, a little to the west of the present bridge on the main road.
“Surveyor Hoddle also traversed a track from the Swayer’s Camp west of Mr. Charles Murray’s old home, up the ridge to the north od the present school, thence northerly and easterly to Conjola, and made the following note:- ‘Very thick brush cut through for the carriage of cedar to Conjola.’
“On 2nd December, 1828, when outlining the Croobyar Estate for Alexander McLeay (F.B. 323), he shows ‘Kendall’s Place’ on the north side of the creek opposite the Croobyar homestead. On the 3rd December, Hoddle was engaged to the north of Croobyar,on Rev. T. Kendall’s grant, and made the following note in pencil:- ‘Tree marked 1 mile from Kendall’s Bridge at Maniya, Croobya.’ On the 8th and 9th of December he was at Murramarang, engaged upon surveys for Mossis (1920 acres) and Sysney Stephen (2560 acres.) He notes that the place is called ‘Murre-murrang.’ From Murramarang Hoddle proceeded to ‘Nellican Creek’ to lay out 640 acres for F. Moylan, just to the west of the present town of Nelligen.
“It is of historical interest to mention that Lady Cullen, wife of the Chief Justice of New South Wales, is a great-granddaughter of Surveyor Hoddle; while Lady Madden, wife of the Chief Justice of Victoria, is a granddaughter of Sydney Stephen, who was an elder brother of Sir Alfred Stephen, a former Chied Justice of New South Wales. At the time of his death in the early sixties, Sydney Stephen was Acting Chief Justice of New Zealand.
“In March, 1837, Surveyor Hoddle went to Port Phillip, and had charge of the laying out of the City of Melbourne. On the separation of Victoria from New South Wales, he was appointed the first Surveyor-General of Victoria (vide ‘Gazette’ of 15th July, 1851), and died at Melbourne on the 24th October, 1881.”
Cambage, R.H., Captain Cook’s Pigeon House and Early South Coast Explorers, Samuel Lee, Sydney, 1911. pp. 19-21.
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