Precis 17

Early Days on Eyre Peninsula 17

HENTY FAMILY INSPECTS PORT LINCOLN

By J. D. Somerville

Edward Henty, of Portland fame, made an inspection of portion of Eyre Peninsula between 1832 and 1834. Thomas Henty, the father, must have been an adventuresome old soul. He left England — when he was about 60 or 70 years of age — in October 1831, with some of his sons — others had preceded him — to form a new home in far-off Australia. He died in October, 1838.

The Henty family had taken up land in Western Australia, but becoming dissatisfied, they tried Tasmania, where again conditions were not to their liking, principally on account of their inability to get a large area of land. The report of good land on the southern coast of Australia held out prospects for a better home, better conditions and the best hope of all, they would be able to procure a large holding.

Edward Henty left Launceston in the Caernarvon in 1832, landed at Memory Cove and afterwards went to Port Lincoln. There he had to await the boat Thistle (Capt. Liddle/ owner, T. Henty) coming from Swan River, Western Australia and he took the opportunity to search for a suitable site for a holding.

On his way back to Tasmania in the Thistle (Capt. Liddle) Edward Henty called in at Portland (Victoria) in June 1833, and he returned there in the Elizabeth (Capt. Hart) to make a closer inspection. On comparing the various places he had inspected, Portland was given preference.

To wind up their affairs in Western Australia another trip was made along the southern coast in the Thistle, calling at Kangaroo Island and Spencer Gulf on the way. …

Capt. Hart was another of those adventurous spirits, fond of exploring and of the open spaces of the seas. He has left behind him a wealth of information of the early days. In a letter to Governor La Trobe, of Victoria, he says, "There was another class of men also, who probably had escaped from Van Diemen's Land. These lived generally on islands apart from others, some on Thistle Island, near Port Lincoln, and other islands in Spencer's Gulf. There was one man who had been unvisited for three years who I saw on this trip (probably in 1831 in the Elizabeth). This man lay under suspicion of having murdered his original companion. He had two wives whose curly heads clearly shewed them of Van Diemen's Land origin. ... A convenient stone house, good garden, small wheat and barley paddocks, with pigs, goats and poultry, made him independent of visitors except for tea and sugar." This man had collected seven thousand wallaby skins of a kind peculiar to this island. This seems to suggest his residence was on Thistle Island.

… About 30 years ago, a holiday party .. on the 'Derwent,' piloted by Thomas Tapley, visited Port Lincoln and surrounding districts. … They visited Thistle Island, and made an investigation of these ruins. [According to the Register] "when the first whaler (presumably in settlement days) arrived at Thistle Island they noticed the ruins of some cottages with signs of regular order in arrangement and a cleared promenade between them, all loose limestone for a distance of about 100 yards having been thrown on each side of a broad path. Possibly this orderly arrangement may have suggested a military or naval mind controlling the layout, and thus connecting the ruins with La Perouse. It can safely be said that La Perouse had no hand in erecting the buildings.” …

Mr. Tapley had previously made a thorough search of the ruins, but had not been able to find any trace of wood or ironwork. … [This time] they found a 'curiously shaped old nail.' It was suggested by them that if the ground was carefully sifted, other relics might be brought to light and some clue to the puzzle secured. … Where did those ancient dwellers get fresh water, for none could be found except a long way off.

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The next article by Somerville is entitled “Stories of White Outrages on Natives” according to Nathaniel Hailes who was appointed as a court clerk in 1843.