October 30 1830 - TPIC

Commentary by Patsy Cameron.
Reference: (FM) Plomley, N.J.B. (ed.) Friendly Mission: the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson (1966)

Daily Project Commentaries

30 October

On the morning of October 30 Robinson followed the coast passing close to Giants Rock (Sloop Rock) that reminded him of a boat under sail, and near a salt water lagoon cut off from the sea by a sandbar (Grants Lagoon) and over the high ground (Hum Bug Reserve) where he could see Barren Island (St Helens Island) to look for smoke signals from his supply boat (Plomley, 1966, p 259). The journey took longer than he anticipated as he expected to find the mouth of the Georges River earlier in the day. However, it was late afternoon when the foot sore and weary group of guides set up camp about two miles along from the Georges Bay entrance (probably near Tucker's Creek) (Plomley, 1966, p 259).

All this time Robinson had searched to no avail for smoke signals from Barren Island that would announce the arrival of his supply boat (Plomley, 1966, p 259). With his supplies low, and no sign of the boat, he had no alternative than to make the return trip back to Musselroe base camp without succeeding in his mission's objectives.

Robinson wrote in his diary that travelling had left the guides tired and footsore with the likelihood of being without fresh supplies they would have to make the return journey back to basecamp at Little Musselroe Bay. To add insult to injury his guides had seen plenty of animals and birds along the coast and the shores abounded with crayfish, shellfish, ducks and the swan were laying eggs. Their fast pace set each day had prevented them from hunting and gathering as they travelled Robinson conceded that he would have to rely on the women diving for crayfish at Giants Rock (Sloop Rock) to provide the party with fresh food.

On October 30 2007 at our basecamp near Sloop Rock we enjoyed a feast of seafood     that had been gathered by a local lad Danny Andrews. On the menu were oysters, mussels and fish as we celebrated an abundance of natural resources available in the Georges Bay area. We reflected on the rich bounty that must have been available to our clanswomen in 1830 and how our cultural traditions had changed since those times with the feast being provided by a male family member rather than a female. In the afternoon Gloria Andrews led us on a walking tour of the Blue Tier which has panoramic views across the northeast lands and overlooks our Meeting at Bark Hut research area. The Blue Tier    is an extremely important spiritual and culturally significant place for Aboriginal people from the deep past to the present day. We were shown culturally sensitive places that left us determined to lobby for the preservation of the mountain range for our future generations.