Telling Places in Country (TPIC)

August 20 1831 - 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

20 August

On the morning of 20 August, Robinson’s expedition arrived at the river near which they had collected swan eggs in July. Unlike the previous month there were no traces of the clanspeople or the Straitsmen who had been at the boat harbour at the mouth of the Great Forester River. The decision was made to cross to the south side of the river where Mannalargenna told Robinson there was ‘A country …. the natives frequented and through which they had a road’ (FM, 1966, 405). Robinson wrote that this was ‘a good road… from Forester River to Launceston’ (FM, 1966, 380) and Mannalargenna was convinced that the clanspeople they sought were in that area. In July, Robinson had also thought that this was a possibility as he passed to the north of the Great Forester River (he had named it the Severn River). However, he could not find a passage through the swamp and as he discovered tracks leading towards Mt Horror he followed those signs away from the river.

Robinson’s diary confirms the original Great Forester River exit through what he called the boat harbour (the estuary at Bridport). He also described the vast ti-tree forest that encompassed both banks of the river where the water was knee to waist deep and the trees so thick that they almost blocked sunlight from penetrating the canopy. The contiguous nature of the swamp made it difficult to detect where the river’s path was and only the faster current and greater depth revealed its position. This is where Mannalargenna’s knowledge of country proved to be invaluable. Wading up to their waist he guided the party through the Great Forester wetlands with its thick ti-tree forest to a precise place where a large tree trunk about 2 to 3 feet under the water provided a crossing. They were also assisted by over hanging branches to able them to reach the southern bank. The river at the crossing point Robinson estimated to be 40 feet [12 metres] across. When reaching the other side they waded through another swampy expanse before gaining dry ground. After walking just over 2 miles [3.2 kilometres] kilometres further they ascended a hill to look for signs of the clanspeople. From the apex of this hill Robinson described a landscape that was ‘covered with thick forest’ (p 407) extending to the tops of distant mountains. Before descending the hill a smoke was seen towards the mouth of the Great Forester River and as it was nearing nightfall they decided to investigate the source of the fire the next morning. The group set up camp at the foot of the hill as the sun was setting on the night of 20 August 1831.

<< Back