A Brief History Of The Freycinet Coast
This assumes a start at the southern end of our coast.
While the Freycinet coast had been a favourite winter habitation of the Aboriginal people of the Oyster Bay Nation for thousands of years, it was first “discovered” for the western world by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1642. He named such major features at Maria and Schouten islands. In 1802 a French Expedition led by Nicholas Baudin charted the area more thoroughly, naming many more features, including the Freycinet Peninsula.
Initially Freycinet coast settlements were reached by boat. However, before very long a rough track was constructed, enabling bullock drays to haul goods for the developing farms. The three hills called Black Charley’s Opening, Bust Me Gall and Break Me Neck, encountered before you reach our coast, hark back to this era. No-one is sure whether Black Charley was a bullock or a dark haired bullocky. Presumably it was the bullock teams who found it tough going up these passes, resulting in the other two names.
Church of St John the Baptist at Buckland.
This lovely little stone church, surrounded by an extensive grave yard, is on the right hand side of the road as you drive north. It’s well worth stopping to go inside.
Its foundation stone was laid in August 1846 and it was consecrated in early 1848. The young clergyman responsible for its construction was Rev. F.H. Cox from Cookham Dean in Sussex. It’s a replica of the church there. I always wonder whether, on finding he had to build his own church in Tasmania, he sent his parents round to measure up the one with which he was most familiar at home. Convict labour was of course used to build St John’s.
The east window above the altar depicts the life of St. John the Baptist. The window dates back to between 1350 and 1400 and is thought to have been removed from Battle Abbey, built by William the Conqueror on the site of the Battle of Hastings in Sussex.
How did this window reach Buckland? No-one is sure, as Rev. Cox didn’t ever say, but this is what probably happened. During the English Civil War Battle Abbey was known to have been selected by Cromwell’s soldiers for slighting (i.e. destruction). Indeed it was damaged almost beyond repair and has never been restored. The aristocratic Cecil family lived in the district and it is assumed that the window was connected with them in some way. Perhaps they donated it to the abbey in the first place. Did the Cecils remove it to prevent its destruction, storing it safely against the abbey’s eventual restoration? When this had not happened in 200 years could it instead have been given to Rev Cox for his new church? Rev Cox and Lord Robert Cecil, Secretary of State for the Colonies, were friends. It was also a tradition of the period for English parishes to give gifts to churches in the colonies with which they had some link. However the window reached Buckland there is no doubt that it does date back to the latter half of the 14th Century. On those grounds alone it is worth a look.
All the windows in St John’s are of stained glass, having been given as memorials to past parishioners. Other church furnishings and fittings are also old and interesting. The house across the road and slightly to the left was originally the rectory and later St John’s College, a “centre of education for the sons of pastoralists of the district”. As Triabunna Secondary College certainly didn’t exist then one supposes that daughters of pastoralists and any other children were either taught at home or missed out on formal schooling.
Early on in the convict era free settlers in van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) were allocated land on the basis of the amount of money they were able to bring with them to use for developing their properties. More capital = more land. In addition they were allocated a convict work force. The more land you had, the more convict labour you were entitled to. Whilst no doubt many convicts had limited farming skills, having a free labour force must have given many a settler a good start. Settlers were merely required to provide food and accommodation for the convicts who worked for them. Many of the larger properties in our area were established using convict labour.
The 1840’s saw the establishment of probation stations where convicts were required to live and work for at least two years before they could be released to work elsewhere. During this period many of the roads and bridges necessary to establish the new colony were built. A probation station was built at Buckland in 1844. This provided accommodation for the convicts who built the road from Buckland towards Orford, up the gorge of the Prosser River. This road is still visible in parts across the river from the present road. In 1841 another was established at Paradise, part way up the gorge, to accommodate convicts working on the road between there and Orford/Triabunna. Its ruins are still there if you follow the Old Convict Road left from the Orford bridge.
At Darlington on Maria Island (reached by ferry from the marina at Triabunna) a penal settlement was established in 1825. This was for convicts who had re-offended but were not deemed to need the harsher discipline of Macquarie Harbour. It was closed in 1832 due to constant escapes, slack discipline and the fact that Port Arthur had opened. The commissariat store and penitentiary from this era are still there. A probation station was established on Maria Island in 1842. These convicts grew 400 acres of crops. Old buildings were re-used and new ones built, many of which are still habitable. You can book with National Parks to camp in the old cells.
Although now a National Park and World Heritage Site, other activities on Maria Island have included farming, fishing, whaling, a vineyard, a holiday resort, growing hops and a cement works. For more complete information about this fascinating island’s history go to http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2715
Triabunna was an important fishing port and noted for the building of quality wooden boats. The community is presently establishing a Marine Discovery Centre which will soon be open to tell this story.
Another interesting historic site is the Saltworks at Little Swanport, about 20 Km north of Triabunna. To reach it turn right from the Tasman Highway down Saltworks Rd and follow the track around to the left once you come to the coastal reserve. For further information go to http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2686
Further north again there was a probation station at Rocky Hills, about 10 Km south of Swansea. 300 convicts lived here. They built many of the roads along the east coast area. Many of the Rocky Hills buildings are still there, the officer’s quarters now serving as a farm house and the store as a barn. They are visible from the Tasman Highway. To see them pull off into the right hand side lay-by just near the BEWARE FALLEN ROCKS sign. Look inland. On the hill in front of you is the probation station.
Convicts from Rocky Hills built the Tasman Highway. At Mayfield Beach at the bottom of the previously mentioned hill is Old Man Creek. Pull into the camping area, then follow the track down above the beach till you reach the creek – about 150 metres. There’s an information board showing the way and telling you about the bridge. This one has 3 arches. You’ll see the original convict road, with another road on top and finally the present road on top of that. There are many other such bridges, but this one is the easiest to see.
The Rocky Hills convicts also built Spiky Bridge – a major undertaking. They quarried the stone from the hill beyond the bridge. Imagine having to walk the distance from Rocky Hills each morning and return there each evening, probably wearing flimsy ill fitting shoes. They were expected to work in all weathers, were provided with few clothes and a diet we would consider to be most unsuitable for such hard physical work. Life as a convict may have been an improvement for some, but it can’t have been much fun. We owe them a debt for their contribution to the development of this island.
Swansea was permanently settled in 1823, as Wellington Point. The township grew round the military settlement established there. Changing its name in 1850, by 1860 Swansea was the centre for Glamorgan, Tasmania’s first rural municipality. As befits such a historically interesting town, many residents are passionate about its past and have worked hard to ensure that its history is not lost. A visit to their History Room or purchase of the readily available Swansea Heritage Walk booklet will explain much more and tell you what you are looking at as you stroll around the town. On Swansea’s northern outskirts the Bark Mill Museum and Tavern tells the story of collecting and processing bark for the leather tanning industry and that of the 1803 Baudin Expedition, origin of many of our French place names.
Cranbrook was settled at the same time as Swansea by families who immigrated on the ship owned by Swansea pioneer, George Meredith. Being of Scottish origin, the simple church they built is called Gala Kirk.
Out on the Freycinet Peninsula white settlement at Coles Bay began in 1824 when George Meredith from Swansea established a bay whaling station at the area still called The Fisheries. It operated until 1850. Other bay whalers followed, with stations soon operating at Wineglass Bay, Slaughterhouse Bay, Bryans Beach and on Schouten Island. Coles Bay is named after Silas Cole, initially a convict, but by 1852 a free man who worked as a shepherd in the area. As a sideline he excavated the extensive Aboriginal middens full of Angasi oyster shells at Richardsons Beach, burning them for lime, which was ferried across Great Oyster Bay to Swansea, where it was used in mortar in many of the stone buildings there. The remains of his lime kiln are still visible at the eastern end of the beach.
In its time the Freycinet Peninsula has seen sealing, grazing, timber getting, tin mining, coal mining, wallaby shooting, quarrying for pink granite, fishing and oyster farming. Since the early 1900’s it’s been a popular holiday spot, initially with Field Naturalists, then with local people wanting a peaceful holiday with good fishing and happy to camp or stay in basic cabins. Now it’s mainly a peaceful holiday town with its economy dependent on tourism. In 1977, declaration of Freycinet National Park ensured the preservation of the area for ever.
White settlement in Bicheno also began with whaling and sealing – in the 1830’s. By the 1840’s whale numbers were so low that this was no longer economic and many operations closed down. Coal was found further north and the Douglas River Coal Company commenced operations in 1849. Convicts built a tramway to haul the coal into Bicheno to be shipped out. The “Goal House Cottages” mark the site where 50 men were once housed. The remains of the coal mines can be seen today at Natureworld. Farming is carried on in the surrounding area to this day. Bicheno too has an interesting self guided history walk. Buy a copy of “Take a Walk Through a History of Bicheno” at the local newsagent’s before setting off to explore this attractive town.
