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Wagga Beginnings
One of the early Surveyor-Generals of NSW was Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell. Mitchell had learnt the art of surveying whilst serving in the British Army, where he was employed to obtain topographical intelligence.
Between 1831 and 1846 he led four expeditions to explore the interior of NSW. On the return journey of his third expedition in 1836, Mitchell passed through the Wagga area, which was only just beginning to be populated by European settlers.
A few years before, the Thompson family had taken up ‘Eunonyhareenyha’ on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee and the Best family had ‘Wagga Wagga’ on the south bank. Other runs followed and the area was soon permanently occupied by squatters, their employees and their families.
By 1847, some major changes had begun to take place. In April, a Court of Petty Sessions was proclaimed at Wagga and a number of Magistrates, a Clerk of Petty Sessions and a Chief Constable were appointed. A courthouse and lockup was constructed on the south bank, near the ford of the river.
Other buildings included several huts that were occupied by the police constables, one store, and Henry Collis’s “Royal” Hotel. All these buildings were also located near the ford. John Franklin’s blacksmith shop was located on land that is now Tony Ireland Park.
Before Wagga could be officially gazetted, the proposed site was required to undergo a survey. The survey for Wagga was undertaken by Thomas Scott Townsend, who left Sydney for the Murrumbidgee and Monaro Districts in December 1847.
Townsend recommended the reservation of nine sections for the town, with settlement on both sides of the Murrumbidgee. On the south bank a small number of streets were marked. These were later to become Gurwood, Kincaid, Crampton, Travers, Fitzmaurice, and Trail. North Wagga streets today bear little resemblance to how Townsend envisaged them.
Swan, in his A History of Wagga Wagga, commented that Townsend had stated that all of the allotments he had marked were “beyond the reach of the highest floods” (1970, p.41). However, as Swan pointed out, this confident declaration was disproved time and again (see Wagga in Flood).
The final plan for the township of Wagga Wagga was submitted to Mitchell, in his capacity as Surveyor-General of NSW on April 27, 1849 (see photo gallery).
Mitchell subsequently decided to name a number of the proposed streets after men he had served with in the 95th Regiment during the Peninsular Wars. These men were: Thomas Sydney Beckwith, John G. Fitzmaurice, Richard Bruin Freer, William Johnston, John Kincaid, Daniel McKinnon, George Simmons, Charles Peter Traille, and James Conway Travers.
The plan was approved by the Governor and the Executive Council on September 18th, 1849. The township of Wagga Wagga was finally proclaimed a month later, on November 23rd, 1849.
References:
D. W. A. Baker, 'Mitchell, Sir Thomas Livingstone (1792 - 1855)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition;
W. Ellis (1990) ‘The Street Names of Wagga Wagga’;
S. Morris (1999) ‘Wagga Wagga – A History’;
K. Swan (1970) ’A History of Wagga Wagga’.
Between 1831 and 1846 he led four expeditions to explore the interior of NSW. On the return journey of his third expedition in 1836, Mitchell passed through the Wagga area, which was only just beginning to be populated by European settlers.
A few years before, the Thompson family had taken up ‘Eunonyhareenyha’ on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee and the Best family had ‘Wagga Wagga’ on the south bank. Other runs followed and the area was soon permanently occupied by squatters, their employees and their families.
By 1847, some major changes had begun to take place. In April, a Court of Petty Sessions was proclaimed at Wagga and a number of Magistrates, a Clerk of Petty Sessions and a Chief Constable were appointed. A courthouse and lockup was constructed on the south bank, near the ford of the river.
Other buildings included several huts that were occupied by the police constables, one store, and Henry Collis’s “Royal” Hotel. All these buildings were also located near the ford. John Franklin’s blacksmith shop was located on land that is now Tony Ireland Park.
Before Wagga could be officially gazetted, the proposed site was required to undergo a survey. The survey for Wagga was undertaken by Thomas Scott Townsend, who left Sydney for the Murrumbidgee and Monaro Districts in December 1847.
Townsend recommended the reservation of nine sections for the town, with settlement on both sides of the Murrumbidgee. On the south bank a small number of streets were marked. These were later to become Gurwood, Kincaid, Crampton, Travers, Fitzmaurice, and Trail. North Wagga streets today bear little resemblance to how Townsend envisaged them.
Swan, in his A History of Wagga Wagga, commented that Townsend had stated that all of the allotments he had marked were “beyond the reach of the highest floods” (1970, p.41). However, as Swan pointed out, this confident declaration was disproved time and again (see Wagga in Flood).
The final plan for the township of Wagga Wagga was submitted to Mitchell, in his capacity as Surveyor-General of NSW on April 27, 1849 (see photo gallery).
Mitchell subsequently decided to name a number of the proposed streets after men he had served with in the 95th Regiment during the Peninsular Wars. These men were: Thomas Sydney Beckwith, John G. Fitzmaurice, Richard Bruin Freer, William Johnston, John Kincaid, Daniel McKinnon, George Simmons, Charles Peter Traille, and James Conway Travers.
The plan was approved by the Governor and the Executive Council on September 18th, 1849. The township of Wagga Wagga was finally proclaimed a month later, on November 23rd, 1849.
References:
D. W. A. Baker, 'Mitchell, Sir Thomas Livingstone (1792 - 1855)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition;
W. Ellis (1990) ‘The Street Names of Wagga Wagga’;
S. Morris (1999) ‘Wagga Wagga – A History’;
K. Swan (1970) ’A History of Wagga Wagga’.
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| brulyn | Moorong Estate 1900 | 3 | Mar 8 2011, 1:02 AM EST by brulyn | ||
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Thread started: Feb 21 2011, 6:54 PM EST
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I am trying to learn of the origins of Moorong Estate, 5 miles or so south of Wagga Wagga. The Estate has been broken up and part of it (I think the eastern side) is now Kapooka Army Base. San Isidore is alos situated on part of the land. In the late 1800s I believe either James Tyson Jnr, or James Hill resided at Moorong prior to William Roach taking ownership. William Roach sold a parcel of the land to the Australian Government and another section was (I believe) compulsorily aquired by the Federal Government. Can anyone direct me to where I can get more information.
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