Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history. Nyabing early history.
From the Nyabing Historical Society
By PH Johnston
This article was published in The Great Southern Herald on 15 October 1948. At the Annual meeting of the Katanning branch, WA Historical Society, Mr Percy H Johnston of Nyabing, read the following interesting paper on the early settlement of the area East of Katanning, including Nyabing and Pingrup.
Preface
(For some of the information included in these pages I am indebted to Bob Bell, Tom Haddleton, R Blundy, W Ray, R Bahlinger and FM Bowden, who were in this district before my time, PH Johnston.)
The early history is very vague. The names of the places are mostly native names. Who was the first to place them on the survey maps, I could not say; probably they were reported by explorers, surveyors and graziers, and marked as approx or P.D. (position doubtful). Sheep were depastured around the salt lakes at Pingarnup and Pingrup, coming I believe from Hassell, at Jerramongup via Needilup, and at some fresh water lakes, near the Rabbit-Proof Fence [2] in the early days. Next in the later 80’s (1880’s) Jack Holland excavated Holland’s Tank at Gnowanallup, and made it his base for Sandalwood Cutting, in the Kuringup and North Pingrup areas. He carted his sandalwood to Broomehill, about the time the Great Southern Railway was being constructed. Elijah Bell, Bob Bell, and Tom Haddleton also carted sandalwood from Merillup Soak to Broomehill in the late 1880’s. The route was via Doust’s Well, Yellanup, Shannon’s Soak, Nampup, Dualling to Merillup Soak; approx 60 to 65 miles. George McLeod Senior, father of the late George McLeod, also was engaged on sandalwood carting.
On one occasion they arrived at Merillup soak to find, in the barrel at the soak bottom, some dead birds, twigs, leaves etc. So they set to work and cleaned it out. Coming back a little late for a billy of water, after the soak had made some water, they found the top of the water seething with maggots. They had come out from the sand through the staves of the barrel, so they skimmed them off, then watered their horse. Water was very scarce; the soaks being mostly in green jam country were only winter soaks. For summer carting, these hardy pioneers carted water in barrels.
Shannon had a camp at Shannon’s Soak, now Moornaming Siding, and cut and carted sandalwood with a dray and two horses.
Rabbit proof fence, 1926-1927. (Battye 000876d
When the Rabbit Proof Fence was being erected, those working on the Fence cut posts around Nampup, and Gnowanallup, and that enterprising firm, Richardson and Co, had a mobile store depot, in charge of Bert Thomas. Paddy Cuneen, a farmer of Katanning carted netting for a portion of the fence from Katanning, also the stores for Richardson and Co’s Depot.
Holland’s Tank was enlarged and timbered with brush timber, during the erection of the Rabbit Proof Fence. One of the fence hands, J. Keast later selected Nampup.
Following the Sandalwood cutters some years later, graziers selected grazing leases, at £1 per 1000 acres over annum, at Pingrup, Pingarnup, Kuringup and Gnowanallup. These graziers dug small dams, about 20 cubic yards, in several placed and cleaned out many soaks. One of these holes was on a saltbush flat at North Pingrup; about half a mile from the first North Pingrup 2000 yard Government Dam. They also built sheep yards at various places to herd their sheep. One of these yards was on the bank in the vicinity of the North Pingrup School, since demolished, about the corner of location 9771. Another yard was built at Kuringup Soak. None of these graziers improved their leases and they were all abandoned later.
Among these graziers were Ronald McDonald and (Walter)* Luyer of Carrolup who held a grazing lease at North Pingrup. Sheep were sent out via Nampup, Gnowanallup and Kuringup to North Pingrup. Mr W. Ray (Drover, now of Katanning) was out with these sheep, and later selected land under CP Conditions at Nampup. Sir Walter James, I am told, held a grazing lease at Gnowanallup (Holland’s Tank).
The next phase was Conditional Purchase and farming; Mr Don Cronin selected the first block at Nampup, Kojonup location 4204, a 200-acre block all round reserve. Taken up as speculation, Don never did any improvements and later sold it to Mr H.J. Charsley. The Nyabing town site now stands on a portion of this block, which was resumed for that purpose on the construction of the railway.
Gnamma Holes Early Aboriginals are believed to have used this area for watering and resting on their wanderings. Some of the holes stored water and others were used as fire holes. The area was first explored by John Septimus Roe in September 1848 and John Holland used the water on his trek to the goldfields in 1893. The Hollands Rock Tank was built in 1928/29 using Hollands Rock as a catchment which was to provide water for settlers at Lake Bryde. The Gnamma Holes are located 35km northeast of town.
To Mr W Shields must go the honour of being the first to select land outside the fence to start farming. He selected 1160 acres at Durrunook, about six miles NE of Nampup, Kojonup location 4516 and 4517, and went back to Victoria for his family. The family landed at Albany with wagon, team, plant etc and proceeded to Holland’s Tank then the only water outside the fence.
W Hay selected (locations) 4956, 4957, 4958 and 4960 adjoining Don Cronin’s block at Nampup, but was not in residence until later. Hermann Wolff, a Victorian from Gippsland, looking for wheat land in the eastern wheat belt, called on Mr A. J. Blundy at Fremantle. Blundy was one of Wolff’s neighbours in Gippsland. Blundy, then an engine drive on the Coolgardie run, advised Wolff to come down the Great Southern; as after two dry seasons he considered the Eastern Districts too dry.
Wolff toured the South West thence through Kojonup to Katanning. Here the enthusiastic Dick Cobham, of the Lands Department, arranged to send him out to inspect land, and Peg Farmer as a guide arrived at Holland’s Tank. Wolff decided to select, and then found that the land was still held under grazing lease. Wolff was annoyed at this, so then Farmer offered to show him a better place some eight miles further out. Farmer took him to Millar’s Soak, where Farmer and Jack Marr had an Opossum Snaring Camp. Who Millar was I could not find out, but was probably one of Holland’s sandalwood cutters. Wolff selected location 5065 and 6069, 660 acres for himself and selected for A. J. Blundy, Location 5066 and 5068, also 660 Acres. Rupert Blundy also selected a homestead location 5067.
This was the middle of 1907, and Wolff and Rupert Blundy took up residence about 15th December 1907. Wolff and Rupert Blundy were camped at Holland’s Tank when Mr Shields and family arrive from Albany. Eddie Cronin selected a 300-acre block near Kuringup Soak, location 5090, and sold it late to PH Johnston. Fred Blundy selected locations 5215 and 5216, also locations 5331 and 5332, and later sold to Harry and Don Cronin.
On the Pingarnup side, E. L. Holly in conjunction with Mr Willoughby also selected locations 236 and 237 at Willoughby’s Soak. Willoughby used to carry his tucker from Mr Douglas’s at Badgebup, on foot to Lake Pingarnup, about 40 miles, and later used a horse and sledge. The sledge was abandoned later at Millar’s Soak. Don Cronin and Fred Norrish followed Willoughby, and rung and fenced Holly’s property at Pingarnup and ran cattle and horses on it for Mr E. L. Holly. Mr H. J. Charsley, a tea planter from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) arrived at Nampup and selected alongside Cronin and Ray’s blocks to make a home for his family. He started to build a house and let 100 acres of clearing to W. Mullinger, who cut it down late in 1908, leaving quite a lot of the big trees. When burning time came, he let the fire go on a bad day, made a frightful mess of it, and abandoned the job after drawing on the chopping down.
Wolff also had chopping down at the same time. When the grazing lease expired at Holland’s Tank, Collett selected, more or less as speculation and a year or two later, after doing a bit of ringing sold out to Mr Manual, a draper from Albany.
I arrived at Katanning on 26 February 1909, after three years on my uncle’s cattle station at Hall’s Creek, in East Kimberley, and a trip from Ord River Station to Queensland, 1300 miles with 1500 Ord River bullocks across the Northern territory; I visited some cousins on the Wimmera, and decided that wheat growing in a white man’s country, was better than cattle raising in a black man’s country. So encouraged by the prospect of railway development and Agricultural finance, I came to Katanning.
Like Wolff I contacted Dick Cobram, and being fresh from large stations, asked him if he knew of a large area free from poison, in case the railway did not arrive, I could run sheep. He recommended Kuringup to me as being about 4,000 acres free from poison. He arranged for the Land guide Jack Page (brother of Tom Page the brick maker), to take me to inspect; on the road out there was little to be seen of settlement. At the eight mile, a bit of clearing and a few fruit trees.
Mr Simper was busy clearing at 15 mile; Bruce and Albert Hobart with their first chopping down about 18 miles out. A bit of clearing at the 20 mile – Douglas’s; George and Ted Goodchild clearing at Badgebup and Isaac Mills and Sons at Yellanup, comprised all that was to be seen from the road.
We met W.F. Quartermaine who had a selection at Badgeminup, also a farm near Katanning. We made Holland’s Tank and camped. On to Kuringup next morning only to find the soak dry. Being very hot and no water for the horses Page would not stop so made back to Holland’s Tank. Not being satisfied, I left Page and walked four miles to Mr Wolff’s and camped at their place.
I went back to Kuringup the following day, through the bush, carrying water bag blankets and tucker, camped at the soak, explored the country and returned to Wolff’s next day. So, into Katanning with Jack Shields, and selected Kuringup on 10 March 1909.
To gain local knowledge of the clearing I accepted a job with Mr Vic Shields on Mr Charsley’s property. When I arrived at Nampup the residents were Mr and Mrs Shields, Jack, Vic, Miss Rene Shields (now Mrs W. Mills), Mr and Mrs Wolff, H. J. Charsley and Fred and Rubert Blundy.
The clearing on which I worked of 100 acres, called by me “Growler’s Gully”, together with almost 50 acres on Mr Wolff’s and a small piece at Mr Shields were the first cleared and cropped land outside the Rabbit Proof Fence. It was all put in my Mr J. Shields, March to June 1909. Mr Shields was the first team outside the fence. The previous season he cropped on shares with Mr Piesse in Katanning (1908).
Water was very scarce, the only water being Holland’s Tank, and as the team was often away, the women at ‘Durrunook” used to take their washing to Holland’s Tank. Fortunately we got a good rain at Easter time, 9 April, which put water in soaks and rock holes.
About this time Gunn Brothers sank dams at Charsley’s, Shields, Wolff’s and Ray’s, carting feed from Katanning. These were the first dams sunk outside the fence. Mr Tom Houston sank a 1,000 yard dam on Nampup, which was enlarged about two years later by Bill Treloar. The crop in, and the house finished at “Nampup”, Mrs H. J. Charsley arrived about the middle on 1909, and on 28 December 1909, the first white child, Dick Charsley was born at Nampup.
The clearing finished, I started cutting down at Kuringup and after a few weeks more experience at clearing, I took contracts for 200 acres of clearing from Charsley and 100 acres from Shields at £1 per acre, and sent over to Victoria for my brother Frank, as I thought there were better prospects here than in Victoria. Frank came, bringing with him his mate Mr Geo. Hobley, and I met them in Katanning on 12 August 1909. Jack Shields’ being engaged to cart furniture etc, for Mr W. Coote of Shannon’s Soak, took us all out with him.
Besides furniture and camp gear, we also had a cow tied behind. When we reached Ewlyamartup Lake the creek in the invert was just about a swim. The team plunged; the cow pulled back and broke loose, and fortunately followed through to the east bank. Mrs Coote’s dress basket fell off and was floating over the fence when we retrieved, sopping wet. Jack grabbed the cow in good North-West style by the horns, and threw her while we got another rope.
Late in 1909 the premier, Mr Frank Wilson, visited Rockwell, and a deputation waited on him to ask to extend the promised line to Badgebup on as far as Yellanup. A party from Nampup, comprising of Charsley, Coote, P. H. & F. L.* Johnston and Miss Thelma (now Mrs Bert Quartermaine) made the trip. On the ground at Rockwell playing cricket, I met Carl and Eric Joy, with whom I played cricket and football in Johannesburg, South Africa. This world is very small!!
We cleared the 300 acres in good time and did some ringing, and set off for Katanning, 38 miles per boot. On arrival at Shannon’s Soak (W Coote’s) we brought two horses and a c.art, and set out for Katanning in style.
Geo Hobley selected his farm at North Kuringup and F. L.* Johnston selected at Kuringup and Pingrup in 1910. The mail used to come out by chance. First from Katanning via Warren Road to J. C. Warren’s, thence south to Badgebup to Douglas’s, by the mailman, Bob Bahlinger, then, by anyone going east. Mostly per Isaac Mills, Shields or Wolff. Later it extended to Yellanup and still via Warren Road to 141 Gate (Stan Thompson’s), down the Fence to the 14 Gate, thence via Shannon’s, Yellanup, Badgebup and back to Katanning. Bahlinger in charge of Richardson and Co also used to run a van first to Rockwell, and later H. J. Charsley’s once a month, with stores in charge of Jimmy Toms or W. Spackman. This would be in the latter end of 1909.
About this time Mr L Langley came from the Merillup side, and like Mr Shields bought his family comprising wife Vivian, Ellis, Darcy, Violet and Connie, (now Mrs C. Gerhardy), and with complete stock and plant started to make a farm at Dualling, about 13 miles NE of Nampup. As this family came from Dumbleyung and went there for stores, they were not known by the Nampup Settlers for some time. They bought their stock, sheep, cattle, horses etc from South Australia. Ern Gaby also selected at the 139 Gate from Dumbleyung end, and soon started clearing.
About 1909 and 1910, mallet bark rose from £3/10/- to £5 a ton for brown bark, and quite a boom set in. The bush was scoured and the bark stripped and carted to Katanning and Dumbleyung. Among the early teams carting east of the fence were Bert Quartermaine, J. Shields, J. O’Neil, carting to Katanning, and Albert Harvey of Merillup and myself carted from Merillup, Dualling and Kuringup to Dumbleyung.
In 1910, I carted over 100 tons of bark into Dumbleyung, 38 miles from Kuringup, and Merillup East, about 30 miles. Early in 1910 the Government closed all land for selection before survey, and started on a new policy of surveying, classification and pricing; also construction of roads, railways, dams etc.
Messrs Newman and Bray sank 2,000 yard dams at Merillup, Dualling, Kuringup and North Pingrup, while Jack Solly and Wilson sank 2,000 yard dams at Chinocup and Hollands Tank. Percy Flint surveyed the land around Nampup, Kuringup and North Pingrup, while Mr Russel surveyed Chinocup and South Pingrup. Kranks Gilchrist and C. Shaw grubbed the road from Nampup via Kuringup to North Pingrup, 23 miles in 1910. As the classification and subdivision were finished, portions were thrown open for selection, with an Agricultural Bank Loan attached to each suitable block. With the railway surveyed to Nampup, the prospects of it being soon built were good, and there was a rush for land when it was thrown open for selection. The Mitchell Government Immigration Scheme and the “go on the land young man” was in full swing.
Richardson and Co erected a small store on the road near Charsley’s stables with Mr Simpson in charge, and later, after the town site was surveyed, shifted it to the present site.
Later in 1910, Nampup was thrown open, among the new selectors being J. Keast, C. Wiseby, F. Haltermann, Sandells, Ron McDonald, Elliott, Cox, Coff, Collins, Denning, Loafkin, Pain, Waters and F. Quartermaine. Soon after, the land around Kuringup was thrown open; the selectors being Higg, Kenward, Curnow, Asplin, Larter, Wiseby, D. Thompson, W. Hobley, V. Langley, McCray and Webb.
Early in 1911 North Pingrup on Lake Grace Sheet 2, was thrown open, when (G. Altham, H. Burston, *Nampup Sheet 2), (E. A. Clegg, *LG Sheet 3), H. Cornish, Frank Johnston, (Henry Castle * LG Sheet 2 – was the only one of this list who selected on Lake Grace Sheet 2!), (George) *Millman Lake Chinocup), (Gustav Smith Lake Chinocup), Millman, Fitzgerald selected and soon started clearing etc.
Pingarnup was also thrown open, when (James)* Watson, (Thomas, also John) * Deacon, (David) * Carstairs, (John)* Lynch, McKie, (William)* Lowe, (Thomas) * Winspear, (Earnest) * Wilson, Gardiner, (George also Abner)* Purchase, and others started to make farms. And so the settling of the district began.
A farmer or two from Victoria and South Australia, a tea planter from Ceylon, a clerk from Johannesburg, a painter from Melbourne, an Engineer from Calcutta, a School teacher from England, a plasterer, a blacksmith, a draper, a plumber, a carpenter and an undertaker, set out to carve homes in semi arid bush. With little or no knowledge of farming or local conditions, small wonder that there were many failures, many a hard struggle, many a heartache, many blisters and hardships, many a tragedy, a few fatal. The going was not easy. The first year of full settlement was very dry and long, being 7 May before the first rain fell. The tanks put down in late 1910, caught very little water, and were all dry before Xmas, and water carting was general.
Langley’s carted from Pingarnup for team, stock and household. I carted 27 miles with a team, and tried to put my first crop in dry. The well was put down at Nyabing, and we waited sometimes all night for the water to make.
Messrs Watson, McKie and Carstairs* walked from Shannon’s Soak, then the head of the railway construction, to Pingrup, and inspected their selection, carrying only a water bag, and nearly perished on the return journey. George Altham walked out to his selection via Kuringup and called at my place and camped. Families lived in tents, carted water in water-bags and buckets. Many lived on rabbits until the sight of a rabbit turned them sick.
After the opening of the railway the name Nampup caused trouble, being too much like the older town Nannup; so it was decided to seek a new name, and Nyabing was chosen as the name of the new township.
Then followed a year or two of pioneering, clearing and fencing, with a promise of the line being extended to Pingrup. Then came the War in 1914, and all prospects of the railway extension now out of the question, and the worst drought Western Australia had ever known came.
Many abandoned their farms and many enlisted, some returned maimed, others never returned! A few accidents, John Deacon killed by a falling tree while burning down. Mr Waters also killed by a tree leaving a young family; Harry Burston died from peritonitis by stopping away from medical aid for too long; W. Carrie died suddenly; the two latter leaving a wife and four young children each. And so Pingrup was depleted until there were only four of the original settlers left, G. Altham, J. Watson, Mrs Carrie and Mrs Burston.
Most of the settlers around Nyabing, within a reasonable carting distance were able to carry on. Some sold out at a loss, and others took their place. Most of the outside country was abandoned, and was resettled after the war, and the construction of the line to Pingrup. Such is the history of the settlement of many another district in the Western Australian wheat belt; also the group settlement scheme but on different lines. People came from all trades, from all parts of the world, striving to make homes for themselves and their families. The Government lost many millions, the settlers suffered many hardships; but who in the future generations will be able to say that the development of a fine country, like Western Australia, was not worth the cost.
- Some corrections marked with * have been made to some names and Initials, which may have been a typo error while at the printers.
- Names/Words in brackets e.g. (Chinocup) and (John) etc are also retyping insertions.
- Pingrup readers should be aware that the Holland’s tank referred to in this article is the Holland’s Tank a few miles east of Nyabing, and not the tank so often called at Holland Rocks!
Return to NYABING Page
Return to HOME Page
Visit the LOST NYABING Website