George McDonald, Assistant Surveyor, and the Great Swamp

The Argus of June 12, 1863 published this interesting letter written by George McDonald, Assistant Surveyor, about the Koo Wee Rup and Moe Swamps, which at that time were thought to be connected and not separate Swamps. After surveying the area, George McDonald could confirm that the swamps were not connected, but separated by land which was dry and hilly, the hills rising gently and forming a succession of wide valleys. 

George McDonald was the  man who surveyed McDonalds's Track which went from what is now called Lang Lang to Morwell, via Mount Worth. I gave written about George and his track, here. Work to reclaim the Moe Swamp, which was essentially north of the railway line between Darnum and Moe, commenced in 1887. Carlo Catani, Public Works Department Engineer, worked on the Moe Swamp and I have written about it here. The Koo Wee Rup Swamp drainage scheme commenced in 1889, and from 1893 Carlo Catani was also involved in project. I have written about this here.

We will start with two maps, one from 1851 and the other from 1859 which show the Koo Wee Rup and Moe Swamps as one.

1851 map showing the Great Marsh, i.e shows the Koo Wee Rup Swamp

and the Moe Swamp as one.

From: Victoria, or, Port Phillip - the map drawn & engraved by J. Rapkin ; the illustrations by A. Warren 

& engraved by J. Rogers

National Library of Australia https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-232646335/view 

1859 map showing the Koo Wee Rup Great Swamp  i.e shows the Koo Wee Rup Swamp 

and the Moe Swamp as one.

From: Robinson's Road map of Victoria 1859, created by E.L. Robinson

National Library of Australia https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231373394/view

This is the letter published in The Argus of June 12, 1863 (see here) from George McDonald on his Discovery of good soil where a large Swamp was supposed to exist

DISCOVERY OF GOOD SOIL WHERE A LARGE SWAMP WAS SUPPOSED TO EXIST.

(FROM THE PUBLIC LANDS CIRCULAR, JUNE 10)

The following letter, from Mr. Assistant Surveyor M'Donald to the surveyor-general, is published as indicating good soil where a large swamp was supposed to exist :

Survey Camp, Yallock, May 15.

Sir, - have the honour to inform you that, in compliance with your instructions, I have surveyed a number of lines between the upper road to Gipps Land and the proposed new road to the same district, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of the country between those roads.

Hitherto it has generally been considered that the country between was occupied by either the Koo-Wee-Rup or the Moe Swamp, the general opinion being that those swamps were connected-one flowing eastward, the other to the west. I have found, however, that such is not the case, but that the country, instead of being a wet and impenetrable swamp, is dry and hilly, the hills rising gently and forming a succession of wide valleys. By the lines which I have surveyed the dimensions of the Great Swamp are considerably reduced and I am inclined to think that by further examination its extent, as shown on the old maps, would be still further contracted; in fact, I believe that the only foundation for the previous opinions as to the existence of the so-called ' Great Swamp ' is a narrow chain of swamps on the west and north-west of its supposed position, formed by the overflow of the Tarwin and Buneep rivers.

The soil of the largest portion of the country over which I passed is of a very rich description, being formed principally of rich decomposed volcanic rock: the remaining part is inferior, being a clay loam formed by the disintegration of a sedimentary rock. The change is instantly perceptible, being marked by a corresponding change in the vegetation, which, from being straight and dense, becomes open and stunted on the poorer soil.

The scrub is not so dense as on the top of the Dividing Range, and is sufficiently open to permit the passage of wild cattle, a few of which I saw, and numerous traces of others, occasionally in places which I would imagine were impenetrable to animals so large.

A plan of my survey, with description of the soil, timber, &c., I have drawn upon the map of the proposed road to Gipps Land.

I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,

George T. McDonald,
Assistant-Surveyor.
C. W. Ligar, Esq., surveyor general.

Lyre birds and Koalas on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp

This interesting article about fauna on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp in 1894 - 1895 - when there were still koalas and lyre birds. It comes from a column in The Argus of September 12, 1934 called Nature Notes and Queries by Alec H. Chisholm. You can see it on Trove, here.

Koalas at Koo-wee-rup
Stating that he has been very interested in the discussion on koalas' food trees, E.A.B. (St. Kilda) recalls that in the years 1894-95 he was camped at the Koo-wee-rup swamp and saw many koalas in swamp gums there. The trees were on a narrow ridge parallel with and about 20 chains east of the main drain, and the ridge was entirely surrounded by real swamp and tea-tree. A young koala taken to camp would climb tea-trees and black-woods, but would not feed there, although he throve on leaves from the swamp gums. That young bear was kept for about three months, and was never seen to drink. The writer wonders, therefore, if the moisture in leaves is sufficient for them.

It is added that the swamp gum ridge was cleared for cultivation and the koalas disappeared. In the clearing of the eastern end of Koo-wee-rup many lyrebirds must have been destroyed.

An illustration of a lyrebird from 1872.

Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier  June 8, 1872. 

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63618692

The same column also talks about Lyrebirds on the Moe Swamp in the 1870s.

Lyrebirds Near the Moe Swamp
An interesting bit of history is given by C.P. (Melbourne) in reply to a reader's recent inquiry whether lyrebirds were ever known about the north bank of the Moe swamp. C.P. says that he travelled by the first train that left Prince's Bridge for Gippsland-that was in the 1870's and camped that Easter on the Moe River. It was understood among the settlers then that the "Australian pheasant," as the lyrebird was called, was frequently seen or heard in the vicinity of the swamp.

"People," it is added, "were moving freely about Moe that year as Weinberg, the mailboat carpenter who stole 5,000 sovereigns, was at large somewhere in the district. The police visited our camp at midnight on Good Friday and asked us, should anyone come to us for food, to be sure and let the stationmaster know. At that time there was only one tumble-down building in the Moe of to-day."

Martin Weinberg is alleged to have stolen 5,000 sovereigns in 1877 and was at large - read about him here or here or here.