Dairy Farming
AMONG THE DAIRY FARMERS. A Prosperous Population
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate (NSW : 1876 – 1954), Wednesday 2 August 1893
One of the most important, and certainly the most neglected portion of the Newcastle district is that made up of the three large islands formed by the delta of the Hunter River. Although each of these islands is within the ten miles radius, they are as little known to the majority of the people of the city as if they were situated at Port Stephens or Barrenjoey. The reason is that they can only be reached by water, and being settled with a quiet farming population, nothing is ever heard from them. The islands from their barren appearance present but little attraction to picnic parties, and so on holidays hundreds of people pass by water to Tomago or Raymond Terrace without dreaming of the interesting places lying between the various channels of the river. Nearly all the milk consumed in the city, and a goodly portion of the poultry, eggs, and dairy produce to be seen daily in the markets, comes from these three islands, which, despite their low lying swamps and marshy appearance, are extremely fertile.
A representative of this journal visited Mosquito and Dempsey Islands yesterday, and after some lively ex- periences in a sailing boat was enabled to go over the major parts of the land thanks to the kindness of Master Coombes, a son of Mr. William Coombes, who has charge of the Public School on the former island. The two most striking characteristics of the inhabitants are their seeming indif- ference to the outside world and the large number of children to be met with in every home. Both of these features go to prove that the island farmers are a contented class, and, indeed, a visitor is quickly made aware of the fact, for the only grievance they have is the fact that a Cabinet Minister promised them a punt eight months ago, and they have not got it yet. It appears that for years the settlers of Mosquito and Dempsey Islands have wanted a punt to connect them with the mainland at Port Waratah.
They form part of the electorate of Northumberland, and although they count nearly 100 votes only one of the present members has ever deigned to give them a political address. Another of the members, who has represented the county for some 10 years, never saw the islands until last year, when, with his wife, he was accorded a great reception. The question of the punt was the cause of the visit, and the probability is that only for that punt the members would still be in a state of happy ignorance regarding that portion of their electorate. In December last Mr. John Kidd, the Postmaster-General, visited the islands with Messrs. Melville and Edden, M..P. and he promised the people on behalf of the Minister for Public Works that they should have the punt so that they could get their produce to the Newcastle market in something like a safe and convenient way. In their simple faith the people believed him, and it is on record that one farmer commenced to pull down his stables on the mainland, so sure was he that the first and only political agitation on the islands had borne fruit, and that the word of one of her Majesty’s Ministers was not only the essence of truth, but omnipotent as well.
When week followed week, and months passed they began to wonder, but it was not until they saw that even the paragraphs in the press, stating that the Government, in answer to this member or that one, were about to send the punt, had ceased that they believed that political promises were more unstable than the crust of their home made pies. As a result, the farmers are against the present Government to a man, and they don’t care a jot whether the islands are joined to Raymond Terrace or tacked on to Stockton or Carrington in the forthcoming electoral map. That the punt is urgently required is beyond question, and the chances are that had the people held indignation meetings and vilified the Government, from the Premier downwards, they would long ago have had a steam patent vessel in place of the simple, cheaply con- structed craft attached to about 250 yards of steel rope which they have asked for.
The settlers on Ash Island, which is further up the river, have two punts con- necting them with the mainland, but they are, fortunately for themselves, paying for their land to a wealthy trust, and are also attached to the East Maitland constituency. Mosquito Island, it would appear, derived its name some 60 years ago from the hordes of those sleepless insects which invest the swamps. In the Government maps the name is spelt “Moscheto,” which, in the opinion of the oldest inhabitants, is a mistake. Judging from the many other mistakes made by the Government in connection with the islands it would appear that after all the little mosquito gave the place its name, and some official misspelt the word. The island is separated from Port Waratah and the end of Carrington by the southerly channel of the Hunter River, which at the most southerly point is about 250 yards wide. Starting from some mud flats the island extends north for over five miles, its greatest width being about 50 chains. The area is estimated at 1650 acres, and on this land is settled 31 families, who, with some eight exceptions, are engaged in dairy farming. The others are fishermen, the total number of inhabitants being 240, or an average of nearly eight to a household — an extraordinary large number.
These figures are from the last census returns, but recently a number of young men have gone out into the world, and the population has decreased by fully 40. Mr. William Foster is the oldest settler on the island, and for some 47 years this gentleman has tilled his little farm, and reared a large family. He is now 74 years of age, and he claims that the island is one of the healthiest places, at all events, on this planet. Mr. George Tongue, who is a brother-in-law of Mr. Foster, is also an old resident, and he is, despite his 90 years, a hale and hearty man. Speaking of the longevity of the inhabitants our representative was assured that Mrs. Pilley, whose great grandsons and grand- sons are scattered all over the colony, is now in the 100th year of her age. It is a legend on the island that a human being cannot die there of age, because the only grave in the place is that of an old settler and his wife, both of whom died while away from their home at the ages of 91 and 76 respectively. Their grave is situated near the southerly end of the island in a cluster of Australian oak trees, on the property of Mr. James Turner. A handsome headstone marks their resting place, the inscription reading, “Sacred to the memory of Elizabeth Tomkins, who died 27th February, 1882, ago 70 years; also Henry Weston Tomkins, Commander R.N., died 30th June, 1885, age 91 years.” This old couple were among the first settlers, and it is said that the captain purchased the southerly end of the island at a Crown land sale in Syd- ney years before he ever saw Newcastle. Some 40 years ago he retired from the navy and settled on his land. He brought a house in sections from Singapore, and the dwelling, which is in a splendid state of preservation, is now inhabited by Mr. James Turner, junior, who, with his wife, was exceedingly kind to our reporter yesterday. Mr. Turner, jun., has a farm of some 40 acres next to his father’s holding.
He has at present 30 milch cows, and every morning, in common with his neighbours, he sends milk to this city. Owing to the laxity of the Government the family are compelled to have stables on the mainland, where the horses and carts are kept in stables rented for the purpose. The milk is carried over the channel in boats, such vessels being of even more service to the island farmer than a plough. Whenever cows are bought or sold they have to be swam over the water, and not infrequently animals are in this way drowned. In former years the farmers on Mosquito Islands had beautiful orchards, but for some strange reason the trees gradually died, and very little fruit is now grown on the southerly end. The cause is said to be the fumes from the copper smelting works at Port Waratah ; but these huge premises are now closed, and further attempts will be made to plant trees on the island. The soil is a fine dark loam on a sandy subsoil, and although low lying, and in places swampy, it is extremely fer- tile. Very little cultivation is now carried on, the people have discovered that dairy farming is more profitable. During the flood in March last the water rose to an unprecedented height, and covered the whole island, with the exception of two acres where the school stands, and a similar area on the farm of Mr. George Foster. Great damage was, of course, done to crops, and the loss of poultry was enormous. Still, the farmers are an independent class, and the relief committee in this city were only called upon to assist four or five families.
The value of the land on the island varies from £20 to £60 per acre, and not an inch is to be obtained for less than the latter price. Despite this wealth the Government have only erected one school, and declared a road open half a chain wide through the is- land. The words “declared open” are used because that is all that has been done, for the road is in a disgraceful state. One farmer yesterday said, “Don’t say a word about this road, Mr. Reporter. What we want is the punt, and if we make a row about the road we might be thought greedy, and get nothing.” At the public school, which serves for both the islands, Mr. Coombs has some 54 children under his charge, and a more healthy gathering of rosy faces could not be met with in a year’s march. There are two Government reserves, of 40 acres each, on the island, and these areas are the only unoccupied land to be met with. Some years ago a bore was put down to 1000ft, and two good seams of coal were met with, but nothing has yet been done to work them. It was only in March last that the people were given the great privilege of a mail bag, and this is brought from Newcastle by Mr. Turner, and opened at the school house every morning. Dempsey Island, which lies west from Mosquito Island, is about 700 acres in extent, and similar in every respect to the latter. A narrow channel called Mosquito Creek divides the two, Dempsey Island in turn being cut off from Ash Island by a very narrow creek. It is said to have obtained its name from an old settler, but some doubt exists on this point. It is at present peopled by some 10 families, who all carry on dairy farming with the exception of one, whose head is a boat builder.
They all desire the before mentioned punt, as they too have to send everything to market by boat, and one such craft could be made to serve the two islands. At the south east extremity of Dempsey Island a company once made salt, and the old buildings still remain. The industry however was not a success, and some 15 years ago it was removed to Sydney. At the present time, the island with its neighbours is suffering from the effects of excessive rains, and in consequence the grass is almost perished. Fodder has to be purchased for the cows in the city markets, but the young crops of sorgrum and lucern look very promising. Mr. H. Blakiston, who owns a considerable portion of the island proved the existence of the Greta coal measures in 1884 by a diamond drill. It was put down 2007ft, and it passed through three distinct seams of coal. All round the islands are large areas of mud flats, which are dry at low water, and it does not take any stretch of imagination to predict the day when the wharves of Newcastle will extend up these channels, which will be deepened and the silt used to reclaim the sand stretches. In the meantime the happy farmers will continue to milk their cows, rear their families, and till the soil oblivious to turmoils of the city whose electric lights they see, and caring not what political question is disturbing the minds of the townsfolk, who under any Government must consume Mosquito Island
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