DISCOVERY of Mackay Queensland

The Discovery of Mackay, Queensland

In the year 1859 a sturdy young Scotchman was trying his luck as a digger at the Rocky Creek gold fields near Armidale in New South Wales where he met several young men who were following pastoral pursuits in that vicinity. John Mackay's magnetic personality quickly attracted attention and his camp became the rendezvous for a group of young men, who were fired with enthusiasm about the bright prospects of making easy money by taking up land in Queensland.

At that time many squatters were pushing their way northward, and John Mackay's love of adventure induced him to accept the leadership of a small party who wished to try their luck in the northern wilds. The party consisted of two Australians, Robinson and Murray, an Irishman named Macrossan, an Italian named Barberi, and an Aborigine named Duke. The 21-year-old John Mackay assembled the party at Armidale where 28 horses and the necessary supplies for the journey were procured. Leaving Armidale on the 16th January, 1860, Mackay led his party straight to Rockhampton which was then the starting point of many land hunting expeditions.

Leaving Rockhampton on March 16th, 1860, they travelled along the Fitzroy to Yaamba, where the horses stampeded. causing the loss of the sextant. Crossing the river at Yaamba, Mackay's party met a party of Victorians who were going west in search of pastoral country. Striking west from Marlborough, they ran into a tribe of hostile blacks, whom they quickly dispersed by firing shots over their heads. Continuing across the range in a westerly direction, they came across the Isaacs River which they followed through excellent sheep country only to find, from the markings on trees, that it had already been taken up by a party that had left Rockhampton two months previously. Proceeding further in a north-easterly direction, the party came upon the Burdekin River and there, too, they found that the best of the country had already been taken.

With supplies dwindling, they decided to retrace their steps and have a look at what was then an immense expanse of unknown country between the watersheds of the Burdekin and the Isaacs Rivers, and extending eastward to the sea. Leichhardt had noted here: "The heads of a large river supposed to flow into the sea near Repulse Bay."

Travelling for three weeks in a south-easterly direction, their progress was impeded by wet weather, and on May 16th, the party reached the summit of the main coast range. Continuing south-east towards a gap in the range they came upon a large stony creek (Bells Creek) running eastward which brought them to--and here we quote from John Mackay's diary: "A bold deep river with well defined banks, the landscapes on both sides being rendered picturesque by clumps of palms which, with their tall erect stems and feathery crowns, appeared like sentinel giants keeping watch over the surrounding expanse of rich tropical vegetation and which, embellished with the rich and variegated foliage of the tropics, presented to us on the whole a scene and landscape unlike anything we had hitherto seen on our travels. Having confirmed our belief of its being a new discovery, Macrossan suggested it should be called Mackay River, to which the others readily assented."

Heading east-north-east, the party travelled over what Mackay described as "rich black soil flats, timbered with Bloodwood, Ironbark and Moreton Bay Ash with clumps of immense Ti-trees." Continuing along the river to its mouth and marking conspicuous trees on both banks, they were suddenly confronted with five sable warriors armed with heavy clubs and the longest spears they had ever seen. A shot from Mackay's gun caused them to disperse. Mackay's diary goes on to describe the shortage of food which was overcome by shooting kangaroos and scrub turkeys, and by gathering a quantity of cherry-like fruit. Illness broke out amongst the party and on the return journey the Aborgine, Duke, fell dead from his horse at Bells Creek where the party rested for a week to revive the other stricken men

The party arrived back in Rockhampton July 10th and after disposing of their horses and equipment and tendering for the blocks of land in accordance with the Crown Lands regulations, they sailed for Brisbane on the S.S. Tamior. Returning to Armidale, they were notified that their tenders for the Mackay River country had been accepted and they were given nine months in which to stock up.

Mackay succeeded in obtaining 1200 head of mixed cattle, 50 horses, two teams of bullocks, drays, etc., which, with a party of 4 stockmen, 2 bullock drivers, a cook, earpenter, and 2 aboriginals, he drove from Armidale on 26th July, 1861, and after an adventurous journey, reached Mackay River On the 4th January, 1862. By the end of March a head station had been firmly established at Greenmount, some 12 miles from the mouth of the river, where two uncharted islands (Flat Top and Round Top) were discovered. The blacks again attacked from the edge of the scrub, one spear penetrating Mackay's valise, but a few shots soon dispersed them.

By April, supplies had considerably diminished, and the end of May found them without tobacco, salt or sugar. Their supplies should have arrived by steamer from Rockhampton in March but it was June 29th before the cutter "Presto" moored in the river. It appears that the vessel had come north at the appointed time, but passed the mouth of the river and anchored near Slade Point where, in a skirmish with the blacks, one of the crew and a passenger named Roberts were killed on the beach. The vessel thereupon returned to Rockhampton. As Mackay's charter had expired, hc engaged the vessel at £8 per day for two days to make a survey of the river. He forwarded to the Crown Lands Offlce a correct sketch of the entrances of the river, and Mackay was thereupon declared a Port of Entry.

John Mackay was a man of great natural ability. Good bushman as he was, his talents did not end there, for he was able to make a chart of our very difflcult and intricate river mouth, Upon which shipmasters could depend in navigating the channel. With all his great talent he was a great leader, and it is remarkable that his great pioneering work is not more generally and tangibly recognised. Perhaps it is because he lived in an age of truly great men, of sturdy pioneers, of hardy men and courageous women, who blazed the trail and laid the foundations of our present greatness.

Of these early settlers, let John Mackay's diary again enlighten us: "When I left Greenmount, Messrs. Ridland and Henderson were awaiting the arrival of building material and stores wherewith to commence business. Mr. James Ready and family, who came out with Spencer, followed shortly afterwards; so that I have no hesitation in rightfully designating these gentlemen the fathers of the hamlet. Mrs. Ready was assuredly the first white woman in the district, and many of the early pioneers now scattered far and wide must retain a grateful remembrance of the kindness and attention she so unsparingly dispensed to fever-stricken bushmen.

"Leaving for Rockhampton early in September, I met on Denison Creek, Messrs. Ross and Muggleton with a mob of cattle, the property of Mr. John Cook of Tamworth, New South Wales. They were in search of a block of country purchased from a Mr. John Allingham somewhere on the coast. I sold them the leasehold of the run opposite Greenmount on the north side of the Mackay River. This is the run which ever since has been in the possession of Mr. John Cook, known as Balnagowan. Some time afterwards Commodore Burnett visited the Queensland coast in H.M.S. Pioneer and, observing that a river named Mackay flowed into Rockingham Bay, suggested that, to avoid geographical mistakes, our discovery should be named 'Pioneer River,' in honour of that ship's visit to Mackay. Kind friends pointed out the injustice of such a proposal and were informed the Queensland Government intended naming the town then being surveyed on its bank 'Mackay'.

"Here ends my connection with Mackay which I did not again see until 1883, when landing from the steamer I found myself a stranger in the land. Gazing round, I saw on a plot, familiar to me in days of yore as an area fringed with mangrove swamp, an embryo city with well formed streets and stately buildings, while the background was studded with handsome villas overlooking well tilled fields of sugar-cane as far as the eye could see."

And so ends the story of the discovery of Mackay.