Research Online @ ECU

Murray, Keith O

English

From oar to diesel on the Swan

Australian Broadcasting Commission

Geography Picture Booklet - 1948 (Western Australia) issued in conjunction with the school broadcast

Unknown,

The Goldfields water supply : the true story of its origin

Dudek, Debra

Grobbelaar, Madalena

Boyd, Elizabeth Reid

Wondering about a love literacy: Unspoken desire in Sarah J. Maas\u27s A Court of Mist and Fury

Calvert, Albert F.

Journal of the Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1896-7 : equipped at the request and expense of Albert F. Calvert, Esq., F.R.G.S., London for the purpose of exploring the remaining blanks of Australia

WA Journal

Edith Cowan University 
Research Online 
Archival Publications Archival Collections 
1847 
Extract of story from WA Journal, re: natives of the Murray River, 
forty miles to the south ward of Swan 
WA Journal 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/archival_pubs 
 Part of the Australian Studies Commons, and the Cultural History Commons 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this document may contain references to people who 
have died. 
This Article is posted at Research Online. 
Edith Cowan University 
Copyright Warning & 
Disclaimer 
The material has been identified as free from known copyright 
restrictions. Other access restrictions may apply specific to your use 
or that the material is subject to other rights. 
You may copy and reuse this material provided you have addressed 
any access restrictions. If in doubt, seek legal advice before copying 
the material.  
Information on copyright status may not be correct if the data in the 
record is incomplete or inaccurate. Edith Cowan University and its 
respective employees and officers have no liability for any costs, 
losses, or damages of any kind, which may incur, arising directly or 
indirectly in relation to or in connection with any material or 
information provided in respect of the material on this website.  
____________________________ 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this 
collection may include images and names of deceased persons. 
All users should be aware that certain words, terms, or descriptions 
may be culturally sensitive or considered inappropriate today, but 
reflect the period in which they were written. 




Extract of story from WA Journal, re: natives of the Murray River, forty miles to the south ward of Swan

Western Australian Journal

Edith Cowan University 
Research Online 
Archival Publications Archival Collections 
1-3-1835 
Extraordinary recovery of a child by the Swan-River Natives 
Western Australian Journal 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/archival_pubs 
 Part of the History Commons, and the Indigenous Studies Commons 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this document may contain references to people who 
have died. 
This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. 
Edith Cowan University 
Copyright Warning & 
Disclaimer 
The material has been identified as free from known copyright 
restrictions. Other access restrictions may apply specific to your use 
or that the material is subject to other rights. 
You may copy and reuse this material provided you have addressed 
any access restrictions. If in doubt, seek legal advice before copying 
the material.  
Information on copyright status may not be correct if the data in the 
record is incomplete or inaccurate. Edith Cowan University and its 
respective employees and officers have no liability for any costs, 
losses, or damages of any kind, which may incur, arising directly or 
indirectly in relation to or in connection with any material or 
information provided in respect of the material on this website.  
____________________________ 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this 
collection may include images and names of deceased persons. 
All users should be aware that certain words, terms, or descriptions 
may be culturally sensitive or considered inappropriate today, but 
reflect the period in which they were written. 
C . 24 .b 
r
being a fri, , nd to t l ie nat iw,, has been appointed to re�ide with such 
of them as may please to l i rn at Mount Eii1,a Rav:. 
3rd .  That the Governor has given a boat for ,their u,e in fishing. 
4th . That when they ha\'<> fish to spare, Mr. Armstrong will help 
them to dispose of it for 1111ur or money. 
5th. That when they are ,i;;k, Mr. Armstrong' wil l  take them to the 
doctor to be cured. 
6th. That they wil l  be ,hewn ho_w to build hl1ts for -themselves. 7 th.  
That as long a,  they behave well  they shall not be molested by any 
one, whether black or white ; and if they are, the Governor will take 
their part. 
8th. That they are to empioy and maintain themselves by fishing, 
or such other work a- :\fr. Armstrong may point out ; and that if 
they do not procure enough for their own supply, they must go 
without.  
9th .  That i f  they l ike to go away from Eliza Bay, they may always 
do so ,  and come back at their plea;ure : but while there thev musi 
be­have well , and do a:; " f r .  Ai-rn5trong· directs them ; and if they 
are not we l l  co . iducted . :\ I,. Arrn,trong will not lei them remain the;·e . 
- F, um t !ir  IV. A .  J11U rnd u/ Dec. ] 3 , 1 834. 
APPEXDIX, No. VIII. 
EXTRA ORDI N A RY RECO V E R)' O; A C tt ! LD J I Y  T H E  i::iWAN-R!VER NATIVE� .  
About half-past se,·eu o'c l0ck on the evening of the I I th u lt . ,  
it was reported to Mr. :\'orcott that one of Mr. Hall's children ,  
a boy, between five and . , i x  years of age , was rniosing, and that 
he had not been se(m m;ce one o'clock on that day, when his 
brother  left him on the hn,ch . looking at some soldiers who were 
fi shing there . TJ, ,, . r; :, , ural conclusion was, tl,at the child ·had 
rni�taken hi,; p:,tb on ,,,.turr. ing home, and  l ,ad wandered into the 
bush . Immediate .,eard, . """" m�de, conceiving that. he could not 
l ,avc, gon r-. - - far f om 1h r: , c· t t\·nwHr ,  urn! wa� kept up fur Lwc, lwu r, , 
i ! i . Jec'.i unt i l. the dark ne - - r,f dw night compelled t l ie p,1rty . to rel i n -
. q , 1 i .,h ii i !  ho1 .•r: nf fiwh:, :; hi1;; A t. four o'clock ihr next mornin::· ,  
,
:-
(.� 
� 
!!} 
8 
l3i 
Mr. Norc�tt, accompanied by Corporal Blyth , of  the 2 1 st regiment, 
_ s;nith;  of the Police, and the two natives, Migo and Molly-dobbin, 
who are _now attached to the Mounted Police Corps, set out to renew 
the search, fully calculating upon finding the little boy in less than an 
hour. They soon oame upon the track where he had been the -pre­
eedin,5 day, and pursued it for some distance to the northward, when 
it w?.s lost to all but the natives, who, notwithstanding the wind had 
· been ·blowing very fre,h, and had rendered -the traces imperceptible to
an unpractised eye , still continued to follow them up, along the beach,
for about four miles ,  when they intimated that he had turned into the
bush. Here they still followed him into an almost impenetrable
thicket, throngh'"lvhich they said he must have crawled on his hand,;
and knee:,. Their progress was now very slow, in consequence of the
1hick hush, and the difficulty of perceiving the track on the loose sand ;
but the acuteness of the natives, who are certainly most astonishing!;
gifted, led them through it, and in about an hour's time they regained
r be beach , the boy ha\ing made a circuit inland of about 400 yard:s-.
The track was now more strongly marked, and was perceptible to the
whole party, continuing so over a space of about five miles, occasion­
ally turning in and out of the bush. . At the end of about nine miles
further the natives were quite at fault, owing to his having left thE­
beach and entered a thicket, which it was with difficulty they couid
push themselves through ; they, however, persevered, and delighte<.:'.
the party, by every now and then crying out, " .Me rneyal geena_ : ·
meaning, " I see the foot-marks ." Mr. Norcott, who was on horse­
back, finding great difficulty in passing through the scrub, took a po-
3ition on a hig·h hill, o,-erlooking the interesting progress of the na­
rivr,;; in the hollow below. They were then making their way throttg�
a perfect mass of matted bush ; and Mr. Norcott informs . us, sueh wa.:­
the apparent difficult:· in tracking the child, that he was about ' t!t
despair of success, when, to his astonishment, · they held up a cap.
which was known to belong to the boy. This circumstance cheered
them in their pursuit, and about half an l10ur afterwards the tradi.
directed them again to the beach. They proceeded until they reached
foe Sand Cliffs, about ten or twelve miles from Clarence; one nafr,,;,
continuing to walk a little ,fay in the bush, in order to be certain tha:
t l i <., boy had not cro&>t<l .  or !eft the · beaeh, and the other remainin?
wilL uie party ofl the beach .  Here it wa, ac;cerLaincd he had ag"lir:
, ,;l;c r, t.o . thE hw; h ,  mid they found n ,_. difficulty in t ra.cking ,him unL
l 
. . . · . . .• ,. 



Extraordinary recovery of a child by the Swan-River Natives

Percy, Reuben

Timbs, John

The Mirror of literature, amusement, and instruction

Edith Cowan University

Not a member yet