Wiradjuri Nation: Aaron, Early Settlers, Martial Law, P.2

across the Turon River to the bold granite hill now known as Aaron’s Pass—but Aaron refused to pass this spot - the new land belonging to another tribe. Sadly, Aaron was killed by Aboriginals at the long-water hole at Dabee, near Rylstone at a later date. But at this time, Aaron pointed Blackman in the general direction, and Blackman went on to explore the Cudgegong River region. Blackman followed the Cudgegong River for about 20 miles (42 km) and came to the Burrundulla Swamps, but did not reach the Aboriginal camp at Mudgee, as Lawson did later that year, claiming the discovery of Mudgee for himself.
 
In 1822 Blackman and Lawson traced a route from Wallerawang to Dabee, near Rylstone. Later that year, Lawson returned to Bathurst and persuaded George and Henry Cox of Mulgoa in Sydney to settle the land with him. They agreed between them that Cox would have the land south of the Cudgegong River and Lawson the land north of the river. The first settlement of Mudgee was at ‘The Camping Tree’ on Menah. The tree still sits beside the river on the Wilbertree Road (see map, P.3).
 
Although at first relationships between the white and black people were amicable, soon the early settlers battled with the local Wiradjuri tribes over pastoral grazing land, the settlers wanting the prime land along the Cudgegong River, which was the Wiradjuri home. As settlement escalated in the 1820s, kangaroos and possums, major food sources for the Aboriginal people were slaughtered by the white people and sacred sites were desecrated. There were many massacres in the Mudgee district, most stories of them passed down by local folklore rather than official records. Some of them are listed in the section on massacres following.
 
Martial Law was declared by the Governor  from August 14 to December 11, 1824 by His Excellency Sir Thomas Brisbane, Knight, Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Captain-General in and over His Majesty’s Territory of New South Wales, and any Wiradjuri person could be shot without impunity. Armed settlers patrolled the countryside, murdering the Aboriginal people on sight. The Aboriginal people fought back for their land, many massacres of the white people being in retaliation for the war crimes against them.

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Sources for The Wiradjuri Nation:

http://epress.anu.edu.au/ aborig_history/transgressions/ mobile_devices/ch08s07.html
 
 
www.winbourne.cfc.edu.au
 
www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au
 
www.winbourne.cfc.edu.au/ winbourne%20indigenous%20(2).doc
 
http://scs.une.edu.au/ Bushrangers/governor.htm
Article by Andrew Stackpool.
 
 
The Wiradjuri Story: Aborigines of Henry Lawson Country
By
Mudgee’s Local Historian and Writer
Norman McVicker OAM
 
 
Chimney in the Forest
By
Belle Roberts
 
 
George Cox of Mulgoa and Mudgee: Letters to his sons 1846 – 49.