Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 17/8/1872 (3)
The town of Narrandera then appeared in sight. By the last census, this town and neighbourhood contained 200 persons. Three hotel two stores, a police station, a butcher's shop, and a few old buildings, comprise the town. The largest hotel The Royal. It is fit for a town three times the size; it contains thirty-six rooms. It is well conducted by a excellent hostess, Mrs Phillips. The Riverine Hotel is another good large building, at the western end of the town. It is carried on by Mr Benjamin Bradley The third hotel is The Crown, at the Sydney entrance to the town. This is also a large building, in a good position, and under the management of host Strayfull.
The principal store in Narrandera, adjoins The Royal hotel. It is in every respect, as its name indicates a "Bushman's Store" on the Murrumbidgee. Clothing drapery, ironmongery, grocery, wines and spirits, and all other goods required in the bush, are in stock, in cellars, or above ground at the Bushman's Store. A good business is done by the pushing members of the firm, Max Monash and Company. The other store is kept by Mr Maultby.
There is no court-house in Narrandera, but justice is dispensed, and has been disposed for the past eight years, in the parlour of the Royal Hotel. In the verandah-room of the same building the post-office is carried on under the management like the one at Mundarlo, of a clever young lady. The lock-up is a little brick coop, on the opposite side of the Royal. Its dimensions are 20 feet long by 10 feet wide. There is no school-house at Narrandera, though the brick walls for one were erected four years ago. It is asserted that 40 or 50 pupils can be obtained, so it is to be hoped that the building will soon be completed. Narrandera is an important crossing place, over the Murrumbidgee, to the Melbourne market. Sir James Martin raised the hopes of the people by pointing out Narrandera as the terminus for a southern trunk line of railway.
There is a punt just below the town, but an unfortunate accident occurred there about the time of my visit. A dray, drawn by ten bullocks, and laden with station goods for Messrs M'Neill Bros., North Yanco, was in the act of crossing. All the bullocks were on the punt attached to the dray, when the rope fastening the punt to the shore broke, and the punt drifted into the stream The bullocks drew the loaded dray after them, though the latter was not on the punt. To the horror of every one the dray soon disappeared dragging the poor bullocks in couples under water. The confusion was very great but mercifully the chain was slipped from the hook and eight of the bullocks swam ashore. The two "polers' valuable bullocks, were however drowned. The station goods to the value of £700 or £800 were submerged for some time, but the greater part was ultimately recovered, rather the worse for being under water.
Leaving Narrandera a few comfortable farm-houses, and cultivation fields were passed. The road continued for eight miles further along plains, and fair pastoral country. Turning a little to the right, we came to a place bearing the dreaded name of the Murdering Sandhills, the scene of a terrible crime several years ago Though the particulars elicited at the inquest held at the time, and more recently at the trial of one of the supposed culprits, are fresh in the memory of a few, yet the following narrative of the deed contains many items of painful interest, obtained from reliable authority, and not before published. To many who are against circumstantial evidence it also affords matter for discussion.
About four, five, or six years ago, two brothers named Lewis and John Pohlman, hawkers from Sydney, were travelling up the Murrumbidgee with their dray and two horses, selling goods at the various stations. At most of these they took a good deal of money. One morning the brothers left the Yanco station for Narrandera, fifteen miles distant, with the intention of making that place at night, although camping for dinner on the Sandhill in question. Nothing more was heard of them for several days ; nor was their non-appearance remarked. A boundary rider or stockman belonging to the Yanco station several days after the hawkers had left, in a scrubby place, about a 100 yards from the roadside, came upon a covered cart almost hid from sight in the bushes. Shortly afterwards the hawker's horses were noticed. The stockman then gave the alarm.
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