Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 8/6/1872
A Tour to the South.
[BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT]
DENILIQUIN TO ECHUCA.
DENILIQUIN is about fifty miles from Echuca, on the Murray, to which pince a line of railway runs from Melbourne. The whole distance from Deniliquin to Echuca being over level country, the construction of a railway line has been strongly agitated. The cost has been estimated at £120,00. It is said that a private company would have been formed long ago, but the Government would not listen to the proposition for a transfer of the land, through which the railway would pass.
I left my horse at Deniliquin and took the coach to Echuca. The country was most uninteresting the whole distance. We started from the Royal Hotel at 9 o'clock in the morning. The first stage was nine miles, which was accomplished in un hour and ten minutes. Between the township and the end of the stage over the plains, we passed the vast properties of Taylor, a personage of considerable notoriety. Taylor and Deniliquin were almost synonymous some years ago. He built the Royal Hotel, an engraving of which was given in your last issue. Taylor was great at money-making in the good old times. The story is well known regarding the difficulty in crossing the Edward River, which could only be done by special favour of Taylor-and the use of his punt. A pound fare was charged for crossing, subject to being doubled by any procrastination, grumbling, or want of immediate und cheerful acceptance of the terms.
Leaving '" the hill plain," a roadside inn which was passed at the end of t fourteen miles, we came to Mathoura . The hotel here is called the Red Bank, kept by Mr Henry Burton , the well-known proprietor of "Burton's Circus." Mr Burton has a most comfortable home, and besides paddocks, a capital orchard of four acres adjoins the house. The post-office and store are opposite.
The apparent barrenness of the country through which we passed was at this time very great. For many miles not a blade of grass was to be seen; and the ground was cracked and quite bare of almost all herbage. Even the thistles were parched up. This apathy illustrates the variations of the Riverina climate. It is either feast or famine. People who have visited it in other times tell of waving meadow-land for hundreds of miles ; and the coachman spoke of the grass being over the wheels of the coach. How the sheep lived on the land we passed through was a mystery. Water was scarce, as equally grass.
About nine miles from Mathoura we came to Moira, where we again changed horses at the public-house. About a quarter of a mile from the inn is the Moira . home-station. Moira run is the properly of the Hon John O'Shaughnessy, a celebrated Victorian politician. Mr O'Shaughnessy owns the whole of the land between Moira and Moama, or about twenty-five miles road frontage.
Moama is in New South Wales, and Echuca on the opposite bank, though lower down the Murray in Victoria. Moama is a scattered deserted looking place with a few large brick untenanted buildings. The population is about 150, and there are a few hotels and stores, a court-house, post and telegraphic offices, and Public School. George Maunsell, Esq., is the police magistrate; he also undertakes the duty of Crown Lands agent. The best thing about Moama is the Public School; for the inhabitants have been fortunate in securing the services of an accomplished teacher -Miss Trainor, who gives general satisfaction. About thirty pupils are in attendance, and it is now found necessary to commence the erection of a larger and better building for school purposes. Nearly opposite the post-office is the Moama punt, where cattle are crossed to Victoria.
, .1. , .2. ,.3. , .4. , .5. ,
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
