The Argus at KellyGang 13/9/1883
SETTLEMENT IN THE KELLY COUNTRY
(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER)
The King River takes its rise in the Wombat Ranges near Mansfield, and flows almost directly north to Wangaratta where it joins the Ovens. It traverses a country which has for many years been associated in the public mind with cattle-duffing horse stealing and bushranging. In it as in most parts of the picturesque North Eastern district, the robber found the means of gratifying his rapacity, as also safe places of retreat and concealment. A thickly timbered mountain range on the right hand side has a bald headed peak called "Morgans" lookout and a few miles south-ward is a gully or gap which is called after the highwayman Power, who is passing the remnant of his days in Pentridge Stockade.
Later still in the time of the Kelly gang the valley of the King was looked upon us an uncanny place, and its industrious settlers had not only to live in dread of the young outlaws but had to bear the odium of being classed with the sympathisers of the gang. Quietude and a feeling of security has now been restored to the North Eastern district and agricultural settlement has acquired a new impetus along the King River, and what the farmers there are now most interested in is obtaining railway facilities for the conveyance of their produce to market.
At the invitation of the Moyhu Railway League Mr Graves M L A started on Saturday for a three days trip to the Upper King. He had first to hear the views of the league stated in public meeting assembled at Moyhu and had afterwards to be driven further up the King than ever he had been before so that as member for the district he might be able from personal knowledge to speak of the goodness of the land. Mr Craves was accompanied on the trip by an Argus reporter.
Arriving by the morning train at Glenrowan we found waiting for us there three members of the league and a buggy with three well bred fleet little horses for our journey across country. A great change has taken place within the last two years at Glenrowan. The station building has been enlarged and improved and the platform fenced in. The hotel which was burned down in the light with the Kelly gang has been replaced by a house which in general appearance is a counterpart of the old building. The size and shape of the structure are the same and even the signboard in the left front of the building is not omitted but for the words "Glenrowan Hotel" are substituted "Glenrowan Police Station." Having captured the position after a 24 hours fight it was only in accordance with the usages of war that the police as the conquerors should remain in possession. It appears however that the new building has been erected by the old proprietor, Mrs Jones who has let it to the police at a rental of £1 per week.
Between the police barracks and the place where Ned Kelly fell, three new cottages have been built, and in addition to two hotels on the opposite side of the line the village has been enlarged by the opening of two new stores, a butcher's shop a baker's shop and a smithy. There is consequently quite an air of prosperity about the little place which was so recently the scene of one of the most tragic occurrences that ever happened in this colony.
Starting away at a rattling pace we skirted the hill which stands between Glenrowan and Greta and bowled along a bush road to Moyhu. The members of the league explained that what they desired was a railway line from Glenrowan to Moyhu that the Minister of Railways had already caused two flying surveys to be made-one via Greta and the other trending further north. They were in favour of the Greta route over which we were now driven the country looked splendid. On either hand large cultivation paddocks opened up to view, and in the timbered parts the dullness of the gums was relieved by the golden blossom of wattle trees.
The wheat paddocks of Mr R Hughes (l50 acres) Mr G Moore (150 acres) Mr J L Whitty (200 acres) Mr W Lewis (200 acres), and Mr Evan Evans (400 acres) attracted special attention. Moyhu is exactly 13¾ miles from Glenrowan, and is a village consisting of a post office, two publichouses, two stores, a black smith's shop and a state school, and its population consists of about 50 souls. It is a central place. The valleys of the Upper King the Running Creek the Meadow Creek and the Boggy Creek all converge on Moyhu and here also is the monthly rendezvous of the mounted police patrols. The produce if the district is at present all carted to Wangaratta some l8 miles north by west and as the Wangaratta people wish to retain the trade they advocate a railway to Moyhu, starting from their town, and are strongly opposed to the Glenrowan via Greta route.
The meeting convened by the league was attended by about 100 persons, and was held in a bark building at the rear of Lewis’s Hotel. Several gentlemen from Wangaratta including Mr Meldrum the mayor were present at the invitation of Mr A Byrne the secretary of the league Mr M Lewis, the hotelkeeper and president of the league occupied the chair. Mr Graves who met with a very cordial reception expressed the warmest sympathy with their desire for a railway, and explained that the main object of his visit was to ascertain what particular route would accommodate the greatest number of the settlers. For two hours speeches of a more or less enlightening and argumentative character were delivered, the Moyhu people contending that the Greta and Glenrowan line was the one which would best meet the interests of the district whilst the representatives of Wangaratta and one or two settlers from the Upper King advocated a line from Wangaratta.
All were agreed that the terminus of the branch should be at Moyhu. The arguments in favour of the Glenrowan route were that it would be shorter would give a more direct access to the Melbourne market and would save the extra mileage which would be involved by going through Wangaratta. There were no engineering difficulties in the way and the land would cost nothing as the line could be taken along a public road.
It was contended on the other hand, that Wangaratta was the market town for the King River district, that the bulk of the produce went north to Riverina, that as Glenrowan could not be a terminal station the produce would have to pass through it to Benalla or Wangaratta, and that there was a large settlement between Wangaratta and Moyhu which required railway facilities Mr A Byrne moved, and Mr John Lewis seconded "That this meeting is in favour of the Greta and Glenrowan route." The Wangaratta gentlemen continued to urge their views, and the chairman, in a moment of irritation, characterised their conduct as "low and mean" where at they were offended and withdrew. The motion was then carried, and the meeting terminated with votes of thanks to Mr Graves, the chairman and the secretary.
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