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Henry Hellyer Diary
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White Gum

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Large white gum tree on road 2 miles from shore

Table Cape

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Table Cape - we found great opposition from the tide which was running with great rapidity past Table Cape ".

Sassafras

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Sassafras - creeper found today leaves dark green tough ".

Rocky Cape

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Sketch of the map of Rocky Cape - sketch of coast looking eastward from the higher outer hill at Rocky Cape".

Native Cat

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Particulars of a Native Cat killed this morning close to the tent - Tuesday 3rd July 1827 this animal is the largest of the kind I have yet seen it measures 33 inches in length from nose to end of tail".

Lopham Camp

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Lopham camp showing tents, fallen trees and stumps ".

Large mouse or a young rat [pygmy possum]

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Wednesday July 4th - In splitting a log this morning there came out either a large mouse or a young rat it appeared in a dormant state or it was injured in some way as it remained very quietly in my hand while I sketched it off".
[pygmy possum]

Henry Hellyer Diary

  • AU TAS UTAS SPARC R12
  • Collection
  • 1827

This diary, dated 3 July 1827 to 29 August 1827 is entitled: 'H. Hellyer's journal of operations in opening a road from Emu Bay towards the Hampshire Hills'. It is written in an octavo notebook, interleaved with blotting paper, bound in light brown leather, marked 'No.7'. A pencil note inside states: 'H.H.'s diary continued from a memo book opening - lengthwise having yellow edges and green covers and marked No (the number has been omitted). At the bottom of the last entry is a note 'Diary continued in a memo book with green covers and yellow edges marked No .. (opening lengthwise)' (the number has been omitted) The diary is illustrated by neat drawings of animals (eg. 'native cat'), plants, trees, scenery and the camp. At the front are tables of 'the quantity of timber etc. upon one quarter of an acre of heavily timbered land in three different parts of the Forest where the soil is unexceptionable'
In his journal Hellyer noted the weather conditions - they were hampered by rain and their camp was very cold and damp, there were rats and Hellyer was troubled by a sore and inflamed face, but there were sunny days when he commented that 'this climate is certainly far superior, it is never so cold and seldom so hot as the Dog days in England'. He described the timber, dogwood interspersed with Forest Trees of stringy bark, blackwood, etc. - one tree was sixty feet in circumference. The clearing work was done mainly with axe and cross cut saw and occasionally a pile of logs too difficult to move was burnt. Hellyer calculated that it could cost as much as £93 in labour to clear 21 acres. The work men mentioned included Richard Frederick, who seems to have acted as second in command, Jones the cook, Harley, McDonald, Wells, Higginson, Isaac, and Mackie. They lived mainly on salt pork, brought from England in the Company's supply ship, and dough boys (flour and water boiled hard). The men would not eat salt mutton even when it was available. Supplies were very short as the expected ship had not arrived and on 14 August Hellyer wrote to Edward Curr the V.D.L. Company manager complaining of the arrangements for supplies for they were reduced to flour only and they could not work on that. On one occasion Hellyer went back in the 'long boat' to Circular Head for supplies and described the coast, a cavern, grass tree hearts which he found tasted like walnuts, and pieces of the wreck of the Dotterel (wrecked in March 1827 off Port Dalrymple) which they found. At Circular Head he obtained stores from Mr White, paint from Mr Watson arid medicines from Dr. McNab. He noted that the sheep had foot rot, that the freemen [of the Company ] had been on strike owing to the lack of supplies and that ten of the Company's servants, including the prisoner White, had drowned since March.

Henry Hellyer

Fern Tree

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Fern Tree - I measured today the largest fern tree I have yet seen, a vast umbrella 30ft in diameter, leaves 14ft long by 4ft wide, the trunk is a beautiful column covered with moss ".

Diver

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " A Diver was killed this afternoon by a stone thrown at it and after some persistence it was bought ashore. Beak a little convex, this birds measures 20 inches from tip to tip of wings ".

Clear Ridge Hill

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - " Map of Clear Ridge Hill showing cascade Creek and Emu River and camp August 4th and end of road now cut ".

Cavern Rock

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - "The Cavern Rock at Rocky Cape looking east, proceeded with caution expecting the natives might be there".

Big log

Illustration from Henry Hellyers diary - entry for Saturday August 11th "had some enormous logs to roll out of the way"