By JEFF STARKEY
IT has been walked around, run past and occasionally stared at, but mostly ignored. For 100 years, it has stood like a silent sentinel watching the hundreds of vehicles travel over ‘Burtons Bridge’, staring down a bitumen road which was once known by locals as the Hume Highway or the Old Sydney Road.
On a mild Thursday in November 1924, the scene at the cairn was vastly different. Over 1000 people had assembled. A sumptuous meal had been provided at the Seven Creeks Hotel where glasses were raised to the king and visitors honoured. Among their number was a knight of the realm from Melbourne, Sir James Barrett, an ophthalmologist. A truck with seats on its tray was parked opposite the soon to be unveiled cairn. The seats were occupied by Sir James, Euroa Shire councillors and other dignitaries.
This was not a spontaneous gathering. Months prior, meetings had been held, not only at Euroa but also at Balmattum and Violet Town, all focused on deciding how best to celebrate the Hume and Hovell expedition. An official party had for three days toured the southward and northward routes taken by the explorers, unveiling 25 cairns and memorials between the Murray River and Seymour, including some of the members of this party who sat on the tray along with locals.
In 1824, Hamilton Hume and William Hovell led an expedition of discovery to find new grazing land for the colony at Sydney, and to find an answer to the mystery of where the New South Wales western rivers flowed. The party consisted of eight people: three servants each for Hume and Hovell, plus five bullocks, three horses and two carts. It left Lake George on October 17 and a month later came to a fine river which Hume named after his father, later to be called the Murray. The party first saw their destination, Corio Bay, on December 16. Two days later they headed back to Sydney. They soon crossed the Goulburn River, probably at what is now Seymour.
Latest Stories
The party passed through this region in late December. According to the date on the cairn at Burton’s Bridge, this was December 29, 1824.
The following account is recorded in "Journey of Discovery to Port Phillip" by Messrs W.H. Hovell and Hamilton Hume, from 1824 and 1825, transcribed by W Bland.
• Monday, December 27 — the country in general level, but not fine, studded here and there with the Cow-pasture-box, stringy-bark, and the blue-gum, but which were neither numerous nor large. Towards the west, a fine country like that of yesterday.
• Tuesday, December 28 — Thermometer, at noon, in the shade, 86. Route N E. about fifteen miles over good land, scantily wooded, and intersected here and there, by ponds and small streams. The horizon from W. to N E. a perfect level, with but one hill observable in all that distance. Ranges still terminating abruptly on their right (towards the S E.)
• Wednesday, December 29 — Their course to-day was about N E., 15 or 16 miles over a level forest, with here and there a small creek, flowing towards the N W. The soil excellent, and the trees numerous, a stunted species of blue gum.
• Thursday, December 30 — Weather warm, they travel about 20 miles N E., traverse a very high barren collateral range, extending nearly due N. and by W., from which they obtain a distinct view of that remarkable mountain, named, from its peculiar configuration, Mount Buffalo.
The expedition had no impact on the region, nor on the establishment of Violet Town, Longwood and Euroa. Another explorer, Thomas Mitchell, was to have a more direct impact.
The stone for the cairn was from Longwood East, donated by Mrs Tubb. Sir James Barrett unveiled the monument, ‘God save the King’ was sung and everyone enjoyed a ‘monster’ picnic held by the banks of the Sevens Creek.
Now, 200 years after Hume and Hovell passed through the region, the event has scarcely raised an eyebrow. Why?
