The Petition of Daniel Hart Daniel Hart's petition, reproduced here in full, in the exact

form in which it was written, was sent to the Governor in 1884. ' Hart hoped to obtain some form of reward in either cash or land, for the personal effort he felt he had put into opening up the Mossman-Port Douglas area to European settlement. He appears to have been the first permanent occupant of land on the Mossman River ,̂ and his selection now forms part of the Town of Mossman.

His petition did not evince any response from the Colonial Government. It reached the Colonial Secretary, Samuel Griffith ^ who minuted on 20 February 1885 :

I am unable to recommend that any action be taken upon this petition.

Although it was unsuccessful in its original intent. Hart's petition provides an interesting insight into an aspect of the European penetration of North Queensland.

To His Excellency

Sir Anthony Musgrave K.C.M.G. The Governor in Council Of the Colony of Queensland

I, Your Petitioner, Daniel Hart, being a British Subject, a native of The West Indies, and a selector on the Mossman River in the Colony of Queensland, Humbly place before Your Excellency in Council the following facts, the fullest details of which can at any time be submitted to Your Excellency, together — if necessary — with numerous signatures from Cairns and Cooktown as well as this large district.

1. About June 1874 Your Petitioner organized a party of eight (8) men at Cooktown with himself as leader, for the purpose of exploring for Sugar Lands, Cedar and Minerals.

2. They first thoroughly explored the Right and Left Branches of the Johnstone River, finding magnificent sugar land and plenty of cedar.

3. They then crossed to the Mulgrave River and found excellent land and cedar in abundance for 20 or 30 miles up the Right Branch, and good land and a quantity of kauri pine — of which they took samples for exhibition — up the Left Branch

4. They passed the sites of the two towns now known respec­tively as Cairns and Port Douglas, finding nothing to en­courage them

5. They then reached, ascended and thoroughly prospected the Mossman River, discovering abundance of cedar and excellent sugar land

6. They next discovered the mouth of the Daintree River, which they explored thoroughly with the most satisfactory results both as to land and cedar.

7. After a careful search, they were unable to find anything which they thought payable either on the Bloomfield River, or on that which discharges itself into Weary Bay

8. They discovered further North a Creek near a prominent Headland; from there they ascended the Range and found a little scrub and plenty of good forest land, all of which has since been selected.

9. On returning to Cooktown, Your Petitioner made a full report to Warden Somerset

10. Your Petitioner then organised a party of cedar-getters to go to the Mossman, and himself returned to the Daintree with another party.

11. Both these expeditions were broken up in consequence of all hands except Your Petitioner, taking the fever, two of them dying in Cooktown hospital

12. Two other parties were organized by Mr. O'Grady and Captain Phillips respectively, upon Your Petitioners rep­resentation. Two men of O'Gradys party were speared and conveyed to hospital by Your Petitioner

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13. After recovering from a severe attack of fever your petitioner organized another party and with difficulty obtained a cargo of cedar on the Mossman which was shipped to Sydney through the Bank of New South Wales in the Brig "Ariel" — Captain Brady — The venture was not sufficiently profitable and the party broke up

14. Your Petitioner organized another party and took charge of six (6) Kanakas to get cedar on the Mossman. Owing to the failure of your petitioners new partners, this his fourth ex­pedition since the original explorations, fell through, yielding no returns.

15. Your Petitioner remained on the river alone and began clearing scrub and planting and sowing such seeds and roots as he had by him; living by his gun, and carrying his life in his hand.

16. Various other parties of cedar getters began to arrive, and shortly afterwards both rivers were monopolised by Melbourne cedar speculators, and the whole of the country explored, opened up, and persistently advertised by your petioner and those whom he had persuaded to join him, besides large areas of adjacent lands to which attention was thus drawn is now selected, thus fully endorsing his repeatedly expressed opinion as to their value for sugar growing

17. After repeated fruitless applications to Cooktown and the newly formed township of Cairns, Your Petitioners applica­tion for a Homestead Selection on the ground he had chosen, was granted by Mr. E. Morey the land commissioner of the still younger district of Port Douglas, and he became the Pioneer Selector, as he had been the Pioneer Cedar-getter and Discoverer on these Rivers

18. This land is now freehold. About January 1877 Your Petitioner became, and still is, a member of the Acclimatisa­tion Society. He has, through Mr. Bernays and others received many plants and seeds which have enabled him to prove the suitability of this soil and climate for the profitable production of the various varieties of sugar cane, coffee, cinnamon, nut­megs, tobacco, ginger, oranges, mangos, jeremiah, coca nuts and many other plants and fruits

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19. Your Petitioner has in his turn distributed many plants and seeds — most of which have proved successful — amongst his neighbours.

20. Your Petitioner would Humbly draw Your Excellencys at­tention to the circumstance that during the last ten years in which your Petitioner so materially conducted to the utilisation of these resources, many millions of feet of cedar have been sent to Victoria and elsewhere, paying Export Duty, and attracting large sums of money to the Colony

21. Further, that substantial recognition of somewhat similar services, no greater in degree, has been granted to others by the Queensland Government

I, Your Petitioner therefore, in consideration of the foregoing, and of my advancing years, and limited means most Humbly Pray Your Excellency with the advice of your Honorable Council, that you will graciously pay attention to my case, and grant me such recognition either pecuniary or landed, as you may see fit.

And Your Petioner as in duty bound, will ever pray

Daniel Hart Port Douglas December 13, 1884.

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History of the Explorations organized and led by Daniel Hart at present

Selector on the Mossman River

About June 1874 Daniel Hart, a native of the West Indies, organized a party consisting of seven other men, viz W. Wilson, Borrell, W. Sutherland, Cornish, Bob , and Jim , with himself as leader, with the intention of Exploring for Sugar Lands, Cedar and Minerals.

They started from Cooktown and commenced operations at the Johnston River, where they saw a number of "initialed" trees, which they supposed to be the initials of Dalrymple, "^ Hill ^ and Inspector Johnston '

Prior to starting for the Johnston River, Hart saw in the news­papers, an account of Mr. Hill having discovered a large cedar tree at the Johnston, (out of which he had taken a chip for Ex­hibition ), ^ on the right branch from the Coast

Hart and his party went up this Branch, as far as they could get with an open boat. They discovered a lot of cedar up this Branch, and magnificent sugar land. Then went in search of the Cedar tree reported by Hill, and found it After prospecting the Right, they went up the Left Branch and explored as far as they could, having left the boat under the protection of some of their party, at a deserted native camp on the left bank. Camped at the extreme point for a few days. Returned, and camped on Fitzroy Island for 2 days. On the left bank discovered good sugar land and cedar. Crossed to the Mulgrave Went up the right branch of that river for about 20 or 30 miles, leaving the boat about half way, under guard as usual Found good land all the way, and plenty of cedar Returned to the mouth of the river, and started up the left hand branch Discovered a lot of Kauri pine close to the beach, and took specimens to exhibit in Cooktown

Followed this branch for six miles, when the boat was staved in, but it having been provided that a carpenter should form one of the party, the cargo was landed, they camped for the night, and the boat was repaired

The following morning at seven o'clock they were attacked by about 150 Aboriginals.

The party was fortunately well armed, and were on the left bank, the natives being on the right bank of the river which at this point was about twenty yards wide

The spears came in showers, but luckily all from one direction so that the explorers were able to watch and avoid them.

After about three quarters of an hours fighting the natives dis­persed. Hart and his companions then breakfasted and went two miles further up the river. They then camped for two days, explored that part of the Country, and started back to Fitzroy Island.

After remaining on this Island for one night they proceeded along the coast to the point now known as Cairns

They entered the bay, and examined it, but seeing that it was all low mangrove country turned back and went to Double Island, where they camped for the night

After breakfast next morning they went ashore on the mainland, and prospected the neighbourhood for five or six hours, but found no encouragement so returning to Double Island, camped there for the night

Early next morning they proceeded in a northerly direction, and, passing the mouth of the Mowbray river, reached Island Point where the town of Port Douglas now stands, and pulled up the Inlet at about 6.0 p.m. About the point where the powder magazine is now situated they noticed smoke

Shortly afterwards they sighted about eight native canoes.

The aboriginals were busily engaged cooking fish, and numbered about fifty, including gins and children

Directly they sighted the explorers the natives ran into the mangroves, and the party took possession of their camp, and confiscated a large quantity of shell and other fish which they found there, half cooked, and on which they supped.

They then camped there, and went Northwards early next morning; proceeding along the coast they reached the mouth of the Mossman river, on the shore of which they noticed chips, apparently made by an axe, and concluded that there had been wbite men about there at some time

After pulling up the river for about two miles, abreast of what is now known as Watsons selection * they camped, and next morning after breakfast discovered straggling cedar on the banks.

They then pulled up as far as the fine selection now held by Mr. R. O. Jones, ' where they found a lot of cedar. From this point up to the Messrs Bernetts present selection ^° cedar was very abundant.

The party camped at the latter point, and returning next morning to the mouth of the river, coasted northwards, and discovered the mouth of the Daintree.

D. Hart was not aware until his return to Cooktown, that these rivers had previously been named by Captain Moresby, '̂ the Government Explorer, who however had not explored beyond the mouth.

On entering the Daintree the party saw numbers of aboriginals on the left bank, and they proceeded up the Right branch and camped

The natives appeared to be peaceable, and motioned to the explorers to come over to them; they declined, and commenced to get their supper, when, at about 5 p.m. five natives pulled over to them in their canoe. As they appeared to be peaceably disposed, they were invited to join the party at supper.

After supper Hart and his companions examined the canoe, and finding that it was built of cedar enquired by signs if there was more cedar up the river . . . The natives gave them to understand that there was.

Next morning, the prospectors pulled up the river to the point now occupied by the house of Mr. John Stewart ' ^ near the junction of the right and left branch. They here left the boat under guard, and explored both branches, discovering excellent sugar land and abundance of cedar. They then returned to the mouth of the river, and again followed the coast northwards, "rhey reached Bloomfield River at night, and camped

The next morning they followed the river up as far as the Falls.— and in doing so saw limbs and trunks of cedar floating down, so

Page Twenty-four Queensland Heritage

proceeded past the various falls, after again leaving their boat in charge of some of their party, as the natives were very numerous.

They found nothing payable, and returned to camp that evening.

The following morning after returning to the coast, they shortly reached Weary Bay, and ascending the river which empties itself therein, as far as they could with the boat, they again left it in charge, went inland, and after finding but one large cedar tree during the day, returned to the boat and camped.

Next morning they regained the coast, and proceeding further north, came to a small creek and headland. Here they left their boat under a strong guard, as the natives were worse and more numerous than they had yet found them, and ascended the Range, where they discovered plenty of forest land and a little scrub.

All these lands have since been taken up.

Hart and party returned to the boat and camped, starting next morning after breakfast they reached Cooktown about seven o'clock that evening

On arrival in Cooktown, Hart and his party interviewed Mr. Warden Somerset, and made a full report to him.

Dan. Hart then organised a second party in addition to the first, bought a larger boat and taking charge of the new boat proceeded to the Daintree with a crew who were engaged for one month to fall cedar, whilst the other boat with a fresh hand, as Harts substitute proceeded to the Mossman

Before the end of the month every man in Daintree was sick with fever. Hart managed to get them back to Cooktown and into the hospital, before they were too bad to travel. All this party recovered.

All the Mossman party, consisting of eight men, were sick, and all went to hospital

Two out of their number to wit Burrell and Peter Farris (the latter being Harts substitute) died in the Cooktown hospital.

The Mossman party now broke up

Hart then engaged a fresh crew for the Daintree

About this time, from information received from Hart and party. Captain Phillips organized a timber party, and O'Grady with another party also went to the Daintree. Two of O'Gradys party were speared, and Hart took them to Cooktown in his yacht.

He himself then returned and took the fever, becoming delirius.

O'Gradys party took him from the Daintree to Cooktown hospital.

Hart then gave up the Daintree interest to Cleve and Henriquez who were his former partners for the Daintree, on account of his sickness

On his recovery. Hart organized another party to wit. Page, George Pritchell, "German Harry", "Old Alick" and two Mauritius natives; they bought a boat and three months provisions amongst them

With very great difficulty they obtained a cargo of cedar at the Mossman; they returned to Cooktown, and, through the Bank of New South Wales engaged the brig "Ariel" Captain Brady, to take the cargo to Sydney.

From that cargo they realised £11 each, after paying all expenses.

The cargo was "sold to deliver" in Sydney. The party not being satisfied with the result of their labor and enterprise, broke up, and the boat and tools were sold.

Hart next organized another party in company with Grey and Tait who were to provide fresh outfit whilst Hart was to receive one third the net profits for managing the venture.

Hart started for the Mossman River in charge of six newly arrived Kanakas, unused to work. Sometime afterwards a boat was sent to Cooktown for provisions, but failed to return through bad weather.

A special boat was subsequently sent from Cooktown to bring the party back, as. Harts partners having become unfortunate in busi­ness, this special partnership had to fall through and the trip be­came an entire failure.

Hart remained on the Mossman alone with plenty of firearms and ammunition, some maize, cabbage seed and a few yam seeds obtained from some Kanakas when in Brisbane; these he sowed he also was fortunate enough to find some sweet potatoes which he planted, and thus managed to exist. Hart was astonished and pleased one morning to hear a boat coming up the river. Captain McGhie and another gentleman — a cedar speculator — and two hired men. Hart thought this was on a Friday but was told that it was Wednesday.

Captain McGhie kindly sent back to his vessel for beef and salt, and left Hart very comfortable About a week afterwards a party of cedar getters were sent to the Mossman by Mr. Freshney, with Mr. Blair in charge; they camped where Mr. R. O. Jones' house now stands, and amongst their party were Page and two men whom Hart had known in Maryborough. They came to Harts camp and hailed him (as they knew he was there), their camp being a mile from Harts, however, they sent back to their camp for a supply of beef for him.

Immediately after this the Daintree and Mossman Rivers were monopolised by Melbourne Capitalists and the whole of the country explored by Hart, and his party and which he so per­sistently advertised and opened up to the public is now selected, besides large areas of adjoining lands to which attention was thus drawn, thus fully endorsing his expressed opinion, as to their value for sugar growing, based as that opinion was upon a life­long knowledge of the subject, obtained in the West-Indies

Having, by this time got a nice little clearing in what he con­sidered the best part of the river, finding that his cedar work was completed, that the district was getting populated, and that he could then get communication with the rest of the world. Hart decided to make application to take up some land.

His first application was made in Cooktown, and refused, as he could not define the District in which the land was situated.

Some time afterwards one Ned Lee arrived with cedar getters and provisions for Freshneys party, and informed Hart that Cairns was proclaimed a Township — Hart told Lee that he had accumulated eight bags of maize, and Lee offered to take them to Cairns for four of the bags. Hart then accompanied him to Cairns, and sold the corn to the first man he met, viz Police Inspector Clohesy for £1 per bag.

He returned to the Mossman in a cutter of Freshneys which happened to be in Cairns at the time.

On his return he again, at the first opportunity made his application for land, this time to the Land Commissioner at Cairns.

Hart received a reply to the effect that there would shortly be a Land Commissioner at Port Douglas and that he would receive the application. Port Douglas was, about this time, proclaimed a township.

Hart subsequently applied to E. Morey Esqre Police Magistrate and Land Commissioner, and obtained his Homestead selection '^

Port Douglas then became a good market for his produce, and continued so until the influx of chinese competition when the market was ruined for him, as cabbages were popping and bursting day and night, and other splendid produce spoiling because there was no sale for them.

About this time or say January 1877 Hart became a member of the Acclimatisation Society, and has continued so ever since. He has received many plants and seeds through Mr. Bernays *̂ and is still obtaining them when required, with the object of testing and proving the suitability of the soil and climate to the profitable production of such crops as the various varieties of Sugar cane, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, mango, jeremiah, '^ tobacco, cocoa nuts and many other plants and fruits. "

He has distributed many plants and seeds amongst his neighbours, most of which have proved successful, and is still distributing to all those who ask him.

Queensland Heritage Page Twenty-fi\

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ENDNOTES

1. Daniel Hart to the Governor of Queensland, 13 December 1885. [Queensland State Archives, COL/A411, in-letter 161 of 1885.]

2. Selection file. Land Agent Port Douglas, number 35. [Q.S.A. LAN/AG610].

3. Samuel Walker Griffith (1845-1920), Attorney General 1874-76, Attorney General and Secretary for Public In­struction 1876-78, Secretary for Public Works 1878-79, Colonial Secretary 1883-86, Chief Secretary 1886-88, Chief Secretary and Attorney General 1890-93, Chief Justice of Queensland 1893-1903, Chief Justice, High Court of Aus­tralia 1903-19, K.C.M.G. 1886, G.C.M.G. 1895.

4. George Augustus Elphinstone Frederick Dalrymple (1826-76), explorer, public servant and politician, leader of an official expedition Cardwell to the Endeavour River, 1873. Refer J. Farnfield, Frontiersman (Melbourne, 1968), and Australian Dictionary of Biography, v. 4, pp. 9-10.

5. Walter Hill (1820-1904) Colonial Botanist 1855-81. Hill accompanied Dalrymple and Johnstone on the 1873 expedi­tion. Refer Farnfield, as for endnote 4.

6. Robert Arthur Johnstone (1843-1905) explorer and police officer, Sub-Inspector of Native Police, Cardwell 1871-79. Accompanied Dalrymple on the 1873 expedition and carried out extensive exploration work whilst on patrol and police duties. Refer Farnfield, as for endnote 4, and Australian Dic­tionary of Biography, v. 4, pp. 486-7.

G. E. Dalrymple, 'Narrative and Reports of the Queensland North-East Coast Expedition, 1873', Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, 1873, II , p. 625.

8. Portion 261, Parish of Whyanbeel, County of Solander, on the north bank of the Mossman River.

Portion 54, Parish of Whyanbeel, County of Solander on the north bank of the Mossman River.

10. Bernett's selection could not be found on contemporary maps, or the Register of Selections, Port Douglas (Cairns Land Agent). [LAN/P9 in Queensland State Archives].

11. Hart confused Moresby with Dalrymple, who named the Mossman and Daintree Rivers on 6/7 December 1873. Dal­rymple explored the Mossman for a distance of about seven miles and the Daintree for about eight miles. There appears to be no record of the naming of the Mowbray River. Moresby (1830-1922) in H.M.S. Basilisk examined and named Mourilyan Harbour in March 1872, after his Navigating Officer. He also named the Moresby River, flowing into Mourilyan Harbour and the Gladys River. Daintree re-named Moresby's Gladys the Johnstone in honour of Sub-Inspector Johnstone in 1873. Although Hart records forming his ex­ploration party in June 1874, by his own account he could not have left Cooktown before early October 1874. He refers to reading 'in the newspapers' of Hill's discovery of a particularly large cedar tree on the Johnstone River, an event which, Dalrymple records as occurring on 6 October 1874. Hart's party could have been at the Mossman and Dain­tree about the same time as the Dalrymple expedition, as Dalrymple did not complete this section of his exploration until late November/early December 1874. Refer G. E. Dalrymple, 'Narrative and Reports of the Queensland North Coast Ex­pedition, 1873', Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, II , 1874, pp. 617-68, and John Moresby, Two Admirals (London, 1909) pp. 277-8.

12. Portion 57, Parish of Alexandra, County of Solander.

13. Hart made formal application on 5 March 1878. The title deed for the freehold of his selection was passed on 10 October 1883. The selection (Portion 35, Parish of Victory, County of Solander) now forms part of the Town of Mossman.

14. Lewis Adolphus Bernays (1831-1908), public servant. Clerk of the Legislative Assembly 1860-1908, founder and sometime president of the Queensland Acclimatization Society. Refer Australian Dictionary of Biography, v. 3, p. 149.

15. Jeremiah is probably a corruption of Cherimoyer or Cheri-moya, which is, in turn, a corruption of ANNONA Cherimola, or Cherimolia, the Peruvian custard apple. This plant is listed as being grown in the Acclimitization Gardens in Brisbane around the period Hart was on the Mossman. Refer F. M. Bailey, Catalogue of plants in the two metropolitan gardens, Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Bowen Park (Queensland Acclimitization Society) (Brisbane, 1885).

16. See the evidence of Daniel Hart, 'Report of the Royal Com­mission appointed to enquire into the general condition of the Sugar Industry in Queensland . . .', Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1889, IV, pp. 93, 102-7.

Page Twenty-eight Queensland Heritage