Courtesy of TROVE Northern Star, Saturday 21 December 1946
SAGAS OF THE EARLY DAYS by WINDSOR LANG.
Precious Cedar – And The Coming Of The Windjammers
THE late Mr. Thomas Russell, of Ballina, quoted the following from the pages of an English publication, “The Machine Wood-Worker,” in its 1922 issue:
“This most valuable of Commonwealth timbers (cedar) is rapidly approaching extinction. It is the highest priced wood of today – its price increasing in ratio of scarcity. It is a timber restricted to a very small area, and is not found in any other area than that contained between Illawarra on the south, and Bloomfield River, near Cairns…. The biggest patches of cedar, as well as the best and most beautiful, came from the Big Scrub on the Richmond River, and the Atherton Tableland, and this is written with a full personal knowledge of both localities and the trees thereof.”
The quotation did not disclose the name of the author.
Mr. Robert Leycester Dawson in writing about the excellent qualities of this useful timber said:
“It is extremely durable, is white ant resistant, easily cut with saw and plane, does not require boring for nails, as it is soft and will not split, is beautiful in colouring, grain and texture, and takes a fine polish.”
The same writer remarked:
“It is surprising, and a matter for real concern that, so far as the writer is aware, not serious attempt is being made, either by the Forestry Department or by private individuals, in any locality, to cultivate and grow what is one of the most valuable softwoods in the world.”
Being aware of the widely spread existence of the cedar growth in this district in the earlier years, I was surprised that the growth had been so denuded that I have been unable to hear of cedar plantlings existing in the district today. Mr. William Mallett, of The Risk, told me, that he recollects a promising grove of cedar plantlings growing near Lindendale, on a farm property. When he saw the spot again a few years later the young trees had been cut down to make way for pasture grasses. When I wrote to the Forestry Commission on this subject in June of this year I received this reply:
“Cedar plantations have been tried again and again, but without success owing to the depredations of the insect known as the Cedar borer, which destroys the young shoots, and dwarfs the trees.”
As regards the durability of this timber Mr. William Mallett tells of a fallen cedar log at Mullumbimby, in 1912, being cut into 12,000 super feet of excellent timber, after being left lying for 36 years. Mr. Ainsworth mentioned that a log left in similar circumstances at Monte collum yielded a 10,000 super, feet. By the way this log had been cut into 8 feet lengths, and floated down Wilson’s Creek end up. Mr. R. L. Dawson tells of a similar happening with 8 feet lengths floated down from Blakebrook. Many giant trees were cut from the scrubs of this district, and, naturally, many wild claims regarding the biggest tree cut here have been made, but Mr. A. Cousins quotes Mr. Norman Hewitt as stating that the ”biggest” tree was that cut by Mr. Tommy Foley at the junction of Wilson’s and Skennar’s Creeks near Booyong.
Mr. James Ainsworth also spoke of this as being the largest tree.
Mr. R. L. Dawson quotes from two men, whom he knew to be reliable and truthful, the following information:
“Mr. A. A. Leycester often spoke of a single tree which measured up to 30.000 super, feet”
Mr. Sebastian Garrad more than once told me of a “giant” It was worked by Mr. Jacob Flick, near Blakebrook-… Some of the limbs squared a thousand, and the total product reached 50,000 super, feet.”
The “Northern Star,” of October 18, 1944, also quotes this tree of 50,000 super, feet.
Soon after the first years of the feverish hunt for cedar had begun other timber men turned their attention and labours to pine-getting. Most of this was cut from the area west of Lismore and running up to the Richmond Range. Pine trees did not grow plentifully in the scrubs east of Lismore. Although much use was made of the creek waters for “running” pine mostly it was transported by bullock wagon. Whereas cedar could lie for years with little or no deterioration. the risk of waiting for flood waters could not be taken with pine. Pine left lying on the ground for any length of time is liable to suffer attack from white ants and insect borers. Otherwise much of the same transport procedure was followed as for cedar. Pine was not so valuable a monetary proposition as cedar. However, millions of super, feet were brought in for the mills.
Later timber getters gathered beech, teak, tallow-wood, bean, iron bark, blackbutt, red and spotted gum, mahogany, mountain ash, and others. Timber to a value or approximately £500,000 annually is still being cut on the Far North Coast and includes many other varieties, but the transport methods have undergone a marked change. Instead of straining bullocks moving at such a snail’s pace that “the shining tyres might almost rust as the wheels are turning slow,” modern conveyance is by motor-driven timber-wagons over well-kept bitumen roads once the timber has left the bush country.
THE RICHMOND RIVER waters were of utmost importance to the early settlers. here. For some time after the first cedar-getters arrived in 1842 they were entirely dependent on the shipping from Sydney for the maintenance of their food supply, as road contact with the Clarence was to all intents and purposes practically non-existent.
The settlers were frequently reduced almost to starvation point when the cantankerous river bar prevented the little sailing craft from getting in or out for months at a time. The entrance was at all times dangerous. Sometimes, provided wind, sea and tide were favourable for the performance, ships entered by sailing over the crossing, but more often skippers were obliged to use rowing-boats and kedge anchor’s to warp their way into Shaw’s Bay and across the inner flats to Brown’s (later called Mobbs’) Bay.
As I have previously written in these articles, the “Sally” (Captain Steele) was the first of these schooners to make the Richmond crossing and during the first few year’s other schooners and ketches, amongst them “Elizabeth” and “Challoner” kept up irregular contact with the river. More joined in the service over the first decade, including Mr. Thomas Ainsworth’s “Matilda Ann” and Mr. John Skennar’s “Urara.” Other craft were: “Ebenezer,” “Anna Maria,” “Louisa,” “Shirley,” “Emily Jane”, “Margaret and Mary” and “Christopher George.” Several of them were but flat-bottomed scows-actually outsized sailing punts. At best they were treacherous, but under adverse weather conditions they became potential “death-traps.” To enable the craft to keep to a set course under canvas, ‘”lee-boards” were carried. They were manipulated by tackle from the rigging-lowered or raised according to the particular tack the ship was on.
During the first half century of settlement in this area quite an army of veteran skippers braved the terrors of the lonely coast bordering the inaptly named Pacific, between here and Sydney, and hazarded the Richmond Crossing under grim and hair-raising conditions. Bluff-albeit hearty and kindly, weather-beaten, almost as sea-scarred as the craft in which they sailed, and often displaying reckless courage, theirs was a record of glorious service. Almost without exception, they were entitled to be accounted “Captains Courageous.”
The old “wind-jammers” had provided the toughest of schools in which but the fittest survived -but it had given them mastery of their sea-calling. So thorough had been the exhaustive type of training and so varied their sea experience, that these “salts” were adequately equipped for encountering every subsequent adversity. With prompt and effective resource they countered all unforeseen conditions. Some were so far from being reckless that, in their thorough, painstaking and chanceless procedure they leaned to the other extreme. In 1836 the “Susan” arrived off Shoal Bay carrying the first group of cedar-getters for the Clarence River-12 pairs of sawyers. The skipper found the entrance so difficult, and having no suitable boat from which to take soundings, he returned with the “Susan” to Sydney, there procured a whaleboat, came back to Shoal Bay, and eventually took his schooner over the crossing.
(To be Continued.)