| Narrative | In 1824, Mr Wilson took a whale boat on what is now known as the Wilson River. After the massacre of Biripi at present day Telegraph Point, the party rowed upstream to present day Ballangarra, 'where another party of blacks were encountered, and they disputed the right of these soldiers to pass. Mr Wilson and his party tried to make the natives understand what they wanted, but all to no purpose. Being loath to fire bullets at them, only as a last resort, Mr Wilson gave instructions to use small shot, but this only infuriated the blacks. However, after this encounter the tribe gave little or no trouble.' R. Wilson, 'Early Days of Port Macquarie', in The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, September 16, 1941, p4. It remains unclear whether the Mr Wilson referred to was the father of Henry Wilson, Mr William Wilson, Overseer of Public Works at Port Macquarie, or Lieutenant William Earle Bulwer Wilson who was Engineer and Inspector of Public Works. They were both in Port Macquarie at the time (pp17-28, Morris, 2005). |
