In the area south and east of Braidwood to the coast there still exists a network of bridle tracks that were vital in the development of settlement and trade for the area. These tracks preceded the roads and provided the most direct routes for travelling from one place to another, moving supplies and livestock. Many remained in use after the invention of motorised transport, as the most convenient way to properties not serviced by roads.
Enthusiastic horse riders still like to use them today, but unfortunately horse access in some cases is prohibited by wilderness declaration. The Wilderness Declaration was made with little or no regard to the existence of these historical tracks and this was the driving force in the creation of Access for All
By using the Deua River Track, as an example we can understand how the tracks were networked.
The Deua River Track commences near where Araluen Creek joins the Deua River and follows the river south. At its start it connects with the Moruya/Araluen Road, which itself was a bridle track until the 1860s. Nearby is the beginning of the Shoebridge Track which leads to the Clyde River and links to the port of Nelligen. It also had a branch to Broulee, the early port for Moruya. From the Shoebridge Track you can also link with The Corn Trail, descending from the tablelands and Braidwood.
If we head south along the Deua River Track, we come to Moodong Creek where it meets the road going back to Araluen via Neringla. At Neringla there is the Back Creek Track. It follows the creek and climbs up to the tablelands and emerges at Gundillion.
Heading further south we come to a property called Wyanbene. From here there is a track heading west following Wyanbene Creek and leading to the upper Shoalhaven.
Then continuing on to Alpine, the track is partly covered by the Mongamula Fire Trail. In fact the fire trail also covers much of what was once Blanchard’s Track which lead from his house at Alpine and gave access to Fairfield, the Shoalhaven and the Braidwood/Cooma road.
The Deua River Track is nearly 50 kms long and ends at Bendethera. At Bendethera there is the Zig Zag Track which links back to Snowball and the Braidwood/Cooma road. This provided the western access from Bendethera homestead. The eastern access to Moruya was provided by George’s Pack Track. There is also a track that goes over the range to Belowra and links with the W.D.Tarlinton Track.
The W.D.Tarlinton Track comes from the upper Shoalhaven and winds its way south closely following Woila Creek. It also has a branch, called The Jump Up, which leads to the Monaro, emerging on the Braidwood/Cooma road. The W.D. Tarlinton Track lead to Cobargo and branched to Cadgee on the Tuross and the coast.
These tracks still exist but it is not possible to ride on some, (notably the Shoebridge Track and the W.D.Tarlinton Track) because of Wilderness Proclamations. It is understandable that where tracks go through private property the owners’ wishes should be respected and permission obtained, but this should not apply to public land, such as a national park.
Notes on Individual Tracks.
“This land is mine and my children’s by moral right. We use it!”
Myles Dunphy, the father of NSW conservation, 1920.
Although that statement was made nearly 100 years ago many Australians still feel strongly about their sense of place and bond with their country. Heritage and the freedom is important to us.
That is why the changes for horse riding in wilderness areas of national parks is being celebrated by those passionate about their heritage and recreation.
Earlier this year the New South Wales Minister for the Environment adopted amendments to allow horse riding in locations that were part of a horse riding wilderness trial. The locations were
- Shoebridge Track, Deua and Monga national Park, Georges Pack Track and WD Tarlinton Track, Deua National Park.
- Nine Mile and Ingeegoodbee Trails, Kosciuszko National Park.
- Dicks Hut Fire Trail and River Road Trail, Mummel Gulf National Park.
The past policy of the NSW Wilderness Act 1987 and Wildlife Act 1974 has been to exclude horse riding from all wilderness areas. Prior to the recent adoption of the changes in Plans of Management of the four National Parks a two year study to monitor these specific tracks and trails for environmental damage by horses was undertaken. The study found that continuing traditional use would not cause any adverse damage to the areas.
There are many who are against horse riding in national parks and there was an abundance of submissions disapproving of any changes to Plans of Management. In fairness both sides are passionate about their country and how it is used.
A concerted campaign to win the tracks back was spearheaded by a community group called Access for All Inc. It was formed in 1999 dedicated to achieving access to public lands, such as national parks and wilderness areas for responsible recreation, education and conservation of natural and cultural heritage. Horse riding groups combined with AFA and together lobbied hard with demonstrations, submissions, interviews, articles, giving evidence before a parliamentary enquiry into the Management of Public Lands and representations to ministers and local members. Bega MP, Andrew Constance supported the horse riders as did NSW Deputy Premier, John Barilaro. Their support was fundamental in achieving the changes.
Access for All chairman, Garry Gowen stated, “Under Labor Premier Bob Carr’s policies the expansion of national parks and the added wilderness protection extensions within many parks changed the status quo.”
The 2015 meeting with Access for All and National Parks was followed by a meeting with interested parties as to the progress of collecting and collating oral history regarding the bridle tracks in the southern region.
Previously NPWS had commissioned Susan Dale Donaldson to record individuals with knowledge of the tracks. The interviews are almost complete except it was decided to add two more, Beryl Schaeffer and Myrtle Collett. Unfortunately interviewing Myrtle is currently not possible.
Further historical research is to be undertaken by NPWS on the W.D.Tarlinton Track by Rob McKinnon using the State Library and archives. The ultimate aim is to seek funding to publish the work.
It was stated that the two year program for horse riding in wilderness areas has now passed the half way mark. Monitoring from the four trial state wide locations currently underway is being collated and analysed against the thresholds set during the workshop process. Workshops were conducted in Hurstville, Narooma, Jindabyne and Armidale and assisted by the University of Melbourne facilitators.
In accordance with the OEH scientific rigour statement, the peer reviewed data will be made publically available on OEH website at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/policies/HorseRidingTrial.htm
The release of information on the OEH website including the University of Melbourne threshold report is scheduled for the end of May 2015. Further information on the pilot program for horse riding in wilderness areas is available from the OEH website including a survey for people using the tracks and trails in the trial locations.
As from 12th April 2014 three of the historic bridle tracks in the Deua and Monga National Parks became available to horse riders for a trial period of two years.
These are the Shoebridge Track, W.D.Tarlinton Track and Georges Pack Track.
Further details of these trials can be found on the National Parks website HERE
Time flies when you are having fun and the first year of the trial has already passed. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a trial only. The tracks are being closely monitored for environmental damage. According to Tim Shepherd, Regional Manager NPWS for South Coast, “The trial will be monitored during the two year period, and 16 monitoring sites have been established and baseline data collected. Monitoring data and outcomes will be available on OEH website at: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/policies/HorseRiding.htm.”
At the time of writing there are no reports of the monitoring either good or bad on the website. There are some sceptics amongst us who are not confident that the outcome will be decided within the proposed two year time frame, as promised. For this reason we must maintain our vigilance.
We suggest groups planning to ride these tracks advise NPWS in Narooma. Although this is not a binding requirement of use, but keeping them informed is keeping them on side. Also AFA would like to receive reports from riders so that we can strengthen our representations and be confident in what we say.
NPWS also advise that, “If horse riding groups are intending to do any maintenance such a removal of fallen trees on the track using tools, prior consent is required. A limit of 20 horses per group applies.”
There is also a request (by National Parks) that users of these tracks fill out a survey which can be found HERE
The Corn Trail linked the tablelands of Braidwood and the Monaro to the coast. It was first pioneered in the 1830s by settlers of the Bolero Valley to trade produce with their neighbours on the tablelands. The major crop of the fertile valley was corn which was transported by pack horse. The track was also used to bring cattle down from the tablelands for adjistment. It was superseded in 1853 when a dray road was constructed down the nearby Clyde Mountain. The track was almost lost until volunteers re-opened it in 1988, as a bicentennial project.
It commences at the top of the Clyde Mountain at Monga and winds down through the Monga National Park and the Buckenbowra River to the Bolero Valley.
See also some images of Access for All and NPWS maintaining the Corn Trail HERE
Maintenance of the Corn Trail has involved clearing of fallen trees and cutting back of brush.
Access for All has worked alongside National Parks in this important task over many years. Access for All members have skills with chain saws and have provided pack horses to carry equipment, supplies and fuel.
Often two teams work from opposite ends and meet up in the middle somewhere for lunch.
Images (Peter Kneen) of NPWS Staff and Access for All Volunteers working on the Corn Trail
This track has been the subject of an extensive heritage study by heritage management consultants, Peter Freeman Pty Ltd. The study was prepared for the National Parks & Wildlife Service in 2004; as a result the track is fairly well documented.
Thomas Shoebridge, who owned a store at Lower Araluen, is credited with the initial surveying and construction of the track. It served his store as well as being an all weather route between the port of Nelligen and the Araluen goldfields. It became a busy thoroughfare with teams of pack horses loaded with supplies travelling the route daily. The heavy use meant maintenance and an upgrade was soon required. In 1861 the Government allocated £1,000 for upgrade and widening of the track. It fell into decline after a short time when the road to Moruya became a dray road.
The features of this track are the gentle grades, passing lanes, benching and extensive filling. It extends from Lower Araluen, once known as Mudmelong to the Buckenbowra Valley to link with other tracks.
The following images are from the Heritage Assessment visit in 2004 and also a combined Access for All and National Parks work day clearing along the western section of the Shoebridge Track in 2014? climbing out from Lower Araluen.
In May 2017, John and Marg Shoebridge (Access for All members), Alex and Trish Shoebridge, Jason Shoebridge, Steven Shoebridge, Peter Shoebridge, Josephine Bruce (Shoebridge) and Mark Bruce, Matthew Ring and Julia Short walked the historic Shoebridge Track.
John supplied the following notes: “I begin this reflection on the eve of our Walk through history… along the Shoebridge Track with a photo of Thomas and Catherine Shoebridge, along with extracts from Woodland, Chris and Maddrell, Roslyn, Araluen: A History through Photography, 1840-2000 To Honour the Pioneers. It creates the perfect backdrop for a story about life in the challenging pioneering days of early Australia and the powerful legacy Thomas Shoebridge left behind, a legacy that deserves preserving.
The discovery of gold in the Araluen Valley in the 1850s created the need to access routes to the coast to supply goods to the goldfields which had up to 4,000 people during the peak periods. A track, suitable only for pack horse, existed … but involved crossing the Deua River some 30 times and was unreliable and impassable during floods … He [Thomas Shoebridge] could see the importance of an all weather track.”
Editor’s note: In August 1860 the Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate reported that. “[Shoebridge] has succeeded in discovering a new line of road to the coast from Araluen, which not only answers the purpose of shortening the distance considerably, but of overcoming every difficulty which has been experienced in the way of obtaining supplies on the recurrence of the floods.
The route marked out by Shoebridge is one that presents no obstacle to the obtaining of supplies at all seasons of the year.”
Estimates of the cost incurred by Shoebridge in clearing the route according the newspaper ranged from £200 [18 Aug], to £307/6/6, consisting of £293/14/0 for labour and £13/12/6 for tools [9 Sept], to over £400 [27 Oct 1860]. The high cost contributed substantially to Shoebridge going into insolvency and the sale of his Mudmelong property was advertised in the newspaper in February 1861. In May 1861 the Government responded to complaints that the track had become unsafe. Two accidents arose from the same cause, “namely, the horses meeting men on foot and not seeing room to pass, trying to turn back and going over in consequence of the narrowness of the track.” As a result the Government allocated £1,000 for the widening of the track. This resulted in passing bays every 300 yards where the track was 10 feet wide instead of 6 feet. The passing bays were 30 feet long and said to be “sufficiently wide to allow a dozen or more horses to effect a transit without coming into contact.”
John Shoebridge takes up the story of his great grandparents: “Thomas Shoebridge was born in Kent, England on 29 March 1829; he arrived in Australia on the ‘Cornwall’ in 1850. He married Catherine McPherson at Araluen on 6 July 1857. Catherine was born in Glasgow on 14 October 1832; arrived in Australia on the ‘Duncan’ on 30 June 1838.
Little is known of Catherine. She is typical of women at this time and an example of the ‘silent voice of women, in much of Australian history. The impact of women like Catherine has been immeasurable, but in pioneering days, largely constrained to family and not publically acknowledged.” Following becoming insolvent the family moved to Bolaro where one of their 10 children, a daughter, Ann Clara died aged 7 years and is buried on the farm. The family finally settled at Shallow Crossing. Catherine died on 13 October 1913 and Thomas followed her 4 years later on 29 December 1917. They are both buried at Nelligen Cemetery.
“One can only conjecture that, other than the gold discoveries, and the construction of the Shoebridge Track the wider context of events had little bearing on the lives of Thomas and Catherine. Regardless of what went on beyond their world, theirs is a fabulous story of true grit and physicality. Those of us related to them, and/or know of them, have a right to be proud of them as two people who contributed to our country, indeed, in some cases, to our existence!”
This track is now well documented with the Access For All publication, ‘The Deua River Track’ written by Peter C Smith.
The river was surveyed by surveyor, Peter Ogilvie, under the direction of the Surveyor General Mitchell in May 1828, as part of the complete survey of the nineteen counties. A copy of his map exists in the State Records Office. It is accurate in its detail of the river to the 36th parallel which is south of Bendethera. Ogilvie must have followed a path up the river close to what became the Deua River Track.
The track provided for settlers living along the river possibly from as early as 1840 and was still the only means of access for the Davis family of Woolla until 1960s.
It extends from the junction of Araluen Creek to Bendethera.
The following image shows a group of riders arriving at Bendethera after riding along the Deua River Track from Alpine.
This track was pioneered by William Duggan Tarlinton in 1830’s. The Tarlintons were among the earliest settlers in the upper Shoalhaven, with a land grant near the junction of the Shoalhaven River and Jerrabattgulla Creek. The Tarlinton’s later acquired land near Cobargo and pioneered a route to take their cattle overland to their new properties. The track was also used by other early pioneers of the upper Shoalhaven such as the Curlewis’s and Coghills. It also became the convenient route for travelling to the coast from the upper Shoalhaven and Monaro. It was used by John Lambie when carrying out a survey of occupied properties of the Monaro in 1840.
The track starts near Snowball above the creeks that form the upper Shoalhaven and follows Woila Creek to the Tuross River at Belowra. It continued on to Cobargo and Tilba Tilba.
In July 2019, seven members of the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers did a three day walk down the W D Tarlinton historic bridle track.
The story is told on their website HERE
We had a member from Batemans Bay visit our Access for All July meeting and he showed us some survey maps done in the early days. He also met some of our members so it was a great benefit to all.
The Tarlinton family, long term members of Access for All, at long last have been able to ride along the historic transport routes named after their ancestors.
This has become possible because of the trial re-opening of a sub-set of the historic bridle trails in SE NSW.
The following link refers to an article in the Narooma News on Feb 11 2015
Tarlinton Family Retraces Historic Trail: LINK to NAROOMA NEWS
- Listen to Richard Tarlinton's account of his group's ride along the historic Georges Pack Track
Click here (ABC) - The Narooma News also has an article about the Tarlinton family ride along other historic bridle trails
tarlinton-family-rides-through-history LINK -
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 08:33
Frederick Lester Blanchard built the house at Alpine, still standing, around the early 1900’s. To access his property from the Braidwood/Cooma road he used this track. It was also used by others such as the Rankin family who lived 5 kilometers up the river. It was their main communication with the outside world. They drove stock and received supplies via this track.
The track begins at Alpine and follows Curmulee Creek, up the Devil’s Pinch to the top of the Minuma Range and then down across the Shoalhaven and onto Fairfield, which fronts the Braidwood/Cooma Road. Today much of the original track is covered by the Mongamula Fire Trail.
It was 11 kilometres from Rankins’ to Georges’ at Bendethera along the Deua River Track. If the Georges wanted to go to the Shoalhaven, instead of going to Blanchard’s they would use the Zig Zag Track.
It was well known that the Clarke gang was often harboured at Bendethera. There was a proposal by an inmate in Darlinghurst gaol, Henry Antill, who knew the Clarkes well that if he was released along with two other inmates, he would set up an ambush on the track going up the limestone mountain and make short work of the bushrangers. This proposal, made to the Colonial Secretary, Henry Parkes, in 1866, was not accepted, but it provides us with evidence that the track existed at that time.
The Zig Zag track goes up from Con Creek through limestone outcrops, above Bendethera Caves, to the top of the Minuma Range and onto Snowball and the Braidwood/Cooma Road.
The George’s of Bendethera would sometimes use the Zig Zag Track or come down Deua River track depending on where they were headed, but their main connection with the outside world was via what is known as George’s Pack Track, which ultimately connected with Moruya and coastal shipping. It was along this track they drove their turkeys, pigs, cattle and packed corn.
The track climbs steeply out of the Bendethera Valley not far from the homestead site and eventually joined up with the Moruya/Araluen road, near Kiora. Some of the track is covered by current road into Bendethera.