This month marks the 200th anniversary of the survey. As told previously, it opened up the Southern Highlands and Tablelands for settlement, although a suitable link to the coast remained elusive.

The expedition included explorer Dr Charles Throsby who brought along Joseph Wild and two Aboriginals, Bundle and Broughton, their local knowledge proving invaluable. The third leading member was Hamilton Hume who, aged just 20, had already earned respect for his exploration skills and ability to communicate with Aboriginals.

Other members were: George Grimes, son of a former Surveyor General; William Sly and Thomas Waters (Throsby’s men); John Glynn (Meehan’s servant); and Robert Cooling, John Thomas and Charles Gulliver (Government men).

Macquarie provided the expedition with wagons, equipment and provisions to sustain 12 men for five weeks. Meehan conducted his survey by use of a perambulator (wheeled measuring instrument) and a prismatic compass, noting distance measurements and bearings in field books. He also documented the route in journals, as did Throsby in journals and letters.

RH Cambage, a Lands Department surveyor, used these in 1921 to plot the route. On foot and horseback, he studied geographical features mentioned and placed them on parish maps. His findings, presented to the Royal Australian Historical Society, were replotted in 1978 by A K Weatherburn who used improved topological techniques to update the maps. An outline of the route follows here.

Meehan's survey extended over 200 miles and involved about 1,350 observations. It commenced on March 6, 1818 at the southern edge of John Macarthur’s ‘Upper Camden Farm’. From Picton, the party headed southward through the Bargo Brush to the Mittagong Range and thence to the Wingecarribee River.

After crossing the river and reaching the head of Colyers Creek, south of Mt Broughton, the party hoped their Aboriginal guides would lead them down Yarrunga Creek into Kangaroo Valley and through to Jervis Bay. Flooding caused by heavy and prolonged rain thwarted this. Returning to Mt Broughton on March 14, they headed west towards the Wollondilly River but again had to retrace their steps due to the boggy Long Swamp Creek.

Passing through the present Penrose State Forest, they reached Paddy’s River where they waited four days for floodwaters to recede. Meehan surveyed upstream and followed a ridge to a deeply entrenched tributary of Johnstones Creek which discharges into Bundanoon Creek. As this did not afford a suitable passage to the coast, it was decided to head south-westerly in the hope of finding a suitable ford to cross the Shoalhaven River.

To their dismay, after passing over Barbers Creek and reaching Bungonia Gorge on March 25, the stupendous Shoalhaven Gorges were impossible to cross. Meehan noted that “we could see Shoals Haven River and the country to the west [but] found it was utterly impossible to proceed any further in that way, the country so very irregular and broken”.

It was decided to divide the provisions and men and meet at Jervis Bay. Throsby would return northward to where they had made their earlier attempt and Meehan would venture further southward to find a way to the coast.

Throsby took his four men and the two Aboriginal guides. They left carts at Black Bobs Creek, proceeded back to Colyers Creek where the water had subsided, crossed to the Yarrunga Valley and reached Jervis Bay on April 3. Throsby awaited Meehan for four days but, due to low provisions and local Aboriginal hostility, decided to return to Black Bobs, arriving on April 10. What happened to Meehan will be told in the next article.

The expedition opened up the Bungonia and Marulan areas. To celebrate the 200th anniversary, the Marulan & District Historical Society is holding events on March 24-25 in Tallong. There will be talks, tours, a walk trail and lunch. For details contact: secretary@tallong.com.au