174 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



plains, the hills and the forests, for a hundred miles to the north, 

 south and west, were being overrun by the fleecy immigrants on 

 whose produce the first era of the colony's wealth was to be built. 

 Almost daily there were arrivals of one or more of the small fleet of 

 sailing vessels bringing over stock from Launceston, which were 

 landed at Williamstown or in Corio Bay. The Werribee Plains and 

 the country right up to the Dividing Eange were first occupied, and 

 then, as the new-comers found the country about the Barwon and 

 the Leigh fully stocked, they pushed on to the frontiers of the rich 

 western district, undeterred by reports of hostile savages or by the 

 loneliness of their surroundings. 



During 1837 the stream of the " overlanders " from New South 

 Wales began to make an impression, and to bear evidence to the 

 existence of much good pastoral country between the Dividing Range 

 and the Murray. The first party which successfully compassed this 

 adventurous journey with stock consisted of three men whose names 

 are well known in connection with the progress of their adopted 

 country. They were John Gardiner, Joseph Hawdon and John 

 Hepburn. The latter, who was a master mariner, afterwards 

 owner of the splendid Smeaton Estate, has given in the Letters of 

 Victorian Pioneers a graphic account of the journey, which was 

 completed just before Christmas, 1836. The reception which these 

 pioneers met with in the settlement was not encouraging. They 

 were regarded with much jealousy, and found it impossible to obtain 

 accommodation for love or money. Provisions of all kinds were very 

 dear, so they were enabled to profitably cater for the Christmas 

 festivities by killing one of their bullocks and selling the meat at top 

 prices. Seeking about for suitable pastures they crossed the Yarra 

 at Dight's Falls, and made the headquarters of the first cattle station 

 in Victoria on the banks of Gardiner's Creek, near its junction 

 with the river. Here Gardiner, having brought his wife and family 

 from Tasmania, settled down in a comfortable cottage, and devoted 

 himself to growing prime beef for the settlement, until he emerged 

 from his pastoral pursuits to take charge of the Port Phillip bank a 

 few years later. Hepburn and Hawdon returned to Sydney in a 

 ten-ton cutter, the former having on the overland journey lighted 

 upon the spot which he then determined to make his home, and 



