PROCEEDINGS, SEPTEMBER. XXV 



Milligan would remember how precise and accurate he invariably was in 

 any statement of facts. A point of some importance in the contention 

 would arise from Fanny's second name, Cochrane. According to 

 Bonwick, in his "Last of the Tasmanians," p. 282, this was taken from 

 the sealer who lived with Sarah, whose name was Cottrel Cochrane. 

 Were this so, it would have at once have gone far to settle the question 

 of parentage, and show her to ba the half-caste supposed. Bonwick is 

 obviously in error in his statement ; for I have lately ascertained from 

 the lips of a married lady living in Hobart, a daughter of the late 

 Mr. Robert Clark, catechist at the aborigines establishment, that 

 Cochrane was the maiden name of her mother, and that it was givon by 

 her father to Fanny when a child, and residing in his family. Again, 

 Bonwick writes (p. 310) : " We read of a sawyer, one Smith, and his 

 black friend, Mrs. Fanny Cochrane Smith, receiving £25 a year for their 

 half-caste child." Instead of *' black friend " he might have written 

 " black wife ;" for the parties were duly married at Hobart by the Rev. 

 Frederick Miller, Congregational minister, in 1854. As respects the 

 cause assigned for the annuity, this writer wis also in error, for the sum 

 of £24 (not £25) was bestowed upon Fanny on the occasion of her 

 marriage, and not for the reason stated. The next document is a 

 letter dated 8th December, 1842, conveying the official approval of the 

 admission into the Queen's Orphan School of the three aboriginal 

 children named in the margin — Fanny, Martha, Jesse. Then follows in 

 the records under same date an application from Mr. Robert Clark, late 

 catechist of the aborigines on Flinders Island, for permission to receive 

 into his family " an aboriginal child named Fanny, upon his engagement 

 to feed, clothe, and educate her as one of his own children." 



Next is an extract from an oflBcial document dated 8th March, 1847 : — 

 " Eugene and his wife, the father and mother of Fanny and Adam, 

 being asked if they were willing that their children should be sent 

 back to Mr. Clark, said they were not. Fanny being asked if she 

 understood the nature of an oath, answered, 'No,' and the doctor 

 explained it. Fanny said she did not wish to return to Mr. Clark." 



From a long report to the Government by Dr. Milligan, dated November 

 29, 1847, 1 have taken the following extract : — " The fifth girl, Fanny 

 Cochrane, almost a woman, might remain with her half-sister, Mary 

 Ann. Indeed, lean scarcely say how otherwise she could be satisfactorily 

 disposed of." There being no difference of opinion as to Sarah being 

 the mother of both, this testimony, given by Dr. Milligin as to a, 

 difference of parentage in the ease of the father, at once discriminates 

 her from Mary Ann, and in itself affords a strong presumption in favour 

 of the contention. 



The superintendent at Oyster Cove, under date 4th November, 

 1857, reports to the Colonial Secretary the death of Adam, aged 20 years, 

 the youngest of the aboriginals ; and states that during his illness 

 he was waited upon by his mother, sister, and the latter's husband ; 

 these being respectively Sarah, Fanny, and William Smith. Up to 

 this point my researches have been eminently satisfactory, and have 

 tended to confirm the theory of Fanny being an aboriginal ; but another 

 document has been brought under my notice which, unexplained, 

 certainly discountenances that theory. It is the report of certain 

 proceedmgs taken before Dr. Jeanneret, the superintendent at Flinders 

 Island, on the occasion of certain allegations made against an officer of 

 the establishment, and in which is a deposition made by Fanny, dated 

 March 25, 1847, commencing with these words, — " I am a half-caste of 

 Van Diemen's Land. My mother is a native. I am about 13 years 

 of age," etc., with her signature attached at the foot. At first 

 sight this admission would appear to be conclusive and unanswerable ; 

 but, upon reflection, I am led to believe that there must be a mistake 



