The Grinding Rocks at Stratford 



by Ai DO M assoi i* 



ifm r-'pci peporcsthe disown m i*u bearing ifrituliftS aroovw m i!k km,. 

 K^rve. wind, b located on i) r 

 of and Cfoie 10 sn mi nr.! 01 



On its wa\ to I nJtp Wellington, llu- 

 Avon River meanders ihrough (he 

 Client Pkilll slowly culling down 

 vvunls into the alluvial tilling Di ihe 

 plain, its erratic COURC caused both 

 hv Ihe presence of patches 01 more 

 lesisl.mt terrain anil hv the HJOUF 

 ing action of the strong cuiicnt CtUf- 

 me floods; a process must active on 

 ihe outer hanks ol the bends. I his 

 shilling of the stream's bed gives rise 

 to alluvial flats and swampy terraces. 

 Ihe loinier generally growing a good 

 crop of grass which in the past 

 altracled kangaroos ,,nd oiher hethi- 

 vores. and the latter soon becoming 

 the home of a Variety of amphibious 

 animals and birds Both conditions 

 were taken advantage of by the 

 Aborigines. To them a siream of this 

 nature becomes a highway, since, 

 besides supplying food and water, it 

 is also a weli dclined pa»h. 



In a former paper, and in nu book 

 Journey to Abvrinindl Victoria, I 

 have stated that one of Ihe icasons 

 (or the Aborigines nf the lakes 

 country leaving then comfortable 

 camps by the lake-side and braving 

 I he bidden terrors and hidden dan- 

 gers of the inland was the need of 

 raw materials ot a kind not obtain- 

 able at their usual hnunls, In this 

 case this commodity was ihe ready- 

 made axe-shaped pchhlcs lying in 

 their thousands on the hanks of the 

 upper reaches of the Avon River, 

 unlv wanting to have one edge ground 

 to be ready for use— or barter. 



58 



bend Of Ihe Avon Krver. 10 Ihe soulh-o 



Barter was most important in xK < 

 sociologv ol the tribes, since it en 

 abled contact lo he maintained Wjfl 

 distant groups; and it was also (lit 

 means by which new ideas and tech 

 niques were circulated between on. 

 lube and the nc\l. hot this reason '[ 

 ceitain raw malcnals or manufuv- 

 lures were always obtained by barter j 

 even il they could he obtained locally 

 with much less n-ouhle. 



It is almost ceitain that a loci ' 

 group inhabited the country alum 

 Stiatford. II will be recalled ihi: ' 

 soon after Aiitfux McMillan, the 

 explorer, formed ihe Nuntin Static 

 in the carlv pari ol 1X40. it had it 

 be abandoned hec.tu.se of fierce ark 

 continual antckf by the Aborigines 

 It was m»l unlil December of fat 

 year that he was able to re-occur* 

 the station, (rid even then the attack , 

 ujon it did not cease for some 

 months I his pomis to the Aborigine 

 having pctmanentls occupied tt> 

 COUntry, anil noi just to a group 

 hcing there on walk-ahout. 



Also, Ihe Moi avian Missioning 

 Rev. P, A. Hapenauci's first choiw i 

 ol sue foi his Mission Station w.i> 

 near Mallra, which means that the 

 Al»'i ionics tmift have been numerou* 

 there; and although he was IM 

 able lo establish himself at lhai 

 locality because ol opposition fto«n 

 local squatters, his second choici 

 which became Ramahyuck Ahungin.i 



►i n Wn'^lcv Sit., MQBI AMseil V,. .TCI 



Viet. Nat Vol 88 



