8 
attempted by explorers for many years, and the now well- 
known track from Melbourne to Sale was opened only after 
many unsuccessful trials. Even at the present time this 
McLemian’s straits, on the left hand of the road, about two miles from Buchanans. 
—See Port Phillip Patriot from 1841. 
“ They attacked the whites early in the morning and killed two, and followed 
the other and killed him at Doughboy Flat. 
“This seems to have been two or three years before McMillan came down ; 
Malabar described it as being three ‘warms* before the ‘whitefellows* settled at 
the place now called Nuntin. 
“I remember in 1857 several bushrangers were in Maneroo, and came down’in 
this direction—that is, they were last heard of at Willis, on the Snowy River, the 
outside station at that time. 
“ 1st. McMillan first of all came down. 
“2nd. McMillan formed Nuntin, Boysdale, Maffra, and Bushy Park, and with 
him Dr. Arbuckle and Tom McAlister formed Mewburn Park. 
“3rd. Then Old McFarlane formed Heyfield. 
“ 4th. Then Brodribb formed the Ridge with Reeves* sheep. 
“ Curlewis and McLennan formed the Heart station. It was called the Heart 
from their finding a heart cut in the ground. McMillan’s party found pieces of a 
bible at the same place ; it is not known how this heart was cut there. 
“When the Clonmel was wrecked the crew made into what is now' Port Albert, 
and reported when reaching Melbourne that they had found a splendid harbor and 
a beautiful country. 
“Messrs. J. Orr, Wentworth, Rankin, Macleod, and seven others chartered the 
Singapore and came to Port Albert, and formed a store at what is now called the 
Old Port, and left John Campbell (now of Glencoe) in charge. After coming up 
towards where Sale is, one part of the company went overland to Melbourne, and 
the rest returned in the Singapore. They had with them a Sydney black named 
Charley Tarra, who had been through with Count Strzelecki, in whose track 
Charley Tarra took them to Melbourne. The Tarra River is called after him. 
This company took up a special survey of over 5,000 acres where Alberton now is. 
“ I remember dining with Count Strzelecki at John King's, at Lake George. I 
think it was the beginning of 1840. He followed McMillan’s track into Gippsland, 
and stayed with them at Nuntin. 
“When I saw him at Lake George he was proposing to travel down the 
Murrumbidgec, and thence to Melbourne; afterwards he heard of McMillan, and 
followed his track and re-named all McMillan’s rivers. 
“ I saw McMillan’s party about May 1839 at the Jew’s Flat (on Maneroo, 
N.S.W.) on their way, and I had heard privately of McMillan’s discovery of 
Gippsland before I saw Strzelecki at King’s. 
“In 1842 Raymond came over the Gib and occupied Stratford; Jones occupied 
Lucknow. About the same time Fred. Taylor, mate of J. D. Smith, occupied 
Lindenow. In April 1844 A. Macleod occupied Bairnsdale. All came in from 
Maneroo, N.S.W. 
