Edward George Innes (1854-1904)
By Louise Ryan
TFHS Inc. Member No. 2229
Edward George Innes was a government surveyor. He worked a little too late in the state's history to be regarded as an explorer, nonetheless he did seek to find paths through the wilderness of Tasmania, naming a river on the way, and finding himself a small place in the history of Tasmania. Edward George Innes (E. G.) was my great grandfather. I never knew him, but I spent wonderful times in his family's house. Although he never lived there himself he certainly 'inhabited' the place, most especially in his Derwent Regiment uniform, which hung in the spare room.
E. G. was born in Sorell, just east of Hobart, on 9 February 1854.18 He was the first child of Anne and Edward Innes. Anne had returned to her father's home for the birth ( she was a daughter of Sorell schoolmaster, George S. Peacock). Edward Innes had been a civil servant but was trying his luck as a merchant in gold rush Melbourne. Like many Melbourne merchants, he had borrowed heavilyand was probably affected by the recession of late 1854, because 1855 saw Edward Innes back at work as a police clerk in Kingston.19 It is not known if baby E. G. ever lived in Melbourne.
The Innes family stayed at Kingston and over the next nineteen years E. G. gained four sisters and five brothers, only one of whom died in infancy. The family is believed to have lived at 'Sunnyside', which still stands.
No details are known of E. G.'s education, but it is likely that his parents took a major part in it. In 1870, he was apprenticed to his uncle, George Innes (1833-1917), who was the District Surveyor for Kent and Buckingham from 1863 until 1887. George lived at Franklin. E. G. was listed in the Government Gazetteas 'authorised to survey' on the 27 of January 1879. He was 25 years old.20
On 14 December 1880, he married Jane Ballantyne at Victoria (now Ranelagh). 21
E. G. is believed to have practised surveying in New Zealand and New South Wales as well as Tasmania before settling down as a surveyor in his uncle's district in 1884. In 1881, he attempted to cut a track from Southport to Port Davey, reaching the foot of the Arthur Range before the work was abandoned as too difficult.22 He is believed to have ventured into the West Coast area and set out the township of Corinna (on the Pieman River), which was just opening up for gold mining, in February 1882.23
E. G. and Jane's first child, Edward David Ballantyne Innes, was born on 26 April 1884.24 Unfortunately, Jane died of puerperal convulsions two weeks later.25
The job of surveyor took E.G. away from home for weeks on end. He was not in a position to take on the role of single father to an infant. The baby was sent to live with his Innes grandparents and maiden aunts. In September 1884 E. G. wrote to his sister,
I was glad to get your letter last Wednesday ... telling how my little cherub is getting on .. .I hardly expect that he'll look at me when I come to see him next time as it will be some time yet before I have that pleasure.26
(Edward David Ballantyne Innes, as an adult, worked as a surveyor amongst other things. A hill named Innes High Rocky, north of Lake Gordon, was named after him. He was also a keen family historian.)
E. G. saw surveying as a profession, not just a job, and was an active member of the fledgling Tasmanian Surveyor's Institute. The Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors held its first examinations in 1884 (three of the four seeking registration failed), but in August of that year E. G. Innes and C. K. Sheard were granted certificates of exemption from examination and recorded as 'authorised surveyors' .27 In 1892 E. G. was one of forty-eight members of the Institute.28 He was the first country correspondent for the journal, The Surveyor,providing statistical information about a 'Big Tree''.29
On the 20 July 1886 E. G. married his second wife, Annie Christie.30 This marriage in some way symbolizes the new Australian society. Edward Innes, E. G.'s father, was by now Stipendiary Magistrate for the district of Kingborough. Annie's parents were former convicts, although this was probably not discussed. By the time of Annie's birth in 1862, the family were respected pioneers of the Esperance (later Dover) district.
E. G. and Annie lived at Esperance, on a property called 'Nauawaule'.31 They had eight children over the next fifteen years.
E. G. became District Surveyor in 1892.32 Government surveying entailed many expenses.
I have pointed out to the secretary for mines that the expense of getting my party on to the ground amounted to over £30, and in all probability it will cost me another £ 10 or £ 15 to move back to Esperance ...33
he wrote to the Deputy Surveyor General from Cox's Bight, near Port Davey, in July 1892. When opportunities arose, E. G. took on surveying trips to the more unsettled parts of Tasmania as these jobs were usually better paid, although this was not always the case. One problem was that there was no clear definition of 'unsettled areas'. E. G. argued
that a line should be drawn, from the east side of South Cape, north, to the River Arve, and that anything west of that, (as it is unsettled and consequently expensive to travel in) should come under the western fees.34
E.G. also felt that there were cases when applicants were paying the higher rate to the government, but that these payments were not being passed on to the surveyors.
One of E. G.'s major expeditions was a search for a practicable track to the West Coast from Hobart via Glenora and the Gordon Valley. This was undertaken in May 1896 and his full report, dated 25 August 1896 was published as a Parliamentary Paper. The party included H. M. Nicholls, geologist and photographer; and three experienced bushmen: his brother Josiah Innes, G. Heather, and E. Woolley.35 The trip took twelve weeks and three days (including just under four weeks for the return journey) and covered a distance of approximately 150 miles. Although E. G. was not the first surveyor in the area he had several opportunities to name geographic features.
[7 July] About mid-day we crossed a large stream flowing through a deep gorge in a northeasterly direction towards the Gordon; this I called the Olga, after my youngest child, it being her birthday.36
He also named 'The Twins', peaks just south of the Sprent River.37 Innes Peak, also in this area, was almost certainly named after him, although he makes no mention of it in his report.38
Working in the wilderness of western Tasmania in winter was not an easy job. E.G. wrote:
The state of the weather was now greatly retarding both exploring and packing operations, each succeeding day being apparently worse than its predecessor; nothing but rain and sleet, with gales of wind.39
The country was difficult too. They had to face
swamps ... having a bottom of soft black mud, into which a man with a swag will often sink above his knees, and have a job to extract himself.40
On 20 June, they forded the Serpentine River after waiting several days for floodwaters to subside; nonetheless, the water was up to their waists.41 They found that they had to climb the Wilmot Range and
. . . passed the worst night we had upon the whole journey, for the ground was too steep to lie down comfortably, and in the morning we felt as if we had been tramping the mountain all night.42
The trip took longer than expected and provisions ran short.
[July 10] we packed up our swags as soon as possible after daylight, and not troubling to cook breakfast (for the best of all reasons, we had none to cook), continued to follow the course of the Gordon. About noon I noticed some pine freshly cut, and just as I drew the attention of another of the party to it he heard the sound of a hammer branding logs . . . and soon came to the piners at their work (G. Bennett, C. Stevens and G. Davey of Strahan).43
The party was very grateful for the piners' hospitality, and later borrowed their boat to explore the Gordon River as far as Marble Cliffs.
Having sent despatches to Hobart via Strahan with the piners, and collected provisions that had been left for them, the party began the return journey. This time they took a more southerly route that included Lake Pedder, which Nicholls photographed (possibly the first photographs of the lake). E. G. called Lake Pedder a 'gem of Southern Tasmania.44
In conclusion E.G. was unable to recommend the route as being practical for a road. The land was useless for agricultural and pastoral purposes; however
I would strongly advise the Hon. the Minister of Lands to cause it (the land in the vicinity of the Gordon) to be reserved as a State forest, and take every possible measure to protect these young pines (Huon Pine), which, if allowed to come to maturity, must eventually prove a valuable asset to the State.45
The report demonstrates the breadth of a nineteenth century surveyor's expertise. He had to organise the equipment, provisions and transportation for the party, including if possible the placement of extra provisions along the route. Along the way vegetation was cleared, tracks were marked, fords were staked, and primitive bridges built (often just a fallen log with a handrail attached). As well as recording distances, directions and altitudes, the report includes weather conditions, suitability of the soil for agriculture, details of the vegetation (including botanical names) and details of minerals. References are made to the work of previous surveyors or bushmen, indicating research done in preparation for the trip. The fact that the final report is so detailed indicates the record keeping which must have been a major part of the daily routine.
His other expedition of note, which was to cut and mark a track from Mole Creek to Rosebery, commenced on 17 October 1896. The party did not reach Rosebery until 22 May the next year. It included C. Russell, William Aylett, Messrs Bradshaw and Rowe, and Josiah Innes. Despite bad weather and thick scrub, they successfully found and marked a route. The return trip shows the modem developments available on the West Coast at the time. They left Rosebery on 24 May, via Ringville and the North-East Dundas tram for Zeehan - staying in hotels in both towns. From Zeehan they took the train to Strahan, and then travelled by steam ship to Hobart, arriving on 27 May.46
E. G. prophesised of the Mole Creek to Rosebery route (which became known to twentieth century hikers as the 'Innes Track') that
it should prove an attraction for tourists, as for mountain and lake scenery, especially in the vicinity of Barn Bluff and the Cradle mountain, it forms one of the most beautiful portions of the Colony …47
He also reported the country rich, agriculturally and in minerals.
Josiah Innes, while exploring an alternate route one day, found deposits of galena (a compound from which lead, silver and tin can be extracted) on Mount Farrell. In December that year, he returned to peg claims. In March 1898, the North Mount Farrell Mine Company was floated, with William Innes (another brother) as chairman. Josiah was mine manager until 1901, when he retired due to ill health. The town of Mt Farrell was later renamed Tullah.48 The mine continued for eighty years, although Innes family involvement ceased much earlier.
E. G. also performed the more routine duties of a district surveyor based at Esperance (now Dover). He kept a small yacht to help him get about his district, which included Bruny Island. Each year, he submitted a report that was published as a Parliamentary Paper. For example, in 1895, he reports that he surveyed fifty-one lots ranging from one acre to 500 acres, as well as a considerable length of roads. He advises on the quality of the land and on how the new settlers who take it up appear to be coping. He reports on where there is suitable land still available for selection and on the need for roads to be established. He even reports on the state of the crops that year, the availability of work for labourers, and the general economic prosperity and outlook for the district.
Some of the views expressed in his 1895 report seem surprisingly modem. He warns against the wholesale and useless destruction of valuable timber that was taking place as land was cleared for farming. He also strongly recommends that the Government open a track from the Southport Narrows to the plateau of the La Perouse range of mountains, for the purpose of attracting tourists to the state.
... the La Perouse range in south-west Tasmania is quite the equal of the best I saw in New Zealand.49
When he was not surveying E.G. had a small farm to attend to. A letter to his sister in 1884 mentions strawberries, raspberries, apples (grown for income) and several cows. The Chapman's Hopetoun Timber Mills at Dover were purchased in the name of A. M. Innes & Co. in 1895. It is not known if this was an investment by Annie herself or by E. G., seeking another potential source of income using his wife's name. The Mills were destroyed by bushfires in 1898 and the land sold to the Tasmanian Timber Corporation in 1900/1.50
About this time, the family moved to Cygnet. E.G. was an officer in the Derwent Regiment and needed to be closer to Hobart to gain a promotion. They rented a house in the centre of town. It is there, with his family, that Edward George Innes, accomplished bush-man, died of a stroke at-age 50 on 3 August 1904. According to his daughter Isma, he had just returned home and had bent over to remove his boots. He straightened up and commented that he could taste blood. He then collapsed and died. The doctor, a near neighbor, was called but it was too late.51
E. G. is believed to be buried in the cemetery at Cygnet, although there is no sign of his grave now. His widow was able to build a home just outside Cygnet with the help of family. The house remained in the family until the 1990s, and I spent many enjoyable summer holidays there as a child.
As a child, stories about my great grandfather took my imagination. This was the beginning of my interest in family history. I have discovered some fascinating relatives over the years, but Edward George Innes, my 'famous great grandfather', remains the most interesting.
18 1854/1161 Prossers Plains & Sorell
19 AOT NS 464/4 Letter to Anne Innes from Edward Innes dated 7/5/1854
20 Indenture papers, privately held
21 1880/843 (Victoria) Huon
22 Gowlland, Ralph & Kathleen. Trampled wilderness: the history of South-West Tasmania. Devonport: C. L. Richmond & Sons, 1975. p.96
23 Information supplied by Greg Blake of Tullah
24 1884/1758 Hobart
25 1884/1600 Hobart
26 AOT NS 464/6 Letter to Christiana Innes from E. G. Innes dated 20/9/1884
27 Jones, Alan. Backsight : a history of surveying in colonial Tasmania. Hobart: The Institution of Surveyors, Australia, Tasmanian Division, 1989. p.177.
28 As above, p.187.
29 As above p.199. also Beechey, Norm. A history of Dover & Port Esperance, Vol. 1 Dover: Norm Beechey & Dorothy Baker, 1997. p.138.
30 1886/127 Honeywood (Esperance)
31 Exact spelling uncertain. From handwritten letter AOT NS 464/3 E.G. Innes to Edward Innes 15 June 1887.
32 Walsh's Tasmanian Almanac1892
33 Photocopy of letter to Deputy Surveyor General 1.7.1892 (location of original not known)
34 As above.
35 A photograph of the party was published in The Tasmanian Mail30 May 1896 p.15.
36 Tasmanian Parliamentary Papers 1896 no. 74 p.8. Olga Estelle Innes (7.7.1895-30.9.1951), later Mrs Hugh Wallace, later Mrs Victor Ward.
37 As above p.9.
38 This is also the opinion of Wayne Smith of Lauderdale in private correspondence with the author dated 5February 1998. However, it should be remembered that Tasmania had a premier named Frederick Maitland Innes.
39 Tasmanian Parliamentary Papers 1896 no. 74 p.5 40As above.
40 As above
41 As above p.6
42. As above p.7
43. As above p.8
44. As above p.10
45. As above p.11
46 Tasmanian Parliamentary Papers 1897 no.43 p.8
47 As above p.11.
48 The Sunday Tasmanian21 December 1997 p.63
49 Tasmanian Parliamentary papers 1895 no. 47 p.19
50 Kostoglou, Perry. Historic timber-getting between Hastings and Dover: block 2 (Archaeology of the Tasmanian Timber Industry, report number 5). Tasmanian Forest Research Council, 1994. p.107
This story was originally published in 2001 by the Tasmanian Family History Society Inc in My Most Interesting Ancestor.
The original introduction to this publication may be found here.