IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19800, 27 May 1926, Page 14

IN THE EARLY DAYS.

THE COMING OF THE ALLANS. MANY CHANGES WITNESSED. Mr H. 0. Allan, who has been appointed under-secretary for Lands in Victoria, is a member of a family which has been associated with that State fromthe beginning (writes H.P.B. of the Melbourne Argus). His father struggled, with the natives in the Western district after having been driven off the pasture lands of New South Wales, and his grandfather owned land in Australia which is worth many millions to-day. At one period his father won a reputation, quite Undeservedly as it appeal's, as a physician, and a brother, with more justice, acquired the unofficial title of the bowler of the century. Of the tens of thousands of people who cheered the bowling of Frank Allan probably very few knew that his skill, with the ball was acquired largely through his early association with the natives.

Colonel David Allan arrived in Sydney in 1813 to take up the position of Commissiary General. He had previously seen service in Heligoland. He had six sons and three daughters. The Duke of York had offered commissions to the elder sons, but the old soldier had determined that they should go on the land. Tlie Governor of New South Wales made him a land grant of 2200 acres at a point then known as Five Islands Estate. It was near Port Kembla, and was the first land alienated in the Illawarra district of New South Wales. Colonel Allan farmed the area for a few years, and it then passed for a time to the Wentworth family. In 1915 blocks of the land wore sold as high as £2 5s a foot. There is a tradition that Colonel Allan was also made a present of a, land grant embracing the greater portion of Woolloomooloo. He was buried in the cemetery where the Sydney railway station now stands. His remains were removed when the cemetery was abolished, and they now lie under a handsome monument at La Perouse. One of his sons entered the public service of New South Wales. When he retired from that position he had a record of having built 500 bridges. He was a member of the board that met in ‘Melbourne, and recommended a fixed bridge over the Yarra at Spencer street. On his mother’s side ho was a descendant of Mr John Rennie, the builder of London Bridge. ROUGH AND READY DQCTORIXG. Mr John Allan, the father of Mr 11. O. Allan, had a youthful ambition to go. .-to sea. At the age of 19 years he applied to be taken on board a whaler. The only vacancy was that of a ship’s doctor, and the captain advised young Allan to “get a few lessons in bleeding, and come along.” Young Allan did as he was directed. When off a fort on the New Zealand coast a boat was seen signalling the whaler. Those in the boat said that the child of the military commandant had become ill, and that the fort doctor was suffering from delirium tremens. It was requested that the doctor from the whaler be allowed to come ashore and attend the child. Young Allan hid below deck, but be was dragged out by the captain, and told that there must be no confession that a duly qualified practitioner was not on board. ‘‘You had better give the child a hot bath,” the captain said. ‘‘lt cannot do anv harm, and it may possibly do some good.” Allan went ashore, and ordered the bath. The child made a-rapid recovery. Allan’s troubles were not over. Many women came forward with .ailing children, and Allan had to prescribe in the best way possible. Peculiarly enough all the children that he treated made a good recovery, and he was indeed happy when his ship sailed out. leaving behind many grateful hearts, and a high reputation as a physician. About the year 1845 three brothers, William, John, and Henry Allan, sons of David Allan, took up a' station on the Darling River, in New South Wales. The natives speared their cattle, and ate them, and the three brothers decided to move south to Victoria, where squatting was. just being talked of. Sending their ‘‘assigned servants” back to Sydney, they began a trek southward with bullock wagon, horss, and cattle. One youth; a free man named “Billy” Abrahams, fired .with the spirit of adventure, begged to be taken. He was too young, however, and it was decided to send him off with the Sydney party. Three nights afterwards, while the trekking party was camped, “Billy” turned up beside the fires. He. could not be sent back then. Irt later times he became the progenitor of a fine family of settlers in the Allansford district, and many residents to this day remeraber his picturesque old figure. The party crossed the Murray, and passed down into the magnificent Colac plains. “Rolfe Bolderwood” in one of his books expresses wonderment that the Allan brothers left this prolific country and went •on into the poorer areas on the southern coast. The answer is that in the Colac country the Allan’s saw the heads of many natives sticking up from; among the tussocks. Remembering their experiences on the Darling River, they moved further on. Arriving on the Hopkins River in 1839, they took up a station, which they called Allandale. William and John entered into partnership. Later they separated, and John took up Tooram, an aboriginal name for “great fishing place.” It adjoins what is now known as the town of Allansford, but which was then known simply ns the Ford. The brothers prospered. The natives of the Tooram tribe were quiet. Raids, it is true, were sometimes made by the wild Cape Otway blacks. ABORIGINAL SAVAGERY. One grim incident stands out in history. A poor, old woman was burnt in her miamia, and a child was stolen. Along the cliffs its little' body was found partly co.oked and partly eaten. It has been asserted that the Australian aborigines never had the cannibalistic tendencies, but according to Mr H. O. Allan, this incident is fully vouched for. One night when there were rumours of a great raid, John Allan, sen., drove off the intruders by the old-fashioned device of cutting put a pumpkin to resemble a human face. He put a light, into the “skeleton” of the pumpkin and attached a white flowing gown. Next day the footmarks of hundreds of warriors testified that the tribe had come within sight of the apparition, and had then fled from the “debit dcbil.”

in 1843 John Allan married Miss O’Farrcll, of Melbourne. The happy pair set out from Geelong on a bullock dray. It took one week to reach the bush home. When Allan and his bride, then aged 18 years, called at Neil Black’s station in their bullock dray, the owner gave up his home to the bridal pair for the night. Ho slept under the bullock waggon. The home, it may be added, consisted of one room, which stood near where the magnificent mansion of the Black family (known as Noorat) is now situated. Mrs Allan’s cli-.f help in those far-off days was an aboriginal woman known as “Diana the Huntress.” Mr Allan was a protector of the natives, and he and Mrs Allan each sent a young lad aw y to be given religious education. Mr and Mrs Allan were of different religions, and each ybuth was to be brought up respectively in the religion of the benefactor or benefactress. The young natives learned all the vices but none of the virtues of Christianity. They were the worst boys on the station, and they were chiefly noted for their singular aptitude in teaching the game of marbles and in cheating at the game. The late Mr Frank Allan, the' eldest son of Mr John Allan, was a remarkable shot with a waddy. His only companions in very early youth were young aborigines. Among the natives his ability in throwing was regarded as almost supernatural. In later years ho could throw a cricket ball over 100 yards, but it was bis accuracy of aim that was most remarkable. As cricketers know, bo won the bowling average for years in the ‘‘intercolonial matches.” The great W. G. Grace was so impressed by Prank Allan that be offered him £7OO a year to play .with Gloucestershire. Frank Allan was a member of the , first :; Australian Eleven. Both his brothers were good cricketers. H. O, Allan, the present Under-secretary of Lands, ortce performed t v i« ip markable feat of making 101 not out with 22 men in the field. In an"th«r nr.tflh of a similar V 1 r-ri ... \V. Allan, r.cw a KitJWKI bank ,»a.n»gcv. cLj«:i bevied tW Ctlfc 28 off.