Re-positioning of an incorrectly-located, well-marking plaque is probably of real interest to only the aficionados of such a recondite subject, however, this undertaking attracted 9 people to engage in a 3.5 day, 1000+ kilometre Road Trip from Cockburn to Boorabbin and return.
Probably the opportunity to visit the wondrous Great Western Woodlands, engage in a project to protect Western Australia’s exploration heritage, and be a part of the ‘conviviality of a weekend in the bush’ was the driving force.
Background
The plaque that was re-located is one of 26 created for the York to Goldfields Heritage Trail. It was to mark the location of a dam at Karalee Rock made by explorer/surveyor Charles Cooke Hunt in 1865. The installation of these plaques was part of Australia’s 1988 Bicentennial celebrations.
- Carolling Rocks plaque.
The plaque destined for Karalee Rock (shown as Carolling Rocks) was incorrectly installed at Karolin Rock. Though a beautiful picnic site with abundant wildflowers in season, Karolin Rock is not visited as much as its popular neighbour Baladgie Rock, a well used campground overlooking spectacular Lake Baladgie, and so the existence of the out of place plaque was little known.
- Lake Baladgie viewed from Baladgie Rock.
Until bush historian Gary Arcus visited Karolin Rock in mid 2020, not long after Covid19 related travel restrictions within Western Australia were lifted, nobody had questioned why the spelling on the plaque was different from the name of the rocks. Indeed, someone had gone to the trouble of installing a substantial, but incorrect, sign pointing to ‘Hunts Well’.
- Regardless of the display it is not Hunt’s Well.
After Gary consulted Hunt’s diaries it was clear that the wording on the plaque referred to Carolling Rocks – now known as Karalee Rock. How it ended up at Karolin Rock is not known although clearly there is a similarity in pronunciation. Further, the Western Australian Water Authority booklet The Wells of Explorer Charles Hunt incorrectly recorded that Carolling Rocks (Karalee) is in Karolin Reserve. Combined, these two influences are thought to be the reason for the mis-locating of the historic plaque.
Both Karolin Rock and Carolling Rocks are in the Shire of Yilgarn, which made coordination of the relocation of the plaque hassle free. However, the plaque was not moved to current day Carolling Rocks. The rock Hunt referred to as Carolling/Karolling in 1865-66 is actually current day Karalee Rock. However, the name Karalee wasn’t used until 1890 when recorded by surveyor N.M. Brazier.
Present day Carolling Rocks are 3.4 kilometres south-south-west of Karalee. It is likely that Hunt never visited these rocks.
Hunt’s team established a dam across a gulley at Karalee in 1865 and it is at this location the plaque was to be installed. In the 1890s a dry rock well – in the same style as Hunt’s Wells – was made close to this dam and this fine structure is still in good condition today. Both the dry rock wall well and Hunts Dam are about 400 metres along the Karalee Information Trail.
- Mines Department dry rock well at Karalee circa 1890.
During the refurbishment of Kodjerning and Moorine Wells in June 2021 the plaque was retrieved from where it had been incorrectly placed at Karolin Rock.
Installation of Plaque
With the intervention of dedicated volunteers from the Cockburn 4WD Club and Mitsubishi 4WD Club, 33 years on, the plaque has finally been placed in its correct location.
- Scott started the hole.
- Andrew had plenty of supervisors
- The explanatory plaque was cemented in place.
- Mark and Scott prepared the explanatory plaque.
- Task completed.
- Kim, Gary and Scott.
Rather than just head back to Cockburn we elected to visit Kodjerning Well, Moorine Rock Well, and Karolin Rock to check out the results of our handiwork two months earlier.
Retrieval of the Plaque
Kim Epton
Gary Arcus
Scott Overstone
Andrew and Joanne Newhouse
Greg Barndon
Joe Metcalf
Dave Morrison
Rob and Tracey Parker
Graham Salter
Andrew Brooks
Relocation of the Plaque
Kim Epton
Scott Overstone
Gary Arcus
Andrew Brooks
Cliff Hills
Kerry Davies
James Hay
Mark Stampilia
© Kim Epton 2022
682 words, 10 photographs.
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