The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1954)(about) |
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Friday 13 January 1928
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24 corrections, most recently by Navigator-girl - Show corrections
Link With Bushrangers
Many of the hardships and adventures of the early days of settlement in New South Wales could be recalled by Mrs Bridget Hart, whose death occurred re- cently at the age of 95 years (says a telegram from Grafton). Mrs. Hart, a native of Ireland, arrived in Australia 80 years ago by the sailing ship, Irene, after a voyage lasting seven months. After a short period in Sydney she went to Grafton, where there was then only one store. She also spent some time on the northern tablelands. She experienced the hardships of early settlers when bushrangers were roaming the country and the aborigines were by no means civilised. She fed Thunderbolt, the bushranger, on more than one occasion, when in the New England district, and recollected the attack made on the mail coach while she was travelling from Armidale to Sydney. Mrs. Hart remem- bered the Platypus, the first boat to ply
on the Clarence River and which took
two days to make the trip from Grafton to the heads and back. She and her husband, the late Mr. John Thomas Hart, took part in the rush to the Sol- ferino goldfleld. Mr. Hart was a marine architect, and was for a time engaged in supervising the building of the break- water at Yamba.