Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 19 November 1924, page 13


HUME-HOVELL.

THE CENTENARY.

DEMONSTRATION AT

ALBURY.

SPEECH BY MR. HOLMAN.

ALBURY, Tuesday.

The Hume-Hovell centenary celebrations were continued to-day, when there were re-markably large crowds in the town to wit-ness some of the principal features of the programme. In the morning there was a gathering of pioneers at Dean-square, where they were welcomed by the Mayor (Alderman C. H. Burt), and presented to the public.

One of the most striking figures was Mr. Tom Boyd, of Adelong, son of the first white man to cross the Murray. He was with Hume and Hovell when the Murray was first sighted on November I6, 1824, and swimming across with a rope, which was attached to a raft, on the opposite bank, he pulled the explorers across the stream. Boyd in the "Thirties," settled in the Tumut district, where be died many years ago. Recently a monument to his memory was unveiled In Tumut Cemetery. Mr. Angel, of Wagga, son of another mem-ber of the exploration party, was also present, besides the following descendants of Captain Hovell:—William Hilton Hovell, of Petersham (grandson), Albert Ross Hovell (great-grand-son), Mrs. Wray (granddaughter); also seve-ral blood connections of Hume.

The pageant and procession to Hovell Tree this afternoon was the finest spectacular dis-play over made in the town, and was wit-nessed by 10,000 people. The procession of 300 decorated motor cars and military stret-ched for a mile. It was most striking and unique, for there was introduced in the fore-front of the great procession the Chinese re-sidents of Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong, Ben-

digo, and other places, who have accepted at their own expense the invitation to appear in national costume, and participate in true

national character.

Around Hovell Tree there was gathered the largest crowd over seen in Albury, when an inspiring address was given by Mr. W. A.

Holman, K.C.

Mr. Holman said that the purpose of this extraordinary demonstration of the popula-tion of Albury and its district was to com-memorate the heroic work of two great men, by whose achievements this great nation of Australia had been built up. (Applause.) One hundrod years ago, almost on the very spot where they had assembled that day, these men had wandered into the wilderness, their journey culminating in the discovery and crossing of the grandest river in Aus-tralia. It was largely from the young men born in the colony that the impulse to inves-tigate came. One of these men was Went-worth, another was Hume, one of the two great men whose exploits they celebrated to-day. They started on October 17, 1824, from near Campbelltown, which was at that moment the last outpost of settlement and civilisation in the south. They crossed over to the south-western side of the Murrumbidgee, and pursued a course which must have taken them close to the spot where Gundagai now stands. The party left Campbelltown on October 17, 1824, and reached what is known as Geelong on December 17, two months after starting from Campbelltown. On January 17, 1825, they recrossed the Murrumbidgee where they crossed it on the outward journey three months previously. They looked back with pride upon the achievements of the men, who made the great development of Australia possible to-day this groat centre, known always as a leading town in Australian pat-riotism and culture, had added to its prestige by the magnificent demonstration that had been held that day.