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BICHENO
The area was much frequented by aboriginals, particularly at Moulting Lagoon where swan eggs could be collected, and along the East Coast where remains of middens can be seen, although much has been covered by sand since the middens were deposited. The aborigines disappeared after Robinson’s efforts in 1830 and 1831.
The first permanent settlement in the area was at “Apsley” (now “Apslawn”) in 1826 by William Lyne and his family. Before this, sealers frequented the area, and the American whaler, Delano, was in Oyster Bay in 1803. At various times during the 1830's/ 1840's up to 4 whaling stations operated with the area at various times being known as “The Fisheries” and “Waubs Harbour” By this time, shipping was calling for the purpose of bringing in goods for the farmers and whalers and exporting their produce of them. The whaling was limited to the winter months when the whales came further north. Mrs Charles Meredith of Swansea visited the area in 1843 and wrote of the mess left behind by the whalers, contrasting it with the clear bright crags, snow white beach and the pure brilliant character of the surrounding scenery
The name “Waubs” is an abbreviation of “Waubedebar” a female aborigine whose grave is located at the back of the Lions Park, near the Silver Sands Hotel. The headstone reads “Here lies - Waubedebar a female aborigine of Van Diemen’s land, died June 1832, aged 40 years.” It seems that she was a sealer’s woman and that she died in a boat off the coast whilst travelling towards the Furneaux Group and her body was brought ashore and buried. John Allen, an early settler, in his note book, dated 24th June 1840, mentions “Waubs Harbour”. Sufficient was thought of her memory for the local settlers in 1855 to contribute funds to erect a headstone.
The whalers used a prominent hill as a lookout for the whales. This has now become a well established viewing area for locals and tourist alike known as Whalers lookout, with a well defined walking path and two lookouts, one to the south and one to the north. These give a panoramoc view of the area.
Coal was discovered in the bed of the Denison River about 1843 by two ticket of leave men. In 1848 a report by Joseph Milligan to the Colonial Secretary spoke of the various seams of coal to be found at the Douglas and Denison rivers. The Douglas River Coal Company , opened up seams between 1850 and 1860, in the early 1850’s a deal was struck with the Government for them to build a tramway from the mines at the Denison to Waubs Bay, a distance of some 6 miles. In August 1854 the Company was informed that the Government was unable to see its way clear to complete the tramway and the Government gang was withdrawn. The Company decided to complete the work itself and did so by December of the same year. The Government gang had been nearly three years on the job and is said to have completed less than 1 mile of easy clearing and levelling per year.. The Company had built at Waubs Harbour a wharf and mooring facilities for colliers and a shute by means of which coal was tipped direct from the trucks into the ships holds. The two side walls of the building at the site of the shute, over which the tram tracks ran are still standing [visit The Gulch to view them]
Bicheno was named after “James Ebenezer Bicheno” who was born in 1876, the son of a Baptist minister, at Newberry, County of Berkshire, England. In 1843 he was sent out by the Home Government to take up the position of Colonial Secretary of Van Diemen’s Land. Bicheno was a cultured man, Fellow of the Royal Society, of the Linnacan Society, and of the Geological Society of England. He was a genial, portly figure, fond of good living and good company, with a taste for music and the arts, he was widely popular. He died on 25th February, 1851 at his house in Davey Street, leaving his fine library of 2,500 volumes, many of them of great value, to the Colony, on condition that a sum of 300 was raised by public subscription to purchase the whole collection. This was done and the Tasmanian Public Library was thus established in his house. His portrait by Thomas Bock is in the Tasmanian Museum
Article Contribution from: Bill Clarke [local resident & volunteer} Thankyou Bill
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