Continuing with the story of Bribbaree selected from a series by JP King and published in the Young Witness in July 1958.
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Jack Gibson is nestled near the hill and Jack DeBritt was part of the Weedallion Hill for about 50 years.
The village site is in the Parish of Weedallion, the early name of the district was taken from the Weedallion Hill, seven miles to the south.
Tom Fisher came there in about 1900, Ted Adams took over his selection.
The first school in this area was near Pat Murphy's "Wenderdene", it closed in 1906 and it was moved to near Tom Fisher's and was known as "Wirrip".
It has been burnt in a bushfire since. Weedallion Hill was very much in its native state with native fruit Geebungs and Quantong's.
And wild life was in abundance such as kangaroos, emus, wallabies ,'opossum, tiger and native cats, kangaroo rats and flasjacks.
The dingoes on the way out passed the foxes coming in. Rabbits had been drifting in from the west, north and south.
Netting fences were erected, these were known as barrier fences and one was erected six miles west of Bribbaree, but the rabbits still came in.
Between 1902-1910 when they were at their peak millions came in. A character who we had at the time was Mick Commerford. Mick come to us from the Emerald Isles with the construction of the railway. He had a small shop serving railway workers. He had implicit faith in his new found friends. As Mick would say "He is a lovely man" when referring to one and all.
He has learnt our language, mellowed with the years, well over four score, and will stay. I have no doubt that at times he longs to be "where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea."
Morangorell was 12 miles further west than Bribbaree but had the potential to be the centre of the world. It was on the Bland Creek and it got it's name from the near by McGregor's Morangorell Station.
Bad seasons and low wool prices forced the second generation of McGregor's off Morangorell Station. George McGregor went overseas to the "Klondike" Gold Rush, hoping to strike it rich and buy Morangorell back.
He came back many years later, but did not stay. The building of the bridge over the Bland Creek in 1878 made it a gateway to the west. Childs was the builder and he also conducted one of the two hotels.
Morangorell was the centre of the cross-routes, one leading in from Queensland across to Victoria, the other coming in from the East, leading westward.
During the gold rush days the roads were very busy. A motley army was forever on the move mostly overland, between the diggings.
Then there were the bullock teams and the stock movements. For many years Morangorell was a busy centre.
Among the early buildings were the Police Camp and Court House, constructed from pit-sawn Cyprus pine. Morangorell was a seat of judgement for many years for minor matters.
"Enever" was Jim Johnson's selection near what was once the village site.
Then there were those downstream - Downey's and the Curraburrama subdivision.
Upstream Moonbucca Station and Arthur Jasprizza.
Over the creek, westward Gregory's, Cooke and many others.
A bridge is badly needed over "Mill Post" creek at Jim Charlesworth's.
During a wet period this creek will run for months at a high level.
The Pasture Protection Board have some large stock routes around Morangorell and there is keen competition for the sweet grasses that grow there on.
The day of the small man has passed, this is the Sputniks age - the name given to the large mobs which go around and around.
In the early days it was not an uncommon sight to see 40 or 50 Chinese with baskets loaded, strung out in single file as they travelled along the Morangorell stock routes, from contract to contract, scrubbing and ring-barking.
They came in under license and a payment of a poll-tax paid by the contractor.
- Brian James produces his column for the Young Witness each Tuesday on behalf the Young Historical Society Inc.