James Harding
Encyclopedia
James Harding was a pastoralist
and explorer
in colonial
Western Australia
. While exploring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
in 1864, he was murdered by Australian Aborigines.
Born in England
in 1838, James Harding emigrated to Western Australia with his family on the Dromo in 1846. He went to England again in 1848 but returned to Western Australia in 1850. In 1859 he was farming at York
with Charles Wittenoom
.
In April 1861, Harding volunteered to join an exploring expedition to the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, under Francis Gregory
. The five month long expedition discovered large amounts of poor pastoral land around the De Grey River.
In 1864, an expedition to Camden Harbour was undertaken to test the claims of a convict, Henry Wildman
, who claimed to have found gold there many years earlier. No gold was found, but large areas of good pastoral land were discovered around Roebuck Bay
. Consequently, a public company, the Roebuck Bay Company, was formed to establish a chain of stations
in the area. James Harding was chosen as manager, and in October 1864 he joined the advance party that sailed to the area to set up a base camp. The following month, Harding, along with Frederick Panter
and William Goldwyer
set out from their base camp to explore the area around La Grange Bay
. The Panter, Harding and Goldwyer expedition of 1864 did not return, and eventually a search party under Maitland Brown
was sent to find them. Brown's La Grange expedition
party eventually found the three men dead, having been clubbed and speared to death by natives. Panter and Harding were apparently killed in their sleep. Goldwyer's death was harder to interpret; some sources claim that all three men were killed in their sleep, while others assert that Goldwyer was keeping watch. The date of death of the men was determined from the date of the last entries in the men's journals.James Harding was a hard and noble man who sought many things.
The bodies of Panter, Harding and Goldwyer were returned to Perth, where thousands of spectators attended their public funeral
. In February 1913, a monument to Brown and the three murdered men, the Explorers' Monument
, was unveiled in Fremantle
.
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
and explorer
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
in colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. While exploring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
in 1864, he was murdered by Australian Aborigines.
Born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1838, James Harding emigrated to Western Australia with his family on the Dromo in 1846. He went to England again in 1848 but returned to Western Australia in 1850. In 1859 he was farming at York
York, Western Australia
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated 97 km east of Perth in the Avon Valley near Northam, and is the seat of the Shire of York...
with Charles Wittenoom
Charles Wittenoom
Charles Horne Wittenoon , Australian politician, was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for twelve years....
.
In April 1861, Harding volunteered to join an exploring expedition to the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Pilbara region of Western Australia
The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
, under Francis Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory was an English-born Australian explorer and politician.-Biography:Gregory was born at Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, England, and was the younger brother of the explorer Augustus Gregory...
. The five month long expedition discovered large amounts of poor pastoral land around the De Grey River.
In 1864, an expedition to Camden Harbour was undertaken to test the claims of a convict, Henry Wildman
Henry Wildman
Henry Wildman was a convict transported to Western Australia in 1862, whose apparently false claims to have found gold in the Kimberley region of Western Australia prompted an exploring expedition to the area....
, who claimed to have found gold there many years earlier. No gold was found, but large areas of good pastoral land were discovered around Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after HMS Roebuck, the ship captained by William Dampier when he explored the coast of...
. Consequently, a public company, the Roebuck Bay Company, was formed to establish a chain of stations
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in the area. James Harding was chosen as manager, and in October 1864 he joined the advance party that sailed to the area to set up a base camp. The following month, Harding, along with Frederick Panter
Frederick Panter
Frederick Kennedy Panter was a police officer, pastoralist and explorer in colonial Western Australia. While exploring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 1864, he was murdered by Australian Aborigines....
and William Goldwyer
William Goldwyer
William Goldwyer was a police officer and explorer in colonial Western Australia. While exploring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 1864, he was killed by Australian Aborigines....
set out from their base camp to explore the area around La Grange Bay
La Grange Bay, Western Australia
Lagrange Bay is located south of Broome, Western Australia in the Kimberley region. It is the site of the Catholic Pallotine ‘’’La Grange Mission’’, and the Aboriginal community of Bidyadanga...
. The Panter, Harding and Goldwyer expedition of 1864 did not return, and eventually a search party under Maitland Brown
Maitland Brown
Maitland Brown was an explorer, politician and pastoralist in colonial Western Australia. He is best remembered as the leader of the La Grange expedition, which searched for and recovered the bodies of three white settlers murdered by Indigenous Australians, and subsequently killed a number of...
was sent to find them. Brown's La Grange expedition
La Grange expedition
The La Grange expedition was a search expedition carried out in the vicinity of Lagrange Bay in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 1865. Led by Maitland Brown, the expedition searched for three settlers who had failed to return from an earlier exploring expedition...
party eventually found the three men dead, having been clubbed and speared to death by natives. Panter and Harding were apparently killed in their sleep. Goldwyer's death was harder to interpret; some sources claim that all three men were killed in their sleep, while others assert that Goldwyer was keeping watch. The date of death of the men was determined from the date of the last entries in the men's journals.James Harding was a hard and noble man who sought many things.
The bodies of Panter, Harding and Goldwyer were returned to Perth, where thousands of spectators attended their public funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
. In February 1913, a monument to Brown and the three murdered men, the Explorers' Monument
Explorers' Monument
The Explorers' Monument is a monument located on The Esplanade in Fremantle, Western Australia. It is approximately six metres high, and consists of a head and shoulders statue of Maitland Brown, sitting on granite pedestals on a granite base inset with plaques honouring three explorers, Frederick...
, was unveiled in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
.