Michelago, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Michelago is a small settlement in the Monaro
region of New South Wales
, Australia
, in the Cooma-Monaro Shire, approximately 54 km south of Canberra on the Monaro Highway
. It was founded in the 1820s, on the main route from Sydney
to the Snowy Mountains
. Its population is 795 .
separates the village from the Clear Range. The Michelago Creek passes through the village, and is a source of water for the residents. Its catchment area is in the Tinderry Range, and after passing the town the creek flows into the Murrumbidgee River
. It has been claimed that Michelago represents the territorial divide between white-backed and black-backed magpies on the Monaro
highway from Canberra
to Cooma.
toward Michelago represented a descent into what he considered barbarism: no church south of Sutton Forest, no window pane south of Canberra
, no white woman south of Michelago. The first Monaro Superintendent of Police, the Corsican Francis Nicholas Rossi, built an ironbark slab homestead in the region called Micilago on 35,000 acres (14,175 hectares) in 1837; this station was bought in 1859 by Alexander Ryrie who married Charlotte Faunce the daughter of Alured Tasker Faunce the police magistrate at Queanbeyan; one of their children being Granville Ryrie
, later a General in World War I
, knighted and involved with the League of Nations
in Geneva
. Alexander Ryrie who'd renamed his property Michalago,built St Thomas' church in the village of Michelago and life for those in the area was very self-sufficient, with income from wool, cattle for meat, milk and butter, locally grown fruit and vegetables, with soap and tallow candles also being made by hand. A big social event was the picnic races and over 200 people attended the Michelago Public School picnic in 1906. During the 1930-50's eucalyptus stilling was a profitable occupation in the Tinderry Range above Michelago and a drum of eucalyptus oil (44 gallons or 200L) was worth 100 pounds on site in the 1940s. Notable families of the early years of Michelago include the Cotters, Kellys, Lawlers, McTernans and Poveys. Many of their descendants still live in the region.
Lea-Scarlett notes that in October 1840 a gang of five bushrangers broke out of the lockup at Queanbeyan and police magistrate Captain Faunce had to give chase to Michelago before he recaptured them. On 1 June 1866 a bushranging gang consisting of the Clarke brothers
, Patsy Connell and two accomplices held up Michelago town (which then consisted of Thomas Kennedy's Hibernian Hotel, a police station and lockup, Abraham Levy's store, a Church of England schoolhouse, a Catholic church and a few houses) and drank its entire liquor supply before staggering off to their rocky hide-out called 'Beefcask' in the Tinderrys.
with fifteen exhibition coaches encouraging people to 'Buy Australian Made.' The railway line closed in 1989 - along with the rest of the line from Queanbeyan to Cooma. Since 1993 the line has operated as a heritage railway
- however passenger trains have not been south of Royalla (approx 23 km north) since 1997 - it is planned that heritage trains will soon return to Michelago. Today the railway is disused between Michelago and Chakola and a 1990s resurfacing of the Monaro Highway
north of Bredbo cut the railway which crossed the highway.
painting The Squatter's Daughter was painted at Michelago. Lambert also painted Michelago Landscape (both paintings are in the National Gallery of Australia
collection) and wrote this poem about it:
"The sun is down and ‘Micalago’ is at rest
Like Chinese silk of faded gold, the grass and all the hills like breasts of turtle-doves
My soul could find a home ‘midst blades of grass
And get its music from the whispering trees
These pleasant little hills that lure us on
To ride and ride until we reach beyond."
David Campbell (poet)
wrote a poem The Squatter's Daughter about the funerals of Granville Ryrie
and his daughter at Michelago:
"Veterans shed tears and limped the sweet-briar miles
Behind his guncarriage to Michelago
And now The Squatter's Daughter follows him:
The grey lake blurs beneath
Governor's Hill, her candid spirit mourned
By grandchildren with hair of daffodil."
The artist Robert Pengilley lives and paints in the Michelago region.
The 1999 film Passion, about the life of Percy Grainger
was partly filmed in Michelago. The 2004 Cate Shortland
Somersault (film)
included scenes filmed at the Ryrie homestead at Michelago; scenes from the Gillian Armstrong
1979 My Brilliant Career (film)
were also shot at that location.
, devastated much of the flora and bush landscape around Michelago, particularly down from the Clearview Road toward the Murrumbidgee River
. While the village itself was not affected by the fires, several farms and houses were destroyed and mountains of the Clear Range were left blackened and barren. A bushfire which began on 17 December 2009 devastated the area east of Michelago, burning out over 9,000 hectares and destroying three homes and a sawmill.
Monaro, New South Wales
Monaro is the name of a region in the south of New South Wales, Australia. A small area of Victoria near Snowy River National Park is geographically part of the Monaro, whilst the Australian Capital Territory is frequently considered part of the region: most towns have very close links with...
region of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in the Cooma-Monaro Shire, approximately 54 km south of Canberra on the Monaro Highway
Monaro Highway
The Monaro Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, Australia. The Victorian section was formerly known as the Cann Valley Highway until the 1980s....
. It was founded in the 1820s, on the main route from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
. Its population is 795 .
Location
Michelago is situated in a valley between two mountain ranges, the Tinderry Range to the East and the Clear Range to the west. A road crosses the Tinderrys from Michelago, leading ultimately to the 1950s silver mining settlement Captains Flat. The highest peaks in the picturesque Tinderry Range reach approximately 1600m above sea level, while Michelago itself has an elevation of around 800m. The Murrumbidgee RiverMurrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
separates the village from the Clear Range. The Michelago Creek passes through the village, and is a source of water for the residents. Its catchment area is in the Tinderry Range, and after passing the town the creek flows into the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
. It has been claimed that Michelago represents the territorial divide between white-backed and black-backed magpies on the Monaro
Monaro
Monaro may refer to several topics:* Monaro , a region in the south of the state of Australia* the Monaro Highway, the main state highway from Canberra to the Monaro region...
highway from Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
to Cooma.
History and Bushranging
Currie and Ovens explored the Michelago region in 1823 and the first settlement proceeded soon thereafter, involving the ex-convict couple, Emmanuel and Catherine Elliot. The explorer Dr John Lhotsky claimed that his journey in 1834 south from the Limestone PlainsLimestone Plains
The Limestone Plains were broad, frost-hollow floodplains through which the Molonglo River flowed. Early settlers named this floodplain after the occasional small outcrops of limestone found on it. The Limestone Plains were the area Australia's capital city Canberra was built on...
toward Michelago represented a descent into what he considered barbarism: no church south of Sutton Forest, no window pane south of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, no white woman south of Michelago. The first Monaro Superintendent of Police, the Corsican Francis Nicholas Rossi, built an ironbark slab homestead in the region called Micilago on 35,000 acres (14,175 hectares) in 1837; this station was bought in 1859 by Alexander Ryrie who married Charlotte Faunce the daughter of Alured Tasker Faunce the police magistrate at Queanbeyan; one of their children being Granville Ryrie
Granville Ryrie
Major General Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG, CB, VD was an Australian soldier and politician who served in the Second Boer War and the First World War.-Early life:...
, later a General in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, knighted and involved with the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Alexander Ryrie who'd renamed his property Michalago,built St Thomas' church in the village of Michelago and life for those in the area was very self-sufficient, with income from wool, cattle for meat, milk and butter, locally grown fruit and vegetables, with soap and tallow candles also being made by hand. A big social event was the picnic races and over 200 people attended the Michelago Public School picnic in 1906. During the 1930-50's eucalyptus stilling was a profitable occupation in the Tinderry Range above Michelago and a drum of eucalyptus oil (44 gallons or 200L) was worth 100 pounds on site in the 1940s. Notable families of the early years of Michelago include the Cotters, Kellys, Lawlers, McTernans and Poveys. Many of their descendants still live in the region.
Lea-Scarlett notes that in October 1840 a gang of five bushrangers broke out of the lockup at Queanbeyan and police magistrate Captain Faunce had to give chase to Michelago before he recaptured them. On 1 June 1866 a bushranging gang consisting of the Clarke brothers
Clarke brothers
The Clarke brothers were Australian bushrangers active in New South Wales the late 19th century.The Clarke brothers, Thomas and John and James, were from Braidwood, New South Wales. From 1865 they were active around the area that became the Australian Capital Territory, where they held up stations,...
, Patsy Connell and two accomplices held up Michelago town (which then consisted of Thomas Kennedy's Hibernian Hotel, a police station and lockup, Abraham Levy's store, a Church of England schoolhouse, a Catholic church and a few houses) and drank its entire liquor supply before staggering off to their rocky hide-out called 'Beefcask' in the Tinderrys.
Railway
The railway to the town opened on 7 December 1887 and Bernard Ferris's railway pub at Michelago established during the construction period was called the 'Navvies' Arms.' In the 1920s Michelago was visited by the Great White TrainGreat White Train
The Great White Train was an effort in the 1920s by Sydney based industrialists to convince Australians to 'Buy Australian Made'.The train was created by the Australia Made Preference League with the New South Wales government contributing £5000 to the project.The movie Undercover made about the...
with fifteen exhibition coaches encouraging people to 'Buy Australian Made.' The railway line closed in 1989 - along with the rest of the line from Queanbeyan to Cooma. Since 1993 the line has operated as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
- however passenger trains have not been south of Royalla (approx 23 km north) since 1997 - it is planned that heritage trains will soon return to Michelago. Today the railway is disused between Michelago and Chakola and a 1990s resurfacing of the Monaro Highway
Monaro Highway
The Monaro Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, Australia. The Victorian section was formerly known as the Cann Valley Highway until the 1980s....
north of Bredbo cut the railway which crossed the highway.
Michelago in art, poetry and film
The George Washington LambertGeorge Washington Lambert
George Washington Thomas Lambert ARA was an Australian artist, known principally for portrait paintings and as a war artist during the First World War.-Early life:...
painting The Squatter's Daughter was painted at Michelago. Lambert also painted Michelago Landscape (both paintings are in the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
collection) and wrote this poem about it:
"The sun is down and ‘Micalago’ is at rest
Like Chinese silk of faded gold, the grass and all the hills like breasts of turtle-doves
My soul could find a home ‘midst blades of grass
And get its music from the whispering trees
These pleasant little hills that lure us on
To ride and ride until we reach beyond."
David Campbell (poet)
David Campbell (poet)
David Watt Ian Campbell was an Australian poet who wrote over 15 volumes of prose and poetry.-Life:Campbell was born on 16 July 1915 at Ellerslie Station, near Adelong, New South Wales...
wrote a poem The Squatter's Daughter about the funerals of Granville Ryrie
Granville Ryrie
Major General Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG, CB, VD was an Australian soldier and politician who served in the Second Boer War and the First World War.-Early life:...
and his daughter at Michelago:
"Veterans shed tears and limped the sweet-briar miles
Behind his guncarriage to Michelago
And now The Squatter's Daughter follows him:
The grey lake blurs beneath
Governor's Hill, her candid spirit mourned
By grandchildren with hair of daffodil."
The artist Robert Pengilley lives and paints in the Michelago region.
The 1999 film Passion, about the life of Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
was partly filmed in Michelago. The 2004 Cate Shortland
Cate Shortland
Cate Shortland is an Australian writer and director of film and television.She was born 10 August 1968 in Temora, New South Wales. She graduated from the Australian Film Television and Radio School, where she received the Southern Star Award for most promising student.She has created several award...
Somersault (film)
Somersault (film)
Somersault is an Australian independent film, written and directed by Cate Shortland and released in September 2004. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival...
included scenes filmed at the Ryrie homestead at Michelago; scenes from the Gillian Armstrong
Gillian Armstrong
Gillian May Armstrong is an award-winning Australian director of feature films and documentaries.- Career :Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Gillian Armstrong grew up in the eastern suburb of Mitcham. She graduated from Swinburne Technical College in 1968 where she studied theatrical costume design and...
1979 My Brilliant Career (film)
My Brilliant Career (film)
My Brilliant Career is a 1979 Australian drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong and based on the book of the same name by Miles Franklin....
were also shot at that location.
Bushfires
There was a big bushfire in the Tinderry Range in November 1957 which burnt out 90% of the reserve and was not contained until 24 December. In January 2003, bushfires ravaged the Canberra region and, spreading from Namadgi National ParkNamadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately 40 km southwest of Canberra, and makes up approximately 46% of the ACT's land area....
, devastated much of the flora and bush landscape around Michelago, particularly down from the Clearview Road toward the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
. While the village itself was not affected by the fires, several farms and houses were destroyed and mountains of the Clear Range were left blackened and barren. A bushfire which began on 17 December 2009 devastated the area east of Michelago, burning out over 9,000 hectares and destroying three homes and a sawmill.
Sources
- Lea-Scarlett, E. (1968) Queanbeyan. District and People, Queanbeyan Municipal Council.
- Vincent, P. My Darling Mick. The Life of Granville Ryrie 1865-1937, National Library of Australia, Canberra 1997. ISBN 0 642 10667 3.