In October 1838 I took up the station known as Seven Creeks, situated close to the Sydney road, about 35 miles from the River Goulburn. At that time there were only two stations occupied between the rivers Ovens and Goulburn, viz., one by Mr. H. K. Hughes, at Avenel, and the other, at Mangalore, River Goulburn, by some person on behalf of Major Anderson. Both those stations were taken up about June 1838.
In the beginning of 1839, a police-station was formed at the crossing-place of the Broken River, and in the latter part of that year, and the beginning of 1840, the country in the neighbourhood of that river was occupied by different settlers.
In the beginning of 1840, the country now known as the Devil's River country was taken up by Messrs. Watson and Hunter; and about the same time the country in the neighbourhood of the Upper Goulburn was occupied. In the end of 1840, and the beginning of 1841, the country on the River Goulburn, below Major Anderson's station, began to be occupied, and soon afterwards the banks of the Murray below the junction of the Ovens.
I know personally very little of the first occupation of the country lying between the rivers Ovens and Murray, but may mention the names of Dr. Mackay and Mr. G. Faithfull, both still residing on the Ovens, as original occupants of that portion of the district, and as likely to be able to afford you every information with regard to its first settlement.
In the months of July and August 1838 I saw a good deal of that part of the Western Port district lying between the Sydney road and Major Mitchell's homeward track; the country on the Melbourne side of the track appeared to be pretty well occupied, but there was at that time only one station on the other side, viz., that occupied by Captain Hutton, near Mount McIvor.
With regard to the aborigines, my means of information are very meagre. I have no means of even guessing at their numbers when I first settled in Port Phillip, as, for three or four years, they very seldom appeared at my station, and then only in small numbers.
I am glad to say that I never had any collision with them, nor in fact suffered any serious annoyance from them. I am aware that in several parts of the Murray district they proved very troublesome in the years 1838 and 1839; but I have reason to believe that, if the settlers had used proper precautions, in the generality of cases they would not have suffered.