WELLINGTON CAVES, PAST AND PRESENT
Introduction
Whilst this paper represents some aspects of the history of Wellington Caves it was not my intention to present it in strict chronological sequence. However, it is presented in such a way as to give the reader an overall view of the events leading up to the present day. Some of these events are covered in detail while others are skimmed over.
Location and Area
Wellington Caves are located 370 kilometres by road north-west of Sydney and are 8 kilometres south of the Wellington township, which has a population of 5,600. The caves are currently protected in a Department of Lands Reserve of 150.73 hectares which was gazetted in December 1989, for Environmental Protection and Public Recreation.
The reserve is administered by the Wellington Shire Council which acts as trustee on behalf of the Department of Lands. The trusteeship was given to the Wellington Shire Council's predecessor, the Macquarie Municipal Council in 1908 after nearly thirty years under the control of the Department of Mines. The reserve is bounded by the Bell River for the west and the Mitchell Highway to the east while the northern and southern boundaries are freehold agriculture lands.
Whilst the reserve is ostensibly for "Environmental Protection and Public Recreation" much of the land has been leased for various purposes including 24ha for a golf course, 6ha caravan park and a further 91ha for grazing and cultivation. There are a number of caves on the confines of the reserve notably the Cathedral cave and the Gaden-Coral Cave which are the two caves open for regular public inspection. Other caves on the reserve are:
- 'Mitchell' or 'Breccia' cave (which is mentioned later in this paper)
- 'Gas Pipe Cave' which has been closed to the public since 1958, reportedly for potentially dangerous levels of carbon dioxide (CO2)
- 'Water Cave' (Anticline Cave) which is located on the western slope of the reserve within the caravan park lease. Apparently in the early 1960s during the first stage of the caravan park construction it was decided to seal the entrance to the Water Cave by covering the opening with reinforced galvanized iron sheeting and then back filling the collapsed doline surrounding the opening. After nearly thirty years hidden away from view, the entrance to the Water cave was re-excavated and uncovered in June 1988. At this stage the cave is not open to the public but there is a strong possibility that it may be open in the future
- 'Limekiln' or 'Peppercorn' Cave or sometimes known as 'River Cave' or 'McCavity' is the subject of a short video presentation so I will not pre-empt that apart from mentioning that this cave has proved to be quite a surprise during the past three or four years
There is also an extensive network of both man-made passageways, shafts and other excavations which are the remnants of a phosphate mining operation carried out during the First World War period.
During the years of the mines operation around 6000 tons of phosphatic material was removed to be used mainly for agricultural fertiliser. There has been some discussion in recent years as to the viability of opening the mine to visitors. However since the mine closed in 1918 and has not been maintained since, then there has been considerable deterioration including collapse of the main entrance 'drive' and damage to most of the shorting timbers. In the immediate area of the old mine workings is a cave known as 'Bone Cave' (and which I have mentioned elsewhere in this paper) and a large collapsed doline called the 'Big Sink'. There is one other named cave known as 'Triplet Cave' on the reserve and there are a number of unnamed but numbered caves also.
Apart from the caves on the Wellington Caves Reserve there are a number of caves on private freehold land in the district.
Early European Exploration and discoveries
The area known as the Wellington Valley was discovered and first explored by Surveyor-General John Oxley, Deputy Surveyor George Evans and botanist Allan Cuningham, during an expedition to the interior in 1817. The purpose of the expedition was to 'explore the Land beyond Bathurst and to ascertain the course of the river system and to note, in particular, whether it fell into the ocean or discharged its waters into a huge inland sea'. (D. I. McDonald, "They Came To A Valley", Wellington Historical Society, 1968). There appears to be no mention of caves in Oxley's "Journal of Two Expeditions into the interior of New South Wales" (London, John Murray).
In his book "Eumalga - An Historical Romance", Robert Porter describes how in 1823, Richard Taylor, a convict from the Wellington Valley Agricultural Settlement is taken to the caves in return for providing "tomahawks, axes, articles of clothing and a variety of little articles" to a tribe of aborigines. This account may be a lot of journalistic licence as Porter contradicts this account in his book "History of Wellington" (Penfolds & Co. s, 1906) which describes "George Sydney, a Government Surveyor, and some of his men riding over a limestone hill about three miles from the settlement when they came across a hole in the ground between two Carrajong (sic) trees".
The first authenticated account is one by explorer Hamilton Hume, who accompanied Captain Charles Sturt on his expedition in 1828, along the lower reaches of the Macquarie River. Hume's description of the caves is critical, albeit in some ways also complimentary. The description in detail is that of what is now known as the "Cathedral Cave". The aforementioned George Ranken (described in McDonald's "They Came to a Valley" as "a very respectable colonist and magistrate") recorded in a report in the "Sydney Gazette" on 25th May 1830 as "exploring a remarkable cave" which he stated had been discovered some years previously. The report also mentions Ranken's discovery of a "vast quantity of bones, some strewn on the floor, but the greater number embedded in a sort of reddish, undulated clay along its side".
Ranken gathered up a number of these bones which he proposed to send to Professor Jameson of the Edinburgh University. One of the bones Ranken discovered by 'accident' when it broke under his weight after he tied a rope to it to lower himself into the lower cave. Ranken conceived it was 'the thigh bone of some quadruped much larger than the ox, or buffalo and probably of the Irish elk, the rhinoceros, or elephant' (Hamilton Hume also recorded the discovery of bones of various animals embedded in a light red soil in the "Cathedral Cave").
Surveyor-General, Major Thomas Mitchell, visited the Wellington Valley in August, 1830 and accompanied by Ranken made an inspection of the caves. Mitchell described in detail a journey into the "Cathedral Cave" and another cave which was known for many years later as the "Breccia Cave", but is now known as "Mitchell Cave". Mitchell arranged for bone specimens to be forwarded to anatomist Professor Richard Owen in England who prepared an acclaimed report on the scientific significance of the discoveries.
At this point there seems to be a gap in the history of some 35 years until 1867 when Professor Owen, now a member of staff of the British Museum, wrote to the Colonial Secretary suggesting that a "careful and systematic exploration" of the caves would prove extremely valuable. Owen also offered his services in identifying and describing any specimens and "expressed a hope that duplicates might be sent to the British Museum".
During 1869, various lengthy communiqués passed between the Colonial Secretary office and Gerard Krefft, the Curator and Secretary of the Australian Museum, ultimately directing Krefft to form an expedition to carry out the "systematic exploration of the limestone caves of the Wellington Valley". A sum of 200 pounds was granted for the purpose with a "sum of 15 pounds being set aside for the purpose of photographing and lithographing the most interesting specimens".
Krefft, Dr A. M. Thomson and Henry Barnes undertook the expedition during September and October 1869 and a report detailing their findings was forwarded to the Colonial Secretary in November, 1869.
Due to constraints on space and time I have not included Krefft's report in this paper as the report and correspondence regarding it cover some twelve foolscap pages, but needless to say the report and correspondence make interesting reading.
In 1871, in accordance with Professor Owen's wishes expressed in 1867 five cases of the casts of the Wellington specimens were sent to the British Museum.
Henry Barnes carried out another expedition on the Australian Museum's behalf in 1881. Barnes was assisted in the work by James Sibbald (who was later appointed as the cave's first caretaker/guide), James Brooks, George Byrne and Tom Burrell. The Australian Museum conducted another expedition in 1926, when a valuable collection of specimens of extinct animas was obtained.
Since then there have been a number of groups involved palaeontological research and exploration, notably German palaeontologists, Drs Schroeder and Doehm who carried out excavations in sections of the disused "Phosphate Mine" in 1939 and American R.M. "Bud" Frank who with Joe Jennings visited the caves in June, 1966.
Most of the early discoveries were made either in the cave aforementioned "Breccia" (Mitchell) Cave or Bone Cave, however excavations in the Cathedral Cave were carried out between 1984-1988 by students from the School of Zoology, University of New South Wales under the guidance of Mike Augee and Mike Archer (the former is now a member of the Wellington Caves Advisory Committee which was formed in 1987, whilst the latter has been involved with the fossil beds at Riversleigh, Queensland).
The majority of bones discovered in the various locations were probably deposited in the caves "in a wet sloppy slurry" (Armstrong Osborne, pers.comm) and unlike the discoveries at Naracoorte, SA, were found to be a veritable jigsaw puzzle of bones.
It is apparently through that controversial biologist Charles Darwin may have formulated some of his theories on evolution because of discoveries made at Wellington as it appears there is a strong connection between Charles Darwin and Wellington English artist Augustus Earle who had visited the Wellington Valley during 1826 and had painted various scenes, including both interiors and exteriors of the caves, joined Charles Darwin's ship, H.M.S Beagle in October 1831 as artist. Later Earle left Darwin's expedition, due to ill health but was replaced by artist Conrad Martens who settled in Sydney in 1835. Martens became the second notable artist to depict scenes of Wellington Caves.
Other significant events that have occurred in more recent years have been the formation in 1987 of the Wellington Caves Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Lands, Department of School and Education, Jenolan Caves Trust, Wellington Shire Council Staff and elected council officials, Mr Michael Augee, Lecturer, University of NSW School of Zoology, Dr R. Armstrong Osborne, Institute of Education, Sydney University.
1988 - Excavations carried out to relocate old entrance to Gaden-Coral Cave.
June 28, 1988 - Excavation and reopening of the entrance to the "Lost" Water Cave.
November/December 1988 - Leasing of the Caves Kiosk and Caravan Park to private operators.
December, 1988 - Appointment of caves manager. Also during 1988 divers carried out exploration of "Lime Kiln Cave".
1989 - New caretakers cottage constructed and old caretakers cottage given back to council for eventual conversion to Visitor Information and Resource Centre. Work commenced on the Centre in late 1989 with work carried out as manpower, time and finances allowed. The centre which now houses various displays including Mike Durrant's "World of Fossils" was officially opened by the State Local Member, Gary West, on 29th April, 1991.
1989/1990 - New South Wales Department of Lands undertook a comprehensive Plan of Management Study.
1990/1991 - Wellington Shire council commissioned a Resource and Management Study in conjunction with NSW Department of Planning and NSW Department of Tourism.
January 1990 - Gaden Coral Cave closed to the public while excavations for and construction of new entrance are carried out. New entrance was opened April 1990. Redundant entrance finally demolished April, 1991.
As I said in the introduction, this paper was not meant to be in strict sequence but I do hope that it gives you a much better understanding of Wellington Caves significance.