Unearthing Historical past within the Blue Mountains: A Evaluation of Andy Macqueen’s “The Frenchman”

For these of us who discover ourselves drawn to the rugged magnificence and whispering histories of the Australian bush, Andy Macqueen’s “The Frenchman – Francis Barrallier Life & Journeys 1773-1853” is an absolute treasure. Macqueen, a reputation synonymous with bushwalking in New South Wales, significantly as a former president of Bushwalking NSW and 2024 recipient of the celebrated Chardon Award, brings his deep information of the panorama and a historian’s eye to the fascinating story of Francis Barrallier’s early explorations. This isn’t simply one other dry historic account; Macqueen breathes life right into a largely unsung determine, providing readers a fascinating journey by colonial politics, early interactions with Aboriginal folks, and the tenacious, usually fraught, makes an attempt to penetrate the formidable Blue Mountains.

Katoomba to Mittagong (The Ensign Barrallier Stroll)

I first heard Barrallier’s title from Val Lhuede, on the verandah of the Yerranderie Put up Workplace, throughout my first foray into multi-day bushwalking in 2001. I used to be on what I believed was the 132 km “Katoomba to Mittagong Stroll”, however she set me straight—it’s formally often known as the Ensign Barrallier Stroll.

Stuffed with youthful naivety (and a complete cauliflower in my 23 kg pack), I set off with grand ambitions from Katoomba however solely managed to succeed in Yerranderie earlier than having to retreat. I’m eternally grateful for the Catholic Bushwalking Membership’s public shack on Scotts Primary Vary the place I slept 14 hrs straight, realising I used to be out of my depth. It wasn’t till 2005 that I returned with NPA to finish the complete traverse from south to north. Studying Macqueen’s account of Barrallier’s earlier struggles in that area provides a profound layer of connection to my very own experiences.

“I see with satisfaction that the difficulties I’ve undergone and which at current seem insurmountable in passing these Mountains doesn’t embody you to desert the mission. To this second, all my efforts have been ineffectual. Altho’ no pains or perseverance has been uncared for in endeavouring to get to the westward nor have we been stopped by the steep Mountains and precipices we have been obliged to go to perform the mission You’ve gotten charged me with.”

Translated letter from Barrallier to Governor King, 1805 (The Frenchman, web page 78)

What was a Frenchman doing within the Blue Mountains?

Impressed by the 1962 Sydney Uni Rover Gundungura map throughout a few of his Kanangra adventures, MacQueen noticed names like Barrallier Cross, Wheengee Whungee and Le Tonsure and he discovered himself questioning simply that.

No stranger to those locations he writes about, he’s spent numerous hours traversing the very terrain Barrallier endeavoured to overcome, so his perspective is uniquely knowledgeable. He’s not simply an “armchair Explorer” as he notes, preferring to get on the market and comply with “folks’s tracks and folks from the previous” to achieve a “higher appreciation of what they could have been considering”. This private connection to the land and its historical past shines by each web page and had me studying together with a topo map readily available.

However this isn’t the primary time he has written about this fascinating immigrant, considerably of a refugee from Napoleon’s regime.

A brand new translation – a brand new interpretation

Macqueen’s dedication to accuracy is additional highlighted by his collaboration with linguist Milena Bellini-Sheppard on a new transcription and translation of Barrallier’s journal. This meticulous effort provides contemporary insights into Barrallier’s experiences and observations, together with his surprisingly detailed notes on the pure historical past he encountered, resembling the primary European recordings of brushtail rock-wallabies and lyrebirds, in addition to observations of koalas and wombats.

This translation dropped at mild further nuance and insights that show MacQueen’s authentic intention of getting his second ebook on Barrallier contribute to the truth-telling dialogue.

Colonial politics

One of many central themes Macqueen expertly unravels is the intriguing political backdrop in opposition to which Barrallier’s expeditions unfolded. Whereas the official line from Governor King (Barrallier was his aide-de-camp) was that he was embarking on “an embassy to the King of the Mountains” (ie. Goondel), Macqueen, drawing on King’s letters to Banks, makes it abundantly clear that the first purpose was much more strategic: to “discover a method throughout the mountains”. This seemingly diplomatic mission was, in truth, a intelligent “ruse”. This glimpse into the machinations of early colonial governance provides a wealthy layer of intrigue to Barrallier’s journey, together with a wholesome rivalry with George Caley—one other intriguing character!

Aboriginal and European relationships

Past the colonial ambitions, the ebook supplies a vital perspective on the early encounters and relationships between the European explorers and the Aboriginal custodians of the land. Barrallier’s expedition relied closely on the information and steering of Aboriginals like Dharawal man, Gogy. Macqueen highlights that a few of Barrallier’s routes, such because the descent down Sheehy Creek, have been “conventional Aboriginal routes”. What’s significantly noteworthy is Barrallier’s obvious understanding, documented in his journal, that “completely different Aboriginal folks have completely different nation” and that coming into these territories required adhering to sure “protocol”. As Macqueen factors out, this was a comparatively superior sentiment for the time, suggesting Barrallier possessed a level of cultural sensitivity that was not all the time prevalent amongst his contemporaries. Katoomba native, Uncle David King, a Gundungurra Elder, even treasures Barrallier’s journal for what it reveals about his folks.

Nonetheless, Macqueen doesn’t draw back from the complexities. He notes that despite the fact that Gogy was accustomed to the final area, he was “not essentially welcome” within the nation of the Gundungurra language group. This nuance underscores the truth that pre-colonial Aboriginal society was not monolithic; distinct “boundaries and doubtlessly complicated relationships” existed between completely different teams. This understanding provides an important layer of depth to our appreciation of the historic context.

Sooner than Blaxland, Wentworth, Lawson

For bushwalking fanatics, “The Frenchman” provides a captivating take a look at the early makes an attempt to navigate the formidable Blue Mountains, lengthy earlier than Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson claimed their populist crossing. Macqueen meticulously particulars Barrallier’s numerous “incursions” – a time period the brand new translation of Barrallier’s journal makes use of, carrying a distinct connotation than the gentler “excursions” – taking us down Sheehys Creek (approx 20km SE of Burragorang Lookout) to the Nattai River (an space which Barrallier likened to the “Scottish Highlands”), and alongside the Wollondilly River. Many of the areas which might be lined within the works are immediately a part of the Water NSW Schedule 1 Restricted Areas. These accounts, coupled with Macqueen’s intimate information of the terrain, present a tangible sense of the challenges Barrallier confronted, usually in landscapes deemed “terrible” to traverse.

Abstract & advice

In conclusion, “The Frenchman” is way over only a biography. It’s a meticulously researched and engagingly written account that illuminates a vital interval in Australian historical past. Andy Macqueen’s deep understanding of the panorama, mixed along with his historic and moral rigour, makes this ebook an indispensable learn for anybody excited by:

• Australian Historical past: Gaining perception into the early colonial interval and the motivations behind exploration.
• Colonial Politics: Understanding the strategic maneuvering and hidden agendas that formed early expeditions.
• Aboriginal-European Interactions: Studying in regards to the complexities of first contact, the reliance on Aboriginal information, and the nuances of intergroup relations from an early European perspective.
• Blue Mountains Bushwalking Historical past: Discovering the paths much less travelled to locations with acquainted names, appreciating the challenges confronted by early explorers, and connecting with the Ensign Barrallier Stroll on a deeper degree.

I wholeheartedly advocate this ebook to anybody eager to delve into a captivating chapter of Australian historical past and recognize the enduring legacy etched into the beautiful panorama of the Blue Mountains. You should purchase Andy Macqueen’s ebook at impartial bookshops and through his web site.

Additional analysis