William Kermode and dog figure - a photo on Flickriver

Today we are going to discuss the opening of the Ross Bridge in 1836. One of the men who was most certainly there was local grazier and prominent political opponent of Lt. Gov. George Arthur, William Kermode. We see him in profile pictured in the photograph two stones along from that lovely life-like dog figure.

Kermode, you will recall if you've been reading this story from the beginning, was instrumental in getting two of the finest convict stonemasons in the colony to come and work on the project: James Colbeck and Daniel Herbert. The portrait of Kermode here by Herbert shows a friendly man, who was tough of mind (certainly politically and business-wise), but tender of heart (he early on took a very strong stand in support of the indigenous people who were ultimately driven from their lands by Gov. Arthur's policy.)

In the next photograph I'll discuss some of the reasons why such a hard line was taken against the native inhabitants of this land.

William Kermode was born on the Isle of Man (this might help explain his independent streak). He was a free settler who came to seek his fortune. The price these settlers paid is that they may not ever see their homeland again, but the benefits were enormous. Free land grants (much more than one could ever dream of owning in Britain) and a chance to build an economic empire from scratch. Land here is the key concept both economically and in relation to the treatment of the Aborigines.

I won't tell you all the complicated details of Kermode's early days in the colony here (he made at least three trips backwards and forwards from England in the early 1820s) as you can read of this yourself: adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kermode-william-2303

But two things are important to note: (1) He "adopted" a young Aboriginal boy who had been orphaned in horrific circumstances: "The boy had been found orphaned in ‘the woods near the River Plenty’, following a clash between soldiers of the 49th Regiment and Tasmanian Aboriginal people in which by one account 17 ‘natives’ were killed. The clash had occurred after European ‘stock-keepers detained and maltreated the wife of a chief’."
(2) From the very beginning he was engaged in clashes with Gov. George Arthur, after receiving land grants of up to 2,000 acres just outside Ross. He called this property "Mona Vale" and he employed a number of convicts. He soon became a great sympathiser for the convict cause and treated his workers with respect.

In 1827 Kermode led the attack on Arthur's restrictions on the press, and Arthur responded by charging him with harbouring "runaway convicts". This charge may well have been true, given Kermode's sympathies.

The establishment of the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land was a two pronged affair. It satisfied the need for Britain to dispose of her convicts from overflowing prisons after the loss of America in the War of Independence. It also provided enormous expansions in economic prospects. And naturally the convicts filled in for slaves in other societies.

Sheep grazing was recognised as a prime economic option. Wool was required and Australia had the land to provide massive sheep farms. It is often said that early Australia was built on the sheep's back. And that is hardly an exaggeration. But the price of all this was that the people who had been living on this land for millennia would have to go. And that is where we'll take up the discussion in the next photograph...

Just a final word on that lovely dog. Norman Laird discusses some of the symbolism:" In universal mythology, the dog is a symbol of the dawn, pathfinder, destroyer of evil, companion and so on. In a deeper sense he is the symbol of the dead and of resurrection." (p. 119). Perhaps Herbert had all these meanings in mind.

We saw yesterday how I believe he was developing an iconography of renewal, both for individuals and for the colony itself. We can be sure of one thing, both Kermode and Herbert loved dogs and believed them to be loyal companions. A dog won't betray you the way a politician will.

Taken in: Australia / Tasmania / Ross (show map)

Taken on: September 16, 2020

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Luminosity7

Nikon D850

Tasmania

Australia

Ross

Ross Bridge 1836

Daniel Herbert (1802-1868)

Stone carvings

Art

History

Grazier

Colonial economy

William Kermode (1780-1852)

B/W

Black and White

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Sets appears in: • MONOCHROME • Story of the Ross Bridge more » • Tasmaniana « less

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Camera: Nikon D850, f/9.0, 1/250 sec, 600mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	600mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Capture One 20 Windows
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