Henry Dangar
Henry Dangar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1796-11-18 St Neot, Cornwall, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1861-03-02 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Surveyor, explorer, pastoralist, businessman, magistrate, politician |
| Years active | 1821–1851 |
| Known for | Surveying Hunter Valley; Member of New South Wales Legislative Council; Myall Creek Massacre site owner |
Henry Dangar (1796–1861) was a prominent surveyor and explorer during the early period of British settlement in Australia. Although some of his land claims faced challenges, he ultimately secured extensive land grants, establishing himself as a prosperous pastoralist and entrepreneur. Dangar also held roles as a magistrate and politician, having been elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1845, where he served until 1851.
Early life
Born on 18 November 1796 in St Neot, Cornwall, United Kingdom, Dangar trained professionally as a surveyor. He was the eldest among six brothers who emigrated as free settlers to the Colony of New South Wales.
Government surveyor and explorer
Dangar arrived in Australia aboard the Jessie in April 1821 and was appointed assistant government surveyor under John Oxley. His initial assignments were in the regions of Camden and Argyle.
In 1822, he relocated to Newcastle to conduct surveys of the Hunter Valley aimed at facilitating British pastoral expansion. He prepared detailed plans for King's Town (now Newcastle) and mapped out village reserves, church lands, and settler allotments along the lower Hunter River extending to Patrick's Plains.
Beginning in 1824, Dangar surveyed the road from Newcastle to Wallis Plains (Maitland), progressing northward beyond the Hunter and Goulburn rivers into previously uncolonised upper Hunter areas. During this period, he explored locations now known as Muswellbrook, Aberdeen, and Scone, assigning names to tributaries such as Dart Brook and Kingdon Ponds.
While tracing Dart Brook to its origin, he crossed the Liverpool Range but withdrew after encountering members of the Geawegal people near what would become Murrurundi. His favorable evaluations of the land generated immediate interest for grants. Among his discoveries was a distinctive dome-shaped landmark he called Mt Cupola, which explorer Allan Cunningham later renamed Mount Dangar.
Numerous Cornish place names scattered throughout the Hunter Region reflect Dangar’s surveying work and his ties to his native Cornwall.
Dismissal after investigation into land appropriation
In 1825, Dangar was tasked with distributing land grants along the Hunter River and its tributaries, areas he had previously surveyed. He allocated prime parcels at Dart Brook to himself and his brother William, which sparked contention from colonial land agent Peter MacIntyre, who asserted prior claims.
A board of inquiry concluded that Dangar had exploited his official position for personal benefit, resulting in his dismissal on 31 March 1827. Governor Sir Ralph Darling advised that Dangar be stripped of the contested lands and required to move his grant elsewhere. Although Dangar appealed this decision in England with backing from John Oxley, his appeal was unsuccessful.
Nonetheless, Dangar was awarded two other land grants in recognition of his surveying contributions: 300 acres named 'Neotsfield' and 700 acres near Morpeth, designated 'Baroona'. When he departed for England in 1828, these estates were entrusted to his brother William’s management.
Upon returning to Australia accompanied by his wife Grace Sibly, Dangar received additional land parcels at Kingdon Ponds and Port Stephens. He continued working as a surveyor for the Australian Agricultural Company until 1833.
Surveyor for the Australian Agricultural Company
While traveling to England, Dangar composed the Index and Directory to Map of the Country Bordering Upon the River Hunter, which was published in London in 1828. This publication demonstrated his expertise in cartography and earned him a surveying role with the Australian Agricultural Company.
After marrying Grace in May 1828, Dangar returned with his family in April 1830 to take up his position at Port Stephens. There, he conducted detailed topographical and soil analyses of the company's lands and carried out surveys of its reserve located north of the Manning River.
His negative assessments of this region prompted an exploration of the Liverpool Plains, initially recommended by John Oxley. Crossing the Great Dividing Range, Dangar identified large tracts of appealing land which were subsequently accepted by the government on behalf of the company. He retired from this role in June 1833, settling at Neotsfield near Singleton.
Pastoralist and businessman
Neotsfield, a prosperous and well-established farm, was managed by his brother William Dangar. Expanding his portfolio, Dangar acquired additional grazing estates and leased extensive runs that, by 1850, encompassed over . These properties included:
Along the Great North Road towards Liverpool Plains, he secured town plots where he established inns and retail outlets. In Newcastle, he operated facilities for boiling down livestock as well as meat preservation and canning plants. Additionally, in New Zealand, he established a steam-powered flour mill near wheat farms around Official Bay (Auckland).
Myall Creek Massacre
The station owned by Dangar was the site of the Myall Creek Massacre in 1838.
Dangar advised two witnesses—George Anderson, a convict assigned to him, and William Hobbs, a free employee—not to disclose details of the incident. At trial, Dangar acknowledged administering 100 lashes to Anderson as punishment. After Hobbs reported the massacre to the magistrate, Dangar dismissed him but denied that this action was connected to Hobbs’s testimony.
Attempts to obstruct justice
Dangar exerted considerable influence during the trial to sway its outcome. He and other squatters formed a clandestine group called the "Black Association" aimed at resisting Aboriginal land claims. This organization included Robert Scott, a wealthy landholder and part proprietor of The Sydney Herald. The association financed the defense efforts and orchestrated a media campaign through The Sydney Herald to undermine public support for the prosecution.
Their methods involved arranging false charges against Hobbs, bribing jurors to avoid attending court sessions, and causing insufficient jury presence that delayed proceedings. At the second trial, seven accused individuals were convicted and subsequently executed. The remaining four were held on remand pending testimony from an Aboriginal boy witness named Yintayintin (Davey). Missionary Lancelot Edward Threlkeld suggested that Dangar arranged for Davey’s disappearance; Davey was never seen again. Without his evidence, prosecutors released the four suspects in February 1839.
Threlkeld commented on Davey's uncertain fate:
"... a Gentleman informed that Davey was put out of the way, but whether killed or hidden could not be ascertained.”
Attorney General Plunkett later clarified that Davey had not been adequately prepared to serve as a reliable witness, making prosecution unfeasible without his testimony:
“[Davey] had been under tuition but was not competent to testify; proceeding without his evidence would risk public justice… I cannot proceed with any hope of success without [Davey’s] evidence.”
Magistrate and politician
Dangar held positions as a magistrate and was an active member of the district council, dedicating his efforts to advancing both the agricultural sector and political landscape of the Hunter Valley. In 1843, he stood as a candidate for the electoral district encompassing Hunter, Brisbane, and Bligh counties during the inaugural elective Legislative Council elections but was defeated by William Dumaresq.
Two years later, in 1845, Dangar secured a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council representing Northumberland, a role he fulfilled until his departure in 1851.
In 1847, Henry Dangar, together with his brothers Richard and William and under the management of their cousin Charles Gedye, established a meat-canning enterprise at Honeysuckle Point in Newcastle. This venture, known as the Newcastle Meat Preserving Company, was initiated as a response to a prolonged drought that had significantly lowered cattle and sheep market values. Although the company earned accolades at the 1851 Great Exhibition held in London and successfully exported products to markets in India and California, it ultimately ceased operations by 1855.
Death and legacy
Dangar passed away in Sydney on 2 March 1861 and was first interred locally. A year later, his remains were transferred to a newly constructed family vault located in Singleton.
Numerous geographical features such as Mount Dangar, Dangarfield, Dangar Falls, and Dangarsleigh bear his name as a tribute to his contributions.