Historical Information from Hobart Town Courier 7 February 1829 (Page 2)

Following is a description of the beautiful Chudleigh Mole Creek valley as written in the Hobart Town Courier February 7th February 1829. Much of the mountain landscape has remained intact until recent times. Sadly large areas are now being destroyed, as a consequence of tax deductible Plantation Forestry called Managed Investment Schemes (MIS).

Lt. Governor Arthur’s visit is recorded thus;

In our last number we promised the public some account of the Lieutenant Governor's recent excursion to the Westland

The party, consisting of His Excellency The Lieutenant Governor, Captain Montagu, Mr. Frankland, Mr. Arthur, Mr. Scott, Master Frederick Arthur, and Mr. Reeves, left the Military station at Westbury, on 14th Jan. (1829) and proceeded in a westerly direction

The travellers did not, on the first day, go farther than the plain known by the name of “Simpson’s Run”. To the southward of that spot, and divided from it by an inconsiderable ridge, lies a tract of country of the most valuable description, and of great extent. Accustomed as we are to hear of the difficulties in finding unlocated land, one cannot fail to be astonished and gratified when first these beautiful plains burst on the view, with their thick, green sward, their scattered clumps of ornamental trees, their rapid streamlets and their magnificent purple background of mountain. The present occupants of these fine tracts are sufficiently fond of them to do their best to remain in possession.

These lands, which were named “Dairy Plains,” do not lie on the road, and the traveller, to visit them, must quit the beaten track for two or three hours; they are about thirty miles from Launceston.

At an early period of the second day’s march, the party after travelling another series of splendid, open plains, reached the river “Moleside,” and there first met with strata of compact limestone, beautifully veined, and protruding from the ground in a nearly vertical dip; its course being N. W. & S. E. The settler who locates this land, will of course, build himself a palace of black marble—for such this rock is. From the Moleside to the Mersey the whole formation is limestone, and the ground is consequently, every here and there, dimpled with singular, conical pits, some full of water - others dry; they are, with few exceptions, perfectly circular, and vary in size from a diameter of about 200 with a depth of 60 feet to a width of 4 feet. These remind one of Burmese entrenchments, for they will just contain two men, and cover them breast-high. Many of the larger pits are split into immense fissures, and yawning caverns. Into one, some of the party descended, and hearing a great rush of water in the bowels of the earth, they groped their slippery and obscure way onwards, and downwards, expecting to meet King AEolus, or at least a Devil, (species of bear, so termed in Van Diemen’s land). At length they reached a torrent of water bursting and foaming through the cavities of this singular grotto, coming we know not whence, and going we know not whither! This remarkable place lies in a small, clear plain of about 60 acres, surrounded by forests, and lying south of the Extreme Western bluff, from which it is distant about six miles.

This karst complex has recently been converted from farmland to a pulp plantation.

Past and present residents of the above described area have and wish to continue to enjoy the beauty and “sense of place” associated with living in the Chudleigh, Caveside, or Mole Creek valleys.