UPDATED : 30/9/12 - E-mail from a descendant of William Chippendale Re: Resting place is actually of William Herbert. (I have left the original post about Michael Herbert for continuity of the story...
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Often overlooked at the bridge over the Gudgenby River on Nass Road is a monument to Michael Herbert, first settler in the Nass region. As far as is reported Mr Herbert died in a flood and it was not possible to move him before burial. Sadly a tragedy with Strychnine saw the burial in the same place of two of his grandchildren...
The Canberra Times - Saturday 25 February 1939
National Library of Australia
So a monument dated 1956 suggesting Herbert's death was about a hundred years prior to that. 1856? Interestingly 156 years ago. I can date one of Herbert's children's (not grandchild) death to 1865 with a strange report mentioning Strychnine but recording a death of 'convultions' The Nanny was a bit suspect...
The spot is only 20 metes away from where the Bobeyan Road begins and the Namadgi National Park boundary is only a few kilometers further on. I often see fly fisherman, in season, along the Gudgenby River's banks...
UPDATE : 30/9/12 - I received an email from a descendant...
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The plaque on the cairn which was erected of stones from the old homestead is incorrect. It is not Michael Herbert who is buried there – it is William Herbert (snr) his father.
Michael Herbert died in 1891 at St Leonards (NSW Registry of Birth, Deaths and Marriages Historical Index record number 13717/1891).
The information below was taken from the book Cotter Country by Bruce Moore p. 40
“William Herbert snr died at Naas on 25 October 1857, at the age of 80 years. It was intended that his remains would be taken to Queanbeyan for burial but the Gudgenby River was in flood so that was not possible. The river remained at a high level for several days and on 27 October 1857, the remains of the old pioneer were buried in a grave on the river bank close by the homestead. The grave is close to the present bridge – the road at the time of the burial crossed the river lower down the stream. His son Michael Herbert, and Charles McKeahnie, with his son Alexander McKeahnie from Gudgenby, were present at the burial and signed the certificate of burial. The flooded river accounts for his burial on the river bank but it remains a mystery as to why he was not taken to the cemetery at Top Naas since burials had taken place there from 1839 (William Chippendale).”
I am interested in this because I am a descendant of William Chippendale mentioned above and I have been trying for years to have the plaque amended as this is how incorrect information is disseminated and then becomes fact. William Chippendale’s son Thomas married William Herbert’s daughter Mary Ann. William Chippendale’s original land grant of 100 acres later became the Sydney suburb of Chippendale.
Sincerely
Lisbeth Orrock
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Worth a stop if your passing by...
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The waterfall area is the habitat of the Waterfall redspot dragonfly. Each spring I visit a few times to try and see this insect and perhaps photograph it. This rare dragonfly only inhabits the spash zones of waterfalls and I suspect this could occur at any point along its 50 meter cascade.
