Courtesy of ACTEW Water
Just out of interest the Cotter Dam was named after a Canberra pioneer with an interesting history...
The Cotter River and the Cotter Dam are the namesakes of convict/pioneer/squatter, Garrett Cotter and reminders of a time of exploration and another location of the government of the days exclusion zone. Referred to as "beyond the limits of location".
Garrett Cotter was nineteen when transported from Ireland and was transported for life. Cotter was a good stock-man and was assigned to Francis Kenny’s property near Lake George. In 1827-28, Cotter took Kenny’s cattle across the Murrumbidgee River to find grazing land. Cotter family history says that Garrett was helped by Onyong, a Ngambri elder, who led him to good pastures.
In 1832 Cotter was accused of stealing a horse from a neighboring property. The charge was thrown out for lack of evidence, He had resisted arrest for two months. The Goulburn magistrates sent Cotter to live ‘beyond the limits of location’. This meant that he had to stay west of the Murrumbidgee River.
For about six years, Cotter lived beyond the river with the probable support of the natives. In 1838 he was granted a Ticket of Leave which allowed him to work in the Queanbeyan District (Squatted at Michelago). In 1847 he was granted a Conditional Pardon... Freedom as long as he never returned to the United Kingdom.
Garrett Cotter was nineteen when transported from Ireland and was transported for life. Cotter was a good stock-man and was assigned to Francis Kenny’s property near Lake George. In 1827-28, Cotter took Kenny’s cattle across the Murrumbidgee River to find grazing land. Cotter family history says that Garrett was helped by Onyong, a Ngambri elder, who led him to good pastures.
In 1832 Cotter was accused of stealing a horse from a neighboring property. The charge was thrown out for lack of evidence, He had resisted arrest for two months. The Goulburn magistrates sent Cotter to live ‘beyond the limits of location’. This meant that he had to stay west of the Murrumbidgee River.
For about six years, Cotter lived beyond the river with the probable support of the natives. In 1838 he was granted a Ticket of Leave which allowed him to work in the Queanbeyan District (Squatted at Michelago). In 1847 he was granted a Conditional Pardon... Freedom as long as he never returned to the United Kingdom.
He lived till 1886 and is buried at Michelago
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Fascinating background, thanks Dave.
ReplyDeleteThat ACTEW time lapse is terrific. When it started I pinned a spot on the horizon that I thought the new dam would get up to (in height). I was way out. It has ended up much higher than I had thought.
A great infrastructure project for Canberra.