The Convict and the Soldier

by John P F Lynch

  Lang was pleased. It was good to see the constables treated their horses as well as the military. He noted that some of the men did not look each other in the eye when they spoke. He was later to find out that some convicts had developed this habit from their time at Port Arthur Gaol. They were punished if they looked a guard in the eye. It was regarded as insolence by the guards, so now he knew that some of his constables were ex-convicts. He would need to keep an eye on their trustworthiness and reliability.

  They rode out of Woodend and headed north. The country was flat with a constant gradual incline all the way to Kyneton. Farm houses dotted the countryside. Their farmlands covered between one hundred to two hundred acres; some holdings were even larger. Paul recognised the Irish influence when he saw the dry rock fences while the English had contributed the thorny hawthorn bushes as fences. Sheep were everywhere with a few horses and cattle, corn, oats, barley and wheat crops flourishing, with only a few paddocks lying fallow in this fertile area. The area looked prosperous. This was a good sign as it indicated high employment with few idlers.

  After two hours they crossed the Campaspe River at a ford and, upon reaching the top of a small hill, they could see the small town of Kyneton a mile away in front of them. Paul stopped to look around and saw bushlands and other farms in the distance. He thought, This is where I will settle. He had made up his mind.

  The gold escort was continuing on to Malmsbury for the night so the sub-inspector had taken his guard via the constabulary building to introduce Paul to George Evans, the temporary Kyneton sub-inspector, soon to be relieved.

  He then shook his hand, bid him goodbye then joined his men and left on his journey.

  The Kyneton sub-inspector eyed Lang curiously as he opened the letter from the commissioner. He read the instructions in silence and then handed the letter to Lang to read. They had both sat down in the main office. The instructions were — ‘to assist Mr Paul Lang in his every request, to show him around the town and to provide detailed answers to all his queries’.

  Lang started by asking the sub-inspector if he could see the constabulary facilities.

  There were three buildings. The main administration building was divided into five rooms with a counter in the entry area and a separate jail building behind it, with six cells capable of holding four persons at a time comfortably. There was also a large ten-horse stable and fodder store at the rear of the main building, with sleeping quarters above the stable for twenty constables. The two sergeants had quarters attached at the end of the administration building with an acre paddock adjacent to the buildings. The sub-inspector lived privately with his wife, four houses from the constabulary barracks. Some of the constables also lived close to the barracks in private residences with their wives and families. The buildings were clean and well kept. The stables were swept and there was adequate feed and water for the horses, with the paddock fencing in good order. Lang was more than satisfied.

  He then asked to see the office records for the last three months. He found that they were neat and legible but he was surprised at the lack of entries of offences, town visits or field trips for the last month. He wondered how much of a presence the constabulary had in the eyes of the community. The sub-inspector then handed him the list of the constables and their records without being asked. Although it was not hard for him to anticipate that he would be asked for them eventually.

  Very few words had been spoken between the two men, other than, would he care for some tea. An elderly constable brought a pot of tea to them both. Paul sat down in a back office and read the files of the constables; most were uneducated from the country either here or England. He found that there were none from Ireland; he made a mental note.

  Three were ex-convicts convicted of minor theft, civil order disturbance and poaching. Two were ex-sailors, no doubt deserters, while the two sergeants had some education and were married with school children.

  The older sergeant was William Macleod. He had been a farmhand in England, and travelled to the colony where he settled in Kyneton. His employer had gone to the New South Wales goldfields and had not returned, leaving William unemployed. He had been a sergeant for four years and was well known in the district.

  George Evans, the sub-inspector, was the son of a doctor. He had got into trouble at a major English public school and had been sent to Australia, ‘to grow up’ as his father had said. George had married a Melbourne born girl and now intended to stay in Australia. He had been a sub-inspector for a year in Melbourne prior to being sent to Kyneton last month to cover the position until a new inspector arrived.

  After a ride around the town and through the two main streets he identified an inn that he and Virginia could stay in temporarily. He then returned to the barracks. Lang had learnt enough and he could now return to Melbourne and accept the position.

  Deputy Inspector Moore arrived in Kyneton the next day to assume the upgraded sub-inspector position, replacing Evans, and had missed meeting his new senior officer.

  Cobb and Co. had started a coach service there in 1854 and they now had five coaches passing through Kyneton to Melbourne each day and return — three coaches during the day and two during the night. It was now late afternoon so Paul decided to take the next coach which would arrive in Melbourne at daylight the next day. The coaches were large and capable of carrying up to twenty persons, albeit only ten were inside the coach which was drawn by six horses. The drivers were mainly experienced Californians, bearded, in brightly coloured shirts, scarves and wide brimmed hats, carrying revolvers in their belts.

  Sub-inspector Evans accompanied him to the office of Cobb and Co., saluted him, and bid him a comfortable trip before heading back to the barracks.

  His coach only had eight passengers when they left Kyneton so they were all comfortable inside and out of the elements. The stages to Melbourne were each about one hour’s duration and covered ten or so miles between stops. The coach swayed and rocked with the small passenger load on the dirt roads but it was a pleasant ride. The moon was full and the skies clear. He could see for miles; lights from the farmhouses glimmered in the distance. The first stop was at Woodend where two more passengers climbed aboard, but they sat outside at the back of the carriage. On to the next stage and the next and the next with monotonous regularity, until Paul lost count of the number of stops while he dozed on and off. He estimated that they had stopped seven times.

  The coach arrived in the centre of Melbourne as dawn broke. It was now full. He had not left his seat and had enjoyed a comfortable trip and although a bit stiff in his joints he soon recovered and walked up the hill to the Constabulary Headquarters. It was still early so he stopped at a small inn where he ordered breakfast and began planning his departure from Melbourne.

  On arrival at the headquarters he was advised that the deputy commissioner had now returned and wished to meet with him. The deputy commissioner was Thomas White, an ex-London police inspector and while he did not have the military bearing of the commissioner he was an impressive person. He wore his authority ‘on his sleeve’. He was affable and had an enquiring mind. He was a man to be respected.

  Paul advised that he would accept the position.

  The deputy commissioner said, “Excellent. I will arrange for you to complete the paperwork formalities and collect your uniform. You will need to stay in Melbourne for two weeks training with our legal advisor on colony law, crimes regulations and the constabulary policies after which you can proceed to Kyneton and assume your new position.” The deputy commissioner also suggested that perhaps he and his wife might wish to stay in the constabulary married quarters. They had several for visiting inspectors who came to Melbourne with their families from time to time for some long court cases.

  Paul gladly accepted this offer. “Could we have assistance to move our personal effects to the barracks?”

  The deputy commissioner replied, “See the duty officer of the headquarters barracks of your requirements, where and when, and he
will arrange everything for you.”

  Virginia was looking out the same window when he entered their room. She said she saw him arrive. She listened intently as he told her of his impressions of Kyneton and his acceptance of the position. When he said they were going to stay in Melbourne she was delighted. She had felt claustrophobic in the inn and had not yet ventured outdoors due to the inn being so close to the docks. They packed their clothes and waited for the police cart to arrive. After the vehicle left, loaded with their personal effects, they travelled to the Melbourne barracks and their new accommodation.

  District Inspector Paul Lang found the legal training interesting. He was already aware of some of the requirements as they had been adopted by the New Zealand North Island Militia. The policies had been developed from the London Constabulary. He had a head start with his previously acquired knowledge. The two weeks passed uneventfully.

  Mrs Lang visited the shops and arcades each day with another inspector’s wife whose husband was in Melbourne as a witness in a court case from their district. She was content but apprehensive about going to Kyneton. She had only her husband’s briefly acquired knowledge on which to rely. She hoped his enthusiasm had not clouded his objectivity.

  ¶

  The training was completed. All was being prepared for their departure to Kyneton. Their personal effects were already on their way to the Kyneton barracks for storage until they could arrange a residence. The deputy commissioner was at the Melbourne Cobb and Co. office for their departure. With salutes, handshakes and hand waves the coach headed north out of Melbourne. There were eight passengers including the Langs. They did not engage in any conversation with the other passengers; several of them had gone to sleep or were dozing.

  Virginia Lang had a seat inside the coach on the right hand side and had an uninterrupted view of the countryside. For a colony only settled twenty years ago she was surprised at the size of Melbourne and the number of people going to and fro.

  The coach trip was further educating her in the growth of Victoria. During the trip’s first stage, shops and inns were clustered together every few miles. The second stage headed out into the countryside with its wide open spaces. Small forests existed between the cleared paddocks. The trees were different; some were various shades of grey with sparse foliage and others with dark trunks and deep green leaves. Paul pointed out kangaroos. They were in view either side of the coach and were travelling at a very fast speed with their hops covering around ten feet each time. The long Macedon Hills were gradually getting closer revealing their different heights and dense forests.

  After two more stage stops they headed into the Black Forest up a long steep road. The other passengers were now awake and for the first time Virginia realised that all of the men carried pistols. Paul knew the reason for their pistols, but did not say anything to her. He did not want to alarm her unnecessarily. The driver kept the coach to the centre of the road and kept looking around nervously. He had a double barrelled shotgun alongside him. He had used it before when ‘bailed up’ by bushrangers. They continued in this state of alert for an hour before arriving safely at Woodend. The other men promptly dozed off again.

  The last stage into Kyneton was through treed flat land with some areas cleared or being cleared for paddocks to graze livestock and sow grains. Virginia was now dozing. The coach rolled to a stop in front of the Royal Hotel and the Langs were helped from the coach by the driver. After a cheery wave from him, they entered the hotel, and retired to their room, tired and dusty. Virginia rested while Paul went down to the bar and had two whiskies before he too went upstairs for the night.

  The following morning he went to his office and met Sub-inspector Moore, requesting him to fall in the station troopers with their horses. District Inspector Lang introduced himself and asked the troopers to introduce themselves. He then asked Moore to show him through the station. As they walked through buildings Lang made mental notes of areas where he believed there should be improvements. He was aware that Moore had only been there for two weeks and would, quite correctly, have waited for him to arrive before deciding any changes. Lang was reasonably happy with the station and decided to wait a month before implementing the improvements.

  That afternoon he visited Russell Carroll’s office to start his house search. There were several available houses in the centre of Kyneton and they were in his price range. Russell was very persuasive and he had made arrangements to collect Mr and Mrs Lang in his best carriage the next day. He then drove them around town to view these houses. They soon made up their minds and the relevant papers were signed within the week. Their furniture had already arrived in Kyneton and Mrs Lang and a servant immediately set out arranging the house interior for them to move into their new home.

  District Inspector Lang soon settled into a routine with his home life and his position as the District Inspector of Police. He began to travel widely throughout the district. He met all and sundry and was welcomed by the town fathers. He had several invitations to official functions and was looking forward to becoming a person of note in the community.

  The first functions were primarily dinner evenings with a small select guest list, primarily shire councillors. Virginia particularly enjoyed these smaller informal gatherings and she soon established a circle of friends in the so-called social elite.

  ¶

  The Shire Ball was the event of the year and every senior citizen and community leader in the district were invited, including Major Hall and Lieutenant Caly of the 12th Regiment. The whole town was involved in one way or another — caterers, musicians, decorators, doormen, stable men, the list went on. The main street was decked with colourful flags and buntings. Several shops joined in the festive occasion by painting their shop fronts and the shire contributed by painting the horse rails and park seats etc. The town was ready for the great day.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Changed Lives for All

  District Police Inspector Lang and Mrs Lang dressed formally. Paul was attired in his police uniform and Mrs Lang in a new ball gown. She was content in her new role as a new socialite and felt flattered with the attention being afforded her. The shire president had invited the Langs to stand alongside him and his wife to welcome the guests and also for the Langs to meet the local district identities.

  Major Hall and Lieutenant Caly arrived in full dress uniform, with their red jackets and highly polished black boots. They stood out in the crowd. The only people who did not see them were the Langs. As the guests shuffled forward and John Hall saw Paul Lang, he stopped momentarily and Caly following closely, bumped into him. John stared at Lang, who was shaking hands and was standing side on to him. Gaining his composure he continued walking forward.

  John stepped forward and shook hands with the shire president and his wife. The shire president then turned to Lang. “Major John Hall, this is District Police Inspector Paul Lang.”

  John offered his hand but held it short. Lang looked up sharply and was speechless with shock. He gazed into John’s piercing eyes. He then offered his hand but was forced to step forward to reach John’s. They momentarily touched hands and then both withdrew. He nodded then he faced Mrs Lang who looked at him and nearly fainted. John bowed slightly to her and walked away without speaking. The shire president and Lang both moved forward to support Mrs Lang and led her away to a side room.

  Lieutenant Caly followed him, non-committal. He looked back and saw that the Langs were no longer standing with the welcoming committee. He could see that John was in a strange mood, both angry, yet subdued. He decided to leave him with his thoughts and wandered off to go dancing.

  John obtained a drink and stood quietly in a corner, shaking his head as he found it hard to believe. He had just met the man, who had caused him so much trouble; who had nearly destroyed his military career. He would avoid him but, if they did meet again, this time things would be very different. He would be meeting him as an equal, not as an underling.

  ¶

>   Of all people — John Hall in Kyneton! It was difficult for the Langs to comprehend. Virginia retired to her bed for two weeks, only leaving when necessary. In all, she did not leave their home for four weeks.

  The doctor prescribed sedatives and a tonic but really her illness was more mental than medical. The shock of seeing John Hall had brought back the devastating memories of the trial. Over the past years she had finally managed to handle her demons. It was like a bad dream.

  Paul Lang had quickly recovered from the initial shock of, not only meeting him, but also shaking his hand and looking into his eyes. He had become instantly angry and concerned about his future. The Langs avoided official functions for over a month and were selective, not wishing to be confronted by John Hall’s presence again.

  ¶

  Seamus had finished shearing and was returning home from Kilmore over open paddocks. There were sheep and cattle grazing in the distance. As he crested a hill he saw smoke below the ridge in the trees. He stopped and tied his horse to a tree. He moved down to some scrubs to see if it was a camp and who was there. He was concerned that they might be bushrangers. But he was surprised and somewhat relieved to see it was an Aboriginal camp with a large group sitting in a circle around a fire. They appeared to be having a conference. Seamus could see many mia-mias made from tree branches with bark sections bent over a horizontal centre branch. They slept in these when the weather was inclement.

  The Aborigines were a race of nomads and changed their camp sites often but remained in their own tribal district; often hundreds of square miles. They had a distinctive language consisting of hundreds of different dialects. These Aborigines had dark brown skin and were naked. He had seen some Aborigines before in town dressed in old shirts and trousers. These Aborigines were taller than the Van Diemen’s Land Aborigines but like them were lightly framed. Seamus knew little about them, except that they were skilled at spearing fish and throwing spears with a woomera. They fitted the spear into a notch in the woomera and threw the spear from the woomera to give them greater distance. This, together with their favoured weapon, the boomerang, which was a curved carved wooden branch also used for throwing, and their extraordinary eyesight, made them formidable hunters. Their only other weapons were nulla nullas — wooden clubs made from a tree branch with a knobby end or a knoll, and, finally, an axe with a stone head.