by Di Morrissey
‘Oh, her land. Her country. Birimbal is part of that. Have you met Carter Lloyd? He thinks he knows where the original homestead was, where so much happened. That’s where I’d start,’ said Garth firmly.
‘And Kelly’s Crossing?’ The mysterious stream and its haunted setting came back to Dani.
‘Of course,’ agreed Garth. ‘That’s what I want to do with my book, and now with your pictures and a film, people will know what Isabella was all about.’
‘Maybe we should lobby Carter to get National Parks to put a plaque there, naming it Isabella Kelly Crossing.’ Dani was half serious.
‘That would be wonderful. When I started this research years ago I never thought anyone would take any notice. I just felt it should be done,’ said Garth looking quite overwhelmed.
‘I think people are going to take notice,’ said Dani standing up. ‘Garth, could I read your manuscript, please?’ She hadn’t followed up when he’d first told her about it.
‘I’d love you to. But Rodney has my only spare. It costs a lot to print it out, would you mind waiting till he comes back?’
‘Of course. I’ll be speaking to him. I’ll ask Roddy to run me off a copy,’ said Dani. ‘Excuse me, I’d better go see my mum.’
Lara and Carter Lloyd were finishing their lunch. Lara was looking very animated as Carter finished recounting an anecdote.
‘Had something to eat? The steaks are fabulous,’ said Lara. ‘You must hear some of Carter’s great stories.’
‘I’ve been hearing about you from Garth and he tells me you have an idea where Isabella’s original home was, Carter. Could you show me where?’ asked Dani.
‘Ah, not as simple as that though I’m happy to oblige. It’s just a hunch based on some old documents Garth unearthed. It’s a bit of a hike if you’re up for that. And I’d want to take Max with me.’
‘In case we get lost?’ said Dani.
‘Think he’d be the first to admit he’s no tracker. But I get a bit superstitious. I dunno, I sometimes feel I’m trespassing so if we have an elder with us . . . it can help,’ said Carter seriously.
‘Really? But if it’s on the Birimbal development, then that is trespassing, isn’t it?’ asked Lara.
‘I’m sure Jason won’t mind, I’m doing research,’ said Dani.
Carter still looked serious. ‘Lot of ghosts up in that country if you ask me. So what else has Garth told you?’
‘Someone is interested in turning his book into a movie,’ said Dani.
Carter was instantly dismissive. ‘That’ll be a dud. Garth is sticking to the facts too much, keeps knocking back the legend. Who wants to know the boring reality? Bring on the wild stories. Who cares if they’re true or not? She’s become larger than life, a lot more exciting than the stitched-up spinster she was.’
Lara burst out laughing. ‘Well, from a commercial point of view, you’re right. Films always stretch the truth.’
Dani felt slightly aggrieved. ‘I think that’s unfair. That’s the whole point of Garth’s research and book – to disprove the myths about her being such a hard and difficult woman. Maybe she was, but maybe she had reason to be like that.’
‘Darling, if Isabella is going to be the face of this big new project hadn’t they better be sure she’s the sort of woman people want to be associated with?’ asked Lara reasonably. ‘I mean, I wouldn’t want to buy into an estate named after a murderess or whatever.’
‘Mum, it’s not an estate, per se. That’s another sales aspect they have to get across. It’s a totally new development concept and lifestyle. It’s called TND – traditional neighbourhood design.’
Carter nodded. ‘From the little I know it seems they’re trying to develop this concept in a very ecofriendly fashion. Hamlets linked within walking distance between villages with green space. Even small farms. Makes a lot of sense.’
‘Would you like to meet Jason?’ asked Dani. ‘Hear it from the horse’s mouth?’
‘I’m reluctant to leave your charming mother but, yes, the future of our area always concerns me.’ He turned to Lara. ‘See you when you move up and settle in.’
Dani introduced Jason to Carter and joined her mother who was with the Catchpoles.
‘I was just thanking Patricia and Henry for a wonderful lunch. So many interesting people,’ said Lara.
Patricia smiled. ‘A lot of people in the city and elsewhere think we’re a bit behind the times in this valley. Actually, I find there are more stimulating people and ideas here than anywhere else I’ve lived.’
‘Well, I’ve heard a few interesting ideas today,’ said Lara. ‘From the future of forestry to a film.’
‘Film? What’s that about?’ asked Henry.
‘Someone is thinking of making a movie about Isabella Kelly,’ said Lara.
Patricia’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Really? First I’ve heard of it. Who would that be?’
‘One of Dani’s new friends,’ said Lara.
They all stared at Dani.
‘Well, I don’t know for sure. Garth has had some interest in his book from a guy I met up here. I don’t know much at all,’ said Dani, hoping she wasn’t doing Roddy a disservice.
‘Find out!’ declared Patricia. ‘Council would be most interested. If it’s a high-profile project it could be of great value to the community.’
‘If it’s done properly and not like some of the stupid flicks that have been made,’ commented Henry.
‘I’ll find out and let you know,’ said Dani, anxious to change the subject. ‘And some other news is – I’ve taken a position with Jason Moore to do some artwork for his development. Help pay the rent.’
‘It’s to do with Isabella too,’ added Lara.
Henry looked at his wife. ‘Well, I’ll be blowed. Couldn’t give away a dollar with Isabella Kelly’s face on it, now everyone’s getting in on the act.’
‘We’ll see, dear,’ said Patricia. ‘Before anyone marches in and cashes in on our local identity, council will want to know just how they plan to exploit her.’
Henry looked at Dani and winked. He knew the signs. His wife would want to be in the loop on these new developments. ‘Can’t stop enterprising people trying to make a quid.’
‘I’m not sure we want the valley to be known as Isabella Kelly Country,’ mused Patricia. ‘No one has a good word to say about her.’
‘Ned Kelly was a thieving, murdering bushranger and everybody loves him. A local hero in his part of the world,’ said Henry.
‘Let’s wait and see what Garth finds out and if a film is going to happen,’ said Dani. ‘The idea is Rodney Sutherland’. He’s new to the area. I’d like you to meet him.’
‘Absolutely. Bring him round for a drink,’ said Patricia. ‘Now just one small favour, a reporter for The Chronicle newspaper is here, and I thought it might be nice for her to do a photo and bit about you and your mother moving back here, albeit temporarily. Would you mind, Lara? Dani?’
‘I can’t tell her much. You better do the talking, Mum,’ said Dani.
After sharing a very early breakfast at Chesterfield with her mother who wanted to be on the road back to Sydney by sunrise, Dani headed to The Vale to get ready to go in and see Jason Moore and be briefed a little more about her job.
As she drove through the gates she caught a glimpse of a distant figure on the other side of the creek. She stopped and saw a woman in a bright yellow dress and straw hat. She was too far away for Dani to make out who it was and, as she wondered what she was doing, she saw a horse come from the nearby stand of trees and trot to the woman. The woman stopped to fondle the horse before continuing to walk around the bend of the creek and out of sight, the horse following her. Probably my neighbour on this property, thought Dani. I must get her phone number from the solicitor and make contact.
Standing in her freshly painted bedroom, Dani contemplated her meagre wardrobe. She hadn’t planned on rejoining the workforce so she didn’t have suitable clothes. She finally chose a cotton skirt
and T-shirt, which she dressed up with an elaborate carved necklace, sandals and a cotton sweater knotted over her shoulders. She threw her sketchbook and a notebook into her leather shoulder bag, applied minimum make up, sprayed on a tangy citrus perfume – Je Reviens – and felt ready.
Jason Moore smiled at her approvingly as he walked from his office. ‘You look ready to get going. You’ve met Miss Lawrence, my secretary.’ Dani smiled at the prim older woman. ‘Come and meet the other two team members here. The rest are in Sydney but they’ll be coming up and down as required.’
He introduced Fred Lansdowne, the project manager in charge of construction and liaising with local contractors; and Tony Bartholemew, who was overseeing the clearing and laying of infrastructure like water and sewerage.
Jason asked Tony to outline the environmentally friendly concepts of the development.
‘We’ve got a complicated reticulation system with used domestic water being recycled onto gardens, and a sophisticated version of bio-cycle and composting toilets,’ he began.
‘Compost toilets?’ said Dani. ‘You don’t mean those dry loos you find in national parks?’
‘Not quite. In the house you flush your fancy loo as normal. But the waste goes through a special fast-drying system to reduce it to a non-smelly dry compost that is diluted with the grey water and recycled. Goes out on the garden as close to potable water as you can get,’ said Fred.
‘Remember, the power is environmentally friendly,’ said Jason. ‘Eventually we’ll look at hydrogen fuel cells producing power.’
Dani shook her head. ‘Too much info. Point me at the design side.’
Jason laughed. ‘Wait till you meet Kate, our coordinating architect. She speaks your language.’
‘I thought you’d done the design concepts?’ said Dani.
‘I have. But it’s big-picture stuff. Kate interprets it into specifics, structural designs with mathematical precision. How it can physically be built from my scribbles. Now we need you to add another layer.’
‘For the layperson you mean? The finished picture and its inspiration,’ suggested Dani.
‘You got it in a nutshell,’ said Jason. ‘When we go to sell the development at an evening dinner or a roadshow event, we want to show customers where it all began.’
‘With Isabella,’ said Dani softly.
‘Over to you, Dani,’ said Jason.
Dani was thoughtful and debated whether to raise the subject of the film. She hadn’t heard from Roddy and Garth could be misinterpreting things. If Roddy didn’t make the movie happen, now that the idea was out there, floating in the universe, someone else might do it. In the end she made a casual remark. ‘There’s a rumour of Isabella’s story being turned into a movie.’
Jason was immediately alert. ‘Really? Who? What sort of film? This could be good for us, or a negative if it’s not done well. What do you know, Dani?’
‘Not much. Yet. But I’ll probably know more soon and I’ll let you know. So what do you want me to tackle first?’
Jason was businesslike. ‘We need images of the landscape, how it might have looked in her day, what she might have done with the land, how that links in with what we’re doing. Including images of Isabella.’
‘I’ll have to imagine all that. In the one and only picture of her she was a rather plain and dumpy lady.’
‘But look what she achieved. Make her interesting, Dani. Make us want to like and admire her. What inspired her to live here and love this valley?’ Jason spoke intensely, then paused. ‘That’s about as detailed a brief as I can give you. We’ll need some images for brochures, website, PR and the original art as big paintings that could hang in the central building.’
Dani had been writing in her notebook. ‘Well, that’s clear enough. What’s my deadline? I’ll show you rough sketches as I go along before I start on big oil paintings.’
‘Very sensible. I’m available whenever you need me. In fact I’d like to be a sounding board,’ said Jason, ‘no matter how rough your first ideas may be. You can have a desk and a bit of space in here.’
‘I think I’d prefer to work in my studio. But it would be good to get feedback as I go along,’ said Dani.
She thanked Fred and Tony and shook Jason’s hand. ‘I’ll be in touch.’
‘Before you go, Dani.’ Jason led her from the small meeting room, ‘I have set a space aside for you. And I have a token gift. A kind of welcome to the group.’
‘A gift?’
‘It might come in handy.’ Jason walked down the hallway to a room fitted out simply with a desk, a couple of chairs, a phone and a filing cabinet. Sitting on the desk was a bulky parcel wrapped in purple paper. ‘Take it home to your studio.’
‘I’m rather embarrassed at a gift on my first day,’ said Dani.
‘It’s not a gift then. It’s a bribe. To keep you inspired,’ said Jason lightly.
Dani tore off the paper and gasped at seeing the antique writing box she’d admired in Isadora’s. ‘Oh my god. How did you know?’
‘I heard you and Barry talk about it at the auction. I popped in and we both thought it had your name on it.’
‘Not my name. Someone called WC. I wonder . . . It’s just lovely. And, yes, it will be useful.’ Dani felt uncomfortable at the gesture but she was thrilled with the gift. She ran her fingers over it. ‘I can’t help wondering who it belonged to. I’ll treasure it. Thank you, Jason.’
‘My pleasure. Barry and I like to think that even though it’s not her initials, it’s the sort of thing Isabella might have used.’
Mount George, 1845
Isabella
The candle had burned low. Isabella pored again over the large documents spread on the table. She studied the neatly lined configurations, seeing not just the outlines of squares and rectangles but the beautiful bushy blocks of Birimbal estate. It was a bold concept to develop a new town on part of her extensive holdings, a chance for new settlers to establish small farms and town-based businesses in a valley rich with potential, as she had already proved.
On a separate piece of paper she read again the advertisement that she’d placed in the Australian newspaper in Sydney several months before to which there’d been no response.
A most splendid portion of Miss Kelly’s estate, situated at the crossing place of the Route from Maitland, Port Stephens, New England, to Port Macquarie, having a portion cleared on the River, and now subdivided into allotments of one half-acre each, more or less, comprising one thousand acres of fine land on the banks of the River and Creeks thereof rising to the Hill, all described, staked out, and charted as Georgetown.
Very little has been made known yet as to the importance of this River, its splendid waters, alluvial flats, agricultural qualities and pastoral commands of country, whether as to sheep cattle, stock of any kind . . . The Timber is stated as the finest growth and description as cedar, flooded and other gums, oaks, barks, corkwood, fig, hickory black, variegated satin, and other woods. The Water is abundant and pure . . . the situation is, of all others, the most important resting place for the traveller on his route to or from Port Macquarie . . . The soil here will produce any grain or vegetable . . .’
She skimmed through the advertisement, which described the streets laid out and named Isabella, Gipps, Church and George. The advertisement also mentioned the proposed George Inn, which was Isabella’s existing house. She planned to add upstairs rooms for accommodation when a licence was granted. If the sale of her township was a success she had designs to build a grand mansion.
Isabella had had no doubt her plan would succeed as her property was on the main route north. The township she envisaged was located on either side of the route through Kelly’s Crossing. The soil was of good quality and she had already proved what strong cattle and sound horses could be bred here. And while her own impressive home was an example that owners could aspire to build, there were several sturdy slab huts belonging to workers that she saw as the start of a small community.
But not one block had sold.
Her solicitor consoled her as best he could, pointing out her land was so isolated. And as shipping could travel no further up river than Cedartown the upper-valley hill communities like her proposed Birimbal were being left behind.
One of Isabella’s neighbours, Mr Andrews, visiting on a journey south, commiserated. ‘It was a brave plan, Miss Kelly, but the river trade has beaten you I’m afraid. The days when we were all dependent on bullock drays are over. The future is on the river and more ships are crossing the bar every month. I’m thinking of building a ship to get into the trade.’
‘It would be a big undertaking,’ said Isabella, thinking of the river land she’d purchased some time ago but had left undeveloped while she had worked on creating her dream town. With more boats now serving the communities downstream maybe she should move her energy and finances to that area.
‘I’m fortunate to have an assigned servant who was a shipwright in the old country, so plan to avail myself of his skills. Perhaps you might like to be a partner?’
Isabella declined politely, and made plans to revisit the riverside property she had purchased as soon as possible.
With characteristic initiative Isabella acted quickly. Now that Florian had his ticket-of-leave Isabella installed him with Noona and child on the property down by the river and declared she intended to build a large riverfront home in the future. She’d moved some cattle down to the river flats in Florian’s care.
She missed having Florian and Noona’s help at Birimbal and while she had no doubt it was local knowledge that one of her employees was cohabiting with a native woman, she didn’t want to invite any more attention than was necessary. So she made do with the assigned servants despite several being troublesome.
In particular one called John Hendon was lazy and careless. In Dungog Isabella took out a complaint against him before the magistrates for neglect of duty. Their decision was that for punishment Hendon work for two months on the treadmill in Sydney and then be returned to her.
Returning home from Dungog after this episode Isabella broke her journey and stayed overnight with distant neighbours, the Ralstons. Mrs Ralston, a timid woman socially, busied herself with preparing supper for her husband, three daughters and their visitor.