Charles Wedge
Encyclopedia
Charles Wedge was a surveyor
and explorer of the North West of Western Australia
. He was the eldest son of Edward Davy Wedge
and the nephew of John Helder Wedge
, with whom he arrived, together with his cousin John Charles Darke
in 1824 in Van Diemens Land. From 1826 he was an Assistant Surveyor with the Survey Department in Van Diemen's Land, resigning in 1836 to follow his uncle John Helder Wedge
to the newly established settlement in the Port Phillip District
.
In Port Phillip Charles Wedge managed the Wedge's sheep station at Werribee
and then established a sheep station in the Western District of Victoria
.
He was a member of the "Denison Plains Association" , a group of Victorians that made an unsuccessful bid to settle in the North West of Western Australia
.
Later under direction from the resident magistrate
, Treverton Sholl, Wedge was given the task of exploring Port Hedland
as an alternative port as though Roebourne
was chosen for a settlement the distance from the coast was found to be a disadvantage. Wedge encountered difficulties in his efforts, as he was hampered by heavy rain and the tidal creeks around Mangrove harbour and unable to get to the preposed port site to survey its suitability.
Wedge reported "Independent of the port being difficult to access from the landside, the want of a natural supply of water must always be a serious impediment." He also felt that the deep sand and lack of wood for building made the land very inferior. It is evident that his bad report meant that the development of Port Hedland was dropped until about 1891.
The Port Hedland industrial suburb of Wedgefield is named in his honour.
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and explorer of the North West of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He was the eldest son of Edward Davy Wedge
Edward Davy Wedge
Edward Davy Wedge , brother of John Helder Wedge, became a colonist in Van Diemen’s Land and the Port Phillip District of Australia....
and the nephew of John Helder Wedge
John Helder Wedge
John Helder Wedge was a surveyor, explorer and politician in Van Diemen's Land .Wedge was the second son of Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps, Cambridge, England. John Wedge learned the basics of surveying from his father...
, with whom he arrived, together with his cousin John Charles Darke
John Charles Darke
John Charles Darke, 1806–1844, was a surveyor and explorer in Van Diemen's Land and South Australia. He died after being speared by aborigines in 1844.-Early years:...
in 1824 in Van Diemens Land. From 1826 he was an Assistant Surveyor with the Survey Department in Van Diemen's Land, resigning in 1836 to follow his uncle John Helder Wedge
John Helder Wedge
John Helder Wedge was a surveyor, explorer and politician in Van Diemen's Land .Wedge was the second son of Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps, Cambridge, England. John Wedge learned the basics of surveying from his father...
to the newly established settlement in the Port Phillip District
Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was an historical administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales, existing from September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria....
.
In Port Phillip Charles Wedge managed the Wedge's sheep station at Werribee
Werribee, Victoria
Werribee is a city in Melbourne, Australia, 32 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Wyndham. At the 2006 Census, Werribee had a population of 36,641. Statistically, Werribee is considered part of Greater Melbourne.Werribee is...
and then established a sheep station in the Western District of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
He was a member of the "Denison Plains Association" , a group of Victorians that made an unsuccessful bid to settle in the North West of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Later under direction from the resident magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, Treverton Sholl, Wedge was given the task of exploring Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
as an alternative port as though Roebourne
Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital. It prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth...
was chosen for a settlement the distance from the coast was found to be a disadvantage. Wedge encountered difficulties in his efforts, as he was hampered by heavy rain and the tidal creeks around Mangrove harbour and unable to get to the preposed port site to survey its suitability.
Wedge reported "Independent of the port being difficult to access from the landside, the want of a natural supply of water must always be a serious impediment." He also felt that the deep sand and lack of wood for building made the land very inferior. It is evident that his bad report meant that the development of Port Hedland was dropped until about 1891.
The Port Hedland industrial suburb of Wedgefield is named in his honour.