Edward Curr
Encyclopedia
Edward Micklethwaite Curr (25 December 1820 – 3 August 1889) was an Australia
n pastoralist and squatter.
, Tasmania
(then known as Van Diemen's Land
), the eldest of eleven surviving children of Edward Curr
(1798–1850) and Elizabeth (née Micklethwaite) Curr. His parents had moved to Hobart from Sheffield
, England
in February 1820, where Curr's father went into business as a merchant
. Curr's father left Tasmania for England in June 1823, and on his return voyage wrote An Account of the Colony of Van Diemen's Land principally designed for the use of Emigrants, which was published in 1824, he later returned and became the chief agent of the Van Diemen's Land Company
, and in November 1827, the family moved to the Circular Head
region, where the company held substantial lands.
Curr was sent to England for his schooling, and was educated at Stonyhurst College
in Lancashire
, from 17 December 1829 to 10 August 1837, and the following year boarded in northern France
to study French
. Curr returned to Tasmania in January 1839.
Curr accompanied his father on a 1839 visit to Melbourne
in the Port Phillip District
(what is now the state of Victoria
, which separated from New South Wales
in 1851, after a campaign in which Curr's father was an important participant). From February 1841 Curr returned to the District to manage a handful of his father's sheep farming
properties in northern and central Victoria, including several in the Goulburn Valley
region. Curr also managed one property in a partnership with his brother William. Curr managed the properties until the end of 1850 and early 1851, when following his father's death the properties were sold.
In February 1851 Curr and two of his younger brothers sailed to England, with Curr then embarking on travel around parts of Europe
and the Middle East
, before marrying Margaret Vaughan of County Kildare
, Ireland
, on 31 January 1854. Curr returned to Victoria in August 1854, staying in Melbourne for just a month before moving to Auckland
, New Zealand
, where he ran a business importing Australian horses. From 1856 to 1861, Curr made two unsuccessful attempts to return to work as a pastoralist, firstly in Queensland
and then around the Lachlan River
in central New South Wales.
In November 1862 Curr traveled once more to Victoria, moving to a house in Chapel Street
, St Kilda
. In Victoria he worked as a government inspector of sheep, ultimately becoming chief inspector of sheep on 17 May 1864. 1863 he published a book on Pure Saddle-Horses, and in 1865 won a prize Of £150 for An Essay on Scab in Sheep. This was published in the same year, and the measures advocated by Curr were used with such success that the disease became rare. Curr was promoted to chief inspector of all stock on 16 January 1871, and in this role helped to stop outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
in 1872 and of scab disease in sheep in 1876.
Curr died in 1889 in St. Kilda
, and was buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery.
Curr published many reports and several books throughout his career, including Pure Saddle Horses in 1863, an account of his travels through Europe and the Middle East in the early 1850s, and The Australian Race: Its Origins, Languages, Customs
in 1886. However, his most widely known work is Recollections of Squatting in Victoria, which was first published in 1883 but republished as an abridged version in 1965, recounting Curr's experiences managing his father's properties in northern Victoria forty years earlier, including his interactions with the local Aboriginal Australians.
The Recollections gained notoriety in academic circles after they were relied on almost exclusively by Justice Olney
of the Federal Court of Australia
in the infamous Yorta Yorta case
, concerning a native title
claim over land around the Murray River
. In the case, Olney uncritically accepted Curr's accounts of the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area (or as Curr referred to them, his "soot
y friends") even though published records from the time often directly conflicted with Curr's recollections, and even though Curr, whose interest in ethnography
only began in 1872, was publicly criticised by his contemporaries for his ignorance about Indigenous Australians. Several scholars have pointed out that Curr's work may have been influenced by conflicts between his shepherds and Aboriginal people as he expanded his sheep farming operations, and have noted that Curr did not write the book until well after the events described, nor did he keep any notes at all during the period he wrote about. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
questioned why the evidence given by Aboriginal elders was dismissed, because it was uncorroborated oral testimony, while Olney "had no apparent difficulty in accepting the uncorroborated observations of the pioneer Edward Curr, whose evidence could not be tested by cross-examination."
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pastoralist and squatter.
Biography
Curr was born in HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
(then known as Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
), the eldest of eleven surviving children of Edward Curr
Edward Curr
Edward Micklethwaite Curr was an Australian pastoralist and squatter.-Biography:Curr was born in Hobart, Tasmania , the eldest of eleven surviving children of Edward Curr and Elizabeth Curr...
(1798–1850) and Elizabeth (née Micklethwaite) Curr. His parents had moved to Hobart from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in February 1820, where Curr's father went into business as a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
. Curr's father left Tasmania for England in June 1823, and on his return voyage wrote An Account of the Colony of Van Diemen's Land principally designed for the use of Emigrants, which was published in 1824, he later returned and became the chief agent of the Van Diemen's Land Company
Van Diemen's Land Company
The Van Diemen's Land Company was created in 1824, received a Royal Charter in 1825, and was granted 250,000 acres in northwest Tasmania in 1826...
, and in November 1827, the family moved to the Circular Head
Circular Head
The Circular Head Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. It covers the far north-west corner of the state mainland.The major centres of the municipality are Smithton, on the north coast; Stanley, east of Smithton; and Marrawah on the west coast...
region, where the company held substantial lands.
Curr was sent to England for his schooling, and was educated at Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, from 17 December 1829 to 10 August 1837, and the following year boarded in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to study French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Curr returned to Tasmania in January 1839.
Curr accompanied his father on a 1839 visit to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
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....
(what is now the state 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....
, which separated from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1851, after a campaign in which Curr's father was an important participant). From February 1841 Curr returned to the District to manage a handful of his father's sheep farming
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
properties in northern and central Victoria, including several in the Goulburn Valley
Goulburn Valley
The Goulburn Valley is a region of Victoria, Australia. The region consists of those areas in the catchment of the Goulburn River and other nearby streams, and is part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The Goulburn Valley is bordered on the south by the Great Dividing Range and to the north by the...
region. Curr also managed one property in a partnership with his brother William. Curr managed the properties until the end of 1850 and early 1851, when following his father's death the properties were sold.
In February 1851 Curr and two of his younger brothers sailed to England, with Curr then embarking on travel around parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, before marrying Margaret Vaughan of County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, on 31 January 1854. Curr returned to Victoria in August 1854, staying in Melbourne for just a month before moving to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where he ran a business importing Australian horses. From 1856 to 1861, Curr made two unsuccessful attempts to return to work as a pastoralist, firstly in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and then around the Lachlan River
Lachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
in central New South Wales.
In November 1862 Curr traveled once more to Victoria, moving to a house in Chapel Street
Chapel Street, Melbourne
Chapel Street is a shopping, dining and entertainment precinct in Melbourne, Australia. It has a myriad shops ranging from exclusive upmarket fashion designers at the South Yarra end to old fashion pawnbrokers towards Windsor.-Geography:...
, St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
. In Victoria he worked as a government inspector of sheep, ultimately becoming chief inspector of sheep on 17 May 1864. 1863 he published a book on Pure Saddle-Horses, and in 1865 won a prize Of £150 for An Essay on Scab in Sheep. This was published in the same year, and the measures advocated by Curr were used with such success that the disease became rare. Curr was promoted to chief inspector of all stock on 16 January 1871, and in this role helped to stop outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
in 1872 and of scab disease in sheep in 1876.
Curr died in 1889 in St. Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
, and was buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery.
Curr published many reports and several books throughout his career, including Pure Saddle Horses in 1863, an account of his travels through Europe and the Middle East in the early 1850s, and The Australian Race: Its Origins, Languages, Customs
The Australian Race
The Australian Race: Its Origin, Languages, Customs, Place of Landing in Australia, and the Routes by Which It Spread Itself over That Continent is an 1886 book by Edward Curr about the Indigenous Australian peoples....
in 1886. However, his most widely known work is Recollections of Squatting in Victoria, which was first published in 1883 but republished as an abridged version in 1965, recounting Curr's experiences managing his father's properties in northern Victoria forty years earlier, including his interactions with the local Aboriginal Australians.
The Recollections gained notoriety in academic circles after they were relied on almost exclusively by Justice Olney
Howard Olney
Howard William Olney AM QC is the Australian Aboriginal Lands Commissioner.Olney was born in Nedlands and attended Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1957 and as a magistrate in 1965, being called to the bar in 1974...
of the Federal Court of Australia
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
in the infamous Yorta Yorta case
Yorta Yorta v Victoria
Yorta Yorta v Victoria was a native title claim by the Yorta Yorta indigenous people of north central Victoria, Australia which was dismissed by Justice Olney of the Federal Court of Australia in 1998...
, concerning a native title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
claim over land around the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
. In the case, Olney uncritically accepted Curr's accounts of the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area (or as Curr referred to them, his "soot
Soot
Soot is a general term that refers to impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolyzed fuel particles such as cenospheres,...
y friends") even though published records from the time often directly conflicted with Curr's recollections, and even though Curr, whose interest in ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
only began in 1872, was publicly criticised by his contemporaries for his ignorance about Indigenous Australians. Several scholars have pointed out that Curr's work may have been influenced by conflicts between his shepherds and Aboriginal people as he expanded his sheep farming operations, and have noted that Curr did not write the book until well after the events described, nor did he keep any notes at all during the period he wrote about. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
questioned why the evidence given by Aboriginal elders was dismissed, because it was uncorroborated oral testimony, while Olney "had no apparent difficulty in accepting the uncorroborated observations of the pioneer Edward Curr, whose evidence could not be tested by cross-examination."