AS more and more communities announce how they are marking the 200th anniversary of explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell passing through the North East, King Valley identity and historian David Evans contacted the Chronicle about his personal connection to the pair.
David could remember that Stuart Hume, Great-Great Grand Nephew of Hamilton Hume, had celebrated the 150th anniversary of the explorers epic trek by following in their footsteps to Mount Bellevue in the King Valley with access via the Evans' family property in November 1974.
David actually took a photo of Stuart on top of the mount to record the occasion, which appeared in David's book 'From Wales to Whitefield', tracing his family's history, along with an extract from the diary of William Hovell.
The extract was provided to David by Stuart on November 24, 1974.
"...we arrived at a creek running with water (Boggy Ck, paddock known as McCormicks, owned by David Evans - author's note) which appears to fall into the last river (King River). We stopped there till 4 o'clock. Two and half miles further on, or 10 miles from where we started this morning, we came to the top of Mt Bellevue, and as it afforded us a fine prospect, I took the following bearings: a very large plain, but at a great distance perhaps 20 miles, which I call Barrey's Plains, in compliment to Alex Barry, esq, Sydney. All from the N.E. as far as the eye can reach, taking in Barrey's Plains, fine level country; from N.E to S.E. complete rugged and mountainous country, worse than any I have seen since we have been on our journey, particularly to the S.E. There is one of the mountains in that direction which has a lump on the top of it (Mt Cobbler) something like the Pigeon House Mountain on the coast... The range we crossed today which Mt Bellevue is upon, is the one I mentioned on the 16th instant that appears at a very great distance, extending in a north and south direction. Half the way up this mountain the stone is of the worst quality. Lying vertical north and south (known today as the Wagon Track) but on the top, the stone has a portion of lime among it (Bankdale). The soil is of excellent quality, and the grass and herbage is equal to any at Murrumbidgee. The timber is large, whereas that half way down is stunted, the honeysuckle and the wattle is also of the number. We descended from this to a creek below where we stopped for the night having travelled 13 1/2 miles. (Fifteen Mile Creek)."