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TWO SPECIAL SURVEYS.

A notice dated March 4th, 1841, was gazetted in Sydney to the following effect: 

“Any Holder of a Land Receipt to the extent of not less than five thousand one hundred and twenty acres may, if he think fit, demand a special survey of any land not hereinafter excepted, within the district of Port Philip, whether such Land Receipt be obtained in the manner pointed out in the ‘Government Gazette’ of the 21st January last, or granted by the Land and Emigration Commissioners in London.

“Not more than one mile of frontage to any river, watercourse, or lake to be allowed to every four square miles of area; the other boundaries to be straight lines running north and south, east and west.

“No land to be taken up within five miles of the towns of Melbourne, Geelong, Williamstown, or Portland.

“The right of opening roads through any part of the land to be reserved for the Crown, but no other reservation whatever to be inserted in the Deeds of Grant.”

The Port Albert Company took up land, under the above conditions, between the Albert and Tarra rivers.  It was in Orr’s name, and is still known as Orr’s Special Survey.  A surveyor was appointed to mark and plan the boundaries; he delegated the work to another surveyor.  Next a re-survey was made, then a sub-divisional survey, and then other surveys went on for fifty years, with ever-varying results.  It is now a well-established fact that Orr’s Special Survey is subject to an alternate expansion and contraction of area, which from time to time vitiates the labour of every surveyor, and has caused much professional animosity.  Old men with one foot in the grave, in this year 1895, are still accusing each other of embezzling acres of it; the devil of Discord, and Mercury the god of thieves, encamped upon it; the Port Albert Company fell into its Slough of Despond, which in the Court of Equity was known as “Kemmis v.  Orr,” and there all the members perished.

Mr. John Reeve had a land receipt, and wanted land.  After he had taken up the station known as Snake Ridge he looked about for a good Special Survey.  He engaged Davy and his whaleboat for a cruise in Port Albert waters and McMillan, Sheridan, and Loughnan were of the party.  They went up the narrow channel called the Caledonian Canal, examined the bluffs, shores, and islands of Shallow Inlet, and at night encamped on St. Margaret’s Island.  When shelter was required, Davy usually put up the mainsail of his boat for a tent; but that night was so fine and warm that it was decided to avoid the trouble of bringing the sail ashore and putting it up.  After supper the men lay around the fire, and one by one fell asleep; but about midnight heavy rain began to fall, the sail was brought ashore, and they all crept under it to keep themselves as dry as possible.