Who Was Tommy Dower ?...(1936).
When I was going to school in Perth, Western Australia we learned about John Forrest, the explorer who lead expeditions through the interior of Western Australia. He became the first Premier of Western Australia. Beyond that I don't remember much about this explorer's contribution to early colonial Western Australia.
It was not until I was studying at Edith Cowan University that I learned about the contribution of Indigenous Australians to the early exploration by John Forrest of Western Australia. This information came from the oral history of the decedent's of the early Indigenous Australian guides.
While this blog post is not about Subiaco, the discussion about Indigenous Australians contribution John Forrest's expeditions is challenged by E. J. Costello (Eugene Joseph) from Subiaco in an article published in 1936.
It is difficult to know how E. J. Costello, a career public servant came across this information that was shared via the Sunday Times in 1936. E. J. Costello lived with his mother, Sarah Jane Costello and sisters Milly and Daisy at 110 Rupert Street, Subiaco. Eugene went to WW1. He died in December 1949.
The article and photographs are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Sunday Times, 19 April 1936.
WHO WAS TOMMY DOWER ?
SOME MORE SIDESIGHTS
On Lord Forrest's Natives
E. J. Costello (Subiaco) writes:
A contribution in your issue of March 29, 1936, credits the aboriginal. "King" Tommy Dower, an erstwhile Fremantle identity with having been a member of the late Lord Forrest's expeditions to Adelaide in 1869 and 1871.
I carefully scrutinised your following issue of April 5 for a protest from the Historical Society or other authority but was disappointed to find the statements unquestioned.
In default of an abler scribe will you permit me to challenge the following statements:
"He was a member of the late Lord Forrest's expedition to Adelaide in 1869 and 1871* and Tommy Dower with the above were erected by the late Lord Forrest as a mark of appreciation to the natives for their services during his many trips to the interior.
Another native named Windage was a close guide and companion of the late Lord Forrest on his overlandings and he earned a place in the latter's regard 'exceeded by few.' "
In the first place Forrest did not conduct expeditions to Adelaide in 1869 br 1871. His expeditions to the neighboring capital were made in 1870 and 1874. Secondly, Tommy Dower-under that name-was not a member of any of these expeditions nor was he with the party that searched for Leichhardt's remains in 1869. (I am open to conviction that he was a member of the 1874 expedition under the name of "Tommy Pierre.")
John Forrest made three classical trips; the first to the Interior in search of Leichhardt's remains in 1869; he named Mounts Ida, Leonora, Malcolm and Margaret on this occasion. The aboriginal members of the party were Tommy Windich and Jemmy Muncaro, "who had had considerable experience under former explorers" (vide Surveyor-General Roe).
The second trip was made to Adelaide along the south coast in 1870. The aboriginal members were Tommy Windich and Billy Koongale.
The third trip was across central Western Australia to the overland telegraph line, thence to Adelaide, in 1874. The aboriginals on this occasion were Tommy Windich and Tommy Pierre.
TOMMY WINDICH.
Tour contributor disposes of Tommy Windich as "a native named Windage," but of all Forrest's companions it would be safe to say that none did his job better than this modest, faithful servant, and no native was held in such high regard by Forrest.
After the 1874 trip Forrest testified: "To Tommy Windich I am much indebted for his services as a bushman and his experience generally. Accompanying me on many occasions, often in circumstances of difficulty and privation I ever found him a good honest companion." John Forrest and Tommy Windich were the only two men black or white, who made the three trips.
Tommy was born in the York district in 1840 and died at Esperance in 1876. He was presented by the Government with a single-barrelled gun with his name inscribed, after the Leichhardt trip, and a gratuity of £12/10/ after one of the overland trips.
His remains lie under the shadow of Granite Hill, Esperance, and the grave is marked by a headstone erected at the request of John and Alexander Forrest.
BILLY NOONGALE.
Billy Noongale was a native of the Beverley district born in 1852. He was referred to by Forrest as a very intelligent young fellow, and rendered valuable service on the coastal expedition. He died in 1904 and is buried in the cemetery at his birthplace. A fine tombstone erected by Lord Forrest is a token of the regard in which the famous explorer held this faithful servant.
JEMMY MUNGARO.
Forrest's search for the remains of Leichhardt was doomend to failure. lt was organised as the result of stories told by natives, of the remains of horses and men far inland. Before reaching the objective Forrest turned back, convinced that the stories were woven round the skeletons of a few horses lost by an earlier explorer, Austin. Jemmy was one of the story-tellers. Forrest praised his worth as a bushman and water finder but said that no tale lost anything in the re-telling by Jemmy.
TOMMY PIERRE.
Tommy Pierre was Tommy Windich's mate on the central overland trip. The party had a bad time through scarcity of water, and tragedy may well have followed but for the skill of the natives. This Tommy was somewhat of an orator and whilst both Windich and he were called upon to make speeches in South Australia and on return-modest faithful Windich could not muster courage to speak, but Pierre was not at all abashed.
At Salisbury, South Australia, he said, inter alia, "I am very glad I got through. We got a capital gaffer that leaded us through, but it wasn't him that got us through, it wasn't ourselves but God who brought us through." At the reception on return to Perth Tommy said "Many a time I go into camp in the morning going through desert place, and swear and curse, and say "Master, where the deuce are you going to take us?" I say to him "I'll give you a pound to take us back." (Cheers and laughter.)
Perhaps some old resident could decide whether Tommy Pierre and Tommy Dower were identical, it would also be interesting to have recorded the burial places of Jemmy Mungaro and Tommy Pierre, and it would be a gracious act for the Historical Society to erect a memorial on the graves to the memory of these faithful servants.
From Wikipedia on Tommy Windich and John Forrest.
From the Royal Historical Society of Western Australia (no copyright infringement intended)
B&W photo showing a group or 3 males; from left to right: Malcolm Hamersley, Tommy Windich, John Forrest, 1869 expedition in search of Leichardt (P201)
