Springbank Island Totally Explained

Everything about Springbank Island totally explained

Springbank Island is an island within Lake Burley Griffin, in the centre of Canberra, Australia. It was named after the rural property that now composes part of the island. Springbank included both the river flats of the Molonglo River and Black Mountain plus a sizeable portion of the area now occupied by the Australian National University. was granted to John MacPherson in October 1831. The homestead of the property was on the high ground that now forms Springbank Island.
   The MacPherson family lived at Springbank; John MacPherson being the first resident landholder in Canberra, and his wife Helen and their children the first European family to live in what is now the Australian Capital Territory.
   McPherson's grant was disputed by Joshua John Moore, a neighbouring landowner. Moore wrote to Robert Hoddle, Government Surveyor: I beg leave to inform you that I'm desirous of retaining the 1,000 acres already in my possession. It is called and known by the name Canburry. It was agreed that Moore retain the ridge and the name Canburry for his land, whilst the basin be shared with MacPherson.
   The Kaye family moved in 1855 from the Springbank home to a house near the present Hotel Canberra. Apparently the family found the house unpleasant to live in because of the snakes in the swamps of the nearby Molonglo River which became a menace during times of flood.
   In 1914, Sydney Stock and Station Agents Gair, Sloane and Co. gave a detailed valuation of Springbank's 1955 acres of freehold land: were listed as arable flats, 53 as dark soil, 570 wheat land and the remaining 1217, grazing land. The property, including of freehold land, the Homestead Buildings, Yards, Cow Bails, Piggery, Buggy-shed, Woolshed, yards and three dams, eleven hundred willow trees and an orchard, was valued at 'ten thousand and twenty two pounds, ten shillings and no pence'.
   The of alluvial flats had a frontage to the Molonglo River to the south, Scott’s Paddock on the West, the two huts, Woolshed and Pisa on the East and Black Mountain on the North.

SOIL: Is rich dark alluvial friable and fertile loam about deep, resting on a gravel bed, providing good draining – liable to be inundated by the overflow water from the Molonglo River annually, leaving a rich deposit of alluvium, rendering it admirably suited for the growth of lucerne and corn and comparing favourably with a great deal of the Hunter River land. The roots of the lucerne penetrate down to the perennial water supply which percolates through the underlying porous bed from the River and from the Creek flowing through the centre of this area, providing natural irrigation in the dryest season – this creek has never been known to run dry.

The arable flats were valued then at 30 pounds per acre. The agents described the trees on Springbank as:

Chiefly Iron-bark, White gum, Box, Peppermint, a few cherry and oak trees. Ringbarked years ago and neglected as a natural consequence, is now a dense mass of undergrowth of young trees.

From 1913 until 1924 the farm was occupied by the Cox family. The Kaye family returned in 1924 until 1961: the family sold the farm assets once construction of Lake Burley Griffin began.

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