An Essay on Dead Man's Pass by Peter Whimpress

[1]Dead Mans Pass by Col.Light [[2]]early photo of Dead Mans Pass

South Australia's first country town. Gawler. is almost 40 kms from the city of Adelaide in South Australia.

By 1838 settlers had begun to move northward and to the Barossa regions. The South Para River with its steep banks had provided a barrier to this expansion of settlement. The discovery of a crossing close to the adjacent foothills with accessible inclines to and from it, and especially a firm pebbled bottom, was welcomed.

Known as Murray Pass, named after the landowner John Murray, the site provided adjacent flat space with fresh water convenient for travellers to rest and graze their bullocks burdened with supplies and equipment.

It was to this destination a party of Col. Light's survey team were intending to camp on their return to Adelaide, when to the north of Gawler, they came upon a strange wanderer. Apparently lost, and in extremely poor condition and unable to speak, the surveyors fed him and noted that he drank a lot of water. They placed him on a dray and moved on to Murray Pass.

When the surveyors rose the next morning they were unable to rouse the stranger who had apparently died overnight.

The surveyors had no digging tools with them to enable burial of the man's body. A large old gum tree with an open side offered a niche into which they could cram it and heap stones against the open side to protect the corpse from disturbance by wildlife. To assist with identification, the surveyors took articles the man's strange clothing with them.

News of the unusual discovery of a man wandering in the vicinity of Gawler was reported by newspapers carrying news of his appearance and unusual dress. From the clothing there was a suggestion that he may have been an artist of some kind but this did not bring any response.

Several possibilities were investigated. The gaols were checked for escapees and ships' captains were consulted as to deserters as it was not uncommon for ships to sail without informing authorities regarding deserters. The man's dress did not however conform with the likelihood of either of these possibilities.

There were possibilities that the man had disembarked from a ship and had got lost trying to walk to Adelaide, but from whatever and wherever, he could not be identified.

The trail between the South and North Para Rivers later became known as Murray Street following Col Wm Light's suggestion that a town be laid out in the triangle between the two rivers and the hills. It attracted a hotel, the "Old Spot", a necessity for travellers seeking accommodation and information or conditions to and from their destinations. Gawler grew into a depot-town where settlers could obtain supplies and conduct their commercial business. The town expanded to establish substantial manufacturing industries and become a significant part of South Australia's growth and development.

As the township grew and Murray Pass remained the main southern entrance it was considered inappropriate by the townsfolk to have a grave situated there. Already it had become known locally as "Dead Man's Pass". Whether or not this name was considered to be uninviting for visitors the townsfolk entrenched the name in the local vocabulary. This name remains today and is regarded as a part of the Town's history.

Gawler had established a cemetery on the north-eastern end of Murray Street, and it was decided that the unknown man's remains should be reinterred there. No tombstone seems to have been erected, but with no name to display and no funds to pay for it, that is not surprising.

The man's name has remained a mystery, but as time passes attempts are made to suggest possibilities. One example is that of Nathaniel Hailes, who among his memories recorded in 1886 of journeys around South Australia, of sighting a mound in the early part of the Gawler Cemetery on which the only record was "1839". He suggests this was the man's grave, and that he may have been a co-passenger of his named Pratt arriving in 1838, and who he describes as a "young amateur artist" and that his dress as similar to that brought to Adelaide.

Hailes's description of the man's discovery by Light's party does not accord with theirs. It appears he was not aware of the man's disappearance at the time when his information may have been helpful, but after 50 years his suggestion holds little creditability.

In 1848 a bridge was constructed across a nearby steep- sided section of the South Para River which overcame problems of flooding at Murray Pass. The volume of traffic from the Barossa, Lower North wool and wheat, and later the copper ore from Kapunda found it convenient in all weather conditions. The former pedestrian swing bridge which enabled pedestrian crossing of the South Para when in flood was removed some years ago for safety reasons. When flooding occurs, the roadway is now closed to all traffic, but travellers are able to use the bridge as an alternate crossing.

The current roadway through Dead Man's Pass still indicates a hint of its former pathway showing the angled descent, the crossing, and assent on the other side. It still provides a convenient connection between Gawler and Gawler South. A water-colour painting by Col. Light, a copy of which is attached, provides us with an artist's impression of the site, but as was the wont of earlier painters, there is a great deal of information crammed on to the space of his canvas. Our exactness from photographic imagery should not be too disbelieving of the facts, and readers of history should be aware, that like Nathaniel Hailes, its artists and writers are recording their version of what occurred.

A walk around Dead Man's Pass is a pleasant outing, but while, there let your imagination interest you in the mystery of the "man" from whom its name is derived.

By Peter Whimpress

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