As well as writing The Deua River Track book under the Access for All (R) banner, Peter C Smith has researched the infamous Clarke Gang of Bushrangers.
His 664 page work was published in 2015 and was launched in Braidwood the same year.
A review of the book is on The Canberra Times website HERE
“Tracks in the Wilderness” comes from a commitment by NPWS to improve communication with local communities about horse riding in national parks in the Far South Coast Region, which extends from Braidwood to Batemans Bay and south to the Victorian border. During meetings with local horse-riding groups to talk about what opportunities existed now and what they hoped for in the future it became evident that interest in horse riding was not just about recreation but also about the considerable significance of the old bridle tracks to pioneering heritage and to cultural identity.
A PDF file (32Mb) of this book can be downloaded HERE
On April 14, 2018, saw the long-awaited book launch by NPWS and Access for All at "Cadgee" of the book, “Tracks in the Wilderness - Historic bridle tracks in south east New South Wales”. It was a wonderful success.
So much work had gone into getting everything perfect out at Cadgee that nothing could have gone wrong. The grass was mowed, the paddocks slashed, the caravan polished, firewood collected, the tents erected, the food ordered, the guests invited, the horses arrived, the river sparkled and the sun shone: quite hotly actually, so we appreciated those shade tents!
It was launched in 2009 at Braidwood. It has since been reprinted.
The river was surveyed by surveyor, Peter Ogilvie, under the direction of the Surveyor General Mitchell in May 1828, as part of the complete survey of the nineteen counties. A copy of his map exists in the State Records Office. It is accurate in its detail of the river to the 36th parallel which is south of Bendethera. Ogilvie must have followed a path up the river close to what became the Deua River Track.
The track provided for settlers living along the river possibly from as early as 1840 and was still the only means of access for the Davis family of Woolla until 1960s.
It extends from the junction of Araluen Creek to Bendethera.
