Joseph Wild

Joseph Wild (1759–1837) was a British-Australian convict, explorer, shepherd, constable and conveyor. He is most recognised for his contributions to the "discovery of Canberra", , Jervis Bay, , Wildes Meadow, and the discovery of Lake George and the Molongolo River.

Early life

Wild grew up in Chester, England. During Wild's time there, the city was experiencing a period of economic deterioration. Chester's traditional economy was breaking down as manufacturing industries began to move out of the area due to lacking competitive efficiency. This left many struggling to find employment in the lead up to the turn of the century, with crime rates also accelerating. It is not known what employment Joseph held at this time. Further, no information regarding his family and childhood could be collated other than the name of his brother George Wild who also travelled to Australia as a convict.

Conviction and transportation to Australia

Wild was convicted of burglary at the Chester Gaol Delivery on 21 August 1793. Joseph received 50 lashes and spent several years in gaol, where he worked in service of the government. Wild arrived in New South Wales on 2 June 1797 along with 202 other convicts from the United Kingdom. From 1797 to 1810, Wild travelled with Brown westwards towards the Blue Mountains to briefly explore the interior of Australia. In this same period, Joseph also travelled to Tasmania with Brown and Adolarius Humphrey, a mineralogist, to Tasmania before he returned to New South Wales as Brown and Humphrey sailed back to England.

It was not until 1810 when Wild received his ticket of leave, serving an effective sentence of 13 years. It was not until 1813 when Joseph Wild received his official pardon from Governor Macquarie, initially filing the request in 1810 but having it denied at first. Wild began to work for Throsby in 1814, and from this point Wild made several major discoveries. Wild explored Sutton Forest (1817), Jervis Bay (1818) and Bathurst (1819) alongside Throsby. For his service to Charles Throsby on these explorations, Wild was given 100 acres of land at Bathurst. However, Wild chose to sell this plot of land to one of his travel companions not long after receiving ownership. Throsby noted in his recommendation that "though an illiterate man, [Wild] is very useful and intelligent in the woods". In March 1821, Joseph made his final expedition with Throsby in a search for the Murrumbidgee. Wild's expeditions likely came to a close around 1823, when Captain Currie, Major Ovens and Wild came to discover the Monaro Plains near Cooma. They were the first Europeans recorded to enter what is now the ACT, at either Kowan or Majura. The next was organised by Charles Throsby Smith (Throsby's nephew) and also included Vaughan and an unknown Aboriginal guide. This was the first expedition to visit the Molonglo River (early December 1820). They camped opposite what was to become the modern city's civic centre.

This river is also referred to as "Yeal-am-bid-gie," the Limestone River and the Fish River. The Mongolo River is located in regions of New South Wales and the Australian Capital territory Charles Throsby Smith wrote on the same expedition about "the beautiful forest country, gentle hills and valleys, well watered by streams, and a fine rich Black Soil. Came to a Beautiful River that was running thro' the plains in a S.W. direction, by the side of which we slept that night."

The third expedition to the Canberra district was in March 1821, when Throsby, Wild and an unnamed Aboriginal guide travelled inland from Bong Bong via Lake George and found the Murrumbidgee River, which was actually the objective of the earlier two expeditions. Wild's last expedition to the district was with Captains Mark Currie and John Ovens in May–June 1823 which explored as far south as the Monaro.

Wildes Meadow

He is accredited with the discovery of Wildes Meadow. He came across the site when searching for cattle that had become stray just next to his property at Bong Bong. The first settler-colonist to reside in the area was an Irish immigrant named Daniel Bresnahan in 1859. The land has always had some reference to Wild, with the deeds of many of the early properties in the area named the geographical location 'Joe Wild's Meadow'.

Other careers and contributions

External to Wilds ambitions for discovery, he also held several other employment positions. In 1815, he was appointed as the first constable of the Five Islands district. This area is now known as Illawarra. Although, Wild did not spend too much time in the region, still committed to exploring parts of New South Wales. It is thus know whether Wild was a 'resident' constable or not, possibly holding the title but having true jurisdiction due to geographical constraints. To many, Joseph Wild is recognised for his assistance and contributions to the tasks of some of Australia's most famous explorers. He was mentioned countless times in Backhouse and Walkers journals of 1836, where details of his value on expeditions was made clear.