Landmark named after former son of Framlingham Pompey Austin

More than 4000 kilometres north of the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve to the wilds of the Kimberley in northern Western Australia is the Pompeys Pillar, a rocky outcrop named after one of Framlingham's notable sons of old, Pompey Austin.

How Pompey, who had been living with his family on the Framlingham reserve in the late 1860s-1870s and was not supposed to leave without permission, came to have a landmark named after him so far from home is just one episode in the colourful life of a man who refused to be confined by the discrimination against Aboriginals.

Much has been written about Pompey, a superb all-round athlete who was the first Indigenous person to play Australian Rules professionally when he suited up for Geelong in a game against Carlton in 1872.

But his time in the Kimberley working with white explorer William J. O'Donnell leading gold seekers from the frontier port of Wyndham to the emerging goldfields at Halls Creek is little known.

But Andrew Barker, president of the historical society at Kununurra, north of Halls Creek, has trawled through numerous historical archives to provide glimpses into Pompey's exploits in the Far North.

Apart from having the landmark near Halls Creek named after him, an honour most likely bestowed upon him by O'Donnell, Pompey also impressed the pioneers with his flamboyant behaviour.

In Mary Durack's masterpiece family history book, Kings in Grass Castles, she tells of how gold seekers heading to Halls Creek recounted how O'Donnell, fellow explorer William Carr Boyd and "that flash ... Pompey" had been leading them through the rugged country from Wyndham for "a pound a head".

Durack said her father, Michael Patrick Durack, also spoke of how he would welcome O'Donnell and "the prodigious native Pompey who sang popular songs hot from the London music halls" when they visited the Duracks' pioneering homestead.

How Pompey and O'Donnell got tangled up together is not known but what Mr Barker has discovered is they arrived in Wyndham, north of Halls Creek, on the SS Cattherthun after a voyage from Melbourne in 1886.

O'Donnell, who had explored the East Kimberley in 1883 on behalf of Victorian squatters looking to extend their holdings, had returned because he was able to guide gold seekers to the Halls Creek goldfields.

Why O'Donnell recruited Pompey to his party is not known but it might have been as a liaison between the parties of gold seekers and the local Aboriginals, many of whom had a tense and sometimes bloody relationship with the new arrivals.

At the time, Pompey was well-known in western Victoria for his countless athletic triumphs.

Sports historian Roy Hay, in his 2017 story, Albert Pompey Austin 1846-1889 A Man Between Two Worlds for Sports and Editorial Services Australia, reports that 1872 was a breakout year for Pompey's sporting career.

At the Geelong Friendly Societies Easter Gift races on Easter Monday, Pompey won the 10 pound Grand Easter Gift. His victories at the meet included firsts at the 100, 300 and 400 yard flat races and the hurdles over 300 yards against some of the best local runners.

Roy Hay also reports that Pompey's earlier triumphs included winning the high jump, the pole vault and the 220 yards hurdles at the Warrnambool Cricket Club's Annual Sports on the Prince of Wales' birthday in November 1869.

In 1870 he won the running high leap and a handicap hurdle race at the Caledonian Society Gathering in Warrnambool.

Pompey would travel far from Framlingham to compete, and in 1873 took part in the Smythesdale Athletic Club's Annual Sports, one of the biggest meetings in Victoria in its day. Against some fierce competition, he ran second in the 120 and 440 yards hurdles, then third in the final.

In December 1873, he collected 43 pounds in one day by winning the handicap hurdle, the steeplechase and the Christmas handicap over 880 yards at the Belfast Athletic Sports.

After his win at the Geelong Easter Gift races in 1872, Pompey again competed in Geelong on May 24 that year.

Although his performances weren't exceptional, he was selected to play the next day in Geelong's team against the reigning premier Carlton.

In her 2018 story The Tale of Pompey Austin for the Geelong Cats' AFL website, Sharon Dickman said Pompey's selection was despite him not being known as a football player.

Although Australian Rules had been played at Warrnambool since 1861, there was no indication that Pompey had played in any of those games.

His performance against Carlton was lacklustre and the media coverage suggested his role was regarded with "amusement" by spectators.

He never played at professional level again but did play football later with distinction for teams at Framlingham and Albion Imperial at Ballarat.

Pompey's successes made him well-known to a party of Camperdown gold seekers who were among the thousands from throughout Australia and the world who arrived at Wyndham, en route to Halls Creek, hoping to make their fortune.

In a letter published in the Camperdown Chronicle on September 18, 1886, a Mr T. Clarendon reported that Pompey had met members of the Camperdown group. Pompey told them he had already made a few trips to Halls Creek with O'Donnell.

Mr Clarendon also wrote that Pompey had said there was no gold at Halls Creek but was willing to guide the Camperdown party to the area "should sufficient grog be available".

This was a different story to what Pompey related to a group of Bendigo gold seekers who also met him near Wyndham earlier in 1886. In its diary the Bendigo group said Pompey showed them some gold he had obtained on the road. This display no doubt raised their expectations.

The Bendigo group also stated that Pompey's Pillar on the way to Halls Creek was named after Pompey.

Pompey's report to the Camperdown group that there was no gold at Halls Creek was not true but Halls Creek did not bear anywhere near the bounty of the Victorian goldfields.

The gold rush at Halls Creek was in decline only about two years after it started and those that rushed there endured much deprivation.

There were earlier reports that Pompey was fond of a drink during his time in Victoria and that inclination came to the fore in the Kimberley.

In the book, Kimberley Scenes (edited by C.Clement and P.J. Bridge), which is a compilation of material written by people involved in the Kimberley in the 1880s-1890s, a storekeeper at Three Mile near Wyndham tells of his encounter with Pompey.

Pompey wanted a bottle of whisky and when the storekeeper refused his request, Pompey asked for a temporary loan of half a sovereign, which he said O'Donnell would pay back.

When the storekeeper told him to get out, Pompey abused him, saying he was a bad man because he did not pay his Indigenous employees and challenged him to a fight.

However when the storekeeper joined Pompey outside, armed with a pick handle, Pompey quickly left.

His fondness for a drink also got Pompey in trouble with the law, and according to the Wyndham police occurrence book, Pompey was sentenced on August 13, 1886, to seven days' hard labour for being drunk and disorderly.

He was back before the Wyndham court on September 22, 1886 for the same offence and this time was sentenced to six weeks' jail.

Pompey might have also been loose with the truth during his time in the Kimberley because there are a few reports he claimed to have been a member of the First Aboriginal cricket XI that toured England in 1868.

But while Pompey did play cricket with a team at Framlingham, from which a few members of the First XI had come, there is no evidence he was a member of the First XI.

Pompey's jail time might have been the reason why he decided to depart the Kimberley but Andrew Barker has found no record of when Pompey left. He believes that's because Pompey probably left in a ship's steerage class.

What we do know is that his escapades in the Kimberley didn't deter Pompey and he took on new challenges, this time as a street entertainer, becoming well-known in Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne.

There are reports of him regaling a crowd at a speakers' corner in Ballarat in 1888 on the probabilities of war in Europe, of reciting Scottish verse, playing the concertina and demonstrating boomerang throwing.

Pompey died in 1889 in Melbourne at the age of 43 having lived a full if short life.

He was married to Rosanna (also known as Rose or Rosie) and they had five children.

Rosanna and two of their children, twins Ada and Leah, were still living at Framlingham when the Aboriginal station closed in 1890.