Walter Scott - Wallalong

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Hunter Valley Medical Practitioners


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WALTER SCOTT

'Wallalong'

Walter Scott arrived in Van Diemens Land Australia on the ship Regalia in 1823. Born on 15 October 1787, Scott had attended Edinburgh University as a medical student after completing his apprenticeship as surgeon. On the Regalia he was employed as Ship's surgeon.

He moved to Sydney where he was employed in the Commissariat Department and soon after applied for a land grant. Perhaps he had heard of the Hunter River land from George Lang who was also employed at the Commissariat department and had received a grant at the Hunter.

By May of 1823 Scott had been granted 600 acres of land by Governor Brisbane and after travelling to the area, selected 600 acres on the Paterson Plains across the river from the grant of George Lang. He named the grant Wallalong (Wollalaghn) and built a cottage on the land. Select here to find the location of Wallalong

Scott may not have spent a great deal of time at Wallalong at this time. He may have used assigned servants (convicts) to clear and fence the land and grow crops as he was employed at Newcastle as Commissariat clerk and storeman. He probably worked in the government cottage set aside for the Commissariat clerk. This cottage was situated nearby the Parsonage not very far from the hospital.

In 1824 Scott accompanied Lieutenant Henry Miller, Allan Cunningham and John Oxley, together with convicts and soldiers, to Moreton Bay to establish a new penal settlement there. The first settlement, established near Redcliffe, was soon abandoned and the site where Brisbane now stands was selected due to the reliable source of water. Here barracks for soldiers and convicts, huts, sawpit, kiln and blacksmith's forge were established. There was also an army store which Scott probably controlled. Scott worked as surgeon until Henry Cowper who had been formerly appointed surgeon, arrived in 1826.

By 1828, Scott had returned to the the Hunter district and he was once more working at Newcastle as Commissary Clerk. He purchased more land - 720 acres in 1836 and 640 acres at Seaham in 1839. He had the usual problems with convicts as two of his assigned servants William Amos and Thomas Cartwright absconded from service (at Paterson) in the winter of 1834.

His nephew - also Walter - emigrated from Scotland in the 1840's and settled on the Seaham land (Eskdale). He managed his uncle's estates for him, acting as agent.

Dr. Scott returned to Britain and died in London in 1854 aged 67.

For more information see Australian Pioneer Medical Index