The Reclaim - WEST END DRAUGHT

THE RECLAIM – WEST END DRAUGHT

“The time has come to share the true story the biggest stuff up in the history of history. A story so shocking you may want to put down your pie floater in case you choke on it. It all started with a border marking way back in 1847 and 1850 that went so horribly wrong it saw Victoria gain 500 square miles of land that rightfully belonged to South Australia. Proud South Australians bravely fought for justice over 7 decades in a campaign that ultimately ended in disappointment.
Now it's time to fight the good fight again.
Join The Reclaim and help us get the land back for all South Australians to enjoy.”

Nothing like a good story to get in the way of the facts, nor presenting a colourfully slanted perspective from a historian (Bob Dunn) who should know better.

The westenddraught.com.au/thereclaim web site is a tongue in cheek approach to their latest marketing campaign aimed at getting us all to “Kick a Vic” once again and of course, drink more draught.

However, in proposing that SA reclaim the “lost” 500 square miles, they do not present or conveniently overlook one overarching legal principle in establishing property boundaries. This principle is also fundamental to Victoria’s (and indeed all state) land titling systems which are based on the Robert Torrens model. And that principle that has been established through much legal precedent, is that where the surveyor marked the boundaries on the ground, is where the boundary shall lie. In this SA-Vic border dispute this doctrine was tested in the High Court of Australia and then on appeal all the way to the Privy Council in the UK in 1914. The Victorians won both of those actions and the boundary remains essentially (but not exactly) where it was marked out back in the 1850s. It was resurveyed during the 1980s to provide the ground witnessing necessary to stand the test of the next 100 years.

“The Reclaim” by West End Draught conveniently avoids mention of this fact. I guess that wouldn’t sell more beer.
However, there is little doubt that a mistake was made by the survey in establishing the 141st line of longitude near Nelson where it began. Establishing longitude accurately was long the bane of surveyors as their chronometers were often not good enough for the purpose. Even Colonel Light made an error when establishing Adelaide from similar difficulties. That is why Adelaide’s axes and most of the suburban extensions of it run at a bearing of 355 / 85 degrees rather than 0 / 90.

Anyway, South Australians should not expect that West End will be successful in regaining the lost land any time soon (no matter how much West End we drink). And whilst the States can move borders under constitutional law, I am sure Victoria will not acquiesce to West End’s demands when they fought so hard for the land 100 years ago. And if more recent evidence is needed, I am sure those cringe-worthy Ads on TV boasting green grass, shade trees, paddle-boats along the Murray and of course ice-cold West End Draught, provide enough ammunition to the Victorian Government to keep SA as far away as possible.

Certainly one of Australia’s most famous legal disputes and one that will continue if West End Draught have anything to do with it.

Sounds like that's a topic you know something about, Chambo.

I think with both our surveying skills, Chambo and myself can sort this out.

firstblood wrote:I think with both our surveying skills, Chambo and myself can sort this out.

Will we be taking along supplies of West End FB?

Maybe that was the problem in 1850. 3 years wandering about in the bush without a supply of West End can make your mind do funny things.

3 years wandering around in the bush with West End Draught would make you do funnier things!

Ah well chambo, at least with it you won't end up like Burke & Wills.

Funny you should say that, as I did some research on thr Burke and Wills expedition last year and even visited Burke's grave, not 100m from a permanent water source.

Those guys should never ever have perished. They were the heaviest funded expedition by a huge margin to that time. This period was around 1860 and remember explorers had been coming and going crossing vast sections of the continent even 30 years beforehand with much less resources.

It just goes to show what a mad arrogant Irish Copper can achieve when he sets his mind to it. Maybe I'll do a thread on that one sometime.

PS: Not sure if anyone has been there, but the site of Burke's grave about 20km east of Innamincka in the north of the state, is a lovely spot to camp. Plenty of Coolibah trees, the Cooper Creek is almost the width of the Murray there. Definitely worth a visit if your heading that way.

PPS: Didn't reckon much to the Innamincka Pub. Couldn't cater a 4 year olds birthday party.