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The monument commemorates Hamilton Hume (1797 - 1873), and his exploration of the Murray River (formerly the Hume River) in 1824.
The monument was built in America and was erected in place of the destroyed Hume Tree in the late 1850`s. It was moved to the gardens in 1884 from its original site. A plaque depicting the history of the monument was unveiled during the 150th anniversary celebrations in 1974.
The Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land in the south of the colony, and also to find an answer to the mystery of where New South Wales's western rivers flowed. The party set out from Appin near Sydney in October 1824, and travelled south to the Murrumbidgee River near the site of Tumut. They crossed "a noble stream" which they named the Hume (now the Murray River) near the site of Albury, and then advanced into what is now Victoria.
Inauguration of the Hume monument. A correspondent of the Yass Courier thus describes the inauguration of the Hume monument. On the 19th instant, the inauguration of the Hume monument took place. The address was delivered on the occasion by Robert Brown, Esq., —
" Ladies and Gentlemen, We are assembled on this spot where, thirty-four years ago, that intrepid and enterprising gentleman, Mr. Hamilton Hume, was the first to imprint the footsteps of the whiteman. He left an evanescent memorial of his arrival on this spot by rudely carving the name of this noble stream on a gum tree, which like all things perishable has passed away: and the honour has fallen on the people of this district to erect this beautiful and imperishable testimonial.
Beautiful in its design and imperishable in its material, it will stand as a record in future ages, to show the spot where the first white man arrived : and it will be the proud boast of the future generations of this town and district to say that their ancestors erected this testimonial in honour of Mr. Hume. I feel proud that we should be the first people to recognise the manifold benefits conferred on the two colonies by Mr. Hume's early discovery. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that from Mr. Hume's innate modesty and retiring disposition, he would feel sufficiently repaid for the many dangers and privations he sustained on that perilous expedition from Yass to Geelong, by the honour of this noble river continuing to bear his name; and I trust that those present will continue to call it by its name, and to endeavour to correct anyone who may misname it the " Murray."
Empire (Sydney), 10 August 1858.
Location
| Address: | Wodonga Place & Smollett Street, Botanic Gardens, Albury, 2640 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.081758 Long: 146.909741 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 17-November-1824 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 17-November-1824 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Monday 19th July, 1858 |
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This monument was erected by the inhabitants of the Hume River District in honor of Hamilton Hume, Esqr.
To commemorate his discovery of this river on the 17th of November 1824
Plaque :
On Nov. 17th 1824, Hamilton Hume carved a tree standing about three chains west of the Hovell tree.
Later, the tree was destroyed by fire in the 1840s, this memorial was erected in 1858 and stood on the former site of Hume`s tree.
When Albury`s Botanical Gardens were laid out, this monument was removed from its original site to these Gardens.
This plaque depicting the story of the monument was placed by the Albury and District Historical Society during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Hume and Hovell Expedition, November 1974
