Tantanoola Tiger 1902

Yallum Jackey, an aboriginal, well-known in the south-east, died at the Parkside Lunatic Asylum on Saturday last. He was 71 years of age, and was the last of 600 blacks who formed the Penola tribe. For many years past he had lived on the late Mr. John Riddoch’s Yallum station, but of late years had been very feeble. In December last he was sent to Parkside, and his death was due to senile decay. Yallum Jackey was the aboriginal who first saw the notorious Tantanoola tiger. He informed Mr. Riddoch of his discovery, and search parties were organised but the mysterious animal managed to evade its pursuers.

Our Green's Plains correspondent, writes:

Having received private intelligence that the Tantanoola tiger had recently had an increase in his family and was now with the whole pack out in search of game, and that under cover of his depredations. Victoria was secretly trying to haul the south-east over the border, we hastily organised a strong party, and boarding the Melbourne express started out to investigate. In the fullness of time, and at the midnight hour, we reached Wolseley, and were shot off on to the narrow-gauge line, along which we wandered in the still small hours of the morning through a forest that for all we knew might have been infested with wild animals.

About daylight we reached Kalangadoo, and were rescued from our perilous position by the Hon. G. Riddoch, who kindly conveyed us to Koorine, where we were right royally entertained at breakfast, after which we had the pleasure of inspecting his beautiful estate and the stock and improvements thereon. Mr. Riddoch has started several dairy farms on the latest and most approved system, and the conveniences for housing, feeding, and milking the cows attracted our keenest attention, especially the milking appliances, by which the most refractory cow can be bailed, leg-roped, and if necessary hoisted up behind in such a manner that the milk will run out of its own accord, notwithstanding her efforts to the contrary, and all this by merely pulling a string.

From Koorine we drove to Glencoe over magnificent pastoral land, once heavily timbered, but now with the undergrowth removed, and presenting the appearance of an extensive park, liberally dotted over with beautiful gums. After inspecting the Glencoe settlement, which promises in the near future to become a most prosperous little colony, we were enabled to sample the products of the district at a bountiful spread, provided for our especial benefit in the local schoolroom, where we spent a most enjoyable hour, listening to the requirements of the people and attending to our own. After this we loaded our guns and started out after the tiger, and drove through jungle, swamp, and ti-tree scrub, always on the alert lest the brute might at any moment spring out and chew us up. Several times we crossed the tracks of a large animal, which our guide said might have been a horse; but in spite of a most careful search we could not sight the man-eater, and having ascertained from the station-mistress at Tantanoola that the beast had not been seen in the vicinity for several days past, we boarded the train and headed for Mount Gambier, passing on the way, rich pasture lands, dairy farms, potato and onion fields, red and white stone quarries, pig manufactories, rabbit preserving companies, and numerous other objects of interest and industry with which the district abounds.

The land increases in richness as one nears the Mount; so, also does the scenery, and that great tree-clad mountain, standing guard over the pretty little potato city, forms a most striking and impressive picture as one beholds it for the first time. Having sampled the hospitality of the town, which seems unbounded, we started out to explore the country, and search for any stray Victorians who might be hanging around with evil intentions on the place. We first visited the lakes, the beauty and grandeur of which has so often been described. We climbed down and sampled the waters of the Blue Lake where it leaves the shores of its mighty rock bound basin. We saw the spot where Adam Lindsay Gordon jumped the fence, and would have jumped it ourselves had there been anyone there to see us doing it. We climbed the highest peak of the Mount, saw the foundation-stone of the proposed obelisk, and viewed the landscape o'er, and from that mountain peak it is a magnificent sight.

The view is bounded on the north and east chiefly by distance, on the west by the sea; Mount Schank stands out in solitary grandeur to the south, while right at one's feet lie the awful cavities made by that mighty upheaval which must have taken place some time ago. Had the country been occupied by pastoralists then, no compulsory Act would have been required for bursting up large estates, for the squatter man on that, particular holding would have had his estate burst up with a vengeance. What awful secrets those silent lakes conceal, and what a shower they would make for the potato crops just now if they were blown out again. Alarmed at this thought we hurried down to the nursery in the little lake, and advised a man who was digging with a spade not to dig too deep, lest he might stir the concern up again. Mount Gambier is undoubtedly one of the show places of this State, and we were loth to leave it and its most hospitable inhabitants. But before doing so we had a hasty look around Mount Schank, O.B. Flat, and along the border, and are pleased to report that we found no trace of hostile Victorians, and do not think the south-east has anything to fear from that quarter.

Excitement has been caused among the farmers residing on the banks of the Latrobe River, three miles from Moe, by the appearance of a strange animal. The beast is said to be about 3 ft. in height, with black hair, a short neck, and long tail. It travels along panting, with its tongue nearly touching the ground. When first seen it was at a tub of skimmed milk at Cosgriff's farm. The dogs were set on to it, and the animal made its way through the undergrowth to the bank of the river, and then disappeared. It is supposed to have swam to Spike Island, in the centre of the Latrobe River. On a second occasion the dogs saw the creature, and it made off, dashing through the woodwork of the gate and tearing the hinges off it. Several shots have been fired at it, but none has apparently taken effect. It is surmised that, the mysterious creature escaped from a travelling show.