Joseph Wilde

Joseph Wilde was an early explorer of Australia. He was sentenced on 21 August 1793 in Chester for burglary, together with his brother, George. Both were transported to Australia as convicts in 1797, arriving in Port Jackson (Sydney) on the ship the Ganges on 2 June (George died in 1812). He was under the charge of physician and pastoralist Charles Throsby and together they later became explorers in southern New South Wales. In particular they were the first Europeans to explore the area that became the Australian Capital Territory and Wild was credited with the discovery of Lake George. In 1810 he received a ticket of leave, and in January 1813 he was granted a conditional pardon. On 9 December 1815 Wild was appointed first Constable of the Five Islands District (now Illawarra). During the next few years he accompanied Throsby on many expeditions throughout New South Wales. In 1819 he was granted 100 acres (0.40 km2) in Sutton Forest for services for Throsby and in 1821 he was appointed constable of the County of Argyle. It is said that he and his wife Elizabeth had a large family. He died on the 25th May 1847 when he was gored by a bull at Wingecarribee Swamp. He was the first person to be buried behind the church in the Bong Bong Cemetery, Moss Vale, New South Wales.

Also recorded as Wylde and Wild. Joseph Wild accompanied explorer Barralier, botanist Brown and mineralogist Humphreys on their explorations during the early 1800s. Whilst assigned to Brown he was pardoned by Governor King, but this pardon was made by the Governor on his birthday - where he subsequently rescinded all pardons made that day. By 1810 he was working for solicitor George Crossley on his Hawkesbury estate, at which time he was granted a ticket of leave from Macquarie. Following his pardon, he commenced work with Dr Charles Throsby. He travelled with Throsby and Aboriginal guides in establishing the first Overland route from Camden to Illawarra (1815); with Throsby, James Meehan & Hamilton Hume along the Shoalhaven in 1818, in which Throsby and he were again guided in establishing a route to Jervis bay through Kangaroo Valley; with Throsby and Aboriginal guides in exploring a route from Berrima to Bathurst (1819); discovered Lake George and first sighted the Snowy Mountains (1820); with Throsby's nephew Charles Throsby Smith discovered the Limestone Plains (Canberra 1821; possibly being on Throsbys party to find the Murrumbidgee (also 1821). In 1819 he was made overseer in the construction of a road from the Berrima area to Goulburn, over the Cockbundoon range in which the summit pass wasnamed 'Wilds Pass' in his honour by Governor Macquarie. Wild married Elizabeth and had five children. He remained in the employ of the Throsby family at Throsby Park until his death.

Memorial Tablet Unveiled THE LATE JOSEPH WILD The locality now known as Wilde's Meadow was discovered by Joseph Wild early in the 19th century. He was employed as a shepherd by Dr. Charles Throsby, ancestor of the Throsby family of Moss Vale, and resided in a hut on a property near Bong Bong. Wild accompanied Dr. Throsby on many explorations, and it is said that he discovered the country later to bear his name, while searching for cattle which had strayed from the Throsby property. The grave of Joseph Wild is in Bong Bong cemetery, and Rev. S. A. Howard, one of the two honorary district historians, was sponsor of the movement to have a bronze memorial plaque erected over it. He sought the cooperation of residents of Wilde's Meadow and Mr. F. Watts acted as organising secretary of a committee which provided the plaque. Mr. F. W. Johnson, a member of the committee, at the unveiling of the plaque said that the late Frank Throsby, just before his death, had agreed that some effort should be made to perpetuate Wild's memory. The deeds of ownership of a number of the early properties in the Meadow bore, as the name of the locality, 'Joe Wild's Meadow.' The name later became Wilds Meadow, then Myra Vale, and to-day was known as Wilde's Meadow. Mr. F. H. O. Throsby who unveiled the tablet, said that his ancestor. Dr. Charles Throsby, and Wild had been associated on trips of exploration, of which the principal one was the crossing of the Bathurst Flains by way of the Abercrombie Ranges. For his part in this, Wild was granted 100 acres of land which is thought to have been in the vicinity of White's Creek, Moss Vale. He was said to have been the first man to sight Lake George, while on another trip with Throsby to the Munaro Plains, during which they discovered the site of Canberra. Wild was paid £20 per annum and given rations when he was later appointed an overseer on the construction of the 33ft. road from Picton to Goulburn. The cost of this road, 75 miles in length, was £280 3s. 8d. Subsequently, Wild was appointed a constable for the County of Argyle, which covered an area extending from Mitugong to Lake Bathurst. Mr. W. J. Little said it was probable that a monument to Wild would be erected close to the scene of his early explorations in Burrawang and Wilde's Meadow. Following his discovery of the meadow, Wild reported the matter to Dr. Throsby and they viewed it later from Burrawang hill. Rev. S. A. Howard indicated to those present a small bank of ground near the cemetery on which the original hut occupied by Dr. Throsby was situated, and. on the opposite bank, the place where the hut of Joseph Wild stood. Joseph Wild was born in 1759, and died on 25th May, 1847, at the age of 88 years. Southern Mail, 3 June 1949.