Edward Bate Scott

Edward Bate Scott (3 April 1822 – 2 July 1909) was a pioneering colonist of South Australia who accompanied Edward John Eyre on several journeys and had a later career with the South Australian Police Force.
History.
E. B. Scott was born in Gillingham, Kent, of a well-to-do family. His father was James Scott, of the Royal Navy. At the age of 16 years, he emigrated on "Duke of Edinburgh" to New South Wales, where he had a letter of introduction to John Macarthur, alas dead by the time Scott arrived. After a short time in Sydney he joined his brother John Mansel Scott, Master of the Revenue Cutter "Ranger", at Port Phillip, then went to a station at Mount Macedon to experience sheep and cattle farming. This did not last long, as the station owner and his family were all drowned in a voyage from Sydney to Port Phillip, and the station was sold.
In 1839 he joined his friend George Hamilton (later to be appointed Commissioner of the South Australia Police), droving a herd of cattle from Port Phillip to South Australia for William Mundy and Captain Smythe, reaching Adelaide in 1839.
With Edward John Eyre.
In Adelaide he met Edward John Eyre and Alfred M. Mundy, (who became Colonial Secretary in the first South Australian Legislative Council under Governor Grey, and was to marry Jane, the eldest daughter of John Hindmarsh). He was invited to join them in an expedition to Western Australia with sheep and cattle, which were shipped from the North Arm of the Port River to Albany, Western Australia, then drove them overland to Perth. To conserve water most of the travelling was done by night. The trip was highly profitable.
Back in Adelaide in 1840, Eyre was organising an expedition to find an overland route to Western Australia, and invited Scott to join him as travelling companion and second in command, sharing in all expenses (apart from a £100 grant from the Government). Eyre wrote in his journal:
The party left Government House, Adelaide, on 18 June 1840. Somewhere past Crystal Brook, he wrote:
They set up a depot at Mount Arden (north of Quorn), and then Eyre started for the interior, setting out on horseback with one of his Aboriginal assistants and a pack horse to carry provisions, preferring not to subject the others to the difficulties and hazards of exploring unknown country. After 16 days fruitlessly trying to find a way to the interior, he returned. While Eyre was exploring, Scott was in charge of the depot, collected botanical and geological specimens, and took the routine observations three times a day. The party then moved from Mount Arden to Depot Pool, from which point Eyre again struck out for the interior. He followed Mount Deception Range, examining the watercourses, one of which he named the Scott. Failing to find a way to the centre of the continent, Eyre returned to Depot Pool. Here he rested for a time, and then made another attempt by another route. On 21 or 22 August Eyre wrote: — "Not having seen the native for the last two days I thought I might venture to explore the watercourse we were encamped upon, and set off on horseback immediately after breakfast, accompanied by Mr. Scott. ... Having tied up our horses Mr. Scott and I ascended to the top of the high cliff by winding along the ridges at the back of it. From its summit we had an extensive view, and I was enabled to take several angles. One of these high peaks, in the Mount Deception Range, I named the Scott. ... In the course of the morning Mr. Scott shot a rock wallaby of rather a large species, and many more were seen about the high, perpendicular cliffs, under which we had found water." A few days later Eyre found another watercourse, which her named the Mundy. Eyre ascended Mt. Hopeless on 2 September and returned to the base depot.
Abandoning hopes of reaching the centre of the continent from Depot Pool, Eyre made for Streaky Bay, to make his next base depot on the West Coast. Near Port Lincoln they came to a large rocky watercourse with large pools of fresh water. There they had the pleasure of a swim, and Scott shot several ducks; a welcome addition to their diet. On 1 October 1840, they came to a sheep station, owned by Mr. Driver, of which Mr. Dutton was the manager, where they were treated to hospitality. Dutton was to die two years attempting to drove cattle from Port Lincoln to the head of Spencer's Gulf. Eyre and his party proceeded to Port Lincoln, but found the town in a bad way and unable to supply the provisions they required. Scott hired an open boat from Dr. Harvey and with two men sailed her through a gale to Glenelg walked to Adelaide, and reported to Governor Gawler with Eyre's specimen collections, letters and despatches. Gawler placed a cutter, (presumably , with its own crew) at his disposal and sailed her back to Port Lincoln with the required stores. Eyre wrote:
They set up their next base at Fowler's Bay. Eyre made several attempts to round the head of the Great Australian Bight. In one attempt three of his horses died. He decided to reduce the size of his party, sending two back to Adelaide in the cutter, leaving Scott, the overseer Baxter, one man and two native assistants. Eyre determined to make one more attempt to get round the head of the Bight. On 29 December 1840 he left the depot with Baxter and one of the natives, leaving the sheep, and four horses in charge of Mr. Scott and the other native. On this occasion Eyre reached the head of the Bight and returned to the depot at Point Fowler on 16 Januarv 16 1841.
Eyre would have liked to send Scott with provisions to set up a forward base at Cape Arid, but Gawler had insisted that the cutter not leave the waters of South Australia, so he set off alone with his two native assistants, and Scott returned to Adelaide. Eyre wrote in his journal:
Eyre, Baxter, three Aborigines, nine pack horses, a Timor pony and six sheep set off from Fowler's bay on 25 February 1841. After a series of privations which included the murder of Baxter on 29 April and the decamping of two of the natives, Eyre and the third Aborigine, Wylie, arrived at a bay near Esperance, Western Australia, where they met with the French whaler "Mississippi" and were given hospitality and supplies by Captain Rossiter, then on 7 July arrived at Albany. Eyre had achieved his goal, but at a considerable price.
Public servant and pastoralist.
Scott assisted Lieutenant Pullen in his task of surveying Lake Albert and the Murray mouth, and in 1841 mate on Pullen's boat "Water Witch", which he negotiated from Wellington to Moorundie (5 km downstream from Blanchetown) on the River Murray, a distance of about . This journey helped establish Moorundie (often spelled "Moorundee") as the first European settlement on the River Murray in South Australia, and Eyre (who had explored the area in 1839) was appointed there as the Resident Magistrate and Protector of Aborigines.
He assisted Eyre in founding the Government station at Moorundie, which was established by Governor Grey to protect "overlanders" from the hostile attacks of the natives. He assisted Eyre in mapping parts of the River Darling which had been missed by Major Mitchell. He established a cattle station at North West Bend (near the current-day Morgan), but lost money on the project, as did later lessees and owners Philip Levi and Charles H. Armytage. In 1847 he succeeded Eyre at Moorundie as magistrate, Sub-Protector of Aborigines (appointed 1848), inspector of native police, and returning officer. Eyre left for England and never returned to South Australia. Around this time Scott married and started a family. Scott remained at Moorundie until 1857, when the position was abolished by the Government.
In 1856, he took over Moorna station (later occupied by John Crozier), near Wentworth, New South Wales, where in 1858 he lost everything in a fire.
They headed inland again, to Ki station, below Euston, New South Wales, where they worked for three years, but were driven back to Adelaide by drought around 1866.
Riverboats.
Scott was a passenger from Wentworth on "Bunyip" in December 1863 when that boat was destroyed by fire just after she entered the Murray. Two crew members and two passengers died in the flames or were drowned. Scott was conspicuous in the rescue of several passengers.
Public servant again.
He was appointed acting Protector of Aborigines in 1867; in the first 6 months he travelled on inspection tours of the 58 depots of this department. and developed outposts for the SA police Force including Overland Corner. In 1869 he was appointed supervisor of the Dry Creek Labor Prison, known as "The Stockade", now Yatala Labour Prison. He resigned October 1892 and was replaced by Robert H. Edmunds (1834 – 12 February 1917). He retired to his home, "Hamilton Lodge", Currency Creek, where he died after a short illness.
Recognition.
Several geographic features have been named for E. B. Scott: