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By this time, the harassed
valuer was becoming somewhat bewildered by Clarke’s antics. He agreed that this further claim be paid in full. It brought
the amount paid for the eight-and-a-half acres of the Home Park to nearly £230 an acre – an extremely
expensive exercise for the Railways Department. The line was surveyed to run through Clarke territory
the whole way from Jackson's Creek to the Riddell's Creek Railway Station. The negotiations
involved four separate sections of land.
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| W.J.T, 'Big' Clarke. (C) J.Clarke. |
Clarke’s standard asking-price [for land sale to the Railways] was £50 an acre. Plus £25 an acre as compensation for severance, as well as the provision
of a number of ‘occupation crossings’ and the usual provision preventing the sale of ‘drinkables’.
As well, on each occasion, Lewis Clarke and Captain Gardiner submitted separate claims for injury to their leasehold.
The Government had expected to acquire the land beyond Sunbury at
£10 an acre. They realized that were they to agree to Clarke’s demands, every other landholder between Riddell’s
Creek and the River Murray would be submitting similar claims. So, they decided to take their further disputes with Clarke
to arbitration.
| Historic train crosses Viaduct over Blind Creek. |
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| Photo: (C) P.Miles 2005. |
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