R.H Mathews identifies “The Darkinung Tribe”

R.H Mathews identifies “The Darkinung Tribe”. Mathews encounters many members of the “Darkinung tribe” prior to 1897. He writes: “On the south of the Hunter River, extending thence to the Hawkesbury, we find scattered remnants of the Darkinung tribe, whose territory embraces the country watered by the Colo, Macdonald and Wollombi Rivers, with their numerous tributaries”. This includes families on the Hawkesbury River around Sackville, near caves on Tuckerman’s Farm at Addy Creek and Hall’s farm “Lilburndale” on Robert’s Creek. Aborigine Tom Dillon occupies a site around a river bend just downstream in the Portland Head Rock district. This becomes the place where Mathews meets more Darkinung. (Ford 209).