Thomas Seymour was only ten years old when his father died of exposure in the rugged ravines of the Kowmung River. With four younger brothers and a widowed mother, he faced a hard life living in the isolation and deprivation of the Burragorang Valley in the 1850s. His father George Seymour, the son of a convict, was one of the first pioneer settlers of the Lower Cox's River, selecting land at its junction with Greenwattle Creek in 1839 on the southern bank of the river near Oakey's Crossing. This area, now flooded by the dam, was known as Greenwattle Flat and he had a small holding of 31 acres.

In 1854 Tom’s mother Hannah married a neighbour, James Marsh, and the family later moved to The Oaks near Camden. At 17 years of age he rode to Deniliquin where he worked for Richardson, the owner of Barrata Station on the Edward River. Every five or six weeks he made trips to the Melbourne market with cattle, and told stories of seeing hundreds of men on the road making their way to the Victorian gold diggings. Later while employed by Edward Ashcroft of Toothill Station some 30 miles from Wagga, he had a startling experience with James (‘Mad Dog’) Morgan the bushranger. Camping with three other stockmen, they were preparing their evening meal when Morgan bailed them up thinking they were police, and had them covered with his shotgun. When he discovered his mistake, he camped with them instead and left the next morning.

In 1864, Tom Seymour made his first trip to the Kanangra Walls while looking for wild cattle. Cattle had been finding their way into these valleys since the first years of settlement, and men had been following them ever since. His first trip to Kanangra is recorded in his own words in the Sydney Morning Herald 7 May 1930.

"I was looking for wild cattle at the time, near the Kowmung, and decided to work through to a place now known as the Boyd, some 15 -20 miles from Oberon. I climbed The Walls, and on the top found a chair -shaped rock, and resting there I viewed one of the greatest sights of my life. Walls appeared to be everywhere, and in the distance below I could see small mobs of wild cattle and horses on The Boyd. I also discovered the small hill on the top of The Walls, which today is called Mt. Maxwell, named after the mate I took on my third trip. I was alone when I crossed The Walls on the first occasion."

A second trip was made to the Boyd soon after with Phillip Hogan of Oberon. In 1868 a third trip was made with his wife’s brother in law William Maxwell, a stockman for John Lakeman of Burragorang, and Tom carved the date into the rockface with a tomahawk. William Maxwell later farmed in the Kedumba Valley with his large family.  With John Barker and George Sladin, Tom Seymour later cleared a track for droving cattle to Oberon.

"We were camped at the foot of The Walls near a cave now known as "The Dancing Saloon". Barker and I went for a walk to the top on the Sunday. We discovered a smooth gum tree that grew from the bottom of the wall and the branches overhung the top. Seeing a quick way to reach camp, I jumped into the branches, and slid down the smooth trunk at a faster rate than I had bargained for. I invited Barker to follow, but he preferred a half mile walk to the quicker route."

As the first early explorer of this route, his name was commemorated by Myles Dunphy in naming the plateau Seymour Top, and the creek he followed as First Ascent Creek. Tom Seymour married and had four children, and in later years lived at The Oaks until his death in 1931. He is buried at the small pioneer churchyard of St Matthew’s, The Oaks that has many Seymour family associations.

Researcher: Marion Starr (gr.granddaughter) twinks@ozemail.com.au