During his lifetime Benjamin (Ben) Rixon, who served the colonial government well, was also a very community-minded man.

In an obituary at the time of his death it states that he should have been awarded a Government pension rather than rely on family and friends for support in his declining years.

The Sydney Gazette of January 19, 1806, announced the birth of triplets to Amelia, wife of a private in the NSW Corps. The only surviving triplet was Benjamin Rixon. It was reported that his father was the armourer to one of the first regiments in the colony. As a young lad living at Parramatta, Ben learned survival in the bush from the local Aboriginals.

The Rixon family moved to the Campbelltown area in the 1820s, where Ben married Margaret Finnamore in October 1829. During this time, he became a constable in the Airds district. In the 1830s, Ben and Margaret moved to the Illawarra, where in May 1835 he purchased two lots of land on the corner of Crown and Kembla streets for £2.

By 1841, Ben was contracted to deliver mail to Parramatta three times a week. In August 1844, he expanded the mail service to an overland passenger service between Parramatta and Illawarra three times a week, where coaches linked up with the Parramatta Steamboat for Sydney. The Illawarra coach service would leave Coulson's Inn at Market Place, Wollongong, at 9am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

It was during his travels that he discovered a more accessible route over the mountain. By 1848, Rixon's Pass had been established. Although a very rough, steep and crude track, Rixon's Pass was used by bullock teams as well as coaches. The main track ascended over the mountain to Cataract Creek with a side track to Sherbrooke village. Soon after the track was opened, timber from sawmills on top of the mountain range and produce were being hauled by carts and bullock wagons.

Over the years Benjamin Rixon became a very capable tracker, locating many a felon on the run as well as people lost during their travels in the bush.

On one occasion in April 1857 the citizens of Wollongong hailed Ben a hero. F. R. Cole, auctioneer of Wollongong, and John Tighe of Keelogues, met Charles Quin, an elderly man who had lost some of his cattle near the Appin Road. John Tighe offered to assist Quin in locating the cattle. When they could not find any trace of the cattle Quin told Tighe he would look further. John Tighe rejoined F. R. Cole and, after waiting for some time for Quin to return the men, continued their journey without him. The following day, Ben Rixon was contacted that Quin could not be found, so he set out with Cole and Tighe to track Charles Quin. For two days the men followed the track left by Quin's horse leading them to Cordeaux River. With no provisions, the men returned for supplies and Ben resumed the search the following day, assisted by Constable Saunders or Sanderson and John Brasher of Stringybark Orchard. The search party was now travelling into the Cordeaux River district towards East Bargo. On the fifth day Quin's horse was found trapped in a deep depression. However, no sign of Charles Quin. The party found it impossible to retrieve the animal that day. Ben returned next day with Thomas Barrett and John Swepson along with his son James Rixon. The party knew that Quin was on foot and approaching Cordeaux River Quin's track was found again, along with items he had discarded.

On the ninth day, James Rixon heard a faint call of "come here" and found Quin covered in cuts and bruises sitting against a tree. After cleaning his wounds the men then took him to Moran's farm at Cordeaux where he stayed a few days to recuperate.

To be continued next week.

Information courtesy of Carol Herben OAM.  Call 0409 832854 or email  sycado6@bigpond.net.au