It was early during this period that he visited the Gilgandra area to investigate a boundary dispute between Robert Bennett, senior, and the estate of Charles Bland Lowe of Goree near Mudgee, in respect of Yalcogrin Station.

The Captain visited the Station during the absence on the run of the stockman, Robert Smith,  better known as “Dusty Bob”, and his hut keeper, “Cranky Jack”.  Everything about Smith and Jack’s antiquated bark domicile denoted utmost carelessness. 

Discarded portions of decaying meats, etc., greeted the Captain’s gaze on all sides, and attracted myriads of blowflies, which were kept constantly on the wing owing to the activities of countless red  meat ants. 

The scene and smell were quite sufficient to test the anti-gualmish proclivities of even a city nuisance inspector.

Nothing daunted by the unhealthy surroundings, the intrepid Captain advance until the door was reached, when, with a piece of charcoal, he wrote the following lines across the door, and then hastily departed:

‘Dusty Bob’s at Yalcogrin Is the dirtiest place that ever was seen’

Later on, when “Dusty” and his man Jack returned home, the first thing that arrested their attention was the charcoal writing on the door. 

It proved a puzzler to them from the fact that neither of them could read or write. However, after a brief confabulation as to the purport of the writing, “Dusty”  and Jack arrived at the conclusion that Mr Lowe had paid the station a visit during their absence, left a message on the door, and then continued his journey to his other station on the Barwon.

After some consideration “Dusty” proposed, Jack seconded, and it was decided, that the best and most expeditious plan would be to take the door off the hinges, and carry it, between them to Gilgandra Station, a distance of five miles, where they were confident that the manager, or someone else, would be found who could read the imaginary message. 

Accordingly they started with the door, and reached Gilgandra Station at a late hour.

A person was found who could read the lines. Upon hearing them, consternation and anger were depicted on both “Dusty’s” and Jack’s begrimed and weather-beaten physiognomies.  

However, it is not recorded whether “Dusty” and Jack carried the door back to Yalcogrin the same night or not.

George “Dusty” Bob Smith was born in London in 1808 and came to Australia in 1825, being in his late teens.   Over a period of years, through hard labouring he secured a number of pastoral stations and land in the town of Dubbo.  He was an uneducated man, but possessed a good deal of shrewd  common sense.

Reaching retirement he was one of the oldest residents of Dubbo and in these years his eccentricities were ever to the town people a fruitful scene for merriment. 

In his moments of inebriation, he claimed he was of royal descent – boasting of being the natural son of George, the Magnificent Fourth.   In the streets of Dubbo he died in a sulky accident and was consigned to mother earth in the “Old Dubbo” cemetery.

Captain Hunter, mentioned above, whilst being Commissioner at Coolah,

+in 1842, was chairman of a group of Mudgee horse racing enthusiasts, formed to arrange a race day for 17th May, 1841.   For the third race on the first day seven horseses entered the Hacks State.  Places were the Sheriff, Jorrocks owned by G Rouse, Tranby owned by Nelson Lawson and  Hunter’s roan filly by Gratis.   In later years Hunter acquired the famous Jorrocks.

Further details may be read in Roy Cameron books, “ Around the Black Stump”  and  “Bygone Days –Vol.1”.