Tending to his garden in Port Macquarie Lloyd Hewens never thought he would come across a button from the 1820s.
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In his veggie patch, last year’s winter crop had flourished with onions, green peas and potatoes along with citrus fruit and as he went about preparing for the new crops, Lloyd made his discovery.
“We had a good winter and by early spring it was time to go and prepare the garden for the many summer vegetables my family enjoys,” Lloyd said.
“I am a great believer in fallowing the soil and it was time to prepare the rested soil for planing.
“I hadn’t been digging in the garden for all that long when the garden fork hit something I thought would probably be a 1 cent coin.
“Upon closer examination I discovered the 1 cent coin was in fact a brass military button embossed with the raised numerals 22 on one side and was stamped I. McGowan Gerrard Street, London on the other.”
Lloyd said he didn’t quite know what to think of the find and decided to do some digging of a different kind.
“The number 22 suggested to me the button was attached to a military uniform of the 22nd British Regiment and from further investigation I McGowan had operated from the button stamped premises Gerrard Street in London.
“The problem I soon came to was that the 22nd Regiment did not serve in Australia. So I kept coming back to the question of how the button came to rest in my vegetable patch?”
Lloyd said after hours of research he did come up with one possibility but the truth of the matter may never be revealed.
“From my research in April, 1824, Captain John Rolland succeeded Francis Allman as Commandant in the penal settlement of Port Macquarie,” he said.
“Unfortunately he died in Port Macquarie on November 16, 1824 from sunstroke and was buried near St Thomas Church.
“His published death notice makes mention of the fact he commenced his military career as Cornet in the 22nd Light Dragoons, with whom he served in India before being promoted and moved to Van Diemen’s Land where he enjoyed exploring new territory – including Port Macquarie.
“From memory the new subdivision in which I live had approximately 30cm of fill soil and sand added before the area was developed.
“So I wonder if he lost the button and it stayed in the soil until it was moved to my garden when the subdivision was built?
“That is just one possibility but we probably will never know for sure.”
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