Babes in the Woods Multi-Cache

A quick multi to remember the Cooper-Duff children, lost for several days and then found alive in this area. It also remembers the role of Dick-a-Dick and other trackers, instrumental in their successful recovery. A 200 ml Sistema container – initially containing small swaps for visiting “babes”. You may require a pen although a pencil is provided.

Babes in the Woods

This is the memorial location for Jane Cooper-Duff. Her actions were influential in aiding the survival of her siblings who endured many days and nights lost in the “woods” without food. Out looking for broom for their mother they began playing and became disoriented and failed to return home. It is estimated they covered almost one hundred kilometres through the scrub during this period. The following photo is of the children, most likely a re-enactment.

The Duff Children

This event took place in the mid 1800s and as mentioned had a better outcome than similar stories involving children, including the boys lost near Daylesford almost exactly three years later. It is worth remembering that in those times there was basically just one big “wood” in this area, not many woods divided by farmland as is the case today.

The story, “The Lost Children” written by school children in the district, was read by many Victorian school children. It was featured in a 1908 school paper and the “Lost in the Bush” story appeared in the Fourth Book of Victorian School Readers used in the thirties to the sixties in Victorian schools.  It was also made into the movie entitled “Lost in the Bush” in 1973. Unfortunately the movie was not very true to life in several aspects. It depicted the children lost in a different type of “wood”, a much more densely treed rainforest than the vegetation found in the local area.

This story has significant interest to me as Jane was a Cooper – the maiden name of my paternal grandmother (Mary) who's grandfather (Frederick) was a brother of Jane’s natural father, Joseph Cooper. John Duff was her step father as Hannah (Jane’s mother) remarried after Joseph was killed in an accident.

Near the Jane Duff monument is another memorial, to Dick-a-Dick who was one of the aboriginal trackers instrumental in obviously saving the children’s lives. Interestingly he was also a member of the first aboriginal cricket test team to tour and play in England in 1868.

The cache location is an extensive camping and picnic area on the Natimuk to Frances Road. There are toilets and picnic tables, so pack a picnic lunch to enjoy while you collect your answers. The area is also worth a visit if you are interested in wildflowers, particularly in spring.

At these coordinates you will find a large memorial erected in remembrance of Jane Cooper-Duff by the school children of Natimuk. Nearby is the memorial to Dick-a-Dick.

S36 43.986, E141 43.365

Also nearby is an information shelter with relevant historical information about Jane Cooper-Duff and her family. Here you will be able to find the answers you require to complete the cache.

Final location – S36 AB.CDE, E141 FG.HIJ

The cache is a short walk –

A – The children were lost in 186_

B – First digit of the estimated kilometres walked by the children on the first day

C – Number of days the children remained lost

D – Total number of male children lost

E – Half the number of nights they were lost

F – Frankie was born 26 July 1860. His age when he became lost?

G – Number of trackers used in the search

H – Dick-A-Dick died on _ September 1870

I – First digit in the estimated total number of kilometres the children walked

J – Last digit in the date (day) they were found

Links to the story –

http:///www.susangeason.com/nonfiction.html