Here are a number of interesting Thylacine reports. First is a Thylacine sighting collected by my father, Richard F. Hardcastle from an old bushman friend from the 1970s, which occurred near the Kharua State Forest/Nature Reserve. Also a short but very interesting report dad collected from an ex-fur trapper during the second world war who had lived and hunted in Tasmainia prior to the war, who experienced Thylacines following him from a distance as he went around his trap lines. Thirdly are newspaper clippings that I collected from the Sun-Herald, October 22, 1989 featuring an article about the hunt for the Thylacine, mentioning various researchers such as Nick Mooney, Ned Terrey and some very interesting sighting/reports by the old Tasmanian bushman Turk Porteous, including a remarkable tiger sighting he had on the Arthur River in north western Tasmania in 1986. Turk also describes the unusual behaviour of Thylacines following humans, observed during his childhood. This is virtually identical to the behaviour described by the Tasmainian ex fur trapper mentioned previously, of Thylacines following him at a distance, either out of curiosity or hunger as he checked his wallaby snares.
Quote about Turk Porteous - “As a fourth generation Tasmanian with a lifetime spent in the bush, Turk knows his tigers. He talks of childhood fishing trips when he and his brothers would be followed home by a group of two or three tigers. “They’d stay maybe three chain behind us but we knew they were there,” Turk said using the old imperial bush measure. Their idea was that we were their next meal.”
The old Tasmainian fur trapper, Basil Stears, described similar behaviour of Thylacines following him. See the video below, combining the Turk Porteous interview and the footage of Basil Stears describing his enounter with a Thylacine while fur trapping.
Following is a typed up version of my father’s notes on the Thylacine sightings. I have scanned and posted his notes at the bottom of this blog.
Quote about Turk Porteous - “As a fourth generation Tasmanian with a lifetime spent in the bush, Turk knows his tigers. He talks of childhood fishing trips when he and his brothers would be followed home by a group of two or three tigers. “They’d stay maybe three chain behind us but we knew they were there,” Turk said using the old imperial bush measure. Their idea was that we were their next meal.”
The old Tasmainian fur trapper, Basil Stears, described similar behaviour of Thylacines following him. See the video below, combining the Turk Porteous interview and the footage of Basil Stears describing his enounter with a Thylacine while fur trapping.
Following is a typed up version of my father’s notes on the Thylacine sightings. I have scanned and posted his notes at the bottom of this blog.
Sighting occurred at Kharua State Forest New South Wales. Pat Hogan Thyalcine report early 1970s
“Thylacine sighting on Pacific Highway Kharua, by Mr. Pat Hogan, then residing at Rutherford, near Maitland. Pat owned a property, a bush block near Kharua on which he ran a few head of cattle. On this particular occasion he drove up to check on his cattle after he knocked off work at Rutherford. Near Kharua his head-lights picked up two Thylacines on the side of the road. He pulled up and they retreated into the bush on the side of the road. Finished his trip and checked his cattle next day. Returned home and went up again the following night accompanied by his wife. At the same spot the Thylacines were seen again, and again dissapeared into the bush. His wife later verified that they were Thylacines from a library book on native animals, no doubt whatever.
Pat was a bushman, and knew dingos, said they looked a bit like Hyenas. He saw the Thylacine pictures in the book and there was no doubt they were Thylacines. It was near Karuah Nature Reserve they were seen.”
Pat was a bushman, and knew dingos, said they looked a bit like Hyenas. He saw the Thylacine pictures in the book and there was no doubt they were Thylacines. It was near Karuah Nature Reserve they were seen.”
Sightings ocurred somewhere in the Tasmanian Hinterland.
“Pre Second World War, around 1936 and 1937 report from Tasmanian ex- trapper. Said that going around his traps he used to be followed at a distance by Thylacines.”
Thylacines Along the Arthur River
"You can't mistake a tiger's foot-prints because they walk right up on their toes. " - Turk Porteous
Scaned Newspaper clippings The Sun Herald October 22, 1989
Below is an enlarged page from the Herald Newspaper showing the section on Turk Porteous.
Turk Porteous interview Taped of the Australian TV in the1990s
Below are the two handwritten Thylacine sightings collected by my dad Richard f. Hardcastle
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