John Helder Wedge

John Helder Wedge (1793 – 22 November 1872) was a surveyor, explorer and politician in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia).

Wedge was the second son of Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps, of Cambridgeshire, England. John Wedge learned the basics of surveying from his father. Due to financial losses during the post-war depression in agriculture, Wedge and his brother Edward decided to migrate to Van Diemen's Land; before leaving London Wedge had obtained an appointment in the colony as assistant surveyor.

The brothers arrived in Van Diemen's Land aboard the Heroine on the morning of 15 April 1824. Wedge led several expeditions through heavily timbered and mountainous country in the north-east and central highlands of the island. On one of these journeys Wedge found a camp of the bushrangers led by Matthew Brady. For Wedge's efforts in their capture he was rewarded with a land grant in 1826; later he applied for another grant for the capture of five absconders. Wedge was sent to the far north-west in 1828 to examine the lands of the Van Diemen's Land Company. Wedge reported much rich soil in the heavily timbered area but the Company wanted pasture land immediately available and disputed the accuracy of Wedge's map. Part of Wedge's work included investigating grants surveyed earlier by George Evans and Thomas Scott who were both accused of receiving bribes for measuring more than the authorized area to settlers. Wedge proved that the accusations were well founded.

A large expedition was organized by the surveyor-general, George Frankland, in February 1835 to explore the country lying between the Derwent, Gordon and Huon Rivers. Wedge, as leader of one of the parties, proved a resourceful and intelligent bushman, covering much difficult territory. Wedge won Frankland's praise for his efforts in the Survey Department whose staff was overworked. Wedge was keen for promotion and came to believe that his hopes were being frustrated by nepotism at the Colonial Office. In his survey work Wedge had often visited John Batman at Kingston, and together they planned an expedition across Bass Strait.

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