▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁introduced ▁dise ases , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁census ▁revealed ▁an ▁Ab original ▁population ▁on ▁the ▁South ▁Coast ▁of ▁ 5 3 5 ▁with ▁a ▁high ▁concentration ▁in ▁the ▁B ega ▁Valley . ▁European ▁settlement ▁was ▁slow ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁area ' s ▁rug ged ▁top ography ▁and ▁distance ▁from ▁Sydney . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁the ▁County ▁of ▁A uck land ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁and ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁there ▁were ▁only ▁ 1 7 ▁Ab original s ▁in ▁the ▁P amb ula ▁area . ▁Little ▁evidence ▁of ▁pre - contact ▁occupation ▁surv ives ▁except ▁for ▁m idd ens ▁of ▁o yst er ▁shell s ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁rivers ▁and ▁la kes . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁wh aling ▁which ▁was ▁begun ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Ra ine ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 8 ▁when ▁he ▁established ▁the ▁first ▁wh aling ▁station ▁at ▁Two fold ▁Bay . ▁Short ly ▁after , ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 , ▁the ▁I ml ay ▁Brothers ▁( Alex ander , ▁George ▁and ▁Peter ) ▁from ▁Tas mania ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁large ▁wh aling ▁station ▁at ▁Two fold ▁Bay ▁and ▁extended ▁their ▁business ▁interests ▁to ▁include ▁coast al ▁sh ipping ▁and ▁large - scale ▁past oral ▁interests ▁involving ▁extensive ▁le ase holds ▁along ▁the ▁South ▁Coast . ▁ ▁The ▁I ml ay ▁Brothers ▁were ▁probably