In the first two decades of the 19th century settlement in the Midlands progressed up the South and North Esk rivers from Launceston and the Evandale region consisted of fertile alluvial flats already partially cleared for hunting purposes by aboriginal fire stick burning. Bush existed south of the future site of Evandale in the 'Black Forest', on the Gordon Plains towards Nile, and on surrounding foothills of the Ben Lomond Tier, but the plains and river flats were attractive sites for grazing and cropping