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 TREGARTHEN # AUSTRALASIA 
 
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THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH COLONIES. 
 
 VOL. I 
 
 AUSTRALASIA. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2010 witin funding from 
 
 Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries 
 
 littp://www.arclnive.org/details/australasianewsoOOtreg 
 
CAPTAIN COOK. 
 
AUSTRALASIA .^^^ 
 
 [NEM^ SOUTH WALES, TJSMJNU, WESTERN \Si\ ^ 
 
 AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA, 
 ^EENSLAND, NEW ZEALAND) 
 
 BY 
 
 GREVILLE TREGARTHEN 
 
 AUTHOR OF "new SOUTH WALES: i860 TO 1866,'' "a SKETCH OF THE PROGRESP 
 AND RESOURCES OF NEW SOUTH WALES," ETC. 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 New York : G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
 
 London: T. FISHER UNWIN 
 
 1895 
 
-^^ 
 
 -f'^ 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The writer of Australian history is confronted 
 with peculiar difficulties. The clamour of the strife 
 which accompanied the birth of free institutions has 
 scarcely died away and the greater part of the litera- 
 ture dealing with past events is so tainted by the 
 heated feelings of partizans that it is necessary to use 
 it with the greatest caution. Then, again, sufficient 
 time has not elapsed to allow the incidents of former 
 years to disclose their full significance, and matters 
 which are really still producing grave changes in 
 social and political life are apt to appear of little 
 consequence, while others of a less far-reaching 
 character assume an unmerited importance. In the 
 following pages the desire has been to adhere as 
 closely as possible to the story of the seven colonies 
 without entering into questions which are still the 
 subject of contention ; but there are many things in 
 connection with the marvellous progress of these 
 young communities which it has been impossible to 
 mention here. The gradual formation of a new 
 society — a new nation — in a New World cannot fail 
 to be a spectacle of absorbing interest, but to trace 
 
VIH PREFACE. 
 
 each step in the process of its evolution would re- 
 quire far more space than is available. So many 
 books, public documents, and records have been con- 
 sulted that it is impossible to acknowledge each 
 separately, but the writer is indebted in some degree 
 to most of the accepted authorities on Australasian 
 affairs. This little volume has been written amidst 
 many disadvantages, and under very great pressure 
 of official work ; but it is hoped that it may induce 
 some to make a better acquaintance with this Great 
 South Land, which Governor Phillip in 1788 so fitly 
 described as "the most valuable acquisition Great 
 Britain ever made." 
 
 Sydney. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Preface 
 
 PAGE 
 
 vii 
 
 I. 
 
 Early Discoverers. 1503-1772 .... 
 
 The motive for maritime discovery — De Gonneville — The 
 voyage of the Dztyfkett — Dirk Hartog — Other Dutch Ex- 
 plorers — The wreck of the Batavia — Tasman — Dampier — 
 William de Vlaming — The last Dutch Expedition — Cook — 
 The transit of Venus — Cook sights the Great South Land — 
 Botany Bay — Wreck of the Endeavour — Banks — Marion du 
 Fresne and De Surville. 
 
 II. 
 
 The First Fleet, 1788 
 
 12 
 
 Cook's report — The American Colonies — Matra's proposal — 
 The American loyalists — A change in the treatment of 
 criminals — Suggestions for a Convict Colony — The Plan — 
 Lord Sydney selects Captain Phillip to command — Phillip's 
 previous career — Preparations — Incompleteness of arrange- 
 ments — Phillip's dreams of the future — The "First Fleet" 
 sets sail — Rio de Janeiro — Portuguese courtesy — The Cape of 
 Good Hope — The Australian coast is sighted — Arrival in 
 Botany Bay — Phillip explores Port Jackson — Sydney Cove 
 selected — La Perouse. 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 NEW SOUTH WALES. 
 III. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Botany Bay. i 788-1 792 33 
 
 The landing — Advice to the convicts — King is sent to 
 Norfolk Island — Attempts at cultivation — Early troubles — 
 The military — Major Ross — Exploration of the surrounding 
 country — Good land is found at Rose Hill — Apprehension as to 
 the supply of food — Strained relations between Phillip and 
 Ross — Ross places his officers under arrest — The natives — 
 Phillip's good intentions — Their property vv^antonly destroyed 
 by the convicts — Arabanoo — Bennilong and Colebe — Phillip 
 is speared — Sickness amongst the convicts — The food supply 
 — Convicts attempt to escape — The story of Bryant — Ross is 
 subordinate — Loss of the Sirius — The colony is threatened 
 with starvation — Phillip's heroism — The look-out at South 
 Head — Arrival of the Juliana zn^ Justinian — The full ration 
 restored — Mutton Birds at Norfolk Island — Ross is recalled — 
 The New South Wales Corps — Famine again threatens — 
 Phillip retires. 
 
 IV. 
 The Convicts and their Guards. 1792-1806 . 48 
 
 Grose and the magistrates — Indulgences to the military — 
 Grose disregards instructions — The commencement of the 
 spirit traffic— King at Norfolk Island— Troubles with the 
 soldiers — King is firm— Grose disapproves — King and the 
 Maoris — Corn bills— Grose retires — Arrival of Hunter- 
 Attempts to reform — His opinion of the New South "Wales 
 Corps — King is sent to supersede him — The liquor traffic and 
 military traders — Macarthur — King's measures — The female 
 orphan institution — The convicts become restless — The insur- 
 rection—Pursuit of the rebels— The treatment of prisoners 
 — The Hawkesbury settlers— The administration of justice — 
 The military give more trouble — King leaves the colony. 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 V. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Deposition of Governor Bligh. 1806-1810 67 
 
 State of the settlement — Rumours of insurrection — Bligh's 
 previous career — Banks recommends him for the command — 
 Banks' letter to Bligh — Bligh soon makes enemies — The 
 quarrel with Macarthur — He appeals for a fair trial — The 
 alleged conspiracy — The Court upholds his appeal — Bligh 
 tries to coerce the Court — Johnston arrives in Sydney — 
 Macarthur is released — ^Johnston is petitioned to depose 
 Bligh — Bligh is arrested, and Johnston assumes command — 
 Bligh on the Porpoise — The case of Mr. Suttor — The Court- 
 martial of Johnston. 
 
 VI. 
 
 The Emancipists. 1810-1822 . . , . 84 
 
 Governor Macquarie arrives — -Recall of the New South Wales 
 Corps — Bligh's return — Public buildings and works^ — The ' 
 spirit contract — The assignment system — Commerce — With- 
 drawal of indulgences — Discovery of a Pass over the Blue 
 Mountains — Macquarie on Bathurst Plains — Further explora- 
 tions — Troubles with the natives — Social questions — The 
 trespass incident — Bigge's report — Macquarie is recalled. 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Rule of Brisbane and Darling. 1822-1831 97 
 
 Arrival of Governor Brisbane — The New South Wales Judi- 
 cature Act — Changes in the Constitution — The case of Dr. 
 Douglas — Free immigrants — Bushranging — The freedom of 
 the Press — Darling takes command — The Newspaper Act — 
 Libel actions — Amendments in the Constitution — The Eman- 
 cipists and trial by jury — Fisher's ghost — Land legislation — 
 Speculation — The industrial crisis — Increase in bushranging — 
 The case of Sudds and Thompson — Darling is recalled — 
 Exploration — Currie and Ovens — Allan Cunningham — Hume 
 and Hovell — Stuart— Mitchell. 
 
XU CONTENTS. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Changes in the Constitution. 1831-1846 . 114 
 
 Governor Bourke — -Questions of Finance — The Bushranging 
 Act is renewed — Bourke attempts to improve the condition 
 of the convicts — Agitation for Representative Government — 
 The Patriotic Association — The Pohce and Gaols question — 
 Burton's charge— Education — ReHgion — The pamphlet by 
 " Humanitas " — Riddell is elected Chairman of Quarter 
 Sessions — Bourke dismisses him from the Executive Council 
 — Bourke resigns — Assisted immigration — The Commercial 
 Crisis of 1843 — The Bank of Australia lottery — Boiling-down 
 commenced — Outrages on the natives — The Myall Creek mas- 
 sacre — Changes in the Land Laws — The Governor and the 
 squatters — A new constitution — Liens on growing crops and 
 the mortgage of live stock — Gipps and his Council — Gipps 
 prorogues Parliament. 
 
 IX. 
 
 The Struggle for Free Institutions. 1846-1851 131 
 
 Governor Fitzroy — Reconciliation of Government with Par- 
 liament — The Question of Quit Rents — The Abolition of 
 Transportation — The arrival of the Hashemy — Mrs. Chisholm 
 — Education — Sydney University — Agitation for self-govern- 
 ment — Earl Grey's despatch on the Constitution excites 
 general opposition — The Report of the Committee of the 
 Privy Council — Wentworth opposes its recommendations — 
 The solemn protest of the Legislative Council — The new 
 Parliament — Sir John Pakington's despatch — Changes in 
 society — Wentworth — Lang — Lowe — Deas Thompson. 
 
 X. 
 
 The Discovery of Gold. 1851 . . . . 144 
 
 Gold first mentioned in 1823 — Strzlecki — Clarke — McGregor 
 — The rush to California — Hargrave returns to Australia and 
 finds gold — The discovery proved — The first rush — Absurd 
 proposals — Deas Thompson's regulations — Disturbances at the 
 Turon — Nuggets — Miners' earnings — Wages and prices — 
 Great influx of population. 
 
CONTENTS. Xin 
 
 XI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Responsible Government, i 853-1 885 . • 151 
 
 Wentworth's draft Constitution Bill— The proposed here- 
 ditary Upper House provokes opposition — Wentworth's 
 prophecy — The Bill is passed by the Council and receives 
 Royal Assent — Changes of ministries — Early legislation — 
 Robertson's land legislation — Free selection — Effects of the 
 measure — Abolition of State Aid to religion — A peculiar 
 political crisis — Material progress — Internal communication — 
 Railways — The unemployed — The Eight Hours Movement — 
 Bushrangers — Insecurity of life and property — The outbreak 
 at Golden Point — Liberal legislation — Payment of Members 
 — Triennial Parliaments — The attack on the Duke of Edin- 
 burgh — The Treason Felony Act — Execution of O'Farrell — 
 Public Instruction — Land Legislation — The Soudan Contin- 
 gent. 
 
 XII. 
 
 Present Condition of the Colony. 1893 . 170 
 
 Pastoral industries — Agriculture — Settlement — Mining — 
 — Internal communication — The future. 
 
 TASMANIA. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 The Settlement at the Derwent. 1803-183 7 . iSo 
 
 Fears of the Fr-ench — Bowen and Collins — The natives — The 
 massacre at Risdon — The Norfolk Island settlers — Scarcity of 
 food — Death of Collins — Macquarie visits the island — The 
 Judge- Advocate — The Lieutenant-Governor's Court — In- 
 dustrial development — Bushrangers — The proclamation of 
 martial law — The recall of Governor Davey — Discoveries — 
 Sorrell checks bushranging — The story of Michael Howe — 
 Importations of sheep — The management of the convicts — The 
 first church — The Legislative and Executive Councils — The 
 Press — The Hobart Town Gazette — Newspaper Act — Agita- 
 tion for Representative Government — Arthur's measures — The 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Usury Laws — Exploration — The Van Diemen's Land Com- 
 pany — Executions — Attempts to escape — The story of the 
 Cyprus — The natives — BrutaHty of the settlers — George 
 Augustus Robinson — The black line — Arthur leaves the 
 colony. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Events Preceding Constitutional Government. 
 1837-1851 s 
 
 Religious difficulties — State Aid to religion — Franklin's 
 methods — Maconochie — Science and Art — Resumption of 
 transportation — The agitation for Responsible Government 
 is renewed — Franklin is recalled — Wilmot assumes command 
 — Unsettled state of the colony — Financial difficulties — 
 Estimates of expenditure called for — The Patriotic Six — The 
 Imperial Government gives way — Secret accusations — "Wilmot 
 is recalled — Exploration — Arrival of Sir William Denison — 
 The promise with regard to transportation — The Secretary of 
 State breaks the compact — The Anti-Transportation League. 
 
 XV. 
 
 Under the New Constitution. 1851-1893 . 2 
 
 The Constitution of 1850 — Final abolition of transportation — 
 Tasmania — Great exodus of convicts to Victoria — Discovery of 
 gold in Tasmania — An exhausted labour market — Tasmanian 
 produce at the Victorian goldfields — The Draft Constitution — 
 Material progress — Railways — Mining — Education — Public 
 works — The agreement of the Launceston and Western Rail- 
 way — The final settlement — The discovery of tin at Mount 
 Bischoff — Iron deposits — Description of the island — Its re- 
 semblance to parts of England — Amendments in the Consti- 
 tution — The question of Money Bills — A deadlock — Appoint- 
 ment of an Agent-General. 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 VICTOJi/A. 
 XVI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 First Settlement. 1803-1S39 .... 222 
 
 Fears of the intentions of the French — The expedition under 
 Collins — Collins asks leave to abandon the settlement — The 
 landing at Sorrento — William Buckley — Western Port — 
 Victoria again abandoned— The Henty Brothers at Portland 
 Bay — Batman's Company — Batman lands at Port Phillip — 
 His purchase from the natives — The Government refuse to 
 recognise his title — John Pascoe Fawkner — Other settlers 
 follow — Governor Bourke's proclamation — A magistrate is 
 appointed — Bourke's recommendations. 
 
 XVII. 
 The Administration of Mr. Latrobe. 1839-1852. 236 
 
 The appointment of a Superintendent — Progress — The first 
 land sale — Early difficulties — A commercial crisis — The elec- 
 tions for the New South Wales Council — Agitation for 
 separation — The bogus elections — Independence is granted 
 — The discovery of gold — The diggings — Immigration — 
 Difficulties of administration — The license fee — Highway 
 robbery — Convict Prevention Act — Discontent at the 
 goldfields — The increase of the license fee — Effects of the 
 gold rush — The riotous meetings near Mount Alexander — 
 The Government draw back — The hardships of immigrants. 
 
 XVIII. 
 The Eureka Stockade. 1852-185 7 . . . 248 
 
 The revenue from the goldfields — The cost of Government — 
 An export duty on gold proposed — Troubles threaten — The 
 disturbance at Forest Creek — The demands of miners — Dis- 
 affection at Bendigo — The Governor surrenders — Latrobe 
 retires — The arrival of Governor Hotham — The financial 
 position — Attempts to collect the license fee — Hotham's tour 
 of the goldfields — The case of Bentley — Reinforcements are 
 sent to Ballaarat — Hotham is firm — The digger hunt — The 
 meeting on Bakery Hill — The attack on the stockade — Rout 
 of the rebels — Order is restored. 
 
-XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 The New Constitution, 1857-1863 . . . 260 
 
 Financial difficulties — The framing of the Constitution — 
 Democratic tendencies — An elective council — The proclama- 
 tion of Responsible Government — The death of Sir Charles 
 Ilotham — Sir Henry Barkley arrives — Alterations in the 
 Constitution — Exploration — The Burke and Wills expedition 
 — Cooper's Creek — A forced march — Burke reaches the 
 Northern Coast — A tedious return — Deserted — The search 
 for Mount Hopeless — Death of Burke and Wills — Relief 
 expeditions — The finding of King. 
 
 XX. 
 
 Under Responsible Government. 1863-1893 . 268 
 
 Arrival of Sir Charles Darling — Unsettled state of the Colony 
 — The Customs Bill — The Council refuses to pass it — The 
 " tacking " trick — A deadlock — An ingenious device — The 
 Council passes the Customs Bill — Darling's recall — The 
 Darling Grant — More tacking — The Governor is firm — 
 Another crisis — The solution of the difficulty — Payment of 
 Members — The third deadlock — Black Wednesday — An ap- 
 peal to England — Mr. Berry's Mission — Recall of Sir George 
 Bowen — The Payment of Members Bill is passed — Material 
 progress — Inflow of capital — The Coalition Government — 
 Public works. 
 
 WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 ^Events from 1826 to 1874 276 
 
 The French scare — A detachment is sent to King George's 
 Sound — Stirling describes the Swan River — The pioneers — 
 The landing at Garden Island — Gloomy prospects — Perth and 
 Freemantle — Claims for land — The system of settlement — The 
 case of Mr. Peel — General ruin— The natives — Governor Hutt 
 — Land regulations — It is proposed to send convicts — The 
 offer accepted — The search for new pastures — Fitzgerald's 
 account of the Colony — Escapades of the convicts — The pro- 
 posal to cease transportation — Explorations. 
 
CONTENTS. XVll 
 
 XXII. 
 
 PACK 
 
 Constitutional Changes. 1875-1893 . . 286 
 
 Systems of Government — Agitation for Responsible Govern- 
 ment — A compromise suggested — It is refused — A spirited 
 public works policy — It is marred by mismanagement — The 
 deficit railway construction — The land grant system — The 
 electric cable — Revival of agitation for responsible institutions 
 — A change in public opinion — The resolutions of the Council 
 — Opposition in England — The mission in support of the Con- 
 stitution Bill — Mineral resources — Prospects for the future. 
 
 SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 Early Settlement. 182 9- 1840 . . » '295 
 
 Mr. Edward Wakefield's Pamphlets — Colonial Society — 
 System of colonisation — Colonisation Board — First landing of' 
 emigrants— Foundation of Adelaide — Governor liindniarsh — • 
 Hindmarsh and Fisher — Hindmarsh recalled and Fisher dis- 
 missed — Governor Gawler — Finances in a hopeless muddle — 
 Public works commenced to relieve unemployed — General 
 exodus — Three classes of society — Gawler recalled — Loan 
 by English Government —Captain George Grey — Brighter 
 prosi^ects. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Improving Prospects. 1840-1855 . . . 307 
 
 Edward John Eyre, Explorer — Sufferings of his party — Mur- 
 der of Baxter by blacks — Strange discovery of silver — Captain 
 Bagot — Discovery of copper — Princess Royal Company — 
 South Australian Mining Company — Burra Burra Mine — 
 Gawler's policy of retrenchment — Colonel J. H. Robe — Re- 
 ligious Endowment Bill — Sir Henry Young — Navigation of 
 River Murray — Mr. Cadell — Discovery of gold — Renewed 
 prosperity — New system of coinage — Opening up the Interior 
 — Expedition of John McDowall Stuart. 
 
xviii CONTENTS. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Under Responsible Government. 1855-1893 . 321 
 
 The first Council— The Franchise— Mr. R. Torrens— Land 
 and Mineral Acts — Foundation of Palmerston — Overland 
 Telegraph— Submarine Cable — Railways — Survey of the 
 country. 
 
 QUEENSLAND. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 The Moreton Bay Settlement. 1825-1851 . 330 
 
 Bigge's Report— Oxley in the Mermaid — The story of 
 Pamphlett — The Brisbane River — The establishment of a 
 penal settlement at Moreton Bay — The murder of Logan — 
 The Darling Downs — The penal establishment is abandoned 
 — Sir George Gipps marks out the town of Brisbane — A 
 Police Magistrate is appointed — The aborigines — The native 
 police — The treatment of the blacks — Explorations — Sturt— 
 Leichardt — Mitchell — Kennedy. 
 
 XXVII. 
 The Colony of Queensland. 1851-1893 . . 342 
 
 Separation from New South Wales — Sir George Bowen 
 appointed first Governor — Constitution — Discovery of gold 
 — The rush to the Fitzroy River — Great distress at the 
 diggings — The Gympie goldfields — Mount Morgan — Culti- 
 vation in the Northern districts — Island labour — The evils 
 of the traffic — The Polynesian Labourers Act — Material 
 progress — Separation of the Northern district — The public 
 finances. 
 
CONTENTS. XIX 
 
 NEW ZEALAND. 
 XXVIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 From the First Settlement to the Recall of 
 
 Governor Fitzroy. i 791-1846 . . -351 
 
 The whaling ships in New Zealand waters — The Boyd 
 massacre — The establishment of a mission at the Bay of 
 Islands — New Zealand is made a dependency of New South 
 Wales — Maori customs and character — Tapu — Hongi visits 
 England — The arrival of Captain Herd — Hongi's wars — A 
 Government Resident is appointed — Baron de Thierry's 
 proclamation — "The United Tribes of New Zealand" — 
 Captain Hobson at the Bay of Islands — The provisional 
 Government at Kororareka — Schemes for colonisation — The 
 New Zealand Company — Land troubles — Captain Hobson is 
 appointed Lieutenant-Governor — The Treaty of Waitangi — 
 A French Colonisation Company — New Zealand is proclaimed 
 an independent colony — The outbreak at the Wairau Valley — 
 The Land Question — The war with Hone Heke — Trouble at 
 Port Nicholson — Recall of Fitzroy. 
 
 XXIX. 
 Events from 1846 to 1861 . . . . . 369 
 
 Gloomy prospects — Grey commences operations against the 
 Maoris — The defeat of Heke— War in the Hutt Valley— The 
 imprisonment of Ruaparaha — Measures of reform — Grey 
 makes enemies — The war in the Wanganui district — The 
 Maoris sue for peace — Grey at Taranaki — The agitation for 
 Representative Government — The New Zealand Government 
 Bill — Grey recommends the suppression of the Act — Great 
 revival of immigration — Material progress — The effect of the 
 gold discoveries — The New Zealand Company is dissolved — 
 Local Government — The Constitution of 1852 — Grey leaves 
 the Colony — A Constitutional anomaly — The appointment of 
 Colonel Gore Browne — The Taranaki difticultics — The King 
 movement. 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The End of the Maori Wars. 1861-1871 . 393 
 
 Proclamation to the Waikatos — Petition by Maori chiefs — 
 Reappointment of Sir George Grey — Making of roads through 
 Hunua Forest^Reforms in the North Island — Maori distrust 
 of the Government — Meeting of Grey and Maori chiefs — 
 Rupture between Grey and General Cameron — War in Tara- 
 naki — Defeat of Maoris — Twenty thousand men available — 
 Confiscation of land — Attack on Rangiriri— Prisoners on 
 Island of Kawan — Great loss of the Maoris — Hauhauism — 
 Peace declared — Resignation of the Ministry — Resignation of 
 General Cameron — Recall of Grey— Native Land Courts-- 
 Te Kooti — Colonel McDonnell — End of the war — Arrest of 
 Te Whiti. 
 
 XXXI. 
 Under the Constitution, i 854-1 893 . . 408 
 
 Increase of population — Finding of gold — The electoral sys- 
 tem — Provincial Councils — Seat of Government — Loans and 
 debentures — Effects of borrowed money — Sir George Grey 
 first Premier — Steady progress — Frozen mutton— Railway 
 construction — Prosperity — Scenery and climate. 
 
 XXXII. 
 Work and Wages. 1788-1892 .... 415 
 
 Assigned servants — The Governor fixes wages — Early hard- 
 ships — Increase of manufactories — Free immigration — Con- 
 dition of wage-earners — The Commercial Oisis of 1843 — 
 Effect of the discovery of gold — A fall in wages — The Eight- 
 hours' Day — The Labour Unions — Chinese competition — 
 Anti-Chinese legislation — The future of the labour organisa- 
 tions — The Parliamentary Labour Party — Relations of em- 
 ployers and employed. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XXI 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 Federation. 1847-1893 ..... 42S 
 
 The suggestions of Earl Grey — The Report of the Privy 
 Council — Wentworth's proposals — The Select Committee on 
 Federation in New South Wales and Victoria — The Customs 
 compact — The Conference of 1881 — The Conference of 18S3 
 — The Federal Council Act — The Australasian Naval Force 
 Act of 1SS7 — The Conference of 1890 — The National Austra- 
 lasian Convention. 
 
 Appendix . . . . . . . -437 
 
 Table showing the population and relative importance of each 
 of the Seven Colonies of Australasia at the commencement of 
 1S91. 
 
 Index 
 
 439 
 
 'H<i^ 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 CAPTAIN COOK ..... Fro7itispiece 
 
 MAP OF AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA, AND NEW ZEALAND page 
 
 I 
 
 Facing 
 
 ARTHUR PHILLIP, CAPTAIN GENERAL AND COMMAN- 
 DER-IN-CHIEF IN AND OVER NEW SOUTH WALES 
 MAP OF NEW SOUTH WALES 
 CAPTAIN JOHN HUNTER . 
 CAPTAIN BLIGH .... 
 
 SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART., K.B., P.R.S. 
 THE OLD TANK STREAM, SYDNEY 
 SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 
 FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 BATHURST ..... 
 
 MONUMENT TO CAPTAIN COOK , 
 GOVERNMENT HOUSE 
 
 MAP OF TASMANIA .... 
 TASMANIAN NATIVE .... 
 HEAD OF TASMANIAN NATIVE . 
 TASMANIAN NATIVE (cOAL RIVER TRIBE) 
 MOUNT BISCHOFF .... 
 MAP OF VICTORIA .... 
 MAP OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA . 
 
 20 
 34 
 53 
 
 68 
 
 71 
 
 86 
 
 136 
 
 166 
 
 173 
 176 
 178 
 i8r 
 
 183 
 190 
 194 
 217 
 
 224 
 277 
 
XXIV 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 MAP OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA . , . . . 296 
 
 ADELAIDE ........ 308 
 
 THE MURRAY (fROM MURRAY BRIDGE RAILWAY 
 
 station) . 317 
 
 map of queensland . . . . . -331 
 
 brisbane ........ 335 
 
 map of new zealand , . . . . -352 
 
 a maori chief ........ 354 
 
 milford sound ....... 357 
 
 a maori dwelling ...... 374 
 
 the waikato river ...... 383 
 
 RANGIRIRI. (from THE WAIKATO) .... 388 
 STRONGHOLD OF THE MAORIS, RANGIRIRI , . 391 
 
 TE KOOTI 404 
 
 AUCKLAND HARBOUR — THE WHARF . . . .412 
 
 TYPES OF COLOURED LABOURERS . . . -419 
 
 DIAGRAM SHOWING VARIATIONS IN PRICES AND 
 
 WAGES SINCE 1841 . . . . . .421 
 
ISO 1*0 l.'iO 
 
 PrJ-^eriafl^ W Terr. -.J^Hlv'' ^on. C , 
 
 Pi.J-K^jUtL' 
 
 .C.York iz;;;^^ 
 
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 Qx/e ENS LAND U"^*""^ 
 
 
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 31 iji ybca<m;<l 
 
 ^SkT /«^ vb.NE^ SOUTH WAij:s^ '^■•'««S«ari, 
 
 
 
 JA.1. 
 
 
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 TASMANIA & NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 lASMANlA jj^b^j 
 
 London: T. Fitjher Unwin. Paternoster Squar 
 
 E EC. 
 
AUSTRALIAN COMxMONWEALTH. 
 
 I. 
 
 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 (I 503-1772.) 
 
 It is not easy for any one knowing the great 
 natural wealth of Australia to realise the bitter dis- 
 appointment which must have been felt by those 
 venturesome navigators who first sighted the shores 
 of that continent. The minds of all men were full of 
 the marvellous discoveries of Marco Polo in the East, 
 and of Columbus and Cabot across the Atlantic, and 
 the motive was no longer the discovery of a route 
 to the Indies by which the treasures of the East might 
 be carried by sea to Europe, but each explorer was am- 
 bitious to rival a Cortes or Pizarro, and hoped in the 
 Pacific to find countries as rich and as populous as 
 those annexed by Spain in America. But instead of 
 wealth and barbaric splendour, an old civilisation and 
 magnificent cities, such as those of Mexico and Peru, 
 they discovered the most dreary and uninviting 
 
 2 
 
2 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 coasts, with few harbours or rivers and peopled by 
 a wild and degraded race, showing a bitter hostility 
 to the visitors. 
 
 It is difficult to determine who was really the first 
 European to discover Australia. There are several 
 candidates for the honour, but the validity of the 
 claims is, in many cases, more than doubtful. It is 
 quite possible that long before the more or less sys- 
 tematic exploration of the Australian seaboard the 
 Malays, or perhaps Europeans bound to or from 
 Eastern ports, may have sighted parts of the coast ; 
 but such glimpses did not invite a closer inspection. 
 The object sought was a rich trading station and not 
 a land fit for European colonisation, and consequently 
 Australia, being out of the ordinary track of the mer- 
 chant ships and offering no harvest of spices, for the 
 acquisition of which all the world was mad, attracted 
 but little attention ; indeed, but for the fair prospect 
 of finding spice-producing lands in these latitudes, the 
 mysterious slumber which for so many centuries 
 enveloped Australasia would have continued still 
 longer. 
 
 In 1503 a Frenchman, named De Gonneville, after 
 rounding the Cape of Good Hope, is said to have 
 been driven by contrary winds to an unknown shore, 
 but the evidence goes to support the contention that 
 Madagascar, and not Australia, was the land visited. 
 Various claims to the discovery of Australia by the 
 Portuguese previous to 1606 receive some support, but 
 there is every reason to suppose that the Duyfhen 
 from Bantam was the first vessel which bore 
 Europeans over Australian waters. The voyage of 
 
DUTCH EXPLORERS. 3 
 
 the Dutch was cut short by want of provisions, and 
 after coasting some little way along the eastern shore 
 of the Gulf of Carpentaria they were compelled to 
 return. The land they described as " for the greatest 
 part desert, but in some places inhabited by wild, 
 cruel, black savages, by whom some of the crew were 
 murdered." For ten years no new explorations were 
 made, but in 1616 Dirk Hartog, another Dutchman, 
 sailed down the west coast, being followed in two years 
 by the Mauritiits and a little later by the Leeuwin. 
 The accounts given by the commanders of these 
 vessels were most unfavourable, but the Dutch East 
 India Company was not yet satisfied, and in 1623 the 
 Pera and ArnJicni were despatched. This expedition 
 was as fruitless as those that preceded it. Not long 
 after making the Australian coast Jan Carstens, 
 captain of the Artihcm, and eight of his crew were 
 murdered by the natives, and the Pera, although she 
 sailed far round the north coast, carried back a report 
 that " shallow waters and barren coasts were every- 
 where found, with islands altogether thinly peopled 
 by divers cruel, poor and brutal nations, and of very 
 little use" to the Company. So far exploration had 
 been confined entirely to the west and north coasts, 
 but in 1627 Pieter Nuyts, in the Guide Zeepard, 
 examined the south shore for some hundreds of miles. 
 He was scarcely more favourably impressed than the 
 others. That it was " a foul and barren shore " was 
 all he could say for the country. 
 
 The next event of any importance in the story of 
 Australian exploration is full of dramatic interest. The 
 Bdtavia, commanded by Francis Pelsart, meeting with 
 
4 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 heavy weather, was separated from her companions, 
 and in a storm was driven on the reef called " Hout- 
 man's Abrolhos " on the west coast. The ship before 
 long commenced to break up, so it was determined 
 to abandon her and seek refuge on three adjacent 
 islands. The landing was effected safely, but to the 
 consternation of all no fresh water was to be found, 
 and Pelsart at last set out in one of the boats to seek 
 it on the mainland. Here he was also unsuccessful, 
 and therefore determined to steer for Batavia for assist- 
 ance. Soon after his departure some of the ship- 
 wrecked crew mutinied, and, under the leadership of 
 the supercargo, committed the most ghastly atrocities. 
 Another party, however, were able to repulse the at- 
 tack of the mutineers, and after several conflicts, in one 
 of which the supercargo was captured, the two com- 
 panies waited for the return of Pelsart. The intention of 
 the murderers appears to have been to seize his ship on 
 its arrival and start on a piratical cruise, and when 
 before long, the Sardain, with Pelsart on board, was 
 sighted, the mutineers put off to board her. They had 
 dressed themselves in striking costumes made from the 
 despoiled cargo of the Batavia^ and their peculiar 
 appearance aroused Pelsart's suspicions and put him 
 on his guard. By threatening to fire on their small 
 boat he compelled them to lay down their arms, and 
 then, having learnt the state of affairs, all but two 
 were summarily hanged. These two underwent, if 
 anything, a worse fate, for they were put on shore on 
 the mainland, and the agony they must have suffered 
 as they watched the ship slowly vanishing from sight, 
 leaving them to their fate amongst those " wild, cruel, 
 
ANTONY VAN DIEMAN. 5 
 
 black savages" was a just retribution for their 
 crimes. 
 
 Another tragedy, similar to that in which Carstens 
 lost his life, was enacted in 1636, when Poole visited 
 New Guinea, and, although the supercargo took charge 
 of the ship and continued the voyage, no new dis- 
 coveries were made. 
 
 From this time the records of Australian exploration 
 are more satisfactory. In 1637 Antony van Dieman, 
 a man imbued with strong ambitions in the field 
 of enterprise and discovery, received from the Dutch 
 the Governorship of Java. He lost but little time in 
 despatching an expedition in search of the Southern 
 Continent, and in 1642 Abel Janz Tasman, with 
 Gerrit Jansen, set sail in the ships Heemskirk and 
 ZeeJtaan. Tasman first steered for Mauritius, which 
 was then a Dutch possession, and after a brief stay 
 pursued his travels, sailing in an easterly direction in 
 search of the " Great South Land." On the 24th of 
 November Point Hibbs, a limestone promontory on 
 the West Coast of Tasmania, appeared above the 
 horizon, and before sunset lofty mountains gradually 
 shaped themselves in the distance, and confirmed 
 Tasman's opinion that he had at last touched a 
 portion of the territory of which he was in search. 
 Having doubled the southern extremity of the island, 
 a course was steered close along the shore, and a week 
 after first sighting land the Heemskirk and Zeehaan 
 dropped anchor in Marion Bay. Boats were lowered 
 and parties sent ashore, but although signs of the 
 presence of natives were found, no human beings were 
 seen. Two days later the carpenter of the Heemskirk 
 
6 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 swam ashore and erected a post on which a compass 
 was carved and the prince's flag hoisted, and the 
 wanderers weighed anchor, and saiHng along the east 
 coast again lost sight of land in the unknown seas. 
 On the 8th of the same month the look-out reported 
 land which proved to be the south island of New 
 Zealand. The ships anchored in a little bay, but the 
 natives surrounded them in their canoes and three of 
 Tasman's crew were murdered. On his return to 
 Batavia the voyage was considered to have been so 
 successful that in 1644 the same commander was 
 again despatched with the Limmen, Zeemew., and De 
 Brak, and on this occasion he explored the west 
 coasts of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
 
 The next explorer of any importance was William 
 Dampier, who, in command of the Bachelor's Delight 
 and Cygnet, with a crew of buccaneers, examined 
 the west coast from Shark Bay to Dampier's Archi- 
 pelago. His report of the country on his return 
 to England was not favourable, but, as he was in 
 imminent peril of being marooned on the unknown 
 land by his unruly crew, an unbiassed account could 
 hardly be expected. 
 
 In 1696 William de Vlaming while cruising on the 
 west coast discovered and named the Swan River, 
 and three years later Dampier again visited Australia 
 in the Roebuck, and made further explorations on the 
 North-west. On his return he wrote an interesting 
 account of his travels, but he had little to say in 
 favour of either the country or its people ; the one 
 was sterile and almost devoid of animals, while the 
 other were hideous and filthy. For the next seventy 
 
CAPTAIN COOK. 7, 
 
 years little was done in the way of Australian 
 exploration, although the Dutch sent out one more 
 expedition in 1705, under Martin van Delft. However, 
 in 1768 Captain James Cook started on the famous 
 voyage, with which really began the interest of 
 Englishmen in the lands of the South Pacific. 
 Cook's expedition originated with the Royal Society, 
 which was anxious that some capable person should 
 observe the transit of Venus over the sun's disc from 
 the South Seas. A suggestion to this effect was 
 favourably received by George III., and a small vessel 
 under the command of Cook, who had already dis- 
 tinguished himself in Canada and in survey work off 
 the coast of Newfoundland, was fitted out by the 
 Government. The Endeavour, the ship specially 
 selected by Cook for this service, had been built for 
 a collier. She was a little barque of 370 tons, of 
 small draught, but great carrying capacity, and very 
 strong construction. A scientific staff was appointed 
 to carry out the observations, Mr. Green acting as 
 astronomer and Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander 
 occupying the position of botanists ; and on the 26th 
 of August, 1768, the necessary instruments and pro- 
 visions having been taken on board, the Endeavour 
 weighed anchor and sailed out of Plymouth Sound. 
 After a quick passage the wanderers arrived at 
 Tahiti, where they at once erected a temporary 
 observatory, guarded by a little fort, and on the 3rd 
 of June the transit of the planet was most success- 
 fully observed. But although the main object of 
 the expedition had now been accomplished, it was 
 determined to search for the great Southern Con- 
 
8 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 tinent before returning to England. Cook therefore 
 steered south on leaving Tahiti, and after passing the 
 Society Islands held his course till land was sighted 
 from the masthead and a chain of mountains rose on 
 the misty horizon. On the 8th of October, 1769, the 
 Endeavour' s anchor was dropped in the Bay of 
 Tauranga, New Zealand, and attempts were at once 
 made to open communication with the natives, but 
 without success. Disgusted with the hostility and 
 distrust of the Maories, Cook sailed along the coast 
 to the southward, charting carefully as he went, until, 
 on reaching Mercury Bay, the scientific men again 
 landed to take observations of the transit of Mercury, 
 while Cook seized the opportunity of leaving a record 
 of his visit on a tree. Hoisting the English flag, he 
 took possession of the country in the name of King 
 George. From Mercury Bay he sailed along the 
 coast passing Tolaga Bay, Hauraki Gulf and the Bay 
 of Islands, and then, doubling Cape Maria Van 
 Diemen, shaped his course close to the western shore 
 of the North Island. At Queen Charlotte's Sound 
 another stop was made, and more flagstaffs were 
 erected, then again sail was set and Cook passed 
 through the straits and, turning South Cape, com- 
 pleted the circumnavigation of the islands. On 
 jreaching Cape Farewell he steered for the open sea, 
 and, following a westerly course, after three weeks 
 came in sight of the Australian coast at Cape Howe. 
 Turning north-east the coastline was traced, names 
 being given to Mount Dromedary, the Pigeon House, 
 Point Upright, and Cape St. George, till Botany Bay 
 was reached, and here anchor was cast, As the ship 
 
BOTANY BAY. 9 
 
 brought to near the shore a group of natives was 
 perceived apparently cooking by a fire ; but, to the 
 surprise of Cook and his comrades, they paid no 
 attention whatever to the ship, continuing quietly at 
 their occupation. Even the clank and rattle of the 
 cable as it ran out of the hawse-pipe had no effect, 
 and it was not till boats were lowered and turned 
 towards the beach that the natives showed any signs 
 of being aware of the presence of intruders. As soon 
 as the boat headed for the land, however, two men 
 sprang to their feet and, coming down to the rocks, 
 stood brandishing their rude weapons and, with 
 wild gesticulations, warned Cook's party to keep off 
 A musket was fired between them, which induced one 
 of the natives for a moment to drop his spears, which 
 however he immediately recovered ; and, even when a 
 charge of small shot was fired into the legs of another 
 in return for a stone which he had thrown at the boat, 
 the two warriors ran back into the bush for a moment 
 and then reappeared with bark shields. For some time 
 the Ejideavoiir remained in the bay, and her captain, 
 with Banks and Solander, made many excursions into 
 the country, during which the two last obtained such 
 a great variety of flowers and plants that the place 
 was called Botany Bay. Although anxious to have 
 friendly intercourse with the natives, all attempts 
 failed, and, after hoisting the British flag and formally 
 taking possession in the king's name of the country, 
 which he called New South Wales, Cook sailed out 
 between the heads to continue the exploration of the 
 coast. The entrances to Port Jackson and Broken 
 Bay were marked on the chart, but the Endeavour 
 
10 EARLY DISCOVERERS. 
 
 did not again jdrop anchor until Moreton Bay had 
 been reached. Only a brief stay was made there 
 before the voyage northward was resumed, the ship 
 being kept as close to the shore as was deemed 
 safe, and the principal features of the coast care- 
 fully noted. After about thirteen hundred miles had 
 been traversed in this way, the first serious mishap 
 was met with ; about eleven o'clock one night the 
 water suddenly began to shoal and before soundings 
 could be taken the ship struck heavily on a sunken 
 rock, and the water almost immediately rose in the hold 
 so rapidly that the pumps could hardly keep it under. 
 The guns and all heavy gear were jettisoned, but still 
 the Endeavour bumped and scraped on the reef. At 
 last she was floated off, but in such a leaky condition,, 
 that there was every prospect of her foundering. No 
 land was in sight and the outlook was most gloomy 
 when, as a last resource, some canvas was passed; 
 under the vessel over the injured spot and the inflow; 
 of water thus greatly reduced. After sailing some 
 distance in this crippled state land was sighted and 
 the mouth of a little river entered, where the ship 
 was careened and examined. The rent in her bottom, 
 was more extensive than had been supposed, and, but 
 for the fact that the spike of coral which had pierced, 
 her had been broken off and remained plugging the 
 hole, no possible device could have prevented heri 
 from sinking. Jn commemoration of the adventure- 
 Cook named the headland he had first sighted Cape, 
 Tribulation, and the river after his little barque. 
 When two months had been spent in thoroughly 
 repairing the Endeavotir, the voyage was continued 
 
FRENCH NAVIGATORS. II 
 
 and the coast charted as far as Cape York, whence 
 Cook sailed through Torres Straits to England. 
 
 The second and third voyages nnade by the great 
 explorer were full of interest, but there is not space 
 to follow them in detail here. It will suffice to say 
 that the reports carried to England were so favourable 
 that during the next few years Cook, with the 
 Resolution, Discovery, and Adventure, visited Tas- 
 ' mania and New Zealand ; but the determination to 
 occupy Australian territory sprang from the impres- 
 sions left in the mind of Banks by his short sojourn 
 in Botany Bay. Between the arrival of Phillip's fleet 
 to found a settlement and Cook's departure others 
 sailed in Australian waters, and one of the expedi- 
 tions was marred by a fatal affray with the natives. 
 In 1772 the French navigator, Marion du Frcsne, 
 anchored his ships, the Mascarin and the Castries, in 
 Marion Bay, Tasmania, and an attempt to com- 
 municate with the aborigines led to a fight. Soon 
 afterwards, having sailed to New Zealand, the luckless 
 Frenchman was murdered with twenty-seven of his 
 crew in a quarrel with the Maories at the Bay of 
 Islands. Another Frenchman, De Surville had been 
 cruising in New Zealand v/aters at the same time as 
 Cook in 1769, though little was added to the knowledge 
 of the Great South Land by either of the French 
 expeditions. 
 
II. 
 
 "THE FIRST FLEET," 178S 
 
 Although the report carried back by Cook and 
 Banks was in many respects most favourable, a 
 considerable period elapsed before any definite 
 proposals were made to utilise their discoveries. 
 Important and difficult matters nearer home absorbed 
 the attention of the Government and, until a com- 
 bination of circumstances made it absolutely im- 
 perative that some new field for the transportation 
 of criminals should be found, the eyes of statesmen 
 were not seriously turned towards the distant southern 
 land. 
 
 The action of Lord North's Government in insisting 
 on the tea duties had produced an insurrection in the 
 American Colonies in 1775, which in the following 
 year developed into the memorable "War of Inde- 
 pendence and finally severed the bond between the 
 States and the Mother Country. The American 
 plantations were for ever closed as a destination for 
 British criminals, and, as a result, the gaols quickly 
 filled to overflowing, and abuses grew with corre- 
 sponding rapidity. So serious was the aspect of 
 
matra's proposal. 13 
 
 affairs that an effective method of disposing of 
 convicts became a matter of the first public im- 
 portance, and numerous proposals, more or less 
 feasible, were continually being put forward. 
 
 The deplorable condition of those of the American 
 colonists, who had not taken up arms against England, 
 was also attracting the attention of many, till at 
 last the desire to induce the Government to provide 
 some haven for the people who had lost all in the 
 support of the king's cause across the Atlantic, led 
 James Maria Matra to formulate " a proposal for 
 establishing a settlement in New South Wales." 
 
 The proposal was addressed to the Government 
 in August, 1783, the year in which England so re- 
 luctantly recognised as Sovereign States what had once 
 been her colonies. Mr. Matra, after mentioning the 
 loss of America, dwelt on the " enticing allurements 
 to European adventurers " held out by some of the 
 newly discovered countries, and more especially New 
 South Wales. He quoted Cook's favourable im- 
 pressions, and drew a sketch of the capabilities of 
 the new country from a strategical, commercial, and 
 agricultural point of view. Special stress was laid 
 on the character of the soil and climate as especially 
 suitable for the cultivation of spices — that peculiarly 
 tempting bait for the mercantile enterprise of the 
 time — and the New Zealand flax, on specimens of 
 which, brought home by Banks, such encomiums had 
 been passed; "this country," continued Mr. Matra, 
 " may afford an asylum to those unfortunate Ameri- 
 can loyalists, whom Great Britain is bound by every tie 
 of honour and gratitude to protect and support where 
 
14 " THE FIRST FLEET," 1788. 
 
 they may repair their broken fortunes and again 
 enjoy their former domestic feHcity." 
 
 After further description of the benefits likely to 
 accrue to the Mother Country from the occupation 
 of New South Wales, he closed his paper with some 
 remarks on the policy of emigration. Mr. Matra's 
 scheme attracted some notice ; but apparently the 
 Government had not as strong a sense of their obli- 
 gation to the American loyalists as he had supposed, 
 and the Ministry went out of office in December 
 without takinp- any definite action in the matter. 
 Lord Sydney, who succeeded at the Home Office, 
 saw, however, in Mr. Matra's proposal a solution of 
 the then most pressing difficulty. Why should not 
 this distant land be a " very proper region for the 
 reception of criminals condemned to transportation" } 
 Mr. Matra jumped at this idea, in. which he con- 
 sidered " good policy and humanity are united.*^ The 
 attempts to form a penal settlement in Africb' had 
 failed. The mortality amongst the convicts was 
 enormous, and the expense very heavy. Popular 
 sentiment on the question of penal treatment was 
 also undergoing change, and the theory that the 
 reformation of criminals should be regarded as much 
 as their punishment was gaining ground. In a 
 country in which convicts would be some twelve 
 thousand miles away from their old associations, an 
 experiment in reformation surely might be tried 
 without danger and with some chance of success. 
 Lord Howe, then First Lord of the Admiralty, 
 threw cold water on Matra's plan ; but Sir John 
 Young, another naval authority, took the matter dp. 
 
SUGGESTIONS FOR A CONVICT COLONY. ' I5 
 
 and slightly modifying some of Matra's proposals 
 and elaborating others, submitted to the authorities 
 " k rough outline of the many advantages that may 
 result to this nation from a settlement made on the 
 coast of New.South Wales." The American loyalists 
 were not forgotten by him ; but perhaps the greatest 
 inducement held out for the establishment of the 
 colony was that " here was an asylum in which felons 
 -could be cheaply kept, and from which there would 
 be no possibility of their returning." 
 
 A feeling of jealous apprehension existed at this 
 time that the French contemplated forming settle- 
 ments in the far Pacific, and this doubtless led Lord 
 Sydney to accept more readily the scheme for colo- 
 nising the distant territory. In August, 1786, the 
 following paper was forwarded to the Lords of the 
 Admiralty, with a request that the necessary arrange- 
 ments ^or transport and victualling be made with the 
 utmos despatch : 
 
 " Heads of a plan for effectually disposing of 
 convicts, and rendering their transportation re- 
 ciprocally beneficial, both to themselves and to the 
 State, by the establishment of a colony in New South 
 Wales, a country which, by the fertility and salubrity 
 of the climate, connected with the remoteness of its 
 situation (from whence it is hardly possible for 
 persons to return without permission), seems pecu- 
 liarly adapted to answer the views of Government 
 with respect to the providing a remedy for' the evils 
 likely to result from the late alarming and numerous 
 increase of felons in this country, and more par- 
 ticularly in the metropolis. 
 
l6 ** THE FIRST FLEETy" 1788. 
 
 " It is proposed that a ship of war of a proper 
 class, with a part of her guns mounted, and a sufficient 
 number of men on board for her navigation, and a 
 tender of about 200 tons burthen, commanded by 
 discreet officers, should be got ready as soon as 
 possible to serve as an escort to the convict ships, and 
 for other purposes hereinafter mentioned. 
 
 " That in addition to their crews, they should take 
 on board two companies of marines to form a military 
 establishment on shore (not only for the protection 
 of the settlement, if requisite, against the natives, 
 but for the preservation of good order), together with 
 an assortment of stores, utensils, and implements, 
 necessary for erecting habitations and for agriculture, 
 and such quantities of provisions as may be proper 
 for the use of the crews. As many marines as pos- 
 sible should be artificers, such as carpenters, sawyers, 
 smiths, potters (if possible), and some husbandmen. 
 To have a chaplain on board, with a surgeon, and one 
 mate at least ; the former to remain at the settlement. 
 
 " That these vessels should touch at the Cape of 
 Good Hope, or any other place that may be con- 
 venient, for any seed that may be requisite to be taken 
 thence, and for such live stock as they can possibly 
 contain, which, it is supposed, can be procured there 
 without any difficulty, and at the most reasonable 
 rates, for the use of the settlement at large. 
 
 " That Government should immediately provide 
 a certain number of ships of a proper burthen to 
 receive on board at least seven or eight hundred 
 convicts, and that one of them should be properly 
 fitted for the accommodation of the women. 
 
PLAN FOR CONVICT COLONY. 17 
 
 " That these ships should take on board as much 
 provisions as they can possibly stow, or at least a 
 sufificient quantity for two years' consumption ; sup- 
 posing one year to be issued at whole allowance, and 
 the other year's provisions at half allowance, which 
 will last two years longer, by which time, it is pre- 
 sumed the colony, with the live stock and grain 
 which may be raised by a common industry on the 
 part of the new settlers, will be fully sufficient for 
 their maintenance and support. 
 
 " That, in addition to the crews of the ships 
 appointed to contain the convicts, a company of 
 marines should be divided between them, to be em- 
 ployed as guards for preventing ill consequences that 
 might arise from dissatisfaction amongst the convicts, 
 and for the protection of the crew in the navigation 
 of the ship from insults that might be offered by the 
 convicts. 
 
 " That each ship should have on board at least 
 two surgeons' mates to attend to the wants of the 
 sick, and should be supplied with a proper assortment 
 of medicines and instruments, and that two of them 
 should remain with the settlement. 
 
 " After the arrival of the ships which are intended 
 to convey the convicts, the ship of war and tender 
 may be employed in obtaining live stock from the 
 Cape, or from the Molucca Islands, a sufficient 
 quantity of which may be brought from either of 
 those places to the new settlement in two or three 
 trips ; or the tender, if it should be thought most 
 advisable, may be employed in conveying to the new 
 settlement a further number of women from the 
 
 3 
 
l8 "THE FIRST FLEET,'* 1788. 
 
 Friendly Islands, New Caledonia, &c., which are 
 contiguous thereto, and from whence any number 
 may be procured without difficulty. 
 
 " The whole regulation and management of the 
 settlement should be committed to the care of a 
 discreet officer, and provision should be made in all 
 cases, both civil and military, by special instructions 
 under the Great Seal or otherwise, as may be thought 
 proper. 
 
 " Upon the whole, it may be observed with great 
 force and truth that the difference of expense (what- 
 ever method of carrying the convicts thither may be 
 adopted), and this mode of disposing of them and 
 that of the usual ineffectual one is too trivial to be 
 a consideration with Government, at least in com- 
 parison with the great object to be obtained by 
 it especially now the evil is increased to such an 
 alarming degree, from the inadequacy of all other 
 expedients that have hitherto been tried or suggested. 
 " It may not be amiss to remark in favour of this 
 plan that considerable advantage will arise from the 
 cultivation of the New Zealand hemp or flax-plant 
 in the new intended settlement, the supply of which 
 would be of great consequence to us as a naval 
 power, as our manufacturers are of opinion that 
 canvas made of it would be superior in strength and 
 beauty to any canvas made of the European material, 
 and that a cable of the circumference of ten inches 
 made from the former would be superior in strength 
 to one of eighteen inches made of the latter. The 
 threads or filaments of this New Zealand plant are 
 formed by nature with the most exquisite delicacy, 
 
CAPTAIN PHILLIP APPOINTED FIRST GOVERNOR. I9 
 
 and may be so minutely divided as to be manu- 
 factured into the finest linens. 
 
 " Most of the Asiatic productions may also, without 
 doubt, be cultivated in the new settlement, and in a 
 few years may render our recourse to our European 
 neighbours for those productions unnecessary. 
 
 " It may also be proper to attend to the possibility 
 of procuring from New Zealand any quantity of masts 
 and ship timber for the use of our fleets in India, as 
 the distance between the two countries is not greater 
 than between Great Britain and America. It grows 
 close to the water's edge, is of size and quality 
 superior to any hitherto known, and may be ob- 
 tained without difficulty." 
 
 It is no difficult matter to draft a scheme for a 
 settlement in an unknown country, but the elabora- 
 tion of the details and the inception of the work can 
 only be done by a man of unusual ability. Fortunately 
 for Lord Sydney he knew of a man capable of the 
 extraordinary service required, and had sufficient 
 confidence to appoint him Governor of the new 
 colony, in spite of the scarcely veiled disapproval 
 of the Admiralty. Captain Arthur Phillip, the 
 officer selected, had entered the navy at the age 
 of sixteen, and, after serving in the Seven Years' War 
 as a midshipman, had been made a lieutenant on the 
 capture of Havannah. At the close of hostilities 
 he married and settled down to the life of a country 
 gentleman, until war breaking out between Portugal 
 and Spain, he hastened to seek distinction in the 
 service of the first-named nation. In 1778 he returned 
 to England to take his part in the operations against 
 
ARTHUR PHILLIP, 
 
 Captain General and Coniinander-iii-Chief in and over the Territory 
 of Neiv SoiUh ]Vales. 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION. 21 
 
 France, and in September of the following year was 
 made master and commander of the Basilisk. Two 
 years later he was promoted to the rank of post- 
 captain, being entrusted first with the Ariadne and 
 then with the Europe. He must have had oppor- 
 tunities during this period of showing that he pos- 
 sessed exceptional energy and sound judgment ; 
 for, had not Lord Sydney been fully impressed with 
 his ability, he would hardly have so unhesitatingly 
 selected him as the most fitting person for a service of 
 so complicated a nature on which so much depended. 
 
 Phillip was no sooner appointed Governor of the 
 proposed settlement than he began to take a very 
 active part in the preparations for the expedition. 
 He soon saw that the arrangements made by the sub- 
 ordinate officials of the Admiralty were in almost every 
 branch lamentably incomplete and unsatisfactory, 
 and, had it not been for his watchful care and fore- 
 thought, and the persistency with which he urged the 
 necessity of supplying different rations and additional 
 accommodation both for convicts and guards, it would 
 have been impossible for the fleet to have reached its 
 destination without terrible loss of life and indescrib- 
 able suffering amongst those on board. 
 
 Phillip's keen appreciation, even at this early stage, 
 of all the dangers to be expected on the voyage, and 
 the administrative difficulties to be provided for and 
 avoided on arriving at his destination, mark him out 
 as a man of great capacity as well as the possessor 
 of genuine humane sympathy. His idea of the proper 
 mode of procedure is shown in a memorandum written 
 soon after his appointment. He urged strongly the 
 
22 "the FIBST fleet,'' 1788. 
 
 advisability of sending some ship with mechanics 
 and others ahead of the transports to make pre- 
 parations for the convicts : " By arriving at the settle- 
 ment two or three months before the transports, 
 many and very great advantages would be gained. 
 Huts would be ready to receive the convicts who are 
 sick, and they would find vegetables, of which it may 
 naturally be supposed they will stand in great need, as 
 the scurvy must make a great ravage amongst people 
 naturally indolent and not cleanly. Huts would be 
 ready for the women ; the stores would be properly 
 lodged and defended from the convicts, in such 
 manner as to prevent their making any attempt on 
 them. The cattle and stock would be likewise 
 properly secured, and the ground marked out for 
 the convicts ; for lists of those intended to be sent 
 being given to the commanding officers, mentioning 
 their age, crimes, trades, and character, they might be 
 so divided as to render few changes necessary, and 
 the provisions would be ready for issuing without 
 any waste. But if convicts, provisions, &c., must be 
 landed a few days after the ship's arrival, and con- 
 sequently nearly at the same time, great incon- 
 venience will arise ; and to keep the convicts more 
 than a few days on board, after they get into a port, 
 considering the length of time which they must 
 inevitably be confined, may be attended with con- 
 sequences easier to conceive than to point out in a 
 letter. Add to this, fevers of a malignant kind may 
 make it necessary to have a second hospital." 
 
 " A ship's company is landed, huts raised, and the 
 sick provided for in a couple of days ; but here the 
 
ArMngemBnTS Por the colony. 23 
 
 greater number are convicts, in whom no confidence 
 can be placed, and against whom both person and 
 provisions are to be guarded. Everything necessary 
 for the settlement would be received at the Cape on 
 board by the commanding officer, and nothing left 
 for the transports but a certain proportion of live 
 stock. . . . 
 
 " The women in general, I should suppose, possess 
 neither virtue nor honesty. But there may be some 
 for theft who still retain some degree of virtue, and 
 these should be permitted to keep together, and strict 
 orders to the master of the transport be given that 
 they are not abused and insulted by the ship's com- 
 pany — which is said to have been the case too often 
 when they were sent to America. . . . 
 
 " I shall think it a great point gained if I can proceed 
 in this business without having any dispute with the 
 natives, a few of which I shall endeavour to persuade 
 to settle near us, whom I mean to furnish with 
 everything that can tend to civilise them, and to give 
 them a high opinion of their new guests ; for which 
 purpose it will be necessary to prevent the transports' 
 crews from having any intercourse with the natives, 
 if possible. The convicts must have none, for if they 
 have, the arms of the natives will be very formidable 
 in their hands, . . . 
 
 " Rewarding and punishing must be left to the 
 Governor ; he will likely be answerable for his 
 conduct, and death, I should think, will never be 
 necessary. In fact, I doubt if the fear of death ever 
 prevented a man of no principle from committing a 
 bad action There are two crimes that would merit 
 
24 'THE FIRST FLEET,'' 1788. 
 
 death ; for either of these crimes I should wish to 
 confine the criminal till an opportunity offered of 
 delivering him as a prisoner to the natives of New 
 Zealand and let them eat him. The dread of this will 
 operate much stronger than the fear of death. . . . 
 
 " Women may be brought from the Friendly and 
 other islands, a proper place prepared to receive 
 them, and where they will be supported for a time 
 and lots of land assigned to such as marry with 
 the soldiers of the garrison. 
 
 " As I would not wish convicts to lay the foundations 
 of an empire, I think they should ever remain separate 
 from the garrison and other settlers that may come 
 from Europe, and not be allowed to mix with them, 
 even after the seven or fourteen years for which they 
 are transported may be expired. 
 
 " The laws of this country will, of course, be intro- 
 duced in New South Wales, and there is one I would 
 wish to take place from the moment His Majesty's 
 forces take possession of the country — that there be 
 no slavery in a free land, and consequently no slaves." 
 
 In addition to the general organisation Phillip had 
 to attend to the most minute details. Numerous com- 
 munications passed between him and various officials 
 with regard to the quantity and quality of articles 
 provided as rations, the necessity of overseers to look 
 after the convicts, the filthy condition in which the 
 women were sent on board the ships, the insufficient 
 number of scythes and razors supplied, the lack of 
 drugs and surgical instruments, the insecurity of the 
 hatches in the transports, the supply of grog for the 
 soldiers, clothing for the women, and the terrible over- 
 
INCOMPLETENESS OF ARRANGEMENTS. 25 
 
 crowding on board some of the vessels. In addition to 
 the innumerable details which required attention, in- 
 structions to guide his action in a hundred imaginary 
 emergencies were necessary. Letter after letter had 
 to be written before abuses were remedied or instruc- 
 tions received, while many matters which Phillip 
 deemed essential to the health and safety of his 
 charges were never attended to at all in spite of 
 his frequent remonstrances. At last Phillip's patience 
 seems to have almost given way, and in March he 
 wrote as follows to Lord Sydney: "As the Navy 
 Board have informed me that no alteration can 
 be made respecting the victualling of the marines 
 during the passage, it is to prevent my character 
 as an officer from being called in question, should 
 the consequences I fear be realised, that I once more 
 trouble your lordship on this subject. ... I see the 
 critical situation I may be in after losing part of the 
 garrison, that is at present very weak, when the 
 service for which it is intended is considered; but I 
 am prepared to meet difficulties, and I have onlj^ 
 one fear. I fear, my lord, that it may be said here- 
 after, the officer who took charge of the expedition 
 should have known that it was more than probable 
 he lost half the garrison and convicts crowded and 
 victualled in such a manner for so long a voyage. 
 And the public, believing it rested with me, may 
 impute to my ignorance or inattention what I have 
 never been consulted in, and which never coincided 
 with my ideas, to avoid which is the purport of this 
 letter ; and I flatter myself your lordship will here- 
 after point out the situation in which I have stood 
 
26 "the first fleet,** 1788. 
 
 through the whole of this business, should it ever be 
 necessary." Again, a little later, after a still more 
 emphatic protest to the Under-Secretary, he wrote, 
 "These complaints, my dear sir, do not come unex- 
 pected, nor were they unavoidable. I foresaw them 
 from the beginning, and repeatedly pointed them out, 
 when they might have been so easily prevented at 
 a very small expense, and with little trouble to 
 those who have had the conducting of this business. 
 At present the evils complained of may be re- 
 dressed, and the intentions of Government by this 
 expedition answered. But if now neglected it may 
 be too late hereafter, and we may expect to see the 
 seamen belonging to the transports run from the 
 ships to avoid a jail distemper, and may be refused 
 entrance into a foreign port." At last the arrange- 
 ments were as complete as they appeared likely ever 
 to be, and on the nth of May Phillip sat down in his 
 cabin in the H.M.S. Sirhis, then lying off the Mother- 
 bank, to pen a few last lines to Nepean, the Under- 
 Secretary. To a man of Phillip's temperament the 
 feeling that he was on the eve of a great enterprise 
 was fully present, and in the concluding lines of this 
 letter a glimpse is given of some of his dreams of the 
 future. " Once more," he wrote, " I take my leave of 
 you, fully sensible of the trouble you have had in this 
 business, for which at present I can only thank you ; 
 but at a future period, when this country feels the 
 advantages that are to be drawn from our intended 
 settlement, you will enjoy a satisfaction that will, I 
 am sure, make you ample amends." In these 
 moments of comparative rest when he had done all 
 
"the first pleet^^ sets sail. 27 
 
 that lay in his power to ensure the success of the 
 expedition, the consciousness that he was destined to 
 found a great nation and not simply a distant gaol is 
 again apparent. On the 13th of May the little fleet 
 weighed anchor and started down Channel. It con- 
 sisted of the vessels contained in the table on p. 28. 
 These with the Siritis and Supply made up the fleet. 
 On the first-named there were a few marines and the 
 governor belonging to the establishment, in addition 
 to her own complement. H.M.S. Hycsna, a frigate, 
 accompanied them some way, returning with a final 
 despatch from Phillip when they were well clear of the 
 narrow waters. All was then going well, but the 
 Provost-Marshal and the women's clothing had been 
 left behind, and the Charlotte and Lady Penrhyu 
 sailed very badly. A conspiracy amongst the 
 convicts on the Scarborough had been discovered and 
 promptly suppressed, and to use Phillip's words, " the 
 clearing the Channel is one great point gained, and 
 with which I looked upon all our difficulty as ended," 
 The ships reached Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, on the 3rd 
 of June and here Phillip held his first inspection of the 
 convicts. " I saw them all yesterday for the first 
 time," he writes, " they are quiet and contented, 
 though there are among them some complete villains." 
 A plentiful supply of fresh provisions was taken in, 
 and without delay sail made for Rio de Janiero, where 
 they arrived on the 5th of August. Phillip must have 
 suffered some anxiety concerning his reception at 
 Rio, for fresh provisions were very necessary in order 
 to preserve the health of his charges, and any 
 opposition on the part of the Portuguese Viceroy 
 
28 
 
 " THE FIRST FLEET," I788. 
 
 
 
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AMMUNITION PURCHASED^- 29 
 
 would have produced serious results. All apprehen- 
 sions were, however, soon set at rest and the Portu- 
 guese showed their visitors every civility, while the 
 Viceroy treated Phillip and his officers with extra- 
 ordinary attention and honour. A supply of fresh 
 food was obtained and a considerable quantity of 
 spirits purchased ; indeed, rum rose 25 per cent, in 
 price owing to the unusual demand. Here also 
 Phillip seized the opportunity of remedying a remark- 
 able omission in the preparations for the expedition, 
 No ammunition of any sort had been provided for the 
 marines, so that, had a rising among the convicts 
 occurred on the voyage to Rio, the firearms of the 
 guards would have been useless ; "ten thousand 
 musquet balls " were purchased from the king's stores, 
 fruit-trees and plants were obtained, and on the 
 4th of September the voyage was resumed. Phillip's 
 knowledge of Spanish at once established most 
 friendly relations with the Rio officials, and the 
 success of the visit was mainly due to his tact and 
 courtesy. On the arrival of the fleet at the Cape 
 much trouble was at first experienced in obtaining 
 permission from the Government to purchase what 
 was required, and on this account another month was 
 lost. Eventually all that Phillip asked was granted 
 and the ships took more plants and seeds aboard and 
 some live stock ; but prices were higher than was 
 expected and the space available on the vessels very 
 limited. On the 12th of November sail was set, and 
 about a fortnight later the Governor, leaving the Sirius, 
 and embarking on the Supply, made every effort to 
 push on in order to select the site for the new settle- 
 
30 "THE FIRST FLEET," 1788. 
 
 ment and make certain preparations for the reception 
 of the stores and convicts before the arrival of the 
 transports. The three fastest of the transports were 
 directed to follow with all despatch and Captain 
 Hunter, of the Striiis, was left in charge of the re- 
 maining ships. On the 3rd of January the coast of 
 New South Wales was sighted from the Supply, but 
 owing to contrary winds Botany Bay was not reached 
 till the 1 8th. The Alexander, Scarborough, and 
 Friendship came in next day, and the Sirius with the 
 rest of the ships the day after. Directly he entered 
 the Bay Phillip looked about for some suitable place 
 for the settlement, but he " did not see any situation 
 to which there was not some very strong objection 
 while the anchorage in the bay was exposed to the 
 eastward, and the shores were very shallow." So 
 unfavourable did the surrounding country appear to 
 be that it was determined to search without delay for 
 a better site " higher up the coast," but that no time 
 might be lost if he did not succeed in finding a better 
 harbour and a proper situation for the settlement, 
 Phillip instructed the Lieutenant-Governor, Major 
 Ross, " to at once proceed to clear the land and 
 prepare for disembarkation." Captain Hunter and 
 several officers went with Phillip on his exploring 
 expedition in three boats so that the examination 
 might be conducted as rapidly as possible. The relief 
 and joy felt by this little band as they entered Sydney 
 Heads and saw the peaceful waters of Port Jackson 
 spreading before them in innumerable bays and coves 
 with yellow sandy shores and rocky points may be 
 easily imagined. To Phillip's eye here was a harbour 
 
SYDNEY COVE SELECTED FOR LANDING. 3I 
 
 indeed — " We got into Port Jackson early in the after- 
 noon," he wrote to Lord Sydney, " and had the satis- 
 faction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in 
 which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most 
 perfect security." All the coves were examined in 
 order to find the spot most suitable for landing, and 
 one was selected " that had the best spring of water, 
 and in which the ships can anchor so close to the 
 shore, that at a very small expense quays may be 
 made at which the largest ships may unload." On the 
 third day Phillip returned to Botany Bay to find Ross 
 disgusted with the country and every one depressed. 
 Preparations were immediately made to go round to 
 Sydney Cove, but before the start an incident oc- 
 curred which created no small amount of excitement. 
 The account given by Trench, an officer of marines, 
 so well describes the feelings of astonishment on board 
 the transports in Botany Bay when two strange sail 
 suddenly appeared on the horizon, that it is worth 
 quoting at length. " The thoughts of removal (from 
 Botany Bay to Port Jackson) banished sleep, so that 
 I rose at the first dawn of the morning. But judge of 
 my surprise on hearing from a sergeant, who ran down 
 almost breathless to the cabin where I was dressing, 
 that a ship was seen off the harbour's mouth ! At 
 first I only laughed, but knowing the man who spoke 
 to me to be of great veracity, and hearing him repeat 
 his information, I flew upon deck, on which I had 
 barely set my foot, when the cry of ' another sail ' 
 struck on my astonished ear. Confounded by a 
 thousand ideas which arose in my mind in an instant, 
 I sprang upon the barricade, and plainly descried two 
 
32 
 
 " THE FIRST FLEET," 1788. 
 
 ships of considerable size standing in for the mouth 
 of the bay." The two sail turned out to be the 
 Boussole and Astrolabe, under La Perouse, on a 
 voyage of discovery. The officers exchanged civilities, 
 and La Perouse left in charge of the Englishmen, for 
 transmission to Europe, the last letters and despatches 
 which he wrote before his untimely death. Directly 
 some of the transports came round to Sydney Cove, 
 as Phillip called the spot he had chosen, a start was 
 made at clearing the ground. On the 26th of January, 
 1788, the British flag was unfurled at the head of the 
 bay. Toasts of the King, the Royal Family, and 
 success to the new Colony were honoured, volleys 
 were fired by the marines, and in the evening the 
 remaining ships arrived from Botany. 
 
NEW SOUTH WALES. 
 III. 
 
 BOTANY BAY. 
 (1788-1792.) 
 
 The erection of stores for the provisions and 
 shelter for the convicts and marines was vigorously 
 pushed on. On the 7th of July all the people had 
 been landed from the ships and the formal inaugu- 
 ration of the colony took place. The whole of the 
 little community assembled on the slope of Point 
 Maskelyne, now known as Dawe's Point, and 
 Phillip's commission and the other documents estab- 
 lishing the Government were read by the Judge- 
 Advocate. The Governor then addressed a few words 
 to the convicts with regard to the future. He assured 
 them that he would do all in his power to render 
 those happy who led orderly lives and showed a 
 disposition to amendment, but he held out no hope 
 of mercy to any who continued in evil courses or 
 transgressed the law or regulations of the colony. 
 
 After the ceremony every one turned their atten- 
 4 33 
 
LIEUT. KING SENT TO NORFOLK ISLAND. 35 
 
 tion to clearing the land and erecting dwellings ; but 
 the task proved a difficult one, for the surrounding 
 country was extremely rocky and heavily timbered. 
 
 " The scene, to an indifferent spectator at leisure to 
 contemplate it, would have been highly picturesque 
 and amusing," wrote an eye-witness ; " in one place, 
 a party cutting down the woods ; a second, setting 
 up a blacksmith's forge ; a third, dragging along a 
 load of stones or provisions ; here an officer pitching 
 his marquee, with a detachment of troops parading 
 on one side of him and a cook's fire blazing up on 
 the other." Phillip had been instructed to imme- 
 diately occupy Norfolk Island, so a week after the 
 inauguration Lieut. Phillip Gidley King was de- 
 spatched in the Stipply with fifteen men, nine of 
 whom were convicts, and six convict women. 
 
 It was most necessary that no time should be lost 
 in planting the seeds and shrubs obtained at Rio and 
 the Cape, since, if any misfortune were to overtake one 
 of the store-ships from England, the safetyof the colony 
 might before long depend on the local crops. But 
 Phillip, when he tried to cultivate the land, found that 
 there was no one who understood anything of garden- 
 ing or farming except his own servant, and much 
 of the precious seed was lost in efforts to learn by 
 experience. The agricultural implements supplied 
 were very inadequate, and it soon became clear that, 
 if any good results were to be obtained, it could only 
 be by the arrival of some free settlers skilled in 
 agricultural pursuits. Even before all the stores 
 were out of the ship the Governor wrote : " If fifty 
 farmers were sent out with their families, they would 
 
36 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 do more in one year in rendering this colony inde- 
 pendent of the Mother Country as to provisions than 
 a thousand convicts." 
 
 Within a month of landing, attempts to rob the 
 public stores of the very limited stock of provisions 
 which they contained called for prompt and severe 
 treatment, and an execution took place. The ill 
 success met with in farming caused the shadow of 
 famine to hover over the settlement from the com- 
 mencement, and the stores had to be zealously 
 guarded, for in spite of every effort it seemed im- 
 possible to render the colony self-supporting with 
 the materials to hand, A couple of years later 
 Phillip again wrote : " Experience has taught me 
 how difficult it is to make men industrious who 
 have passed their lives in habits of vice and indo- 
 lence. In some cases it has been found impossible ; 
 neither kindness nor severity have had any effect. 
 There are many who dread punishment less than 
 they fear labour." The discontent of the convicts 
 was increased by a curious omission on the part of 
 the officials in England. Phillip had been supplied 
 v/ith no papers stating the dates of expiration of 
 sentences, so that when men claimed to have served 
 their time he could not release them without refer- 
 ring home. In some cases grants of land were made 
 to be confirmed if the claim proved true, while severe 
 punishment was threatened in any case of imposition. 
 The helplessness of Phillip's position was aggravated 
 by the military, for no assistance was received from 
 Major Ross, the Lieutenant-Governor, who, instead of 
 aiding, used every opportunity of embarrassing Phillip 
 
EXPLORATION OF THE COUNTRY, 37 
 
 or rendering his efforts at reform and harmony- 
 nugatory. Phillip had hoped much from the moral 
 influence of the military on the convicts, but he was 
 bitterly disappointed. He expressed a wish soon 
 after landing " that officers would, when they saw 
 the convicts diligent, say a few words of encourage- 
 ment to them, and that when they saw them idle 
 or met them straggling in the woods they would 
 threaten them with punishment ; " but he was 
 promptly informed that " they declined the least 
 interference with the convicts." During the whole 
 of Phillip's tenure of office the military were a thorn 
 in his side, and, had he not been possessed of enor- 
 mous self-control, matters must, at an early stage, 
 have reached a crisis which might have been fatal to 
 the prospects of the colony. 
 
 As soon as things were fairly in progress at Sydney 
 Cove the Governor commenced a series of expedi- 
 tions into the surrounding country, chiefly in the 
 hope of finding better arable land than was to be 
 got near the harbour. He first went to Broken Bay 
 and Pittwater, and was much impressed with the fine 
 scenery, but unfortunately, while sleeping on the wet 
 ground, he contracted an illness which proved a con- 
 tinual source of pain and eventually compelled him 
 to return to England. 
 
 On his second trip, taken shortly afterwards, he 
 discovered Lake Narabeen, and a week later made 
 his first attempt to reach the Blue Mountains. On 
 the journey some good country suitable for farming- 
 operations was found, but the mountains could not 
 be reached owing to lack of provisions. The chief 
 
38 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 result of these explorations was the establishment of 
 a farm at the head of the harbour, where " the soil 
 was of a stiff clayey nature, free from that rock which 
 everywhere covered the surface of Sydney Cove." 
 
 Much of the seed brought in the ships had been 
 heated and otherwise spoilt, and the live stock had 
 also met with serious mishaps. Before long the 
 Governor was filled with apprehensions in regard to 
 the food supply. It was apparent that at the present 
 rate of progress the colony must long be entirely 
 dependent on provisions from England, and Phillip 
 could not but tremble when he thought of the 
 numerous dangers besetting ships sailing in the 
 unexplored waters which surrounded him and the 
 terrible consequences which any misfortune to a 
 store-ship would entail. Ross, in whom Phillip in 
 these difficulties should have found a counsellor and 
 friend, soon developed into an open foe, and dis- 
 played a personal animosity which entirely oblite- 
 rated any sense of duty and responsibility which he 
 may have originally possessed. One of his first acts 
 was to endeavour to persuade the officers of the 
 marines to refuse to sit on the criminal court, a duty 
 imposed on them by a special Act of Parliament. 
 Fortunately the subordinates had more discretion 
 than their commandant, and declined to be made 
 tools of his spleen against the Governor ; but, had 
 this not been the case, the colony for some time 
 would have been left without any means of legally 
 punishing offenders — a situation the gravity of which 
 is obvious in a society threatened with starvation 
 and mainly composed of persons who had already 
 
PHILLIP AND ROSS. 39 
 
 transgressed the law. Doubtless their refusal to 
 support the quibbles of Ross strained the relations 
 existing between him and his subordinates, for before 
 long he took the remarkable step of placing the 
 whole of the members of a court-martial under arrest 
 for declining to alter at his command a sentence 
 inflicted by them. This action again placed Phillip 
 in a difficult predicament ; for, unless he took every 
 officer from his duty, it was impossible to assemble a 
 court to try the case. The Governor, therefore, offered 
 a court of inquiry instead of a general court-martial, 
 but this the officers concerned refused, demanding 
 either a proper trial or a public apology for their 
 arrest. The only way out of the dilemma was for 
 the Governor to order the officers back to their duty 
 until a court - martial could be assembled, a step 
 which practically closed the incident ; but the fact 
 of subalterns demanding an apology from their com- 
 manding officer was scarcely an encouraging aspect 
 of discipline in the regiment. Phillip had been 
 instructed " by every possible means to open an 
 intercourse with the natives and to conciliate their 
 affections," and his policy from the commencement 
 was characterised by a desire to inspire them with 
 confidence. On all occasions when he personally 
 came in contact with them his address, combininsf 
 courage and firmness with a fine sense of the natives' 
 rights, produced the most pleasing effect ; but all the 
 good done by the Governor was undone by the 
 convicts and marines, who wantonly destroyed the 
 canoes and other property which the natives left on 
 the shore and in many ways provoked acts of re- 
 
40 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 taliation which not infrequently ended in loss of life. 
 Ill-treatment of the natives by the colonists, when 
 detected, met with severe punishment, but in spite of 
 every precaution outrages by one class or the other 
 were of frequent occurrence. Phillip, seeing the 
 necessity of an interpreter, if friendly intercourse 
 was to be established, secured a young aboriginal 
 man, named Arabanoo, in December, 1788, and took 
 much pains to instruct him in the language and 
 customs of the white men. This experiment was 
 promising to be successful when Arabanoo died from 
 small-pox. Two other natives, named Bennilong and 
 Colebe, were afterwards captured, and they on many 
 occasions acted as intermediaries between the blacks 
 and the new-comers. Although Phillip was often in 
 positions of very great danger from attacks of the 
 natives, the apparent absence of all fear and the 
 remarkable tact which he displayed saved him, and 
 only once did he meet with any mishap at their 
 hands. On this occasion a native, to .whom he had 
 been introduced by Bennilong, misunderstanding his 
 friendly advances and thinking that Phillip intended 
 to seize him as Bennilong had before been seized, 
 threw his spear, which entered above Phillip's collar- 
 bone, the barb passing out at his back. The wound 
 proved not to be so serious as it at first sight ap- 
 peared, and in ten days the Governor was about 
 again, and made another visit to the tribe of the 
 aggressor, in order to show that he felt no ill-will. 
 
 Although the convicts had been landed in better 
 health than the most sanguine could have hoped, 
 sickness broke out soon after they were on shore, 
 
ATTEMPT TO CIVILISE NATIVES. 4I 
 
 and scurvy and dysentery greatly weakened the 
 effective strength of the settlement. The number 
 of unproductive consumers was day by day grow- 
 ing more out of proportion to the producers, and 
 the food question assumed a very serious aspect. 
 Rations were reduced, and the Sh'h/s, leaving behind 
 guns and everything she could dispense with, in order 
 to make more room, was despatched to the Cape, 
 the Siipply being sent at the same time to Batavia 
 for provisions. After a lengthy voyage the Sirins 
 returned, "every officer's department and all the 
 store-rooms being completely filled ; " but even then 
 the food she brought could not postpone the impend- 
 ing disaster for more than a few weeks. Numerous 
 attempts were made by convicts to escape from the 
 settlement : some started to walk to China, which 
 they imagined to be only 150 miles distant ; others 
 wandered away into the bush and were never heard 
 of again ; while a few seized boats and put to sea. 
 
 The most successful of these latter was a man 
 named Bryant, who, in a fishing-boat, sailed, with his 
 wife and two children — one of whom was an infant — 
 and seven convicts, and arrived safely at Timor. 
 Owing to want of discretion on the part of some of 
 the convicts, their identity was discovered, and the 
 Dutch Governor handed them over to the captain 
 of H.M.S. Pandora, who was at that time in port. 
 Crime — more especially robberies of food, both by the 
 soldiers and convicts — increased with the decrease of 
 the food allowance, and executions and other punish- 
 ments occurred with appalling frequency. The abso- 
 lute necessity of protecting the public stores and the 
 
43 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 little vegetable gardens of the settlers was apparent 
 to every one but Ross, who seized the opportunity- 
 afforded by the arrest of a soldier by the night watch 
 for robbing a garden to make one more attempt to 
 embarrass the Governor. Ross even went so far as 
 to advise his men to use their bayonets to protect 
 themselves when molested in their predatory expedi- 
 tions. 
 
 At last resources became so low, that it was deter- 
 mined to send a further detachment to Norfolk Island, 
 under Major Ross, who was appointed Lieutenant- 
 Governor in succession to King, to relieve the main 
 settlement of some of the mouths to be filled, em- 
 ploying the services of King as a special envoy to 
 England to lay before the Government more forcibly 
 than could be done in any despatches the desperate 
 straits to which the settlement had been reduced, in 
 the matter of food as well as the various reforms in the 
 Government and military which were so urgently 
 needed. The Siriiis and Supply sailed with Ross 
 and a large body of marines and convicts, provided 
 as well with stores. Norfolk Island was reached 
 safely, and the passengers landed ; but while dis- 
 charging the cargo, the Sirius drifted on a reef and 
 became a total wreck. 
 
 The intention had been to proceed to China for 
 provisions, taking King, who was to have made his 
 way thence to England ; after the wreck, however. 
 King at once returned to Sydney in the Sjipply. 
 
 At headquarters matters were gradually going from 
 bad to worse. The fleet had left England with two 
 years' supply of provisions, and although next to 
 
SCARCITY OF FOOD. 43 
 
 nothing had been obtained from the land, three years 
 had already passed without any additional support or 
 news from home. The rations had been so reduced, 
 that it was found necessary to serve them " daily to 
 every person in the settlement, without distinction," 
 so that it might not be possible for any one to devour 
 a week's rations at one meal and then starve. All 
 Government work had to be stopped, owing to the 
 extreme weakness of the convicts, and every one was 
 occupied in procuring food by fishing or shooting, 
 and for this purpose all private boats were pressed 
 into the public service. The only hope of saving the 
 people from starvation was to send the little brig Supply 
 to Batavia ; this was therefore done, the commander 
 having instructions to there charter a large ship, at 
 any price, and send her to Sydney with provisions. 
 Trench, an officer of marines, draws a graphic picture 
 of the terrible straits to which the colony was re- 
 duced : " Three or four instances of persons who 
 have perished from want have been related to me. 
 One only, however, fell within my own observation. 
 I was passing the provision store, when a man, with 
 a wild, haggard countenance, who had just received 
 his daily pittance to carry home, came out. His fal- 
 tering gait, and eager, devouring eye led me to watch 
 him ; and he had not proceeded ten steps before he 
 fell. I ordered him to be carried to the hospital, 
 where, when he arrived, he was found dead." 
 
 The one bright spot in this scene of misery was 
 the demeanour of Phillip. With a patient endurance, 
 he bore the privations in common with his meanest 
 subject. Famished and in ill health, he none the less 
 
44 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 gave every thought to the welfare of those under his 
 charge ; while the grievances which called forth 
 bitter lamentations from his subordinates, he wrote 
 about as " The little difficulties we have met with, 
 which time and proper people for cultivating the land 
 will remove." In the colony's darkest hour he never 
 swerved from the opinion " that this country will 
 prove the most valuable acquisition Great Britain ever 
 made." His example was not confined to words. 
 " The Governor, from a motive that did him immortal 
 honour," wrote Collins, "gave up three hundred weight 
 of flour, which was his Excellency's private property, 
 declaring that he wished not to see anything more at 
 his table than the ration which was received in common 
 from the public store, without any distinction of per- 
 sons ; and to this resolution he rigidly adhered, wish- 
 ing that, if a convict complained, he might see that 
 want was not unfelt even at Government House." 
 Actions such as these were not uncommon during his 
 rule, and they lost none of their virtue from the fact 
 that he always forgot to mention them when writing 
 officially or privately to England. 
 
 A flagstaff was erected on the South Head, so that 
 the appearance of any approaching sail could be at 
 once made known to the starving inhabitants ; and 
 the following extract from a letter to England of one 
 of the men stationed on the look-out brings home 
 the aching anxiety with which the glittering horizon 
 was watched for relief: "Early and late do I look 
 with anxious eyes towards the sea ; and at times, 
 when the day was fast setting and the shadows of the 
 evening stretched out, I have been deceived with some 
 
FULL RATION RESTORED. ■ 45 
 
 fantastic little cloud, which, as it condensed or ex- 
 panded by such a light, for a short time has amused 
 impatient imagination into a momentary idea that it 
 was a vessel altering her sail and position while steer- 
 ing in for the haven ; when, in an instant, it has 
 assumed a form so unlike what the mind was intent 
 upon, or has become so greatly extended, as fully 
 to certify me of its flimsy texture and fleeting 
 existence." 
 
 At last a sail appeared ; and on the evening of 
 June 3, 1790, the joyful cry of "The flag's up !" re- 
 sounded in every direction. " I was sitting in my 
 hut," wrote Trench, "musing on our fate, when a con- 
 fused clamour in the street drew my attention. I 
 opened my door, and saw several women, with children 
 in their arms, running to and fro with distracted looks, 
 congratulating each other, and kissing their infants 
 with the most passionate and extravagant marks of 
 fondness. I needed no more, but instantly started 
 out and ran to a hill, where, by the assistance of my 
 pocket-glass, my hopes were realised. My next-door 
 neighbour, a brother officer, was with me ; but we 
 could not speak ; we wrung each other by the hand, 
 with eyes and hearts overflowing." 
 
 The vessel turned out to be the JiUiana, with 222 
 female convicts, for whom Philip had asked in more 
 prosperous times, in order to render the proportion of 
 sexes in the colony more equal. She also brought 
 some provisions and part of the cargo of the store- 
 ship Guardian^ which had been wrecked off the Cape 
 of Good Hope by collision with an iceberg, and the 
 loss of which had been the cause of the long delay in 
 
4-6 BOTANY BAY. 
 
 arrival of help for the colony. A few weeks after the 
 Juliana, the Justinian storeship made the port, fol- 
 lowed, a little later, by the Supply and the vessel 
 chartered in China ; so that the full ration was 
 restored. But before long three more transports 
 arrived full of prisoners, amongst whom sickness and 
 pestilence were raging. No less than 261 deaths of 
 male convicts had occurred on the passage, while 488 
 persons were under medical treatment on landing, 
 and the resources of the little colony were taxed to 
 the utmost. 
 
 Philip lost no time in sending aid to the people at 
 Norfolk Island, where the sufferings from want of 
 food had been almost as severe as at Sydney. The 
 settlement was saved by the discovery of what the 
 sailors called mutton birds — a species of petrel — 
 which alighted in thousands on the highest peak in 
 the island. From two to three thousand of these 
 birds were captured nightly, and for some time they 
 formed the principal support of the inhabitants. 
 
 The first detachment of the newly-formed New 
 South Wales Corps arrived in the transports, to re- 
 lieve the marines who had come out with the first 
 fleet. This corps had been raised by Major Grose, 
 for special service in the settlement, and it was hoped 
 by the English Government that the change would 
 remove all the friction which had so long existed 
 between the civil and military powers. Ross was 
 recalled with the marines, for his erratic behaviour 
 had not met with approbation. 
 
 A few of the men of the marines, under Captain- 
 Lieutenant Johnston, joined the new corps, which 
 
FAILURE OF PHILLIP'S HEALTH. 47 
 
 was to play a very prominent part in the later history 
 of the colony. The very large increase in the popu- 
 lation, and the inability of the greater proportion of 
 the new-comers to do any productive work, brought 
 the community once more to a state of famine. A 
 vessel was sent to India to obtain supplies; but while 
 waiting for her return, rations were cut down to the 
 smallest amount which would keep body and soul 
 together. The extremities to which the colony was 
 reduced may be gathered from a letter written by 
 Phillip to King, in which he says that, " When the 
 Atlantic arrived, we had only thirteen days' flour and 
 forty-five days of maize in store, at i^ lb. flour and 
 4^ lb. maize per man for seven days." 
 
 King had returned towards the close of 1791 from 
 his mission to England, where he had been most 
 successful, receiving promotion and being especially 
 appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island. 
 
 Phillip's health gave way under his arduous duties, 
 and shortly after King's departure to resume his 
 command at Norfolk Island, the Governor asked to 
 be permitted to return to England. Very reluctantly 
 leave was granted, but the English Government 
 delayed appointing his successor, in the hopes of 
 persuading him to again take up the duties which he 
 had performed with such signal success and discretion. 
 On the nth of December, 1792, Phillip left the 
 colony, and Major Francis Grose, the Commandant 
 of the New South Wales Corps, assumed the reins of 
 government, in virtue of his commission as Lieutenant- 
 Governor. 
 
IV. 
 
 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 (1792-1806.) 
 
 Were any demonstration of the wisdom and 
 beneficial influence of Phillip's rule needed, it is 
 abundantly provided by the errors and incompetence 
 of his immediate successors. One of the first actions 
 of Grose was to supersede the civil magistracy and 
 place the government entirely in the hands of the 
 mihtary. In a society such as then existed in the 
 colony the change might have had no very bad effect 
 had the New South Wales Corps been composed of 
 respectable and reliable men. But the knowledge 
 that they possessed practically uncontrolled power 
 rapidly produced an impatience of every kind of 
 restraint. No sooner was Phillip's back turned than 
 all the elements for evil, both in. guards and convicts, 
 were given full play, and lust, profanity, and crime 
 reigned unchecked. 
 
 Instructions had been received shortly after the 
 Governor's departure authorising him to make grants 
 of land, and to assign convict servants within pre- 
 
INDULGENCES TO THE MILITARY. 49 
 
 scribed limits to officers of the New South Wales 
 Corps. Grose therefore lost no time in availing him- 
 self of this permission, but he entirely disregarded 
 the specified limitations. The baneful influence of 
 the military did not confine itself to example, and 
 those whose most obvious and solemn duty it was to 
 try and improve the moral condition of the convicts 
 had no hesitation in encouraging vice and debauchery 
 amongst them for their own material gain. Phillip, 
 although he had never tolerated any special indul- 
 gence to the soldiers in the way of an undue allow- 
 ance from the public stores, had nevertheless been 
 mindful of their comfort, and had recommended the 
 English Government to send out certain luxuries, 
 such as wine, spirits, and tobacco, to be sold at cost 
 price to those of the officers who might wish to 
 purchase them for their own consumption. When 
 the military became the largest farmers and employers 
 of labour, they did not take long to discover to what 
 very profitable account this concession could be 
 turned. The craving for spirits amongst the convict 
 population had always been very great ; possibly a 
 desire to forget their misery in intoxication may have 
 strengthened it, at the same time, owing to the small 
 quantity which Phillip had permitted to be landed in 
 the colony, prices were exceedingly high. Men who 
 would not work for wages would readily engage for 
 rum ; the lucrative nature of the traffic open to the 
 officers is apparent. Before Grose had been in com- 
 mand many months spirits became the common and 
 recognised medium of exchange, the military pur- 
 chasing at from 4s. to 5s. per gallon and retailing at 
 
 5 
 
50 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 prices ranging up to ;^8 per gallon. There can be 
 no doubt that the officers by this means got far more 
 work done than otherwise would have been possible, 
 but the effect on the community needs no description. 
 Religious observances became a farce, murders and 
 robberies multiplied, and attacks of terrible brutality 
 upon the natives called forth reprisals of equal vio- 
 lence, and laid the foundation of the inhuman cruelty 
 which is a dark blot on the page of Australia's 
 history. 
 
 At Norfolk Island King continued to rule his little 
 colony with justice and wisdom ; but the great dis- 
 similarity betv\^een the methods pursued by Grose 
 and his subordinate must inevitably have sooner or 
 later produced a collision. The crisis, when it came, 
 strikingly exemplified the characters of the two men. 
 Even at Norfolk Island the military had become 
 infected with the arrogance and licentiousness of the 
 corps in Sydney, and the relations between free or 
 freed settlers and the soldiers were by no means 
 cordial. One day a settler found that a soldier had 
 very grievously wronged him, and in the heat of his 
 passion shot and wounded the offender. King, him- 
 self a pure and honourable man, sympathised with 
 the settler, and only inflicted a small penalty on him, 
 whereupon other soldiers took up their friend's cause, 
 and shamefully maltreated the man who had shot their 
 comrade, taking the occasion of a theatrical per- 
 formance at which King was present, to behave in a 
 riotous and insubordinate way. After the entertain- 
 ment they demanded from Lieutenant Abbot, their 
 commanding officer, that the settler should be more 
 
KING AT NORFOLK ISLAND. 5 1 
 
 severely punished, and swearing that they would not 
 permit any soldier to suffer for an offence against a 
 convict, displayed such a mutinous temper, that King 
 and Abbot in consultation decided that the company 
 had better be promptly disarmed and a militia enrolled 
 from the free settlers to act in its stead. This course 
 was followed, and the ringleaders of the mutiny were 
 sent to Sydney for trial. That King should presume 
 to interfere with the New South Wales Corps so 
 angered Grose that he completely lost his head, and 
 censured King's action in a despatch which is a 
 truly remarkable specimen of official correspondence. 
 Another cause of friction was in connection with 
 two New Zealand chiefs who had been kidnapped in 
 order that they might instruct the colonists at Norfolk 
 Island in the preparation of the native flax. • King, 
 fearful that, after they had imparted all the know- 
 ledge they possessed, they would not reach their own 
 country in safety, himself accompanied them to New 
 Zealand being absent from his government ten days. 
 Grose took this opportunity to severely reprimand 
 him. The most serious trouble, however, was the 
 dishonouring by Grose of the bills drawn by King 
 to pay settlers in Norfolk Island for crops purchased 
 on Government account. These bills had been drawn 
 in strict accordance with Phillip's instructions, and 
 the refusal of Grose to meet them so disheartened 
 the farmers that an irremediable blow was struck at 
 agricultural development in the island. 
 
 All these matters were referred to the English 
 authorities ; Grose, it is true, was censured, while 
 King's action was ccmmended, but the effect of this 
 
52 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 breach of faith could not be removed by the tardy 
 payment of the money. 
 
 Surrounded by disaffection among his own corps, 
 in spite of all he had done for them, and conscious of 
 the disapprobation of his conduct in England, Grose 
 felt no desire to remain, so in December, 1794, he 
 left the country, resigning the command to Captain 
 Paterson, as senior military officer. Captain Hunter, 
 who had charge of the Sirhis up to her wreck, had 
 been appointed to succeed Phillip before Paterson 
 began to rule, so that that officer can scarcely be 
 blamed for permitting things to continue as Grose 
 left them and troubling himself very little with affairs 
 of government. Hunter arrived in September, 1795, 
 carrying with him imperative instructions to reinstate 
 the civil magistracy and suppress the liquor traffic. 
 The first he did, but he was unequal to the latter 
 task. In less troublous times he might have governed 
 successfully, but he was not strong enough to battle 
 with the great abuses which permeated every grade 
 of society, and his official reports are one long lamen- 
 tation that the task was too hard. In his efforts at 
 reform, he received no help from the corps, which he 
 described as containing " characters who have been 
 considered disgraceful to every other regiment in his 
 Majesty's service, who were often superior in every 
 species of infamy to the most expert in wickedness 
 among the convicts " ; but he feared to provoke them 
 to open hostility. If he could only have done what 
 he wished to do all would have been well, for his 
 successor gave a fitting epitaph to his government 
 when he wrote : " His public conduct has been guided 
 
CAPTAIN JOHN HUNTER. 
 
54 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 by the most upright intentions, but he has been most 
 shamefully deceived by those upon whom he had 
 every reason to depend for assistance and advice." 
 
 King had been so successful at Norfolk Island 
 that he appeared the most fit person to cope with the 
 difficulties which had overwhelmed Hunter. He was, 
 moreover, still in England on leave, and by his 
 personal experience of the present state of affairs in 
 New South Wales, was of considerable assistance to 
 the Secretary of State in the consultations which 
 took place with Phillip and Banks as to the best 
 means to be pursued for the reformation of the 
 colony. 
 
 It was acknowledged that Hunter had acted to the 
 best of his ability, and it was recognised that his 
 recall would be a bitter disappointment to him ; so the 
 Duke of Portland determined to send out King as 
 Lieutenant-Governor, with a dormant commission 
 appointing him Governor in case of Hunter's absence 
 or death. King was made the bearer of very stringent 
 instructions with regard to the liquor traffic, mono- 
 poly and military traders, and he was directed to 
 lose no time in promulgating them and enforcing 
 obedience. 
 
 In April, 1800, he arrived in the colony, but, 
 although the hint conveyed by the dormant commis- 
 sion was clear, Hunter, unwilling to confess him- 
 self beaten, clung to office. King's position was 
 anomalous ; until Hunter left New South Wales he 
 had practically no power or authority, and Hunter 
 himself was disinclined to carry out the instructions of 
 which he had been made the bearer. For some months 
 
ARRIVAL OF CAPTAIN yOHN HUNTER. 55 
 
 King assisted in the general administration of public 
 business, but Hunter discouraged any attempt to deal 
 with the principal abuses, so that all that could be 
 done in this direction was to pave the way for future 
 reforms by cutting off the supply of spirits at its 
 source. With this end in view King communicated 
 with the Governor-General of India and the British 
 Consuls in America, requesting either that the ship- 
 ment of spirits to New South Wales should be 
 stopped, or, where this was impossible, that ship- 
 owners and masters should be warned that the land- 
 ing of spirits in the colony had been prohibited. At 
 last in September the Governor reluctantly yielded to 
 King's entreaties, and consented to the promulgation 
 of the orders respecting military traders, and the 
 barter of spirits. As the New South Wales Corps 
 were so deeply concerned. Colonel Paterson was first 
 informed, and desired to make the substance of the 
 new regulations known to the officers under his 
 command ; shortly afterwards the instructions from 
 the British Government dealing with these matters 
 were published, and created a profound sensation 
 among all classes of people. The immediate enforce- 
 ment of the new order of things would have entailed 
 great loss, and possibly even ruin on many persons ; so 
 King made some slight temporary concessions, though 
 the command that no military officer should partake 
 in any form of trade caused acute irritation amongst 
 the military. Captain Macarthur, who had already 
 by his energy and ability taken a prominent position 
 as farmer, trader, and soldier, with characteristic im- 
 petuousity, determined to shake the dust of New 
 
56 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 South Wales from his feet, and with this object offered 
 the whole of his valuable collection of sheep and 
 cattle to the Government at a low price. King, who 
 on several occasions obtained his end by meeting 
 extravagant conduct of this sort with imperturbability, 
 gravely recommended the purchase to the Secretary of 
 State, but, as he had doubtless anticipated, before an 
 answer was received Macarthur had plunged afresh 
 with undiminished enthusiasm into his schemes for 
 fine wool growing. 
 
 Hunter now perceived that his return to England 
 was advisable, so left King with a free hand. The 
 new Governor at once set about reform. Certificates 
 for landing were refused for most of the spirits, which 
 arrived in large quantities from India, America, the 
 Cape, and Brazil. In the first fourteen months of 
 his rule no less than 32,000 gallons of spirits and 
 22,000 gallons of wine were sent out of the har- 
 bour, and the small quantity, which was permitted to 
 be landed, had to be sold at a fixed price of from 4s. 
 to los. a gallon. As much as £S per gallon had, just 
 previously to Hunter's departure, been recovered in 
 the Court, the judgment having been sustained by 
 Hunter on appeal ; so the violent reaction which 
 King's proceedings must have produced is evident. 
 Steps were also taken to prevent smuggling ; regu- 
 lations were framed to govern the landing of spirits, 
 very heavy penalties being attached to the infringe- 
 ment of them. 
 
 The population at King's departure was only 
 7,519 persons, 3,295 of whom were women and 
 children, but, during the six years which he governed 
 
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. 57 
 
 the colony, shippers were refused permission to land 
 cargoes to the amount of no less than 100,777 
 gallons of spirits and wine. Having taken effective 
 steps to control the importation of liquor, the 
 next thing to be done was to regulate the trade 
 within the colony, and King determined to limit the 
 power to sell spirits to persons specially licensed on 
 the recommendation of the magistrates. In this way 
 all retailers of liquor were brought under the notice 
 of the Government, and any irregularities perpetrated 
 by them could be easily punished. It was not to be 
 expected that abuses of such deep Growth could be 
 removed without much difficulty, and King's energetic 
 measures called forth " much animadversion, secret 
 threats and officious advice," from those with whom 
 the reform interfered. The Governor was no respecter 
 of persons, and all classes, from officers to convicts, 
 were given to clearly understand that obedience to 
 orders was necessary, and that disregard of the regu- 
 lations carried severe and inevitable punishment. 
 
 The spirit traffic was not the only trade which 
 received attention, and a general order was issued in 
 October, 1800, by which an attempt was made to deal 
 with monopoly and extortion. The price at which 
 private retailers might sell articles was fixed by 
 the Governor at 20 per cent, on the price paid to 
 the shippers, which was estimated at from So to 100 
 per cent, on the value of the articles in Europe 
 or India. In order to prevent evasion of this 
 regulation, it was also ordered that no cognisance 
 should be taken by the Courts of any promissory note 
 or bill, unless the consideration for which it had been 
 
58 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 given was clearly set forth thereon, and printed pro- 
 missory note forms were supjDlied by the Govern- 
 ment. Butchers and bakers were licensed, and the 
 quality and price of meat and bread regulated, and 
 various other traders were treated in a similar way. 
 The following notice promulgated by King in March, 
 1806, is an example of the prevailing method of 
 dealing with commercial matters : — 
 
 "NOTICE. 
 
 '■'■March 23, 1806. 
 
 " The following ordinance of the 8th of May, 1801, and general 
 order of the 17th of May, 1802, are repeated, and required to be 
 duly observed and enforced, viz. : — 
 
 "It is hereby ordered, that no other than one quality of wheat- 
 bread is to be made throughout the colony, viz., such bread to 
 be composed of meal, from which only twenty-four pounds of 
 bran are to be taken from one hundred pounds. As this regu- 
 lation is necessary to prevent a distressing scarcity, any inhabi- 
 tant or person resident in the colony disobeying this ordinance 
 will be punished according to their respective situations, exclu- 
 sive of the penalty of five pounds for each offence. Bakers of 
 any description disobeying any part of this ordinance will, on 
 conviction, have their ovens taken down, and be fined in the 
 penalty of ten pounds for each offence." 
 
 The Female Orphan Institution was the most per- 
 manent and, probably, the most beneficial of King's 
 early reforms. One of the first things which he 
 noticed on arriving in the colony was the terrible 
 temptation to a life of degradation and infamy which 
 surrounded the children, and even before Hunter's 
 departure he decided to found an institution, in which 
 the girls at any rate could be received and rescued 
 from the fate which otherwise awaited them. A house 
 
THE FEMALE ORPHAN INSTITUTION. 59 
 
 in Parramatta was purchased by bills drawn on the 
 British Treasury, and a committee formed to manage 
 tlie home. 
 
 Long after King had retired the Female Orphan 
 Institution continued to do good work, and the full 
 benefit derived by the country from this humane 
 effort to keep the rising generation uncontaminated 
 by the terrible vice which ran riot through the land 
 was reaped in later years. But King had other 
 matters of equally serious character to occupy him. 
 The Irish rebellion of 1798 had supplied large num- 
 bers of convicts for transportation, and these political 
 prisoners brought with them a restless energy, which 
 was a constant cause of anxiety to their guards. The 
 French wars at this time also tended to excite the 
 bond population, amongst whom vague and unfounded 
 reports of the intention of the French to seize the 
 settlement and set them at liberty were continually 
 circulating. Sometimes these hopes were stimulated 
 by the arrival of privateers with their prizes in the 
 harbour, and in 1804 an engagement between two 
 ships took place off the Heads, within sight of the 
 inhabitants. Rumours of intended insurrection had 
 reached the Government before Hunter's departure ; 
 therefore it became necessary, in the first months of 
 King's rule, to take extra precautions against surprise, 
 and an " Armed Association," composed of loyal free 
 settlers, was enrolled. From this time forward there 
 were continual conspiracies and outbreaks among the 
 convicts. The widespread feeling of suspicion and 
 expectation seriously interfered with progress in 
 peaceful development. The Governor's time was so 
 
6o THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 fully occupied in preparing for or dealing with revolts 
 of one sort or another that little chance was left for 
 the encouragement of agriculture or other industries. 
 In 1802, so grave were the apprehensions that a pro- 
 clamation ordering a general search for arms was 
 promulgated, accompanied by very stringent regula- 
 tions with regard to seditious meetings or utterances. 
 During the early months of 1803 there were several 
 acts of lawless violence reported on the part of the 
 convicts, and at the end of that year the " Loyal 
 Associations " had been again embodied on receipt of 
 the news of the renewal of hostilities with France. 
 At the commencement of March, 1804, curious 
 rumours reached the authorities. Captain Abbot at 
 Parramatta, and Mr. Arndell, at the Hawkesbury, 
 both heard " several mysterious informations about 
 an intended insurrection." On the 4th of March 
 Marsden learnt that that date had been determined 
 on for a general rising, and that the password was 
 " St. Peter." By midnight King, who was in Sydney, 
 had been informed ; he started immediately for Parra- 
 matta, and before 1.30 a.m. on the 5th Major Johnston, 
 with a small force, was on his way to the disturbed 
 districts. The further particulars received by King 
 on his arrival at Parramatta had convinced him 
 that this movement was much more serious than 
 anything that had yet taken place, and that strong 
 and immediate action was necessary. 
 
 Not a moment was lost. By noon, on the 5th, the 
 country had been scoured for arms lest they should 
 fall into the hands of the rebels, and martial law had 
 been proclaimed throughout the disaffected districts. 
 
INSURRECTION OF CONVICTS. 6l 
 
 Johnston with his Httle band arrived at Parramatta at 
 dawn, and, after a halt of twenty minutes to refresh 
 the men, set off in pursuit of a body of rebels who 
 were said to be marching towards the Hawkesbury. 
 As the direction they had taken was uncertain, the 
 detachment of soldiers were divided in half, one party 
 under Lieutenant Davis following the Castle Hill 
 road, while Johnston and the remainder hastened 
 towards Toongabbee. On catching sight of the 
 insurgents, Major Johnston rode forward, attended by 
 a trooper and Mr. Dixon, the Roman Catholic priest, 
 and called to them to halt, saying that he wished to 
 speak to them. " They desired that I would come 
 into the middle of them," writes Johnson in his 
 official report, " as their captains were there ; which I 
 refused, observing to them that I was within pistol 
 shot, and that it was in their power to kill me, and 
 that their captains must have very little spirit if they 
 would not come forward to speak to me ; upon which 
 two persons (Cunningham and Johnston) advanced 
 towards me as their leaders, to whom I represented 
 the impropriety of their conduct, and advised them to 
 surrender, and that I would mention them in as 
 favourable terms as possible to the Governor. iCun- 
 ningham replied that they would have death or 
 liberty." At this moment the rest of the detachment 
 came up and Major Johnston gave the command to 
 charge. The order was obeyed with such irresistible 
 ferocity, that the rebel line broke after but slight 
 resistance, and the convicts fled in all directions. 
 Twelve were killed, six wounded, and twenty-six, 
 a number equal to the whole attacking force, taken 
 
62 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS, 
 
 prisoners. Cunningham, one of the rebel leaders, 
 was at once hung ; and on the 8th, after trial by 
 court martial at Parramatta, several others suffered 
 the same fate. The prompt action of King and 
 Johnston had a good effect, and with the first 
 reverse the insurgent cause was ruined. On the 
 loth of March, martial law was cancelled and civil 
 authority restored, but the Governor took every 
 precaution to prevent a recurrence of such a revolt. 
 No man free or bond was in future to be permitted 
 to leave the place he resided in without a pass from 
 a magistrate, and other stringent regulations govern- 
 ing the general management and control of convicts 
 were rigorously enforced. Doubtless these restric- 
 tions were necessary in the existing conditions of 
 society, but it is impossible to read the chronicles of 
 this date without feeling that an effort on the part 
 of the bond to regain their freedom was justified 
 by the brutality of the treatment they received in 
 bondage. The blood-curdling cruelty and outrage, 
 to which convicts were often compelled to submit 
 on the voyage out, was equalled only by the un- 
 mentionable horrors of the road gangs after arrival ; 
 whila the vexatious bullying, which was a frequent 
 characteristic of assignment, in spite of King's efforts 
 to render justice alike to bond and free and to pre- 
 vent cruelty by masters to their servants, frequently 
 made the lot of those transported unalloyed misery. 
 
 Reference has already been made to the singular 
 restrictions placed upon trade ; but the peculiarity of 
 the Governor's connection with commercial under- 
 takings was not confined to the licensing of traders 
 
THE HAWKESBURY SETTLERS. 63 
 
 and the regulations of prices. In 1801 the settlers 
 at the Hawkesbury sought his aid to extricate 
 themselves from the state of hopeless insolvency, 
 to which their dissolute and drunken habits had 
 reduced them. The particular means which they 
 suggested for their relief was " one year's suspension 
 of the Civil Courts of Judicature," so that it should 
 be impossible for creditors to obtain judgments, and 
 effect executions on their property. King met this 
 questionable proposal with a severe rebuke, but 
 expressed the hope that their creditors would not 
 be very harsh, as he feared the effects on the develop- 
 ment of agriculture. There was perhaps more excuse 
 for the Hawkesbury settlers' demand than would at 
 first sight appear, for the improvidence and reckless 
 dissipation of the people had bred a class of equally 
 disreputable usurers, who lost no . opportunity of 
 battening on the follies of their fellow colonists. 
 In 1804 the abuses of usury had reached such 
 dimensions, that King fixed the rate of interest 
 at 8 per cent., and ordered that all persons 
 attempting to extort more were to forfeit " treble 
 the value, to be appropriated to such fund as the 
 Governor may direct." King at this period was 
 very much inconvenienced by the want of a qualified 
 legal adviser, a want which repeated requests to the 
 Secretary of State failed to remove. The Judge- 
 Advocate was an illiterate and dissipated retired 
 officer, and King in 1803 complained that from the 
 judgments of the Court there " has scarce been a 
 cause without an appeal, which takes up too much 
 of the Governor's time," as he had himself to decide 
 
64 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS 
 
 in all such cases. The military officers, compos- 
 ing the jury no doubt gave decisions to the satis- 
 faction of their own consciences, but many were 
 of such an extraordinary character that law and 
 justice fell into contempt. 
 
 As with all his predecessors from the foundation of 
 the colony, the military were a source of continual 
 trouble. They had always regarded the civil power 
 with no friendly eyes, and King's activity in connec- 
 tion with the suppression of the liquor traffic still 
 further estranged them. In 1802 certain officers of 
 the New South Wales Corps made unfounded charges 
 against the officers of the French discovery ships 
 under Baudin, then in port, and were compelled by 
 the Governor to apologise ; by this unfortunate oc- 
 currence things were brought to a head, and Paterson, 
 the Colonel of the corps, endeavoured to bring King 
 to his knees by means of the very instructions which 
 the Governor had been so zealous in enforcing. The 
 words of the Commander-in-chief with regard to 
 military traders were that no officer was to be 
 " permitted on any account whatever to engage 
 in the cultivation of farms or any other occupa- 
 tion to detach them from their military duty " ; 
 Paterson, therefore, objected to the employment by 
 the Governor of any officers in any other way than 
 that specified. The naval officer, or collecter of 
 customs, and a gentleman who acted as military 
 and civil engineer were affected, so King at once 
 dispensed with their services, thanking them for the 
 efficient manner in which they had always performed 
 their duties. But he did not stop here. Paterson 
 
TROUBLE WITH THE MILITARY. 65 
 
 was informed that the guard which had usually- 
 attended the Governor was no longer required, 
 and a paymaster who had been a magistrate was 
 removed from the commission of the peace, while 
 the Governor himself, as Commander-in-chief of New 
 South Wales, directed " that no officer or soldier 
 in the territory be employed on any other than their 
 military duty." The places of the guard were filled 
 by convicts pardoned for the purpose, and the position 
 of artillery instructor and engineer was conferred on 
 an officer who had been transported from India for 
 killing his antagonist in a duel. Phillip had managed 
 the military by patience and tact, and Hunter had 
 succumbed to them ; but King gained his end by 
 showing them that he was quite indifferent as to 
 whether he received their support or not. At the 
 same time King pointed out to the Secretary of 
 State that it was by no means desirable that the 
 Governor should be so utterly dependent on one 
 regiment, and suggested that a small force of artillery 
 should be despatched to the colony. It is only fair 
 to the New South Wales Corps to add, that when 
 real need of their services presently occurred on 
 account of insurrection of the convicts, they displayed 
 a loyalty and devotion to duty beyond all praise. 
 
 The position of Governor was in these days 
 certainly no sinecure, and few of those who fear- 
 lessly performed what they considered to be right 
 were able to long withstand the hostility which their 
 action could not fail to excite, and the terrible 
 strain which the responsibility and isolation of their 
 office entailed. King's health gave way, and the 
 
 6 
 
66 
 
 THE CONVICTS AND THEIR GUARDS. 
 
 craving for peace and the opportunity to disprove 
 the numberless, malicious, and groundless charges 
 against him which his enemies showered upon their 
 friends in England, induced him to resign. The 
 effects of the good work done were lost sight of in 
 the turbulent times which followed, but the noble 
 fight he made against the difficulties and dangers 
 which had proved insuperable to Hunter was 
 crowned with a large measure of success, and the 
 lofty ideal of duty, which was the load-star of his 
 whole career, made him a fitting successor to his 
 friend and mentor Phillip. 
 
V. 
 
 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGPI. 
 
 (1 806-1810.) 
 
 Captain William Bligh was appointed to fill 
 King's place, and entered on his short but eventful 
 government in August, 1806. He was unfortunate 
 in the time of his arrival, for the colony after a 
 period of prosperity was suffering severely from a 
 terrible flood, which in March of that year had 
 swept down the Hawkesbury valley, carrying flocks, 
 herds, crops, and homesteads before it. The Hawkes- 
 bury settlers, who had always been the most pros- 
 perous in the settlement, were ruined and hopeless, 
 and about fifteen hundred persons out of a total 
 population of the colony of 7,500, were for the 
 time reduced to the verge of starvation, and had 
 to be supported by the Government, or the charity 
 of their fellows. The loss of the grain crops made 
 it expedient to reduce the ration from the Govern- 
 ment store, and the irritation caused by King's 
 measures to suppress the liquor traffic and monopoly 
 was increased by the apprehension and depression 
 consequent upon the flood. 
 
 67 
 
CAPTAIN BLIGH. 
 
DIABOLICAL CONSPIRACY. 69 
 
 The community was still disturbed by rumours of 
 insurrection, and in February, 1807, a serious plot 
 was discovered. The Sydney Gazette, the semi- 
 official paper, thus describes the conspiracy : " We 
 are happy to announce to the public that by extreme 
 vigilance the most atrocious and wicked plan of 
 insurrection has been averted. It was planned in a 
 most secret manner by some designing Irish prisoners, 
 who had artfully instilled into the minds of their 
 countrymen a certainty of taking the country and 
 gaining their liberty. But their means to accomplish 
 those ends were most horrid ; they were to have 
 destroyed the Governor. . . . The New South Wales 
 Corps were to have been surprised ; the leading gentle- 
 men of the colony were to have been killed at the 
 same time ; the Porpoise and shipping were to have 
 been seized ; and a general massacre was to have 
 taken place, so far as to have secured their intended 
 purposes. Such was the nature of this diabolical 
 plot, when the ringleaders were taken at the same 
 moment by a party of the New South Wales Corps, 
 whose soldier-like conduct, loyalty, and regard for 
 their king and country, deserves the highest praise 
 that can be bestowed upon them. This rising of the 
 croppies, as it is called, has been more or less in 
 agitation for a long time, they having forgot the 
 calamitous consequences of their insurrection in 
 1804 ; and we have further to lament the infatuation 
 of these men, when at the present moment they are, 
 particularly, living under greater comforts than fall 
 to the lot of the labouring poor of any part of the 
 world." 
 
70 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 The history of Bligh's rule is little but a record of 
 the events which led up to his arrest ; before re- 
 viewing these it may be well to glance at the new 
 governor's previous experience. Bligh had early in 
 his career won distinction. After the bombardment 
 of Copenhagen he had been publicly thanked by 
 Nelson on the quarter-deck of the flag-ship, and on 
 several other occasions he had shown himself able 
 and gallant. The achievement which gained him 
 most notoriety was the wonderful voyage of over 
 3,500 miles, which he made in an open boat after he 
 had been deserted by the mutineers on his ship the 
 Bounty. The perils of the voyage and the extra- 
 ordinary skill with which he navigated his frail craft 
 seemed to have diverted public attention from the 
 events which had led, not only crew, but officers to 
 seek by violence a release from his rule. The glamour 
 of romance which surrounded his great voyage made 
 him the hero of the hour, and when Sir Joseph Banks 
 was consulted as to a fitting successor to King, Bligh's 
 name at once occurred to him. Banks's letter to Bligh 
 is of special interest, for it shows the inducements held 
 out to the latter, and also the great influence the 
 former had in the direction of matters affecting the 
 colony. On March 15, 1805, the great botanist 
 wrote : — 
 
 " My dear Sir, — An opportunity has occurred this 
 day which seems to me to lay open an opportunity of 
 being of service to you, and, as I hope I never omit 
 any chance of being useful to a friend whom I esteem 
 as I do you, I lose not a moment of apprising you of it. 
 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART., K.B., P.R.S. 
 
72 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 " I have always since the first institution of the new 
 colony at New South Wales taken a deep interest in 
 its success, and have been constantly consulted by his 
 Majesty's ministers, through all the changes there 
 have been in the department which directs it, relative 
 to the more important concerns of the colonists. 
 
 " At present King the Governor is tired of his sta- 
 tion, and well he may be so : he has carried into effect 
 a reform of great extent which militated much with 
 the interest of the soldiers and settlers there ; he is 
 consequently disliked and much opposed, and has 
 asked leave to return. 
 
 " In conversation I was this day asked if I knew a 
 man proper to be sent out in his stead, one who has 
 integrity unimpeached, a mind capable of providing 
 its own resources in difficulties without leaning on 
 others for advice, firm in discipline, civil in deport- 
 ment, and not subject to whimper and whine when 
 severity of discipline is wanted to meet (emergencies). 
 I immediately answered, ' As this man must be chosen 
 from among the post-captains I know of no one but 
 Captain Bligh who will suit, but whether it will meet 
 his views is another question.' 
 
 " I can, therefore, if you choose it, place you in the 
 government of the new colony with an income of 
 ;^2,000 a year, and with the whole of the Government 
 power and stores at your disposal, so that I do not 
 see how it is possible for you to spend ;^i,ooo ; in 
 truth, King, who is now there, receives only ;^i,ooo 
 with some deductions, and yet lives like a prince, and 
 I believe saves some money ; but I could not under- 
 take to recommend any one unless ;^ 2,000 clear was 
 
banks' letter to bligh. 73 
 
 given, as I think that a man who undertakes so great 
 a trust as the management of an important colony 
 should be certain of living well and laying up a pro- 
 vision for his family. 
 
 " I apprehend that you are about iifty-five years 
 old, if so you have by the tables an expectation of 
 fifteen years' life and in a climate like that, which is 
 the best I know, a still better expectation, but in 
 fifteen years ;^i,ooo a year will at compound interest 
 of 5 per cent have produced more than ;^ 30,000, and 
 in case you should not like to spend your life there 
 you will have a fair claim on your return to a pension 
 of ;z^ 1, 000 a year. . . . 
 
 " Tell me, my dear sir, when you have consulted 
 your pillow what you think of this. To me I confess it 
 appears a promising place for a man who has entered 
 late into the status of post-captain, and the more so 
 as your rank will go on ; for Phillip the Governor is 
 now an admiral, holding a pension for his services in 
 the country." 
 
 The troubles which culminated in the disastrous 
 termination of Bligh's government were almost 
 entirely attributable to the lack of those very quali- 
 fications in the Governor which Banks enumerates 
 in his letter as essential to the successful tenure of 
 the post. Had Bligh been a little more "civil in de- 
 portment," had he depended a little less on the 
 advice of others, and had all his actions been such as 
 to preserve his integrity from assault by his enemies, 
 he probably would have had no difficulty in compel- 
 ling the respect of his subjects while faithfully per- 
 
74 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGti. 
 
 forming the duties of his office. Unfortunately, when 
 he had only been a few days in the colony he disclosed 
 the flaw in his character. The stories of his sayings 
 and doings indicate boorishness and violence of temper 
 which might easily, in a less difficult position, have 
 been his undoing. In a private letter from a gentle- 
 man occupying the responsible position of naval 
 officer it is stated that Bligh, going " to church in full 
 uniform, conjectured that the soldiers laughed at him. 
 .... He abused the soldiers in the church and had 
 a whole bench of them confined for some days, but 
 thought proper to liberate them without trial." At 
 the end of the first year of Bligh's rule the same 
 person wrote that — " It is completely the reign of 
 Robespierre or that of terror. . . . He destroys and 
 makes away with all private property, saying every- 
 thing is his ; ... in short, everybody is in a state of 
 dread. . . . Such, then, is the land we exist in (not live) ; 
 how long it can remain in such a state I know not, but 
 I think not long." Other evidence to the same effect 
 is not wanting in the correspondence of the time, but 
 what has been quoted is sufficient to show that within 
 twelve months of the assumption of government Bligh 
 had earned a reputation for coarse and passionate 
 abuse of power. The immediate occasion of his over- 
 throw was John Macarthur, who had some time 
 previously resigned his commission and thrown him- 
 self heart and soul into his fine wool enterprise. 
 Before Bligh had been a week in the colony, he had 
 insulted Macarthur by asserting in a particularly 
 offensive way that the land which had been granted 
 him had been obtained by fraud, and from that time 
 
bligh's quarrel with MACARTHUR. 75 
 
 forward relations between the two men were by no 
 means friendly. Bligh would seem to have done all 
 in his power to harass Macarthur, and Macarthur 
 showed no inclination to submit tamely to what he 
 considered injustice. Amongst other speculations of 
 the latter was a schooner which traded to and from 
 the islands, and it so happened that a convict, un- 
 known to Macarthur, escaped in his vessel. Macarthur 
 was summoned before the Judge-Advocate, under an 
 old general order to prevent the escape of convicts, 
 and fined, but he declined to pay the fine on the 
 grounds that he was unintentionally and unwittingly 
 an offender. The schooner was promptly seized to 
 satisfy the judgment, and Macarthur determined to 
 abandon her to the officers of the court. When the 
 Government took possession of his schooner Macarthur 
 ceased supplying provisions for the crew, and, as the 
 Government gave them nothing, they were compelled 
 to come ashore. But a port order forbade the crew 
 of a vessel to land without special permission, under 
 which they were arrested and tried for the offence. 
 They pleaded that the exigencies of their position 
 necessitated their landing, and that, had Macarthur 
 provided them with food, they would not have left their 
 ship. Atkins, the Judge-Advocate, immediately issued 
 a warrant for Macarthur's arrest for causing them to 
 commit an illegal act, and he was seized by a body of 
 armed police and committed to take his trial before 
 the criminal court by a bench of magistrates, over 
 whom Atkins presided. On the 5th of January, 1808, 
 Macarthur appeared before the court, which consisted 
 of a jury of six officers of the New South Wales Corps 
 
76 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 and the Judge-Advocate as president. After the jury 
 had been sworn, and as Atkins was about to take the 
 oath, Macarthur objected. He stated that he had 
 vainly tried to obtain a copy of the indictment against 
 him, and that he had appealed to the Governor to 
 appoint a disinterested person to preside at the trial 
 in the place of Atkins, but that he had been refused. 
 He besought the court to protect him, and grant him 
 at least a fair trial. He gave numerous reasons why 
 Atkins should not preside, and closed a passionate 
 appeal with the assertion that Atkins and an emanci- 
 pated attorney named Crossley had conspired to ruin 
 and destroy him — " I have the proof in my hands in 
 the writing of Crossley (here it is, gentlemen ; it was 
 dropped from the pocket of Crossley and brought to 
 me)." Atkins failing to prevent the reading of the 
 protest, adjourned the court, and hurriedly left ; Mac- 
 arthur, however, went on to assert that he was in fear 
 of his life, and, refusing to give bail, asked for a guard 
 to protect his person, a request which was granted by 
 the court. During the rest of the day the officers 
 forming the court were in constant communication 
 with the Governor. They supported Macarthur's 
 claim for a disinterested president, but Bligh refused 
 to listen to them. Again they requested that some 
 one should be appointed to act instead of Atkins, but 
 the only reply was a demand for the papers relating 
 to the trial, so that they could be delivered to Atkins. 
 The officers declined to give up the papers except to 
 a new president. Bligh responded by demanding, 
 " finally in writing, whether you will deliver up these 
 papers or not." The officers expressed their willing- 
 
ARREST OF MACARTHUR. 77 
 
 ness to give attested copies, but refused to part with 
 the originals until the trial was completed. Bligh then 
 sent a message to Major Johnston, who commanded the 
 New South Wales Corps, desiring to see him at once ; 
 Johnston returned an answer that he was too ill to 
 leave his house or write. Early on the morning of 
 the 26th Macarthur was arrested on a warrant and 
 lodged in gaol, and the court again appealed for an 
 impartial president, asking for Macarthur's release 
 to the bail which they had granted. Bligh returned 
 no answer, but issued the following summons to each 
 of the officers composing the court : — 
 
 " The Judge-Advocate having presented a memorial 
 to me in which you are charged with certain 
 crimes, you are therefore hereby required to 
 appear before me at Government House at nine 
 o'clock to-morrow morning to answer in the 
 premises. Given under my hand and seal at 
 Government House, Sydney, this 26th day of 
 January, 1808." 
 
 A letter was also sent to Johnston informing him 
 that six of his officers had been summoned for 
 " treasonable practices." The position seemed too 
 serious for delay, so Johnston, in spite of his indisposi- 
 tion, hastened to Sydney. " On my arrival," he 
 stated during his trial in England, " as I passed 
 through the streets everything denoted terror and 
 consternation ; I saw in every direction groups of 
 people with soldiers amongst them, apparently in 
 deep and earnest conversation. I immediately re- 
 
78 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 paired to the barracks, and in order to separate the 
 military from the people, made the drum beat to 
 orders." The excitement was intense. A clamorous 
 crowd surged round Johnston in the barrack-square 
 and urged him to at once release Macarthur and de- 
 pose the Governor, and an order directing the release of 
 the former was despatched. Macarthur, as he walked, 
 attended by his friends, from the gaol to the barracks, 
 was plainly visible from the windows of Government 
 House, and Bligh, possibly warned by previous 
 experience, realised that he had gone too far, and at 
 once prepared for flight. Meanwhile in the barrack- 
 square a petition was drawn up praying Johnston to 
 take command of the colony. It ran as follows : — 
 
 " Sir, — The present alarming state of this colony, 
 in which every man's property, liberty, and life are 
 endangered, induces us most earnestly to implore you 
 instantly to place Governor Bligh under arrest, and to 
 assume command of the colony. We pledge our- 
 selves at a moment of less agitation to come forward 
 to support the measure with our fortunes and our 
 lives." 
 
 Johnston yielded to their importunities and at once 
 acted. A few officers were sent to request the Governor 
 to resign, and Johnston followed at the head of the 
 corps to Government House. At first Bligh was 
 not to be found ; the house was therefore searched 
 from kitchen to garret, and eventually he was dis- 
 covered in an upper bedroom under circumstances 
 which have been the subject of much controversy, 
 
BLIGH PLACED UNDER ARREST. 79 
 
 some asserting that he showed cowardice, and others 
 that he was not himself hiding under a bed, but was 
 attempting to conceal certain papers. To both 
 theories there is objection. It is indeed hard to be- 
 lieve that a man of unsullied honour and a reputation 
 for exceptional bravery should have proved a coward 
 on this occasion ; but, on the other hand, no papers 
 which there could be any particular object in conceal- 
 ing were ever found or again alluded to. Possibly 
 the man with courage to do great deeds in honourable 
 warfare may have quailed before the wrath of those 
 who had at last been goaded beyond endurance by 
 his injustice and tyranny. How far Bligh was the 
 dupe of his friends it is hard to say. Crossley, who 
 was " the principal adviser to the Governor," was con- 
 victed at various times of forgery, perjury, and other 
 offences. Atkins, who was also an adviser, was 
 described by Bligh himself, in a despatch to the 
 Secretary of State, as a man " accustomed to in- 
 ebriety, the ridicule of the community, pronouncing 
 sentence of death in moments of intoxication, of weak 
 determination, and floating and infirm opinions." 
 Grose, another friend, was also of bad repute ; in 
 fact, the only two respectable advisers he seems 
 to have had were Campbell and Palmer, and of 
 the former it will be remembered that he had fallen 
 foul of King on account of his attempts to import 
 spirits. 
 
 After his capture Bligh was placed under arrest, and 
 Johnston assumed the reigns of government. He 
 dismissed all those who had served under Bligh, and 
 appointed his friends in their places ; but, beyond this. 
 
80 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 few changes were made in the general administration 
 of affairs. No illegal indulgence of the military, 
 similar to that permitted by Grose, was sanctioned, and 
 Johnston seems to have honestly and fearlessly obeyed 
 the instructions he found in the despatches from the 
 Secretary of State, and to have done his utmost to 
 prevent the importation of spirits and smuggling. 
 On the 28th of July Lieutenant-Governor Colonel 
 Foveaux arrived in the colony. He was on his way 
 to assume command of Norfolk Island, and was 
 ignorant of the events that had passed at Sydney. 
 He now undertook the government of New South 
 Wales, in the room of Colonel Johnston, but made no 
 changes. 
 
 Governor Bligh was confined in his house, with the 
 permission of only sometimes walking in the garden 
 attended by a military guard. The Porpoise was des- 
 patched to Van Dieman's Land for Paterson, who 
 superseded Foveaux as senior military officer, and 
 continued to suppress the liquor traffic and illicit distil- 
 lation. Bligh was still under arrest, although he was 
 treated with respect and his comfort was consulted as 
 much as possible, but he lost no opportunity of en- 
 deavouring to stir up his friends to re'instate him in the 
 government. At the commencement of 1 809 Paterson 
 determined to send Bligh, Johnston, and Macarthur to 
 England to answer for their conduct ; and consented, 
 at Bligh's earnest solicitation, to permit him to sail in 
 H.M.S. Porpoise, on condition that he signed a declara- 
 tion that he would " neither touch at nor return to this 
 territory until he shall have received his Majesty's 
 instructions or those of his ministers." Bligh readily 
 
BLIGH ON THE PORPOISE. «I 
 
 signed, but as readily broke his covenant. No sooner 
 had he set foot on the deck of the Porpoise, and was 
 out of Paterson's reach, than he levelled proclamation 
 after proclamation at the heads of the persons who 
 had participated in his deposition. A little incident 
 which occurred when Bligh went on board is recorded 
 in the evidence given by Lieutenant Kent, who com- 
 manded the Porpoise, and throws a strong light on the 
 manner of man the deposed Governor was. " He told 
 me with extreme violence," says Kent, " if I knew 
 my duty, the moment the guns were on board the 
 Porpoise that I should begin and batter the town of 
 Sydney until such time as they delivered him up the 
 government. I replied I did not conceive my duty 
 led me to sacrifice so many innocent lives. He then 
 flew into a most violent rage, and told me that one 
 day or other he would make me repent not knowing 
 my duty." Bligh, to use Paterson's words, " in direct 
 violation of his word of honour as an officer and a 
 gentleman solemnly pledged thereto " did not steer 
 for England, but remained about the coast endeavour- 
 ing to create disorder. The danger of serious trouble 
 being caused by his presence was a real one, for there 
 were many persons who had benefited by his humane 
 exertions to relieve the distress caused by the Hawkes- 
 bury flood, as well as some influential and honourable 
 settlers who deemed no abuse of power a justification 
 for an insurrectionary movement such as that adopted 
 by Johnston and his friends, and were willing and 
 ready to aid Bligh in an attempt to reassert his govern- 
 ment. One gentleman let his loyalty so far outweigh 
 his discretion as to write a letter to Foveaux express- 
 
 7 
 
53 THE DEPOSITION OF GOVERNOR BLIGH. 
 
 ing contempt for the existing regime. " On Thursday 
 morning at ten," says the Sydney Gazette, " the court 
 assembled, when Mr. George Suttor, of Baulkham Hills, 
 settler, was placed at the bar and indicted for having 
 directed to his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor a 
 letter, containing certain contumelious expressions, 
 with intent to bring into contempt his Honour's 
 authority in this territory, &c. The indictment being 
 gone through and Mr. Suttor being called upon to 
 plead, he replied, ' Gentleman, I deny the legality of 
 this court ; you may do with myself as you please ; 
 my unfortunate wife and family I leave to the mercy 
 of God, until peace shall be restored in the colony : I 
 have nothing more to say.' 
 
 " The Judge-Advocate then addressed the prisoner 
 as follows : ' Mr. Suttor, you are called upon to 
 plead to your indictment ; and whatever you may 
 have to offer in your defence will be attentively con- 
 sidered. I again ask : are you guilty or not guilty ? ' 
 
 " Prisoner. Sir, all that I have to say I have 
 already said. I deny the legality of this court. My 
 allegiance is due to Governor Bligh, and Governor 
 Bligh alone ; and every drop of blood within my veins 
 prevents me from ever acknowledging the legality of 
 this court. You may do with me as you think proper.' 
 
 ^^ Judge- Advocate. Mr. Suttor, it is my duty to 
 acquaint you that it is provided by Act of Parliament 
 that in case a prisoner shall refuse to plead to his 
 indictment, the effect will be the same as if he pleaded 
 guilty. Once more I call upon you — are you guilty 
 or not guilty ? ' 
 
 " Prisonef I stand as before ; I have said all I 
 
THE CASE OF MR. SUTTOR. 83 
 
 have to say ; you are to do with me as you think 
 proper.' 
 
 " The court was ordered to be cleared, and in about 
 twenty minutes re-opened, when the' Judge-Advocate 
 addressed the prisoner as follows : Prisoner at the bar, in 
 consequence of your refusal to plead to your indictment, 
 the court, in conformity to Act of Parliament, have 
 found you guilty, and sentence you to be imprisoned 
 six calendar months, and to pay a fine of one shilling.' " 
 
 Nothing of any very great importance occurred dur- 
 ing the rule of Paterson, who continued to direct affairs 
 until the arrival of Governor Macquarie. Kent and 
 Johnston were after much delay tried in England for 
 the share they had taken in the arrest and deposition 
 of Bligh, and the former was honourably acquitted. 
 The court martial on Johnston after a lengthy in- 
 vestigation " were of opinion that Lieut.-Col. Johnston 
 is guilty of the act of mutiny described in the charge, 
 and do therefore sentence him to be cashiered." 
 Macarthur was not brought to trial, but suffered a 
 severe punishment, the Government refusing to give 
 their consent to his return to New South Wales. For 
 eight long years he strove to obtain permission to 
 return to his home and family, but indignantly re- 
 fused to accept any concession based on an acknow- 
 ledgment of guilt. He maintained that he possessed 
 irrefutable proof of Bligh's peculations, and only 
 asked for an opportunity to produce them ; un- 
 fortunately such opportunity never arose. At the 
 beginning of 1817 his importunity prevailed, and he 
 was granted the permission to go back, for which he 
 had so long and earnestly craved. 
 
VI. 
 
 THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 (181O-1822.) 
 
 The deposition of Bligh had been an extremely- 
 popular move, but the enthusiasm which had over- 
 come Johnston's scruples cooled rapidly when the 
 cause of irritation disappeared. Men began to realise 
 the serious character of the action they had taken, 
 and to speculate about the probable reception of the 
 news in England. Bligh's misdeeds lost colour by 
 the lapse of time, whilst, on the other hand, besides 
 the usual causes of estrangement attendant on the 
 office of governor in a society in which the domestic 
 details of the inhabitants' lives were matters of state 
 concern, surrounded, as they were, by their supporters 
 in the late stirring events, all of whom considered that 
 they had a just claim to particular recognition, the 
 military administrators of necessity gave offence in 
 many quarters. 
 
 It was, then, with a feeling of relief, that the greater 
 part of the population welcomed Macquarie. By his 
 
GOVERNOR MACQUARIE. 85 
 
 arrival the suspense at any rate was ended, and there 
 was good reason to hope that Bligh's mishaps would 
 have warned those in authority in England to be 
 more careful in future in their selection of governors. 
 The military officers and others hastened to worship 
 the rising sun with an alacrity which augured well 
 for the peace of the settlement, and, if feeling about 
 the past still ran high, there appeared to be on all 
 sides a desire to avoid a repetition of unhappy dis- 
 turbances. Macquarie had been instructed to rein- 
 state Bligh for twenty-four hours, to express His 
 Majesty's unqualified disapproval of Johnston's be- 
 haviour, to send that officer home under close arrest, 
 and to immediately relieve the 102nd Regiment, 
 formerly the New South Wales Corps. In the 
 absence of Bligh, who was still hovering about the 
 coast of Tasmania in H.M.S. Porpoise, the first part 
 of these instructions could not be carried out, but 
 Macquarie's own regim.ent, the 73rd, under Col. 
 O'Connell, had accompanied the new governor, and 
 at once took over the military duties with the assis- 
 tance of an auxiliary force specially enrolled in the 
 colony under the title of the Royal Veteran Company. 
 All the appointments made since Bligh's deposition 
 were annulled, and the persons who had occupied the 
 positions previous to that event were reinstated. 
 Bligh was sent for, and on his return was received 
 with honour, and to all appearances general amity 
 prevailed until his departure for England. Never- 
 theless the signal failure of two public meetings, 
 which were called by the late governor's friends in the 
 hope of strengthening his hands in the anticipated 
 
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS. 87 
 
 investigation into the causes of the mutiny, show that 
 his offences were bitterly remembered. 
 
 Macquarie immediately set about reform, whilst 
 his energy in exploration, and the construction of 
 public works, did much to awaken a lasting spirit 
 of enterprise in the community. Unfortunately his 
 extreme personal vanity made it almost impossible 
 for him to benefit by the experience of others, or 
 accept advice even from the most trustworthy sources. 
 Thus the very fact of Marsden, the chaplain, urging the 
 necessity of building barracks for female convicts at 
 Parramatta,so that the women might be undersomesort 
 of control, was quite sufficient to prevent Macquarie 
 from doing it. Neither money nor labourers were 
 forthcoming to stem the horrible immorality and 
 degradation at Parramatta, although the Governor 
 did not scruple to spend a considerable sum on the 
 erection of stables for his horses. Another instance 
 of the grave errors which Macquarie occasionally 
 made is found in the contract for erecting a hospital 
 which he conceived to be immediately required. An 
 agreement was signed by which three men, one of 
 whom, D'Arcy Wentworth, was a prominent official, 
 undertook to build it in consideration of a monopoly 
 being granted them of the sale of spirits in the colony. 
 As the Governor had just promulgated an order for- 
 bidding all government or military officials from 
 trading and all persons from bartering spirits for 
 produce, his action would in any case appear 
 anomalous, but in the face of those very evils which 
 had resulted from the liquor traffic, which it had 
 required such stupendous exertions to conquer, it is 
 
88 THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 truly incomprehensible. The "spirit contract" called 
 forth severe censure from England, but nevertheless 
 the building was actually erected by this means, and 
 an already depraved society was still further degraded 
 by the widespread influence of the nefarious trans- 
 action. 
 
 The colony about this time was beset with numerous 
 dangers, both social and commercial. The assign- 
 ment system, which had answered well enough when 
 properly administered, had of late fallen into grave 
 abuses. No discrimination had been shown in the 
 allotment of servants, and many masters practically 
 leased to the convicts assigned to them the liberty of 
 which the law had expressly deprived them. This 
 evil was somewhat modified by the recall of large 
 numbers of the bond from private employers, so that 
 they might be put on the public works and buildings 
 which, under Macquarie's direction, were being 
 pushed forward on all sides ; at the same time the 
 cost of the establishment was considerably increased, 
 and the sudden withdrawal of labour from the country 
 occasioned much loss. 
 
 Both internal and external trade had been grow- 
 ing more quickly than the population, and the more 
 complicated and extended transactions were much 
 hampered by the scarcity of a satisfactory medium of 
 exchange. Some curious remedies were resorted to. 
 In order to increase the metallic circulation, the 
 centre of the Spanish dollar, the principal coin in 
 use, was struck out, and thus two coins of a com- 
 bined nominal value were more than equivalent to the 
 unmutilated piece. Stringent regulations were also 
 
WANT OF A COINAGE. . 89 
 
 promulgated to enforce the acceptance of promissory 
 notes and bills, which were issued in profusion by all 
 manner of persons and were usually subject to a 
 discount of about 50 per cent. Commercial transac- 
 tions must have indeed been reduced to chaos by the 
 combination of a debased metallic currency and the 
 forced circulation of worthless paper. 
 
 The want of coin was augmented by the withdrawal 
 of convict servants from private to government 
 employ, and by the cessation in a great measure of 
 the use of liquor for barter, brought about by the 
 energy of Governor King. The " spirit contract " 
 already alluded to directed the attention of the 
 authorities in England to the whole question of 
 allowances and concessions, the result being that in 
 1 8 14 Lord Bathurst, who was then in charge of 
 colonial affairs, took steps to put a stop to the 
 practice of granting supplies from the public stores 
 and assigning servants, victualled and clothed at the 
 public expense, to officers of the Civil Government. In 
 the following year the indulgences to the military, by 
 which they had been permitted to purchase certain 
 luxuries from the stores at prime cost, were dis- 
 continued, and the practice of issuing spirits to all 
 officials and licensed publicans at a rate below the 
 current market value was prohibited. The great 
 growth of trade caused the establishment of the Bank 
 of New South Wales in 18 16, and three years later 
 Macquarie instituted a savings bank, in the hope of 
 encouraging thrift amongst the large class of small 
 farmers and traders. Soon after the Governor's 
 arrival the whole aspect of affairs had been changed 
 
go THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 by the achievements of Messrs. W. C. Wentworth, 
 Lawson, and George Blaxland. The first was a son 
 of D'Arcy Wentworth, whose name has already 
 figured in these pages, and all three were interested 
 in pastoral pursuits. When, in 1813, a severe drought 
 visited the colony, and much loss and inconvenience 
 was felt owing to the limited area of the pasture 
 lands available to the rapidly increasing flocks and 
 herds, these three men determined to make yet 
 another attempt to pierce the mountain barrier, 
 which had hitherto confined the settlers to a narrow 
 strip of country by the coast. After a journey, 
 during which they had to contend with almost in- 
 surmountable difficulties, they reached a point from 
 which the promising country just beyond the range 
 could be seen ; on their return the value of the 
 discovery was fully recognised. Macquarie, ever 
 ready to encourage exploration, at once sent 
 Surveyor Evans to complete the investigations 
 commenced by Wentworth and his friends. Evans 
 successfully crossed the watershed and found the 
 first Australian inland river which he named the 
 Macquarie, but, his immediate object being attained 
 and provisions running short, he turned back. So 
 favourable was his report of the country beyond 
 the barrier that a road was commenced, and in 
 1 81 5 the Governor and a large suite crossed the 
 mountains to inspect the new territory, which had 
 been called Bathurst Plains. 
 
 A settlement was formed, and Evans, making this 
 the base of operations, started again on his travels. 
 When another river flowing west was discovered, the 
 
BATHURST PLAINS. 9I 
 
 belief gained favour that thetwostreams emptied them- 
 selves into a great mediterranean sea. A party was 
 formed under Surveyor-General Oxley to test the 
 hypothesis, but, after following the course of first one 
 and then the other river, it was found that they only 
 led into uninviting swamps. The spirit of exploration 
 had been aroused by Wentworth's success, and in 
 1 8 14 a lad named Hamilton Hume and his brother, 
 attended by a native, traversed the country around 
 Berrima, reaching the tablelands more to the south. 
 Three years later Hume and Meehan found Lakes 
 George and Bathurst and the Goulburn Plains, so 
 that the area of lands suitable for both pastoral and 
 agricultural expansion appeared practically un- 
 limited. The knowledge of the coastline was also 
 being perfected by Captain Phillip P. King, a son 
 of the Governor of that name, and Allan Cunning- 
 ham, a botanist, who between 18 17 and 1820 were 
 constantly at work in the cutter Mermaid. It 
 was supposed that Lake Bathurst had some outlet 
 leading to the sea, and an effort to decide the 
 point led to one of those catastrophes from which 
 fortunately the explorers of this period were ex- 
 ceptionally free. Captain Stewart set out in a boat 
 with a few followers to seek along the coast the 
 expected opening, but in Twofold Bay the boat 
 was lost, and the whole party, while trying to 
 reach Sydney overland, was cut off and murdered by 
 the natives. The colonists lost no time in turning 
 the discoveries to practical account, sheep and cattle 
 being driven out on the new pastures in all directions. 
 With the extension of settlement their troubles with 
 
92 THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 the natives increased, though in most instances the 
 Europeans were the aggressors. Far from control, 
 the worst passions of a degraded class had full play, 
 and brutal outrages on natives were of common 
 occurrence, provoking terrible acts of retaliation from 
 the tribe of those wronged. The natives, finding the 
 animals on which they subsisted becoming scarce in 
 the country invaded by the settlers, committed thefts 
 of corn, vegetables, and stock from the farms, and, in 
 order to punish them, raids were organised by the 
 colonists, in which every native they met was indiscri- 
 minately butchered. Men, women, and children, quite 
 innocent of the offence, were ruthlessly shot down, if 
 not at the instigation, at any rate with the tacit con- 
 sent, of the Government. It is true that Macquarie 
 made some half-hearted attempts to civilise the 
 blacks by establishing a school for native children 
 at Parramatta and holding annual conferences with 
 the chiefs ; but woebetide all those who neglected to 
 obey his invitation or commands, for an order went 
 forth that they should be captured or " destroyed " as 
 soon as found. At intervals a small military force 
 was despatched to " disperse " a more than usually 
 turbulent tribe, and the race, who had for so long 
 dwelt in the land, rapidly vanished before the hand 
 of the white man. 
 
 The events which caused Macquarie's rule to be 
 one of the most important periods in the history of 
 Australia are connected with the change which was 
 taking place in the composition of the community, 
 for both Bligh and Macquarie owed their downfall in 
 a great degree to their inability to cope with a social 
 
SOCIAL QUESTIONS. 93 
 
 problem which had not presented itself with anything 
 approaching the same force to the other governors. 
 As the numbers of those who had become free by 
 pardon or servitude increased, they became a new 
 and important factor in society, and the question 
 arose as to what position this new class was to 
 occupy. Did a pardon or the expiration of a 
 sentence completely wipe out all former disgrace, or 
 was every man who had been convicted to be 
 regarded by the law and by society as tainted for all 
 time? 
 
 Bligh does not seem to have had any very strong 
 opinions on these points, although by his actions 
 he favoured the emancipists ; but Macquarie's whole 
 conduct was guided by the determination to, if 
 possible, raise those, who had expiated their misdeeds, 
 to the position which they had originally occupied 
 in life. The colony, as he pointed out, had been 
 established in a large measure in the hope of reform- 
 ing as well as punishing the criminal, and the value 
 of reformation would be incomplete were not restitu- 
 tion the reward of repentance. On the other hand, 
 those opposed to this principle urged that, were ex- 
 convicts permitted to occupy posts of honour and 
 reward, transportation would lose half its value as a 
 deterrent from crime ; that as a matter of fact the 
 emancipist class was mainly composed of those who 
 showed no spirit of repentance for past sins and 
 often led openly shameless and debauched lives ; 
 that it was impossible for those who had never 
 been stained with crime to associate or permit their 
 children to associate with men who had suffered the 
 
94 THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 degradation of conviction. Do what you would, they 
 asserted, those who had felt the clutch of the law 
 could never be free, there was always that one 
 little letter, which called up all the past, and 
 the free firmly refused to accept the freed as their 
 peers. 
 
 In the case of Bligh the field was clear, and it 
 is not probable that, had he used discrimination in 
 the selection of the emancipists whom he wished to 
 employ or favour, his efforts to rehabilitate the de- 
 serving would have excited any serious opposition. 
 Unfortunately his choice was guided not so much 
 by personal merit as by utility. Macquarie, however, 
 was encumbered from the outset by the disreputable 
 proteges of his predecessor. First espousing their 
 cause under the direct influence of Bligh, he was 
 unwilling to admit that he had been duped, and 
 clung with stubborn persistence to those whose 
 actions, he himself was compelled to admit, marked 
 them as the most despicable of mankind. By this 
 means he placed a weapon in the hands of his 
 opponents ; they were enabled to disregard the just 
 aspirations of the emancipated as a class, when the 
 reputations of those selected by the Governor as 
 representatives of that class stank in the not too 
 sensitive nostrils of the community. Macquarie's 
 methods were unfortunate. He hurled commands 
 and threats broadcast about matters which should 
 have been approached with delicacy and tact. His 
 efforts to force his emancipist friends into the society 
 of free men first provoked the military to insult 
 them, and then led him into serious quarrels with 
 
MACQUARIE RECALLED. 95 
 
 Marsden, who refused to sit with them on the bench 
 or as co-trustee, and ElHs Bent, who dechned to 
 allow them to practice in his court. The first-named 
 should have been a valuable councillor, and the 
 second, as judge of the newly-created Supreme Court, 
 which had superseded the old military tribunal in 
 1 8 14, was the most important official in the colony 
 next to the Governor himself The emancipists, by 
 fulsome flattery and ostentatious gratitude played 
 upon a character naturally vain, until Macquarie, 
 in the heat of the strife, disappointed by his 
 failure to reform those who had fallen beyond the 
 reach of help, was led into extravagances which it is 
 hard to believe he would have committed, had not 
 his judgment been greatly warped. Tales of 
 strange doings in the colony had been finding their 
 way to England for some time, but the crisis came 
 when the Governor ordered some persons who had 
 never been bond to be flogged by the public casti- 
 gator without trial, for trespassing in the grounds of 
 Government House. The punishment was carried 
 out, but both in the colony and in England it was 
 seen that the time had come when a stop must be 
 put to the vagaries of the Governor. 
 
 In 1 81 8 a special commissioner, Mr. Bigge, 
 was despatched to make a searching inquiry into 
 the condition of the colony and the general ad- 
 ministration of the Government, and on receipt 
 of his report in 1821 Macquarie was recalled. Al- 
 though he had failed to re-organise society, and 
 crime and vice were still appallingly prevalent at 
 his departure, the colony had grown enormously 
 
96 
 
 THE EMANCIPISTS. 
 
 in wealth, population, and importance. The settle- 
 ment, on which he so reluctantly turned his back 
 in February, 1822, was a very different place 
 from that which he had approached with such 
 benevolent intentions twelve years before. 
 
VII. 
 
 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 (1822-1831.) 
 
 The reports of Mr. Commissioner Bigge had 
 attracted a good deal of attention in England, and 
 the Government determined to reform the adminis- 
 tration of New South Wales in accordance with his 
 recommendations. As Bigge had been compelled to 
 condemn in a great measure the policy of Macquarie, 
 it was clearly impossible to use that gentleman as the 
 instrument with which to carry out the changes ; Sir 
 Thomas Brisbane, a man of less pronounced views, 
 was therefore selected for the duty. Brisbane arrived 
 in November, 1821, but, pending the determination of 
 the new constitution, then under consideration, he 
 attempted no important reforms but contented him- 
 self with gradually weeding the public offices of the 
 most undesirable of the emancipists who had been 
 appointed by his predecessor. In the unsettled state 
 of affairs he was particularly anxious to avoid being 
 drawn into the class quarrels which so deeply troubled 
 the community, and for a time he escaped, by retiring 
 to Parramatta, where an observatory was built and he 
 
gS THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 was able to devote himself with but little interruption 
 to his favourite science, astronomy. The changes 
 which were made in the constitution, however, com- 
 pelled him before long to return to Sydney and take 
 his part in the turmoil of political life. 
 
 The New South Wales Judicature Act received the 
 Royal Assent in July, 1823, and embodied most of 
 Bigge's suggestions. A Supreme Court and Court of 
 Record was established and the jury principle was 
 introduced, the qualification being fixed at 50 acres or 
 a dwelling worth ;^300. A Legislative Council of not 
 more than seven nor less than five members, nomi- 
 nated by the Crown, was created, but the actions of 
 the Governor were left untrammelled and he could 
 do whatever seemed to him best irrespective of the 
 advice of the Council. Should it disapprove the 
 course followed, its objections were to be recorded 
 and transmitted to England where a final decision 
 would be madcc It was provided that no tax should 
 be imposed for other than local purposes, the power 
 of the Governor to levy duties was confirmed, and 
 sundry other matters were dealt with connected with 
 details of administration. 
 
 The Chief Justice under the new Act was Mr. 
 Francis Forbes, who had served on the Bench in 
 Newfoundland, and Mr. Saxe-Bannister was ap- 
 pointed first "Attorney-General. Both gentlemen 
 arrived early in 1824, and a court was opened with- 
 out delay. The advent of Forbes, who was a man 
 of strong feelings, soon caused the Governor to 
 become involved in one of the disputes which so 
 frequently took place between the more prominent 
 
THE CASE OF DR. DOUGLAS. QQ 
 
 members of the community. Marsden alleged that 
 a Dr. Douglas had committed very serious irregu- 
 larities in his capacity of magistrate, and Douglas 
 responded by charging Marsden with cruelty and 
 excessive severity on the Bench. 
 
 Brisbane, under the influence of Forbes, took an 
 active part in the strife, which waxed fiercer and 
 fiercer until the air was full of recriminations. 
 The Attorney-General recommended and Marsden 
 demanded that the whole question should be investi- 
 gated, but the Chief Justice, who had more friendship 
 for than faith in Douglas, did not desire an inquiry. 
 He therefore persuaded the Governor to introduce a 
 Bill to indemnify magistrates for actions committed 
 " in the execution of their office." Saxe-Bannister 
 was instructed to draft the Bill, but declined to have 
 any hand in a measure to indemnify so horrible a 
 practice as torture to extort confession, and Brisbane 
 was compelled to seek assistance elsewhere. The 
 Bill eventually became law, but the successful attempt 
 to burke inquiry into charges of such gravity created 
 a profound impression and excited on all sides ex- 
 pressions of strong disapprobation. One of the chief 
 parts of Bigge's scheme was the introduction of free 
 immigrants who could be settled on the soil, to 
 whom convicts could be safely entrusted, thercb}^ 
 removing the necessity for the employment of large 
 gangs of criminals in the towns. Grants of land and 
 servants were offered to persons willing to come to 
 Australia, and during Brisbane's administration large 
 numbers of young men arrived, for the most part 
 possessed of capital, who at once engaged in pastoral 
 
100 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 pursuits. Great progress was made and the country 
 rapidly became covered with the increasing flocks and 
 herds of the colonists. The distribution of the popula- 
 tion oyer such a large area, however, bred some evils. 
 Convicts frequently escaped, and two or three, banding 
 themselves together, committed horrible crimes and 
 lived by plundering the farms of the settlers. At 
 length the robbers became such a serious scourge that 
 it was necessary to enrol a special force to protect the 
 sparsely populated districts, and the mounted police 
 were formed from the regiments in the colony. By 
 their perfect discipline and great courage they did 
 yeoman service, and for some time successfully held 
 the bushrangers in check. 
 
 The immigration of free settlers soon produced an 
 effect upon society, and New South Wales became 
 less and less like an overgrown gaol. The relative 
 importance of the emancipated class was reduced, and 
 the introduction of an instalment of free institutions 
 rendered the administration of justice less capricious 
 and the rights of the inhabitants more secure. But 
 Brisbane and his Council, in their eagerness to 
 welcome the salutary change, took a step which the 
 Governor within twelve months regretted, and which 
 created inextricable difficulties for his successor. 
 The only newspaper in the colonies when Brisbane 
 arrived was the Sydney Gazette, a semi-official organ 
 and the medium of all Government announcements, 
 all contributions being carefully scrutinised by 
 the authorities previous to publication. In 
 October, 1824, Brisbane came to the conclusion 
 that the censorship of the press could be safely 
 
THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. lOI 
 
 abolished, and issued a general order to that effect. 
 Almost immediately other prints sprang into life, 
 the most prominent being the Monitor and the 
 Australasian, in the columns of which William 
 Charles Wentworth, who had recently returned from 
 England after being called to the Bar, and another 
 barrister. Dr. Wardell, warmly espoused the eman- 
 cipist cause, and gave voice, often in immoderate 
 tones, to the demand for still further concessions in 
 the direction of popular government. So violent 
 were the writings in these papers and so dangerous 
 their influence upon the minds of the convicts that 
 Brisbane, in January, 1825, less than four months 
 after the concession of freedom, felt it necessary to 
 obtain the consent of the Secretary of State to the 
 enactment of some measure which would bring the 
 press again under the control of the Government; but 
 before Lord Bathurst's answer was received Brisbane 
 had resigned office, and Sir Ralph Darling had been 
 appointed in his stead. 
 
 The new Governor arrived in December, 1825, and 
 his first act of importance was an attempt to deal 
 with the newspaper question. He was instructed to 
 legislate at the earliest opportunity for the control of 
 the press, making an annual license a preliminary to 
 publication. By the constitution of 1823 it had been 
 provided that no Bill could become law until the 
 certificate of the Chief Justice had been obtained to 
 the effect that the proposed measure was not repug- 
 nant to the laws of England. But Forbes, whose 
 sympathies were with the cause advocated by the 
 Australasian, hesitated to certify to a Bill directly 
 
102 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 aimed at that paper. At last, when it became plain 
 that the necessary certificate could not be obtained 
 for the Bill as sketched by the Secretary of State, 
 Darling laid before his council two measures with the 
 same object, to which however he hoped Forbes 
 would have no objection. The first prescribed certain 
 penalties for the publication of seditious or blas- 
 phemous matter, and the second imposed a duty on 
 newspapers sufficient to raise its price to a figure 
 beyond the reach of the greater part of the convict 
 population. Both Acts were passed by the Council 
 and promulgated, but in each instance Forbes refused 
 to certify, and they had to be suspended. This action 
 of the Chief Justice was severely criticised by the 
 council and free settlers, and the newspapers which 
 had so narrowly escaped burst forth with new vigour 
 and violence. " You can have no idea," wrote 
 Macarthur to his son in England, " of the operation of 
 these firebrand papers upon the common people, and 
 every one not connected with the convict interest 
 admits that the most dangerous consequences are to 
 be dreaded." The Governor, realising the impotence 
 of his position as far as new legislation went, resolved 
 to make an effort to curb the unbridled licence of the 
 press by means already in existence, and instituted 
 prosecutions for libel or slander whenever an oppor- 
 tunity occurred. But this only called forth more 
 revilings from the papers, and the Government was 
 drawn into an unseemly and violent wrangle, dis- 
 creditable alike to Darling and the journalists. The 
 ultimate results of these disputes will be dealt with 
 presently, but it is necessary first to refer to some 
 
EMANCIPISTS AND TRIAL BY yUBY. I03 
 
 events of no small importance which occurred at this 
 time. 
 
 In 1828 an amending Constitution Act was passed, 
 the principal provisions of which were the abolition 
 of the grand jury and the enactment that all offenders 
 should be " prosecuted by information in the name of 
 His Majesty's Attorney-General." The small council 
 formed in 1823 was enlarged to fifteen members, and 
 the scope of its legislative powers extended, while the 
 necessity of obtaining the Chief Justice's certificate, 
 which had caused so much trouble in the case of 
 the Newspaper Acts, was removed. Darling at once 
 introduced a Bill differing but little from the Act of 
 1827. The measure was certainly calculated to pre- 
 vent seditious publications, but the provisions were 
 ridiculously harsh and were modified a few years later 
 at the instance of the Home Government. 
 
 The jury question was early dealt with by this new 
 council, and a law passed excluding emancipists from 
 serving in criminal trials, thus settling for the time 
 the much vexed point of their eligibility to act as 
 jurymen. By a rule of Court in the same year the 
 professions of barrister and attorney were formally 
 divided, and regulations governing admission to them 
 first drawn up. Perhaps the best index of the 
 growing wants of the community at this period 01 
 social development is afforded by the constant 
 changes effected in the methods of administering 
 justice ; as the free population increased the 
 machinery of the law was correspondingly elaborated. 
 
 The punishment of a murderer named Worrell was 
 brought about in 1826 by such a curious sequence of 
 
104 "^^^ RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 events that it is worthy of special mention. Frederick 
 Fisher, a freed convict, who Hved at Campbell Town 
 with Worrell, and was reputed to be possessed of 
 considerable property, suddenly disappeared, and 
 Worrell caused it to be supposed that he had gone to 
 England. Worrell sold off Fisher's property and no 
 one seems to have suspected foul play till one, Farley, 
 declared that he had seen Fisher's ghost sitting on a 
 rail not far from his old home. Oddly enough this 
 story obtained listeners, and a police constable with 
 two natives were set searching in the neighbourhood of 
 the spot at which the vision was said to have appeared. 
 Blood, was found on the rail picked out by Farley as 
 the ghost's seat, and one of the native blacks follow- 
 ing the direction in which the ghost was said to have 
 pointed went into a pool and, to quote the words of 
 the constable's evidence, " took a cornstalk which he 
 passed over the surface of the water, and put it to his 
 nose," and said he "smelt the fat of a white man." 
 The blacks then followed the creek leading from the 
 pool till they came to a branch creek up which they 
 went some little way when one of them put a rod 
 into the ground and said, " There's something wrong 
 here," Sure enough at this spot the body of Fisher 
 was found. Worrell was tried and convicted, confessed 
 to the murder, and was hanged ; but no satisfactory 
 explanation of the apparition and the other strange 
 circumstances attending the case has ever been 
 supplied. 
 
 The flow of free immigration which commenced in 
 1822, continued unabated for the first few years of 
 Darling's administration, and as a consequence the 
 
LAND LEGISLATION. 105 
 
 question of land grants called for attention. In 1826, 
 regulations were framed with the object of rendering 
 the support of assigned servants equivalent to pay- 
 ments for land ; and in 1828, a Board was appointed 
 to assist the Governor in dealing with the numerous 
 applications which poured in. These reforms, com- 
 bined with the discoveries of new and fertile territory, 
 gave even greater impetus to pastoral settlement. 
 The demand by the colonists became heavier than 
 the supply, and one after another of the Government 
 farms, which only a few years before had been all 
 that stood between the population and famine, were 
 broken up. The distribution of the bond over so 
 large an area did much to check the horrible crimi- 
 nality which characterised the large gangs employed 
 by Macquarie on the roads and public buildings. 
 
 In 1827, the mania for speculation in land and 
 stock had become excessive, and cattle were sold for 
 utterly fictitious prices. Unfortunately 1828 and the 
 two following years were exceptionally dry. Grass 
 and crops failed, stock died, and prices came tumbling 
 down even lower than circumstances warranted. Free 
 emigration abruptly ceased. The convicts' rations 
 had to be reduced, and the colony passed through a 
 severe commercial crisis. When rain came in 1830 
 the recovery was almost as violent as the disease, and 
 farmers were unable to reap their crops owing to 
 their inability to obtain sufficient labourers. But the 
 days of scarcity left a legacy of crime, and bush- 
 ranging assumed such serious dimensions that special 
 legislation was necessary. Donohue and his gang 
 infested the districts round Sydney, and in other parts 
 
I06 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 of the country bands of robbers terrorised the settlers. 
 On the 2 1st of April, 1830, the situation seemed so 
 grave that the Council passed a Bushrangers Act 
 through all its stages in one day, conferring extra- 
 ordinary power on magistrates, and making other 
 provisions which practically placed the country 
 ■ for the time almost under martial law. 
 
 According to Macarthur the effects of the Act 
 were magical ; but another enactment, the News- 
 paper Act already mentioned, passed in the same 
 year, did not meet with equal approval ; and it was in 
 a large measure the hostility created by it against 
 the Governor that eventually brought about his 
 recall. Although this was the cause, the particular 
 event which was made the occasion of complaint was 
 the alteration by the Governor of a sentence passed 
 upon two soldiers named Sudds and Thompson. 
 Soon after Darling's arrival he discovered that the 
 prosperity of the emancipated convicts had filled 
 their guards with envy, and that self-mutilations and 
 the perpetration of crimes were common among the 
 soldiery, who hoped thereby to escape further service 
 and enter the happy ranks of the convicted. Two 
 men who had mutilated themselves were sent by 
 Darling's order to an out-station instead of being 
 discharged, and a little later when two other soldiers. 
 Sudds and Thompson, committed an offence with 
 the avowed intention of escaping by transpor- 
 tation from the regiment and joining the convicts 
 in Tasmania, Darling thought it high time to put a 
 stop to such practices. The penalty of transportation 
 was altered to labour on the roads in chains, a 
 
CASE OF SUDDS AND THOMPSON. I07 
 
 sentence which did not relieve the men from further 
 military service on its completion, and they were 
 drummed out of the regiment in irons and the convict 
 garb. Darling was unfortunate in the persons he 
 selected as examples. Sudds, overcome by mortifica- 
 tion at his failure and the ignominy of his punishment, 
 appears to have deliberately moped and starved him- 
 self to death. Sudds's fate was after several years 
 seized upon by Darling's enemies as grounds for 
 impeachment, and Wentworth in 1829, wrote a letter 
 to the Secretary of State with that object. Mean- 
 while the local opposition press denounced the 
 Governor's brutality and barbarous cruelty, and 
 made assertions as to the weight of the irons and 
 other particulars which were certainly not in accord- 
 ance with fact. After numerous inquiries, in all of 
 which Darling was acquitted absolutely of any im- 
 proper conduct, the farce reached a climax in the 
 appointment of a select committee of the House of 
 Commons to investigate the charges. On this oc- 
 casion also, although every one who had ever had a 
 grievance against Darling hastened to bring charges, 
 the conduct of the Governor was pronounced to have 
 been " entirely free from blame." But before these 
 events Darling had been recalled, and had left the 
 colony without much regret. His departure was 
 made the occasion for a display of rejoicing by his 
 enemies which was much more discreditable to them- 
 selves than to the object of their spleen. 
 
 During the rule of Brisbane and Darling the work 
 of exploration went on steadily. The Goulburn 
 river was discovered in 1822 during an attempt to 
 
I08 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 reach the Liverpool plains ; and in the following years 
 Captain Currie and Major Ovens struck the Murrum- 
 bidgee, and by following its course found the fertile 
 district of Monaroo, while the indefatigable Allan 
 Cunningham discovered the much-desired stock route 
 to the Liverpool plains. 
 
 Although the coast to the southward of Sydney 
 had been explored and charted by Flinders and 
 others, the country inland remained quite unknown. 
 In 1824, Sir Thomas Brisbane, in order to induce 
 exploration, suggested that a party of convicts should 
 be put ashore at Wilson's Promontory, and that a free 
 pardon should be offered to those who successfully 
 travelled to Sydney overland, Hamilton Hume, a 
 young man born in the colony, being offered command 
 of the expedition. This he declined, but at the same 
 time consented to start from Sydney and journey 
 overland to the south. His services were accepted, 
 and a sailor named Hovell having volunteered to go 
 with him, the two explorers set out from Lake George 
 with six convicts and a large supply of provisions 
 which they carried in two carts drawn by teams of 
 bullocks. Until the Murrumbidgee was reached 
 all went well, but the river was broader and the 
 current stronger than they had expected to meet ; 
 crossing with difficulty by covering the bottoms 
 of the carts with the tarpaulins, they converted 
 them in this way into punts in which the stores 
 were safely ferried. The men and oxen had to swim, 
 but all reached the opposite bank without mishap 
 and once more pushed forward. Soon the country 
 on their line of march became so rough and thickly 
 
CURRIE AND OVENS. IO9 
 
 timbered that the waggons were abandoned and the 
 oxen loaded instead. For days their way led 
 through forest so dense that little of the surrounding 
 country could be seen, but occasionally they caught 
 a glimpse of the snowy peaks of mountains on their 
 left. Perseveringly they journeyed on and at length 
 came to the banks of another river which is now 
 known as the Murray. Again boats were improvised, 
 this time of wickerwork, covered with the tarpaulins 
 and the obstacles successfully overcome. The 
 country was now more open, and holding their course 
 south-west they struck first the Ovens and then the 
 Goulburn rivers. They had now travelled far and 
 expected each day to come to the open sea, but time 
 slipped by and there was no change in the view of 
 eucalyptus-clad hills which stretched around them on 
 all sides as far as the eye could see. At last the 
 two leaders espying a more than usually lofty peak, 
 not far off, left the remainder of the party to rest a 
 few days in camp, and after encountering enormous 
 difficulties reached the summit of the mountain from 
 which they hoped to sight the waters of the Southern 
 Ocean. Their hearts failed them when looking to the 
 south nothing met their gaze but endless gum trees 
 stretching away into the distance ; and, naming the 
 place Mount Disappointment, they turned back and 
 rejoined their comrades at the camp. It was decided 
 to still push on, although in a slightly different 
 direction, and the weary travellers were in a few days 
 rewarded by the sight of what appeared to be a great 
 lake lying beyond beautifully grassy and park-like 
 country. Hovell declared that they had arrived at 
 
no THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 Western Port, but Hume persisted that the bay was 
 Port Phillip, and, as the two leaders both adhered to 
 their opinion, a serious quarrel arose which still 
 raged when the return journey to Sydney had been 
 accomplished, and the leaders had been rewarded 
 with grants of land and the rest of their party with 
 freedom. 
 
 When between 1826 and 1828 a long stretch of 
 exceptional drought had been experienced, it occurred 
 to Darling that the marshes, which had so baffled 
 Oxley when he had attempted to explore the country 
 round the river Macquarie, would now probably be 
 dried up, and an expedition would be able to 
 penetrate the interior. He therefore appointed a 
 party comprising Captain Stuart, Hume, two soldiers, 
 and eight convicts to undertake the work. They 
 were provided with portable boats with which it was 
 expected they would be able to navigate the river, 
 but on reaching the point at which Oxley had turned 
 back, they found nothing but nauseous mud flats, and 
 parched cracking ground from which the rushes grew 
 so thickly that even with the greatest exertion it 
 was almost impossible to make any headway. They 
 therefore turned to the west, and after travelling 
 through a level and uninteresting country in which 
 there were evidences of frequent floods, they at length 
 reached a river which they named the Darling, in 
 honour of the Governor. For about ninety miles they 
 followed its course, and then turning towards Sydney 
 retraced their steps. 
 
 In the following year, Stuart again set forth, and 
 this time took his portable boats to the Murrumbidgee, 
 
STUART AND HUME. Ill 
 
 where he, with Macleay as naturalist and eight con- 
 victs, embarked, and rowed steadily down the river. 
 After an eventful voyage, during which they were in 
 constant danger of being wrecked on snags, or cap- 
 sized by the rapid current, they shot forth on to a 
 broad river, the clear waters of which flowed gently 
 over a sandy bottom ; they drifted down-stream 
 during the day, and at sunset moored their boats 
 to the bank, and formed a camp on shore. They 
 had frequent intercourse with the natives at almost 
 every point where they touched, but with the 
 exception of some petty thefts no hostility was 
 .shown towards them, and they always left the 
 black fellows on the most friendly terms. After 
 following the course of the Murray for about two 
 hundred miles below the point at which they had 
 emerged from the branch stream, they came to the 
 junction of another large river flowing from the north ; 
 this was not explored, as a short distance up they 
 found a fence erected across the river, apparently to 
 catch fish, and as Stuart was anxious not to displease 
 the natives he turned down stream again, and allowed 
 himself to drift further with the current. Eventually 
 the boat floated out on to a broad lagoon, which they 
 called Lake Alexandria, but on crossing it they dis- 
 covered that the entrance from the ocean was blocked 
 by an impassable bar. Drifting down-stream was one 
 thing, but pulling back against the current quite 
 another, and, when day after day had to be spent 
 wearily at the heavy oars unJ.er a broiling sun, the 
 crew got thinner and thinner and more despondent, 
 until at last one man went mad, and it was only by 
 
112 THE RULE OF BRISBANE AND DARLING. 
 
 the greatest exertion that Stuart could prevent the 
 rest of his companions from throwing down their 
 oars and giving themselves up to despair. At last, 
 after a journey which seemed a life-time, they arrived 
 in occupied country once more, and rested at some 
 of the homesteads on the banks of the Murrumbidgee 
 until they were so far recovered as to be able to return 
 to Sydney. Two years later Major Mitchell suggested 
 that he should lead an expedition to the far north- 
 west, but an unfortunate affray with the natives 
 resulted in the death of two of his men and the loss 
 of his stores, so that a hasty retreat had to be made 
 to the point of departure. In 1835 another attempt 
 was made to pierce the interior, but on this occasion 
 again it had to be abandoned, owing to the murder 
 of Cunningham, the botanist of the party, and the 
 determined hostility of the natives who barred further 
 progress. Having failed in a north-westerly direction, 
 in 1836 Major Mitchell started to the south. Follow- 
 ing the Lachlan to its junction with the Murrumbidgee, 
 he formed a depot, from which excursions were made 
 into the surrounding country, but here again his 
 operations were seriously impeded by attacks from 
 large bodies of natives. At length Mitchell crossed 
 the Murray and entered a country so fertile and 
 beautiful that he was unable to adequately express 
 his praise of it. Passing along the Grampians he 
 came to the river Glenelg, and here launching the 
 portable boats which they had brought with them 
 the party drifted down-stream. The scenery on either 
 side was exquisite, and the vegetation most luxuriant ; 
 but they were stopped eventually, as Stuart had been. 
 
MAJOR MITCHELL. 
 
 113 
 
 by a sandy bar which blocked the mouth of the river, 
 and, having landed, they went a little way to the east 
 along the shore, and then turning back traversed the 
 country towards Portland Bay. Here, to Mitchell's 
 astonishment, he suddenly came upon a house with 
 all the signs of prosperity and occupation about it, 
 while a small vessel rode at anchor in the bay. This 
 turned out to be the settlement of the brothers Henty, 
 who were the first colonists who crossed to the Port 
 Phillip district from Van Diemen's Land. Mitchell, 
 after having rested, ascended Mount Macedon from 
 which he was able to view the park-like expanse 
 which induced him to name the district " Australia 
 Felix." 
 
VIIL 
 
 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 (1831-1846.) 
 
 On the 31-d of December, 1831, Sir Richard Bourke 
 landed and was presented with numerous addresses 
 more or less extravagant in tone. The unpopularity 
 of Darling with a section of the community caused 
 the welcome to his successor to be exceptionally 
 cordial. The new governor was, however, a man 
 of ability ; fulsome flattery combined with abuse 
 of his predecessor failed to make him commit him- 
 self to either the " emancipist " or the " exclusive " 
 parties. There were several matters of considerable 
 importance to be dealt with foremost amongst which 
 was the question of finance. 
 
 Bourke at once endeavoured to fall in with the 
 views of Wentworth and his party on this point, and 
 when he met his council for the first time in January, 
 1832, he expressed the intention of in future submit- 
 ting estimates of expenditure. A further concession 
 to Wentworth was made by an extension of the jury 
 
 law ; but, when in the following year Bourke wished 
 
 114 
 
SIR RICHARD BOURKE. II5 
 
 to permit juries in criminal trials, his measure was 
 only carried by the Governor's casting vote, the old 
 question of the admission and exclusion of the eman- 
 cipated being revived with all its accompaniments of 
 party feeling. 
 
 Bushranging, although checked by the extraordi- 
 nary powers conferred on the police and magistrates, 
 was still not uncommon, and violent outrages were 
 occasionally committed close to the centres of popu- 
 lation. The Bushranging Act, which had been 
 passed during the rule of Darling, was about to 
 expire in 1832, and the Governor recoiled from what 
 appeared to him the unnecessarily severe provisions 
 which it contained ; but the opinion was unanimously 
 expressed by the magistrates that it should be renewed, 
 while a select committee of the council went further, 
 and recommended that some of the provisions should 
 be made even more stringent. 
 
 But measures of harsh suppression were repugnant 
 to Bourke's nature, and although in this instance he 
 yielded to those in whose memory the deeds which 
 produced the Act were still fresh, he attempted to 
 improve the condition of the bond population by 
 passing a law to regulate and lessen the severity of 
 the punishments which could be inflicted by magis- 
 trates on assigned servants, and encouraged thrift 
 among those of the convicts who were earning 
 money, by permitting them to make deposits in 
 the Savings Bank, on the condition that nothing 
 could be withdrawn without the Governor's written 
 authority. 
 
 Wentvvorth and his friends recognised the humanity 
 
Il6 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 which inspired Bourke's measures, and consequently 
 gave him their support ; but in the concession with 
 regard to estimates of expenditure a fresh opening 
 was afforded for agitation in favour of responsible 
 government. In 1833 a public meeting was convened 
 at which Wentworth held forth on the subject of taxa- 
 tion only by representative assembly. He urged his 
 audience on this occasion to " demand the right the 
 common law gives you, but which an iniquitous 
 parliament, an unreformed parliament, has for forty- 
 five years withheld from you." It is needless to say 
 that his eloquence was greeted with applause, and if 
 to any one the ludicrous picture of Phillip presiding 
 over the deliberation of his ironed subjects presented 
 itself, he refrained from calling attention to the 
 absurdity of Wentworth's assertion. The greatest 
 enthusiasm prevailed, and a petition to King and 
 Commons was carried, while at a subsequent meeting 
 the Governor and his council were also addressed. In 
 the following year Wentworth convened another 
 meeting, and the House of Commons was again 
 petitioned, but meanwhile the Patriotic Association, 
 of which Wentworth was the mouthpiece, had been 
 active in its efforts to influence the British Parliament 
 in favour of the autonomy of the colony. A few 
 years later the criticisms of finance took more con- 
 crete shape, and the attack was directed to pensions 
 of imperial officers paid out of colonial funds and the 
 annual charge for police and gaols. Wentworth con- 
 tended that as the persons who needed supervision 
 and punishment were British convicts. Great Britain 
 should pay the greater part of the expense. Up to 
 
THE PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION. II7 
 
 1834 the charge had been borne by the mihtary chest, 
 but in that year the Governor was directed by the 
 Secretary of State to make the necessary provision 
 out of the colonial revenues. The moment chosen 
 for the change was inopportune, for the cost of police 
 and gaols had increased rapidly in recent years, and 
 the movement in favour of the criticism of finance 
 was at its height. All through the remainder of 
 Bourke's administration the police and gaol question 
 continued to be a popular cry with reformers. 
 
 As the population became larger, governors ceased 
 to take such a personal interest in the social and 
 moral condition of their subjects individually, but 
 Bourke's attention was drawn to the urgent necessity 
 of doing something to improve the morality of the 
 community. One of the judges of the Supreme Court, 
 Burton, addressed the jury at the termination of the 
 sittings of the Criminal Court in 1835 on the great 
 prevalence of crime, producing statistics to show how 
 serious was the condition of the settlement from a 
 moral point of view. The picture drawn was indeed 
 a terrible one, and the Governor sought a remedy in 
 the moral police, education and religion. An attempt 
 was made to inaugurate a policy of state aid to 
 undenominational schools on the lines of the Irish 
 National School system ; but this was not what the 
 various religious bodies wanted, and such violent 
 opposition was aroused that Bourke abandoned the 
 idea. Although a system of unsectarian education 
 was for the present unattainable, it was still possible 
 to establish religious equality. Up to this time the 
 Church of England had, as in the mother country, 
 
Il8 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 received special consideration, although other bodies 
 had been helped from the public funds ; but Bourke 
 distributed aid both for stipends and buildings to all 
 denominations impartially. A marked revival both 
 in religion and education was the result, and, although 
 in later years the ecclesiastical expenditure became a 
 serious burthen on the country's treasury, the improve- 
 ment produced was worth the money spent. In spite 
 of Bourke's tact and care he at last became entangled 
 in the old feud between the emancipists and free 
 inhabitants. The assigned servants of a Mr. Mudie. 
 a magistrate, seized arms, committed a few violent 
 acts, and left their employ. They were captured and 
 convicted, but denounced the cruelty of the treatment 
 to which they alleged that they had been subjected. 
 The case called forth much comment, and a pamphlet 
 signed " Humanitas " attacked magistrates and all 
 masters of assigned convicts in no measured terms. 
 Possibly the fact that there was some foundation 
 in many instances for the charges preferred by 
 '* Humanitas " caused all the greater display of anger 
 and resentment by the class aspersed. At any rate, 
 when it at last became known that a convict named 
 Watt, who occupied an editorial position on the 
 Sydney Gazette, a newspaper which usually warmly 
 supported Bourke, was the author, he was vigorously 
 denounced, and, as Watt led a notoriously immoral 
 life, the magistrates saw an opening for retaliation. 
 Complaints regarding Watt were made to the 
 Governor ; but Bourke declined to interfere, till 
 charges having been brought against the offender in 
 the magistrates' court, and his case being referred to 
 
CASE OF MR. MUDIES SERVANTS. IIQ 
 
 the Governor, he was compelled to take some action. 
 Throughout the case, Mr. Roger Therry had taken 
 a prominent part in support both of Mudie's ser- 
 vants and Watt, and had consequently made him- 
 self obnoxious to the magistracy. It so happened 
 that the position of chairman of Quarter Sessions 
 fell vacant about this time, and some one had to be 
 elected by the magistrates to fill the place. Bourke 
 nominated Therry, but the magistrates supported Mr. 
 C. D. Riddell, treasurer and a member of the Execu- 
 tive Council. Bourke warned Riddell that he could 
 not hold the positions together, but Riddell still 
 remained a candidate, and was duly elected. Bourke 
 at once suspended him from the Council, and in 
 reporting the matter to the Secretary of State ex- 
 pressed a desire to resign if his action was not sup- 
 ported. The suspension was disallowed, and Riddell 
 again took his seat in the Council, but Bourke, 
 although urged to retain his office, persisted in his 
 resignation and was relieved. 
 
 The enormous growth of pastoral occupation, which 
 had taken place in consequence of Bigge's report, and 
 a fuller knowledge and appreciation of the country's 
 resources had caused a demand for labour, which even 
 the constant inflow of convicts was insufficient to 
 satisfy ; at the same time the increase of the free and 
 freed population, which had for long been steadily 
 going on, threatened shortly an undesirable competi- 
 tion between the forced labour of the bond and free- 
 wage earners. This last aspect of the question 
 caused those who so earnestly desired to see transpor- 
 tation altogether abolished to support the proposal to 
 
120 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 assist free labourers to come to Australia ; for in the 
 introduction of immigrants, whose interests would be 
 diametrically opposed to any increase in the number 
 of assigned servants, they saw a weapon ready to their 
 hands. Various impracticable schemes for raising 
 funds with which to encourage emigration from 
 Great Britain to the colony were put forward, and 
 shortly before Bourke's arrival commissioners had 
 been appointed to deal with the whole question. 
 As a result of their labours it was determined to 
 use the money obtained by the sale of Crown 
 lands as an immigration fund, and to pay half 
 the cost of a passage to Australia to all suitable 
 persons who might desire to settle in New South 
 Wales. 
 
 In 1 83 1, during the administration of Bourke, free 
 grants of land were discontinued, and all the un- 
 occupied portions of the colony were in future only 
 to be parted with at five shillings per acre. Under 
 this new arrangement the land revenue grew rapidly, . 
 and during the five years between 1832 and 1836 
 increased from ;^i 3,684 to £i^2,6oy. Unfortunately 
 the funds were not expended with discretion at 
 the commencement. Females were most urgently 
 required in the colony, so the first step taken in 
 the new departure was the creation of a Female 
 Emigration Board in London, to which the selection 
 and despatch of the emigrants, from whom so much 
 was hoped, was exclusively entrusted. But either 
 from carelessness or inefficiency on the part of those 
 to whom the selection was delegated, the persons 
 sent out were, for the most part, of a character which 
 
IMMIGRATION QUESTION. 121 
 
 not only made them quite worthless as reformatory 
 examples, but greatly increased the difficulties of 
 future purification. New South Wales was, in fact, 
 made the dumping ground for all the unconvicted as 
 well as the convicted criminals of the United Kingdom. 
 Nor had the importation of such labour as was really 
 required been attended to, and consequently em- 
 ployers were compelled to bring coolies, Chinese, and 
 South Sea islanders to New South Wales at their own 
 expense ; while the public moneys of the colony 
 were being expended on the passages of undesirable 
 women. In 1837, however, this maladministration 
 was rectified by the then Secretary of State for the 
 Colonies ; and several ships full of respectable free 
 labourers and farmers were despatched at the ex- 
 pense of the land fund which had now accumulated 
 to a considerable sum. The new arrivals were greedily 
 looked for and warmly welcomed by the settlers, and 
 all industrial pursuits revived amazingly. With the 
 increase of enterprise, wages rose, and the standard of 
 living was greatly improved. The thrifty and indus- 
 trious found that, with the expenditure of the same 
 amount of energy which was required at home to 
 keep the wolf from the door, they could earn sufficient 
 to live in comparative comfort and luxury. Glowing 
 accounts went to England of the magnificent prospects 
 of the colony, while the demands of the increased and 
 more industrious population caused a rapid expansion 
 of trade and commerce. The eyes of European 
 capitalists were attracted to Australia as a possible 
 field for the profitable investment of their money, 
 and capital soon began to flow into the country 
 
122 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 with a stream relatively greater than even the stream 
 pf immigration. 
 
 There were already two large banks in existence — 
 the Bank of New South Wales and the Bank of 
 Australia ; now four new banks were established, 
 to say nothing of other loan and trust companies. 
 With increased facilities for borrowing came an 
 increased desire to borrow, and enormous trans- 
 actions in land and live stock took place all over the 
 country, payment usually being made by long-dated 
 bills on one or other of the banks. The prospects 
 of the colony seemed excellent and fascinating, 
 dreams of rapidly-acquired fortunes began to float 
 before the eyes of farmer, pastoralist, and merchant 
 alike. It is true that the harvests of 1838 and 1839 
 were poor, and the colony had been suffering from 
 one of the periodical droughts, while the great staple, 
 wool, had experienced a heavy fall in price in London ; 
 but the abundance of the following years only added 
 to the rage for speculation. The Government, 
 apparently not apprehending the unsound condition 
 of business, would seem to have done everything 
 in its power to heighten the fever and precipitate 
 the crisis. 
 
 For instance, the area of Crown lands offered for 
 sale was very much restricted, so that the supply was 
 in no way equal to the demand, even for genuine 
 settlement, a course of action which unduly inflated 
 prices and stimulated competition to an unhealthy 
 extent. Then, again, the rate of interest demanded 
 for Government deposits in the Banks was raised 
 from 4 to 7 per cent, entailing a corresponding 
 
COMMERCIAL DEPRESSION. 1 23 
 
 increase in the charges of these institutions to their 
 customers, as well as a tendency to accept any 
 security, provided an investment for their funds could 
 be obtained. In this way advances were made in 
 many cases far in excess of the value of the property 
 mortgaged. An instance is quoted by a contem- 
 poraneous writer of an estate on which ^10,000 had 
 been lent by one of the companies, but which only 
 brought in ;^I00 per annum to the mortgagees, after 
 they had been compelled to take it over. Still, while 
 the mania lasted, there was a great appearance of 
 prosperity. Wages continued to rise, and every 
 one, from the highest to the most humble, conducted 
 their domestic affairs on much the same extravagant 
 scale as the prevailing business transactions. For 
 those who had no money, or very little, it was 
 the simplest thing in the world to borrow it, of course 
 with the assurance that the enormous prospective 
 profits of the speculation entered upon, whatever it 
 might be, would justify an immediate expenditure of 
 a great deal more than the borrower then possessed. 
 This sort of thing could not go on for long. The 
 huge paper circulation had to be redeemed sooner 
 or later, and although the confiding British capitalist 
 might for some time be gulled into lending his money 
 with no security, and only promises for interest, he 
 was sure to awaken after a little while to the 
 unsatisfactory character of his debtors. 
 
 The signs of the coming storm were not long 
 delayed. The Crown land sales fell off and ugly 
 rumours were whispered from one corner of the 
 colony to the other. At first the failures came one 
 
124 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 by one, but presently, in the year 1843, the whole 
 unsubstantial fabric went with a crash and credit was 
 completely destroyed. The men who had been 
 living luxuriously on other people's money found 
 themselves brought up with a round turn, and at 
 once tried to realise what they could. Property upon 
 property was forced into a market in which all were 
 sellers and none buyers, and prices fell to ridiculous 
 figures. The rebound was even more unreasonable 
 than the inflation. Sheep were sold by the sheriff's 
 officer for sixpence per head, and large stations near 
 Yass and on the Hunter River sold, land and all, at 
 the price of about three shillings per head for the 
 sheep which were on them ; the same authority 
 referred to above, quotes instances in which cattle 
 bought at six guineas each were parted with for 
 three and sixpence per head. Houses and personal 
 property all went the same way. Carriages, which 
 in the prosperous days had cost ;^I40, sold for ^^3, 
 and were run as cabs by the servants of the late 
 owners. 
 
 The Auction Duty returns throw a strong light 
 on the extent of the general ruin. In 1837, at a time 
 of inflated prices, sales amounting to ;^32 1,346 are 
 recorded ; three years later, in spite of the enormous 
 shrinkage in values, the figures stand at ^1,246,742, 
 and it is asserted that, had the goods sold in 1840 
 realised anything like their value in 1837, the sales 
 by auction would have amounted to fully six millions 
 sterling. The Bank of Australia was unable to 
 withstand the storm and by its fall involved a very 
 large number of persons, both shareholders and 
 
BANK OF AUSTRALIA LOTTERY. 125 
 
 depositors ; at one time starvation was so near a 
 section of the population that the Governor issued 
 rations from the pubhc stores at less than cost 
 price. 
 
 The effects of the failure of the Bank of Australia 
 threatened to be very serious, for its ramifications 
 were great, and, in order to prevent " a panic which 
 would annihilate the value of property," if the share- 
 holders were called upon to meet the liabilities of 
 the Bank, Wentworth introduced a Bill into the 
 Council authorising the disposal of the property of 
 the Bank by a lottery. The Bill was passed, and 
 although the Royal assent was refused, the lottery 
 was nevertheless held before the law officers could 
 intervene to prevent it. Relief for the pastoral 
 interest was found by Mr. O'Brien, who occupied a 
 run in the Yass district. Sheep had practically 
 ceased to have any market value ; but Mr. O'Brien 
 discovered that a uniform price of about six shillings 
 per head could be obtained by boiling them down 
 for tallow, and this experiment was the commence- 
 ment of a large and well-sustained trade. 
 
 The treatment of the native races had become more 
 and more brutal with the extension of occupation, until 
 Sir George Gipps, who succeeded Bourke in February, 
 1838, determined to mete out equal and indiscriminate 
 justice to all, whether white or black. The abori- 
 ginals were looked upon by the great bulk of settlers 
 as little, if at all, better than wild beasts, and the 
 shepherds and servants on the distant runs were 
 in the habit of murdering black men, women, and 
 children, without the smallest provocation. The 
 
126 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 Government had for so long disregarded these pro- 
 ceedings that a profound sensation was created by 
 the arrest and arraignment of eleven white men on a 
 charge of murder in connection with the massacre at 
 Myall Creek of between thirty and forty natives, more 
 than half of whom were women and children. Seven 
 of the offenders were hanged, and no stronger con- 
 demnation of the existing state of affairs could be 
 uttered than that pronounced by them when they 
 sought to excuse themselves because " They were 
 not aware that in killing blacks they were violating 
 the law, as it had been so frequently done in the 
 colony before." The Myall Creek massacre was 
 only one of many similar barbarities which took 
 place about this period, but it was the first event 
 of the description which was dealt vnth in the 
 Criminal Courts, and both Gipps and the judge 
 who presided were abused in no measured terms 
 by an indignant public for their share in the pro- 
 ceedings. The state of public feeling is shown by 
 the fact that the Governor's efforts to protect his 
 black subjects were described by a leading news- 
 paper as " drawling philanthropy and mawkish 
 sentimentality." Great changes were made in the 
 land laws in 1842. An Act was passed by the 
 House of Commons directing that all lands should 
 in future be sold by auction, and fixing the upset 
 price at a minimum of ^i per acre. Survey and 
 charting were made necessary preliminaries to sale, 
 except in the case of special blocks of 20,000 acres, 
 and certificates were to be issued to persons paying 
 money into the British Treasury entitling them to 
 
MYALL CREEK MASSACRE. I27 
 
 any unsold surveyed land they might select on 
 arrival in New South Wales. The point in the Act 
 which caused the greatest trouble was the authority 
 conferred on the Governor to grant annual licenses 
 for the occupation of Crown lands, fixing the rent 
 himself and being able to raise it to any figure 
 which might appear to him proper. In the same 
 year, 1842, the long-anticipated measure recon- 
 structing the constitution of the colony and granting 
 the elective principle was passed almost unanimously 
 by both Houses of the English Parliament. The 
 existing Legislative Council was empowered to arrange 
 electoral districts and other details for a new legis- 
 lative body consisting of thirty-six members, twelve 
 to be nominated by the Crown and twenty-four to 
 be elected by all persons possessed of a low property 
 qualification. The Act went on to make certain 
 provisions for the establishment of District Councils, 
 whose principal duty it would be to collect funds 
 for the maintenance of police and the construction 
 of local works. The first district councillors were 
 to be appointed by the Governor, and subsequent 
 vacancies were to be filled by election, but failing 
 an election the Government had power to fill the 
 positions by his nominees. These arrangements 
 shortly caused friction between Gipps and his new 
 Legislature. 
 
 On the 1st of August, 1843, the new Council met 
 after an election which was characterised by rioting 
 and loss of life. There were many matters requiring 
 urgent and careful attention, the foremost being 
 the extreme prostration which had followed the 
 
128 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 financial crisis and now appeared to threaten the 
 very existence of the community. Wentworth con- 
 sidered the only hope of infusing new spirit into 
 commerce and industry was to make by some means 
 the vast herds and flocks of the pastoralists negoti- 
 able ; with this end in view he introduced a Bill, 
 which was passed, legalising liens on growing wool 
 and the mortgage of live stock. Although the 
 Secretary of State for a long time demurred to 
 this Act, the Royal assent was eventually obtained, 
 and all the benefits anticipated by Wentworth were 
 fully realised. By a resolution of the house a 
 parliamentary agent in London was appointed to 
 attend to the affairs of the colony in England, and 
 a corresponding committee was nominated to instruct 
 him, but the principal part of the session was taken 
 up with disputes as to expenditure and the applica- 
 tion of certain funds, and objections to the District 
 Council clauses of the Constitution Act. During 
 the next session the Council continued to squabble 
 with the Governor over questions of finance, and 
 matters were brought to a crisis in 1845 when Gipps 
 sent down bills to continue the " unauthorised 
 occupation of Crown Lands Act," and to make 
 provision for the maintenance of border police. 
 Here was the opportunity for which Wentworth 
 and his supporters had been waiting. The bills 
 they declared could never pass through the Council, 
 first, because the legislature "was not disposed to 
 continue summary powers which had been used to 
 support a claim to tax by prerogative alone ; " 
 secondly, because the Governor had repeatedly 
 
GIPPS AND HIS COUNCIL. 129 
 
 asserted that the Crown was the absolute owne rof 
 waste lands, and that the prerogative was sufficient 
 for their management, so that the interference of the 
 Council would be unnecessary ; thirdly, because the 
 legislature would be disinclined to tax the squatters 
 so long as the Governor had the power to tax them 
 as much as he chose by the raising of rent and by 
 the rates levied by the nominee District Councils ; 
 and fourthly, because they entirely disagreed with 
 the regulations framed by Gipps for the management 
 of the Crown lands of the colony. These resolutions 
 were conveyed to the Governor by deputation, and 
 the Council adjourned to a date later than that on 
 which it was supposed that Gipps would be relieved 
 by his successor ; the continued strain of govern- 
 ment had wrecked his health and he had been com- 
 pelled to resign his office. Gipps was equal to the 
 occasion, and, in order to prevent the new Governor 
 from being confronted by difficult questions before 
 he had had time to make himself acquainted with 
 the circumstances of the country, promptly prorogued 
 Parliament to a date which would afford his successor 
 ample leisure to learn the true state of affairs. At 
 the same time he reissued the regulations which had 
 given so much umbrage. 
 
 In spite of the turbulent ending to his reign, 
 Gipps left the colony amidst expressions of genuine 
 regret, for none were insensible of his ability and 
 the purity of his motives, even in those matters 
 which had aroused most popular resentment. It 
 had been his misfortune to quarrel with Went- 
 worth and Lowe, the leading spirits of the Council, 
 
 10 
 
130 
 
 CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 and it is impossible to believe that many of the 
 actions of that body which tended to strain the 
 relations between the Governor and the Legislature 
 were not prompted as much by personal as by public 
 motives. 
 
IX. 
 
 THE STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 ri846-i85i.) 
 
 Sir Charles Fitzroy arrived in H.M.S. Caiys- 
 foi't on the 3rd of August, 1846, and entered on what 
 was the most memorable term of office of any 
 Australian governor. One of his first acts was to 
 submit estimates, in which were included the details 
 of the schedules, and the Council, led by Wentvvorth, 
 affirmed that they had no intention in asserting the 
 right to deal with the sums named therein, "to 
 propose alterations in any of the salaries to which 
 the faith of Her Majesty's Government had already 
 been pledged." Thus the strained relations which 
 had so long existed between Gipps and his council 
 were soon removed by mutual concessions and a 
 spirit of mutual confidence, and difficulties, which at 
 one time threatened to cause a serious rupture, were 
 by a few civil words made the occasion of expressions 
 of amity and friendship. The question of quit rents, 
 which had been another stumbling-block, was also 
 satisfactorily settled by permitting all debtors to 
 
132 THE STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 commute them at twenty years' purchase, the excess 
 of that sum being refunded to persons who had 
 already paid more. By an order in Council transpor- 
 tation to New South Wales had been abolished in 
 1840, but in the years following the great commercial 
 crisis of 1843 its revival was seriously contemplated 
 both within the colony and in England. Lord Stanley 
 had proposed the formation of a new settlement 
 as a receptacle for British criminals in 1845 ; two 
 years later Colonel Barney, an officer of Engineers, 
 was appointed superintendent, and actually sailed for 
 Port Curtis, but he was unsuccessful in his search 
 for a suitable site for the new colony, and before 
 anything had been done, orders were received from 
 England directing the abandonment of the project. 
 In 1848 the attractions of the Californian gold-fields 
 drew large numbers of the more adventurous spirits 
 from New South Wales, and again complaints as 
 to the dearth of labour began to be heard. The 
 Secretary of State for the Colonies saw his oppor- 
 tunity, and lost no time in making use of it. The 
 order in Council which terminated transportation was 
 at once revoked ; but popular sentiment had been 
 misjudged, for, although a few persons considered 
 that the only hope of averting the ruin which the 
 depreciation in station and farm properties threatened 
 was to resort again to assigned service, the great 
 bulk of the population viewed the reintroduction of 
 criminals as a thing to be prevented at all hazards. 
 In February, 1849, there was a public meeting in 
 Sydney to protest against Earl Grey's action, but 
 meanwhile Mr. Gladstone, undeterred by the ex- 
 
ARRIVAL OF THE HASHEMY. I33 
 
 perience of his predecessor at the Colonial Office, had 
 suggested that the time had come when convicts 
 should be again received, asserting " that the practical 
 mischief of exciting jealousies by controverting the 
 alleged promise of the discontinuance of trans- 
 portation would be greater than any that can arise 
 from acquiescence in the assumption of its correct- 
 ness." This curious method of circumventing an 
 acknowledged compact only intensified the opposi- 
 tion of the colonists, and popular expressions on the 
 question became ominously violent. Matters were 
 brought to a head by the arrival of the HasJiemy 
 in Port Jackson with convicts on board. A public 
 meeting, hurriedly held at Circular Quay, was largely 
 attended, and speeches in no moderate language were 
 received with acclamation by the excited crowd. A 
 deputation was appointed to immediately wait upon 
 the Governor to inform him of the determination 
 of the populace to resist the debarcation of the 
 convicts ; but as it was clearly out of the power of 
 Fitzroy to send the HasJieniy back with her cargo 
 of criminals, and it was equally impossible to keep 
 the wretched prisoners cooped up in the ship for 
 any extended period, a compromise was at length 
 arrived at ; the Governor permitted most of the 
 convicts to be hired on board by settlers, on condition 
 that they should not be employed in Cumberland, 
 the metropolitan county, and the rest were promptly 
 despatched to Moreton Bay, whither those who 
 arrived subsequently were also sent. The incident 
 of the HasJieuiy called forth more deliberate and 
 unmistakable protests from the inhabitants, and in 
 
134 ^^^ STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 1850 forty-eight petitions, eight with five hundred and 
 twenty-five signatures in favour of the continuance 
 of transportation and forty with no less than 36,589 
 names attached against it were forwarded to the 
 EngHsh Government, while the Legislative Council 
 resolved " that no more convicts ought, under any con- 
 ditions, to be sent to any part of this colony." But 
 although the people of New South Wales would not 
 receive the outpourings of the British gaols, free im- 
 migrants were eagerly sought and gladly welcomed. 
 Large numbers of assisted immigrants arrived each 
 year, and usually met with a ready demand for their 
 services, but occasionally some hardship was ex- 
 perienced owing to the inability of the settlers far 
 inland to make their requirements known, and the 
 tendency of the new arrivals to cling to the city 
 or its neighbourhood. Mrs. Caroline Chisholm did 
 much to alleviate these evils by travelling through 
 the country with batches of immigrants to the 
 localities in which they would be most likely wanted, 
 and after leaving the colony the same lady formed 
 a Family Colonisation Society in London, which 
 did good work in despatching suitable settlers to 
 Australia. 
 
 Previous to 1848 the system of primary educa- 
 tion had been purely denominational, and, al- 
 though various suggestions had been made for a 
 scheme of public instruction, for one reason or 
 another no definite action had been taken. In the 
 year named, however, a committee of the Council 
 reported in favour of the adoption of the Irish 
 National School system, and an Act was passed 
 
EDUCATION. 135 
 
 appointing a Board of National Education, and 
 also a Denominational School Board. The two 
 bodies did not work in harmony, and the national 
 schools were vehemently opposed by the ministers 
 of most religious bodies. The same year saw 
 the birth of the first Australian university. The 
 hopes of colonists now soared high, and aimed at 
 equality with the mother country, not only in 
 material, but also in intellectual advantages. " I 
 believe," said Wentworth, when speaking on the Bill 
 authorising the foundation of the Sydney University, 
 " that from the pregnant womb of this institution will 
 arise a long line of illustrious names — of statesmen, 
 of patriots, of philanthropists, of philosophers, of 
 poets, of heroes, and of sages, who will shed a death- 
 less halo not only on their country, but on that 
 university we are now about to call into being." 
 
 But if these brilliant anticipations were to be 
 fulfilled, the colonist must first obtain full political 
 rights, and in the struggle for political freedom 
 Wentworth again appeared as the champion of the 
 better aspirations of the people. Earl Grey's des- 
 patch, authorising the separation of Port Phillip, had 
 arrived at the end of 1847, and in the same document 
 was sketched an amended constitution, which it was 
 proposed to introduce into New South Wales as soon 
 as practicable. Two houses were to be established, 
 one nominated by the Crown and the other repre- 
 sentative, but the people were to elect Municipal 
 Councils who, in their turn, were to be the con- 
 stituents of the Legislature. 
 
 It was hinted that there should be some method 
 
AGITATION FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT. I37 
 
 " for enabling the various legislatures of the several 
 Australian colonies to co-operate with each other in 
 the enactment of such laws as may be necessary for 
 regulating the interests common to those possessions 
 collectively ; such, for example, are the imposition 
 of duties of import and export, the conveyance of 
 letters, and the formation of roads, railway, or other 
 internal communications traversing any two or more 
 of such colonies," and the creation of such a central 
 legislative authority was foreshadowed, although no 
 details were stated. This despatch was published by 
 Fitzroy, and was not unfavourably received. In 
 January, 1848, a huge public meeting was held in 
 Sydney, at which all the leaders of the people for 
 once united in vigorous opposition to the proposed 
 alteration in the constitution. It was asserted that 
 such a measure would have the effect of depriving 
 the colonists of the elective franchise, which had 
 only been obtained after a severe fight, and was de- 
 clared by Mr. Stuart Donaldson, one of the speakers, 
 to be " our unalienable right as British subjects." 
 Earl Grey bowed to the storm and consented to 
 withdraw his proposals, simply introducing a 
 measure enabling the colonies to create two 
 chambers, should they so desire. But the emphatic 
 projiest which this scheme had called forth awoke 
 the authorities in England to the importance of the 
 subject and the earnestness of the desires of the 
 settlers, and the whole question of the Australian 
 constitutions seemed so serious that the Com- 
 mittee of the Privy Council on Trade and Planta- 
 tions was requested to report. After a few months' 
 
138 THE STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 deliberation they advised that as free scope as 
 possible for public opinion in Australia should be 
 permitted, and that an enabling measure, giving the 
 colonies power to devise their own constitutions 
 within certain broad limits, should be passed. 
 Although they deemed municipal institutions an 
 essential to effective government, and " the only 
 practicable security against the danger of undue 
 centralisation," it would be impolitic in the present 
 temper of the colonies to " force unwelcome duties " 
 on them " under the name of franchises." 
 
 Instead of direct taxation through District Councils, 
 it was suggested that any balance of the land revenue 
 received from each district, remaining over after 
 charges for immigration had been met, should be 
 handed to the local councils for expenditure on the 
 construction of public works. They strongly urged 
 " that there should be one tariff common to all " 
 the settlements, " so that goods might be carried 
 from one into the other with the same absolute 
 freedom as between any two adjacent counties in 
 England." All common questions were to be settled 
 by " a general assembly of Australia," presided over 
 by the Governor of New South Wales in his capacity 
 of Governor-General. The necessary revenue for 
 this central authority Vv'as to be obtained by " an 
 equal percentage from the revenue received in all 
 the colonies." 
 
 The English Government expressed the intention 
 of immediately introducing a Bill based on the 
 report, but troubles nearer home delayed the matter 
 till early in 1850. 
 
AGITATION FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT. 139 
 
 When the AustraHan Colonies Government Bill 
 was read the second time in the House of Commons 
 the debate was a keen one. Various amendments 
 were proposed, and the franchise was lowered. All 
 the colonies were expressly disabled from interfer- 
 ing with the Crown lands and the revenue derived 
 therefrom. The existing council was convened in 
 March, in order to pass the measures required to 
 give effect to the new arrangements, but Wentworth 
 condemned the proposed constitution because by it 
 " all material powers exercised for centuries by the 
 House of Commons were still withheld." A select 
 committee of the existing council was obtained, 
 which in its report protested against the proposals 
 on the grounds that all revenue and taxation should 
 be entirely in the hands of the Colonial Legislature ; 
 that all offices of trust and emolument should be 
 filled by the Governor and Executive Council, un- 
 fettered by instructions from the Minister for the 
 Colonies ; that plenary powers of legislation should be 
 conferred on the Colonial Legislature ; it concluded 
 by " solemnly protesting against these wrongs, and 
 declaring and insisting on these our undoubted 
 rights ; we leave the redress of the one and the 
 assertion of the other to the people whom we re- 
 present and the legislature which shall follow us." 
 
 An electoral Bill was passed providing thirty-six 
 representative and eighteen nominee members for the 
 new Council of New South Wales, and twenty elected 
 and ten nominee members for Victoria, which, on 
 their election, was to become a separate colony. The 
 lowering of the franchise produced a strange altera- 
 
140 THE STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 tion in public feeling, and at the election of 1851 
 Wentworth's name stood last instead of first of the 
 three members for Sydney ; John Dunmore Lang 
 leading the poll. The new council met on the i6th 
 of October and reaffirmed the protest of the defunct 
 body. In their report they stated that they were 
 " prepared upon the surrender to the Colonial Legis- 
 lature of the entire management of all our revenues, 
 territorial as well as general, in which we include 
 mines of every description, and upon the establish- 
 ment of a constitution similar in its outline to that of 
 Canada, to assume and provide for the whole cost of 
 our internal government, whether civil or military." 
 The petition was carried and transmitted by Sir 
 Charles Fitzroy to the Secretary of State as expressing 
 " the general and deliberate opinion of the most loyal, 
 respectable, and influential members of the com- 
 munity." Sir John Pakington was at this time 
 Secretary of State, and he at once fell in with the 
 views so unmistakably expressed. In his despatch 
 to the Governor he stated that the English Govern- 
 ment were " ready to accede to the wishes of the 
 Council and of the colony in a spirit of entire con- 
 fidence." The Council was invited to frame a con- 
 stitution for itself, and the whole of the revenues 
 demanded would be surrendered by the Crown as 
 soon as the contemplated changes in the constitution 
 had been effected. Transportation to Australia was 
 to be finally abolished, and the despatch closed with 
 the expression of the hope that the proposed enact- 
 ment " will not only tend to promote the welfare and 
 prosperity of the great colony . . . but also to cement 
 
TRANSPORTATION ABOLISHED. 14I 
 
 and perpetuate the ties of kindred affection and mutual 
 confidence which connect its people with that of the 
 United Kingdom." 
 
 Some time elapsed before the details of the new 
 constitution could be finally settled, but Sir John 
 Pakington's despatch irrevocably conceded the prin- 
 ciple that the Australian Colonies, on showing their 
 ability to do so, had the right to demand the control 
 and management of their own affairs. In the fore- 
 going pages it has been shown how, step by step, the 
 power of the people advanced, how the taint of crime 
 rapidly, though almost imperceptibly, disappeared 
 from the popular assemblies. The old divisions of 
 society had gone, and instead of " emancipated " and 
 " free " a united people is to be seen vehemently con- 
 tending for those same rights and privileges in this 
 distant possession which they would have been enjoy- 
 ing had they remained or been born in the mother 
 country. To the early political life of this settlement at 
 the antipodes was given peculiar interest by the strong 
 individuality and remarkable ability of the leading 
 characters. Wentworth fired with love of his native 
 country, and embittered by the feeling that the land 
 of his birth was tainted by foreign crime, first made 
 his appearance as the champion of the " freed " whom 
 he longed to make free, but, as the colony grew, he 
 perceived that the future was too grand to be bound 
 up with the personal hopes of a section of the inhabi- 
 tants. As the struggle for the elective principle 
 progressed he became aware that, if Australia was to 
 be a mighty nation, higher ideals than those of the 
 mob must lead her. Although extremely violent in 
 
142 THE STRUGGLE FOR FREE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 his language he ever professed to keep within the 
 bounds of parliamentary usage ; and his love ot 
 England and her liberties was only eclipsed by the 
 love he bore the land of his birth. But when the 
 fighting days were over, and, the victory being won, it 
 was necessary to order affairs of state with caution 
 and moderation, he lost the marvellous hold he had 
 previously exercised over the lower classes of the 
 community, and, although always a power in the 
 council, he ceased to be a popular idol. 
 
 Perhaps the next most prominent figure at this time 
 was John Dunmore Lang, a Presbyterian minister and 
 polemical politician. An advocate of the severance 
 of the British connection, violent and coarse in 
 language though undeniably able and eloquent, he 
 took the place which Wentworth lost in the affection 
 of a section of the masses. Always mixed up in 
 transactions which his opponents called by very 
 ugly names, he occupied a unique position on the 
 political stage and a volume could be filled with an 
 account of his extraordinary vicissitudes and curious 
 dealings. 
 
 Robert Lowe, afterwards Lord Sherbrooke, was 
 another participator in the stirring events attending 
 the birth of responsible government A man of great 
 gifts he had many admirers but few friends. First 
 entering the Council as a personal friend and nominee 
 of Gipps, he soon became that governor's most 
 dangerous opponent, and Wentworth aptly described 
 him, when at the elections of 1848 he said — " Long 
 ago I felt the deep conviction that, having had to bear 
 his praises, I must soon be doomed to bear his bitterest 
 
DBAS THOMPSON. I43 
 
 and most envenomed censure. The principle of the 
 man's life is change." 
 
 But not the least noticeable figure in the group of 
 leaders was that of Deas Thompson, the Colonial 
 Secretary. With wonderful tact at a most difficult 
 period he successfully conducted the Government 
 business in a sensitive and hostile council, and in the 
 measures framed under his hand, a broadness of view 
 and a keen appreciation of the people he had to deal 
 with is everywhere visible. His rS/e was not as 
 brilliant as that of the champions of popular rights, 
 but his influence as a high-minded and honourable 
 srentleman was extensive. 
 
X. 
 
 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 (1851.) 
 
 The extraordinary activity displayed in the social 
 and political development of New South Wales at 
 this period is the more remarkable as the commercial 
 and financial prospects were not encouraging. The 
 colony had never really recovered from the crisis of 
 1843. Confidence had then been destroyed, and 
 the credit, so essential to business transactions of 
 any magnitude, had received a shock from which 
 it could only be restored by years of patient and 
 steady industry. Then the sudden cessation of 
 assigned labour combined with the emigration to 
 California, had been a severe ordeal, and many persons 
 prophesied the speedy collapse of the whole settle- 
 ment. Looking back through the records of these 
 troublous times, it seems strange that some people 
 were not tempted to seek for gold during the years of 
 depression. It was known by many that the precious 
 metal had been found in the Bathurst district, and 
 from time to time since the very early days of occu- 
 pation, reports had been made to the authorities con- 
 
COUNT STRZLECKI — REV. W. B. CLARKE. I45 
 
 cerning the discovery of gold in various places. As 
 far back as 1823 there is an entry in the field-book 
 of a surveyor named James McBrian, under date of 
 February the i6th, which runs: "At eight chains, 
 fifty links to river, and marked gum-tree — at this 
 place I found numerous particles of gold in the sand 
 and in the hills adjacent to the river," the river referred 
 to being the Fish River, about fifteen miles from 
 Bathurst, and not far from the discoveries of Hargraves. 
 
 Again, in 1839, Count Strzlecki found gold, and 
 informed the Governor, Sir George Gipps ; and, 
 although he was requested by the authorities to 
 suppress, as far as he was able, the knowledge of his 
 discovery, for fear of gold fever rendering the convicts 
 unmanageable and disturbing the settled industries of 
 the country, there can be little doubt that the fact was 
 disclosed to a large number of people. 
 
 In 1 841 the Rev. W. B. Clarke found gold in the 
 Macquarie Valley and the Vale of Clwydd, and stated 
 that he was convinced that the metal would be met 
 with in large quantities in various localities through- 
 out New South Wales, and, for some time previous to 
 1 85 1, a shepherd named McGregor had, while tending 
 his flocks, collected particles of gold, while other 
 persons had not unfrequently come across small 
 deposits. 
 
 But, in spite of all these incidents, it would seem 
 that the possibility of Australia being possessed of 
 this kind of wealth never seriously occupied men's 
 minds. It was not for some seven years after the 
 acute stage of the commercial crisis that any general 
 interest in the gold discoveries was shown, and then 
 
 II 
 
146 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 attention was drawn to the matter, not by the 
 prophecies of geologists, but by the conviction of a 
 man named Hargraves, that the country, so like in 
 character the great gold-bearing places in Cali- 
 fornia, would, in all probability, be also auriferous. 
 The story is a curious one. Hargraves was one of 
 the numerous adventurers who left the colony in 1848 
 for California, but the first thing which impressed him 
 on his arrival was the great resemblance between the 
 gold country and some of the places which were well 
 known to him in Australia. The more he pondered 
 upon the likeness, the stronger grew the conviction 
 that there must be gold too, near his old home. Each 
 day he felt more forcibly impelled to return to 
 Australia and test the accuracy of his surmises. At 
 last he could resist the inclination no longer, and 
 on the 1 2th of February, 1851, his enterprise was 
 rewarded, and he succeeded in finding gold in the 
 Lewis Ponds and Summerhill Creeks, the very spots 
 which had been in his mind during his sojourn in 
 California. 
 
 Having fully assured himself of the payable 
 character of the field, Hargraves approached the 
 Government. He at first asked for a reward, on receipt 
 of which he expressed his willingness to point out 
 the places at which he had experimented, but Deas 
 Thompson declined to entertain any other proposal 
 than that the localities should be shown and proved 
 to Mr. Stuchbury, the geological surveyor, and that 
 Hargraves should trust to the honour of the Govern- 
 ment for an adequate reward after his discoveries had 
 been confirmed and their value ascertained. This 
 
THE GOLD FEVER. I 47 
 
 offer was accepted, and on the 6th of May it was 
 announced in Sydney that a gold-field had been 
 found. Three weeks later Mr, Stuchbury wrote to 
 the Colonial Secretary that " the number of people at 
 the diggings on the Summerhill Creek is daily in- 
 creasing upon an extent of about a mile. I estimate 
 the number to be not less than i,ooo, and, with few 
 exceptions, they appear to be doing well, many of 
 them getting large quantities of gold." The rush to 
 the gold-fields before long seriously affected other 
 industries, and the apprehensions of collapse from 
 stagnation were converted into fears of ruin from too 
 great speculation. Indeed, it was urged upon the 
 Governor by some of those engaged in pastoral and 
 agricultural pursuits, that martial law should be 
 proclaimed, and all gold-diggings peremptorily pro- 
 hibited, in order that the inducement, which seemed 
 so irresistible, for persons to quit their ordinary occu- 
 pations might be removed. It is needless to say that 
 such an absurd request was not entertained, Fitzroy 
 expressing his opinion that to try to stop the rush to 
 the diggings would be as futile " as to attempt to 
 stop the influx of the tide." Nevertheless, there can 
 be no doubt that in some quarters the exodus of 
 labourers from the more settled industries of the 
 country was very keenly felt. Stations in some cases 
 were left without hands, and farmers saw their crops 
 spoiling because they could not obtain sufficient men 
 to harvest them. 
 
 When the rush first commenced, the Council was 
 not in session, so the new conditions had to be pro- 
 vided for by the executive. Deas Thompson, the 
 
148 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 Colonial Secretary, drew up rules for the regulation of 
 the gold-fields, imposing a license fee of thirty shillings 
 per month on all persons digging gold. The revenue 
 arising from this source was promptly placed at the 
 disposal of the Colonial Government to meet the 
 extraordinary expenditure consequent on the changed 
 circumstances of the colony, and, when the Council 
 met, it was considered that Deas Thompson's regula- 
 tions had worked so satisfactorily that there was no 
 need to make any alterations. Only one serious 
 disorder threatened. At the Turon field four hundred 
 armed diggers prepared to resist payment of the 
 license fee ; but the Government at once despatched 
 half a company of the nth Regiment with rein- 
 forcements of police to Sofala, and showed such 
 a firm determination to maintain the law that the 
 turbulent spirits quailed, and the rioters melted away 
 without causing further trouble. It is not surprising 
 that ordinary methods of gaining a living became 
 unattractive in the face of some of the early finds of 
 gold. He would indeed be a cold-blooded philosopher 
 whose mind would not be inflamed by such a discovery 
 as that made by a Dr. Kerr on the Turon. This 
 gentleman, or rather a native employed on his station, 
 discovered, accidently, a lump of gold weighing about 
 one hundred and six pounds, and worth, approxi- 
 mately, ;!^4,500 ; another mass of gold was unearthed, 
 in November, 1858, at Burrandong, near Orange, 
 which, after melting at the mint, yielded ;^4,389 
 worth of the metal ; and the " Brennan " nugget, which 
 was sold in Sydney, in 1851, realised £1,1^6; while 
 numerous other finds of a similar character were quite 
 
MINERS EARNINGS. 149 
 
 sufificient to tempt even the most cautious to go and 
 try their fortunes at the diggings. In the early days, 
 moreover, apart from the extraordinary discoveries 
 of huge lumps, good results were obtained by the 
 greater number of the miners on the alluvial workings. 
 In the "Quarterly Review" for September, 1852, a 
 writer asserted that in New South Wales " the average 
 monthly earnings of gold-diggers amounted to ;^3i 
 3s.," and supported this estimate by the evidence of 
 the commissioners on the various fields who commonly 
 spoke of ^i per day as the average result of the 
 miner's labour. The general excitement and unsettled 
 state of the colony caused very great discomfort and 
 loss to those who had, from one reason or another, to 
 remain at their ordinary avocations, for the enhanced 
 value of the principal articles of common consumption 
 made serious inroads on the pockets of all who reaped 
 no direct advantage from the mines. A special " gold 
 allowance " was paid to public servants, to enable 
 them to meet the changed circumstances, and the 
 dearth of labour caused a somewhat similar advance 
 in remuneration to persons in private employ. Wheat 
 rose between 1850 and 1855 from 4s. to i6s. 5d. per 
 bushel, tea from is. lod. to 2s. 5d. per lb., potatoes 
 from 7s. to 2 IS. 4d. per cwt., and beer from 2s. gd. to 
 4s. yd. per gallon. On the gold-fields prices of the 
 commonest things reached prodigious figures, and as 
 the roads became cut up the cost of carriage rose 
 from £2 los. to ^^"30 per ton. The condition of things 
 sketched above did not continue for very long ; 
 what has been fitly described as the " alluring 
 dazzle of the gold-seeker's life" gradually became 
 
150 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 dimmed by the privation, discomfort, and disappoint- 
 ment which, as the numbers of miners increased, and 
 the alluvial beds became exhausted in the majority 
 of instances, were all that was experienced on the 
 gold-fields ; in consequence people returned to their 
 former occupations in less fascinating but more safe 
 and permanent paths of industry. But the work of 
 the great discovery had been accomplished in the 
 first few years following 185 1. Not only had new 
 life and fresh impetus been given to enterprise in 
 New South Wales, but an entirely new class of 
 labour had been attracted to the province, bringing 
 with it a far higher standard of living than that 
 previously obtaining, and thus permanently im- 
 proving the condition of workers for the future. 
 The thirst for gold and feverish excitement which 
 accompanied the birth of the mining industry in 
 Australia, was probably all the more acute owing 
 to the extreme depression which immediately pre- 
 ceded it, for it is a somewhat remarkable fact that, 
 although only a small portion of the auriferous area 
 of the continent of Australia has been explored, and a 
 still smaller portion properly developed, so that the 
 chances of marvellous finds are as great as ever, there 
 has never since the rush between 185 i and 1857 been 
 anything resembling the overmastering fascination 
 which the search for the precious metal at first exer- 
 cised. Of course, every now and then there is what 
 is called commonly a " boom " in mining circles, but 
 no considerable number of persons have been attracted 
 from other pursuits. 
 
XI. 
 
 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 (1853-1885.) 
 
 In 1853, on the receipt of Sir John Pakington's 
 despatch, a committee of the Council, of which Went- 
 vvorth was the guiding spirit, was appointed to draft 
 a Constitution Bill. It was not long in bringing up its 
 report, which, however, met with considerable opposi- 
 tion both in the Council and from the people outside. 
 Wentworth desired to make the Upper Chamber 
 hereditary, after the example of the House of Lords, 
 and provided for a species of colonial peerage, the 
 the only point which raised much comment ; but 
 public meetings vigorously protested against the in- 
 troduction of the hereditary principle, and eventually, 
 after a hard fight, Wentworth consented to withdraw 
 this particular arrangement, and substitute a nomi- 
 nated chamber. He gave in with reluctance, and 
 only because he feared the wreck of the whole scheme, 
 were he to adhere to his opinion. His contention 
 had been that some special inducement must be offered 
 to successful persons to remain in the colonies ; " For 
 who would stay here if he could avoid it ? " said he, 
 
152 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 " who with ample means would ever return, if ever he 
 left these shores, or identify himself with the colony, 
 so long as selfishness and ignorant democracy held 
 sway ? Yet what a great country would those have 
 to live in if higher and nobler principles prevailed ! 
 Blessed by the bounteous gifts of Providence, it affords 
 in its illimitable tracts happy homes for millions yet 
 unborn." Wentworth's forecast has been singularly 
 verified, and one of the greatest misfortunes of the 
 colonies at the present day is that no sooner do 
 Australians accumulate wealth, than they fly to 
 Europe to dissipate it. Whether his remedy would 
 have been effective or not, it is impossible to say, but 
 few will deny that there is something lacking in 
 colonial society, which is essential to retain those from 
 whom it should receive its greatest advancement and 
 support. 
 
 On December 21st a Constitution Bill was passed, 
 and forwarded to the Secretary of State for the sanc- 
 tion of the Imperial Parliament, and, after a somewhat 
 stormy passage through the House of Commons, the 
 measure became law. In 1856 the old council was 
 dissolved, having first made the necessary arrange- 
 ments for the election of the new assembly, and on 
 May 22nd the first Parliament under responsible 
 government was opened by Sir William Denison. 
 There were two chambers, the Upper House, called 
 the Legislative Council, consisting of members nomi- 
 nated by the Crown, and the Legislative Assembly, 
 which contained fifty -four elected members. The 
 first Ministry included Sir Stuart Alexander Donald- 
 son, as Colonial Secretary and Premier ; Mr. Thomas 
 
CONSTITUTION BILL PASSED. 153 
 
 Holt, Treasurer ; Sir William Manning, Attorney- 
 General ; Mr. J. B. Darvall, Solicitor-General ; and 
 Mr. W. C. Mayne as Representative of the Govern- 
 ment in the Legislative Council. The principles of 
 the Constitution, as originally laid down, have never 
 been altered, but there have been some changes in 
 minor details. In New South Wales, as in the other 
 Australian colonies, the democratic element was in- 
 creasing, and before long the Electoral Act was 
 amended and the franchise reduced to practically 
 manhood suffrage. At the sam.e time, the old system 
 of voting was abolished, and all elections have since 
 been conducted by means of the ballot-box. Various 
 other amendments of the Electoral Act have taken 
 place from time to time, and the few restrictions of 
 political privilege which remained have been removed. 
 The Legislative Council now contains sixty-seven 
 members — though there is no fixed limit of numbers — 
 and there are one hundred and forty-one members of 
 the Assembly. The tenure of a seat in the Council 
 is for life, and the only qualification required of mem- 
 bers is that they shall be twenty-one years of age, 
 and naturalised or natural born subjects of the Queen, 
 while the qualification of the Lower House is practi- 
 cally the same. The representatives of the people 
 now receive ;^300 per annum each, in return for the 
 services which they are supposed to render to the 
 country, but members of the Council are unpaid with 
 the exception of the privilege of travelling free on the 
 State Railways, which is enjoyed by members of both 
 Houses. The duration of the Assembly is limited to 
 three years, and the only condition at present neces- 
 
154 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 sary to obtain elective rights is six months' residenc-u 
 before the rolls are compiled. 
 
 Within the first five years of responsible govern- 
 ment, under the guidance of Sir John Robertson 
 elaborate regulations were framed for the alienation 
 and occupation of Crown lands. The circumstances 
 of the colony had been greatly altered by the discovery 
 of gold, and the question of land settlement had to be 
 dealt with in an entirely new spirit to meet the wants 
 of a class of a different type to that contemplated by 
 the framers of former enactments. The new scheme 
 excited great public interest, and a monster torchlight 
 meeting was held in Wynyard Square to discuss the 
 land question generally, but more particularly to con- 
 demn the proposals which had been made. A minis- 
 terial crisis followed, and the Government were beaten 
 by a large majority on the question of " free selection 
 before survey." The Governor was urged to dissolve 
 Parliament, but this he declined to do, and before long 
 public sentiment underwent a complete change ; the 
 cry of " free selection before survey " was made the 
 watchword of the democratic party ; and the measure 
 on its re-introduction consequently became law. The 
 Act of 1 86 1 was intended to facilitate the settle- 
 ment of an industrial agricultural population, side 
 by side with the pastoral tenants, by means of free 
 selection in limited areas. To this privilege was 
 attached the condition of bond-fide residence, and 
 the land was to be sold at a fixed price, payable by 
 instalments, or partly remaining at interest. All 
 public lands, with the reservation of existing rights, 
 were to be thrown open to conditional purchase before 
 
QUESTION OF LAND SETTLEMENT. 155 
 
 or after survey, to all comers, in lots ranging in area 
 from 40 to 320 acres. At the same time leases of 
 stations for pastoral purposes were granted on 
 appraised rents, the tenancy being for a period of five 
 years, on the condition that such lease had no power 
 to bar purchase, either conditional or by auction, 
 should any one desire to become possessed of the 
 property. The effect of this law was an apparent 
 increase in agricultural settlement ; but, although it 
 induced a large amount of bona-fide occupation, the 
 power to select allotments within the boundaries of 
 runs, caused serious friction between selectors and the 
 Crown tenants, and without doubt led to extortion 
 and fraud on an extensive scale. Another result of 
 the fears of indiscriminate selection on their leasehold 
 areas was that the Crown tenants, in order to protect 
 their properties from the inroads of free selectors, 
 plunged into debt, money being recklessly borrowed 
 for the purchase of the freehold of the land which 
 they were then holding under lease. 
 
 The new Parliament did not confine its liberalism 
 to the admmistration of the Crown lands. Before it 
 had been many years in existence an Act was passed 
 abolishing all grants from the State Treasury in aid 
 of religious denominations, while a further levelling 
 measure found its place on the statute book in an Act 
 providing for the abolition of the law of primogeni- 
 ture. A peculiar political crisis occurred at the close 
 of the rule of Sir William Denison, over a matter of 
 trivial importance in itself, but one which — involving 
 the question of the Royal prerogative — is interesting 
 as exemplifying the temper of the colonial legislature 
 
156 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 in its infancy. A grant of land to a certain person 
 had been recommended to the Governor by the 
 Secretary of State, but such grant was distasteful to 
 the Governor's ministers, who advised him that he 
 had no power to make the concession, and several 
 successive ministers declined to give effect to it. The 
 Governor thus found himself in a difficult position, as 
 either he must disregard the advice of his responsible 
 ministers or disobey the imperative commands of the 
 Secretary of State. Shortly before his departure, 
 therefore, he applied for the seal of the colony, for 
 the purpose of completing the deed without minis- 
 terial sanction ; it was eventually yielded to him 
 by Mr. Cowper and his colleagues under protest, 
 the members of the Government at the same time 
 tendering their resignations. Denison used the seal 
 and returned it to its former custody, and also exer- 
 cised his privilege of refusing to accept the resignations 
 of his ministers ; there the matter ended, for he 
 very shortly relinquished his office. 
 
 The material progress of the colony had meanwhile 
 been great. For the first twenty-three years of the 
 settlement's existence there had been no postal 
 facilities whatever, and it was not till 18 10 that the 
 first post-office was established, and even then the 
 arrangements were of a most primitive character. In 
 1825 an attempt was made to improve the organisa- 
 tion, and tenders were called for the conveyance of 
 mails between the principal centres of population ; 
 but the charges for transmission and delivery were 
 extremely high, and varied according to the distance 
 the letter or packet was carried, and the difficulty of 
 
THE FIRST RAILWAY. 157 
 
 access to the recipient. Twelve years afterwards pre- 
 payment of postage by means of stamped covers was 
 instituted, and in 1 849 the whole of the postal arrange- 
 ments were remodelled, the rates greatly reduced, and 
 an agitation in favour of more regular communication 
 with Great Britain commenced. Three years later a 
 contract was let for a monthly steam mail service be- 
 tween Sydney and England, the time for the passage 
 being limited to fifty-eight days. This was a great 
 advance but the steamers were very irregular and 
 scarcely ever up to time. 
 
 Macquarie's energy in road-making had provided 
 access to many districts ; but the wants of the com- 
 munity had so greatly increased that in 1846 a move- 
 ment in favour of railway communication received 
 strong support. A meeting was held in Sydney to 
 promote the construction of a line to connect the 
 metropolis by rail with the city of Goulburn, and two 
 years later a company was formed with a capital of 
 ;^ 1 00,000 having for its object the construction of 
 lines to Parramatta and Liverpool, with a possible 
 extension in course of time to Bathurst and Goulburn. 
 The first sod of the first railway in the Australasian 
 colonies was turned in 1850 by the Hon. Mrs. Keith 
 Stewart, the daughter of the Governor, but the com- 
 pany which was constructing the line did not prosper, 
 and its property was taken over by the Government. 
 Another company, in 1853, commenced a railway from 
 Newcastle to Maitland, but it fared no better, and its 
 interest also was before long transferred to the State. 
 The works thenceforward were pushed on with vigour, 
 and in September, 1855, aline from Sydney to Parra- 
 
158 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 matta was declared open for public traffic. Fourteen 
 years later the extension to Goulburn was completed, 
 and additions to the railways have since been made 
 nearly every year, although until 1875 the progress 
 was not very rapid. An unnatural impetus was given 
 to all other pursuits by the discoveries of gold, and 
 agricultural and pastoral enterprises, as well as manu- 
 facturing industries, made great strides. But in 1857 
 there were signs of a reaction, and by i860 the fictitious 
 prosperity had entirely disappeared ; work became 
 scarce, and there was great distress amongst the labour- 
 ing classes, who attended in large numbers before 
 Parliament House and clamorously demanded the 
 assistance of the Government. At the same time the 
 trades commenced an agitation for a reduction of the 
 hours of labour, mainly on the plea that by this means 
 work would be available for a greater number of hands, 
 and from these beginnings arose the " eight-hour move- 
 ment " which has since gained such a firm hold on 
 Australian wage-earners. As the local labour market 
 appeared to be overstocked, the amount voted by 
 Parliament to assist immigration to the colony was 
 reduced from ;^6o,000 to ;^30,000, and gradually 
 things improved. But the gold-rush had introduced 
 many unruly spirits, and the hard times which followed 
 led to outbreaks of lawlessness, with which the Govern- 
 ment found it difficult to contend. 
 
 The whole country was terrorised for many years 
 following i860 by the exploits of bushrangers, and 
 for a time the executive appeared to be incapable of 
 dealing with these offenders. Some of the bush- 
 rangers seized very large amounts in gold and specie 
 
BUSHRANGING. 159 
 
 on the roads to and from the diggings. In June, 1862, 
 for instance, a daring raid was made on the gold 
 escort on its way from the Lachlan, and upwards of 
 ^14,000 worth of gold carried off. The mail coach 
 was constantly waylaid and robbed in all parts of 
 the colony. Sometimes passengers offered a vigorous 
 resistance, and defeated their assailants, but more 
 often they quietly submitted to the depredations of 
 the ruffians. The country settlers became alarmed. 
 Public meetings were held, and the Government 
 were petitioned to take more active steps to suppress 
 highway robbery, for it was alleged that life and 
 property on the main roads in the interior were at 
 present in continual jeopardy. As the months slipped 
 by and the success of some of the marauders excited 
 the fancy of other criminals, lawless acts became 
 more and more frequent and impudent. If a bush- 
 ranger was caught he usually suffered the last penalty, 
 and when a magistrate, near Mudgee, shot dead a bush- 
 ranger known as Heather, the jury at the coroner's 
 inquiry brought in a verdict of "justifiable homicide." 
 But this severity had no effect, and during the month 
 following Heather's death the mail from Cassilis to 
 Mudgee was " stuck up " and robbed under arms, and 
 in September of the same year a police camp near 
 Wombat was surprised by a gang of bushrangers, 
 and after a small resistance the whole of the trooper's 
 horses were appropriated by the outlaws. 
 
 So prevalent had this particular class of crime 
 become, that lengthy debates on the state of lawless- 
 ness in the country districts took place in Parliament, 
 and, as a result, high rewards were offered for the 
 
l6o RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 apprehension or conviction of offenders. Outlawry 
 only seemed to make the bushrangers more bold, and 
 in September, 1863, a notorious thief named Gilbert, 
 and his gang, robbed a jeweller's shop in the heart 
 of Bathurst, and a few days later held the township 
 of Canowindra for three days, and levied toll on all 
 arrivals. During 1864 mail and other robberies by 
 Hall, Gilbert, Morgan, and Dunleavy were of daily 
 occurrence, and, if the slightest opposition was offered 
 by their victims, they received scant consideration at 
 the hands of the plunderers. Morgan was especially 
 reckless, and in June fired on three men one of whom 
 died from his wounds, and within a week shot a 
 Serjeant of police dead. During a successful attack 
 on the Gundagai mail, which was travelling under 
 police escort, a severe encounter took place which 
 resulted in the death of a sub-inspector, the capture 
 of a Serjeant, and the flight of a constable. But it is 
 useless to multiply instances of the crimes which 
 were being perpetrated, for a record of all the out- 
 rages which occurred at this period would fill a large 
 volume. It is sufficient to say that no man's life or 
 property was safe. Fortunately the wretched state 
 of the country was relieved by numerous instances 
 of the bravery and heroism of many of the settlers, 
 both men and women, who displayed a courage and 
 determination to resist the attacks of the bushrangers 
 which more than counterbalanced the reckless dare- 
 devilry of the murderers. Eventually the law pre- 
 vailed, and bushranging and its accompanying evils 
 were completely stamped out. 
 
 The year 1861 was marked by a disgraceful out- 
 
ANTI-CHINESE AGITATION. l6l 
 
 break amongst the miners at Golden Point, Lamb- 
 ing Flat. A considerable number of Chinese had 
 assembled at these diggings shortly after the first 
 discovery of gold, and a hostile feeling against them 
 had arisen amongst the other miners. A monster 
 meeting was held, ostensibly for the purpose of 
 deciding " whether Burrangong is in European or 
 Chinese territory," and resolutions were passed to 
 the effect that the Chinese must go, peaceably if 
 possible, but, in case they should offer any resistance, 
 steps were taken to organise an armed force to expel 
 them. When news of these disorderly proceedings 
 reached Sydney, a detachment of the military was 
 despatched to Lambing Flat to maintain order, and Mr. 
 Cowper, who was Premier, himself proceeded to the 
 diggings, where he was received with enthusiasm by 
 the miners. But in spite of his presence another and 
 large anti-Chinese meeting was held, at which a 
 miner's " Protective League " was formed, with the 
 avowed intention of ousting the Chinamen. Further 
 reinforcements of the military were sent up, and this 
 so reduced the number of soldiers in Sydney that 
 the services of the volunteers had to be obtained to 
 mount the necessary guards at Government House, 
 and elsewhere. But after peaceful assurances had 
 been made to Cowper, it was thought unnecessary to 
 maintain the same military strength in the vicinity of 
 the diggings, and a large number of Chinese, who 
 had previously been driven from the mines, re- 
 commenced work. 
 
 Suddenly an attack was made by the miners on 
 the Chinese quarters. Three thousand men made 
 
 12 
 
l62 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 an onslaught, disfigured by every imaginable act of 
 violence and barbarity. Every Chinaman met 
 with was maimed or terribly maltreated, their 
 tents were burned, their goods looted, and for some 
 time the diggings were in a state of anarchy. In hot 
 haste a mounted patrol was despatched from Sydney, 
 under the charge of the Inspector-General of police, 
 and on its arrival an engagement took place, in 
 which several of the police were wounded, one rider 
 killed, and about a hundred others injured. Troops 
 were sent to support the police, and order was 
 eventually restored. There was no room for doubt 
 as to the atrocious characteristics of the attack 
 upon the Chinamen, but strangely enough the 
 action of the mining population received consider- 
 able popular support. Anti-Chinese petitions were 
 poured in upon the Governor, and deputations 
 besieged his doors. Meanwhile the ringleaders of 
 the outbreak had been apprehended, and lodged in 
 Goulburn gaol, and the Governor, though importuned 
 to intervene in their behalf, or to hold a special in- 
 quiry, declined absolutely to take any action in the 
 matter, asserting that the ordinary course of justice 
 would thresh out the rights and wrongs of the 
 question much better than any informal inquiry. 
 This proved, however, to be a mistake, for the same 
 failure of justice occurred on this occasion in New 
 South Wales, as had taken place at the trial of 
 Ballarat insurgents in Melbourne ; when ten of 
 the rioters were placed in the dock at Goulburn 
 circuit court, the jury declined to convict. 
 
 Measures of a liberal character continued to occupy 
 
ATTACK ON THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. 1 63 
 
 the attention of Parlian:ient, and the change which 
 has taken place and is still going on in popular 
 sentiment is clearly discernible in the early fate of 
 some of the Bills which have now become law. Thus 
 the idea of payment of members of parliament for 
 their services was in the sixties rejected by large 
 majorities ; a proposal for triennial parliaments met 
 at first with the same fate, but the opposition to 
 it melted away more rapidly than did the objection 
 to the remuneration of the people's representatives. 
 
 Early in 1868 the Duke of Edinburgh visited the 
 colony, and met with an unfortunate mishap which 
 cause a violent outbreak of sectarian and class ill- 
 feeling. On March the 12th, while the Duke was 
 attending a picnic at Clontarf, a man named O'Farrell 
 attempted to assassinate him. This naturally caused 
 a great commotion and the offender was nearly 
 lynched on the spot, being rescued with difficulty 
 from the violence of the crowd. Great indigna- 
 tion was felt throughout the colony at the outrage, 
 and public meetings were held to express sympathy 
 with the sufferer, and abhorrence of the crime. The 
 •legislature was affected with the wave of emotion, 
 and a Treason Felony Act was passed through the 
 Assembly in one day for the purpose of providing 
 legally for the execution of O'Farrell, The wildest 
 reports as to the significance of the crime were 
 current, and, while some held that the deed was the 
 outcome of a far-reaching Fenian conspiracy, others 
 as strongly took the opposite view, and contended 
 that the prisoner was nothing but a lunatic, and that 
 the crime was devoid of real motive. Anyhow, the 
 
164 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Treason Felony Act became law, and O'Farrell 
 was promptly hanged, leaving, as a legacy to the 
 country, the seeds of sectarian strife. The Duke of 
 Edinburgh was not very seriously wounded, and 
 soon recovered, and when the Treason Felony 
 Act reached England it was pronounced repugnant 
 to British law. Meanwhile in the colony it was the 
 occasion for much mutual abuse by the leaders of 
 the people, and Orange and Roman Catholic guilds 
 increased and multiplied with an amazing rapidity. 
 
 Previous to 1 848, the system of primary education 
 in force was purely denominational. Assistance from 
 the Public Treasury was given to the heads of the 
 principal religious bodies, in proportion to the amount 
 which they themselves collected and expended upon 
 instruction ; but there were no schools entirely under 
 State control. As early as 1834, dissatisfaction was 
 expressed at the prevailing system, and five years' 
 later a sum was voted by the Council with the object 
 of securing undenominational education for the 
 children of those who preferred it ; the innovation, 
 however, met with some opposition, and little was 
 done until 1844, when a Committee of the Legisla- 
 ture reported in favour of the adoption of the Irish 
 National School system, and an Act was passed 
 constituting two boards, to one of which was 
 entrusted the management of denominational, and 
 to the other undenominational education. This 
 arrangement was in force until the passing of the 
 Public Schools Act of 1866, which provided for two 
 distinct classes of schools, though all schools receiv- 
 ing aid from the State were placed by it nominally 
 
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 165 
 
 under a Council of Education. The public schools 
 were entirely under the control of this board, but 
 the denominational schools were still managed to 
 some extent by the various religious bodies to which 
 they had hitherto belonged. Good work was done 
 under this system, although in many respects it was 
 defective ; but the principle of granting State aid to 
 religious schools became more and more unpopular, 
 and in 1880, State aid to denominational education 
 was finally abolished. 
 
 By the new Act, which is still in force, the entire 
 educational system of the colony was remodelled ; 
 the Council of Education was dissolved, and a 
 Minister of Public Instruction created in its place. 
 Public schools to afford primary instruction to all 
 children without sectarian or class distinction were 
 established, as well as superior public schools, in 
 which a more advanced course might be followed. 
 Evening public schools were formed for the benefit 
 of those who need education but cannot attend the 
 day schools ; and high schools for boys and girls, 
 in which a course of instruction is provided to 
 complete the public school curriculum and prepare 
 students for the university. In all State schools the 
 teaching is strictly non-sectarian ; but " secular in- 
 struction " is supposed to include " general religious 
 teaching, as distinguished from dogmatic or polemical 
 theology." The history of England and of Australia 
 form part of the course of secular instruction ; and 
 it is further provided that four hours during each 
 school day shall be devoted to secular instruction 
 exclusively, but one hour each day may be set apart 
 
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 167 
 
 for religious instruction, to be given in a separate 
 class-room by the clergyman or religious teacher 
 of any persuasion to those children of the same 
 denomination, provided the parents offer no objec- 
 tion. 
 
 Attendance at school is compulsory for children 
 between the ages of six and fourteen years, for at 
 least seventy days in each half year (unless reason- 
 able cause for exemption can be shown) ; parents are 
 required to pay a weekly fee of threepence per child, 
 but not exceeding one shilling in all for the children 
 of one family. The fees, however, may be remitted 
 where it is shown that the parents are unable to pay. 
 Children attending schools are allowed to travel free 
 by rail. Arrangements have been made for the 
 establishment of provisional schools, the appointment 
 of itinerant teachers in remote and thinly- populated 
 districts, as well as the establishment of training 
 schools for teachers. Parents are not compelled to 
 send their children to the public schools, but have 
 free choice in the matter, the State only insisting that 
 instruction shall be given. 
 
 The events which culminated in the death of 
 General Gordon and the capture of Khartoum in 
 1885 were watched with the keenest interest by 
 the people of the Australian colonies, and the wide- 
 spread sympathy which was felt for the mother 
 country, as the troubles multiplied and the prospect 
 became more threatening, found expression in the 
 offer of Mr. William Bede Dalley, the Attorney- 
 General and acting Premier of New South Wales, 
 to send within a month to the aid of the British arms 
 
loa RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 in the Soudan a fully-equipped force, eight hundred 
 strong. The proposal created much surprise in 
 England and in Australia, and many in the colony 
 vehemently opposed the idea. But Mr. Dalley's 
 action won generally popular approval. After some 
 hesitation, the English Government accepted what 
 it called the " splendid offer," and for a time the 
 voices of the malcontents were drowned in the busy 
 hum of preparation for the despatch of the contingent. 
 Two large steamers were chartered as transports, and 
 all arrangements were, made, with a lavish profusion 
 which clearly indicated the excitement which had 
 taken possession of the people. Private citizens vied 
 with one another in making presents of stores and 
 other requisites, and a patriotic fund started for the 
 relief of the widows and orphans of those who might 
 fall, soon mounted up to a prodigious figure. Men 
 from all quarters hastened to volunteer their services, 
 and had it been desired, a force twice or three times 
 as large could easily have been enrolled. Within 
 three weeks of the acceptance of Mr. Dalley's offer, 
 all arrangements had been completed, and on the 
 3rd of March, amidst the greatest enthusiasm, the 
 soldiers embarked before a crowd of close upon a 
 quarter of a million people. The significance of 
 this event was unquestionably very great. The 
 other colonies would gladly have joined New South 
 Wales in its enterprise, at the same time it showed 
 the nations of Europe that Great Britain had a latent 
 power which had hitherto never been suspected or 
 admitted into their calculations. The whole business 
 — offer, acceptance, and despatch of the soldiers — was 
 
THE SOUDAN CONTINGENT. 
 
 169 
 
 SO hurried, and carried through on such a remarkable 
 wave of popular emotion, that the calmer heads in 
 the community prophesied a violent reaction. It so 
 happened that the New South Wales contingent had 
 but little opportunity of real service. Its achieve- 
 ments and casualties were alike insignificant, and on 
 its return it disembarked under most unfavourable 
 conditions in pelting rain. Nevertheless the reception 
 of the troops on their return was almost as great as 
 the demonstration at their departure. The prodi- 
 gality displayed in equipping the force had provided 
 scoffers with a text, whilst the huge patriotic fund had 
 but few claimants upon it and remained a monument 
 of what appeared to many in more sober moments un- 
 necessary liberality. But none the less the majority 
 of the colonists were glad, that they had done what 
 they had ; indeed, were England on a future occasion 
 to appear in imminent peril, it is not at all improbable 
 that Australians would again be found ready to aid 
 her with their fortunes and their lives. 
 
XII. 
 
 PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLONY. 
 
 (1892.) 
 
 Pastoral industries are still the mainstay of 
 the country, and the pastoral inhabitants of the pre- 
 sent day owe a heavy debt to the early pioneers who 
 drove their flocks and herds out over the unknown 
 wilds of Australia. It is curious to look back on the 
 very small beginnings of the enormous pastoral 
 interests existing now. When the first expedition 
 landed at Sydney Cove, the live stock which had 
 been obtained with such difficulty at the Cape, 
 comprised only one bull, four cows, one calf, one 
 stallion, three mares, three foals, twenty-nine sheep, 
 twelve pigs, and a few goats ; but the suitability 
 of the country for pastoral pursuits soon induced 
 enterprising men like Macarthur and others to 
 commence breeding sheep and cattle and to start 
 a trade in wool. Captain Macarthur, by systema- 
 tic selection, and the purchase and importation of 
 the best sheep procurable, greatly improved the strain 
 of his flocks, and produced a fleece of very fine 
 texture, which, being appreciated by English manu- 
 
 \ 
 
PASTORAL INDUSTRIES. 17I 
 
 facturers, immediately found a remunerative market. 
 The difficulties of transport in these early days were 
 very great, but numerous importations were made 
 from India and elsewhere. Some rams and ewes of 
 a very fine breed, which had been presented by the 
 King of Spain to the Dutch Government, were suc- 
 cessfully brought from the Cape, and some additional 
 specimens of the same strain were afterwards obtained 
 by Macarthur from the royal flocks in England. 
 When it had once been demonstrated that fine wool 
 could be successfully grown in New South Wales, this 
 became the most important industry of the country, 
 and the number of sheep depastured increased very 
 rapidly. Were it not for the losses occasioned by 
 droughts, the flocks v/ould perhaps before this have 
 reached the limit which the pastures could carry, for 
 they double themselves in four years if all goes well. 
 The loss, however, from drought and disease is some- 
 times very heavy. In 1884, for instance, it is estimated 
 that owing to the absence of increase from lambing, 
 and the extraordinary mortality among breeding 
 stock, the loss through the adverse season must have 
 amounted to at least 8,138,000 head. This figure 
 shows how important a regular rainfall is ; at the 
 same time the liability of the Colony to the disas- 
 trous effects of dry seasons is being reduced each 
 year by systematic water conservation, artesian 
 boring and irrigation, and the cultivation of drought- 
 resisting plants and shrubs. 
 
 The climate is so genial, that there is no neces- 
 sity to house stock, which may be safely left in the 
 open air, even during the winter months ; but the 
 
172 PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLONY. 
 
 old way of tending sheep, which was to place them 
 under the charge of a shepherd, has been superseded 
 by new methods, for it has been found that a station 
 can be more economically worked, and that better 
 fleeces and a higher percentage of lambs can be 
 obtained by the subdivision of the runs into pad- 
 docks. When the sheep are sheared, the wool is 
 packed at the station in bales, weighing 450 lb., 
 from 4 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 3 inches in length. The 
 ramifications of the pastoral interests are so extensive, 
 that the fluctuation of a penny per lb. in the value of 
 wool in the consuming markets greatly influences the 
 national prosperity. The enormous sum which a fall in 
 price involves will be realised better when it is stated 
 that if the prices of 1884 had ruled in 1886, the growers 
 of New South Wales would have secured nearly 
 p^2,ooo,ooo more than they actually received ; and, 
 although in 1888 about 48,000,000 lb. more wool was 
 exported than five years previously, the sum received 
 was fully half a million less. There is annually a 
 large exportable surplus of sheep for meat, amounting 
 to about 4,850,000 head, but as yet but little has been 
 done to utilise it, though there is now every prospect 
 in the immediate future of a large export of frozen 
 and tinned meat. The profitable returns afforded by 
 sheep-breeding induced many pastoralists to substi- 
 tute sheep for cattle on their properties, though in some 
 districts there are signs of a change back to cattle. 
 
 The variety of soil and climate to be found within 
 New South Wales is very great, and consequently 
 almost any kind of crop can be successfully cultivated. 
 On the banks of the northern rivers surar-cane is 
 
174 PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLONY. 
 
 grown, and there is every reason to believe that coffee 
 tea, and other semi-tropical products would do equally 
 well. Maize flourishes in the valleys of the coast 
 district, and cereals and other crops of cold and tem- 
 perate climes thrive on the high plateau of the great 
 dividing range ; but hitherto the attractions offered 
 by stock-raising have caused agriculture to be some- 
 what neglected. 
 
 It is not improbable that the next few years will 
 see great changes in the system of land occupation. 
 So far all attempts to induce a people to settle on small 
 areas have failed. The results of even the most 
 liberal laws have been insignificant, and the flocks of 
 a semi-nomad pastoral population have monopolised 
 the greater part of the country. But the continually 
 falling values of meat and wool, and the incursions of 
 rabbits, are* rendering a change in old systems im- 
 perative, and it is impossible to appreciate the full 
 effect of the change on the social organisation when 
 it comes. A sparsely populated, but wealth-producing 
 interior, has hitherto supported an enormous aggrega- 
 tion of people in the metropolis, in pursuits which 
 are not directly productive ; when, therefore, stock- 
 raising as at present carried on succumbs, as it must 
 inevitably sooner or later, to the more advanced 
 methods of utilising the soil, the army of agents 
 of all sorts and descriptions who are now dependent 
 on the pastoral industry will have to find new avenues 
 for the employment of their energies. 
 
 In 1884 a new Land Act was passed which, though 
 differing widely in many important particulars from 
 previous legislation on the subject, maintained free 
 
CONDITION OF SETTLEMENT. 
 
 175 
 
 selection before survey, but at the same time gave 
 greater security of tenure to the Crown lessees. The 
 whole colony was divided into districts, which were 
 placed under the charge of local boards and land 
 agents, and a special tribunal for the settlement of 
 disputes in regard to land has since been established. 
 The present condition of settlement may be briefly 
 summarised as follows : — 
 
 Estates of Estates occu- Estates 
 
 Estates of various classes pied by owner rented 
 
 per cent. per cent. per cent. 
 
 I to 30 acres 0*25 0-15 O'lo 
 
 32 to 400 acres 973 7*85 1-87 
 
 401 to 1,000 acres 1073 9"36 i'37 
 
 1,001 to 10,000 acres ... 28-63 24-57 4-07 
 
 Upwards of 10,000 acres 50-66 46*62 4-04 
 
 loo'oo 88-55 ii'45 
 
 The mining industry still gives employment to a 
 large number of men, and a large variety of minerals 
 have been discovered. In the Barrier Range district, 
 which lies to the west of the river Darling, near the 
 border of South Australia, and which will be remem- 
 bered as the neighbourhood of Sturt's hardships and 
 mishaps in 1844, silver deposits extend over about 
 2,500 square miles. The deposits worked by the 
 celebrated Broken Hill Proprietary Company are 
 phenomenally rich. A complete smelting plant on 
 the latest and most approved principles has been 
 erected, and the services of competent managers 
 whose experience has been gained in the silver mining 
 centres of the United States have been obtained. 
 
MONUMENT TO CAPTAIN COOIy. 
 
RAILWAY SYSTEM. 1 77 
 
 From the commencement of operations in 1885, to 
 the 31st of May, 1892, the Company treated silver and 
 silver lead ores, which yielded 36,512,445 oz. of silver, 
 and 151,946 tons of lead, valued in London at 
 ^8,252,138. Dividends have been paid amounting to 
 ;!^3,88o,ooo, bonuses amounting to ;^592,ooo, and pro- 
 perties have been parted with valued at ;i^ 1,744,000 ; 
 so that the total payments made to shareholders have 
 reached i^6,2 16,000. Many mines which give great 
 promise are not yet fully developed, and a large 
 increase in the production of silver, should there be a 
 recovery in price, is not improbable. 
 
 The railway system of the country is divided into 
 three main arms, each being really a distinct system. 
 The southern line, which is the most important of 
 the three, branches at Junee, running from Sydney, 
 454 miles, to Hay, the principal town of the fertile 
 district of the Riverina in one direction, and 412 miles 
 to Jerilderle in another. There are also several minor 
 branches which drain into the main line, while a line 
 connecting the southern and western systems, from 
 Murrumburrah to Blayney, gives almost direct com- 
 munication between Melbourne and Bourke. Goul- 
 burn, a large town nearer to Sydney, will also be the 
 recipient of several feeding branches. The southern 
 line places the four chief capitals of Australia — Bris- 
 bane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide — in direct 
 communication ; and the mails from Europe can now 
 be landed at Adelaide and forwarded overland to all 
 parts of Victoria and New South Wales. The Western 
 system crosses the Blue Mountains by zig-zag lines, 
 and enters the Bathurst Plains, connecting the metro- 
 
 13 
 
THE FUTURE OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 179 
 
 polis with rich agricultural districts, while a branch 
 from Nyngan to Cobar taps a mining and pastoral 
 country. There are also other short lines which feed 
 the western trunk line. The Northern system origi- 
 nally terminated at Newcastle, but the connection is 
 now complete with Sydney, the Hawkesbury River 
 being spanned by an iron bridge 2,896 ft. long. This 
 line runs through the Hunter Valley, to the rich dis- 
 trict of New England, and traverses pastoral and 
 agricultural country until it joins the Queensland 
 system on the border beyond Tenterfield. Various 
 branches are projected besides the three systems men- 
 tioned, and there is an independent line to the Illa- 
 warra district, a country rich in coal and agricultural 
 produce. 
 
 There is but little more to record in connection with 
 New South Wales which can rightly come under the 
 name of history, for although the internal development 
 of the country, and the growth of national sentiment 
 have steadily progressed, there have been but few 
 events to mark an epoch during the last twenty years. 
 The aspirations and difficulties which used to affect the 
 provinces individually are rapidly losing their purely 
 provincial significance, and the interests of each colony 
 are so inextricably interwoven with those of its sisters, 
 that great questions must in future be decided more 
 and more in accordance with the interests of the 
 commonwealth as opposed to the inclination of a 
 particular member of the group. 
 
TASMANIA. 
 XIII. 
 
 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 (1803-1837.) 
 
 Rumours that the French intended to form 
 colonies in the South Pacific again gained credence 
 in 1803, and the Governor of New South Wales 
 promptly took steps to prevent, if possible, the 
 landing of foreigners on Australian territory. With 
 this end in view Lieutenant John Bowen was de- 
 spatched to Van Diemen's Land with " sealed orders 
 not to be opened except on the appearance of French 
 vessels," and with him were sent some soldiers and 
 convicts, to form a settlement on the banks of the 
 Derwent. A whaler named the Albion and the 
 Lady Nelson acted as transports ; after a tem- 
 pestuous voyage Bowen, in the form.er, cast anchor 
 off Risdon, in the Derwent, on the 12th of Sep- 
 tember, the Lady Nelson having reached her des- 
 tination a few days previously. The new settlement 
 was named Hobart after Lord Hobart, the then 
 Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Bowen 
 
1 82 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DE RIVEN T. 
 
 expressed himself as delighted with the site selected 
 for the town and the country generally. In the same 
 year Van Diemen's Land was inspected by Mr. 
 Collins, who had been despatched by Lieutenant- 
 Governor Collins to seek a spot to which the settle- 
 ment at Port Phillip might be advantageously 
 removed. The Tamar was first visited, but did not 
 favourably impress the explorers, and the Lieutenant- 
 Governor, having obtained King's permission, decided 
 to transfer his colony to the Derwent. He would 
 appear to have been difficult to please, for on arrival 
 in the river he was not satisfied with Bowen's choice, 
 but landed and pitched his camp on the southern 
 side of the Derwent at Sullivan's Cove. Bowen, who 
 was subordinate to the Governor of New South 
 Wales, though he had been instructed to hand over 
 his command to Collins on that officer's arrival, for 
 some time was unable to obey ; for Collins was 
 unwilling to undertake fresh duties incurring in- 
 creased work ; the cares of the settlement were 
 numerous, food was scarce, and both soldiery and 
 convicts made frequent attempts to rob the public 
 stores. At last King was compelled to peremptorily 
 command Bowen to return to New South Wales, as 
 it was impossible longer to tolerate the absurdity of 
 two distinct governments within eight miles of each 
 other, and Collins perforce took charge of the com- 
 bined settlements. Although Port Dalrymple had 
 been rejected by Collins, it appeared expedient to 
 form a colony in that part of the island, and in 1804 
 Colonel Paterson, acting under instructions from 
 King, landed at George Town on the Tamar ; but 
 
t S5 
 
 TASMAiNIAN NATIVE. 
 
184 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 a better site for a town being discovered at York 
 Town, the camp was moved to that place. The de- 
 tachments were quite independent of each other, 
 and Paterson was careful to get his jurisdiction 
 defined before leaving New South Wales, the line of 
 demarcation between the two commands being deter- 
 mined at the forty-second parallel of latitude. 
 
 Society in the island settlements was very much like 
 society in Sydney, only on a smaller scale. The 
 population consisted almost entirely of convicts and 
 their guards, and the assignment system, by which the 
 few free settlers who there were benefited by bond 
 labour, was almost at once introduced. These new 
 colonies were, however, better off in some respects 
 than Sydney had been at its foundation ; for King, who 
 had had every opportunity of seeing the difficulties 
 surrounding the foundation of new settlements, and 
 had suffered a bitter experience of the results of 
 neglect and want of foresight, kept a watchful eve on 
 the affairs of the young communities. Cattle were 
 brought in considerable numbers from India and 
 Ceylon, and all that could be done to render the 
 settlements in Van Diemen's Land self-supporting 
 was at once undertaken. Unfortunately the same 
 miserable misunderstanding with the natives which 
 so stains the early records of the continent led to 
 bloodshed in Van Diemen's Land. On Bowen's 
 first arrival he had been anxious to avoid any col- 
 lision, and had taken no steps to open up commu- 
 nication with the aboriginal inhabitants. The black 
 fellows, for their part, appeared to bear the intruders 
 no ill-will, and, indeed, when intercourse had been 
 
.AIISUNDERSTANDING WITH THE NATIVES. 185 
 
 established, as was inevitable sooner or later, they 
 were on all occasions friendly and harmless. In 
 March, 1804, a notice appeared in the Sydney Gazette 
 in which it was stated that the natives about the 
 Derwent were " very friendly to small parties they 
 meet accidentally, though they cannot be prevailed 
 upon to visit the camp ; " but two months later this 
 happy state of peace was rudely broken. Bowen 
 was still in command of the settlement, but during 
 his temporary absence, when Lieutenant Moore was 
 acting for him, the first unfortunate affray occurred. 
 A large body of natives, with women and children, 
 appeared close to the camp (as was afterwards dis- 
 covered) on a kangaroo hunt ; and Moore, antici- 
 pating an attack, and being ignorant of their 
 customs, assumed that their intentions were hostile. 
 The soldiers were called out, and the order given to 
 open fire, and some fifty blacks, men, women, and 
 children, fell victims to the fear and stupidity of the 
 officer in command. From this moment hopeless, 
 relentless war commenced. Confidence was destroyed, 
 and the native races disappeared with incredible 
 rapidity before the lust and cruelty of the white man. 
 Soon after the massacre at Risdon, Patterson on the 
 other side of the island had also to use firearms, and 
 the next few years of Tasmanian history are over- 
 shadowed by deeds of unexampled brutality. In 1805 
 an addition was made to the inhabitants by the arrival 
 of some of the settlers from Norfolk Island, who had 
 been offered land at either Risdon or Port Dalrymple, 
 instead of their former holdings, when it had been 
 determined to evacuate the island prison. 
 
l86 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 The time selected for the transfer was unfortunate, 
 for the four following years were most disastrous. The 
 Van Diemen's Land settlements suffered terribly 
 from the period of famine which afflicted all the 
 Australian colonies on account of the destruction of 
 crops in New South Wales by floods, and the failure 
 of harvests in the year following. Matters got worse 
 and worse, until kangaroo meat was the only animal 
 food obtainable. Seed wheat rose to £'^ and £4. 
 per bushel, and at length the public stores being 
 exhausted, the prisoners were turned out into the 
 woods to seek for food in any shape in which it 
 could be found. In 18 10 the strain was somewhat 
 relieved by the arrival of breadstuffs from India, and 
 with the return of fair seasons and an increase in 
 cultivation the prospects of the colony improved. 
 Governor Collins died suddenly at Hobart in March, 
 1 8 10, and pending the appointment of a new governor. 
 Lieutenant Lord, Captain Murray, and Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Giels, all in turn administered the govern- 
 ment. Macquarie crossed the Straits during the 
 interregnum, and indulged his craze for naming or 
 re-naming places. He was well received by the 
 inhabitants, and after a short but pleasant visit 
 returned to New South Wales, In 181 1 Colonel 
 Davey was appointed lieutenant-governor, in suc- 
 cession to Collins, and the two settlements of 
 Hobart and York Town were brought under one 
 control. 
 
 The arrangements for the administration of justice 
 in Van Diemen's Land had hitherto been remarkable, 
 for absolutely no Court had been established, and 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. 187 
 
 the most trivial offences could only be dealt with 
 legally by reference to Sydney. Collins had brought 
 out a judge-advocate with him to Port Phillip, but 
 this gentleman's commission was not regarded as 
 valid for Van Diemen's Land. He therefore declined 
 to do any work, and contented himself with confining 
 his labours to drawing his salary regularly for ten 
 years. That a community of about three thousand 
 persons should so long have put up with a judge who 
 may have been ornamental but was certainly absolutely 
 useless, is a remarkable fact ; but in 18 14 the incon- 
 venience of having to go to Sydney to settle any 
 trivial civil dispute became too great, and a " Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor's Court" was established at Hobart 
 Town with a jurisdiction extending to personal 
 matters under the value of ;^5o. Any dispute of 
 greater importance, and all criminal trials, were still 
 to be dealt with in Sydney ; but the concession, so 
 far as civil actions were concerned, was complete, for 
 the disputants evaded the limit by dividing all their 
 claims into amounts which the local court would 
 be competent to try. After the arduous labours 
 of Bates, the Judge-Advocate already mentioned, it 
 would have been unfair to require him to undertake 
 the new work which the establishment of this court 
 created, so Macquarie appointed Captain Abbot to act 
 as deputy Judge-Advocate, and this officer, although 
 ignorant of law, seems to have given litigants fair 
 satisfaction. 
 
 During Davey's administration of the government 
 much solid progress was made in industrial develop- 
 ment. Wheat was exported to Sydney in 18 16, and 
 
l88 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 the inducements held out to immigrants, in the shape 
 of extensive free grants of land, produced a con- 
 siderable influx of excellent colonists, many being 
 possessed of the capital which was so much required. 
 The finest portions of the arable land were about 
 this time alienated, and settlement would probably 
 have been even more satisfactory had not the country 
 been overrun by bushrangers, who plundered and 
 terrified the farmers. The civil and military authori- 
 ties were incapable of dealing with the outlawed 
 robbers, who found safe retreat in the mountain 
 fastnesses, and at last things assumed such a serious 
 aspect that Davey proclaimed martial law. Abbot, 
 the Judge-Advocate, protested that such a step was 
 illegal, and Macquarie, who would have been obliged 
 in any case to ratify the proclamation, refused abso- 
 lutely to sanction so extreme a course, and made 
 representations to the English Government which 
 resulted in the recall of the Lieutenant-Governor. 
 In 1815 the knowledge of the island had been 
 materially increased by the explorations of Captain 
 James Kelly, who discovered Port Davey and 
 Macquarie Harbour, and traversed a large portion 
 of the south, west, and north coast. A rather 
 amusing incident is connected with Kelly's explo- 
 rations. When, after weeks of rough travelling, the 
 little band of pioneers reached the settlement at 
 York Town, the inhabitants, frightened by the wild 
 and ragged appearance of the men, turned out in 
 force to repel an attack from what they supposed to 
 be a party of bushrangers ; and it was only after 
 mutual explanations that the weary travellers were 
 
HISTORY OF MICHAEL HOWE. 189 
 
 permitted to enter the town and obtain the refresh- 
 ment and rest which they so much needed. 
 
 Colonel William Sorrel was appointed Davey's 
 successor, and immediately on his arrival set to work 
 to check the growing terrors of bushranging. Re- 
 wards were offered for the capture of bushrangers, 
 and by this means many convicts and soldiers, the 
 first inspired by a hope of obtaining their liberty, 
 the latter by the prospect of more material gain, 
 were induced to hunt down the robbers. Some of 
 the stories concerning the capture of the leaders are 
 of thrilling interest, and the daring and coolness dis- 
 played by both pursuers and pursued make the 
 records of this period read more like sensational 
 novels than sober official documents. The history 
 of Michael Howe is, perhaps, the most dramatic. 
 Howe, a sailor by profession, was convicted of high- 
 way robbery in 18 12, and transported to Hobart 
 Town, where the old instinct soon asserted itself and 
 drove him to the bush. He took a leading part 
 in the boldest raids on settlers, but escaped all his 
 would-be captors by the aid of an aboriginal girl, 
 who guided him to hiding-places almost inaccessible 
 to white men. A price was put upon his head, and a 
 party of settlers were eager in pursuit ; but when the 
 bushrangers comprising his band were at length over- 
 taken, the colonists were defeated and five of their 
 number killed. This was not, however, sufficient 
 retaliation for Howe's party, who made an attack on 
 the homestead of the leader of the settlers, in the 
 hope of wreaking vengeance ; the house in the mean- 
 time had been filled with soldiers, and the robbers 
 

 :t*^:£;. 
 
 HEAD OF TASMANIAN NATIVE. 
 
PURSUIT OF HOWE. I9I 
 
 met with a warmer reception than they had antici- 
 pated. Many of the bushrangers were killed, and 
 amongst them Whitehead, one of the leaders of the 
 band. Howe thereupon severed the head from the 
 trunk of Whitehead, and, bearing it with him, suc- 
 cessfully fled from the arm of the law. He again 
 formed his band, and, styling himself the " Governor 
 of the Ranges," continued to commit crimes even 
 more atrocious than before. 
 
 But the notoriety gained by Howe caused his 
 capture to be regarded as of the utmost importance, 
 the reward offered being exceptionally high. Worral, 
 a convict who longed for his liberty, pressed him hard. 
 Flying for life through the rocky mountains, the 
 black girl, worn and sick, lagged behind, and Howe, 
 moved by no feelings of affection or pity for the 
 woman who had followed him so faithfully, turned 
 and shot her, in the hope of preventing all possibility 
 of betrayal, should she be taken by his enemies. In 
 his haste his pistol was ill aimed, and the woman was 
 wounded but not killed, and henceforth one more was 
 added to Howe's pursuers — one who was the most 
 formidable of them all, for her motive was revenge, 
 not gain, and all his hiding-places and habits were 
 known to her. Once Howe was captured and bound, 
 but he slipped his bonds and slew his two captors. 
 At last Worral and a soldier named Pugh tried 
 artifice, and, concealing themselves in a hut, they 
 persuaded a former friend of Howe's to entice him 
 into it. His enemies sprang out upon him, and a 
 desperate fight began. Howe beat off his assailants 
 and turned to fly. But if they could not take him 
 
192 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 alive, they were at any rate determined that no one 
 else should ; clubbing their muskets, they dashed 
 out the bushranger's brains. This story will give 
 some idea of the wild life led by many of the colo- 
 nists, who slept with loaded firearms by their pillows, 
 ready at any moment to repulse an attack by robbers 
 who were already so steeped in crime that the taking 
 of a life more or less could add nothing to the penalty 
 already earned. 
 
 The war waged against the bushrangers was at 
 length successful, and confidence was restored 
 amongst the farmers. Some pure Merino sheep 
 from Macarthur's Camden flock were imported, and 
 both stock-breeding and agriculture were energeti- 
 cally pushed forward. Reform was also effected at 
 this time in the management of convicts. Musters 
 were instituted, and stringent regulations governing 
 the movements of assigned servants promulgated, 
 while a penal settlement was formed at Macquarie 
 Harbour, in which the worst of the prisoners were 
 closely guarded. Sorrel by these means afforded no 
 opportunity to the prisoners of absconding into the 
 bush without their flight being at once discovered. 
 In 1822 the first church, St. David's, was completed, 
 but no schools were as yet in existence, and the 
 standard of morality was exceedingly low. In 
 Hobart there was a population of over lOOO, but the 
 town was little more than a collection of mean-look- 
 ing wooden huts. Trade had nevertheless greatly 
 increased, and the colony showed promise of better 
 things. Sorrel left Australia in 1824, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Colonel George Arthur. Shortly after Van 
 
THE PRESS. 193 
 
 Diemen's Land was proclaimed an independent 
 colony, and Local Legislative and Executive Councils 
 were appointed. The first consisted of seven mem- 
 bers, all nominated by the Crown, and the second of 
 four nominees, mostly officials. One of the first acts 
 of the new legislature was to pass a law to regulate 
 the currency, which had become bewilderingly con- 
 fused, paper, more or less worthless, and foreign coin, 
 being the common circulating mediums. The anoma- 
 lous condition of the administration of justice had in 
 the year before been remedied, and a judge had been 
 sent out from England bearing a charter establishing 
 a Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land. The Acts 
 with regard to juries which were in force in New 
 South Wales applied to the island, but Pidder, the 
 new judge, read the law differently from Forbes, and 
 rigorously excluded the emancipated class from the 
 jury-box. During the previous ten years the social 
 conditions of the community had greatly changed, 
 and the evidences of the presence of a free population 
 began to force themselves upon the Government. 
 The most important of these was in regard to the 
 press. After many unsuccessful attempts, a paper 
 called the Hob art Tozvn Gazette had been established 
 in 1 816, under official patronage, and subject to the 
 Governor's control ; this periodical still lived when 
 Governor Arthur took up the reins of government. 
 But Bent, the editor, longed to be free from restraining 
 influences, and soon fell out with the imperious 
 Arthur. The result could be only one way. Arthur 
 triumphed, and the Hobart Town Gazette and Van 
 Diemen's Land Advertiser ceased to appear for a 
 
 ^4 
 
TASMANIAN NATIVE. 
 
 (Coa/ River Tribe.) 
 
NEWSPAPER ACT. ig5 
 
 time, and a Government publication, under the first 
 half of the old title, took its place. In the following 
 year Arthur took steps to suppress the liberty of the 
 press, and succeeded in passinj^ an Act imposing a 
 license fee and a stamp tax of threepence per copy 
 on all newspapers. A penalty of i^ioo was incurred 
 by any one publishing a paper without first having 
 obtained a license, and (as was apparently intended) 
 Bent soon fell a victim to the new measure, and 
 posed as a martyr in gaol. But Arthur had gone too 
 far, and his action gave life to a movement in favour 
 of popular institutions. The King and Commons 
 were petitioned for trial by jury on a more extended 
 scale, as well as for government by representation ; 
 an agitation at once commenced, which steadily in- 
 creased till the boons craved were granted. General 
 dissatisfaction was expressed at the harshness of 
 Arthur's press law, and the prohibitory character of 
 the stamp duty, and so strong was popular feeling 
 that the Act was amended in the direction indicated. 
 But although Arthur was scarcely prudent in some 
 of his measures, he did much to improve the internal 
 organisation of the colony. Under his direction the 
 whole island was divided into police districts, each 
 under a stipendiary magistrate, and no convict was 
 permitted to travel from one district to another with- 
 out having first obtained a permit from the magis- 
 trate in charge. The commercial and financial affairs 
 of the country also received attention, and Arthur 
 recognised that the usury laws of England were very 
 inappropriate to the very different circumstances of 
 Van Diemen's Land. The question was a serious 
 
196 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 one ; for, had the usury laws appHed, 99 per cent, of 
 the transactions of the ordinary commercial life of the 
 community would have been legally punishable with 
 severe penalties. Arthur took the bull by the horns, 
 and boldly declared the usury law not to apply. 
 The country was rapidly becoming more settled. 
 Mr. Henry Hellyer in 1827 traversed the banks of the 
 Arthur and Hellyer rivers, and named the Surrey and 
 the Hampshire hills. The fertility of the soil, and 
 suitability of the colony for agricultural and pastoral 
 enterpise on a large scale, attracted the attention of 
 English capitalists. In 1825 two large companies 
 were formed with the object mainly of sheep farming. 
 The Van Diemen's Land Company obtained by 
 charter a block of 250,000 acres in the north-west 
 portion of the island, and shortly after another 
 100,000 acres near Emu Bay and Circular Head, and 
 commenced operations in 1828. The Van Diemen's 
 Land Establishment received a smaller grant of 
 40,000 acres in the Norfolk Plains District, and both 
 companies set to work energetically to import stock 
 and improve the breed. Although bushranging had 
 been considerably diminished, there were still at large 
 man}^ reckless and daring robbers. In two years 
 there were no less than 103 executions, and in the 
 sparsely inhabited districts crime was very prevalent. 
 The convicts were ever on the alert for opportunities 
 of escape, and in a few instances met with success. 
 The most remarkable case is perhaps that of some 
 prisoners who, while being conveyed to Macquarie 
 Harbour — the destination of the most incorrigible 
 offenders — seized the Cypress and sailed away to 
 
THE NATIVE QUESTION. l.g'J 
 
 China and Japan. On arrival near port they 
 abandoned their ship, and landed in an open boat, 
 representing themselves to be shipwrecked seamen ; 
 and, their story being believed, they were liberally 
 assisted with money to enable them to reach London. 
 On their arrival in England, however, their identity 
 was discovered, and some were hanged, while others 
 were sent back to servitude in Van Diemen's Land. 
 
 But the convict and bushranging difficulties had 
 sunk into insignificance compared with the all- 
 absorbing question of the natives. The aboriginals 
 had become more used to the manners and customs 
 of the white population, and had profited by their 
 intercourse. They now waged war in a far more 
 scientific way, and their depredations were more 
 frequent and extensive. When attacking a home- 
 stead they usually adopted the following tactics : — 
 First, a feigned attack was made to induce the settlers 
 to fire their guns, and then, before their arms could 
 be reloaded, the black men rushed upon their victims 
 and pierced them with their spears. There was no 
 room for doubt that the cause of the hostility of 
 the natives was to be found in the brutal treatment 
 they had received at the hands of escaped convicts, 
 and stockkeepers on distant runs. Governor Davey 
 declared that " he could not have believed that British 
 subjects would have so ignominiously stained the 
 honour of their country and themselves, as to have 
 acted in the manner they did towards the aborigines." 
 Before a commission appointed by Arthur in 1830, 
 blood-curdling stories of cruelty were freely told. 
 One man had been punished for cutting off the 
 
ig8 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 fino'er of a native, because he wanted it for a tobacco 
 stopper ; while another had murdered the husband of 
 a black woman he coveted, and had compelled the 
 woman to follow him with the bleeding trophy of 
 the man's head hung about her neck. Could it be 
 wondered at that the natives regarded a race who 
 produced such inhuman brutes as these as a fitting 
 object for just vengeance ? Governor after governor 
 had enjoined peace and harmony between the two 
 people ; but the proclamations were not worth the 
 paper they were written on, for the blacks could not 
 read them, and the whites totally disregarded them. 
 Sorrel reminded his subjects, in 1819, that in places, 
 far from settlement, the natives were unsuspicious 
 and peaceable, manifesting no disposition to injure ; 
 they were known moreover to be equally inoffensive 
 in places where stockkeepers treated them with 
 mildness and forbearance. 
 
 The prosperity of the European population was, 
 however, regarded naturally as of overwhelming 
 importance, and all considerations of humanity 
 had to succumb to measures of expediency. The 
 day for conciliation had gone by, and Arthur's 
 efforts to appease the blacks by allotting them special 
 districts were unheeded. The idea had been to 
 capture all natives found outside the limits of these 
 districts, and replace them within the boundaries, 
 but the capture parties organised for this service, with 
 but few exceptions, murdered many more than they 
 took, and the extreme rapidity with which the natives 
 travelled enabled them to avoid their pursuers, and 
 strike terror into the breasts of the settlers in lonely 
 
GEORGE AUGUSTUS ROBINSON. IQQ 
 
 places. This dark page of Tasmanian history is 
 reheved by one bright spot. A bricklayer named 
 George Augustus Robinson, who was filled with 
 religious zeal, offered to go unarmed among the 
 natives, and endeavour to affect by peaceful means 
 what the Government had failed to do by force. 
 Robinson received some slight assistance from the 
 authorities, but his efforts were useless while all 
 round him the work of treachery and carnage was 
 continued by the capture parties. At last Arthur in 
 despair at the non-success of his more humane in- 
 tentions with regard to his native reserves, determined 
 to make one supreme effort to settle the question 
 once for all. A huge body of settlers, soldiers, and 
 convicts was organised to drive the natives into 
 Tasman's Peninsula, the narrow neck of which was 
 to be carefully guarded as soon as all the blacks had 
 crossed. Twenty-six depots for provisions were 
 formed, and eight hundred soldiers, as many convicts, 
 and about four hundred free settlers were enrolled 
 as beaters. What is known as the Black Line was 
 formed, and an advance steadily made across the 
 island. Gradually the line of beaters contracted, but 
 when the journey was finished the natives were 
 behind and not in front. By some means they had 
 eluded the vigilance of the white men, and ^^"30,000 
 had been expended with no result whatever. All 
 that there was to be shown for the money was one 
 male native and one boy, who had been captured on 
 the march. This failure was perhaps fortunate, for 
 Robinson was now given a fair field in which to try 
 his scheme. In less than five years he successfully 
 
200 THE SETTLEMENT AT THE DERWENT. 
 
 accomplished his mission, and the small remnant of 
 the native race were gathered by him into one place 
 by means of mutual confidence and his friendly 
 persuasion. There were only two hundred and three 
 survivors, all told, and they were removed to Flinders 
 Island. Here Robinson did all in his power for their 
 comfort, but " they died in the sulks like so many 
 bears," the heartbroken relics of a people who might 
 under better treatment have been capable of a high 
 degree of civilisation. 
 
 While these events were occurring considerable 
 progress was made in other directions. A great 
 meeting was held in 1831 to demand responsible 
 government, but, like most movements of this 
 character, the object aimed at was retarded by the 
 want of reason and moderation displaced by its 
 advocates at its inception. Free institutions in a 
 bond colony such as Van Diemen's Land was at 
 this time would have been grotesque. A commission 
 was appointed to inquire into the titles of persons to 
 landed property, and the boundaries of estates were 
 properly surveyed and defined. A further concession 
 was, moreover, made in connection with trial by jury ; 
 and, by an enactment of the local legislature, juries 
 were permitted in civil actions on the application of 
 either party to the suit. Education and religion 
 advanced rapidly in the later years of Arthur's 
 Government, and the population improved morally 
 and socially. 
 
XIV. 
 
 EVENTS PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 (1837-1851). 
 
 The labour of convicts being used for public pur- 
 poses, the construction of roads and bridges through- 
 out the country was energetically proceeded with, 
 and by these means internal communication became 
 more regular and frequent. Ten years previously a 
 foot post carried the mails once a fortnight between 
 Hobart and Launceston, but now a mail cart ran 
 twice a week, covering the distance, one hundred and 
 twenty-one miles in about nineteen hours. Arthur 
 left the colony at the end of October, 1836, and 
 although his imperious nature and untiring energy 
 made many enemies, he achieved much for the com- 
 munity under his charge, and was generally regretted 
 at his departure. The duties of acting Governor 
 were performed by Lieut-Colonel Snodgrass for a 
 couple of months, pending the arrival of Sir John 
 Franklin, in January of the following year. But 
 Snodgrass unwittingly sowed the seeds of dissension, 
 and Franklin on his arrival found himself placed in 
 
202 PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 a position from which he could not possibly extricate 
 himself without giving offence to a large section of 
 his subjects. It so happened that Snodgrass had 
 been persuaded to convene a synod of Presbyterians 
 to deal with a matter affecting the Scottish Church, 
 but the recognition of any other religious denomina- 
 tion gave umbrage to the Church of England, which 
 claimed to be the only body which should be ac- 
 knowledged by the State. On the other hand, there 
 was a prospect, should it be conceded that the 
 Presbyterians were under Government direction, that 
 other dissenting bodies might claim similar tutilage. 
 Franklin fully appreciated the difficulty, and at once 
 dissolved the Presbyterian Synod, but in order that 
 this action might not be misconstrued, he adopted 
 Bourke's measures for granting State aid to all 
 denominations, which by their own exertions might 
 place themselves in a position to claim it. Franklin's 
 act was too liberal, and had eventually to be amended 
 on account of the frauds committed in the name of 
 religion ; but the principle of tolerance contained 
 in the measure has ever since been accepted through- 
 out Australasia. 
 
 It would have been difficult to have found two men 
 more unlike than Franklin and his predecessor. 
 Arthur was essentially strong and relentless. He 
 had no pity for crime or the criminal, and justice 
 under his direction took an even, if undiscriminating, 
 course. Franklin, on the other hand, was filled to 
 overflowing with philanthropy. With him to err was 
 but human, an opportunity for Divine forgiveness. 
 The result can easily be imagined. All the officers 
 
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. 203 
 
 of the Government establishments had been trained 
 to Arthur's methods, and failed to discover in 
 Franklin's apparent weakness, the saving leaven of 
 humanity. From the Colonial Secretary downwards 
 they fought tooth and nail against the new order of 
 things, and early in the day Franklin was compelled 
 to get rid of his private secretary, Maconochie, whose 
 theories on criminal treatment were a burlesque of 
 Franklin's methods. 
 
 But if for various reasons his reign was not an 
 administrative success, Franklin nevertheless left an 
 indelible mark on the social life of the island. An 
 extraordinary impetus was given to science, literature, 
 and all the arts. The promotion of higher education 
 and the general improvement of the conditions of 
 society were an object of constant attention. The 
 little meetings of the Tasmanian Society in the 
 library of Government House, when papers on scien- 
 tific and philosophical subjects were read and dis- 
 cussed, were the beginning of the present Royal 
 Society of Tasmania, which has done much good 
 work. A national museum and a college, which was 
 intended to be a nucleusof a university, were founded. 
 The popular interest in science was increased by visits 
 from the French discovery ships in 1839, and the 
 Erebus and Terror in 1840. Strzelecki, too, who has 
 already been mentioned in connection with the dis- 
 covery of gold in New South Wales, made a long 
 stay in Tasmania. Her Majesty's ship Beagle was 
 making a detailed survey of the coast and rivers, and 
 the Fly about the same time was engaged in similar 
 work ; so that the interest of colonists took a much 
 
204 PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 higher plane, and an entirely new spirit pervaded 
 society. 
 
 Politically, however, this period was a turbulent 
 one. Transportation was resumed on a large scale in 
 1 84 1, and, as the influx of criminals increased, the 
 free immigration correspondingly fell off. The free 
 settlers began to be alarmed. Property fell in value 
 and trade was depressed. The fact that it became 
 necessary to pass a new insolvency law throws a 
 side-light on the commercial situation, and naturally 
 enough, as the shoe began to pinch, the clamour for 
 responsible government was renewed with vigour. 
 But the claims of the islanders were disregarded. 
 When partially representative councils were granted 
 to the other colonies in 1842, it was pointed out by 
 the Secretary of State that no constitution could be 
 conferred on Van Diemen's Land, so long as the 
 majority of its population was bond ; but as one of 
 the principal hopes of the agitators for the boon was 
 that if legislation were placed in their hands they 
 would be able to stem the tide of transportation, the 
 explanation was, to say the least of it, unsatisfactory. 
 In August, 1843, Sir John Franklin retired. He 
 would probably have stayed longer at the helm, but 
 he fell a victim to the jealousy and intrigue which 
 permeated the official life of the colony. Mr. John 
 Montague, the Colonial Secretary, had been dismissed 
 by Franklin for insubordination. He at once went 
 to England and preferred ex parte charges against the 
 Governor of incompetence and injustice, with the 
 result that Franklin was recalled without a chance of 
 statinsf his version of the trouble. The later historv 
 
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. 2C5 
 
 of Franklin is too well known to need more than 
 passing mention here, for the voyage of the Ercbiis 
 and Terror in search of the North-West Passage, and 
 the untimely fate of the expedition, is familiar to all. 
 Franklin was popular, but he was too honest and 
 generous to be a success as the governor of a penal 
 settlement. His memory is preserved in Hobart by 
 a bronze statue, above life size, which stands in 
 Franklin Square not far from the site of the old 
 Government House, where he passed the troubled 
 years of his uncongenial government. 
 
 Sir John Eardley Eardley-Wilmot, Bart., arrived 
 before Franklin left, and entered on a short but 
 stormy term of office. The colony was in a very 
 unsettled state, and the fears of the free colonist 
 were increased by the transfer of the convicts from 
 Norfolk Island to Van Diemen's Land. The situation 
 was aggravated by financial difficulties ; for the cost 
 of maintaining the huge gaols and a large army of 
 police, which had become necessary, was a burthen 
 greater than the settlement could bear unaided. A 
 debt of ;^ 100,000 had been contracted to meet these 
 expenses, and on the other hand the public revenue 
 had diminished, owing to the practical cessation of 
 free immigration and the consequent decline in the 
 receipts from sale or lease of Crown lands. The 
 Governor was confronted by a serious problem, and 
 he determined to solve it by raising the ad valorem 
 duties on imports from 5 to 15 per cent, and by 
 imposing certain rates and tolls. The introduction 
 of the necessary Bills in the Council was, however, the 
 signal for more pronounced opposition on the part of 
 
206 PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 the colonists. It was protested that the police-and- 
 gaols charge was essentially unjust. If the colony 
 had to receive British criminals, the very least Great 
 Britain could do was to pay something towards the 
 cost of keeping them in order, A second string to 
 the opposition bow was that no estimates of expen- 
 diture were furnished, and that it was ridiculous to 
 expect the settlers to provide funds in the disburse- 
 ment of which they would have no control. Although 
 Wilmot may have sympathised with the arguments 
 advanced, he was compelled to find the money 
 somewhere to pay for the maintenance of the estab- 
 lishments ; and as no better system than that already 
 proposed was suggested he was obliged to try and 
 force the obnoxious Bills through the legislature, 
 with the aid of the official members. Although there 
 was much excitement outside as well as within the 
 Council Chamber, there was every prospect of the 
 Governor obtaining a majority, when sudcienly six of 
 the unofficial members withdrew from the Chamber, 
 thus making a quorum impossible, and effectually 
 blocking further business. After some time had been 
 wasted in fruitless negotiations, the " Patriotic Six," 
 as they were popularly called, resigned, and petitioned 
 the English Government on the points at issue. They 
 were regarded as martyrs to the constitutional cause, 
 and made a triumphal progress through the country. 
 Mr. Richard Dry, whose name will appear again in 
 these pages, was met at Launceston by an admiring 
 crowd, who took the horses from his vehicle and 
 themselves drew it amidst the greatest enthusiasm 
 through the streets of the town. The reception of the 
 
THE "patriotic SIX.'' 20/ 
 
 other ex-councillors was almost equally demonstrative 
 but the Governor, regardless of these popular expres- 
 sions, gravely accepted the tendered resignations and 
 filled the vacancies in the Council with persons who, 
 if less able, were more tractable. The Bills were 
 passed, but the Governor had made enemies who 
 contrived his downfall. 
 
 The financial difficulty was before long solved by 
 the English Government consenting to contribute 
 two-thirds of the cost of maintaining the police and 
 gaols, but the news of this decision came too late 
 to relieve Wilmot in his unfortunate position. In 
 October, 1846, he was suddenly recalled, on account 
 of unfounded and cowardly accusations made against 
 his private character by one of his political opponents, 
 who had returned to England. The charges were 
 indignantly refuted by those who were in the best 
 position to form an opinion, and a petition in 
 Wilmot's favour was signed by the Chief Justice and 
 all the most prominent and respectable members of 
 the community. The Secretary of State was com- 
 pelled to withdraw the accusations, on which the 
 Governor's recall had been based, but with a strange 
 want of justice declined to do anything to recompense 
 the accused for the injury done him. Wilmot re- 
 mained in the island, hoping against hope that his 
 innocence would triumph ; but the strain and dis- 
 appointment were too great, and before long he died 
 broken-hearted. During his short tenure of office, 
 substantial progress was made in many directions. 
 In 1844 Mr. W. L. Kentish, an engineer, discovered 
 the open and fertile plains in the north-west portion 
 
208 PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 of the island, and a little later Clarke's Plains, situated 
 more to the westward. 
 
 Religion and education, which had got a firm foot- 
 ing under the fostering care of Franklin, continued 
 to advance, and in 1842 the colony was made an in- 
 dependent diocese, and the first Bishop of Tasmania 
 arrived in the following year. Mr. Latrobe came 
 across from Port Phillip to take charge of the 
 Government between the removal of Wilmot and 
 the arrival of his successor; in January, 1847, Sir 
 William Denison landed and entered on what turned 
 out to be the most eventful term of office which has 
 fallen to the lot of any Governor of Tasmania. The 
 Secretary of State for the Colonies had learnt some- 
 thing from Wilmot's financial dilemma, and an 
 engineer officer had been chosen to fill the post of 
 Governor, in the hope that he would succeed in ren- 
 dering the labour of several thousands of convicts 
 more useful than it had hitherto been. Denison at 
 once took steps to pacify the ruffled feelings of the 
 settlers, and the "Patriotic Six" were, after some 
 slight difficulty with Wilmot's nominees, restored to 
 their places in the Council ; comparative quiet having 
 been thus obtained the Governor pushed on energeti- 
 cally with road-making and other public works. 
 
 But the all-absorbing question of transportation 
 soon disturbed the political atmosphere. One of the 
 first despatches received by Denison from Earl Grey, 
 the Secretary of State, contained the words : " I have 
 to inform, you that it is not the intention of Her 
 Majesty's Government that transportation to Van 
 Diemen's Land should be resumed at the expiration 
 
ANTI-TRANSPORTATION LEAGUE. 20g 
 
 of the two years for which it has ah'eady been decided 
 that it should be discontinued ; " and Denison, al- 
 though personally favourable to the continuance of 
 criminal immigration, promptly communicated this 
 intelligence to the Council. Meanwhile, however, the 
 English Government had changed its intentions, and 
 both the despatch and Denison's announcement were 
 repudiated. The colonists were indignant. An 
 anti-transportation league was formed, and opposi- 
 tion to the continuance of the system was vigorously 
 prosecuted. The efforts of the advocates of the 
 abolition of transportation were strenuously seconded 
 by the supporters of the claim for representative 
 government, and the success of the latter was 
 regarded as the death-knell of the existing convict 
 system. In 1848 Earl Grey had expressed his inten- 
 tion of introducing a measure into the English Par- 
 liament providing for a representative Legislative 
 Assembly for Van Diemen's Land, and, although 
 Denison had urged that a single chamber would 
 be dangerous as " an essentially democratic spirit 
 actuated the mass of the community," and that on 
 this account " a second independent chamber should 
 be formed," it was determined to model the new 
 Council on the lines of that existing in New South 
 Wales. In 1850 a Bill was passed granting in some 
 degree the boon craved by the Council, two-thirds of 
 the members of which were to be elected by the 
 people. The first election under the .new arrange- 
 ment justified the hopes of the opponents of trans- 
 portation, for nearly all of the sixteen men returned 
 to the Legislature were pledged to oppose as far as 
 
 15 
 
2iO PRECEDING CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 lay in their power the further introduction of convicts. 
 On the 30th of December, 1 851, the Council met, and 
 the first divisions taken were on the question which 
 was engaging so much attention. An address to the 
 Queen, protesting against the continual influx of 
 criminals into the country, was carried by a large 
 majority, and thenceforward the matter received con- 
 stant attention until in a despatch, dated December 
 14, 1852, the Duke of Newcastle (Lord Aberdeen's 
 Colonial Secretary) announced that it had been 
 decided to finally abolish transportation immediately. 
 The last ship carrying a cargo of criminals sailed 
 on the 31st of December, 1852, and in May, 1853, 
 an official notification appeared in the Hobart Tozvn 
 Gazette to the efifect that the colony had ceased to 
 be a receptacle for the victims of British crime. 
 
 The news was hailed with every manifestation of 
 delight. The Governor was asked to proclaim a public 
 holiday to commemorate the event, but, although he 
 declined to do this on the grounds that it would be an 
 acknowledgment of class antagonism, the holiday was 
 nevertheless held. The Anti-Transportation League, 
 which had during the struggle become a most power- 
 ful organisation, was dissolved in 1854, and next year 
 the prayer of the Council, that the name Van 
 Diemen's Land should be buried with all its un- 
 savoury associations, was granted, and the colony 
 after half a century of troubled life entered a new and 
 happier era as Tasmania. 
 
XV. 
 
 UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION, 
 
 (185I-I893.) 
 
 Events soon occurred to still further purge 
 Tasmania of the criminal taint ; the enormous emi- 
 gration of adult males, consequent on the discovery 
 of gold in Victoria, induced a large proportion of the 
 ticket-of-leave men and pardoned convicts to cross the 
 straits ; and, although in 1852 payable gold was found 
 near Fingal and Town Hill Creek, the phenomenal 
 richness of the Victorian fields dwarfed all other 
 discoveries, and the current of emigration continued 
 to set steadily away from Tasmania. Those in 
 authority at length became alarmed at the extent of 
 the exodus from the island, and the Governor was 
 urgent in his appeals to the English Government to 
 replenish the exhausted labour market by sending 
 out large numbers of free immigrants. Prices of the 
 commonest commodities had risen to a fabulous 
 height, and those whom duty or necessity tied to 
 the colony underwent an exceedingly uncomfortable 
 experience. In spite of the unpromising outlook and 
 the great reduction in the adult male population, 
 
212 UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 public interest in the movement in favour of repre- 
 sentative government was unabated. The Legislative 
 Council drew up a scheme for a new constitution the 
 principal characteristics of which was the establish- 
 ment of an Upper Chamber, which it was suggested 
 should be elected by the whole colony on a £2$ 
 freehold franchise. In the mean time the existing 
 Council was increased in number from 24 to 33, the 
 proportion of nominated to elected members remain- 
 ing the same as formerly, and negotiation and 
 discussion between the Governor and the Council 
 continued with regard to the details of the proposed 
 alterations. At the close of 1854, Sir William Denison 
 retired from office, and was succeeded by Sir Henry 
 Edward Fox Young ; shortly afterwards the royal 
 assent was given to an " Act to establish a Parliament 
 in Van Diemen's Land, and to grant a Civil List to 
 Her Majesty." The new House of Assembly was to 
 contain thirty members, elected on what was practically 
 manhood suffrage, and the colony had been divided 
 by the old Council into electoral districts for this 
 purpose. An Upper Chamber was also formed under 
 the title of Legislative Council on the basis men- 
 tioned above, the number of members being limited 
 to fifteen. Considerable interest was taken in the first 
 elections, but in most cases the same men who had 
 occupied seats in the partially nominee body were 
 again returned as elected members of the new parlia- 
 ment. 
 
 The first Premier was Mr. William Champ, who 
 had been Denison's Colonial Secretary, but for some 
 little time the life of successive ministries was ex- 
 
DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 21 3 
 
 tremely short, and the legislature did not settle down 
 to steady work until the reins of government were 
 taken by Sir Francis Smith. The material prospects 
 of the country had during these years greatly improved, 
 for the irresistible attraction of the gold-fields had 
 somewhat waned, and there had been a steady 
 immigration of a superior class of persons acquainted 
 with agricultural pursuits. The signs of reviving 
 vitality and expansion soon manifested themselves. 
 In 1856 the expediency of constructing a railway 
 between Hobart and Launceston was seriously 
 discussed, and in the following year Hobart was 
 lighted by gas, and a good supply of water was 
 obtained for Launceston by the completion of exten- 
 sive works. Two years later a submarine cable was 
 laid to Cape Otway from Circular Head and King's 
 Island, and the principle of self-government was 
 extended by the creation of rural municipalities to 
 look after local affairs. In i860 active efforts were 
 made to develop the mineral resources of the country, 
 and prospecting expeditions were equipped by the 
 Government, and placed under the direction of ex- 
 perienced geologists. Coal had been discovered ten 
 years previously in the neighbourhood of the Don, 
 but, as the seams had not hitherto been extensively 
 worked, experiments to test its quality were now 
 undertaken. 
 
 The advance of education kept pace with 
 material development. In 1854 a Central Board ot 
 Education had been appointed, consisting of the 
 Executive and Legislative Councils, but three 
 years later the question of public instruction again 
 
214 - UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 attracted attention, and efforts were made to found 
 a Tasmanian university. Matters were, however, 
 scarcely far enough advanced to make this desirable ; 
 so a compromise was effected. The old Board was 
 dissolved, and an Act passed appointing a Council 
 of Education with authority to grant the degree of 
 Associate of Arts, and alse to vote annually to suitable 
 students two scholarships worth iJ"200 each to be held 
 for four years at an English university. The same 
 difficulties which had been felt in New South Wales, 
 in connection with State aid to religion, about this 
 time called for consideration. The democratic spirit 
 of the colonists was opposed to the maintenance or 
 recognition of any established church, and it was 
 impossible to render assistance to all denominations 
 from the public treasury, first on account of the 
 continued friction and jealousy which would be cer- 
 tain to result, and, secondly, on account of the heavy 
 strain which such a charge would be on the finances 
 of the colony. A Bill authorising the Government to 
 raise a loan of ;^ 100,000, to provide funds to commute 
 the annual aid then paid to religious bodies was 
 passed in 1859, but the measure which finally freed 
 the treasury from claims on account of religious 
 endowment was delayed by one cause or another 
 until 1 869, when it at last received the royal assent. 
 
 During the next few years there is little to record 
 beyond the efforts made to push on public works. 
 The demand of the people for roads and railways, 
 and a liberal public works policy became imperative, 
 so that in 1864 Parliament voted no less than ;^io6,ooo 
 for roads and bridges. But the cry for railways was 
 
MATERIAL PROGRESS. 215 
 
 not appeased. A proposal brought forward to con- 
 struct a line between Launceston and Deloraine in 
 this year was rejected, on the grounds of extravagance ; 
 but the persistence of the promoters at length gained 
 the day, and in 1S68 the first sod of the new line was 
 turned by the Duke of Edinburgh, who was then 
 cruising in Australian waters. The railway was to 
 be constructed under peculiar conditions, which soon 
 proved unworkable. The Launceston and Western 
 Railway Company were the nominal proprietors ; but 
 of the total capital required the company only pro- 
 vided about one-ninth part, and the Government 
 advanced the rest, the interest on the ;^400,ooo thus 
 lent being a first charge on the profits of the under- 
 taking. Should the line be worked at a loss, it was 
 agreed by the landholders of the district to be served 
 that a rate should be levied to meet the obligation to 
 the Government. Contrary to expectations, for the 
 first two years after it was opened, the traffic receipts 
 of the line barely paid working expenses, and conse- 
 quently the landowners were called upon to make 
 good their promise with regard to the interest on the 
 ^400,000. The attempt to levy the tax was met with 
 violent opposition, the contributors asserting that the 
 agreement had been rendered void by a concession 
 which had been made to the Main Line Company 
 subsequent to their signing it. Legal proceedings 
 were instituted to compel payment of the rate, where- 
 upon sixty-five of the magistrates who dwelt in the 
 northern district petitioned the Governor, requesting 
 him to intervene and cause the suspension of prosecu- 
 tions. This Mr. Du Cane — the then Governor — 
 
2l6 UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 declined to do, and twenty-six of the petitioners 
 consequently resigned their positions on the commis- 
 sion of the peace. The agitation continued for some 
 time, until at length the Government agreed to take 
 over the line from the company, and the angry land- 
 owners were relieved from the terms of the contract 
 with regard to the special rate. The Tasmanian 
 Main Line Railway Company, although started under 
 much more favourable conditions, fared little better 
 than the Launceston and "Western. The concession 
 to construct a railway from Hobart to Launceston was 
 granted in 1870, but the line was not completed for 
 traffic for six years. After a troubled existence, on 
 account of disputes first as to the route chosen, and 
 then other points of disagreement, the railway was 
 recently bought by the Government for ^1,106,500, 
 payable in 33- per cent inscribed stock. 
 
 The practical failure of private companies induced 
 the Government to itself undertake railway construc- 
 tion, and from 1885 to the present time not a year 
 has passed without some material improvement in 
 the railway service of the colony. The increase in 
 railways was accompanied by an equal activity in 
 road-making, jetty-building, and telegraph extension, 
 and these public undertakings are perhaps one of the 
 surest indications of the industrial progress of the 
 people. 
 
 Allusion has already been made to the discovery of 
 coal as well as the prospecting expeditions which were 
 equipped at the time when the Governor dreaded the 
 depopulation of the island on account of the rush to 
 the Victorian gold-fields. In spite of the efforts 
 
2l8 UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 then made, nothing of any very great importance 
 resulted, nor had the mineral possessions of Tasmania 
 much influence upon its property until the dis- 
 coveries of tin at Mount Bischoff in 1871. When 
 the lodes were worked. Mount Bischoff proved to be 
 one of the richest tin mines in the world, and its 
 opening was the commencement of much greater 
 activity generally. In the following year iron ore, 
 which abounds over a very large area, was worked by 
 a strong company, which erected a fine plant and ex- 
 pended a considerable sum of money. But unfortu- 
 nately it proved impossible to produce a marketable 
 article, owing to the extreme hardness and brittleness 
 of the iron, due to the presence of chromium in the ore. 
 It is quite possible, however, that this difficulty will be 
 overcome, with the result that the iron deposits will 
 be one of the most valuable possessions of the colony. 
 Other metals, including gold, silver, and copper have 
 been found, and to some extent worked, and there is 
 every reason to believe that Tasmania, like her neigh- 
 bours, contains enormous mineral wealth. 
 
 The constitution, as originally devised, had on the 
 whole worked admirably. There were of course now 
 and again slight conflicts between the two houses, but 
 in most instances the business of the country had not 
 seriously suffered, and matters had been arranged by 
 mutual concessions and co-operation. In 1870, how- 
 ever, the democratic spirit— with its inherent antipathy 
 to any privileges or claims based upon the posses- 
 sion of property — gained the ascendency, and an 
 amendment of the Constitution Act was carried, 
 reducing the leasehold franchise from ^10 to £2, and 
 
EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT. 2ig 
 
 extending the elective right to all in receipt of salary 
 amounting to iJ"8o per annum. At the same time the 
 number of members in the Council was increased by 
 one, and in the Assembly by two. The change did not 
 make any very great difference in the character of the 
 Legislature, and the Council continued to act as a 
 wholesome check to the Lower House. This body 
 frequently displayed an ambition and enterprise in- 
 volving large expenditure of money which, if not care- 
 fully watched, would probably have landed the colony 
 in serious difficulties. The extravagance of the 
 Government did, indeed, reduce the finances to a very 
 unsatisfactory condition by 1879, 3-nd led to the most 
 heated contest between the two houses which has yet 
 taken place. The estimates of expenditure in that 
 year, as passed by the Assembly, greatly exceeded 
 the estimated revenue, and the Council, when the neces- 
 sary measures came before them, declined to sanction 
 appropriations to meet which there would apparently 
 be insufficient funds available. The Government were 
 indignant, and disputed the right of the Council to 
 amend " money bills ; " but the Upper House stood 
 firm and refused to pass more than six months' supply 
 unless the estimates were brought into harmony. The 
 fight was long and bitter, and as no money could 
 legally be spent uniil the Appropriation Act was 
 passed, the Council, after six months of the year had 
 gone by, relented so far as to grant supply for eight 
 months, so that ordinary engagements could be met ; 
 and Parliament was then prorogued. Ministers were 
 urgent in their pra}'ers for a dissolution, but as the 
 Governor refused to grant it and could not be per- 
 
220 UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 suaded to coerce the Council, the Government resigned, 
 and, a new ministry being formed by Mr. Giblin, 
 the strife was ended by the imposition of fresh 
 taxation, which brought the estimated income to 
 approximately the same sum as it was desired to ex- 
 pend. The new taxes comprised a duty of gd. in the 
 pound on the annual value of real and personal estate, 
 a revision of the charges at the customs house, and 
 an excise duty of 3d. per gallon on beer. The 
 feeling of the people was one of relief that a solution 
 of the difficulty had been found before matters reached 
 the extreme point which had caused so much incon- 
 venience and misery in Victoria. The comparatively 
 even tenor of public affairs was resumed ; no further 
 importarit conflicts between the two branches of the 
 Legislature took place, and no alteration in the Con- 
 stitution was demanded for the next six years. By 
 this time a rearrangement of electoral districts had 
 become desirable, for some of the old divisions were 
 unsuited to the changes which had taken place in the 
 distribution of the j^eople within recent years. The 
 opportunity was seized at the same time to enlarge 
 both branches of the Legislature, and consequently 
 the Council was raised to eighteen and the Assembly 
 to thirty-six members, while the general democratic 
 tendency of the country asserted itself by still further 
 reducing the franchise, although what was practically 
 manhood suffrage had already been established. 
 
 It was also thought desirable that the country 
 should have its own representative in London, and, 
 therefore, in 1886 an Agent-General was appointed to 
 transact the business of the colony in England. 
 
RESEMBLANCE TO ENGLAND. 
 
 221 
 
 Possibly from the fact that hitherto the island has 
 not been convulsed by any sudden flood of immigra- 
 tion, and that the public imagination has not, to the 
 same extent as elsewhere in Australia, been excited 
 by the unexpected acquisition of treasure, Tasmania 
 bears much greater resemblance to the old world than 
 any of the other colonies. Lying to the south of 
 Bass Straits its climate is cooler than that of the 
 mainland, and the fruits and shrubs of the mother 
 country grow luxuriantly. Agriculture, instead of 
 stock-raising, is the main industry of the people, and 
 the cultivation of English fruits has become an exten- 
 siv^e and lucrative business. The life of the inhabi- 
 tants is quiet and uneventful, and the stone-built farm 
 houses, the hawthorn and sweetbriar hedges, the hop 
 gardens and sunny wheat fields, remind the immi- 
 grant of home. Indeed, the general appearance of 
 Tasmania is that of some particularly fertile country 
 district of England, which has been bodily removed 
 and set amid the blue waters and smiling skies of the 
 far south. 
 
VICTORIA. 
 XVI. 
 
 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 (1S03-1839.) 
 
 At the beginning of the century, the activity of 
 the French in the South Pacific caused King grave 
 concern; and he was earnest in his representations to 
 the British Government that no time should be lost in 
 taking effective possession of the land to the south- 
 ward of Sydney. An expedition was therefore fitted 
 out in England and placed under the command of 
 Colonel Collins, who has already been mentioned as 
 the first Judge-Advocate of New South Wales ; 
 in April, 1803, the little band set sail in the frigate 
 Calcutta and the storeship Ocean. After a compara- 
 tively uneventful voyage the vessels arrived off Port 
 Phillip in October, and Collins, before landing his 
 charges, spent two days in examining in small boats 
 the land round the bay. But he was unfortunate in 
 the spots visited, for he found sandy soil and shallow 
 shores with an absence of fresh water at all the points 
 
EXPEDITION UNDER COLLINS. 223 
 
 inspected, and the reports of the other officers, whom 
 he sent out to make explorations, only increased the 
 unfavourable impressions he had formed. It is true 
 that good land and fresh streams were believed to 
 exist farther up the bay ; but Collins had a morbid fear 
 of the natives, and the announcement that they had 
 been met with in large numbers near the most pro- 
 mising country was quite enough to make him cling 
 persistently to the coast. After a few days spent in 
 fruitless search, as he had received peremptory orders 
 to discharge the storeship without delay on his arrival, 
 the convicts, soldiers, and settlers were landed on a 
 narrow neck of country forming the southern shore of 
 the bay about five miles from its entrance. The only 
 fresh water to be had at this place was obtained by 
 sinking perforated casks in the sand, while the soil 
 appeared quite unsuitable for cultivation, and the 
 nearest good timber was fourteen miles away, Collins 
 was very much disgusted and took a gloomy view of the 
 future ; but as his settlement was subordinate to the 
 Governor in Sydney, he was unable to move until 
 advice and instruction from King had been obtained. 
 An open boat was therefore immediately sent round 
 to Sydney with a despatch pointing out the failure of 
 the efforts to find a suitable spot for the new colony, 
 and asking leave to transfer the settlement bodily to 
 Van Diemen's Land. Meanwhile, in compliance with 
 the orders he had received before leaving England, 
 Collins proceeded to discharge the Ocean; but the 
 work progressed slowly, for the wretched sailors and 
 prisoners, who spent most of their time up to their 
 waists in the sea, carrying cargo ashore, soon became 
 
THE SETTLEMENT ABANDONED. 225 
 
 sick from the brackish water, which was all they could 
 get to drink from the casks. 
 
 The Ocean, when empty, sailed for Port Jackson, 
 picking up on the way the boat previously despatched 
 by Collins ; her captain was thus able to corroborate 
 the complaints which Collins's letter contained. 
 Governor King had but little choice in his decision. 
 Collins's prayer for permission to abandon Port Phillip 
 was so urgent, and contained such a disparaging 
 description of the country, that it was impossible to 
 refuse ; at the same time, had he been instructed to 
 remain, it would have been necessary to strengthen 
 the military guard under his command to relieve him 
 from fears of the natives, whilst at this moment it 
 would have been madness to weaken the garrison at 
 Sydney. King, therefore, though fully impressed with 
 the desirability of establishing a settlement in that 
 part of the country, reluctantly gave his consent, offer- 
 ing Collins the choice of Port Dalrymple in the north 
 or the Derwent in the south of Van Diemen's Land. 
 The Ocean was sent back to take the party across the 
 straits, and the Lady Nelson sailed with her to render 
 such assistance as might be needed. These two 
 vessels arrived at the camp in December, 1803, and 
 the Calcutta at once left for Sydney. 
 
 With all possible haste Collins packed his baggage 
 and stores, and turned his back on a country of un- 
 pleasant memories ; but several trips had to be made 
 before the whole party could be embarked, and the 
 territory was not entirely vacated till the end of 
 January, 1804. 
 
 The convicts during Collins's occupation had be- 
 16 
 
226 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 haved fairly well. Twelve absconded, but all but two 
 returned, who had, it was supposed, fallen a prey 
 to the natives. One, however, William Buckley, 
 was found thirty years afterwards living on friendly 
 terms with the aborigines. For more than twenty 
 years the Port Phillip district was strangely neglected, 
 and it was not till the glowing reports of the explora- 
 tions of Messrs. Hume and Hovell, and further 
 rumours of an intended French colony, had been re- 
 ceived in Sydney, that the formation of a settlement 
 in the country was again attempted. Unfortunately 
 Hovell instead of Hume had the ear of the authori- 
 ties, and the mistake he had made between Port 
 Phillip and Western Port was the cause of another 
 failure. Captain Wright, with a small party of 
 prisoners and soldiers, and Hovell to guide them, 
 landed at Western Port, but a more unsuitable spot, 
 barren and unapproachable as it was, on account of 
 the mud-flats lining the shores, could scarcely have 
 been chosen ; when it was found that the French 
 had already landed and departed, permission was 
 given to the commander to withdraw, and Victoria 
 was for the second time abandoned as useless and 
 uninhabitable. 
 
 It is not probable that after two such failures the 
 Government would have made any further effort, had 
 not their hands been forced by the enterprise of some 
 colonists from Van Diemen's Land. In very early 
 days there had been small permanent whaling 
 stations along the coast; but in 1834 the Henty 
 Brothers were so favourably impressed with the 
 appearance of the pasture lands behind Portland Bay 
 
THE HENTY FAMILY. 227 
 
 that they determined to cross the straits from Laun- 
 ceston and cultivate the unoccupied territory. Their 
 father was one of those who, in 1828, had been 
 attracted by the scheme for settHng Western Australia, 
 and, being a man of means, had obtained a large grant 
 of land in that colony. But when one of his sons had 
 seen the barren wastes which were being lavishly 
 granted to immigrants, he reported so adversely that 
 the destination of the Henty family was changed to 
 Van Diemen's Land. The father and eight sons all 
 followed farming pursuits, but before long the re- 
 stricted pastures of the island became too small for 
 the flocks and herds, which had multiplied rapidly. 
 Edward Henty, therefore, went in search of a new 
 home, and settled at Portland Bay. After he had 
 been living there some little time, two of his brothers 
 joined him, and agriculture, stock-raising, and whaling 
 were prosecuted with great success. There was, how- 
 ever, one serious drawback ; for the Secretary of State, 
 when applied to, refused to grant the Messrs. Henty 
 any title to the lands of which they had taken posses- 
 sion. In this particular case no serious inconvenience 
 was experienced, for other claimants did not appear ; 
 but a similar enterprise, which was undertaken a few 
 years later, brought matters to a crisis, and forced the 
 authorities to abandon the idea of confining occupation 
 to the districts immediately surrounding the chief seat 
 of government. 
 
 In 1834 a company was formed in Tasmania to 
 acquire land and engage in stock breeding at Port 
 Phillip. John Batman, the promoter and leader of 
 the enterprise, was a remarkable man. A native of 
 
228 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 New South Wales, he had crossed to Van Diemen's 
 Land when httle more than a boy, and there had 
 distinguished himself in the chase and capture of 
 bushrangers, and later by the marked success which 
 attended his efforts to subdue the aborigines by 
 peaceful means. For some years he farmed, but his 
 adventurous spirit was always craving for fresh 
 excitement, and in 1827 he applied to the Governor 
 of New South Wales for permission to occupy the 
 country around Western Port. This request could 
 not be granted ; to authorise detached settlements 
 would have been directly contrary to the instructions 
 of the Secretary of State. But the refusal in no 
 way quenched Batman's aspirations, and in 1834 he 
 became one of an association of eight members 
 which had determined to obtain possession of the 
 fertile country at Port Phillip without the sanction or 
 aid of the Government. The roll of Batman's little 
 company contained the names of many prominent 
 and influential men in Van Diemen's Land, and the 
 fact that Batman himself was to be the pioneer was 
 sufficient to assure reasonable prospects of success. 
 A little vessel of fifteen tons burthen, the Rebecca, 
 was procured, and John Batman, taking with him 
 some New South Wales blacks and a few white men, 
 set sail for Port Phillip. Bad weather was met with, 
 and the passage took nineteen days, but at last, on 
 May 29, 1835, the weary, uncomfortable voyage was 
 finished, and the little party of adventurers landed at 
 Geelong. Batman was in possession of the chart 
 made by Flinders of the bay and its surroundings, 
 and early on the morning after his arrival he started 
 
BATMAN S COMPANY. 229 
 
 off to explore on his own account. As he trod the 
 rich pasture lands comparatively free from timber he 
 became more and more elated, and the prospect from 
 the top of the Barrabool Hills increased his favourable 
 opinion of the country. 
 
 But Batman's special mission was to purchase 
 land from the natives, and on the second day after 
 landing he set off in quest of some of the aboriginal 
 inhabitants. Fires had been seen in the night 
 some distance away, so at daybreak all haste was 
 made to the spot, but the blacks had already 
 left. Batman started in pursuit, and after a tiring 
 journey overtook a party of about twenty women 
 and a large number of children. They at first 
 showed signs of fear, but appeared to understand 
 the expressions of amicable intentions which were 
 made by the New South Wales natives, and allowed 
 the visitors to approach. The usual presents of 
 trinkets, looking-glasses, &c., were made, and Batman, 
 having sown the seeds of friendship, returned to his 
 camp. Explorations were continued for the next few 
 days, and then the Rebecca was brought further up 
 the bay and moored off the mouth of the Yarra. 
 With fourteen companions armed for any emergency. 
 Batman commenced to walk along the left bank of 
 the river, but after he had travelled a little way his 
 course was interrupted by a tributary stream. Two 
 days they marched along through glorious pastures, 
 and towards the close of the second day, to their 
 delight, saw the smoke of fires ascending in the 
 distance to the south-east. Eagerly they pushed on 
 in the hope of coming up with the natives, and before 
 
230 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 many miles had been covered overtook a man, woman, 
 and three children. To their satisfaction they learned 
 that the previous intercourse with the women had 
 been discussed, and when the natives led them to the 
 main camp of the tribe, on the banks of the Merri 
 Creek, they were received with manifestations of 
 friendship. After spending a night amongst the 
 blacks, Batman next day proceeded to business, and 
 had little difficulty in effecting an advantageous 
 purchase. Skeleton parchment deeds had been made 
 out in Hobart before starting, so only a few descrip- 
 tive details had to be added, and then a contract 
 between Batman, three brothers called Jaga-Jaga, 
 and the chiefs of the Dutigalla tribe was duly signed 
 and sealed by the persons interested, and Batman 
 obtained possession, as he thought, of all the country 
 from Indented Head to Merri Creek, or about 600,000 
 acres of fine pasture, in exchange for some trinkets 
 and an annual tribute of blankets. 
 
 Having accomplished his mission, he bade farewell 
 to the natives, and started to retrace his steps, but 
 before he had travelled far he was confronted by an 
 extensive swamp and, being overtaken by darkness, 
 had to pass the night on its borders ; in the 
 morning, while making a circuit to avoid it, he came 
 upon the Yarra, and eventually reached the Rebecca. 
 The next day was spent in an examination of the 
 river, and Batman selected the present site of 
 Melbourne as the best place for a village. On his 
 return the Rebecca was taken down to Indented Head 
 again, where three whites and the New South Wales 
 natives were landed to retain possession of the newly- 
 
FOUNDATION OF MELBOURNE. 23 1 
 
 acquired property and commence cultivation. The 
 remainder of the party sailed for Hobart to give a 
 report of their proceedings to the other members of 
 the association, who were anxiously awaiting their 
 return. Batman's account of his experiences created 
 a great sensation in Van Diemen's Land, and many 
 of the colonists at once commenced to formulate 
 schemes for following his example and settling in the 
 fertile country across the straits. The members of 
 Batman's association were not, however, quite easy in 
 their minds, and all along they appear to have had 
 doubts of the validity of the formidable looking 
 parchment deeds which represented their title to the 
 land. These deeds had been prepared and signed in 
 triplicate, and one copy was sent to the Governor on 
 the 25th of June with a request, which was influentially 
 supported, that he should do all in his power to cause 
 the claim of Batman and his friends to be recognised 
 by the authorities. On the 3rd of the following 
 month Arthur gave his answer. In the first place, 
 he pointed out. Port Phillip was outside his jurisdic- 
 tion, so that, even were he willing, he could do but 
 little to help them ; and he further warned them that 
 the total disregard of any proprietary interest of the 
 natives, evinced by the legislation in regard to South 
 Australia, was pretty conclusive evidence that a claim 
 based on an alleged sale by the natives would 
 command little respect in England. At the same 
 time, Arthur wrote strongly to the Secretary of State, 
 requesting immediate attention, and some definite 
 instructions with regard to the novel problems which 
 were presenting themselves to the Government. 
 
233 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 But, although ownership of property acquired in 
 Port PhiUip was questionable, this unsatisfactory 
 circumstance was not sufficient to prevent many 
 persons from going there. The most important 
 expedition was arranged by John Pascoe Fawkner, 
 who had been one of the children in the party which 
 landed at the time of Collins's abortive attempt to form 
 a colony in 1803. Fawkner's idea was to pursue at 
 Western Port much the same policy as Batman had 
 followed at Port Phillip, and a schooner, the Enter- 
 prise, was procured and loaded with stock, implements, 
 seeds, fruit trees, and plants, and everything else 
 which appeared necessary to equip a small agricultural 
 and pastoral station. On July 27, 1835, the Enterprise 
 left Launceston, but she almost immediately fell in 
 with very bad weather, and after knocking about for 
 three days was still close to the Tasmanian coast. 
 Fawkner by this time was so worn out with sea- 
 sickness that he was put ashore, and the voyage was 
 resumed under the command of Captain Lancey. 
 Western Port was at length reached in safety, but, as 
 the intending settlers were displeased with the ap- 
 pearance of the place, anchor was again weighed, 
 and the Enterprise headed for Port Phillip. Captain 
 Lancey sailed his ship right up to the Yarra's mouth, 
 and then, entering a rowing boat, proceeded up the 
 stream. They first went up the Saltwater, but 
 retraced their course, and, again entering the Yarra, 
 camped at the spot which Batman had marked as 
 a suitable site for a village. The place seemed to 
 exactly meet their requirements, so next day the 
 Enterprise was warped up and made fast to the trees, 
 
JOHN PASCOE FAWKNER. 233 
 
 and the cargo carefully landed. The whoie party at 
 once set to work to clear the ground and prepare it 
 for cultivation ; they were busily engaged in this 
 way when they were suddenly interrupted by the 
 appearance on the scene of Mr. Wedge, one of 
 Batman's partners, who informed them that they 
 were trespassing on the company's property. Wedge 
 endeavoured to prove his title, but Captain Lancey 
 ridiculed the deed, and fell to work again at clearing 
 and ploughing. Wedge, being then unable to do 
 anything more, retired, but in a few days returned 
 with his whole party to forcibly assert his claim to 
 the land which Lancey was occupying. Matters 
 began to assume rather a serious aspect, when the 
 rival companies camped side by side, but at length 
 the first-comers prevailed upon Lancey to accept i^20 
 and cross to the other side of the stream. Not long 
 afterwards, however, Fawkner arrived with more men 
 and materials, and as by this time the events which 
 are about to be recorded had upset Batman's claim, 
 the river was once more crossed and the old site 
 again occupied. 
 
 Although Fawkner was the principal, he was not the 
 only man who determined to make the Port Phillip 
 district his home, and numerous little bands settled 
 on the territory within twelve months of Batman's 
 return to Van Diemen's Land. The prospect of 
 grave difficulties arising unless some proper system 
 of survey and sale of land were immediately intro- 
 duced, caused the Governor of New South Wales, 
 Sir Richard Bourke, to issue a proclamation without 
 waiting for the decision of the Secretary of State, 
 
234 FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 in answer to Governor Arthur's despatch from 
 Van Diemen's Land. Batman's treaty with the 
 natives was, Bourke declared, void as against the 
 rights of the Crown, and all persons occupying land 
 in the Port Phillip district were trespassers unless 
 they were possessed of the ordinary license from the 
 Government. The situation was a perplexing one, 
 for a proposal of Bourke's to form a small settlement 
 at Twofold Bay on the south coast of New South 
 Wales had just been rejected by the Secretary of 
 State, on the grounds that the endeavour should be 
 to concentrate the population and not to scatter it 
 over a wide area, principally for the reason that 
 if the limits of occupation were restricted it was 
 believed the cost of the administration of justice and 
 general government would be smaller. Of course it 
 was simple enough for a governor to refrain from 
 forming new posts ; but what was to be done when the 
 new posts formed themselves, and then demanded the 
 protection and administrative benefits enjoyed by the 
 rest of the community ? As Bourke pointed out to 
 the Secretary of State, the question had now become, 
 how best to direct this new development in coloni- 
 sation, not how to prevent the settlement of the 
 territory. Pending other arrangements, the inhabi- 
 tants had themselves selected one of their number as 
 arbitrator in disputes, and the need for some action 
 by the executive was so evident that Bourke sent 
 down a magistrate, Mr, George Stewart, to report, 
 and (on his recommendation) appointed Captain 
 Lonsdale resident magistrate, supplying him with a 
 small detachment of soldiers to enforce his awards 
 
batman's treaty declared void. 
 
 235 
 
 and maintain order. This done he awaited de- 
 spatches from the Secretary of State, which in due 
 course arrived, and were practically to the effect that 
 the English Government were at a loss as to the best 
 method of dealing with a question so " novel and 
 peculiar," and were content to leave the matter to 
 his discretion. Under these circumstances, Bourke 
 thought it advisable to visit the new dependency 
 himself, and accordingly in 1837 he journeyed to Port 
 Phillip. The settlers who now numbered from sixty 
 to seventy families, welcomed him with enthusiasm, 
 and he laid out and named the streets of a town 
 which he called Melbourne, in honour of the Prime 
 Minister of the English Government. Bourke was 
 impressed with the prospects of the Port Phillip 
 colony, and on his return recommended the Secretary 
 of State to appoint a Lieutenant-Governor or Com- 
 mandant, advice which was before long followed. At 
 the same time he considered that if the inhabitants 
 desired legislative representation, they should be re- 
 quired to elect members to attend the sessions of the 
 Council in Sydney. 
 
XVII. 
 
 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 (1839-1852.) 
 
 Under the title of Superintendent, Mr. Latrobe 
 was sent out in 1839 to take charge of the Port 
 Phillip settlement. For the population had been 
 largely augmented by immigration, and new towns 
 at Geelong and Williamstown had been formed. 
 Evidences of the rapidly increasing trade and social 
 requirements of the people were to be found in the 
 fact that two Sydney banks had opened branches in 
 Melbourne, in addition to the establishment of a local 
 bank, and two newspapers, under the titles of the Mel- 
 bourne Daily Nezvs and Port Phillip Patriot and the 
 Po7't Phillip Gazette, had succeeded a very primitive 
 journal called the Advertiser. Latrobe's position was 
 not an easy one, for administrative difficulties were con- 
 tinually appearing in the Government of a community 
 which more than doubled itself annually. The most 
 unsatisfactory matter was the inability of the author- 
 ities to keep pace in survey with the demand for land. 
 In June, 1837, the first sale of half-acre town allotments 
 took place, by the direction of Bourke, when the 
 
 236 
 
A SUPERINTENDENT APPOINTED. 237 
 
 average price obtained was i^35, and a few months 
 later a second sale was held, at which values were 
 about the same. By these means the immediate needs 
 of the urban population were met, but the staff of 
 surveyors and draftsmen at Latrobe's disposal was 
 quite incapable of keeping pace with the applications 
 for runs, while the frequent changes in the orders-in- 
 Council relating to the sale and occupation of Crown 
 lands, threw matters into still worse confusion. Port 
 Phillip did not escape the consequences of too great 
 prosperity, and for a short time had to submit to the 
 chastening influences of depression caused by reckless 
 speculation. 
 
 But nature was too bountiful to permit the stag- 
 nation to last long, and the rapidity with, which the 
 settlement grew almost justified the settlers in giving 
 way to the temptation to speculate. It is needless, here, 
 to follow the frequent and often unreasonable changes 
 in the land laws which took place about this time, for 
 all the colonies were treated with a diluted " Wake- 
 field system," but in doses too weak to give a fair 
 trial to the theory, and applied with a singular want 
 of discrimination. In 1842 an Act had been passed 
 in the English Parliament granting the inhabitants of 
 Port Phillip authority to elect six representatives in 
 the Legislature of New South Wales. But although 
 this arrangement met every reasonable requirement, 
 it was not sufficiently liberal to satisfy the ambition 
 of the new colony. An agitation for total separation 
 from New South Wales had commenced in the very 
 infancy of the community, and in 1844 this movement 
 took concrete form in a resolution submitted by Dr. 
 
238 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 Lang, one of the members for Port Phillip in the 
 Legislative Council in Sydney. Dr. Lang moved that 
 the immediate erection of the Port Phillip district into 
 a separate colony was advisable, but the motion was 
 rejected by a very large majority, and the inhabitants 
 understood that they would get little aid from New 
 South Wales in their efforts at dismemberment. Hav- 
 ing failed to obtain their way in a decorous manner, by 
 an expression of opinion in the legislative chamber, a 
 section of the population determined to call the atten- 
 tion of the authorities in England to their grievance 
 in a somewhat remarkable fashion. It was intended to 
 spurn their right of representation in Sydney as useless 
 and worthless, and to nominate no one for the posi- 
 tions at the next election. This plan was, however, 
 frustrated by the appearance of one candidate, duly 
 proposed ; as he declined to withdraw, and would 
 be elected were no opposition offered, the policy of 
 the malcontents was suddenly changed, and " the 
 Right Honourable Henry Grey, Earl Grey, in the 
 peerage of Great Britain," the then Secretary of State 
 for the Colonies, was nominated as his opponent. 
 The burlesque was successful, and Earl Grey obtained 
 a majority of 193 votes in a total poll of 397 ; but 
 such a ridiculous result could hardly be expected to 
 be gravely accepted by the Governor, and Sir Charles 
 Fitzroy promptly declared the election void, and 
 issued a fresh writ making Geelong instead of Mel- 
 bourne the place of nomination. An attempt was 
 made to re-enact the same farce on this occasion, and 
 the Duke of Wellington, Lords Palmerston, Brougham, 
 and Russell, and Sir Robert Peel were named as 
 
FIRST GOVERNOR APPOINTED. 239 
 
 candidates ; but, fortunately, some local men were 
 also nominated and returned at the head of the poll. 
 But the comedians had in a measure achieved their 
 end, for the attention of the Secretary of State was 
 called to their complaint, and a select committee 
 appointed to inquire into the matter, which recom- 
 mended that the provinces should be separated. Earl 
 Grey promised to give effect to their recommendation, 
 but the Government of which he was a member going 
 out of office, the necessary legislation was delayed, 
 much to the disgust of the impatient agitators in 
 Melbourne. At length, in 1850, an Act was passed 
 authorising the division which was so much desired, 
 and news of the intended step was welcomed through- 
 out the Port Phillip district by general public rejoicing. 
 Mr. Latrobe was appointed first Governor of " Vic- 
 toria," as the new colony was called and the pre- 
 liminary arrangements necessary for establishing a 
 local legislature were placed in the hands of the 
 Sydney Council. 
 
 Shortly before independence had been effected, the 
 discoveries of gold in New South Wales threatened 
 to depopulate its ambitious offspring, and Latrobe 
 found his subjects rapidly diminishing in numbers. 
 It seemed that the only hope of counteracting the 
 superior attractions of the mother colony was for 
 gold to be found in Victoria also ; and public meet- 
 ings were held in Melbourne, at which a " Gold Dis- 
 covery Committee " was formed to encourage search 
 for the mineral within the boundaries of Victoria, by 
 offering ;^200 as a reward to any one who should 
 bring the first news of the existence of a payable 
 
240 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 gold-field within two hundred miles of Melbourne. 
 The inducement was sufficient to cause many people 
 to start out on prospecting expeditions, and before 
 long the precious metal was discovered in several 
 places. Rumours of the presence of gold in Victoria 
 had been heard previously, and a man who described 
 himself as a shepherd had in 1849 brought to Mel- 
 bourne a rich quartz specimen, which he alleged he 
 had obtained on the Pyrenees Range ; his story, 
 however, was discredited, and the matter was never 
 followed up. Mr. Campbell, while staying with 
 a friend at Clunes, found gold in March, 1850, but 
 kept the matter secret until July, 185 1, when gold 
 was obtained in the Yarra Ranges, at Anderson's 
 Creek, and in the quartz rocks of the Pyrenees. In 
 August the famous Ballaarat fields were discovered, 
 and in the beginning of September news of the finds 
 near Mount Alexander was made public. By the 
 end of September, 185 1, the tide of migration had 
 completely turned, and thousands of greedy fortune- 
 seekers poured into the colony by land and sea. As 
 the extraordinary wealth, first of Ballaarat, then of 
 Mount Alexander, and a little later of Bendigo, 
 became known, the crowds which trudged along the 
 muddy, dusty tracks to these places rapidly grew 
 larger and larger. In the autumn of 1852 fully 
 seventy thousand men were grubbing for gold, and at 
 the diggings the soil for miles had been plundered of 
 its treasure. Before there was any diminution in the 
 stream of immigrants from the other colonies, the 
 flood was swollen by hundreds of thousands of men 
 who came from Europe and America. In 1840 there 
 
THE GOLD-FIELDS. 24I 
 
 had been under 10,300 people within the Hmits of 
 Victoria; by 1850 the fertiHty of the soil had attracted 
 about 76,200 ; but five years later the population had 
 grown to 364,300, consequent upon the rush to the 
 gold-fields. At this time there were nearly twice as 
 mau}^ men as women in the country, and the acces- 
 sion to the population comprised many very unde- 
 sirable elements. 
 
 The situation in Victoria was very different to 
 that in the parent colony. For one thing, in Victoria 
 the original population at the time of the discovery 
 of gold was far smaller, so that it was more difficult 
 for the government to suddenly be adjusted to meet 
 the changed circumstances. The gold-fields in Vic- 
 toria, moreover, were rriuch more compact, and being 
 nearer to the coast more easily reached. Conse- 
 quently, shortly after the first rich finds, enormous 
 numbers of people collected in comparatively re- 
 stricted areas. On the banks of the Yarrowee at 
 Ballaarat, for instance, there were at one time about 
 forty thousand men encamped. About twenty-five 
 thousand more were round Mount Alexander, and at 
 the Bendigo diggings fully forty thousand miners had 
 gathered. The machinery of government very soon 
 proved utterly inadequate to the duties it was called 
 upon to perform. Had the inhabitants of these 
 camps been ordinary orderly citizens, the administra- 
 tion of affairs would have entailed organisation and 
 care, but in communities so strongly leavened with 
 criminals and reckless vagabonds, the maintenance 
 of order and the law became hopeless. While Tas- 
 mania was purged of the worst portion of its crime- 
 
 17 
 
242 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 stained inhabitants by the gold-rush, the motley 
 crowd, which swarmed like ants over the mud-heaps 
 at the diggings, contained even more unruly cha- 
 racters than the Tasmanians. Latrobe seems from 
 the first to have realised the gravity of the situation ; 
 but he had no really capable men at hand to help him, 
 and, however great his personal exertions might be, the 
 formation of governing machinery out of nothing, for 
 a population that doubled itself each year, was a task 
 beyond his powers. From the commencement the 
 regulations and licensing arrangements which had 
 been formulated by Deas Thompson for New South 
 Wales were adopted by Latrobe, but though they 
 might be satisfactorily worked with a comparatively 
 small collection of men, they were quite unsuitable 
 to the turbulent crowds which had gathered at 
 Ballaarat and Bendigo. The monthly inspection of 
 the licenses of forty thousand unwilling men is a by 
 no means light task, and the system adopted was 
 open to very great abuse in its application. Those 
 who had licenses objected strongly to being con- 
 stantly required to produce them to satisfy suspicious 
 officials, while those who had not licenses had but 
 little difficulty in secreting themselves and evading 
 the activity of troopers. Acts of riot and lawlessness 
 were before long not infrequent. Bushranging be- 
 came common. The gold escorts were waylaid and 
 robbed after the troopers who were protecting them 
 had been shot. Even vessels in the harbour were 
 attacked and plundered. 
 
 Much of this crime was traced to the Tasmanians, 
 and special legislation was passed to protect the 
 
CONVICTS PREVENTION ACT. 243 
 
 colony from further inroads from this quarter. By 
 the Convicts Prevention Act of 1852 all persons 
 coming from Tasmania were required to prove that 
 they were not convicts before they were permitted to 
 land, and the captain of any vessel which conveyed a 
 convict to a Victorian port was made liable to a fine 
 of ;^ioo. But it was too late to take protective 
 measures ; the harm had already been done ; and all 
 the undesirable people from Tasmania who could by 
 hook or by crook get a passage across the straits had 
 arrived. A spirit of discontent was inseparable from 
 the miner's occupation. The very good fortune of 
 some bred dissatisfaction in the breasts of others, and 
 the anger of those who had toiled all day in the heat 
 to wash out next to nothing was but natural when 
 they were pounced upon by the police and com- 
 manded to show their license. Some men of course 
 were doing well, and at one time probably many 
 were winning from ;^40 to ^50 worth of gold a day ; 
 but for every stroke of luck there must have been 
 many bitter disappointments. The life of a miner 
 was rough in the extreme, and a large proportion of 
 those who flocked to the diggings were quite unpre- 
 pared for the hardships and discomforts with which 
 they had to contend. 
 
 The crowd at the gold-fields was comprised of men 
 of every class and nearly every nationality. The 
 banks of the Yarrowee presented a strange appear- 
 ance, with the eager line of men standing shoulder 
 to shoulder, washing in the muddy water the dirt 
 brought them from time to time by a companion. 
 A little further back the earth was cut into in- 
 
244 ^^^ ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 numerable holes, flanked by great mounds of red soil, 
 in and around which men busily ran or dug with 
 feverish energy. At night the scene was even more 
 weirdly curious, for the glaring lights of the theatres 
 and grog shanties joined with the flaring torches and 
 fires of the miners in throwing into strong relief the 
 shadows of the tents and their wild surroundings. 
 Above all rose the hum of a city, broken now and 
 again b}^ bursts of noisy revelry. Wealth easily won 
 was as readily squandered, and the lucky digger 
 showered gold with a free hand. Prices were exorbi- 
 tant, for the miner drunk with fortune seldom asked 
 for change, and the style of living generally was reck- 
 lessly extravagant. 
 
 The oppressive prosperity of their neighbours, how- 
 ever, caused discontent on the part of those on whom 
 fate had not yet smiled, and the feeling of irritation 
 against the authorities was augmented by the scramb- 
 ling, inefficient administration of the law. Twice a 
 week " digger hunts " were held by the police, and all 
 miners who could not produce their licenses were 
 seized and taken off to the commissioners' camp, 
 being usually chained to the surrounding trees, until 
 that official was ready to deal with them. Often 
 their tents were burnt by the police, and not infre- 
 quently mistakes were made and flagrant injustice 
 perpetrated upon those who had hitherto obeyed the 
 law. While the feeling at the gold-fields was in this 
 irritable state, the Government blindly endeavoured 
 to double the license fee, which even then was costing 
 more than its value to collect. Latrobe's new execu- 
 tive council considered that in view of the large 
 
INCREASED LICENSE FEE. 245 
 
 extra expenditure involved in the regulation and 
 maintenance of order at the gold-fields, the sum of 
 thirty shillings per month was not a sufficiently large 
 contribution to the public revenue by those who were 
 so rapidly winning fortunes from the soil. Oblivious 
 of the unfortunates who had suffered and toiled in 
 vain, Latrobe was urged to raise the monthly fee for 
 a permit to dig for gold to £2. A notice was there- 
 fore promulgated in the Government Gazette, in 
 December, 185 1, to the effect that from the com- 
 mencement of the following year the increased rate 
 would be demanded. It was also hoped that by this 
 step many would be induced to desert the diggings 
 for more settled occupation ; for all other industries 
 were crippled by the dearth of labour, and prices 
 and wages in the towns and indeed throughout the 
 settlement had risen to unheard-of figures. Even at 
 the ruinous rates offered it was impossible to obtain 
 servants, so that every one, the most wealthy in- 
 cluded, had to perform the meanest domestic offices 
 for themselves ; while it was probable that, unless 
 some change were effected, the coming harvest would 
 remain ungarnered, and the flocks unshorn. Com- 
 munication with England and elsewhere was almost 
 completely suspended. No sooner did a vessel let go 
 her anchor in Hobson's Bay than the crew deserted 
 and went to try their fortunes at the diggings. 
 
 All sorts of strong measures to prevent the de- 
 population of the towns were urged upon the be- 
 wildered governor, but they were all impracticable, 
 and the raising of the license fee was the only expe- 
 dient which could be resorted to with the remotest 
 
246 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MR. LATROBE. 
 
 prospect of success. But at Bendigo, Ballaarat, and 
 elsewhere there were men only waiting for a favour- 
 able opportunity to defy a government which they 
 knew was weak, and towards which they had no feel- 
 ings of loyalty or respect. A few days after the pub- 
 lication of the Gazette notice meetings were held near 
 Mount Alexander, and language was used which 
 augured ill for the maintenance of order in the future. 
 So hostile did the mining population appear that the 
 Government was filled with apprehension, for in the 
 case of any serious opposition being offered to the col- 
 lection of the tax there was not sufficient force avail- 
 able to compel it. Latrobe's advisers wavered. On 
 the 15th of December a meeting numbering from 
 twelve to fourteen thousand persons was held at 
 Forest Creek, and a few days afterwards a similar 
 gathering assembled at Geelong. The proposed fee 
 was denounced as exorbitant and tyrannical, and the 
 exaction of any fee whatever from miners was described 
 as an imposition of an iniquitous " capitation tax on 
 labour." This turned the scale, and the Government 
 on the 13th of December withdrew the notice which 
 had produced the storm. 
 
 Latrobe recognised the serious blow that had been 
 struck at the authority of government, but he was 
 thankful for the comparative peace which followed 
 capitulation. By this time the population had increased 
 enormously, and the extravagance of the miners had 
 made trade so profitable that many were induced to 
 forego the diggings and cater for the wants of their 
 inhabitants. Prices remained high, but a develop- 
 ment of other industries took place more commen- 
 
HARDSHIPS OF IMMIGRANTS. 
 
 H7 
 
 surate with the growth of the community. The flood 
 of immigrants continued to flow as strongly as ever 
 towards the shores of Victoria, and the hotels and 
 accommodation houses in Melbourne were quite in- 
 sufficient to provide shelter for the crowds of new- 
 comers. In the reserves and open spaces the ad- 
 venturers pitched their tents, but as at these canvas 
 towns there were no sanitary provisions, and no proper 
 control, cleanliness and even ordinary decency were 
 an impossibility. At length the miseries of the im- 
 migrants, many of whom found themselves on land- 
 ing in the midst of surroundings utterly different to 
 anything they had expected, excited the pity and 
 benevolence of the other residents. Temporary 
 shelters were erected to house the families who could 
 find no accommodation, and hulks in the bay were 
 secured for the use of single women. The cost of 
 these arrangements were partly borne by the Govern- 
 ment and partly defrayed out of private contri- 
 butions. 
 
XVIII. 
 
 THE EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 (1852-1857.) 
 
 In 1852 a despatch was received from the Secretary 
 of State for the Colonies announcing that the EngHsh 
 Government had determined to hand over to the 
 various provinces the revenue derived from gold, 
 since it was thought that the increased cost of govern- 
 ment on account of the gold-fields would make it 
 necessary for all the colonies affected to largely 
 increase the charge for police, as well as the ex- 
 penditure for general purposes. At the same time 
 Latrobe's prayer for reinforcements was complied 
 with, and fifty police were despatched from England 
 and a man-of-war ordered round to Hobson's Bay. 
 These additions to the local forces were sorely needed, 
 for the difficulty of guarding the traffic on the roads 
 to and from the gold-fields had been increased by 
 the opening of the Oven's diggings in June, and the 
 spirit of resistance, which had grown greatly since 
 the concessions with regard to the increase to the 
 license fee, made it necessary for the authorities to 
 be continually in readiness to quell anticipated out- 
 
PROPOSED EXPORT DUTY ON GOLD. 249 
 
 breaks. Latrobe longed to be free from the necessity 
 of collecting a tax which was expensive and odious 
 to its contributors, and, with this end in view, recom- 
 mended that an export duty on gold should be 
 substituted for the license fee, only such an amount 
 being charged for a license as would ensure the 
 registration of those authorised to dig for gold. The 
 Export Duty Bill was introduced, and got as far as 
 the second reading in the Council, but at the diggings 
 the Governor's actions were misrepresented and used 
 as a further incentive to riot. Meetings were held 
 at Forest Creek, at which it was determined to refuse 
 to pay any license fee at all if an export duty were 
 charged ; and at other places, more especially at 
 Oven's, crowds began to get alarmingly insubordinate. 
 Members became frightened, and the Bill, which was 
 the beginning of the disaster which clouded Sir 
 Charles Hotham's rule, was shelved. 
 
 A serious disturbance took place early in the 
 following year at Forest Creek. It was caused by 
 a mistake on the part of the police, who burnt 
 the tent of an innocent man under the impression 
 that he was engaged in illicit selling of spirits. 
 His friends and associates were justly indignant 
 and the ever ready agitators saw their chance. 
 Meetings to denounce the authorities were held. 
 Inflammatory notices were posted all over the dig- 
 gings, but it was evident that a desire for a rupture 
 with the Government was quite as strong a motive 
 with the leaders as any sympathy with the sufferer. 
 The man whose tent had been destroyed was com- 
 pensated ; but further signs of discontent followed. 
 
250 THE EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 At the beginning of August, a deputation from 
 Castlemaine and Bendigo waited upon Latrobe to 
 make certain complaints and requests, which were 
 very hke threats and demands. The license fee they 
 said must be immediately reduced to los. a month, 
 paid monthly or quarterly at the option of the licensee ; 
 facilities should be given to miners for the purchase 
 of land for cultivation, and the mining population 
 should be directly represented in the Legislature. 
 Latrobe said he would consider what they had laid 
 before him, but the deputation, disappointed at 
 not having obtained some definite undertaking 
 from the Governor, called a public meeting in Mel- 
 bourne, which was largely attended, and was cha- 
 racterised by speeches of greater violence than 
 wisdom. At Bendigo it was decided to take united 
 action to force a reduction of the fee. It was de- 
 termined that a few men should tender los. to the 
 Commission for the September license, and that the 
 others should abstain from taking out any license at 
 all until a favourable decision by the Government had 
 been arrived at. On the day on which the fees were 
 payable, Latrobe promulgated a lengthy reply to the 
 deputation. He pointed out that whereas the direct 
 cost of administering the gold-fields had amounted 
 so far to ;^6oo,ooo, the revenue derived from licenses 
 and gold export had only amounted to a little over 
 ;^46o,ooo ; so that the demand for smaller taxation 
 was unreasonable, while, moreover, it was not in his 
 power to alter the amount until a law had been 
 passed by the Council. Latrobe appears to have 
 ,been sanguine that his reasoning would be heeded. 
 
COST OF GOVERNMENT. 251 
 
 and expressed to the Secretary of State a belief that 
 " the license for September, notwithstanding all the 
 parade of resistance, would be taken out without 
 any extraordinary compulsory measures being had 
 recourse to." 
 
 Nevertheless, he thought it desirable to at once 
 send reinforcements to the disaffected district, and 
 as a further sop to the aggrieved diggers a resident 
 of Bendigo was nominated to the Council. But this 
 gentleman was unfortunately repudiated by those 
 whom he was supposed to represent, and resigned. 
 On August the 27th, a procession containing about 
 two thousand persons marched by the Commissioner's 
 camp, and fired shots into the air as a menace, while 
 those deputed to tender the los. fee performed their 
 part. Their attitude was determined, and the Chief 
 Gold Commissioner and the Chief Commissioner of 
 Police sent off in hot haste to Latrobe to report what 
 had occurred, and to urge that " the reduction of the 
 license fee, if not its abolition altogether, is inevitable." 
 That the miners would bitterly resist any attempt to 
 collect the prescribed 30s. was evident, and the 
 scared officials trembled to think what would happen 
 " if blood should once be shed." With such advice 
 from those whose duty it would be to enforce the 
 law, Latrobe yielded. Instructions were sent hurriedly 
 to Bendigo that no attempt was to be made to assert 
 the power of the Government. If the miners refused 
 to pay the fee no steps were to be taken to compel 
 them, although Colonel Valiant, with one hundred 
 and fifty of the 40th Regiment was sent to take 
 command so that fully four hundred and fifty 
 
252 THE EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 police and soldiers were on the field. To take 
 the places of the soldiers thus withdrawn from 
 Melbourne the Electro, landed marines and blue 
 jackets to guard the gaol, and Latrobe appealed to 
 Sydney and Hobart for reinforcements. In both 
 cases, men were promptly despatched to his aid, but 
 as by the time they arrived the diggers and not the 
 Government ruled the colony, they had but little to 
 do. A meeting was held in Melbourne, at which the 
 Governor was grimly congratulated on his surrender, 
 and affairs lapsed into the ominous tranquillity which 
 preceded a more violent storm. Latrobe had long 
 come to the conclusion that he was unsuccessful. 
 Although he had bravely done his best, he was not 
 strong nor determined enough for the difficult position 
 which he occupied ; and when permission to retire 
 from the Government was granted, he gladly left a 
 charge which was beset with financial and revo- 
 lutionary difficulties. 
 
 Sir Charles Hotham, a distinguished officer, was 
 appointed to succeed him, and arrived in the colony 
 in June, 1854. 
 
 There were many matters requiring Hotham's 
 immediate attention. The financial position was 
 critical. The estimates of expenditure for the year 
 exceeded the anticipated revenue by a third, and 
 already there was a deficit of over ;^ 1,000,000. Even 
 the estimate of revenue showed no likelihood of being 
 realised, unless great reforms were introduced. In all 
 the public departments, the most scandalous waste 
 and mismanagement was going on, and although 
 there were fully 60,000 men at the diggings, only 
 
THE EUREKA HOTEL INCIDENT. 253 
 
 14,000 licenses had been taken out for June. In July 
 the Chief Commissioner was directed to pay more 
 attention to the collection of the fees, and a sub- 
 stantial increase took place, but the sum obtained was 
 still under one-third of what might reasonably have 
 been expected. In September, Hotham urged the 
 Commissioner to make a further effort, and ordered 
 that the Assistant Commissioner should twice a week 
 " search for unlicensed miners " ; and he himself made 
 a tour of the gold-fields to see with his own eyes the 
 people and the officials with whom he had to deal. 
 Wherever he went he was enthusiastically received, 
 but hardly had he returned to Melbourne when a 
 drunken brawl produced the outbreak which had 
 been hovering on the horizon for years. 
 
 A miner named James Scobie fell out in the early 
 hours of the morning of the 6th of October with 
 one Bently, a Tasmanian ex-convict, who kept a 
 disreputable publichouse at Ballaarat, known as 
 the Eureka Hotel. In a scrimmage Scobie was 
 killed. Bently, his wife, and a man named Farrell 
 were arrested and tried before the local bench of 
 magistrates, of which Mr. Dewes was the chairman. 
 They were acquitted, although the evidence against 
 some of them was strong, and the apparent perversion 
 of justice aroused a tumult in which the friends of 
 Scobie swore that they would themselves punish 
 Bently for the murder since the law courts were 
 corrupt. On the 17th of October, thousands of in- 
 furiated men surrounded the Eureka Hotel, which 
 was quickly pillaged and burnt to the ground. The 
 inmates narrowly escaped destruction, and were only 
 
254 ^-f^S EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 saved from the vengeance of the mob by the 
 military and police. Hotham saw that something 
 must be done at once to allay the irritation, and 
 offered a reward for the capture of Scobie's murderers, 
 and appointed a commissioner to inquire into the 
 charges against Dewes. Bently and two other men 
 were again arrested, and this time convicted and 
 heavily sentenced ; and three of the rioters at Bently's 
 Hotel also suffered short terms of imprisonment for 
 their share in the riot. Hotham remembered La- 
 trobe's experience at Bendigo, and determined to 
 make preparations for the worst, as in the present 
 temper of the miners it was difficult to foretell how 
 serious the worst might be. By October 21st, 430 
 military and police had been collected at Ballaarat, 
 under Captain J. W. Thomas of the 40th Regiment, 
 who was instructed to enforce the law " when called 
 upon to do so, without regard to the consequences 
 which might ensue." At the diggings the storm was 
 gathering rapidly. A " Reform League " was formed, 
 and a deputation despatched to the Governor to 
 " demand " the release of the three imprisoned rioters. 
 But Hotham was not so pliable as Latrobe, and the 
 menace implied in " demand " had no effect upon 
 him. 
 
 A commission had already been appointed to 
 make full inquiry into the administration of the 
 gold-fields, and Hotham referred the miners' delegates 
 to that body promising to give effect to its recom- 
 mendations. In other matters brought before him 
 he expressed a desire to meet the views of the mining 
 population, so far as it was legally possible for him 
 
MEETING ON BAKERY HILL. 255 
 
 to do SO, but he was firm in his determination to 
 refuse any favours which were sought with threats. 
 The delegates returned to those who sent them with 
 the Governor's reply, but the motley crew who had 
 become aware of their strength at the Bendigo 
 trouble in the previous year were intolerant of 
 control, and resented the firmness and strength so 
 unexpectedly shown by the executive. Their 
 words and actions became more violent. On the 
 28th of November a detachment of the 12th Regi- 
 ment, when entering Ballaarat, was hustled, and a 
 baggage waggon overturned, injuring a drummer- 
 boy, and the next day a huge meeting was held on 
 Bakery Hill. Open revolt against the authorities 
 was decided upon ; a flag was hoisted and a bonfire 
 made of licenses. Hotham was in constant com- 
 munication with Thomas, and messages in cypher 
 passed rapidly from one to the other. Open de- 
 fiance of the law could not be tolerated, and a 
 crisis was inevitable. Hotham therefore directed 
 that the licenses should be inspected as usual, and 
 on the 30th of November a commissioner with a 
 police escort set out to perform the duty. They 
 were received with showers of stones, and even 
 when reinforced were unable to quell the disorder, so 
 that the Riot Act was read and the military called 
 to disperse the miners, several of whom were taken 
 prisoners. 
 
 The insurrectionary movement had now assumed 
 definite shape. It was fitly described by the Gold 
 Commissioner as " a strong democratic agitation by 
 an armed mob," and the license was only the occa- 
 
256 THE EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 sion, but not the cause of the outbreak. On the 
 evening of the 30th of November, drilling was 
 commenced by the insurgents on Bakery Hill, and 
 Peter Lalor was elected leader. Arms, stores, horses, 
 and ammunition were forcibly seized, and the roads 
 to Melbourne and Geelong watched with a view to 
 intercepting reinforcements, should they be sent to 
 the authorities. On the 1st of December shots were 
 fired into Thomas's camp, and it was thought ad- 
 visable to take special precautions at night as an 
 attack was anticipated early in the following morn- 
 ing. The troops were therefore continuously under 
 arms. At 4 a.m. a detachment was sent to dis- 
 perse an armed body which had assembled on 
 Bakery Hill, but the mob retired before the military. 
 Later in the day, the camp was surrounded by 
 about two thousand armed men, who threatened 
 but eventually withdrew. On the same afternoon 
 Mr. Amos, a gold commissioner, reached Captain 
 Thomas with the tidings that an entrenchment was 
 being formed at Eureka Hill, and that he had been 
 attacked and plundered. Reinforcements had left 
 Melbourne on the ist of December, under Major- 
 General Nickle, but Thomas saw that his opportunity 
 had now come, for by attacking the Eureka position 
 at night or in the very early morning he would 
 probably find all the insurgents collected in one spot 
 and so be free of fears of an assault on the camp in 
 his absence. 
 
 At 2.30 a.m. on Sunday, the 3rd of December, 
 1854, the soldiers and police were mustered. One 
 hundred mounted men, seventy of whom were police, 
 
ORDER IS RESTORED. 257 
 
 and 196 foot (152 belonging to the 12th and 40th 
 Regiments), comprised the attacking force. At 3 
 a.m. they left the camp, and in about thirty minutes 
 reached the stockade, which had been described by 
 Amos. Their movements had, however, been per- 
 ceived, for the warning shots of sentries were heard 
 before they got far from their camp. When the 
 soldiers were within about a hundred and fifty yards 
 of the entrenchment the diggers opened a brisk fire, 
 which was returned by the military and police as 
 they gradually closed on the rebels. The engage- 
 ment was short but sharp. With one rush the 
 soldiers carried the barricade. The insurgents' flag 
 was torn down, and all who were found within the 
 stockade were captured, while many others were 
 intercepted by the mounted force as they fled down 
 the hill or endeavoured to hide themselves behind 
 anything which appeared to offer shelter. No fewer 
 than a hundred and twenty prisoners were carried 
 back to Ballaarat, but the losses on both sides were 
 heavy. Captain Wise, of the 40th Regiment, received 
 a fatal wound, and thirteen more of the military were 
 wounded most severely. On the day after the engage- 
 ment, Captain Thomas wrote, " I have reason to 
 believe that there were not less than thirty killed on 
 the spot, and I know that many have since died of 
 their wounds." The effect of the reverse on the 
 mining population was immediate. In the same 
 despatch which is quoted above, it was stated " that 
 the police now patrol in small bodies the length and 
 breadth of the Ballaarat gold-fields without threats 
 or insult." 
 
258 THE EUREKA STOCKADE. 
 
 The general feeling at Ballaarat seems to have 
 been one of relief The administration of the 
 ordinary law was bad, but the terrorism of the rebel 
 leaders was infinitely worse. By this bold stroke 
 on the part of the executive, the law had been 
 vindicated, but it soon became apparent that the 
 sympathies of the bulk of the people were with the 
 miners, and the commission which Hotham had 
 appointed reported that the diggers had genuine 
 cause for complaint. The same feeling which had 
 been shown in Melbourne in favour of the rioters at 
 Bently's Hotel appeared again in support of the 
 rebel leaders, who were now to be tried for high 
 treason. Public meetings were held in different parts 
 of the colony, at which resolutions exonerating the 
 offenders from blame were unanimously passed. The 
 failure of the prosecution was a foregone conclusion, 
 although the evidence in support of the charge was 
 exceptionally strong ; for no jury was likely to con- 
 vict in the face of the open threats which were freely 
 made in the press and elsewhere. Early in 1858 the 
 case in the criminal court commenced. Thirteen 
 prisoners were in the dock, but each one was in turn 
 acquitted and received with wild huzzas by a mixed 
 crowd within and outside the building as he regained 
 his liberty. 
 
 Sir Charles Hotham lost no time in redeeming his 
 promise to the deputation from Ballaarat, that he 
 would give effect to the recommendation of the com- 
 mission. An Act was passed by the Council abolish- 
 ing the license fee, and substituting "Miner's Rights," 
 the payment for which was only twenty shillings per 
 
ORDER IS RESTORED. 
 
 259 
 
 annum. A miner's right also carried with it repre- 
 sentation in the Council, and two members each 
 were allotted to Bendigo, Ballaarat, and Castlemaine, 
 and one each to the Avoca and Oven's gold-fields, so 
 that, although beaten at Eureka, the miners got their 
 way, obtained freedom from taxation, and gained 
 representation in the Legislature. In December, 1854, 
 municipal institutions had been established, and a 
 large measure of local government having been 
 granted to the inhabitants, the complaint of un- 
 popular and tyrannical government was for ever 
 removed. 
 
XIX. 
 
 THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 (1857-1863.) 
 
 The troubles of Sir Charles Hotham did not end 
 with the capture of the Eureka stockade, and the 
 completion of the labours of the gold commission. 
 Years of reckless extravagance and incompetent 
 financing had reduced the treasury to the verge of 
 bankruptcy, and although surrounded with the in- 
 surrectionary difficulties which have already been 
 described, the Governor did his utmost to remodel 
 the administration of public finance, with the result 
 that his labours were crowned with complete success. 
 The way in which matters were being conducted by 
 the existing ministers can be gathered from the fact 
 that the estimates for 1855, as presented to Hotham 
 for his approval, showed an anticipated expenditure 
 of no less than £2,226,616 in excess of the probable 
 revenue. The Governor personally examined the 
 various items, and then appointed a committee of 
 finance by whose help he was enabled to reduce 
 the estimates of expenditure by over two millions, 
 
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. 261 
 
 and so to reorganise the whole system of audit and 
 disbursement that at the end of the year the actual 
 deficit was not more than ;^5 3,668. The revised 
 regulations proved effective, and by the end of 1857 
 all fears of impending national bankruptcy were 
 removed, the surplus in the treasury standing at 
 no less than ;^6o9,638. Meanwhile a select com- 
 mittee had been appointed, as in New South Wales, 
 to consider Sir John Pakington's despatch, with regard 
 to the proposed new constitution. 
 
 A Bill was drafted, providing for two houses, both 
 of which were to be elected by the people. But one 
 was to be founded on a higher property qualification, 
 and was to be more especially representative of those 
 persons who were in possession of large property 
 interests within the colony. The Upper House, or 
 Legislative Council, was to have a life of ten years, 
 but in order that the electors should have a constant 
 opportunity of expressing their views, it was arranged 
 that every two years, a certain number of members 
 were to retire in rotation, and again submit them- 
 selves to election. The Legislative Assembly was 
 intended to be an entirely democratic body, and on 
 the suffrage designated every adult male, including 
 the unstable mining population, had a vote ; so that 
 an absolute majority could always be obtained by 
 the labouring classes. There was one very great 
 difference between the powers of the Council in 
 Victoria and those of similar bodies in the two 
 adjoining colonies ; for, whereas both at Sydney and 
 Adelaide under the terms of the Constitution Acts 
 the Legislative Council and the Assembly had 
 
263 THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 equal authority in regard to Money Bills, with the 
 one exception that such Bills to be introduced in 
 the Lower House, in Victoria, on the other hand, the 
 Council was given specifically the power to reject, but 
 not to alter Bills involving expenditure or the 
 imposition of taxation. This difference is more 
 especially worthy of note as, before the new Parlia- 
 ment had been long in existence, it led to some of 
 the greatest constitutional difficulties which have 
 ever been experienced in any of the Australian 
 colonies. The measure as drafted by the local 
 Council was agreed to in England, and on the 23rd 
 of November, 1855, the new Constitution and re- 
 sponsible government were proclaimed. 
 
 The attainment of political freedom was clouded 
 by the death of Sir Charles Hotham, whose labourr 
 on behalf of the colony had been too much for his 
 health. In 1855 he died literally in harness, over- 
 whelmed by the onerous duties of his responsible 
 office. For some months affairs were administered 
 by the military commander, and then Sir Henry 
 Barkly arrived to take charge of the Government. 
 Being possessed of much tact and ability, he was 
 able to steer the new Parliamentary bark through 
 its early difficulties. In the first year of its existence 
 a heated dispute arose over a suggestion to conduct 
 the election for both houses by secret ballot, and a 
 measure embodying this arrangement was eventually 
 passed, though the ministry succumbed in the con- 
 flict. Before the Constitution had had a fair trial, 
 the democratic party commenced to tinker it ; in 
 1857 the property qualification of members of the 
 
DEATH OF SIR CHARLES HOT HAM. 263 
 
 Assembly was abolished, and universal suffrage for 
 electors at the same time established. 
 
 The restless enterprise of the people showed itself 
 in other ways than political conflict, and they entered 
 heartily into the work of opening up the interior of 
 the continent. 
 
 In i860 a Melbourne merchant offered ;^ 1,000 for 
 the furtherance of exploration, and the Royal Society 
 of Victoria undertook to organise an expedition to 
 cross the continent. A sum of ^3,400 was soon 
 subscribed, and the Victorian Government granted 
 ;^6,ooo, and brought twenty-six camels from Arabia 
 at a cost of ;!^3,ooo more. The most complete 
 arrangements were made, and Robert O'Hara Burke 
 was appointed leader, with G. J. Landells as second 
 in command. W. J. Wills was to make scientific 
 observations, and two other scientific men and eleven 
 subordinates were also sent, together with twenty- 
 eight horses to carry the baggage. On August 20, 
 i860, the long train of horses and camels left Mel- 
 bourne amidst great enthusiasm, and all went well 
 until the Murrumbidgee was reached. Here Burke 
 quarrelled with Landells, and the latter, in conse- 
 quence, resigned. Wills was promoted to be second in 
 command, and the party then starting again, kept 
 together until they came to Menindie, on the Darling, 
 where Burke left a man named Wright, with half the 
 expedition, and himself pushed on rapidly, instructing 
 Wright to follow more leisurely. With six men and 
 half the horses and camels, Burke and Wills set off, 
 and on the banks of Cooper's Creek, finding fine 
 pastures and plenty of water, formed a depot, and 
 
264 THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 waited for Wright, who, however, did not appear. 
 After some time had been lost, Burke determined to 
 wait no longer, but to make a rapid journey to the 
 Gulf of Carpentaria. He therefore left four of his 
 men, with six camels and twelve horses, at the depot, 
 instructing them to remain for three months, and if 
 he did not return within that time to consider him 
 dead and return to Menindie. 
 
 On the 1 6th of December, Burke, Wills, and two 
 companions started, taking with them six camels and 
 one horse, which carried provisions for three months. 
 After following Cooper's Creek for some way, they 
 struck off to the north, till they came to Eyre Creek, 
 but soon finding that it turned eastward, they left its 
 banks and marched due north, keeping along the 
 140th meridian. The country was covered with 
 forests of boxwood, alternating with rich and well- 
 watered plains, and after a few weeks they came 
 upon a fine stream, running north, the Flinders, 
 which entered a large river, on whose banks was 
 most luxuriant tropical vegetation. Burke now 
 hurried forward so fast that one by one the camels 
 sank exhausted, and leaving the two men to look 
 after them, Burke and Wills set out by themselves 
 on foot, and walked till they reached the shores of 
 the Gulf of Carpentaria. Their little store of pro- 
 visions was exhausted before they regained their 
 friends, but they found the horses and camels greatly 
 improved by their rest, and ready to m^ove south- 
 wards. But the heat and exertion had told severely 
 on the constitutions of all. Towards the end of March 
 their provisions began to fail ; a camel was then shot 
 
BURKE AND WILLS EXPEDITION. 265 
 
 and its flesh dried, but in a month this too was gone, 
 and the horse was killed. One of the men died a 
 day or two after, and the remaining three were 
 almost broken down. Four months and a half after 
 leaving the depot they reached it again, but it was 
 still deserted, though they found a notice stating that 
 their friends had left that same morning. The word 
 " dig " was cut on a neighbouring tree, and buried 
 beneath it they discovered a small supply of pro- 
 visions. The three deserted wanderers rested for a 
 couple of days, and then started for Adelaide, because 
 at Mount Hopeless, where Eyre had turned back in 
 1840, there was now a large sheep station, and it was 
 thought that it could not be more than one hundred 
 and fifty miles distant. Wills opposed this plan, but 
 Burke prevailed, and they set out for Mount Hopeless. 
 Till it was lost in marshy thickets, they followed 
 Cooper's Creek, and then they had to shoot their last 
 camel and dry its flesh, while they took a short rest. 
 They then turned southwards, but when within fifty 
 miles of Mount Hopeless they gave in, and turned to 
 go back. After a weary journey they once more 
 reached the banks of Cooper's Creek, and Burke set 
 out to seek some natives, who, when found, received 
 him kindly, and showed him how to gather the seeds 
 from a kind of grass called Nardoo. But it made 
 them sick, and failed to nourish them. Whilst they 
 were thus camped on Cooper's Creek, below the 
 depot, the rest of the expedition returned to seek 
 them, for instead of following closely on Burke, 
 Wright had remained at Menindie for over three 
 months, and the party from the depot was halfway 
 
266 THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 
 
 back to the Darling before it met him. Again they 
 just missed obtaining help, for finding no signs of 
 Burke and Wills at the depot, and concluding that 
 they had perished, their friends hastened homewards. 
 Shortly after they had left. Wills set out by himself 
 for the depot, on the chance of help having arrived, 
 but upon reaching it he found it was still deserted ; 
 he therefore turned back to rejoin his companions. 
 He was rapidly dying of hunger when he met some 
 natives, who received him in a friendly manner, helped 
 him to their camp, and gave him food. For four days 
 he rested with them, and then started once more to 
 fetch his friends. The journey was necessarily very 
 slow, and when the three men returned the blacks' 
 camp was deserted. They staggered on a little further, 
 and then, as Wills was completely broken down, they 
 left him in a hut, and placing near him enough Nardoo 
 to last eight days, started off again in quest of the 
 natives. On the first day they travelled a fair dis- 
 tance, but early on the second Burke gave in. He 
 prayed his companion not to leave him till he was 
 dead, for he felt he could live no longer. A few 
 hours after dawn on the following day, Burke died. 
 The only survivor wandered on, and coming across 
 an abandoned native camp, found a bag of Nardoo 
 which would feed him about a fortnight, and with 
 this prize he hurried back to the hut where he had 
 left Wills. But the life of his friend was already 
 ended, and once again he set out and found a 
 tribe who were hospitable and permitted him to 
 stay with them. When the rest of the expedition 
 returned to Victoria with the news that Burke and 
 
DEATH OF BURKE AND WILLS. 267 
 
 Wills were lost, in all the colonies parties were 
 organised to go in search of the explorers. The 
 Royal Society of Victoria equipped a small party, 
 under A. W. Howitt, to examine the banks of 
 Cooper's Creek, and from Queensland an expedition 
 was sent to the Gulf of Carpentaria by sea, and 
 another from Rockhampton to the Gulf of Carpentaria 
 overland, while from South Australia a party was 
 despatched from the direction of Lake Torrens, and 
 thence to Cooper's Creek. At length the Victorian 
 party, after tracing the course of Cooper's Creek 
 down-stream from the depot, came across tracks of 
 camels, and before long some natives led the way to 
 a camp where the only survivor was found, but so 
 weak that he could scarcely speak. The blacks were 
 rewarded for their kindness with gifts of looking- 
 glasses, gay pieces of ribbon, and other articles, and 
 the search party returned homewards. Later on 
 the Victorian Government sent an expedition to 
 bring the bodies of Burke and Wills to Melbourne, 
 where they were accorded a public funeral. 
 
XX. 
 
 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 (1863-1893.) 
 
 In 1863 Sir Henry Barkly retired, and his place 
 was filled by Sir Charles Darling, who, on his arrival, 
 found' the country in a very unsettled condition, and 
 ripe for disorder. The crowds of people who had 
 been attracted by the diggings were still nominally 
 engaged in the search for gold, but by this time most 
 of the alluvial workings had been exhausted, and the 
 golden treasure could only be won from the quartz 
 reefs after severe toil with the aid of expensive 
 appliances. 
 
 Those of the new-comers, therefore, who had a 
 knowledge of other trades began to look about them 
 for suitable employment, and amongst the artisans, 
 who were seeking some outlet for their knowledge 
 and energies, the idea became popular that if once 
 the importation of English and foreign-made goods 
 were to be checked, the demands of the inhabitants 
 of the colony would soon create the local manufacture 
 of all sorts of articles with it, and a profitable market 
 for the labour of all who desired to quit the diggings. 
 
SIR CHARLES DARLING. 269 
 
 In other words, a protective policy was advocated by 
 the unemployed, and there were plenty of persons in 
 the Lower House who were easily convinced by any 
 suggestions offered by their constituents. A Bill was 
 consequently introduced by the Ministry of Mr. 
 McCulloch, imposing heavy duties on all articles which 
 it was thought could be made on the spot, and passed 
 by the Assembly by a considerable majority. But 
 when.it came before the Upper Chamber it was un- 
 ceremoniously rejected. The Ministry were indignant, 
 and the relations between the two houses became 
 anything but cordial. Still the course taken by the 
 Council had been entirely constitutional, and the 
 Assembly had no legal remedy or justifiable cause of 
 complaint ; but Mr. McCulloch was not to be beaten. 
 When the Appropriation Act was prepared, the whole 
 of the Customs Duties Bill was incorporated in it, 
 and again passed by the Legislative Assembly, and 
 the Council were thus placed on the horns of a 
 dilemma. By the special provision of the Constitution 
 Act, they had no power to amend Money Bills, but if 
 they rejected the Appropriation Act as it stood, it 
 would mean that the Government would be utterly 
 deprived of funds to meet the ordinary current 
 expenses of administration. After seriously con- 
 sidering which was the better course to take, it was 
 determined to refuse to be tricked in this way, and 
 the Appropriation Act, with its obnoxious addition, 
 was rejected. 
 
 The whole city was at once thrown into a ferment, 
 and the Government began to collect customs duties 
 without waiting for the sanction of the Upper House. 
 
270 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 This course was pronounced illegal when an appeal 
 
 was made to the Law Courts, and a dissolution followed. 
 
 In the new Assembly the number of members in 
 
 favour of protection was materially increased, and 
 
 the Duties Bill was again passed and forwarded to 
 
 the Council, but only to again meet with the same 
 
 fate which it had previously suffered. The Ministry, 
 
 therefore, resigned. Meanwhile, the absence of any 
 
 Appropriation Act was causing much hardship and 
 
 discomfort. Public servants could not receive their 
 
 salaries, and public creditors of all sorts had to do 
 
 without their money. But the Council showed no 
 
 signs of yielding, and cast the responsibility on the 
 
 Government, which in its turn vilified the Council. 
 
 But the same ingenuity which had suggested the 
 
 expedient of tacking the Customs Bill to the 
 
 Appropriation Act suggested a way of obtaining 
 
 funds without parliamentary sanction. Application 
 
 was made to the Bank by the Government for an 
 
 advance with which to pay the public servants, and 
 
 after some difficulty ;^40,ooo was obtained and 
 
 promptly handed to the various creditors. No sooner 
 
 had the money been spent than the Bank demanded 
 
 its return, and at once brought an action against the 
 
 Government to recover the amount. No defence was 
 
 offered, and a verdict was given in favour of the Bank, 
 
 whereupon the treasurer was enabled legally to pay 
 
 money from the public coffers to meet the judgment 
 
 of the Supreme Court. The same trick was resorted 
 
 to over and over again, and Darling acquiesced in the 
 
 proceedings, or, at any rate, did nothing to stop it. 
 
 This contrivance reduced Parliamentary government 
 
THE CUSTOMS BILL. 271 
 
 to a farce, and the Council, which had some sense of 
 the dignity of Parliament, seeing that they were being 
 beaten, suggested a conference, and eventually passed 
 the Appropriation Act and the Customs Duties Bill 
 separately. 
 
 The Imperial Government were displeased with 
 Darling's action, and pointed out to him that he 
 should have taken steps to protect the Constitution 
 from this burlesque ; he was summarily recalled, his 
 place being filled by the Right Honourable F. H. T. 
 Manners-Sutton. For a moment there was a lull in 
 the conflict, and it seemed as if there might be some 
 chance of parliamentary government proceeding in a 
 fairly orderly manner, on constitutional lines. But 
 the fighting instinct having once been aroused it was 
 hard to allay it, and out of the old feud a new one 
 sprang. McCuUoch brought forward a proposition to 
 vote ;^20,ooo to Lady Darling to compensate her 
 husband for his loss of office, and the censure which 
 had been passed upon him by the Secretary of State. 
 The Assembly readily agreeing to this arrangement, 
 the money was duly voted. The Council thought that 
 Darling had only met with his deserts, and refused 
 absolutely to pass the Bill when it came before them. 
 Again the obnoxious vote was tacked to the Appro- 
 priation Act, and again the Appropriation Act was 
 thrown out by the Council. The new governor would 
 not permit the tactics which had been winked at by 
 Darling, and the whole machinery of the country was 
 brought to a sudden standstill. Fortunately at the 
 critical moment the difficulty was solved by Darling 
 himself for McCulloch received a letter from the 
 
2/2 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 ex-governor, saying that he had been amply compen- 
 sated for his loss of office by the Imperial Government, 
 and that he could not accept the money which it was 
 proposed to vote to Lady Darling. The Appropria- 
 tion Act was therefore passed by the Council without 
 the ;:^20,ooo, and the political life of the colony 
 settled down for some years, into comparative peace 
 and quietness. There were still constant changes in 
 the ministry, but beyond this the only important 
 alteration in the Constitution was the reduction of the 
 property qualification of both members and electors 
 of the Upper Chamber. Numerous measures for the 
 internal development of the country, and for the 
 education and general welfare of the people were 
 passed, without serious friction between the two 
 houses. 
 
 But in 1873, Sir James Ferguson Bowen took office 
 as Governor, and was shortly confronted by a similar 
 difficulty to that which wrecked Darling, and which 
 had been so happily solved in the time of his imme- 
 diate predecessor. A Bill had been passed on this 
 occasion by the Assembly, granting a salary of ^300 
 per annum to all members of the two houses, the 
 principal object being to enable any man, however 
 poor, to enter the political arena. At this time Mr. 
 Graham Berry was Premier, and when the Payment 
 of Members Bill was rejected by the Council he 
 followed the course which had been taken by Mc- 
 Culloch ten years previously, and embodied it in the 
 Appropriation Act for the year. The Upper House 
 once more asserted its privilege, and threw it out, and 
 once again the country was involved in a constitu- 
 
APPEAL TO ENGLAND. 273 
 
 tional crisis. The Government was powerless against 
 the Upper House, so they vented their spleen upon 
 unoffending public officials. On Wednesday, 8th of 
 January, 1878, a Gasette notice appeared, dismissing 
 many hundreds of public servants, and consternation 
 was spread in the Civil Service from the highest to 
 the lowest ranks. After a considerable interval, how- 
 ever, which was occupied in mutual recriminations, 
 the Appropriation Act, divested of the amounts for 
 payment of members, was passed by the Council, and 
 the mutilated public service was able to breathe 
 again. A petition was made to the Imperial Govern- 
 ment to help the colony out of its continually recur- 
 ring constitutional difficulties, and representatives 
 from the Assembly hastened to England to attempt 
 to justify their action. The appeal was nevertheless 
 fruitless, for it was pointed out that ample machinery 
 was then in existence for the settlement of all ordinary 
 disputes, and that no intervention from outside could be 
 more effective than ordinary intelligence and modera- 
 tion on the part of the local legislature. The decision 
 of the Secretary of State remained unshaken by the 
 eloquence of Berry, and he asserted that the Imperial 
 Parliament would never consent to alter the consti- 
 tution of Victoria at the request of one house only. 
 
 Sir George Bowen was recalled, and succeeded by 
 the Marquis of Normanby, and parties in Parliament 
 being more equal, there were for some years no 
 violent political disturbances. In 1880 a compromise 
 was arrived at on the vexed question of the payment 
 of members, and the Council passed a Bill giving 
 salaries to the Lower House, and throwing out a 
 
 19 
 
274 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 measure intended to confer the same remuneration 
 upon themselves. During all these years, although 
 the Parliament of the country had spent much of its 
 time in internal squabbles, many useful measures 
 dealing both with social and industrial questions had 
 found a place in the Statute Book. The wonderful 
 natural wealth of Victoria had caused enormous 
 expansion in agricultural settlement, and a large 
 amount of both English and local capital had been 
 invested in undertakings promoting manufacture. 
 A progressive railway policy was followed, almost 
 all lines being constructed by the state with funds 
 borrowed in England, and the colony is now covered 
 with a network of lines which is rather in advance 
 of its real requirements. The sudden accession of 
 enormous quantities of foreign money seeking invest- 
 ment caused values to rise as suddenly, and Victoria 
 entered upon a period of extreme inflation, which 
 produced the ordinary accompaniments of reckless 
 speculation and gross extravagance. The formation 
 of a coalition Government removed in a great 
 measure the check of a strong opposition, and 
 although many measures of popular utility were 
 passed, the Government augmented the general ten- 
 dency to gamble by a profuse expenditure of public 
 money, especially upon the creation of many heavily 
 endowed local bodies, such as harbour, irrigation, and 
 water trusts. Apart from the recklessness of some 
 of the financial operations of the colony, both public 
 and private, the people of Victoria have shown com- 
 mendable enterprise in the development of the 
 wonderful natural resources of the country. When 
 
INFLOW OF CAPITAL. 
 
 275 
 
 the return from the gold-fields fell off, a great propor- 
 tion of the diggers resumed their regular occupations 
 many became permanent settlers, and commenced 
 the cultivation of the soil. The rich tracts, which 
 won for the colony the name Australia Felix, are 
 now for the most part utilised for tillage and stock- 
 raising. Much has also been done to bring the 
 unwatered portions of the country into use by means 
 of irrigation, and Victoria claims the distinction of 
 having been the first of the Australian group to in- 
 stitute a public system of water conservation and 
 irrigation upon a large scale. The extensive works 
 undertaken are perhaps somewhat in advance of the 
 present necessities of the colony. But there can be 
 no doubt that in the time to come Victoria, from the 
 great fertility of its soil, the wealth of its mineral 
 deposits, and the energy and enterprise of its inhabi- 
 tants, will maintain a position as one of the greatest 
 of the Australian States. 
 
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
 XXI. 
 
 EVENTS FROM 1 826 TO 1 874. 
 
 The territory which now forms the colony of 
 Western Australia was first occupied in 1826, at the 
 time when the scare of settlement by the French was 
 at its height. Sir Ralph Darling, who was then 
 Governor of New South Wales, contented himself 
 with sending a small military detachment to King 
 George's Sound, and no effort was made to occupy 
 the country for pastoral or agricultural purposes. In 
 the following year, however, Captain Stirling, while 
 cruising along the western coast, was much struck 
 with the beauty of a large river which had been 
 discovered by the Dutch in 1697, and called Swan 
 River on account of the number of black swans which 
 covered its waters. Stirling wrote an enthusiastic 
 description of the place, and as in England at the 
 moment land-hunger was very prevalent, the idea of 
 forming a colony on entirely new principles in the 
 country received considerable support, and was soon 
 put into execution. Captain Freemantle was de- 
 spatched with a few men to do the pioneering work, 
 
278 EVENTS FROM 1826 TO 1874. 
 
 and Captain Stirling followed with some eight hun- 
 dred of the intending settlers. So far all went well ; 
 but Freemantle, on his arrival, found that the land 
 which had appeared so fair from the sea was in reality 
 little but a barren, sandy waste, covered with dense 
 scrub. He could find no harbour and no good site 
 for a town, and when Stirling arrived at the beginning 
 of June, 1829, practically nothing had been done. 
 For lack of a better situation, the emigrants landed 
 on a bleak spot called Garden Island, and set to work 
 to make temporary shelters out of anything which 
 came to their hands. The misery of these first few 
 months it would be difficult to describe ; and added 
 to discomforts of the new-comers was the hopeless- 
 ness of the future, engendered by the gloomy reports 
 of the exploring parties, which were constantly being 
 sent across to the mainland to seek a site on which it 
 would be possible to form a town. At last a spot on 
 the Swan River, where it broadens into large shallow 
 lagoons, was decided upon ; but it was many miles from 
 the sea, and the river was useless for navigation, as 
 its mouth was blocked by a bar which made it impos- 
 sible for a vessel of any size to enter. Freemantle, 
 which was little more than an exposed roadstead, had 
 to be used as a port, and the goods of the settlers 
 were landed on the beach and then carted miles 
 across the sandy waste to Perth, as they called the 
 proposed capital. 
 
 The emigrants to Western Australia had been 
 attracted by an indiscriminating desire to become 
 large landed proprietors, and the whole scheme of the 
 colony was based on the principle of barter in land. 
 
LANDING AT GARDEN ISLAND. 279 
 
 The Governor and officials were paid in land ; land 
 was offered in huge tracts to all who brought property 
 to the country. The introduction of a piano carried 
 a claim for so many acres ; and the first fleet was 
 loaded with every imaginable article, a great propor- 
 tion being absolutely useless to people intending to 
 do pioneering work in a new country. Before the end 
 of 1830, about a thousand new arrivals had reached 
 the colony, in thirty ships loaded with " property," 
 and then began a scramble for the promised estates, 
 for almost all held land orders. The claimants for 
 the largest areas had first choice of localities and 
 promptly selected land as near as possible to the city, 
 so that as the area became lower the intending 
 farmers found their estates vanishing over a distant 
 horizon. Blocks were granted, and marked off on a 
 map which was remarkable on account of its extreme 
 simplicity ; for beyond the fact that, owing to the 
 general run of the coast line, it was reasonable to 
 suppose that land was there, no one knew anything 
 about it, and it might have been an Eden or a wilder- 
 ness. As a matter of fact it was the latter, and more- 
 over it was already inhabited by black natives who 
 were not prepared to recognise the title granted by 
 the lavish Governor and generous officials in Perth. 
 Under the scheme, for every £^ worth of goods intro- 
 duced into the colony, forty acres were given, but the 
 fee simple was not to be had by the grantee until 
 IS. 6d. per acre had been expended on its improve- 
 ment. 
 
 Human beings, if over ten years old, were assessed 
 at 6s. each, and one man, Mr. Peel, was granted 
 
28o EVENTS FROM 1826 TO 1874. 
 
 250,000 acres, with a possible extension to one million 
 acres, at the rate of two hundred for each person 
 whom he brought out answering to the above de- 
 scription. This gentleman had a very unfortunate 
 experience. He took three hundred servants and 
 ;^50,000 worth of goods and stock with him, intend- 
 ing to follow agricultural and pastoral pursuits on a 
 large scale. His calculations were upset, however, by 
 the quality of the soil, his servants deserted him, and 
 his implements lay rusting unused, while the valuable 
 live stock wandered off over the vast estate, many 
 falling victims to a poisonous shrub which abounded 
 in the district. Mr. Peel lost everything ; but his 
 case, although the amount at stake was larger, is 
 only typical of what was going on all round. The 
 persons with smaller properties were no better off ; 
 and the more venturesome, who tried to reside on 
 their distant estates, met their deaths for the most 
 part from starvation or disease, far from their fellow- 
 men, while not a few were sacrificed to the spears of 
 the native tribes. 
 
 The prospects of the colony could not have been 
 much more gloomy, and all who had the means 
 returned to England or sought in the other provinces 
 the fortune which there seemed no hope of finding in 
 Western Australia. Immigration of labourers for- 
 tunately ceased as soon as an account of the real 
 state of affairs reached England, and Governor Stir- 
 ling was compelled to seek aid from the Secretary of 
 State for his almost starving subjects. Although no 
 convicts had been directly sent to Western Australia 
 previous to 1843, ^^^ ^^^ intention had been to keep 
 
GLOOMY PROSPECTS. 201 
 
 this settlement at any rate free from the criminal 
 taint, many ticket-of-leave or freed men from Tas- 
 mania found their way to the new colony, and pro- 
 duced the same troubles with the native inhabitants 
 which darken the pages of early Tasmanian his- 
 tory. Acts of brutal cruelty provoked barbarous re- 
 taliation, which was in its turn punished by the law, 
 although the white men, the original transgressors, were 
 seldom called to account. When Governor Hutt suc- 
 ceeded Stirling, in 1838, the Government made an effort 
 to improve the relations between the aborigines and the 
 settlers ; and while persons committing outrages on 
 the natives were, if possible, severely treated, sub- 
 stantial remissions of purchase money for land were 
 made to those who for two years continuously em- 
 ployed a native in some useful office about their 
 farms. Persons were also appointed to specially 
 guard the interests of the black men, and to try and 
 prevent collisions between the two races. But the 
 humane efforts of the Governor were greatly crippled 
 by want of funds. 
 
 There is but little to record of the first fifty years 
 of the history of Western Australia. Attempts 
 were made to induce settlement by exceptional faci- 
 lities for acquiring land, one of the special features 
 of the arrangements being the issue of leases of Crown 
 land, entitling the holder to cultivate, and carry- 
 ing a right of pre-emption at the expiration of the 
 term of lease. The amount of good land near Perth 
 was very limited, and the hope of discovering better 
 pastures, and the great difficulty of getting away from 
 the colony when once landed there, alone kept it 
 
282 EVENTS FROM 1826 TO 1874. 
 
 from being totally deserted. The first change of im- 
 portance occurred in 1 848, when a proposal was made 
 by the English Government that Western Australia 
 should receive convicts. Five years previously, boys 
 from a penitentiary had been sent out ; but they were 
 not regarded as criminals, and their assignment was 
 called " apprenticing." In 1845, a similar suggestion, 
 that the tide of transportation should be directed to 
 Western Australia, had been rejected by the in- 
 habitants ; but three years of hopeless stagnation had 
 produced a change, and Earl Grey's offer was, in 1848, 
 readily, although not unanimously, accepted. It was 
 hoped that the expenditure of Government money, 
 which a convict establishment and its guard would 
 involve, would infuse a little life into the drooping 
 energies of the settlement ; while the farming element 
 in the population thought that some relief from their 
 difficulties might be obtained by the use of cheap 
 convict labour on their estates. These anticipations 
 were to some extent realised, and a market was pro- 
 vided for the pastoral or agricultural produce of the 
 colonists. The slight advantage obtained was, how- 
 ever, dearly bought, for the colony soon became little 
 but a gaol, and the freaks of the convicts caused 
 society, such as it was, to be in a continual state of 
 apprehension. Industries gradually came into exis- 
 tence, and a trade in timber became valuable ; for the 
 magnificent jarrah forests and the sandal wood yielded 
 a store which was always saleable. Pearls, lead, and 
 guano were also discovered ; but even in the develop- 
 ment of these gifts of nature a lack of enterprise and 
 the want of capital made the results insignificant. 
 
CAPTAIN FITZGERALD, R.N. 283 
 
 In 1845 Governor Hutt retired, and the govern- 
 ment was for twelve months administered by Colonel 
 Clarke, and, on his death, for another year by Colonel 
 Irwin. When, in 1848, Captain Fitzgerald, R.N., 
 arrived to take command, two expeditions were being 
 prepared to search for new pastures, and the success 
 of one, which found a small plot of good land near 
 Champion Bay, raised the spirits of the colonists. So 
 great was the excitement, that the Governor himself 
 journeyed to see the new prize ; but his trip was 
 marred by an unfortunate encounter with tire natives, 
 in which some of the aborigines were killed. Imme- 
 diately on the Governor's return, an expedition was 
 organised to settle at Champion Bay, and work a 
 lead mine which had been found on the Murchison 
 River ; but Fitzgerald was reminded by the Secretary 
 of State that the Imperial Government would bear 
 no expense on account of any further occupation of 
 territory, and it was only after earnest representations 
 that consent was given to the despatch of a small 
 military guard to protect the pioneers. The con- 
 dition of the main settlement at this time may be 
 gathered from Fitzgerald's communication to Earl 
 Grey in connection with this incident. " So great 
 was the prevalent despondency and depression," he 
 wrote, " that the flocks were to a great extent 
 thrown out of increase and prepared for the caul- 
 dron, all classes of colonists were daily leaving as 
 opportunities occurred, and were it not for the hope 
 which the discovery of this new land diffused, my 
 conviction is that every flock-owner in the colony 
 who had it at all in his power would have boiled 
 
284 EVENTS FROM 1826 TO 1874. 
 
 down his sheep and abandoned the colony for South 
 Austraha." 
 
 The convicts were not a desirable element in the 
 population, and the lax control exercised over them 
 sometimes led to strange scenes. Once, in 1852, 
 during a race meeting at York, about thirty prisoners, 
 armed with clubs, absconded and made their appear- 
 ance on the course. The magistrates present thought 
 it necessary to suspend the festivities, and swear in 
 special constables to look after the visitors, while from 
 fifty to sixty natives were prevailed upon to assist the 
 authorities by becoming temporary warders. Never- 
 theless, when, in the following year, a rumour reached 
 Western Australia, to the effect that the English 
 Government contemplated ceasing transporting to 
 the colony, the suggestion aroused what Fitzgerald 
 described as "one ^ universal feeling of alarm and 
 despair " in the minds of the settlers. Public meet- 
 ings to protest against such a step were largely at- 
 tended at Perth and Freemantle, and petitions in 
 favour of the continuance of transportation were 
 transmitted to the Secretary of State. Their prayer 
 was granted, and more convicts were poured into the 
 colony ; but when it was hinted that if they were so 
 glad to have them, the inhabitants could hardly 
 grumble if asked to pay something towards their 
 keep, an angry remonstrance was the answer, the 
 colonists refusing to pay anything at all, and claim- 
 ing immigration of free settlers assisted by England, 
 as some compensation for the acceptance of the bond. 
 A compromise was effected. Governors Kennedy 
 a.nd Hampton followed Fitzgerald, and Hampton 
 
EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 285 
 
 stayed at the helm till 1868, when transportation was 
 finally and completely abolished, on account of a 
 change in the prison policy in England. 
 
 The settlers meanwhile made every effort to open 
 up and colonise the vast territory of the colony. In 
 1873, Major Warburton, with his son, two white men, 
 and two Afghans to drive seventeen camels, left 
 Alice Springs, on the South Australian Overland 
 telegraph line, and after traversing terribly barren 
 country, at last reached the Oakover River, on the 
 north-west coast. Towards the end of the same 
 year, Giles started on a similar journey, intending to 
 cross from the middle of the telegraph line to Western 
 Australia. But after going half-way, he abandoned 
 the idea and returned. Three years later he renewed 
 his attempt, and successfully accomplished the jour- 
 ney. In 1874, John Forrest, Government Surveyor 
 of Western Australia, left Geraldton, to the south of 
 Shark Bay, and, travelling 1,200 miles almost due 
 east, reached the telegraph line. Alexander Forrest, 
 the Jardine brothers, Ernest Favenc, Gosse, and 
 Baron von Mueller, have also contributed to the ex- 
 ploration of Australia, and now only a small part of 
 South Australia and the central portion of Western 
 Australia remain unknown. 
 
XXII. 
 
 CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. 
 
 (1875-1893.) 
 
 Western Australia has passed through several 
 stages of constitutional development. Originally the 
 whole responsibility rested with the Governor ; after- 
 wards a small executive council and a nominee legis- 
 lature were created to aid him. Later, the same sort 
 of arrangement as had for so long existed in New 
 South Wales, came into operation — namely, a legis- 
 lature partly nominated and partly elected. This 
 system met all ordinary requirements for some years ; 
 but, in 1870, during the rule of Governor Weld, who 
 followed Hampton, the Legislative Council was con- 
 siderably enlarged. Signs of a desire for representa- 
 tive institutions had long been manifest, but up to 
 this point the opinions of the inhabitants on the ques- 
 tion had been pretty evenly divided, and, if anything, 
 the advocates of a change were in a minority. When 
 Sir William Robinson succeeded Mr. Weld, in 1875, 
 the agitation for responsible government took a more 
 active form, although the wiser heads of the colony 
 
 still saw the impossibility of proper local administra- 
 
 286 
 
SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT. 287 
 
 tion in a community consisting of about three thou- 
 sand free adult males and five thousand persons who 
 had been at one time or another convicted criminals. 
 When, therefore, in 1878, a resolution was moved in 
 the Legislative Council, affirming that responsible in- 
 stitutions should be immediately granted it was lost by 
 a majority of thirteen votes to five ; but, nothing 
 daunted, its advocates continued to keep the question 
 prominently before the public, although it soon be- 
 came evident that the concession would be made by 
 the Imperial Parliament only on the condition that 
 the territory then known as Western Australia should 
 be divided, and a comparatively small portion given 
 up to the control of the very limited population. 
 When, however, this determination became generally 
 known, the idea of subdividing the colony was bit- 
 terly opposed, and for a time the constitutional ques- 
 tion lost popular interest. 
 
 But, although temporarily obscured, the ambitions 
 of the settlers were still alive, and it was determined 
 to show the opponents of autonomy that the inhabi- 
 tants of Western Australia, if few in numbers, were 
 nevertheless capable of managing and developing 
 their huge estate. Sir H. Ord, who had now be- 
 come Governor, enthusiastically supported the enter- 
 prise of the people. Strenuous efforts were made to 
 construct public works, with the object of opening up 
 the country, and funds were raised for the purpose by 
 the floating of loans on the English market. It was 
 found, however, to be easier to devise large schemes 
 than to carry them out. The field administration was 
 careless, and the estimates of cost were loosely drawn 
 
288 CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. 
 
 up, SO that when the time came to pay for many ven- 
 tures the bill was much larger than had been antici- 
 pated. The result was a deficit of about ^^30,000, 
 and this financial failure produced a general feeling 
 of discontent amongst those who had to contribute to 
 the revenue, and still further dimmed the prospect 
 of obtaining responsible government. Sir Henry Ord 
 left the colony while it was in this mood, and Sir 
 William Robinson returned and entered upon a second 
 term of office. 
 
 Public works were still carried on, however, but as it 
 was clearly impossible for the Government to under- 
 take the construction of a railway system for the 
 whole colony, arrangements were made with an Eng- 
 lish company to build a line from Albany to Beverley, 
 a distance of about 241 miles, on the land grant 
 system, and later a similar concession was made to 
 the Midland Railway Company, whose track was to 
 run from a point on the Eastern Railway, near Guild- 
 ford, to Walkaway, two hundred and sixty miles dis- 
 tant, and then was to join a Government line running 
 to Geraldton. In each case the companies received 
 twelve thousand acres of land for every mile of rail- 
 way constructed, such property to be selected within 
 forty miles of either side of the line, half the -front- 
 tage to the railway being reserved for the Government. 
 Various other lines, some belonging to the Govern- 
 ment and some to private individuals, have already 
 been made, and, considering its scanty and scattered 
 population, Western Australia is possessed of fair 
 means of internal communication. A telegraph line 
 between Perth and Freemantle (a distance of about 
 
THE ELECTRIC CABLE. 289 
 
 twelve miles) was constructed by a private company, 
 and opened for the transmission of messages as early 
 as 1869 ; the line was taken over by the Govern- 
 ment two years later. Since then telegraphic com- 
 munication has been entirely in the hands of the 
 State, and great progress has been made. The 
 alternative cable of the Eastern Extension Telegraph 
 Company stretches from Roebuck Bay to Banjowangi ; 
 Western Australia is thus possessed of a direct 
 service with Europe. 
 
 The efforts to develop the natural resources of the 
 colony had their effect. The people of Western 
 Australia had shown that they ^yere capable of sound 
 progress, and when in 1887 a resolution was again 
 brought forward in the Council affirming that self- 
 government was desirable, it was passed by an almost 
 unanimous vote, and the Governor was requested to 
 take the necessary steps to carry the matter to a con- 
 clusion. But, as formerly there had been differences of 
 opinion on the subject, it was thought wise, before such 
 a fundamental change was made, that the voice of the 
 inhabitants should be clearly given. So at the end 
 of the following year the Council was dissolved, and 
 early in 1889 a general election took place, at which 
 the principal question before the constituencies was 
 whether or not the Imperial Parliament should be 
 approached with a view of obtaining for Western 
 Australia the benefits of autonomy which had so 
 long been enjoyed by the other provinces. The 
 change in popular sentiment was apparent directly 
 the new Council assembled, and resolutions similar to 
 those rejected in 1878, and carried by a majority in 
 
 20 
 
290 CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. 
 
 1887, were passed without a single dissentient voice. 
 In April a Bill defining the new Constitution was pre- 
 pared, and after but slight amendment was forwarded 
 to the Secretary of State. As opposition to the 
 transference of the Crown lands to the Colonial 
 Government was anticipated, the Governor, Sir 
 Frederick Napier Broome, and two prominent settlers 
 were appointed by the Council to represent the affairs 
 of the colony in England, and to do their utmost to 
 steer the measure, on which so much depended, safely 
 through the quicksands of the Imperial Parliament. 
 As had been expected, clauses were introduced at an 
 early stage which were highly distasteful to the West 
 Australians, but on reference of the Bill to a select 
 committee, all the obnoxious provisions were excised, 
 and full control of their own affairs and of the whole 
 of their huge territory was vested in the local legisla- 
 ture, which it was proposed to create forthwith. The 
 Act received the royal assent on the 15 th of August, 
 1890, greatly to the satisfaction of the whole of Aus- 
 tralia. The new Constitution differed in detail but 
 little from the measures under which the eastern 
 colonies have been governed since 1855. An Upper 
 House was established, containing fifteen members, 
 the first holders to be nominated by the Crown, but 
 with ample provision for making it elective so soon 
 as the population of the colony shall have reached 
 sixty thousand. To become a member, it is neces- 
 sary to possess a substantial property qualification, 
 but the qualification defined for the elector is ex- 
 tremely low. Members are elected to the Assembly 
 on the basis practically of manhood suffrage, and 
 
THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 2gi 
 
 provision is made for the representation of Crown 
 lessees. The new system of government has not yet 
 been sufficiently long in operation to make it possible 
 to form an opinion as to its utility. But there is 
 every reason to believe that Western Australia will in 
 the future make as good use of its plenary powers 
 of legislation as the other colonies have done. 
 
 From recent discoveries it would appear to be 
 by no means improbable that gold will be as power^ 
 ful a factor in the development of Western Aus- 
 tralia as it has been in most of the other colonies 
 of the Australian group. The progress of both 
 New South Wales and Victoria was slow and un- 
 certain until the news of the discovery of gold was 
 noised abroad. Then, and not till then, did it begin 
 to be realised what a land of promise this almost 
 unknown country was, and from that date up to 
 the present time the current of immigration, set in 
 motion by the finding of the precious metal, has con- 
 tinued to flow steadily to Australian shores. Until 
 quite recently, however, there seemed to be no pro- 
 spect of the same fortune awaiting Western Australia, 
 and by many persons competent to form an opinion 
 it was generally considered that this portion of the 
 continent was almost destitute of mineral wealth. 
 But it has now been pretty well proved that this idea 
 was entirely erroneous. Mining and prospecting are 
 quite in their infancy in Western Australia, and 
 the industry has there, as in most other places, 
 met with many misfortunes at its commencement. 
 Perhaps the most severe check to mining enter- 
 prise followed the first discovery of gold at Peter- 
 
292 CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. 
 
 wangy, for, as soon as it became known that gold 
 had been found, there was a rush from the other 
 colonies quite unwarranted by the character of the 
 discovery. The precious metal was never gained in 
 payable quantities, and the disappointed diggers, find- 
 ing nothing, left in disgust. The next venture was 
 little better, for, although the assay of the ore from the 
 Kendinup field gave a large return, the presence of a 
 great quantity of arsenical pyrites caused such a loss 
 both in gold and mercury, when the ore was treated 
 on the ground, that no satisfactory return could be 
 obtained. After this followed the rush to Kim- 
 berley ; here again the alluvial workings were 
 shallow, so that they were soon worked out, and 
 although Kimberley has now settled down into a 
 reefing district, and some very rich finds have been 
 made, confidence has not been entirely restored, and 
 Western Australian mining enterprises are viewed 
 with suspicion. 
 
 But further discoveries are continually being re- 
 ported, and the reefs in the neighbourhood of the 
 Yilgarn Hills, which stretch away from north to 
 south, indicate that gold extends for a distance of 
 at least fifty miles. Other reefs have been found 
 at Peewah, and a little further east the alluvial 
 fields of iPilbarra are being worked with a con- 
 siderable amount of success, while the last discovery 
 is in the vicinity of Austin's Lake, in the Murchison 
 district. The presence of gold in Western Australia 
 would appear to be conclusively established, and 
 it would seem to be deposited over a very exten- 
 sive area. It is not likely that gold mining will 
 
FUTURE PROSPECTS. 293 
 
 ever be the principal industry of the country, for 
 at any rate more than a brief period, but those who 
 are attracted by the prospect of an easily-acquired 
 fortune on the gold-fields readily turn their attention 
 to other pursuits, and to the development of other re- 
 sources of the country, which are of a more perma- 
 nent nature. Western Australia has the advantage 
 of the experience of the other colonies to guard her 
 from the dangers invariably attending any sudden 
 accession of population. Once let the country get 
 a fair start, and its progress cannot fail to be rapid, 
 for, besides its large pastoral resources, and belts of 
 good mineral country extending from one end of the 
 colony to the other, gold is not the only mineral of 
 which it is possessed. Very rich lodes of copper and 
 lead have already been worked successfully for m.any 
 years, but, the price of these metals having fallen, 
 the mines have temporarily stopped. The Govern- 
 ment have offered, as an inducement for the estab- 
 lishment of lead-smelting works, ^10,000 for the 
 first ten thousand tons of lead smelted in the colony. 
 A ready market can be obtained for the metal 
 both in China and Singapore. In addition to 
 the above metals coal and tin have been found 
 in considerable cjuantities, and there is every indi- 
 cation that in the near future, Western Australia 
 will take, as a treasure-house of mineral resources, 
 a high place among the colonies of the Australian 
 group. 
 
 Hitherto this province has certainly been a lag- 
 gard amongst Australian States, but now that politi- 
 cal freedom has been consummated, and its immense 
 
294 
 
 CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. 
 
 pastoral, mineral, and agricultural possibilities are 
 becoming more perfectly appreciated and understood, 
 the country is certain soon to assume a position more 
 in accordance with its vast natural resources. 
 
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
 XXIII. 
 
 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 (1829- 1 840.) 
 
 The colony of South Australia was founded in an 
 entirely different way, and for totally different reasons, 
 to any of the other provinces, and its origin and early 
 history are of peculiar interest. In 1829 Mr. Edward 
 Gibbon Wakefield, who had spent some years in New 
 South Wales, wrote a pamphlet, which was published 
 in London under the title of " A Letter from Sydney." 
 The author described graphically the conditions of 
 social intercourse in the penal settlement, dwelling 
 more particularly on the absence of the opportunity 
 for refined enjoyment and literary or artistic cul- 
 tivation in a community in which nearly all were 
 workers. How, he asked, could intellectual life flourish 
 in a country where there were no gradations in free 
 society? It was impossible for a man of taste and 
 education to farm his property with the aid of free 
 workmen, for the inducements offered to the labouring 
 classes to become themselves proprietors were so 
 
 295 
 
WAKEFIELD'S SYSTEM OF COLONISATION. 297 
 
 great that it was unreasonable to expect them to 
 remain in service. For these reasons there must 
 always be something wanting in colonial society 
 built up upon the lines hitherto pursued. Instead of 
 reproducing a nation strong both in its intellectual 
 and physical parts — an extension, in fact, of the mother 
 country — both good masters and good men would be 
 absent, and their places would be taken by an unsatis- 
 factory class of peasant proprietors, who would be 
 able to do nothing to advance the higher life of the 
 people, and who would be unable, from lack of capital, 
 even to make the most of the land which they occupied. 
 But Wakefield did not content himself with simply 
 pointing out the poor results of existing methods of 
 colonisation. He sought the cause of . failure, and 
 endeavoured to construct a scheme, free from the evils 
 of which he complained. 
 
 The essence of this plan was that a " sufficient price " 
 should be charged for the land, which should then be 
 parted with absolutely to the purchaser, and that the 
 supply of labourers by immigration, assisted by the 
 revenue from land, should be as nearly as possible 
 proportioned to the demand for labour at each settle- 
 ment ; so that only possessors of capital should hold 
 the land, and while capitalists would never suffer from 
 an urgent want of labourers, labour would never fail 
 to obtain well-paid employment. There is not space 
 here to elaborate the details of Wakefield's plan, but 
 it attracted much attention, and his theories were 
 enthusiastically accepted in England by all sorts and 
 conditions of men. In 1831 the first attempt was 
 made to put the scheme into practice, and a South 
 
2g8 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 Australian association was formed with the object, to 
 use Wakefield's words, of " substituting systematic 
 colonisation for mere emigration." The suitability of 
 the southern portion of Australia for colonisation had 
 been determined by recent explorations, and the 
 association applied to the English Government for a 
 charter granting them what amounted to sovereign 
 rights over the whole southern portion of the conti- 
 nent. Objections were made to the surrender of 
 legislative powers to an irresponsible company, and, 
 although the promoters asked the Secretary of State 
 for the Colonies to suggest modifications in their 
 proposal, he declined to do so on the grounds that it 
 was their business, not his, to formulate an acceptable 
 scheme. 
 
 Two years later negotiations on the subject were 
 again commenced, and in August, 1834, the English 
 Government passed a Bill empowering the Crown to 
 establish a province in South Australia, and to appoint 
 colonisation commissioners to look generally after the 
 affairs of the new settlement. Wakefield's theory was 
 to be carried out, to a certain extent, and the minimum 
 price of land was fixed at 12s. ; a price very much 
 above that charged in the other colonies. The com- 
 missioners were authorised to borrow money, in anti- 
 cipation of revenue from land sales, in order to promote 
 immigration of the necessary labourers. The Act 
 was a comprehensive measure, and there were other 
 provisions to meet the requirements of the colony in 
 the future, such, for instance, as the clause authoris- 
 ing the establishment of a constitution for local self- 
 government in any province containing fifty thousand 
 
FIRST LANDING OF EMIGRANTS. 299 
 
 inhabitants. These arrangements, however, never 
 came into operation, and the most important point 
 was the formation and status of the commission, and 
 the refusal of the EngHsh Government to afford any 
 pecuniary aid. If the experiment were tried, they 
 said, the promoters must find the money. Colonel 
 Torrens, who remained in England, as chairman, and 
 Mr. Fisher, Resident Commissioner in Australia, with 
 nine others, formed the Board, and a governor. 
 Captain Hindmarsh, R.N., and a Surveyor-General, 
 Colonel Light, were appointed by the Government to 
 guard the interests of the Crown. But the duties of 
 Hindmarsh and Fisher were ill-defined, and apparently 
 both were nominally entrusted with supreme power in 
 the control of the colony's affairs. 
 
 The preliminary arrangements were soon completed, 
 and the pioneer vessels, Dnke of York and Lady Mary 
 Pelhain, sailed in February, 1836. After an unevent- 
 ful voyage the ships arrived off the coast in August, 
 and the emigrants were at once landed at Kangaroo 
 Island, where a small whaling station already existed. 
 But trouble began early, for when Colonel Light shortly 
 afterwards arrived in the Rapid, he was dissatisfied 
 with the island as a site for the capital of a settlement, 
 and crossed to the mainland. Even then he had 
 some difficulty in coming to a decision, and after ex- 
 amining Port Lincoln he returned to Holdfast Bay, 
 and settled on the spot where Adelaide now stands. 
 The position was admirable in some respects, but it 
 was seven miles from the nearest harbour, and great 
 inconvenience was experienced in landing the baggage 
 which the colonists had brought with them. Con- 
 
300 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 flicting opinions were freely expressed concerning 
 the proposed site for the capital, many wishing to go 
 to Encounter Bay ; but the supporters of Light pre- 
 vailed, and the surveyors set to work to mark out the 
 plan of the future city. Altogether, in 1836, nine 
 ships arrived, carrying about five hundred persons, 
 and amongst the number Governor Hindmarsh. Faith 
 in the future prospects of the settlement was strong, 
 and after the Governor had read the orders in Council 
 founding the colony, in a tent pitched in Glenelg 
 Plains, a banquet was held to commemorate the 
 event, and for the moment the cause of dissension was 
 forgotten. 
 
 But those who disagreed with Light's choice re- 
 sumed active opposition, as 'soon as they discovered 
 they enjoyed the sympathy of the Governor. A 
 public meeting was held, at which Light was supported 
 by Fisher, the Resident Commissioner, and a majority 
 of the colonists ; but so much friction had been caused 
 that the administrative arrangement which, under the 
 most favourable conditions, would have been ano- 
 malous, became utterly unworkable. Nevertheless, 
 by March, 1837, the survey of the capital had been 
 completed, and the first sales of allotments took place. 
 The minimum price for land had been fixed at 12s. 
 per acre to commence with, with the intention of 
 raising it presently to £1, and at the first auction 
 town-lots sold for from ^^3 to £it, each — a fairly 
 satisfactory figure. But the colonists, instead of 
 taking up country lands, clung to the skeleton city, 
 and amused themselves by joining in the wrangle 
 between Hindmarsh and Fisher, which was daily 
 
HINDMARSH AND FISHER. 30I 
 
 becoming more bitter. The utter absence of effort on 
 the part of the pioneers to obtain anything from the 
 soil is an extraordinary circumstance of the first few 
 years of the colony's existence. The persons pos- 
 sessed of capital commenced to speculate in town 
 allotments, which it was supposed would rapidly rise 
 in value as population increased, and labourers who 
 had been brought out with the idea that plenty of 
 agricultural work would be readily obtained had to 
 live as best they could, being unable to discover any 
 men of means to employ them. The gambling in 
 city property became wilder and wilder, while most of 
 the money brought by the intending settlers was paid 
 away for food and clothing instead of the purchase 
 of estates. Matters looked serious; the Governor and 
 Commissioner were useless as far as directing the 
 energies of the people went, for whatever was done by 
 the one, the other offered opposition to. At length 
 news of the unsatisfactory condition of things reached 
 England, with the result that Hindmarsh was sum- 
 marily recalled, and Fisher dismissed, while Colonel 
 Gawler was sent out to take control, combining in his 
 own person the tv/o vacant offices. In a despatch he 
 describes the state of things which he found on his 
 arrival. All the means of the colonists, he alleged, 
 were vanishing in payment " for the necessaries of 
 life." There were " scarcely any settlers in the coun- 
 try ; no tillage ; very little sheep or cattle i:)asturing ; 
 the two landing-places of the most indifferent descrip- 
 tion ; the population shut up in Adelaide, existing 
 principally upon the unhealthy and uncertain profits 
 of land-jobbing." The public finances were in a hope- 
 
302 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 less muddle, and the expenditure authorised for the 
 whole year, namely, ;^i 2,000, had all been drawn and 
 spent in the first quarter. Each day the position was 
 becoming more grave, for a poorer class of immigrants 
 was arriving, under the expectation of obtaining 
 work from those who had already been some time 
 in the colony and were now practically without the 
 means of sustenance. Prices rose rapidly. Bread- 
 stuffs increased in a short time from ^20 to ;^8o per 
 ton, and a strong desire to leave the miserable place 
 was evinced by all who had not already squandered 
 the money which might have taken them away. 
 Gawler had to face a difficult situation, and his first 
 care was for the starving crowds who had from no 
 fault of their own been placed in this helpless position. 
 If the private landowners could not or would not 
 employ them, the Government must, in order to save 
 them from an otherwise inevitable fate. Gawler at 
 once commenced extensive public works. He managed 
 to pay the destitute labourers, partly out of his own 
 pocket, and partly by discounting bills on the English 
 Treasury, but, apparently, on the principle that suffi- 
 cient unto the day is the evil thereof, he quite dis- 
 regarded the fact that there were no funds available 
 to meet the cost of the work. The immediate pressure 
 was removed, and the hungry mouths filled by the 
 provisions which Gawler imported on the public 
 account ; but his efforts met with no response from the 
 more wealthy colonists, and the Government, having 
 once accepted the responsibility of providing work for 
 the unemployed, was unable to stop the expenditure 
 until the demand for labour on the part of the public 
 
RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYED. 303 
 
 relieved it of its burthen. Doubtless Gavvler expected 
 that, if the immediate crisis were safely passed, 
 private enterprise would at length come forward to 
 develop the natural resources of the country, and he 
 is more to be pitied than blamed for the disastrous 
 consequences of his action. When he arrived he was 
 in a dilemma from which there was no escape. 
 
 The public works which were undertaken were, for 
 the most part, valuable of their kind. Extensive 
 wharves and warehouses were erected at the port, in 
 addition to a custom house, and a good road was 
 laid to the city. Other public buildings, including an 
 expensive residence for the Governor, were put up, but 
 still the crowd of labourers which clamoured for work 
 showed no signs of decreasing. Gawler had exhausted 
 his own fortune in the payment of wages, and no 
 revenue could be obtained from the colony ; so the 
 only course open was to draw bills on the English 
 Treasury for larger and larger sums. The first few 
 drafts were honoured readily enough, for the English 
 Government recognised the difficulty of Gawler's 
 position, and the sore straits in which he had found 
 the colony ; but when the bills became more frequent, 
 and amounts higher, Gawler was informed that no 
 more drafts would be paid. Already, however, he 
 had incurred liabilities amounting to nearly ;^400,ooo, 
 and as the warning from the English Government 
 was emphasised by the refusal to pay ;^69,ooo worth 
 of bills on presentation, matters were abruptly brought 
 to a crisis. Speculation in land was immediately con- 
 verted into an universal desire to sell at any price, 
 and the marketable value of real estate fell lower and 
 
304 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 lower. A general exodus of all who could afford to 
 go away followed, but the supply of provisions had 
 ceased with the dishonour of the Governor's bills, and 
 in spite of the reduction in numbers, the community 
 was stared in the face by starvation. 
 
 But such a state of things inevitably produced its 
 own remedy. The famine prices of provisions made 
 people seriously entertain the idea of growing wheat 
 or rearing stock themselves, and the ridiculously low 
 figure at which land could now be bought enabled 
 those who previously had expected to earn wages to 
 become themselves proprietors. A large number of 
 sheep and cattle had moreover been brought overland 
 from Port Phillip and New South Wales, by the most 
 enterprising of the squatters, many of whom were so 
 well satisfied with the quality of the country in South 
 Australia that they determined to remain ; so that 
 both agricultural and pastoral pursuits were at last 
 systematically prosecuted. 
 
 The little settlement about this time presented a 
 curious spectacle. Society might be roughly divided 
 into three classes — first, the original immigrants, who 
 had started from England with a certain amount of 
 capital, which had been as a rule squandered in specu- 
 lation ; secondly, the wretched, starving labourers ; 
 and last (but by no means the least important), the 
 " Overlanders " from the other colonies, who not 
 infrequently dissipated much of what they received 
 from their live stock in noisy revelry, which scanda- 
 lised the little town. These wild bushmen were the 
 only people who were contented or well-to-do, and 
 their prosperity stood out in greater contrast owing 
 
GAWLER RECALLED. 305 
 
 to the misery and hopelessness of their surround- 
 ings. 
 
 Meanwhile the serious predicament in which the 
 colony was placed by its practical inability to pay 
 its debts had been occupying the attention of the 
 English Government. Gawler appears to have been 
 held entirely responsible for the trouble, and the 
 difficulties which he inherited from his predecessor 
 were overlooked in the desire to fix the blame for the 
 failure of the colonising scheme on some one. As a 
 matter of fact, the collapse was a natural sequence of 
 the apathy and ignorance of the first batch of immi- 
 grants, for seeds were sown in the first few months of 
 the occupation of the territory which could not fail 
 to bear disastrous fruit, however capable might have 
 been the administration of the Government. Gawler 
 was the scapegoat, and in May, 1841, he was uncere- 
 moniously recalled. The English Government had 
 determined to lend the colony sufficient to enable it 
 to pay its debts, and to entirely remodel the system 
 of administration. The Commission was abolished, 
 and South Australia became to all intents and pur- 
 poses a Crown colony. 
 
 Captain George Grey was despatched to take 
 charge, and Gawler was surprised one day by a visit 
 from this officer, who presented his papers, and im- 
 mediately took the reins of government into his own 
 hands. Grey was fortunate, for he reaped the full 
 benefit of the lesson learnt by the people from past 
 failures. As soon as farming was energetically pro- 
 secuted it was found that the land, which had 
 appeared nothing but an uninviting wilderness to the 
 
 21 
 
3o6 
 
 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 first arrivals, was in reality extremely fertile, and 
 admirably adapted both for agriculture and wool 
 growing. The change wrought by a couple of years 
 of steady work was wonderful. Butter and cheese 
 were exported in considerable quantities, and the area 
 under wheat had so broadened that the crop yielded 
 a surplus available for export over and above local 
 requirements. After the harvest of 1845 not only 
 were the neighbouring markets fully stocked with 
 South Australian breadstufifs, but there was a large 
 balance remaining on the hands of farmers for which 
 they could find no purchasers. 
 
XXIV. 
 
 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 (1840-1855.) 
 
 The year 1840 is memorable on account of the 
 efforts at exploration made by Edward Johh Eyre, 
 who, with five Europeans, three aborigines, some 
 horses, and a small flock of sheep, started from 
 Adelaide, intending, if possible, to penetrate the 
 interior and cross the continent. Journeying first to 
 the head of Spencer's Gulf, he there received a fresh 
 supply of provisions from a small vessel which had 
 been sent to meet him, and then, after travelling some 
 way through an arid desert, he turned to the west, 
 and sighted what at first appeared to be a large lake, 
 but on closer examination proved to be nothing 
 but a dried-up bed, covered with a sheet of glittering 
 salt. Boldly the explorers advanced on the trea- 
 cherous surface, but at every step the coat of salt 
 cracked, and their feet sank into thick black mud. 
 For some miles they pursued their way, but at length 
 the black ooze became so deep that they were com- 
 pelled to retrace their steps, and seek some way round 
 
 307 
 
eyre's exploring expedition. 309 
 
 the shores of the swamp. After much fruitless toil 
 they were obliged to hasten back to the nearest 
 stream, but, having procured a fresh store of water, 
 they again faced the inhospitable interior, and twice 
 their path was barred by the great salt lakes. At 
 length, turning westward, they pushed forward, but 
 were soon deep in a barren waste, desolate in the 
 extreme. Again supplies ran short, and death from 
 thirst stared them in the face, when their fears were 
 removed by the sight of a fair-sized river in the dis- 
 tance. Hastening joyfully to its banks, they eagerly 
 knelt to drink the water, but to their horror and 
 despair found it salt, and hopelessly they turned back 
 towards the head of Spencer's Gulf Loath, however, 
 to return to Adelaide without having accomplished 
 something in the way of discovery, instead of turning 
 homeward they travelled along the shores of the 
 Great Australian Bight, with the intention of follow- 
 ing the coast to Albany. The lack of water again 
 greatly retarded progress. Three times they struggled 
 round Streaky Bay, but as often had to return to 
 obtain water to drink. At length Eyre made the 
 whole of his party, with the exception of one man 
 named Baxter and three natives, return to Adelaide, 
 and, taking a few horses and a large supply of water 
 and provisions, he and his four companions once more 
 made an attempt to round the Bight. Day after day 
 they struggled on through loose sand and burning 
 rocks, all the time suffering greatly from the glare 
 and the want of water. Once the whole party nearly 
 perished. Even the horses fell down, unable to pro- 
 ceed any further. But after a long tramp Eyre with 
 
3i0 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 one attendant discovered several small holes, appa- 
 rently dug in the sand by the natives, and gathering 
 water hastened back to revive the exhausted animals. 
 They camped at the water holes for a week, and then 
 once more set out on their perilous journey. Again 
 they passed a long stretch of desert waste, and two 
 of the beasts died ; consequently a large portion of 
 the provisions had to be abandoned. But to turn 
 back now was as hopeless as to go forward, and they 
 despondently pushed on. Baxter, while Eyre was 
 absent a short time from the camp, was murdered by 
 two of the blacks, who looted the stores and ran 
 away. The ground was too rocky for Eyre even to 
 dig a grave in which to lay his friend's body, and, roll- 
 ing it in a blanket, he left it on the scorched rock. 
 With the remaining black he trudged wearily onwards, 
 until at length a vessel was observed close to the 
 coast, and signs made by Eyre were answered. Fresh 
 clothes and food were obtained from the captain, and 
 three weeks later they reached Albany, and were 
 received with enthusiasm by the inhabitants. After 
 remaining a short time, they returned to Adelaide, 
 where Eyre's account of his travels created a deep 
 sensation. 
 
 A very great change in the prospects of the settle- 
 ment was about this time caused by the discovery of 
 rich mineral deposits. During 1841 a man in charge 
 of a team of bullocks was crossing the Mount Lofty 
 Range, and, as the road was steep and rough, on 
 reaching the summit he resorted to the common 
 expedient of making a heavy log fast to the tail of 
 the waggon to act as a drag, or brake, to prevent the 
 
DISCOVERY OF SILVER. 311 
 
 load from pressing too heavily on the bullocks. This 
 done, the journey was resumed, but as the waggon 
 went lumbering along over ruts and boulders the log 
 bumped and ploughed up the track in its rear, and 
 the eye of the driver, who had loitered a little behind, 
 was suddenly caught by the glitter of something in 
 the freshly disturbed earth. He picked it up and 
 examined it. It certainly was a very bright and 
 heavy piece of rock, and, what was more, the whole 
 surrounding country was covered with the same stuff. 
 Convinced that the stone contained some valuable 
 mineral, he gathered specimens, and made the best of 
 his way to Adelaide. On showing his find to per- 
 sons in the city he learned that it was rich ore, and 
 shortly afterwards the land on which he had seen 
 it was opened up, and a quantity of silver and silver 
 lead obtained. 
 
 In the following year a still more important dis- 
 covery was made on Kapunda Station, first by a son 
 of the proprietor. Captain Bagot, and shortly after- 
 wards by an overseer named Dutton. Attracted by 
 the brilliant green colour of an outcropping rock, an 
 examination showed that the land hid extensive 
 deposits of rich copper ore. Captain Bagot saw his 
 opportunity, and, without allowing any suspicion of 
 the nature of his find to get abroad, applied to have 
 the eighty acres which embraced the lode put up to 
 auction. It was apparently rocky, sterile country, so 
 there was no competition, and it was bought by Bagot 
 for a minimum price of ^'i per acre. As soon as he 
 had possession active operations were commenced, 
 with the most satisfactory results, and an enormous 
 
312 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 return was obtained by the lucky owners. The 
 Kapunda mine became the great topic of conversa- 
 tion, and men and money began to flow into South 
 Australia from the other provinces. The search for 
 mineral wealth soon resulted in the discovery of 
 another rich copper reef, about forty-five miles from 
 Kapunda, and ninety miles from Adelaide. The 
 land on which it was situated was still the property 
 of the Crown, and as rumours of the find had got 
 abroad, keen competition was anticipated if the sec- 
 tions were put up to auction. There appeared only 
 one way to avoid this, which was for those anxious 
 to become possessed of the mine to combine and 
 avail themselves of the provision of the Crown Lands 
 Regulation which permitted specially surveyed blocks 
 of not less than 20,000 acres to be bought at the 
 minimum of ^i per acre without competition. Two 
 companies were hastily formed to purchase the land 
 on these terms — one consisting principally of Captain 
 Bagot's friends, and the other of merchants and 
 tradesmen in Adelaide. The rival parties watched 
 each other with jealous eyes, fearing that each would 
 forestall the other before arrangements could be com- 
 pleted. 
 
 But in a small community such as that in South 
 Australia i^20,000 in gold was a large sum to find for 
 speculative purposes, and at length, as competitors 
 from Sydney were expected, the two companies 
 were forced to combine their forces in self-defence, 
 on the understanding that directly the land was 
 bought it should be equally divided between Bagot's 
 " Princess Royal Company " — or, as they were popu- 
 
"nobs" and "snobs'' land companies. 313 
 
 larly called, the " Nobs " — and the " South Australian 
 Mining Company," commonly known as the " Snobs." 
 After an enormous amount of trouble, the necessary 
 i^20,ooo in gold was scraped together, the Governor 
 refusing to accept anything in payment except 
 coin, and the land was secured. It was generally 
 supposed that copper was to be obtained from 
 the whole of the property, but after the division 
 had been made the expectations of the " Princess 
 Royal Company " were by no means realised, while 
 the Burra Burra mine, belonging to the " Snobs," 
 yielded handsome returns. The copper deposits 
 v/ere actively worked, and before long there were 
 fully five thousand persons on the field, and the roads 
 to the new town were constantly traversed by hun- 
 dreds of teams of bullocks, which plodded from the 
 seaboard to the mines, carrying provisions and stores 
 for the miners, or bringing the heavy ores to port for 
 shipment to Europe. 
 
 The sudden acquisition of mineral wealth, perhaps 
 more than anything else, raised South Australia from 
 the slough of despond into which it had sunk, and 
 Grey was enabled to put into force the principles 
 which Gawler had wished, but had been unable to 
 follow. At first his energetic administration provoked 
 great opposition, and noisy meetings were held in 
 Adelaide, at which violence was threatened if he 
 persisted in his policy of retrenchment, and the 
 Governor's recall was loudly demanded. The wages 
 of men on public works were reduced from is. 6d. 
 (with rations) per day to is. 2d., and everything 
 that could be done was done to make Government 
 
3t4 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 employment compare unfavourably with the offers 
 of private masters. Meanwhile the estimates of 
 expenditure which had been prepared for Gawler 
 were ruthlessly cut down, and strenuous efforts 
 were made to bring the public outgo to something 
 approaching the same figure as the legitimate 
 public income. The steps taken were successful, 
 and Grey, by his carefulness and determination, 
 soon produced order out of chaos, and prepared 
 the colony to reap the full benefit of its changed 
 prospects. In three years the expenditure was 
 brought to one-sixth of its former amount, and 
 meantime the revenue from local sources had mate- 
 rially increased. 
 
 Even while the outlook was most gloomy, the 
 inhabitants had been frequently pleading for 
 representative institutions. The settlement had 
 scarcely shown itself capable of properly managing 
 its own affairs, and the answer to the prayer of 
 the petitioners was that before the representative 
 principle could be conceded it must " be made evident 
 that the internal resources of the colony are fully 
 adequate to provide for its own expenditure." In 
 the meantime a nominee council, consisting of seven 
 members, was appointed to assist the Governor, and 
 take in some degree the place which had been oc- 
 cupied by the defunct commission. Grey had done 
 well, and the success of his administration won the 
 applause of many who were the loudest, shortly before, 
 in the denunciation of his methods. In 1845 more 
 meetings were held, but this time praise, not blame, 
 was showered on the head of the Governor, who at 
 
COLONEL y. H. ROBE. 3I5 
 
 the height of his popularity was transferred to New- 
 Zealand. 
 
 Colonel J. H. Robe was selected to fill Grey's place, 
 but his career in South Australia was short and 
 troubled, for although a fine, straightforward man, he 
 was always out of touch with the feelings of his sub- 
 jects. The chief difficulty arose from an attempt to 
 tax the output of the mines, but the violent opposition 
 which this measure excited was due as much to hostile 
 feeling towards the Governor on account of his Re- 
 ligious Endowment Bill, as to any injustice in the 
 proposition to impose a royalty on minerals. Robe 
 had endeavoured soon after his arrival to pass a Bill 
 affording State aid " to provide for ordinances of 
 religion," and only carried his point in the Council 
 after a bitter struggle. When, therefore, his next 
 important measure, the Mineral Royalty Bill, came 
 on for discussion, it created no surprise that even the 
 Council deserted him. As he could not obtain legis- 
 lative sanction to the tax, he endeavoured to impose 
 it on the authority of royal prerogative. This step 
 was obviously a mistake, and called forth a stormy 
 and angry protest ; indeed. Robe's inability to get on 
 with those under his charge became so apparent that 
 the English Government recalled him. 
 
 The next Governor sent out was Sir Henry Young, 
 who was possessed of just the qualities which Robe 
 had lacked. He entered with enthusiasm into all the 
 schemes of the settlers for the rapid development of 
 the colony, and led the way with more energy than 
 discretion in many attempts to open up the country. 
 The event which is most intimately associated with 
 
3l6 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 his^ name is the navigation of the river Murray. It 
 appeared to Young that great things must follow 
 could the magnificent waterway of the Murray be 
 used for navigation, and money was freely spent to 
 attain this object. Large sums were expended in an 
 attempt to remove the bar at the mouth of the river, 
 and a prize of i5"4,ooo was offered to the first person 
 who should successfully navigate the Murray to the 
 junction of the Darling in an iron steamer. Such a 
 reward naturally produced competitors, and, after 
 infinite trouble and expense, Mr. Cadell succeeded in 
 accomplishing the feat ; but the ;^4,ooo did not cover 
 his outlay, and when he tried subsequently to create 
 a carrying trade in wool from the stations aloi;ig the 
 banks of the river to the sea, his efforts ended in 
 financial failure. The Governor was not more fortu- 
 nate at Port Elliot. As fast as the sand was dredged 
 away, fresh deposits of silt accumulated, until at last 
 the attempt to form a harbour was abandoned, and 
 the i^20,ooo or more which had been spent upon the 
 work was practically thrown away. 
 
 The advance of South Australia received a check in 
 185 1, when the discovery of gold in Victoria caused 
 the greater part of the capital and enterprise which 
 had worked such wonders to be suddenly withdrawn. 
 A period of general stagnation followed, and it looked 
 by no means improbable that the miserable times of 
 Gawler were going to be repeated. The copper mines 
 were still kept open, but only with great difficulty, for 
 the gold-fields had attracted a very large proportion 
 of the adult male population, and the properties could 
 not obtain sufficient labourers. Agricultural and 
 

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3l8 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 pastoral pursuits suffered most, and for a short time 
 the fields which should have been waving with yellow 
 corn were bare and neglected, and the flocks and 
 herds had to get along as best they could, unshepherded 
 and uncared for. While Adelaide was languishing, 
 Young's ears were filled with stories of the fabulous 
 wealth and growth of Melbourne, until the Governor 
 decided to make an effort to divert to the South 
 Australian port for shipment some of the stream of 
 gold which was flowing from the Victorian mines. 
 An extremely well equipped gold escort was therefore 
 established between Bendigo and Adelaide, and the 
 advantages anticipated by Young were to some extent 
 realised. As the excitement of the first rush died out, 
 many of those who had deserted South Australia 
 returned to their former homes, finding that it was a 
 surer and more profitable enterprise in the end to 
 supply bread and other necessaries to the miners than 
 to join themselves in the feverish hunt which ended so 
 much more often in failure than a fortune. 
 
 The returning population brought renewed pros- 
 perity, but the sudden exodus had produced some 
 curious problems, which the Government had great 
 difficulty in solving. The most remarkable of these 
 was the complete withdrawal of all coined money from 
 the colony by persons travelling to Victoria. Before 
 the gold rush had been long in progress it was found 
 that very grave difficulty was being experienced by 
 merchants and others, owing to the want of a common 
 circulating medium. There was gold in plenty, after 
 the institution of the escort from Bendigo, but' it 
 varied in fineness, and was unsuitable for exchange pur- 
 
RENEWED PROSPERITY. 3ig 
 
 poses, on account of the opportunities its use afforded 
 for fraudulent practices. The position was serious, 
 for commerce showed signs of being paralysed by the 
 difficulties thus created. The Governor had no 
 authority to coin, and no plant for minting purposes, 
 so he took the next best course, and issued little 
 blocks or ingots of the precious metal of an uniform 
 size and fineness. The expedient met the case, and 
 relieved the commercial strain, but the action taken 
 by Young was without doubt 7iltra vires, and he con- 
 sequently received a mild rebuke at the hands of the 
 Secretary of State. 
 
 Meanwhile the work of opening up the interior had 
 been pushed ahead. John McDowall Stuart, who 
 had been in Sturt's expedition to the Stoney Desert, 
 was employed in 1859 by a number of squatters 
 to explore new country, and, having found a pas- 
 sage between Lakes Eyre and Torrens, discovered 
 fine pastures. In the following year, the South Aus- 
 tralian Government offered iJ"2,ooo to the first person 
 who should cross the continent from south to north, 
 and Stuart started from Adelaide to make the attempt. 
 With two men he travelled towards Van Diemen's Gulf, 
 and penetrated to within four hundred miles of the 
 coast ; but the natives were so hostile that he had to 
 return. The next year he followed the same course, 
 and got to within 250 miles of the northern shores, but 
 want of provisions on this occasion made him again 
 turn back. The report of this expedition was sent to 
 Burke and Wills, and was received by them shortly 
 before they left Cooper's Creek for the first time. In 
 1862, Stuart succeeded in reaching Van Diemen's 
 
320 
 
 IMPROVING PROSPECTS. 
 
 Gulf, and returned safely, but a shadow was thrown 
 over his entry into Adelaide by the arrival on the 
 same day of the remains of Burke and Wills, on 
 their way to Melbourne. 
 
XXV. 
 
 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT 
 
 (1855-1893.) 
 
 South Australia went through much the same 
 stages of constitutional development as the other 
 Australian colonies, and although the final measure 
 conceding autonomy was based on more democratic 
 principles than anywhere else, the political life of the 
 country has been comparatively uneventful. In 185 1, 
 when the Legislatures of New South Wales and Vic- 
 toria were altered, a Council consisting of eight 
 nominee and sixteen elected members was provided. 
 This arrangement, however, was of short duration. 
 When the Council met in 1853, the Governor informed 
 members that Bills had been prepared making the 
 necessary provision for an alteration of the Constitution. 
 The idea was that a nominee Upper House should be 
 created, the seats in which would be tenable for life, 
 and that an Assembly should be elected by the 
 people on a low suffrage every three years. The 
 authority of the two chambers was to be equal on all 
 points, except that Money Bills should be introduced 
 
 22 321 
 
322 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 in the Assembly ; but the rather remarkable stipula- 
 tion was made that the latter body might, at the 
 termination of the third Parliament, pass a Bill 
 changing the constitution of the Council, and making 
 it elective without requiring the consent of that body 
 to the alteration. But popular feeling was so averse 
 to a nominated body of any description, even with the 
 safeguards suggested, that these proposals were never 
 made law, and in deference to the wishes expressed 
 by the inhabitants the original Constitution Bill was 
 delayed in England, and eventually referred back to 
 the South Australian Council for amendment. At 
 length, at the* close of 1855, another measure, very 
 different in character, was forwarded from the colony 
 for the sanction of the Imperial Parliament. The 
 Legislative Council in the second Bill was, like that 
 of Tasmania, elected by the colony as one constituency, 
 on a low franchise, and the province was divided into 
 districts for the election of members to the Assembly, 
 the basis of the suffrage being that each male adult, 
 above the age of twenty-one years, duly registered and 
 resident for six months in South Australia, should 
 have the privilege of one vote. The Bill was passed 
 intact by the Imperial Parliament, and received the 
 royal assent in January, 1856. 
 
 From that time to the present but little constitu- 
 tional change has been effected, and although the life 
 of successive ministries has been extremely short, 
 contests between the two houses have been rare, and 
 the public life of the colony has been singularly free 
 from violent upheaval. With the attainment of 
 plenary powers of legislation, the history of social and 
 
MR. R. TORRENS. 323 
 
 political development practically closes, and the only 
 events to be described in the following years are the 
 great efforts which have been made towards internal 
 expansion and amendment of the arrangements 
 affecting the disposal of the public estate. The 
 legislation of the colony was adorned in 1858 by a 
 measure of such obvious and universal utility that it 
 has been generally adopted, not only by the other 
 provinces of the Australian group, but in a large mea- 
 sure by the mother country, Mr. R. Torrens, who 
 was a Government official before the inauguration of 
 the new Constitution, and later a member of the first 
 Legislative Assembly, became impressed with the 
 extreme difficulty which existed in the transference of 
 real estate. To remove these hindrances, he devised 
 a method by which registration was combined with a 
 system of endorsement on the original title deed of 
 all changes made in the ownership of the land ; so 
 that, instead of a long series of involved legal docu- 
 ments, the purchaser of real estate would only have to 
 be satisfied as to the soundness of one deed. A mea- 
 sure of such sweeping reform could not be introduced 
 without a large amount of opposition, but Torrens' 
 Bill was nevertheless passed, and it has proved to be 
 one of the greatest boons ever conferred upon the 
 community. 
 
 Although, owing to the energy of Torrens, facilities 
 for dealing in private property were greatly increased, 
 the regulations affecting the public domain remained 
 for some years much less satisfactory than those 
 in force elsewhere. The early troubles of South 
 Australia resulting from the half-hearted attempt to 
 
324 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 put into operation the system of land alienation pro- 
 pounded by Gibbon Wakefield have already been 
 recounted. The early regulations were from time to 
 time modified, but no radical change was made in the 
 land laws until 1872. In the year named, an Act was 
 passed arranging for survey of all land before sale. 
 It was then put up to auction, those who expressed 
 the intention of residing on their properties being 
 given first choice. After this class had been satisfied, 
 non-residents were permitted to compete for the 
 remainder, and what was left was open to selection, 
 without competition, at a minimum price of £l per 
 acre. The payments were easy and spread over 
 a number of years, and a certain value of improvement 
 by the purchaser was necessary before a title could be 
 obtained. 
 
 In 1888 the Act which has just been described 
 gave way to a new law which with slight amendment 
 is still in force. All metals and minerals are reserved 
 to the Crown, and special arrangements are made for 
 long leases for pastoral tenants, and sales by auction 
 for cash in some cases, and on deferred payments in 
 others. The mining industry is provided for by the 
 issue of specific or general mining leases, these last 
 being practically prospecting licenses. The conditions 
 to ensure the improvement and stocking of pastoral 
 properties are stringent, but an encouragement to 
 pioneers is given by the offer to dona fide discoverers 
 of new pastures of a lease at the rate of 2s. 6d. per 
 annum for each square mile of country occupied. A 
 special feature of the measure is the portion referring 
 to working-men's blocks. Under these clauses twenty- 
 
LAND AND MINERALS ACTS. 325 
 
 acre lots in certain localities may be leased at a 
 nominal rental to any one who gains his livelihood 
 by his own labour ; but residence on the property is 
 required. In all cases the rent and price of the land 
 is determined by specially appointed boards, who 
 classify the country under their direction and super- 
 vise all sales and other transactions. 
 
 The Northern Territory of South Australia, which 
 lies within the tropics, is dealt with under a special 
 Act, which was passed in 1882, and the inducements 
 to settlers in this district are on an even more liberal 
 scale. Permission is given for alienation of blocks of 
 1280 acres at the rate of 12s. 6d. per acre cash, or on 
 deferred payments; for pastoral occupation leases of 
 any area up to four hundred square miles are granted 
 for seven years at 6d. and for a further eighteen years 
 at 2s. 6d. per annum per square mile. In order to 
 encourage the growth of tropical crops, extremely 
 advantageous arrangements are made for the leasing 
 or purchase of cultivation blocks. Hitherto no great 
 progress has been made in the Northern Territory, 
 although in 1864 a serious attempt was made to 
 utilise the country which had lately been added by 
 the English Government to South Australia, at the 
 colony's request. Surveyors were despatched to the 
 Gulf to mark out a town and chart the country 
 preparatory to leasing or alienation, and land orders 
 were offered both in England and Adelaide at a 
 very low figure in the hope of inducing settlement. 
 These first attempts were, however, far from success- 
 ful. The surveyors quarrelled amongst themselves, 
 and the greater portion of the staff deserted their 
 
326 ' UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 chief and returned to Adelaide. After five years had 
 been wasted Mr. Goyder, Surveyor-General, himself 
 went north, and selected Port Darwin as the best site 
 for a settlement, and a town called Palmerston had 
 scarcely been laid out before the discovery of gold 
 and the determination of the Government to construct 
 a telegraph right across the continent from Adelaide 
 gave the new settlement a fair start. Land in this 
 distant region was offered at is. 6d. an acre, on 
 deferred payment, and a bonus to encourage the 
 cultivation of sugar was promised by the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 The life of the little colony in the Northern 
 Territory has so much depended on the overland 
 telegraph line, that it may be well here to refer to the 
 work. This undertaking had long been contemplated, 
 but the rather vague ideas on the subject were 
 crystallised by an offer of the British Australian 
 Telegraph Company, which contracted to lay a 
 submarine cable from Singapore to Van Diemen's 
 Gulf, if the South Australian Government would 
 undertake to connect Adelaide with Port Darwin, by 
 an overland wire, thus completing telegraphic com- 
 munication with Europe. The proposition was 
 favourably received, and the work entered upon with 
 enthusiasm. Mr. Todd was placed in charge, and it 
 was evident from the outset that enormous difficulties 
 would have to be overcome. For one thing, over 
 1,300 miles of telegraph wire would have to be laid 
 through practically unexplored country, a great 
 portion of which was nothing but rocky sandy 
 deserts, devoid of both pasture and water. The 
 
TELEGRAPH AND CABLE. 327 
 
 whole distance, some 2,200 miles, was divided into 
 three sections, and while Mr. Todd entrusted the two 
 extremities to contractors, he himself personally- 
 supervised the middle portion. The time for the 
 completion of the work was the ist of January, 1872, 
 when the Cable Company had agreed to have per- 
 formed their part ; and before this date both the 
 Adelaide end and the centre section had been finished. 
 In the far north, however, the work had failed. There 
 were no trees for posts, the difficulties of transport 
 were almost unsurmountable, and the tropical heat 
 was too great for the labour of Europeans. It looked 
 at one time, indeed, as if the junction would never be 
 made, and as the date agreed upon had nearly arrived, 
 and the company threatened to sue the Government for 
 damages if the line was then unfinished, there was 
 much consternation in Adelaide. Mr. Todd hastened 
 up to the Port Darwin end, to see what could be 
 done. Coolies and Chinese were introduced, wells 
 were dug along the route and iron posts provided 
 where trees could not be obtained, and by great 
 exertions things were pushed forward. A fracture 
 in the submarine cable had meanwhile relieved the 
 Government from fear, and in August the two ends 
 of the overland wire were joined at Central Mount 
 Stewart, and then the first telegraph message was 
 flashed from shore to shore. By October the cable 
 had been repaired, and telegraphic communication 
 was established with the old world, Australians thus 
 being able to read at their breakfast tables events 
 which had occurred in Europe but a few hours 
 previously. Before many years had passed, another 
 
328 UNDER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 telegraph line was carried along the arid shores 
 between Adelaide and Albany in Western Australia, 
 so that now there is direct communication between 
 the four extremities of the Australian continent 
 
 The construction of railways has also been con- 
 siderable, but at present the railway system is confined 
 to the south-eastern corner of the colony, with the 
 exception of the track which runs northward towards 
 Port Darwin. The first sod of the great trans- 
 continental railway, which has its southern terminus, 
 at Port Augusta, was turned by the Governor, Sir 
 William Jervois, in 1878, and it has since been 
 extended 686 miles from Adelaide to Oodnadatta. 
 The construction was also commenced at the Port 
 Darwin end, and the line was carried to Pine Creek, 
 leaving a gap about 1,140 miles still to be covered 
 before traffic can be opened from the southern to 
 the northern coast. 
 
 There is little more to be said with regard to South 
 Australia, which has been singularly happy in an un- 
 eventful history. Gold has been discovered within 
 its borders, but not in sufficient quantities to affect 
 its destiny to any great extent. Nevertheless it is rich 
 in minerals, and the copper deposits of Burra Burra 
 have been eclipsed by similar discoveries at Moonta 
 and Wallaroo. Agriculture has steadily progressed, 
 and although the yield of wheat is light per acre, 
 the cost of clearing and preparing the soil for tillage 
 is proportionately small, and the South Australian 
 harvest affords annually a large surplus of breadstuff's 
 for exportation to Europe and the other colonies. 
 This province is essentially one of great poten- 
 
PROGRESS AND SURVEY. 329 
 
 tialitics. Much of the country between Adelaide and 
 Port Darwin, which was long supposed to be abso- 
 lutely useless, and nothing but desert, has proved to 
 be not unsuitable for pastoral purposes, while many 
 of the rivers which flow into the Gulf of Carpentaria 
 are bordered by rich alluvial flats which probably 
 some day will be covered by extensive cotton and 
 sugar plantations. The great problem to be solved 
 is the supply of labour in the tropics ; but apart from 
 this, a very large portion of the country is as yet 
 practically unexplored, and until more perfect know- 
 ledge is obtained of its capabilities it will be rash 
 to predict what the future of South Australia may be. 
 
QUEENSLAND. 
 XXVI 
 
 THE MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 (1825-185 I.) 
 
 Tpie colony of Queensland owes its origin to the 
 report made by Mr. Bigge, on the state of the penai 
 establishments — towards the close of the reign of 
 Governor Macquarie in New South Wales — in v/hich 
 he recommended that some spot should be found 
 to which the worst class of criminals could be 
 despatched, where they would be far away from the 
 temptations which were inseparable from a com- 
 munity partly bond and partly free. Surveyor- 
 General Oxley was therefore sent in the cutter 
 Mermaid to seek on the northern coast some place 
 which would meet these requirements. Port Curtis 
 was his original destination ; but after a careful 
 examination he was dissatisfied with its qualifica- 
 tions, and turned southwards towards Moreton Bay. 
 While lying at anchor, a party of natives was 
 observed approaching the shore, and the attention 
 
332 THE MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 of those on board was turned towards one man, 
 who appeared to be possessed by an uncontrollable 
 delight at the sight of the ship. A boat was sent 
 ashore, and the copper-coloured savage turned out 
 to be one of a party of four Europeans, who had 
 left Sydney with the intention of sailing to the 
 Illawarra district (to the south of the capital of 
 New South Wales), but had been driven by storms 
 far out of their course, and had all nearly died from 
 thirst and exposure. After terrible hardships, under 
 which one of the number succumbed, land was 
 sighted, and the three remaining castaways beached 
 their boat at a spot where they perceived a stream 
 of fresh water. The intruders were soon surrounded 
 by natives, but were treated with extreme kindness, 
 and Pamphlett — who now told the tale to Oxley — 
 had remained with them ever since. The desire 
 for civilised life had been too strong for the others, 
 who had started off to walk home under the im- 
 pression that they were south of Sydney. It is 
 needless to say that they were never heard of since. 
 With Pamphlett's aid a large river was discovered, 
 and Oxley at once rowed fifty miles up and made 
 a hurried survey of the country. On his return to 
 Sydney he gave a most enthusiastic description of 
 his discoveries, with the result that after considerable 
 correspondence between the Imperial Government 
 and the Governor — in which the reluctance of the 
 Secretary of State to found a new settlement was 
 apparent — Oxley was ordered in September, 1824, 
 to again set sail for the Brisbane River, in the brig 
 Amity. He had on board a detachment of the 40th 
 
THE STORY OF PAMPHLETT. 333 
 
 Regiment, in charge of Lieutenant Miller, and thirty 
 prisoners, who were to form the first penal settle- 
 ment on the north-east coast. In the following year 
 Captain Logan was appointed to the command, and 
 in 1826 Sir Thomas Brisbane himself visited the new 
 depot, which in his opinion met all the requirement 
 of Bigge's report as it was far from all civilised 
 habitations, and it was practically impossible for 
 a prisoner to escape. Rapidly additions were made 
 to the convict population, but as no free settlers 
 were permitted to come within fifty miles of the gaol, 
 the early doings at Brisbane are buried in oblivion. 
 Sufficient, nevertheless, is known to show that the 
 Moreton Bay depot rivalled in corruption and 
 brutality Tasman's Peninsula or Norfolk Island. 
 Tales of horrible cruelty and disgusting immorality, 
 both on the part of the convicts and the natives 
 amongst whom they were suddenly thrown, were 
 not uncommon ; and at length matters were brought 
 to a crisis by the murder of Logan. The deed was 
 committed either by convicts — in retaliation for some 
 of the ferocious attacks which had been made upon 
 them by the overseers — or else by the natives, who 
 had received almost equal provocation. Previous to 
 this tragedy, Logan had energetically explored the 
 country, with which he was almost as much pleased 
 as Oxley had been, and made also experiments in 
 cotton-growing and in the establishment of some 
 primitive industries. 
 
 From the date of Logan's death, the Governors of 
 New South Wales appear to have had a desire to 
 abandon Moreton Bay, and the criminal establish- 
 
334 ^^^ MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 ment was gradually reduced. Meanwhile the dis- 
 coveries of the explorers who had pierced the 
 country between Sydney and the north, traversing 
 the Darling Downs, had induced large numbers of 
 stockowners to drive their flocks and herds on to 
 the new pastures ; and the out-stations of the most 
 enterprising crept nearer and nearer to Brisbane. 
 In 1839 it was determined to entirely abandon 
 Moreton Bay as a penal establishment, and Lieu- 
 tenant Gorman was sent up to remove the last 
 relics of the gaol. The prohibition against free 
 settlers on the Brisbane River was still in force ; 
 but, although not revoked for some time, it became 
 a dead letter, and many more free men settled on 
 the banks of the river. By 1841 a large portion of 
 the Darling Downs had been taken up by squatters, 
 and the settlement of the country further north had 
 so far progressed that the Government considered 
 it necessary to offer allotments in the towns for sale. 
 Sir George Gipps came up from Sydney and laid 
 out the plan of the town of Brisbane, on the 
 Brisbane River, and another town further inland 
 called Ipswich, while townships named Toowoomba 
 and Drayton began to gather round two wayside 
 inns, established for the convenience of travellers 
 across the Darling Downs. The first auction of 
 Crown lands situated in Brisbane was held in 
 Sydney ; sites met with ready sale, at prices 
 averaging about ;^343 per acre. 
 
 In December, 1841, the ordinary machinery of 
 government for a free community was provided ; 
 and Captain Wickham was sent as police magistrate, 
 
336 THE MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 while Crown lands commissioners were appointed 
 for the Darling Downs and Moreton Bay districts. 
 The pastoral industries of the province rapidly 
 increased ; but its otherwise satisfactory progress 
 was marred by the gross brutality displayed towards 
 the natives. The very early settlers seem to have 
 been inconvenienced but little by the depredations 
 or hostility of the aborigines, but soon the atrocities 
 committed by the shepherds and stockmen on out- 
 lying stations called forth acts of retaliatory violence 
 from the blacks, which were in their turn followed 
 by inhuman revenge at the hands of the white men. 
 The settlers were urgent in their appeals for more 
 police protection, and a body of native police officered 
 by Europeans, was formed to cope with the disorders 
 which were becoming more and more frequent. But 
 they only made things worse, for a member of one 
 native tribe displays savage enjoyment in the 
 slaughter of members of any other tribes, and the 
 native police soon developed into an armed force for 
 the extermination of the aboriginal inhabitants. 
 
 It is needless to record here in detail the disgust- 
 ing atrocities, which are well known to all who were 
 connected with pioneering work in Queensland, but 
 a few instances will be sufficient to give an idea of 
 the manner in which the blacks were " civilised." 
 At the commencement of i860, two partners in a 
 station complained in the papers that a party of 
 native police had shot and wounded a large number 
 of blacks, many of whose bodies were left to rot 
 unburied within a mile or two of the homestead. 
 Even those natives who had been employed pretty 
 
TREATMENT OF THE BLACKS. 337 
 
 constantly for many years by the owners did not 
 escape, but friendly and hostile blacks had been 
 indiscriminately shot down. A further instance is 
 recorded in which a sub-inspector of police hand- 
 cuffed a native boy, tying his arms to a high rafter 
 in the verandah of the police barracks, and then 
 flogged and kicked him until he was so maimed that 
 he shortly died ; while on another occasion some 
 squatters rode down and shot no less than twenty- 
 two natives, and after spending the night by a water- 
 hole, walked round in the morning, and dashed out 
 the brains of those who were not yet dead with one 
 of their own clubs. The troopers showed little com- 
 punction in murdering scores of the natives, and 
 on one occasion, when a white man had been killed 
 by two blacks, a body of police in the dead of night 
 stealthily surrounded the tribe to which the culprits 
 belonged. A korroboree was being held at the time ; 
 at a given signal the police fired a volley into 
 the midst of the dancing crowd, and then rushed in 
 to complete the work of destruction. A common 
 method of freeing a run of the aborigines was also 
 by wholesale poisoning. A barrel of flour, in which 
 white arsenic had been mixed, was given with a 
 smile as a present to the unsuspecting victims, and 
 before long half the tribe would be writhing and 
 screaming in agony, which at last terminated in 
 death. Could it be wondered at if the blacks took 
 revenge when they could ? 
 
 But otherwise the settlers showed great energy, and 
 entered with determination upon the work of opening 
 up their immense territory. Captain Sturt, who had 
 
 23 
 
338 THE' MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 discovered the Darling and the Murray, offered to 
 conduct an expedition into the centre of Australia ; 
 and in 1844 a well-equipped party of sixteen persons 
 started from the banks of the Darling, at the furthest 
 point that had been reached in 1828. Following the 
 course of the river they passed Laidley's Ponds and 
 Lake Cawndilla, and then turned northwards for the 
 interior, through a barren desert, until they reached 
 a few hills which are now known as the Barrier 
 Range. Fortunately for the party it was the winter 
 season, and they could obtain a moderate supply 
 of water, but by the time they had passed another 
 chain of hills, which Sturt called the Grey Range, 
 summer had come. The heat in 1844 was ex- 
 ceptionally intense, and in the sandy plains of the 
 interior it was so great that the baked earth split 
 the hoofs of the horses and quickly dried up the 
 water from the creeks. One party found a stream, 
 however, flowing in a rocky basin, and Sturt formed 
 his depot beside it, remaining there for six months. 
 Several excursions were made during this period, 
 and the creek on which they were camped was 
 followed, but after a course of twenty miles it was 
 lost in the sand. The wanderers suffered terribly 
 from the heat, which was sometimes as high as 130° 
 in the shade. The ink dried on their pens before 
 they could touch the paper to write. Their combs 
 split, their nails became brittle, and metal if touched 
 burned their fingers. A hole was dug in the ground 
 sufficiently deep to enable them to escape the dread- 
 ful glow of the sun, and day after day they prayed 
 for rain. At last the party grew haggard and ill, and 
 
EXPLORATIONS. 339 
 
 one being attacked with scurvy rapidly sank and 
 died. But finally rain came, and as there was now 
 plenty of water, the journey was continued. 
 
 After travelling northwards sixty-one miles a new 
 depot was formed, and excursions were made into 
 the surrounding country. But as they journeyed 
 further north they came to a region of hills of a 
 barren red sand, and lagoons of salt bitter water. 
 For some time they toiled through this country, but 
 when at length they reached the last hill and nothing 
 was to be seen but a vast stoney plain, which Sturt 
 called the Stoney Desert, summer was again at hand 
 and water was failing. So they hastened back ; but 
 their water was exhausted before they reached the 
 depot, and they were then in danger of being buried 
 by shifting sand hills. Sturt made one more attempt 
 to find water, discovering a magnificent stream which 
 he called Cooper's Creek. But on again entering 
 Stoney Desert, he was compelled to retrace his steps, 
 and when he reached the depot on his return he was 
 worn to a shadow and the glare of the sandy waste 
 had blinded him. His reports on the arid country 
 gave rise to the idea that the whole centre of 
 Australia was one vast desert, but this has since 
 been proved to be an error. 
 
 All the north-east portion of the continent was left 
 unexplored till 1844, when a young German botanist, 
 Ludwig Leichardt, with five men, left Sydney, and, 
 passing through magnificent forests and fine pastures, 
 made his way to the Gulf of Carpentaria, dis- 
 covering and tracing many large rivers as he went. 
 At Van Diemen's Gulf a ship was waiting to bring 
 
340 THE MORETON BAY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 him home ; and on his return to Sydney he was 
 rewarded by a pubHc subscription of ;^ 1,500, and a 
 grant from the Government of ;^i,ooo. In 1847 he 
 again started to make further explorations in the 
 north of Queensland, taking with him sheep and 
 goats, which, however, so impeded his progress that, 
 after wandering over the Fitzroy Downs for many 
 months, he returned without having achieved any- 
 thing. In the following year he led a third expedi- 
 tion, with which he intended to cross the whole 
 continent from east to west. A start was made from 
 Moreton Bay, and in two years he expected to reach 
 the Swan River settlement. A large party set out, 
 and soon passed the Cogwoon River, and from this 
 point Leichardt sent a hopeful letter to a friend in 
 Sydney. But no news has since been received of 
 him or his companions, although for many years 
 expeditions were sent out to search for him. 
 
 On Leichardt's return from his first journey. Sir 
 Thomas Mitchell set out northwards, and after dis- 
 covering the Culgoa and Warrego, turned west, 
 travelling over a great extent of level country. At 
 length he came upon a river, and followed the current 
 for 150 miles towards the heart of the continent, 
 and then returned. Edmund Kennedy, who was 
 soon after sent to trace the course of the newly- 
 found stream, followed its banks for 150 miles 
 below the place at which Mitchell had turned back. 
 He, too, was then forced to return, through want of 
 provisions. He had seen enough, however, to con- 
 vince him that this stream was only the upper part 
 of Cooper's Creek, which had been discovered by 
 
DEATH OF KENNEDY. 34I 
 
 Sturt. In 1848, Kennedy landed on the north-east 
 coast with twelve men, and turning inland to the 
 north-west, travelled towards Cape York, where a 
 vessel was to meet him. Dense jungles and prickly 
 shrubs barred his path, and tore the flesh of the 
 travellers at every step, while vast swamps often 
 made long detours necessary. Leaving eight of his 
 companions at Weymouth Bay, he pushed on to- 
 wards the north with three others and a black boy, 
 Jackey. But one of them accidentally shot himself, 
 and was unable to proceed. Kennedy, who was now 
 only a few miles from Cape York, left the wounded 
 man with the two other whites, and started, accom- 
 panied by Jackey, to obtain aid from the schooner. 
 Before they had gone far, however, a tribe of natives 
 attacked them, and a spear hurled from among the 
 bushes pierced Kennedy in the back, and he fell from 
 his horse. The blacks rushed forward, but Jackey 
 fired upon them, and at the report for a moment they 
 were frightened and fled. Kennedy soon died, and 
 the faithful Jackey dug a grave and left him in the 
 forest. Then with the journals and other papers he 
 plunged into a stream, and walking along its bed 
 with only his head above the surface, in this way 
 escaped his enemies. As soon as he reached the 
 Cape, and was taken on board the schooner, a search 
 party was despatched for the wounded man and his 
 companions, but it proved fruitless, while only two of 
 the eight who had stayed at Weymouth Bay had 
 survived starvation and disease, when relief arrived. 
 
XXVII. 
 
 THE COLONY OF QUEENSLAND. 
 
 (1851-1893.) 
 
 Queensland was almost as hasty as Victoria in 
 its demand for separation from the parent colony, 
 and in 185 1 a petition was forwarded to the Queen, 
 praying for the same concession for the Moreton 
 Bay district as had in that year been granted to Port 
 Phillip. The petitioners were unsuccessful, but three 
 years later they renewed their appeal, and met with 
 a favourable reception. As a result, in 1855 an Act 
 was passed by the Imperial Parliament giving the 
 Government power to make a division of New South 
 Wales, so as to form a new colony, when such a 
 course was deemed advisable. But delays occurred, 
 and in the following year the ministry went out of 
 office, so that the matter received no attention for some 
 time. At the close of 1859, however, the desired 
 change was made, and the portion of New South 
 Wales to the north of the 29th parallel of latitude 
 was proclaimed a separate colony, under the name 
 of Queensland. Sir George Bowen was appointed the 
 first Governor, and the town of Brisbane, which ther) 
 
SEPARATION FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. 343 
 
 contained about seven thousand inhabitants, was 
 chosen as the capital and seat of government. The 
 new colony covered more than 670,000 square miles 
 of country, but its inhabitants numbered only about 
 twenty-five thousand persons. 
 
 Queensland was never as a separate colony under 
 the nominee system of government, but commenced 
 its career under the guidance of responsible ministers. 
 The first Parliament opened on the 29th of May, i860, 
 the Legislative Council, which consisted of members 
 nominated by the Governor for life, and the Assembly 
 being elected by the people under what is practically 
 manhood suffrage, the only qualification being six 
 months' residence. Any person on the electoral roll 
 is qualified to be a member. The duration of Parlia- 
 ments is nov/ limited to three years, and members of 
 the Assembly receive a salary of ;^300 per annum. 
 
 In 1858 a rush took place to the banks of the 
 Fitzroy River, in the far north, where gold was 
 said to have been found. Ship after ship arrived in 
 Kepple Bay, crowded with men bound for Canoona, 
 a place about seventy miles up the river. Before 
 long some fifteen thousand had collected, but it was 
 found that the gold was to be met with over a 
 very small area only, and many of those who had 
 come to the place, having spent all their money on 
 their outfit and passage, were unable to get away. 
 Amongst the crowd thus gathered in this isolated 
 spot, far from civilisation, terrible distress soon began 
 to show itself, and for sometime the Fitzroy River 
 was the scene of wretchedness and starvation. At 
 length the Governments of New South Wales and 
 
344 ^-^^^ COLONY OF QUEENSLAND. 
 
 Victoria took pity on the unfortunate miners, and 
 provided means of transport for the destitute who 
 wished to leave the place. Some, however, at the 
 time of greatest scarcity, had taken up portions of 
 the fertile land on the banks of the river, and com- 
 menced farming. From these beginnings sprang 
 what is now the thriving town of Rockhampton. 
 The Government of Queensland was anxious to 
 attract some of the immigrants who were coming 
 in large numbers to Australia, and offered rewards, 
 ranging from ^200 to ;^ 1,000, to the discoverers of 
 profitable gold-fields. A great impetus was thus 
 given to prospecting, and during the following 
 years many districts were opened up by parties of 
 miners. 
 
 In 1867 a man named Nash, by accident, found 
 extensive gold deposits at Gympie, a place about 
 130 miles from Brisbane. Nash kept his dis- 
 coveries secret, and commenced to collect gold for 
 himself before giving publicity to the news. He 
 soon procured several hundred pounds' worth of the 
 metal, and then, as it seemed impossible to avoid dis- 
 covery (as a road ran close to the spot at which he 
 was at work), and as it was not improbable that some 
 one else would forestall him in reporting the field, 
 he came down to Maryborough, and announcing his 
 valuable find, received the Government reward. A 
 rush to Gympie immediately took place, and the field 
 proved to be exceedingly rich ; a nugget, worth 
 about ;^4,ooo, was found close to the surface. 
 Other gold-fields have also been discovered from time 
 to time. Far to the north, on the Palmer River, 
 
MOUNT MORGAN MINE. 345 
 
 rich deposits have been found ; and, in spite of the 
 hostihty of natives and the tropical heat, great 
 numbers of miners are at work, including thousands 
 of Chinamen. 
 
 But the fields already described are insignificant, 
 when compared with the enormous yield of the 
 Mount Morgan mine, which has already paid 
 ;^2,75o,ooo in dividends. It is a huge mound of ore, 
 which is highly ferruginous, and contains gold to the 
 extent of several ounces to the ton, its peculiar 
 formation, in the opinion of the Government geologist 
 of Queensland, being due to the action of the thermal 
 springs. The story of its discovery is peculiar. It 
 is situated near Rockhampton, in the very district to 
 which the diggers had rushed with such ill-luck in 
 1858. A young squatter had bought a selection 
 of 640 acres from the Government, but it was on a 
 rocky hill, and he found that for grazing or cultiva- 
 tion it was useless. Accordingly, when the offer was 
 made of ^^^640 by three brothers named Morgan, he 
 gladly closed the bargain ; but soon after the tran- 
 saction the fortunate purchasers found that the dirty 
 grey rocks, of which the whole was composed, con- 
 tained so much gold that ;£"20 or £t,o worth of it 
 could be extracted with rude appliances from every 
 cartload of stuff. Work was immediately commenced, 
 and before long Mount Morgan turned out to be the 
 richest gold mine in the world. A year or two later 
 the hill which had cost £640 was sold for p{J"8, 000,000. 
 It is now calculated that it is worth at least double 
 that sum, and the shares of the company which pos- 
 sess it have reached a figure equivalent to .^18,000,000. 
 
346 THE COLONY OF QUEENSLAND. 
 
 But gold-mining is not the only industry which has 
 been followed in Queensland. In the northern dis- 
 tricts tropical products are successfully grown, and 
 about 1 861 the cultivation of cotton was commenced. 
 No very great progress was made for the first three 
 years, but when the American war cut off that 
 source of supply, the enhanced price of both 
 cotton and sugar (the cultivation of which was 
 commenced in 1865) more than compensated for 
 the comparatively higher cost of white labour in 
 the Queensland plantations. As long as the price 
 of cotton and sugar remained high, the question 
 of labour on the plantations was not of such impor- 
 tance as to seriously interfere with the industries. 
 But when, on the close of the war, these articles 
 fell to their normal level, the American product 
 again coming into competition, and the planters of 
 Queensland finding it necessary to effect some radical 
 change in the management of their estates, it was 
 proposed to substitute the cheap labour of coolies 
 from India for the more expensive Europeans ; but 
 there were difficulties in the way, and eventually 
 Chinese were introduced. They did not come up 
 to expectations, and planters were at their wits' end. 
 At length a sugar planter named Towns conceived 
 the idea of bringing labourers from the South Sea 
 Islands, and as he was also the owner of ships 
 which traded to the islands, he had no difficulty in 
 putting the scheme into practice. The Kanakas (as 
 the islanders were called) were apt pupils, and soon 
 became expert plantation hands. They also met all 
 requirements as to cheapness, for a. few presents 
 
KANAKAS LABOUR. 347 
 
 of finery seemed to satisfy them for years of 
 labour. 
 
 Towns' example was speedily followed by his 
 neighbours, and the practice of employing Kanakas on 
 the plantations instead of white men became general. 
 The islanders as a rule made engagements for one or 
 two years' service, and then having received in pay- 
 ment, cloth, knives, hatchets, beads, &c., to the value 
 of about £10, were sent back to the islands. A 
 system such as this of necessity bred abuses, and 
 unscrupulous masters resorted to all sorts of tricks to 
 swindle the Kanakas out of their pay. Again, as 
 the demand for island labour increased, the supply 
 of volunteers was unequal to the requirements of 
 planters, and captains of vessels took to wholesale 
 kidnapping, and to all intents and purposes sold 
 their captives in Queensland to the plantation owners 
 for so much a head. There were consequently fre- 
 quent conflicts between the crews of labour vessels 
 and the inhabitants of the islands. The white men 
 would suddenly appear at the native villages and 
 take as prisoners crowds of men and women ; in 
 revenge the natives, whenever they got a chance, 
 attacked the vessels visiting the islands and murdered 
 all they found on board. All sorts of devices for 
 getting near the natives were tried by the kidnap- 
 pers. Sometimes they disguised themselves as 
 missionaries, and then when an opportunity occurred, 
 on account of the trust inspired by their appearance, 
 they fell upon their victims, and hurried them off to 
 the ships. As a result, if real missionaries, sus- 
 pecting nothing, approached the islanders, they were 
 
348 THE COLONY OF QUEENSLAND. 
 
 frequently speared or clubbed to death, without dis- 
 crimination. 
 
 The conflict in most cases was, however, onesided. 
 Labour vessels cut down the frail canoes, and while 
 the occupants were struggling in the water they were 
 secured, dragged aboard, and thrust into the hold. 
 The hatches were battened down, and when enough 
 of the poor wretches had been crammed into the ship, 
 sail was set, and but little attention was paid to the 
 passengers, who if they survived the terrible passage 
 in the iilthy and confined holds were sold to the 
 planters or their agents. It must not be supposed 
 that all the planters engaged in the labour traffic 
 behaved like ruffians, but nevertheless such deeds as 
 those described were of common occurrence. At 
 length these scandals so aroused popular feeling that 
 in 1868, the Queensland Legislature passed an Act to 
 regulate the island labour traffic. The Polynesian 
 Labourers Act provided that no islanders were to be 
 shipped to the colony unless the captain of the vessel 
 could produce a document, signed by some respon- 
 sible person, to the effect that those whom he brought 
 had shipped without compulsion. At the same time 
 special Government agents were appointed to ac- 
 company every vessel engaged in the trade, and to 
 exercise a general supervision over the islanders on 
 the voyage. The minimum payment to Kanakas on 
 the termination of their service was fixed at £6 worth 
 of goods for each year's work, and other minor 
 provisions were also enacted for the general regula- 
 tion of the trade. 
 
 These rules were right enough as far as they went, 
 
POLYNESIAN LABOURERS ACT. 349 
 
 but the whole system was such that it was impossible 
 to make a law which could not be in one way or 
 another evaded. Without doubt the new Act effected 
 much good, and the island traffic lost many of its 
 most objectionable characteristics. But frequently 
 the clauses which made it necessary for a document 
 to be produced showing that the Kanakas were volun- 
 tary immigrants were little but a dead letter. Nothing 
 was easier than to bribe the chief of any tribe by a 
 present of a few trinkets, to compel a certain number 
 of his people to go before a missionary and express 
 their desire to ship to Queensland, although really 
 they may have been most averse to the proposal. 
 Again, while the Government agent was put to watch 
 the captain, and the captain was only too happy to 
 watch the agent, there was always the danger of 
 collusion, and cases have been brought to light in 
 which the deeds of the crews of labour vessels have 
 been a blot on our civilisation. There is evidence, 
 however, that now the abuses have been reduced 
 to a minimum ; one of the best signs of the great 
 improvement which has been effected is that islanders 
 who have served a term in Queensland very often 
 re-engage when the opportunity offers, and bring with 
 them their friends and relations. The whole traffic 
 is nevertheless undesirable, and it is almost impos- 
 sible, even with the best intentions, for the Govern- 
 ment to ensure that only volunteers are brought to 
 the colony, and — what is more important — that 
 expirees are sent back to their proper destinations. 
 It has frequently been asserted that Kanakas have 
 been landed at the wrong islands to save trouble. 
 
350 THE COLONY OF QUEENSLAND. 
 
 and this practically means handing them over to be 
 murdered by hostile tribes. The whole question is 
 surrounded with difficulties, and the proposal to re- 
 introduce the system, after a temporary suspension, 
 is at present calling forth an animated controversy 
 between its friends and its opponents. In all branches 
 of material development Queensland has made rapid 
 progress, and under liberal land laws and state- 
 assisted immigration the population has rapidly 
 increased. An agitation has for some been on foot 
 in favour of a subdivision of the huge territory, for 
 it is hoped that in this way the friction may be 
 avoided which the very conflicting interests of the 
 North and South must under existing arrangements 
 inevitably produce. 
 
 Like most of the other colonies, Queensland became 
 intoxicated with its own prosperity, and plunged 
 headlong into extravagance in its public expenditure, 
 but, although this course has been followed by the 
 usual reaction, the natural resources of the country 
 are so enormous that the depression is unlikely to 
 be of long duration or to seriously dim the brilliant 
 promise of the future. 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 
 XXVIII. 
 
 FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE RECALL OF 
 GOVERNOR FITZROY. 
 
 (1 79 1- 1846.) 
 
 Long before any systematic attempt was made to 
 colonise New Zealand there had been intercourse 
 between the Maori population and the whaling ships, 
 which visited the coast in large numbers. As might 
 have been expected, thesfe meetings often led to mis- 
 understandings, and the cruelty and immorality of 
 the sailors was fully counterbalanced by the acts of 
 revenge perpetrated by the natives, in accordance 
 with their ancient customs. Occasionally large 
 numbers of passengers and seamen fell victims to 
 the misbehaviour of earlier visitors. Thus, in 1809, 
 a ship called the Boyd, on her voyage to England, 
 touched at Whangarua, in order to obtain spars, and, 
 while the captain and many of the crew were ashore, 
 the Maoris made a descent upon them, and having 
 killed and eaten all who were to be found, attacked 
 the ship, leaving only'one woman and three children 
 
 3SI 
 
THE ''boyd" massacre. 353 
 
 to tell the tale. The survivors, who had hidden 
 themselves when they saw the Maoris coming, were 
 eventually rescued by the crew of the Ci(y of Edin- 
 burgh, aided by a friendly native named Te Pahi. 
 Several events of a somewhat similar character 
 attracted the attention of Australians and English- 
 men to the barbarous islanders, and the Rev. Samuel 
 Marsden, the chaplain in New South Wales, urged 
 the establishment of a mission station at the Bay of 
 Islands, which had been the seat of most of the out- 
 rages, in the hope that the missionaries might be able 
 to improve the relations between the two races. His 
 suggestion was carried out, and a small settlement 
 formed, while at the same time one European and 
 three chiefs of the native tribes were appointed magis- 
 trates for the district, and were instructed to use their 
 utmost efforts to diminish the continually recurring 
 collisions. In spite of these precautions, murders and 
 other atrocities continued. Every vessel that cruised 
 in New Zealand waters had boarding nets, and, 
 should any mishap drive a luckless ship upon the 
 coast, the probable fate of all on board was only too 
 well understood. In 1816 two ships were wrecked 
 and their crews killed and eaten. In 1823 the 
 Imperial Parliament at last realised that it was 
 necessary to take some steps to mitigate these evils, 
 and, in order to control at any rate the European 
 settlers and visitors, the jurisdiction of the Supreme 
 Court of New South Wales was extended to residents 
 in New Zealand. 
 
 Much of the trouble which had arisen and sub- 
 sequently occurred between the two races was 
 
 24 
 
354 
 
 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 due to the ignorance and want of appreciation of 
 the Maoris and their customs shown by the 
 Europeans. As a race the natives were vastly 
 superior intellectually to any savages with whom 
 Englishmen had previously been in contact in the 
 Southern hemisphere. Guided largely by tribal 
 traditions and native customs, their actions were often 
 inexplicable to the v/hite strangers, and as a result 
 
 A MAORI CHIEF. 
 
 there were many collisions which a better acquaint- 
 ance on either side would have prevented. For 
 instance, it was a gross offence to touch any article 
 which was fapu, that is, which for some reason had 
 been placed under a ban, or which had been declared 
 sacred from the touch or eye. Constant and un- 
 conscious breaches of the Maori law were made by 
 strangers, and indeed it was only by great care that 
 they could be avoided. Any flagrant digression 
 
MAORI CHARACTER. 355 
 
 demanded tiiu, or atonement, which was only pro- 
 curable too frequently by the death of the offender. 
 
 Hence many barbarous and incomprehensible acts 
 of apparently inhuman revenge, for trivial matters, 
 were perpetrated, which in reality were instigated by 
 native customs that the Maoris felt constrained to 
 blindly obey. 
 
 One of the survivors of the crew of a brig which 
 was seized on the east coast in 1816 was killed for 
 lending a knife to a slave and afterwards breaking 
 the tapi which this had caused, by using the 
 same knife to cut food for a chief's mother. The 
 latter happened to die, and when the facts were made 
 know the tohunga (priest) had no doubt that the 
 breach of the tapu was the cause of her decease. A 
 council of the tribe was held, and the poor fellow was 
 sentenced to death, though the chief, who liked him 
 very much, did his best to save him. The tohunga 
 in an eloquent address, pointed out to the chief that 
 the gods would never be appeased if utu were not 
 exacted for breach of the tapu, and that the lot of his 
 friend was not really hard, for it would be an honour 
 to him to attend in the next world on so great a 
 chieftainess as the chief's dead mother, and to the 
 latter to have such an attendant. The chief's family 
 pride and filial affection were in this way successfully 
 appealed to, and the fate of the poor wTetch was 
 sealed. 
 
 This case serves to show much of the Maori 
 character. Superstitious and sensitive to a degree, 
 they have shown themselves nevertheless fearless and 
 in the main honourable as a race. With few excep- 
 
35^ THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 tions they jDroved as foes to be worthy of the highest 
 admiration, while as alHes they were warm and true 
 friends. Possessed of great intelligence and adapta- 
 bility, they lost no time in turning to account the 
 lessons in civilisation which were to be learnt from 
 their white visitors. Hongi and Waikato, the former, 
 perhaps, the greatest of their chiefs, having been taken 
 to England by one of the missionaries as early as 
 1820, were made much of, and loaded v/ith handsome 
 gifts ; but before their return to New Zealand they 
 converted all the presents which had been showered 
 upon them into muskets, and at once on landing in 
 their native country started on the war-path against 
 neighbouring tribes, with the result that their enemies 
 fell easy victims to their superior weapons. 
 
 The extreme fertility of the islands had in 1825 
 inspired persons in England with a desire to colonise 
 them, and towards the close of 1826 a vessel carry- 
 ing sixty settlers arrived under the command of 
 Captain Herd, who purchased two islands in the 
 Hauraki Gulf But fears of the attacks of the natives 
 discouraged the immigrants, and many of them left 
 the country at the first opportunity. Their appre- 
 hensions were not groundless, for in the following 
 year Hongi turned his newly acquired weapons 
 against those from whom they had been obtained, 
 and destroyed the mission station at Whangaroa. A 
 sort of guerilla warfare had long existed, but matters 
 now reached such a stage that peaceful occupation of 
 the country became impossible. There were faults 
 on both sides, and in 1831 thirteen chiefs appealed 
 to the English Government for protection from the 
 
358 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 traders and settlers, while at the same time the 
 Governor of New South Wales — under whose nominal 
 protection New Zealand at that time was — suggested 
 that it would be desirable that a Government 
 resident should be appointed without delay to look 
 after the affairs both of white men and Maoris, and 
 maintain some semblance of authority. Accordingly, 
 two years later, Mr. James Busby was appointed 
 Resident at the Bay of Islands, and shortly after- 
 wards Lieutenant McDonell, R.N., was sent in a 
 similar capacity to the settlement at Hokianga. 
 
 As yet the Imperial Government had not formally 
 annexed the islands, although Cook had hoisted 
 the British flag when he visited the country in 1770, 
 and an enterprising" foreigner, known as Baron 
 Hyppolitus de Thierry, issued a declaration in 1835 
 from the Marquesas Islands, one of which (Nu- 
 huneva) he had purchased, asserting that he was 
 " Sovereign Chief of New Zealand and King of 
 Nuhuneva." On receipt of this rather remarkable 
 news, Mr. Busby at once issued a counter address, in 
 which he directed the attention of the native chiefs to 
 this bold attempt to seize their country, and urged 
 them to offer a combined front to the usurper. A 
 meeting of all the principal chiefs was hastily con- 
 vened, and a declaration announcing the independence 
 of the Maoris, under the title of the " United Tribes 
 of New Zealand," was issued. A copy of this procla- 
 mation was forwarded to the Secretary of State, who 
 in answer announced that England would always 
 guard New Zealand from foreign aggression. 
 
 But here the responsibility of England ceased, and 
 
" THE UNITED TRIBES." 359 
 
 although anarchy still in a large measure prevailed in 
 New Zealand, no attempt was made to establish any 
 settled form of government. In spite of their readi- 
 ness to combine with Mr. Busby in protesting against 
 the claims of Baron de Thierry, the natives continued 
 to show hostility to the European missionaries and 
 traders ; and at last, in 1837, the Governor of New 
 South Wales despatched Captain Hobson in the 
 Rattlesnake to the Bay of Islands to examine into the 
 lawless occurrences which were alarmingly frequent 
 at Kororareka, the main settlement. At this sjjot a 
 considerable village had arisen, and there were already 
 about a thousand white inhabitants, while the bay was 
 crowded with whalers of all nationalities. Captain 
 Hobson fully confirmed the reports of the unsatis- 
 factory position of affairs, but remedial action was 
 still delayed, until in 1838 the inhabitants of Korora- 
 reka could wait no longer, and determined to take 
 the law into their own hands, and form a sort of 
 vigilance association for the punishment of crime and 
 the protection of life and property. This brought 
 matters to a crisis, for the Imperial Government saw 
 that the time had come when it must either take some 
 steps to create a proper administrative authority, or 
 must entirely abandon all pretence of protecting or 
 managing the settlement. 
 
 But further difficulties were ahead. Schemes for 
 colonisation were about this time extraordinarily 
 popular, and a company known as the New Zealand 
 Company, which afterwards became a great factor in 
 the affairs of the colony, was formed in London by 
 Lord Durham to undertake the systematic settlement 
 
360 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 of the unclaimed territory. Final arrangements were 
 completed by 1839, and the Tory with Colonel 
 William Wakefield and other officers of the New 
 Zealand Company on board, sailed from London, 
 after a quick passage reached its destination and 
 brought up in Queen Charlotte's Sound. The situa- 
 tion did not seem suitable, so weighing anchor the 
 pioneers sailed round to Port Nicholson, where Wake- 
 field took possession of the country in the name of 
 the company, a royal salute was fired, and the New 
 Zealand flag hoisted to commemorate the event. The 
 natives apparently welcomed the new-comers, and all 
 joined in a feast at which the utmost goodwill pre- 
 vailed. Colonel Wakefield, ignorant of Maori customs, 
 and particularly of their laws relating to the possession 
 of the land, at once proceeded to acquire large tracts 
 of country in the name of the company, for the use 
 of intending settlers. Sailing along the coast, he 
 speedily procured an area of about twenty million 
 acres extending on the west to Taranaki, and along 
 the east coast to Hawke's Bay, at the same time he 
 bought from a chief named Rauparaha the valley 
 of the Wairau in the south island. 
 
 In these transactions was laid the foundation of 
 much future trouble. In the honest belief that the 
 land belonged to the chiefs and others who treated 
 with him, Wakefield had paid the price agreed upon, 
 but he was unaware of the fact that each tribe had 
 its own traditional boundaries, that the customs with 
 regard to ownership were most intricate, and that the 
 natives regarded the possession of the soil as of the 
 highest importance. Few Europeans at that time 
 
THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY. 361 
 
 and for many years afterwards understood the posi- 
 tion. The land was held by the natives upon a com- 
 munistic basis, and though there were rights of occu- 
 pation belonging to individuals, the soil belonged to 
 the tribes, and could not be parted with except upon 
 the authority of the whole. The question of the 
 acquisition of land was the cause of nearly all the 
 subsequent difficulties with the Maoris, and their 
 tribal customs on the subject were most difficult to 
 overcome. 
 
 Shortly after the despatch of the Torj/, four other 
 ships followed with a large number of intending 
 settlers. By the following year no less than twelve 
 hundred colonists had arrived at the port ; the 
 town of Wellington was subsequently founded, and 
 a second independent provisional government estab- 
 lished. When news of the steps which had been 
 taken by the New Zealand Company became public 
 in London, there was great consternation at the 
 Colonial Office, and it was at last realised that it 
 would be impossible for the Government to elude any 
 longer its responsibility with regard to the colony. 
 Hastily letters-patent were prepared, extending the 
 boundaries of New South Wales so as to include the 
 two islands, and Captain Hobson was despatched to 
 hoist the Union Jack and take charge of the settle- 
 ment as Lieutenant-Governor. As soon as he had 
 landed he issued a proclamation inviting both British 
 subjects and native chiefs to meet him in conference 
 at an early date, and when they had assembled he 
 read his commission and two proclamations issued by 
 the Governor of New South Wales, asserting the 
 
362 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 Queen's authority in the colony, and the illegality of 
 any transactions in land which had not received the 
 confirmation of the Government. Soon afterwards 
 another meeting was arranged with the chiefs of the 
 north island, at Waitangi, Mr. Busby's station, and a 
 draft treaty was presented to the natives for signature, 
 by which the sovereignty of New Zealand was ceded 
 to Great Britain, while in return their proprietary 
 interests in the soil were fully preserved, and all 
 transfers of property to British subjects would have 
 to be sanctioned by the Lieutenant-Governor. It was 
 also arranged that the pre-emption of Maori lands — 
 ?>., the first right of purchase — should be vested in 
 the Crown. The treaty was largely signed by those 
 present ; and then in order to obtain the names of as 
 many chiefs as possible in ratification, it was handed 
 to missionaries and agents to be carried through the 
 country and submitted to all who had not attended 
 the meeting. The Lieutenant-Governor himself 
 visited Hokianga and other places for the same pur- 
 pose ; and on May 21st in the same year the 
 sovereignty of the Queen was proclaimed over the 
 islands, and Major Bunbury and Captain Nias, R.N,, 
 hoisted the English flag at Cloudy Bay. 
 
 The Secretary of State had been hastened in his 
 action by fears of the intention of the French to 
 seize New Zealand — fears which proved to be well 
 founded, for in October, 1839, two ships, the Comte de 
 Paris and the frigate VAitbe, had sailed for Akaroa, 
 in the middle island, and rights had been granted to 
 a colonisation company known as the Nanto-Borde- 
 laise. Captain Stanley was hastily sent round to 
 
FEAR OF FRENCH COLONISATION. 363 
 
 Akaroa to unfurl the English flag and take possession 
 before the ships could reach the place, and he had 
 only just accomplished his mission when the French- 
 men hove in sight. 
 
 During the next few years new settlements were 
 founded all over the islands, more especially at 
 Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Nelson, and in 1841 
 New Zealand was proclaimed an independent colony, 
 and Hobson was raised to the rank of Governor. He 
 survived his promotion however but a short time, and 
 Captain Fitzroy was appointed in his stead. Shortly 
 before Fitzroy's arrival an affray occurred with the 
 natives at Wairau, arising out of the purchase of 
 land previously referred to. Some surveyors were 
 engaged in laying out farms in the Wairau Valley 
 when suddenly the chief Te Rauparaha, who claimed 
 the land, protested against the progress of the work, 
 and threatened violence should they attempt to pro- 
 ceed. Colonel Wakefield, persuaded that the com- 
 pany's claim was good, appealed to the authorities, 
 and the police magistrate with a force of police, 
 special constables, and others, made an attempt to 
 arrest the chief The natives resisted, and the con- 
 stables were put to rout, seventeen of the surveyors 
 and police being massacred, although they offered to 
 surrender unconditionally. Amongst those slain was 
 Captain Arthur Wakefield, R.N., the leader of the 
 Nelson settlement. 
 
 A general panic ensued amongst all the inhabitants 
 of the district. This sudden outbreak on the part of 
 the Maoris had, moreover, a very serious effect on the 
 prospects of the colony indirectly, for the tide of 
 
364 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 immigration which had been steadily increasing pre- 
 vious to the occurrence, suddenly ceased, and no one 
 could be induced to come to settle in a country where 
 there was no security for life or property, and where 
 at any moment they might be attacked by what they 
 regarded as a barbarous race of savages. The public 
 finances consequently fell into sore straits, and when 
 the new Governor arrived in December, 1843, he 
 found the treasury empty and already liabilities in- 
 curred equal in amount to twelve months' probable 
 revenue. But before anything could be done to 
 alleviate the general distress, it was necessary to take 
 some steps to reassure the settlers ; so the Governor 
 visited Wellington and Nelson, where he made per- 
 sonal inquiries into the Wairau conflict, and to con- 
 ciliate the natives, issued a proclamation consenting 
 not to enforce the pre-emptive right, granted to the 
 Government by the treaty of Waitangi, to purchase 
 lands in certain portions of the country. At the 
 same time he sought to appease the settlers by 
 issuing permission for private individuals to complete 
 bargains with the natives on a minimum payment ot 
 ten shillings an acre to the Crown ; and when this 
 concession did not appear sufficient, a further reduc- 
 tion to one penny per acre was made in the royalty 
 demanded. Several transactions were completed on 
 these terms, but as this was directly contrary to 
 existing laws, the Imperial Government despatched a 
 Special Commissioner, Mr. Spain, to inquire into the 
 whole land question, and to open courts in the colony 
 to decide claims and disputes with regard to land 
 purchases. 
 
WAR WITH HONE HERE. 365 
 
 The success of the Wairau adventure roused the 
 temper of the native tribes, and though they still, as 
 a rule, outwardly appeared friendly, and contented 
 with the treaty of Waitangi, their respect for the 
 power of the white man had vanished, and there were 
 evidences that it required very little to cause a repeti- 
 tion of the outbreak. Before long the unsettled feel- 
 ing culminated in the north in open war. Hone 
 Heke — a son-in-law of the great chief Hongi, who 
 was now dead — had become impressed with the sig- 
 nificance of the flagstaff and standard at Kororareka, 
 as an emblem of the authority of the foreigner, and 
 was urgent in his efforts to stir up his followers and 
 allies to destroy the token, which he assured them 
 would in its downfall carry with it the supremacy of 
 the invader. Having collected a small force, he 
 came down to Kororareka, and after waiting a couple 
 of days in the neighbourhood, stole up to the flag- 
 staff and cut it down. The matter was at first looked 
 upon rather as a freak than a direct menace ; but the 
 Governor, without delay, sought reinforcements from 
 New South Wales, and a small detachment was sent 
 from Auckland to strengthen the garrison at the 
 scene of the disturbance. Again the flagstaff was 
 erected, and this time guarded day and night by 
 soldiers. 
 
 But Hone Heke was determined not to be deterred, 
 and coming suddenly upon the guard with two 
 hundred warriors, he defeated the soldiers, and in 
 triumph carried off the flag. Further reinforcements 
 were at once sent up, as the position appeared to be 
 becoming serious. The Governor himself visited the 
 
366 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 district, and endeavoured to explain to the natives 
 that the intention of the Imperial Government was 
 entirely peaceful ; but nevertheless, as a sign of his 
 displeasure at their action, he demanded the sur- 
 render of their weapons. A few complied, but Hone 
 Heke scorned to take any part in the proceedings 
 and made no secret of the fact that he would continue 
 his hostility, and would never rest as long as the 
 obnoxious flag waved in the breeze. While these 
 events were occurring, a war-party visited Wanganui 
 and made hostile demonstrations, and a warship was 
 ordered round to overawe the natives. 
 
 The Governor meantime having done all he could, 
 retired from Kororareka to Auckland, but no sooner 
 was his back turned than Hone Heke again set to 
 work to accomplish the downfall of the flagstaff. He 
 sent a message to the officer in command that on a 
 particular night he would at once proceed to the hill 
 and repeat his outrage to the symbol of British 
 authority. But the warning was disregarded and 
 made light of, and although the ordinary watch was 
 kept, no special preparations were made to meet 
 a sudden attack. When, therefore, in the dead of 
 night. Hone Heke's natives once more climbed the 
 hill, no effective resistance could be offered, and the 
 obnoxious flagstaff fell under the warrior's axe. But 
 on this occasion Hone Heke did not confine his 
 attack to the flagstaff. The efforts of the guard to 
 defend their charge was met by a furious onslaught, 
 and the whole of the garrison having been utterly 
 routed by the Maoris, the victors descended upon the 
 town, which was set on fire. The greatest confusion 
 
SETTLERS AT PORT NICHOLSON. 367 
 
 followed ; but the natives offered every assistance to 
 the settlers in saving their property from the burning 
 buildings, after which the colonists retreated to the 
 ships in the harbour. 
 
 Application had been made by the Governor for 
 reinforcements from Sydney, and as the vessels from 
 Kororareka entered Auckland harbour, it was believed 
 that they were the looked-for troops. The result, 
 when the truth became known, was a panic amongst 
 the residents, who believed that Heke would at once 
 march on the capital. But Waka Hene, with a 
 friendly band of natives kept the insurgents in check, 
 and shortly afterwards the expected reinforcements 
 arrived. The Governor determined to prosecute at 
 once a campaign against Heke, and the necessary 
 forces were despatched to the Bay of Islands. After 
 several small skirmishes Heke's strongly fortified /c^/5 
 at Ohaewai, was evacuated, and he and his followers 
 fled. This ended Heke's war for the time being, and 
 the Governor was able to turn his attention to the 
 south, which was now the scene of great unrest. 
 
 The natives had welcomed the new settlers at Port 
 Nicholson ; but, as soon as the latter proceeded to 
 take possession of the land purchased by Colonel 
 Wakefield, trouble arose, and in many cases the 
 Maoris refused to give up possession. The attitude 
 of the natives was indeed such that the settlers were 
 prepared for almost any emergency, and took every 
 possible precaution against an outbreak. What had 
 originally been a peaceful agricultural settlement was 
 now surrounded by earthworks, while the settlers 
 were drilled and formed into militia. But the 
 
3^8 
 
 THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 
 
 Governor feared that these preparations might have 
 an irritating effect upon the natives and forbade the 
 assembling of settlers in large bodies, except under 
 the direction of some responsible Government officer. 
 This step, combined with the general state of appre- 
 hension and financial stringency, caused great dis- 
 content, and Fitzroy speedily became unpopular. A 
 petition was sent to the Imperial Government by the 
 Port Nicholson settlers, praying for his recall, and the 
 Secretary of State for the Colonies, being impressed 
 with the necessity for a change, despatched Captain 
 George Grey, who has already been mentioned in 
 connection with South Australia, as his successor. 
 
XXIX. 
 
 EVENTS FROM 1 846 TO 1 86 1. 
 
 The outlook when Grey arrived was not promising, 
 but he immediately applied himself with character- 
 istic energy to the task of bringing order out of 
 confusion. He informed the Secretary of State of 
 his intention to keep on friendly terms with the 
 principal chiefs, who would, where possible, be pen- 
 sioned and made magistrates in their own districts. 
 He had about six hundred and fifty soldiers at his 
 disposal and authority to draw on the Imperial 
 treasury if necessary, so that he was able to speedily 
 bring about an improvement in the colony's affairs. 
 Direct purchase of lands from the Maoris by private 
 individuals was stopped, and sixty natives were 
 enrolled under European officers as a police force. 
 The friendly tribes under Waka Hene were granted 
 rations, and the Executive Council passed an 
 ordinance prohibiting the sale of firearms to natives. 
 This measure having been adopted, Grey issued a 
 proclamation to the natives to the effect that all who 
 failed, when it was in their power, to render active aid 
 to the Government, would be regarded as enemies, 
 and that neutrality would be construed as hostility. 
 
 25 369 
 
370 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 A few days later active operations against Heke, 
 and another chief Kawiti (who had joined him), were 
 commenced, with a force of nearly twelve hundred 
 men, including artillery. Heke was at Kaikohe and 
 Kawiti held a strong />a/i, known as Ruapekapeka, 
 which it was necessary to capture at all hazards as it 
 was of strategical importance. Some friendly tribes, 
 therefore, kept Heke in check while operations were 
 directed against Kawiti, and, after several unsuccess- 
 ful attempts, one Sunday morning while the natives 
 within Ruapekapeka were engaged in worship, the 
 soldiers made an attack, and after three hours' 
 desperate fighting carried the fortifications. There 
 were serious losses on both sides, but Heke, who had 
 arrived just prior to the attack with sixty men, 
 escaped. The engagement, however, was decisive, 
 and he and his followers were scattered far and wide. 
 A garrison of two hundred soldiers was left at the 
 Bay of Islands, and Grey with the remainder of his 
 force returned to Auckland. This ended Heke's war, 
 which was the only serious trouble with the powerful 
 tribes north of Auckland ; as the terms of peace 
 were generous Heke settled at Kaikohe, and after- 
 wards proved himself a warm friend of the Euro- 
 peans. 
 
 Hardly had Grey arrived in Auckland when news 
 was received of fresh disturbances, this time with the 
 natives of the Hutt Valley. He at once hastened 
 south with five hundred soldiers in the hope that the 
 disorder might be nipped in the bud by a display of 
 force. The soldiers were therefore promptly marched 
 up the valley ; but the rebels under Rangihaeta, on 
 
GOVERNOR GREY AND THE NATIVES. 371 
 
 the approach of the troops, retreated to an inaccessible 
 pa/i, where it was useless to attack them. Grey with- 
 drew ; but a strong garrison remained to guard the 
 settlers. The natives quietly awaited a favourable 
 opportunity for attack, and shortly surprised and 
 routed some fifty soldiers who were stationed under 
 Lieutenant Page at a farm in the valley. Em- 
 boldened by their success, a month later they fell 
 upon a detachment of the 99th Regiment which was 
 reconnoitring their position, and then began a series 
 of murders. A general panic spread amongst the 
 colonists in the Wellington district, and some fled 
 to the town while others erected stockades and 
 fortified their dwellings. Meanwhile Rangihaeta 
 never gave the troops a chance of a decisive engage- 
 ment, and always fell back when they appeared in 
 strength. 
 
 Amongst the friendly natives was the chief Raupa- 
 raha, previously referred to, who was ostensibly a 
 warm ally of the Europeans ; but Grey had reason to 
 believe that he and other chiefs were secretly aiding 
 the insurgents, and so captured him and his com- 
 panions in perfidy at Porirua and detained them as 
 prisoners on H.M.S. Calliope. This, as was expected, 
 had a disheartening effect on Rangihaeta, who left 
 \{\?, pah at Pahautanui and moved to the head of the 
 Horokiwi Valley, a position from which he was easily 
 dislodged. Pursued from place to place, his band 
 was finally dispersed, and the campaign brought to a 
 close. 
 
 Grey was now able to devote his attention to 
 matters of internal reform. In almost every depart- 
 
372 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 ment of Government, affairs were in great disorder, ir 
 fact one of the first steps necessary was the repudiation 
 of many of the acts of his predecessor. He declared 
 void any land purchases in which he considered the 
 natives had been unfairly treated, and decided also 
 to cancel the Crown grants of several blocks issued 
 by Fitzroy, in excess of 2,560 acres, the area prescribed 
 by law as the maximum amount to be held by one 
 grantee. Acts such as these necessarily brought him 
 into collision with many of the settlers, and more 
 particularly with the missionaries who had acquired 
 extensive estates and were consequently the principal 
 sufferers. In a despatch to the Colonial Office he 
 expressed the opinion that the Imperial Government 
 might rest assured that these individuals could not 
 be put in possession of their land without a large 
 expenditure of British blood and money, a statement 
 which caused great excitement throughout the 
 colony. The missionaries, who by this time had 
 become a powerful class on account of their influence 
 with the natives, were indignant. A long and bitter 
 controversy followed ; but a test case, which was 
 brought before the Supreme Court, resulted in a 
 victory for the Crown, the grants in excess of the 
 legal limit were declared void, and much of the land 
 in the neighbourhood of Auckland consequently 
 reverted to the State. 
 
 Grey now became practically all powerful in the 
 country, and his autocratic acts brought him into 
 conflict with many of the most influential settlers. 
 The colony was filled with discontent ; but under 
 his rule New Zealand made rapid progress, and 
 
WAR IN THE WARGANUI DISTRICT. 373 
 
 appeared to be in a condition of prosperity and 
 peace. With the improved order of things, speedily 
 came a rapid increase of population. But this happy 
 state of affairs was not to last long and trouble was 
 once more experienced with the natives. This time 
 the seat of disturbance was the Wanganui district, 
 where Mrs. Gilfillan and four of her children were 
 murdered by the Maoris. The town of Wanganui 
 was also attacked, but the natives were repulsed with 
 little loss on the European side. Grey hastened to 
 the scene. A few miles above the town six hundred 
 natives had entrenched themselves ; but the tribes of 
 the lower Wanganui readily came to his assistance 
 and offered to march against the insurgents. The 
 rebels retreated before the Government forces up the 
 river, to a point beyond which it was not considered 
 advisable to pursue them, and shortly afterwards they 
 naively informed Colonel McCleverty, who was in 
 command of the forces at Wanganui, that they could 
 not face his artillery, and as there was no use in con- 
 tinuing the war, they had decided to give it up. 
 
 The threatened trouble thus passed, and Grey, 
 with the intention of once for all settling the native 
 difficulty, visited Taranaki, where he found the 
 Maoris extortionate and insolent. He was firm, 
 though reasonable, in his demands ; he informed 
 them that he should take for the Queen all the land 
 which he considered was not required for their use, 
 and appoint a commission to fix the value. For the 
 time being matters were smoothed over, but it was 
 only for a time. Wiremi Kingi, a native chief of 
 great influence, who had assisted to quell the dis- 
 
374 
 
 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 turbances in the Wellington district, claimed ances- 
 tral rights to land at Waitara, in the Taranaki district, 
 and though stating that it was not his desire to cause 
 trouble, he expressed his intention of coming to settle 
 upon it. Accordingly, in the following year he, with 
 six hundred of his tribe, migrated to Waitara, a step 
 
 A MAORI DWELLING. 
 
 which subsequently caused great trouble between the 
 natives and the Government. At this time, however, 
 nothing unpleasant resulted from his action, and 
 Grey was enabled once more to turn his attention to 
 matters of internal policy. 
 
 A movement had commenced some time previously 
 
NEW ZEALAND Government Bill. 375 
 
 in favour of responsible government, and, in 1846, 
 as a result of the agitation, the New Zealand Govern- 
 ment Bill was passed through the Imperial Parlia- 
 ment. By this measure a Charter was issued 
 dividing the colony into two provinces, and making 
 provision for the establishment of representative 
 institutions. These divisions were named New 
 Ulster and New Munster; the former comprising 
 almost the whole of the northern island, and the 
 latter the country near Cook's Sti'aits, together with 
 the middle and southern islands. Each province was 
 to have a separate Executive Council, and a Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor to command under the Governor-in- 
 chief, while a General Legislative Council was to 
 make laws for the whole colony. On the recom- 
 mendation of Grey, the operation of the Act was 
 suspended for five years, though, as the Charter was 
 still in force, the General Council was called to- 
 gether. It soon became evident that the new body 
 and the Governor could not work in harmony, and 
 after two years of stormy existence, the Council 
 ceased to exist. There was of course much dis- 
 appointment at the loss of autonomy, when it seemed 
 so nearly in the grasp of the inhabitants, and the 
 agitation was continued. 
 
 The great improvement which was meantime 
 talking place in the aspect of affairs in New Zealand 
 had caused a revival of the schemes for colonisation, 
 and during the next few j-ears numerous settlements 
 were established by associations formed in the United 
 Kingdom. Most of these enterprises had been con- 
 templated sometime previously, but the trying ordeal 
 
376 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 through which the colony had passed had delayed 
 their execution. At Otago 400,000 acres of land were 
 purchased, under the auspices of the Free Church 
 Association of Scotland; and in 1847 two ships, the 
 Jo/m Wy cliff e and Philip Lang, dropped anchor at 
 Port Chalmers. Most of the immigrants who arrived 
 in these vessels were Scotch Presbyterians, and 
 Captain William Cargill, of the 74th Regiment, was 
 their leader. By their efforts the town of Dunedin 
 was founded. The Church of England had its special 
 colonisation scheme, and, with the Governor's sanction, 
 obtained land in what is now the province of Canter- 
 bury, and established the town of Christchurch. 
 Colonies were also founded at Onehunga, Tauraki, 
 and other places, under the direct supervision of the 
 Governor, consisting entirely of military pensioners 
 to the number of five hundred, with their wives and 
 families. 
 
 Grey used every effort to induce the settlers to 
 make full use of the great natural resources of the 
 colony. Phojnnium teiiax, the New Zealand flax, 
 was extensively cultivated, while the changes made 
 by the Governor in the price of Crown lands, whereby 
 it was reduced from ;^i to los. or 5s. per acre, led to 
 the establishment of small farms, more especially in 
 the Wairarapa district. Commerce increased with 
 great rapidity, and in 1853 the first steam merchant- 
 man entered New Zealand waters. But this period 
 of prosperity was interrupted by other and unlooked- 
 for misfortunes. First a severe earthquake in the 
 southern part of the north island frightened the 
 inhabitants, and did considerable damage ; and then 
 
MATERIAL PROGRESS. 377 
 
 the gold discoveries in California led to an exodus of 
 some of the best class of settlers, and caused for a 
 time grave apprehension in the minds of those who 
 had the colony's interests at heart. This efflux was 
 increased when gold was found in New South Wales 
 and Victoria, and so serious did the position appear 
 to be, that a reward of ;^500 was offered to any one 
 who should discover a payable gold-field within New 
 Zealand territory. In 1852 the precious metal had 
 been met with in small quantities at Coromandel, 
 but no payable field was found till five years later. 
 
 The great growth of the colony had in the interim 
 made it undesirable that the old charter which had been 
 granted to the New Zealand Company should continue. 
 For some years there had been continuous conflict 
 between the executive authority and the officers of 
 the company, and at last it was determined by the 
 Imperial Government to take over the whole of the 
 interests of the company, and, in spite of Grey's 
 opposition, the colony became responsible for a debt 
 of i^268,000, to meet the cost of the transaction, 
 which was made a special provision of the Constitu- 
 tion Act. Never before had their relations with the 
 natives appeared to wear so peaceful an aspect. 
 Both Heke and Rauparaha had died, urging their 
 followers to remain faithful to their compact with the 
 Europeans, and on all hands the relations between 
 the two races were most amicable. 
 
 Meanwhile, the movement in favour of the estab- 
 lishment of representative government had steadily 
 advanced, and some progress towards the attainment 
 of this end had been made by the granting of 
 
378 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO l86i. 
 
 municipal or " borough " government ; the duties 
 assigned to which were very large, and included not 
 only the construction of local public works, and the 
 control of the police, education, hospitals, and charit- 
 able institutions, but the establishment of sessional 
 courts of justice with limited jurisdiction, and the 
 power to levy rates on real and personal property in 
 order to obtain the requisite funds. Grey, who had 
 assisted in the formation of this scheme, before long 
 saw the necessity for carr5/ing it further, and in 1851 
 recommended the Imperial Government to establish 
 an entirely new constitution, to replace that granted 
 previously under the suspended Act. 
 
 In 1852 a Bill was passed, which contained several 
 new principles, introduced by members of the House 
 of Commons, who apparently had little knowledge of 
 the circumstances of the colony. By its provisions 
 the colony was divided into five provinces ; each 
 province having its own superintendent and pro- 
 vincial council. There was to be a General Legis- 
 lature to deal with matters of common concern, 
 consisting of a Legislative Council, composed of 
 members nominated by the Crown for life, and a 
 House of Representatives elected by the people for 
 five years. The Provincial Councils were to be 
 elected by the inhabitants, and were to consist of a 
 minimum of nine members. In 1853 the new consti- 
 tution was formally proclaimed, and Grey remained 
 just long enough to see it introduced. After eight 
 years' service in New Zealand he was transferred 
 to Cape Colony, and his departure was made the 
 occasion for a warm demonstration of esteem, particu- 
 
DEPARTURE OF GREY. 379 
 
 larly by the natives. Grey, in his long administration, 
 made many enemies, but he certainly steered the 
 colony through a most trying period. He had found 
 it in the midst of native troubles, with an empty 
 exchequer, and a general feeling of despondency 
 pervading the settlers ; he left it in a state of perfect 
 peace and prosperity. 
 
 The reins of government during the initiation of 
 the new representative system were by Grey's re- 
 moval placed in the hands of the officer commanding 
 the troops, Colonel Wynyard, who held office for 
 about fifteen months. The elections were duly held, 
 and Parliament met for the first time on May 24, 
 1854. It was immediately seen that the new consti- 
 tution was not to be received with perfect acclaim ; 
 the chief objection being that the Act did not pro- 
 vide that members of the Executive Council should be 
 necessarily members of the Legislature. Consequently 
 the existing council continued to hold office, but none 
 of its members held a seat in either House, and there 
 was thus no control over the ministry by Parliament, 
 except by the refusal of supplies. The matter was a 
 subject of stormy debate when Parliament met, but 
 the acting Governor pointed out that, under the Con- 
 stitution Act, he had no power to supersede the 
 Executive Council, which was in existence before the 
 Act had been passed ; but in order to satisfy the 
 Legislature, he added to the executive three members 
 of the House of Representatives. Their position, how- 
 ever, on account of their entire want of power, became 
 intolerable, and after seven weeks they resigned. 
 
 At the end of three months nothing had been done 
 
380 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 by the new houses, and Wynyard decided to pro- 
 rogue Parhament for a short time, with a promise to 
 urge the Imperial Government to pass a Bill enab- 
 ling the appointment of responsible ministers. With 
 the message conveying this intimation to the house 
 came another which it was believed contained the 
 official notice of prorogation, but the first message 
 having been read, the house was moved into com- 
 mittee nominally to consider it, but really to prevent 
 the immediate reading of the second. A hot debate 
 ensued, and resolutions were passed denouncing any 
 attempt to rule without the authority of Parlia- 
 ment, and threatening all officers who should dare to 
 disburse money without parliamentary sanction. The 
 doors of the chamber were locked to prevent any one 
 from entering with an open message of prorogation, 
 and one member who was admitted, but was believed 
 to hold a copy of the Gazette containing the proclama- 
 tion, was assaulted and declared guilty of contempt. 
 Eventually a permanent committee having been 
 appointed to watch the proceedings of the Governor 
 during the recess, Parliament was formally prorogued 
 for a fortnight and in the interval four other members 
 of the house were added to the Executive Council. 
 
 When Parliament assembled again, Wynyard in- 
 timated that it was proposed to make certain altera- 
 tions in the Constitution Act, though no change was 
 suggested in regard to the Executive Council. An 
 amendment on the address in reply was carried by 
 twenty-two votes to four declaring that the house 
 had no confidence in a mixed executive of the kind 
 of men in office, and the four new ministers after 
 
TARANAKI DIFFICULTIES. 381 
 
 holding their seats three days resigned. Having thus 
 protested, members set seriously to work, and before 
 the commencement of the following session Wyn- 
 yard had received authority to accept a responsible 
 ministry, on condition that the old executive were 
 granted pensions, to which they were entitled by 
 Imperial regulations. After a short session, there- 
 fore, Parliament was dissolved with a view to enab- 
 ling the constituencies to express their views on the 
 subject of the appointment of responsible ministers. 
 
 Colonel Gore Browne was appointed Governor in 
 1855 ; he had only been in New Zealand a very 
 short time when trouble with the Taranaki natives 
 once more arose. A number of the Taranaki Maoris 
 had formed a league, binding themselves not to sell 
 land to Europeans, and consequently quarrels between 
 the two races became common. Things were further 
 complicated by other natives who, being willing to 
 dispose of their land, fell out with the league ; 
 these coming into conflict, several intertribal fights 
 occurred. But Wiremi Kingi guaranteed that no 
 European should suffer in consequence, and the 
 Government did not interfere. The neutrality of the 
 Governor in these disputes, however, was regarded by 
 the settlers as evidence of an intention on his part to 
 prevent the colonists from acquiring land, and caused 
 widespread discontent. Browne visited Taranaki, but 
 failed to reconcile the hostile tribes, and reported to 
 the Colonial Office that the Maoris regarded the new 
 Parliament with distrust, and that in the existing 
 state of affairs troops to the number of 1,600 and 
 a man-of-war were necessary, as he foresaw danger. 
 
3S2 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 The result of the constant conflicts between the 
 natives, and the desire on the part of some of them 
 to combine for defence against the increasing power 
 of the pakeJia led at this time to the initiation of a 
 new movement amongst them, afterwards known as 
 Kingism, which commenced without any apparent 
 disloyalty, but eventually developed into a serious 
 cause of trouble. Some of the most important chiefs 
 saw that the new constitution made no provision for 
 the representation or internal government of the 
 Maoris themselves, though power was given to deal 
 with all matters between natives and Europeans ; and 
 as they considered that their chiefs were not receiv- 
 ing that deference and appreciation which their mana 
 entitled them to and that the nationality of their 
 people was being undermined, a meeting was held 
 in 1856 to discuss proposals for establishing a king- 
 ship over the natives. No immediate action followed, 
 but soon afterwards while their dignity was still 
 suffering, Wi Tamihana, one of the greatest and 
 most intelligent of the chiefs, went to Auckland to 
 interview the Governor with the object of obtaining 
 a small loan to put up a flour-mill. Instead of meet- 
 ing with a warm personal reception, as his rank would 
 have commanded from previous Governors, every- 
 thing was done through the new native department ; 
 and not only was the loan refused, but he did not see 
 the Governor at all. This brought matters to a head. 
 The dignity of the rangitij'a was offended, and the 
 natives saw in the action of the Governor a step 
 towards their disintegration as a nation. 
 
 Wi Tamihana sent to the Waikato chiefs, informing 
 
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384 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 them that his tribe had determined to make Te 
 Whero Whero their king, and asking them to join 
 in the movement. The selection was good, for Te 
 Whero Whero, one of the oldest and best friends of 
 the Europeans, was a chief of the highest rank, of 
 large influence, and renowned amongst the Maoris as 
 a man of great wisdom. The movement was taken 
 up readily .by Te Heu Heu, Renata, and other 
 friendly leaders, and was regarded by those Euro- 
 peans best able to form an opinion as implying no 
 disloyalty. But the matter assumed great importance 
 in official eyes, and the Governor went to meet Te 
 Whero Whero at Rangiriri. Here a large native 
 meeting was held shortly afterwards, and the old 
 chief told the Governor frankly that he believed they 
 must have a king or some central authority amongst 
 themselves to uphold the law ; but he also asked for 
 a native magistrate to guide and teach them. 
 
 At a subsequent meeting, it was decided, after a 
 great deal of talking, that Te Whero Whero should 
 be appointed king, and Mr. F. D. Fenton, who was 
 present to represent the Governor, was appointed to 
 establish a suitable local government system amongst 
 the Maoris and to act as resident magistrate at 
 Whangaroa. Unfortunately there was a conflict of 
 authority and opinion between Mr. Fenton (as the 
 representative of the Governor) and the native de- 
 partment of the executive, and much was done which 
 rendered that gentleman's work nugatory. For in- 
 stance, he was sent to the Waikato country but with- 
 out instructions to consult Te Whero Whero, although 
 obliged to pass near to Te Whero Whero's village 
 
THE "king" movement. 385 
 
 on his way, and the old chief regarded this as a direct 
 and intentional slight to himself. He therefore, 
 though then and to the day of his death receiving a 
 pension from the Government, openly accepted the 
 kingship under the title of Potatau. He was in- 
 stalled at Ngaruawahia with much native ceremony, 
 and many of the tribes sent in their submission. 
 
 The news of the appointment of the king came 
 during the sitting of Parliament, and was variously 
 received. Amongst those who more clearly com- 
 prehended the native mind, it was understood to 
 be, as intended, a movement to build up a greater 
 national feeling amongst the Maoris, and to establish 
 a self-governing system under the supreme authority 
 of the Governor, with a special desire for some 
 central point to which they might appeal in land 
 disputes and other matters. But the Governor, who 
 was an old Indian officer, thought otherwise, and 
 being badly advised, treated the movement as hostile. 
 It. is, however, a matter of fact that from this time 
 the tribal disputes and incessant feuds ceased, the 
 natives acted more as one nation and their aspira- 
 tions appeared to turn towards a higher civilisation 
 upon European models. At the same time there 
 were undoubtedly those amongst the natives who 
 desired to prohibit entirely the sale of land to 
 Europeans and to combine the Maoris for aggressive 
 purposes. Meanwhile the restrictions imposed by 
 Grey on the sale of firearms to the natives were 
 removed on the plea that they induced smuggling, 
 and the Maoris eagerly took advantage of the con- 
 cession and bought all the arms they could obtain. 
 
 26 
 
386 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 Some intertribal disputes occurred about this time 
 between a party headed by one Ihaia, and another 
 under a chief named Katatore — who was aided by 
 Wiremi Kingi — in connection with the Waitara lands 
 in Taranaki. The settlers sided with Ihaia, who was 
 willing to sell his land, and desired the Governor to 
 put an end to the trouble by supporting his claims. 
 But Governor Browne sought a solution of the difficulty 
 by offering to convey Ihaia and his people to the 
 Chatham Islands. Ihaia at first agreed, but afterwards 
 refused, and having made peace with Kingi settled on 
 land some fifteen or twenty miles from the Waitara 
 River. The colonists still pressed the Government 
 to acquire land for settlement, but Browne on 
 the advice of Bishop Selwyn (who was highly 
 respected by the natives), Chief Justice Martin, and 
 other men of special experience, came to the con- 
 clusion that much harm would be done by any 
 attempt to take possession by force, and therefore 
 declined to interfere. 
 
 After a time, Browne again visited Taranaki, and 
 expressed his willingness to purchase land, and at a 
 meeting of a friendly character with the natives, one 
 Teira came forward and offered to sell certain land 
 on the south bank of Waitara ; whereupon Wiremi 
 Kingi rose and, stating that the land was under his 
 authority, declined to agree to the purchase ; he then 
 at once withdrew. His action was taken as indi- 
 cating want of respect to the Governor, although 
 it was simply a Maori method of showing that 
 the matter was at an end, and that further dis- 
 cussion was useless. The Governor was urged to 
 
MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED. 387 
 
 maintain his own authority and assert the Queen's 
 sovereignty, and was influenced by these repre- 
 sentations. The right of Wiremi Kingi to pro- 
 hibit the sale was disallowed, though the Maoris 
 asserted that he had a mana over the land, which, 
 however, Teira in accordance with Maori usage, had 
 the right to occupy. Thus a combination of ignor- 
 ance of native customs and a mistaken sense of 
 dignity once more led to a war, which might easily 
 have been averted by the exercise of a little tact. 
 Investigation a few years later showed that Kingi 
 had acted perfectly within his rights, and that Teira's 
 action was taken out of revenge over a domestic 
 matter. 
 
 The Governor directed the survey of the block 
 to be made, but when three months later the sur- 
 veyors set to work they were driven off the land, 
 not violently, but by a crowd of the ugliest and most 
 objectionable old women of the tribe who kissed and 
 hugged them till they fled, and then destroyed their 
 pegs, and obliterated the boundary lines. Governor 
 Browne, after consulting his ministers, thereupon 
 proclaimed martial law in Taranaki, and possession 
 was taken of the land by the military. The Maoris 
 demanded an inquiry into the circumstances, but the 
 Governor, considering that the question was now one 
 of the Queen's sovereignty, which must be vindicated, 
 declined. Passive resistance was at first offered 
 by Kingi's people, but at last they erected a pah 
 on the land, which was bombarded and eventually 
 abandoned. Murders by the natives took place as 
 was usual at the commencement of a war, and the 
 
Pi s 
 
THE FIBST ENGAGEMENT. 389 
 
 military and local volunteers were speedily in the 
 field. 
 
 The first engagement occurred at Waireka, where, 
 owing to the assistance of sailors from H.M.S. Niger, 
 a paJi was captured. A great meeting of the 
 Waikatos was meanwhile held at Ngaruawahia, at 
 which sympathy with Kingi was shown, the opinion 
 being generally expressed that the Governor should 
 have held an inquiry before acting as he had done. 
 Sympathy with Kingi spread rapidly, and troops were 
 brought from various quarters in anticipation of an 
 open rebellion. A severe repulse was met with 
 before Puketekauere, and the troops in Taranaki 
 were consequently increased to a strength of nearly two 
 thousand. Owing to the difficulty of transport in a 
 wild country without roads, no active operations were 
 instituted until further reinforcements had arrived 
 from India and China. Anxiety was felt meanwhile, 
 as to the position which would be taken up by the 
 Waikatos, and at the invitation of the Governor a 
 great meeting of the chiefs was called at Kohim- 
 arama, near Auckland ; not one half the number 
 invited came, the chiefs holding commanding posi- 
 tions in the Waikato country being absent, while of 
 those present the Ngapuhis alone declared open 
 hostility to Kingi. At this meeting resolutions were 
 nevertheless carried expressing the determination ot 
 those tribes which were represented not to join in the 
 Kingi movement, though the war was denounced by 
 many of them as hasty and unjust. 
 
 Potatau died just prior to this meeting and his son, 
 Matutaera, who adopted the name of Tawhiao, became 
 
3gO EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 king in his stead. Though the supply of arms and 
 ammunition to the Maoris had again been prohibited, 
 they' were already pretty well supplied. General 
 Pratt having arrived to take command, hostilities were 
 resumed at Taranaki. A strong pa/i, erected by the 
 natives at Mahoetahi, was stormed by a force of about 
 one thousand five hundred troops and volunteers, and 
 a complete defeat inflicted upon the natives. Pa/is at 
 Matarikoriko and Huirangi were then attacked, and 
 as usual abandoned when untenable, and General Pratt 
 seeing that with the force at his disposal it would be 
 impossible to completely stamp out the insurrection, 
 which was increasing in its proportions, declined to 
 move further south unless provision were made to 
 secure him from attack on the Waikato side. For 
 this purpose he asked for five thousand men, irres- 
 pective of garrisons. During the lull which followed, 
 the Maoris again occupied Waireka and other old 
 /-a/is, and operations on a large scale were carried out 
 to dislodge them. 
 
 Some of the fortifications they had erected were of 
 very great strength, and chosen with a keen appre- 
 ciation of their strategical value, notably those at 
 Paketekauere and Pukirangiora. But only that at 
 Pukirangiora, which was defended by a strong force 
 under the chief Hapurona, offered any lengthened 
 resistance. A sap seven miles in length was con- 
 structed as being the only means by which the 
 fortifications could be approached on account of the 
 inaccessible character of the country, and several 
 encounters took place before the pa/i. Eventually 
 Hapurona hoisted a flag of truce, with a view if 
 

 thmM->''^^:'t': 
 
 »? HOT fv^ " W rfSK -y' : 
 
392 
 
 EVENTS FROM 1846 TO 1861. 
 
 possible to bringing about peace, and accepted the con- 
 ditions offered him by the Governor. These included 
 a promise to investigate the title of the Waitara 
 land — as to which the decision of the Governor was 
 to be final — while all plunder was to be restored and 
 the natives were to submit to the authority of the 
 Queen. Kingi did not decline the terms offered to 
 Hapurona but held aloof, and went with his people 
 to the Waikato. General Cameron had meanwhile 
 come to relieve General Pratt, and for the time being 
 the Taranaki war was at an end.' 
 
XXX. 
 
 TI-IE END OF THE MAORI WARS, 
 
 (1861-I871.) 
 
 General Browne opened up negotiations with 
 the Waikato chiefs, but they insisted as a first con- 
 dition that the Waitara question should be settled 
 by law, and this the Governor, regarding the matter 
 as one affecting the Queen's sovereignty, refused. He 
 stated, moreover, that Kingi and those who obeyed 
 him, were rebels who had forfeited all rights, and he 
 would not listen to any of the terms proposed. An 
 increase of troops was asked for, so that there might 
 be in the colony five thousand men in addition to 
 all garrisons ; and in May, 1861, a new proclamation 
 to the Waikatos was issued in which the Governor 
 charged them with breaking the treaty of Waitangi, 
 by setting up a king, and required from them uncon- 
 ditional submission to the Queen, restitution of all 
 plunder, and compensation to the settlers for their 
 losses. The Waikatos, through Wi Tamihana, depre- 
 cated forcible and hasty action, and deplored the 
 manner in which the Governor had commenced 
 
 393 
 
394 ^^^ ^^-O OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 operations at Taranaki. A petition, signed by 175 
 chiefs, was presented to the Governor, denying their 
 disloyalty, and asking for a judge to inquire into the 
 cause of the disagreements. Strong representations 
 were also made to the Governor by Europeans averse 
 to hastening into a war with the Waikatos, but his 
 answer was clear and unmistakable. He informed 
 the settlers that they must do as the Taranaki settlers 
 had done, and remove their goods and families from 
 danger. 
 
 These troubles came in the midst of disputes with 
 the Imperial Government, as to the conditions upon 
 which troops should be provided, and before any 
 settlement was arrived at news was received of the 
 recall of Governor Browne and the re-appointment of 
 Sir George Grey. Grey found on his return that a 
 great change had taken place in the circumstances of 
 the colony since his departure, and that consequent 
 upon the influx of population, a new order had arisen 
 who did not understand the Maoris — who indeed 
 themselves we're also changed — and that the south 
 island, which was unaffected by the wars, was most 
 densely peopled. He went resolutely to work ; the 
 Imperial Government placed six thousand soldiers at 
 his disposal, and these he employed in making roads 
 through the Hunua forest which lay between Auck- 
 land and the Waikato country, where, in the event of 
 war, operations must be carried on. The road, 
 though regarded with suspicion by the Maoris 
 whose confidence the Governor made strenuous efforts 
 to regain, was deemed indispensable. Browne's 
 manifesto was quietly set aside, and the chiefs were 
 
RE-APPOINTMENT OF SIR GEORGE GREY. 395 
 
 given to understand that military operations would 
 only be adopted as a last resource. 
 
 The north island was divided into twenty native 
 districts, and these again into hundreds, while native 
 assessors and magistrates were appointed, with a civil 
 .commissioner to preside over each district. Twelve 
 persons were to be nominated for approval by the 
 Governor as a Maori district council, and native 
 owners, after the boundaries had been duly settled, 
 were to have power to dispose of their land to 
 Europeans, but for the time being only to the extent 
 of one farm in each of the hundreds. The purchaser 
 was also to be recommended by the natives, and 
 approved by the Governor. 
 
 The new institutions were successfully started north 
 of Auckland, but in the Waikato district the reforms 
 were coldly received by the^^ Maoris. Wi Tamihana 
 suggested that a better course would be to have the 
 laws made by the Runanga (native council) confirmed 
 by the king, and then submitted to the Governor for 
 approval. Grey, somewhat surprised, visited the 
 Maoris, and found among them an utter distrust in 
 the Government. He now was confronted by the 
 difficulty arising from divided authority, for although 
 under the Constitution he was still supreme in all 
 matters affecting native affairs, he could not proceed 
 without funds ; these had to be obtained from his 
 ministers, who disagreed with his policy, and were 
 disinclined to help him. 
 
 In the meantime Grey's efforts at conciliation were 
 bearing fruit, and it is probable that if he had been 
 able to proceed the king's authority would soon have 
 
396 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 disappeared. But to add to his embarrassment the 
 Imperial Government complained of the inactivity of 
 the troops, who were still employed in making a 
 military road to the stream Maungatawhiri, which 
 was the boundary of the King country, and beyond 
 which they could not go without entering native 
 lands. Peremptory instructions were also received 
 from the War Office that no further sums were to be 
 paid from the military chest on any pretext what- 
 ever, so that the expense of the war, if it was carried 
 on, must fall upon the shoulders of the colonists 
 themselves. Grey made a last attempt to meet the 
 natives personally, and entered their country to inter- 
 view the king. He met a number of influential 
 chiefs, including Tamihana, and during the dis- 
 cussion he informed them that he would not fight 
 the king with the sword, but would dig round him 
 till he fell of his own accord. This statement 
 the Maoris construed as showing hostility, and, 
 when added to the intention expressed by Grey of 
 putting a steamer on the Waikato river, it increased 
 their distrust. Differences, which afterwards became 
 almost an open rupture, also arose between General 
 Cameron and the Governor. At length the series of 
 cross purposes and misunderstandings reached a 
 climax. The Governor, pending the settlement of 
 the dispute about the Waitara block in the Taranaki 
 district, had given the Maoris temporary possession 
 of the Tataraimaka block, and when, after full in- 
 vestigation, he was assured of the genuineness of 
 Kingi's statements regarding the Waitara block, he 
 decided to restore the latter to the owners. At the 
 
r 
 
 RUPTURE BETWEEN GREY AND CAMERON. 397 
 
 same time, as an indication of his authority, he took 
 possession of Tataraimaka, with one hundred men, 
 intending to hand over the other block immediately. 
 
 As ill-luck would have it, his ministers chose this 
 moment to assert themselves, and consequently some 
 delay occurred in regard to the latter step, a delay 
 which proved fatal to the peace of the colony. The 
 natives, misinterpreting Grey's action in regard to 
 Tataraimaka, took it as a declaration of war, and, 
 gathering in the Taranaki district, suddenly attacked 
 a small party of soldiers who were passing from one 
 block to the other, and killed all but one of them. 
 This of course brought matters to a head. The 
 Governor demanded either that the ministry should 
 take full control of native affairs, or that he should be 
 granted the power and funds to carry out a campaign. 
 While the Governor and his advisers were thus 
 squabbling war began. The first blows were struck 
 in Taranaki, and the insurgents were defeated with 
 heavy loss at Katikara. Operations were then trans- 
 ferred to the Waikato district, and all Maoris not 
 willing to declare their allegiance were forced behind 
 the Maungatawhiri stream, action which induced 
 many to enter the King country rather than desert 
 their countrymen. The natives generally were in a 
 wild state of excitement, though some of the chiefs, 
 and notably Wi Tamihana, did all in their power to 
 prevent war. 
 
 At length, on July 12, 1863, General Cameron 
 crossed the Maungatawhiri, and on the 17th there 
 was fighting at Koheroa, from which the Maoris were 
 driven with considerable loss. War was now openly 
 
398 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 declared, and Tamihana, no longer able to resist the 
 course of events, threw in his lot with his own people. 
 In anticipation of the crisis, every possible means had 
 been adopted to increase the European forces. Re- 
 cruiting officers were sent to Australia, troops came 
 from India, and twenty thousand men of all arms and 
 services were speedily available. Several steamers 
 were placed on the Waikato river, and the colony was 
 fairly launched upon its greatest and most momentous 
 struggle with the native races. The Maoris were no 
 mean foes, and with great bravery prosecuted a 
 guerilla warfare both in the Auckland and Taranaki 
 districts. Galloway, a redoubt twenty miles from 
 Auckland, and to the rear of the base of operations, 
 was attacked, but the natives were gradually driven 
 back, and the campaign was confined almost ex- 
 clusively to the Waikato district. 
 
 Parliament met and considered the position, and a 
 vigorous war policy was agreed upon. It was decided 
 — in opposition to Grey's advice — that two and three- 
 quarter million acres of land in the disturbed districts 
 should be confiscated, and that a loan of ^^4,000,000 
 should be raised to defray the charges of the war. 
 Several minor skirmishes followed Koheroa, and on 
 the 30th of October General Cameron took his first 
 important step. An attack both from the river and 
 the shore was planned on the pak at Rangiriri, a 
 strongly entrenched position ; and — although a bril- 
 liant defence was offered by the natives, and no less 
 than 124 Europeans were killed or wounded — • 
 during the night the Maoris retreated. A large 
 number of prisoners, taken by Cameron, were placed 
 
ATTACK ON RANGIRIRT. 399 
 
 on the island of Kawan, but they subsequently 
 escaped to the mainland. A strong line of redoubts 
 was now thrown across the country, and General 
 Cameron hemmed in the natives. The Governor, 
 now seeing the victory in his hands, desired to make 
 a generous peace, but his ministers objected, con- 
 sidering that a decisive blow should be struck while 
 the opportunity was there. 
 
 A long and acrimonious controversy followed, but 
 nothing came of Grey's proposals, and operations 
 were resumed with vigour. The natives were driven 
 from one position to another, until the crowning con- 
 flict of the Waikato war took place at Orakau, where 
 three hundred ill-armed and ill-fed Maoris made an 
 heroic defence against a force of over fifteen hundred 
 British soldiers. After a desperate sortie, the greater 
 part of them were destroyed, and the wretched rem- 
 nant, with Rewi and the king, escaped to the hilly 
 country, where it was impossible to follow them. 
 
 A move was then made by Cameron to the Tau- 
 ranga district on the eastern coast, where a strong 
 force of Maoris was entrenched at the Gate-pah, a 
 fortification in the vicinity of the Tauranga harbour. 
 No great defence was offered until about three 
 hundred men were inside the pak, when fire was 
 opened at close range by the Maoris in concealment, 
 and before a retreat could be made twenty-four 
 soldiers were killed and eighty wounded. The 
 natives then abandoned the pa/i, and retired to rifle- 
 pits near the Wairoa, from which they were dis- 
 lodged ; but they declined the terms of peace which 
 were offered, and put up a new pa/i at Te Ranga, 
 
400 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 which was stormed and taken after a splendid defence, 
 the loss by the Maoris amounting to a hundred and 
 twenty killed and wounded, while the attacking force 
 had thirteen killed and thirty-nine wounded. The 
 Tauranga tribes, after this reverse, submitted uncon- 
 ditionally, and the troubles in the Waikato and 
 eastern districts closed. The war was now practically 
 at an end, the confiscated land was taken possession 
 of by military settlers, and Wi Tamihana and other 
 chiefs tendered their submission. 
 
 But a fresh outbreak had in the meantime taken 
 place in the Taranaki district, which was to result in 
 a series of horrible scenes and much bloodshed. A 
 number of the Maoris, casting off the religion of the 
 pakeha, had embraced what was commonly known as 
 Hauhauism, a strange compound of Judaism, Maori 
 mythology with its attendant barbarous atrocities, 
 and other superstitions. Most of the great chiefs 
 held aloof from the new creed, but sufficient numbers 
 embraced it to be dangerous enemies, and the first 
 effects were seen at Ahuahu, where a reconnoitring 
 party fell into an ambuscade. It was afterwards 
 found that the bodies of those killed had been 
 decapitated, and much mutilated ; the heads were 
 dried in the Maori fashion, and carried about on long 
 poles. The new sect, however, gained but small sup- 
 port, for few of the leading chiefs embraced its tenets, 
 and many others came forward in open opposition. 
 At length the friendly tribes on the Wanganui river, 
 under Mete Kingi and other chiefs, challenged the 
 Hauhaus to prove the power of their new gods by a 
 conflict on the island of Moutoa, up the river. A 
 
PEACE DECLARED. 4OI 
 
 desperate fight took place, resulting in the total 
 defeat of the Hauhaus, who had over forty killed. 
 The fanatics then commenced operations all over the 
 country ; at Taranaki and the Wanganui district 
 on the west coast, at Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay 
 on the east coast, there was a considerable uprising. 
 On the 30th of April the insurgents made a daring 
 attack on the redoubt at Sentry Hill, close to New 
 Plymouth, but were beaten off with much loss ; and 
 the remainder of the war in the Taranaki district took 
 the form of skirmishes and bush fights, which were 
 conducted with great bravery and skill on both sides. 
 Peace was declared by the Governor on October 
 24, 1864, and a pardon to all excepting a few con- 
 cerned in specified murders was offered. As a result 
 of the policy of the Governor, the ministry, who dis- 
 approved, resigned. The King natives, though holding 
 aloof from the Hauhaus, were implacable, and at 
 the close of the Waikato campaign they sullenly 
 retired into their own country, and drew a boundary 
 line called the Aiikati, to pass which without per- 
 mission meant instant death. For many years this 
 frontier was respected, and the King country re- 
 mained unknown to Europeans ; but the restrictions 
 have been gradually broken down, causing an inevi- 
 table loss of the king's influence. This was the last 
 serious conflict with the King natives, but a com- 
 paratively small number of Maoris in other parts of 
 the colony who adopted Hauhauism continued to 
 fight with singular bravery and skill, frequently 
 against overwhelming odds. Horrible and brutal 
 murders of settlers often occurred, and on both sides 
 
 27 
 
402 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 in the campaign but little mercy was henceforth 
 shown. On the west coast the Hauhaus caused great 
 uneasiness, and General Cameron again took the 
 field. On the east coast the friendly chiefs, Ropata 
 and Mokena, carried on the war with the fanatics, 
 whom they described as the " mad dogs." 
 
 Numerous engagements took place, and in Novem- 
 ber, 1865, a strong pak at Waerenga - a - hika, in 
 Poverty Bay, was captured with seventy prisoners 
 and a loss of 123 Hauhaus. The ill feeling which 
 had arisen between the Governor and General 
 Cameron now became more pronounced than ever ; 
 there were constant conflicts between the General 
 and the War Office on one side, and Grey and his 
 ministers on the other, and when the Governor, in the 
 absence of General Cameron in S3^dney, took the 
 Wereroa pah — which was being attacked by the 
 Imperial troops with the Colonial forces — things 
 reached a climax. General Cameron resigned, and 
 his place was filled by Major-General Chute. Con- 
 stant skirmishes followed in the neighbourhood of 
 Mount Egmont, and the Patea district, until the 
 campaign was closed by a brilliant forced march of 
 Chute's army through the disturbed districts, the dis- 
 play of force causing a cessation of hostilities on the 
 part of the Maoris and the Imperial troops were 
 mostly withdrawn from New Zealand. 
 
 But Grey's conflicts with the Imperial authorities 
 rendered his position untenable, and after a vigorous 
 correspondence, full of recriminations, he was recalled. 
 To prevent a recurrence of misunderstandings. 
 Native Land Courts were created and a Native Rights 
 
RECALL OF GREY. 403 
 
 Act, confirming the Maori tenure according to their 
 ancient customs and usages, was passed. More 
 generous legislation, including an Act providing four 
 seats for Maori representatives in Parliament followed, 
 and Wi Tamihana visited Wellington and gave 
 evidence before a Select Committee appointed to 
 inquire into the causes of the Maori war. Correspond- 
 ence with the Imperial Government about the pay- 
 ment of the troops continued, and eventually it was 
 decided at the instigation of Mr. Weld, the Premier, 
 that for the future the colony should carry on its own 
 wars, with its own men, and at its own cost. Only 
 one Imperial regiment remained, and the British 
 troops henceforth played but a very small part in the 
 affairs of the colony. 
 
 The Hauhaus were still active in the interior and 
 occasionally made visits to the west coast ; but they 
 were pursued by Major McDonnell with a force of 
 Colonial militia and natives and did but little damage ; 
 meanwhile the confiscated lands were surveyed 
 and prepared for settlement. Open hostilities were 
 re-commenced on the west coast in May, 1868, when 
 Titokowaru, a chief who had hitherto been friendly, 
 tried to prevent the arrest of some Maoris for horse- 
 stealing. Several murders followed, and almost at 
 the same time Te Kooti, a young chief who had been 
 banished to the Chatham Islands, escaped with about 
 seventy followers in the schooner Rifleman, which 
 they captured upon its visiting the islands, and 
 landed on the east coast. He was at once pursued 
 by the settlers, but offered a bold resistance, and the 
 militia were called out under Colonel Whitmore. 
 
404 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 Then began a long and costly guerilla campaign, in 
 which Te Kooti proved himself a leader of great 
 capacity and courage, and being also an orator of 
 considerable power, he gathered about him a strong 
 band of followers with whom he wrought much 
 havoc in the east coast settlements. There was 
 once more war on both the east and west coasts ; 
 but the fighting was carried on principally in the 
 bush. 
 
 TE KOOTI. 
 
 Colonel McDonnell, in charge of the west coast 
 forces, attacked Titokowaru's pak at Te-ngutu-o-te- 
 manu and destroyed it, and an unsuccessful attempt 
 was made to take a new />a/i erected by him at 
 Ruaruru. The Maoris on this occasion lay in 
 ambush, pouring a deadly fire on the attacking force, 
 and inflicting severe loss. A month or two later 
 Colonel McDonnell had again to retire from Okutuku, 
 and the command subsequently was entrusted to 
 
MASSACRE OF REV. JOHN WHITELY. 405 
 
 Colonel Whitmore. Another pak at Tauranga-ika 
 was taken, but Titokowaru escaped by an under- 
 ground passage, and continued to attack and harass 
 Whitmore's forces. Some friendly natives under 
 Keepa eventually drove Titokowaru up the Patea 
 River for some distance and quite broke up his band. 
 One of the most distressing events connected with 
 the war on this side of the island was the massacre 
 at the White Cliffs, north of Waitara, of the Rev. 
 John Whitely, an old and highly respected Wesleyan 
 missionary, and several other Europeans, including 
 women and children. The news of this atrocity 
 caused a thrill of horror to run throughout the 
 colony, but the murderers were never punished, 
 although the scene of the outrage was afterwards 
 ■ occupied by armed constabulary for many years. 
 
 This ended the Taranaki war, but while there was 
 peace in the west coast, Te Kooti kept his enemies 
 hard at work in the east, and in the interior. With 
 consummate skill and audacity, he carried on the 
 campaign for some time longer, managing always to 
 elude his pursuers even when apparently hopelessly 
 hemmed in. Finally, the pursuit was left to the 
 native chiefs, Ropata, Keepa, and Topia, and a reward 
 of ;^5,ooo was offered by the Government for Te 
 Kooti's capture. Eventually he escaped into the King 
 country, where his mana as a fighting chief and priest 
 was sufficient to gain him much sympathy and he 
 was allowed by the Waikatos to remain amongst 
 them, though he received no actual support at their 
 hands. For political reasons the pursuit was then 
 relaxed and he was allowed by the Government to 
 
406 THE END OF THE MAORI WARS. 
 
 remain ; but on account of the atrocities said to have 
 been committed by his direction, his name was long 
 referred to by the settlers with expressions of oppro- 
 brium and execration. With the flight of Te Kooti, 
 the Maori wars closed, and since 1871 there have been 
 no further disturbances. Occasional alarm has been 
 felt in the frontier districts, but confidence has been 
 gradually restored, and peaceful European settlements 
 have sprung up in spots which formerly were the 
 scene of bloodshed and disorder. In 1872, Wiremi 
 Kingi accepted the offer of Mr. Donald McLean to 
 return to his old place at Waitara where he was 
 gladly received by the European population. 
 
 Some ten years later a chief known as Te Whiti 
 brought great crowds of natives to his J)a/i at 
 Parihaka to discuss what he considered a breach of a 
 promise to the friendly natives, and much uneasiness 
 was felt by the settlers on the west coast. Even- 
 tually the minister for the native affairs, Mr. Bryce, 
 with a strong force of armed constabulary and volun- 
 teers, effected peaceably Te Whiti's arrest ; and 
 though the legality of the step was much questioned 
 by his opponents, the result was good. A commis- 
 sion was appointed to inquire into the matters com- 
 plained of, and large areas of land were given to 
 those who had legitimate claims. With the excep- 
 tion of the Hauhaus and a few other individual cases, 
 the Maoris generally proved themselves to be brave 
 and generous foes. They were remarkable fighters, 
 and were led by men with wonderful strategical 
 capacity and military instinct. But the old fighting 
 days are now- over, it is hoped, for ever, and the two 
 
ARREST OF TE WHITI. 
 
 407 
 
 races are intermingling and living harmoniously side 
 by side. The Maoris are moreover meeting the fate 
 of all savage people who come in contact with a 
 higher civilisation, and are rapidly vanishing from the 
 land of their fathers. 
 
XXXI. 
 
 UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 (1854-1893.) 
 
 The story of the native wars occupies so large a 
 place in New Zealand history that other matters are 
 liable to be lost sight of. While the events already 
 recorded were taking place, however, much solid 
 progress was made in industrial development. In 
 i860, the first railway in the colony was constructed 
 between Christchurch and Lyttelton, and from this 
 period date many important constitutional and other 
 changes. The colony had now overcome its earlier 
 troubles, and the inhabitants, with a self-reliance bred 
 by the struggles that had so severely tested their 
 courage and endurance, acted decisively in questions 
 which in other colonies were as yet scarcely raised. 
 New Zealand is perhaps in its legislation the most 
 democratic of the Australasian provinces. Not- 
 withstanding the exodus which had taken place 
 during the gold rush to California and Australia, the 
 population had steadily increased, and more especially 
 
 in the south island rapid progress was being made, 
 
 408 
 
FINDING OF GOLD. 4O9 
 
 while the Maori troubles were retarding the develop- 
 ment of the north. 
 
 In 1 86 1 very rich deposits of gold were found at 
 Tuapeka, Clutha, and elsewhere, in Otago and later 
 on on the west coast of the south island. Speedily 
 diggers who had worked out the best patches then 
 known in Australia flocked to the colony, and the 
 growth of the population added to the importance of 
 the pastoral and agricultural interests. After consti- 
 tutional government had been granted, the chief 
 political parties were the advocates of centralisation 
 on one side, and the supporters of the provincial 
 system then prevailing on the other. Many changes 
 were made in the electoral system, and in i860 the 
 population standard laid down by the Constitution Act 
 as the basis of representation was abandoned, and the 
 wealth and other circumstances of a district were 
 made factors in its claims. A natural result was that 
 inequalities arose which were the cause of much 
 contention. The Provincial Councils were largely 
 dependent for their revenue on the customs duties 
 remaining after the cost of the central government 
 had been met, and the increasing amount required by 
 the central executive on account of the war alarmed 
 those who supported the provincial system. 
 
 So strong was the aversion of some to centralisa- 
 tion, that there was a serious danger at one time 
 of a proposal to divide the colony into two separate 
 states being carried into effect ; but fortunately no 
 such error was actually made. In 1864 the seat of 
 government was removed to Wellington which was 
 more generally convenient than Auckland, and the 
 
410 UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 " Centralists," as the advocates of one administrative 
 authority were called, gradually increased their 
 influence. In 1867 the consolidation of all loans and 
 debentures to the extent of seven millions was effected, 
 and in the following year the ballot was substituted 
 for open voting at elections. The colony was at this 
 time in a very depressed condition owing to the fall- 
 ing off in the yield of gold and the shrinkage in the 
 price of colonial produce in England ; but the settlers 
 gradually adapted themselves to the new conditions, 
 and in 1870 were sufficiently sanguine to support the 
 policy initiated by Sir Julius Vogel, which provided 
 for the borrowing by the Central Government of 
 large sums of money on the English market, for the 
 purposes of public works and immigration, matters 
 which hitherto had been entrusted to the Provincial 
 Councils. 
 
 New departments of the Central Government were 
 created to carry on the scheme under which loans 
 to the extent of ten millions were floated, and two 
 and a half million acres of land were sold. It was 
 intended to open up by railways, &c., the land for 
 settlement, and at the same time introduce immi- 
 grants, while i^ 1, 000,000 was to be devoted to defence 
 during the next five years in maintaining the armed 
 constabulary, as the colonial permanent forces were 
 now termed. The expectations of the framer of the 
 scheme were to a great extent fulfilled, for during the 
 next few years population and the outward signs of 
 prosperity increased by leaps and bounds. The 
 Provincials Councils still remained in force, but they 
 were shorn of much of their influence, and the 
 
SIR GEORGE GREY FIRST PREMIER. 411 
 
 principal effect of the new system was a scramble 
 between the provinces for the loan money which was 
 being spent with such lavish prodigality. 
 
 The effect on the public life of the colony, as m.ay 
 readily be imagined, was not good. The large ex- 
 penditure of borrowed money created a corresponding 
 mania for private speculation, and an unreasonable 
 inflation of values. One inevitable result of the 
 centralisation of the public works administration, and 
 the increased patronage thus given to the General 
 Government was the collapse of the Provincial 
 Councils. In 1876 Sir Julius Vogel, who had pre- 
 viously been a warm supporter of the provincial 
 system, came boldly down with a Bill for their 
 abolition. A great popular outcry followed this step, 
 and Sir George Grey, who had for some years lived 
 in retirement on the island of Kawan, entered political 
 life. Sir Julius Vogel's Bill was, nevertheless, carried, 
 though it was stipulated that it should not come into 
 force until the new parliament was elected. The Act 
 created sixty-three counties to take the place of the 
 provinces, and borough councils were provided for the 
 towns, as well as other machinery for local govern- 
 ment. Sir George Grey was a member of the new 
 Parliament, and became the first premier under the 
 new order of things, though he had a very small 
 majority at his back. 
 
 The history of the colony has since been a record 
 of steady progress, and characteristic measures have 
 found their way on to the statute book. The duration 
 of Parliament has been reduced from five to three 
 years ; the provision for payment of members of 
 
" ONE MAN ONE VOTE." 413 
 
 Parliament has been made statutory instead of being 
 by annual vote ; and free and compulsory education 
 by the State of all children to a certain standard has 
 been established. The " one man one vote " principle 
 found favour when in 1889 all persons were prohibited 
 from voting in more than one constituency at any 
 election of members to the House of Representatives. 
 These and many other important measures were 
 carried by different ministries, which have not un- 
 frequently been coalitions. 
 
 The policy of lavish borrowing, which was begun 
 in 1870, was followed by an inevitable reaction 
 between the years 1880 and 1890. Severe depression 
 of all industries afflicted the colony, and the value 
 of real property fell to an absurd figure, trade de- 
 creased and many of the inhabitants left for Australia 
 and elsewhere. But the situation was boldly faced, 
 and by severe economy in the public expenditure, 
 and a cessation of the construction of unproductive 
 public works, the finances were placed once more 
 upon a sound basis. Confidence was gradually re- 
 stored, and the position of New Zealand is now as 
 good as that of any of its neighbours. The develop- 
 ment of its grand resources is steadily going forward, 
 and much enterprise has been shown in the inaugu- 
 ration of an extensive export of meat by which 
 New Zealand sends annually vast quantities of 
 frozen mutton to London, where it commands a 
 ready sale and high price. Almost simultaneously 
 with the introduction of this trade lines of direct 
 steamers with England were started, and the coastal 
 and intercolonial steam service was greatly improved. 
 
414 UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 Telegraphic communication is established throughout 
 the colony, which was connected with the mainland 
 of Australia by cable in 1876. A vigorous policy of 
 railway construction has been adopted, and several 
 private lines have been made on the land grant 
 principle. Formed amidst the gravest difficulties, 
 which have only been overcome by the indomitable 
 resolution and courage of the settlers, New Zealand 
 is to-day one of the most prosperous members of the 
 Australian group. Its beautiful scenery and climate 
 make it the playground of pleasure-seekers from 
 all parts of Australia, and the conditions of life are 
 singularly like those prevailing in the most favoured 
 positions of the mother country. 
 
XXXII. 
 
 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 (1788-1892.) 
 
 For many years after Captain Phillip landed at 
 Sydney Cove there were practically no free labourers 
 in Australia. All work was performed by the con- 
 victs, under the direction of the Governor, or by 
 servants assigned to private employers. Even when 
 free artisans and other workers began to arrive, the 
 competition in most trades with the assigned convicts 
 caused wages to be meagre, and the standard of living 
 extremely low. The most degrading immorality 
 permeated almost every grade of society, and the 
 working classes were not backward in following the 
 example of their masters. Wages, both of bond and 
 free, were the subject of general orders by the 
 Governor. Thus at one time it was directed that, in 
 addition to the rations according to, and equal with, 
 the Government allowance, the sum of ;^io sterling 
 per annum to a man convict, and £'j sterling to 
 a v/oman convict, as including the value of the slops 
 allowed, and the sum of ^7, or £^ los. exclusive of 
 slops, should be paid to duly-assigned servants ; and a 
 
 4TS 
 
4l6 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 schedule of remuneration for free labour much on the 
 same scale was issued in regard to the principal 
 agricultural employments. As yet the number of 
 artificers and mechanics was so small that it was not 
 considered worth while to include them in the regu- 
 lations. The Government works occupied all the 
 best of the carpenters, stonemasons, and sawyers, so 
 that the few free men who followed these trades were 
 always in demand. 
 
 Of course there was evasion of this sort of order, 
 and in a proclamation issued in 1810, after fixing 
 wages at 5s. for an eleven-hour day, it was provided 
 that " persons taking or demanding more, or refusing 
 to work at the above rates to be set in the stocks for 
 two days and one night for the first offence, and for 
 a second or continual refusal three months hard 
 labour. Masters paying more to be imprisoned for 
 ten days without bail, to pay a fine of ^^5, and to 
 remain in prison until paid." When food and clothing 
 were fairly cheap, employers generally paid a portion 
 of their workman's wages by rations or in kind, a 
 system which had become recognised owing to the 
 hand-to-mouth manner in which most business was 
 conducted. Agriculture was by far the most im- 
 portant industry of the settlement, but the extra- 
 ordinary fluctuations to which it was liable caused 
 much hardship to those engaged. One year they 
 would be nearly ruined by the abundance of the 
 season ; in the next their whole crop, and frequently 
 the homesteads too, would be swept away by a flood, 
 for as yet cultivation was confined to the banks of the 
 Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers. For instance, in 
 
EARLY HARDSHIPS. 417 
 
 1804 there was a most disastrously good harvest. 
 The yield of grain was so heavy and so much in 
 excess of the requirements of the population, that 
 its price fell below the actual cost of reaping, thresh- 
 ing, and carting. Much of the grain was quite 
 unmarketable, and the unfortunate farmers were 
 consequently nearly ruined. Next season the whole 
 colony was reduced to the verge of famine, and wheat 
 and maize, which a few months previously had been 
 worthless, ran up to ;^5 to £6 per bushel, on account 
 of a great flood which came suddenly down the rivers 
 and swept away in a few hours, not only all the old 
 grain which still remained on hand from the previous 
 season, but the whole of the new harvest as well. 
 
 The variations in the price of the necessaries of life, 
 due to inundations, or drought, or abnormally good 
 crops, seriously affected the labouring poor. There 
 was little to choose between evils of abundance and 
 famine, for the wage-earner suffered as much from loss 
 of employment on account of excessive production as 
 from the risk of starvation by the scarcity of food. 
 Fortunately meat was plentiful and comparatively 
 cheap — about sixpence per lb. — and not subject to 
 the same influences as grain, so that a dearth of one 
 article of food could be to some extent met by an 
 increase in the consumption of another. Under these 
 conditions agriculture became unpopular, and there 
 was a disproportionate growth in other branches of 
 industry ; but it is curious, in view of the extraordinary 
 efforts that have since been made by some colonies to 
 increase manufacturing enterprise, to read that persons 
 at this time regarded with apprehension the rapid 
 
 28 
 
4l8 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 development of manufactures. Woollen cloth, hats, 
 earthenware, pipes, salt, candles, soap, beer, leather, 
 and almost all the articles in common demand were 
 made locally, and Wentworth, writing in 1819, con- 
 sidered that the time was close at hand when the 
 necessity of importing manufactured articles from 
 Great Britain would have been entirely removed. 
 
 Previous to 1836 the average daily wage of 
 mechanics in building trades was almost 6s. 6d., 
 and farm and other labourers, taking one year 
 with another, were paid at the rate of about ;^i8 
 per annum, with food and lodging. During the 
 years following 1836, larger numbers of free immi- 
 grants came to Austrrdia, bringing with them a higher 
 standard of living, and consequently a desire for 
 better wage than that previously paid. Competition 
 with convict labour had hitherto so degraded the free 
 workers that as a rule they were willing to live upon 
 a wage so small as compared with the current prices 
 of commodities as to render it impossible for them to 
 maintain even a semblance of decency, to say nothing 
 of comfort, and even after the class of assigned 
 servants had been largely diluted by free immigration, 
 the convicts, emancipated or bond, comprised one- 
 third of the total population, and had a proportionate 
 influence on the labour market. But as the colony 
 grew, and the demands of the settlers for assigned 
 servants became far in excess of the supply, the 
 influence of the convict element was to a great 
 extent removed. Wages rapidly rose, and about four 
 years after the arrival of the first assisted settlers 
 the prospects of the working classes greatly improved. 
 
420 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 The advance made was, however, lost in the severe 
 depression which followed the commercial crisis in 
 1843. -^11 the provinces were more or less influenced, 
 but in New South Wales the effects were most 
 severely felt. Wages, which in the building 
 trades had reached 8s, gd, per day, fell rapidly 
 to 6s., and then to 4s. — a lower figure than 
 had ever previously been reached. Farm and other 
 labourers who, in 1842, were getting ;^22 per annum 
 with their board and lodging, were paid ^^15 in 1843, 
 and were thankful if they could obtain work at these 
 rates. As the panic subsided, there was a slight 
 recovery in both wages and prices, but Australia 
 could not escape long punishment for the extravagant 
 speculation which had been prevalent. Although 
 wages were improved, and in the building trades 
 stood at an average of 5s. 6d. per day in 1847 ^s 
 compared with 4s. in 1845, there was nothing to 
 sustain the rise, and the average fell during the next 
 three years to 4s. 6d. per day. This state of things 
 continued until the whole of the colonies were thrown 
 into a ferment by the gold discoveries, and the 
 general stampede from the towns made it necessary 
 for employers to pay almost any sum demanded by 
 their men. The state of Melbourne is thus described 
 in a letter written in June, 1852. A carter, it is stated, 
 made £12 per week, his expenses not amounting 
 to more than £4, while a cab or carriage driver 
 obtained fares at the rate of something like ;^ 1,400 per 
 annum. Masons and carpenters received £1 d. day, 
 but were not inclined to work even for this, and 
 domestic servants could not be got for love or money. 
 
DIAGRAM SHOWING VARIATIONS IN PRICES AND 
 WAGES SINCE 1841. 
 
 Joo 
 -ago 
 aso 
 ajo 
 260 
 
 3.50 
 
 ato 
 
 ISO 
 
 aio 
 zto 
 
 , *°° 
 
 fOO 
 460 
 -.70 
 
 neo 
 
 A no 
 
 MO 
 
 MO 
 
 A 00 
 <J0 
 
 80 
 
 70 
 
 10 
 
 .3- 
 
 to 
 
 7 
 
 T 
 
 1 
 in 
 
 CO 
 
 is 
 
 1 
 
 .1 
 
 30 
 
 i5. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 « 
 
 i 
 
 6 
 T 
 1 
 
 3oo 
 aqo 
 aao 
 170 
 16 
 
 iifo 
 a3o 
 aio 
 
 2.10 
 
 zoo 
 iqo 
 ISO 
 170 
 
 160 
 
 l<«0 
 130 
 110 
 1 r 
 100 
 qo 
 
 1° 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i /- ■ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ! .-' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ; 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ''\ 
 
 
 
 .' 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 ,-■" 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 
 
 •»• 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^r'V- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 } 1 
 
 
 
 
 \. 
 
 
 y 
 
 
 
 ,^' 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 X I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wages Level shown thus : 
 Price Level shown thus : 
 
422 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 A load of water cost i8s. ; a load of wood £4; 
 boots £4., and a pair of shoes £2. The dangers of 
 the road, according to the writer, caused a great 
 demand for firearms, and a consignment of pistols, 
 invoiced at £60 sold in a week for nearly ^^700. ' '. 
 
 Probably the condition of things is somewhat 
 exaggerated, but there can be no doubt that the gold 
 discoveries completely changed the status of the 
 working man. Instead of accepting what he could 
 get, for some years he was enabled to dictate his own 
 terms, and the spirit of independence called into life 
 has never yet died out. The labour market was more 
 or less unsettled until about 1857, when things began 
 to slowly slip back into their normal condition. The 
 year 1854 was the highest point reached in money 
 wages. In 1855 the average daily remuneration in the 
 building trades fell to about five shillings, but the 
 annual wages of farm labourers, who were still very 
 scarce, advanced £c^. 
 
 The wages of building trades mechanics continued 
 to decline until in 1869, when about 8s. 6d. per diem 
 was the ruling figure, but during the next three years 
 there was a slight recovery. Since 1871 the variations 
 in the rates paid to mechanics have been very slight,' 
 the range amounting to only about is. per diem ; but 
 the progressive increase which was visible in the years 
 immediately following 1851 has been maintained in 
 the case of agricultural and unskilled labour, and 
 about £4.6 per annum with rations and lodgings is 
 now the average for farm and station hands as com- 
 pared with £;^'/ los. in 1881, and ^^28 at the com- 
 mencement of the previous decade. 
 
THE EIGHT-HOURS* DAY. 423 
 
 The mechanical trades did not submit quietly to 
 the reductions which took place between 1855 and 
 i860, and from this period dates the movement in 
 favour of the " eight-hours' day," and the systematic 
 organisation of the labour forces. Of course, prior to 
 1855, there were some trade unions, but they were 
 insignificant and powerless to materially control 
 matters affecting the hours of labour or wages of 
 their members. The eight-hour agitation first com- 
 menced in New Zealand, and was then taken up 
 by the stonemasons of Sydney, and a little later by 
 various classes of operatives in Melbourne. The 
 main plea urged in support of shortening the hours 
 of labour was that by this means employment could 
 be provided for more men. The question of indirectly 
 increasing the earnings of workers by creating more 
 " overtime " does not at first seem to have been a 
 consideration, for the promoters of the movement 
 expressed themselves perfectly willing to accept a • 
 corresponding reduction in wages should their request 
 as to the hours be granted. Many of the large em- 
 ployers met the men in a very fair spirit, and with 
 the exception of a few strikes there was wonderfully 
 little friction. Gradually the eight-hour day spread 
 from one trade to another, until now it is the recog- 
 nised working period in most occupations, and the 
 annual commemoration of its inauguration is made 
 the occasion of a general public holiday. 
 
 The power of the Labour Unions has been prin- 
 cipally exercised in the endeavour to maintain the 
 standard of wages, and hitherto their efforts in this 
 direction have met with a considerable measure of 
 
424 WORK And wages. 
 
 success. Naturally any competition which threatens 
 to undermine the status of labour is regarded with 
 extreme hostility, and the plodding Chinamen, who 
 came to Australia in some numbers in the years 
 following the gold discoveries, became the objects 
 of popular aversion. At first this feeling was de- 
 monstrated by isolated acts of violence perpetrated 
 on the Chinese at the diggings, but generally a 
 systematic agitation in favour of the imposition of 
 some legal restraint on Chinese immigration gained 
 support, and in 1880 Acts were passed by all the 
 colonies, with the exception of Western Australia and 
 South Australia (so far as the Northern Territory is 
 concerned), imposing a poll tax of ;^io on all Chinese 
 arriving in Australia, and a high fine on all captams 
 of vessels who allowed more than a specified number 
 to land from their ships. These precautions did not, 
 however, have the desired effect, and in 1888 the 
 various governments were compelled by the force of 
 public feeling to introduce new legislation of a drastic 
 character. Masters of vessels are now forbidden 
 under a heavy penalty to bring more than one 
 Chinese to every 300 tons of their ships, and a poll 
 tax of ;^ioo is charged each Chinaman on landing. 
 In Western Australia the old £10 tax has been 
 adopted, and in the Northern Territory no tax at all 
 is as yet imposed. By these means the desired end 
 was gained, and the immigration of Chinese has 
 almost entirely ceased. Nevertheless the expressions 
 of hostility towards the few thousand Chinese who 
 were already in Australia before the passing of this 
 law continue, and the Government is constantly being 
 
ANTI-CHINESE LEGISLATION. 425 
 
 urged to compel the manufactures of the Chinese 
 cabinetmakers, &c., to be especially branded. 
 
 It is difficult to foresee what will be the future of 
 the labour organisations in Australia, but it is not 
 improbable that the limit of their power has been 
 nearly reached. So long as there was a lavish ex- 
 penditure of borrowed money by the Government on 
 public works, and a consequent inflation of all values, 
 the demand for mechanics was in excess of the 
 supply, and the unions were able with comparative 
 ease to prevent their members from accepting work 
 at prices below the authorised rates. But all this is 
 changed. For many years most of the colonies will 
 have to exercise severe economy in the construction 
 of public works and buildings, and already the 
 decrease thus caused in employment is having its 
 effect. Although the nominal rates of remuneration 
 are maintained in all trades where it is possible, there 
 is considerable increase in the proportion of work 
 done by the piece, and jobs are frequently taken at 
 a figure which cannot possibly yield to the labourer 
 wages equivalent to the union standard. In addition 
 to these considerations the labour bodies are not now 
 prepared for a struggle. The picportion of their 
 members to the total adult wage-earning population 
 is small ; their funds, which were at one time con- 
 siderable, have been exhausted by recent protracted 
 but abortive strikes ; and, lastly, the masters have been 
 taught a lesson by their men, and have proved apt 
 pupils. Instead of the whole force of combined 
 labour being directed against one unsupported em- 
 ployer, the unions in any future struggle will have 
 
426 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 to face an equally if not more perfect organisation 
 than their own, and in a contest under such conditions 
 the victory could only go one way. 
 
 The attempt to meet this development by the 
 creation of a " labour party " in Parliament has 
 failed, for it has been found to be the easiest thing 
 in the world for any fairly astute politician to split its 
 ranks whenever he may deem such a course expedient, 
 while the labouring classes themselves hold such very 
 mixed opinions on most questions of importance, that 
 a delegate, such as most labour members really are, 
 finds it impossible to escape the censure of his 
 constituents. The case has been stated as briefly and 
 clearly as possible, but there are other influences at 
 work which there is not space to trace here. It will 
 be a deplorable event, if the labour unions collapse 
 under the great strain to which they must before 
 long be subjected. Although mingled with many 
 foolish and ignorant demands, the main aspirations 
 of the working classes in Australia are entirely good, 
 and the trade societies are the only agencies through 
 which those aspirations can be made known ; while 
 the very fact of the power to organise implies a 
 training in the highest qualities of citizenship. From 
 a labour party in Parliament but little is to be hoped, 
 and it is doubtful if the legislature with the best 
 intentions can do much towards the settlement of 
 matters between employers and employed. The 
 relations betvveen the two classes have been aptly 
 described by a large employer of labour in Australia 
 as similar to those existing between husband and 
 wife. They are utterly dependent one upon the 
 
RELATIONS OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYED. 427 
 
 other, and, as they have to pass their life together 
 somehow, this can best be done by the exercise of 
 mutual respect and moderation. Outside intervention 
 is, in one case as in the other, more likely to do harm 
 than good, and the interference of the law, except in 
 the restraint of violence or the punishment of dis- 
 honesty, will have no better result. 
 
xxxiir. 
 
 FEDERATION. 
 
 (1 847-1 893.) 
 
 The creation of an Assembly, in which all the 
 colonies of Australasia should be represented, to deal 
 with matters affecting the provinces generally, was 
 seriously suggested by Earl Grey when, in 1847, he 
 announced the intentions of the Imperial Government 
 with regard to the proposed alterations in the colonial 
 constitutions. " Some method," wrote the Secretary 
 of State, " would be devised for enabling the various 
 legislatures of the several Australian colonies to co- 
 operate with each other in the enactment of such 
 laws as may be necessary for regulating the interests 
 common to those possessions collectively ; such, for 
 example, are the imposition of duties of import and 
 export, the conveyance of letters, and the formation 
 of roads, railways, or other internal communications 
 traversing any two or more of such colonies." The 
 storm of opposition which greeted the rest of Earl 
 Grey's proposals on this occasion has been described 
 elsewhere, and no steps were consequently taken to 
 
 give effect to his recommendations with regard to a 
 
 428 
 
REPORT OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL. 429 
 
 federal assembly. The importance of the subject 
 was not, however, forgotten, and it was referred to 
 at some length in the Report of the Committee of 
 the Privy Council on Trade and Plantations con- 
 cerning Australian affairs which was brought up eaily 
 in 1849. The words of the report are peculiarly 
 significant, in view of the policy which was before 
 long adopted by the colony of Victoria, for the 
 committee saw the " obstruction to the intercolonial 
 trade," and " the check to the development of the 
 resources " which must inevitably follow tariff re- 
 strictions preventing goods from being carried from 
 one colony to another " with the same absolute 
 freedom as between any two adjacent counties in 
 England." For this reason it was recommended 
 that an authority should be created " to act for all the 
 colonies conjointly," and it was suggested that the 
 Governor of New South Wales should be made 
 Governor-general, and be empowered to call together 
 a " General Assembly of Australia," comprising him- 
 self and a single House of Delegates elected by the 
 legislatures of the various colonies. 
 
 The General Assembly was to deal with customs 
 duties, postal arrangements, roads, canals, railways, 
 beacons and lighthouses, shipping, weights and 
 measures, and such other matters as from time to 
 time might be referred to it. The expenses of the 
 administration were to be met by " an equal per- 
 centage from the revenue received in all the colonies." 
 In addition a Supreme Court of Appeal was to be 
 established. Although included in the Bill which 
 Earl Grey introduced in 1850, the federal provisions 
 
430 FEDERATION. 
 
 never came into operation, and the question of the 
 creation of a General Assembly remained in abeyance 
 until Wentworth attached to the memorable report 
 of the Select Committee of the New South Wales 
 Council on the Constitution the opinion that " the 
 establishment at once of a General Assembly to make 
 laws in relation to intercolonial questions " was a 
 matter of the highest importance. It was considered 
 inexpedient to embody the provisions for carrying 
 out this scheme in the Constitution Bill of New South 
 Wales, but a wish was expressed that the Imperial 
 Parliament would pass a special Act to attain the 
 desired end. When Wentworth was shortly after- 
 wards in England, he made still further efforts to 
 bring about the establishment of a General Assembly, 
 and took an active part in the proceedings of the 
 " General Association for the Australian Colonies," 
 which in 1857 presented a petition to the Secretary 
 of State urging the necessity of immediate legislation 
 to sanction the formation of a federal body. A Bill 
 was even drafted by Wentworth and sent along with 
 the petition, but the Secretary of State declined to 
 take action in the matter. 
 
 In the colonies themselves the subject was also 
 receiving some attention, in both New South 
 Wales in 1856 and in Victoria in 1857 Select Com- 
 mittees were appointed to consider the best means 
 of legislating on matters of common interest. The 
 report of the Victorian Committee, which recom- 
 mended the holding of an Intercolonial Conference, 
 was passed by both houses ; but in New South 
 Wales the necessary resolutions were delayed in the 
 
THE CUSTOMS COMPACT. 43 1 
 
 Assembly, and although the report urged that the 
 matter " could not be longer postponed without the 
 danger of creating serious grounds of antagonism and 
 jealousy, which would tend greatly to embarrass, if 
 not entirely to prevent, its future settlement upon a 
 satisfactory basis," Parliament was prorogued without 
 anything having been done. Many years passed 
 before another attempt to effect federal government 
 was made ; but meanwhile three colonies — New 
 South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria — entered 
 into an agreement to suspend the collection of cus- 
 toms duties on the border for three years, thus 
 making the overland trade between the colonies 
 practically unrestricted. This might have led to a 
 more complete scheme for joint action had not 
 Victoria abrogated the agreement before the three 
 years had expired. 
 
 In 1 88 1 a conference was held in Sydney at which 
 a Bill was framed, under the guidance of Sir Henry 
 Parkes, creating a partly legislative and partly ad- 
 ministrative body ; but it was only intended " to 
 pave the way to a complete federal organisation here- 
 after." For the next two years no steps were taken 
 to bring the measure into operation, but in 1883 
 another conference met in Sydney, at which repre- 
 sentatives from all the colonies were present, and the 
 old Bill of 1 88 1 was slightly altered, and forwarded to 
 England, where it was passed by the Imperial Parlia- 
 ment in 1885. Under the Federal Council Act, as 
 this law was called, the function of the Council was 
 simply to give advice, and it possessed no executive 
 authority whatever. The necessary enabling Acts 
 
^32 FEDERATION. 
 
 were passed, at first by four colonies and later by 
 South Australia, but New South Wales and New 
 Zealand have persistently declined to join. The first 
 session was held in Hobart in 1886, and several 
 meetings have since taken place, but the inherent 
 weakness of the whole scheme has rendered the 
 deliberations of the Council of but small importance. 
 In 1887 another step was taken in the direction of 
 common action in matters of mutual interest. The 
 progress of Australian commerce had been so great, 
 and the increase in wealth so rapid, that it became 
 necessary to largely augment the naval force in 
 Australian waters. Accordingly the Australasian 
 Naval Force Act was passed. By this measure it is 
 provided that there shall be a force of sea-going ships 
 of war, consisting of five fast cruisers and two tor- 
 pedo gunboats, having the same status as warships of 
 the same class in the Imperial Navy, and under the 
 sole control of the naval commander-in-chief of the 
 Australian squadron. The ships are to be retained 
 within the limits of the station in times of peace or 
 war, and they may be only sent beyond those limits 
 with the special consent of the Australian Govern- 
 ments. The Imperial Government agreed to provide 
 for the first cost of these vessels, and all other charges 
 previous to their arrival in Australia, but the colonies 
 at the same time undertook to pay 5 per cent, on the 
 first cost, but such payment not to exceed the sum of 
 ;^3 5,000 per annum, and in addition to bear the 
 expense, up to ;^9 1,000, of maintaining three fast 
 cruisers with one gunboat in commission and the 
 other in reserve. The annual contribution of the 
 
THE CONFERENCE OF l8go. 433 
 
 several colonies is calculated in proportion to their 
 population, the agreement is for ten years, terminable 
 only by two years' notice. 
 
 The most important step towards the federation 
 of the Australasian colonies was, however, taken in 
 February, 1890, when a conference of the representa- 
 tives of the seven colonies met in Parliament House, 
 Melbourne, on February 6th. Two representatives 
 attended from each of the colonies except Western 
 Australia, which sent only one, and at seven meetings 
 the question of federation was discussed at length. 
 Finally, the Conference adojDted an address to the 
 Queen, expressing loyalty, and enclosing resolutions 
 which affirmed the expediency of an immediate union 
 under the Crown of the Australasian colonies. It 
 was also recommended that steps should be taken for 
 the appointment of delegates to a national Austra- 
 lasian Convention, to frame a scheme for a Federal 
 Constitution. Delegates were subsequently duly 
 appointed by the different Australasian Parliaments, 
 and on March 2, 1891, the Convention met in Sydney. 
 There were forty-five members, the most notable 
 public men in the colonies, each state sending seven 
 delegates, with the exception of New Zealand, which 
 only sent three. Sir Henry Parkes, who was practi- 
 cally the author of this latest federation movement, 
 was unanimously elected President of the Convention, 
 and Sir Samuel Griffiths, Premier of Queensland, 
 Vice-President. The public were admitted to the 
 debates, and an official record of the proceedings was 
 published. A series of resolutions, moved by Sir 
 Henry Parkes, were, after full discussion, adopted 
 
 29 
 
434 FEDERATION. 
 
 with slight amendment. The resolutions as carried 
 were : — 
 
 " That in order to establish and secure an enduring 
 foundation for the structure of a Federal Government, 
 the principles embodied in the Resolutions following 
 be agreed to : — 
 
 " (i) That the powers and privileges and territorial 
 rights of the several existing colonies shall remain 
 intact, except in respect to such surrenders as may be 
 agreed upon as necessary and incidental to the power 
 and authority of the National Federal Government, 
 
 " (2) No State shall be formed by separation from 
 another State, nor shall any State be formed by the 
 junction of two or more States or parts of States, 
 without the consent of the legislatures of the States 
 concerned, as well as of the Federal Parliament. 
 
 " (3) That the trade and intercourse between the 
 Federated Colonies, whether by means of land cairiage 
 or coastal navigation, shall be absolutely free. 
 
 " (4) That the power and authority to impose 
 Customs duties, and duties of Excise upon goods the 
 subject of Customs duties, and to offer bounties, shall 
 be exclusively lodged in the Federal Government and 
 Parliament, subject to such disposal of the revenues 
 thence derived as shall be agreed upon. 
 
 " (5) That the military and naval defence of 
 Australia shall be entrusted to federal forces under 
 one command. 
 
 " (6) That provision should be made in the Federal 
 Constitution which will enable each State to make 
 Such amendments in its constitution as may be neces- 
 sary for the purposes of the Federation. 
 
SIR HENRY PARKES RESOLUTION. 435 
 
 " Subject to these and other necessary conditions, 
 this Convention approves of the framing of a Federal 
 Constitution which shall establish — 
 
 " (i) A Parliament, to consist of a Senate and a 
 House of Representatives, the former consisting of 
 an equal number of members from each colony, to be 
 elected by a system which shall provide for tlie 
 periodical retirement of one-third of the members, so 
 securing to the body itself a perpetual existence, 
 combined with definite responsibility to the electors, 
 the latter to be elected by districts formed on a 
 population basis, and to possess the sole power of 
 originating all bills appropriating revenue or imposing 
 taxation. 
 
 " (2) A Judiciary, consisting of a Federal Supreme 
 Court, which shall constitute a High Court of Appeal 
 for Australia. 
 
 " (3) An Executive, cons'sting of a Governor- 
 General, and such persons as may from time to time 
 be appointed as his advisers." 
 
 Three committees were appointed — one to consider 
 and report upon matters relating to Finance, Taxa- 
 tion, and Trade ; another to make recommendations 
 concerning the establishment of a Federal Judiciary ; 
 and a third to frame a Bill for the establishment of a 
 Federal Constitution. On the 31st of March Sir 
 Samuel Griffiths, the chairman of the Committee on 
 Constitutional Machinery, brought up a draft " Bill 
 to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia." After 
 consideration the Bill was adopted on the 9th of April, 
 and it was resolved by the convention that the Parlia- 
 ment of each colony should submit it to the people of 
 
436 FEDERATION. 
 
 the several States. It was also agreed that so soon 
 as the constitution should be adopted by three of the 
 colonies the Imperial Parliament should be urged to 
 establish the Federal Government forthwith. 
 
 So far, although the question has been debated in 
 the Parliaments of some of the colonies, nothing 
 definite has been done, and the whole question has 
 been regarded by the great bulk of the population 
 with singular apathy. That some such federal 
 organisation must be brought into existence no one 
 can doubt, for the anomalies of hostile tariffs, varia- 
 tions in the gauge of railways, appeal to the Privy 
 Council, and numerous other matters demand atten- 
 tion and reform which can only be effected by joint 
 action on the part of the whole of the provinces. 
 It is difficult to foretell how or when the desired 
 consummation will be reached, but the sooner a 
 Federal Government is established the sooner will 
 the colonies of Australasia take their proper place 
 amonest the nations of the world. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Statistics of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1890-91. 
 
 Colony. 
 
 Horses. 
 
 Horned 
 Cattle. 
 
 Sheep. 
 
 Wool 
 Exported. 
 
 Area under 
 Crop. 
 
 
 No. 
 
 No. 
 
 No. 
 
 £ 
 
 Acres. 
 
 New South Wales 
 
 444.163 
 
 1,909,009 
 
 55,986,431 
 
 9,232,672 
 
 852,704 
 
 Victoria 
 
 436 459 
 
 1,782,978 
 
 12,736,143 
 
 5.933.603 
 
 2.031,95s 
 
 Queensland 
 
 365,812 
 
 5.558.264 
 
 18,007,234 
 
 2,524,742 
 
 224,993 
 
 South Australia . . 
 
 199,605 
 
 574.032 
 
 7,050,544 
 
 1,876,240 
 
 2.093,515 
 
 Western Australia 
 
 44,384 
 
 130,970 
 
 2,524,913 
 
 261,352 
 
 69,676 
 
 Tasmania 
 
 31.165 
 
 162,440 
 
 1,619,256 
 
 419.173 
 
 157,376 
 
 New Zealand 
 
 211,040 
 
 831,831 
 
 18,117,186 
 
 4.150.599 
 
 1,636,179 
 
 Australasia .. 
 
 1,732,628 
 
 10,949,524 
 
 116,041,707 
 
 24,398,381 
 
 7,066,398 
 
 Colony. 
 
 Popula- 
 tion. 
 
 Shipping 
 
 Inwards 
 
 and 
 
 Outwards. 
 
 Exports of 
 Total Trade. Domestic 
 Produce. 
 
 Length 
 of Tele- 
 graph 
 Line. 
 
 Rail- 
 ways. 
 Length 
 of Line. 
 
 New South Wales. 
 Victoria 
 
 No. 
 
 1,165,300 
 
 1,157,804 
 
 410,345 
 
 325,766 
 
 53.285 
 
 152,619 
 
 634.058 
 
 Tons. 
 4,761,872 
 
 4.363.341 
 910,779 
 
 2,337,674 
 904,861 
 951.247 
 
 1,312,474 
 
 £ £ 
 
 44,660,941 17,232,725 
 36,220,237 10,291,821 
 13,621,2121 8,412,244 
 17,295,7651 4,550,139 
 1,546,260 659,661 
 3,384,504 1,430,806 
 16,072,245 9,428,761 
 
 Miles. 
 11,231 
 
 6.958 
 9,830 
 5,623 
 2,892 
 2,004 
 5,060 
 
 Miles. 
 2,263 
 2,763 
 2,195 
 1,829 
 585 
 399 
 1.956 
 
 Queensland 
 
 South Australia . . 
 Western Australia . 
 
 Tasmania 
 
 New Zealand .... 
 
 Australasia . . 
 
 3-899.177 
 
 15,542,248 
 
 132,801, 164 52,006, 157 
 
 43.598 
 
 I I , 990 
 
438 APPENDIX. 
 
 Statistics of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1890-91. 
 
 Colony. 
 
 Gold 
 Prociuce. 
 
 Deposits in 
 Banks. 
 
 Public 
 Revenue. 
 
 Public Debt. 
 
 New South Wales 
 
 Victoria 
 
 127,761 
 
 588,560 
 
 610,587 
 
 26,086 
 
 22,256 
 
 23.451 
 
 193.193 
 
 £ 
 40,390,159 
 45,261,932 
 11,720,112 
 
 9.933.135 
 
 1,398,417 
 
 4,378,448 
 
 15,806,847 
 
 £ 
 
 10,047,152 
 
 8,343.588 
 
 3.350.223 
 
 2,732,222 
 
 497,670 
 
 758,100 
 
 4.193.942 
 
 £ 
 51,010,433 
 43,610,265 
 
 29.434.734 
 21,657,300 
 
 1,617,445 
 
 6,432,800 
 
 38,802,350 
 
 Queensland 
 
 South Australia 
 
 Western Australia 
 
 Tasmania 
 
 New Zealand 
 
 
 Australasia 
 
 1,591,894 
 
 128,889,050 
 
 29,922,897 
 
 192,565,327 
 
 Occupation of Lands at the Commencement of 1891. 
 
 Colony. 
 
 Area of Colony. 
 
 Area Alienated 
 
 or in process of 
 
 Alienation. 
 
 Area Leased. 
 
 Area neither 
 
 Alienated nor 
 
 Leased. 
 
 New South Wales . 
 Victoria 
 
 Acres. 
 
 198,848,000 
 
 56,245,760 
 
 427,838,080 
 
 578,361,600 
 
 678,400,000 
 
 16,778,000 
 
 66,710,320 
 
 Acres. 
 44.758,151 
 22.359,054 
 17,819,982 
 11,908,168 
 
 5.154.673 
 
 4,695,022 
 
 20,182.239 
 
 Acres. 
 
 148,122,194 
 
 21,589,767 
 
 285,703,680 
 
 235,980,40a 
 
 104,921,357 
 
 666,193 
 
 13,425,303 . 
 
 Acres. 
 
 5.967.65s 
 
 12,296,939 
 
 124,314,418 
 
 330,473,032 
 
 568,323,970 
 
 11,416,785 
 
 33,102,778 
 
 Queensland 
 
 South Australia . . 
 Western Australia . 
 
 Tasmania 
 
 New Zealand .... 
 
 Australasia . . 
 
 2,023,181,760 
 
 126,877,289 
 
 810,408,894 
 
 1,085,895,577 
 
 Alienation of Lands at the Commencement of 1891. 
 
 Colony. 
 
 Area Alienated 
 in Fee Simple. 
 
 Area in 
 process of 
 Alienation. 
 
 Area Alienated 
 
 or in process of 
 
 Alienation. 
 
 Area neither 
 
 Alienated nor 
 
 in process of 
 
 Alienation. 
 
 New South Wales .... 
 Victoria 
 
 Acres. 
 
 26,278,033 
 
 16,091,880 
 
 10,258,657 
 
 7,002,339 
 
 5,154.673 
 
 4,695,022 
 
 *i9,666,9i6 
 
 Acres. 
 
 18,480,118 
 
 6,267,174 
 
 7.561,325 
 4,905,829 
 
 t- 
 515,323 
 
 Acres. 
 44,758,151 
 22,359,054 
 17,819,982 
 11,908,168 
 
 5.154.673 
 
 4,695,022 
 
 20,182,239 
 
 Acres. 
 154,089,849- 
 
 33,886,706 
 410,018,098 
 566,453,432 
 
 673.245.327 
 12,082,978 
 46,528,081 
 
 
 South Australia 
 
 Western Australia. . . . 
 
 New Zealand 
 
 Australasia 
 
 89,147,520 
 
 37,729,769 
 
 126,877,289 
 
 1,896,304,471 
 
 * Includes 841,621 acres held under perpetual lease. + Return not available. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 A 
 
 Aborigines' . influence of white 
 men on, Q ; Governor Phillip 
 and the, 39 ; conflicts with, 40 ; 
 treatment under King, 51 ; under 
 Macquarie, 92 ; in Western 
 Australia, 281 ; conflicts with 
 explorers, 281, 310 ; in Queens- 
 land, 333, 337 ; in Victoria, 
 229 ; in Tasmania, 185 ; 
 197-200 ; affray at Hobart, 
 185 ; G. A. Robinson's dealings 
 with, 200; Governor Arthur 
 and, 197-199 ; at Flinder's 
 Island, 200 
 Adelaide, foundation of, 299 
 Agriculture, 172 
 Akaroa, the French at, 362 
 Arabanoo captured by Phillip, 40 
 Arthur, Colonel George, in Tas- 
 mania, 192 ; dealings with the 
 natives, 197-199 ; press laws, 
 
 195 
 
 Auckland, seat of Government 
 removed from, 409 
 
 Australia, Bank of, lottery, 125 
 
 Australia first discovered, 2 ; oc- 
 cupied by England, 9 ; arrival 
 of first immigrants in, 99 ; 
 commonwealth of, 432 
 
 Australian Colonies Government 
 Bill, 139 
 
 B 
 
 Ballaarat, riots at, 253 et seq. 
 Bank establishment of first, 122 
 Bank of Australia lottery, 125 
 
 Bank savings, 115 
 
 Banks, Sir Joseph, with Captain 
 Cook, 7 ; his letter to Bligh, 
 70 
 
 Bannister Saxe, 99 
 
 Batman, John, 227 ; and the 
 bushrangers, 228 ; at Port 
 Phillip, ih. 
 
 Baxter with Eyre, 307 ; killed by 
 blacks, 310 
 
 Bay of Islands, whalers at, 351 ; 
 fighting at, 363 
 
 Bent, Judge, and Macquarie, 95 
 
 Bigge, report of Mr. Commis- 
 sioner, 95, 97, 330 
 
 Bligh, Captain William, 67 ; 
 appointed Governor, ib. ; his 
 letter from Banks, 70 ; his arbi- 
 trary behaviour, 74 ; his quarrel 
 with Macarthur, 74-78 ; is 
 deposed, 79 ; his subsequent 
 conduct, 81 
 
 Blue Mountains, attempts to 
 cross the, 91 
 
 Botany Bay, Cook visits, 9 ; the 
 first fleet in, 30 ; is abandoned, 
 
 31 
 
 Bourke, Sir Richard, in Nevr 
 South Wales, 114 
 
 Bowen, Sir George, in Queens- 
 land, 342 
 
 Boyd, massacre of the crew of the, 
 
 Brisbane, foundation of, 333 ; 
 
 first land auction sale in, 334 
 Brisbane, Sir Thomas, in New 
 
 South Wales, 97 et seq. 
 
440 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Broome, Sir Napier, in Western 
 Australia, 290 
 
 Browne, Colonel T. G., in Tas- 
 mania, 381, 3S6 ; in New 
 Zealand, 38 1 
 
 Burke, Robert O'Hara, explora- 
 tions of, 263 ; death, 266 
 
 Burra Burra mines, 313 
 
 Busby, Mr., British Resident, in 
 New Zealand, 358, 359, 362 
 
 Bushranging in Tasmania, 189 ; 
 in New South Wales, 105 ; 
 in Victoria, 242 ; legislation 
 against, 105, 115, 159, 243 
 
 'Cadell, Mr. Francis, navigates the 
 
 Murray River, 316 
 Cannibalism, 351, 353 
 Canterbury settlement founded, 
 
 376 
 Charter of New Zealand Com- 
 pany, 359 
 Chatham Islands, Te Kooti at, 
 
 403 
 ■Chinese, legislation regarding, 
 
 424 ; outrage on, at Golden 
 
 Point, 162 
 Chisholm, Mrs. Caroline, the 
 
 immigrants' friend, 134 
 Church Mission established in 
 
 New Zealand, 353 
 Chute, General, 402 
 Clarke, Rev. W. B., finds gold, 
 
 Coal discovered, 213, 216 
 Collins, David, in New South 
 Wales, 44 ; commands settle- 
 ment sent to Port Phillip, 222 ; 
 abandons Port Phillip, ' 223 ; 
 in Tasmania, 1S2 
 Colonisation Companies in New 
 Zealand, 361 ; in South 
 Australia, 297 ; in Western 
 Australia, 278 
 Colonisation, Gibbon Wakefield's 
 
 scheme for, 295 et seq. 
 Colonisation Commissioners, 299 
 Confiscation of land in New 
 Zealand, 398 
 
 Constitutions, changes in the, 
 
 127, 212, 262, 290, 321, 342, 
 
 411 
 Cook, explorations of Captain 
 
 James, 8 ; is wrecked, 10 ; 
 
 visits New Zealand, 8 
 Copper, discoveries of, 311 
 Courts of law, changes in, 98 
 Crossley, George, 76 
 Currency, state of, in New South 
 
 Wales, 88 ; in South Australia, 
 
 319 
 Customs duties, friction over, 
 in Victoria, 431 ; intercolonial 
 conference on, 431 
 
 D 
 
 Dampier, William, explorations 
 of, 6 
 
 Darling, Sir Ralph, in New 
 South Wales, loi ; the case of 
 Sudds and Thompson, 106 
 
 Darling, Sir Charles, in Victoria, 
 268; is recalled, 271 ; proposed 
 grant to, 271 
 
 Davey, Colonel, in Tasmania, 197 
 
 Denison, Sir William, in Tas- 
 mania, 208 ; in New South 
 Wales, 152 
 
 De Thierry, Baron, his proclama- 
 tion, 358 
 
 Discovery, 2 et seq. 
 
 Douglas's, Dr., quarrels with 
 Marsden, 99 
 
 Droughts, famine caused by, 105 ; 
 loss of stock from, ib. 
 
 Du Cane, Sir Charles, in Tas- 
 mania, 215 
 
 Education, early efforts at, 164 ; 
 
 system of public, 165 
 Emancipists, 84 ei seq., 103 
 Embassy to England irom Vic- 
 toria, 273 
 Eureka Stockade, attack on, 253 
 Explorations, 2 et seq. ; 107-II3, 
 181, 222,263,285, 307, 337-41 
 Eyre, E. J., explorations of, 307 
 et seq. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 441 
 
 Famine, 42, 105 
 Fawkner, N. S., J. P., 232 
 Federal Assembly, proposals for 
 
 a, 116 
 Federal Council, establishment of, 
 
 127 
 Female Orphan Institution found- 
 
 ed, 58 
 Financial Crisis, 124 
 Firearms, sale prohibited, 369 
 Fitzroy, Sir Charles, in New 
 
 South Wales, 131 
 Fitzroy, Captain, in New Zealand, 
 
 363 
 Fleet, voyage of the first, 27 ; in 
 
 Botany Bay, 30 
 Floods, loss from, 105 
 Forbes, Chief Justice, 9S 
 Foveaux, Colonel, in New South 
 
 Wales, 80 
 Franklin, Sir John, in Tasmania, 
 
 202 
 French discovery ships, 11, 32 ; 
 
 rumours of intention to form 
 
 settlements, 180 ; Nauto Borde- 
 
 laise Company, 362 
 
 G 
 
 General Assembly, formation of, 
 
 127 
 Ghost story of Farley's, 104 
 Gipps, Sir George, in New South 
 
 Wales, 125 
 Gladstone, Mr. W. E., and trans- 
 portation, 133 
 Gold, discovery of, 145 ; effect on 
 
 wages and prices, 149 ; Mount 
 
 Morgan, 345 
 Gold fields, riots at the, 148 
 Government, changes in form of, 
 
 127, 212, 262, 290, 321, 342, 
 
 411 
 Grey, Earl, 239 
 Grey, Sir George, in New Zealand, 
 
 369 
 Grose, Major, 47 
 
 H 
 Hampton, Mr. J. S., in Western 
 Australia, 2S4 
 
 Hauhaus, first appearance of, 400 ; 
 
 war with, 401 
 Hawkesbury, discovery of, settlers 
 
 at, 63 
 Heke, Hone, war with, 365 
 Hobart, settlement formed at, 180 
 Hobson, Captain, in New Zealand, 
 
 359 
 Hongi, wrrs .vith, 356 
 Howe the uushranger, 1S9 ; death 
 
 of, 192 
 Howitt, Mr. Alfred, searches for 
 
 Burke's party, 267 
 Hunter, Captain John, in New 
 
 South Wales, 52 ; is recalled, 
 
 54 
 
 I 
 
 Immigration, first free, 99 ; State 
 aid to, 99 ; effect of gold dis- 
 coveries on, 150 
 
 Intercolonial conference on Cus- 
 toms duties, 431 
 
 J 
 
 Johnson, George, is sent for by 
 Bligh, 77 ; releases Macarthur, 
 78 ; deposes Bligh, 79 ; trial of, 
 
 Jury, trial by, introduced, 95 ; 
 
 the Emancipists and, 103 
 Justice, administration of, 98 
 
 K 
 
 Kapunda, discovery of copper at, 
 
 ,3if . 
 
 Kawiti joins Heke, 370 
 
 Kennedy, Sir Arthur, in Western 
 Australia, 284 
 
 Kent, Lieutenant, and Bligh, 81 
 
 King, Captain, P. G., at Norfolk 
 Island, 35 ; with Hunter, 54 ; 
 is made Governor, 54 ; and the 
 liquor traffic, 57 ; troubles witli 
 the military, 51 ; suppresses an 
 insurrection, 62 
 
 Kingi, Wi, a friend of the Euro- 
 peans, 373, 381 ; his wars, 382 
 
 Kooti, Te, sent to Chatham Island, 
 403 ; escapes, ib. ; wars, 405 ; 
 escapes into King Country, ib. 
 
 Kororareka sacked by Heke, 366 
 
442 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Labour, remuneration of, 418 ; 
 
 trade in Island, 421 ; Parlia- 
 mentary party, 428 
 Latrobe, Mr., in Victoria, 236 et 
 
 seq. 
 Legislatures, constitution of, 127, 
 
 212, 262, 290, 321, 342, 411 
 Leichardt, Ludwig, explorations 
 
 of, 339; loss of, 340 
 License fee, objections to, 242 
 Live stock, introduction of, 170; 
 
 Macarthur's stocks, 170; loss 
 
 from droughts, 105 
 Lowe, Mr. R. (Lord Sherbrooke), 
 
 142 
 
 M 
 
 Macarthur, John, successfully 
 grows fine wool, 55 ; ofiers his 
 farm for sale to Government, 
 56 ; quarrels with Bligh, 74 ; is 
 imprisoned, 77 ; Imt released by 
 Johnson, 78 ; petitions for 
 Bligh's deposition, ib. ; is exiled 
 from New South Wales, 80 
 
 Maconochie, Captain, 203 
 
 McCulloch's scheme for tacking 
 Bills, 269 
 
 Macquarie, Colonel Lachlan, in 
 New South Wales, 84 ; report 
 by Mr. Bigge on administration 
 of, 95 . . 
 
 Macquarie river, discovery of, 90 
 
 Maoris, their character, 354, 355 ; 
 captured by King to teach flax 
 manufacture, 40 ; wars with, 
 363 et seq. 
 
 Marsden, Rev. Samuel, 87 
 
 Massacres of natives, 185 ; at 
 Myall Creek, 126 
 
 Melbourne founded, 230, 235 
 
 Mounted Police, 100 
 
 Myall Creek, massacre at, 126 
 
 N 
 
 Nauto-Bordelaise Company, 362 
 Native police, 336, 369 
 Native Land Courts, 402 
 
 New South Wales, foundation of 
 colony of, 33 ; early troubles in, 
 38 ; supplies fail, 43 ; famine, 
 44 ; arrival of provisions, 45 ; 
 Phillip's departure, 47 ; military 
 difficulties, 49 ; natives in, 50 ; 
 wool growing commenced, 55 ; 
 Hunter's administration, 50, 52 ; 
 King's administratitm, 56 ; in- 
 surrection of convicts, 61 ; 
 Bligh's administration, 73 ; 
 quarrel with Macarthur, 74 ; 
 Bligh's deposition, 79 ; Mac- 
 quarie's administration, 85 ; 
 the rule of Brisbane and 
 Darling, 97 ; Sir Richard 
 Bourke in, 1 14 ; struggle for 
 responsible Government in, 
 116 ; dealing with Crown lands 
 in, 155 ; bushranging, 158 ; 
 pastoral industry in, 170 ; pre- 
 sent condition of, 170 
 New South Wales Corps, 48 
 New Zealand, first settlement of, 
 356; Maoris in, 351 et seq.; 
 wars, 363 et seq. ; fears of 
 French settlement in, 362 ; 
 Nauto-Bordelaise Company in, 
 362 ; constitution of, ib. ; loan 
 policy in, 413 ; present condi- 
 tion of, 414 
 New Zealand Company founded, 
 
 359 ; dissolved, 362 
 Norfolk Lsland occupied, 35 
 North Island, wars in, 397 
 
 O 
 
 Ord, Sir Harry, in Western Aus- 
 tralia, 287 
 Oxley, Mr., explorations of, 330 
 
 Parkes, Sir Henry, 433 
 
 Parliament, the first, 152 
 
 Pastoral interests, 171 
 
 Payment of members in New 
 South Wales, 153 ; in Victoria, 
 272 
 
 Peel, Mr. T., in Western Aus- 
 tralia, 279 
 
INDEX. 
 
 443 
 
 Pensioners, settlements of mili- 
 tary, 376 
 
 Perouse, La, at Botany Bay, 32 
 
 Phillip, Captain Arthur, appointed 
 first Governor, 19 ; prepara- 
 tions, 21 ; on the voyage, 27 : 
 heroic conduct in time of famine, 
 44 ; is wounded, 40 ; leaves the 
 colony, 47 
 
 Police, native, 369 
 
 Polynesian labour, 346 
 
 Port Dalrymple, 184 
 
 Port Jackson occupied by Phillip, 
 
 31 
 Portland Bay, the Hentys at, 226 
 Port Phillip, discovery of, 222 
 Collins at, 223 ; is abandoned, 
 225 ; Batman, 227 ; Batman at, 
 227 ei seg. ; agitation for separa- 
 tion from New South Wales, 
 237 ; mock elections, 23S ; is 
 separated, 239 
 Press laws. Darling and the, 102 ; 
 
 in Tasmania, 195 
 Property Act (Torrens), 373 
 Punishments, Sudds and Thomp- 
 son, 106 
 
 Q 
 
 Queensland, Oxley at Moreton 
 Bay, 332 ; treatment of natives 
 in, 336 ; Pglynesian labour, 
 346 ; System of government, 
 343 ; gold in, 343, 345 
 
 Railways, first line opened in New 
 
 South Wales, 157 
 Rainfall uncertain, 171 
 Rauparaha Te, 363, 371 
 Robinson, G. A., and the Tas- 
 
 manian natives, 200 
 Ross, Major, 38 
 
 S 
 
 Settlers, first free, 99 
 
 Sheep, introduction of, 170 ; im- 
 provement in breed of, 170 
 
 South Australia, first settlement, 
 299 ; distress in, 302 ; Grey's 
 administration, 305 ; discoveries 
 
 of copper in, 31 1 ; eftectof gold 
 discoveries, 316 ; overland tele- 
 graph line in, 326 ; Northern 
 Territory, 325 
 
 Spain, Mr., in New Zealand, 364 
 
 Strzelecki, Count, 145 
 
 Sturt, Captain, his explorations, 
 
 319. 338 
 Sudds and Thompson, case of, 106 
 Swan River, Freemantle's report 
 
 on, 286 ; settlement at, 278 ; 
 
 early disasters, 280 
 Sydney Cove, Phillip selects for 
 
 settlement, 31 
 
 Tapu Maori Custom, 355 
 
 Taranaki, wars in, 387 ei seq. 
 
 Tasmania, effects of gold discovery 
 on, 211 ; abolition of transpor- 
 tation to, 210; constitution, 212; 
 aborigines in, 185, 197-200 
 
 Te Kooti, 403 
 
 Te Whero Whero, 384 
 
 Te Whiti, 406 
 
 Telegraph overlaid, 326 
 
 Thierry, Baron de, 358 
 
 Thompson, Mr. Deas, 143, 146, 
 148 
 
 Torrens, Sir R. R., Real Property 
 Act, 323 
 
 Transportation, cessation of, 210 
 
 Treaty of Waitangi, 365 
 
 U 
 
 United Tribes of New Zealand, 
 
 358 
 University founded, 135 
 
 Van Diemen's Land Company, 196 
 Van Diemen's Land discovered, 
 180; first occupied, 180 ; abori- 
 gines in, 185, 197-200; martial 
 law, 189; made a separate 
 colony, 188 ; bushranging in, 
 189 ; name changed to Tas- 
 mania, 210 
 Victoria, constitution of, 237 ; gold 
 discoveries in, 239 ; disturbances 
 at diggings, 242 ; Eureka Stock- 
 
444 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 ade, 253 ; constitutional diffi- 
 culties, 258 ; tacking bills, 269 ; 
 resources of, 275 
 
 W 
 
 Wairau massacre, 363 
 Wakefield, Captain, R.N., 363 
 Wakefield, Colonel, 363 
 Wakefield, Edward Gibbon, his 
 
 system for colonisation, 295 et 
 
 seq. 
 Wars, Maori, 363 et seq. 
 Went worth, Mr. D'Arcy, 87 
 Wentworth, W. C, cross the Blue 
 
 Mountains, 91 
 Western Australia, first settlement 
 
 in, 276 ; hardships of colonists 
 in, 280 ; transportation to, 282 ; 
 abolition of transportation to, 
 285 ; constitutional government 
 in, 287 ; natural resources of, 
 288 
 Whalers on New Zealand coast, 
 
 351 
 
 Wilmot, Sir Eardley, m Tas- 
 mania, 205 
 
 Wynyard, Lieutenant-Colonel, in 
 New Zealand, 379 
 
 Yarra Yarra, Fawkner and Bat- 
 man on the, 229, 230