The founding of the Australian nation by the first fleet is one of the greatest stories of humankind. Thirteen hundred and fifty people, crammed into eleven tiny ships, sailed halfway round the world to transplant European civilisation and on a voyage that took eight months and one week they lost only forty-eight people, most of whom were sick or dying even before they left.
It was an epic achievement of navigation, use of the wind, ocean currents, and organisation - yet it is a story little known within, or outside, Australia. This section attempts for the first time to present a full account of the voyage from the point of view of the people on board. It is a day-by-day diary of what happened on that voyage and although we do not hear from any convicts, there are contributions by naval and marine officers, surgeons, ships' masters and private soldiers. Thus we get as close to the source, and have as representative a view, as possible.
It is very easy from reading the journals to share the experience of the scribes, especially as so much of their writing is personal and revealing. All the scribes we hear from were part of the team that made this extraordinary adventure possible. Until now they had been split asunder, their journals having been published separately. This section attempts to bring these shipmates back together to present the modern world with a real account of what they went through to settle this nation for Europe.
These people cannot necessarily be condemned for the attitudes they held towards the Australian Aboriginals or even their own convicts - these attitudes had been upheld for centuries and had not yet been questioned. This was the age of King George III the mad farmer, as he came to be known after his first derangement (which ironically occurred the year he authorised the sailing of the first fleet).
Their government was that of William Pitt, Whig Prime Minister from 1783-1801 and 1804-06. These men had tried to defend Britain's territory in the American War of Independence 1776-1783 at Bunker Hill and other battlefields. These were the men who lost that war to 'the dangerous spirit of democracy' as Philip Gidley King called it. Some of them were caught up with Hastings and then Clive in the Indian campaigns and some returned to fight Napoleon both at Waterloo with Wellington or on other bloody battlefields at sea. At this time of revolutionary change when the old order seemed frighteningly fragile, the men of the first fleet believed they were transporting the best of the old order to the new world and that is why Phillip tried to re-establish the same values and teach European ways to the Australian Aboriginals.
This was also the age of Hogarth, Rowlandson and Gillray - society was changing rapidly as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the increasing crime rate and social problems were being highlighted in satirical sketches and irreverent works of art. Blake was upsetting conventional standards, Dr Johnson was asking Boswell and others awkward questions in the coffee-houses of the nation where in 1788, just before the fleet arrived in Botany Bay, the first copies of the \ILondon Times\i appeared. This was also the age of great British maritime exploration epitomised by Captain Cook's discoveries - an age which romanticised the sea through the poetry of Wordsworth and Coleridge - especially the poem 'The Ancient Mariner' written ten years after the voyage of the fleet itself. It was also a time of great cultural sophistication. Celebrated composers toured the great cities of Europe and music salons in this age of beauty, elegance, refinement and high fashion.
Consequently the men of the first fleet embody this contrast between two worlds and it is reflected in their journals - the refined Reverend Richard Johnson will not stoop to preaching to the convicts and the aloof Surgeon Smyth looks down his nose at the rum-sodden wretches from the streets of London who before the voyage, he only saw as his carriage passed them by.
There were lots of interesting people on the fleet, including four or five men from the West Indies, some sent as convicts, some as working seamen. Many nationalities were represented, including German, Dutch Norwegian, Scottish, Irish, French, Jewish, Spanish and Italian in addition to the English. There were people such as Peter Hibbs who had been out before with Captain James Cook on \IEndeavour\i and was visiting Botany Bay for the second time and there were many who would had been transported to America for their crimes but who went to Australia because after the war the Americans would no longer receive convicts.
Despite their crimes and past, the convicts actually behaved better than the marines on the first fleet. The records that survive are chance ones as conditions were difficult for writing diaries at sea. The weather was rough, the ships were wet and often there was no time and few facilities. In addition it was hard to know what was happening; only Phillip really knew what all the eleven ships were doing and why and information was only gained by the others days or weeks later and then sometimes they got the story wrong. Thus the record in this account is patchy and sometimes contains gaps.
The biggest problem is accuracy, as many accounts of the same event differ. Also, days at sea are timed from noon - half a day before the land day starts - which can be confusing. However, this section has been written as if those sea days were based on ordinary time.
This is a straight account with little comment and the reader is left free to interpret and assess the achievement, the skills of navigation and seamanship, the inequalities, the cruelty, class divisions, the state of medicine in the 1780s, the problems of control, floggings, discipline and the effect these things had on the people of the day. The challenge is to go back to that time and see it through their eyes rather than ours.
Thus the story is now passed over to those on the first fleet who alone know what it was like.
\BDescription:\b Early views of Australia. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"First Fleet Scribes",3,fp3-010.jpg,c,0
The journals and diaries of at least eleven scribes have survived from the first fleet along with reports and logbooks of others. The story of this expedition can be pieced together from these accounts. Seven of the eleven ships are well represented in this collective account, including both naval ships, HMS \ISirius\i and \ISupply,\i and five of the six transports, \ICharlotte, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales, Friendship\i and \IScarborough.\i There are few surviving journals from the \IAlexander\i or the three storeships \IFishburn,\i \IBorrowdale\i and \IGolden Grove,\i even though the fleet chaplain, Reverend Richard Johnson, was on the latter.
The small number of journals is not surprising as conditions were hardly ideal for sitting down at a desk each night and reporting on the activities of the day. Many of the convicts could not read or write properly, and even if they could, they were neither inclined to write diaries nor allowed the facilities for such indulgences. Nor did the seamen have the skills, inclination or time to write and so we must turn to the officers for our records. These eleven scribes were all very different people; the following thumbnail sketches should help throw light on their individual journals.
Click on \JNext Page\j or one of the following:
\JWilliam Bradley (1757-1833)\j
\JRalph Clark (?-1794)\j
\JDavid Collins (1756-1810)\j
\JJohn Easty\j
\JJohn Hunter (1737-1821)\j
\JPhilip Gidley King (1758-1808)\j
\JArthur Phillip (1738-1814)\j
\JJames Scott\j
\JArthur Bowes Smyth (1750-90)\j
\JWatkin Tench (1758-1833)\j
\JJohn White (1756?-1832)\j
\JOther Scribes\j
\BDescription:\b This picture shows the docklands of London, the area from which the First Fleet journey began. \I(Courtesy Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
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"William Bradley (1757-1833)",4,62741001.jpg,c,0
Bradley was the intellectual of the fleet. He came from a scientific background with ancestors who had served as royal astronomers and at the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth. He had been at sea since the age of fifteen, during which time he had served in many capacities in different ships, including the \IAriadne\i with his fellow first-fleet officers Arthur Phillip and Philip Gidley King. A quiet, retiring intellectual, Bradley made few friends and kept very much to himself and his journal.
Bradley's journal starts long before the others, is very detailed and is full of delightful illustrations, painting being one of his main interests.
A naval officer attached to HMS \ISirius\i as First Lieutenant, he was a cartographer, like his fellow officer Captain John Hunter, and was particularly interested in maps, charts, surveys and scientific experiments. After the fleet arrived he surveyed Port Jackson and Norfolk Island and when he delivered these reports to the Admiralty on his return to England he was promoted to the rank of master and commander. Chief Surgeon White said Bradley was 'an officer of more than common abilities'.
Also interested in natural history and Australian Aboriginals, he was one of the party who caught Bennelong, a Sydney Aborigine, 'by far the most unpleasant service I ever was ordered to execute'.
After returning to England he married, had three children and served in the French wars taking part in the battle of the Glorious on 1 June 1794, earning himself a promotion to captain and the command of his own ship the \ICambrian\i which was attached to the Halifax station. He later reached the rank of rear-admiral of the Blue and was superannuated, until he complained of 'an unsettled state of mind', after which he was convicted of defrauding the postal authorities and forced into dishonourable exile in France where he died in 1833.
\BDescription:\b The eleven scribes of the first fleet all shared the problem of finding a place to write their journals - the officers enjoyed the use of a desk. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Ralph Clark (?-1794)",5,fp3-017.jpg,c,0
Ralph Clark was the romantic of the fleet. He possibly came from the Musselburgh area near Durham. He began his professional life serving with the Dutch forces in Holland before transferring to the British marines, becoming a Second Lieutenant in 1779. After the American War of Independence he served with the Portsmouth Division and on 23 June 1784 married the woman he was to dote on for the rest of his short life, Betsy Alicia. Although he volunteered for the first fleet in order to achieve a promotion - exchanging with another marine already ordered to Botany Bay - this broke his heart, as officers were not allowed to take wives. He spent much of the five years away from Betsy pining desperately.
Clark pours his heart out onto the pages of his journal, which at times makes almost embarrassing reading, as it was never intended for the public eye. It is the most human of the journals and was probably written by Clark to keep himself sane and to keep in touch with the woman from whom he had been torn away. It is also greatly enriched by his dreams. He dreamt most nights and the boundary between his real and dream world was often blurred. He was something of a seer, as many of his dreams came true.
Clark performed his duties in a competent, honourable manner and achieved the promotion he was seeking. A favourite of his leader, Major Robert Ross, Clark served both in Sydney and on Norfolk Island, where he became quartermaster general and keeper of the stores and later supervisor of settlements at Charlotte Field and Queensborough which he laid out himself. He was also a great peacemaker and friend to officers of high rank; on his return to England he was promoted further.
Despite his love for Betsy Alicia, he took a convict mistress, Mary Branham, a servant sentenced for housebreaking. She bore him a daughter, Alicia, on Norfolk Island in July 1791. He returned to England with the marines in June 1792, just over five years after he had left his wife, and spent some time with her, on half-pay, before being sent off once again, this time to the French War.
Early in 1794 Betsy Alicia died giving birth to a stillborn child and later that year his son, young Ralph, then a midshipman, died of yellow fever in the West Indies in the same ship and on the same day that his father was killed.
\BDescription:\b A map of Norfolk Island. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"David Collins (1756-1810)",6,62741002.jpg,c,0
Collins was the legal officer of the fleet. Although his father trained him as a soldier it is not surprising that Collins should write a fine journal - his grandfather published the first edition of Collin's \IPeerage of England.\i Of all the first fleet scribes, Collins had perhaps the most varied and longest career in the colonies: he remained until 1795 and then returned again in 1803 to establish settlements in Port Phillip Bay and in Van Diemen's Land. As the man conducting the legal affairs of the colony, he also had more responsibility than most. His brother, Lieutenant William Collins, marines, was also on the fleet in\I Lady Penhryn.\i
On his return to England, he published a book based on his records, aimed 'at dissuading his countrymen from regarding New South Wales with odium and disgust'. In two volumes and called \IAn Account of the\i \IEnglish Colony in New South Wales,\i the book was one of the most successful published by any first fleet officer. The work was illustrated with drawings by Thomas Watling and engravings by Edward Dayes and was a much fuller account than any published before. Interested in religion, customs and morality, Collins was something of a philosopher who wrote with considerable sensitivity and feeling. His story is both interesting and moving, his journal full of classical allusions and references.
Before joining the fleet he had served in the American War of Independence and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill where he received a promotion to first lieutenant. Although he hated the 'salt sea ocean' and did not wish to leave his wife behind, he accepted the invitation to go as deputy judge advocate to the colony because there was little else to do during peace-time.
He played a key role in the colony by reading the 7 February Act, which constituted the formal government, and by establishing the legal system for the colony. A great friend and confidant of Governor Phillip, he served as his right-hand man dealing with all the problems of crime and punishment, convict labour, health regulations, Aboriginal affairs, celebration of royal anniversaries and other duties, gaining experience in civil administration, equipping him for promotion.
After his first period in the colonies, he had five years with his wife Maria whom he found 'ill and weakened beyond anything I could have imagined'. They worked together on his journals and her novels before he was sent back as the lieutenant-governor of the new settlement, initially in Port Phillip Bay and then Van Diemen's Land, where he died suddenly in 1810.
His only child by Maria, a daughter, had died in infancy, but his two children by convict Ann Yeates (a milliner sentenced for housebreaking) in Sydney and his two children by Margaret Eddington in Hobart all survived him.
\BDescription:\b David Collins - Judge Advocate. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"John Easty",7,0,g,0
John Easty was the lowest ranking scribe to leave a record of his voyage. There were no journals by the convicts, so this journal written by a private in the marines is as close as we can get to life below decks.
On the voyage, Easty was a member of Captain Meridith's company, but little is known of his life before the expedition. He must have served satisfactorily on the voyage as soon after arriving he was assigned to different positions of responsibility. On the voyage he kept a very careful diary every day, even recording how he was punished for being drunk on duty. Apparently, he was prepared to stand up for his beliefs and defend his position as he gave evidence in one or two court cases in the new colony.
In May 1788 he gave evidence against convict William Parr who was sentenced to 200 lashes 'for interfering in a business that he had no concern in, for groundlessly insinuating to the sentinel on duty (John Easty) that the worst provisions were issued to them and for attempting to sow discord among the battalion by falsely asserting that they did not receive their just ration of provisions'.
Easty also took the trouble to return two brushes which he had discovered had been stolen from one of his fellow marines by another villain, also a marine, and gave evidence in the court case which followed. As the marines were an unreliable and unruly group, Easty could have been something of an exception. Certainly on his return to England in 1792, he improved his situation by leaving the marines and entering the commercial world, possibly working in a grocery business, as his address from 1794 was 'Waddingtons and Smith, 111 Minories, London' (a company of grocers and teamen).
Having collected tea on \IScarborough\i in China and brought it back under East Indian Company Charter, perhaps for Waddingtons, Easty may have established connections enabling him to leave the marines for commercial life. By then his writing and spelling had also improved and by 1796 he was writing impressive submissions to the Admiralty requesting financial rewards for his service on the Botany Bay expedition. Perhaps the final comment on Easty was the support given to his request by Phillip, who declared his claim was a good one.
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"John Hunter (1737-1821)",8,62741003.jpg,c,0
The Scotsman John Hunter, the grand old man of the fleet, was second in command of the expedition. He had a dormant commission to take over as governor on the death of Phillip and as the captain of the flagship, was put in charge of Division B of the fleet on the voyage out and then appointed to sail \ISirius\i around the world again to collect supplies for the newly established colony. A solid, stolid and kindly gentleman, Hunter was well liked by his fellow officers but was one of the few first fleeters never to marry or be known to take on a mistress.
Hunter came from a professional family involved in both legal and maritime affairs, and was probably the best educated on the fleet. Schooled in classics, music, divinity, art and languages to university level, he was destined for the church but changed his mind, entering the Navy instead. Here he passed a series of examinations in navigation, astronomy and other maritime subjects, earning himself early promotions. He also served on a number of ships in different theatres and met such eminent naval leaders as Admiral Lord Howe, who became his sponsor. He fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill (where David Collins had fought) and was also first lieutenant on the \IVictory\i in 1782.
On the first fleet he proved himself a capable leader and competent captain of HMS \ISirius\i and although his ship was wrecked off Norfolk Island while delivering supplies in 1791, stranding him on that island for eleven months, he was acquitted of any blame. Hunter seemed to have a predilection for shipwrecks. He was wrecked off the coast of Norway as a child, he was then involved in a second shipwreck before joining the fleet, and then after \ISirius\i was foundered, he was captain of a fourth ship wrecked in British waters, from which he was also acquitted of all blame.
He was also one of the best surveyors and cartographers on the fleet and charted large areas of the colony; his charts were published along with his carefully written journal. Following the wreck of \ISirius,\i he returned to England to serve in other ships before being sent back to Sydney as governor in 1795. Not as capable on land as he was at sea, he was recalled in 1800. He then served in a variety of ships and naval positions, becoming vice-admiral and later rear-admiral. He died in 1821.
\BDescription:\b John Hunter - captain of HMS \ISirius\i. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Philip Gidley King (1758-1808)",9,62741005.jpg,c,0
King, Phillip's best friend, was the fleet's trouble-shooter - as in addition to being second lieutenant on HMS \ISirius\i he was aide-de-camp to Phillip and the emissary for the fleet, responsible for negotiating with foreign ports, troublesome seamen and for carrying dispatches back to England. He was also the leader of the first sub-colony, Norfolk Island, and later governor of New South Wales.
King, who came from a middle-class family of clothiers in the West Country and had been schooled on the Isle of Wight, had gone to sea at twelve. Serving in the American War of Independence, he met Phillip during the war in which he gained much experience before joining the fleet. He was only on the expedition, however, because he was Phillip's best friend and he had insisted on taking him.
King, who was a quiet, conscientious and dutiful officer, preoccupied with carrying out his duty for God, King and country, was considered by some too pious and sanctimonious. But he was well liked by those in power and was sponsored in addition to Phillip by Sir Joseph Banks.
He proved a very useful aide on the voyage, settling disputes between officers and seamen and talking the fleet into the foreign ports. He kept a detailed journal, parts of which were published in Hunter s account. He contributed more to the early settlement than most first fleet officers, as in addition to establishing a colony on Norfolk Island he served as governor from 1800-06 during which time he laid the basis of economic viability and created new settlements at Newcastle, Hobart, Launceston and for a short period at Port Phillip Bay.
While on Norfolk Island, he lived with convict Ann Inett (a seamstress sentenced for housebreaking), having two sons by her, both of whom entered the Navy. Later, while in England, he married Anna Josepha Coombe, by whom he had five children, including Phillip Parker who circumnavigated Australia and became Australia's first admiral.
\BDescription:\b Philip Gidley King. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Arthur Phillip (1738-1814)",10,62741006.jpg,c,0
Phillip was the gentle leader, the saint among sinners, and the idealist whose vision shone through, giving others a sense of purpose for the whole expedition. Not only did he lead the fleet successfully to New South Wales, but he also established a viable settlement, upon which future governors built. Seen by many as the father of Australia, he was eventually promoted to the rank of admiral.
The son of a German language teacher from Frankfurt who had emigrated to Britain, Phillip received a sound education before entering the Navy, where he served on a variety of ships and fought in the Seven Years' War, gaining promotions along the way. He married for the first time during the ensuing peace and became a farmer near Lyndhurst, Hampshire.
When this marriage broke up he joined the Portuguese Navy in its fight against Spain, performing other duties, including the transportation of convicts from Lisbon to Rio. He then fought for the British Navy again in the War of Independence, at which time he met and served with Philip Gidley King. After a trip on the India run, Phillip carried out intelligence work in France for the British Navy before he was selected to command the fleet to Botany Bay.
He organised the voyage so skilfully that all ships arrived safely with few accidents, and only a small number of deaths. He then established a viable settlement in both a practical and visionary manner proving himself as a farmer, explorer, builder, and leader of men. A compassionate reformer, he encouraged convicts and gave them hope for the future. A sensitive servant of the public and a rational humanist, he set the highest example for those who followed.
After five years, Phillip's health broke down and he returned to England, married for the second time and remained on the sick list from 1792-96. Responding to the threat of invasion he then organised the home defence forces against Napoleon, as the Commander of Britain's Sea Fencibles. By 1799 he was made a rear-admiral of the Blue and from this time his reputation and position in the Navy continued to improve until his death in 1814.
\BDescription:\b Arthur Phillip. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"James Scott",11,0,g,0
Scott seems to have been something of a model marine. He travelled in Captain Campbell's company, taking his wife Jane with him on the voyage. En route she had a daughter, Elizabeth, and later she had a son William in the new colony.
In the colony Scott was responsible for a variety of duties, including organising the guard. On several occasions he appeared in court to give evidence against his fellow marines and convicts who misbehaved. He accused marines James Baker, Luke Haines, Richard Asky and Richard Dukes of murdering Thomas Bullmore and he gave evidence against convicts for breaking into the marines' quarters and for a variety of other crimes. Not long before he left the colony Scott and his wife became involved in a squabble when the wife of a soldier, Martha Davis, accused Jane Scott of 'throwing out suspicions and surmises of her conduct' before she was charged with 'scandalously abusing James Scott, a sergeant of the marines and Jane Scott his wife'.
Having done his duty, Scott then returned to England with his wife, arriving with the rest of the marines in June 1792. A resourceful couple, they had not only survived the five years abroad but had brought two children into the world who were among those lucky children to survive the return voyage. Little is known of the family after their return home.
Arthur Bowes Smyth was the main surgeon on the transport, looking after the female convicts as well as the ship's company. He took over when his senior, Dr Thomas Altree, fell sick at Tenerife. He performed exceptionally well and the \ILady Penrhyn\i had few casualties on the voyage.
The seventh child of an Essex surgeon, Smyth inherited his profession practising as a surgeon in Essex for five years before joining the fleet. On the voyage he kept an enthusiastic journal, not only reporting with some pride the health record of the convicts, but also all the strange and wonderful sights along the way. He was especially intrigued by birds and was among the first to see and sketch many species including the emu and the white gallinule before it became extinct. He collected a wide variety of natural history specimens and many curiosities on the expedition and subsequent voyage to China, making a considerable contribution to this field of study.
Along with Surgeon White, Smyth was one of the surgeons mostly responsible for the excellent health of the first fleet. He was unable to capitalise on this experience, however, as he died soon after he returned to England in 1790. He is buried in the place where he was born, Tolleshunt, D'Arcy, Essex.
Smyth's specialty was his affinity for whales; he seemed always to be the one to see them from the deck of the \ILady Penrhyn. \i
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"Watkin Tench (1758-1833)",13,03250043.jpg,c,0
Tench, perhaps the most colourful scribe of the fleet, was a poet and philosopher with a sense of history and a vision few others shared. A born writer, he was the most perceptive and most literary of the scribes, going out of his way to obtain material for the publication which he had organised even before he left on the fleet. He had a long and exciting life, which included battles on the high seas, serving as a prisoner of war in America and France, leading parties of exploration into the Australian bush and serving as an interpreter to Captain William Bligh.
Tench was born in Chester where his father was a theatrical impresario, master of a leading boarding school, freeman of the town and dancing instructor. On the outbreak of war Tench entered the marines and sailed for America in 1776 where he served with distinction, being promoted to first lieutenant before being taken as a prisoner of war in Maryland. Retired on half-pay after the war, he volunteered for the first fleet and was appointed captain lieutenant under Major Robert Ross, the overall commander of the marines.
He distinguished himself on the voyage, and once in New South Wales was put in charge of several exploring parties, charged with the task of locating and mapping river systems. He made a particular study of Australian Aboriginals, sharing his observations and reports with his great friend Lieutenant William Dawes (HMS \ISirius).\i
After sailing back with the marines in 1792, Tench was promoted to brevet major after which he married Anna Maria, the daughter of a Devonport surgeon, before going to sea again to fight the French. As a prisoner of war in 1794, he was attached to Captain William Bligh who had also been detained by the French in Brittany. Free again and back in England, Tench was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel and transferred to shore duties during which he published an account of his time in France reaching the rank of major-general before retiring on half-pay in 1816.
Tench was recalled in 1819 and spent another three years as commandant of Plymouth retiring as lieutenant-general in 1821. Having no children of his own, he adopted that year the four orphaned children of his sister-in-law, whom he cared for as his own until his death in 1833.
\BDescription:\b Watkin Tench. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"John White (1756?-1832)",14,62741008.jpg,c,0
John White was the chief surgeon in charge of the fleet's health. He was tough, disciplined and motivated by the highest medical principles and practices. He guarded his charge with a strict eye, never letting up till the fleet arrived at Botany Bay and lost only 48 lives as against the 267 who died on the second fleet.
White joined the Navy as a third surgeon's mate following the outbreak of war with America, earning his diploma of the Company of Surgeons in 1781 and serving in West Indian and Indian waters following the war. He was recommended for the first fleet by Captain Sir Andrew Snape Hamond while serving as the surgeon on the \IIrresistible\i and joined the expedition in October 1786.
From the start, White introduced sweeping measures to ensure good health, cleaning and fumigating ships and insisting on proper diet. He was a good ally for Phillip, and between them the two enlightened leaders managed to control scurvy, dysentery and other diseases, and deliver their human cargo safely from one end of the earth to the other. White was also a keen naturalist and observer of his fellow man and kept a detailed and entertaining diary.
White established a hospital once on dry land, and insisted on good food supplies, volunteering for fishing duty himself. With the help of his assistants, he was able to save half of the 500 convicts who arrived too sick for duty on the second fleet in 1790 and again in 1791 he was able to save many arriving sick on the third fleet. But the burden was beyond him, however, as 436 convicts died that year and it was not till 1793 that the surgeons regained control again, reducing the death toll the following year to 59.
White had a son, Andrew Douglas, by convict Rachael Turner in 1793 and returned to England on leave in 1795 taking his son with him. He then resigned rather than be sent back to the colony and served on different ships as surgeon until 1800 when he married and took up shore duties as surgeon on different dockyards until he retired in 1820. He had three more children, a son called Richard Hamond (presumably after his original benefactor) who entered the Navy, and two daughters who married naval and political leaders. His first son, Andrew Douglas, grew up in this household, joined the Royal Engineers, fought at Waterloo and then returned to live with his mother in New South Wales.
\BDescription:\b John White - Chief Surgeon. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Other Scribes",15,03250050.jpg,c,0
Besides these main scribes, other writers have left a record of the trip, in the form of letters and notes. They included George Worgan (1757-1838), one of the more eccentric of the first fleet surgeons, who distinguished himself by, among other things, taking a piano with him on board HMS \ISirius\i to Botany Bay. A Londoner, he inherited his passion for music from his father, Dr John Worgan, who played the organ at Vauxhall Gardens, Lambeth, and who insisted on his children having a sound musical education no matter what profession they intended to enter.
Worgan, as it turned out, had many professions - he was naval surgeon, author, farmer, agricultural writer and organist. He entered the Navy shortly before the American War of Independence, qualifying as surgeon's second mate by 1778 and being gazetted as naval surgeon in 1780. He served on a variety of ships, including the \IPilote,\i captured from the French in the war, before joining the first fleet.
He discharged his duties as surgeon on HMS \ISirius\i to the satisfaction of Phillip and then served under Hunter's command on the ship when she sailed around the globe to collect supplies at Capetown. Later, when HMS \ISirius\i was shipwrecked on her ill-fated journey to Norfolk Island, with others he was forced to scramble ashore as best he could.
After eleven months marooned on this island, he returned to England with the rest of the ship's company and worked in various capacities until 1800 when he was declared unfit for active service and was retired on half-pay. Retreating to the West Country, he married, worked two farms in Cornwall and wrote agricultural reports, including\I General View of the Agriculture of the County of Cornwall,\i drawn up and published by order of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement which was reprinted for some years.
Called 'Dally Worgan' by locals, he was apparently something of an all-rounder, serving as local schoolmaster in Liskeard and organist, as well as running the farms and writing his agricultural reports. Of his offspring, two sons migrated to Australia, where the authorities helped them to get employment. Worgan died in 1838, either of apoplexy or by suicide, as some reports claim that he hanged himself.
There was also an anonymous 'officer' on the \IPrince of Wales\i who wrote an account of the trip when he got home. His book was published in London in 1789 and was 'written by an officer just returned in the \IPrince of Wales\i transport, who visited the spot with Captain Cook and Dr Solander in their celebreated voyages around the world'. This book of uncertain origin is at times quite inaccurate and much of it could have been written by somebody who had not travelled with the fleet, perhaps being based on early dispatches, hearsay, reports from people who had returned, and embellished with plenty of imagination. It was most probably written from hurriedly compiled notes by 'an officer' who thought of the idea as the \IPrince of Wales\i was returning home as among the notes is a reference to a kangaroo captured in New South Wales which includes the observation 'and one of these animals \Iis \ion board the \IPrince of Wales\i and also a live dog from New Holland'.
The author may also have had access to the first dispatches sent back from Phillip in 1788 on the \IAlexander\i with Lieutenant John Shortland, as the rationale for establishing the settlement is recorded along with the hopes entertained for its future. Whether the 'officer' was a convenient name to adopt for a publishing concern which merely wanted to make money from releasing one of the earliest accounts of the voyage or not, the insights of this 'officer' shed light on the expedition and help colour in a fuller picture.
Another book of this type appeared from 'an officer' on the storeship \IBorrowdale,\i of whom little is known. And there were also letters from people such as Daniel Southwell, midshipman on HMS \ISirius,\i and military reports from Major Ross.
Thus with eleven main scribes on the voyage proper, reports from these extra contributors and the ships' masters there is some written record from ten of the eleven ships, the \IGolden Grove\i storeship being the least covered of all.
Although each author was unique, there were patterns running through the journals of these scribes. Many of the officers had received a reasonable education and had shared experiences in the same theatre of war, or on similar commercial routes - some had served in the American War of Independence and a few of these had even been together at the Battle of Bunker Hill. As men of their time they were moulded by the government department which they served and so they are to an extent stereotyped.
Within this framework, however, there is great variation between the naval officers, surgeons and marines and even further variation between the ranks - the journal of Chief Surgeon John White is very different from that of Private John Easty of the marines. Yet in the end most of them sailed for similar reasons - to serve King and country and earn a promotion in the process. Most shared the assumptions of the day concerning the role of a penal colony and Britain's desire to 'civilise', thus the overall picture that emerges is very consistent.
For these scribes to be put in their place, they must be located on the different ships along with the other officers, crew and convicts that finally complete the picture of the first fleet.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of the First Fleet at Cape Town. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Ships of the First Fleet",16,fp3-007.jpg,c,0
Eleven ships sailed in the first fleet: two naval ships, six transports for carrying convicts and three storeships for carrying supplies. The fleet broke up into two divisions after Cape Town with four ships sailing ahead in Division A and seven following in Division B.
The Navy supplied the two naval ships from their own fleet of warships and hired the other nine from commercial interests. The Navy advertised for these commercial ships by putting up notices in coffeehouses frequented by shipowners, shipbrokers and merchants and made their selection from the replies within two weeks of the advertisements going up. Three of these were under charter to the East India Company for the return trip.
The fleet was one of the largest ever to put to sea on such an expedition and was a matter of some pride to the organisers, as Phillip's official account testifies, 'To all it must appear a striking proof of the flourishing state of navigation in the present age, and a singular illustration of its fast progress since the early nautical efforts of mankind; that whereas the ancients coasted with timidity along the shores of the Mediterranean, and thought it a great effort to run across the narrow sea which separates Crete from Egypt, Great Britain, without hesitation, sends out a fleet to plant a settlement near the antipodes.'
These ships were the central feature of the expedition. Together they constituted a floating village providing the only physical reality for many of the participants for well over a year. Consequently, the different ships developed individual characters and by the end of the voyage there were good and bad ships, fast and slow ships, accident-prone and lucky ships and so on.
Click on \JNext Page\j or one of the following:
\JHMS Supply\j
\JAlexander\j
\JScarborough\j
\JFriendship\j
\JHMS Sirius\j
\JPrince of Wales\j
\JCharlotte\j
\JLady Penrhyn\j
\JFishburn\j
\JGolden Grove\j
\JBorrowdale\j
\BDescription:\b The First Fleet used the ships of the Royal Navy (on the Thames, London). \I(Courtesy Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"HMS Supply",17,fp2-164.jpg,c,0
The naval tender was intended as an armed companion to the flagship HMS \ISirius\i and back-up in cases of emergency. As it was, however, the plucky little HMS \ISupply\i became the champion of the fleet, racing ahead to spot land on the voyage, running messages, rounding up stragglers en route, relaying signals, coming forward to lead when HMS \ISirius\i proved slow and taking her place when she was wrecked.
Of the eleven, it was the swiftest sailer for most of the voyage and lasted longest in colonial waters, serving for twenty years as a vital vessel for bringing food supplies to the colony and ferrying people about. After HMS \ISirius\i was wrecked and all the other ships had left the colony, it sailed up to Batavia as a last link with the outside world and brought back badly needed food. When its working days were over it was 'put out to pasture' in Sydney Cove for some time, serving as a poignant reminder of the first fleet, before it was broken up in 1807 for re-use.
HMS\I Supply\i was lucky to be chosen for, as Bradley reports, it was only a second choice - made by the Navy after they discovered the state of their first choice. 'The \IGrantham\i packet was purchased into the service to be employed as a Tender, but on examination was found very rotten and totally unfit for the voyage, in consequence of which the \ISupply\i Navy Transport was ordered to Deptford - fitted in lieu of the \IGrantham.\i
HMS\I Supply,\i according to King, was little better as 'her size is much too small for so long a voyage which added to her not being able to carry any quantity of provisions and her sailing very ill renders her a very improper vessel for this service'. Nevertheless it was the bravest of the lot and earned its place many times over.
Although the captain of HMS \ISupply,\i Henry Ball, kept a record, the main account of its voyage is from scribes such as Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, who transferred to HMS \ISupply\i at Cape Town. HMS \ISupply\i sailed into Port Jackson ahead of the other ships, where its officers planted the flag - making it the ship from which Australia was founded.
\BDescription:\b Painting of HMS \ISupply\i. \I(Courtesy Pioneers Club of Australia)\i
#
"Alexander",18,fp3-005.jpg,c,0
The largest of the transports, the \IAlexander,\i was also the worst. It was, with the \IScarborough,\i one of only two all-male prison ships. It was the dirtiest ship, more convicts died on it (sixteen even before it sailed) and its convicts caused more trouble than on any other transport, with mutiny attempts by both seamen and convicts, escapes and people going overboard characterising its voyage. It had the distinction of having on board the greatest rogue of all - John Powers - who not only escaped briefly himself, but also led a convict uprising. Most of the ship's convicts were loaded at Woolwich and some even got out of their handcuffs while still on the Thames in January 1787.
Built in 1783 at Hull, the \IAlexander\i was a three-master of two decks with a quarter-deck but with no galleries or figurehead. It was owned by Southwark master mariner, William Walton, whose company, Walton & Co., decided there was money to be made transporting convicts to Botany Bay. Although it had a troublesome trip on the way out, conditions were worse on the return trip with all but four of its crew dying from scurvy. Replacing its dead crew with survivors from the \IFriendship,\i which was scuttled in the Straits of Macassar, it reached England just over two years after leaving. After working on other business for some years it disappeared from the records in 1808.
Although the Agent for the fleet, John Shortland, kept a record, the account of \IAlexander\i's voyage is not as well chronicled as that of other ships, until the return trip.
\BDescription:\b The ship \IAlexander\i sailed from the Thames as part of the First Fleet in 1787. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Scarborough",19,fp3-011.jpg,c,0
\IScarborough,\i the second largest transport was the other big, all-male prison ship which caused a lot of trouble on the voyage out. Its convicts attempted to seize the ship within two weeks of leaving England and the ringleaders, Philip Farrell and Thomas Griffiths, were among the first flogged on the voyage. It also carried some of the most hardened criminals, as well as convict informers, addicted drinkers and marines of the worst possible type (some of its marines received up to 150 lashes for different offences).
\IScarborough\i had been built in 1782 in Scarborough as a two-decked three-masted vessel rigged as a barque. The three Scarborough merchants who owned it - Thomas, George and John Hopper - chartered it to the Admiralty, anticipating profits in the venture, as in addition to being paid by the government to carry convicts to Botany Bay, they were to return via China where they would collect a lucrative tea cargo along with the other two ships under charter to the East India Company \I(Charlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn).\i
The venture must have been successful as it made the trip twice, sailing out with the second fleet - the only ship from the first fleet to do so. \IScarborough\i must have been mutiny-prone because on this second trip the convicts attempted to seize the ship again and were only frustrated by a betrayal. After returning from this trip and carrying out other business it was broken up in 1798. Although the Master, John Marshall, kept a record, the main story of the voyage of \IScarborough\i comes from Private John Easty of the marines.
\BDescription:\b London's shipping companies hired out transports for the First Fleet. \I(Courtesy Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"Friendship",20,0,g,0
The little \IFriendship\i, which was the only other two-masted vessel along with HMS \ISupply\i, and another swift sailer, was as notoriously evil as its two big counterparts in Division A. With a mixture of women and men on board, it lived up to its name becoming something of a floating brothel with all the problems of love and sex on the high seas. Phillip considered it a punishment ship for hardened offenders, sending trouble-makers to it at Rio and other ports along the way.
\IFriendship's\i sailors teamed up with the convict women soon after leaving England, fighting among themselves for favours and going on strike to win better food and clothing for their mistresses. A hard core of the women (many of whom were prostitutes) fought violently among themselves and no matter how many times they were flogged or put in irons they behaved like animals throughout the voyage. Tempers became frayed at all levels - fights even broke out between officers and surgeons after drinking bouts or when food shortages became acute.
There was also fighting between the marines and sailors on board, whenever the sailors broke through into the female prisons for another orgy, and on many occasions the sailors were flogged for taking advantage of the women. The women, who seemed to have no shortage of alcohol, were continually swearing at the marines and officers, abusing them and accusing them of misconduct. In turn the officers chained the women to each other for days on end, gagged them and tried to tame them as best they could.
\IFriendship\i was also a sickly, accident-prone ship, losing its share of convicts and crew, including one who went overboard drunk, and in addition it suffered many accidents en route.
On its return, \IFriendship\i struck real trouble when scurvy attacked its crew, and with not enough men left to sail the vessel, it was scuttled in the Straits of Macassar and the survivors were transferred to the \IAlexander\i for the remainder of the voyage back to England. It was thus the first ship of the fleet to break up following the original voyage and the only one of the commercial ships that did not make it back.
The story of the \IFriendship\i is told in great detail by Lieutenant Ralph Clark of the marines.
#
"HMS Sirius",21,fp2-163.jpg,c,0
The flagship of the fleet, HMS \ISirius,\i had a dubious claim to its exalted position as it was a rough-and-ready commercial cast-off that the Navy bought cheaply and dressed up for the occasion and, although it completed the voyage successfully enough, it caused a lot of trouble en route and it was not long before it was wrecked delivering supplies on Norfolk Island. Originally designed for commercial use, it was initially called \IBerwick\i and had as its figurehead the Duke of Berwick.
Built in 1780 for the East India Company for India trade, bad luck plagued HMS \ISirius\i from the start as it was gutted by a fire within a year, and taken out of commercial service. The Navy then bought it in 1781, saving its life for use as a storeship. Its captain, John Hunter, thought it 'was exceedingly well calculated for such a service', as it 'mounted 20 guns, and had a spar deck over them, was of a round full build, and was all together a very capacious and convenient vessel'.
But Second Lieutenant Philip Gidley King thought it was most inadequate for the job. 'The construction of a Kings Ship not being deemed proper for this Service the \IBerwick\i Store Ship was pitched on by the Admiralty & her name changed to the \ISirius,\i so called from the bright star in the Southern constellation of the Great Dog. She had been purchased on the Stocks by Government in 1781 and was sent once to America as a Storeship during the War and once after the peace to the West Indies since which time she had laid in ordinary at Deptford, till named for this Service, when she was taken in to dock and as the Yard people said, thoroughly overhauled, however we have frequently had reason to think otherwise, in the course of our voyage.'
There were many scribes on HMS \ISirius\i so we have a full account of its voyage including reports from Phillip, Hunter, King, Collins and Worgan.
\BDescription:\b HMS \ISirius\i arrives in Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Pioneers Club of Australia)\i.
#
"Prince of Wales",22,fp3-038.jpg,c,0
True to its regal name, the \IPrince of Wales\i was one of the most handsome ships of the fleet and also one of the newest, having been built on the Thames by Christopher Watson & Co., in 1786, for James Mather, a Cornhill merchant. It was launched on 12 August, the month the decision was made to send a fleet to Botany Bay.
\IPrince of Wales\i was lucky to go on the voyage at all as the Admiralty had planned on sending only ten ships and it was not until the naval officer complained that they decided to invite it to take part in what was virtually its maiden voyage.
A three-masted two-decker with a square stern, the \IPrince of Wales\i boasted a poop deck, quarter galleries (projecting covered balconies on either side of the ship) and a fiddle head in the form of a scroll which curved upwards and outwards.
As with other ships carrying women there was trouble on board and here, too, crew broke into the women's prisons and this trouble increased when second offenders, like the would-be mutineers from \IScarborough\i came on board for extended punishment. Women were also flogged for thieving during the voyage and marines were flogged for fighting, insulting fellow officers when drunk and for breaking into the women's cells to satisfy their lust.
This new ship was damaged by the voyage when winds broke its yards and tore its sails and at one point it collided with the \IFriendship.\i On its return journey via Cape Horn its crew was attacked by scurvy and it only just limped into Rio. The disease killed its Master, John Mason, and fourteen of its men - the new Master, Samuel Moore, was forced to ask local crew to bring the ship safely into Rio harbour. It eventually reached England nearly two years after leaving and continued to sail out of London until 1797 where its registration was transferred to Fort Royal, Martinique, after which little is known of it.
The story of the \IPrince of Wales\i is told by Sergeant James Scott of the marines and the anonymous officer.
\BDescription:\b An arial view of the river Thames. \I(Courtesy Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"Charlotte",23,fp3-013.jpg,c,0
Both \ICharlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn,\i the two 'ladies' of the fleet, were very slow sailers. \ICharlotte\i held up the fleet from the start and had to be towed for the first week or so by the naval escort. In addition to being an albatross around the neck of the fleet, \ICharlotte\i was also full of especially clever convicts who caused trouble throughout the voyage. Its convicts even set up a counterfeit coin 'factory' below decks while it was moored in Rio and passed off fake coins to the crew in return for favours. Escapees like Mary Broad were also among its crew and when Mary gave birth to a daughter she gave her the name of Charlotte.
Owned by Matthews, \ICharlotte\i was built in 1784 on the Thames as a barque-built, three-masted, two-decker with neither galleries nor figurehead but with quarter badges or small windows set flat in its quarters. As well as being a slow sailer on the voyage it was a sickly ship and one that had its share of accidents through rough winds and collisions with other ships. Officers and marines misbehaved on board, with marines being sentenced by court martial to receive up to 200 lashes for unsoldierlike behaviour.
On its return voyage it set off for China with its fellow East India Company ships \ILady Penrhyn\i and \IScarborough,\i where it collected tea before sailing for England. After this it worked on the London-Jamaica run under new owners and then, being sold again, it worked in Canadian waters before being lost in 1818 off Newfoundland. The story of the \ICharlotte\i is told by Chief Surgeon John White and Captain Tench of the marines.
\BDescription:\b In Rio, slaves rowed their wealthy masters past the ships of the First Fleet. In the background is Fort St Gabriel on the Rio Negro. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Lady Penrhyn",24,0,g,0
The second lady of the fleet, \ILady Penrhyn,\i was an especially slow sailer throughout the voyage. It also had a rebellious crew and a collection of convict women who were little more than abandoned prostitutes. At times crew members were transferred to HMS \ISirius\i for their mutinous behaviour while women were controlled by having thumbscrews or iron fetters put on them or by having their hair cut off and their heads shaved. A healthy ship, she had few deaths and little disease.
Like the \IPrince of Wales\i, the \ILady Penrhyn\i was a new ship, built in 1786 also in a Thames yard. A similar size to the \IPrince of Wales\i, she had three masts, two decks and a square stern. On top of this she boasted a round house and quarter badges with a woman as a figurehead.
Although she lost less people on the voyage she nevertheless had several accidents. As she was also chartered by the East India Company by her owner, Alderman Curtis, she too visited China on her return trip to collect tea. Along with \ICharlotte\i she was later bought by a new owner and put on the London-Jamaica run, enjoying a varied trade and several changes of owner before being taken prisoner in 1811 in the West Indies. The story of the \ILady Penrhyn\i is told by Assistant Surgeon Arthur Bowes Smyth and her Master, William Sever.
#
"Fishburn",25,0,g,0
\IFishburn\i had a stormy start to the voyage with seamen going on strike, demanding more pay and some walking off the job, before she sailed with the fleet as a back-up vessel carrying food and supplies. She was built in Whitby in 1780 and was owned by Leighton. Once she completed her chartered voyage she returned to England and other business before disappearing from the records. Even though her diligent Master, Robert Brown, kept a log, the main reference to \IFishburn\i is from scribes travelling on other ships.
#
"Golden Grove",26,0,g,0
A typical storeship, \IGolden Grove\i was also built in 1780 at Whitby and was owned by Leighton. Although her voyage was uneventful apart from one or two accidents where she suffered damage to masts (losing her fore topgallant mast five times), yards and sails, she had the distinction of carrying the chaplain to the colony, the Reverend Richard Johnson and his wife, perhaps providing her with a moral tone markedly absent on all other ships.
After returning to England she worked out of Newcastle and then Liverpool before being put on the Liverpool-Jamaica run; she then disappeared from the records. Though Johnson kept many books on board, there are no known surviving accounts of this ship.
#
"Borrowdale",27,0,g,0
\IBorrowdale\i caused little sensation on the voyage, performing her duty carrying food and supplies to the colony. Built in 1785 at Sunderland, she was the youngest of the storeships and seemed to have little trouble on the voyage. After her return to England she disappeared from the records. Apart from an anonymous officer's rather dubious report, there is little record of the voyage of \IBorrowdale\i.
Although each of these ships of the first fleet had a character of its own, in the end it was those on board who gave the ship its distinctive feeling and so to understand the fleet we must introduce the key players who gave each ship its peculiar stamp: the convicts and crew.
#
"Convicts and Crew",28,03250041.jpg,c,0
Although the personnel changed on the ships from time to time during the voyage, each ship had a fairly permanent complement. The categories of people included commercial or naval captains and masters of the ships, naval officers, marines, surgeons, seamen, carpenters and other tradesmen and, of course, the convicts. Along with these people came the wives and children, where permitted.
It was a strange sample of humanity representing some of the best and worst types. There were at least twelve nationalities including a large component of Jewish people and at least four black convicts. In addition there were model convicts and hardened rogues who stole and stole again, or who rebelled and tried to escape until they were finally hanged. There were hundreds on some of the larger ships and a total of 1,350 people on the first fleet.
The following is a list of the more interesting and frequently mentioned people who travelled on the first fleet and are written about in this account. A comprehensive listing can be found in \IThe First Fleeters,\i published by Australian Documents Library, Sydney.
Click on \JNext Page\j or one of the following:
\JDivision A\j
\JDivision B\j
\BDescription:\b This 1799 illustration by Thomas Rowlandson shows the uniform of the rank of a Midshipman. \I(Courtesy British Museum)\i
#
"Division A",29,03250035.jpg,c,0
\BHMS \ISupply\i\b
Ball, Lieutenant Henry, R.N., Captain of \ISupply.\i
Callam, Surgeon James.
Morley, Roger Seaman, a weaver sent to grow flax. He drowned off Norfolk Island.
\B\IAlexander\i\b
Asky, Richard marine, courtmartialled for drinking at Tenerife, one of a gang of four who killed marine Tom Bullmore.
Balmain, Surgeon William, one of three sent to colony as assistant to Surgeon in Chief John White. Had an affair with convict Elizabeth Dudgeon.
Caesar, John 'Black' convict rebel, bushranger, rapist and murderer.
Dring, William convict, looted wreck of \ISirius\i spending a drunken night on board as she sank off Norfolk Island.
Francis, William convict, led an uprising on Norfolk Island.
Freeman, James convict, became public hangman rather than die when convicted of stealing flour.
Gordon, Daniel negro convict, flogged for stealing wine from contractor's agent Zachariah Clark of \ISirius.\i
Johnstone, Lieutenant John marine ordered severe punishments.
Jones, John marine, caught sleeping with convicts.
Knight, Isaac marine sergeant demoted for misbehaviour in Cape Town.
Long, William First Mate beaten up by convicts during uprising near Cape Town and fell from ship.
Powers, John convict, escaped briefly at Tenerife, led a rebellion below decks near Cape Town, committed more crimes in the colony, before being hanged.
Sharpe, Lieutenant James, marine courtmartialled on voyage.
Shortland, Lieutenant John, R.N. Naval Agent for Transports, Commander of Division A of the fleet from Cape Town to Botany Bay and Commander of commercial ships on return voyage. Travelled on \ISupply\i before Cape Town.
Shortland, Thomas George, Second Mate, son of Lieutenant John Shortland, Agent.
Sinclair, Duncan Master of \IAlexander,\i a weak and unpopular captain, who lost control of his ship between Rio and Cape Town, and was superseded by the Agent John Shortland between Cape Town and Botany Bay.
\B\IScarborough\i\b
Bullmore, Thomas marine, was murdered by fellow marines in Sydney.
Burkley, Michael seaman, punished regularly for disobedience.
Campbell, James was sick for much of the voyage.
Considen, Surgeon Denis an assistant to Chief Surgeon John White, went on to Norfolk Island sub-colony.
Daley, James convict, pretended he had discovered gold and was then executed for theft at Botany Bay.
Douglas, William marine, Easty's drinking mate.
Easty, John marine, kept a journal. Scribe.
Everingham, Matthew convict, stole books, model prisoner.
Farrell, Phillip convict, ringleader of a mutiny.
Griffiths, Thomas convict, ringleader of a mutiny.
Haines, Luke marine, punished for disobedience and fighting on the voyage, one of gang of four who killed marine Tom Bullmore.
Keeling, John Herbert convict, read prayers and gave sermons.
Kellow, Lieutenant James, supervisor of courtmartials.
Marshall, John, Master, did the trip twice, sailing with the second fleet. Took a Newfoundland dog with him and kept a logbook.
McColpian, \IAlexander,\i confined for insolence at Cape Town.
Shea, Captain John, co-deputy to Major Robert Ross.
Walton, James seaman, promoted to third mate at Rio.
Williams, John alias 'Black Jack', negro convict flogged for stealing wine from contractor's agent Zachariah Clark of \ISirius.\i
\B\IFriendship\i\b
Arndell, Surgeon Thomas, an assistant to Chief Surgeon John White, fought with Meridith.
Barber, Elizabeth convict, one of the 'fighting five', stole a watch and twenty-seven shillings. Put in irons for insulting Surgeon Arndell and Lieutenant Faddy. Described by Clark as one of the worst whores on the fleet, along with Elizabeth Dudgeon. Transferred to \IPrince of Wales\i at Cape Town.
Bennett, John convict, called 'a young man but an old rogue' by Clark. Caused trouble on voyage, both between Portsmouth and Tenerife when he stole food and again between Cape Town and Botany Bay. He was hung on 5 May in Botany Bay for stealing again. Involved in the earlier mutiny on \IMercury.\i
Clark, Second Lieutenant Ralph marine. Scribe.
Dudgeon, Elizabeth convict, one of the 'fighting five', stole nine guineas. Flogged for insulting Meridith and said to have become mistress to William Balmain. She was one of the worst whores on the fleet, sleeping with the sailors throughout the voyage, caught in the act at Portsmouth and between Tenerife and Rio. Fought continually. Transferred to \ICharlotte\i at Cape Town.
Faddy, Second Lieutenant William marine, fought with Meridith.
Hall, Margaret, put in irons for fighting on the voyage at Tenerife, and breaking into the men's quarters at Portsmouth. Chained to Elizabeth Barber between Tenerife and Rio. Transferred to \IPrince of Wales\i at Cape Town.
Harley, Rachael, troublesome convict put in irons during voyage.
Hart, Mrs Francis convict, made clothing for Lt. Ralph Clark.
Haynes, Will convict, carpenter. Transferred to \ISupply\i and one of the first six convicts ashore in Botany Bay.
Holmes, Susannah convict, housebreaking, lover and then wife of Henry Kable.
Kable, Henry convict, stole on voyage, became successful shipbuilder and trader in Sydney.
Kable, Henry Junior, child of Kable and Holmes.
Lovell, Henry convict, stole and read prayers for convicts.
McCormick, Sarah convict, one of the licentious 'fighting five', stole two guineas. In bed with sailors most of the time, caught at Portsmouth and between Tenerife and Rio. Bore a sailor's child. Transferred to Prince of Wales at Cape Town.
Meridith, Captain James, one of the six marine Captain-Lieutenants on a third ranking to Ross. Fought with second lieutenant Faddy and the surgeon for much of the voyage.
Pugh, Elizabeth, troublesome convict, put in irons during voyage.
Pully, Elizabeth convict, one of the 'fighting five', stole from a shop. In bed with sailors for most of the voyage. Caught in the act at Portsmouth and between Tenerife and Rio. Transferred to \ICharlotte\i at Cape Town. Put in irons for fighting at Tenerife. Bore a sailor's child.
Sidaway, Robert convict, had been shot in the arm when leading mutiny on \IMercury,\i put in leg irons for insolence on voyage.
Thackery, Elizabeth convict, one of the 'fighting five'. Sentenced for shoplifting made love with sailors throughout the voyage, caught in bed at Portsmouth and between Tenerife and Rio. Transferred to \ICharlotte\i at Cape Town.
Vallance, Patrick Second Mate, drowned when he fell overboard, drunk at Cape Town.
Walton, Francis, Master.
Ware, Charlotte, put in irons for fighting on voyage (Tenerife). Broke into the men's quarters at Portsmouth. Transferred to \IPrince of Wales\i in Cape Town.
William, personal servant to Lt. Ralph Clark.
Yardsley, Thomas convict, gardener. Transferred to \ISupply\i and one of the first six convicts ashore in Botany Bay.
\BDescription:\b A portion of the First Fleet convict list. \I(Courtesy Australian Historical Productions)\i
#
"Division B",30,03250036.jpg,c,0
\BHMS \ISirius\i\b
Bradley, Lieutenant William, R.N. First Lieutenant. Scribe.
Brewer, Midshipman Henry, friend and secretary to Phillip.
Dawes, Lieutenant William, Second Lieutenant, marines, skilled in astronomy, responsible for timekeeper.
Dukes, Richard marine, one of gang of four who killed marine Tom Bullmore of \IScarborough\i in Sydney.
Hibbs, Peter seaman, the only man on the first fleet who had been to Botany Bay before, having travelled with Cook on \IEndeavour\i in 1770.
Hunter, Captain John, R.N., Captain of \ISirius,\i skilled surveyor, later Governor of New South Wales. Scribe.
King, Lieutenant Philip Gidley, R.N., Second Lieutenant and aide-de-camp to Phillip. Later Governor of New South Wales. Transferred to \ISupply.\i Scribe.
Morton, Micah, Master of \ISirius\i sent home from Rio sick.
Phillip, Captain Arthur, R.N. Commander-in-Chief and Governor. Transferred to \ISupply.\i Scribe.
Raper, Midshipman George, artist.
Ross, Major Robert, Commander of the marines, fought with naval officers including Phillip, to win better conditions for his soldiers.
Rotten, Sam gentleman, returned from Rio when he fell ill.
Sealy, Mr, Master's mate, sent home from Rio when he fell ill.
Shortland, Midshipman John junior, son of Lieutenant John Shortland, R.N., Agent.
Southwell, Daniel gentleman midshipman who wrote erudite letters home.
Waterhouse, Henry midshipman, gave evidence to port authorities in Rio.
Worgan, Surgeon George, Scribe.
\B\IPrince of Wales\i\b
Bonner, Jane convict, died when her head was crushed on the voyage.
Creswell, Daniel marine, died of dysentry on voyage.
Dundas, Jane convict, mistress to one of the officers.
Dougherty, Arthur marine, flogged, and wife Judah had baby, Daniel.
Hart, Catherine convict, had a son on voyage.
Harmsworth, Mrs, marine wife, had a son on voyage.
Irving, John, 'convict bred to surgery' who became the ship's surgeon, started voyage on \IScarborough.\i Mason, John, Master. Died of scurvy as ship entered Rio on return trip. Kept a log book.
McCave, Elenor convict, had a dead child on voyage.
Mystery Officer. Scribe.
Richards, Mary, marine wife, had a son on voyage.
Ryan, Robert marine, got 300 lashes between Tenerife and Rio. Scott, Sergeant James marine, model of law and order. Scribe.
Scott, Jane, wife of Sergeant Scott, daughter born on voyage.
Wright, Mrs Matthew, marine wife had daughter on voyage.
Yorganness, Yorgan seaman, fell from rigging and drowned.
\B\ICharlotte\i\b
Arscott, John convict, hero of the wreck of HMS \ISirius.\i
Baker, James marine, punished for misbehaviour at Rio.
Baker, William, shot his own foot between Portsmouth and Tenerife, one of the gang who killed marine Tom Bullmore.
Barrett, Thomas convict, masterminded counterfeit-coin racket in Rio, finally hung for thieving in Sydney, February 1788.
Broad, Mary convict, lover then wife of William Bryant, escaped back to England, losing William and her two children en route.
Brown, Tom marine, flogged out of Rio.
Brown, William, well behaved convict, fell overboard and drowned.
Bryant, William convict, escaped but died en route to England.
Clarke, John, a sheep stealer of Exeter who died of dropsy at Tenerife.
Coleman, Ishmael convict, died on voyage of 'lowness of spirit'.
Cornell, Patrick, flogged for sleeping with convicts.
Gilbert, Thomas, Master, kept a log book/journal.
Hall, Joseph, tried to rob public store and flogged on arrival.
Ruse, James convict, successful farmer, pioneered first crops in colony.
Tench, Captain Watkin, marines. Scribe.
White, Surgeon John, Surgeon in Chief. Scribe.
\B\ILady Penrhyn\i\b
Altree, John Turnpenny, Assistant Surgeon, a volunteer only, continually ill, replaced by Arthur Bowes Smyth after Tenerife.
Branham, Mary convict, bore a daughter by Lieutenant Ralph Clark, of \IFriendship.\i
Campbell, Captain James marine, best friend and equal second in command to Ross with Captain John Shea \IScarborough.\i Had a child, James with him, an expert fisherman who supplemented the table.
Collins, Lieutenant William marine, brother of Judge-Advocate David Collins. Contracted dysentery and had to return immediately on \IFriendship\i to England in July 1788.
Hill, Henry sailor, jumped ship at Rio.
Inett, Ann convict, seamstress sentenced for housebreaking, bore two children by Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, R.N., of HMS \ISirius.\i
Johnston, Lieutenant George marine, later suppressed the 1804 Castle Hill uprising and in 1808 deposed Governor Bligh.
Long, William, First Mate, fell into the sea at Portsmouth and was saved.
Norton, Phebe convict, fell overboard at Rio but was saved.
Parkinson, Jane convict, died on voyage.
Read, Ann, drank mercury instead of water and fell ill.
Sever, William, Master, kept a log book/journal.
Smith, James, a free settler and the only one on the fleet.
Smyth, Surgeon Arthur Bowes. Scribe.
Squires, Second Mate, caught sleeping with convict women.
Tilley, Mary convict, gave birth to a son on board (at Portsmouth).
Watts, Lieutenant John, R.N., kept a journal, parts of which were published in Phillip's account. An asthmatic, took a terrier dog.
Yeates, Ann convict, milliner sentenced for housebreaking. Mother of two children of Judge-Advocate David Collins of HMS \ISirius.\i
\B\IGolden Grove\i\b
Barnes, Sam, personal servant to Reverend Richard Johnson.
Johnson, Reverend Richard, Chaplain, performed religious services on voyage and in colony and ran a library service, with moral and classical books on board.
Johnson, Mary, Chaplain's wife.
Sharpe, Master.
\B\IFishburn\i\b
Brown, Robert, Master, kept a log book.
Dean, George, seaman.
Keltie, James, First Mate promoted to Master of HMS \ISirius\i on voyage.
Robinson, Andrew, cook.
\B\IBorrowdale\i\b
Hobson, Readthorn, Master.
Mystery officer also on board, who published an account of the voyage.
Reid, H., First Mate.
Williams, Richard, seaman.
\BDescription:\b A portion of the First Fleet convict list. \I(Courtesy Australian Historical Productions)\i
#
"Delayed Departure",31,fp3-005.jpg,g,0
\BEngland: 19 August 1786 to 13 May 1787\b
The officials in charge of the expedition expected the first fleet to leave within two months of the decision to send it (19 August 1786) but a series of delays put back the sailing four times until eventually the fleet left seven months late. As a result, the convicts below decks in irons suffered greatly. During these winter months sixteen died and many caught diseases unnecessarily. The seamen also caused trouble, breaking into the female convicts' cells and agitating for better pay and conditions.
The press attacked the organisers and criticised conditions on the fleet and an anti-fleet campaign, developed by penal reformers such as Lord George Gordan, made the delay an embarrassment for the government. The only ones to benefit from the delay were two convicts on the \IAlexander\i whose pardons came through just before the ships sailed.
The early deadlines were unreasonable as assembling, preparing and equipping eleven naval and commercial ships for a world voyage took a lot of time, especially as the government departments moved slowly and orders for repairs, stores, loading of convicts, and equipment took much longer than anticipated. As it was, when Phillip decided to leave on 13 May 1787, there were still vital people and equipment missing from the fleet.
The initial challenge was to find enough ships to carry out the expedition, assemble these at Deptford on the Thames, ensure they were seaworthy and then make any necessary repairs before sending them around to the rendezvous point at Portsmouth, either picking up convicts on the way or at Portsmouth itself. And along with this overall challenge were the detailed problems of recruiting crew, collecting supplies, fitting out the ships with prison equipment so they could carry convicts and attending to such details as liquor for the marines, medical supplies for surgeons and scientific equipment for officers. It was not surprising that comparisons were soon made to Noah's Ark.
#
"August 1786",32,fp3-016.jpg,c,0
The first deadline for departure was set at mid-October which meant there was not a moment to lose. The Home Office Under-Secretary, Evan Nepean, who was instrumental in making the decision to send the first fleet, wanted to get the expedition under way as soon as possible and within days of the estimates being drawn up by his office, the Treasury were told of the plan.
The Treasury were asked to 'take such measures as may be necessary for providing a proper number of Vessels for the conveyance of 750 convicts to Botany Bay, together with such Provisions, Necessaries and Implements for Agriculture as may be requisite for their use after arrival'. The Treasury officials were also asked to 'cause every possible Expedition to prepare and dispatch the fleet'.
Within days of requesting the Treasury to provide the money, the Home Office selected Arthur Phillip as 'the discreet officer' to lead the expedition - a choice that was not to the satisfaction of others, including Richard Howe, First Lord of the Admiralty, who complained 'the little knowledge I have of Captain Phillip would not have led me to select him for a service of this complicated nature'. Phillip, though, had transported convicts before, was experienced at farming, knew the run to the East, was qualified at surveying and had served in the secret service - all of which gave him unique qualifications for the position.
The Home Office then told the Navy Board of the expedition and requested a range of commercial ships for transporting the convicts and supplies. A few days later the Admiralty were informed officially of the expedition by the Secretary of the Home Office, Lord Sydney, and asked to supply the warship and tender needed to escort the fleet.
\BDescription:\b A map of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"September 1786",33,fp3-018.jpg,c,0
As the execution of the expedition was to be primarily a naval responsibility, the Navy Board lost little time in calling for tenders and by 1 September had advertisements for ships pinned up in coffee houses and other haunts around the Thames frequented by shipowners, shipbrokers and merchants. There had been offers already from enthusiastic commercial interests like Macauley and Gregory, who had promised to transport convicts for twenty-eight guineas each.
Within two weeks the Navy Board selected the three storeships: \IGolden Grove,\i \IFishburn\i and \IBorrowdale;\i and five transports: \IAlexander,\i \IScarborough,\i \IFriendship,\i \ILady Penrhyn\i and \ICharlotte.\i The nucleus of the fleet was created by mid-September - a month before the two naval ships were selected and four months before a sixth transport, the \IPrince of Wales,\i was added to the fleet.
The eight ships that made up the basis of the first fleet were assembled in the Thames at Deptford where they were checked and prepared for the voyage under the supervision of Captain George Teer, the Agent for Transports, pending the appointment of Lieutenant John Shortland, who would supervise all the transports on the voyage out and some on the return trip. As the East India Company had agreed to share the costs of the trip by chartering three of the transports for the homeward run \I(Scarborough,\i \ICharlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn)\i these were to return home separately via China where they would collect tea.
\BDescription:\b A map of the River Thames and surrounding areas. \I(Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"October 1786",34,fp3-027.jpg,c,0
By mid-October it was clear that the first deadline for departure would have to be abandoned and a second deadline for mid-November was set. Although the Treasury Department informed the Admiralty that the commercial transports would certainly be ready to sail by this mid-November deadline, the Admiralty did not commission the warship HMS \ISirius\i until 25 October, and given her poor state of repair, a lot more time would be needed to prepare her for sea.
Phillip hoisted his pennant on HMS \ISirius\i as soon as she was commissioned and work began on her rigging immediately. He put John Hunter, who was to be captain of the ship, in charge of the rigging. This task was by no means straightforward, however, as the ship's first lieutenant, William Bradley, explains, 'the \ISirius,\i having a few hands, began rigging and from which to the 8th of December we were employed getting ready for sea, which was much retarded by bad weather and unavoidable delays in being furnished with some part of the stores'.
The Admiralty initially chose the\I Grantham\i as the armed tender to accompany HMS \ISirius\i but 'on examination she was found to be very rotten and totally unfit for the voyage', according to Bradley. They then selected HMS \ISupply\i and sailed this brig down to Deptford for inspection and fitting out, placing her under the command of Captain Henry Ball.
The eight commercial vessels now had their two naval escorts but there was still so much to be done that it seemed unlikely that the second deadline of mid-November would be met. Some of the stores had been loaded but there was still a lot of work to be done converting and equipping the ships, which had not even set out for Portsmouth let alone taken on any convicts. The fleet was not even complete as the \IPrince of Wales\i was still to be added.
\BDescription:\b The docks and ship yards of London were asked to help repair the ships for the First Fleet voyage. \I(Courtesy Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"November 1786",35,03250039.jpg,c,0
The second deadline of mid-November was abandoned and a new date set for mid-December. While HMS \ISirius\i was being rigged and HMS \ISupply\i was being prepared for the voyage, the three storeships and transports took on supplies and made necessary changes for the transportation of convicts. The transports were commercial vessels that carried a variety of cargoes and had to be modified considerably.
They were to be floating prisons and, as noted by the second lieutenant of HMS \ISirius,\i Philip Gidley King, they soon became well suited to this task. 'The transports are fitted up for the convicts the same as for carrying troops except the security, which consists in very strong and thick bulkheads, filled with nails and run across from side to side 'tween decks abaft to the main mast, with loopholes to fire between decks in case of irregularities. The hatches are well secured down by cross-bars, bolts, and locks, and are likewise rail'd round from deck to deck with oak stanchions.'
'There is also a barricade of planks about 3 feet high, armed with pointed prongs of iron, on the upper deck abaft the mainmast, to prevent any connection between marines and the ship's company with the convicts. Centinels are placed at the different hatchways, and a guard always under arms or the quarterdeck of each transport in order to prevent any improper behaviour of the convicts, as well as to guard against any surprise.'
Thomas Gilbert, Master of \ICharlotte,\i records how on 15 November 'carpenters came from the yard to build balkheads etc. in the holds and between decks' and on 28 November how he took on board 'shackels with instruments and ten tons of bar iron'.
Although the convict quarters were obviously sparse and unattractive, sections of the British press now began to criticise the government for being too soft on the prisoners. The \IGentleman's Magazine\i of November 1787 claimed, 'I shall just say that it has certainly been the intention of Government to obviate every difficulty, to render everything as permanently comfortable to the unhappy convicts as the nature of the case will admit, both as to ships provisions, and trifles have been thought of. I hesitate not to assert that Government have paid a minute attention to them. One instance as a proof - they have now comfortable beds. Formerly when the convicts were transported by contract to America, there were no beds. Government paid a certain sum and the contractors took care that no luxuries were allowed.'
Others claimed it was inhumane to transport convicts to the other end of the earth, especially the campaign for penal reform, led by Lord George Gordan, which attempted to prevent the fleet from leaving. During the months of delay Gordan debated the issue in public, gathered support, published pamphlets and organised a petition in a spirited attempt to stop the expedition.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of convict transport. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"December 1786",36,03250040.jpg,c,0
The conversions, loading and other work fell behind schedule and the third deadline had to be abandoned for a fourth departure date early in the New Year.
Naval officers were now living on the different ships, seamen were being recruited and the marines, being sent to the colony to guard convicts, were beginning to join the ships. Private John Easty of \IScarborough\i records that, 'the Lords commisioners of the Admiralty ordered that 160 private marines to Embark on bord the transports to go to Botany Bay to guard the Convicts for the Space of three years and then to be discharged at our own Request'.
Once the rigging of HMS \ISirius\i was completed and Hunter had formally received his commission as Second Captain with the rank of Post Captain, the flagship moved from Deptford down the Thames to Longreach along with HMS \ISupply\i to receive her guns and powder. While the two naval ships were taking their guns on board at Longreach, final touches were added to the transports, with \ILady Penrhyn\i and \IAlexander\i receiving more irons and having handcuffs repaired.
More supplies were also taken on including rum for the convicts on the \ILady Penrhyn.\i Phillip then broke his ten-ship fleet into two divisions - a southern division to collect convicts in the south at Portsmouth and Plymouth, and a Thames division to stay and collect convicts on the river at Woolwich. By 15 December the first vessels were ready to move off.
\IScarborough\i and \IFriendship\i were the first away. These two ships sailed down the Thames past HMS \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i at Longreach accompanied by the three storeships - \IGolden Grove,\i \IFishburn\i and \IBorrowdale\i - which were ready to sail straight to Portsmouth. At last the main business of the expedition was under way and by 20 December the sixth vessel of the southern division, \ICharlotte,\i was ready and sailing past the two naval escorts en route to collect her convicts.
By Christmas Day, HMS \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i were armed and ready to sail, but were unable to move from Longreach because they were waiting for the last two vessels upstream - \IAlexander\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i - which could not collect convicts at Woolwich because the government orders for them to do so had not yet arrived. Meanwhile \ICharlotte\i and \IFriendship\i from the southern division, had sailed through to Plymouth and \IScarborough\i had arrived safely at Portsmouth (the first transport of the fleet to reach the assembly point) along with the three storeships. So by the turn of the year four of the final eleven were anchored at the port of departure.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of convicts awaiting transportation to Botany Bay. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"January 1787",37,03250037.jpg,c,0
In the New Year the eleventh vessel of the first fleet, the \IPrince of Wales,\i was hired. She was to sail on her own down to the southern ports behind the main Thames division after she had been fitted out for the voyage.
At the same time the first convicts were loaded and this immediately put pressure on the authorities to dispatch the fleet because of the cost of feeding the prisoners and the danger that they would fall sick or die as many of them were weak already and could succumb to the bitter winter temperatures. Bureaucratic sloth, poor communications, faulty equipment and bad conditions delayed the fleet well past the New Year deadline, and no new departure date was set.
\IAlexander\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i took this first lot of Woolwich convicts on board on 4 January. However, \IAlexander\i was unable to load many because most were too weak and diseased to move from the prison hulk onto the transport, although \ILady Penrhyn\i took some female convicts.
On 6 January, \IAlexander\i was able to load 184 male convicts and \ILady Penrhyn\i took on 54 more female convicts from Newgate gaol. \IAlexander\i took on some of the worst rogues in the fleet and among those who limped on board were John Powers, the escapist and mutineer; William Francis, the rebel who led the Norfolk Island uprising; William Dring, who was to capture the sinking HMS \ISirius\i in a drunken night of revelry; John 'Black' Caesar, the black man who stole, raped and killed before taking to the bush in New South Wales; and Daniel Gordon, another black convict later punished for stealing wine.
The \ILady Penrhyn\i took on Ann Inett, who later became the mistress of Lieutenant Philip Gidley King; Ann Yeates, who became the mistress of Judge Advocate David Collins; and Mary Branham; who became mistress to Lieutenant Ralph Clark. In time, each bore children to their respective lovers. Once on board, these convicts were allocated 'a bed, keg and bowl to each mess'.
A second lot of convicts from Newgate, six women and three children, joined the \ILady Penrhyn\i on 9 January. Their condition was little better than the first lot and on inspecting them soon after, Phillip attacked the administration for failing to issue the women with proper clothing. He claimed that diseases would spread among these convicts as a result, specifying a 'fever' which was already on board the \ILady Penrhyn\i and 'venereal complains, that must spread in spite of every precaution I may take hereafter' that 'will be fatal to themselves'.
Although delays were threatening the health of the convicts, the ships themselves now began to cause trouble. \IScarborough,\i which had reached Portsmouth, could not take on convicts because its security hatches were found to be faulty and so carpenters were called in on 12 January to make the necessary repairs. At the same time Captain Shea of the marines ordered more arms in preparation for taking on convicts.
Security was becoming a problem back on the Thames as well. On 15 January the third lot of convicts was loaded, this time onto \IAlexander\i which now had over 200 prisoners. Four days later a plan of escape had already been hatched and the captain, Duncan Sinclair, 'found the convicts to be very troublesome and could take their hands out of irons' in an attempt to break out of the ship - not that they had much chance, according to Bradley. 'It was discovered that some of the Convicts on board the \IAlexander\i had got their handcuffs off, what they could promise themselves from such an attempt appears strange, as it would have been impossible for any of them to have effected their escape, with the Guard and precautions used on board that ship had they all been loose in the place of their confinement; they were handcuffed two together or had chains on, those that were handcuffed were neve seperated but obliged to move together upon all occasions. Between decks, in which these People were confined was guarded by a strong Bulkhead abaft with loopholes and filled with nails; Marine Centinels at the hatch-way, where a ladder was put down occasionally and when down particularly attended by those Centinels: A Guard Boat also was constantly attending those ships after Sunset while at Gallions.'
The winds and rough winter weather also held up the operations; ships crashed about in the Thames and HMS \ISupply\i lost her bowsprit when another ship was swept across her bows. She had to be sent downstream to Nore for repairs. But even if HMS \ISupply\i had been ready, the Thames division of the fleet had to wait until the fourth lot of convicts were loaded onto \IAlexander\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i on 26 January.
Finally, just when the transports were ready to sail, the winds proved unfavourable, stranding the ships at Deptford. Phillip was increasingly worried about the delays because he knew the voyage could take eight months and he did not want convicts chained up below decks for much longer than this. As it turned out those convicts loaded on \IAlexander\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i in early January were to spend thirteen months below decks because they did not disembark until early February 1788.
Eventually, the Thames division, apart from the \IPrince of Wales,\i was ready to sail. On 28 January the two transports sailed for Gravesend to complete business transactions with their owners and to load twenty-two convict women onto \ILady Penrhyn.\i On 30 January HMS \ISirius\i at last left for Nore to link up with HMS \ISupply\i with its new bowsprit. The main Thames division was now en route to join the southern division, already months behind schedule but with the convicts safely on board.
\BDescription:\b Convicts being led to First Fleet ships. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"February 1787",38,fp3-009.jpg,c,0
The new year deadline for departure soon faded. Although HMS \ISirius\i and the Thames division had left Longreach for Portsmouth, bad weather played havoc with their progress even before they reached Margate Road. \ILady Penrhyn\i was sailing in such a heavy manner by the time they reached the Downes on 4 February, that she was ordered to keep going rather than stop with the rest, in case conditions worsened and she fell even further behind. As it turned out she was lucky to get away first, because she arrived at Portsmouth on 10 February losing only one convict child, William Green, en route, whereas conditions deteriorated, pinning the others at the Downes for another two weeks.
Gale-force winds battered HMS \ISirius\i so badly at the Downes that she dragged both anchors, crashing into a nearby ship, the \IHoughton,\i in an alarming manner and had to have anchors and chains replaced - holding up her departure even further. Unfavourable winds prevented HMS \ISirius\i and the rest of the Thames division from moving off until 19 February. They finally joined their fellow traveller \ILady Penrhyn\i in Portsmouth on 22 February, followed on 23 February by the \IPrince of Wales.\i With nine of the eleven ships now at the port of departure, the expedition really looked as if it meant business. All they were waiting for now was the loading of the last convicts and the arrival of \ICharlotte\i and \IFriendship\i from Plymouth.
While they were waiting, Captain Hunter discovered more problems with the flagship - some of the planks on HMS \ISirius\i were found to be rotten. Phillip had to write to the Admiralty saying that 'several of the planks on the gun-deck of His Majesty's ship \ISirius,\i under my command, are so very much decayed that it is absolutely necessary to shift them', begging them to issue the necessary orders. Coming on top of the problem with the anchors this additional flaw in the flagship did not bode too well for the future.
With the bulk of the fleet now in Portsmouth, the marines went on board to take up their stations, ready to guard the convicts. Private Easty, along with 34 others, filed onto \IScarborough\i and moved into his quarters. Phillip, on inspecting these quarters, once again attacked the administration saying, 'the sending of the marines that are on board the transports on such a voyage as they are going, in a worse state than ever troops were sent out of the kingdom, even to the nearest garrison cannot I am certain, be the intention of his Majesty's ministers, yet it is absolutely the case and I have repeatedly stated this fact'.
\BDescription:\b Painting of ship building in London. \I(Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"March 1787",39,fp3-002.jpg,c,0
Two hundred and ten convicts arrived at Portsmouth in open wagons to be loaded on 2 March but the gales were blowing so strongly that they had to stay on the \IGorgon\i in Blackhouse Hole until 6 March when 186 were taken onto \IScarborough\i and the remainder were put on \IAlexander\i along with the Woolwich convicts. This lot was an especially hardened bunch and included Phillip Farrell and Tom Griffiths, who made an attempt to seize the ship on the first leg of the voyage; William Thompson, who led a mutiny at Norfolk Island; and James Daley, a forger who was hanged for thieving in New South Wales. During a search as they went on board, one of the convicts was found to be plotting his escape and among other things had concealed a knife in his shoe - for which he received a dozen lashes.
The orders were at last given to load the convicts waiting in Plymouth and the Chief Surgeon John White travelled down from London with these dispatches. He reports, 'after travelling two days of the most incessant rain I ever remember, I arrived at Plymouth, where the \ICharlotte\i and \IFriendship\i were in readiness to receive them'. The marines had to take up their positions on board first and as Lieutenant Ralph Clark reported on 9 March this was not always a happy moment. 'Marched with the detatchment from the barracks to the dock yard and Embark on board the \IFriendship\i Transport - never did a poor Criminal goe to meet the (unknown) with greater reluctance that I leave the best of Woman and Sweetest of Boys - god out of his gracious goodness my leaving them may turn out to our advantage - never did poor Mortal feel himselve So unhappy as I doe at this present moment.'
By 11 March, after a delay due to gales, the two Plymouth transports were loaded with prisoners. The \IFriendship\i took an especially violent batch of women including the 'fighting five' - Elizabeth Barber, Elizabeth Dudgeon, Elizabeth Thackery, Elizabeth Pully and Sarah McCormick - all of whom would cause trouble on the voyage. Among the male convicts to cause trouble were Henry Lovell, later flogged for stealing from the public store in Sydney, and John Bennett, another unrepentant thief. There were good convicts as well, including Henry Kable and his lover Susannah Holmes, who became model settlers, developing ship-building enterprises in the new colony.
The \ICharlotte\i also took on a mixed bag including Thomas Barrett, who made and sold fake coins while at Rio before being hanged for stealing in Sydney; Joseph Hall, who was flogged for robbing the public store; William Bryant and Mary Broad, the smuggler and his lover who escaped back to England; James Ruse, who became the colony's most successful farmer, and James Underwood, who went into partnership as a shipbuilder with Kable from the \IFriendship.\i
The marines were forced to guard the convicts from the start and the \IFriendship\i's Ralph Clark was not even allowed leave to visit his wife prompting him to record, 'can never forgive the unkindness of Captain Meridith in refusing me leave to Sleep out of the Ships last night - oh did he love as well as I doe he would never have Refused me'. But at least the Plymouth ships were now loaded and on 13 March they sailed for Portsmouth to join the others, a moment which broke Ralph Clark's heart as he wrote, 'Oh Gracious God What a task have I gone throu last night in taking leave of the dearest and best of Wives and not Seing my Boy - god grant them health and welfare is the most Sinceer wishes of ane affectioned husband and fond father - oh when ever I am Restord to them again will never leave them - Bless them Both'.
The \IPrince of Wales\i had meanwhile been taking on board marines and loading equipment and supplies in Portsmouth. She began taking convicts on board on 14 March when two women arrived from Chester gaol. Her prisoners were loaded in dribs and drabs right up to the last minute. On 15 March \IFriendship\i arrived from Plymouth and on 16 March the last of the eleven ships, \ICharlotte,\i arrived - very much in character as it was to turn out because she was nearly always last throughout the voyage.
A 'disease' had meanwhile broken out on \IAlexander\i while she waited in Portsmouth and the Chief Surgeon John White was sent for immediately he arrived on \ICharlotte.\i A local 'medical gentleman from Portsmouth' had been looking after the convicts on \IAlexander\i and according to White, 'he scarsely gave me time to get upon the quarterdeck before he thus addressed me "I am very glad you are arrived, Sir; for your people have got a malignant disease among them of a most dangerous kind; and it will be necessary, for their preservation, to get them immediately relanded!"'
White then teamed up with \IAlexander\i's surgeon, William Balmain, an intelligent young man who whispered 'you will not find things by any means so bad as this gentleman represents them to be; they are made much worse by him than they really are'. The two went below where White observed that 'there were several in bed with slight inflammatory complaints; some there who kept their bed to avoid the inconvenience of the cold which at this time was very piercing, and whose wretched clothing was but a poor defence against the rigour of it; while others were confined to bed through the effects of long imprisonment, a weakened habit and lowness of spirits'.
Returning to the quarterdeck, White and Balmain told the Portsmouth medical officer that there was no malignant disease, that all the convicts needed was fresh meat and vegetables (instead of salt provisions), wine, more clothing and some exercise and fresh air on the quarterdeck. White was now in control and from that moment the health of the fleet was in good hands.
White then decided to clean out the \IAlexander,\i the filthiest ship, claiming that 'whitewashing with quick lime the parts of the ship where the convicts were confined would be the means of correcting and preventing the unwholesome dampness which usually appeared on the beams and the sides of the ships and was occasioned by the breath of the people'. The master of the \IAlexander,\i Duncan Sinclair, loaded the convicts into lighters in stages and rowed them around the ship while the 'smoking and washing' was taking place.
Other ships, including \ILady Penrhyn,\i were also cleaned - especially the cabin of the third mate, William Jenkinson, who died on 21 March of a 'putrid fever'. One of White's assistant surgeons, Arthur Bowes Smyth, who came on board the following day, was allocated this cabin and supervised the operation.
Smyth claimed that 'all were in hourly expectation of the arrival of Governor Phillip', but he did not arrive for almost two months - he was still fighting the bureaucracy for better facilities, becoming increasingly short-tempered in the process. After the \IAlexander\i incident he teamed up with White, demanding on 18 March, 'Fresh meat for all the convicts and wine for the sick' and saying 'the giving of cloaths to those convicts who have been embarked at Plymouth is so very necessary that I have ordered it to be done, and presume the Navy Board will replace the cloathing'.
Eventually, in a private letter to Nepean (the government official most responsible for the expedition), Phillip lost his patience. 'These complaints, my dear Sir, do not come unexpected, nor were they unavoidable. I forsaw 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. If the "evils complained of" are "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 fatal distemper, and we may also be refused entrance into a foreign port.' Phillip refused to leave until his conditions were met.
Captain Watkin Tench, who had sailed around from Plymouth on \ICharlotte,\i was using the delay to discipline the convicts, 'Unpleasant as a state of inactivity and delay for many weeks appeared to us, it was not without its advantages; for by means of it we were able to establish necessary regulations among the convicts, and to adopt such a system of defence, as left us little to apprehend for our own security, in case a spirit of madness and desperation had hurried them on to attempt our destruction'.
Tench told the convicts 'in most pointed terms' that 'any attempt on their side, either to contest the command, or to force their escape, should be punished with instant death'. Tench claimed the 'behaviour of the convicts' was 'in general humble, submissive, and regular' and he felt justice demanded that he record 'a public testimony of the sobriety and decency of their conduct'. 'Few complaints or lamentations were to be heard among them, and an ardent wish for the hour of departure seemed generally to prevail.'
Supplies continued to be loaded while the fleet waited for Phillip and the last convicts for the \IPrince of Wales.\i Private John Easty of \IScarborough\i tells how a surgeon was dismissed for being continually drunk and how he, Easty, was asked to go among the convicts on \IScarborough\i and seek out a John Irving who claimed he had been 'bred to surgery' and who had let it be known that he would stand in for any surgeon unable to perform his duties. Easty unlocked Irving's chains and escorted the lucky convict to \IPrince of Wales\i where from then on he looked after the other convicts as best he could.
\BDescription:\b Admiralty drawing of ship building. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"April 1787",40,fp2-153.jpg,c,0
April arrived and the departure was put back yet again. Some of the convicts chalked up their fourth month between decks, some died and others fell sick waiting for Phillip who did not even receive his formal commission until 25 April.
According to John Hunter, the press by now were publishing alarmist stories, 'in which much pain had been taken to make the world believe that we were, whilst lying at the Mother-Bank, so very sickly as to bury eight or ten every day and that a malignant disease raged with great violence on board the transports.' There were deaths, with sixteen men dying on \IAlexander\i before sailing; on \ILady Penrhyn\i the Master, William Sever records on 4 April, 'departed this life, Ann Wright, convict; committed the body to the deep, with the usual ceromony'.
Arthur Smyth from the same ship also records on 19 April how 'a corpse sew'd up in a Hammock floated alongside our Ship' and then again on 26 April 'Corpse floated alongside'. There were births - one Mary Tilley had a son, delivered by William Balmain - as well as accidents - Smyth had to repair the fractured ankle of convict Elizabeth Bruce, under his charge, 'who was in the most excruciating pain' having fallen off the forecastle during an exercise period. Even the assistant surgeon of the ship, John Altree, fell sick during this waiting period and had to go ashore to recover; but generally the 'change of diet' ordered by White 'had such a salutary effect' that 'the whole fleet was in a good state of health'.
Seamen found it difficult during this waiting period to keep their hands off the female convicts and Lieutenant George Johnston of \ILady Penrhyn\i removed women from the bunks of seamen on 5 April and then on 19 April when he and Lieutenant William Collins found five women with the second mate, Squires, and four other seamen. He had the women put in irons and tried to have Squires dismissed. These sexual activities made a mockery of the official orders that 'the women are to have separate rooms from the men and no communication whatever with each other' and 'this restriction must be strictly enforced'.
While seamen and convicts slaked their sexual thirsts below decks, officers wined, dined and went for country walks. Bradley, who normally dined on HMS \ISirius,\i was among those satisfied with the officer's menu claiming that it was as good as that offered to any officers on naval service. Arthur Smyth combined visits to his sick assistant surgeon, Altree, at Ryde with 'a very pleasant walk' and visit to the local church.
Smyth, the Master, William Sever, and the marine officers of \ILady Penrhyn,\i Collins and Johnston, also dined on other ships, socialising with Surgeon Balmain, Thomas Gilbert, Master of \ICharlotte\i and others; the surgeons also dined with each other. If different ships like \ITriumph,\i under the command of Lord Hood, arrived on the Motherbank these officers would try and arrange social parties as soon as the traditional guns of salute had been fired.
Below decks the last lot of convicts continued to be loaded onto the \IPrince of Wales\i which took convicts from Lincoln, Flint, Lancaster and other prisons as April wore on. The fleet chaplain who had now arrived on board the \IGolden Grove,\i Reverend Richard Johnson, greeted some of these new arrivals with words of consolation and began his rounds delivering sermons on the different ships.
Although the temperatures had been cold, the weather had been reasonable till the last week in April, when conditions became rough. Winds lashed the fleet, overturning the \IAlexander\i and tossing the first mate, William Long, and five of his seamen into the water. They were all saved but \ILady Penrhyn\i dragged its anchor badly and the hailstorms and hurricanes that followed disrupted loading of last minute supplies and convicts.
Then on 25 April Phillip finally received his commission with the formal instructions for the voyage and penal colony. He had the authority he had been waiting for. With the commission, the Secretary of the Home Office, Lord Sydney, also sent a 'dormant commission', appointing John Hunter as second-in-command but confessing there were other legal instructions that he had not had time to draw up, promising Phillip he would send these on in due course.
Time was running out, some convicts had been below decks for months, seamen with little to do kept on breaking into the women convicts' quarters, rough conditions continued to batter the fleet even before it had put to sea and so Phillip was desperate to leave London for Portsmouth.
\BDescription:\b Lord Sydney, Secretary of State for the colonies. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"May 1787",41,fp2-169.jpg,c,0
Phillip knew the fleet had to get away in a matter of days, yet he was still waiting for convicts to be loaded onto the \IPrince of Wales,\i legal papers documenting the crimes of many of the convicts, clothing he had requested for the women, medical supplies, ammunition for the marines, fresh water, various fresh food supplies, extra crew members for different ships and liquor for the marines - the most controversial of all of the outstanding issues.
On 3 May, ten days before sailing, the last major group of convicts arrived; thirty-six women, three men and two children from Newgate gaol. The majority were taken onto \IPrince of Wales\i with a few being assigned to \IAlexander.\i 'We had the good fortune', Smyth wrote on board \ILady Penrhyn,\i 'to receive none of them'. If the convicts heard screams that day they were not coming from their number but rather from their keepers as one of the marines, William Nash of \IAlexander,\i was given 150 lashes on board \ICharlotte\i for 'unsoldierlike behaviour' according to Private John Easty - a good deal more than that received by the convict who had smuggled the knife into \IScarborough.\i
With the last convicts on board Phillip wrote to the Admiralty saying he had received his orders 'to proceed to Botany Bay on the coast of New South Wales, which orders I shall carry into execution with all possible expedition'. He had also obtained an escort - HMS \IHyaena\i - which would accompany the fleet for the early part of the voyage and so he was feeling happier about setting off for Portsmouth.
Surgeon Smyth had time to squeeze in a few last-minute social calls especially when a friend, Lieutenant Orton, arrived on the \IBeluedere\i en route to China, and invited Smyth over to his ship for dinner. The 'very noble' East Indiaman sent a wave of envy around the fleet as at 1,100 tons she was nearly twice the size of HMS \ISirius,\i their largest ship. Other officers slipped ashore for final farewells because by now the word had reached the fleet that Phillip was on his way. \ILady Penrhyn\i's Master William Sever and his first mate, William Anstis, headed for shore with marines Lieutenant William Collins and Captain James Campbell for a last session in the inns of Portsmouth.
Phillip arrived in Portsmouth on 7 April and walked right into the liquor feud. Characteristically, the demon that was to plague the colony in the early years had already raised its ugly head - without liquor the keepers refused to guard the criminals. The commanding officer of the marines, Major Robert Ross, was digging his heels in from the start. He wanted more alcohol allowances for his men or he would not order them to their stations.
On 7 May the marines on \IScarborough\i drew up an ultimatum, saying they felt 'sorely agrieved by finding the intentions of Government to make no allowance of spirituous liquor or wine after our arrival at the intended colony in New South Wales,' and claiming 'a moderate distribution of the above-mentioned article' was 'indispensibly requisit for the preservation of our lives, which change of climate and the extreme fatigue we shall be necessarly exposed to may probably endanger'.
Phillip immediately took up their cause and less than a week before sailing asked Nepean at the Home Office to grant them the grog allowance, saying that Ross had the blessing of Lord Howe for this request and that he 'feared much discontent among the garrison' and 'very disagreeable consequences' if they were refused their allowance. Nepean doubted that Howe had blessed the allowance but as it was important 'to remove every possible cause of dissatisfaction' he condescended to grant the allowance, for three years, to the marines. Ross, who received the order the day before sailing, expressed his 'most sincere and grateful acknowledgement' on behalf of the detatchment' for this very particular and flattering attention'.
On 9 May Phillip made up his mind to go, trusting last minute supplies would arrive soon, and told the agent John Shortland to pass the order around to the ten different ship masters that they were to be ready to sail as soon as the last of the essentials had been taken on board. The scientific equipment, including the elaborate timekeeper, had come on board HMS \ISirius\i that day, and was safely under the watchful eye of Lieutenant William Dawes; Phillip left his headquarters in Portsmouth, travelled out to his ship and had the signal displayed for sailing.
He did not know that the day before, Robert Brown, the Master of \IFishburn,\i had been 'employed making all clear for sailing' when he 'received a letter from the sailors telling me they would not go on the voyage unless I paid them all their wages'.
On 10 May Phillip ordered ships to get ready to sail and all dogs to go ashore. Two months' wages were then paid out and a final check was carried out on supplies. Unfortunately there were too many shortcomings for the fleet to sail and on top of this the sailors on \IFishburn\i 'refused to unmoor the ship'.
Phillip wrote to Nepean on 11 May, telling him of the delay and that the private contractors had only three ovens for baking the bread and so he ordered more to be baked and put on board that evening; that the fresh water supplies had not yet been put on board each ship; the women's clothing had still not arrived; that medical supplies had not been delivered nor 'a great deal of provisions'; that the convict lists were outstanding as was the letter to the Governor of Rio. Now that he was insisting that the supplies be put on board that day, 11 May, he expected to be able to leave, but then he had to write later that it was still not possible to sail because 'the wind is westerly, and blows fresh' and was thus against them. Despite the frustrations, Phillip remained patient and visionary.
The next day, 12 May, Phillip had finished the loading of the essentials but this time the seamen who had gone on strike prevented all ships leaving. 'Having completed the provisions,' Phillip wrote to the Admiralty, 'and the wind this morning coming around to the south-east, I made the signal and got under weigh, but the seamen on board several of the transports refusing to get their ships under sail, put me under the disagreeable necessity of ordering eight men to be taken out of the \IFishburn\i; and the seamen on board the \IAlexander\i refusing to proceed to sea unless they were paid what wages were then due and had permission to go on shore'.
A man for all seasons, Phillip resolved the industrial problem by sending his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant King of HMS \ISirius,\i to negotiate with the militant seamen. King seemed to appreciate the argument of the seamen against the Government's contractors saying: 'A disagreement now took place between the seamen of the transports and the victuallers with the masters of them, in which I think the seamen had a little reason on their side. They had been in employ upwards of seven months, during which time they had received no pay except their river pay and one month's advance. The great length of the voyage rendered it necessary that they should have more money to furnish themselves with such necessaries as were really indispensable; but it became the masters' interest to withhold their pay from them, that they might be obliged to purchase those necessaries from them on the course of the voyage at a very exorbitant rate. However, our sailing obliged some of them to return to their duty, others compromised with the masters, and the \IFishburn\i lost five men which never returned'.
Phillip ordered 'the boatswain and ten men' from the escort ship HMS \IHyaena\i to take the places of the sailors who walked off the job and then ordered the ships that had stayed behind to move off and join the others already ahead. En route to St Hellen's, however, Phillip came across two of his transports anchored at Spithead because the wind was not good enough to take them any further. On stopping here he then heard that three other transports - the two old ladies \ICharlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i and \IPrince of Wales\i - had not even left the Motherbank because 'their Bread and Water were not compleated'. At 4 p.m., the \IPrince of Wales\i was still loading a few late convicts. Phillip had no choice but to stay and anchor 'between the buoys'.
The next morning, Sunday 13 May, at four o'clock, before anything else could happen, Phillip got under way writing a last-minute note to the Admiralty saying he had 'a fresh breeze at S.E. and was again under sail and hope the transports will follow, but they have hitherto behaved very ill'. And on that worried note HMS \ISirius\i led the other ten ships out to sea on their epic voyage to the other side of the globe.
\BDescription:\b A convict hulk in England. \I(Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"Escape or Die",42,fp2-157.jpg,c,0
\BPortsmouth to Tenerife: 13 May to 10 June 1787\b
Although some of the scribes claimed that 'nothing material happened' on the first leg of the voyage, these three weeks were packed with adventure with something untoward happening almost every day. There were attempts at rebellion, escapes, strikes, shooting accidents, court martials, floggings, deaths, births, and miscarriages as the little fleet battled with turbulent seas en route. There were also some strange and exotic misadventures while the flotilla was moored in the Spanish port of Santa Cruz. Fortunately for most of this first leg the fleet enjoyed the winds they needed from the north-east.
\BDescription:\b Painting of the First Fleet leaving Portsmouth. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"13 May 1787: Sunday",43,0,g,0
The ships, which had begun leaving the Motherbank and Spithead by four in the morning, had all passed the Needles by noon and were well on their way. It was a fine day and some of the crew on \ILady Penrhyn\i even took the opportunity to trail a few fishing lines for mackerel.
Phillip was relieved to be under way at last, as were most of his officers. The sooner the convicts could be unloaded at Botany Bay the better - too many had died during the waiting period already and with only limited supplies of food, Phillip was now keen to get the colony established and producing its own supplies. Even as it sailed away from England the fleet was short of bread and water on \ICharlotte\i, \ILady Penrhyn\i and \IPrince of Wales\i.
They had left behind the provost-marshal, George Alexander, from HMS \ISirius\i, the third mate of \ICharlotte\i and the rebellious crew members from \IFishburn\i. They had also left behind ammunition for the marines, the letter of introduction to the Vice King in Rio de Janeiro, the list of the convict crimes and sentences, and clothes for women convicts on some of the ships, especially \ILady Penrhyn\i.
Not all officers were happy and the thought of three years away from home particularly upset Ralph Clark of \IFriendship\i, who spent the first day hoping the fleet would call into Plymouth. 'O gracious god Send that we may put into Plymouth or Torbay in our way down Channell that I may see my dear and fond affectioned Alicia and our Sweet Son before I leave them for this long absents'. Clark was especially worried about his son because he had a bad case of smallpox.
Most of the convicts seemed to be relieved to be under way according to the \ICharlotte\i's Watkin Tench. 'By ten o'clock we had got clear of the Isle of Wight, at which time, having very little pleasure in conversing with my own thoughts, I strolled down among the convicts, to observe their sentiments at this juncture. A very few excepted, their countenances indicated a high degree of satisfaction, though in some the pang of being severed, perhaps for ever, from their native land, could not be wholly suppressed; in general marks of distress were more perceptible among the men than the women.'
Tench was in a good position to know their feelings because he had also been reading their letters, 'which varied according to the disposition of the writers but whose constant language was an apprehension of the impractibility of returning home, the dread of the sickly passage, and the fearful prospect of a distant and barbarous country'. Most of the convicts were worried about life in the new world and many of the letters had asked friends and relatives to supply them with money and tobacco to make their lot an easier one.
By the end of the first day it was obvious that the two ladies, \ICharlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i, were going to hold the fleet up badly as John Hunter of \ISirius\i noted, 'we had light breezes with fair and pleasant weather down the channel, but had the mortification to find that two of our transports sailed exceedingly bad'. \ICharlotte\i fell back so far that the escort ship HMS \IHyaena\i had to start towing her so she would not be left behind.
In addition \ILady Penrhyn\i was such a new ship that her Master, William Sever, did not know her well enough to get the best performance out of her. Signals were flown on the flagship ordering the other ten ships to keep as close as possible and that night Phillip hoisted a light above HMS \ISirius\i to let the wayward ships know the whereabouts of the mother vessel.
#
"14 May 1787",44,0,g,0
The little fleet, which was still more or less together as the dawn broke on the second day, sailed on down the channel opposite the Devonshire coast with \ICharlotte\i under tow. During the second day Phillip shortened sail in HMS \ISirius\i and ordered all the ships to sail past in succession while he took stock of the situation.
The weather was by now cloudy with 'small rain'. Small yellow birds perched on the rigging of \ILady Penrhyn\i as her sailors landed the occasional mackerel. The supplies on that ship were also cut into that day as a sheep was killed for the table. Although the seas were by no means rough, Surgeon Arthur Smyth was ordered to the bedside of an ailing Lieutenant John Watts and a 'great number of women' on the \IPrince of Wales\i were seasick including Jane Scott, wife of Sergeant James Scott.
By now it had become clear to Ralph Clark that his prayer had failed 'Oh my God all my hopes are over of Seeing my beloved wife and Son', he wrote, 'Oh croul wind why will you not change and grant my fond heart the longing wish'. But the fleet had sailed past Plymouth and he realised 'now I must goe without knowing how my dear Boy is, may his great God protect him'.
#
"15 May 1787",45,0,g,0
By now the fleet was 'abreast of Falmouth' with 'a great number of fishing Boats in sight' and the broken-hearted Clark wished 'that one of them would come on board of use that I might send a letter on shore by her to my Betsey but I find that is in Vain and to Botany Bay I must goe'. On \IPrince of Wales\i, Arthur Smyth saw fishing boats noting that 'a Lugger from Falmouth came alongside and all the hands in her were very drunk'. Nevertheless, he was able to buy some 'soft bread' from her while the \IFishburn\i and \IScarborough\i added to their supplies by picking up respectively thirty-five and twenty-five 'casks of Geneva' that were floating past on the water.
Although people on board caught sight of the Lizard, Ediston Light House and other familiar features during the day it became clear that England was now behind them and the dye was cast as Clark acknowledged, 'I trust in god that all is for the best, if I thought otherwise I should never thought of leaving the best of women and most Sweetest of Boys'. But already they were starting to see more ships from other countries, like the \ICasary \ipacket from Lisbon as they put England behind them.
The rougher seas may have thrown Corporal Baker off balance on \ICharlotte\i for he shot off his musket with the most unusual results as the Chief Surgeon, John White reports. 'On laying the loaded musquet down which he had just taken out of the arms chest Corporal Baker was wounded by it in the inner ankle of the right foot. The bones, after being a good deal shattered, turned the ball, which taking another direction had still force enough left to go through a harness-cask full of beef, at some distance, and after that to kill two geese that were on the other side of it. Extraordinary as this incident may appear it is no less true.'
At about this time Phillip decided to let the convicts out of their irons as Hunter said, 'that they might have it more in their power to strip their cloaths off at night when they went to rest, be also more at their ease during the day, and have the further advantage of being able to wash and keep themselves clean'. This order pleased the convicts and Tench, who said 'I had the great pleasure in being able to extend this humane order to the whole of those under my charge without a single exception. It is hardly necessary for me to say that the precaution of ironing the convicts at any time reached to the men only.'
#
"16 May 1787",46,0,g,0
As overcast skies descended and rain pelted the little ships, the fleet finally cleared the channel. As they entered foreign waters, the number of strange ships increased, including a Swedish brig that sailed close by.
Aware of their vital part in the scheme of things, the seamen on the \IFriendship\i chose this moment to go on strike for what they considered the best of reasons as Ralph Clark reports 'the seamen refused to doe there duty on Account of there Provisions' and when Lieutenant John Shortland, the agent, came on board to negotiate they demanded two pounds of beef a day instead of one and a half, 'which is at present a half a pound a day more than we are alloud'. Shortland told them there was not enough meat for an increase but promised them that if the officers received an increased allowance they would receive this as well.
Clark was not impressed. 'I never met with a parcel of more discontent fellows in my life they only want more Provisions to give it to the damned whores the Convict Women of whom they are very fond Since they broke through the Bulk head and had connection with them - I never could have thought there were so many abandoned wreches in England, they are ten thousand times worse than the men Convicts, and I am afraid that we will have a great dele more trouble with them.'
Despite this hold-up the fleet travelled 101 miles that day and was now enjoying stronger currents and winds enabling even \ICharlotte\i to keep up without the help of HMS \IHyaena\i.
#
"17 May 1787",47,0,g,0
The seas began to get rough the further the fleet moved out into the ocean; according to the old seamen, schools of porpoises, which began to swim around the ships, warned that worse was to come. The sergeant's wife, Jane Scott, was certainly very sick, as were many of the wretched convicts below decks; the lovesick Clark, who had just dreamt about his 'beloved Betsey', now began to feel physically sick as well.
#
"18 May 1787",48,fp3-015.jpg,c,0
Dodging two large Dutch ships the fleet continued on its way. Sensing the advantage of being in international waters, two of the tougher convicts on \IScarborough,\i Phillip Farrell and Thomas Griffiths, sent the word around their fellow prisoners that this was the moment to escape. Having sneaked tools and weapons into their cells they now slipped out of their cells and began to unlock others in their gang in preparation for the break-out they had been planning from the start. Once free they expected to seize the ship and sail to freedom.
At this moment, however, they were nabbed by the guards who had received advance warning of the plot from a traitor among the convicts. As John Hunter reports 'the discovery had been made of an intended insurrection among the convicts in which, if they had succeeded, they were to have quitted the fleet in the night, and afterwards to have made such use of the ship, as they should, upon further consideration of the matter, determine amongst themselves'.
Hunter doubted their chances saying, 'I am thoroughly convinced that so strict attention to duty was paid by the whole of the marines employed on this service, that such an attempt would have terminated in the destruction of those who appeared most active and forward in it. Two of the principals were brought on board the \ISirius,\i severely punished, and heavily ironed.' Private John Easty, one of the guards of \IScarborough\i who escorted Farrell and Griffiths from \IScarborough\i to \ISirius,\i says the convicts who 'attempted to rise up and take the Ship' were punished with '2 dozen lashes and Some dowble irons'. Before being convicted, Farrell was Boatswain's Mate on HMS \IGoliath\i while Griffiths had been Master of a French Privateer.
After the convict uprising, Hunter blamed Phillip for taking off the irons claiming 'this indulgence had no doubt left it more in the power of those who might be disposed to exert their ingenuity in so daring an attempt to carry their plan into execution with a greater probability of success'. Nevertheless the irons stayed off most of the convicts for the rest of the voyage, Phillip gambling that the improved health of the convicts was worth the risk of the occasional escape or uprising.
As he still did not know which convicts were convicted of what crimes and how long their sentences were, Phillip began a survey of the prisoners. He sent his officials onto each of the six transports where they interviewed the convicts and compiled this record as best they could. They also asked what trades and skills were represented among the convicts and established their age and physical condition. Although they had to rely on the word of the convicts, it was better than nothing and Phillip doubted the government would ever send the official list.
\BDescription:\b Flogging was a common punishment on the First Fleet ships. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"19 May 1787",49,0,g,0
The winds, by now north-easterly, whipped up rougher seas - Private Easty reports a 'heavy swell in the Bay of Biscay' and describes the condition of those on \IScarborough\i as 'very wet'. Tench on \ICharlotte\i says, 'I cannot, however, help noticing the propriety of employing the marines on a service which requires activity and exertion at sea in preference to other troops. Had a regiment recruited since the war been sent out, sea-sickness would have incapicated half the men from performing their duties', whereas 'the marines, from being accustomed to serve on board ship, accommodated themselves with ease to every exigency, and surmounted every difficulty'.
Ralph Clark must have been the exception that proved the rule because he was 'exceedingly seasick' for days on end. Phillip, worried that the tumbling seas would separate the fleet, ordered the ships to keep as close together as possible.
#
"20 May 1787: Sunday",50,0,g,0
The fleet was now a third of the way to Tenerife and it was time for the escort HMS \IHyaena\i to return. When they hove to for the separation, the little fleet was approximately 200 miles west of the Scilly Isles. Phillip wanted to finish writing his first dispatches, collect mail for England, transfer the crew members of HMS \IHyaena\i who were to stand in for those who had deserted \IFishburn\i and send back the wife of the midshipman on HMS \ISirius\i, Mrs Holt. But there 'was too much sea' for collecting the mail from all the ships and Phillip said the sea 'runs too high' to pen his dispatches as it was 'difficult to sit at table'.
In the hurried letter that Phillip managed to write he said he had no idea of the 'state of the convicts' on the different ships because of the rough seas, but that he knew 'that a great part of the women's cloathing was missing', that he had not received 'the letters for the Vice King', that the provost-marshal 'is left behind' and that he has ordered 'Henry Brewer of \ISirius\i to act as such and that the \ICharlotte\i and \ILady Penrhyn\i sail very badly'.
Once the dispatches were sent across to HMS \IHyaena,\i the crew of HMS \ISirius\i and HMS\I Hyaena\i lined up on deck opposite each other and on the order gave three cheers for each other. The tiny escort then turned back for home with five less crew, Mrs Holt on board and letters from some of the luckier officers including King on HMS \ISirius\i and the experienced Ralph Clark, who had sent his letter across to that ship a day or so early. It was just as well as he then became 'exceedingly seasick' and 'was not able to hold up my head all day'. 'Thank God my letter is on board of her', he wrote, 'I think if I had waited untill to morrow, should have miss the opportunity of sending it as a great number has done'. If he 'had either wife or son' with him he wrote 'he would eat them up with love and kisses'.
As HMS\I Hyaena\i left the fleet, the controversy over letting the convicts out of their irons began to gather pace - both Clark and Captain Meridith from \IFriendship\i complained to Phillip that it was not safe for so many convicts to be put out of irons at once. The attempted uprising on \IScarborough\i had frightened some officers and so Phillip eventually gave orders for each ship's officers to use their own discretion.
In the meantime, Private Easty from \IScarborough\i 'hoisted out the boat and went on bord the Commodores ship' to escort the two prisoners convicted of 'Mutany to the \IPrince of Wales\i, now that there punishment on \ISirius\i was completed'.
#
"21 May 1787",51,0,g,0
The fleet now encountered even wilder seas and exceedingly variable winds. During these rough conditions the first crew death of the voyage was recorded when seaman William Mead died of a fever on \IScarborough\i.
#
"22 May 1787",52,0,g,0
Seas abated as the fleet sailed further south enabling Clark to feel 'much better than I was yesterday' and permitting the fleet to close in so that all ships were visible to each other.
#
"23 May 1787",53,0,g,0
Private John Easty reports how a fellow marine was confined 'for being drunk on his post' on \IScarborough\i while Clark on \IFriendship\i 'did nothing but dream all last night' about 'being with my most Sinceer Betsey and Son - oh my God never did a man long So much after anything that I doe to know how they both are, what would I give for a letter from her dear hand'.
#
"24 May 1787",54,0,g,0
Phillip sent for the Agent Lieutenant John Shortland who came on board HMS \ISirius\i and went over the lists of the convicts which had so far been compiled. The ships, which had once again struck rough seas making many on board sick, encountered the largest schools of fish seen to date.
#
"25 May 1787",55,0,g,0
The north-easterlies settled down enabling the topgallant sails to be set on \IScarborough\i and permitting Shortland to visit different ships to complete his convict trade lists. It was a better day for Ralph Clark who was not seasick and who hoped that HMS \IHyaena\i had by now reached home safely 'and my beloved Betsey had got her fond Clark's letter'. It was a bad day for convict Elizabeth Evans on \ILady Penrhyn\i, as despite efforts by Surgeon Smyth, her hopes of bearing a child in captivity were shattered when she miscarried.
#
"26 May 1787",56,0,g,0
Strong north-easterlies pushed the fleet along and the \IFriendship\i covered 109 miles - her best distance so far. These 'fine winds' inspired Clark to 'hope we to be there in a few days'. Others on board, such as John Easty, were kept busy by making rope or by other duties (when not gawking at the occasional 'strange sail').
#
"27 May 1787: Sunday",57,0,g,0
\IFriendship\i recorded 125 miles while Captain Campbell on the slower \ILady Penrhyn\i was still able to catch 'a large Boneto'. Surgeon Smyth, who spent the day attending to seaman William Moran who 'put himself under my care for the hues Venera', noticed a new species of seagull and large numbers of porpoise.
#
"28 May 1787",58,0,g,0
Clark, who was 'the first on board' to see a large ship to the north and then later a brig to the south, commented inadvertently on disparities between life above and below decks by recording in one breath, 'flog this day John Bennet, a Convict, with 37 lashes for breaking out of Irons, a young man But ane old Rogue - read Part of the Story of the Humble friend in the \ILady Magazien,\i for the year 1775, very much taking with it'.
Another convict, Ishmael Coleman on \Icharlotte,\i 'departed this life' and the Master Thomas Gilbert 'committed the body to the deep'. Chief Surgeon White says Coleman, who was 'worn out by a lowness of spirits and debility brought on by a long and close confinement, resigned his breath without a pang'. \IFriendship\i travelled 131 miles.
#
"29 May 1787",59,0,g,0
Phillip sent Lieutenant Henry Ball ahead in HMS \ISupply\i to look out for land as the fleet was now nearing its first port of call. Despite strong winds carrying away her main topgallant mast, HMS \ISupply\i was able to signal sometime later that she had seen land. Hunter ordered sail to be shortened on HMS \ISirius\i to avoid running aground on any outlying rocks. \IFriendship\i recorded her best run of 155 miles.
#
"30 May 1787",60,0,g,0
From HMS \ISirius,\i King correctly identified the land as the Deserters which he said were very high rocks that could be mistaken for Porto Sancto, which Ralph Clark in fact thought it was. The weather was 'thick' and the visibility poor.
Nevertheless Chief Surgeon John White spotted a large shark while welcoming the Agent John Shortland on board \ICharlotte\i to continue compiling his convict lists. Winds now took the main topgallant mast of \IFriendship\i although as Clark says they 'soon got up another'. All ships managed to avoid the rocks and during the night the fleet put the Deserters behind them.
#
"31 May 1787",61,fp3-012.jpg,c,0
HMS \ISupply\i was now ordered ahead 'to make the land' as the fleet came in sight of the Salvages which King noted had been wrongly positioned on his map which was 'undoubtedly a Mistake' but that 'Captain Cookes takes notice of the same error'. Watkin Tench described these as 'a cluster of rocks which are placed between the Madeiras and Canary Islands', saying, 'it is no less extraordinary than unpardonable, that in some very modern charts of the Atlantic, published in London, the Salvages are totally omitted'.
Below decks on \IScarborough,\i four convicts were punished for holding down another convict, John Leary, and slashing open the calf of his leg. On \ILady Penrhyn\i Isabella Lawson gave birth to a baby girl and the goat owned by Lieutenant John Watts gave birth to two kids.
\BDescription:\b The map used by navigators to sail to Australia was based on Captain Cook's Charts. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"1 June 1787",62,0,g,0
King reported the first sightings of Tenerife at daylight, although 'having very thick weather could not distinguish the peak or even the form of land'. It was probably just as well as 'this side of the island', he said, 'does not give a flattering idea of the fruitfull and plentifull Island that it is in reality'.
From the sea it appeared 'no more than a heap of Rocks piled the one on top of the other'. Hunter, also on HMS \ISirius,\i remarked that despite the drop in the winds their progress from England had been 'rather better than expected'. Below decks on the \IPrince of Wales\i the wife of the drummer had a baby.
#
"2 June 1787",63,0,g,0
As the fleet approached the Spanish island of Tenerife, Major Ross travelled from HMS \ISirius\i to \IScarborough\i where he delivered a warning to the convicts before letting this worst lot out of their irons. White went across from \ICharlotte\i to \ILady Penrhyn\i and asked Smyth to take over from his superior, the ailing and incompetent surgeon Altree (who had been sick even before the fleet had left Portsmouth, and who was now to become assistant surgeon to Smyth).
#
"3 June 1787: Sunday",64,0,g,0
Even before the fleet anchored in the roads of Santa Cruz, port authorities had travelled out to ask them their business and fishermen and local vendors had brought out their produce in the hope of sales. While moving into the roads, the \ICharlotte\i lost the 'ventilator - a machine for sweetening water' her Master, Tom Gilbert 'put out a boat but without effect'.
The traditional salute from the flagship had not been given 'on account of our being so much lumbered with Casks etc. on the gundeck' as King says. Phillip explained who he was to the Master of the port and several officers who had come on board HMS \ISirius\i and consequently received permission to anchor by nightfall. All eleven ships had thus made it safely into Santa Cruz, the first of the three ports of call on the voyage.
#
"4 June 1787",65,0,g,0
Phillip's aide-de-camp, King, went ashore in the morning 'to announce Governor Phillip's visit, to apologize for not saluting the Fort' and to seek permission to take on water and supplies. 'The Chief object proposed by Governor Phillip in touching at Tenerife', according to the official report, 'was the obtaining of a fresh supply of water and vegetables. It was advisable also at this period to give the people such advantages and refreshments for the sake of health, as this place could supply, but which can only be obtained readily on shore'.
Accordingly, once permission was gained by King, the marines were served each day with a pint of wine (instead of spirits), a pound of fresh beef, a pound of bread, and such vegetables as could be procured; the convicts had no wine but three-quarters of a pound of fresh beef and a pound of bread or rice. Due to the season, the range of vegetables and fruit 'was rather scanty with little besides onions to be got' in addition to mulberries, figs and pumpkins. Naval officers such as William Bradley of HMS \ISirius\i, who obtained poultry as well, obviously did better than either the marines or the convicts.
The island should have been well suited to supplying the first fleet with its every need because according to the voyagers an ancient fable asserted there was 'a miraculous tree' on top of the mysterious peak 'perputally enshrouded in mists' that 'distilled sufficient water for the supply of the island of Tenerife' and that from this life force an abundant harvest grew every season.
Captain John Hunter certainly expected to remain in Tenerife 'only three or four days' but 'found that the watering of the ships was a business that could not be completed in so short a time'. The pipes that brought the river water to the port and out along a jetty were adequate according to Bradley but as Hunter noted only two boats could load up their water casks at the same time.
On his return, King advised that the Spanish Governor had agreed to receive Phillip; the Governor hoped that the island could meet their needs and that he could visit the fleet the following day. In the meantime, he invited them ashore. Phillip, Ross, Hunter, White, King and other officers who waited on the Governor, the Marquis Branciforte, were 'most politely received by him' and told that the Governor hoped Tenerife might afford every refreshment the fleet had occasion for.
White was most impressed with the meeting saying: 'We were received by his Excellency with great politeness and cordiality; and, after the ceremony of introduction was over, he entered into familiar conversation with Captain Phillip on general topics. In person the Marquis is genteel; he is rather above the middle size, but cannot boast of much \Iembonpoint;\i his countenance is animated; his deportment easy and graceful; and both his appearance and manners perfectly correspond with the idea universally entertained of the dignity of a grandee of Spain. This accomplished nobleman, as I have been informed, is not a Spaniard by birth, but a Sicilian; and descended from some of the princes of that island. On this ancestry and descent, it is visible that he prides himself not a little.'
Phillip set to work: there was much to be done. He especially wanted to create a good impression in port and so warned convicts not to misbehave as he wanted them all out of irons for health reasons. There had already been a lot of traffic backwards and forwards as 'local inhabitants' rowed out to sell their vegetables during the morning and there were many foreign ships moored nearby and so he went on board the troublesome \IScarborough\i to caution the convicts.
Chief Surgeon John White had to compile a medical report in which he noted that twenty-one convicts and three of their children had died since first boarding the ships at the original ports of loading (seven adults and one child dying on the actual voyage) and that there were now seventy-two sick convicts and nine marines under his care.
One officer who was certainly not going ashore at Tenerife was Ralph Clark who saw Santa Cruz only as a post office hoping that he 'will have an opportunity at this place by Some Ship going to Some port in Europe to send a letter to my dear heavenly Woman, god only knows how much I love her'. He was not the only discontented marine that first day.
Major Ross came on board \IFriendship\i, at the request of a desperate Captain Meridith, to punish two troublesome sergeants who had behaved in an unsoldierlike manner, but as soon as Major Ross heard the details of the case he overruled Meridith saying that normally he would hang them for such offences but under these conditions refused to punish them. Clark, who felt something was gravely amiss, concluded 'I never saw the King's birth day worse kept than this'.
#
"5 June 1787",66,03250053.jpg,c,0
The watering of the fleet began in earnest as little boats ferried the casks back and forth to the eleven ships. Supplies were taken on board. Local inhabitants continued to sell produce, actually coming onto the ships to do so. And the convicts were put to work on and between the decks and given fresh air and exercise, and all the while the sun beat down on this activity inducing many to complain about the heat.
The Spanish Governor was rowed out to HMS \ISirius\i attended by several officers where 'he remained about an hour on board, and asked many questions respecting the extent of our voyage and the place where we were going to settle, all of which we explained to him by a general chart of the world'.
The Spanish Governor then met most of the officers of the fleet with notable exceptions, including Ralph Clark and Captain Meridith, who declined to move from the \IFriendship\i for this honour. Clark went on board \IAlexander\i instead to investigate a complaint, this time from Lieutenant John Johnstone, that two of his men had misbehaved and on the way back 'got almost overset by the poppling sea'.
Some of the officers, including Watkin Tench, went ashore on parties of pleasure into Santa Cruz. 'There is little to please the traveller at Tenerife', Tench informs his readers, 'as the face of the country is sterile and uninviting to the last degree.' The 'cheerful white appearance of the town however contrasted with the dreary browness of the background makes not an unpleasing coup d'oeil'.
Tench found little relief in the people either reporting that 'the restless importunity of the beggars and the immodesty of the lower class of women, are highly disgusting'. Opinions varied, however, and King described Santa Cruz as 'having a good appearance' with 'wide streets' and 'good houses, which are augmenting daily as this is the centre of commerce on the island' and Chief Surgeon White found the people far more interesting than Tench did.
'The present natives of this island seem to have in them very little of the stock from whence they sprung, intermarriages with the Spaniards have nearly obliterated all traces of the original stamina: they are of a middle stature, inclining to be slender, and of a dark complexion, with large animated black eyes. The men in a genteeler line dress very gaily, and are seldom seen without long swords. It is remarked that few of them walk with dignity and ease.
'The women wear veils: those worn by the lower ranks are of black stuff, those of the higher, of black silk; and such among the latter as have any claim to beauty, are far from being over careful in concealing their faces by them. The young ladies, some of whom I saw that were really pretty, wear their fine long black hair plaited, and fastened with a comb, or a ribbon, on the top of the head. Some of the women are so abandoned and shameless that it would be doing an injustice to the prostitutes met with in the streets of London to say they are like them.'
\BDescription:\b A drawing of Aborigines by David Collins. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"6 June 1787",67,0,g,0
With the watering and supplies well under way and little trouble from the convicts, Phillip allowed the officers and marines ashore. Some visited Santa Cruz again while a group of fourteen others, including White and King, went a further four miles inland to Laguna, the capital of the island, a trip detailed by King: 'During our short stay here we made a party to visit Laguna and the country, of which we had not formed a very favorable idea from the appearance of the island. Having provided ourselves with horses, mules, and asses, each accompanied by his conductor, we sett of from S'ta Cruz about eight in the morning, being fourteen in all, besides our numerous attendants, whose principal business it was to accelerate the motion of the cavalry by means of long staffs pointed with iron, and with which they also leaped with surprizing agility from rock to rock. The road for the first mile was very uneven, with large loose stones, and the country on both sides had very little appearance of cultivation . . . the scene soon changed, and instead of barren burnt rocks the eye was agreably diverted by corn-fields, vineyards, etc., and the surrounding hills covered with thick wood', then, 'the beauties of which were much heightened by the harvest, which they were at this time getting in.'
'The city of Laguna stands in the centre of a large plain, bounded by very high hills. The streets are wide and well paved, and the houses are also very well built, many of which have the air of hotels with porticocheres . . . From Laguna we went to the summit of the steep hills which surround the plain on which the city stands. Had it not been for the excessive heat, we should have found our excursion exceeding pleasant.' Then having drunk the health of their friends in 'old England' with 'a glass of porter' they remounted their 'cavalry' and returned 'being much amused on the road with the singing and mirth of our sunburnt guides'.
Twelve carefully selected officers later dined with the Spanish Governor in his Santa Cruz palace. Apart from Phillip, this party included Hunter, Ross, White, Collins, Campbell, Tench and King, who said, 'we were received and entertained with that Liberality & Elegance for which the Spaniards are so much distinguished'.
Tench was especially struck by the 'profusion of ices which appeared in the dessert' which he 'found surprising considering that we were enjoying them under a sun nearly vertical. But it seems the caverns of the Peak, very far below its summit, afford at all seasons ice in abundance'. After their dinner the visitors were treated to a guided tour of one of the Santa Cruz orphanage workshops where the poorest people were usefully employed manufacturing linen, woollens, ribbons and tape.
Others dined that night on board and there were sing-songs around the piano that surgeon George Worgan had brought on board HMS \ISirius\i. Ralph Clark dined on \IScarborough\i along with officers Davy, Shea and Kellow and surgeon Arndell. It was getting 'very hot' and Clark for one feared 'a sickly ship'. As it was, convict James Clark who had been tapped ten days before discharging twelve pints of water, died of dropsy.
#
"7 June 1787",68,0,g,0
The bleary-eyed revellers from the fleet were awakened by the bells of the Festival of Corpus Christi and according to Surgeon William Bradley 'the boats from the transports were ordered not to land, that this Religious ceromony might not be interrupted by the indiscretions which English seamen are too apt to commit in foreign Parts', especially as the 'religious observance of carrying the Host is on this day kept with great pomp and solemnity'.
John White was among 'several officers' who despite warnings found themselves attracted by the occasion. 'This being Corpus Christi, a day of much solemnity and parade, I went on shore with Lieutenant Ball of the \ISupply\i to see the procession incident to the occasion. Before we landed we formed a resolution to avoid, as much lay in our power, giving offence even to the most zealous devotee. When we arrived at the church, from whence the procession commenced, the Host was just making its appearance, a circumstance that is announced by ringing of bells and firing of guns. As it passed by us we fell on our knees, as we observed those around us to do; but, it unfortunately happening that the spot we knelt upon consisted of sand intermixed with small rough pebbles, the posture we were in soon became so exceedingly painful that, in order to procure a momentary ease, we only let one knee remain on the ground.'
'This heretical act did not escape the observation of one of the holy fathers, all of whom were intent on the exact performance of every ceremonious etiquette. It procured for us a frown from him, and treatment that was not of the most civil kind; so that, in order to pacify him, we again dropped on both knees. He did not, however, pass on, without exhibiting strong marks of ill-nature and resentment in his countenance, at this trivial and unintended breach of respectful attention to the religious rights of the country.'
'The procession, in which the governor and all the principal inhabitants joined, having passed through most of the streets, returned, with the same solemnity, to the church it had set out from, which was richly ornamented and splendidly illuminated with large wax tapers upon the occasion.'
Back on board, the watering of the ships was all but finished, most supplies were on board and last calls were sent around for mail. Clark had enjoyed ample time to write a decent letter to Betsy Alicia as he had not left the ships claiming that it was too hot, that he had no money to spend and that the land looked very barren anyway.
#
"8 June 1787",69,0,g,0
With most of the victualling done, Major Ross held a court martial in the room of Lieutenant Sharpe where the marine Thomas Knight from \IAlexander\i was found guilty of theft and given 300 lashes. Another marine from \IAlexander\i, Richard Asky, found drunk at his post, was acquitted.
While the marines were busy completing the last of the watering and punishing members of their own company from \IAlexander\i, a convict from that ship seized the moment and made the first escape, as Chief Surgeon White recounts. 'During the night while the people were busily employed in taking in water on board the \IAlexander\i, a service in which some of the convicts assisted, one of them, of the name of John Powers, found means to drop himself unperceived into a small boat that lay alongside; and under cover of the night to cast her off without discovery. He then drifted to a Dutch East Indiaman that had just come to an anchor, to the crew of which he told a plausible story and entreated to be taken on board; but, though they much wanted men, they would have nothing to do with him. Having committed himself again to the waves, he was driven by the wind and the current, in the course of the night, to a small island lying to leeward of the ships, where he was the next morning taken. The boat and oars, which he could not conceal, led to a discovery; otherwise he would probably have effected his escape. When brought back by the party sent after him, Captain Phillip ordered him into irons, in which state he remained for some time; but at length, by an artful petition he got written for him, he so wrought on the governor's humanity as to procure a release from his confinement.'
#
"9 June 1787",70,03250049.jpg,c,0
Convict John Powers was only just caught in the nick of time because even as he was returned to the fleet Phillip ordered everybody to get on board by flying the 'blue flag with yellow cross and gun'. The corporal and six privates who escorted Powers back were among the last to clamber onto the ships; all that remained to be done was the collection of last minute letters, including another one from Clark, and the completion of the Tenerife dispatches.
In his dispatches written from 5 June through to 10 June, Phillip reported proudly to the Home Office Secretary, Lord Sydney, and Under-Secretary Evan Nepean that 'the convicts are not so sickly as when we sailed' and that only eight had died en route. He reminded his superiors that the ammunition for the marines was inadequate as 'we have neither musquet balls nor paper for musquet cartridges, nor have we any armourer's tools to keep the small arms in repair'. He repeated the other shortages including the women's clothing over which he remained 'much distressed'.
They were so short of money that he had supplied the fleet with bread from the three storeships rather than pay high prices in Tenerife. The butter was no good because it had been badly stored in single firkins and had to be eaten quickly. He said he had been able to see all the convicts himself since they arrived in port and although they 'behaved well generally' he feared 'there are amongst them some compleat villains'. He was worried about the marines as there had been trouble getting their precious spirits and he was now praying this liquor could be obtained in Rio.
He was also very worried about the lack of fresh vegetables due to the shortages in Tenerife and trusted that he could get some along the way to avert possible outbreaks of scurvy. He then enclosed the bill for fresh provisions, seventy-six pounds, one shilling and nine pence, sealed his report and turned in for the night.
\BDescription:\b At anchor at Santa Cruz on the south-east side of Tenerife. From a watercolour by William Bradley. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"10 June 1787: Sunday Morning",71,0,g,0
At first light the eleven ships slipped out of the Spanish port and headed for Rio de Janeiro.
#
"The Counterfeit Coin Plot",72,03250033.jpg,c,0
\BTenerife to Rio De Janeiro: 10 June to 5 August 1787\b
After the week at Tenerife most of the first fleeters seemed pleased to be on the way again. They had a long way to go and the sooner they could get out of those ships and onto dry land the better. The second leg was much tougher than the first; they now had to endure more than eight weeks at sea. To maximise winds and currents the fleet had to swing out in a wide arc across the Atlantic Ocean before reaching Rio de Janeiro, its second port of call. They planned to harness the north and south-east trade winds for this south to south-westerly leg.
In justifying the selection of this route Phillip explains, 'It may appear perhaps, on a slight consideration, rather extraordinary, that vessels bound to the Cape of Good Hope should find it expedient to touch at a harbour of South America. To run across the Atlantic, and take as a part of their course, that coast, the very existence of which was unknown to the first navigators of these seas, seems a very circuitous method of performing the voyage. A little examination will remove this apparent difficulty. The calms so frequent on the African side, are of themselves a sufficient cause to induce a navigator to keep a very westerly course; and even the islands at which it is so often convenient to touch will carry him within a few degrees of the South American coast'.
Disappointed by the poor supply of fresh fruit and vegetables at Tenerife and afraid that scurvy may break out, Phillip also planned to call at Port Praya to supplement the rations on the way and collect more water to replace the great quantities being consumed in the heat.
\BDescription:\b A painting of the early navigator ships exploring the Southern Ocean. \I(Greenwich Maritime Museum)\i
#
"10 June 1787",73,0,g,0
Once favourable winds took them away from Tenerife, they saw the elusive peak in all its beauty. 'The stupendous height, which before was lost on the traveler, now strikes him with awe and admiration, the whole island appearing one vast mountain with a pyramidal top,' Tench recorded, 'and we saw it distinctly for three days after our departure.' 'Very near the top', Smyth observed, 'the Snow was perfectly seen in large quantities.'
Although Clark felt he 'should have wrote a nother letter theer for my Beloved' he was nevertheless pleased to be under way saying, 'I hope we shall find more fruit at St. Jagoes than we have done at this place' as 'the Sun is now exceedingly hott'.
#
"11 June 1787",74,0,g,0
The winds dropped as the fleet was passing from Tenerife to the Grand Canary Islands leaving them almost stationary. As the calm continued during the day Smyth noticed 'two Sail to the Northward, supposed them to be English'. Others including Easty were content to enjoy the view of the peak of Tenerife which was 'still very clear'. But as Clarke noted, the stillness represented an inconvenient delay 'no wind this day the Ships head all round the Compass'.
#
"12 June 1787",75,0,g,0
The marines were issued with rum instead of the wine they had been drinking in port, according to Easty who complains that they had been receiving a third less than the quantity they were entitled to. 'It being intensly hot,' Smyth says, 'several of the \ILady Penrhyn\i sailors went into the Water and shortly after a very large Shark was seen astern, for which reason the Captain desired them not to bathe any more as it was attended with so much danger.'
#
"13 June 1787",76,0,g,0
A fine breeze from the north was recorded with some feeling of relief by Smyth who also spotted 'an Albercore under the Bows which weighed at least 100 lb and we attempted in vain to strike it with the Grains'. Clouds obscured the peak for Easty but 'we were allowed to use what water we wanted'. Clark on \IFriendship\i felt 'worse than I was yesterday' but was cheered by 'a good breze' as the ships were now moving again.
#
"14 June 1787",77,0,g,0
With the wind now filling out the sails again the fleet headed south through 'a cloudy and hazy day' during which Ralph Clark became 'exceedingly ill' and 'took an ematick by the doctors orders' and was 'very ill after it' but the 'doctor very kind gave me Some thing else in the Evening'.
#
"15 June 1787",78,0,g,0
With the weather clearing and fresh northerly breezes, Easty reports, 'this day we crosed the Line of trafick of Cancer'. His senior officer, Scott of the \IPrince of Wales\i adds, 'and the Usual Seremoney Was performed With those that had Not Crossed the Line before - which was Ducking Lathering With tar Grase and being Shaved. N.B. the Seamen performed this Seremony But the Marines Would Not be Allowed to Do it by order of Mr. Maxwell Our 1st Lieutenant of Marines'. It was probably just as well not everybody joined in, as the \ILady Penrhyn\i nearly crashed into \ICharlotte\i because, according to Chief Surgeon White, all her sailors 'were not attending to her steerage, being deeply engaged in sluicing and ducking all those on board who had never crossed the line'.
#
"16 June 1787",79,0,g,0
Clear weather and fresh winds which Private John Easty says 'conintinued the Same all the Day' enabled the fleet to gather speed. Smyth saw many flying fish and Clark thanked his 'gracious God for being so much better to day' not for himself but for his 'dearly Beloved woman' who would be unhappy if she knew he was ill. The \IFriendship\i travelled 157 miles - the best run - since leaving Tenerife.
#
"17 June 1787",80,0,g,0
With the stronger northerly winds, some of the faster ships were pulling away from the fleet at the expense of the 'old ladies' \ICharlotte\i and\I Lady Penrhyn\i and Phillip was hard pressed keeping the fleet together. 'A strange Sail with English colours' was seen during the day by Smyth who 'supposed it to be going from the coast of Guinea to the West Indies with Slaves'. Easty on \IScarborough\i saw 'a Large quanity of flying fish and benaters and albocores' and 'cauit Some of them'.
Clark was 'a great dele Better' although the master of \ILady Penrhyn\i, William Sever, was very ill and required 'an Emetic and Cath'. With 'a Strong wind' and 'pleasing Weather with a following Sea', \IFriendship\i established a record for the voyage to date with a run of 174 miles which Clark felt was 'Not bad going for a Transport deeply loaded'.
That night Phillip fired one of the guns of HMS \ISirius\i as a signal to shorten sail and hung two lanterns as a beacon for the others.
#
"18 June 1787",81,fp3-003.jpg,c,0
At the end of the first week out of Tenerife, Tench 'saw the most northerly of the Cape de Verd Islands, at which time the Commodore gave the fleet to understand by signal, that his intention was to touch at some of them'. This had been the moment everyone had been waiting for - the chance to stretch the legs again and get some fresh fruit and vegetables. 'It was the intention of Governor Phillip to anchor for some twenty-four hours in the Bay of Port Praya as these islands seem to have been especially placed to facilitate the navigation to and from the Cape of Good Hope by offering to vessels, without any material variation from their course, admiral stations for supply and refreshment'.
With HMS \ISupply\i out in front to guide the fleet, the ships moved into the Cape Verde group, sighting the islands of Sal and then Bona Vista. More flying fish flew past the ships than usual, Smyth preserved one that landed on the deck of \ILady Penrhyn\i and Captain James Campbell caught a very large dolphin: 'the colours it exhibited whilst drying were beautiful in the extreme'. Strong winds split the fore top sail on \IFriendship\i demanding immediate repairs.
\BDescription:\b Painting of First Fleet ships at the Cape of Good Hope. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"19 June 1787",82,fp2-149.jpg,c,0
The fleet moved deeper into the Cape Verde group passing the island of Maio and at last reaching the island of St Tiago, running 'down the east side close in with the shore, on which we could perceive a high surf, or rather the sea, breaking violently among the rocks', Chief Surgeon White observes. As they approached Port Praya on St Tiago, Phillip instructed the captains to anchor when possible and gave the order to land the boats from the ships as soon as each vessel had dropped anchor. As they reached the mouth of the harbour the fort fired the traditional salute and the little township came into view.
Then suddenly Phillip had second thoughts. Ahead of them he noticed a Portuguese brig tossing and turning in the surf and realised the strong current and adverse winds would make it dangerous for his fleet to go any further. With split-second timing, Phillip ordered the fleet back, deciding the risks to the ships were not worth the fruit, vegetables and water he may have gained at the port. As Hunter explains, 'we were suddently taken aback with the wind from the north-west and every ship appeared to have the wind in a different direction'.
Lieutenant Philip King, having nearly crashed there himself on \IEurope\i in 1782 said 'a great Swell was running and had we persevered in endeavouring to get in I make no doubt that one of the Vessells might have been disabled by carrying away a Bowsprit or some such accident which would have been a severe stroke to us as it was impossible to replace anything of that kind at this or any other of the Cape de Verde islands'.
Although the ships were told to 'get an offing as soon as possible' they were prevented from moving away from the island for some time by the 'baffling winds, calms and catspaws' which surrounded them for most of the day. On \IFriendship\i four women were released after Ralph Clark had put them in irons for ten days for fighting: Elizabeth Dudgeon, Elizabeth Pully, Charlotte Ware and Margaret Hall. 'There was never greater whores living than they are', Clark argued as all four of them 'went throu the Bulk head while we lay at the Mother Bank. I am convinced they will not be long out of irons as they are a disgrase to their Whole Sex B . . . s that they are. I wish all the Women Wair out of the Ship.'
\BDescription:\b Illustration of a ship's purser, by Thomas Rowlandson. \I(British Museum)\i
#
"20 June 1787",83,0,g,0
As the fleet sailed away from the Cape Verde group, White said he was not disappointed to miss Port Praya as 'the appearance of the town and the island, from the distant view we had, gave us no very favourable opinion of them. The face of the country seemed to be sterile in the extreme, lifeless and brown'. On the other hand Collins thought 'our sudden departure from the island, we imagined, must have proved some disappointment to the inhabitants' especially as he expected the gun had been fired from the fort as a signal 'to the country people to bring down their articles for trade and barter'.
Clark was certainly 'greatly disappointed in the Commander for not going in' but felt he 'most wait with patience untill we get to South America which is a very long passaged'.
#
"21 June 1787",84,0,g,0
Fresh northerly breezes carried the fleet on its way and clear skies lifted morale, although Clark, suffering from a 'very hot Sun', was already frightened of dying from the heat 'should we be becalmed on the Line' even though they were more than three weeks away from the equator. The \IAlexander\i's Master Duncan Sinclair sent a boat across to \IPrince of Wales\i on a visit without Phillip's permission invoking the wrath of Phillip's aide-de-camp King - 'we reprimanded the master for suffering visits at sea which is a Custom that ought to be put a stop to, as it has been prooved to be of a most dangerous and sometimes fatal Tendency, without considering how much it retards a Voyage'.
#
"22 June 1787",85,0,g,0
The breezes dropped and a period of hot and sultry weather followed forcing the convict Ann Read to reach for a container of mercury instead of water which made her very sick according to Surgeon Smyth who gave her 'a strong Emetic and afterwards repeated large doses of Ol:Ricini' following which 'she did very well'. Ralph Clark, whose third wedding anniversary was the following day booked up Captain Walton, the first mate Robert Laurence and the second mate Mr Short 'to par take along with my Mess mates and self of my happiness'. He was determined 'to spend the day as happy as the Ship will permitt'. He vowed he 'would alwyse keep the 23rd of June as long as I have breath in my Body and alwayse make it a happy day'.
Michael Burkley, a seaman on \IScarborough\i, was meanwhile arrested for disobedience and the boat from \IFriendship\i came over, collected him and ferried him to HMS \ISirius\i for punishment.
#
"23 June 1787",86,fp2-142.jpg,c,0
The weather on Clark's anniversary 'became exceedingly dark, warm and close, with heavy rain' which White claimed 'was very common on approaching the equator and very much to be dreaded, as the health is to be greatly endangered thereby'. White ordered the crew to keep dry and 'never suffered the convicts to come on deck when it rained as they had neither linen nor clothing sufficient to make themselves dry and comfortable after getting wet'.
'In the evening it became calm, with distant peals of thunder, and the most vivid flashes of lightening I ever remember', White wrote and it became so hot that female convicts 'frequently fainted away; and these faintings generally terminated in fits'. Nevertheless 'so predominant was the warmth of their constitutions, or the depravity of their hearts' that 'promiscious intercourse immediately took place between them and the seamen and marines' whenever the cells could be opened. 'In some of the other ships, the desire of the women to be with the men was so uncontrollable, that neither shame (but indeed of this they had long lost sight) nor the fear of punishment, could deter them from making their way through the bulk heads to the apartments assigned the seamen.'
Despite the heat and amorous activity below decks Clark managed to celebrate his anniversary on \IFriendship\i and 'make his friends as happy as I' by giving them 'a cold dinner, wine, beer and cyder, which was all that I had' and 'the doctor, Faddy and Self Sang until 10oClock at night'. Recording his gratitude Clark wrote 'Blessed Lord God, Heavenly father, accept of my Prayer and thanks for my Self and Your Servant Betsey Alicia for joing our hands and Hearts this day three Years in happy Union - Of Gracious Jesus in what manner Shall I humble myself to make you ane recompence for giving me so heavenly a Gift'.
Meanwhile on \IScarborough\i Easty spent his night hauling in a shark.
\BDescription:\b An illustration of some of the First Fleet ships. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"24 June 1787: Sunday",87,0,g,0
Winds from the south-west quarter slowed the fleet down and brought storms, thunder and lightning. Clark, who was nursing a hangover, complained 'I have a pain in my head to day from the drinking Yesterday, hope it will goe off Soon otherwayse very well', and recorded the death of 'patrick Delany, Convict which has been Expected ever Since he came on board'. Scott on \IPrince of Wales\i reports two marines convicted for insolence and disobeying orders - Robert Ryan and Arthur Dougherty (whose wife Judith was expecting a baby at any moment). Despite the rough seas both prisoners were ferried to HMS \ISirius\i to await punishment.
#
"25 June 1787",88,0,g,0
Currents running against the ships further retarded progress according to John White, who spent the day touring different transports finding 'the troops and convicts - from the very great attention paid to cleanliness, and airing the ships - in much better health than could be expected in such low latitudes and unfavourable weather'. Watkin Tench attributed this good health to 'frequent explosions of gun powder, lighting fires below decks, and a liberal use of that admiral antiseptic, oil of tar' along with 'keeping the men's bedding and wearing apparel dry'.
Major Ross and 'proper officers' came onto \IPrince of Wales\i with offenders Ryan and Dougherty for a court martial, during which Dougherty was acquitted and Ryan was sentenced to receive 300 lashes then and there. After 175 lashes, Ryan collapsed and was cut loose pending his recovery when he could receive the remaining lashes. The disobedient sailor Michael Burkley who had been flogged on HMS \ISirius\i was returned to \IScarborough\i.
#
"26 June 1787",89,03250042.jpg,c,0
The agent, Shortland, toured the ships to check on food and water supplies, especially 'the qanty of Peas and otemeal' according to Easty. An improved William Sever, Master of \ILady Penrhyn,\i along with his lieutenant, George Johnston, went across and dined with officers on \ICharlotte\i while Shortland and Captain John Shea of \IScarborough\i dined on \ILady Penrhyn\i with Arthur Smyth and other officers.
Smyth notes an increased supply of water for these meals thanks to enterprising sailors who 'caught many casks of rain Water off the Awnings' following earlier rainstorms.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of Major George Johnston. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"27 June 1787",90,0,g,0
Heavy squalls, rain, thunder and lightning battered the fleet. The sailors of \ILady Penrhyn\i, undeterred, continued to catch water from the awnings collecting. Sharks that had gathered around the ships on and off now increased in number. One 'large Shovelnos'd Shark' had swum up to the side of HMS \ISupply\i's boat forcing its crew to hit out at the shark with the boat-hook and now the steward of \ILady Penrhyn\i landed another large one. Smyth, who was impressed by the very loud peals of thunder, claimed the lightning 'was much more red than ever I saw it in England'.
#
"28 June 1787",91,0,g,0
Continuing 'heavy showers' enabled seamen on \ICharlotte\i to 'fill some casks with rain water' at the instruction of her Master, Thomas Gilbert. A ship appeared through the squalls and lightning and Chief Surgeon John White says Phillip 'spoke' with her.
#
"29 June 1787",92,0,g,0
The Master of \ICharlotte\i, Thomas Gilbert, reported another 'stranger in sight'. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i 'supposed her to be from Ceylon'. A boat was sent over to her and she turned out to be a Portuguese ship sailing from Lisbon to Rio on the same route, so Phillip invited her to fall in and sail as a twelfth member of the fleet. The First Mate of \IFriendship\i, Robert Laurence (Clark's anniversary drinking companion) caught three dolphins and one bonito. Clark 'wished in Christ the wind would come fair'.
#
"30 June 1787",93,0,g,0
The twelve ships picked their way through large schools of 'scip jacks, albercores and bonitos close to the ship', battered by heavy squalls and rain. This patch of ocean was obviously very much on Portuguese territory as Smyth observes 'many Portuguese Men of War passed the ship - or Nautuluses as they are vulgarly called'. On \IPrince of Wales\i Scott and his wife Jane began fighting with mess mates Sergeant Hume and his wife Sarah.
#
"1 July 1787: Sunday",94,0,g,0
The twelve-ship fleet fought against 'heavy rain' and 'squalls with nothing but a strong wind from the south-west quarter. 'At 4 AM', James Scott of \IPrince of Wales\i tells us, 'one of the Convicts was delivered of a Female Child'. On \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth rushed to the aid of the sixty-year-old convict Mary Love who 'fell down the Steerage and broke two of her ribs and otherwise very much bruised herself'. Later he helped 'William Henderson, Sailor, who received a bad wound on the head from the fall of a Block'.
#
"2 July 1787 ",95,0,g,0
The winds, which remained south-westerly, proved insufficient for the Portuguese ship that had sailed with them for four days and she now dropped behind. 'Some remarkable flights of flying fish' were encountered by White on \ICharlotte\i, 'so very numerous as to resemble flights of small birds' and 'the poor creatures were so closely pursued, on all side by their common enemy, bonitos, albacores and skip-jacks, that their wings availed them little'. White also found the weather patterns interesting as they were often 'baffled with calms and adverse winds' and 'each day generally closed with heavy rains and some squalls of wind'.
#
"3 July 1787",96,0,g,0
Easty reports that \IScarborough\i was forced to tack to bring herself back into line with the fleet. White had to come over from \ICharlotte\i to care for a 'very sick' Captain Shea and on \IFriendship\i Clark was busy punishing four convict women for getting into bed with the seamen the night before - Elizabeths Dudgeon, Pully, and Thackery, and Sarah McCormick. All four had got into bed with the sailors at Portsmouth and Dudgeon and Pully had just come out of irons for fighting at Tenerife. 'The D . . . d troublesome Whores' were ordered back into irons and the boatswain, steward and seamen were flogged but the carpenter was pardoned. Clark 'would have flogged the four whores also'.
#
"4 July 1787",97,0,g,0
Adverse winds damaged the main and fore topsails on \IScarborough\i and John Easty helped with the repairs. A \IPrince of Wales\i seaman struck two dolphins and the wife of a \IFriendship\i marine gave birth to 'a fine Boy although the Child has a defect in his right hand'. The \ILady Penrhyn\i convict Elizabeth Colley was 'delivered of a dead Boy'.
#
"5 July 1787",98,0,g,0
On the twenty-sixth day out from Tenerife, Phillip called the masters of the different ships together to evaluate the water supply. After a report from HMS \ISupply\i captain, Lieutenant Henry Ball, who had inspected the levels, Phillip ordered the rations to be cut down to three pints a day. He did not know how long it would be before they got the south-easterly winds they needed.
The Chief Surgeon had just been 'round the ships and was really surprised, considering the damp and unfavourable weather to find the people look so well and to be in so good a state of health'. Although there had been many deaths on \IAlexander\i, some people were 'dangerously ill' on \ICharlotte\i, Captain Shea of \IScarborough\i 'was very dangerously ill of a mortification of the Saliva Glands' and he did not expect him to live more than an hour, and three seamen on HMS \ISirius\i had been 'afflicted with ruptures'. White felt the fleet could tolerate the reduction in water rations, as long as it was not for an extended period.
That evening 'a more numerous shoal of porpoises than ever remembered to be seen by the oldest seamen on board, presented themselves to our view,' White noted, 'and mariners compared them to a numerous pack of hounds, scouring through watery ground' and 'when the rays of sun beamed on them I know not what they resembled more'. In addition, flying fish reached such heights that some landed on board \IScarborough\i.
#
"6 July 1787",99,0,g,0
On the sight of the blue flag and yellow cross flying from HMS \ISirius\i's topgallant mast, all ships reduced their ration as instructed. Clark was chosen to supervise this operation on \IFriendship\i.
Clark was also given a puppy by Captain Walton of \IFriendship\i which he called 'Efford, after the dear Sweet place where first I came acquainted with my Alicia my Vertious Wife'. And the incorrigible Elizabeth Dudgeon, already in irons for making love to the crew, let Captain Meridith have a piece of her tongue, provoking him to flog her with a rope and Clark noted that 'he did not play with her but laid it home which I was very glad to see - then ordered her to be tied to the pump, She has been long fishing for it, and has at last got untill her hearts containt'.
\IRememberance\i, an 'English Mogen Sloop', was sighted and on speaking to her the crew of HMS \ISupply\i established that she came from the House of Mether, was three months out of London and bound for the Falkland Islands. The usual catch of albacores and bonitos was brought in and more flying fish flew onto the deck of \ILady Penrhyn\i.
#
"7 July 1787",100,0,g,0
The fleet at last picked up the south-east trades which carried them westward giving them the force they needed to drive them on to Rio. The weather became sultry and unpleasant and White began to realise that the reduced water ration would take its toll, complaining that three pints per day was 'a quantity scarsely sufficient to supply that waste of animal spirits the body must necessarily in the torried from a constant and violent perspiration and a diet consisting of salt provisions'. In fact, 'people subject to long voyage should never be put on a short allowance of water,' he argued, 'as it tends to prevent a scorutic habit'. Clark also prayed they would not be put on a shorter allowance 'as it is a great way to Rio Janeiro and no lickyhoods of getting there Soon with this wind'.
The boatswain of \ICharlotte\i 'struck with a pair of grains out of the cabin window a most beautiful fish' which White had never seen before and which he named a Yellow Tail because of the 'lovely yellow colour' behind the 'beautiful green stripes on either side'.
#
"8 July 1787: Sunday",101,0,g,0
A strange ship appeared on the horizon which turned out to be a large vessel flying imperial colours but which refused to acknowledge signals or speak to the fleet. Crew caught, ate or preserved bonitos, albacores, skip-jacks, dolphins, sharks and flying fish and White concluded the 'flying fish sought shelter in the ships in order to avoid being devoured by their pursuers' and on their behalf celebrated each bonito catch as it was 'ridding the poor flying fish of their formidable enemy'. The catches also supplemented the food supplies which Clark said 'begins to grow low with only five fowles and one pig left on \IFriendship\i'.
#
"9 July 1787",102,0,g,0
The 'remarkably fine terrier dog' belonging to Lieutenant John Watts was tossed from the deck of \ILady Penrhyn\i into the sea by someone 'malilious', according to Smyth, who also observed 'Seldom a Day passes in these Latitudes but Captain Campbell (whose line is constantly out) catches one or more fish'. White says \ICharlotte\i and \IAlexander\i 'who was near us' also caught a great number of fish and at night in the wake of the ship the sea appeared quite luminous due to the spawn of fish following the ship. Clark says they caught 'a large She Shark on \IFriendship\i with 37 young ones in her'.
#
"10 July 1787",103,0,g,0
Seamen on \IScarborough\i finished caulking and began scraping the decks and painting the wales. Judith Dougherty, whose husband Private Arthur Dougherty had recently been reprimanded for disobedience, and who was continually having her rum supply stopped because she was getting drunk, gave birth to a son on \IPrince of Wales\i. Clark complained that it was 'exceedingly hott' and 'very ill all day'.
#
"11 July 1787",104,0,g,0
Lieutenant Ball of HMS \ISupply\i arrested apprentice James Porter on \IPrince of Wales\i for striking the Second Mate and took him to HMS \ISupply\i where he was given one dozen lashes. On \ILady Penrhyn\i an eighty-two year old convict 'died of dropsy with which she had been long afflicted' and 'her corpse was committed to the deep with the usual form. The burial service was read by Mr. Ball the third mate'.
Later Smyth noted a very large 'Sea Devil' floating on the surface of the water which the crew of HMS \ISirius\i caught and then at midnight 'the sea was covered for some miles around with Luminious bodies which gave a most beautiful appearance', which swam around the ship along with 'a great many very large porpoises'.
#
"12 July 1787",105,0,g,0
Troublesome seamen halted the progress of the fleet when they went on strike on \ILady Penrhyn\i and Bradley reports that the Master 'brought on board three of his people who had been guilty of Mutiny in refusing to steer the ship as directed by the Master, by which means she was very far to leeward out of her station; they were kept on board \ISirius\i and three men were sent in lieu to work on \ILady Penrhyn\i'.
The child born on \IPrince of Wales\i at Portsmouth by Martha, the wife of marine Private John Davis, died, and Clark dreamed that his wife was sitting by the fire in her night cap crying. 'I hope that in god's goodness ther is nothing the matter with her', he said, 'for if ther was I should certainly goe mad'.
#
"13 July 1787",106,0,g,0
Friday 13th passed with no great misfortunes befalling the fleet; 'a large Scoul of flying fish flew on bord' \IScarborough\i and Clark dreamed his wife had given him gold which in his mind made up for a louse she gave him in an earlier dream and left him 'in better spirits'. The dangerously ill Captain Shea of \IScarborough\i was reported 'much better' which in turn made Clark 'heartly glade for his Wife and Young family Sake'.
#
"14 July 1787",107,0,g,0
The fleet crossed the equator and 'the Usual Seramoney was paid by the Seamen' on \IPrince of Wales\i although on \ICharlotte\i White says, 'we crossed the equator without any wish of inclination being shewn by the seamen to observe the ceremony usually practised in passing under it'. King says the crossing enabled them to establish that the fleet 'was considerably to the Westward of our reckoning' and Tench says the atmosphere 'was as serene, and the temperature of the air not hotter than in a bright summer day in England'.
The usual ceremonies did little for the 'many convicts' who 'fell ill with the fevers' on \ILady Penrhyn\i or for Jane Scott, the wife of the marine sergeant on \IPrince of Wales\i, who was jumped on by Sergeant John Kennedy. According to James Scott, Kennedy, 'being Disguised in liquor And Abusing Several people in the Ship' then 'jumped Down the Main Hach Way Upon My Wife as She Sat at Work Just By the Lader. Which Caused a Great Fright. And Like Wise Hurted her Greatly'.
Clark, who 'was exceedingly glad that we have got over the line' hoped, 'we will have a little better wind this Side of the World than we had the other Side' although his thoughts were elsewhere - he had just started reading \IThe Tragedy of Douglas\i and was inspired by the 'Sinceer love Lady Randolph exspress herself for the Death of Douglas & her lost child' in the first act. HMS \ISupply\i was sent ahead to look out for St Paul's Rocks.
#
"15 July 1787: Sunday",108,0,g,0
A dying convict on \IPrince of Wales\i prompted her Master, John Mason, to summon the surgeon of HMS \ISupply\i, James Callam, as the case was beyond the stand-in surgeon, convict John Irving. A shark was caught by crew of \IScarborough\i.
#
"16 July 1787",109,0,g,0
With light breezes from the south-east moving the fleet along, \ILady Penrhyn's\i crew 'scraped the ships sides as far as they could reach as there were many Barnacles adhering which hindered her sailing'. Another sailor caught a booby (a seabird) which alighted on the yard-arm, while others ate from a pig, goat and sheep killed on the ship that day.
Clark's dog Efford hurt his leg and Clark hoped he would recover, 'on account of the Name of the dear Sweet place I have called him after'. He also finished the play, remaining impressed 'with the emotions in the Breast of Lady Randolph' but doubting 'she loved as much as my Virtious Alicia dose - heaven knows how much She and I loves, the Tear of Sorrow would not Refrain from rolling down my cheeks at the affecting scene in this play'.
#
"17 July 1787",110,0,g,0
The crew of \IScarborough\i caught 'a very fine dolphin along with large quantities of benitos and albercores'. Clark thanked God for 'the fair wind at last' and hoped 'we will be in Rio fourteen days from this'. Although it was 'exceedingly hot' he decided to start putting convicts to work making new clothes for him, beginning with a pair of gloves, and repairing some of his old clothes.
#
"18 July 1787",111,0,g,0
On investigating the number of sick on \IAlexander,\i White 'found that the illness complained of was wholly occasioned by the bilge water which had by some means or other risen to so great a height that the pannels of the cabin and the buttons on the clothes of the officers were turned nearly black by the noxious effuvia. When the hatches were taken off the stench was so powerful that it was scarsely possible to stand over them'.
White had ordered all ship masters to pump out the water daily 'to keep them sweet and wholesome' and so he went over to HMS \ISirius\i to register his complaint. King was sent over to \IAlexander\i to tell the master, Duncan Sinclair, to 'instantly set about purifying and sweetening her' and 'the evil was soon corrected' and before long 'people suffering from the effects of it got quite rid of the complaint'.
White also 'solicited an increase of water' that Captain Phillip, with equal readiness, complied with because they were now enjoying the south-east trade winds; orders went around to increase the ration from three pints to two quarts a day.
Crew on \IScarborough\i repaired the rigging, a \ILady Penrhyn\i hen was washed overboard and on \IFriendship,\i Sergeant Peter Stewart's youngest child was almost 'kild by one of the Convicts letting it drop out of his hand into the fore hold'. Clark was upset as the child 'alway puts me in mind of my dear sweet Ralphie when I see it'.
The notorious Elizabeth Barber caused trouble when she 'abused the Doctor in a most terrible manner and Said that he Wonted to . . . her and cald him all the names that She could think of' as 'She was very much in liquor She was order on a pair of leg irons and when She getting them on She begane to abuse Capt. Meridith in a much worse manner than She had done the doctor. She cald him every thing but a Gentle man and Said She was no more a Whore than his wife. She then begane and abused Faddy and I wonder how She come to forget me amonst the number, in all the course of my days I never hard Such exspertions come from the Mouth of human being. The Capt order her hands tied be hind her back and to be gact to prevent her making noise. She hoped and She was certain that she Should See use all thone over board before we got to Botany Bay - from the Bottom of my heart I dont think that the doctor Mr. Arundell ever offer any Such a thing to that Brute. She disired Meredith to come and kiss her C . . . for he was nothing but a Lousy Rascall as we Wair all. I wish to god She Was out of the Ship. I would reather have a hundered more men than to have a Single Woman. I hope in the Ships that ever I may goe in herafter there may not be a Single Woman.'
#
"19 July 1787",112,0,g,0
All ship masters issued the new water rations for the first time. Elizabeth Barber 'remained in the position that She was left in' until early morning 'when She was let goe down and order up again and her hands again tied behind her back'. Surgeon Arndell pronounced Sergeant Stewart's little boy to be much better after being dropped by the convict with 'no bones brok', and the fleet sailed on in 'a much scattered' pattern.
#
"20 July 1787",113,0,g,0
The scattered fleet shortened sail so slow-coach \ILady Penrhyn\i could catch up. Phillip sent HMS \ISupply\i over to \IPrince of Wales\i to tell her Master, John Mason, that 'he Was Greatly Displeased that Wee Could Not Keep to Windward' and sail closer to the fleet. On board, Scott saw 'An Extrordnery Fish, the like I Did Not See Before' and 'As I Sat on the Spritsale Yard this fish Represented its Self'. The fish, which Scott drew in his journal, was about nine feet long, and eluded capture. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i brewed spruce beer for the use of the cabin while some less fortunate convicts on \IAlexander\i were detected by Duncan Sinclair stealing bread. The seamen of \IScarborough\i hogged the ship scrubbing as much of the hull as possible.
#
"21 July 1787",114,0,g,0
The carpenter of \IScarborough\i repaired the small boat as the scattered ships passed on through cloudy weather, with \ILady Penrhyn\i still falling behind. On the \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth, who had watched the sun rise, described the clouds as 'a most beautiful grass green colour' before 'the sun got up'. He described the ship as 'very much to leeward of the fleet' saying 'we have a very great head swell with flying showers' but only 'a moderately brisk breeze'. He had also managed to supplement the table by growing 'small salad raised on wet flannel in wooden trays'.
Clark asked a convict to make him a 'night net' as his nightcap was too hot for the tropics and kept falling off. The swell also upset him during his water round, drenching his clothing and making him lose his pencil. The marine's child born on 4 July with a defective hand now turned out to have a 'crippled right leg while the poor little things hand is the same as a duck's foot' and although 'the doctor has cut the fingers a Sunder once' he 'will be obliged to cut them once more when we comes into harbour'.
Clark, who had not been well lately, came to 'a Resulition not to open the case that contains my dear beloved wifes picture but once a week for fear that Some accident should befall it' and so he decided that from now on he must be 'content to kiss the little bag that contains the dear Sweet treasure'. At the same time he ordered his convict seamstress to repair another pair of his trousers leaving 'only one pair more to doe' and gave them 'a pair of old Stocking to be cut up to make me Socks being in great want of them'. The gloves, which the convict finished that afternoon, 'fitt very well - Shall give him thread to make me another pair'. Phillip ordered \ICharlotte\i and \IBorrowdale\i to come in closer to the fleet.
#
"22 July 1787: Sunday",115,0,g,0
An increasingly impatient Phillip ordered the \IScarborough\i into her proper station just as the fleet encountered 'a very large whale' which 'rose about 20 yards from the \ILady Penrhyn\i and blowed the water very high with a great noise'. Smyth 'was standing on the poop with Captain Sever and looking directly at the spot in which it arose' and it 'startled' him 'not a little as it was full as long as the Ship, spouted the water several times, swam majestically along by the ship's side, crossed the stern, blowed and went down head foremost and with its enormous tail a great height out of the water'.
An hour later three other whales joined the fleet and frolicked about for some time before disappearing and leaving the sea to the usual bonitos, three of which were caught for the \IPrince of Wales\i' table. Below decks on \IFriendship\i a plague of bugs had attacked the marines, forcing Clark's fellow lieutenant William Faddy to kill more than one hundred with oil of tar 'in the small place where he sleeps' because he had been kept awake all night 'by the great number of Bugges'. Although Clark 'had not one in my bed' he said he 'washed my Self all over' as 'the Ship is swarming with them'.
Margaret Hall, who had been caught in bed with sailors at Portsmouth and put in irons for fighting in Tenerife, was now punished again for yet another offence. 'Capt Meridith put Margt. Hall one of the Woman in irons for Sh.... between decks, he handcuft her with Elizh. Barbar that abandond wrecth and took her leg irons off - I thought as I have Said once before that Margett Hall would Not be long out of these ornimonts, that I put on her at Teneriff, for her bad behavour ther. She was one of the Woman that went throu the Holl to the Seamen at the Mother Bank'.
Meanwhile on \ICharlotte,\i White says 'At night, three men made their way, through the hole cut for the admission of a windsail, into the apartment of the female convicts, against an express order issued for that purpose' and 'were apprehended and put in confinement for trial'.
#
"23 July 1787",116,0,g,0
Rough weather tore the fore topsail on \IScarborough\i and HMS \ISirius\i sprung a main topsail yard in the slings and immediately 'set all hands to work to get up a new one'. Clark thanked God for the fresh winds hoping 'we will be in Rio in a few days' where he hoped to send off a letter to 'my ever dear and tender Alicia Clark my much beloved wife' as he feared that his son 'has forgot his fond father' already. He gave more thread to convict Mrs Francis Hart (a seamstress) to make him another pair of trousers while the rebellious Margaret Hall became so weak chained to Elizabeth Barber that Surgeon Arndell ordered her released.
#
"24 July 1787",117,0,g,0
Increasingly strong winds tore down the foretop mast on \ILady Penrhyn\i as she desperately tried to keep up; sailors prevented it from being lost overboard by 'going up immediately and taking in sail'. Smyth says 'the ship often lyes down so much we can scarsely keep our seats at table and everything thereon is obliged to be confined' nevertheless they had 'rolls baked every day for breakfast'.
Owing to the violent motion of the ship, Collins reports that convict Jane Bonner on the \IPrince of Wales\i was knocked down when a jolly boat broke loose and 'jammed her in a most shocking manner against the side of the ship' striking her with 'a Violent Blow on the head'. In falling against her, the jolly boat caught her 'upon the neck and crushed the vertibrae and spine'. Although the injuries presented a challenge for convict and acting surgeon John Irving, he took the wounded Jane Bonner below for treatment.
Having unchained Elizabeth Barber to let the ailing Margaret Hall go free, Clark now put Barber in irons and handcuffed her to Elizabeth Thackery who had been caught in bed with sailors at Portsmouth and Tenerife. He also put another troublemaker, Elizabeth Pully, who up until then had been handcuffed to Thackery, in leg irons along with a Mrs McNamara who had been 'very impertinant to the convict cook'. He then collected his two night-nets from the convict seamstress saying they fitted better than the nightcaps.
#
"25 July 1787",118,0,g,0
A convict was lost overboard from \IAlexander\i when he fell from the spanker boom as winds lashed the ship. HMS \ISupply\i doubled back and with the crew of \IAlexander\i who 'hoisted out her Boat' searched the sea. 'The boat was out a good while and went a great way astern' but it was 'during a squall' and there was 'a very great swell' and 'although every endeavour was used to save him' they could not find him and as 'the swell was so great he drowned'. Clark, who confirms that 'it blew very hard' says that in addition to the fore topgallant mast breaking on \ILady Penrhyn,\i the jib and topgallant sail split on \IFriendship\i. He let convict Sarah McCormick out of irons because Surgeon Arndell complained 'she was unwell'.
#
"26 July 1787",119,0,g,0
The heavy swells carried away the fore topgallant mast on \IBorrowdale\i and the main topsail sheet on \IGolden Grove\i. White spotted a new breed among his beloved flying fish 'that had wings on both head and tail' and 'when in the act of flying resembled a double headed shot'. Easty saw a large rainbow through the drizzle and on \IFriendship\i Clark let Elizabeth Pully out of irons because the punishment made her very weak and sickly as well. He did not feel well himself after 'a pice of pork, Some potatoe and a pumpking piy' and so 'abused the doctor' for 'so bad a dinner, he being cook for the week'.
#
"27 July 1787",120,0,g,0
The squalls became heavier, creating problems on \IScarborough\i with the fore topmast staysail and jib, and Phillip ordered the fleet to sail closer together. Having achieved some success with his clothing factory, Clark now 'gave some wood to the cabinet maker to make my beloved Betsy a writing desk' and 'hoped he will make it well on her account'.
#
"28 July 1787",121,fp3-008.jpg,c,0
Aware of a mysterious island ahead that had not been clearly located on any map, Phillip ordered everybody 'to keep a good look out' especially as there could be the danger of their striking 'sunken rocks'. Although 'his request was strictly complied with day and night', Smyth says, 'none were seen'. During this search, \ILady Penrhyn\i was ordered into the wake of HMS \ISirius,\i as she was dangerously astern and out to windward.
\BDescription:\b The wreck of the \ISirius\i. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i.
#
"29 July 1787: Sunday",122,0,g,0
Smyth estimated they only had 500 miles to go before Rio. It was probably just as well as the last English goose was killed on \ILady Penrhyn\i and on \IFriendship\i Clark says they had eaten the last 'hogg' and he hoped 'Soon to be into port wher we may have fresh beff again'. In the meantime 'a great number of flying fish came on board' providing extra supplies. On collecting his finished trousers Clark found they 'fit very well'; he also 'opened the case of my dear beloved Betsys pictor and gave it a hundred kiss'.
Convict Jane Bonner, whose head was smashed by the jolly boat on \IPrince of Wales\i, took a turn for the worse and convict surgeon, John Irving, admitted the case was beyond him and so signalled for the Chief Surgeon. White says that it was 'judged imprudent to put a boat out' as 'it being then nearly dark and the ships making quick way through the water'. A boat 'was promised early in the morning that I might go and see her'.
#
"30 July 1787",123,0,g,0
Jane Bonner died before White reached her bedside. Her body was committed to the deep in the usual manner.
'The \ISirius\i's men were employed painting the ship previous to the fleet's getting to Rio.'
#
"31 July 1787",124,0,g,0
Apart from \ILady Penrhyn,\i which remained 'a great way astern' indicating that 'she sails very bad as she was up with the fleet last night', the convoy continued to make good progress. Smyth spotted 'two very large whales which from their throwing the sea about in a prodigeous manner were supposed to be fighting'. There was a most beautiful moonlight but Easty records in full honesty how 'in the evening William Douglas and John Easty were Confind and put in Irons for being Drunk on Duty'.
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"1 August 1787",125,0,g,0
Phillip displayed his broad pennant for the first time now that they were approaching Rio 'which is Red with a Swallow Tail' and Clark, who hoped to be in port in a day or two now, said he 'wondered why he did not doe it long before now'. Clark then rearranged the irons and handcuffs of some of his charges, putting Elizabeth Barber and Thackery together and Dudgeon and Pully together, thus chaining together the four Elizabeths whom he claimed were the worst of the fighting five.
The fifth member of the gang, Sarah McCormick, he could not put in irons as she was still too sick from her earlier punishment, as was Margaret Hall. 'The damed whores the moment that they got below fel a fighting amonst one a nother and Captain Meridith said not to part them but to let them fight it out - which I think is very wrong.'
A repentant John Easty writes 'they let us out of irons this night'.
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"2 August 1787",126,0,g,0
On sailing ahead the fleet's trusty scout, HMS \ISupply,\i signalled that she had sighted land. Smyth also saw a booby 'which is a certain sign of being no great distance from land'. He saw another 'large whale that rose and blowed just under our stern' and 'many Mother Carey's chickens which the sailors consider as a prognostic of wind'.
They also caught up with a Portuguese brig 'with slaves from the coast of Guinea bound for Rio' whose prisoners were in far worse conditions than their own. White says 'she sails so very dull that we passed her as if she lay at anchor, although we had not a fast sailing ship in the fleet' however Scott adds that the slaver had lost her mizzen mast.
Clark, whose dog Efford had been lost overboard, suspected foul play, saying, 'I think that he was thrown overboard by the first mate and if I was certain I would make some of the men give him a good thrashing. I am sorry I lost him poor dog as he begane to be very fond of me'.
Phillip ordered \IPrince of Wales\i and \IAlexander\i to come back into their station as they were sailing too far ahead and in the evening hung the light for all ships to gather close in as they shortened sail off Cape Frio.
#
"3 August 1787",127,0,g,0
Now in sight of the mouth of the harbour the fleet prepared to anchor. Sailors cleared the boats and got up the cable ready for anchoring. The peak of Rio could be seen 'about eight leagues off'. But it was 'very hot and a perfect calm' and the fleet could not get an offing so Phillip sent King ahead in HMS \ISupply\i which 'sailed well in light winds' to tell the Viceroy that Phillip 'with his convoy had arrived at the mouth of the harbour'.
In the course of the day they 'saw many whales playing about' and on \IFriendship\i Clark collected his 'beloved Alicias desk all done to the lock and hinges and green cloath which I hope to be able to get at Rio - I am happy to find that we are so near a place where I shall be able to write to my only friend dear Sweet woman'. One of his charges, the ailing Sarah McCormick, had to be bled twice during the day by the doctor who 'says she will not live the night out. She is now quit Speachless and I am apt to think (God forgive) if it is not true, that she is eating up with the Pox. She is one of them that went throu the Bulk head to the Seamen and I hope she has given them something to remember her'.
Clark claimed the seamen were 'ten thousand times wors than the convicts' and feared 'if the convicts had any thought to make their escape the seamen would assist them'.
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"4 August 1787",128,0,g,0
The morning found the fleet 'standing in for the harbour' but 'the wind headed us which obliged us to tack and stand out to sea a little in order to prevent our falling leeward to the port', White reports. Smyth, frustrated at being so close yet so far, says he is 'fearful we shall not get in today as there is still so little wind. The land which is the south coast of America appears very mountainous. Calm continued all day'.
Sarah McCormick was bled another three times as she was 'still very ill' and Clark saw a strange ship and two small boats coming out of the harbour.
#
"5 August 1787: Sunday",129,0,g,0
'I am affraid we shall not be able to get in to day for ther is no wind', Clark wrote, taking his 'beloved Betseys pictor out of the little bag' and kissing it a hundred times. The fleet lay a tantalising four leagues from 'the shore which appears a white sandy beach' Smyth says and 'the appearance of the country is beautiful, consisting of Lofty Mountains and Verdant Vallies the one covered with lofty Trees etc and the other with Oranges, Leamons, Limes etc.' Smyth could even 'see the City of St Sebastion (Rio de Janeiro) about two leagues distant' and he loved 'the appearance of the number of detatched islands about the entrance of the harbour' which was 'beautiful and picturesque to a degree the soil everywhere being covered with green trees and shrubs'.
The waiting period proved unfortunate for a boy called Rodney who fell overboard onto an anchor, and a \IScarborough\i sailor who was working on the main topgallant yard-arm - he lost his grip and in falling crashed onto the deck and 'fractured his skull in a dreadful manner' and 'brok his arm all to pices', adding to the casualty list.
Canoes began to row out to the fleet and two reached \ILady Penrhyn\i 'with painted red and white awnings and with three Portuguese Gentlemen in each paddled by 4 naked Negros' who then 'went round most of the ships'. Using French, Smyth invited them on board but they politely declined, in French, because the port's health boat and captain of the fort had not yet inspected the fleet. Other canoes made contact with \ICharlotte\i, according to White, who says 'a boat came alongside in which there were three Portuguese and six Slaves from whom we purchaced some oranges, plantains and bread'.
The contact was exactly what some of the convicts had been waiting for and after months of planning they seized the moment to put a daring plan into action as White reports: 'In trafficking with these people, we discovered that one Thomas Barret, a convict, had, with great ingenuity and address, passed some quarter dollars which he, assisted by two others, had coined out of old buckles, buttons belonging to the marines, and pewter spoons, during their passage from Teneriffe. The impression, milling, character, in a word, the whole was so perfectly executed that had their metal been a little better the fraud, I am convinced, would have passed undetected.'
'A strict and careful search was made for the apparatus wherewith this was done, but in vain; not the smallest trace or vestige of any thing of the kind was to be found among them. How they managed this business without discovery, or how they could effect it at all, is a matter of inexpressible surprise to me, as they never were suffered to come near a fire and a centinel was constantly placed over their hatchway, which, one would imagine, rendered it impossible for either fire or fused metal to be conveyed into their apartments. Besides, hardly ten minutes ever elapsed, without an officer of some degree or other going down among them. The adroitness, therefore, with which they must have managed, in order to complete a business that required so complicated a process, gave me a high opinion of their ingenuity, cunning, caution, and address; and I could not help wishing that these qualities had been employed to more laudable purposes. We were not without apprehensions that they might entertain an unfavourable opinion of Englishmen in general from the conduct of these rascals; we therefore thought it necessary to acquaint them that the perpetrators of the fraud were felons doomed to transportation, by the laws of their country, for having committed similar offences there.'
At last, White says, 'a gentle breeze from the east' sprang up and carried 'the fleet to within a mile of the bar', after which 'every ship was tow'd by her boats to within a mile of the City', Smyth adds. By nightfall they had dropped anchor and were looking on in wonder 'at the town which was most beautifully illuminated and the tops of the Churches and several Monasteries also, in honour of the Commodore who had some years ago been employed with much credit in the Portugueze Service'.
With a reception like this for Phillip, his fellow officers had every reason to believe the Portuguese would now attend to their every need.
#
"Red Carpet in Rio",130,0,g,0
\BRio: 6 August to 4 September 1787\b
Although the month-long stopover in Rio was a much longer land break than the week in Tenerife, Phillip needed every moment to replenish supplies, water the ships and repair HMS \ISirius\i and HMS \ISupply\i. He had a long journey ahead of him and he did not know how useful Cape Town would be as a last port of call. Rio was no problem for him as he had served as a Captain in the Portuguese navy and knew the local viceroy from an earlier visit.
Consequently he was able to obtain all the fresh beef, fruit and vegetables he needed to strengthen his people during their stay in Rio, to fill the ships up with water and provisions for the next leg, and to have them repaired - all at very little cost to the British government because he talked his way out of paying the usual fees imposed by the port authorities on visiting ships.
His officers, who had plenty of time for adventures, were very disappointed with Rio. Reports from Cook had led them to expect some amorous adventures in the port and some were quite bitter about the unwelcoming women of Rio. Ironically, the preoccupied Ralph Clark was the only officer to receive an approach from the fairer sex and as would be expected his blinding loyalty to Betsy Alicia prevented him from responding to the overture in any way whatsoever.
For the most part the officers had to content themselves with strolls through the markets, visits to the palace, cathedrals, churches and the country where they marvelled at the abundance of tropical fruit, gemstones, delightful parrots and butterflies; not a difficult lot to bear compared with that of the convicts who remained below decks most of the time, chained up in conditions worse than the black slaves who thronged the streets comparatively free.
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"6 August 1787",131,0,g,0
The first fleet woke up to 'a remarkable fine morning' in Rio, Smyth, finding the aspect 'beautiful in the extreme', felt he was 'inadequate to the task of doing it justice by any description' he could give it. Clark observes, 'the land on both sides of us now very high rocky Mountains all cover with green trees'. And 'many canoes came alongside row'd by naked Negros with great quantities of very fine Oranges which they sold 24 for 6d'.
At daylight King had been 'sent by Captain Phillip to wait on the Vice King' (Don Luis de Varconcellos) 'and demand permission to enter the Harbour for Refreshments etc. which being granted and having assured myself (as I was ordered) that an equal Number of Guns would be returned to our Salute I returned on board'.
With this permission, a 'boat full of fruit and vegetables sent as presents', and a breeze, the fleet moved after lunch from its initial position further up into the harbour saluting with thirteen guns as they passed the Fort of Santa Cruz and receiving the same number in return, as promised. Then by nightfall all eleven ships dropped anchor a little over a mile from the town encircled by the fort, the Sugarloaf, the Island of Cabres and the town itself.
Their arrival in the harbour proper enabled Phillip to track down a ship travelling back to Europe by which he immediately sent a dispatch informing his superiors of his safe arrival. Clark was not so lucky, saying, 'I wish to God that I could Send a letter on board that Ship that is now under Way for Lisbon to my beloved Alicia'.
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"7 August 1787",132,0,g,0
Phillip, naval officers from HMS \ISirius\i and HMS \ISupply\i and marine officers began their visit by paying their respects to the Portuguese Governor. It soon became obvious that they were special guests. 'On landing we were received by the Captain of the Guard and a Friar' White says, 'who conducted us to the Palace. As we passed the guard on duty there, the colours were laid at the feet of the commodore which was the highest possible token of respect.' Once inside the palace, King says they were asked to wait 'in the Audience Chamber where suddenly a Curtain was drawn which discovered the Vice King in the Drawing Room to whom we were then all introduced separately by our Governor', after which the two governors conversed for some time before 'we took our leave'.
White was not as impressed with the proceedings as King had been, saying 'I could not help remarking that the viceroy placed himself in such a manner as to have his back turned on most of the officers and neither of the rooms we were in exhibited any marks of magnificance or elegance. I acknowledge for my part I was exceedingly disappointed'. The Viceroy was 'middle aged, stout and corpulent and had a strong cast or defect in his eye' and 'I could not help observing the very great difference between him and the elegant and accomplished Marquis de Brancifort' of Tenerife.
Phillip obviously had an advantage over the other officers because in his own words 'the Vice King is the same as was here when I past for India', and he (Phillip) was 'the only one who understood the language'. Nevertheless others, such as Judge Advocate David Collins, admitted that the palace, which was located close to the wharf and which 'stood in the Royal Square of which together with the public prison the mint and the opera house it formed the right wing' was 'a very fine building' indeed.
Once back on the ships Phillip had to entertain the 'attendant of the port who with the usual officers arrived on board \ISirius\i requiring the customary certificates to be given' Collins says. Phillip was interviewed at great length and his log book examined, according to official Portuguese records of the day, before his story was then checked with separate interviews conducted by the Portuguese with King and the midshipman Henry Waterhouse. As there were no discrepancies in the answers, the fleet was given permission to stay in the port and the officers could begin planning their excursions ashore.
Despite wind and rain the job of replenishing the fleet now began. Although the people on board obviously needed fresh supplies they were very healthy. Hunter claimed 'I may without a probability of being much mistaken venture to say that there are few country towns in the island of Great Britain which contain 1,500 inhabitants (the number which our ships have on board) which have not frequently as many sick as we had'. Nevertheless, they had committed sixteen bodies to the deep since leaving England.
Among the fresh beef, fruit and vegetables that were bought at the local markets and pumped into the convicts were all sorts of exotic delicacies like those on the shopping list of Arthur Smyth, 'yams, bananas, Guavas, Limes, Lettices, Barangoles, and oranges'. Sympathetic slaves rowing past in canoes even threw the oranges into the ships for the convicts to eat. With this improved diet Hunter claimed that within 'ten days the convicts became much more healthy than when we left spithead'. In addition, Clark notes that they were now allowed 'what water they please, thank god for it'.
Scott says 'the \IPrince of Wales\i then immeditly proseeded to Overhall the Riggen etc,' and make necessary repairs, and on \IScarborough\i Easty says they also 'began to unrig the Ship'.
Meanwhile those officers who could went ashore to get to know the town and some of its 40,000 inhabitants. They began by adjourning to a 'Coffee House' where 'they had coffee in great plenty, sweatmeats and a great variety of rich cakes', Smyth says, before he returned to the ships and an invitation to dine with Surgeon George Worgan on HMS \ISirius\i 'and to hear him play his Piano Forte'. They had to compete with the mournful chant of slaves chained below decks on a nearby trader.
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"9 August 1787",133,fp2-128.jpg,c,0
Wind and rain prevented some of the officers from going ashore and 'several of the Ships Boats were broke lose & one was fill'd with water', Smyth says. It was a chance however, to swap impressions of Rio. Tench estimated that 'in the share of the ground that it occupies' Rio 'perhaps equals Chester or Exeter' but unlike those towns 'it stands on the West side of the harbour in a low unhealthy situation, surrounded on all sides by hills, which stop the free circulation of air and subject its inhabitants to intermittent and putrid diseases'. On the other hand 'the streets which intersect each other at right angles are tolerably well built and excellently paved, abounding with shops of every kind, in which the wants of a stranger, if money is not one of them, can hardly remain unsatisfied'.
Most of the Protestant officers seemed impressed with the churches and convents 'which are numerous and highly decorated' and 'the little image of the Virgin at the corner of almost every street' indeed 'the height to which religious zeal is carried in this place, cannot fail of creating astonishment in a stranger. The greatest part of the inhabitants seem to have no other occupation than that of paying visits and going to church'.
On the ships the victualling continued and White says the 'fresh beef, vegetables and oranges soon removed any sympton of the scurvy among the people'. \ICharlotte\i was being overhauled, her master Thomas Gilbert says, with 'wooding, watering and examining the state of the hold'. Phillip sent HMS \ISirius\i off for repairs as he wrote 'she needs the spar and gun decks caulked which is absolutely necessary the spar deck having never been caulked more than once, and both decks leek very badly'.
Also HMS \ISupply\i had to have 'two feet taken from the fore yard' as she 'had too much head sail' a 'cloth taken out of the fore sail, a reef from the fore top sail', the 'top mast shortened', 'the fore top which is rotten has to be repaired' and finally the'main deck caulked'.
At the same time Phillip was looking for a room to set up a headquarters on shore but being unable to find one decided to look elsewhere. Below decks the incorrigible convict Elizabeth Barber had written a complaint which she had had delivered to Commander Major Ross. He came on board, Clark says, only to 'find her complaint but fixious' enabling her punishment to continue.
Better weather allowed officers to go ashore again and Smyth 'purchased some very Curious preserved Birds natives of this place', 'also some Pap'a Apples'. He also met a 'young man of the name of Dagnell who came from Coventry in the \IBernborough\i East Indiaman & deserted about eleven months ago at this place' whom Smyth found 'very useful his being a compleat master of the Portugueze language'. Dagnell wanted Smyth to take him to Botany Bay as his servant but Smyth refused as 'no individual is suffered to leave this place clandestanly'. Smyth then says that for the first time he was introduced to Captain Hunter that evening.
Below decks the marines were sorting out their numbers with court martials taking place on \ICharlotte\i and James Lee being confined on \IScarborough\i 'for drunkenes and insolince to Corporal Nicholas'. Scott went on shore for the first time from \IPrince of Wales\i and found his sea legs unable to cope 'receiving a fall Just on My Landing Which Hurted My Arm'.
Having refused to meet the Viceroy earlier, Clark also now chose to go ashore landing 'at the Pallice and walking throu the Town and then a little way in the country. I did not see but one white woman all the time I was on shore and she was only peping throu the window gratings.' Later his luck changed, 'a bout two miles in the country we Stept in to a grove of oranges when the Gentleman ask use if we would walk in and offerd use knives and goe and eat oranges in the grove, he Sent his Servant with use to pull them of the Trees for use wher we eat as maney as we could and Stuft our pockets full and he would take nothing for them - his wife who is a true Native is very dark like a Mollotu presented me with a Nose Gay for which I thank her very much - Soon after returnd on board - from the bottom of my heart I dont beleve that ther is a Single Woman in all the place So hansom as my beloved Betsey.'
The officers were finding the pace of life too fast after weeks at sea as Smyth says 'being very much fatigued with my long walk of yesterday I remained on board all this day: nor is it to be wondered at that I should be a good deal tired having been without any exercise for 9 weeks'. Clark nevertheless managed a visit to the other side of town where once again he 'did not see a single white woman Except a feu Ugly Mollotues with whom we could talk as well as we could'.
Back on board he supervised the transfer of six other white women when they were moved from the \IFriendship\i to \ICharlotte\i as a reward for being so well behaved - 'Susannah Gough, Hannah Green, Francis Hart, Elizabeth Harvy, Mary Watkings and Ann Baighly and received in return Six of the Worst from \ICharlotte\i which I dont think is right Margaret Stuart, Fanny Anderson, Mary Phillips, Hannah Smith, Elizabeth Cool, Ann Coombs'. Luke Haines was confined on \IScarborough\i for fighting Thomas Bullmore, according to John Easty who was later to be called as a witness when Haines and three other marines murdered Bullmore.
Phillip at last found his headquarters, not in a room on shore, Bradley says, but on an island in the harbour called Enradas where 'a tent was erected' to act as their land base. Bradley says they also began to lay out fishing nets having obtained permission to catch their own fish while in harbour.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of an Aboriginal family by Philip Gidley King. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"12 August 1787: Sunday",134,0,g,0
Fine weather enabled HMS \ISirius's\i lieutenant William Dawes to set up some astronomical instruments on the island so he could use the time in port to record observations and make other scientific experiments. The fleet chaplain, Reverend Richard Johnson, made his appearance reading prayers on the different ships and delivering a sermon on \ILady Penrhyn\i and Clark 'drest and went on board the \ILady Penrhyn\i to prayers and later had 'dinner with Mr. Johnson the Clergyman and his wife wher Mr. Johnson Baptized one of the convict children - Returned on board with Mr. & Mrs. Johnson wher he read prayers and after Service Baptized the Marines child that was born at Sea which was Named Thomas Russel . . . the Tex on board the Lady Penryn was taking from the 107 Psalm be[gin]ing at the 23 Vers They that go down to the Sea in Ships and occupy their business in great Waters.'
The religious observances may have seemed pale compared to the Catholic fervour of those on shore but they certainly provided a check for marines like Easty who spent his Sunday celebrating a new 'order that 1 gill of rum Should be isued Each Day Each Man'. And although they had no prayers and less rum the convicts received that day a bonus of 'ten oranges for each convict'.
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"13 August 1787",135,fp2-130.jpg,c,0
Marine court martials continued with \IScarborough's\i Private Patrick Cornell receiving 'one hundred lashes for having an improper intercourse with some of the female convicts contrary to orders'. White says 'Thomas Jones was sentanced to receive three hundred lashes for attempting to make a centinel betray his trust in suffering him to go among the women. While John Jones and James Reiley were accused of similar offences but acquitted there being no evidence or witnesses except convicts whose testimony could not be admitted.'
Easty says Phillip and Ross then went around the ships warning the marines to behave. Phillip then rearranged convicts between \IPrince of Wales\i and \ICharlotte\i believing the rotten apples should be kept together and away from the good. Collins says the 'propensities to the practice of their old vices began manefesting itself among the convicts'. Phillip 'informed the prisoners, both male and female, that in future any misbehaviour on their part should be attended with severe punishment, while on the other hand, propriety of conduct should be particularly distinguished and rewarded with proportionate indulgence.
The different classes of Portuguese were also kept apart, it seems, as the Judge Advocate Collins observed from a visit ashore. 'The native Indians and negroes appear to be very numerous, of a strong robust appearance, and are brought from the coast of Guinea, forming an extensive article of commerce. With these people of both sexes the streets were constantly filled, scarcely any other description of people being seen in them. Ladies or gentlemen were never seen on foot in the streets during the day; those whose business or inclination led them out being carried in closed chairs, the pole of which came from the head of the vehicle, and rested on the shoulders of the chairmen, having, notwithstanding the gaudiness of the chair itself, a very awkward appearance.'
Clark, who listened to Phillip and Ross warning the convicts on \IFriendship,\i says that the four Elizabeths from his fighting five were ordered out of irons, but told if they caused trouble again they would be flogged as if they were men. Clark then dressed up and went off for the first time to dine with Phillip along with Ross, Hunter, Collins, King and others. Obviously thrilled to be invited, Clark says it was 'a very good dinner' and he was even asked to stay on for a cup of tea. Retiring later to \IScarborough\i for drinks with Surgeon Arndell he says the good doctor 'got tipsey which thank god I have not been (except on my Wedding day a little) Since I left my beloved Alicia'.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of Aborigines catching fish. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"14 August 1787",136,0,g,0
Easty says they began watering the ships in earnest and that beef and pork were distributed by the storeship \IFishburn\i to the transports. Clark extended the hand of friendship when he 'ask the Portaguese officer that is in the Guard Boat to Break fast he came on board and drunk only one dish of Tea - he can neather Speak English or French So we could not converse with one or the other but Satt like posts'.
Smyth, with more success, also entertained some locals saying, 'This Eveng. Signior Il deffonso, a portugueze Physician wt. 6 other Portugueze Gentlemen came on board wt. Major Ross & drank Tea. Signor Il dephonso who is the Chief Physician at Rio . . . appeared to be an intelligent good kind of Man, about 40 years of Age and previous to his leaving the Ship he left a considerable sum of Portugueze money (not less than forty Shillings English) for the Convicts to be expended for their use in such Articles as Capt. Sever shd. think most beneficial to them in their unhappy predicament.' Smith also writes 'This afternoon a Snow from the Coast of Guinea moor'd very near us, with a cargo of some hundreds of black Slaves for the Slave market at Rio. At day light in the morning I was awoke with their singing, as is their custom previous to their being sold or Executed. They were all naked.'
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"15 August 1787",137,0,g,0
On the \IScarborough\i 'a cort martial was held on the body of James Lee for Disebedence of orders Sentanced 100 Lashes and Luke Hines for fighten with Thomas Bullmore Sentanced 200 Lashes received 150 and forgiven the rest'. In the \IPrince of Wales\i Michael Toulan received 175 lashes of a 300-lash sentence and John Banisford received his full sentence of fifty lashes, Scott recorded.
In town the officers watched a grand procession held to mark the Feast of the Assumption. Smyth was delighted. 'Went on Shore to see a grand procession, the whole of the streets were crowded with people up to a very elegant Church situated on the top of a high hill which overlooks the Town & Harbour. The Church was decorated in a most superb manner, there was a Band of Music playing in the Church Yard consisting of 2 French Horns, 1 Violin, 1 Clarinet & a drum, somewhat like a Kettle Drum. The Ladies who appear'd publickly at the windows & in the procession were elegantly dress'd notwithstanding which they bore no small resemblance to the Actresses at a puppet shew in Bartholomew Fair, their heads plaister'd & dress'd up in a very similar manner.'
There were very few amongst them who cd. be call'd tollerably handsome. At night there was a grand display of fireworks off the top of one of the Churches & an awning spread from the Church door quite across the street to the opposite house over the door of which in an eligantly ornamented recess stood an Image of the Virgin Mary & Child most superbly dressed. Under the Awning & in the centre of the street hung a very large Chandalere & an Orchestre was Erected over the Entrance of the Church, in which was an Organ & a Band of Vocal & Instrumental performers. We left the Town about 9 o'Clock, but the Ceremony did not close till near 11 at night.' White, however, was unimpressed by the ceremony, and disappointed by the women of Rio.
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"16 August 1787",138,0,g,0
Freed of the more mundane tasks of marines and seamen and with his appetite whetted by the procession, Smyth explored the Catholic traditions of Rio further with a visit to a monastery, commenting later, 'to discribe the Elegance & Richness of which is no easy task'.
Ralph Clark had less luck ashore that day as without Portuguese he 'cald at Several houses in the country but they could not understand me'. So he 'took Some bread and Cheese and eat under a orange tree and afterward drunk some lemonade'.
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"17 August 1787",139,0,g,0
Heavy rain kept Clark below decks which he did not mind as he was leafing through magazines with his friend John Johnston from \IAlexander\i to whom he lent two volumes of magazines he had been reading since Portsmouth. He also released Thomas Catherall whom he had earlier 'confined for neglect of duty and disobediance of orders'. On \IPrince of Wales\i Private Thomas Chapman was promoted to corporal, Scott says, to stand in for one who had lost his rank on Clark's ship.
Braving the weather the intrepid Smyth headed for the country yet again where he 'caught many beautiful Butterflies & other insects & collected many curious leaves etc.', saying, 'There are here large plantations of Indigo & the Castor Nuts grow wild about the Hedges, also Pine Apples, Aloes, Sugar Canes etc.
'An old Gentleman, (who afterwards we found was Capt. of a Fort near by seeing us pass his Garden, by signs invited us in & treated us in the most friendly manner, insisting upon our eating of every Fruit his Garden afforded, Oranges of many sorts, sweet & sour Lemons, Pine Apples, Bananas, Guavas - he also loaded us home with presents of Each. He also insisted on making us some punch & produced a Bottle of Excellent Port Wine, he also presented us with a large quantity of the Marmalad of Guava of his own making & which was an exceeding good Sweetmeat. He had in his pocket a Silver Watch, capt & Jewel'd made by Markham of London, & which he appeared to set a great value upon. He had many Negro Slaves about him who seemed all perfectly happy in his Service.'
#
"18 August 1787",140,0,g,0
'Cloudy thick weather' kept many of the officers on the ships. Below decks on \IScarborough\i James Lee's sentence of 100 lashes was meted out and above decks on HMS \ISirius\i Surgeons Smyth and Worgan got together for dinner and a sing-song around the piano afterwards.
White also had experience of surgery ashore, as he explains with some modesty. 'I attended Mr. I1 de Fonso, surgeon general . . . to a large public hospital.' 'While we remained here, the weather being cool and favourable, I prevailed on the surgeon who was about to amputate a limb to allow me to take it off according to Allenson's method. During the operation I could plainly see that he and his pupils did not seem much pleased with it, and he afterwards told me it was impossible it could ever answer.'
'A very short space of time, however, made them of a different opinion; and in eighteen days after, when we sailed, I had the satisfaction to leave the patient with his stump nearly cicatrized, to the no small joy of the surgeon, who said that if the man had died he should have been heavily censured for making him the subject of experiments . . . Whenever I visited the hospital afterwards the objects of pity with which it was filled used to crowd around me in such a manner, and in such numbers, for my advice, that I found it difficult to get from them. And they now would readily have submitted to any operation I should have proposed.'
#
"19 August 1787",141,0,g,0
Clark unfortunately missed prayers on \IScarborough\i as 'all the boats wair from the Ship before I was drest so he resolved 'to read the morning prayers and Spalms for the day'. John Easty, already on \IScarborough\i, put his rum aside as 'this day the Rev. Mr. Jonstone Priched a sormon on board this Ship all the officers from the fleatt attinding Devine Service'.
White, who had been disappointed with his lack of success among the ladies of Rio, managed nevertheless to strike up a friendship with a member of the opposite sex in the most unexpected manner. 'On a hill about a mile S.E. of the city stands a convent, named Convento de Santa Terisa, the nuns of which, amounting to about forty, are not allowed to unveil when they come to the grate: but on a plain between this convent and the city stands another, called Convento A. de Juda, a very large building, governed by an abbess and several nuns, all under the direction of a bishop; and here about seventy young ladies are placed to be educated, who are subject to all the restrictions of a monastic life, only they are permitted to be frequently at the grate, and unveiled.'
'But, what is singular, the nuns of this convent, where they arrive at a proper age, are allowed either to take a husband, or to take the veil, just as their inclination leads . . . Many of these young ladies were very agreeable both in person and disposition, and, by frequently conversing with them at the grate, we formed as tender an intercourse with them as the bolts and bars between us would admit of. Myself, and two other gentlemen belonging to the fleet, singled out three of those who appeared to be the most free and lively, to whom we attached ourselves during our stay, making them such presents as we thought would prove most acceptable, and receiving more valuable ones in return. These little attentions were viewed by them in so favourable a light, that when we eventually took a last farewell they gave us many evident proofs of their concern and regret.'
#
"20 August 1787",142,0,g,0
Fine weather inspired the romantic Clark to go ashore soon after breakfast, 'to collect Butterflys wher I caught a great number of beautiful one for my dear Belovd woman. I wish that She was here with me now I would give all the World if I had it. At a Gentlemans house wher I went in to rest my Self and ask for a few oranges my Tender beloved Alicias pictor Swung out of my Bosom When one of the Ladys ask me what it was and beg of me to let her See it which I did on her fathers promise that She Should return it me again.'
'On me opening the case, wher all my Treauser that I have her with me was, She Said that it was impossible that ther could be so much beauty on earth - I told them that my betsey was much more So than they had done her in the picter - I was glade when it was Save in its little bag again for my heart flutter all the while that it was out of my hands. Just lick a little Birds, when the Scool Boys is handling its Young . . . it was very late before I got on board and was oblige then to beg a passage in one of Store Ships boats . . . I was very Glade I got off as I did for the protiguese think nothing of killing a man here no more than they doe a dog in England.'
Smyth had also been collecting precious stones and insects that day and believed 'no part of the habitable Globe produces so great a variety of beautiful insects as the Brasils do'. That night he met and dined with Phillip for the first time since leaving England, 'When I went on board the \ISirius\i at the invitation of Mr. Wogan, Governor Philip and Captain Hunter were both walking the Quarter deck and behaved very politely to me'. After the dinner party, which was a large one, 'Major Ross and Mr. White came down to us to hear the Piano Forte'.
#
"21 August 1787",143,0,g,0
'This being the Prince of Brazil's birthday the commodore with most of his officers went to court to complement the viceroy on the occasion', White says, and when they reached the 'presence chamber, his Excellency stood, under a canopy of state, receiving the compliments of the officers of the garrison, the principal inhabitants, and such foreigners as were in the place'.
While they were there at the appointed moment 'The sirgus and one of the forts fired royal salutes. The court was brilliant, if a place where a female does not appear can be said to be brilliant; but this, I was informed, is always the case here. Those gentlemen who appeared in the circle were richly and elegantly dressed. The officers of the army and of the militia were particularly so, and that in a stile and fashion which did no small credit to their taste. The viceroy wore a scarlet coat trimmed with very broad rich gold lace, and his hair, according to his usual mode of wearing it, in a remarkable long queue, with very little powder.'
Smyth says they celebrated on the ships as well. 'This day being the Birthday of the Hereditary Prince of Brasil, Joseph Francisco Xavier the Commodore display'd the Portugueze Colours at the Foremast head: the Commodore's broad pendant at the Main top mast head; the Union Jack at the Mizen top & the English Ensign at the stern. The Portuguese Colours were flying at All the Forts round the Bay. The day concluded wt. Bonfires, brilliant illuminations & very good fireworks.'
#
"22 August 1787",144,0,g,0
Having declined an invitation to attend the birthday processions on land so that he could 'get most of my linnin irond' and give convicts 'the remainder to wash' Clark went on shore 'to get a few butterflies and other beautiful things for my dear Beloved Alicia my tender life'. He was feeling especially nostalgic as 'tommorrow is my little Ralphie Birthday when he enters his third year!' To celebrate that night he drank a 'glass of lemonade and drank Both ther health and goe to Bed So God Bless them I wish them a good night'.
#
"23 August 1787",145,03250054.jpg,c,0
Smyth as usual went ashore. 'This day Mr. James Smith & I devoted in searching for Butterflies, Insects etc. Every Native we fell in with treated us with the greatest Civility. The old Gentleman, (Capt. of the Fort) made me a present of 3 fine diamond Beetles. Another presented me with a Rosiary of beeds an Artifical Shell work flower, some beautiful flies & a walking leaf. I collected many natural Curiosities, spent the day very agreeably & returned on board in the Evening, with Mr. Smith who was highly pleased with his day's excurtion.'
Clark 'Returnd thanks to god for given me this day 2 Years my Beautifull and dear Beloved Son and preserving his good and most Virtious Mother. God Send his mother and him manney happy Returns of this day. It will be late before we break to night as I will make my Mess mates drunk if I can as I don't drink any thing but Lemonnade . . . Capt. M: went on Shore to the Town in his little boat to See if he could get me a little fish for Supper but he could get none.'
\BDescription:\b Illustration of Aborigines lighting a fire on a boat. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"24 August 1787",146,0,g,0
Despite cloudy weather, officers including Lieutenant Watts and Smyth went ashore, 'where we were presented by a Gentleman shortly after our landing with many Diamond Beetles & many other curious insects. I extracted a Tooth for his Lady, who, all agreed, was by far the handsomest woman we had seen at Rio. I also prescrib'd for a Negro Slave near the above Gentleman's house, who was very ill. To the above Gentleman Mr. Watts presented an English Razor & some Cheese & I gave him a pair of plated English shoe Buckles & 2 Phosphoric Tapers, all which were highly acceptable. The Gentleman & 2 Ladies danced to a Viol played by a Negro Slave & made Mr. Watts & me dance with them - their dancing consists a little else than footing, turning round & snapping their fingers to the Music.'
On \IFriendship\i Clark says, 'the doctor would not drink on Account that Sarah McCormich the Woman that was So ill before was again taking bad and that he did not exspect her to live untill morning - doe what he will She cannot remain long in this World for She is nothing but a Mess of corruption eat up with the pox. The doctor and Self went a Shore after dinner and Staid untill evening then went on board \IAlexander\i wher we staid untill eight oClock and eat a little ham and drank a little wine and water - Capt. M: drunk again - in my oppinion he is doing very wrong - thank God I have not been but only twise Since I left my beloved betsey and then I was but very little.'
#
"25 August 1787",147,0,g,0
Robert Brown, the master of \IFishburn\i, was forced to 'discharge the Chief Mate Mr. Keltie' as Phillip had ordered him to take the post of Morton, First Mate of the flagship. Phillip himself noted, 'the master of the \ISirius\i Mr. Micar Morton having unfortunately been ruptured from an accident he met with in unmooring the ship at Sta. Crux has never been able to do any duty since we left port' and, 'as there was no probability of his being able to return to his duty I am sending him home altho I have always found him a very sober diligent officer'.
In addition the 'master's mate', Sam Rotten, 'a gentleman' who was included on the voyage at the request of Under-Secretary Nepean was sent home 'as the young man since he met with an accident has been anxious to return and is not so steady as might be expected for his age'. A midshipman, Sealy, was also sent home 'on account of a veneral complaint which being long neglected is not likely to be cured at sea'. All three casualties left by a British whaler \IDiana\i bound for England.
#
"26 August 1787",148,fp2-125.jpg,c,0
After prayers and another sermon from Rev. Johnson, those officers who could be spared went ashore. King reports, 'the country about the town as well as around the harbour is romantic and picturesque beyond description and was it in possession of any other European power excepting Spain, it might be made to produce every article. But the Portuguese content with the natural riches of the country and their native indolence, prevents them from turning these territories in this part of the globe to account.'
King seemed to think the town was ripe for taking saying, 'the Harbour is spacious and safe and the largest I ever saw except Trincomolay, it is very well defended yet I think ten sail of the line and 5,000 troops would give a good account of the gold crosses with which their churches are well furnished, in a short time, if well conducted'.
Phillip was also interested in gathering intelligence and gave details of the fortifications and strength of the army in a private letter to Nepean saying, 'you know how much I was interested in the intended expedition against Monte Vedio and it was said that the Spaniards had more troops than I supposed', well, 'Monte Vedio would not have been well defended as half the troops could not have been drawn together' as 'they are divided on the north and south shores and on different towns'.
Meanwhile a jubilant Ralph Clark returned to his cot that night with 'Some cotton pods' so he could have some new clothes made and 'Some Bananahs for my Self'.
\BDescription:\b A painting of early Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"27 August 1787",149,0,g,0
Different officers attended to those things closest to their heart in between duties and the ever-clean Clark, who seemed to have accumulated a surplus of soap, lent five and a half pounds to Surgeon Dennis Considen. Collins, who was impressed by the appearance of the women of Rio, nevertheless remained indifferent to their bodies due to their odour - caused by an absence of the very item of which Clark had such an abundance, remarking 'though the summer season is so extremely hot, the use of the cold bath, we found, was wholly unknown to the inhabitants'.
Despite these reservations, White remained fascinated by the local women and especially their hair. 'Both sexes are extremely fond of suffering their hair, which is black, to grow to a prodigious length. The ladies wear it plaited and tied up in a kind of club, or large lump, a mode of hair-dressing that does not seem to correspond with their delicate and feminine appearance.
'I was one day at a gentleman's house, to whom I expressed my wonder at the prodigious quantity of hair worn by the ladies, adding that I did not conceive it possible for it to be all of their own growth. The gentleman assured me that it was; and, in order to convince me that it was so, he called his wife and untied her hair, which, notwithstanding it was in plaits, dragged at least two inches upon the floor as she walked along. I offered my service to tie it up again, which was politely accepted, and considered as a compliment by both.'
#
"28 August 1787",150,fp2-131.jpg,c,0
In between visits the officers wrote home or wrote in their journals recording in great detail their impressions of Rio. Clark 'was employed all this day in writing to my dear tender Beloved Betsy'. Easty also 'This Day Sent A Letter Home to England by a Ship Bound To London'. He described the Portuguese as 'a very Strict Sort of People', saying, 'the Soldiers have the whole Command of the Place and have a great many Troops' who are 'well Disciplined. The natives of this place are of a Dark Clompector much like the Gipsies of England'. The 'neagoes men are slaves for the most part and thay ware no aparell Ecept a Clout Jest round ther Privits. The negros weman ware A Short kind of bed gownd wich jest Cover thier Brists and Shoulders and a Short Peticoat wich Come About half way way down thier thies thay ware no kind of Shirts or Shifts So that thare Bellies is naked. The wight wemen dress very neat the Same as in france or Spain or and other forighen Contray.'
\BDescription:\b Aboriginal couple with fire sticks. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"29 August 1787",151,0,g,0
It was a big day for Sergeant James Scott, as after getting rid of four bad convicts from the \IPrince of Wales\i 'who often bread Disturbence in the Ship' and taking on board another four good ones who 'Was the Officers feverits', he went below where his 'Wife Was Delevered of A Daughter' after 'being ill for 27 hours'.
Meanwhile on \ICharlotte\i, marine Private James Baker was court-martialled and given 200 lashes. White says, 'for endeavouring to get passed on shore, by means of one of the seamen, a spurious dollar, knowing it to be so; and one he had undoubtedly got from some of the convicts, as it was of a similar base metal to those which they had coined during the passage, and had attempted to put off on our first arrival at this port'.
#
"30 August 1787",152,0,g,0
Rain all day prevented any land excursions but did little to stop socialising between the ships; Clark was able to catch up with fellow marine officers, including Tench whom he was pleased to find well, and surgeon William Balmain who came to dinner on \IFriendship\i. Relations between the marines were normally good although Captain James Meridith, who was co-deputy to Ross and a drinking mate of Clark's, had begun fighting on a regular basis with his subordinate first lieutenant William Faddy. Meridith, who was often 'tipsey', seemed to provoke the feud. Rainy days in port, with the voyagers confined below decks on the ship, did little to help. The sooner they got under way the better, as they had now been waiting in port for twenty-five days.
The indolence, drinking and socialising in confined spaces was bound to breed intrigue and Clark was an obvious target for any pranks that the marine officers conceived. '. . . went on board of the commondore to Majr. Ross to enquir for what reason the commodor meant to open my letter which I intended to Send home to my Beloved Alicia, Majr. Ross was Quit Surprised What I told him and ask me wher I got my information. I told him from Mr. Faddy who had it from the Surgeon. The Majr. Sent for Mr. F. and the doctor to come on board the \ISirius\i. I went and ther they Related the Same as they had to me which made me make Such an enquiry of Majr. Ross before the Surgeon but he Said he ment it only in Jock. The comr. was very angry with him for Saying So and by me not to think that he had ever Said So, for that never Such an ungenerous thought had ever come in to his thoughts.'
#
"1 September 1787",153,0,g,0
The Master of \IAlexander,\i Duncan Sinclair, began to get his ship ready to sail as 'the Commodore and the officers took their leave of the Vice Roy'. On the \IPrince of Wales\i Scott says, 'the whole fleet having Complaited their Wooding and Watering, the Sails were Bent and Wee Got Our Long Boat in Redey for Sea'.
Luke Haines, his punishment over, was released on \IScarborough\i ready for duty and James Walton was promoted to third mate, Easty says, as the ship got ready to sail. Bradley says all instruments that had been taken to the island headquarters for testing and checking were returned on board including the precious timekeeper that he and Dawes were especially responsible for.
The farewell visit to the Viceroy pleased officers more than the visit of welcome and even White had changed his tune from the first visit. 'Having now procured every thing at Rio de Janeiro that we stood in need of, and thoroughly recovered and refreshed our people, the commodore, with such officers of the fleet as could be spared from duty, waited on the viceroy to take leave, and to return our acknowledgements for the indulgence and attention shown us, which, I think we may say, we experienced in a greater extent and latitude than any foreigners had ever before done. On our landing, the same officer who had attended us upon every other public occasion, conducted us to the presence-chamber. As we passed, every military and public honour was paid to the commodore; the colours were laid at his feet, as they hitherto had been whenever he landed in his public character; a token of respect that is never bestowed on any person but the governor himself.'
'We then arose and took our leave; but not before his excellency had expressed a desire of hearing from the commodore, with an account of his success in the establishment of the new colony.'
#
"2 September 1787: Sunday",154,0,g,0
With everything at the ready Phillip now spent his Sunday writing his Rio dispatch. Hunter and Ross toured the more troublesome ships like \IAlexander\i where Master Duncan Sinclair says they came on board 'to examine and settle the convicts' for the voyage.
A stowaway was found on board, with little chance of success, as Collins reports. 'On the evening of Sunday the 2nd of September, a Portuguese boat, just at the close of the day, after once or twice rowing round the \ISirius\i, dropped a soldier of the island on board, who, it appeared from his own account, had been for five or six days absent from his duty, and dreading perhaps to return, or perhaps wishing to change his situation, requested that he might be received on board, and permitted to sail to New Holland with Captain Phillip; who, however, not choosing to comply with his request, caused him to be immediately conveyed on shore in one of the ship's boats; but with great humanity permitted him to be landed wherever he thought he might chance to escape unobserved, and have an opportunity of returning to his duty.'
Clark was pleased that they 'did not Sail as was expected' as he could add more to his letter to 'Alicia my Love my wife'. Reverend Richard Johnson 'came on board in the afternoon and Read prayers and gave a very good Sermon'. And on \IPrince of Wales\i Scott says Reverend Richard Johnson also 'Came on Board and Chrisned My Child'.
Collins wrote something of a philosophical treatise concerning local standards of morality saying, 'These daughters of the Sun should, however, neither be censured nor wondered at, if found indulging in pleasures against which even the constitutions of colder regions are not proof. If frozen Chastity be not always found among the children of ice and snow, can she be looked for among the inhabitants of climates where frost was never felt? Yet heartily should she be welcomed wherever she may be found, and doubly prized if met with unexpectedly.'
#
"3 September 1787",155,fp2-146.jpg,c,0
Phillip was prevented from sailing because the accounts had not been completed due to 'the vouchers not being sent off'. Phillip spent a final day rounding off his letters to Lord Sydney, Secretary Stephens and Under-Secretary Nepean. He told them the convicts were healthier than when they left England, that the fleet had received a good reception in Rio and although he had victualled the fleet with twenty ounces of meat a day per man along with fresh fruit and vegetables, it had only cost the government three pennies and three-quarters of a farthing per person per day. He had also dodged the port fees, he said, and been able to get plenty of rum for the soldiers and wine for the convicts.
As the women were still short of clothes - even though some of the sailors had spent their own money in Rio buying clothes for them - Phillip said he had bought casada in good sacks of Russia that could be used for clothing after the casada had been eaten. He had let the convicts out onto the decks from time to time for their own health, and kept them and others clean by buying soap out of his own pocket.
The fleet was still missing many things, although he had bought the musquet balls for the marines. He hoped Bligh would follow soon in HMS \IBounty\i with the supplies as promised. As requested, he was sending back plants for Sir Joseph Banks who would be interested to hear that the rams on board were in good condition; unlike the ships, which even after the repairs had been carried out, caused him a great deal of concern.
Although ready to leave, not all their adventures were over, according to Smyth. 'This day Henry Hill one of our Sailors, who was a Roman Catholic about 21 yrs. old eloped from the Ship & concealed himself in the Town. Capt. Sever was not sorry at his loss as he behaved very exceptionably on board.' Later Smyth himself 'made a point of going on Shore to take my final leave of the Old Capt. of the Fort, as he had behaved so remarkably friendly to me. I had a Sailor wt. me who talked Portuguese, he told me the old Gentleman was very desirous of my staying in the Country. Some few days before I taped him for a Hydrocale & draw'd off near 4 pints of Water and he was remarkably well.'
Clark 'brought on board Several Young orange Trees, coffy and Bananas to carry to Botany Bay and 16 cabbages for the mess'. The port authorities then came on board, Scott says, 'to lurk After three Men that Diserted But Wee had Non on Board'. The three men from HMS \ISirius\i - Morton, Rotten and Sealy - were sent on board \IDiana\i ready to return to England and Easty says the \IScarborough\i master 'sent the Boat awatering unmord Ship and made a signall for all officers to repare on bord and warned that no boat should now go on shore. Got Every thing ready for sea. Served butter & Cheas & oattmeall.'
King, the last officer on shore, returned to Phillip reporting that he had obtained the guarantee from the Portuguese officers that their salute would be returned if they fired the guns as they passed the fort on the way. All they needed now was an offing.
\BDescription:\b Sir Joseph Banks (Captain Cook's navigator). \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"4 September 1787: Morning",156,0,g,0
'Clear weather the wind att North att 5 in the Morning waid anchor' Easty reports, 'and with the whole fleat Steard South right out of the harbour'. And 'when the \ISirius\i had got within half a mile of Fort Santa Cruz, that castle saluted us with 21 guns, which was answered by us with the same number; a very high and uncommon compliament, seldom paid to any foreigner; but was no doubt meant as a suitable return to the attention paid by us to the birthday of the Prince of Brazil'.
Bradley says the port master came to the mouth of the harbour with the fleet; Scott notes that the fleet had crossed the bar by eight in the morning.
It was a better day for most on the eleven ships although convict Tom Brown of \ICharlotte\i was punished with a dozen lashes for insolence. Chief Surgeon White was a little sad to be leaving, despite his initial disdain for the port and its people, his little nun on the hill had warmed him to the place and he now had no trouble in admitting that 'everything in Rio conspired to make us pleased and delighted'.
#
"Mutiny on the High Seas",157,0,g,0
\BRio to Cape Town: 4 September to 13 October 1787\b
It took the fleet thirty-nine days to sail from Rio to Cape Town as they got the winds they needed and not surprisingly this seemed a lot less to those on board than the sixty days it had taken from Tenerife to Rio. Most officers also felt this leg of the voyage was an easier one and in Phillip's official account it was described as 'uniformly favourable and not marked by any extraordinary incidents'. Tench described it as 'prosperous', Hunter said that 'nothing worth relating happened on this passage' while others reported the leg in a matter-of-fact way that indicated they were becoming quite hardened to events that outsiders would certainly see as extraordinary.
For on this leg there were deaths, widespread sickness, the worst weather they had encountered, accidents, a scandalous structural collapse on HMS \ISirius\i and a dangerous mutiny attempt on board the notorious \IAlexander\i. Clark, who by now was beside himself with apprehension, spent most of this leg praying that he would find a letter from his wife at Cape Town, as this was the last port of call before he disappeared into the unknown for three years.
#
"4 September 1787",158,0,g,0
Not long after crossing the bar, the fleet encountered a Portuguese ship sailing into Rio harbour. On speaking to her they discovered how lucky they had been to arrive when they did for the Portuguese ship had been sent to relieve Phillip's friend Don Luis de Varconcellos as Viceroy and there was no guarantee that the incoming Governor would pay him or the fleet anything like the same respect. Still in sight of land, Easty says light winds carried them during the day but 'att night' it was calm and 'the Ships headed all round the Compass'. He was served with 'Bread, Beef and Flowr'.
#
"5 September 1787",159,0,g,0
Their second day out was clear but calm and as there were only light winds, Smyth says they were still able to see the land most of the day. White says the 'Rio Sugar-loaf was still in sight at about eight or nine leagues distant'. Variable winds changed to stronger northerly breezes and the fleet 'cleared the land' by nightfall. Clark, who was already feeling 'a little Sea Sick', was upset by Surgeon Arndell and Captain Meridith 'having Some words a bout Some wood' and to 'have Seen two friend fals out a bout a Small pice of Wood' especially as 'the doctor told the Capt. that he did not behave like a Gentleman on wich the Capt. Struck him, which the doctor did not Return'. Clark 'ordered them both to be Quit or I would confin them both'.
#
"6 September 1787",160,0,g,0
Scott records that the 'Whole fleat was in sight', and Easty says it was clear; they later had 'fresh breases' and '\ILady Penrhyn\i Backed her Mizen top Sail for the fleet this Day Crosed the traffick of Capricorn'. White says '\IFishburn\ie victualler carried away her fore-top-gallant yard', which 'despite the normally militant behaviour of her sailors she soon got replaced with another'. The chief surgeon says the water ration was cut 'by a signal from \ISirius\i' and 'put to an allowance of three quarts of water per day including that usually allowed for cooking'.
The goat belonging to the co-deputy of the marines, Captain James Campbell of \ILady Penrhyn\i, died despite his efforts to save it and on \IFriendship\i Clark 'returned home from Botany Bay' in his dreams and 'march the party into the Barracks (I wish to god it was trew)' where he saw his boss 'Kempster in his office wher he said that he was Just writing a letter to me - I hope I have one from him when I come at the Cape'.
#
"7 September 1787",161,0,g,0
Despite 'fresh breases' the winds were variable and David Collins says 'unfavourable' to the progress of the fleet. It was also becoming 'dark and cloudy' which White found ominous. On \IScarborough\i Easty says 'this Day isued rice in Stead of bread' and on \IFriendship\i Clark saw 'Betsy my Beloved Alicia in her faverout gown and a New Gaunce cap on' in his dreams and 'hoped ther is nothing the matter with her or my dear Son'.
#
"8 September 1787",162,0,g,0
'A violent storm of Thunder and Lightening then caught the fleet by surprise', Smyth writes from \ILady Penrhyn\i. This 'heavy Squall with wind and rain' upset the \IScarborough\i 'in a moment', Easty says, and she 'was nigh being fowl of the \IFishburn\i' and it was 'the heaveyest rain Ever I saw in my Life'. Clark admitted that he was 'very much frightened' on \IFriendship\i 'by the Ships being taking al a back in a very hard squal of wind and rain'.
On \ICharlotte\i during the height of the storm, convict Mary Broad 'was delivered of a fine girl' which she named after the ship that brought her safely through; in time the child was to die on another ship, of a fever contracted while escaping back to England with her mother and father, Will Bryant of \ICharlotte\i, in 1791.
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"9 September 1787: Sunday",163,0,g,0
Although the 'gale continued' Smyth says it was 'a fine day'. 'A Kid belonging to Capt. Campbell nevertheless broke its thigh by the Chicken coops falling on it, by the Ship's rolling'. Easty says the speedy \IScarborough\i 'hove too for the Stern most Ships to Come up' including the hopelessly slow \ILady Penrhyn\i, always at the rear. And on \IFriendship\i Clark noted 'the convict women Read prayer and Sang themself' while he 'Read the prayers of the day and Spalms for the day' before being 'taken very bad at dinner with the tooth ack'.
#
"10 September 1787",164,0,g,0
The fine weather continued with 'fine breases' replacing the gale force winds and White says 'the commodore made the signal for the convoy to close, being scattered about at a considerable distance from him'. Sergeant James Scott says 'my Wife Was Seased with a Violint Feaver, Which Continued till Thursday 13th then She Got Better'. Clark had been 'very ill with the tooth ack all night', saying he would 'have it out when I come at the Cape (by Mr. Consident) Since our doctor has no instrument for it'.
#
"11 September 1787",165,0,g,0
Collins said the wind now became more favourable although Easty said there was also 'thick hazey weather with a heavey Swell' and \IScarborough\i 'Shipt a heavy sea'. Smyth observed 'a very large Shark alongside the ship'. The sudden squalls and heavy rain reported by White added to the discomfort and Clark had 'got no sleep all night bein Slung to low' so 'was obliged to get out and lay on the deck'. Also '1 seaman, 3 men Convicts and 3 women Convicts were Sick on board, none very bad', although 'the children mostly ill'. Clark himself had been dancing with the wife of his friend Lieutenant William Faddy in his dreams and he now hoped 'she is living for her husband and Young family'.
#
"12 September 1787",166,0,g,0
'The Gale increased and the Sea runs very high', Smyth recorded, with Easty noting 'dark and clowdy weather with rain' and according to White 'sudden squalls'. Clark, who coped with the rougher conditions by having his 'own cott Slung', had been disappointed when going on board [the \IGolden Grove\i] to see the Rev. Mr. Johnson I could not see him'.
#
"13 September 1787",167,0,g,0
Rougher seas began to batter \ILady Penrhyn\i as she struggled along at the rear as Smyth noted 'a rainy morng. - a violent squall came on which laid the Ship so much down that the Sea ran into the Lee Port-holes. Everything moveable was thown down and the usual confusion at such times ensued; the Squall lasted abt. 20 minutes, and it continued to rain the whole day'. The 'very wet dirty weather' Easty says, inspired the marines to get a grip on their excessive drinking, 'this Day the Marines Drawed up an agrement amongst themselfs to punish any body as was in Liquir'. \ISupply\i 'Carried away her Boom and fore Top Gallant Mast', Scott says, although despite conditions 'the fleet Keeps Companey'.
Clark says \IFriendship\i 'rouls very much' also 'the Sick the Same a Yesterday' and he gave his servant 'William an old red Jackatt it been gone so bad that I could not wear it anymore'.
#
"14 September 1787",168,0,g,0
An optimistic Clark hoped 'to be at the Cape in 14 or 18 days where he also hoped 'to find a letter from my Beloved Alicia god grant that I may'. 'All the fleet in Sight but the \ILady Penrhyn\i a great way a Stairn', he wrote as 'he Issued Water out to all hands on board'. 'A pidgeon went overboard and was lost' from \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth says when 'another Violent Squall came on'; while on \IScarborough\i Easty 'bent a new Gib and a main top gallant' in readiness for worse weather to come.
#
"15 September 1787",169,0,g,0
With the weather clearing and calmer seas, the Agent John Shortland on \IFishburn\i asked all ship masters to come on board and discuss the rice supplies. We 'hoisted out our Jolly boat' Clark writes on \IFriendship\i, 'and the Master went on board the \IFishburn\i the agent Ship and Soon after returnd to See what quantity of rice ther was on board' then 'the Master climbed back into the Jolly boat 'and struggling through the heavi seas wnt on board to the agent again to inform him what quantity of rice we had before returning to \IFriendship\i and hoisting the boat in'.
#
"16 September 1787",170,0,g,0
'One of the Female Convicts Was Floged for Theft', Scott writes from the \IPrince of Wales\i. She 'received six lashes and was the first that Wee had floged on Board'. Clark had 'sat up untill 2 oClock this morning Singing and drinking' and although Meridith and Faddy had 'got a little in for it with drinking Punch, I drank nothing but Lemonnade'.
Smyth became excited when a large whale passed close alongside the ship, although his ship was criticised for falling so far behind. Collins said, 'a favourable breeze sprung up but those ships that could sail were prevented from making the most of the westerly wind by the \ILady Penrhyn\i transport 'which along with others' did not make proper time because their crew 'were inattentive'.
Clark said despite his late Saturday night he 'got up early and after Returning thanks to god kist my beloved Alicias pictour'. He then 'took the Ribon from of my neck it being a little worn and made it more Save than it was. Read the morning Service and Spalm for the day. Put clean sheets in my bed. Hope that I will Sleep well to night. I wish that my Betsey was going to Sleep with me. How dearly I would hugg and kiss her dear Sweet Woman god Bless and preserve her is my most Sinceer wish'. As Smyth turned in for the night he says, 'I took a jiggerworm from my foot and dressed it with petroleum'.
#
"17 September 1787",171,0,g,0
Although it was 'clowdy' Easty says 'fresh breases' enabled the fleet to make good progress. White says they caught a six foot shark on \ICharlotte\i 'of which the people made a good mess'. Clark's 'tooth ackt' returned and having kept him awake all night gave him 'great pain' during the day making him keener than ever to reach the Cape.
#
"18 September 1787",172,0,g,0
The fleet sailed on through 'very wet weather with frequent Squalls of wind', Smyth says. Although Scott found observation impossible White was lucky enough to spot 'several albatrosses and pintado birds'. It was very difficult to see, Clark says, so 'the Commodore repeated the Signal for the Sternmost Ship to make more Sail (a red flag at the Mizen Peak) twice and then repeated the Signal again with a Gun, it being very thick and rainy'. Even though 'Several of the Ships continued a great Way a stairn' \IFriendship\i managed to sail 140 miles that day.
#
"19 September 1787",173,0,g,0
'Squalls and rain' continued Smyth wrote and 'in those Latatudes Wee find it Cold' Scott added. The rough seas certainly caught one unfortunate convict unawares as White explains on \ICharlotte\i: 'William Brown, a very well-behaved convict, in bringing some clothing from the bowsprit end, where he had hung them to dry, fell overboard. As soon as the alarm was given of a man being overboard, the ship was instantly hove to, and a boat hoisted out, but to no purpose. Lieutenant Ball of the \ISupply\i, a most active officer, knowing from our proceedings (as we were at the time steering with a fair wind, and going near six knots an hour) that some accident must have happened, bore down; but, notwithstanding every exertion, the poor fellow sunk before either the \ISupply\i or our boat could reach him.'
'The people on the forecastle, who saw him fall, say that the ship went directly over him, which, as she had quick way through the water, must make it impossible for him to keep on the surface long enough to be taken up, after having received the stroke from so heavy a body.'
On \IScarborough\i they prepared for stronger winds and 'unbent the old Main topsail and bent the new one'. On \IFriendship\i Clark says 'the sea Brock in the Ship this afternoon and wetted Several of the People Particular the Convict women as it went down ther place'.
#
"20 September 1787",174,0,g,0
'A fine morning with a brisk gale' greeted the fleet, Smyth says, as it sailed into colder latitudes. Clark, who was 'Exceedingly cold all night' decided 'to put the under Blanket a top to night'. With the \ILady Penrhyn\i still 'a great way a Stairn' Phillip 'made the Signal for the fleet to close'.
#
"21 September 1787",175,0,g,0
With all ships in sight of each other the fleet was carried strongly forward by 'fresh breases' through clear skies and bitterly cold temperatures. Clark who said the wind came against us 'as foull as it can blow' also 'cryd very much in my Sleep on account I thought that two men had taking my belovd Alicia a Way, oh that I could only heer from her'. 'Latitude to day by observation 31:56 South.'
#
"22 September 1787",176,0,g,0
Weather remained clear and White found it 'cold, dry and pleasant'. Collins explained that 'the wind which had been unfavourable for some days now shifted and we again looked towards the Cape'. Clark's dreams became worse and he was 'much disturb in my Sleep by dreaming that my Betsey was dead and Buired'.
#
"23 September 1787: Sunday",177,0,g,0
The fleet was now half way from Rio to the Cape and the weather really began to turn against them as they sailed into a gale that lasted a week. 'It blew very strong all day', Smyth says with 'a mountainous sea much of which broke over the poop'. 'We nevertheless had the satisfaction to observe', Collins wrote, 'that the convoy appeared to get on very well, through some of rolled very prodigiously'. Easty says they had to shorten sail on the wind-catching \IScarborough\i to avoid trouble so they 'Close reefed the fore and Main topsails and handed the Mizen topsail' and 'reefed the gib'. Then 'for the firs time Since we Left England we Struck the top Gallant yards'.
White spotted 'albatrosses, pintado birds and very small hawks hovering about the ship' while on \IFriendship\i Clark was getting over another late Saturday night drinking bout in which 'Faddy and Capt. Meridith keep it up all las night', and a dream in which 'I thought that I Saw my dear and tender Beloved Alicia in her old Balck Silk gown and close up in a Room in the Barracks and that my lovely Woman had been crying. She Said to my She thought that I had been gone. I gave her a Kiss and although in Sleep it appeard to be a dear Sweet Kiss. It blows very hard much harder than it has since we have Been at Sea. This is the Equinoctial gale. The Sea Brock over us Several Times to day.'
Later Clark dined with Captain Walton on roasted pig 'which made a most harty dinner. Read the Service for the day and the Spalms and kist my Beautifull Alicias Pictor out of its little Bag this morning ten thousand times it being Sunday'. Then he 'Battend the hatches down of the Marines and convict women, the Sea Breaking over the Ship'.
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"24 September 1787",178,0,g,0
The continuing 'heavy Gale and great swell made the going difficult', Smyth says, especially for \ILady Penrhyn\i as 'there were many heavy squalls and the Ship roll'd so very much that everything in the Cabin gave way. Much Lightning and Thunder and Hail. Mr. Watts hurt himself by been thrown over the Chairs. Many of the Women also received hurts and bruises from falls. I could get no sleep all night the roll of the Ship was so great.'
On \IScarborough\i however, Easty says they 'Let the reafs out of the top Sails' and 'got up the Main top gallant yards' again. Clark on \IFriendship\i was distressed because he 'had but little Sleep from the night Before from the noise' Meridith and Faddy made fighting and now 'the Ship rouls very much'.
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"25 September 1787",179,0,g,0
The westerly gale speeded the progress of the fleet, Smyth noted, despite 'frequent squalls'. On \IFriendship\i Clark says 'it blowd very hard all night and the Ship rould her Gunwale under Several times and a great dele of water went between decks and washt the marines out of ther beds and the Convict Women' and in addition to separating lovers, the sea sent 'all the things rouling about. Thank god that the wind is fair and is going right before it, other wise Should be in my bed very Sick perhaps. All the ships in Company. It now Blows very hard and a great dele of hail falls as it did last night. The Sick the Same as before except one convict man more. Went 133 miles.'
#
"26 September 1787",180,0,g,0
Although the gale continued Easty says they 'got the fore topgallant yard up in the afternoon' and utilizing these same winds \IFriendship\i chalked up 183 miles, the best run since leaving England, inspiring an excited Clark to say 'not bad going' and 'I wish that this wind may continue for ten days more then I hope we will be at the Cape'. His feeling for the ship also intensified 'I like our little Barcky very much and would not change her for any one in the fleet'.
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"27 September 1787",181,0,g,0
The gale force winds 'carried away the Boom of the fore steering sail' on \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth says, while Clark reports that 'one of the marines fell down on the deck' on \IFriendship\i 'with the Ship rolling in a great Sea and hurt him self very much'. Easty says drinking was getting out of hand again on \IScarborough\i and 'wm Sugar Jones' had his 'rum stopt'.
King was impressed with 'the Birds which are met with in these Seas, many of which are of the common kind such as Grey, Black, and White Gulls, the brown and black peterels, Albatrosses and Pintada birds and nor did they forsake us till our arrival at the Cape of Good hope, The Albatrosses were not so attentive . . .'.
#
"28 September 1787",182,0,g,0
Clark, impressed by another good run of 188 miles, believed 'five more days such will carry us to the Cape'. Easty says \IScarborough\i covered a record breaking 202 miles taking advantage of the gale-strength winds. There was little let-up as Collins says although 'it moderated for a few hours and shifted around to the S.E.' it then 'blew in fresh gales attended with much rain and sea'.
Although some of the other ships could harness this wind, its force had proved too much for the flagship, as King reveals, 'Having had the wind nearly aft for these some days past and a rolling sea, the Ship has labourd very much which obliged us to house the Guns and lash the ports in fore and aft. A discovery has also been made which tends to prove (if it is necessary) the extreem negligence of the Dock Yard Officers in not giving the \ISirius\i the inspection they certainly ought to have done. It being found necessary to rip up the lead which lined one of the Scuttles, the Carpenter in doing it perceived a rotten piece of Wood, which was broke off from one of the Top Timbers, on inspection we found that not only the top Timbers were rotten, but also that many of the futtocks were in the same condition, which brought the following anecdote respecting the Ship to light.'
'She was built in 1780 in the River and intended for an East country man but in loading she took fire and was burnt to her wales, Government being in want of a burthensome ship to send Stores abroad in, the Navy board purchased the bottom of this Ship, she was taken into dock and ran up with the refuse of the Yard, I have already said she went two voyages as a Store Ship since when she has had no repair as the late Surveyor of the Navy and Builder of the Yard at Deptford reported her fit for the Voyage to which she is destined, Such is the Ship in which is embarked an Officer, whose reputation as well as that of the Nations, is concerned in the present arduous undertaking.'
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"29 September 1787",183,0,g,0
'The wind remained very high with rain and frequent squalls' Smyth says and he 'supposed this day to be in the meridan of London'. He saw 'many grampuses near the ship' despite 'a great sea'. Hunter said the winds had dispersed the fleet as 'some of the convoy had been inattentive to the course' and became 'scattered and to leeward' so 'we bore down and made the signal for closing'. On \IFriendship\i Clark was recovering from a disturbing dream about his boss. 'Dreamt also of being with Kempster and I thought that I took him in my Arms and kist him.'
Things were worse for others, however, as Clark noted: 'the doctor was cald up to see one of the Convict womens children which was very ill and has been almost ever Since it has been on board. It depart this life at 2 oClock this morning poor thing it is much better out of this World than in it. Committed the Body of Thomas Mason to the deep. Henry Lovall one of the convicts read prayers over it. It blows very hard and a very great Sea running which often breaks over the Ship.'
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"30 September 1787: Sunday",184,0,g,0
The fleet awoke to calm seas at last and Collins says 'the weather was sufficiently clear to admit of some altitudes being taken for the timekeeper' and Easty says they 'set up the topmast riggin' again on \IScarborough\i and established that they had reached 'Latatude 33:54 South and Longatude 3.4 East'.
Clark, whose troubled dreams abated with the gale, had a good night's sleep and 'this being Sunday kist my dear Beloved Alicia pictour out of its prison'. He also 'read the prayers and Spalms and lesson for the day' thinking 'how good the Lord has been to use to keep use So healthy as we have been'. Unfortunately 'Captain Meridith lost his dog Shot over board last night. This is now the 5th dog that has been lost over board Since we left England - Captain Meridith 3, Mr. Faddy one and my Self one we have been very unluckly with our dogs.'
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"1 October 1787",185,0,g,0
White spotted 'a great number of different birds' even though Easty says it became 'clowdy' again with rain setting in. Smyth says 'the Brigg spoke to us and informed us of the longitude by the timekeeper on \ISirius\i' and Clark complained because he 'could not get any Sleep last night for Capt. M: and the doctor Sat up untill past 1 oClock in the morning drinking and was Exceedingly hurt for they keep Signing although it was the Lords day which was very wrong of them - they would not let Faddy and self Sleep because we would not Sit up with them and make a Noise and break the Lords day like they.'
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"2 October 1787",186,0,g,0
'This day just one month from leaving Rio we killed a sheep and sent a quarter on board the \IAlexander\i', Smyth wrote, explaining that the \ILady Penrhyn\i advised \IAlexander\i of this gift by 'hanging a Table Cloth as a signal, which was previously agreed upon'. A reformed 'wm Jones recievd his rum' again Easty says as 'light breases' carried the fleet through 'cleare weather'. Clark had gone 'to bed last night very bad with the cold and pain in my head and in all my bonses . . . Dreamt being at the Island of Whight eating appels. I wish to god that I had some. If I was at home with my tender dear heavenly Beloved Alicia She would give me some dear Soul . . . How happy I shall be when I recieve a letter from her hand. I will kiss and press it to my poor Breast. I shall be much disappointed if I dont Recieve a letter from her at the Cape.'
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"3 October 1787",187,0,g,0
The progress of the fleet was held up by 'a foul wind' according to Scott on \IPrince of Wales\i. Clark, who felt 'a great dele better than I was Yesterday', noted that 'two of the convict Women that went throu the Bulk head to the Seamen on the 3 of July last have inform the doctor that they are with child (Sarah McCormick and Elizabeth Pully) I hope the commodore will make the two Seamen that are the Fathers of the children marrie them and make them stay at Botany Bay. I wish that we had got to Botany and my three Years out that I might Return to the arms of my tender Betsey.'
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"4 October 1787",188,0,g,0
The Master of \IAlexander,\i Duncan Sinclair, records that he 'separated the sick from those in health' and Collins reveals that 'thirty of the convicts on board the \ICharlotte\i were ill, some of them it was feared dangerously. To render this information still more unpleasant, the wind was foul during the two succeeding days.'
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"5 October 1787",189,0,g,0
Smyth saw 'five very large Spirma Caste whales very near the ship' as the fleet sailed on as best it could through 'thick clowdy wether with rain'. Sinclair 'found several of the government boxes of candles broke open by the convicts' on \IAlexander\i. Clark says there was 'a thick fog' and he 'cannot see any of the fleet'.
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"6 October 1787",190,0,g,0
Perhaps inspired by the fog and confusing weather, the convicts on \IAlexander\i now attempted to rise up and take the ship. The uprising was led by convict John Powers who had escaped and then been recaptured at Tenerife and Easty says '4 Seamen from the \Ialaxander'\i had attempted to assist Powers and the other 'Convicts with knives and Pistrols to take the Ship from the marines'. Bradley reports that Powers and his gang were also armed with 'Iron Crows' and other implements and with the help of the seamen they planned to slip out of their quarters and, banding together, take the ship from the marines as soon as it reached the Cape, which they thought would be any minute.
Just when they were all set to pounce, one of their number turned and betrayed them to Duncan Sinclair, the Master of \IAlexander,\i who immediately alerted his marines, reinforced the guard, ordered all convicts to their cells and signalled HMS \ISirius\i. The flagship 'brought to' and Sinclair rowed across in his Jolly boat from \IAlexander\i where he told Phillip of the plot and his lucky escape.
Phillip ordered immediate punishment and so Sinclair rowed back to \IAlexander,\i grabbed the convict ringleader Powers, the four seamen who had been supplying his gang with arms, and the traitor, and rowed them back to HMS \ISirius,\i where Powers was 'very heavily Iron'd and now stapled down to the deck'. Then 'four seamen were sent in lieu' Bradley says 'to assist in working \IAlexander\i' while the four guilty seamen from \IAlexander\i were put to work under close scrutiny on HMS \ISirius\i and 'the convict whose life was in danger having given information of their plan was removed to \IScarborough\i where Easty took him below'.
Meanwhile on \IPrince of Wales,\i Scott says 'Cathrin Hart, a Female Convict was Delevered of a Boy' and Smyth was called to \IGolden Grove\i where Master Sharpe was very ill.
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"7 October 1787: Sunday",191,0,g,0
'The fleet were held up', the Master of \ILady Penrhyn,\i William Sever, says as they 'lay too for 4 hours the Commodore boat being on board the \IAlexander\i' ensuring there would be no more trouble from seamen or convicts. The guilty seamen 'wair flog for misbehaviour', Clark says and 'the \ISupply\i haild use and Lieutenant Ball informd use that we must be very particular Respecting our lights and to hang a curtan in the Cabin windows as the fleet had been led a stray a few nights agoe by the \IPrince of Wales\i light in the cabin - ask use how we wair on board, he then haild the \IScarborough\i and Repeated the Same to them'.
Clark claimed 'the wind is driving use father to the Southward than we Wont to goe' and said that Phillip issued a new list of signals and ordered all ships 'to come into the Weak of the \ISirius\i and insisted all ships sail in their stations', not without some difficulty as 'He made the \ICharlots\i Signal to get into her Station once then at 1/2 after 5 oClock he made the \ICharlots\i Signal to get into the Weak of the \ISirius\i again both which Signals I dont think Wair Seen on board the \ICharlot\i as She did not answer them - the \ISupply\i then made Sail and Staid under the Commander's Stairn and then made Sail again I Suppose to Speak the \ICharlot\i as she still did not answer the Signal'.
Punishments also continued as 'Elizabeth Pugh and Rachel Harley wair put in leg Irons to gether - the former for Quarling and dirtyness and the latter for theft and dirtyness'. Keeping clean was not such a problem on \ILady Penrhyn\i as Smyth says the 'Rev. Mr. Johnson deliverd some great and small tooth combs to the convicts'.
'This being Sunday' Clark says 'kist my Alicia as usal' and 'read the morning prayer Spalm and lesson for the day'.
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"8 October 1787",192,0,g,0
Phillip's punishment, new code of discipline for ships and crew, and the warnings he delivered following the attempted mutiny on \IAlexander\i began to work and the fleet sailed on as well ordered as before. 'Light breases' carried them east through 'clowdy wether' Easty says and on \ILady Penrhyn\i a 'sucking pig was kil'd' for the table of Smyth and others. Clark had 'got Quit free from my cold thank God for it' although he heard \IAlexander\i was 'very Sickly having 13 marines sick' and said 'it gives me very great concern to think that the Marines are getting So Sickly as our only dependence is on the few that we have to defend use from the convicts and Natives'.
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"9 October 1787",193,0,g,0
As westerlies moved the fleet forward through 'cleare weather', Scott says 'Richards, A Marines Wife Was Delevered of a Boy' on \IPrince of Wales\i. Smyth, on hearing the news about the 'bad work on board the \IAlexander\i expected there would be some hanged as soon as we arriv'd at the Cape'. Those convicts were 'very mutinously inclined when at Rio de Janeiro and threaten'd Capt. Sinclair, Mr. Long, the chief Mate, and Mr. Dunnivan 2d. Mate much', Smyth said, 'declaring they would do as they pleased as Capt. Sinclair, they said had no power over them, and he indeed appeared to have lost all Authority over his people, for what reason I am at a loss to guess, but I apprehend from his not exerting a proper Spirit amongst them. We reckon ourselves this day abt. 520 miles distant from the Cape of Good Hope.'
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"10 October 1787",194,0,g,0
The fleet picked up speed with stronger westerlies and Smyth saw another of his beloved whales 'close alongside'. Clark 'dreamt that I saw my Beloved Alicia in her Riding habit'. He 'wished to God that she was here' and 'did not care if She was in her Shift' as 'I would put Breechess and Waiscoat on her'. He hoped 'to be at the Cape' within three days 'for a letter from my Beloved Alicia'.
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"11 October 1787",195,0,g,0
'Moderate breezes' pushed the ships along, Scott says, and on \IScarborough\i Easty says they 'Bent the Cables' and that Phillip 'sent the \ISupply\i ahead with a Light all night'. Clark's anticipation of the letter became difficult to bear as the Cape drew nearer and he 'dreamt last night of Seing my dear Beloved Alicia again in Bed and I thought that I puld her towards me. If we have any luck we shall See the Cape to morrow being only 106 miles from it. The doctor mett with a great lost this afternoon one of the convict women whome he gave Some thing to wash for him Said that She lost Seven pair of Stocking over board but I am apt to think that they are not over board but that Some of the other Women have Stole them which is my opinion for ther wair never a greater number of D...d B... s in one place as ther is in this Ship - if they wair to loose any thing of mine that I gave them to wash I would cut them to pices.
'Elizabeth Pugh who was put in irons the 6 of this month with Rachell Harley for Quarling and Dirtyness the doctor reported her very ill and wished her to be put out of Irons untill She has got better. She was Accordingly put out but the Chain still remain on the other.'
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"12 October 1787",196,0,g,0
After a day's sailing under moderate but fair winds Hunter 'made the signal to bring the fleet to' as 'we were expecting every hour to make the land' and he was worried 'with the weather being a little hazy with a strong westerly wind' that some ships may run aground. 'I hope we will get into Harbour to morrow for I long to See if ther is any letter at the Cape for me from my Alicia' wrote Clark, and Easty says 'Att 12 the Commodore fireed one Gun and houisted 2 Lights in the Main riggen as a Signall for the Ships to Lay too'.
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"13 October 1787: Morning",197,0,g,0
Daylight revealed the 'Lyons Head 5 leagues away' writes Mason, the Master of \IPrince of Wales,\i and with 'cleare wether and fresh breases' Easty says, the fleet moved forward and \IScarborough\i 'made a Signall of Land' as the Cape of Good Hope was right ahead. They soon came 'abrist of the Sugar Loaf' he says, while Smyth remarks 'the face of the country appears beautiful'. Clark says they were 'running a long shore at about the distance of Six miles from the Shore and the land was very hight and on the top of the land there was a flag flying which I believe to be a Signal to the Commodore'.
By evening \IScarborough\i and the others 'came to an anchore in table Bay' and according to Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i they had a good view of the town which was 'back'd by very lofty mountains many of which are covered with verdure and great flocks of sheep feeding thereon'. All eleven ships were safely at anchor by nightfall in this, their last port of call which as Collins argued was a cause for some relief 'the convoy having crossed over from one Continent to the other, a distance of upwards of eleven hundred leagues' in a short space of time and 'fortunately without separation, or any accident having happened to the fleet'.
#
"Cold Comfort in Cape Town",198,fp3-001.jpg,c,0
\BCape Town: 13 October to 12 November 1787\b
Although Cape Town was the last port of call and there were many things that had to be done before the fleet could set out into the unknown, Phillip never intended staying half as long as he did. Cape Town could hardly have turned out to be a worse base camp and there were long delays at the start of their visit and frustrations right up to the end that made many on board wish they had not been forced to stop there at all. But as King said, they should not have expected otherwise as everything in Cape Town was geared towards serving the Dutch East India Company 'to whom this place belongs'.
The inhospitality was unfortunate as the fleet limped into port with many on board sick and badly in need of fresh meat, vegetables and bread. In some cases they arrived in the nick of time according to the Chief Surgeon. But instead of the boatload of supplies that the Portuguese Governor had rushed out to them in a long boat on their arrival in Rio, they were met by a cold and indifferent Dutch Governor who pretended that he did not have enough food for his own settlement let alone enough for them. There was none of the international co-operation the British had expected and the Dutch seemed to go out of their way to offend them.
It was a bad port because shelter for the ships was inadequate; any supplies or food they could get on land were expensive, as was the accommodation; and when the long-awaited bread came, it was so bad that it made Ralph Clark quite sick.
There was little in the way of society, few women of any consequence and only two letters in this, the last post office of all. Lack of shelter was the worst problem as Phillip's official account of the voyage explained. 'Table Bay, on the north-west side of the Cape of Good Hope, is named from the Table Mountain, a promontory of considerable elevation, at the foot of which, and almost in the centre of the Bay, stands Cape Town, the principal Dutch settlement in this territory. This Bay cannot properly be called a port, being by no means a station of security; it is exposed to all the violence of the winds which set into it from the sea; and is far from sufficiently secured from those which blow from the land. The gusts which descend from the summit of Table Mountain are sufficient to force ships from their anchors, and even violently to annoy persons on the shore, by destroying any tents or other temporary edifices which may be erected, and raising clouds of fine dust, which produce very troublesome effects. The storms from the sea are still more formidable; so much so, that ships have frequently been driven by them from their anchorage, and wrecked at the head of the Bay.'
For eleven days the fleet waited in suspense, living from hand to mouth on a ration of bread begrudgingly issued by the port authorities on a day-to-day basis, before they were told whether they would be helped in any way at all. During this time they were confronted by customs, the cruelty of which turned even the most hardened stomachs. All along the shores of the port were grim manifestations of the Dutch penal system.
They also suffered their own deaths, accidents, punishments, outbreaks of fighting and drunkenness while in port, due partially to the extended periods of inactivity, until eventually the Dutch colonial bureaucracy stirred and the permission was granted. So as Phillip's official account says, the fleet eventually obtained supplies and was ready to sail. 'In the course of a month, the livestock and other provisions were procured; and the ships, having on board not less than five hundred animals of different kinds, but chiefly poultry, put on an appearance which naturally enough excited the idea of Noah's ark.'
\BDescription:\b Painting of Cape Town in 1787 when the First Fleet called in for supplies of food. \I(British Museum)\i
#
"13 October 1787",199,0,g,0
The first thing the fleet had to do in port was to obtain the salute they had been denied on arrival as although 'thier Was a Dutch Commadore here', Scott says, 'their Was No Sallute past'. So the trouble-shooter, King, went ashore immediately they dropped anchor 'to visit the Dutch Governor Monsieur Van de Graaf to obtain an assurance that our salute would be returned with an equal number of Guns'.
So far so good, but when he returned to the flagship King had bad news: the Governor refused to provide the fleet with 'Grain or flower' and claimed there was not even enough bread to spare because 'there had been a great scarsity of Corn the last year'. Phillip was taken aback. He knew there were twenty marines and ninety-three convicts sick on board and that this was the last port of call before Botany Bay so that night he sat down and worked out a plan. He did not have the contacts that he had in Rio but he did know a family of private traders and it was to them he would turn.
As evening fell, an apprehensive fleet looked across the water at their home for the next month. Although Clark felt 'the Town appears pretty from wher we lay', Tench felt 'when contrasted with Rio de Janeiro, it certainly suffers in the comparison' because 'the table land which stands at the back of the town is a black dreary looking mountain' and even as Clark admitted it boasted 'but very little wood'.
#
"14 October 1787: Sunday",200,0,g,0
First thing in the morning, King says, 'The \ISirius\i saluted the Fort with 13 Guns to which an equal number was returned and the Signal was made that the port was open'. Honour was satisfied. Scott says 'Long Boats were got & Ships Moored', then King 'accompanied Governor Phillip to Monsieur Van de Graaf, who received us with great Politeness'.
Easty claims the two Governors then 'Drank his Majasties George the 111d Good health with the Prince of Wailes and amcipall Peace between Great Britain and the high and Mighty States of holland for ever'. But then 'the conversation turned on our Wants', King continues 'which consisted of Cattle, Wine & Corn for the Voyage & bread for daily use. Monsieur de Graaf very readily assented to the two first articles; but respecting the corn he could give no answer till Governor Phillip should state in Writing (addressed to the Governor & Council) an account of what quantity he might want which Monsieur Van de Graaf requested might be done as sparingly as possible nor could he promise the smallest quantity to us, the reasons for this restriction was, the great famine for the two preceeding years, he admitted that the present harvest promised much, but there was a great demand from the Isle of France & Batavia. To the former he was bound in gratitude to send what quantity he could, as the Cape had been greatly assisted from thence during the famine; to the latter; (Batavia) they were obliged to send a quantity yearly & this was the first year out of 3 that he had a prospect of sending any. It was only with great difficulty that he would consent to the daily bread being permitted to be sent off.'
However, Phillip was able 'to obtain an immediate order for three days bread for all the ships' and this would at least stop the sick on board from getting worse, feed all the hungry mouths and give him three days in which to organise a better deal.
Phillip then visited the family of local traders Petrus Dewit and Johannes Kerstan, obtained lodgings ashore with Mrs Dewit for his headquarters, organised for the first day's issue of bread and other supplies to be sent out to the ships and worked on the problem of the Governor.
The contractors were a great help as they told Phillip that the Governor had been lying about the famine and alleged food shortages and so having done his research he now resolved to try again 'as I found out on enquirey that the last years crops had been very good, I decided to write a letter to the Governor and Council requesting permission to purchase what provisions were wanted for the \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i as likewise corn for seed and what was necessary for the livestock intended to be embarked at this place', and so Phillip began to write this appeal. King's gratitude to the helpful contractors inspired him to argue that their 'integrity & probity ought ever to recommend them to Whoever may touch here in future'.
Meanwhile on the ships, Smyth and other surgeons were tending the sick as 'Many of the Convicts and Marines were dangerously ill of a kind of putrid fever' and 'dysentry'. \ICharlotte\i was the worst hit; White reported that 'upward of 30 had been very ill' and he 'expected the death of 3 of them this day'.
While the ships waited to see if Phillip would obtain the supplies, Collins says they 'struck their yards and topmasts as a precaution always necessary here to guard against the violence of the south-east wind which has often been known to drive ships out of the bay'. They also took stock of the other ships in the bay including 'one Dutch Sloop of War, 1 Dutch Eastindiaman and 2 French Eastindiamen' according to Clark, and Easty reports that 'in the Evining a duch East indea Ship outward bound Came in'.
None of these ships would have carried letters from England for Clark or anybody else and so it was business as usual on \IFriendship\i: 'this being Sunday Kist my dear Alicia pictour out of the case - also had a Search for the doctors Stocking a monst the convict women but could not find them'. Then 'the Signal was hoisted for the Boats to goe on Shore if they please'. 'Went on board the \IScarborough\it with Mr. Faddy to have my tooth drawn but could not ther being a great dele of company on board there - Staid very late Mr. Faddy got very much in licour then came on board wher he begane to abuse me in a very Publick manner to Capt. Meridith as ane officer and Gentlemen for which I have wrot a letter on Service to Capt. M: beggin of him to apply for a General court Martial as he acted in a manner unbecoming the character of ane officer or a gentleman.'
#
"15 October 1787",201,0,g,0
Supplies started arriving on the ships at last and John Mason, Master of \IPrince of Wales\i, 'received on board for the use of marines and convicts fresh provisions and soft bread. Quantity: 117 pounds of beef and mutton, 301/2 loaves, each weighing 3 pounds with greens'. White says 'the troops, men, women and children were served with a pound and a half of soft bread and an equal quantity of beef or mutton daily and with wine in lieu of spirits while the convicts had the same allowance except for wine'. Phillip believed these fresh provisions would heal the sick, saying 'I thus did not think it necessary to land any of the sick'.
But having used up two day's worth of bread already and having only one day remaining he decided to send off the letter he had been writing requesting supplies from the Governor and Council, hoping to receive an affirmative answer the following day. Then White says 'such officers as could be spared from the duty of the fleet went on shore to take up lodgings all wishing to prepare themselves by the comforts and refreshments to be enjoyed on land for the last and longest stage of their voyage'.
King seemed pleased with the town saying, 'The Cape Town is situated on an amphitheatre at the head of the Table bay, The Table hill, Devils hill Sugar Loaf & Lyons Rump forms the Amphitheatre which has a most picturesque appearance. The Streets are wide & drawn at Right angles & canals running thro' them The houses are all well built, commodious, & very clean, which with the appearance of the inhabitants, gives this place very much the appearance of a European Town'.
Clark was among those who stayed on board. Having given up hope of receiving a letter, he was now embroiled in his attempt to have his colleague Faddy court-martialled 'gave the letter which I wrot last night to Major Ross he then told me that he could not give ane order for a General Court Martial but wished that we would Setteled it amonst our Selfes which I told him I could not think off he then Said that if I wished he would order Some Gentlemen to inquir into the grounds of my letter. Mr. Faddy is very Sick after his lasts nights behavour he thinks to make me believe that he did not know what he Said but I am not to be put on that way. I am Sorry to find that ther has been no Ship heer from England Since April last So that I am much disapointed in not finding a letter heer from my dear Alicia.'
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"16 October 1787",202,0,g,0
The third and last day's issue of bread was taken to the ships by the local contractors along with any other supplies that could be obtained. Then as the day dragged on and no answer came to Phillip's letter of request, he demanded an extension of the three-day limit of bread. The port authorities agreed to another three days of bread up to 19 October by which time Phillip was certain he would have the Governor's permission to buy all the supplies he needed.
The Governor was obviously thawing out. He even invited Phillip to present his fellow officers at the palace where White says they 'were received with extreme civility and politeness'. Tench was impressed with Government House saying 'His Excellency resides as the Government House in the East India Company's garden. This last is of considerable extent and is planted chiefly with vegetables for the Dutch Indiamen which may happen to touch at the port. Some of the walks are extremely pleasant from the shade they afford and the whole garden is very neatly kept.'
Tench was disappointed in the 'menagarie' in the gardens as 'considering the local advantages possessed by the Company it is poorly furnished both with animals and birds; a tyger, a zebra, some fine ostriches, a cassowary and the lovely crown-fowl are among the most remarkable'.
Easty had spent the day watering the ships, watching the Dutch warship that 'waid anchor for Amsterdam in holland' and attending a local parade where 'all the Solders was all under arms and went through all the Manuvers before the English officrs'. King was impressed with the local militia saying, 'The Inhabitants of the Town & Country are formed into a Militia, which is exercised twice a Year for which purpose they meet & are under a very tolerable discipline. As this Militia are formed of true patriots who fight for every thing which is dear to them I think they would be found a very formidable opposition to the taking this place.'
White, who also saw the parade, says, disparagingly 'At this burlesque on the profession of a solider, I could not help observing that many of them had either got intoxicated that morning or were not recovered from their overnight's debauch; notwithstanding which they marched to the field and went through the evolutions with a steadiness and regularity that was really astonishing, considering the state they were in: but it is said, and I believe with some truth, that a Dutchman when half drunk is more capable of performing every kind of business than if he were perfectly sober.'
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"17 October 1787",203,0,g,0
The letter from the Dutch Governor did not arrive, although 'the Governor called on the Commodore at his lodgings to return his visit of yesterday', which White describes as an exercise in 'studied politeness'. More officers and marines were now going ashore including Sergeant Scott who went to buy 'fresh mate and bread'. On the \IPrince of Wales\i 'Matthew Wright's Wife (a Marine) was Delevered of a Girle and Mrs. Benjamin Cook a Drumers Wife Was Buried'. Easty says she 'died of a fever' and they 'Caried her out in the Stream and hove her over bord'.
On HMS \ISirius\i Bradley says 'Eight of the main deck guns were struck down in the Hold and the deck cleared for the reception of cattle for which purpose stalls etc were built fore and aft the deck just leaving room to work the cables'. King remarks, 'The Sick were now perfectly re'established & continued so till the day of our departure, nor did we land etther Soldier or sailor at Sick Quarters, which is a very rare circumstance at this place'.
Clark's enquiry progressed a little further as, 'Major Ross, Capt. Shea, Capt. Tentch, 1st. Lieut. Goe. Johnstone, 1st. Lieut Creswell, 1st. Lieut Kellow, 1st. Lieut Pouldon and 2d. Lieut and Adjt. Long came on board . . . to enquir into the Grounds of my letter to Capt. Meridith. I agreed that I would upon my honour abyed by ther determination. They then cald Capt. Meridith to relate to them the exspersions that Mr. F had made to me. We wair Soon after cald in when Capt. Tentch read the oppinion of the court that Mr. F. Should acknowledge that he had made use of insulting words to Lieut Ralph Clark.' Thus Clark was able to go to bed with his honour satisfied.
#
"18 October 1787",204,fp2-150.jpg,c,0
Although there was still no letter from the Dutch Governor he kept the British happy by paying social visits 'to such officers residing on shore as had paid their respects to him', White says. Although refusing to grant permission for all supplies he nevertheless now issued an invitation to the officers to dine with him. Most naval officers had by now entrenched themselves on shore as King explains. 'It is customary for every person that can be spared from the duty of the Ships that touch here to live onshore, as every house in the place are lodging & boarding houses which is conducted in a very agreable manner on the parts of those to whom they belong. The houses are extreemly clean & commodious: for one person the terms are now 6 shillings or a Ducatoon per diem, for which you have breakfast & an exceeding abundant dinner & supper with good lodgings.'
Clark 'went on Shore with Capt. Meridith and the doctor Soon after nine oClock and cald at the Coms. Lodgins wher he ask use to dine with him which we did - we then walkt about the Town and in the Dutch Govenours Gardin. I Soon after Saw 1st. Lieut J. Johnstone, Wm. Collings, Balmain, Consident and the Mr. White who informed me that they had been trying to get Some money but could not With whome I walkt untill near one.' He noted, 'the People dress much after the English heer the Women in particular. The most of the Women that I have Seen are very handsome.'
White found 'The habits and customs of the women of this place are extremely contrasted to those of the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro. Among the latter a great deal of reserve and modesty is apparent between the sexes in public . . . But at the Cape, if you wish to be a favourite with the fair, as the custom is, you must in your own defence (if I may use the expression) grapple the lady, and paw her in a manner that does not partake in the least of gentleness. Such a rough and uncouth conduct, together with a kiss ravished now and then in the most public manner and situations, is not only pleasing to the fair one, but even to her parents, if present; and is considered by all parties as an act of the greatest gallantry and gaiety.'
Besides the women, White was also interested in 'The inhabitants of the Cape' who although were 'very stout and athletic, have not all that phlegm about them which is the characteristic of Dutchmen in general'; and the blacks: 'During my residence on shore, whenever I heard of any Hottentots being in town, I made a point of endeavouring to get a sight of them, in order to see whether their manners and appearance corresponded with the description given of them by travellers; such as being besmeared with grease, and decorated with the stinking entrails of animals, on which they likewise, when pressed by hunger, are said to feed.'
'I saw many of the men', White says, who 'were thin, of rather a low stature, but formed for activity: and, further, that their hair, which was short and woolly, as well as their whole bodies, was bedaubed with some unctuous or greasy substance, which was very offensive. They were of a dark brown colour, had a flat nose, thick lips, large full eyes, and were ornamented with ivory rings, and wore narrow strips of the skin of some animal, devoid of its hair, around their neck, legs and arms.'
While the officers were socialising on shore, Thomas Gilbert, Master of \ICharlotte,\i reports his 'long boat watering', John Easty says they were 'Calken the outside of the Ship' when 'Thomas Lucus, a Marine, fell down the after hatchway'. The watering and loading of supplies was easy at Cape Town as according to White 'the only landing-place is at the east end of the town, where there is a wooden quay running some paces into the sea, with several cranes on it, for the convenience of loading and unloading the scoots that come along side. To this place excellent water is conveyed by pipes, which makes the watering of ships both easy and expeditious.'
\BDescription:\b A painting of an admiral by Thomas Rowlandson. \I(British Museum)\i
#
"19 October 1787",205,0,g,0
The day passed without the letter arriving, but although the extension for the second lot of 'three days bread supply only' expired, Phillip was able to win a further extension of the temporary bread supplies this time on a daily basis only. As he wrestled with the bureaucracy on shore, Hunter and Ross toured the transports warning the convicts to behave. Easty says, 'one of the Convicts Struck one of the Seamen' on \IScarborough\i and was punished, while Clark says the delays and inactivity on \IFriendship\i were causing friction for those still sharing confined spaces below decks.
There were transfers to overcome this as Lieutenants Maxwell and Timmins of \ICharlotte\i swapped places with Lieutenants Creswell and Powldin from \IPrince of Wales\i and Clark himself was visited by 'Mr. Davey who came to ask me if I would be in a Tent with him and Mess with him. I told him that I had no objections to be in a tent with in him but that Capt. M. and I had agreed to Mess to gether when we get ther and if he had no objections I had non.'
For those on the ships the days were busy enough as ships came and went and they had hectic social rounds. 'The Dutch Guard Ship Saluted with 5 Guns which a nother Dutch Ship Soon after Returned with the Same number of Guns', Clark says. 'Went with the doctor on board a French Ship to See what they had to Sell and found that they had coffe at 16 dollars a hunder wight Perfumery etc. Went on Board the \IAlexander\i afterwards to See J. Johnstone - Staid Tea then Returned on board wher we found Mr. Consident who Staid Supper with use - Lieut G. Johnstone came on board to See me he also Staid Supper. Mr. Faddy Returned on board about 10 oClock.'
#
"20 October 1787",206,62741004.jpg,c,0
Still no letter, but the bread issue was allowed again. Like so many other changeable days during their stay, Easty reports that the morning was clear but by afternoon there was 'very heavy thunder and Ligttneng'. On \IScarborough,\i marines John Woods and Thomas Bullmore were 'confind for fighten' in one of the many skirmishes that would lead to the murder of Bullmore by a gang of marines shortly after their arrival in Botany Bay. On \IFriendship\i Clark 'put Elizabeth Barber and Elizabeth Dudgeon in Irons (leg ones) for fighting' and then went 'on Shore wher we Strold'.
On shore the officers befriended the Scottish-born 'Colonel Gordon, commander in chief of the Dutch troops at the Cape' whom White says, 'is a man of science, of an active and well-cultivated genius, and who appropriates those hours he can spare from his military duties (in which he is said to excel), to a perusal of the book of nature, and researches after useful knowledge. These pursuits tend not only to his amusement, but to his honour; and they will, doubtless, at some time or other, further conduce to the advancement of natural history, and to the honour of his country, as it is said he intends to publish the observations and remarks which have been the result of his researches.'
\BDescription:\b The Rev. Richard Johnson. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"21 October 1787: Sunday",207,0,g,0
Again no letter came but another daily bread issue was allowed. 'The Revd. Mr. Jonstone Preached a Sermon on bord this Ship' Easty writes on \IScarborough\i and on board the \IAlexander\i Clark awoke to troubling dreams 'of my dear and most Sinceerly Beloved Alicia. Oh what would I give to heer from her. Oh that I could but have a few lines from her. This being Sunday kist my tender one pictour as usual on this day. Intended to have gone on board the \IScarborough\i to prayers but could not get my Self redy. Major Ross came on board after Tea to Speak to the convicts.
#
"22 October 1787",208,0,g,0
Although there was no letter, another daily bread issue was allowed. 'A Cort Martiall was helld on board \ICharlotte\i', Easty says, 'on the Body of Conyly for insolince to the Surgon & the Serjent'. Another 'cortmartiall Likewaise on bord the Alaxandar' for a marine who had been stealing and the fighting 'Bullmore and woods were reliaceed'. And 'the officers on bord this Ship Parted there Messes with the Ship officers goin by tem selfs and the Marine officers by themselfs'. On \IFriendship\i Clark 'was very ill all days and the surgeon gave him 'Som Stuff which did me a great dele of good'.
On shore the officers became more adventurous exploring not only the outer limits of the town but the mountain itself, as the intrepid chief surgeon John White reports.
'Mr. Dawes, lieutenant of marines on board the \ISirius\i . . . accompanied by Messrs. Fowell and Waterhouse, midshipmen of the \ISirius\i, Lieutenant De Witt, of the Dutch navy, and myself, went to the top of the Table mountain, an undertaking which we found to be of a far more serious nature than we at first were aware of.'
'For my own part, I suffered so much from heat and thirst that, had not the fear of shame urged me on, my companions being determined to accomplish it at all events, I should most certainly have given it up before I reached the top. During this sultry and fatiguing expedition, I found great benefit, towards alleviating my thirst, by keeping a small pebble in my mouth; and sometimes by chewing rushes, which we met with in our way. But, when we had reached the summit, the delightful and extensive prospect we there enjoyed, the weather being uncommonly fine, fully atoned for the trouble, fatigue and every suffering, we had undergone.'
'As soon as we got to the top, our first business was to look out for water; but all we could find was some stagnant rain, which lay in the hollow of the stones. Our thirst, however, was so intolerable that the discovery even of this gave us inexpressible pleasure, and, notwithstanding we all perspired most violently, and were sensible of the danger and impropriety of drinking a quantity of bad water in such a situation, yet we could not refrain . . .'
'The regularities of the streets of the town, which intersect each other at right angles; the buildings, gardens, castle, and forts, with twentythree ships then at anchor in the bay, all which appeared directly underneath us, was a sight beautiful and pleasing beyond description.'
'In our descent, which proved nearly as difficult and troublesome as going up, we saw some runaway negroes, round a fire, on the clift of a stupendous rock, where it was entirely out of the power of their owners to get at them. To look at their situation, one would think it beyond the utmost stretch of human ingenuity to devise a way to reach it. Here they remain all day in perfect security, and during the night make frequent excursions to the town and the parts adjacent, committing great depredations on the inhabitants.'
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"23 October 1787",209,0,g,0
Although he had been waiting politely for the letter from the Dutch Governor, King says that Phillip had been making 'a number of spirited remonstrances' in order to speed things up and ensure that he would get the permission he needed. Even so, White says 'had it not been for the judicious perseverance Commodore Phillip observed, in urging his particular situation, and the uncommon exigency of the service he was engaged in, it was believed the governor and council would have sheltered their refusal under the pretence that a great scarcity had prevailed in the Cape colony the preceding season, particularly of wheat and corn, which were the articles we stood most in want of'.
But now just as it was getting harder to extend the daily issue of bread, Phillip says he 'received an answer from the Council, who had taken eight days to deliberate on my letter of 15th, granting us permission to receive bread daily for the use of the ships while we remained in this port'. The fleet would now have enough bread but there was still no answer from the Governor concerning their needs for Botany Bay until later that evening when Phillip says he 'received a letter from the Governor granting all my demands'. They now had 'permission for the contractors to supply us with as much stock, corn and other necessities as we could stow' White records excitedly, for at last the ships could begin to load and get under way.
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"24 October 1787",210,0,g,0
Now, according to HMS \ISirius\i midshipman Daniel Southwell in a letter home from the Cape, 'it was a time of constant bustle as this being the last port we must take every advantage of it, for the leaving behind of the many articles that are requisit and necessary would beyond here be irreparable; and this therefore now keeps us constantly employed in getting the ships supply'd with water and all the species of provision that are proper. Grain of various kinds, some for immediate consumption, some for sowing etc., and much will be necessary for the use of the livestock; these are to consist of cows, bullocks, sheep, hogs, horses and almost every domestick animal and the great quantity of water they will require is so great that we will have to be on an allowance ourselves.'
It was a good moment for both higher and lower ranks as the British officers now enjoyed a rapprochement with the Dutch Governor. As White says 'after the supplies had been granted, his excellency Governor Graaf invited the commodore, and many of the officers of the expedition, to a very handsome dinner at his town residence'.
John Easty says, 'the Seamen got Liberty to go on Shore' and on \IPrince of Wales\i Sergeant Scott says 'I And my Wife & child Went on Shore With Serjt. Dwane & Perry and thire Wives, & Spent the Day Very Agreeable; Went to the Companeys Gardens & Seen the Various Birds &c. Which is, as Desirable A place, As Every I Would Wish to See'.
It was not a good day for everyone of course and marine Conley 'was punshed with 100 Lashes', Easty says, while on \IFriendship\i Clark was recovering from a sweaty night in which he dreamt he 'was at my Beloved womans Burial. Oh my God what a dream. Oh that I could but have a letter from my Alicia before that I leave this place to no how She and my Son are.... The Signal house on the Top of the Sugar loaf has made the Signal for a Sail coming in. Hope it may be a Ship from England and that She has a letter on board for me from my Alicia my wife my most Sinceer friend then I shall be quit well . . . Oh for the Ship and my letter.'
Clark's disturbing dreams came true some time after his return to England when Betsy Alicia died in childbirth.
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"25 October 1787",211,0,g,0
Preparing the ships for the stock and supplies proceeded in earnest, Collins says, and 'on board the \ISirius\i and some of the transports carpenters were employed in fitting up stalls for the reception of cattle that were to be taken hence as stock for the intended colony'. Thomas Gilbert, Master of \ICharlotte\i 'parted the larboard cable and let go the sheet anchor under foot'. The Master of \IScarborough\i, John Marshall, 'received on board, fresh beef, greens and soft bread'.
The sail Clark had spotted the day before turned out to be Dutch. 'Ther is no letter from my Alicia Bless her. Mr. F came on board from the \IScarborough\i very drunk last night and he went on Shore very early this morning. The Comr., Majr. Ross and Capt. hunter came on board a little after nine to See wher we could put Stocks if the Women and men convicts wair taking out. Major Ross told me to inform the women convict that they Should be put into another Ship to morrow or Next day and desired me to Send him the Names of those women of the convicts that had children on board.' 'This night a Deanish Ship Came into this harbour She has lost her Mizen Mast, top Mastes and Spritsail yard', he said, and had a seriously ill captain who had sailed the stricken ship into port to die.
Easty continued to record most of the mutual gun salutes between the various ships coming and going in the harbour.
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"26 October 1787",212,0,g,0
The newly arrived 'deanish Ship Salluted with 9 guns and the Commonder returned the Same nymber and went on bord She gave him 3 Chears and Salluted him with 9 guns att his departure' Easty records in the midst of all this ceremonial shooting.
Clark, who made contact with those on board the Danish ship, says she 'lost her Mizen Mast and fore Top mast in a hard Gale of wind in April last wher in they Says that they wair very near going down. That the \IAdml Hughes,\i the \IBrigdwater\i and \IVansetter\i Eastindiamen Wair all dismasted and She was affraid that the \IBridgwater\i had gone down as they had herd nor Seen any thing of her and that Sevral dutch Ships Wair dismasted at the Same time. They say that the Sea Was coverd with Wrecks and casks. I hope that She is Save.'
Later, Clark had his own maritime misadventure when he went on board the \IScarborough\i to dinner. 'I wish I had not for it came on to blow and was very near being drown as the Sea brock over use and fild the boat but thanks god I got on board Save except being a little wet and hurt my knee and hand a little.' Clark was also worried about his drunken colleague Mr. Faddy who 'Staid a shore last and returnd quit gadded. I should like to knou wher he Slept last night for I don't think he Sleep in a very good house as Kellow did not and he and him Wair together all the while'.
Others did not come back at all such as four of the seamen that Phillip had allowed ashore and who Collins says 'deserted their ship and although rewards were offered for apprehending them and every effort made that was likely to ensure success, two only of the four were retaken before our departure'.
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"27 October 1787",213,0,g,0
'It blows very hard', Clark wrote, waking up from the horror of another dream in which 'I bought a drum for my beloved Son but my beloved Alicia told me that he was dead' - 'I awakend Capt. Meridith with crying in my sleep'. Clark's dream once again came true; after his return to England, his son died an early death. Part of his problem was lack of information as he kept saying, 'Oh my god that I could but only heer from her . . . I would loose my left hand for only a pepe at her and my boy'.
Clark's work had to go on. 'Major Ross came on board to inform Capt. M to Send the women convicts away to Morrow, 4 to goe to the \ILady Penrhyn\i 4 to the \ICharlotte\i and the Remainder 13 to the \IPrince of Wales\i' and so Clark had to select which women would go to which ship. Thomas Gilbert was preparing \ICharlotte\i for sea, recording that he 'hove up the sheet anchor and moor'd ship with the large Kedge'. On \IScarborough,\i Easty 'parted the stream cable' and then escorted Alexander McColpian 'into the Guardhouse on Shore for insolince to Lieutenant Jonstone of the marines'. McColpian got off lightly compared to one of the locals, Easty says, as 'this Day a centenall came on bord from the Shore and was returnd and hanged up immediately'.
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"28 October 1787: Sunday",214,0,g,0
The fleet chaplain, Reverend Richard Johnson, 'preached on board two of the transports' Collins says while on \IFriendship\i Clark 'read the lessons prayers and Spalms of the day and this being Sunday kist my Alicia pictor out of its prison'. The knee Clark had bruised in the boating accident was much better and so he was able to supervise the transfer of his convict women to other transports in order to make way for livestock.
Clark took the opportunity of getting rid of the worst of his charges including 'the fighting five'. Among those he sent to \ICharlotte\i were Elizabeth Dudgeon, Elizabeth Pugh, Elizabeth Thackery and Susannah Holmes; Elizabeth Barber, Margaret Hall, Sarah McCormick, Elizabeth Pully, Charlotte Ware, Elizabeth Clark, Elizabeth Mason, Mary McCormack and Rachael Harley were sent to the \IPrince of Wales\i; he sent Jane Parkinson, who was to die soon after, to \ILady Penrhyn\i, and he sent Moses Tucker to \IScarborough\i. 'Thank god all these women Convicts are all out of the Ship', Clark said. 'I am very Glad of it for they wair a great Trouble much more so than the men.'
Meanwhile, the Masters of \IPrince of Wales\i, \ICharlotte\i and other transports reorganised their convict quarters to fit in the new arrivals, many of whom went without 'beds'.
#
"29 October 1787",215,0,g,0
The transferred convicts were settled into their different quarters and inspected by Ross. The second mate of \IFriendship\i, Patrick Vallance, whether consoling himself for the loss of a convict lover or confused by 'thick hazy weather' staggered along the deck in a drunken stupor, 'fell over bord at the head and was drounded'. Clark said he 'had gone to the head to ease himself ' and 'although three men Jump over board after him they could not Save him for he Soon after Sunck and has not been Seen Since. He was drunk they Say when he fell and I am very Sorry for him for I know all his friends near Musselburgh and he was a very good Seaman and a much better one than we will be able to get heer in this place.'
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"30 October 1787",216,0,g,0
White writes, 'in the mild or summer season, which commences in September, and continues till March, the Table Land is sometimes suddenly capped with a white cloud, by some called the Spreading of the Table-cloth. When this cloud seems to roll down the steep face of the mountain, it is an unerring indication of an approaching gale of wind from the south-east, which generally blows with great violence and sometimes continues a day or more, but in common is of short duration. On the first appearance of this cloud, the ships in Table Bay begin to prepare for it, by striking yards and top-masts, and making everything as snug as possible.'
The first fleet was no exception and everybody on board set themselves for some rough conditions. Tench was glad he was on shore, especially as 'the boarding houses on shore are much more reasonable than might be expected. For a dollar and a half we were well lodged and partook of a table tolerably supplied in the French style.'
Others on board were not so lucky as the winds whipped up the seas. Clark 'got very wett in going about on the boat and Return on board to dress to dine on Shore with Coll: Gordon but it came on to Blow very hard So did not goe. The doctor was cald up early to goe on board the \ILady Penrhyn\i to See one of the convict Women Who got her head fracturd this morning by a graiting falling on her. The doctor went on board the \IScarborough\i wher I believe he must Remain for the whole day if not the night if it continus blowing So hard as it dose at Present.'
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"31 October 1787",217,0,g,0
A squall now struck the little fleet moored in the open bay and Easty reports it was 'thick clowdy with hard gales of wind'. The Master of \IPrince of Wales\i, John Mason, surveyed supplies with the Agent and Mr. Clark (contractor's agent) who came on board. They 'condemned 5 sacks of oatmeal and 191 neat pounds cheese'. Clark decided as 'it came on to blow and rain so hard' that he would not 'think of sending a boat to night' for either Captain Meridith or Mr. Faddy who, with their servants, 'would have to find Quarters on Shore for the night' even though it 'will take a few pence out of their pockets for I never was in So expensive a place in all the course of my Life'. It was probably just as well because that night, Scott from \IPrince of Wales\i said, 'A Dutch Boat was Oversett in a Squall and one Man Lost'.
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"1 November 1787",218,0,g,0
At last, nearly three weeks into their stay at Cape Town, an English ship arrived. For everybody, especially Clark, this was the first and perhaps the last chance of a letter from home before they cast off into the unknown. Clark was one of the first to spot the ship. 'A Signal on the hill is out for a Sail. Hope it is a Ship from England and that I may have a letter by her. About one oclock saw the Sail coming round the point a Brig and by the coulours that She has up one of the Eastindias packetts. She came close to use and Saw on her Stairn, she was the \IRanger\i of Lond. Oh my God how my hart goes pitte patty.'
'About 1/2 after one Capt. Meridith, Mr. F and the doctor came on board and inform me that She was from Falmouth in 12 weeks. Almost half mad. Then a few moment after they come a Gentleman came on board with a letter for Arundell and Says that was the only letter except one for Mr. Bradly on board of the \ISirius\i that She had brought out. Oh my God how I am disapointed has my Alicia entirly forgott her fond Clark. People in the Ship to Receive letters and not I. Shall goe on board after dinner. Went on board but found no letters nor had they brought any but the above two. She will Sail in a few days for Bengall wher She is bound. I am Quit down to think that all my hopes are over in not been able to get a letter for this Year and a half. Shall goe to Bed and See if I can get any ease on My Pillow and endeavour to think that my beloved has not Quite forgott her most Sinceer Clark So God Bless her.'
Others had luckier days. Smyth writes from \ILady Penrhyn\i, 'Phebe Norton, a Convict on board us fell from the head, into the Sea, it was a remarkable calm day, therefore before she had time to go down, two men jump'd overboard & saved her by hauling her into the pinnace which was fasten'd at the stern'.
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"2 November 1787",219,0,g,0
The \IRanger,\i which lifted the morale of the fleet considerably by giving three cheers for Governor Phillip and bringing news from England by word of mouth for those who did not receive letters, was a highpoint of the Cape Town stopover. Smyth says the \IRanger\i 'was saluted with huzzas as she pass'd a large Danish East Indiaman & also by the \ISirius\i people as she pass'd it. She came last from Falmouth & it was 2 months since she left.' Then later, 'By the \IRainger\i we recd. the news of Boston in America, being destroy'd by fire. The \IRainger\i stay'd no longer than to take in water to compleat which was done as soon as possible. She borrow'd many Long Boats from the Botany Bay fleet & sail'd again on the 5th.'
The bad weather continued to take its toll, as Smyth records, 'The Long Boat belonging to a Dutch East Indiaman in this Harbour with 6 hands in her deeply laden was by a very sudden squall of wind overset & 2 of the hands drowned notwithstanding it happen'd in The midst of the fleet & many boats were put off to save them'. Also, 'This day a Quarter Master belongg. to the Danish East Indiaman died and was carried on shore about 1 o'Clock p.m. to be interr'd. one Gun was fired upon the Boat's leavg. the Ship'. Easty says, 'the deanish flag was hoisted half staf high on the Eastindia Ship' in his honour. On \IPrince of Wales\i the Master, John Mason, received 200 neat pounds of rice.
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"3 November 1787",220,0,g,0
The \ICharlotte\i Master, Thomas Gilbert, says his 'long boat was still watering'. Scott noted 'A Pourtigues Ship arrived from Maderass'. She was 'called the \IHillisburg',\i Easty says, 'and Salluted with 9 guns and the Dutch Commander returned the same'.
Clark could not sleep all night 'with thinking and dreaming about my Lovely Alicia'. Later he 'went on Shore . . . cald at Capt. Campble Lodgins. Saw a great number of our lads on Shore. Had dinner with Mr. Arundell, Mr. Consident and Lieut. Timmins'.
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"4 November 1787: Sunday",221,0,g,0
'Phillip told the masters of the eleven different ships to be ready to sail anytime from 7 November onwards', Scott says, as he helped prepare \IPrince of Wales\i for the last leg of the voyage. From this moment he said 'Wee Ware to Consider Ourselves Under Sailing Orders'. The \I'Ranger\i Packet Saild for Bumbay' having spent less than three days in port. Easty received a transfer to the unit in which Clark would also be serving when 'this day every Captain Apointed thear Companys and I apointed in Captain Meridiths Company'.
Others were not so happy with their postings including a local soldier who attempted to take his chances with the British, as Collins reports, 'a soldier belonging to the Swiss regiment of Muron, quartered here, swam off from his post and came on board one of the transports, requesting to be permitted to proceeds in her to New South Wales; but, as an agreement had been mutually entered into between the Dutch and English commanders, that deserters in the service of, or subjects of either nation, should be given up, Captain Phillip sent him on shore, previously obtaining a promise of his pardon from the regiment'.
Clark meanwhile kept his own spirits up 'this being Sunday took my Belovd Alicia Pitour out of its prison and kist it, I Believe a thousand times, could not help craying overit dear Sweet Woman. A very fine day. Expect the parson on board after dinner as he has been on board the \ILady Penrhyn\i. Mr. Johnston then came on board and gave us a very good Sermon. Satt down and wrot part of a letter to my Betsey my Beloved Woman the most Tendrest of wives also wrote a letter to Kempster which I sent a way.'
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"5 November 1787",222,0,g,0
The ships were now waiting to take the livestock on board as once the animals were safely below they could, like Noah, set out across the ocean confident of being able to transplant civilisation. John Marshall, Master of \IScarborough\i, took some of the first animals when he 'received on board 12 piggs and 12 bushells of corn for Major Ross'.
The ships were loading stock for the public use as well as for the private use of the many officers who 'hoped to establish small farms in the proposed colony'. The Master of \IFishburn\i, Robert Brown, in a rare log book entry says they 'hogg'd ships bottom' in preparation for the long voyage. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i says, 'This day we recd. on board 1 Stallion, 3 Mares & 3 Colts for Governor Phillip's use at New South Wales'.
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"6 November 1787",223,0,g,0
The ships continued to load the livestock for the new colony. On \IFriendship,\i Clark says '30 Sheep came on board this day and wair put in the Place where the women convicts Were. I think we will find much more Agreable Ship mates than they were'.
He later 'went on board the Danish Eastindiaman with Capt. Meridith and Arundell from that I went on Shore with them and bought two china Basins for one English Shilling which is the only thing that I have Seen that is cheap. Came on board to dinner with them then I went on Shore. A french Ship came in but don't know wher she is from. A nother Sail coming in. Sail a dutch Ship for Batavia this day.'
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"7 November 1787",224,0,g,0
The livestock continued to go on board and the master of \IFishburn,\i Robert Brown, 'received on board 10 hoggs'. Thomas Gilbert, Master of \ICharlotte\i 'sent out long boat for water etc'. As they now considered themselves under sailing orders, Clark posted letters on homewardbound ships as he did the social rounds of ships from France and Holland.
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"8 November 1787",225,0,g,0
Squally conditions held up the loading of livestock and the Master of \IPrince of Wales,\i John Mason, says 'weather being so bad did not send the boat for provisions'. Scott says, 'It blowed So fresh that Wee Could Not Go for Provision on Shore. The \IBorrow Dales\i Small Boat Broke Loose & Went. A Drift to Wards Penguin Island.'
Clark added that 'it blow very hard all night and dose at this Present moment harder than it has done Since I have been in the Ship'; 'dreamt a bout my Mother god Bless her. I hope She is well. Nether the Marines have had nor the convicts any thing to eat to day. It Blows to hard to Send for any Beef and Soft Bread and ther is no order to give them any Salt provisions. It Still blows very hard. I am glad that we are not at Sea now.'
Easty, who says \IScarborough\i 'Broke her Stream Cable' in the 'hard Gales of wind', stayed in his quarters and wrote up his impressions of Cape Town saying, 'this Place is Inhabited by the duch that are of the Prodistant Riligion' and 'thay are a very Strict Sort of People to ther own People for fellony as thay hang them for the Lest thing in the world allmost and any thing that is very Bad thay rack them and Break ther Bones one by one and hang them upon a gibett Like a dog' and also 'hear is a people hear Called hottontots thay are a dark kind of people and quite innisent and ignorant'. He claimed, 'hear the Sheaps tailes are the Longest heare of any Place in the world thay grow to 14 or 16 pounds, fowl are plentfull ducks and Geas and hogs are hear fine horses is hear Black Cattle is hear very fine hear is hear is fine goats hear'.
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"9 November 1787",226,0,g,0
As they had now been in port for four weeks Phillip was hoping the gales would abate so he could finish loading the livestock because otherwise they were ready to sail. The winds dropped sufficiently for \ILady Penrhyn\i to 'receive 300 gallons brandy and 2,000 pounds of bread for the ships use' her Master, William Sever, records and Collins notes that 'On the 9th the watering of the fleet being completed, corn and hay for the stock, and flour, wine and spirits for the settlement all being on board, preparations were made for putting to sea'. Easty was 'getting Everything ready for Sea and feching the Stock on bord' also 'two Marines were giving the Party att night' and \IScarborough\i 'waied the Stream anchor'.
But not all the livestock could be loaded that day and there was still time for Clark to allow 'William my Servant to goe on Shore' although as 'it came on to Blow so hard he was oblige to Sleep on Shore'. Clark himself had the chance to go 'on board the Danish Eastindiaman with Arundell wher I bought a piece of Nankeen very fine for 4 Shillings' but 'got very wett' in the boat returning to \IFriendship\i.
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"10 November 1787",227,0,g,0
Expecting to leave, Phillip wrote his last dispatches to the Secretary of the Admiralty, Sir Philip Stephens, outlining the voyage from Rio and explaining why the fleet had stayed so long in Cape Town. He argued 'the remaining so long before I could obtain leave to procure the necessaries we wanted has detained me much longer in this port than I wished, but it will, I hope, be the means of keeping the people in health for the rest of the passage'.
These fresh provisions had saved him from landing the sick and 'their Lordships will see from the returns that there are few sick at present'. 'What live cattle the ships can stow are now getting on board', he said, 'with such grain and seeds as was wanted' and when they are all loaded 'I shall sail immediately'.
On board HMS \ISirius,\i Southwell says, 'were you to take a view of our ship below you would be apt to take it for a livery stable of note, for there are a number of partitions all along between the decks, and racks for the provender; nor do we want pig sties, hog troughts and all the necessary apparatus. Among the stock are many of the feathered kind and also plants of various sorts. These all together will take up much room and the ship is lumber'd. The people considering the number, are much crouded for the cattle are to occupy a deck which till now was theirs.'
Hunter says, 'we embarked on board \ISirius\i six cows with calf, two bulls (one of which was six or seven months old) with a number of sheep, goats, hogs, and poultry of different kinds; on board one of the transports were put three mares, each having a colt of six months old, and a young stallion; a quantity of livestock was also put on board the store ships so that the whole on government account amounted to one stallion, three mares, three colts, six cows, two bulls, forty four sheep, four goats and twenty eight hogs. The officers on board the transports who were to compose the garrison, had each provided themselves with such livestock as they could find room for, not only with the purpose of living upon during the passage but with a view of stocking their little farms in the country to which we were going; every person in the fleet was with that view determined to live wholly on salt provisions in order that as much live stock as possible might be landed on our arrival.'
Clark says the numbers increased that day when 'one of the Government Sheep brought forth two Lams this Morning - hope they will live'. Not all officers could afford to take their own livestock and Tench says, 'it will readily be believed, that few of the military found it convenient to purchace sheep, when hay to feed them costs sixteen shillings a hundred weight' and this 'placed them under a necessity of circumscribing their original intentions of taking their own "private stocks".'
Easty says, 'a duch Ship Sailed for Plymouth in England', and Clark was able to get a letter on board before it left. Phillip 'made a Signall for Sailing'. Easty continues, 'hoisted all the boats in' and 'began to allter the Coats into uniform Jackits'. Scott received 'the Signall to unmoor' and it appeared the fleet was set to sail.
Last visits ashore had been paid by all, including Clark who had also done a profitable round of the other ships in port. 'After dinner the doctor and I went on board a portigue Eastindiaman from ther on board the \ICharlott\i from that on board a portigue Brig wher the mate made me a present of a little gare of Sweet Meats. From ther went on board a french Ship wher the Capt. made me a present a pice of Ebonay and Some Indian corn to Sow at Botany. I think they are very Kind to me all to give me these thing for nothing.'
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"11 November 1787: Sunday",228,0,g,0
Scott says, 'The Commadore Intended to Sale But. Was prevented by foul Winds, he Hove up & Got. out in fair Way'. HMS \ISirius\i did 'unmoor and drop further out into the Bay', Bradley says, 'as did most of the convoy'. Those on board used the extra time well enough as 'Arndell and Mr. Faddy went on board the \IAlexander\i Soon after Breackfast'. Clark says they 'Soon after Return and Mr. Consident with them who came on board to draw Several mens teeth which he did with the greatest ease and with very little pain to the men. Wanted him to Stay dinner but he would not.'
White was still feeling good as 'Previous to the commodore's embarkation he gave a public dinner to some of the gentlemen of the town and the officers of his fleet. The Dutch governor was to have been of the party but by some unforeseen event was detained in the country, where he had been for some days before. Commodore Phillip had his band of music on shore upon the occasion, and the day was spent with great cheerfulness and conviviality.'
The Chief Surgeon feared there would not be enough food for the future. 'It is much to be lamented that the quantity we could find room for fell very short of what we ought to have taken in, as the only spare room we had was what had been occasioned by the consumption of provisions, etc, since we left Rio de Janeiro, and the removal of twenty female convicts from the \IFriendship\i into the \ICharlotte\i, the \ILady Penrhyn\i, and the \IPrince of Wales\i.' However, it was too late to do anything about it as all they needed now was a fair offing.
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"12 November 1787",229,0,g,0
The good offing looked like coming so Phillip handed his dispatches to Captain Davies of the 23rd Regiment stationed in India who was returning on a Danish vessel to England. Collins says, 'by this ship every officer gladly embraced the last opportunity of communicating with their friends and connections, until they should be enabled to renew their correspondence from the new world to which they were now bound'.
Then before the fleet could get under way Scott says, 'An American Ship from Boston Arrived here after a passage of 82 days from Madera; Bound to India, Called \IFriendship\i'. Tench says, 'in her route she had been lucky enough to pick up several of the inferior officers and crew of the Harcourt East-Indiaman which ship had been wrecked on one of the Cape de Verde Islands. The master who appeared to be a man of some information, on being told the destination of our fleet, gave it as his opinion, that if a reception could be secured, emigrations could take place to New South Wales not only from the old continent but the new one, where the spirit of adventure and the thirst for novelty were excessive.'
While they were waiting for the signal for weighing, Scott says he 'Got an Account of Sergeant Knight Being Broken on Board \IAlexander\i' and that he had been reduced in rank for misbehaving while in port. Easty says, 'att 2 oclock the wind Sprang up to the Southerd and the Commodore fireed a gun and made a signall for wheaing'.
'As Wee Came Out', Scott says, 'Wee Left. Penguinn Island. on the Larbourd hand, As the Commadore Was Crouded With Stock, (I Suppose Was the Reason of) No Sallute passing on Our Sailing, from the Cape of Good Hope.' Further out Easty reports they 'spoke to a duch Eastindea Ship outward bound att 4' and then Scott says, 'At 7 P.M. Spoke the Kent. of London. a South Seaman; after a passage of 4 Months. from St. Helans, She Was Standing in for the Cape, & Informd. Us of Some More Ships being taken Up for Botnay bay.'
Clark was excited saying, 'perhaps She has got a letter for me from my dearly beloved Alicia . . . About 6 oClock Spoke the Ship a Whealer out four months and has got a bout 40 Tuns of oil bound to the east-ward of the cape on a Cruse he wanted to know what ship Mr. Watts is on board told him the \ILady Penrhyn\i - the Land Still in Sight.'
As they left this land Collins thought it was especially poignant to have encountered another English ship. 'It was natural to indulge at this moment a melancholy reflection which obtruded itself upon the mind. The land behind us was the abode of a civilised people; that before us was the residence of savages. When, if ever, we might again enjoy the commerce of the world, was doubtful and uncertain. The refreshments and the pleasures of which we had to liberally partaken at the Cape, were to be exchanged for coarse fare and hard labour at New South Wales.'
'All communication with families and friends now cut off, we were leaving the world behind us, to enter on a state unknown; and, as if it had been necessary to imprint this idea more strongly on our minds, and to render the sensation still more poignant, at the close of the evening we spoke to the ship from London. The metropolis of our native country, its pleasures, its wealth, and its consequence, thus accidentally presented to the mind, failed not to afford a most striking contrast with the object now principally in our view.'
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"Noah's Race to Botany Bay",230,0,g,0
\BCape Town to Botany Bay: 13 November 1787 to 20 January 1788\b
The passage from Cape Town to Botany Bay took sixty-eight days, by far the longest yet. To make matters worse the eleven-ship fleet split up for this leg into three sections, all of which sailed independently of each other. And on top of this the ships ran into a series of storms and gales that were far worse than anything they had struck so far.
The voyage took a lot longer because the fleet met easterlies rather than westerlies for the first week out of Cape Town causing them to lose more than 300 miles, and for the last week northerlies prevented them from approaching Botany Bay. Even so, the fleet made very good progress with the westerlies, averaging 144 miles a day in what was a great feat of seamanship and navigation.
Phillip's plan of splitting up the fleet so that he could arrive earlier on the swift sailing HMS \ISupply\i along with the labour force on the fastest of the transports failed because the fleet sailed into heavy weather with hard gales and high following seas that stopped HMS \ISupply\i from sailing well and helped the slowest ships to keep up with the leaders. So instead of arriving a long time ahead and setting up the base camp, Phillip only just got in before previously slow sailers, such as \ILady Penrhyn\i and \ICharlotte\i, with no time to prepare anything.
The unfavourable winds during the first and last week held them up so much that the livestock on board died because the hay ran out. This hay had been very expensive at Cape Town, so the ships had been fitted with just enough fodder to last the distance, assuming favourable winds. At one stage they even thought of calling at the south cape of Van Diemen's Land to cut some grass for the dying stock but the rocks made it too dangerous. They had to resign themselves to the loss of stock and wasted space on the ships and try to start meat supplies for the colony from a handful of survivors. As soon as they landed they had to rush from the ships to cut hay for the animals before the surviving few died as well.
This leg of the journey was also terrible for the convicts because great seas crashed into their quarters, wetting them through, and continual squalls tossed them about in their crowded cells. The hatches had to be battened down a lot of the time so the stench below was worse and there was little chance of the convicts drying off, taking exercise or keeping warm.
The extreme cold from the southerly latitudes increased their misery and when the fuel ran out there were no more cooked meals to cheer them up or help them fight off the inevitable diseases. Like the stock, they could only have those portions of food and water that could be spared from a finite supply. In spite of this, there were no serious accidents and all ships came through the ordeal.
Fortunately, scribes travelled with each of the three divisions to cover the different adventures along the way. The story of HMS \ISupply,\i which went on ahead, is told by King; Clark and Easty describe the first division, consisting of \IFriendship\i, \IScarborough\i and \IAlexander\i; the account of the second division is given by Hunter, White, Smyth, Collins, Tench, Scott and Bradley who between them travelled on HMS \ISirius\i, \ICharlotte\i, \ILady Penrhyn\i, and \IPrince of Wales\i in company with the three storeships \IBorrowdale\i, \IFishburn\i and \IGolden Grove\i.
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"13 November 1787",231,0,g,0
When the fleet started the journey, the weather was clear, as Easty says, and the breezes were fresh but were coming from the wrong direction. Smyth, who says they left Cape Town without much regret, claimed they had laid in a plentiful stock on \ILady Penrhyn\i, as 'notwithstanding the dearness of them we had sheep, Geese, Fowls, Goats, hogs etc.' and he anticipated a healthy diet at Botany Bay. Clark, who 'could eat no dinner being so sick', said it 'now blows very hard' and he was 'very wett with the Sea breaking over us'.
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"14 November 1787",232,0,g,0
This weather continued and King says 'there was a great swell from the Southward'; with the east wind against them Phillip decided to 'put the Officers and Men as well as the Convicts on a reduced allowance of 2 Quarts of water per day'.
On \ICharlotte\i White says, 'this morning Catherine Pryor one of the convicts was delivered of a male child' while Clark had 'got no Sleep all last night for the wind and the Sea would not let me Sleep - dreamt of being in bed with my dear beloved Alicia and that She told me to get up and Shut the room dore as ther was Some body coming up Stairs in the Barracks - dream also that I had my left arm brock and that lost a Tooth which is all bad dreams'. He was, however, 'not So Sea Sick as I was Yesterday'.
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"15 November 1787",233,0,g,0
With the easterlies still against them, King says the fleet was tacking to the east to get back on course. The weather remained 'Cleare' Easty says, as \IScarborough\i tacked again and again. 'The Brisk gale was quite against us and the fleet cannot yet make the tack for doubling the Cape', writes Smyth from \ILady Penrhyn\i, adding 'this day Ann Morton one of the women on board our ship was delivered of a boy'. Clark 'was disturb out of my sleep by the Sergeant of the Guard coming down to Acquaint Capt. Meridith that they had found Bennet one of the convicts a Sleep in the Long Boat wher he had gone and stole all the convicts Provision that have the liberty of walking the deck wher they put it for Safty.'
'This Young Rascall had come on deck about 10 oClock to make water and had while the centinell back was turnd Slipt into the long boat wher he had eat So much that he could not Stir and feld a Sleep untill about 2 oClock in the morning when he was found ther'. Later he 'had a salt Beef dinner today and will have maney of them befor I get to Botany' then 'put Jno. Bennet both legs in Irons for Sealing the Bread in the Long boat last night - mark my words that we will not have been at Botany above Six months befor this Young Vilian Bennet comes to the Gallows'. Clark was once again quite correct - Bennet was hanged for stealing food within five months of the fleet arriving at Botany Bay.
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"16 November 1787",234,0,g,0
The clear weather continued as did the winds against them. Scott says, 'being to Leeward' \IPrince of Wales\i 'tacked and stood in for the fleet'. On \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth noted '3 Whales rose near the Ship, one of which almost touched the Ships side' and that the livestock had already started dying - 'Every morning since our leaving the Cape has presented us with 4-5 and 6 dead fowls'.
Clark says this was happening elsewhere as well, 'the \IBoroghdale\i came under our stairn and ask us how we did - told him all well as they were the Same on board of them - they Say that they have lost a great number of ther fowls a has captain Walton on board here - thank God that mine (two) are still a live and hope that they will Remain for that is all my stock to begin farming at Botany'.
Clark Island in Sydney was named after Clark as a tribute to the success he had as a farmer and vegetable grower while in the colony.
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"17 November 1787",235,0,g,0
The wind pushed them further and further west; it started to rain. Easty was 'ordered to get 8 tons of warter in readyness to go on bord the \ILady Penrhyn\i'. Easty did not say why the \IScarborough\i was getting rid of water but Clark had heard the first rumours of the fleet splitting up. 'Lieutenant Ball of the \ISupply\i came on board with orders from the Commandor and Major Ross and took away two convicts Thomas Yardsley a Gardner and Will Haynes a Cabinet Maker for which I am very Sorry for as I am affraid that I shall not be able to get my Tea Caddy done which I intended to have made. Ball informs us that the Commandor Major Ross, Lieutenants King and Daw are going he believes in his Brigg and leave the fleet to follow them to Botany.'
'The Commandor means to take \IScarborough\i and \IAlexander\i with him also and that is the reason that he is taking all the carpenters and Gardeners that are in the fleet on board the \ISupply\i to have Some houses and Some Ground turned over agains the arrival at Botany. I wish that the Commandor would take our little Ship with him as She Sails So well.' Clark was keen to get on dry land as his dreams were getting worse. 'Dreamt that my Mother and Beloved Alicia were dead. Oh my God what a dream oh how much did cry in the night in my Sleep . . .'
White also wanted the wind to improve as 'an epidemic dysentry appeared among the convicts, which very soon made its way among the marines and prevailed with violence and obstinacy'.
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"18 November 1787: Sunday",236,0,g,0
Easty reports 'at 9 oclock tacked ship' and then 'att 10 tackd again'. They had been out nearly a week but with winds from the east against them, King saw 'a great number of Whales and Grampuses' and on \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth saw three more whales. He also records that one of his charges, convict Jane Parkinson, died that day. Clark had 'dreamt again of being with my beloved wife and that you dear woman appeard big with child. Gracious God I hope that there is nothing the matter with her'.
He also 'read the Spalms and lessons for the day and offerd up prayers more than daily for the health and well fare of my dear Tender and most Beautiful Alicia and Son' and then 'kist her dear Pictour as usual on this day'.
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"19 November 1787",237,0,g,0
The fleet was at latitude 37░ and longitude 14░ and worried by the lack of progress since Cape Town, Phillip decided to split up the fleet. Rather than waiting for the slowest ship all the time, he would cut out the fastest and go on ahead, as King explains, 'Captain Phillip signified his intention of going onboard the \ISupply\i & proceeding with her, & the \IAlexander\i \IScarboro\i & \IFriendship\i Transports, to the place of our destination; but in case the Transports (which are the best sailors of the Convoy) should not be able to keep up with the \ISupply\i it is his intention to leave them under the care of Lieutenant Shortland Agent for Transports, Who is furnished with very ample instructions in what manner to conduct the Vessells under his Charge.'
'Captain Hunter is to be charged with making the best of his way with the rest of the Convoy consisting of the \ISirius\i, \ILady Penrhyn\i, \ICharlotte\i, & \IPrince of Wales\i with the Three Victuallers - Captain Phillip, Lieutenant Dawes of the Marines, and myself are to go in the \ISupply\i with 6 Artificers. Major Ross & Lieutenant Long Adjutant of the Marines are to go onboard the \IScarboro\i & Lieutenant Shortland removes from the \IFishburn\i into the \IAlexander\i.'
'The end proposed by this separation is, that the governor flatters himself that he shall arrive at the place of our destination (Botany Bay) a fortnight before the Transports in which time he will be able to make his observations on the place whether it is a proper Spot for the Settlement or not & in the latter case he will then have time to Examine Port Stephens before the arrival of the Transports on the Coast; Should Botany Bay answer our expectations he may have time to erect a Log Store house for the reception of the Provisions which will hasten the departure of the Store Ships & Transports. It being calm the Afternoon of this day the Signal was made for The Transports to come under our Stern & some arrangements were taken in shifting water from the \IAlexander\i, to the \ILady Penrhyn\i & Store ships, Some baggage was sent on \ISupply\i & \IScarboro\i & some convicts artificers, were sent with our 6 Men onboard the \ISupply\i, at Sunsett every thing was ready for the intented separation, which was deferred till we should be 100 Leagues to the Eastward of the Cape of Good Hope.'
Scott from \IPrince of Wales\i notes that marine Corporal Peter Tolburt died that day 'of a bad fever'.
Smyth also saw 'two more Whales just under the Bows' in the morning and later '6 or 8 Sperma Ceti Whales rose very near the Ship'. Clark, on hearing formally about the separation, says 'I am Exceeding happy to find that we are going with the Commodore when he goes in the \ISupply\i. I am Sorry though that the orders that came on board to day is to put us to 3 pints a water in the 24 hours which is too little, 2 Quarts we can doe with, but 3 pints is too little. Thank God I hav a little by me of my own'.
He thought the separation plan good as 'we have lost by this bad wind near 300 miles. I wish that it would come fair but I am affraid that it will come from the old Quarter. Several boat going from Ship to Ships. One of the Sheep beloning to Government brought forth a lamb - I think that if they come as fast at Botany as they have Since they came on board her we will Soon have a good Stock' although there were feeding problems as '. . . the horses will not eat Bran so they are affraid that they will not have hay to Serve them'.
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"20 November 1787",238,0,g,0
King says they were still being forced west by easterly winds, so it looked like being some time before they would be 100 leagues east of the Cape and ready to separate. Phillip was wise to put off the reorganisation of the fleet, however, because breezes sprang up which Smyth says increased gradually and by nightfall the ships were being tossed around in quite heavy seas. Clark says 'the Ship rold very much all last night ther being no wind to keep her steeddy - was oblige to get out in the night to put my dressing box in the cubbord which had tumbled out and was all most brock to pices'. During the same motion 'another of the Government Sheep brought forth a lamb which is the 6th. Since they came on board'. Clark had also 'dreamt last night that I was going down to Regadock to take leave of them befor I went to Botany but was assulted by a great Mob whome I was obliged to handle reather rufly with my Sword befor they would let me pass'.
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"21 November 1787",239,0,g,0
The winds at last changed, according to Easty, and the eleven ships began to have more success in battling their way east. Scott says they began to move faster with 'a Clourious Brees'. Clark says 'all the Ship in company going 8 Knots ane hour which if we continue this for a month then I think Shall not be great way from Botany Bay'.
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"22 November 1787",240,0,g,0
The wind continued to change until it came round and was more behind them as King notes, 'the Wind veered to WNW & NNW with fresh gales & a following sea, at Noon imagining our selves in a very good lattitude to make our Easting in, The Course was changed to E.S.E. It is rather extraordinary that in our present Lattitude viz 39░.00 we should still feel the effects of the Western Current particularly as our distance Run in the 24 hours is 156 miles.'
Already the following winds and seas were showing up the weaknesses in HMS \ISupply\i which was meant to be the swiftest sailer as Clark noted 'the fleet is obliged to Shorten Sail for the HMS \ISupply\i who is not able to keep up with the fleet as it blows too fresh with a Great Sea running'.
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"23 November 1787",241,0,g,0
The fleet was now being swept along by 'very strong gales and a Great Sea' King says, with the wind from the north-west and well behind them. Easty says the winds 'Caried away the Main top gallant yard' of HMS \ISirius\i and on the \IPrince of Wales\i Scott says 'Yorgan Yorganness a Seaman, fell Over Board from the Main Top Sail Yard, it being Dark & Blowing fresh Wee had No Hopes of Saving him'.
The strong winds enabled the fleet 'to regain the meridian of the Cape having been forced far to the Westward' Bradley says, putting them back on the longitude where they started. The rougher conditions made \ILady Penrhyn\i Master 'Capt. Sever and Henderson, one of the Sailors very ill', Smyth says, 'both with Bilious disorders and in the night the wind increased and blew very hard with heavy rain'.
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"24 November 1787",242,0,g,0
With the wind from the north-west, King says they had 'moderate breezes'. It was 'thick and clowdy', according to Easty, and Smyth reports 'frequent squalls'. On \IPrince of Wales\i, Scott says 'At. A.M., Elenor McCave a Convict Was Delevered. of a Dead Child, Buried at P.M.' Clark says it was 'a nasty Squaly day. The wind blows fresh. All the Ship in company. Gave this afternoon a Quart of Rum to the Boatswain and Carpenter of the Ship for things that they have done for me.'
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"25 November 1787: Sunday",243,0,g,0
They were now at least eighty leagues east of the Cape and the moment to split the fleet had arrived. 'I left the \ISirius\i', Phillip said, 'and went on board the \ISupply\i tender, in hopes, by leaving the convoy, to gain sufficient time to examine the country around Botany Bay and fix on the most eligible situation for the colony before the transports arrived.'
He hoped that the Agent Lieutenant John Shortland would be able to follow hot on his heels in \IAlexander\i bringing \IScarborough\i and \IFriendship\i with him in the first division, 'these transports sailing better than the others' and that he had 'reason to expect their arrival soon after the \ISupply\i's and by having the labour of the convicts they had on board much might be done in preparing for the landing of stores and provisions'. He had installed Major Ross on \IScarborough\i in this first division along with his marines to direct and supervise this convict labour while Captain Hunter in HMS \ISirius\i was to follow with the remainder of the transports and storeships in the second division and 'he had the necessary instructions for his future proceedings, should the \ISupply\i meet with any accident'.
King reports how he 'went on board His Majesties armed Tender \ISupply\i (Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball Commander) with Governor Phillip & Lieutenant Dawes of the Marines . . . at one o'clock we parted Company with the Fleet which at Sun sett were hull down, The Wind fresh at West'.
'The \ISirius\i cheerd Phillip with three cheers which he and the Boat crew returnd from \ISupply\i' Clark said. 'We are also not to have any conversation with the Natives when we get to Botany. Seald orders came on board from Major Ross to Capt. Meridith which he is not to oppen unless we Seppereat from the Ships.'
As it was Sunday, Clark 'read the lessons and Spalms for the day of the month' and 'kist my beloveds Pictour as usual on this day'. Clark also made a new resolution saying 'to day for the first time in my life drinked my tea without Sugar which I intend to doe all the Voyage as my Sugar begins to grou Short therefor will only drink tea and Sugar now and after we get on Shore on certaind days'.
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"26 November 1787",244,0,g,0
Out ahead in HMS \ISupply,\i King says the little brig had drawn a long way ahead by lunch time and by the afternoon he had difficulty sighting the ships of the first division.
On the first division \IScarborough,\i Easty says they enjoyed 'cleare weather with fresh breases' and they were seven leagues ahead of the second division.
On the second division, White says from \ICharlotte\i 'we had not lost sight of . . . the other ships though they were considerably ahead. Now that Hunter was on his own he had other plans for this second division saying, 'I was of the opinion that we had kept in too northerly a parrell to ensure strong and lasting westerly winds which determined me, as soon as Captain Phillip had left the fleet, to steer to the southward and keep in a higher latitude'. Accordingly he began to change course and from then on the different divisions were out of step.
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"27 November 1787",245,0,g,0
King says, 'At Day light' the Ships were out of sight and 'A great number of black & Blue Petrells were round the Ship with a prodigious quantity of Whales'.
On the first division, Clark confirms that they had lost sight of HMS \ISupply\i and the second division as well.
Scott, straining his eyes from \IPrince of Wales\i in the second division, also said 'the Commodore's Flying Squdren now out of Sight'. From then on each division was cut off from the other and there would be no contact until they were together in Botany Bay. Clark 'Satt down and mended a few hool in my table cloath'.
On the second division \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth noted that 'the 4 Racers were out of sight' and maintained his interest in whales saying, 'Capt. Sever was standing on the Quarter deck & exclam'd there was a Rock ahead. Which in the first moment of Surprise alarm'd many of us; but upon a second view it proved to be a dead Whale of a most enormous size. in all probability it had been dead some time, as it was prodigeously swell'd, the Skin off its back which was a great heighth out of the Water & at first sight had very much the appearance of a Rock, especially as it was in a manner cover'd over with a variety of Sea Birds: notwithstanding it was at least 1/2 a mile from the ship, the stench of it was almost intollerable.'
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"28 November 1787",246,0,g,0
On HMS \ISupply,\i King was now preoccupied with calculating the ship's position, working closely with Lieutenant William Dawes and his treasured timekeeper. He was puzzled by the currents which he claimed had pulled HMS \ISupply\i off its course and wondered whether the heaving of the sea or bad steering had made them deviate.
Then suddenly 'at 11 P.M. The man on the lookout forward called out rocks under the bows, on which the helm was put a lee & instead of rocks, we were presented with the view of 2 very large Whales, & so close to the Vessell that I could have stept from the Gunnell on either of their backs. The Vessell was felt going over their tails by those below. We had very heavy Squalls with fresh Gales all this day & a very high Sea running. The Brig labours much, & is very uncomfortable. It must be acknowledged that ease & convenience were not our errand onboard this Vessell.'
The first division was having the same problems, as Clark says 'it blows so hard that I cannot sit to write' recording his shortest journal entry for the voyage. Easty on \IScarborough\i managed to scrawl 'A heavy Sea Came on bord the heaveyest Sea as ever I saw in my life' and later added 'Luke hines hurted By a fall'. Duncan Sinclair, Master of \IAlexander\i, was having more trouble with his charges and reported 'found the convicts breaking into the main hold'.
On the second division things were little better as Scott reported 'small rain and strong breezes'.
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"29 November 1787",247,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i continued to battle on ahead and King says 'had Squalls of Wind & Rain, & one of the most confused Tumbling seas I every beheld, the Rain & squalls brought the Wind round to WNW & the Sea abated much. The latter part of this day had very pleasant & serene Weather, which in a Vessell of this kind is a very disirable circumstance if it were only to dry ones Things, as the Sea yesterday made fair breaches over her & many of them Wetted the head of the Fore sail. A great number of Albatrosses & pettrels round us, we passed thro' a long string of fish sperm of a sand colour.'
King was apparently inspired by the progress of the ship saying, 'When the Wind blows worship the Echo!' and then later in anticipation of some treat in store he added shyly, 'c'est bien a propos ce soir'.
Back on the first division, Easty says it was clear for part of the day, but 'a fresh breas' sprang up and he saw 'a water spout bearing S by West'. Clark says, 'it blow much harder Yesterday than it has Since I have left england - was exceedingly Sea Sick much more So than Since I have been in the Ship. The Ship rold her sides under water and the Sea broke over us almost every moment'. 'I never was in a Ship that rold So much as this Ship dose. I could hardly Sleep last night for it. Ther is still a great Sea up. If my dear woman had been on board heer yesterday She would have been pretty frightend.'
On the second division conditions were just as bad. Smyth records, 'Wind very high with a prodigeous Sea which continued all night & during the night the Ship roll'd to very much that every thing moveable was thrown down, in every part of the Ship. I was this day dressg. a Blister for a Sailor in the Steerage & had it not been for the Chest of one of the seamen, I must inevitably have had both my Legs crush'd to Atoms, as the whole of the great Cable tear gave way & took the above Chest in its passing which fortunately pitch'd against the foot of the Steerage Ladder & stopt it's progress just as it had drove my Legs between two large Chests so as to press them gently.'
Not only his legs but also his trousers were endangered that day as he says 'This day a Shark, not less than 15 feet in length seiz'd a pair of white Trowzers of mine which were towing astern & snapt a new chord as big as my little finger in pieces, gave a great plunge & went under the stern. I & several others happen'd to be on the round house at the time & look'd over immediately & in a few minutes after saw the Trowsers come up again & float astern & the Shark following them.'
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"30 November 1787",248,0,g,0
King reports a complete change to 'Very fine weather with A great quantity of different birds amongst which were those called Petrels'.
It was also calm where the first division was, as Clark says 'the little wind that came last Evening So died away and it was Quit calm about 12 oClock at night but thank God that Since ther has a very fine breeze Spring up and the Ship goes between 4 and 5 knots. A very fine day and a likely hood of the winds continues. The two Ship in company.' It was St Andrew's Day, he says, and his friend Mrs Stuart's birthday 'good woman - I hope she is now in heaven', he concluded, thinking of the money coming his way on her death.
Further back on the second division, things were not quite as peaceful; Scott reports a 'modret Gale' and White 'some very heavy showers' and another death 'Daniel Cresswell, one of the troops intended for the garrison, who was seized on the 19th of November by a violent and dangerous dysentry died of his illness. From the commencement of his disorder, he was in the most acute agonizing pain I ever was witness to; nor was it in the power of medicine to procure him the shortest interval of ease. His case being a very singular one, I am transmitting it, with some others, to a medical friend in London, with permission to make what use of them he may think proper.'
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"1 December 1787",249,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i sailed into another patch of bad weather again as 'fresh Gales accompanied by Squalls of Wind and Rain' battered the brig and King says there was 'a heavy sea following'.
The first division, which was more than a day's sail behind now, was enjoying 'clear weather and calm seas' Easty says on \IScarborough\i. His ship took advantage of the smooth seas to send 'a fine hind Quarter of Mutton on board \IFriendship\i'. Clark says 'for Captain Walton And I should have no objections to cut a few slice from it for I am Quite Sick of Salt Beef and Salt Pork but I must make the best of it as I have nothing els in the Mess - I never lived So poor Since I was born'.
Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i in the second division was enjoying 'Fine breeze' and 'the 7 Ships of the fleet all in sight & not far from each other. The \ISirius\i rather ahead of the fleet. This day Mr. James Smith, passenger in our Ship, made me a present of the 4 Vols. of the Dictionary of Arts & Sciences. This day one of the Convicts in our Ship Margaret Burn scallded her Leg in a dreadful manner.'
Smyth also saw 'a Whale, which tinctured the Water with blood for a considerable space round it every time it rose, wherefore we concluded it might have been wounded by a swordfish, the avow'd Enemy of the Whale: especially as we saw no Whale fishers in these parts'. On \IPrince of Wales\i Scott says, 'A Marine's Wife (Harmsworth) was Delevered of a Boy'.
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"2 December 1787: Sunday",250,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was battling on through 'strong gales and a heavy sea from the west', King reports.
By contrast \IScarborough\i and her two companions in the first division enjoyed 'Cleare weather with Light Breases' and Easty says as they reached Latitude 41░ South and Longitude 38░ East, 'the Captain ordared us to Paraide with our new Jackets & wastcoats & trowsars to revew us'. Clark says he 'kist my Alicia Pictour as usual on this day . . . A very fine day and fair wind. Read the lessons and Spalms for the day of the month. A great number of Porpoises a bout the Ship also Several albitrosses flying a bout. One of the last born lams died this morning. The \IScarborough\i came along Side and haild us to know by Major Ross orders of Captain Meridith if the mens Jackets wair all finished, answered not Quite. They are all well as are we. Thank god having nobody Sick on board.'
A fine breeze also moved the second division gently along at the rate of six knots, Smyth says, and 'a discovery was made of Thos. Kelly, a Convict, sent on board from the \IAlexander\i to superintent the Governor's Horses having broach'd a puncheon of Rum between decks & drank & given to the Women a Considerable quantity. As it appear'd pretty clear that he was instigated by the Women to do it the Captain did not get him punish'd but took care to secure the Rum in future so far as it was possible to do it.'
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"3 December 1787",251,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was finding it increasingly difficult to make good headway through the strong gales and heavy seas as King says it was not suited to such conditions and 'sailed indifferently'.
As the first division sailed into these stronger winds the other brig \IFriendship\i found it had a similar problem and Clark says 'the two Ships a great way a head of us, we have got more Sail Set to day than we have had at any one time Since I have been in the Ship. Went by the Log last 24 hours 164 miles - thirty Such runs as this I think that we shall not be a great Way from Botany. I wish it was to Plymouth dear Sweet place wher all my happiness my Soul and tendrest Love is centerd.' Across on \IScarborough\i Easty says 'att night heavy gales of wind Caried the foretop mast Back Stay, and Split the Main Sail & the jib and broke the jib Stay, we unbent the Main topsail and bent a new one till one in the Morning, very heavy rain'.
The conditions were also getting rougher for Hunter's second division as he reports, 'winds from the north-east with squalls' and Smyth says there was 'a great swell' and they 'Ship'd many heavy seas. Kill'd a pig this day and this day by observation we were ten thousand 5 hundred miles & upwards from England, have now upwards of 5 thousand 5 hundred miles to new Holland'.
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"4 December 1787",252,0,g,0
King reports a change of wind as the 'Strong Gales from the West veered round to NW & N.b.E. & from thence shifted suddenly to SbE & SSE with rain which made it so very cold that Many of the people were affected so much by it, that some were obliged to quit their duty, particulary the Man at the Helm, John Breedon, who was affected with a kind of Stupor. I have observed both in our Run from the Brazils to the Cape of Good Hope & on this run that the Wind commences after a Calm to blow at West & NW from whence it Veers round in Squalls of Rain to North & SW but never recollect its veerin round the contrary way.'
The cold was also severe for those following on the second division and Clark says, 'this is a nasty dirty day it is Exceedingly cold what must it be in the winter if it is so cold now the middle of Summer . . . It blow very hard in the night much harder than it has done Since we have been from England'. 'Several heavy Seas brock over us in the night. I could not Sleep not a wink.' Easty says they were now in Latitude 40░ South and Longitude 46░ East and confirmed the 'thick clowdy weather with rain'.
On the second division, Smyth says it was also 'very rainy & Wind very high & in the night the Ship roll'd gunnell under. Many Albatrosses about the Ship, one of them Steward caught with a hook baited with fat, but it broke lose before he could haul it up. The Steward got up a large black kind of Gull. & preserv'd it. The last Hen Pidgeon went overboard & drown'd.'
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"5 December 1787",253,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i sailed better under moderate breezes with the wind fortunately still coming from the west again accompanied by a 'great Western swell'.
Rain continued to drench the first division but as it was calm, repairs could be carried out and Easty says they were employed 'reparing the rigin, bending the new foretop Sail maintop gallant Sail & gib', and later, 'the \IAlaxandars\i boat Came on bord with the Quarter marster' to discuss supplies and then 'the wind Sprang up' and it 'rain all night'.
Clark who 'lay a Weak the greatest part of the night and did nothing but think a bout home god bless them both' said there was 'Quite a calm not a Single breath of wind' and it was 'much warmer than Yesterday but Still it is very cold - this afternoon one of the Sheep brought forth a lam the Smalest of the whole that has been lamd Yet'.
Although it was also 'very calm' on the second division Smyth says it was getting colder and 'one of the Cape Sheep died of the Cold'.
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"6 December 1787",254,0,g,0
Moderate westerlies continued to propel HMS \ISupply\i towards Botany Bay but heavy rain and thick foggy weather with distant thunder now descended. The fog was so bad for the first division following behind that they could only keep in touch by using their ears. 'Cannot See neather of our consorts', Clark says, and 'at 8 oClock herd a Gun close too us - Suppose it to be from the \IAlexander\i also ringing of Bells. At 10oClock the fog cleard away and the two Ships close to us.' Luckily Easty says the day was also very calm. There was no fog for the second division although Smyth says 'Looks very dirty but at present almost a calm'. On \ILady Penrhyn\i the 'Sow littered and had 6 pigs'.
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"7 December 1787",255,0,g,0
'Wind Moderate in the NW Quarter', King reports from HMS \ISupply\i and 'a Thick Fog, which renders our present situation rather perilous as no Ship ever ran in this parrallel of Lattitude before, so far to the Eastward The Lattitude by a Meridian Altitude this day at Noon gives 41░.13' South, its being rather cloudy all the Morning could get no Altitudes for the Time Keeper'. Easty says the first division enjoyed 'cleare weather with Light Breeses' and on \IFriendship\i Clark said 'thinking about my beloved Alicia has affected me So much that I Sat down and read part of the Play of Jane Gray - oh what a deep Tragedy it is - poor Lady I believe She knew that She must died if She accepted the crown - She did love her husband but not half So much as I love my adorable Alicia . . . not all the promotion Should make me part from her again'.
'I cannot rest I wish that it was bed time that I might have a hearty cry that would ease the hevy load that at present is round my heart.' By contrast the second division was sweltering and Smyth says 'So very hot can scarsely bear to sit upon the Round House'. They were at the same time 'almost in a Calm'. Scott says 'the \ICharlotte\i's Boat called on Board \ISirius\i' then on \IPrince of Wales\i, taking advantage of the glassy seas which, following the fog and squalls, provided the ships with a diet as changeable as that suffered by the ancient mariner in Coleridge's poem, written not long after.
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"8 December 1787",256,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i continued to be battered by 'Fresh Gales which veered from NW to NE & back again to NW with a great Sea' King says and 'our distance ran by the log 158', the Brig has much motion. At 10 AM Lieutenant Ball being on deck perceived (as he thought) a Rock on the Larboard bow, but soon after we percieved it was a Combat between a Whale & a very large Thresher which could not be less than twenty feet long. As the Whale swims along the Thresher watches when the Whale is going to Spout, at that time he throws himself out of the Water & falls with the greatest force on the Whales head or shoulders The Whale defends himself by endeavoring to strike the Thresher with his tail.'
Easty says the second division continued to enjoy 'cleare weather and fresh breeses' and Clark 'hoped to God that the fair wind will continue for this Month to come. Read the remainder of Lady Jane Gray. Could not help Sheding Tears for So good a Young Lady to come with her fond husband to So untimly ane end as She did . . . The doctor's Pigg has brought forth 5 Young ones of which the doctor has given me one for which I am much oblige to him. One of the Sheep brought for a nother Lam this afternoon.'
By contrast, Scott says that the second division began to sail into 'Rain and thick Weather' impeding their progress considerably.
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"9 December 1787: Sunday",257,0,g,0
The winds remained 'fresh in the north east quarter' for HMS \ISupply\i, wrote King, and the brig sailed better now that the heavy seas and gales had abated.
'Thick Clowdy Weather' and 'a heavy Squarl of wind with rain' hampered \IScarborough\i, Easty says, while the other two first division ships coped as best they could. The changeable weather had provided Clark with another upsetting dream where 'I was with my beloved Alicia and I thought that I put my hand in her breast. Dear Sweet dream it was honey to my Soul athough in a dream to be with You my adorable woman.' 'This being Sunday kist your pictour my tender wife the mother of our dear Boy as usual on this day. I could not help Saying to myself this morning when I was looking on it how good the Almighty has been to me to give So Beautiful So good So Vertious a woman to wife as you are Betsey. I want word to praise your Vertious, you are Surly ane Angle and not a woman - Read the lessons and Spalms for the day.'
The brig was still falling back behind the three-masted ships and Clark said 'our consorts are a bout a mile a head of us . . . Gave the Seamen a bottle of Rum for they are very wett and cold and a Glas wont doe them any harm.'
The ship that held up Hunter's second division was not \ICharlotte\i or \ILady Penrhyn,\i who sailed well with heavier winds and seas, but the storeship \IBorrowdale\i and Scott records \I'Borrow Dale\i Transport Sails Verey bad; Which Delay's the Fleet Very Mutch'.
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"10 December 1787",258,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply,\i moving along quite well under fresh winds, travelled 160 miles.
Clark 'Gave Jno. Best one of the convicts a Glass or Rum he appeard to be very cold'.
On the second division, \ILady Penrhyn's\i Smyth reviewed the health of his convict charges and began to reflect on the punishment of prisoners, 'Upon any very extraordinary occasion . . . they have thumb Screws put on or Iron fetters on their wrists of this form and sometimes their hair has been cut off and their head shaved, which they seemed to dislike more than any other punishment they underwent. At first 1 or 2 were flog'd with a Cat of 9 tails on the naked breech; but as there are certain seasons when such a mode of punishment could not be inflicted with that attention to decency which everyone whose province it was to punish them, wished to adhere to, it was totally laid aside. They were also whilst under punishment so very abusive that there was a necessity for gaging them.'
#
"11 December 1787",259,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was now sailing well 'in the parrallel of 41.30 Lattitude', King says.
Easty says they had 'Thick Clowdy weather with Light Breases with the wind att NW' on the first division and 'the Marines Scrubed hammocks & got orders to Scrub them Every fortnight'. Clark adds, 'My God how the Ship did roul last - did not close my Eyes the whole there being a great Sea and little wind. If my dear Betsey had been here how She would have been frightend for her Clark her Son and Self. Sat down and wrot a few lines on her Vertues which I intend to Send home to you in my first letter. I have Said nothing but what is Your due Betsey my Belovd Woman. The pain in my head Quit gone but the pain in my breast much the Same.'
'Fine Breezes' filled the sails of the second division which continued to make good headway.
#
"12 December 1787",260,0,g,0
King reports that HMS \ISupply\i was on course and that he and Lieutenant William Dawes spent every spare moment checking the position of the ship and using the precious timekeeper to take readings as accurately as possible.
Easty reports, 'Cleare weather with fresh Breases the wind att N By W'. He also 'Saw A Large quantaty of Sea weead' and 'Saw 3 or 4 Large whales to the South erd this day in Lattitude of 41 23 South and Longitude of 64:10 East being 2158 Miles to the Easterd of the Cape of good hope and in Longitude of the Ile of Desolation'.
Smyth says the second division continued to enjoy fine breezes but that it now began to rain.
#
"13 December 1787",261,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i maintained its good sailing speed travelling more than 160 miles again, keeping well in front of the other two divisions.
Clark says they 'went the last 24 hours 163 miles' and claimed that 'we are now a breast of Kergullins land on the Island of Desolation wher Captain Cook put in to on chrismas day and cald the Harbour chrismas harbour from the day'. He found it 'remarkable could ther although it was the hight of Summer . . . The Island of Desolation Liys in the Latte 48 South Long 67 East. By the Ships reconing we are in Long 67-30 East. I hope to God that we will be at Botany about the middle of January. Gave Some Rum to Duhagen one of the Seamen.'
Bradley on HMS \ISirius\i confirms that the second division 'crossed the Meridian of Kergulans Land in the Latitude of 40:58 South'.
#
"14 December 1787",262,0,g,0
Speeding ahead on HMS \ISupply\i, King says, 'this day we crossed the Meridian of the Island of St. Pauls, with a Fresh Gale, at SW'.
The wind was west-south-west for the first division and Easty records clear weather and fresh breezes. Clark, who 'dreamt that I was in the Barracks with You my Belovd Betsey and that I Saw our dear Sweet Boy running back and forward a cross the room', said he 'put Robert Sidaway in a pair of Leg irons for being impertinent to Mr. Faddy. This is the fellow that the doctor of the \IMercury\i Shot throu the arm when they rose and took the Ship - he is a darring Valinous fellow I should have flogg him if I had being Commanding officer for his behavour.'
'This afternoon a little hawk came on board and one of the men caught it. Found that it belonged to Some body on board the \IScarborough\i who had let it fly away for its nastyness. The man that caught it let it fly away again and Poor little thing in Endeavering to reach the \IAlexander\i it fell in the water. I Suppose must be drownd. Sat down and wrot out a Memd. of every thing that I have got as I dont know what things I have and have not. Shall not be able to Get ane Account of every thing untill I get to Botany.'
Rain continued to impede the progress of the second division and Scott says, 'Wind fair, But Verable, & Blowes Very fresh At. times'. Their stocks were low: 'Our Butter & flower. that Was. found, by the Contracter, (Mr. Richards,) for Victuling. Marines & Convicts. is Out' and so the 'Marines, Rec'd, Beef in Leu of Flour, & the Convicts Bread in Leu of Flour'.
#
"15 December 1787",263,0,g,0
'Fresh Gales of wind' moved the plucky HMS \ISupply\i along as it continued to enjoy winds from the north-west or south-west.
Clark says on the first division 'a good Breeze Sprung up in the Middle watch' but that he unfortunately 'dreamt that I had Sh... my Breechess last night. My Dear Betsey I think if you was here Betsey and I telling you So you would call me nasty fellow.' Easty says, 'Major Ross orderd but 4 Centinals to be on deck att a time by Day' from now on \IScarborough\i.
Smyth reported: 'A large Whale rose close under the stern abt. 12 o'Clock at noon & at 6 p.m. another equally large rose near the Ship. This day a fine Kidd of Mr. Watts's frighten'd overboard by Captain Campbell's Servant & drowned.'
#
"16 December 1787: Sunday",264,0,g,0
Winds from the west continued to give HMS \ISupply\i the force it needed to keep out in front, King reported, and it continued to average 160 miles a day.
Easty reports that the convicts received a rare Sunday treat from one of their number who had reformed on \IScarborough\i when 'this Day Herbert Kealing read A Sermon to the Convicts Down in there own Burths att night' despite the 'heavy Squalls of wind and rain'.
Clark was worried as he 'dreamt last night that I was again with You my Alicia and I thought that You was going to take Some bodys child to nurse who had Sore Eyes and I was much against. I hope to god that our dear Boy has not got Sore Eyes Betsey. Kist your dear image this day as usual - read the Prayer lessons and Spalms for the Day. A very fine wind - run the last 24 hours 172 miles which is delightful going.'
Hunter says the second division now reached the position HMS \ISupply\i had reached on the 14th; 'we saw a quantity of sea weed which I suppose might have come from the island of St. Paul as we were now near its meridan and not more than 60 leagues from it. We had at present every prospect of an excellent passage to Van Dieman's Land for although the wind sometimes shifted to the north east it seldom continued for more than a few hours before backing around again to the south west or north west between which quarters it seemd to blow as a trade wind and this wind in general was very fresh.'
Smyth also sensed land 'a Whale close by the stern & many Albatrosses about the Ship. Many Sand pipers a dozen or more in a flock about the Ship, which we thought an indication of their being land at no great distance, however we saw none'. White even saw some 'rock weed' from the \ICharlotte\i along with land birds and a solitary seal.
#
"17 December 1787",265,0,g,0
King reports a slight crisis on HMS \ISupply\i as 'the Time Keeper was not thought of till about 6 oclock in the Evening, when it was found to have been down about an hour, it soon after was wound up & sett a going, & the next forenoon some very good Altitudes were taken, from which the Longitude of the Ship was found again'.
Clark says 'it came on to blow and rain very hard' so he gave more rum to the seamen who 'are very wett'.
Supplies were becoming more of a problem on the second division, Scott says. 'Lieutenant Cresswell Went on Board the \ISirius\i, Respecting, provision, & Got orders, to Receve, Flour & Butter, from Any one, of the Victulers, the first Opertunity.' Smyth remarks, 'very large Whales were seen for a considerable time together very near the Ship: we supposed them to be 2 Males & a female & that they were engendering'. White says it was 'dark and gloomy' but they had 'some gulls' around the \ICharlotte\i.
#
"18 December 1787",266,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i sailed into rougher weather as King says, 'Had very strong Gales of Wind from the SW to NW with a very heavy Sea running which keeps this vessell almost constantly under water & renders the Situation of every one onboard of her, truly uncomfortable'.
Clark who 'dreamt that I was with you my Betsey and that I put you on horsback but you could not ride' noted it was very cold.
On the second division the supplies were being sorted out as John Mason, Master of \IPrince of Wales\i, records that having 'hoisted out the Jolly Boat' for 'the commanding officer of Marines to go on board \ISirius\i to acquaint Captain Hunter that there was no flou or butter on the ship' he now had permission to 'hoist up out of the mainhold for the use of the marines and convicts, seven casks of flour marked BB and one cask of oatmeal marked Extra Stores' and this was all 'by order of the Commissary'. An appreciative Scott says 'The Commissary's flour Was Served; In Leu of flour Dificent, on Board'.
Smyth reports, 'Mary Davis one of the Convicts, fell down the fore Hatchway & pitched on her head - which being well defended by false hair, rolls, etc. She sustain'd no matereal injury. I must here make a digression to take notice of the beautiful appearance of the Sea about 9 o'Clock at night the moon shone very bright & its silver beams reflecting upon the waves (whose edges seem'd tip'd with Silver) exhibited a sight the beauty & Novelty whereof no one who has not been a spectator of a similar scene can form an adequate idea of.'
#
"19 December 1787",267,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i sped ahead as best it could with such a heavy sea running.
Clark on the first division said, 'I suppose my dreaming of you last night was that of my reading Some of your dear tender letter Yesterday - oh what Sweet languaged your letters contain my only friend - I wish to God that I had inform you all after our Marriaged then as You Say we Should not have been obliged to this long Seperration but it is Gods will'. Easty recorded 'Thick Clowdy weather with Squals of rain & haill & fresh Breases the wind att WSW'.
On the second division Bradley says the supplies of wine were now running out on HMS \ISirius\i and 'our allowance was order to a Quart of grog and a Quart of Water per day'. Smyth was pleased as 'Captain Hunter sent Mr. Waterhouse, a Midshipman of the \ISirius\i, on board us with a parcel of Magazines of June last, what he procured out of the \IRainger\i Packet which came into the Cape a little before we left it. This afforded us a great treat as the chief parts of the Contents were perfectly new to us having left England on the 12th of May. Mr. Waterhouse acquainted us that Captain Hunter desired he would mention to us that it was his intention, if he found the Hay & Provender for the Stock on board the fleet falls short to touch at Van Diemens Land.'
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"20 December 1787",268,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was certainly more than half way from the Cape to Botany Bay now and the other two divisions were not far behind. King says 'The Squalls during this time were very violent & great quantitys of rain, Sleet, & large hail stones'.
Conditions were not much better on the first division as Easty says, 'Thick Clowdy weather with Fresh Breases the wind att WSW' and 'this Morning att 1/2 Past 5 oclock the \IAlaxander\i Caried away the fore top sail yard in the Slings, turned all hands to work to get a new one up att 12 Set her top Sail again this night Shipt Severall very Seas'.
Clark says the other ships were 'oblige to goe under ane Easy Sail untill the \IAlexander\i was repaired. A very cold day but a fine fair wind - we are now much about half way from the Cape to Botany being to day in Longe. 83-odd East as botany is in Longe. 152 odd East. It hald and Snowd to day it being So cold that I have been obliged to put on a flannel Waiscoat and place of one pair of stockings two pair and obliged to keep my great coat constantly all day.'
Smyth says on the second division, 'Very cold - spoke the \IFishburn\i (Brown) who tells us he has lost 3 dozen fowls out of 4 dozen, many sheep have died & others are now very ill. Soon after we spoke the \IGolden Grove\i (Sharp) who has also lost the greatest part of his fowls & all parties agree in suspectg. the Dutchmen at the Cape must have given them something to occasion such a fatallity amongst them & in so unusual a way. He informed us that Mrs. Johnson, the Parson's Wife & Barnes his Clerk were both very ill.' Scott, who says they were at latitude 40║ 56' and longitude 88║ east, wrote, 'Doctor White Came on Board to See the people, from \ICharlotte\i. Orderd 4 of the Female Convicts to be hove in a Gentle Sall, for the Venereal.' The chief surgeon also says, 'The scurvy began to show itself in the \ICharlotte\i, mostly among those who had the dysentery to a violent degree'.
#
"21 December 1787",269,0,g,0
King reports from HMS \ISupply\i 'when the Wind is to the Southward the Cold is as extreem here as in England at this time of the Year, altho' it is the height of Summer here'.
'All hands were turned up to reef the top sails' on \IScarborough,\i Easty reports from the first division as 'fresh Gales of wind' struck from the west-north-west. They were now at latitude 42║ longitude 94║, he says, and Clark observed that, 'This is the Shortest day with you Betsey and it is the Longest here with us'. To mark the occasion he 'wrot a prayer for the health and welfare of you my dear wife and Sweet Son which I should with the assistance of God repeat Morning and Evening before my Rising from Bed and going to it and hope in Almighty God that he will here me'.
On the second division Smyth says, 'This day some rock weed floated by the Ship's side. This day it became foggy & the breeze increas'd.'
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"22 December 1787",270,0,g,0
Ahead on HMS \ISupply\i King reported, 'Great Numbers of Albatrosses, Pettrels, & Port Egmont hens about us & a quantity of Rock weed', saying that the 'very strong Gales from the south west and north west continued with a very high sea running'.
Clark felt the Agent in charge of the first division, Lieutenant John Shortland, was wasting the good winds in their part of the world saying they had 'a fine fair wind but the old Agent will not make the most of it by Setting more Sail'.
Although some of the second division ships were making good time, the seven ships were drifting apart. Scott says the \IPrince of Wales\i believed they were now far behind Hunter on HMS \ISirius\i 'By thier Reckning on Board. the \IPrince of Wales\i. Wee Are Short. of the. Commadores. Act. By 3, degrees & Odd.' Smyth confirms the dispersed sailing pattern of the seven ships and says they were travelling at about eight knots an hour on \ILady Penrhyn\i but 'with a great swell (which is with us)' and that 'several of the Victuallers [were] some miles astern', so 'a Signal was hoisted on board the \ISirius\i for them to make more Sail'.
#
"23 December 1787: Sunday",271,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i continued to weather the heavy squalls and rolling seas but the adverse conditions held it back King says, and had their been more seasonal conditions with lighter winds and seas it would have been further ahead.
Easty says it was also 'Squally' on the ships of the first division and there was 'Thick Clowdy weather with fresh Breases'. These 'Carred away the fore top gallant yard & Split the Sail att 11 att night' then 'Carried away the Starbord maintop Sail Sheat' he says.
On \IFriendship,\i Clark 'kist your Pictour as usual on this day and Read the Prayers lessons and Spalm for the day. Wm. Evans and Jno. Patrick tuo of the Prisener made a complaint that the rest of the Priseners constantly detaind ther allowance from them and gave them what they Pleased of it. They also informd that these rogues had Stole a great dele of wood and Beef which they Said had been handed out of the hole at different times. I went down in the Fore Prisen and found the Beef and 29 large Billits of wood. On Examing we found that Henry Lovell and Henry Cable two of the Prisoner who have the liberty of going about the Ship had Stole the Beef and wood out of the Fore when they had gone down to pump water. Ther never were Such D. . . Rascals collected together as ther is on board this Ship. I will keep a sharp look after them when at Botany otherwise they will take the teeth out of my head.'
Conditions in the second division were little better as Smyth reports. 'A very hollow Sea with a great swell, so much so that the hulk of the \IPrince of Wales\i, who is within hale of us is frequently out of Sight. This day 2 Geese, 1 Sheep & a pig were kill'd against Tuesday (Xmas. Day). It is not dark here now till 1/2 after Eight o'Clock.'
On HMS \ISirius\i William Bradley optimistically imagined he might be able to see land - nearly two weeks before land was actually sighted 'the haze around the horizon this afternoon had much the appearance of land being near'. However, he did see 'a sea otter which followed the ship a considerable time and a great number of whales about the ship'.
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"24 December 1787: Christmas Eve",272,0,g,0
As if to mark the occasion, King says from the deck of the HMS \ISupply\i that 'at 9 he observed the Eclipse of the Moon but as the Weather was extreemly cloudy could not see the ending'.
Following behind in the first division Easty says they were now at latitude 42║ and longitude 104║ and 'this Night att 10 oclock the Moon allmost totall Eclipsed visible & the officers said that the sun was Eclipsed visible att 1 oclock in the Day in England'.
On \IFriendship\i, Clark says 'Captain Walton kild one of his Sheep to day - went down to the \IScarborough\i and haild him that if he would Send a line on board we would Send him a Qtr. of Mutton - he informed use that he had kild a Sheep so that he has plenty . . . Captain Walton Sent of a leg of Mutton - if it had not been for that I doe not know what I Should have gave them for dinner to Morrow Except Salt Beef or Port which is all that I have to give them otherwise for dinner but if I was with You Betsey at home I know what you would give your fond Clark.'
Smyth says the atmosphere on the second division was starting to become festive as, 'This being Christmas Eve we all drank a chearful Glass to the health of our Friends in England (as indeed we do every Saturday night) I never call'd to mind my Relations & Friends with such Sensations as I now do - being so many thousand leagues distant from them; nor did I ever more Cordialy drink to their health than now. Many past scenes of my Life recur'd to my busy thoughts & occassion'd such sensations as those only who are acquainted with my History, especially the latter part of it can better conceive than I describe! Last year I was, even at this Season far, very far, from happy, but I thank God comparatively speaking I am now happy, except wanting the presence of my Relations & friends, in England.'
#
"25 December 1787: Christmas Day",273,0,g,0
A tight-lipped King records nothing of Christmas celebrations upon the Commodore's leading ship HMS \ISupply\i, just noting instead that they were pleased to have the wind firmly 'in the north west quarter'.
On \IScarborough,\i Private John Easty records only 'clowdy weather with fresh breeses' and gives their position as latitude 42║50' and longitude 108║ east. Clark however, says, 'this been Chrismas day kist your dear Image as usual on Sundays - God I wish You Betsey my dear Beloved wife and Sweet Boy both a Merry Chrismas & happy New Year and many many of them. O God Grant that I was at home with you to eat of your Goose and Apple Piy for I shall have only a Poor dinner here. Never Betsey did your Poor Ralph live So ill as I doe at Present. Never will I goe to Sea without laying in Some Sea Stock. If my Mess Mates will not I will drink Both your health as I doe every day although only in Water but it is with a Sinceer wish. So God Bless you.'
On the second division at latitude 42║16' and longitude 105║00', White says nothing except that he had by now been able to get the dysentry under control on board and that 'it was got under by an unremitting attention to cleanliness, and every other method proper and essential for the removal and prevention of contagion. It gives me pleasure to be able to add that we only lost one person by this disease, violent and dangerous as it was.'
Sergeant Scott says on \IPrince of Wales\i this 'Being Chrismass day, Dinned off a pice of pork & apple Sauce a pice of Beef & plum pudding, and Crowned the Day With 4 Bottels of Rum, Which Was the Best. Wee Vitr'ens Could Afford'. Collins from the Officers' Mess of HMS \ISirius\i says 'Christmas-day found us in the latitude of 42║10' South, and steering, as we had done for a considerable time, an east-south-east course. We complied, as far as was in our power, with the good old English custom, and partook of a better dinner this day than usual; but the weather was too rough to admit of much social enjoyment.'
On \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth noted 'We are now about 2000 miles distant from the South Cape of New Holland with a fine breeze which carries us at the rate of 81/2 knots. This being Xmas. day I gave a quantity of Currants out of the Box of necessaries (of which I had a good quantity remaining) to the 3 Marines on board to make a plumb pudding also to the Boatswain & Carpenter's Mess with the 2d. 3d. & 4th. Mates in them. The Captain allowed them a reasonable quantity of Grog to chear their hearts & to distinguish this day as being the most remarkable in the year & which generally brings with it Mirth & Glee to the hearts of All, except the truly Misserable!'
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"26 December 1787: Boxing Day",274,0,g,0
The determined HMS \ISupply\i pushed on with winds in the west to north-west quarter, its crew little affected by hangovers gained from any excessive drinking the night before.
Things were different on the first division and on \IFriendship\i Clark says, 'Several of the Marines got much in Liquor Yesterday' even so the brig managed to go 'by the Log last 24 hours 172 miles'. However, 'to day it been thick rainy wether and very little wind'.
Smyth returned to his whales on the second division remarking 'About 10 at night a large Whale rose close alonside the Ship and 'tis Supposed it must have gone under the Ship'. Otherwise all seemed quiet and in order following the momentary diversion of the 25th.
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"27 December 1787",275,0,g,0
By day, King and Dawes wrestled with observations; they checked their timekeeper against readings made from lunar observations and plotted the most efficient course possible for HMS \ISupply,\i which they knew had been held up by the continuing series of gales and heavy seas.
The first division made good time despite what Clark described as 'a dirty day. I wish to God that we had got to Botany that I might be able to get Som Greens or other for I am much affraid that I shall get the Scurvy - oh that I was once got home to you my beloved Betsey how I would kiss and presse you to my Bosom.'
On the second division \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth wrote 'We suppose ourselves not more than 420 miles from the most South Westerly Coast of New Holland call'd by Peter Nutz (who first discover'd this part of the Coast) the Land of Lyons, or Shark's Bay. Some rock weed & blue petterels seen'. Scott also saw 'Some Verey Large Whales this Day' and White said it was 'Dark hazy weather, with some light squalls. We passed more sea-weed, some gulls, and many of the before-mentioned birds, about the ship.'
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"28 December 1787",276,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was having trouble coping with the increasingly heavy seas, King records, but they were still able to set all sails in an effort to harness its full capacity.
An optimistic Clark guessed they would be there in two weeks due to the strong winds. 'How thankful we ought to be to God for the fair wind that we have had for these Six weeks past. If it contunious 14 days more I hope to be at Botany for never was any body So Sick of the Sea as I am.' Duncan Sinclair, Master of \IAlexander\i, says they 'washed the ship with vinegar'.
The second division also enjoyed 'A Glourious Breas', Scott says, 'But the Weather Hasey;'. He claimed they were 'a brest. the Land of Lions on New Holland this Day' and Collins reported seeing sea-weed near the ship.
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"29 December 1787",277,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was by now shipping an increasing amount of water - a fact that King reported in a journal he must have found difficult to keep dry as they headed for the south tip of Van Diemen's Land.
Easty saw 'a Large quantytys of Small Birds' despite the 'clowdy weather' and hoped the wind from the west had driven them closer to the elusive coast of New Holland. Clark reports that the first division recorded the 'most charmin run over the last 24 hours as we went 181 miles'.
The second division 'Keeps Company', Scott says, despite 'Heavey weather' as the fresh breezes moved the seven ships along reasonably well. Smyth says, 'The bilge water very offensive in mine & Mr. Collins's Cabins oblig'd to keep our doors open - it spoil'd two Mezzatinted Prints in my Cabin. The Swell of the Sea this day was thought by every one to be greater than at any other time since we left England. About 11 o'Clock a.m. a Whale seen near the Ship. We reckon ourselves this day about 1000 miles from the South Cape & 2000 from Botany Bay. This day I distributed a quantity of Sagoe & soft sugar to the Women as an indulgence, as I had plenty of both by me.'
Collins says on HMS \ISirius\i 'On the 29th, being in latitude 43║ 35' south, the course was altered to east and by south half south, in order to run down our easting without going any further to the southward. The run at noon on this day was found to be the greatest we had made in any twenty-four hours since our departure from England, having 182 miles on the log-board since twelve o'clock the preceding day.'
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"30 December 1787: Sunday",278,0,g,0
With water coming aboard, the masts and rigging of the brig creaking under the strain of week after week of heavy winds from the north-west and south-west, and the brig itself 'laboruing greatly', it was all King could do to note, let alone observe, the Lord's day.
But Clark had more time so he 'Kist your dear Pictour as usual on this day and God Bless you my Betsey. Read the Prayers and lessons of the day.'
In the second division, Smyth says 'It rain'd great part of the night & the sea very high - We sometimes ship'd Seas fore & aft & the Water was sometimes ankle deep on the quarter deck. This day by the Log we Sail'd 200 miles.' Scott reports that 'Sence Wee Came on the Coast of, New Holland, Seen a Several Large Birds Like Arbetross'.
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"31 December 1787: New Year's Eve",279,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i maintained its lead at increasing cost to both the brig and those on board, as King's journal reflects.
In the first division, Clark was moved by the occasion to remark 'this is the last day of the Year 1787. I hope, for your Sake my beloved Alicia that before this time twelf months, to be a first Lieutenant.'
On the second division Scott says it was 'More Modret. With a Great. Swell' then 'it began to blow Very fresh, With Rain; - Thick & Hasey'. Bradley on HMS \ISirius\i says they were 'expecting to have very strong winds as we approached the land so bent a new Foresail, Fore and Main topsails which was not done a day too soon'. Smyth records 'This day many of the Women were wash'd out of their Births by the Seas we ship'd - The water was brought out from between Decks with Buckets. This night was a dreadful one indeed, the Sea was mountains high, sometimes it seem'd as if the Ship was going over. The Chicken coops which were on the Round house & fasten'd very securely as It was thought, gave way & came with such violence against the side as to drive the Goat house all in pieces & lamed the Goat & Kidd. The Sea was so very outrageous as to throw the weed & grass which adhered to the bottom of the Ship halfway up the main Sail where it remain'd. The fore top sail was also split from top to bottom.'
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"1 January 1788: New Year's Day",280,0,g,0
As they approached the southern tip of Van Diemen's Land, King reports, 'very heavy Gales and a violent tumbling sea from the NNW' as HMS \ISupply\i fought its way into the New Year.
In the first division, Clark says, 'This being New Years day my beloved Alicia I wish You and our dear boy maney maney happy Returns of the day . . . This is the first new Year that I have been away from You hope it will be the last but why doe I hope So when I am certain I must be two or three a way longer. Oh I wish I had never come. It blows very hard and the wind has headed us very much. It is now 1 oClock and I am going to sit down to the Poorest dinner that ever I Sat down too on a New Years day a pice of hard Salt Beef and a few musty Pancakes . . . gave to the men one Quart one pint and a half Pint of Rum it being New Years day to drink your and Ralphes health'. Easty says they had reached latitude 44║ and longitude 135║ and that despite 'scaquals and Lighting' the 'Marines revwied their Necereaserys'.
White says on the second division 'The new year was introduced with a pretty heavy gale of wind from the northward and westward, which was the first we had encountered since we left England. It began a little before 12 o'clock the preceding night, and continued till seven this evening. The \ISirius\i was the whole day under her stay-sails, and the convoy under their fore-sail and stay-sails.' Scott says, 'A Very Strong Gale Continued' and 'this Morning Wee Could See only One of the fleet', but later, 'the Fleet Joined Company'. Smyth reports 'the Rudder Rope broke: the wind fortunately at this time did not blow quite so strongly'.
Smyth reports, 'just as we had dined, a most tremendous Sea broke in at the weather Scuttle of the great Cabin & ran with a great stream all across the Cabin. & as the door of my Cabin happen'd not to be quite close shut the water half fill'd it; the Sheets & Blankets being all on a flow. The water ran from the Quarter deck nearly into the great Cabin, & struck against the Main & Mizen chains with such force as at first alarm'd us all greatly, but particularly me, as I really believed the Ship was drove in pieces. No sleep all this night - The Sea which broke in just after dinner had nearly washed Mr. Altree overboard who was in the round house eating his dinner but luckily catching hold of the Mizen mast he saved himself. His plate, knife & fork & Beef were afterwards found in the Mizen chains by the Boatswain where the Sea had wash'd them.'
On HMS \ISirius\i, Hunter says the livestock became a problem - 'the rolling and labouring of our ship exceedingly distressed the cattle, which were now in a very weakly state, and the great quantities of water which we shipped during this gale, very much aggravated their distress; the poor animals were frequently thrown with much violence off their legs, and exceedingly bruised by their falls, although every method, which could be contrived for their ease and comfort, was practised; the ship was very ill fitted for such a cargo; and the very lumbered condition she had constantly been in rendered it impossible to do more for them, except by putting slings under them; a method which, when proposed, was rejected by those to whose care and management they were entrusted; from an idea, that they would entirely lose the use of their legs by such means, although it were only practised in bad weather.'
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"2 January 1788",281,0,g,0
With no sign of land and the gales and heavy seas growing worse, King says HMS \ISupply\i was 'obliged for the first time since we left England to furl the topsails'. He said, 'the Brig now labours very much and ships a great quantity of water'.
It was a bad day for marine Luke Haines on the first division, as Easty says he was 'Confind by ordar of Major Ross for unSolder Like behaveour and tryed by a Cortmartiall immeadiately with Captain Shea President, Lieutenant Kellow & Davey Members Sentanced one hundread Lashes' but then 'forgiven his Punishment'. They were 'in Latitude of 44:04 South and Longitude 138:08 East' and Easty says, 'this Night the Convicts Made a play & Sang many Songs'.
On \IFriendship\i Clark had started the new year with clean sheets and had slept 'remarkable well'. 'The \IAlexander\i haild us and informd us that he would send his boat on board for a cask of oatmeal . . . Was obliged to Send the boat away without the Oatmeal as we then found that there was non in the Ship. Haild the \IAlexander\i to Know of the Commissary what we was to have in the room of the Oatmeal answerd Pease.'
Gales continued to batter the second division, as Smyth records. 'The wind still so high, obliged to strike the Mizen top Gallant Mast. About 5 p.m. a large Whale arose very high out of the water close alongside' also 'Several Sea Hawks & blue Petterels seen'. Scott says they 'close reefed the topsails on \IPrince of Wales\i as well, as like HMS \ISupply\i they feared too much wind would turn them over'.
#
"3 January 1788",282,fp2-141.jpg,c,0
The leading ship of the fleet, HMS \ISupply,\i at last saw the land, as Phillip says, 'the westerly winds continued till the 3rd of January when we saw the coast of New South Wales, but these winds, which have been so favourable, having seldom been to the eastward and then for a few hours only, blowing from the NW to the SW generally very strong gales, now left us and we had variable winds, with a current that at times set very strong to the southward'.
King, who had recorded, 'at half past ten in the morning we were satisfied with seeing Van Diemans Land', said that night 'there was a very great sea' and 'dark cloudy weather with fierce forked lightening'. The second division was not far behind and enjoying 'a very fine breeze', Clark says, 'if the Breeze continues we will see the land to morrow'. He had 'dreamt that I was with my Mother and also with Poor Mrs. Stuart good woman. I hope She is in heaven. Went by the log last 24 hours 156 miles.'
Easty, who says they were at latitude 43║ 58' S and longitude 141║ 42'. was 'hending the cables and getting the Anchors over the Bows as best as he could in the 'strong breases' which made \IScarborough\i 'shipt a heavey sea'. Like Clark he was anticipating sighting land soon.
In the second division White had seen 'seals and oceanic birds about the ship' making him suspect land also and Smyth 'Saw a Seal for a long time jumping out of the Sea & following the Ship - towards night it was seen again' and 'Saw many sorts of Birds this day'. Scott said, 'Weather Contineus Hasey With a Fresh Brees, Very Cold'.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of early coastal views of NSW. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"4 January 1788",283,0,g,0
King now described the new country saying, 'The Land about here is of a good heighth but very uneven. Being obliged to make the best use of the Westerly Wind which then blew, we could not explore this part of the Coast more than Captain Cook has already done. We steered ESE & at 6 PM on the 4th The Mewstone bore NbW1/2W 5 Miles & the South Cape NE1/2E & at 8PM The Eddistone bore NE1/2N 7' or 8' It continued fresh breezes & Clear all night'.
On the first division, Easty says they were now looking for land in earnest, 'hove the ships too and tryed for Soundings but found none so Lay too att night in Latitude of 43:30 S and Longitude of 145:20'. Clark reported another record run as after 'a very fine Breeze and as fair as it can blow, went by the log last 24 hours 191 miles not bad going!' He now 'hopd to See the land this Evening'.
Meanwhile 'the Mess drew for Some thing that could not be divided there was three prizes and a Blank and I was the most luckily I drawd the Filtrin Stone, the doctor the Mustard Pott and Mr. Faddy a rotten Pumpkin, Captain Meridith the Blank and Captain Meridith and Mr. Faddy had Some words again. Mr. Faddy is the most Selfish grumbling and bad hearted Man I was ever Mess mates with.'
On the second division, Scott says it was 'Hasey' but 'Wind Fair'. He said 'A Great. Number of Arbetross to be Seen. as Wee Come in With the Land to the Southward'. Smyth observed a 'large school of Porpuses about the ship'. White saw 'some Mother Cary's Chickens which he thought may indicate land not too far away and Collins says, 'preparations were made on board the \ISirius\i for falling in with the land; her cables were bent, signal-guns prepared, and every possible precaution taken to ensure the safety of the fleet'.
Hunter wanted to make sure all the seven ships knew where they were so he 'marked the longitude 135:30 East with chalk in large characters on a black painted board which was then shewn over the stern to the convoy and at the same time a signal was made that had been previously appointed'.
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"5 January 1788",284,0,g,0
King confirms that the favourable winds that had befriended them for so long had now left them, and as they headed north, having rounded the south of Van Diemen's Land, they had to put up with 'Moderate breezes from the Northward and a Current which sett us to the South'. The long trek north to Botany Bay would now be much more difficult than they had anticipated.
On the first division, land was seen for the first time. Clark said, 'Lay Too untill 3 oClock this morning. It blows very hard with Rain 8 oClock not land in Sight. At 11 oClock Captain Walton and I thought that we Saw the land and So it was, for Soon after the man at the Mast Head cald out that he Saw the land to windward. Made the Signal to the Agent that we Saw the land by hoisting the Ensing which they Answerd. It is very hight land. I am Glad that we have Seen the land. I wish that I was going from it as I am going to Stay on it for Some time. It is a great Way to Botany near Eight hunder miles Yet and the wind is a foul as it can blow.' Easty also confirms they made the 'South Cape of new holland and the weather was very thick with rain and fresh gales'.
The second division was still in latitude 44║ and longitude 139║ and although Smyth saw plenty of 'rock weed' no land was seen that day. Smyth adds, 'This night it was so very hot I was oblig'd to throw off the Bedcloaths. There are now in the Cabin Geraniums in full blossum & some Grape Vines which flourish very much, there are also Myrtles, Bananas & several other sorts of plants brought from Rio de Janeiro. A Seal seen this day.'
Bradley reported from HMS \ISirius\i, 'This night a luminous appearance or substance was seen. & very different from what I ever heard of being noticed by any one: they resemble lights floating on the surface of the Water & disappear when turn'd as the sea washed over them, they keep the same appearance when close alongside as at a distance; several of them passed close to us as the ship run through them; & were seen on the surface more than a mile a head; we endeavr'd without success to get some of them, they immediately got the name of Pursons Lamphorne.'
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"6 January 1788: Sunday",285,0,g,0
King reports from HMS \ISupply\i as it moved up the east coast of Van Diemen's Land that the 'Wind continued from NbE till 8 in the Evening when it shifted suddenly to S.W. in a very heavy Squall which gave but little Warning'.
On \IFriendship\i in the first division, Clark said, 'it blow very hard in the night. It been Sunday Kist Your dear image as usual on this day and read the Prayers Lesson and Spalms for the day - thank God this is a fine day and Standing in for the Land. This being old Chrismas day I wish you manny happy Returns of the day my dear Woman. Made a most excelent dinner. A nother of the Sheep died this afternoon poor things I am affraid they will all died if we dont get in Soon.'
On the second division, they were still too far away to see the land and although there was a great straining of eyes nothing of any substance was seen. However, from the deck of HMS \ISirius\i Bradley says that night 'The Aurora Australis was very bright, with many beautiful red streamers which appear'd to run from about 45║ of altitude to the clouds that were in that part of the Horizon, it was seen very faint some nights before'.
Hunter also saw it, describing the colours as 'a beautiful crimson streaked with orange, yellow and white and these colours were constantly changing their places'.
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"7 January 1788",286,0,g,0
King says HMS \ISupply\i had now reached latitude 40║44' south and longitude 150║26' east and was making reasonable headway towards Botany Bay.
On the first division, which had now rounded the bottom of Van Diemen's Land and was headed up the east coast, Clark says as it was twelve days after Xmas he made 'a twelf night cake and it is very good but not So good as if You had made it Alicia. I wish that it was of your making.' They now reached 'Latt 43:46 South' and Clark began to get his things ready for landing. 'Had two pair of Breechess made of the pice of Nankeen which I bought at the cape and was obliged to cut up one of my Shirts for Pockits and linning. I could not wear it any longer it been So torn and gone Bad.'
On the second division their time came at last and land was seen, but not until after a false alarm, as Smyth reports from the \ILady Penrhyn\i. 'Captain Hunter informed us he did not mean to touch at the South Cape to get grass to feed the stock if the wind continues, but go round it & proceed without delay to Botany Bay. The Sheep from the Cape of Good Hope, have all got the scab. This day a Bird of a black plumage & in every respect like the English Crows flew over the Ship . . . The Country is very hilly: thickly set with trees of a large size & many spots between the hills appear'd very green. At 9 o'Clock in the Evening saw a large fire on one of the hills. Tho' we did not mean to touch at this spot, yet, it being a part of New Holland, the destination of the fleet, as soon as we saw it we drank each 2 bumpers of Claret - one Success to the Undertaking in general, the other to our safe Anchoring in Botany Bay.'
The sighting of land inspired White to praise Hunter, 'I believe a convoy was never conducted with more care, or made the land with greater accuracy and certainty, than this. Indeed, ability and experienced nautical knowledge were never more fully evinced on all occasions than by Captain Hunter; who is, I may venture to pronounce, without much risk of having my veracity called in question, one of the most assiduous and accurate observers and able navigators, the present day furnishes.
'As we run in with the land, which is pretty high, we were surprised to see, at this season of the year, some small patches of snow. The surf beating high and loudly against some uneven rocks which jutted out, in strange projections, into the sea. This part of the coast, as far as we could see, is bold, irregular, and craggy; and very few trees, or appearance of verdure, to be seen.'
Collins on HMS \ISirius\i felt 'Nothing could more strongly prove the excellence and utility of lunar observations, than the accuracy with which we made the land in this long voyage from the Cape of Good Hope, there not being a league difference between our expectation of seeing it, and the real appearance of it. At night we perceived several fires lighted on the coast, at many of which, no doubt, were some of the native inhabitants, to whom it was probable our novel appearance must have afforded matter of curiosity and wonder.'
Tench also praised Hunter 'whose accuracy as an astonomer and conduct as an officer has inspired us with equal gratitude and admiration'. And 'in running along the shore we cast many an anxious eye towards the land on which so much of our future destiny depended' he said.
Hunter, for his own part, said 'we made the land' and 'as the wind was fresh from the westward, I would have gone within it, and ranged along the coast from point to point; but having a convoy of transports and store-ships astern, who were to be led by the \ISirius\i, I was apprehensive, in case it fell little wind under the land, and night set in, an accident might have happened to some of those ships, which all the knowledge I could have gained, by a nearer examination of the coast, would not have compensated.'
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"8 January 1788",287,03250052.jpg,c,0
Ahead on HMS \ISupply\i King says they had 'general light winds from the Northward and Foggy Weather, as they sailed into 'Latitude 40:05 South and Longitude 149:41 East'. Uncertain of what was beneath the ships in this unchartered stretch of coastline they 'Sounded frequently with 120 fathoms but could not get any ground'.
As the first division moved up the east coast of Van Diemen's Land at latitude 43║4' with the wind also against them from the north-east quarter, Easty says they 'Made the Land Ahead itts Called Fredrick Bay the weather rather hazy but the Land Seems to be of a hilly Counntry and forms a deep Bay. Saw Large Quantyty of Seals and Birds' as 'fresh Gales of wind' then hit the \IScarborough\i they 'handed the fore and Mizen Top Sails'. Clark on \IFriendship\i says 'this is a foggy day and the wind Quite against us. The \IScarborough\i haild us and told us to keep near the Agent as it is foggy wether and that if the wether continued So that when he made the Signal to Tack if he could not See us or the other Ship he would fire 2 Guns which was to be Answerd by one from us and the \IScarborough\i'. Then 'the \IAlexander\i made the Signal for the land and we Saw the land a few Minuets after very plain.'
'The \IScarborough\i haild us again and told us that Major Ross desired us to give the Sheep any thing that they would eat as the hay was all out and the corn did not agree with them and desired us to hail the \IAlexander\i and See if they had any hay, but they have got non. The Land we saw is St. Marias Island distance 4 or 5 Leagues and the land to Leeward of us is Cald Tasmans head distance between 6 or 7 Leagues. Saw a great manny Seals about the Ship. Saw also the Trees on the Shore after the fogs clearing away. It looks if it would blow hard to night.' The night before Clark had 'dreamt again my beloved Alicia that I Saw You big with child my dear woman I wish that I was at home we should See what we could doe and get a little Alicia to be the image of your self'.
On the second division, \ILady Penrhyn\i was now rounding the bottom of Van Diemen's Land; Smyth says they had 'a good deal of wind and some rain' and 'the fleet are dispersed a good way from each other'. Out in front on \IPrince of Wales\i Scott says the winds were 'light' and they 'stood to the East'. White 'went on board the \IFishburn\ie, to see the boatswain, who, on the first night of the new year, having probably drank more grog than he ought, and the ship labouring much, had fallen from the top-sail yard, by which he bruised himself in a dreadful manner. The man being highly scorbutic, the parts soon mortified, and he died about half an hour after I got on board.'
On HMS \ISirius\i Bradley was worried about crashing onto the rocks off shore saying 'we could have kept close in to the shore but having a convoy of heavy sailing ships with us it would have been dangerous' and so they decided to keep well over to the east. Collins believed the danger of accidents had been lessened because 'The convoy behaved well, paying more attention and obedience to signals than ships in the merchant service are commonly known to do. The ships, however, now began to grow foul, not one of them being coppered, and we now anxiously wished for a termination of the voyage, particularly as the hay provided for the horses was on the point of being wholly expended' and 'The fair wind which had accompanied us to New Holland suddenly left us, shifting round to north-east and by east'.
\BDescription:\b Painting of an Aborigine dancing, by King. The European settler's first encounters with the Aborigines were carefully documented by many of the first fleet scribes. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"9 January 1788",288,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i had now reached latitude 40║4' south but had 'fresh gales from the Northward'.
The winds were violent back at latitude 43║17' south as well, as Clark says from the \IFriendship\i 'it blow in the night and dose still very hard. Split our Fore Top Main Stay Sail in the night and carry away our peak haillaird this fore noon. Our consorts in Sight. The wind as foull as it can blow. I wish that it would come fair. Lost 11 miles Since Yesterday. It has been a Terrible night and day for the poor Sheep and Young Lambs I wish they were all at Botany.'
Back on the second division conditions were worse, if anything, and Smyth says, 'Wind very high & frequent Squalls with a greater swell than at any other period during the Voyage. Obliged to run out to Sea; the Provender for the Stock almost all expended, not more than one day's Hay left. With the heavy rolling of the Ship the Tubs in the Cabin with the Banana plants, Grape Vines etc., broke from their fastenings & were thrown out of the tubs & much hurt. The sky appear'd black & dismal & in 1/2 an hour after it began to Lighten & Thunder most dreadfully. The Lightening was the most forked & vivid I ever saw: it ran'd very fast & the Storm continued till almost night. Towards morning it hal'd & was very squally. a Seal was jumping out of the water for a long time together, was fired at with a rifle gun but missed.'
'In the night the \IGolden Grove\i shipped a sea, which stove in all her cabin-windows: it was nearly calm at the time, with a confused heavy swell.'
The Chief Surgeon adds from \ICharlotte\i, 'weather hazy, damp and dark; with some vivid flashes of lightning, succeeded by distant peals of loud thunder. On the morning of this day died Edward Thomson, a convict, worn out with a melancholy and long confinement. Had he lived, I think he would have proved a deserving member of society, as he seemed sensible of the impropriety and imprudence of his former life, and studious to atone for it.' The only bright moment seemed to be the sighting of a sea otter recorded by Hunter on HMS \ISirius\i.
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"10 January 1788",289,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply,\i now at latitude 39║17' south and longitude 152║00' east, was having trouble with 'moderate breezes from the Northwards' which were 'veering round to the westward with a great head sea from the north'.
On the second division at latitude 43║34' south they had the misfortune to be 'overtaken By a Very Heavey Squall, Which Carried away Our Main Yard in the Slings Split our Main topsail. Main Sail & Main Topmas Steacle', Scott says on \IPrince of Wales\i, 'this Happned About. 2, PM. the \ICharlotte\i Which Was the Next Ship to Us Split her Main Sail & Main Topsail the Rest of the Ships Did Not Recave Much Dammage'.
On \ILady Penrhyn\i, Smyth says 'the Sky blacken'd, the wind arose & in 1/2 an hour more it blew a perfect hurricane, accompanied with Thunder, Lightening & Rain. In an instant as we sat at Table, the Cloth just removed, the Ship was laid alongside so very much as alarm'd everybody - Some prodigeous flashes of Lighteng. & loud thunder immediately follw'd - the \IFishburn\i was very near us on the Starboard side & to leeward of us, & every body expected we must have been foul of Each other - Every one left the Table & went upon deck.'
'I never before saw the Sea in such a rage, it was all over as white as snow. The Storm lasted about 1/2 an hour so very heavy - afterwards gradually abated - Every body who was able to haul a rope, were employ'd & I am happy to say our Ship sustain'd no other damage than splitting the Jib Sail which could be again repaired in 1/2 an hour. Every other Ship in the fleet (except the \ISirius\i) sustained some damage . . . During the Storm the Convict Women in our Ship were so terrified that most of them were down on their knees at prayers, & in less than one hour after it had abated, they were uttering the most horrid Oaths & imprecations that could proceed out of the mouths of such abandon'd Prostitutes as they are!'
Smyth also saw a whale and two grampuses near the ship and heard 'that almost all the Sheep on board the \ISirius\i, 13 Goats out of 15, one Cow, big of a Cow Calf & almost the whole of the Poultry had died' but 'Captain Hunter said he could not now possibly put into any place with safety till he reach'd Botany Bay, which he hoped to be able to accomplish in a week'.
White had also been shaken 'About two o'clock p.m. we had one of the most sudden gusts of wind I ever remember to have known. In an instant it split our main-sail; and but for the activity shewn by the sailors, in letting fly the sheets and lowering the top-sails, the masts must have gone over the side. Fortunately for us the squall was of short duration, otherwise the ships must have suffered considerably!'
Not even the flagship got away unscathed as Collins says, 'very heavy and sudden squall took the \ISirius\i and laid her considerably down on her starboard side: it blew very fresh, and, was felt more or less by all the transports, some of which suffered in their sails'.
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"11 January 1788",290,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i travelled north along the coast of New Holland as well as it could against 'moderate breezes from the North' which were severely retarding its progress. King says 'this day we saw a Turtle'.
The ships of the first division had reached latitude 41║03' and were battling through 'very hard Gales of wind', Easty says, that 'Split the Main Sail' on \IScarborough\i so they 'bent a new one'. On \IFriendship,\i Clark says, 'it came to blow very hard as it dose at this present - oh my dear woman if you was on board how Sea Sick you would be but I wish to God that You was'.
The ships of the second division were recovering from the storm of the terrible tenth and were still repairing sails and reinforcing the rigging in anticipation of worse to come. On \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth says they were 'Now about 520 miles from Botany Bay' and '40 leagues off shore, with a stiff breeze, at 2 o'Clock p.m. hove the Lead but found no bottom with 95 fathoms'. White reports from \ICharlotte\i, 'still an unpleasant cross troublesome sea' with a 'variable wind' mainly against them.
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"12 January 1788",291,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply,\i designed for lighter winds and calmer seas, was by now within striking distance of Botany Bay but could make little headway against the cruel north winds that chose to block its progress at the very end of what had been a somewhat heroic voyage.
Clark hoped the second division, now at latitude 39║14' south, would be 'at Botany Bay in three days if the winds stands fair for us'. But 'It blow in the Night Remarkable hard and Split to pices our main Stay Sail. Prayed to God that the wind is much more favourable and it dont blow to So hard nor So great a Sea. Could hardly Sleep for the Ships rolling for she did roll most Remendously. It is Quite a fine day got up our Top Gallant Yards which we were oblige to get down Yesterday.' On \IScarborough\i there were some promotions and demotions among the marines as Easty says 'George Caffre Second mate orderd to do his Duty before the mast this Day' and 'Thomas Willson Boatswain made Second mate & Charles McCarty made Boatswain'.
On the second division \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth says, 'We saw a whale, several seals, and many large oceanous birds, which we frequently fired at, without their betraying the smallest symptom of fear either at the report, or at the balls, which frequently dropped close to them. A conclusion may be drawn from hence, that they had never been harassed with fire-arms before; if they had, they would undoubtedly have shown some fear, a sensation they seemed to be totally unacquainted with. In all our firings we did not kill one of them.'
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"13 January 1788: Sunday",292,0,g,0
HMS \ISupply\i was now very close to Botany Bay at latitude 34║48' south and King 'saw the Land very clearly' but it was a case of being so near and yet so far - with winds from the north blowing against it and a strong tide running against it, HMS \ISupply\i could no more approach the bay and pass through the heads to anchor than a person can climb a greasy pole. It would make a little progress and then be hurled back, losing ground each time.
King says, 'Wind from NNW with pleasant Weather', they 'Were about 5 Leagues from the Land (which is high & tolerable even) we take for a mountain reseembling a hatt which Captain Cook takes notice of & places it about 9 miles to the NW of Red point, before dark it was thought proper to shorten sail & lay her to or stand off & on till the Morning' but 'it soon after came on to blow hard from the S║ & a great Swell we continued standing off till 12 at night where we were & stood in again, at 2 A.M. put too with her head off shore till day light when we made the Land again which in appearance reseembled an Island, but we soon after found it to be a projection of the Land, which was Chalk Clifts & its ends ressembled the North & South Foreland. at Noon our Lattitude was 35║14' South which was 26' to the South of our Yesterdays observation notwithstanding we ran 22' to the Northward, & according to our calculation we had made 6 miles Northing since we brought too, all of which shews that there is a Strong Current or tide setting to the Southward, which is also taken notice of by Captain Cooke.'
The first division now at latitude 38║22' south and longitude 152║07' east enjoyed 'cleare weather' with 'Light Breases' Easty says and only encountered one 'Squal of rain'. Clark says, 'For these Several day past have been all over Small pimples which Ich very much have taking a dose of Physick to day for it and hope that will doe me good. There have been but little wind these last 24 hours. This being Sunday Kist Your dear Pictour as Usual on this day. Read the Prayers lesson and Spalms for the day. I wish that a fair wind would come for I long much to get ashore my beloved Betsey to have Some fish or any thing fresh for I cannot eat the Salt Beef and Pork I am Quite Sick of them. A good wind would carry us there in two days it not being above 260 miles from us now.'
The second division was suffering 'frequent squalls' again Scott says on \IPrince of Wales\i with 'thick and Hasey weather'. Bradley says 'the wind coming from the North West obliged us to stand off to the Eastward' after which 'it blew very hard from the north' and was 'very Squally and continued to blow strong with frequent squalls'. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i says 'one of the Mares very ill with the Gullion, & Captain Campbell's Cow will neither eat or drink, has got a violent flux, supposed from eating the Barley. We have now nothing on board for the Stock to eat but Sea bread. expect the Cow if not the Mare will die before we reach B. Bay.'
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"14 January 1788",293,0,g,0
King says 'it fell calm & soon after a breeze Sprung up at SbE We made sail immiediately & steered NNW & but by 1/2 past four, finding the Breeze was not sufficiently strong to rundown the Distance to Botany Bay'.
'Thank God (10 oClock) there is a little Breeze come' Clark says on the first division \IFriendship\i. 'Hope it will help us along although it is not So fair as it was Yesterday afternoon. It is very warm to day Latt. in to day 36:41 South So that we have only 161 miles of Latt to goe to Botany and a few of Longd . . . I wish that I had a pice of a goose I would much reather Sitt down to it than the dinner which I am going to partake of today Pease Soup and Pork and Rice puddon. I am Quite tired of them all. A great number of fish Seen about the Ship amonst the number a very Ugly one which the Sailors call devil fish.'
Clark had 'dreamt My Beloved Betsey that I was Made a First Lieutenant and when I told it you, you Cryd on which I took You in my fond arms and gave you a fond kiss. I wish to God that it was so my Tender woman for Your Sake and that of our dear Boy's . . .'
On the second division \IPrince of Wales\i, Scott reports light winds only and Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i says it was 'almost a calm' and they slowed down to one knot an hour.
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"15 January 1788",294,fp2-137.jpg,c,0
The frustrations on HMS \ISupply\i were growing as the little brig gained and then lost ground approaching the elusive Botany Bay entrance, with winds and currents still against her. 'Throughout this 24 hours had Fresh Gales from North to NNE. with a little Swell at 1/2 past 12 Tacked & stood in shore till four in the Evening we could plainly perceive that we were set very much to the Southward - at 4 Tacked & stood of till 7 when we stood in again till 8 then Tacked & stood of till 9 in the Morning then tacked & stood in again till Noon when we found our Lattitude by Meridian Altitudes was only 35║58'. Therefore we have had a Current which has sat us 44' to the Southward in 24 hours.'
On the first division at latitude 36║16' south, things were little better, Easty says, as they had 'the wind att north' also and though they 'made the Signall of Land' seeing 'Point Dromedary 2 Leags Distant they did not make the progress they hoped for'. Easty says, 'the Point is very high Land and on both Sids Lower thare is hills and vallies with a great many Treas & a very fine Sanddy Levell Beach called Bateman Bay' at 'Destant 3 or 4 Leags'.
Later that day 'Captain Shea isueid the Slops out belonging to the Party'. On \IFriendship\i Clark said it was 'a fine day got up early but no land in Sight and have Stood the Same way at 10 oClock the agent made the Signal for Seeing the land. Saw it Soon after from the deck right a head. I wish it was Botany. Have gone only 23 miles last twenty four hours to the Northward the wind being So much against us it cannot be worse . . . Got my camp Table finished this afternoon for which I am very Glad. Gave one of the Marines a Glass of Grog for Eight half pennyts to make me Som hingens for my Tea caddy's. A great manney Porpoises a long Side the Ship hope it will be a Sign to that the wind is going to change.'
On the second division \IPrince of Wales,\i at latitude 37║35' Scott also reports 'fowl Wind at. N. Very Hasey; Stands in for the Land. Some of the Men has told Me that the Seen a Remarkable Large flying fish her.'
Bradley, taking careful note of conditions affecting HMS \ISirius,\i predicted there could be a strait between Van Diemen's Land and New Holland as 'since leaving Van Diemans Land we have experienced a strong set from between Schouter Islands and Point Hicks from which we had a great sea and think it probable that there may be either a straight or deep gulf there'.
\BDescription:\b Early map of Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"16 January 1788",295,0,g,0
King says the pattern of approach and fall back was repeated yet again on HMS \ISupply\i. 'In the beginning of this 24 hours the Wind was Moderate still blowing from the North, at six it encreased so much as to oblige us to hand our Topsails & Ballance reef the Mainsail at 6 we were & stood to the Eastward. A great Sea running & Cloudy dirty Weather - at 9 in the Morning it Moderated a little which enabled us to sett our close reefed Topsails & Main stay sail our Lattitude this day by a tolerable Meridian Altitude was 36║17' South.'
On \IScarborough\i, at latitude 36║16' and longitude 151║23' east, Easty says, 'Cleare weather with fresh Breases the wind att NNW Steard ENE att 10 tacked Ship att 1 tacked again' then 'att 6 att night the wind Sprang up to the SSW with thunder and Lightening with heavey rain the Sharpest Lightening Ever I Saw in my Life and the heavest' so they 'handed the main Sail and the top Sails and ran under the fore sail'.
On the second division at latitude 37║06' south, Scott on \IPrince of Wales\i says 'wind continues to the north' then 'becomes Fair, Very Warm & Sultry'. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i says 'Wind quite against us with a heavy swell - The wind this morning felt very hot, as if it proceeded from the mouth of an Oven. At 6 o'Clock a.m. the Thermometer was up at 74 at 1 O'Clock p.m. it was at 751/2. Lieutenant G. Johnstone & myself this night both seiz'd with a griping & flux & many others in the Ship complain of the same disorder. This morning at 5 o'Clock the \ISirius\i tack'd & stood in for the Land & at 12 at noon he put about again & tho' we are now not more than 200 miles from Botany Bay are fearful we shall not get in this week. In the night much Thunder and Lightening.'
#
"17 January 1788",296,fp3-035.jpg,c,0
King says HMS \ISupply\i was unable to approach the entrance to Botany Bay let alone get through the heads so they just bobbed about in the sea for another twenty-four hours opposite the mouth of the Bay. The 'Wind & Weather much the same as Yesterday except it being very Squally in the Night with some heavy rain & lightning to the Northward, our Lattitude this day at Noon by a very Good Meridian Altitude is 35║39', the Log will not give more than 16' Northing wherefore we have had a Northerly Current at the rate of 21' in the 24 hours. Longitude is 151║35' East'.
By now the first division was catching up with HMS \ISupply.\i Easty says they enjoyed a 'wind att South', which lifted them to latitude 36║34'. Clark says, 'It thundered an Lighning very much last night and never Saw So havey rain then fell calm from blowing almost a hurrican. Dreamt that Your Sister Mary and I were at the Prince George in Plymouth but I dont know how She or I come there but She was drest like a Servent Girl. I hope Poor Girl she is as well as I wish her. It is quit a calm and the Sun is Remarkable hott. I wish to God that a fair wind would come for 12 hours then we would be at Botany. We have been Sett away to the Southward Since the day befor Yesterday 15 miles So that we are that much father from Botany than we was then. Got a dale box made to hold my Butter flys for you my dear woman. Thank God that we have got a fair wind. Hope it will remain So Untill the day after to morrow.'
On the second division, Bradley on HMS \ISirius\i says they had 'light varaible winds and calm with frequent heavy rain' at their latitude of 37║19'S and longitude 157║45' and they also had 'thunder and lightning'. Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i says 'they could only go at one and a half knots' then 'the wind came favourable for us. It is so intensely hot we are oblig'd to sit with all the Cabin windows open. & I sleep with my Cabin door open. Mr. Johnstone & Myself both much better. The Thermometer this day stood at 76. A large School of Porpuses about.'
\BDescription:\b North Head view of the entrance to Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"18 January 1788",297,fp2-132.jpg,c,0
The long-awaited day eventually came for HMS \ISupply,\i reports King, after a night of relentless 'fresh breezes from the North West' which pushed them further away from the Bay. The wind at last shifted to the southwest allowing them to get in and 'at 8 in the Morning we discovered the Land from WSW to NW & at the same time saw the Hill ressembling the Crown of a hatt which bore W1/2S - we stood in NNW & NW till within about 3 miles of the Shore when we steered North, The Shore along here is steep & a surf beating on it. The hills are cloathed with a verdant Wood with many beautifull slopes, at Noon observed our Lattitude by a very good Meridian Altitude was 34║14' . . . As it is impossible to Miss this place with Captain Cookes description before one I shall remark nothing of it, but that we hauled in for the harbour at a quarter past 2 in the Afternoon.'
'When abreast of Point solander we saw several of the Natives running along brandishing their Spears and making towards the harbour, we came to an anchor on the Northern side of the Bay, that the Ships which were following might not miss the harbour.'
'At 3 the boats were hoisted out & Governor Phillip & some Officers belonging to the \ISupply\i with Lieutenant Dawes & Myself, landed on the North side of the Bay & just looked at the face of the Country, which is as Mr. Cook remarks very much like the Moors in England, Except that there is a great deal of very good grass & some small timber trees. we went a little way up the bay to look for water, but finding none we returned abreast of the \ISupply\i where we observed a group of the Natives, we put the Boats onshore near where we observed two of their Canoes lying, they immediately got up & called to us in a Menacing tone, & at the same time brandishing their spears or lances, however the Governor shewed them some beads & orderd a Man to fasten them to the stem of the Canoe, we then made signs that we wanted Water, when they pointed round the point of which they stood & invited us to land there; on landing they directed us by pointing, to a very fine stream of fresh water, Governor Phillip then advanced toward them alone & unarmed, on which one of them advanced towards him, but would not come near enough to receive the beads which the Governor held out for him, but seemed very desirous of having them & made signs for them to be lain on the ground, which was done, he (the Native) came on with fear & trembling & took them up, & by degrees came so near as to receive Looking Glasses etc & seemed quite astonished at the figure we cut in being cloathed & I think it is very easy to conceive the ridiculous figure we must appear to those poor creatures who were perfectly naked, we soon after took leave of them & returned onboard (N.B. This is the evening of the 18th Natural day, which I shall carry on).'
The three first-division ships were enjoying 'Cleare weather with fresh Breases' with 'the wind at the SSE'. Then at night they 'saw the Land called red Point at a Distance 5 Leags'. On \IFriendship\i Clark says they reached latitude 35║34' and had a 'fine Breeze and that as fair as it can blow and the day not So very hott as it was . . . At Six oClock P.M. the man at the Mast head cald out for Seing the land . . . One of the Sheep poor thing is So Wek that She could not bring forth her lamb So that they were oblige to take them away by force and they were both dead. I am Surprize that any of the Sheep are alive for they have had nothing for these Several days past but water and flouer. I hope we will get in to morrow as much for my own as there Sakes poor things.'
On \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth says the second division had 'A gentle breeze' and they 'Expect to see Land this Evening. A Noddy taken on the yardarm. No land seen at 8 o'Clock for which reason the fleet were order'd to lye to all night. The wind encreas'd in the night & the Ships roll'd very much.' Scott on \IPrince of Wales\i says, 'Sergeant Knight Who Was Suspended At the Cape of Good Hope, Was Ordred to His former Duty on \IAlexander\i'. Bradley says although they 'hauled in and endeavoured to make the land before night' they were unable to, and it would have been too risky to continue trying as it was getting dark.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of Aborigines catching and cooking fish, by Philip Gidley King. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"19 January 1788",298,fp3-030.jpg,c,0
On shore King and others from HMS \ISupply\i were busy getting to know the land and its people although as Phillip said 'the \ISupply\i sailing very badly, had not permitted my gaining the advantage hoped for' but nevertheless as he said 'I began to examine the bay as soon as we anchored'. King says 'at day light we went on shore to haul the seine on the North side, but caught very few fish, just as we were going onboard the Natives came down & were much more confident than they were the night before'.
Back at sea on \IFriendship,\i Clark tells how the first division too at last reached Botany Bay. 'Got up very Early to See the Land which was very near us - thank God that there was a fine Breeze. At 9 oClock Saw the \ISupply\i Brigg in Botany Bay at Anchor. Saw at 10 oClock a great maney of Natives of Point Solander as it is cald to which we went very near which is the South Point as we goe in to the Bay. Saw also a great manny on the North Shore. At 1/2 past ten came to ane Anchor and found riding heer the \ISupply\i Who only had got in Yesterday at 2 oClock - the \ISupply\is Boat came on board with Some hay for the Sheep which I am very Glad of for the Poor Sheep that had her Lambs taking from her died in the night. The \ISupply\i Boat has been on Shore often had intercourse with the Natives who they Say are very friendly but I will not trust them.' Clark then delivered a prayer of thanksgiving '. . . I cannot Say from the appearence of the Shore that I will like it the only thing I ask is that it may be a healthy place. Captain Meridith then went on board the \IScarborough\i where he Staid all day.'
Easty, who sailed through the heads on \IScarborough\i with the \IFriendship\i and \IAlexander,\i says 'att 8 oclock made the mouth of Botany Bay' and 'Saw Sevarall fires made by the indians on Cape Banks Saw a great many Indians on Point Solander' who 'Cane down to the Shore and Shrouted att us and held up there weapons over ther heads and Shaked them att us thay Seem all to be naked and of Black Colour we Steerd up the Bay and Came to an anchor about 2 miles in Side of the Bay after being 9 weeks and 5 days from the Cape of good hope and 8 Kellander mounths and 6 days from Endgland. The Bay is very hand Some one as Ever I Saw in my Life Every whare Seeming Level with Sanddy Beach in most places. We have not Lost a man Ever Since we Left England.'
King says 'we were very agreably surprized with the appearance of the \IAlexander,\i \IScarboro\i & \IFriendship\i coming round point Solander' and 'Major Ross left \IScarborough\i immediately she anchored and came onboard. As preparations were made in the Morning to explore & examine all the North side of the Bay. Major Ross was added to our party which consisted of the Governor, Lieutenants Ball, Dawes, Long & myself in three boats, & we left the Brig, at 11 o'clock. A Shoal which lay a long way off stretching near the middle of the Bay towards the upper end of the North side of the bay prevented our Keeping near the shore, but its edge directed us to the opening of the River at the NW side of the bay which we went up for about 6 miles, finding the Country low & boggy, & no appearence of fresh water, we returned down again & ran along the upper part of the bay, to the entrance of the first inlet on the SW side of the bay which in this part is very wide, here we went onshore & eat our salt beff & in a glass of Porter drank the healths of our friends in England, we walked some little distance along shore, & could find but one little rivulet of fresh Water we saw several huts & lances but no natives at 6 in the Evening we returned onboard again.'
Back at sea on the second division \ILady Penrhyn,\i Smyth said, 'This morning I arose at 5 o'Clock in hopes of seeing Land, but was disappointed. The \ISirius\i & all the fleet made Sail about 4 o'Clock in the morning & at 7 a.m. we discover'd Land about 40 miles distant. The joy everyone felt upon so long wish'd for an Event can be better conceiv'd than expressed, particularly as it was the termination of the Voyage to those who were to settle at Botany Bay, & it is 10 weeks on monday since we left the Cape of Good Hope; the longest period of any we had been at Sea without touching at any Port. The Sailors are busy getting up the Cables & preparing all things for Anchoring. Lye to all night'.
'Captain Hunter made the signal for the convoy to come within hail, when he acquainted them that the entrance into Botany Bay bore N.N.S.W.: adding that for the night he intended to stand off and on, and early in the morning make sail for the bay.' Although Collins says, 'we were gratified with the sight of the entrance into Botany Bay', it was 'too late to attempt standing into it with the transports that night'.
\BDescription:\b A 1788 painting of a native family. \I(British Museum)\i
#
"20 January 1788: Sunday",299,fp2-129.jpg,c,0
On shore the landing parties from HMS \ISupply\i along with the people from \IFriendship,\i \IScarborough\i and \IAlexander\i hurriedly cut grass for the remaining livestock, caught fish for the humans, made peace with the natives and tried to find running water and good soil for their land base.
Back at sea, Collins says from HMS \ISirius\i that 'When the morning came we found the fleet had been carried by a current to the southward as far as a clump of trees which had some resemblance in the appearance to a clump at Post-down near Portsmouth, but with the assistance of a fine breeze we soon regained what we had lost in the night'. On \ILady Penrhyn\i Smyth then tells how these remaining seven ships arrived: 'The \ISirius\i made Sail at 4 o'Clock this morning with a fine breeze about 8 o'Clock we came abreast of point Solander & Sail'd into the Bay, where we were very happy to find the 4 Ships who had parted with us, all safe at Anchor. The \ISupply\i Brig got there on friday night, but the \IAlexander,\i \IScarborough\i & \IFriendship\i only reach'd it but the Evening before us!' Smyth says, (critical to the last of Phillip's plan of separating the fleet).
Bradley says Lieutenant Henry Ball from HMS \ISupply\i came out in a long boat to the mouth and guided them in on HMS \ISirius\i like a pilot. 'We saw by the Assistance of a Glass, 7 of the Natives, runing amongst the trees.'
On the \ICharlotte\i White said 'As we sailed into the bay, some of the natives were on the shore, looking with seeming attention at such large moving bodies coming amongst them'. The whole voyage he concluded had been a great achievement and now that all eleven ships were united again and safely in the port of their destination he breathed a sigh of relief on behalf of everyone. 'To see all the ships safe in their destined port, without ever having, by any accident, been one hour separated, and all the people in as good health as could be expected or hoped for, after so long a voyage, was a sight truly pleasing, and at which every heart must rejoice.'
Collins finally paid credit where it was due and confirmed this feeling of general joy and satisfaction on arrival. 'The high health which was apparent in every countenance was to be attributed not only to the refreshments we met with at Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope, but to the excellent quality of the provisions with which we were supplied by Mr. Richards junior, the contractor; and the spirits visible in every eye were to be ascribed to the general joy and satisfaction which immediately took place on finding ourselves arrived at that port which had been so much and so long the subject of our most serious reflections, the constant theme of our conversations.'
\BDescription:\b Illustration of an Aboriginal warrior, by Philip Gidley King. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Pants Down for the Indians",300,fp3-028.jpg,c,0
\BBotany Bay to Port Jackson: 20 January to 26 January 1788\b
Although their problems had only just begun when they arrived in Botany Bay, the safe arrival of all eleven ships gave everybody on board a great sense of relief. Anything could have happened on the voyage; on the next convict ship to come out from England, \ILady Juliana,\i a fire broke out; the food relief ship, \IGuardian,\i that followed in the wake of the first fleet was wrecked off the Cape of Good Hope; and hundreds of convicts died on the second fleet.
The voyage of 15,063 miles from England had been accomplished without major loss of life in eight months and one week - 252 days. Although they had run out of food for the livestock on some of the ships, enough animals survived to breed from and they still had enough food to last until they could grow their own. They had made very good time, especially as \ILady Penrhyn\i and \ICharlotte\i had been such bad sailers and they had run into some very rough weather.
It was a magnificent feat of navigation on the part of people like Phillip, Hunter, Dawes, Bradley, King and Shortland and it was a magnificent feat of seamanship on the part of the ships' masters and crew. Their time was especially good when it is remembered that they wasted sixty-eight days sitting around in ports en route. Subtracting this waiting period, the sailing time of the first ship to arrive, HMS \ISupply,\i was only 182 days and although \IFriendship\i travelled over 190 miles one day and HMS \ISirius\i did over 180 on many days, the average daily run of the whole fleet was 82 miles which meant they had averaged three knots an hour.
The health records are even more impressive - when they reached Botany Bay only 48 people had died out of approximately 1,350. Sixteen of these had died while sitting around in Portsmouth waiting to leave, while the remaining thirty-two had died en route to Botany Bay. On the second fleet in 1790, at least 267 people died on the three convict transports that made up the fleet.
Having reached his destination, Phillip immediately set everyone to work cutting grass for the dying livestock, fetching fresh water, catching fish for the table and looking for a viable site for the settlement that included a fresh-water stream and fertile soil for vegetables. He made contact with the natives, attempting to befriend them to minimise any conflict that might develop between the two races. He also had to deal with the unexpected arrival in Botany Bay of a French fleet which he feared may have come to make rival claims to the new land. Phillip wanted to have all problems solved and the settlement organised before the commercial transports carried his first dispatches back to his superiors in London.
The officers of the fleet were fascinated by the natives, or 'Indians', as some of them called the local inhabitants, and they spent as much time as they could talking to them. The officers were also interested in the new animals, birds and plants, taking great pains to record these correctly in the interests of science.
Before long it became clear that Botany Bay was inadequate and so Phillip transferred the fleet to Port Jackson which on exploration had proved far superior. And so the fleet set out for its last leg of the voyage which although short, was almost the most dangerous of all.
\BDescription:\b The actual founding of Australia on 26th January 1788. \I(Tate Gallery, England)\i
#
"20 January 1788: Sunday Afternoon",301,fp2-144.jpg,c,0
On the arrival of the full fleet, Phillip was pleased to discover that 'the ships had continued very healthy'. He was disappointed from the start that although extensive 'the Bay did not afford shelter to ships from the easterly winds'. He had 'begun to examine the Bay as soon as we anchored', he said, 'and found that the greater part of the Bay was so shoal that ships of even a moderate draught of water are obliged to anchor with the entrance of the Bay open and are exposed to a heavy sea that rolls in when it blows hard from the eastward'.
Phillip's orders controlling relations between the Europeans and natives were essential as many of the new arrivals were quite frightened by the natives. Robert Brown, the Master of \IFishburn,\i says, 'as we were coming in we saw several of the natives on either side of the bay who halloed and brandished their Spears'.
White also notes the importance of controlling the first working parties put ashore. 'Captain Hunter, after anchoring, waited on the governor, on board the \ISupply,\i who with several other officers, landed. As they rowed along the shore, some of the natives followed the boat; but on her putting in for the shore they ran into the woods. Some of the gentlemen, however, before they returned on board, obtained an interview with them, during which they showed some distrust, but, upon the whole, were civilly inclined. In the evening the boats were permitted to land on the north side, in order to get water and grass for the little stock we had remaining. An officer's guard was placed there to prevent the seamen from straggling, or having any improper intercourse with the natives.'
King, who was now enjoying his third day ashore, perhaps had the most interesting interview with the natives. 'I was ordered with Lieutenant Dawes of the Marines, to explore all the South side of the Bay, & trace the two inlets on the South side as high as possible . . . I ascended the hill & found the soil an exceeding fine black mold, with some excellent Timber Trees & very rich grass, arrived at the top of the hill we perceived a red fox dog, & soon after discovered a number of the natives who halloo'd & made signs for us to return to our boats, having only three Marines with me & Lieutenant Dawes I advanced before them unarmed presenting some beads & Ribbands, two of the Natives advanced armed, but would not come close to me, I then dropt the beads & baize which I held out for them & retreated, they took it up & bound the baize about their head they then in a very vociferous manner desired us to begone & one of them threw a lance wide of us to shew how far they could do execution, the distance it was thrown was as near as I could guess about 40 Yards & when he took it out of the ground where it struck; it required an exertion to pull it out, as I took this for a menace that more could be thrown at us if we did not retreat & being unwilling to fire amongst them, there being twelve of them, I retreated walking backward till I came to the brow of the hill, where I halted & again offered them presents which they refused, on descending the hill they showed themselves on the top of it & were ten times more vociferous & very soon after a lance was thrown amongst us on which I ordered one of the Marines to fire with powder only, when they ran off.
'With great precipitation, I embarked & governor Phillip joined me from the South side of the Bay where he had found the Natives very sociable & friendly we relanded on Lance point & the same body of natives appeared brandishing their lances & defying us however we rowed close in shore & the Governor disembarked with some presents which one of them came & received thus peace was re-established much to the satisfaction of all parties; they came round the boats & many little things were given them, but what they wanted most was the great coats & Cloathing, but hatts was more particularised by them, their admiration of which they expressed by very loud shouts, whenever one of us pulled our hatts off, when they found us so very friendly they ran up to the man who had thrown the lance & made very significant signs of their displeasure at his conduct by pointing all their lances at him & looking at us intimating that they only waited our orders to kill him, however we made signs for them to desist & made the culprit a present of some beads &c. Governor Phillip then went up another branch.'
He continues, 'When they found we were not disposed to part with any more things, they entered into conversation with us, which was very fully interpreted by very plain Signs they wanted to know of what sex we were, which they explained by pointing where it was distinguishable, As they took us for women, not having our beards grown, I ordered one of the people to undecieve them in this particular when they made a great shout of Admiration, & pointing to the shore, which was but ten yards from us we saw a great number of Women & Girls with infant children on their shoulders, make their appearance on the beach, All in \Ipuris naturalibus pas meme la feuille de figeur\i - those natives who were round the boats made signs for us to go to them, & made us understand their persons were at our service; however I declined this mark of their hospitality but shewed a handkerchief which I offered to one of the women, pointing her out, she immediately put her child down & came alongside the boat & suffered me to Apply the handkerchief where Eve did the Fig leaf, the Natives then set up another very great shout & my female visitor returned on shore.
'As the evening was coming on fast & we were twelve miles from the fleet it was time to return, we wished the natives, "good be wi'ye" which they repeated, we got onboard about midnight.'
Apart from fraternising with the 'Indians', Easty says, 'a party of men went on Shore a cutting grass for the Cattell with a party of marines from Each Ship'. Meanwhile, he says 'the offiecers were over haleing the Country' to look for a spot to settle. Smyth, who was among those overhauling the country, says, 'Upon first sight one would be induced to think this a most fertile spot . . . but upon a nearer inspection, the grass is found long & coarse, the trees very large & in general hollow & the wood itself fit for no purposes of buildg. or anything but the fire - the Soil to a great depth is nothing but a black sand which when exposed to the intense heat of the Sun by removing the surrounding trees, is not fit for the vegitation of anything even the grass itself, then dying away, which in the shade appears green & flourishing; add to this that every part of the ground is in a manner cover'd with black & red Ants of a most enormous size.'
Nevertheless he says the fishing trips had been a great success. 'This Evening I went on Shore in the Boat with Some of the Ship's Company to the Northside of the Bay to haul the Seyne & caught a great many fish, all excellent eating.'
On \IFriendship\i Clark also says they 'caught a great manny fish' and he 'Kist Your dear Imaged as Usual on this day and read the Prayers as usual - Sent a Copl. and four men on shore on duty and Captain Meridith who return with the doctor long after I was in bed last night a little gone informd me that it was Major Ross orders that an officer Should constantly be on deck Day and night which will be hard duty for just Faddy and me but Since it is So I will doe it with the greater Pleasure. Soon haild the \IPrince of Wales\i and \ICharlott\i and ask the Lads on board how they did answerd all well - I also haild the \ILady Penryn\i and found them on board there well - a very fine day - it is not resolved on what Side we Shall Settle Yet - I wish they were a little quick about it - Robert Sidaway was put out of Irons this day.'
\BDescription:\b An early painting of Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"21 January 1788",302,62741077.jpg,c,0
Phillip had seen enough. 'Several small runs of fresh water were found in the different parts of the Bay', he said, 'but I did not see any situation to which there was not some strong objection. The small creek that is in the northern part of the Bay runs a considerable way into the country but it only had water for a boat.'
Phillip said, 'the best situation that offered was near Point Sutherland where there was a small run of good water but the ground near it was spongy and the ships could not approach this part of the Bay'. There were 'several good situations offered for a small number of people but none that appeared calculated for our numbers and where the stores and provisions could be landed without a great loss of time' thus 'when I considered the Bay being so very open and the probability of the swamps rendering the most eligible situation unhealthy I judged it advisable to examine Port Jackson'.
Phillip set off at six in the morning with three rigged long boats, taking Captain Hunter and several officers.
Before he left he ordered Ross to 'have the ground cleared' on Point Sutherland 'and preparations made for landing' just 'in case I did not succeed in finding a better harbour'. Easty was one of those involved in clearing Point Sutherland as one of 'the party of marines on shore from Difrent Ships' guarding the workmen. Clark was ordered to 'goe on Shore with a Party of Men consisting of ten and Sergeant and brought with him four tents which I am to pitch. Caught but very little fish. It is remarkably hott.'
Scott during his guard duty encountered some natives saying, 'The Natives here is Very Affable. & Will Except of Aney thing, that You Will Give them, (& Even take Aney thing that the Can Lay Hold of)'. Smyth also used this waiting period to meet more natives, who 'were all provided with Lances of a great length pointed with the Bone of a Sting Ray at one end & a piece of Oyster Shell at the other grown or rub'd to a fine edge & one of them had a heavy Bludgeon which I persuaded him to exchange with me for a looking glass . . . Every one had the tooth next the fore tooth in his upper jaw knock'd out, & many of them had a piece of stick about the size of a Tobacco pipe & 6 or 8 inches in length run thro' the septum of the Nostrils, to which from its great similitude we ludicrously gave the name of a Sprit Sail Yard. They all cut their Backs Bodies & Arm which heal up in large ridges & scars. They live in miserable Wigwams near the water which are nothing more than 2 or 3 pieces of the Bark of a tree set up sideways against a ridge pole fasten'd to two upright stick at each end. They are about 2 or 3 feet high, & few amongst them are to be found which are weather proof.'
'Their principal food consists of fish which they in general eat raw. Sometimes they feast upon the Kangaroo, but I believe them to be too stupid & indolent a set of people to be able often to catch them: from the appearance of many of the lofty trees we saw, some way up the Country having regular steps chop'd at about 2 foot asunder in the Bark of the tree quite up to the top where the tree begins to branch out, there is reason to suppose they mount these with large stones where they lie in ambush till some Kangaroos come under to graze when they heave the stone upon them & kill them.'
'The Animals we saw during our stay included Kangaroos, about as big as a large Sheep, a very large Species of Lizard, Dogs, Rats, Raccoons, flying Squirrels very large Snakes, a Bird of a new genus, as large & high as an Ostrich. Many species of Cockatoos, Parrotts, Loury & Louryquets, Eagles, Hawks, (Rooks & wild fowl of many sorts Duck, Teal, Widgeon, etc) . . . There are also great quantities of Ants of 8 or 10 different species & many flies & Musquito's.
'The Women are also quite naked & go in misserable bad canoes to Catch fish. The Women in general fish with a hook & Line the men strike them with a kind of spear. The Hook is made of the convoluted part of the Ear Shell, sharpen'd on a stone to a fine point. The Natives do not besmear their Hair or Bodies with any kind of Oil or paint as many Indians do. Their Teeth are in general White but both their Skin & hair have a remarkably strong fishy scent. They wear their beards which are quite black & inclined to be curly. They seem'd most desirous of Hats from their attempting to seize the Hats of many persons on shore'. Like King, Smyth had to order pants to be pulled down for the 'Indians'. 'They seemed to express a Wish to know of what Sex we were & several of the persons onshore satisfied them in that particular. When they found we were men like themselves they express'd their joy & astonishment by loud Exclamations & grotesque gestures, & immediately shook hands with us.'
Smyth then got lost among these 'stupid' people. 'Their Huts or Wigwams are dispersed about and cat paths leading from one to the other and having wandered some distance into the woods in search of Insects & other natural Curiosities, I lost myself and could not find my way back to the Wooding Party, which threw me into no small panic least I should meet with any of the Natives before I could extricate myself from the Labarynth I had got into . . . but, I crawl'd along gently & had the good Luck to escape being noticed by them; & to my inexpressable Joy I shortly after got sight of the Bay.'
Bradley noted, 'The Natives that appear'd on the N. side of the Bay express'd the same wish of knowing whether our People were Men or Women, after being satisfied on that head, One of them ran in amongst the Bushes, made himself a Belt of Grass & came dancing out with it round his waist with leaves hung over it; they were much inclin'd to steal any kind of Cloth or Covering & did steal some bags which were sent on shore for Hay.' While Phillip was away many other activities continued. Bradley writes, 'Major Ross attended the operations on-shore & as our settling here was not yet determined on; it was not judged proper to land any of the Convicts but the necessary works were carried on by the Marines & Seamen. Two of the Seamen on the N. shore straggling into the woods without arms or any thing to protect themselves met with some Natives, Men, Women & Children who very very friendly, met them without fear & eagerly accepted of a Jacket which one of the sailors gave them, they were all entirely naked.'
Back on Phillip's three rigged long boats, Collins says 'the day was mild and serene, and there being but a gentle swell without the mouth of the harbour, the excursion promised to be a pleasant one. The little fleet attracted the attention of several parties of the natives, as we proceeded along the coast, who all greeted us in the same words, and in the same tone of vociferation, shouting every where"Warra, warra, warra," - words which by the gestures that accompanied them, could not be interpreted into invitations to land, or expressions of welcome.'
They proceeded with apprehension, Collins continues, 'the coast, as the boats drew near Port Jackson, wore so unfavourable an appearance, that Captain Phillip's utmost expectation reached no farther than to find what Captain Cook, as he passed by, thought might be found, shelter for a boat. In this conjecture, however, he was most agreeably disappointed, by finding not only shelter for a boat, but a harbour capable of affording security to a much larger fleet than would probably ever seek for shelter or security in it'.
'The opening, or bay, about three leagues and a half to the northward of Cape Banks, was the first place we looked into: it had rather an unpromising appearance, on entering between the outer heads or capes that form its entrance, which are high, rugged, and perpendicular cliffs; but we had not gone far in, before we discovered a large branch extending to the southward; into this we went, and soon found ourselves perfectly landlocked, with a good depth of water.
'We proceeded up for two days, examining every cove or other place which we found capable of receiving ships; the country was also particularly noticed, and found greatly superior in every respect to that round Botany-bay. The governor, being satisfied with the eligibility of this situation, determined to fix his residence here, and returned immediately to the ships.'
In all, the Port Jackson trip had been a great success and now all Phillip had to do was get safely back to Botany Bay.
Phillip confirms 'we . . . had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security'. He says 'the different coves were examined with all possible expedition. I fixed on the one 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. This cove, which I have honoured with the name of Sydney, is about a quarter of a mile across the entrance and half a mile in length.' Happy with this location Phillip thus collected the three-rigged long boats together, and after a night's rest at Camp Cove returned to Botany Bay.
\BDescription:\b Yellow gum plant. One of the many botanical specimens illustrated in the diaries. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"22 January 1788",303,0,g,0
While waiting for Phillip to return, Ross continued to clear as much ground as possible and create a good basis for a settlement. White watched these proceedings with interest. 'During his excellency's absence the lieutenant-governor had issued his orders to land all the artificers that could be found among the convicts, and a party of others, to clear the ground for the intended town, to dig sawpits, and to perform everything that was essential towards the works purposed to be carried on. Although the spot fixed on for the town was the most eligible that could be chosen, yet I think it would never have answered, the ground around it being sandy, poor, and swampy, and but very indifferently supplied with water. The fine meadows talked of in Captain Cook's voyage I could never see, though I took some pains to find them out; nor have I ever heard of a person that has seen any parts resembling them.'
'While the people were employed on shore, the Natives came several times among them, and behaved with a kind of cautious friendship. One evening while the seine was hauling, some of them were present, and expressed great surprise at what they saw, giving a shout expressive of astonishment and joy when they perceived the quantity that was caught. No sooner were the fish out of the water than they began to lay hold of them, as if they had a right to them, or that they were their own; upon which the officer of the boat, I think very properly, restrained them, giving, however, to each of them a part. They did not at first seem very well pleased with this mode of procedure, but on observing with what justice the fish was distributed they appeared content.'
'While I was on board the \ISupply\i we saw twenty-nine of the natives on the beach, looking towards the shipping; upon which Lieutenants Ball and King, Mr. Dawes, and myself went on shore, landing at the place where they were. They were friendly and pacific, though each of them was armed with a spear or long dart and had a stick, with a shell at the end, used by them in throwing their weapons. Besides these, some few had shields made of the bark of the cork tree, of a plain appearance but sufficient to ward off or turn their own weapons, some of which were pointed and barbed with the bones of fish, fastened on with some kind of adhesive gum.'
'One of the most friendly, and who appeared to be the most confident, on signs being made to him, stuck the end of his shield in the sand, but could not be prevailed upon to throw his spear at it. Finding he declined it, I fired a pistol ball through it. The explosion frightened him, as well as his companions, a little; but they soon got over it, and on my putting the pistol into my pocket he took up the shield, and appeared to be much surprised at finding it perforated. He then, by signs and gestures, seemed to ask if the pistol would make a hole through him, and on being made sensible that it would, he showed not the smallest signs of fear; on the contrary he endeavoured, as we construed his motions, to impress us with an idea of the superiority of his own arms, which he applied to his breast, and by staggering, and a show of falling, seemed to wish us to understand that the force and effect of them was mortal, and not to be resisted.'
'However, I am well convinced that they know and dread the superiority of our arms, notwithstanding this show of indifference, as they, on all occasions, have discovered a dislike to a musquet: and so very soon did they make themselves acquainted with the nature of our military dress, that, from the first, they carefully avoided a soldier, or any person wearing a red coat, which they seem to have marked as a fighting vesture.'
Clark, who stayed on board \IFriendship\i, says it was 'a very hott day. . . Orders came on board for to hold the men belonging to Captains Campbells and Tenchs companies to hold themselfs in readyness to Land to Morrow Morning Early. The Doctor went on board the \IScarborough\i and \IAlexander\i and I am left here by my self to think the more over your Virtueus my dear Betsey may the great God Bless you.' Easty was among the 'Partys of men on Shore from the \ISirous\i & from this Ship'.
Duncan Sinclair, Master of \IAlexander\i, says, 'a party of men landed on the south side to work' while the Master of \IFishburn,\i Robert Brown, remained fascinated by the natives saying, 'saw this day 30 of the natives together; they seemed quite harmless, only inclinable to theiving, and it was with difficulty the captain kept his hatt on his head; they are all quite naked and armed with fish-spears; they are quite black with bushy hair on their heads'.
Collins took the side of the natives saying, 'It must however be observed, that at Botany Bay the natives had hitherto conducted themselves sociably and peaceably toward all the parties of our officers and people with whom they had hitherto met, and by no means seemed to regard them as enemies or invaders of their country and tranquillity. How grateful to every feeling of humanity would it be could we conclude this narrative without being compelled to say, that these unoffending people had found reason to change both their opinions and their conduct!'
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"23 January 1788",304,fp2-134.jpg,g,0
Phillip did not arrive back in the little boats until evening and so those at Botany Bay had plenty of time to continue clearing ground and socialising with each other or the natives. Easty says it was 'Thick clowdy weather' and he 'went on Shore att Point Sutherland to guard the Seaman that was imployed in makeing a Saw pit the Land is very Sandy theare is no Soil for 4 or 5 feet down the indians huts are very Low and small and are made with Barks of treas and thare Canews are made with Bark of treas tied up together att Each End'.
To start his day Clark 'went on board the \IScarborough\i with Arendell to Breakfast there then from that went on Shore with him and Davey to the South Shore where they intend to make the Settlement where we Saw Major Ross. We Walk a great way in the country us three and William but did not See any of the Natives . . .'
'I hope that the Commodore will find out a better place at Port Jackson for us to Settle for if we are oblige to Settle here at the Place they intend there will not a Soul be a life in the course of a Year. Returned on board the \IScarborough\i where we Staid Supper then Returned on board.'
Bradley had more luck meeting natives. 'A Black Man [from the fleet] was landed among the Working Party with whom the Natives were much pleas'd & seem'd astonished that he did not understand them, they wished him to stay with them & followed the Boat that he was in as far as they could, as the Boat left the shore they return'd apparently as well satisfied as if the Man of their own Complexion had remained with them.'
Tench also had some interesting experiences with the natives, as he says, 'when I went with a party to the south side of the harbour, and had scarcely landed five minutes, when we were met by a dozen Indians, naked as at the moment of their birth, walking along the beach . . . I had at this time a little boy, of not more than seven years of age, in my hand. The child seemed to attract their attention very much, for they frequently pointed to him and spoke to each other; and as he was not frightened, I advanced with him towards them, at the same time baring his bosom and shewing the whiteness of the skin. On the cloaths being removed they gave a loud exclamation and one of the party, an old man, with a long beard, hideously ugly, came close to us. I bade my little charge not to be afraid, and introduced him to the acquaintance of this uncouth personage. The Indian, with great gentleness laid his hand on the child's hat, and afterwards felt his cloaths, muttering to himself all the while. I found it necessary, however, by this time to send away the child, as such a close connection rather alarmed him; and in this, as the conclusion verified, I gave no offence to the old gentleman. Indeed it was but putting ourselves on a par with them, as I had observed from the first, that some youths of their own, though considerable older than the one with us, were kept back by the grown people . . . After nearly an hour's conversation by signs and gestures, they repeated several times the word "whurra", which signifies, begone, and walked away from us to the head of the Bay . . .'
'Our first object was to win their affections, and our next to convince them of the superiority we possessed: for without the latter, the former we knew would be of little importance. An officer one day prevailed on one of them to place a target, made of bark, against a tree, which he fired at with a pistol, at the distance of some paces. The Indians, though terrified at the report, did not run away, but their astonishment exceeded their alarm, on looking at the shield which the ball had perforated. As this produced a little shyness, the officer, to dissipate their fears and remove their jealousy, whistled the air of Malbrooke, which they appeared highly charmed with, and imitated him with equal pleasure and readiness.'
Clark spotted Phillip coming into Botany Bay saying 'The Commander is return'd as the Boats are comming in'. White also records that 'the party returned this evening, full of praises on the extent and excellence of the harbour, as well as the superiority of the ground, water, and situation to that of Botany Bay, which, I own, does not, in my opinion, by any means merit the commendations bestowed on it by the muchlamented Cook, and others whose names and judgments are no less admired and esteemed'.
Clark breathed a sigh of relief saying 'thank God that we are to Remove to port Jackson and not Stay here at Botany Bay - the Commander Says he would not wish for a better place to Settle at than at Port Jackson both healthy and a pleasent Spot - I wish that we may find it So'. Smyth had little doubt as it 'Certainly in the Opinion of everyone that Port Jackson was one of the finest Harbours in the World, not excepting that of Trincamale in the East Indies, & the adjacent Country was fertile instead of being so barren as it is, it would exceed anything yet known. It abound with many capacious Bays & Coves for many miles up the Country & all these surrounded with rocks of Stone exactly similar to the Portland Stone, & which extends in ridges some miles up the Country. The Water close to the sides of these rocks in all the Coves is deep enough for a Line of Battle Ship to Lye close', and so as King says 'Orders were immediately given to get the Transports & Victuallers in readiness to sail, As Port Jackson was judged a very proper place to form an establishment in.'
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"24 January 1788",305,0,g,0
Easty says the day was clear as the dawn broke and they prepared for their last leg. Then as they looked out through the heads in the direction they had to sail they were suddenly taken aback because instead of a patch of clear blue sea outside the heads, they saw a couple of sailing ships. Tench who 'rose at the first dawn of the morning' takes up the story. 'Judge of my surprize on hearing from a serjeant, 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 barricado, and plainly descried two ships of considerable size, standing in for the mouth of the Bay. By this time the alarm had become general, and every one appeared lost in conjecture. Now they were Dutchmen sent to dispossess us, and the moment after storeships from England, with supplies for the settlement. The improbabilities which attended both these conclusions, were sunk in the agitation of the moment. It was by Governor Phillip, that this mystery was at length unravelled, and the cause of the alarm pronounced to be two French ships, which, it was now recollected, were on a voyage of discovery in the southern hemisphere. Thus were our doubts cleared up, and our apprehensions banished; it was, however, judged expedient to postpone our removal to Port Jackson, until a complete confirmation of our conjectures could be procured.'
'Had the sea breeze set in, the strange ships would have been at anchor in the Bay by eight o'clock in the morning, but the wind blowing out, they were driven by a strong lee current to the southward of the port . . .'
'Our Conjectures upon this Event were various, some supposing them to be two English Ships sent out after us with Convicts & more Stores. Others that they were Dutch Ships sent after us to oppose our Landing. . . The Governor sent the \ISupply\i Brig out of the Bay with orders to hoist his Colours & if possible discover what Nation they belonged to; he shortly return with the intelligence that they were certainly not English but either French, Spanish or Portuguese, but were at too great a distance for him to ascertain which. When we concluded they were the two French Ships . . . The Governor had English Colours hoisted on the South side of the Bay near the Watering place, call'd Sutherland Point. . . he also issued orders for no person whatever to be suffer'd to go on board either of the Ships if they came in, as he did not wish to let them know particulars, especially that we were upon the eve of leaving this place and going to Port Jackson.
'In the Evening there was a good deal of thunder & Lightening and Major Ross came on board us & informed us that the Governor was resolv'd at all Events to leave the Bay at daybreak.'
Clark had other expectations for the strange ships. 'I was hoping my beloved wife that they were from England but the Commander Says that they are two French Ships on discoverys in the South Seas. I thought to have had a letter before now from You.'
Easty says boats were employed in getting water for the stock and 'men went on shore cutting Grass' while others were 'getting Everything in readyness to leave this harbour', pulling down tents and putting equipment back on the ships to be unloaded again at Port Jackson. It had been a wasted effort preparing a campsite at Botany Bay and Ross and other marines were angry at having to work hard for no end.
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"25 January 1788",306,03250051.jpg,c,0
Having supervised the packing-up operation, Phillip gave the signal to weigh anchor at first light and then 'sailed in \ISupply\i for Port Jackson, leaving Captain Hunter to follow with the transports it then blowing too hard for them to work out of the Bay'. The French ships, like \ISupply\i and the first and second divisions of the fleet had been blown away from the entrance and were by now trying to work their way back up from a position far to the south. Phillip nevertheless asked Hunter to speak with them if they made it back before the fleet could get out of the Bay.
King, who was again on HMS \ISupply\i says, 'At day light on the 25 we weighed in the \ISupply\i having received a Company of Marines & 40 Convicts onboard, The wind blew so strong from the SSE that we were obliged to anchor & wait for the Ebb tide & at Noon we weighed & turned out of the harbour In running a long shore we observed a number of steep Rocky clifts & after having run about 3 Leagues we were abreast of some high sand Clifts at the Northern extremity of which the Land of the Entrance of Port Jackson commences & the entrance is soon discovered lying between two steep bluff heads. There is no danger in entering the harbour but what is visible, & when within the heads a rock lies in the Mid channel the shoal of which extends a cables length round, this rock is just covered at high Water. when in the inside of the harbour the Larboard arm leads to the place where the Settlement is to be formed which lies about 6 miles from the entrance of the harbour, we anchored there, the same evening at about 7 o'clock, being obliged to turn up.'
Although the first of the eleven ships was safely in Sydney Cove the other ten were having great trouble back at Botany Bay where they were trapped all day because as Smyth says 'the wind blow'd very strong right into the Bay.: Every one was in a bustle to depart and our Anchor was got up about 5 o'Clock a.m. as were also the Anchors of most of the other Ships & we were endeavouring to work out of the Bay, but were obliged to drop Anchor again as did also the \ISupply.\i But at noon she again loosen'd her Topsails & with the greatest difficulty got out of the mouth of the Bay, & we endeavour'd in vain to follow her, the wind being directly against us, blowing very strong & rather increasing.' Later, 'it blew almost a hurricane, Thunder'd Lighten'd & rained very much'.
Clark also confirms they could not get out of the bay but says, 'I am very happy my Betsey that we are not to Stay here for if we had staid here it would have been the Grave of all of us'.
On \IScarborough\i they made the most of the false start as Easty says 'waid anchor to work out of the Bay but Came to an anchor again so the Grass Cutters went on Shore'.
\BDescription:\b A painting of the First Fleet entering Sydney Harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"26 January 1788: Morning",307,fp2-138.jpg,c,0
Ahead on HMS \ISupply\i in Sydney Cove, Phillip and his landing party waited for first light to row ashore and start the new settlement at the spot which the Governor had so carefully chosen. King says, 'At Day light the English colours were displayed on shore & possession was taken for His Majesty whose health, with the Queens, Prince of Wales & Success to the Colony was drank, a \Ifeu de joie\i was fired by the party of Marines and the whole gave 3 Cheers which was returned by the \ISupply\i'.
Back on the main fleet at Botany Bay, Hunter was becoming increasingly frustrated as he had been ordered to leave Botany Bay on the 25th and he knew another day wasted trying to get out of the harbour could prove very costly. At first light he again signalled the ships to weigh anchor and sail for Port Jackson.
But again, just as they were lining up the harbour mouth in their sights the strange ships appeared right between the heads. Hunter decided to act this time, as Bradley reports from HMS \ISirius.\i 'At day light Fine Weather with a moderate breeze at SE: The French ships standing in for the Bay, An Officer was sent on board of them, found them to be the \IBoussole\i (Compass) and \IAstrolabe\i (Quadrant) commanded by Monsieur La Perouse, French King's Ships on Discoveries they Had been to the N.ward, called at Kamatschatra & China & Past from the Navigators Islands.'
'As Captain Hunter was working out when M. de la Perouse entered Botany Bay', Collins writes, 'the two commanders had barely time to exchange civilities; and it must naturally have created some surprise in M. de la Perouse to find our fleet abandoning the harbour at the very time he was preparing to anchor in it: indeed he afterwards said, that until he had looked 'round him in Botany Bay, he could not divine the cause our quitting it, which he was so far from expecting, that having heard at Kamschatka of the intended settlement, he imagined he should have found a town built and a market established; but from what he had seen of the country since his arrival, he was convinced of the propriety and absolute necessity of the measure'.
La Perouse sailed into the harbour 'by Captain Cook's chart of Botany Bay, which lay before him on the binnacle; and we had the pleasure of hearing him more than once pay a tribute to our great circumnavigator's memory, by acknowledging the accuracy of his nautical observations'.
Having made contact with the French ships and promised to take their letters back to Europe on the first convict transports that returned, Hunter turned his attention back to the last leg of the voyage. Bradley says, 'As soon as the tide made out of the Bay we weigh'd with the Convoy and At Noon were Working out of the Bay and by 1 P.M. were clear of the Bay & steer'd for Port Jackson'.
So far so good; the flagship HMS \ISirius\i was out of Botany Bay and headed north. The other nine ships were not so lucky, however, and even at this last minute of the long voyage disaster nearly struck, as Smyth recounts. 'The fleet having thrice attempted to get out of the Bay yesterday & being prevented, lay at single Anchor till this morning but tho' there is now not much wind, what there is still continues to blow directly into the Bay. We were obliged to work out of the Bay & with the utmost difficulty & danger with many hairbredth escapes and got out of the Harbour's mouth about 3 o'Clock p.m.'
'The \ICharlotte\i was once in the most imminent danger of being on the Rocks. The \IFriendship\i & \IPrince of Wales\i who could not keep in stays came foul of each other & the \IFriendship\i carried away her Jib Boom - The \IPrince of Wales\i had her New Mainsail & Main topmast staysail rent in pieces by the \IFriendship\is yard. The \ICharlotte\i also afterwards ran foul of the \IFriendship\i & carried away a great deal of the Carv'd work for her (the \ICharlotte\i's) Stern, & it was with the greatest difficulty our Ship avoided the same fate. However at last the whole fleet got clear of the Harbour's mouth without any further damage being sustain'd, Every one blaming the Rashness of the Governor in insisting upon the fleets working out in such weather, & all agreed it was next to a Miracle that some of the Ships were not lost, the danger was so very great.'
Clark, who had been working hard, was quite frightened by the accidents. He 'had the first and Morning watch last night - Since it is Major Ross's orders that the officers Shall keep watch I am resolved to keep it. Let others doe as they think proper for I should not wish to get into any Scrape which I otherwise Should if I did not keep watch according to my orders'. But then at 8 o'clock, \IFriendship\i 'gott under way as did all the Ships and the two french Ships came to an Anchor'. He was frightened by the accident, saying, 'If it had not being by the greatest good luck we Should have been both on Shore on the rocks and the Ships must have been all lost and the greater part if not the whole on board drown'd for we Should have gone to pices in less than a half of an hour but how good the Almighty is to us. I return him my most Sincer prayers for his Kindness to us. Thank god we have got clear out as hav all the Ships and hope to be in the course of a few hours at Port Jackson as it is a fine fair Breeze. as we run along the Shore Saw a great number of fires and a few Natives.'
Bradley, looking back from HMS \ISirius\i says, 'At 3 Seeing that all the Convoy were out, made Sail & at 4 Were within the Heads of Port Jackson, up which Harbour we ran about 5 Miles & Anchored at the entrance of the Cove in which the \ISupply\i was lying, & where the Marines & Convicts that came in her were encamped; the Convoy all anchored in & off the Cove before dark'.
Clark was thrilled with his new home saying, 'blessed be to God that we have got Save to ane Anchor in one of the finest harbours in the world - I never Saw any like it - The River Thames is not be mentioned to it and that I thought was the finest in the world - this Said port Jackson is the most beautiful place. I cannot compair any think to come nearer to it than about 3 miles above Saltash to the Wair - here we make the Ships fast to the Trees on Shore both sides of Governours Cove - we are about 5 miles from the entrance - found all the Ships here at anchor - I am Quite charmed with the place.'
Easty says 'itt is a very Copleat harbour we Saw a great many of the nativs as we Came in att 1/2 Past 7 Came to anchore oppisite a little Cove now nameed Philips Cove Sidney Cove'.
Smyth even seemed pleased to reach this destination. 'There are many Islands in the center of most of the Coves which have a very Novel & Romantic appearance.'
Scott says the safe arrival of the full fleet inspired some celebration. 'Came to an Ankor at 1/2 p, 6 OClock in Port Jackson Close to the New town Which was Crisned this Day & 4 Vollies of Small Arms. Fired.'
White, impressed with his new home, remarked, 'Port Jackson I believe to be, without exception, the finest and most extensive harbour in the universe, and at the same time the most secure, being safe from all the winds that blow'.
The Judge Advocate David Collins reflected, 'if only it were possible, that on taking possession of Nature, as we had thus done, in her simplest, purest garb, we might not sully that purity by the introduction of vice, profaneness, and immorality. But this though much to be wished, was little to be expected'.
\BDescription:\b Illustration of the First Fleet ships in Sydney Cove. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Original First Fleet Departs England",1,03250048.jpg,c,0
\BBicentennial First Fleet Re-enactment expedition leader, Dr. Jonathan King\b
\IWinner 1988 Australian of the Year (VIC), 1988 Outstanding Australian and 1989 Australian Achiever Awards.\i
Dr. King conceived the idea in the late 1970s then spent the next ten years producing the event travelling the world to find the square-riggers, captains, crew and finance.
Entrepreneur, film producer, presenter, author, journalist, lecturer and sailor, he then sailed with the expedition as the official fleet correspondent reporting the fleet's progress to the world.
The ships of this fleet re-enacted the voyage of the First Fleet of eleven square-rigged sailing ships sailing from London to Sydney along the original route and, according to the time table of the 1787-88 convict fleet, but 200 years later.
\BThe Original Fleet 1787-88\b
The original First Fleet of convicts left England just before first light on 13 May 1787, in the seventeenth year of the reign of King George III. The fleet of eleven small wooden sailing vessels weighed anchor off Portsmouth and sailed down the Solent Water heading for New South Wales, discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770.
Criticised and condemned by the few who knew about them, 1,350 seamen, marines and convicts set sail for an utterly unknown continent on the other side of the world, to found a new nation in which no European had ever before lived. By midday all the ships had passed the Needles and the afternoon saw them in the English Channel sailing before a moderate southeasterly breeze.
They sailed to New South Wales via Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Cape Town, South Africa. The voyage took eight months and one week after which they anchored in Port Jackson, where they founded a settlement they called Sydney.
\BSignificance of the Voyage\b
Two centuries later, early in our age of space exploration, the only equivalent enterprise would be a colonisation of the moon. Just as Abel Tasman and James Cook sailed where no man had dared in the 17th and 18th centuries, so Russia and America were venturing into space. As Tasman sighted Australasia and Cook landed at Botany Bay, so Gagarin was the first man in space and Armstrong the first to step upon the moon.
The First Fleet of 1787 was the greatest migratory voyage attempted by man. It travelled further than any other migratory passage, it carried more people, and it went to a land about which the voyagers' ignorance was total. What is more, it was successful.
The ships were also very small with the smallest just a little over 21 metres. The flagship, HMS \ISirius,\i was only half the size of an average merchant ship of the East India Companyùand not one of them had been designed to transport convicts or stores on a voyage of this lengthùyet they all arrived at Botany Bay within three days of each other after eight months at sea.
Yet only 48 people died during the voyage, an amazing achievement in an age of malnutrition, appalling living conditions, medical ignorance, and low value on human life (the expression "may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb" comes from these times when theft of livestock was a capital offence).
By contrast the Second Fleetùwhich sailed from England at the end of 1789ùlost 267 people. The settlement that the First Fleet established at Port Jackson survived to spread and growùultimately into the modern Commonwealth of Australia.
For the Government in Britain and for the commander Captain Phillip, the achievements of the First Fleet were unparalleled. The first settlement attempts in North America, for exampleùa mere 4,800 kilometres across the Atlantic from Britainùended in starvation and disaster. Yet here was the First Fleet, eighteen months communication from home, making a success of it. It was a magnificent feat of seamanship navigation and organisation.
The eleven ships that made the original voyage included transport ships for the convictsùthe barques \IAlexander, Charlotte\i and \IScarborough,\i the ship \ILady Penrhyn,\i and the brig \IFriendship\i and three storeships for the new settlementùthe full-rigged barques \IGolden Grove, Fishburn\i and \IBorrowdale.\i HMS \ISirius\i was commissioned in October as flagship with HMS \ISupply\i as her armed tender, and another vessel, \IPrince of Wales,\i was chartered in January as the sixth convict transport. All sailed the full voyage and arrived safely.
\BDescription:\b Painting of original First Fleet leaving England in 1787 \I(Jonathan King)\i. \I(Courtesy Australian Historical Productions)\i
Since that epic voyage two hundred years ago, the new nation of Australia has changed dramatically; Britain is now only a three week sea passage away, or a twelve hour flight by supersonic Concordeùor an immediate telephone call, fax or E-mail.
There are as many ways to celebrate the passing of these years as there are Australians but, whatever the idea or dream, it takes vision to turn it into substance. One such Australian with this vision was Jonathan King, descendant of Lieutenant Philip King RN (Phillip's aide-de-campe in 1787), whose dream was to re-create that amazing voyage of two hundred years ago.
The First Fleet Re-enactment was the largest fleet of sailing ships to sail together since the Crimean War of 1854. It was the largest multi-national fleet of ships ever to sail together in peace time, comprising vessels from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. Its crews of various religions and cultures totalled over 25 different nationalities, making it one of the most internationally diverse expeditions. It was, quite simply, the greatest marine re-enactment ever attempted.
Eight First Fleet Re-enactment ships sailed together for more than nine months across 32,000 kilometres of the loneliest and emptiest stretches of ocean in the world, re-creating the most extraordinary marine enterprise ever conceived. Basically following the same route of 1787-88, the passage wasùto the surprise of many of the crewùa very difficult one. It was physically and mentally demanding, and it was dangerous in the extremeùin fact, deadly. But there are other parallels with the original voyage.
This Bicentennial celebration was subject to virulent, often caustic, criticism from individuals and official bodies within Australia, from its inception in 1977 right up to its arrival in Sydney eleven years later. As in 1787, the organisers were the target of an anti-Fleet campaign; the project was lampooned as crazy and impracticable. But through sheer persistence, entrepreneurial business flair, and faith, a second First Fleet of square-rigged sailing ships slipped down the Solent on 13 May 1987 and dropped anchor again off Farm Cove on 26 January 1988, two hundred years later to the day.
The persistence belonged to the First Fleet Re-enactment creator, Dr. Jonathan King; the entrepreneurial business flair to director, Wally Franklin; and the faith to the owners, masters and crews of the First Fleet Re-enactment ships.
Further support came with the appointment of the Honorary President of the expedition, explorer and conservationist Thor Heyerdahl, of Kon Tiki and Ra fame. In 1985 Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest, replaced the legendary Alan Villiers as another of the Fleet patrons after Villiers died. Although King George III played little role in the 1787 expedition apart from signing the papers, the monarch 200 years later played a key role in persuading the Australian federal and state governments to support the venture when she agreed to review the Fleet off Portsmouth and to signal their departure for Australia. Earlier, in a letter to the ships, HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh wrote: "They carry with them the very best of wishes of the 'Old Country' for the success of the commemoration of the inaugural event in the founding of modern Australia."
\BDescription:\b First Fleet re-enactment departs Portsmouth, 13 May 1987 \I(Jonathan King)\i
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"Re-enactment Fleet Ships",3,20380035.jpg,c,0
\BThe Re-enactment Fleet\b
As happened two hundred years earlier, the voyage really started before 13 Mayùten years earlier in fact when Dr. King began the planning of the great expedition. But once he had organised the expedition, selected the ships and directed them to assemble in England, the real voyage itself started.
The first ships began to gather in London in early April 1987 when the smallest in the Fleet, the \IR. Tucker Thompson,\i berthed in the period setting of St Katherine's-by-the-Tower dock. She was soon followed by \ISoren Larsen,\i which warped through the narrow lock about the middle of the month.
The largest vessel of the Fleet, the \IAmorina,\i had to moor outside in the river at Tower Pier, and the next to enter St Katherine's was the Dutch registered \ITradewind.\i The British barque, \IKaskelot,\i which was sailing with the Fleet only until 14 May, also moored alongside Tower Pier. \IBounty, Anna Kristina\i and \IOur Svanen\i joined at the main rendezvous at Portsmouth.
To make up the numbers to eleven for the departure, these seven ships were joined by \ILord Nelson, Romance, Kaskelot\i and \IJohanna Lucretia.\i
Then the fleet that actually sailed built up its numbers again as it sailed to Australia. The next one to join was \IOne in All\i which had been late in completing her fitting-out, and had engine problems. She met the fleet in mid-Atlantic. \IEye of the Wind\i met them off Fremantle. \ISolway Lass\i met them in Botany Bay as did \ILeuwin\iùlast but not least. Thus the re-enactment fleet started and ended with elevenùthe same as the original voyage.
The fleet sailed via Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town just as the original First Fleet had done, harnessing the same winds. To make the voyage more of a holiday Dr. King's re-enactment fleet also stopped at the Madera Islands (Porto Santo), Salvador and Buzios in Brazil, Saldanha Bay, South Africa and Mauritius, before arriving in Fremantleùthe first port of call for Australia which prepared them for the grand entry into Botany Bay and Sydney Harbour on Australia Dayù26 January 1988ù200 years after the original fleet dropped anchor in the same spot.
\BDescription:\b First Fleet Re-enactment arrives in Sydney Harbour, 26 January 1988 \I(Jonathan King)\i
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"Significance of the Event",4,03240009.jpg,c,0
The re-enactment was a majestic and exhausting experience for all involved. The effort needed to create and sustain a privately financed marine expedition of this magnitude would indicate that it will be the last for a long time, perhaps forever. Certainly Australia is unlikely to see its like again. Yet it has introduced a thousand people around the world to the demands and rewards of square-sail training. No words can convey the sheer exhilaration and simple beauty of sailing on a square-rigged sailing ship, of making a landfall on an unknown foreign coast at night, and even of climbing a swaying wooden mast 30 metres above the deck with the wind whipping hair across your face. The second First Fleet has given this experience to as many as it could, and if measured by no other yardstick than this expedition has been a worthwhile success.
But the wheels almost fell off when the Fleet reached Brazil in August 1987; put brutally, the money was running out. The Australian Bicentennial Authority had lent the Australian First Fleet Re-enactment Company A$500,000 in London in April 1987. But that was to be all. Although the eight Fleet ships were flying the Australian flag around the world, and had 70 per cent Australian crews, further hoped-for sponsorship and bicentennial aid did not eventuate, and for a desperate fortnight it seemed that some of the ships would have to turn backùa tragedy having come so far. But a rescue operation mounted in Australia by Radio 2GB of Sydney who alerted the public to the potential disaster. From private donations and other support the Fleet survived the crisis, and the ships left Rio on time.
\BDescription:\b Setting sails on the re-enactment fleet \I(Jonathan King)\i
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"Man Overboard",5,20380049.jpg,c,0
On 22 August a real tragedy struck. At 0120 hours an emergency signal on the radio was heard by \ITradewind, R. Tucker Thompson\i and \ISoren Larsen.\i \IAnna Kristina\i had lost a man overboard. The vessels immediately altered course and closed in on \IAnna Kristina.\i At first it was not clear who had gone over the side, but then it was confirmed that it was First Mate Henrik Nielsen.
The wind was east-northeast, force 4 gusting 5, with moderate seas on a moderate swell. \ITradewind\i reached \IAnna Kristina\i in an hour, then\I R. Tucker Thompson\i joined her and \ISoren Larsen\i arrived before dawn. Searchlights and Aldis signalling lamps swept the sea until first light, at which time Commodore Mike Kichenside instigated a box-search in the grey dawn. The sea and winds abated but it was very cold. All hands were posted on lookout around the decks, in the rigging and up the masts. Every sighting was investigated, and many drifting fishing buoys, plastic containers and bottles were found.
Ironically, Henrik had been setting another headsail because the wind was easing. As he took the sheet to a belaying pin to haul in on the clew, a gust filled the flapping sail and flipped him over the side. He clung on for a while but the ship was making 5 to 6 knots, and when he let go he drifted away into the night. Lifebelts were thrown to him and Johan Brox dived overboard to try to swim to him. Johan had to be hauled back when he too was in danger of drowning in the lumpy seas.
The search continued during the cold day. In the afternoon the search area was extended. By dusk, at 1835 hours, the Fleet Surgeon, Dr. Rob Simpson informed all the Masters and the Commodore that because of the temperature of the water and the length of time since he went overboardù17 hoursùthere was no hope that Henrik could still be alive. The search was stopped. At 2000 hours the four ships, lit by their green and red running lights, gathered together in the now quiet sea and each held their own short service in the dark. The Fleet sailed on towards Africa minus one friend, and all involved were acutely more aware of how dangerous a venture they had undertaken.
\BDescription:\b Jonathan King in traditional costumeùFirst Fleet Re-enactment \I(Jonathan King)\i
After this accident the fleet sailed on to Cape Town, Mauritius and Australia without anymore problems. By the time the Fleet arrived on Australia Day 26 January, 1988ùexactly 200 years after the original fleetùthe media coverage had been so extensive that people travelled from all states of Australia and from many nations to see the spectacle. With two million spectators watching around the harbour and millions more watching on television throughout Australia and around the worldùthe event created the largest audience in Australian history.
The atmosphere among the two million spectators on land and ten thousand pleasure boats which greeted the fleet was so happy and friendly that authorities described the day as one of the happiest community events in Australian history. The crowd gave Dr. King and his fleet a rousing welcome and cheered for hours as they sailed into Sydney Harbour to Farm Cove where they dropped anchor in front of a royal reception being held at the Opera House. That night fireworks greeted the little fleet which lay safely at anchor in the heart of the city that had been founded from that same spot 200 years earlier to the day.
The whole re-enactment had been a great achievement for the ships of the First Fleet and the man who led the expedition Dr. Jonathan King, who was given the Australian Achiever Award by the Australian Prime Minister.
\IThis text includes extracts from Sailing Home used with the kind permission of David Iggulden Fleet Communications Officer.\i
\BViddescription:\b First Fleet Re-enactment (Suatu Holdings Pty Ltd)
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"First Settlement Diary",1,0,g,0
This chapter incorporates Jonathan King's book \IThe First Settlement - the convict village that founded Australia 1788-1790\i Macmillan Company 1984.
This chapter is broken up into the following sections. Click on a section of your choice.
This is the story of Australia's first European settlers.
It tells what happened to the thirteen hundred and fifty people in the first fleet who sailed out from England to take possession of Australia in 1788. It covers the first two- and-a-half years from when the first settlers got off the ships to the arrival of the second fleet.
The period covered is from 26 January 1788, the day they stepped ashore and founded the new colony, up until 30 June 1790, when the last of the five ships of the second fleet tied up in Sydney Cove.
The story of this period is told in minute detail by the people who were there - the thirteen naval officers, marines and surgeons who managed to write journals recording their experiences. We cannot get closer to the action than this because these accounts are written at the time by those who saw what was happening. It is an exciting tale because these scribes did not know from one minute to the next if they would survive attacks by the natives or the threat of starvation and their journal entries reflect this fear.
Some revelations have been unearthed through putting the journals under the microscope. Among the surprises include are, that there was a free settler named James Smith, who stowed away on the first fleet.
Despite popular belief, the Australian Aboriginals had substantial huts and villages in particular areas; they also ate people on some occasions and buried their dead after a complicated ceremony which included sending the spirit of the corpse up to heaven; \I'kangaroo'\i was not their word for the animal, which they called \I'patagarang';\i they were very friendly towards the first settlers showing them fresh water streams, good anchorages, sharing fish and fire, singing songs, and offering womenfolk to the European men but when offended they were most ferocious and killed many whites caught alone in the bush unarmed-having offered the hand of friendship to the whites, they were hostile once this friendship was, in their eyes, betrayed.
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"First Settlement Scribes",3,62741004.jpg,c,0
The journals and diaries of at least thirteen scribes have survived from the first settlement along with the reports and logbooks of others. The story can be pieced together from these accounts.
The small number of journals is not surprising as conditions were hardly ideal for sitting down at a desk each night and reporting on the activities of the day. Many of the marines, sailors and convicts could not read or write properly, and even if they could, they neither were inclined to write diaries nor owned the facilities for such indulgences. Except for Easty and Scott, we must turn to the officers for our records. The scribes were all very different people but the following thumbnail sketches should help throw light on their individual journals.
\BWilliam Bradley (1757-1833)\b
See \JWilliam Bradley (1757-1833)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BRalph Clark (?-1794)\b
See \JRalph Clark (?-1794)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BDavid Collins (1756-1810)\b
See \JDavid Collins (1756-1810)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BJohn Easty\b
See \JJohn Easty\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BJohn Hunter (1737-1821)\b
See \JJohn Hunter (1737-1821)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BPhilip Gidley King (1758-1808)\b
See \JPhilip Gidley King (1758-1808)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BArthur Phillip (1738-1814)\b
See \JArthur Phillip (1738-1814)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BJames Scott\b
See \JJames Scott\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BArthur Bowes Smyth (1750-90)\b
See \JArthur Bowes Smyth (1750-90)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BWatkin Tench (1758-1833)\b
See \JWatkin Tench (1758-1833)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BJohn White (1756?-1832)\b
See \JJohn White (1756?-1832)\j under the \BFirst Fleet\b section.
\BRichard Johnson (1753-1827)\b
\IChaplain to the Colony\i
A Church of England clergyman, he was the son of John Johnson, of Welton, Yorkshire, England. He was educated at the grammar school at Kingston-upon-Hull and was engaged in farming and teaching until 1780, when he entered Magdalene College, Cambridge. He graduated with a good reputation as a scholar and was ordained by the Bishop of London in 1786. On 24 October 1788 Johnson received a royal warrant appointing him 'Chaplain to the settlement' of New South Wales. Johnson owed his nomination to the Eclectic Society, a group of evangelical clergy and laymen interested in, among other things, missions and prison reform. With William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton and John Newton among its leaders, the society was a powerful force in English religious life and could influence official policy.
On 3 February 1788, Johnson conducted the first divine service in Sydney 'under some trees' (or 'a great tree') and preached from the text 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me' (Psalm 116: 12). On 17 February, he celebrated Holy Communion in the 'markee' of Lieutenant Clark who resolved 'to keep this table as long as I live, for it is the first Table that ever the Lord's Supper was eat of in this country'.
Johnson soon became one of the busiest men in the colony. Apart from some help after 1791 from James Bain, chaplain to the New South Wales Corps, he carried out all the clerical duties of the colony for six years. He held services, either in the open air or in a store-house, at Sydney and Parramatta; performed the occasional offices of the church - baptisms, marriages, burials - attended the execution of condemned men; and worked hard among the convicts. One of them wrote home, amid the sickness and hunger of 1790, that 'few of the sick would recover if it was not for the kindness of the Rev. Mr Johnson, whose assistance out of his own stores makes him the physician both of soul and body'. In the horror of the second fleet he ignored Newton's earlier advice that 'it will be madness in you to risk your health, by going down into the hold of the ship, where the air must be always putrid from the breath of a crowd of passengers in chains'. He supported Phillip's policy of befriending the Australian Aboriginals, took a native girl, Abaroo (Boo-rum), into his family, and once remained as a hostage while Bennelong visited the governor.
In 1793, tired of being a 'field-preacher' and despairing of getting a church built by the government, Johnson irritated Grose by putting one up at his own expense at a cost of sixty-seven pounds.
In October 1798, his temporary church was burned down and a new storeshed had to be fitted up hastily for divine service.
Johnson had first applied for leave for reasons of ill health in 1798; he sailed from Sydney with Hunter in the \IBuffalo\i in October 1800.
In 1810 Johnson was presented by the Crown to the united rectories of St Antholin and St John the Baptist in the City of London. Seven years later he also held the sequestrated perpetual curacy of Ingham in Norfolk. In 1812 he made his last contribution to Australia by giving evidence before the select committee of the House of Commons on transportation. He died on 13 March 1827.
Johnson had married just before sailing for New South Wales; his wife, who survived him until 1831, bore him a daughter whom he called by an Aboriginal name, Milbah (born 1790), and a son (born 1792).
\BGeorge Daly Worgan (1757-1838)\b
\ISurgeon, HMS \ISirius\i
George Worgan was one of the more eccentric of the surgeons who distinguished himself by, among other things, taking a piano with him on board HMS \ISirius\i to Botany Bay. A Londoner, he inherited his passion for music from his father, Dr John Worgan, who played the organ at Vauxhall Gardens, Lambeth, and who insisted on his children having a sound musical education no matter what profession they intended to enter.
Worgan, as it turned out, had many professions - he was naval surgeon, author, farmer, agricultural writer and organist. He entered the Navy shortly before the American War of Independence, qualifying as surgeon's second mate by 1778 and being gazetted as naval surgeon in 1780. He served on a variety of ships, including the \IPilote,\i which was captured from the French in the war, before joining the first fleet.
He discharged his duties as surgeon on HMS \ISirius\i to the satisfaction of Phillip and then served under Hunter's command on the ship when she sailed the globe to collect supplies at Cape Town. Later, when HMS \ISirius\i was shipwrecked on her ill-fated journey to Norfolk Island, he was forced to scramble ashore as best he could with the others. After eleven months marooned on this island, he returned to England with the rest of the ship's company and worked in various capacities until 1800 when he was declared unfit for active service and was retired on half-pay. Retreating to the West Country, he married, worked two farms in Cornwall and wrote agricultural reports, including \IGeneral View of the Agriculture of the County of Cornwall,\i drawn up and published by order of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement which was reprinted for some years.
Thus, with thirteen main scribes in the colony and reports from the ship masters, such as Thomas Gilbert of Charlotte, there is some written record from the start to the finish of the first settlement period.
Although each author was unique, there were patterns running through the journals of these scribes. Many of the officers had received a reasonable education and had shared experiences in the same theatre of war or on similar commercial routes, some had served in the American War of Independence and a few had even been together at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Within this framework, however, there is great variation between the naval officers, surgeons and marines and even further variation between the ranks - the erudite journal of chief surgeon John White is very different from that of the simple journal of Private John Easty of the marines. Yet in the end, most of them worked for similar reasons - to serve King and Country and earn a promotion in the process. Most shared the assumptions of the day concerning the role of a penal colony and Britain's desire to 'civilise', thus the overall picture that emerges is very consistent.
These scribes provide a fascinating insight into what happened when the first fleet arrived and colonists planted a flag on 26 January 1788.
\BDescription:\b Richard Johnson, Chaplain to the colony. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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\B26 January to 7 February 1788\b
This is an account of the journals for the dates shown above.
\BDescription:\b When New Holland was settled by the British Government in 1788, a line was drawn down the middle of the new continent, as the settlers only wanted to claim the eastern half - New South Wales. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"26 January 1788: Foundation Day",5,62741010.jpg,c,0
26 January 1788 marks the beginning of the Australian nation. It was on this day that a site was selected in Sydney Cove for the first settlement at New South Wales enabling the hundreds of people who had sailed out in the first fleet to land on the dry land that was to become their new home and, in time, the new nation of Australia.
The last continent had been settled and this great day was marked by those present with a fitting ceremony as Philip Gidley King recorded from the first ship to arrive, HMS \ISupply,\i 'at Day light the English colours were displayed on shore & possesion was taken for His Majesty whose health, with the Queens, Prince of Wales & Success to the Colony was drank, a feu de joie was fired by the party of Marines and the whole gave 3 Cheers which was returned by the \ISupply'.\i
HMS \ISupply\i had arrived alone the night before, too late to land, and her crew had spent the night on board. Once ashore, however, the crew began to clear ground while waiting for the remaining ten ships of the fleet; as Captain John Hunter of HMS \ISirius\i recorded, 'The governor, with a party of marines, and some artificers (selected from among the seamen of the \ISirius)\i and the convicts, arrived in Port Jackson, and anchored off the mouth of the cove intended for the settlement on the evening of the 25th; and in the course of the following day sufficient ground was cleared for encamping the officer's guard and the convicts who had been landed in the morning'. As surgeon John White of \ICharlotte\i added, 'every person that could be spared from the ship, were on shore, clearing the ground for the encampment'.
The rest of the fleet arrived during the day and most people were pleased to have a spot for the settlement selected at last, even if, like Private John Easty on \IScarborough,\i they were not sure of its name, 'Entered the mouth of Port Jackson att 6 att night; itt is a very Copleat harbour, we Saw a great many of the nativs as we Came in, att ╜ Past 7 Came to anchore oppisite a littel Cove now nameed Philips Cove Sidney Cove'.
Sergeant James Scott even described it as a new town saying, 'Came to an Ankor at. ╜ p, 6 OClock in Port Jackson Close to the New town Which Was Crisned this Day & 4 Vollies of Small Arms Fired'. Lieutenant Ralph Clark on \IFriendship\i was especially pleased to have a new home, 'thank god we have got to Port Jackson. As we run along the Shore Saw a great number of firess and a few Natives. Blessed be to God that we have got Save to ane Anchor in one of the finest harbours in the world. I never Saw any like it. The River Thames is not to be mentioned to it and that I thought was the finest in the world - this Said port Jackson is the most beautiful place. I cannot compair any think to come nearer to it than about 3 miles above Saltash to the Wair. Here we make the Ships fast to the Trees on Shore both sides of Governours Cove. We are about 5 miles from the entrance. Found all the Ships here at anchor'.
Governor Arthur Phillip justified the choice of Sydney Cove instead of Botany Bay (where he had been instructed to settle) to his superiors in no uncertain terms, reporting, 'We got into Port Jackson early in the afternoon, and had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security, and of which a rough survey, made by Captain Hunter and the officers of the \ISirius\i after the ships came round, may give your Lordship some idea. The different coves were examined with all possible expedition. I fixed on the one that had the best spring of water, and in which the ships can anchor so close to the shore that at a very small expence quays may be made at which the largest ships may unload. This cove, which I honoured with the name of Sydney, is about a quarter of a mile across across at the entrance, and half a mile in length'.
Surgeon John White of \ICharlotte\i was also full of praise for their new home adding, 'Port Jackson I believe to be, without exception, the finest and most extensive harbour in the universe, and at the same time the most secure, being safe from all the winds that blow. It is divided into a great number of coves, to which his Excellency has given different names. That on which the town is to be built, is called Sydney Cove. It is one of the smallest in the harbour, but the most convenient, as ships of the greatest burden can with ease go into it, and heave out close to the shore. Trincomale, acknowledged to be one of the best harbours in the world, is by no means to be compared to it. In a word, Port Jackson would afford sufficient and safe anchorage for all the navies of Europe'.
Arthur Smyth on \ILady Penrhyn\i was also struck by 'the beauty of the appearance of the different Bays and Coves in this Harbour as there are many Islands in the center of most of the Coves which have a very Novel & Romantic appearance and the Ships in many of them lye so near the shore that they might with ease be fasten'd by ropes to the trees instead of putting down their Anchors'.
That evening the full celebration of arrival was held, as White on HMS \ISirius\i says, 'In the evening, when all the ships had anchored, the English colours were displayed; and at the foot of the flag-staff his Majesty's health, and success to the settlement, was drank by the governor, many of the principal officers, and private men who were present upon the occasion'. Worgan of HMS \ISirius\i said 'each Officer drank this toast with a Heart glowing with Loyalty'.
It had been quite a day, as David Collins of HMS \ISirius\i concluded, 'The day, which had been uncommonly fine, concluded with the safe arrival of the \ISirius\i and the convoy from Botany Bay - thus terminating the voyage with the same good fortune that had from its commencement been so conspicuously their friend and companion'.
Not that the European settlers could rest on their laurels for a moment as there were many problems to attend to. Smyth says some of the ships had been lucky to have made it at all as they had collided with each other on the morning they left Botany Bay for Port Jackson and needed repairing. 'We were obliged to work out of the Bay with the utmost difficulty and danger with many hairbredth escapes, got out of the Harbour's mouth.'
'The \ICharlotte\i was once in the most imminent danger of being on the Rocks. The \IFriendship\i and \IPrince of Wales\i who could not keep in stays came foul of each other and the \IFriendship\i carried away her Jib Boom. The \IPrince of Wales\i had her New Main sale and Main topmast staysail rent in pieces by the \IFriendship's\i yard. The \ICharlotte\i also afterwards ran foul of the \IFriendship\i and carried away a great deal of the Carv'd work for her (the \ICharlotte's)\i Stern, and it was with the greatest difficulty our Ship avoided the same fate. However at last the whole fleet got clear of the Harbour's mouth without any further damage being sustain'd, Every one blaming the Rashness of the Governor in insisting upon the fleets working out in such weather. And all agreed it was next to a Miracle that some of the Ships were not lost the danger was so very great.'
There was also the problem of the strange ships that had been sighted just as they were about to leave Botany Bay. As Clark noted on leaving that morning, these foreign ships presented something of a threat because of their size. 'At 6 in the morning Saw the two Strange Ships comming but find that there are french by there coulours but cannot Say Where from they were last, or where they are bound too but Suppose that they are the Ships that Saild on discoverys from france. At 8 oClock the two french Ships came to an Anchor. They are much larger than any of ours and both kings Ships'.
White, however, was privy to more detailed information as he had the benefit of Hunter's ear, enabling him to discover all he needed about them. On leaving Botany Bay he said, 'We again descried the French ships standing in for the bay, with a leading wind; upon which Captain Hunter sent his first lieutenant on board the commanding officer's ship, which was distinguished by a broad pendant, to assist them in coming in. Soon after the lieutenants were returned to the \ISirius,\i Captain Clonnard, the French commodore's cap- tain (who during the later war commanded the \IArtois,\i taken by the \IBienfaisant,\i Captain Macbride) waited on Captain Hunter, and informed him that the ships were the \IAstrolabe\i and the \IBoussale,\i which sailed from France in the year 1786, under the command of Messieurs de la Perouse and De Langle'.
The fleet's poet Captain Watkin Tench on \ICharlotte\i summed up the experience for all on that first day when he said, 'Our passage to Port Jackson took up but few hours, and those were spent far from unpleasantly. The evening was bright, and the prospect before us such as might justify sanguine expectation. Having passed between the capes which form its entrance, we found ourselves in a port superior, in extent and excellency, to all we had seen before. We continued to run up the harbour about four miles, in a westerly direction, enjoying the luxuriant prospect of its shores, covered with trees to the water's edge, among which many of the Indians were frequently seen, till we arrived at a small snug cove on the southern side, on whose banks the plan of our operations was destined to commence'. Thus ended the first day.
\BDescription:\b Aborigines such as 'Long Jack' fascinated the first settlers, who kept a record of the Aboriginal weapons. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"27 January 1788: Sunday",6,0,g,0
On the second day there was little time for prayers or sermons because as soon as the dawn broke on what Easty says was a 'cleare day', Phillip began the task of building the settlement, day of rest or no day of rest - but not without some degree of confusion as Collins recorded from the sidelines. 'The disembarkation of the troops and convicts now took place. The confusion that ensued will not be wondered at, when it is considered that every man stepped from the boat literally into a wood. Parties of people were every where heard and seen variously employed; some in clearing ground for the different encampments; others in pitching tents, or bringing up such stores as were more immediately wanted; and the spot which had so lately been the abode of silence and tranquillity was now changed to that of noise, clamour, and confusion'.
Convicts were taken from many of the ships to help with the clearing, some of them standing on land for the first time in more than one year. Smyth noted the progress, 'This morning by day light a Long Boat full of Convicts from the \IScarborough\i were set on Shore to assist in cutting down trees and clearing the ground. The Thermometer at 74. Many Tents pitched this day on Shore. Upon our entering the Harbour mouth, we met many Natives on the top of the high rocks, but none of them have appeared since we anchor'd. No boats suffer'd to go out of the Cove nor Sailors to be on shore after sunset'.
Not everyone forgot what day it was, and being Sunday, Clark recorded for his wife Alicia back in England that he, 'Kist your dear Pictour as Usual on this Sunday and read the lessons for the day my dear wife' and although he 'dinned by myself, all the rest dinned out' he was 'quite charmed with the place. Oh that if you was only here and our dear Boy my Alicia I Should not wish to come home if the place agreed with our health, but without you I would not Stay if it was the best place under the face of heaven no that I would not my dear Beloved wife for without you I cannot live. The Tents look a prety amonst the Trees. I hope to be on Shore to morrow if Please god'.
Tench also records the day of our Lord with some reverence, 'On the Sunday after our landing divine service was performed under a great tree, by the Rev. Mr Johnson, Chaplain of the Settlement, in the presence of the troops and convicts, whose behaviour on the occasion was equally regular and attentive. In the course of our passage this had been repeated every Sunday, while the ships were in port; and in addition to it, Mr Johnson had furnished them with books, at once tending to promote instruction and piety'.
Phillip alone appreciated the task before them but he confided in his superiors in London rather than fellow officers. 'The clearing of ground for the people and for erecting storehouses was begun as soon as the ships got round, a labour of which it will be hardly possible to give your Lordship a just idea. The necks of land that form the different coves, and near the water for some distance, are in general so rocky that it is surprizing such large trees should find sufficient nourishment, but the soil between the rocks is good, and the summits of the rocks, as well as the whole country round us, with few exceptions, are covered with trees, most of which are so large that the removing them off the ground after they are cut down is the greatest part of the labour; and the convicts, naturally indolent, having none to attend them but overseers drawn from amongst themselves, and who fear to exert any authority, makes this work go on very slowly.'
Phillip also defended his choice of the settlement again, 'Your Lordship will permit me to observe that our situation tho' so very different from what might be expected, is nevertheless the best that offered. My instructions did not permit me to detain the transports a sufficient length of time, to examine the coast to any considerable distance, it was absolutely necessary to be certain of a sufficient quantity of fresh water, in a situation that was healthy, and which the ships might approach within a reasonable distance for the conveniency of landing the stores and provisions'.
By the end of the second day much ground had been cleared and many tents pitched enabling some of the officers to spend the night on shore for the first time since Cape Town.
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"28 January 1788",7,0,g,0
On the third day in Port Jackson activities on land accelerated as more and more people were put ashore. Phillip already had far-sighted plans for cultivation. 'There are some parts of this harbour where the trees stand at a considerable distance from each other, and where there are small runs of water, which shall be cultivated when our numbers permit, and when, the country inland can be examined. Some land that is near, and where the trees stand at a considerable distance from each other, will, as soon as convicts can be spared, be cultivated by the officers for raising a little corn for their stock; and this I have endeavoured to promote as much as possible, for I fear the consequences if a ship should be lost in her passage out with provisions.'
Phillip's fear that a ship may be lost was uncanny as the first relief ship \IGuardian\i was wrecked off Cape Town in December 1789 - nearly two years later - leaving them without relief food for another six months. How right he was to be already worried about cultivation on the third day on shore.
As it was, much of the livestock had died en route from Cape Town diminishing food supplies, as King noted. 'On 28th All Marines and Male convicts were disembarked from the different Ships and encamped, the Females were kept onboard till the ground was further cleared. The Stock was also landed this day on the Eastern point of the Cove. We were so unfortunate as to loose a part of our Stock. We landed only 4 Mares and 2 Stallions, 4 Cows 1 Bull and 1 Bull calf, some Ewes, a good stock of poultry and 3 Goats with Hogs, which are the Property of the Governor and Government; the Officers private Stock has been tolerably well preserved.'
White says discipline prevailed from the start as after 'a number of convicts from the different transports were landed to assist in clearing the ground for the encampment, His excellency marked the outlines, and as much as possible to prevent irregularity, and to keep the convicts from straggling, the provost marshal, aided by the patrole, had orders to take into custody all convicts that should be found without the lines, and to leave them in charge of the main or quarter guard'.
He also notes when the first produce came in. 'The boats sent this day to fish were successful. Some of the natives came into the little bay or cove where the seine was hauled, and behaved very friendly. Indeed they carried their civility so far, (although a people that appeared to be averse to work) as to assist in dragging it ashore. For this kind office they were liberally rewarded with fish, which seemed to please them and give general satisfaction.'
Smyth indicates that this produce was plentiful and increasingly varied. 'The Governor has appointed several coves for the different Ships boats to go to, to haul their Seynes and in general the boats were very successful in catching a great number of fish of variety of sorts. All the rock near the water are thick cover'd with oysters, which are very small but very finely flavour'd, they also adhere to the branches of the mangrove trees, I frequently brought the branch of a tree thus loaded with oysters, on board. This day visited Capt. Campbell in his Marquee who presented me with some curious insects and a Loriquette.'
Clark on \IFriendship\i 'Got up early this morning and Sent all the Convicts on Shore except them that were Sick. Thank God that they are all out of the Ship, hope in God that I will have nothing to doe with them any more. At 10 Debarkt with all the other Marines and there Baggage Except my own. I never Saw So much confusion in all the course of my life as there was in the three compys. disembark. Tent erected after I had Pitchd it twice but thank God I Sleept very well but reather cold. I and Tom davy are in a Markee. We let Lieut Timming lay his cott down and Sleep with use as he had not his gott up'. According to Worgan, 'most of the tents were pitched this day'.
The first exploring party then embarked on a survey of the harbour under the command of Hunter who 'set off with a six oared boat and a small boat, intending to make as good a survey of the harbour as circumstances would admit: I took to my assistance Mr. Bradley, the first lieutenant, Mr. Keltie, the master, and a young gentleman of the quarterdeck'.
Hunter then had the first real 'meeting with different parties of the natives, whom we found at this time very numerous; a circumstance which I confess I was a little surprised to find, after what had been said of them in the voyage of the \IEndeavour;\i for I think it is observed in the account of that voyage, that at Botany-bay they had seen very few of the natives, and that they appeared a very stupid race of people, who were void of curiosity. We saw them in considerable numbers, and they appeared to us to be a very lively and inquisitive race, they are a straight, thin, but well made people, rather small in their limbs, but very active; they examined with the greatest attention, and expressed the utmost astonishment, at the different covering we had on; for they certainly considered our cloaths as so many different skins, and the hat as a part of the head: they were pleased with such trifles as we had to give them, and always appeared chearful and in good humour: they danced and sung with us, and imitated our words and motions, as we did theirs.
'They generally appeared armed with a lance, and a short stick which assists in throwing it: this stick is about three feet long, is flattened on one side, has a hook of wood at one end, and a flat shell, let into a split in the stick at the other end, and fastened with gum; upon the flat side of this stick the lance is laid, in the upper end of which is a small hole, into which the point of the hook of the throwing stick is fixed; this retains the lance on the flat side of the stick; then poising the lance, thus fixed, in one hand, with the fore-finger and thumb over it, to prevent its falling off side-ways, at the same time holding fast the throwing stick, they discharge it with considerable force, and in a very good direction, to the distance of about sixty or seventy yards. Their lances are in general about ten feet long: the shell at one end of the throwing-stick is intended for sharpening the point of the lance, and for various other uses. I have seen these weapons frequently thrown, and think that a man upon his guard may with much ease, either parry, or avoid them, although it must be owned they fly with astonishing velocity.'
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"29 January 1788",8,0,g,0
On the fourth day much clearing was done in Sydney Cove and with 'the Frame coming ashore', it was now time to erect the governor's tent as the first 'government house' on the new continent, as King explains, 'A great deal of work has been done in clearing away but much remains to be done, some Carpenters preparing for fixing the Governors Portable ú115 House and a number of the Convicts digging up the Ground for a garden'. 'The frame and materials for the house were constructed by Smith in St. George's Fields', White says.
Collins saw this as a great step forward, claiming that 'after a time, order gradually prevailed every where. As the woods were opened and the ground cleared, the various encampments were extended, and all wore the appearance of regularity. A portable canvas house, brought over for the governor, was then erected on the East side of the cove (which was named Sydney, in compliment to the principal secretary of state for the home department) where also a small body of convicts was put under tents. The detachment of marines was encamped at the head of the cove near the stream, and on the West side was placed the main body of the convicts'.
Not everyone had a portable house, however, nor a hearty breakfast as Clark reports from his tent. 'Got up early this morning and had nothing for Breakfast Except a Pice of Biscuit and a drink of cool water. Remarkably hott.' Heading his daily report 'Head Quarters', Easty says the convicts worked well, but not so one of the Marines, 'Cleare weather, victeld by the Commasary, the Convicts implyed in the Clearing the land, this night Corpl. goodall reduced to Private by order of major Ross'.
Meanwhile, away from Sydney Cove in another part of Port Jackson, a lot of surveying and exploring was being done on the fourth day by Hunter's party who were now some distance from Phillip and the clearing party. Hunter was making the initial contact with the Australian Aboriginals, or Indians, as these veterans of the American War of Independence called the natives.
Hunter now seemed much more wary of the Aboriginals than before. 'In the upper part of the harbour and at a considerable distance from the ship, we were a little surprised to find the natives here in greater numbers than we had ever seen them before in any other place: we naturally conjectured from their numbers, that they might be those who inhabited the coves in the lower part of the harbour, and who, upon our arrival, had been so much alarmed at our appearance, as to have judged it necessary to retire farther up; they now appeared very hostile, a great many armed men appeared upon the shore wherever we approached it, and, in a threatening manner, seemed to insist upon our not presuming to land.
'During the whole time we were near them, they hailed each other through the woods, until their numbers were so much increased, that I did not judge it prudent to attempt making any acquaintance with them at this time: for, as I have already observed, we had only a six-oared boat and a smaller one; our whole number, leaving one man in each boat, amounted to ten seamen, three officers, and myself, with only three muskets; we therefore for the present, contented ourselves with making signs of friendship, and returned to the ship. '
Hunter's right-hand man, Bradley, takes the story further. 'The Women kept at a distance near the Man with the spears, this mark of attention to the Women in showing us, that altho' they met us unarmed, they had arms ready to protect them, increased my favourable opinion of them very much; some of these people having peices of tape and other things tied about them, we conclude them to be some of those people whom the Governor had met here before' as they had 'trinkets hanging about them, that had been given to them a week before by the Governor on his first visit to this place'. Relations then improved as 'Our people mixed together and were quite sociable, dancing and otherwise amusing them. One of our people combed their hair with which they were much pleased; Several Women appeared at a distance, but we could not prevail on the Men to bring them near us'.
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"30 January 1788",9,62741011.jpg,c,0
On the fifth day in Port Jackson the settlement became more ordered and the population moved increasingly from the ships to the shore. Phillip complained of a lack of skilled workers especially for the much-needed hospital, 'As there are only twelve convicts who are carpenters, as many as could be procured from the ships have been hired to work on the hospital and storehouses'. White confirms 'a spot for a general hospital has been marked out and artificers already employed on it. A proper spot, contiguous to the hospital, has been chosen, to raise such vegetables as can be produced at this season of the year; and where a permanent garden for the use of the hospital is to be established'.
King reports this cultivation began when 'A number of Plants belonging to the Governor was landed and put into the ground'. Others, including Clark, began to dig in their own personal way, 'Employd in getting my things on shore gott all but my Box of Shot, remarkably hott here. I am on shore my Beloved Alicia with all my farm Stock, consisting of 2 hens and one Piggs and hope that it will multiply fast with the Assistance of God. I hope that I will doe very well. I am for Guard to morrow'.
Smyth reports that 'This day all the Horses were landed from our Ship in excellent condition' and that 'Capt. Hunter in exploring the Bays and Coves up the Country fell in with a party of about 100 Natives, men and women, who presented the Capt. and Gentlemen that were with him, with Laurel leaves and behaved very friendly, and in return the Capt. and those who were with him put strings of Beeds abt. the women's necks and gave them other trinckets'.
Hunter and Bradley were, from their own reports, encountering more and more natives the further they went from Sydney Cove and getting to know them better each day. Bradley's plan of actually meeting Aboriginal women at close range eventually succeeded. 'My plans at last succeeded, for as we left the beach to dine in the Boats, which lay close too, the Women came, having a party of Armed Men with them who had each a Green bough in his hand which they waved as they advanced, they came near us and sat down amongst our other visitors, the party of Armed Men stood by them and never laid down their spears. We made signs to them, that if they would stay, we would bring them ashore some things which we shew'd to them. An old man then called to the Women and the greatest part of them returned and came to the Old Man who walked close down to the waterside as we approach'd.
'The Old Man came to the side of her and wanted the things which we had held out to the Women to take to them; which we refused and signified that we must give the things to the Women ourselves: The Old Man finding us determined, spoke to the Women and one of them came into the water to the side of the Boat, we then ornamented this naked beauty with strings of Beads and buttons, round her neck, arms and wrists, she appear'd rather frighten'd altho' she affected a laugh and seem'd pleas'd with her presents, when she retired several of the other Women came to the side of the Boat, attended by the Old Man, we ornamented these the same as the first, some came without fear, others trembling, and laughing, hesitating before they would come.'
Having conquered a few Aboriginal hearts, Bradley moved on to describe the new race, 'We counted 72 men besides Women and Children this was more than twice the number ever seen together before; either in this Harbour or Botany Bay. The Men we met with here were in general stout and well limbed, the Women were young in general, shorter than the Men, very straight limbed and well featured, their voice a pleasing softness, they were all entirely naked old and young: The Men had their beards long and very bushy, their hair hanging about their head clotted with dirt and vermin, some of them had the teeth of some Animal and peices of bone stuck in their hair with gum, they are so dirty that it is hard to tell the real colour of their hides, which I think is nearly black, their noses somewhat flat and all those that we noticed had a hole bored, through which they sometimes put a stick or small bone but of all this party only one wore it; Most of these Men had lost one of the foreteeth and their skins are much scar'd'.
The explorers then looked at some local homes. 'We saw two huts' Bradley says, 'a little from one point of the beach, but their residence we find cheifly under the shelving rocks; The afternoon being far gone we left these people earlier than we should have otherwise done, that we might sound about the lower part of the Harbour as we returned to the ships.'
\BDescription:\b The officers were amazed that the Aborigines rarely wore clothing and, even during storms, they merely protected their heads with shields or bark. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"31 January 1788",10,62741012.jpg,c,0
On the sixth day in the settlement more people moved ashore and although they must have been glad, by the end of the day they received the most unfriendly welcome, as King recorded. 'In the Evening had some very severe Thunder and the quickest and fieriest lightning I ever saw. We have observed that at Botany Bay and at this place many of the Trees are, burnt from top to bottom; singed as it were, which makes us apprehensive that it is caused by the lightning, as no fires of the Natives could scorch them so regularly. In a very severe Storm of Thunder a Tree was Shivered by the Lightning, close to the Governors Guard and another tree was split to pieces and Sheep and Lambs were killed by the same cause, however it is to be hoped that when the Country is cleared this calamity will be much lessned.'
White had never seen such a storm, 'We had the most tremendous thunder and lightning, with heavy rain, I ever remember to have seen'. Easty was also upset by the heavens opening upon the little camp and 'by the Lighening and Sevraill Centinals were also frightened but none hurted the wemen who Came on Shore'. Clark was terrified, 'What a Terrible night it was last of thunder and lighting and Rain. Was obliged to get out of my tent with nothing on but my shirt, to slacking the tent poles. Dreamt of You my dear Sweet woman and that I was in bed with you and that I dreamt also that I was very Angry with You and that I wanted to run Kempster throu for a Breach of Friendship. Remarkably hott have nothing to Sleep in but a Poor Tent and a little grass to Sleep on'.
As White noted, the storms cost the little settlement dearly. 'This morning five sheep, belonging to the lieutenant-governor and quarter-master, were killed by lightning under a tree, at the foot of which a shed had been built for them. The branches and trunk of the tree were shivered and rent in a very extraordinary manner.'
Meanwhile, as Hunter's exploring expedition wended its way back, more insight was gained as Hunter recorded, 'I was on shore in another part of the harbour, making friendship with a party of natives, when in a very short time, their numbers encreased to eighty or ninety men, all armed with a lance and throwing-stick, and many with the addition of a shield, made of the bark of a tree; some were in shape an oblong square, and others of these shields were oval; these were the first shields we had seen in the country.
'Upon examining some of these shields, we observed that many of them had been pierced quite through in various places, which they by signs gave us to understand had been done with a spear; but that those shields will frequently turn the spear, they also shewed us, by setting one up at a small distance, and throwing a spear at it, which did not go through. They were much surprized at one of our gentlemen who pulling a pistol out of his pocket, that was loaded with ball, and standing at the same distance, fired the ball through the thickest part of the shield, which they examined with astonishment, and seemed to wonder, that an instrument so small should be capable of wounding so deep.
'Our numbers at this time were that I first mentioned, with only three muskets, one of which I carried. The natives were very noisy, but did not appear disposed to quarrel; we gave them such little presents as we had with us, with which they seemed well pleased; although we had much reason afterwards to believe, that such trifles only pleased them, as baubles do children, for a moment: for at other times we had frequently found our presents lying dispersed on the beach, although caught at by these people with much apparent avidity at the time they were offered.'
Hunter was the first member of the expedition to document the Australian Aboriginals at this point of contact, leaving for posterity an invaluable portrait. 'The men in general are from five feet six inches, to five feet nine inches high; are thin, but very straight and clean made; walk very erect, and are active. The women are not so tall, or so thin, but are generally well made; their colour is a rusty kind of black, something like that of soot, but I have seen many of the women almost as light as mulatto.
'We have seen a few of both sexes with tolerably good features, but in general they have broad noses, large wide mouths, and thick lips; and their countenance altogether not very prepossessing; and what makes them still less so, is, that they are abominably filthy, they never clean their skin, but it is generally smeared with the fat of such animals as they kill, and afterwards covered with every sort of dirt; sand from the sea beach, and the ashes from their fires, all adhere to their greasy skin, which is never washed, except when accident, or the want of food, obliges them to go into the water.
'Some of the men wear a piece of wood or bone, thrust through the septum of the nose, which by raising the opposite sides of the nose, widens the nostril, and spreads the lower part very much; this, no doubt, they consider as a beauty; most of those we had hitherto met, wanted the two foremost teeth on the right side of the upper jaw; and many of the women want the two lower joints of the little finger on the left hand, which we have not as yet been able to discover the reason or meaning of. This defect of the little finger we have observed in old women, and in young girls of eight or nine years old; in young women who had had children, and in those who have not, and the finger has been perfect in individuals of all the above ages and descriptions; they have very good teeth in general; their hair is short, strong, and curly, and as they seem to have no method of cleaning or combing it, it is therefore filthy and matted.
'The men wear their beards, which are short and curly, like the hair of the head. Men, women, and children go entirely naked, as described by Captain Cook; they seem to have no fixed place of residence, but take their rest wherever night overtakes them: they generally shelter themselves in such cavities or hollows in the rocks upon the sea shore, as may be capable of defending them from the rain, and, in order to make their apartment as comfortable as possible, they commonly make a good fire in it before they lie down to rest; by which means, the rock all round them is so heated as to retain its warmth like an oven for a considerable time; and upon a little grass, which is previously pulled and dryed, they lie down and huddle together.
'Their ignorance in building, is very amply compensated by the kindness of nature in the remarkable softness of the rocks, which encompass the sea coast, as well as those in the interior parts of the country: they are a soft, crumbly, sandy stone; those parts, which are most exposed to, and receive the most severity of the weather, are generally harder than such parts as are less exposed; in the soft parts time makes wonderful changes; they are constantly crumbling away underneath the harder and more solid part, and this continual decay leaves caves of considerable dimensions: some I have seen that would lodge forty or fifty people, and, in a case of necessity, we should think ourselves not badly lodged for a night. Wherever you see rocks in this country, either on the seashore, or in the interior parts, as they are all of this soft sandy kind, you are sure of finding plenty of such caves.
'In the woods, where the country is not very rocky, we sometimes met with a piece of bark of a tree, bent in the middle, and set upon the ends, with a piece set up against that end on which the wind blows. This hut serves them for a habitation, and will contain a whole family; for, when the weather is cold, which is frequently the case in winter, they find it necessary to lie very close for the benefit of that warmth to which each mutually contributes a share. These bark huts (if they deserve even the name of huts) are intended, as we have lately discovered, for those who are employed in hunting the kangaroo, opossums, or in short, any other animals which are to be found in the woods; for at certain seasons, when those animals are plenty, they employ themselves frequently in catching them.
'The bodies of the men are much scarified, particularly their breasts and shoulders; these sacrifications are considerably raised above the skin, and though they are not in any regular form, yet they are certainly considered as ornamental.' On one occasion, 'the men, thus armed and painted, drew themselves up in a line on the beach, and each man had a green bough in his hand, as a sign of friendship; their disposition was as regular as any well disciplined troops could have been; and this party, I apprehend, was entirely for the defence of the women, if any insult had been offered them. We also observed at this interview, that two very stout armed men, were placed upon a rock, near to where our boats lay, as centinels; for they never moved from the spot until we left the beach: I therefore suppose they were ordered there to watch all our motions. We left these people, after a visit of about four hours, both parties apparently well satisfied with all that passed.
'The women in general are well made, not quite so thin as the men, but rather smaller limbed. As soon as the women were ordered to approach us, about twenty men, whom we had not before seen, sailed from the wood, compleatly armed with lance and shield; they were painted with red and white streaks all over the face and body, as if they intended to strike terror by their appearance: some of them were painted with a little degree of taste, and although the painting on others appeared to be done without any attention to form, yet there were those who, at a small distance, appeared as if they were accoutred with cross-belts: some had circles of white round their eyes, and several a horizontal streak across the forehead: others again had narrow white streaks round the body, with a broad line down the middle of the back and belly, and a single streak down each arm, thigh, and leg. These marks, being generally white, gave the person, at a small distance, a most shocking appearance; for, upon the black skin the white marks were so very conspicuous, that they were exactly like so many moving skeletons. The colours they use are mostly red and white; the first of which is a kind of ochre, or red earth, which is found here in considerable quantities; the latter is a fine pipe-clay.'
Hunter concluded his early recording of the meeting of the two cultures on an optimistic note, 'In the different opportunities I have had of getting a little acquainted with the natives, who reside in and about this port, I am, I confess, disposed to think, that it will be no very difficult matter, in due time, to conciliate their friendship and confidence; for although they generally appear armed on our first meeting, which will be allowed to be very natural, yet, whenever we have laid aside our arms, and have made signs of friendship, they have always advanced unarmed, with spirit, and a degree of confidence scarcely to be expected: from that appearance of a friendly disposition, I am inclined to think, that by residing some time amongst, or near them, they will soon discover that we are not their enemies; a light they no doubt considered us in on our first arrival'.
\BDescription:\b Mimora, complete with skin markings, weapons and mandatory bone through the nose, was typical of the natives who came down to study the European settlers. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"1 February 1788",11,0,g,0
On the seventh day the budding settlement awoke after the storm in Sydney Cove and continued the business of clearing trees, pitching tents and building shelters. Phillip now unveiled his plans to settle Norfolk Island as the first sub-colony, appointing King as Commandant. 'This day His Excellency Governor Phillip signified his intention of sending me to Norfolk Island with a few people and stock to settle it. Lieut. Ball of the \ISupply\i was ordered to receive the Stores onboard necessary for that purpose.' Norfolk Island was to be settled for a variety of reasons including flax and timber cultivation, and for strategic purposes.
King then consulted Smyth of \ILady Penrhyn\i for advice on which convicts to take, as Smyth says, 'Lieut. King came on board to consult me respecting the Characters of 5 or 6 women he meant to take with him to New Norfolk. He takes with him 8 of the Convict men and 6 women and has made choice of such of both Sexes whose behaviour on board during the Voyage has been the least exceptionable and has held out such encouragement to them upon their behaving properly, as must render their situation much more comfort- able than it could have been had they been at Port Jackson.
'At the same time he assured them that he should not take upon him to punish them in case of misbehaviour, that, as the greatest punishment he thought he could inflict upon them he should send them back again to Port Jackson there to be deal with according to their demerits. He also assured them they would not be hard work'd and would be convey'd home to England if they chose it, upon the expiration of their term of Transportation. He also informed them that it was the Governor's pleasure, that if any partiality or reciprocal affection should take place between the Male and Female Convicts going there or after their arrival at Norfolk they might marry. The Women I recommended and who consented to go with him were Elizth. Lee, Elizth. Hipesly, Elizth. Colly, Olivia Gascoin and Ann Inett.'
Convict Ann Yates was also recommended by Smyth, but decided to stay behind in Port Jackson where before long she took up with surgeon John White and bore him two children. Once on Norfolk Island, King took convict Ann Inett into his quarters and she bore him two children.
Hunter's party continued to work their way back towards the settlement with Bradley taking copious notes on those dark figures watching from the shore. In Sydney Cove, Clark records the first escapes at the end of this the first week. 'Several of the convicts have Run away. One of two of them have Come back having been to Botany Bay to See if the French Ships which we left there would take them but they would not. I hope the Governour will make ane Example of Some of them. Sent for Stephen Mullot and gave him a glass of Rum and water on our dear Aunt Hawkings Sake. My Belove Betsey, gave also one to Smith, what I left at dinner, because he came from dock and Knows Aunt Hawkings. Meridith came over and Staid with me and then Sent me my dinner. They are getting up the Govenours House as fast as they can.'
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"2 February 1788",12,62741013.jpg,c,0
The second week began with the movement of more people ashore in Sydney Cove. Problems then emerged that were not apparent in the ships. As surgeon White says, a makeshift hospital had to be erected. 'The laboratory and sick tents were erected, and, I am sorry to say, were soon filled with patients afllicted with the true camp dysentery and the scurvy. More pitiable objects were perhaps never seen. Not a comfort or convenience could be got for them, besides the very few we had with us.' They needed fresh vegetables.
'His excellency, seeing the state these poor objects were in, ordered a piece of ground to be inclosed, for the purpose of raising vegetables for them. The seeds that were sown upon this occasion, on first appearing above ground, looked promising and well, but soon after withered away, which was not indeed extraordinary, as they were not sown at a proper season of the year.' As a very concerned Phillip told his superiors, the sickness affected the building program as well. 'The people were healthy when landed, but the scurvy has, for some time, appeared amongst them, and now rages in a most extra ordinary manner. Only sixteen carpenters could be hired from the ships, and several of the convict carpenters were sick.'
With the settlement taking shape, Phillip now decided to find out exactly what those French ships were up to and so before dispatching King to Norfolk Island, he sent his aide-de-camp back to Botany Bay because, as he explains, 'Two sail had appeared off Botany Bay under French colours, and anchored there before the \ISirius\i left it - the \IBoussole\i and the \IAstrolabe\i commanded by Monsr. La Perouse, who, having exprest a desire of sending letters to Europe, I sent an officer over, it being only eight miles, to tell him in what time it was probable our ships might sail'. King, the fleet's troubleshooter and linguist, now takes up the story of his most useful interview with La Perouse.
'At 2 in the Morning Lieut. Dawes, Marines & myself sett off in a Cutter for Botany Bay, to visit Monsieur De La perouse on the part of Governor Phillip & to offer him whatever he might have occassion for, we got down to the harbours mouth at day light, finding a light air from the Southward, we were obliged to row all the way & arrived onboard the \IBoussole\i at 10 o'clock in the Morning where we were received with the greatest politeness & attention by Monsieur de la perouse & his Officers, after delivering my Message to him, he returned his thanks to the Governor for his attention to him & made the same offers which he had received, & added that as he should be in France in 15 Months & having Stores &c enough onboard for three Years he should be happy to oblige Mr. Phillip with any that he might want. Monsieur De La perouse informed me that a number of the Convicts had been to him & offered to enter but he had dismissed them with threats; & gave them a days provisions to carry them back to the settlement.'
King 'yielded to the sollicitations of the French Commodore & consented to dine with him, & stay the remainder of the day & return to Port Jackson next morning'. King then discovered the Frenchman's route saying he came via, 'Madeira, Teneriffe and had run down the Coasts of Chili & California to Kamschatka, (where he replaced the wooden Inscription near Capt. Clerke's Grave, with a Copper one for which I thanked him) then to Macao, Phillipines, Sandwich Islands, Isles des Navigateurs, Friendly Islands & Norfolk Island from which last place he came on this coast. At the Island of Maouna (one of the Isles des Navigateurs) he was so very unfortunate as to lose Monsieur De langle, Captain of \IL 'Astrolabe,\i 8 Officers, 4 Men & 1 Boy who were massaccred by the natives who came down to meet the long boats with short heavy Clubs by which means they rendered the Fire arms useless'.
King says, 'La Perouse thought proper to quit the Islands immediately after endeavoring to regain his long-boats which he found the Natives had destroyed. Excepting the above unfortunate disaster, they have not lost a single man since they left France, when he leaves this place it is his intention to go round New Ireland to the Moluccas, & Batavia from thence to the Isle of France, Cape of Good Hope, & Europe where he hopes to arrive in about 18 Months'.
King was also impressed with the French ships, 'fitted out with the greatest liberality', as 'Monsieur de la perouse told me, that the king told him to get whatever he wanted & he could not think of any article that he stood in need of. Besides the Astronomer Monsieur Dagelet he is provided with a very capital Botanist from the Jardin du roi called de la Martinniere also a draughtsman, in every line, I saw his collection of Natural History which is very compleat. An Abbe who is also on the expedition as a collector of Natural Curiosities appears a Man of Letters & Geniality and has under his care a great number of Philosophic instruments & the Astronomer has also every instrument necessary while each Ship has 3 Time keepers which are hung on gimbals made by Berthand & goes with a short pendulum, they are rather complicated as an allowance is to be made for the degree of heat, for which purpose a small Thermometer is kept in each of the boxes. They have also a dipping needle which was with Capt. Cook and was lent them by the board of Longitude'.
King also went ashore at Botany Bay, which had become a French establishment with 'tents, a Stoccade, guarded by two small guns in which he is setting up two Long boats which he had in frame. An observatory tent was also fixed here in which was an Astronomical Quadrant and Clockes &c under the Management of Monsieur Dagelet Astronomer. Monsieur De La perouse informed me that at every place where he has touched at or been near that he has found all the Astronomical & Nautical works of Capt. Cook to be very exact & true & concluded by saying: \IEnfin, Monsieur Cook a tout fait qu'il n'a me rien laissΘ a faire, que d'admirer ses oeures.\i [In the end, Mr Cook has done so much there is nothing left for me to do but admire his work.]
King then spent the night with the French fleet making friends in a very important diplomatic exchange as underlined by Collins who, after talking to King about the French, said that 'as the two Fleets had barely time to exchange civilities on meeting initially in Botany Bay and it must naturally have created some surprise in M. de la Perouse to find our fleet abandoning the harbour at the very time he was preparing to anchor in it, indeed he afterwards said, that until he had looked round him in Botany Bay, he could not divine the cause of our quitting it, which he was so far from expecting, as having heard at Kamschatka of the intended settlement, he imagined he should have found a town built and a market established'. So it was important for the British to explain to the French the problems that had held them up thus far and King, who spoke fluent French, was well able to do this.
\BDescription:\b The French fleet only visited Botany Bay briefly, as they expected to find a well established settlement where they could repair \ILa Boussole,\i damaged while crossing the Pacific. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"3 February 1788: Sunday",13,62741015.jpg,c,0
In Port Jackson, Phillip's portable house was now all but erected and soon he could move into proper headquarters. For Clark it was also a special day, not only Sunday but, as he wrote to his wife in his journal, 'Kist your dear Beloved Image a thousand times as being your Birth day oh my God my God Send my dear wife your Servant maney Many happy Returns of this day. Oh my dear Betsey, the Almighty I trust in his goodness will Take care of you to make your fond Ralph the most happy and Blest man on the face of the earth, oh Spear her good Lord. I have ask Tom Davey and Meridith come and drink a Glass of Punch in honour of your Birth day my heavenly woman'.
Clark also reports that the first sermon on dry land was performed by the Reverend Richard Johnson, 'we are to have Prayers to day on the grass when I will call on my God to protect you more and more. Wm. Collings Breackfast with me to day. I brock one of my Goblets Yesterday which I am very Sory for but it is gone and I can not help it. We had a very Good Sermon. I Prayed for You and our dear Boy my beloved Alicia god Send you your health is your affectioned Ralphies Wish'. Smyth also recorded 'this day Revd. Mr. Johnson preached on shore for the first time'.
Reverend Johnson was already writing unhappy letters home from 'Port Jackson Harbour where in all probability I may stay many years if not also end my days' saying 'I wish we may find Port Jackson better answering our purpose, but confess I have my doubts & suspicions'.
Others like the Master of \ICharlotte,\i Thomas Gilbert, reported normal duties, 'Employed woody watering' as more and more settlers gradually moved from their ships to land as each day passed in Sydney Cove.
Meanwhile in Botany Bay, King interviewed La Perouse further before returning by boat to Sydney Cove where he and his party 'were obliged to row all the way against the wind and a great swell'.
\BDescription:\b The distinguished French navigator and explorer, La Perouse, gave all his dispatches to Governor Phillip to send back to Europe just weeks before he and his crew perished in a tragic shipwreck. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"4 February 1788",14,62741016.jpg,c,0
Clark managed to continue his wife's birthday celebrations while others worked on. 'Made Capt. M. Wm. Colling, Tom davey and Tom Timins a meal and they drunk health and long life to you Alicia and our Boy. The convicts employed in clearing the Ground of the Trees.' On the ships in Sydney Cove the supplies continued to be unloaded according to the Master of \ICharlotte,\i Thomas Gilbert, who was 'employed at the Main Hold'.
Then things took a turn for the worse around Sydney Cove as the natives, who had initially been kind to the invading Europeans, now turned against them. The first fight broke out as Smyth reported, on the tenth day of settlement. 'This day our boats Crew & a boat & Crew from one of the other Ships went in to a Cove near the Entrance of the Harbour to haul the Seyne & were opposed by a party of the Natives, who pelted them with stones & seem'd to threaten throwing their lances'.
Hunter, who was still engaged in his harbour survey, had meanwhile made notes about fighting among the Australian Aboriginals themselves. 'We had reason to believe, that the natives associate in tribes of many families together, and it appeared now that they have one fixed residence, and the tribe takes its name from the place of their general residence: you may often visit the place where the tribe resides, without finding the whole society there; their time is so much occupied in search of food, that the different families take different routs; but, in case of any dispute with a neighbouring tribe, they can soon be assembled.
'We are well informed by those whom we have had among us, that they sometimes have quarrels, and that they endeavour from concealments, to destroy those they are at war with. They are by no means a brave and determined people, except when passion overcomes them and when they act as all savages do, like madmen. In all their quarrels with one another, they put themselves under the direction of a chief: how those chiefs are chosen we have not learnt, but have reason to believe it is from an opinion of their dexterity in war.'
King, now back from interviewing the French at Botany Bay, presented his report to Phillip which was sent back to England along with the journals and mail of La Perouse. These had been entrusted to Phillip shortly before La Perouse sailed off to his untimely death in the Pacific Ocean, where both his ships were wrecked off the island of Vanikoro, north of the New Hebrides.
The weather in Sydney Cove got worse again, as Easty reported from \IScarborough,\i 'Cleare weather all day but att night very heavey Tempest with Thunder and Lightening att l/2 Past 8 att night a flash of Lightening as Struck a Tree So as to Split itt down in the middle no other dammage viry rain'.
\BDescription:\b The French ships were wrecked off the Pacific island of Vanitkoro. La Perouse and his men were never heard of again. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"5 February 1788",15,62741014.jpg,c,0
After the violent storms during the night, the rain-drenched settlers emerged from their tents to survey the damage around them. As Smyth says: 'At night another storm of Thunder & Lightg. - very hot, Thermometer at 78. If Lighten'd almost incessantly the greatest part of the night'.
The storms had inspired some heavy overnight drinking according to Scott, who says 'a Seaman belonging to the \IAlexander\i Was Drume'd out of Camp, for being Drunk and Afronting Some of the Officers'.
White reported that by this time buildings were being erected to receive both supplies and those convicts who had not escaped. 'A storehouse has been begun, for the purpose of receiving the stores and provisions of the three transports bound to China. On a muster of the convicts this morning, some were found to be missing, and supposed to have gone to Botany Bay, in hopes of being received on board the French ships, which are said to be short hands, and made more so by the loss they had recently sustained, as before mentioned.'
Meanwhile, in the exploring party, Bradley documented more of the potentially dangerous first contacts between the races. 'At day light having a Guard of Marines, proceeded to the upper part of the Harbour again, passed several Natives in the Coves as we went up and some on shore near the place where we left the beads and other things; who followed along the rocks calling to us, we landed to cook our breakfast on the opposite shore to them. We made signs to them to come over and waved green boughs, soon after which 7 of them came over in two Canoes and landed near our Boats, they left their spears in the Canoes and came to us; we tied beads about them and left them our fire to dress their Museles which they went about as soon as our Boats put off.'
Their job then seemed nearly done as 'we were now far enough to see the termination of the Harbour as far as Navigable for ships, being all Flats above us with narrow passages that we supposed might run a considerable distance but very shoal. As we returned to the ships we saw Natives in almost ever part of the Harbour in small parties. In one of the Coves we found a peice of a Cake which appeared to be made of the Wild Fig.' From this point Hunter and Bradley made their way back to Sydney Cove.
\BDescription:\b Second in command of the French expedition, Captain de Langle, was murdered by Pacific islander natives en route to Botany Bay. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i.
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"6 February 1788",16,0,g,0
All male convicts were now on shore and surgeon White reports that it was time for the female convicts to be let out onto land at last. 'The women did not disembark until the 6th of February; when, every person belonging to the settlement being landed, the numbers amounted to 1030 persons.' Smyth from \ILady Penrhyn\i says the operation began early. 'At 5 o'Clock this morning all things were got in order for landing the whole of the women & 3 of the Ships Long Boats came alongside us to receive them: previous to their quitting the Ship a strict search was made to try if any of the many things which they had stolen on board could be found, but their Artifice eluded the most strict search & about 6 O'Clock p.m. we had the long wish'd for pleasure of seeing the last of them leave the Ship. They were dress'd in general very clean & some few amongst them might be said to be well dress'd.'
Meanwhile, Clark had some luck as the day unfolded supplementing the food supplies of the settlement. As he says, 'went out a Shooting with J. Jonstone and I kild a duck, a few Small birds, which with the duck I Sent to M. Ross where I went to Supper being ask'. The Master of the \ICharlotte,\i Thomas Gilbert, helped move people off the ships and 'sent ashore 45 tents, 90 poles and a chest of pine mallets'.
Hunter and Bradley now returned to Sydney Cove, as Bradley says, having done the best job they could to chart the waters. 'The survey of the Harbour was finished in as accurate a manner as the time would admit of.' They then began to compile their official report on the harbour for Phillip and his superiors in England.
Despite another fine day, all hell again broke loose that night, according to Easty. 'Cleare weather all day att night very heavy Thunder and Lighening as ever I Saw this night a tree Split and 6 Sheep and 2 Lambs killed.'
Once the storms broke loose, so did the convicts, according to Smyth. 'The Men Convicts got to the women very soon after they landed, & it is beyond my abilities to give a just discription of the Scene of Debauchery & Riot that ensued during the night. The women had not been landed more than an hour before they had all got their Tents pitched or anything in order to receive them, but there came on the most violent storm of thunder, lighteng. & rain I ever saw. The lighteng. was incessant during the whole night & I never heard it rain faster. About 12 o'Clock in the night one severe flash of Lightg. struck a very large tree in the centre of the Camp under which some places were constructed to keep the Sheep & Hogs in: it split the tree from top to bottom; kill'd 5 Sheep belonging to Major Ross & a pig of one of the Lieuts. The severity of the Lighteng. this & the 2 preceeding nights leaves no room to doubt but many of the trees which appear burnt up to the tops of them were the Effect of Lightening.
'The Sailors in our Ship requested to have some Grog to make merry with upon the Women quitting the Ship indeed the Capt. himself had no small reason to rejoice upon their being all safely landed & given into the Care of the Governor, as he was under the penalty of ú40 for every Convict that was missing for which reason he comply'd with the Sailor's request, and about the time they began to be elevated, the Tempest came on. The Scene which presented itself at this time & during the greater part of the night, beggars every discription; some swearing, others quarrelling, others singing, not in the least regarding the Tempest, tho' so violent that the thunder shook the Ship exceeded anything I ever before had a conception of. I never before experienced so uncomfortable a night expecting every moment the Ship would be struck with the Lighteng. as the sailors were almost all drunk & incapable of rendering much assistance had an accident happen'd & the heat was almost suffocating.'
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"7 February 1788",17,62741017.jpg,c,0
After the night of debauchery, Phillip decided to take a firm stand and lay down some rules. He made sure everybody was on shore and Thomas Gilbert says the ships 'landed all the sick and all the remaining female convicts'.
The first fleet of settlers had arrived and taken possession of the colony but as yet no authority had been established, and given the misbehaviour of the night before, Phillip decided it was time to have read the Commission that established British Government in the colony and placed him at the head of the power structure. He asked Judge Advocate David Collins to read out the documents and Collins recorded the moment. 'As soon as the hurry and tumult necessarily attending the disembarkation had a little subsided, the governor caused his Majesty's commission appointing him to be his captain-general and governor-in-chief in and over the territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, to be publicly read, together with the letters patent for establishing the courts of civil and criminal judicature in the territory, the extent of which, until this publication of it, was but little known even among ourselves.
'It was now found to extend from Cape York (the extremity of the coast to the northward) in the latitude of 20║37' South, to the South Cape (the southern extremity of the coast) in the latitude of 43║39' South; and inland to the westward as far as 135║ of East longitude, comprehending all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean, within the latitudes of the abovementioned capes.
'By this definition of our boundaries it will be seen that we were confined along the coast of this continent to such parts of it solely as were navigated by Captain Cook, without infringing on what might be claimed by other nations from the right of discovery. Of that right, however, no other nation has chosen to avail itself. Whether the western coast is unpromising in its appearance, or whether the want of a return proportioned to the expense which the mother-country must sustain in supporting a settlement formed nearly at the farthest part of the globe, may have deterred them, is not known; but Great Britain alone has followed up the discoveries she had made in this country, by at once establishing in it a regular colony and civil government.'
Everybody saw this historic moment differently, of course, and Smyth was impressed by the fact that 'the Marines were all under arms and they received the Governor with flying Colours & a Band of Music. He was accompanied by the Judge Advocate Lieut. Governor, Clergiman, Serveyor General, surgeon General etc. After taking off his hat & Compting. the Marine Officers, who had lower'd their Colours & said that respect to him as Governor which he was intitled to, the Soldiers marched with music playing - Drums & Fifes, & formed a circle round the whole of the Convict Men & Women, who were collected together.
'The Convicts were all order'd to sit down on the ground; all Gentlemen present were desired to come into the Centre, where stood the Governor, Lieut. Governor, Judge Advocate, Clergyman, surgeon, etc. A Camp table was fixt before them & 2 red leather Cases laid thereon, containing the Commissions etc which were open'd & unsealed in the Sight of All present & read by the Judge Advocate (Capt. Collins) constituting Arthr. Philip Esqr. Governor General Commander in Chief over all those territories, belonging to his Britannic Majesty Geo: IIId King of Gt. Britn. France & Ireland & call'd New South Wales & Parts adjacent with full power & authority to build Forts, Castles & Towns, & to erect Batteries etc., as shall seem to him necessary, with full power also to appoint & constitute Officers of every kind as he shall judge proper.'
Surgeon White was struck by Phillip's respect to Ross and his attitude to the convicts, saying 'after the governor's commission was read the troops under arms fired three volleys, when his excellency thanked the soldiers for their steady and good conduct, which Major Ross caused to be inserted in the general order book. The governor then addressed the convicts in a short speech, extremely well adapted to the people he had to govern and who were then before him'.
The ceremony ended without major incident. And so within two weeks of stepping off the ships, the settlers had established a foothold on the new continent and planted the seeds of a new nation.
\BDescription:\b Although much of New Holland had been explored in some detail, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) was still thought to be part of the mainland, as shown in this first settlement chart, an unusual representation by William Bradley. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"Getting to Know the Natives",18,62741018.jpg,c,0
\B8 February to 9 March 1788\b
Once the first settlement had been formally established, everybody was asked to work as hard as they could to transfer the settlers from their floating village to dry land. There were trees to be cut down, earth to be cultivated, seeds to be sown, roads to be built, stockyards to be erected and housing for all; these tasks had to be completed as soon as possible so the expensive commercial ships could be allowed to return to England and the colony could start to become self-sufficient.
The demands of the daily work routine soon became too great for most of the scribes and from this point on they stopped writing in their journals every day and instead made intermittent entries. Fortunately
however, diligent writers such as King, Clark and Smyth made fairly regular entries enabling us to reconstruct a day by day account for much of this hectic period.
\BDescription:\b Many of the new species discovered by the first settlers, like this Kangaroo Rat, were fully examined and classified before being sent back to London. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"8 February 1788",19,0,g,0
By this time, there was dissension among the officers. As an unusually critical Watkin Tench observes, 'In the Governor's commission, the extent of this authority is defined to reach from the latitude of 43║49' south, to the latitude of 10║37' south, being the northern and southern extremities of the continent of New Holland. It commences again at 135th degree of longitude east of Greenwich, and, proceeding in an easterly direction, includes all islands within the limits of the above specified latitudes in the Pacific Ocean. By this partition it may be fairly presumed, that every source of future litigation between the Dutch and us will be for ever cut off, as the discoveries of English navigators alone are comprized in this territory.
'Nor have Government been more backward in arming Mr. Phillip with plenitude of power, than extent of dominion. No mention is made of a Council to be appointed, so that he is left to act entirely from his own judgment. And as no stated time of assembling the Courts of Justice is pointed out, similar to the assizes and gaol deliveries of England, the duration of imprisonment is altogether in his hands. The power of summoning General Courts Martial to meet he is also invested with, but the insertion in the marine mutiny act, of a smaller number of officers than thirteen being able to compose such a tribunal, has been neglected: so that a military court, should detachments be made from headquarters, or sickness prevail, may not always be found practicable to be obtained, unless the number of officers, at present in the Settlement, shall be increased. Should the Governor see cause, he is enabled to grant pardons to offenders convicted, "in all cases whatever, treason and wilful murder excepted", and even in these, has authority to stay the execution of the law, until the King's pleasure shall be signified.'
Nevertheless, Phillip's orders continued to be obeyed as Gilbert noted on \ICharlotte\i from where he 'delivered tents with poles, pins etc to the surgeon General by order of the Commissary'. Phillip's instructions to the convicts on the other hand were ill-heeded according to Collins who reports 'The convicts had been mustered early in the morning, when nine were reported to be absent. From the situation which we had unavoidably adopted, it was impossible to prevent these people from straggling. Fearless of the danger which must attend them, many had visited the French ships in Botany Bay, soliciting to be taken on board, and giving a great deal of trouble. It was soon found that they secreted at least one-third of their working tools, and that any sort of labour was with difficulty procured from them.
'The want of proper overseers principally contributed to this. Those who were placed over them as such were people selected from among themselves, being recommended by their conduct during the voyage; few of these, however, chose to exert the authority that was requisite to keep the gangs at their labour, although assured of meeting with every necessary support.'
Clark tells of the first kangaroo to be caught, 'Capt. Shea, Kild to day one of the Kankeroos, it is the most curiest of annimals that I ever Saw'. White also notes that the Australian Aboriginals who had lost interest in the activities of the whites since their arrival in Sydney Cove, continued to ignore them. 'This day for the first time, a Kangaroo was shot and brought into camp. Some of the natives passed pretty close to the \ISirius\i, without seeming to express by their countenance or actions, either fear, curiosity, or surprise.' According to Hunter, the Australian Aboriginals never used the word 'kangaroo' as Cook and Banks had reported in 1770.
'The animal described in the voyage of the \IEndeavour,\i called the kangaroo (but by the natives \Ipatagarang)\i we found in great numbers; one was lately shot which weighted 140 pounds; its tail was 40 inches long, and 17 in circumference at the root; we ate the flesh with great relish, and I think it good mutton, although not so delicate as that which we sometimes find in Leadenhall-market. The strength this animal has in its hind quarters is very great: in its endeavours to escape from us, when surprised, it springs from its hind legs, which are very long, and leaps at each bound about six or eight yards, but does not appear ever in running to let its fore-feet come near the ground; indeed they are so very short, that it is not possible that the animal can use them in running: they have vast strength also in their tail; it is, no doubt, a principal part of their defence, when attacked; for with it they can strike with prodigious force, I believe with sufficient power to break the leg of a man; nor is it improbable but that this great strength in the tail may assist them in making those astonishing springs.'
Worgan also noticed '8 or 10 Natives passed not far from the Ship this Morning, in 5 Canoes, when they got near the Rocks, many of the Men got out, and by the help of a Spy-Glass, I could see them very busy in striking the Fish with their Spears, and I saw them take two or three tolerably large ones in this manner; the Women, remained in the Canoes employed in fishing with a Hook & Line, the Fish, they caught, appeared but small, after having caught a good many, they went on shore a little way up in the Wood, lit a Fire, and sat down round about it. In the Afternoon, they came down and were very friendly, jumping & jabbering in a strange Manner and there was a laughable Circumstance when A pot was boiling in which there was some Fish for the Workmen's Dinners, One of the Natives (who never had seen or felt hot Water before) very deliberately put his Hand in to take a Fish out, when, feeling a very smart Sensation, he gave an amazing Jump squalling out most Hideously, on which, his Companions seeing us laugh, joined us very heartily, while the poor Fellow was skipping about & blowing his Fingers'.
Perhaps such unpleasant encounters explained why the Australian Aboriginals did not remain in Sydney Cove for long, as Tench explains, 'The Indians for a little while after our arrival paid us frequent visits, but in a few days they were observed to be more shy of our company. From what cause their distaste arose we never could trace, as we had made it our study, on these occasions, to treat them with kindness, and load them with presents. No quarrel had happened, and we had flattered ourselves, from Governor Phillip's first reception among them, that such a connection might be established as would tend to the interest of both parties. It seems, that on that occasion, they not only received our people with great cordiality, but so far acknowledged their authority as to submit, that a boundary, during their first interview, might be drawn on the sand, which they attempted not to infringe, and appeared to be satisfied with'.
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"9 February 1788",20,62741019.jpg,c,0
The third week of the first settlement began, as Easty says, with 'Cleare weather this day' although for some it was a bad day as 'A Cortmartial was held on Thos Bramble, belonging Captn Camebles Conbpany'. Clark, confirms this first military discipline session writing to his wife 'Satt my dear wife as one of Members of the court Martial to troy Prisoners when Brimage was Sentanced to Receive 200 lashes on his bare back for stricking one of the convict women because She would not goe up in the woods with him and to X. Also Sentanced Green, both marines one hunder lashes for been drunk on Guard but recomend him to the commanding officer for mercy'.
Work went on, Gilbert records, as 'all hands from \ICharlotte\i were ashore Wooding and the Longboat was on board the \ISirius\i'.
Others escaped, as White noted in his journal, 'A party of the gentlemen of the garrison set out by land meeting with a good deal of swampy, Rocky Ground in their tedious journey to pay a visit to the French at Botany Bay, from whom they met with the most hospitable, polite, and friendly reception and treatment.' Many of the convicts who had been missing had been at Botany Bay. They had offered themselves to the French navigators on any terms, but not one of them had been received. This refusal obliged them to return; and when they came back they were real objects of pity. Conscious of the punishment that awaited so imprudent and improper an experiment, they had stayed out as long as the cravings of nature would permit, and were nearly half-starved.
'A convict woman, named Ann Smith, and a convict man have never since been heard of. They are supposed to have missed their way as they returned, and to have perished for want. As the French commodore had given his honour that he would not admit any of them in board, it cannot be thought he would take them. The convict man it is true, was a Frenchman, named Peter Paris, and it is possible, on that account, he might have been concealed, through pity, by his countrymen, and carried off without the knowledge of the commanding officer.'
If Peter Paris had escaped on the French ship, he could only have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire as within weeks of sailing, the French ships were shipwrecked and the crews were either lost or eaten by cannibals on the Pacific island of Vanitkoro.
Worgan says the escaping convicts were desperate, according to the French who 'informed our Gentlemen that a Number of the Convicts had been over, and applied earnestly to be taken on Board; One of Them promised to pay a Sum of Money for his Passage, on his Arrival in Europe, Others offered their Services as Seamen, and required no other Reward than their Provisions for the time of Serving, but the Officers of these Ships so far from Countenancing them, threatened, that if they were seen to skulk about there, they would send them Back to Us'.
As if sensing his impending death, La Perouse decided to hand over all his journals and dispatches to Phillip for safekeeping. As White records, 'At the very time the party from hence were gone by land to Botany Bay, Captain Clonnard came round in a boat, on a visit of ceremony from Monsieur de la Peyrouse to the governor. He brought with him some dispatches, which he requested might be forwarded to the French ambassador at the court of London, by the first transports that sailed for England. The captain stayed all night and returned the next morning'.
Bradley says hostilities had already begun between the French and the Australian Aboriginals, 'The Captain of the \IAstrolabe\i came round from Botany Bay to pay respects to Governor Phillip & to leave the French Commodore dispatches for Europe to go by our Transports and we found that they had been obliged to fire on the Natives at Botany Bay to keep them quiet'.
By now the first settlement was really taking shape. As Worgan writes, 'the principal Business has been the clearing of Land, cutting, Grubbing and burning down Trees, sawing up Timber & Plank for Building, making Bricks, hewing Stone, Erecting temporary Store-houses, a Building for an Hospital, another for an Observatory, Enclosing Farms & Gardens, making temporary Huts, and many other Conveniences towards the establishing of a Colony and having worked hard at this since arrival all the Tents of the Battalion, the Labaratory, and Hospital, and several of the Civil Officers Tents have now been pitched, likewise those for the Men and Women Convicts, the Governors House got up, a Spot of Ground enclosed, and some culinary Seeds put in. The Plants that we brought from Rio de Janeiro, and the Cape of Good Hope all landed and put in the Ground, a few Beans, Peas, small sallad, that were sown on our arrival here, have already come up and appear at present very luxuriant. A small Store House is begun, for the Reception of some of the Provisions. All the Convicts Men and Women, are landed: Many of the Men, and one Woman are missing'.
\BDescription:\b The French ships were wrecked on a reef off the island of Vantikoro, near the New Hebrides, forcing the survivors to swim ashore. Many were eaten by cannibals. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"10 February 1788: Sunday",21,0,g,0
Clark, ever conscious of the Sabbath, told Alicia he 'mounted the Govenour's Guard to day, by which I could not attend prayers but kist your dear Pictour as Usual on this day. Was very much frightened by the Lightening as it brock very near me as I was Sitting in my tent on Guard. It is nothing else but the Lightening that has burnt all the trees, but my dear woman I return my God thanks that You did not come out for I should have gone mad for you for fear that the lightening would have hurted you or our dear boy. I could not Stay longer than the three Years for the world. I wish that I could get home now'. Despite the storms, Gilbert and his crew 'cleaned the ship' and Bradley went fishing with great success and he 'found plenty of Fish and the Harbour is full of sharks, there is a great quantity of shell fish in the Coves'.
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"11 February 1788",22,62741020.jpg,c,0
Crime was beginning to increase in the convict colony as the old criminals began to learn the ropes in the new settlement and the free people took advantage of the situation. As Collins observed, 'Petty thefts began soon to be complained of, the sailors from the transports, although repeatedly forbidden, and frequently punished, still persisted in bringing spirits on shore by night, and drunkenness was often the consequence'. It was clear that courts of law would soon be working overtime. Bradley noted that the court system was already well equipped as, 'besides the Civil Law according to the method used in England, another Court for the Trial of Capital Crimes was established by Act of Parliament, this Court is called a Court of Criminal Judicature to be composed of the Judge Advocate & six Officers of His Majesty's Forces by Sea & Land'.
Collins, as judge advocate, defended the new system saying, 'When the state of the colony and the nature of its inhabitants are considered, it must be agreed, that the administration of public justice could not have been placed with so much propriety in any other hands. The outward form of the court as well as the more essential part of it, are admirably calculated to meet the characters and disposition of the people who form the major part of the settlement'.
He then recorded the first trial and punishment proceedings. 'To check these enormities, the court of criminal judicature was assembled on the 11th of February, when three prisoners were tried, one for an assault, of which being found guilty, he was sentenced to receive one hundred and fifty lashes; a second, for taking some biscuit from another convict, was sentenced to a week's confinement on bread and water, on a small rocky island near the entrance of the cove; and a third, for stealing a plank, was sentenced to receive fifty lashes, but, being recommended to the governor, was forgiven.' As Worgan added, 'These Thefts are generally, of Provisions, and a very aggravating Circumstance in them is, that the Foragers are allowed as much of Salt Beef, Pork, Peas, Flower, Rice, Bread & as good in Quality, as any Officer on the Settlement, but still they cannot be contented'.
However, other stabilising influences had been affected. As White says, 'During the course of this week fourteen marriages were solemnized'. A more cynical Collins was critical of these unions, 'It was soon observed with satisfaction, that several couples were announced for marriage; but on strictly scrutinizing into the motive, it was found in several instances to originate in an idea, that the married people would meet with various little comforts and privileges that were denied to those in a single state; and some, on not finding those expectations realised, repented, wished and actually applied to be restored to their former situations; so ignorant and thoughtless were they in general. It was however to be wished, that matrimonial connexions should be promoted among them; and none who applied were ever rejected, except when it was clearly understood that either of the parties had a wife or husband living at the time of their leaving England'.
Clark was also critical of those first marriages in the colony, even as he himself fought off the temptations of extra-marital lust, 'Several of the convicts were married and amongst them were those who have left wives and families at home. Good God what a Seen of Whordome is going on there in the womans camp - no Sooner has one man gone in with a woman but a nother goes in with her. I hope the Almighty will keep me free from them as he has heather to done but I need not be afraid as I promised you my Tender Betsey I will keep my word with you. I never will have any thing to do with any woman what ever except your Self my dear wife I will be true to my Betsey my love for you will keep me So'.
Smyth, avoiding these weddings, had time to explore. 'During our stay in this place I frequently made Excursions up the Country for some miles, in Company & at those times generally collected some natural Curiosity or other: at some times we shot Birds & at others collect'd a large quantity of yellow Balsam from a tree or rather a Shrub which grows in great Nos. on the sandy hills near Botany Bay, call'd Balsam of Tolu at least there is no doubt of this Balsam possessing Medicinal virtues, as it has been repeatedly made use of by the Gentlemen of the faculty in the Settlement in the same Cases where they would have used the Bals: Tolu or any other Medicine in pulmonary Disorders, & with success. It dissolves perfectly in Spirits & is of a most fragrant & aromatic Taste & smell. I have etch'd the likeness of the Tree which produces this Gum, with my pen, which I have subjoin'd, & is no very bad resemblance of it.'
\BDescription:\b The traditional damaging punishments were not practical in the first settlement, as Governor Phillip had to keep convicts fit for hard labour. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
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"12 February 1788",23,0,g,0
Clarke continues to report sailors coming into the women's camp. 'I would call it by the Name of Sodem for ther is more Sin committed in it than in any other part of the world.'
Bradley reports on an early recapture of an escaped convict, 'A Boat belonging to the \ISirius\i being up the Harbour found 4 Convict Women straggling about the Rocks one of whom made her escape into the Woods & no doubt perished'. Other officers who were not recapturing convicts caught up with other events they had missed earlier. As White reported, 'The commissions were now read a second time, at the desire of some of the officers whose sitution with the battalion prevented them from being present at the first reading, after which the lieutenant-governor and judge advocate were sworn in justices of the peace, and Lieutenant King (second lieutenant of the \ISirius\i) was made superintendant and commanding officer of New Norfolk Island, an appointment given him by the governor'.
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"13 February 1788",24,0,g,0
Clark awoke having 'dreamt my Belovd Betsey that I was with you and that I thought I was going to be arrested and that You was in the greatest concern for me that could be. I also dreamt that I thought that you was Sitting on a Stool and that I did make love with you my dear wife - I also Saw old Nanny I hope in the great God that there is nothing the matter with you my Tender Alicia or our dear Boy. Oh how long will it be before I Shall here from you, Whome I only breath for. May our Gracious God Protect you and Preserve is my Sinceer wish'.
Bradley, fresh from his court duties and on a hunting expedition, says, 'Several Kangaroo were seen & a Bird resembling the Ostrich'. Clark also with 'Pouldon and Collins and Self went out a Shooting. Lost Pouldon in the woods and fell in with J Johnston. I did not burn powder although I Saw a great manny Kankeroos. Returnd and William Collins and Self Satt down to dinner. Drumd out to day four more Seamen beloning to the Transports the Same as the others. It Raind very hard for about ╜ ane hour this afternoon. Pouldon at last found his way after much difficulty and Quite wet through'.
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"14 February 1788",25,62741021.jpg,c,0
Although Phillip had only founded the main colony twenty days earlier and was still constructing shelters, he now decided to establish a second colony. As he explains, 'It was now the middle of February; the rains began to fall very heavy, and pointed out the necessity of hutting the people; convicts were therefore appointed to assist the detachment in this work. Then on the 14th the \ISupply\i sailed for Norfolk Island, with Philip Gidley King, second lieutenant of his Majesty's ship \ISirius,\i for the purpose of settling that island. He only carried with him a petty officer, surgeon's mate, two marines, two men who understood the cultivation of flax, with nine men and six women convicts. Their number shall be increased when a small detachment of marines can be spared. I have the honour of transmitting your Lordship a copy of the order and instructions given to that officer, and I beg leave to recommend him as an officer of merit, and whose perseverance in that or any other service may be depended upon'.
The purpose of the sub-colony was not clear to all, although Easty said they 'Sailed to the Iland of new norfolk with Some Convicts to settall a collaney thare'. White said, 'The governor furnished him with provisions and stores of every kind for six months, and with tools for cutting down timber, which last employment was the purpose of his mission'. While Tench claimed 'The Governor had instructions from the ministry to take possession of Norfolk Island and Lieut. King was supplied with a certain number of live animals to stock the island, besides garden seeds, grain, and other requisites for cultivating the island'.
Back in Port Jackson, Bradley, the emerging anthropologist, reported, 'Twenty of the Natives came to the Governors Farm. On seeing the sheep they exclaimed Kanguroo, they would not come near the Camps'. Smyth, perhaps something of an historian, remembered, 'This day 9 years Capt. Cook was kill'd at Owyhee'. Later he continued the saga of the notorious convict, 'Ann Smith (the woman who refused taking the Slops on board from Mr. Miller the Commissary) who now eloped from the Camp, as she often, when on board, declared she would as soon as she was landed'.
Also on this day Phillip 'began to build barracks for the use of the men and huts for the officers' and assigned 'near 100 convicts to assist in this work'.
\BDescription:\b Both naval and marine officers stayed on board during the first days of settlement, enjoying regular comforts. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"15 February 1788",26,62741022.jpg,c,0
In Sydney Cove, the day began as so many other days were to begin in the future - with punishment. As Private Easty reports, 'This morning the Sentanced of the Court held yesturday put into Excution'. Clark continues with the details, 'One of the convict women was floggd at the carts Tail for Stealing from a nother convict woman. Also Bennet that came out on our Ship was flogd for the Same crime'.
Others fared worse. As Smyth reported, 'The Cook of the \IPrince of Wales\i (a Negro) going on Shore from the Ship by the Hawser rope which was fasten'd to the rocks, two of the Boys of that Ship playing tricks with him shook him off the rope & the poor fellow sunk down & was drowned; not being able to swim. Many sailors jump'd overboard to save him but he sunk & did not come up again. An Alegator 8 feet long has several times been seen near the Camp & among the shrubs behind the Camp near the run of water which supplys the Camp'.
Phillip, who had become aware that a free settler had stowed away on the first fleet voyage in Cape Town, now decided to deal with the first Australian free immigrant, James Smith. As Smyth from \ILady Penrhyn\i says, 'This day the Governor sent for Mr. J Smith in our Ship, and told him that tho' he knew nothing of his being in the fleet till he arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, yet in consequence of what was urged in the petition (the Governor having peremptorily refused his staying at B. Bay, I draw'd up a petition for Mr. Smith which was presented to the Governor by his Aid de Camp Mr. G. Johnstone) & from the extraordinary good Character which Mr. G. Johnstone who came out in the same ship with him & Mr. Bowes the surgeon of that Ship & Capt. Campbell all join'd in giving him, he had alter'd his mind & wish'd him to go on shore on Monday, by which time there should be a Tent erected for him, a piece of ground should be alloted to him for a garden, he would be supply'd by the Governor's orders with every necessary sort of seeds.
'He was to officiate as Headborough & the chief work he would have to do at present would be to superintend the Convicts who were at work, & if any of them misbehaved to inform the Governor or Judge Advocate therewith; he also assured him he should in due time be further promoted.'
Clark, who was 'very much fatigued as was up late and again at three oClock to goe the Rounds, Supped with Majr. Ross' where he discovered that 'Capt. Shea Shot a nother Kankeroos which had a Young one which he has also brought in. They are the most Exstradinory animal that I ever Saw for they have a Pocket at the bottom of ther Belly where they carry ther Young in case of danger wher the Tites comes. The first one I Kill I will have it Stouft and Sent home to You my dear Beloved Alicia'.
Although the discipline problems continued and Smyth says, 'Adjutant Long of the Marines was put under an arrest by Capt. Campbell in consequence of some words which passed betwixt them'. Phillip also decided it was now time to do some exploring. So, leaving Hunter in charge, he set off with Bradley who says, 'The Governor went with 9 Boats Marin'd & Arm'd up the Harbour, taking the - Master with him: we were some distance up the Harbour before any of the Natives were scen, the first party of them were a sitting under a hollow rock round a fire, one of the Men stood up & spoke to us, the next did not appear to be the least disturbed as they neither moved nor spoke; we stoped at a Neck of land to Breakfast, we were joined there by a Native Arm'd, He laid down his spear as soon as he joined us; & had more curiosity than any we had before met with, he examined every thing very attentively & went into all our Boats from one to the other in the Long boat he sat down & with the help of one of the People he contrived to manage an Oar, though very awkwardly: The Governor gave this Man a looking glass which when he looked into, he looked immediately behind the Glass to see if any person was there, & then pointed to the Glass & the shadows which he saw in the Water signifying they were similar: Another Man joined us soon after & a third was laying off in a Canoe; Wanting to see him get out of the Canoe we enticed him on shore, he had a stone by way of an Anchor which he let go just as the Canoe took the ground, he step'd one leg out of the Canoe keeping the weight of his body in its center 'till he had foot hold of the shore to remove it to that leg, in this manner he landed without any risk of oversettling the Canoe. We next proceeded up to the beginning of the Flats, where we landed & went 2 or 3 Miles into the Country, found the Trees a considerable distance apart & the Soil in general good grass very long & no underwood'.
Meanwhile, out at sea, somewhere between the heads of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island, Philip Gidley King and HMS \ISupply\i battled the raging seas; but no word would be heard from this expedition until HMS \ISupply\i returned to Port Jackson.
\BDescription:\b Although Cook had claimed that this strange new animal was called a 'Kangaroo', Hunter and others reported that natives called the animal 'Pantangarang'. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"16 February 1788",27,0,g,0
The fourth week of the settlement began with a fine day and so Clark 'went out a Shooting soon after Breackfast and Took Copl. Goff with me who was very near blowing his hand of as I gave him my Fuze to Shoot with and in firring at a Cocka Too it burst in the Barral but thank God it did not hurt him. I only Shot one Cocka Too they are most beautiful bird. I hope to God to be able to get Some alive to carry home with me for you my dear wife. After dinner went in the boat with Meridith up the harbour and Shot a few Parrokits. Went to bed Early'.
Phillip's exploring party continued deeper inland. As Bradley says, 'after Dinner went in the smallest boat over the Flats past a Mangrove Island & followed a Creek some distance to the W.ward when it branched away to the NW which we followed 4 Miles as near as we could judge, the lake or dam was entirely filled up with fallen trees, the water falling fast we had barely time to get down. A Marine was missing in the woods. In a Cove where our people went hunting the seine, the Natives Men & Women joined them & helped for which they had some Fish given them & were very thankful'.
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"17 February 1788: Sunday",28,0,g,0
Bradley reports from the Governor's exploring party that 'The Marine that lost himself, came in. He met with several of the Natives who were all very friendly they wanted his Musquet but did not offer to take it be force when he refused to let them have it; He saw a great number of Kanguroo, one of which he killed & brought to the Camp with him. Three people belonging to the French Ships came over from Botany Bay, they met with but few of the Natives: we found that the Natives at Botany Bay had been endeavouring to steal several things from them which obliged them to fire on them once or twice'.
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"18 February 1788",29,0,g,0
Clark who 'was very ill with the Tooth eack all last night got up early and went to the Hospital and had it puld out Buy Mr. Consident - oh my God what pain it was it was So fast in and the Jaw bone very fast to one of the prongs the Tooth would not come out without breacking the Jaw bone which he did. I thought that half of my head would have come off. There is a piece of the Jaw bone remaining to the Tooth - the Pain was So great my dear wife that I fainted away and was very ill the remainder of the day but I could not let Consident report to Majr. Ross that I was ill but would goe on Picket. My gum Keep Bleeding all the day'.
Meanwhile, on the exploring party, Bradley says, 'Several of the Natives appeared on the points of land near where the ships lay, the fishing boat coming past them put ashore & gave them some fish which they eagerly accepted'.
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"19 February 1788",30,0,g,0
Having returned to Sydney Cove from his exploring trip, Bradley says 'Governor Phillip removed from the ship took up his residence on shore', and then 'several of the Natives came down the Harbour near the Ship; 7 of them in 4 Canoes - - thro' the Cove between the \ISirius\i & \ITransport\i & went close past one of our boats with great confidence; One of them landed on the East point of Sydney Cove to meet some of our people who - - these from this they went to our Garden Island & found means to steal two Iron shovels & a pick axe, the pick axe the Gardeners obliged them to bring back & lay it themselves in the very spot they had taken it from, the shovels they escaped with, but not without his thin body well pepper'd with small shot'.
So the first real altercation between the Aboriginals and the white invaders of New Holland took place on this, the twenty-fifth day of the settlement; and as the local inhabitants did not like being shot at, it was only a matter of time before they retaliated. Clark, in his version of the incident, had already made up his mind who was right and who was wrong. 'The indians had gone, to the number of 20, over to the Island wher the \ISirius\i gardian is and where there is only 3 men, and half had come up and were very Kind to the three men while the others Stole what they could lay there hands on, but one of the men Seing them carring of an Axe and Spade he fired at the man that had the Spade with small Shot and struck him about the legs when they dropt the spade but they carried of the other things. They are the Greatest thefs that ever lived. I think that we are in a fine stat as we brought nothing but thefs out with use to find nothing but thefs.'
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"21 February 1788",31,0,g,0
Clark's agony continued as 'my Face Still very much Sweld and at times Bleeds very much. The French Aby came and lookd at my Betseys Butter flys and other insext and he admirers them very much. Went out with Capt. Tench and Meridith in his boat up the harbour a Shooting and it came on to blow pretty hard which made it late before we Returned'. Bradley learned more about local conditions and records the deterioration of race relations, 'Having had a great deal of dry, Hot Weather it was observed that several of the streams of fresh water had stoped & others run very slow. Some of the Officers of the \IBoufiole [Boussole]\i came from Botany Bay to visit the Governor; they inform us that the Natives are exceedingly troublesome there & that wherever they meet an unarmed Man they attack him'.
On this day, the first free settler moved ashore to start a new life, 'This day Mr. J. Smith left the Ship, to continue on Shore, he had a Convict (a Black man) & the boy Joseph Harris appointed to wait on him'.
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"22 February 1788",32,0,g,0
Clark says, 'The French Men went to Botany this morning. He wished much for one of my Grass hoppers but I could not think of Parting with any thing that belongs to you my dear Alicia. Remarkably warm to day and hardly any wind. It looks much if it would thunder to day I hope not. My hands very Soor from rowing which I never did before last Saterday'.
Smyth, who had sponsored the free settler James Smith, got his reward. 'A large Lizard (such as describ'd some way back in this Journal) presented by Mr. Smith to me.'
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"23 February 1788",33,62741023.jpg,c,0
The settlers had now been in Sydney Cove for a month and as the fifth week began, fewer and fewer journal entries appeared. Although Clark, the most diligent scribe of all, claims, 'Nothing Exstrodinary to day. Employed in writing out the orders Since we came on Shore'. Bradley, who was worried about a head count, recorded a gruesome sight, 'A General Muster of the Convicts discovered that 9 Men & 1 Woman were still missing, the Woman is the same that ran into the Woods on the 12th when our Boat took here 9 Companions straggling; this afternoon the left arm & hand of a white Man or Woman floated past the ship, had the appearance of having been a considerable time in the water'.
Smyth recorded the start of rum currency on this, the twenty-ninth day of settlement, and its consequences. 'The Governor sent for & severely reprimanded Capt. Marshall for suffering his Steward to purchase an Animal of the Squirrell kind from one of the Convict men, & giving him Liquor for it. He told him that all the Convicts got was the property of Government, took away the Animal from Capt. Marshall, & had the Steward punish'd with 50 Lashes. At first he was order'd 100 but upon the application of several gentlemen who respected the man & thought it rather a hard case among which number was Capt. Marshall who would have given any sum rather than his Steward should be so severely punish'd for a fault committed inadvertently & in which himself bore so great a share I say in consequence it was lessen'd to 50 Lashes.'
\BDescription:\b Lizards were a source of amazement to the first settlers, who often killed and stuffed them and sent them back to eager scientists in England. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"24 February 1788: Sunday",34,0,g,0
Clark, never a heavy sleeper, 'dreamt that I was with Kempster at a Sale last night my beloved. This being Sunday Kist your dear Pictour as Usual on the Lords day - Sleep in my coaths all night as having the Picket and have mounted the Qr. Guard this morning So that I Shall be obliged to Sleep in my cloaths to night again. It reather hard duty thank God I am very well So I dont much care it will prevent me from running a bout Some. By being on Guard to day prevented attending Divine Service but I will all the Same call on our God for his protection Still and Return him my thanks for his Kindness'.
Scott reports, in a rare entry, that 'Thomas Harmsworth. (Son to Thomas Harmsworth a Marine). Died of A feaver'.
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"26 February 1788",35,0,g,0
From \ICharlotte,\i Gilbert 'Sent ashore 8 bales of shirts, 8 bales of trowsers, 5 bales of drawers, 8 bales of frocks, 6 bales of stocks, 1 bale of Worsted Caps, Linsey waistcoats & drawers, 4 bales of Jackets, 2 bundles of spades, 1 cask glue and 8 wheelbarrows'.
So far, crimes had been punished mainly by flogging but now Phillip changed his tune as the lash did not seem to deter the convicts and thus the colony suffered its first capital punishment less than five weeks after arrival.
Smyth was the first to report the news, 'Barrett, Lovall, Hall & another Convict were try'd for stealing bread, pork etc. The 3 former received sentence of Death, to be executed tomorrow; & the last was order'd 300 Lashes'.
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"27 February 1788",36,0,g,0
Thomas Barrett, who with his fellow convicts faced the gallows, had already received notoriety by organising a counterfeit coin plot while below decks in port at Rio - earning the respect of surgeon John White in the process. Now on the thirty-fourth day of settlement, he became the first man to be hanged.
Clark, who was part of the armed guard, records the details from a close vantage point, 'A Criminal courts Sits to day for the Trayer of Such Prisoners as may be brought befor them, amons the Number to be tryd is two that came out of the Ship with me Heny Lovell and one Ryan. At 1 oClock there Centance was read the charge being clearly Proven of their Stealing Butter, Pease and Pork. Thomas Barrit, Heny. Lovell, Josh. Hall and Ryan, the three former Received Centance of death and the Latter to Receive 300 Lashes.
'At 5 oClock PM the Battalion was order under arms for the centance of the Land to be put into Execution and soon after we march to the place of Execution which was a Tree between the male and female convicts Camp. At a Quarter after 5 the Unhappy men wair brought to the place of Where they were to Suffer when after the Parson had done prayers with them the Provos Martial put the halter a bout the neck Thos. Barret and he mounted the Ladder. From his going I dont think that he had the least thought that was to Suffer but when the Provos Martial put a handkerchiff a bout his head he turned as white as a sheet. When Soon after the Ladder was puld from him and he Lanched into the other world without a gron. From every Account he was a great Rascall. The other two, Lovell and Hall, wair Respited Untill to Morrow. After Barret had hung the usuall time he was cut down and put into a Grave near the Tree by some of the convicts'.
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"28 February 1788",37,62741024.jpg,c,0
The punishment of the two reprieved convicts was then reported by Clark, who begins as usual with his weather report, 'My God what a Terrible day this has been of Rain. I never Saw that I Recollect it Rain harder. At three oClock the Battalion was Under Arms for to put the Centance of the Law into Execution of Hall and Lovell who wair Respited by the Governor Yesterday Untill to day. At 4 oClock I brought them with the Guard to the place wher they wair to Suffer the Same wher ther companion did Yesterday. After the Prayers the Judg. Advocate brought a pardon from the Governor to the Majr. for them on Conditiones of their Being Banished Which they Accepted of and the other Ryan that was to Received the 300 Lashes was also forgiven. The whole of the Convicts Sent a petition to the Governor beggins that they might be forgive and not to Suffer death. They also promised that not one amongst them he would have reason to find falt with the Governor, on which he Pardond them. All the time it rained as if heaven and earth was coming together.
'Ryan had his Irons taking of and dismissed to his work again but Lovell and Hall wair taking with me to the Guard. Hall on his way back told me what the man had Sworn too was nothing but the truth. Poor Wm. Collins Still very ill have attended him ever Since he has been ill My Beloved Alicia for he is a great favourite of mine and I think Betsey I am endebted to him from the help we Received from his father while in the Barracks. Dined with Majr. Ross to day who also behaves very Kind to me. Have not had my cloaths of Since last Saterday as have eather had the guard or the Picket.'
White claims the reprieve for both condemned men was a very close thing. 'Lovel and Hall were respited until six o'clock the next evening. When that awful hour arrived, they were led to the place of execution, and, just as they were on the point of ascending the ladder, the judge advocate arrived with the governor's pardon, on condition of their being banished to some uninhabited place.'
\BDescription:\b Convicts who misbehaved were forced to wear leg irons and, in extreme cases, had to wear them for months at a time. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"29 February 1788",38,0,g,0
Crime and punishment seemed to dominate the little settlement. White reported that 'Daniel Gordon and John Williams were tried and convicted of stealing wine, the property of Mr. Zachariah Clarke. Williams being an ignorant black youth, the court recommended him to the governor as a proper object of mercy, and he was accordingly pardoned. Gordon, who was another black, had his sentence of death, while at the gallows, changed to banishment with Lovel and Hall'.
Clark, again a member of the execution squad, adds that two other convicts were also caught 'Stealing 15 allowances of flouer. Shearman and one Freeman and wair found Guilty, to Receive corporal Punishment. The Battalion was order under Arms at a Quarter befor four oClock and we Marchd to the place of Execution. Soon after the four Unhappy men brought down by the Guard and with halters about their Neck when the Parson had done with them Majr. Ross told them from the Petition of Yesterday that the Governor had also Pardond Gordon on his Condition of being Banishd which you may think Accepted and the other Black Williams who was concerned with Gordon was also Pardond on the Conditions and Freeman was also Pardond on Condition of his becoming the common hangman which he accepted. Shearman who was convicted with Freeman was also forgiven his corporal punishment but the whole of the convicts wair told that the Governor would never Pardon or Receive any more Petitions from them. I think after his goodness they ought to behave now well but I am almost certain that befor I am a fortnight older Some of them will be brought to tryal for Capital offences'.
White says Freeman had to think a little before taking on the job of hangman as 'while under the ladder, with the rope about his neck, he was offered his free pardon on condition of performing the duty of the common executioner as long as he remained in this country; which, after some little pause, he reluctantly accepted. William Sheerman, his accomplice, was sentenced to receive on his bare back, with a cat - o'nine - tails, three hundred lashes, which were inflicted'.
Phillip summed up this first round of serious punishment in a dispatch sent back home, 'Your Lordship will not be surprized that I have been under the necessity of assembling a Criminal Court. Six men were condemned to death. One, who was the head of the gang, was executed the same day; the others I reprieved. They are to be exiled from the settlement, and when the season permits I intend they shall be landed near the South Cape, where, by their forming connexions with the natives, some benefit may accrue to the public. These men had frequently robbed the stores and the other convicts. The one who suffered and two others were condemned for robbing the stores of provisions the very day they received a week's provisions, and at which time their allowance, as settled by the Navy Board, was the same as the soldiers, spirits excepted; the others for robbing a tent, and for stealing provisions from other convicts'.
#
"1 March 1788",39,0,g,0
The sixth week for the settlers began with a fine day. Clark's resolution not to drink alcohol relaxed under pressure as he 'Supped with Mr. White the surgeon and Capt. Collins, who is very kind to your Clark Betsey, and White made me drink Several Glasses of good old Port after Supper as I complained to him that I had a great Pain in my Bowells and that I was affraid that I was going to have the Same disorder that Poor Colling had, the Flux, but thank god I am much better and Collings is the Same which I am very Glad. I had a good nights Rest last night which I can Say that I have not had Since last Saterday not having Sleep out of my cloaths before I intend going Soon to Bed to night as I am again for Guard to Morrow.
'Several of our Men taking bad with the Flux which is from the Rainey weather we had the othr day and if we dont get hutted Soon we will all be in our Graves. This is a very fine day. Removed my Markee to another place dont like the Ground it appears to me if it was damp. I am glad to See in to days orders that the Battalion is orderd to be hutted as soon as possible. I wish it was already done. Capt. Meridith and Arundell went a Shooting up the habour this Morning and they are not Yet Returnd.'
Smyth says that 'This day Revd. Mr. Johnson was taken dangerously ill with a Dysentery. In the Afternoon I call'd upon him. No intelligence of our Sailor Philip Screven, suspect he is lost in the woods, or that the Convicts have murther'd him, as the last time he was seen was near the Women's Tents just before dark on friday Evening'.
Bradley had news from the French as 'The Long boat returned from Botany Bay the French ships had launch'd their Boats which they had built in lieu of those destroyed at Navigation Isles & proposed sailing in a few days'.
#
"2 March 1788: Sunday",40,62741025.jpg,c,0
Smyth reports that as the Reverend 'Mr. Johnson was continuing very ill, no service this day. No News of our lost Sailor either. I went this day in our Jolly Boat with Capt. Campbell Mr. James Smith & Major Ross's Gardener up to a Cove some distance off to look at the soil of a spot of Ground which Capt. Campbell & Major Ross mean to fix upon to build a House & cultivate the land'.
Bradley reports, 'At day light the Governor with his butler, accompanied by the Lieut. of the \ISirius\i in his Long boat & the Master in one of the Transport's longboat with a party of Marines in addition to the Boats Crews set off north of Port Jackson for the purpose of examining Broken Bay victually' for 7 days. The Long boat in which the Master was, proved so very heavy & unhandy that we waited 'til she comes up with us & clear'd her, the Governor took the Master into his Boat & sent back that Long boat. We were met in a Cove by several of the Natives, A Woman who was fishing in a Canoe, landed with very little persuasion she was exceptionly ugly & very big with child, there being many women fishing in their Canoes about the Cove, the Governor did not give any things to the Men; None of the other women came ashore but all came alongside our Boats with their Canoes, the Men kept on the beach: the generality of this party of women were Old, ugly & ill shaped. The Governor here exchanged a Straw Hat for a Spear, which when he was taking to our Boat, another of them took hold of it, on which the Man who had the Hat ran to him & explained that it had been exchanged, he let it go & seem pleased.
'Went out of Port jackson, and as we passed the sandy bay next the south Head of Broken Bay, we were met by 3 Canoes having one Man & 5 Women in them, they came alongside of our Boats quite familiarly. At night moored the Boats in a Cove on the N.side of the Bay off which the surf broke violently. When the Cutter first landed, they were met by a great number of the Natives, Men, Women & Children, the Men were all crossed with spears, clubs, stone hatchets & wooden swords, they were all very friendly & when the Long boat landed were without arms, we spent the night in this Cove on board the Boats every body.'
\BDescription:\b Wambella, with her child, was typical of the elusive Aboriginal women who kept well away from the white men on their arrival at Port Jackson. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW Dixson Gallery)\i
#
"3 March 1788",41,62741026.jpg,c,0
Smyth was still concerned about his missing seaman, 'As we can hear nothing of Philip Screven our Sailor, two of the Sailors in our Ship, ask'd leave of Capt. Sever & Major Ross to go up the Country into the woods with a firelock, & look for him. I furnish'd them with a small pocket Compass least they also should be lost. A very Large Allegator seen near the tents 14 ft. long'.
Clark 'went on the Govenor Guard to day. The Govenors Game or hunts man Shot a Remarkably large Bird to day as bigg as ane Ostrich'. White says, 'A New Holland Cassowary was brought into camp. This bird stands seven feet high, measuring from the ground to the upper part of the head, and, in every respect, is much larger than the common Cassowary and differs so much therefrom, in its form, as to clearly prove it a new species. The colour of the plumage is greatly similar, consisting of a mixture of dirty brown and grey; on the belly it was somewhat whiter; and the remarkable structure of the feathers, in having two quills with their webs arising out of one shaft, is seen in this as well as the common sort. The head and beak are much more like those of the ostrich than the common Cassowary, both in shape and size. The small wings are exceedingly short, which form a ridiculous contrast with the body, as they are even less than those of the Cassowary: they have no large quills in them, being only covered with the small feathers that grow all over
the body.
'The legs are indented, or sawed, in a remarkable manner. The toes are three in number, the middle one long, the other two short with strong claws, not unlike the same part of the common species.'
\BDescription:\b The Emu, or New Holland Cassowary as it was called, excited the new arrivals who were disappointed when they tasted the flesh of this new species. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"4 March 1788",42,0,g,0
In the little settlement more people started feeling sick, including Clark, 'I am Much worse than I was Yesterday griped very much. Poor Collings growing worse every day.' Hunter notes 'the weather was now variable, sometimes strong gales from the southward and south-east, with moist and hazy weather; a great sea rolling in upon the coast. The marines were now ordered to clear ground and begin to build huts and barracks for the winter; the convicts were also directed to employ certain hours in the same necessary work for themselves'.
Smyth reports that relations between the old and new inhabitants grew worse, 'This day the Natives were very troublesome to our Sailors hauling the Seyne at a Cove near the mouth of the Harbour. And this day our Sailors return without hearing or seeing anything of Philip Screven'. Bradley and Phillip had more encounters with the Australian Aboriginals, 'While the Tents & Clothes were drying, some of the Natives landed & were easily kept at a proper distance from the clothes; A Crab was caught & proved very good. At day light proceeded up, found an extensive & very shoal piece of water, too much so for the Boats to go over the flats without the risk of being left dry on the ebb tide. We found Natives all the way up. Not being able to determine the extent of this piece of water, we returned to the Cove in which we first stoped; where we found a Straw Hat & some strings of beads which favours the opinion of their not having any fixed residence as nothing of that kind had been given them here & several were both at Port Jackson & at Botany Bay'.
#
"5 March 1788",43,0,g,0
The little settlement had a quiet day as more and more people fell sick. In Broken Bay, Phillip and Bradley 'Followed several Coves and found a good depth of water all the way up, were caught suddenly by a thunder squall & had much difficulty in getting in. In a Cove just within the entrance we were met by an Old Man & Boy. He had a stone in his hand which he laid down as he came towards us, he shew'd us the best landing place, brought us a stick of Fire & some Water signifying to us that the rain was very cold, we gave them fish & the Governor exchanged some things for Spears, this Man was but little scared about the body'.
#
"6 March 1788",44,0,g,0
Like many others in the settlement, Clark continued to feel sick. 'I was obliged to goe to bed I was so ill my dear wife and Yesterday I never was out of my bed. I was affraid that I Should have caught the disorder that Collings has got but thank God I am much better to day but I Shall take very great cear of my Self - Collins is much better and is Removed on board the \ISirius\i for the benifit of the Air and I am again Removing my own tent. I will not again Remove out from it for it was by that that I caught this illness. Still I have a great pain in my Bowels but I hope only for Your Sake and that of our Sweet Pledge of our Love that I will in the course of three or four days be Quite well again. I ought never to be ill for my thinking makes me worse than my disease but it is impossible but to think of Your dear heavenly woman and of our Dear Son dear woman and heavenly Boy.'
Away from the settlement Phillip and Bradley were feeling fine, if a little wet. 'Continuing to rain, but we went on and saw several of the Natives in every Cove, the Old Man & boy followed us around to one of the Coves & shew'd us water. We stopped in a Cove several women in Canoes were fishing two of them came ashore one Old & Ugly, the other a young Woman tall & was the handsomest woman I have seen amongst them, she was very big with Child, her fingers were complete as were those of the Old Woman.
'One of the women made a fishing hook while we were by here, from the inside of what is commonly called the Pearl Oyster shell, by rubbing it down on the rocks until thin enough & then cut it circular with another, shape the hook with a sharp point rather bent in & not barbed, in this Cove we met with a kernel which they prepare & give their Children, I have seen them eat it themselves, they are a kind of nut growing in bunches somewhat like a pine top & are poisonous without being properly prepared. The method of doing which we did not learn from them. Hard rain the greatest part of these 24 Hours.'
#
"7 March 1788",45,62741027.jpg,c,0
The seventh week began badly for the settlement as more and more people fell ill, although Clark was now 'a little better to day, Arundell gave me Some Stuff which works me both ways but it has done me a great dele of good. Every body tells me that I look very pale I think so my Self and that I am falling away but I trust God that I Shall be able to make up for it in a few days my beloved woman. Capt. Shea went to Botany Bay Yesterday and is not Returnd'.
Captain John Hunter also went to Botany Bay. 'I determined to visit Monsieur de la Perouse before he should depart; I accordingly, with a few other officers, sailed round to Botany-Bay, in the \ISirius\i's long-boat. We stayed two days on board the \IBussole,\i and were most hospitably and politely entertained, and very much pressed to pass a longer time with them.
'When I took my leave the weather proved too stormy to be able to get along the coast in an open boat; I therefore left the longboat on board the \IBussole,\i took my gun, and, with another officer and two seamen, travelled through the woods and swamps, of which there were many in our route. We directed our course by a pocket compass, which led us within a mile of our own encampment; the distance from Botany-Bay to Port Jackson, across the land, and near the sea shore, is, in a direct line, eight or nine miles; and the country about two miles to the southward of Port Jackson abounds with high trees and little or no underwood; but between that and Botany-Bay, it is all thick, low woods or shrubberies, barren heaths, and swamps; the land near the sea, although covered in many places with wood, is rocky from the water-side to the very summit of the hills.
'Whilst walking on shore with the officers of the French ships at BotanyBay, I was shewn by them a little mount upon the north shore, which they had discovered, and thought a curiosity; it was quite rocky on the top, the stones were all standing perpendicularly on their ends, and were in long, but narrow pieces; some of three, four, or five sides, exactly (in miniature) resembling the Giants Causeway in the north of Ireland.'
Away from the settlement, Bradley and Phillip exploring Broken Bay, 'found in every part of it, very good depth of water & that is in general good & clear, on the side all Rocks & thick woods. Found but few of the Natives today. We landed on an Island on which we secured every thing for the night. Got a great quantity of Mullet in the Sein from which we called it Mullet Island, there is long branch to the SE & a reef of rocks, round which is the bay for hauling the Sein, we found some Huts on the island, but only 3 Natives came to us this evening'.
\BDescription:\b The search for a new viable river which would enable the colonists to penetrate the forbidding hinterland preoccupied Governor Phillip - until he found the bountiful Hawkesbury. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"8 March 1788",46,0,g,0
Although there had been incidents and a shooting between the British and the Australian Aboriginals, there had been no deaths. But now, at the start of the seventh week, the first deaths were reported by Smyth. 'This day Mr. Bryant Mate of the \ISirius\i made me a present of a flying Squirrel. Drank Tea with Major Ross & learned from him that the Natives had kill'd several of the Convicts who had elop'd from Port Jackson & taken up their residence near Botany Bay, by the side of a lagune. It was certain that one Allen & Macdonald were kill'd as their cloaths were found hanging up in a tree in triumph.' The deaths of these convicts could not be proved but a sudden fear of Aboriginal brutality now swept through the ailing settlement.
Bradley reports from Broken Bay, 'Several of the Natives came to us, painted very whimsically with pipe clay & red ochre both which is plenty on the Island, the pipe clay just under the Sand on the beach around the rocks. We followed this branch further up. There appeared to be an Island with water on both sides above Mullett Island which was found to be very shoal. About Noon having finished our superficial examination which was much hindered by constant heavy rain, we returned to a Cove at the outer part of the South Arm to be ready to go out of the Bay'.
#
"9 March 1788: Sunday",47,62741028.jpg,c,0
Collins, the guardian of the law, claims that Reverend Johnson was doing his duty as, 'Nothwithstanding the pressure of the important business we had upon our hands after our landing, the discharge of our religious duties was never omitted, divine service being performed every Sunday that the weather would permit: at which time the detachment of marines paraded with their arms, the whole body of convicts attended, and were observed to conduct themselves in general with the respect and attention due to the occasion on which they were assembled'.
Clark, notes that other things besides weather interrupted Sunday services even on this, the anniversary of his joining the expedition, 'dreamt a great dele about You my beloved Alicia and good Aunt Hawkings and Kempster. I hope to god that you are all well. Kist your dear Pictour as Usual on this day. Read the lessons and prayer for the day ther being No Church the Parson being ill. Dinned at the Hospital with Arundell. This day 12 Months is the day that I Embark on board the Transport. My dear wife I wish to God that I nevee had, how I long to be back again to You and our dear Boy'.
Bradley says in Broken Bay they had their first disagreement with the natives, 'The Old Man & Boy came to us as before with several more of the Natives, they had many things given to them but that did not keep them from stealing, after dark the Old Man took a shovel on shore & was going off with it, he was seen from the Longboat, pursued & brought back with it by one of the people on shore: The Governor chastised him for it, which so enraged him that he run off & very soon returned with his Party all with their Spears ready to throw when a Musquet was fired which made them stop & a second Musquet drove them away for the night. Later the Old Man & his Companions came to us just the same as if nothing had happened & without Arms. About 6 O'Clock we left Broken Bay for Port Jackson'.
There had been some comfort for the British officers in having their fellow Europeans camped at Botany Bay. Then, just as Phillip was returning to Port Jackson, the French expedition of La Perouse sailed from Botany Bay. As Smyth reports, 'The two French Ships left Botany Bay but which way they steer'd their course we know not'. The British did not know that they would be the last Europeans to see La Perouse and his crew alive, as within weeks the two French ships were wrecked on a reef off the island of Vanikoro in the Santa Cruz group in the Pacific Ocean. Here the survivors either perished trying to escape in a remaining long boat or were killed and eaten by local natives.
Although La Perouse took only one escaped convict with him, Peter Paris from France, his departure now closed off a possible avenue for escaping convicts who were not to know the French ships were doomed.
Tench wrote an unintentional obituary, 'Our good friends the French now departed from Botany Bay, in prosecution of their voyage. During their stay in that port, the officers of the two nations had frequent opportunities of testifying their mutual regard by visits, and every interchange of friendship and esteem. Monsieur De Perrouse is an officer whose eminent qualifications, we had reason to think, entitle him to fill the highest stations. In England, particularly, he ought long to be remembered with admiration and gratitude, for the humanity which marked his conduct, when ordered to destroy our settlement at Hudson's Bay, in the last war.
'It was no less gratifying to an English ear, than honourable to Monsieur De Perrouse, to witness the feeling manner in which he always mentioned the name and talents of Captain Cook. That illustrious circumnavigator had, he said, left nothing to those who might follow in his track to describe, or fill up.'
With the French fleet gone Phillip and his officers were now alone with a colony of sick settlers increasingly threatened by marauding Australian Aboriginals. It would have been very difficult not to have been envious of the French who were now obstensibly returning to Europe and home.
\BDescription:\b The Flying Fox and Ringtail Possum were among the more exotic of the new species discovered. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Black Against White",48,62741029.jpg,c,0
\B10 March to 7 May 1788\b
After the first two months or so, conditions in the colony deteriorated and it appeared that the early period had been something of a honeymoon. The Australian Aboriginals perhaps now realised that unlike earlier visitors, these white people had come to stay and were eating into their own food supplies - especially the fish. Relations between the two races consequently became strained and it was not long before fights led to the first deaths.
In addition to the problems with the Australian Aboriginals, the troubles of the settlement increased as the sick list grew, the weather became worse, marines became more rebellious and the convicts, taking advantage of the problems, began to steal at an alarming rate. As White observed, 'Thefts and depredations on one another have become so very frequent and glaring among the convicts, that scarcely a day passes without some of these miserable delinquents being punished. So hardened in wickedness and depravity are many of them, that they seem insensible to the fear of corporal punishment, or even death itself.' And so it was not long before Phillip had to hang another thief by way of example.
The journals were still being kept in this period but, with rain, sickness and overwork, far less frequently. Nevertheless, it is still possible to follow events most days of the week especially when something important happened.
\BDescription:\b Until the commercial ships were unloaded, the settlement remained divided between land and the eleven ships moored in predetermined strategic locations. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"10 March 1788",49,62741030.jpg,c,0
Clark awoke having 'dreamt that I was at the Barracks and that the rooms we had Betsey were all on fire and everything in the great confusion. I am quite well and have given in my name for duty So that I am for Guard to Morrow. Sat as a Member of the Court Martial to Try Davey and other Marine for bringing each a Convict woman in to ther tents in the camp and are Centenced to receive Each 150 Lashes'. Then with a routine observation that '2 convicts died at the Hospital', Clark's journal stops until February 1790 when it begins again - the missing period presumably having been lost.
John Easty also went on trial with another Marine for allowing himself to be tempted by the flesh. 'This day John Easty and John Calaytan tryed by a court Martiall.'
Back in Port Jackson after their trip north, Bradley and Phillip caught up with more natives and reported more substantial accounts of convicts being killed by natives. 'Landed in a Cove above Camp Cove, in which last we saw several of the Natives who ran away all but two, those stayed on the beach & one of them showed us the marks on his body where he had been beat & also cut on the shoulder with a stick or knife by the people who landed here from two Boats. He made signs to us that the barbed spear had been jabbed several times into his shoulder & we then returned to the ship. Some of the Convicts struggling into the Woods met with several of the Natives, a quarrel ensued, who were the agressors is hard to say, but the Convicts were some of them wounded dead. One of the Seamen [Philip Scrivener] belonging to the \ILady Penrhyn\i Transport, who had been missing some days, was found in the woods by a man employed shooting for the Governor. He had been stript of all his Clothes, not able to stand and scarse intelligable.'
It now seemed that Phillip's attempts to treat the Ausrtalian Aboriginals kindly would not succeed as too many misunderstandings were arising between the old inhabitants and the invaders. As yet, Phillip still lacked evidence of blacks killing whites. However Smyth, in a journal entry highly critical of Phillip, had more details of the mistreatment of Philip Scrivener by Australian Aboriginals, 'The Governor return'd in perfect health, and as wise as he set out, having made no discovery of the smallest importance. In the Afternoon one Allan, Gamekeeper to the Governor who is almost constantly out in the Woods shooting, happen'd on our Missing Sailor about 8 miles off the Camp, beyond Botany Bay, half starved & perished & quite naked, & conducted him home to the Ship, to the surprise & joy of his messmates, (he was a very good man). He said in all the time he had been absent he had eat only 1 dozen perriwinkles he pick'd up on the rocks, that he fell in with a party of Natives who stript him & pelted him with stones, that he got sight of the Ships lying in Botany Bay & bent his course that way, but was always opposed by the Natives who would he believes at least ave murther'd him but he ran into a swamp up to his Neck & there lay concealtd among the rushes'.
Collins blamed the Europeans for these racial incidents saying, 'At Camp Cove the natives who were not afraid and the one, who after much invitation did venture to approach, pointed to some marks upon his shoulders, making signs they were caused by blows given with a stick. This, and their running away, whereas they had always before remained on the beach until the people landed from the boats, were strong indications that the man had been beaten by some of our own stragglers. And further eleven canoes full of people passed very near the \ISirius,\i which was moored without the two points of the cove, but paddled away very fast upon the approach of some boats toward them.'
Phillip nevertheless concluded the expedition with a positive report home saying, 'We took a long boat and cutter eight miles to the northward of Port Jackson. The bay is very extensive, the natives, tho' very friendly, appeared to be numerous. After passing a bar that had only water for small vessels, entered a very extensive branch, from which the ebb tide came out so strong that the boats could not row against it in the stream; and here was deep water. It appeared to end in several small branches, and in a large lagoon that we could not examine for want of time to search for a channel for the boats amongst the banks of sand and mud. Most of the land on the upper part of this branch was low and full of swamps. Pelicans and variety of birds were seen in great numbers.
A second south-west branch runs to the westward, affording shelter for any number of ships, and as far as we examined there is water for the largest ships. The almost continual rains prevented any kind of survey, but here the land is much higher than at Port Jackson, more rocky, and equally covered with timber, large trees growing on the summits of mountains that appear to be accessible to birds only.
'Immediately round the headland that forms the southern entrance into the bay there is a third branch, which I think the finest piece of water I ever saw, and which I honoured with the name of Pitt Water.'
\BDescription:\b The Aboriginals impressed the first settlers with their fighting skills and passion for colourful war paint. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"11 March 1788",50,0,g,0
Although Phillip had started constructing buildings on 14 February, Collins says bad weather and sickness held up the building program. 'The weather at Port Jackson had been equally adverse to labour, the governor finding at his return upwards of two hundred patients under the surgeon's care, in consequence of the heavy rains that had fallen. A building for the reception of the sick was now absolutely necessary, and one, eighty-four feet by twenty-three, was put in hand, to be divided into a dispensary, (all the hospital-stores being at that time under tents), a ward for the troops, and another for the convicts. It was to be built of wood, and the roof to be covered in with shingles made from a species of fir that is found here.
'The heavy rains also pointed out the necessity of sheltering the detachment, and until barracks could be built, most of them covered their tents with thatch, or erected for themselves temporary clay huts. The barracks were begun early in March; but much difficulty was found in providing proper materials, the timber being in general shakey and rotten. They were to consist of four buildings, each building to be sixty-seven feet by twenty-two, and to contain one company. They were placed at a convenient distance asunder for the purpose of air and cleanliness, and with a space in the centre for a parade.'
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"12 March 1788",51,0,g,0
Smyth says it was 'Very hot. The Thermometer is at 80. This day 2 of the Convict women elop'd from the Camp & took their beds & baggage with them. Several of our Ship's Company are now ill of a Dysentery & it prevails very much in the Camp'.
White says, 'The principal business going forward at present is erecting cabbage-tree huts for the officers, soldiers, and convicts; some storehouses, &c.; and a very good hospital; all which in the completion will cost a great deal of time and trouble, as the timber of this country is very unfit for the purpose of building. Nor do I know any one purpose for which it will answer except for fire-wood; and for that it is excellent: but in other respects it is the worst wood that any country or climate ever produced, although some of the trees, when standing, appear fit for any use whatever, masts for shipping not excepted. Strange as it may be imagined, no wood in this country, though sawed ever so thin, and dried ever so well, will float. Repeated trials have only served to convince me that, immediately on immersion, it sinks to the bottom like a stone'.
Private Easty, despite a sore back, faithfully reports his own flogging for sleeping with a convict girl. 'This day Peter Dargan tryed for a breach of Trust and this night att 5 oclock John Easty & Clayton received 150 Lachess Each & Dargan 100.'
#
"13 March 1788",52,0,g,0
Scott, in a detailed food and grog entry, observes, 'The Marine Woman Was Order'd thier Usual Allowance of Licquor, With a proviser that thier Husbands, Will Repay, it Again if the Treasury, Will Not Allow it'. And concerning rations, 'The Commassery Makes A Deduction of 12 pounds in the Hundred Weight of Beef & 8 pounds in the Hundred Weight of Pork, (that is that Every 100 pounds of Beef Must be Cut into 29 pices) from the time of his Commencing, Victauling the Garrison on the 26th Day of Feb 1788'.
Bradley reports that the grab for land began with a deputation of marines to Phillip, 'on the subject of Grants of Land, but they were informed that it was not in his authority to do it: pieces of ground for gardens & for feeding their stock He allowed for present use but not as Grants of Land'.
#
"14 March 1788",53,0,g,0
The settlers now entered their eighth week on shore. In Port Jackson, Gilbert dug deeper into the hold of \ICharlotte\i and 'landed a bundle of spades & shovels, 2 lbs. nails, 2 smiths anvils, 2/100 6 lb. shots'.
#
"15 March 1788",54,0,g,0
Tench, a great friend of the French officers, noted a development at Botany Bay, 'In the short stay by the French ships at Botany Bay, an Abbe, one of the naturalists on board, died, and was buried on the north shore. The French had hardly departed, when the natives pulled down a small board, which had been placed over the spot where the corpose was interred, and defaced every thing around. On being informed of it, the Governor sent a party over with orders to affix a plate of copper on a tree near the place, with the following inscription on it, which is a copy of what was written on the board:
\IHic jacet L.R E C E V E U R,
E.F.F. minnibus Galliae, Sacerdos, Physicus,
in circumnavigatione mundi, Duce De La Perrouse.
Obiit die 17║ Februarii, anno 1788.\i
'This mark of respectful attention was more particularly due, from M. De Perrouse having, when at Kamschatka, paid a similar tribute of gratitude to the memory of Captain Clarke, whose tombe was found in nearly as ruinous a state as that of the Abbe at Botany Bay.'
#
"16 March 1788",55,62741031.jpg,c,0
Smyth gives the details of another more serious racial clash, following his game report of the day, 'Two Kangooroos shot. This day one of the Convict men was wounded on the Collarbone with a Spear which one of the Natives throw'd a him as he was cutting rushes in a Cove some distance from the Governor's farm in company with 4 other Convicts. He said the Natives wanted their tools but on refusing to give them they hove their Spears at them & afterward pelted them with stones: they immediately return'd to the farm'.
Bradley adds more detail of the rush cutters' drama, 'Some of the Natives came to a place where afourty of the Convicts had been left to cut rushes & finding them unarmed wanted to steal their tools, being opposed they threw their spears at the Convicts which they very wisely picked up & broke to pieces, when they had thrown all their spears & saw them all broken to pieces, they threw a few stones & ran away, one of the Convicts was wounded'.
But the judge advocate took the side of the Australian Aboriginals saying, 'In the course of this month several convicts came in from the woods; one in particular dangerously wounded with a spear, the others very much beaten and bruised by the natives. The wounded man had been employed cutting rushes for thatching, and one of the others was a convalescent from the hospital, who went out to collect a few vegetables. All these people denied giving any provocation to the natives: it was, however, difficult to believe them; they well know the consequences that would attend any acts of violence on their part, as it had been declared in public orders early in the month, that in forming the intended settlement, any act of cruelty to the natives being contrary to his Majesty's most gracious intentions, the offenders would be subject to a criminal prosecution; and they well knew that the natives themselves, however injured, could not contradict their assertions'.
\BDescription:\b Although there were relatively few natives in Port Jackson, many were sighted in, and around, Broken Bay, such as 'Broken Bay Jemmy', who helped the strangers find water. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"17 March 1788",56,0,g,0
Bradley tells of a further racial incident, 'A Man employed shooting for the Governor had been 5 days absent. He reported on his return that he had been taken a considerable distance into the Country by the Natives, that he had killed a Kanguroo which they took from him, & eat it all together'.
#
"18 March 1788",57,62741032.jpg,c,0
Scott provides insight into new tensions among the marines, 'This day Jophef Hunt a marine Tryed by a court Martiall for Strikeing another marine. The Court Satt 4 times when Major Ross would not Except of the Courtmartiall, upon wich the Court Confined them Selfs (Captn Lt Tench 1st Lt Kellow 1st Lt Poulden 1st Lt Davey 1st Lt Timmins) and Said that they would go home to England'.
Rebellion among the marines was becoming very serious and as marines could not go home to England at will, this discontentment grew daily. Tench and his fellow officers felt it was a point of honour to have their verdict of court martial against Joseph Hunt accepted. Ross, however, overruled them despite their threat to return home.
Having expressed displeasure for some time at their extra duties, the marines now dug their toes in on an industrial matter. As Private Easty reports, 'This Day the Batallion of marines Turned out and Said that thay Could not work aney longer with out being Paid for itt'. Once again, they achieved little and just had to put up with their lot.
Scott tells how Tench and the other members of the Marines' Court, whose verdict was not accepted and who refused to submit to the corruption of Major Ross, now suffered the consequences, 'Major Ross put Capt Lt Tench (president of A Courtmartial) With the Other, 4 Members of the court Under An Arrest, for Not Revising the Sentince past on Jos Hunt, privt Marine'.
So by the eighth week of settlement, the commander of the marines had a rebellion on his hands from his leading officers who fought in vain for justice in the penal colony.
Easty records the excitement in the colony when, 'this afternoon the \ISupply\i Came in from New Noffolk after Leaveing the Convicts thare and gave an account of finding an Iland about 2 or 3 days Sail from this Place wich thay named Lord Hows Iland Captn Ball of the \ISupply\i was the first that Ever Discoverd this Iland. Thar is a great many Turtle and Fowle the Iland rans about 18 miles in Cirmfernce. The \ISupply\i Brought 10 or 12 Turtels with her'. Scott says the turtles were donated to 'the Officers Hospital' and were 'very ample'.
Phillip, writing his dispatch, said of Norfolk Island, 'Lieut. King describes this island as one intire wood, without a single acre of clear land that had been found when the \ISupply\i left them, and says that the pine-trees rise fifty and sixty feet before they shoot out any branches. Several good springs of water were found, and I apprehend his Majesty's ships in the East Indies may be supplied from this island with masts and yards, which will render it a very valuable acquisition. The cultivation of the flax-plant will be attended to when people can be sent to clear the ground'. He also spoke of the new discovery saying, 'A small island being seen on the passage to Norfolk Island, Lieutenant Ball examined it on his return, and says it abounds in turtle, but unfortunately has no good anchoring-ground. He named it after Lord Howe'.
\BDescription:\b One of the reasons New South Wales was settled ahead of several other options was the reported existence (by Cook) of Flax. The British Government believed it grew there in great abundance and could support a commercial industry. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"20 March 1788",58,0,g,0
Bradley reports another racial skirmish, 'Captain Meridith up the Harbour met several of the Natives on the Land opposite to Dawes Island, they were very familiar & had many things from him, but after he left them in his boat, a spear was thrown that passed near him. He levelled his Musquet which they perceiving got behind the Trees. He fired a Ball among them on which they shouted but did not all run away. A Convict who had been out to gather greens with another Convict return'd, having met a party of the Natives who beat him severely with their throwing sticks & then let him go, the other escaped through a thick bush which the Natives don't like to get into'.
#
"22 March 1788",59,0,g,0
Worgan reports that the officers were now, 'Enclosing Ground for Gardens. Many of the Officers have had 2 Acres of Land allotted to each, but 'tis not given to them as their Right & Property, because the becoming so, depends upon Government. At least, this is what I hear. All the culinary Plants that have come up, degenerate exceedingly, Peas, Beans, Cabbage Plants &c do not thrive, & many of them have withered. Yams, Potatoes Pumpkins, Turnips, Indian Corn look somewhat promising.
'The Governor has appropriated an Island, in the Harbour, to the Use of the \ISirius\i, on which we have Landed our live Stock, enclosed a part of it for a Garden, and a put a good many different Seeds in and the Live Stock of the Settlement, in general Increase and Multiply.'
#
"23 March 1788: Sunday",60,62741033.jpg,c,0
Bradley, an early shark spotter in Port Jackson, gave details of a thirteen-footer, 'An Officer was sent to Botany Bay for the purpose of seeing if any ship was there & how the Natives were disposed. He did not see any vessel there, met a great number of Natives who were all friendly. A shark was caught this day 13 feet long & after his jaws were taken out they passed over the largest man in the ship without touching; the liver gave us 26 gallons of oil, he had 4 hooks cut from within him besides that which caught him'.
From this date on, Phillip ordered periodic checks of Botany Bay where he feared enemy ships may appear; this worried him far more than any sharks.
\BDescription:\b Port Jackson was full of sharks, even in the early days. On one occasion, a shark made an attack on a settlement rowing boat causing much consternation during, and later, when the tale was retold. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"24 March 1788",61,0,g,0
A big day, for the East India Company ships had arrived at last. Having now transferred everything from ship to shore, Phillip dismissed the first commercial ships. 'The \ICharlotte\i, \IScarborough\i, and \ILady Penrhyn\i, transports, were cleared of all their stores and discharged from Government employ to China when they judged proper. The other ships remain till store-houses can be finished.'
Collins added that the three ships would no doubt 'proceed on their respective voyages pursuant to the directions of their owners', which they possessed on board in the form of sealed orders which could now be opened.
Bradley says the dysentery on shore was thinning the ranks and 'Lieutenant Dawes of the Marines and a Corporal were last from the \ISirius\i to do duty on shore the Battalion being weakened by sickness' although Dawes was asked to help build a fort for protection in case of emergency.
#
"25 March 1788",62,62741034.jpg,c,0
Smyth reported yet another death, 'John Fisher, Seaman, died on board our Ship of a Dysentery. Several of the men on board had the same disorder & recover'd, & I attributed the death of this young man (about 20 years old) in a great measure to his own imprudence, in swiming on Shore naked in the middle of the night to one of the Convict women with whom he had formed a Connection & who had a Child by him while on board. He would lye about with her in the woods all night in the Dews, & return on board again a little before day light, whereby he caught a most violent cold & made his disorder infinitely more putrid than it would otherwise have been, (if he did not wholey occasion it by such improper conduct)'.
Surgeon Smyth calculated that there 'are now upwards of 200 sick in the Hospital on Shore'. Bradley says the stone throwing continued as, 'The people employed making Bricks, were met by some of the Natives who threw stones at them & ran away'. He also noted that '\IScarborough,\i \ILady Penrhyn\i & \ICharlotte\i by contract are allowed 2 months pay from their being clear'd on account of their having a Voyage to China to perform as also an additional on the top to the other Transports on account of their being discharged & not kept in pay till their return to England'.
\BDescription:\b After unloading, the East India Company ships sailed on to China to collect tea and other goods for the British market. Here we see a busy scene from one of the open ports. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"27 March 1788",63,0,g,0
Gilbert, on the \ICharlotte\i, says that he was, 'Variously employed this day', and then 'I received an order from Lieut. John Shortland signifying me that as the service was performed which the ship was taken up for I was therefore to consider the \ICharlotte\i no longer in the service of the Government'. This was the final entry in his log book, as now the first of the transports were heading home.
Bradley continues to chart the movement of the Australian Aboriginals, 'Several canoes passed down the Harbour. One of which stop'd to fish between the ship & the shore with 2 Women in her, they remained til near sunset but would not come to the ship'.
#
"28 March 1788",64,0,g,0
Work continued on the much-needed hospital and the storehouse, but not without problems, as Phillip recorded, 'The timber is well described in Captain Cook's voyage, but unfortunately it has one very bad quality, which puts us to great inconvenience; I mean the large gum-tree, which splits and warps in such a manner when used green, and to which necessity obliged us, that a storehouse boarded up with this wood is rendered useless. The timber which in its growth resembles the fir-trees warps less, but we are already obliged to fetch it from some distance, and it will not float'.
#
"29 March 1788",65,0,g,0
Smyth went on another excursion after flora and fauna, 'Went with the Steward of the \IGolden Grove\i (Stephen More) to the hills near B.B. [Botany Bay] to collect Balsam Tolu & in our return he shot a female Kangooroo, with a young one in it's false belly. The young one I preserv'd in spirits & the other he stuffed for himself Got home just after dark. I collected some seeds from a plant in blossom which was exceedingly handsome & different from any shrub I ever before saw'.
Bradley saw 'Several Men, Women & Children were fishing abreast the ship where they kept all day & landed on a point of land near us in the evening'.
#
"30 March 1788: Sunday",66,0,g,0
Bradley records another 'miracle'. 'Natives as yesterday; on our boat going towards them they paddled to the shore & ran into the woods & came out again as soon as our boat left them, we did not interrupt them again, they then went two Coves higher up their party consisted of 17 Canoes with 30 people in them. Some of our Officers were on shore on a point which they passed near, one Canoe landed & had some beads given them the other Canoe all lay off. The surgeon wounded & brought down a Crow in their sight & endavor'd to get the Canoe to land by waving the wounded Bird to them, finding that they would not land the surgeon threw the Bird toward them which having recover'd itself flew away & joined some others that were in a Tree close by, this uncommon circumstance which could not appear to them short of our having power to give & take life, astonished them so much, that they remained quite silent sometime & then all joined in a loud exclamation of wonder.'
#
"31 March 1788",67,0,g,0
In Port Jackson, White tended the growing number of sick people while Phillip got on with the urgent building program.
#
"1 April 1788",68,0,g,0
Smyth still found time to pursue his interest as a naturalist, 'Went into the Woods with the Steward of the \IGolden Grove\i & our own Steward to collect Balsam & other things. The Steward of the \IGrove\i kill'd a very large Snake among some rushes in a swampy place, it was nearly as big as my arm, upwards of 8 ft. long, a very wide mouth with 2 rows of very sharp pointed teeth in the upper jaw & 2 in the under one. The teeth were ╜ inch long. It was of a very dark colour approaching to black, with large bright yellow spots regularly dispers'd over the whole body'.
#
"2 April 1788",69,0,g,0
Phillip was finding the going tougher than he expected with a sickly settlement and demanding building program and he feared his chances of producing food were decreasing every day, 'The great labour in clearing the ground will not permit more than eight acres to be sown this year with wheat and barley. At the same time the immense number of ants and field-mice will render our crops very uncertain.
'Part of the live stock brought from the Cape [Cape Town], small as it was, has been lost, and our resource in fish is also uncertain. Some days great quantities are caught, but never sufficient to save any part of the provisions: and at times fish are scarce.'
#
"3 April 1788",70,0,g,0
Bradley reports, 'Another party came up the Harbour & occupied the caves &c which the former had left. Our boat went to them with pieces of cloth &c: the Women all ran into the Woods, the men remained & met our boats; they had several things given them among which was a skirt one of them put on, this new skin he seem'd much pleas'd with but appear'd to be deprived of the use of his limbs while within it, they could not be prevailed on to come to the ship'.
#
"4 April 1788",71,0,g,0
Bradley continues to report on the Australian Aboriginals, 'Natives as yesterday & the former party fishing higher up in sight of the ship'.
#
"5 April 1788",72,0,g,0
Collins, aware of approaching bad weather, said wisely, 'As the winter of this hemisphere was approaching, it became absolutely necessary to expedite the buildings intended for the detachment; every carpenter that could be procured amongst the convicts was sent to assist, and as many as could be hired from the transports were employed at the hospital and storehouses. The long-boats of the ships still continued to bring up the cabbage-trees from the lower part of the harbour, and a range of huts was begun on the west side for some of the female convicts'.
#
"6 April 1788: Sunday",73,0,g,0
Bradley reports on a Sunday visit to Botany Bay, again in search of ships. 'Some of the officers went to Botany Bay. No ship there, they found that the Inscription which had been painted on board & fixed on a Tree near the place the French Abbe who died was buried while those ships were at Botany Bay, was torn down by the Natives, the inscription was not so much defaced but that it was copied by one of the Gentlemen & the same order'd by Governor Phillip to be engraved on a piece of Copper & nailed in the place the other had been taken from.'
And in Port Jackson, Collins says worship moved indoors as 'divine service was performed in the new storehouse, which was covered in, but not sufficiently completed to admit provisions. One hundred feet by twenty-five feet were the dimensions of this building, which was constructed with great strength; yet the mind was always pained when viewing its reedy combustible covering, remembering the livid flames that had been seen to shoot over every part of this cove: but no other materials could be found to answer the purpose of thatch, and every necessary precaution was taken to guard against accidental fire'.
#
"7 April 1788",74,0,g,0
Perhaps inspired by a sermon the day before, Collins noted, 'Notwithstanding it was the anxious care of every one who could prevent it, that the venereal disease might not be introduced into the settlement, it was not only found to exist amongst the convicts, but the very sufferers themselves were known to conceal their having it. To stop this evil, it was ordered by the governor, that any man or woman having and concealing this disorder should receive corporal punishment, and be put upon a short allowance of provisions for six months'.
#
"8 April 1788",75,0,g,0
Collins reports on a near-fatality in Port Jackson. 'An elderly woman, a convict, having been accused of stealing a flat iron, and the iron being found in her possession, the first moment she was left alone she hung herself to the ridge-pole of her tent, but was fortunately discovered and cut down before it was too late.'
#
"9 April 1788",76,0,g,0
The opinions of convict behaviour varied, but Collins felt, 'Although several thefts were committed by the convicts, yet it was in general remarked, that they conducted themselves with more propriety than could have been expected from people of their description; to prevent, however, if possible, the commission of offences so prejudicial to the welfare of the colony, his excellency signified to the convicts his resolution that the condemnation of any one for robbing the huts or stores should be immediately followed by their execution. Much of their irregularity was perhaps to be ascribed to the intercourse that subsisted, in spite of punishment, between them and the seamen from the ships of war and the transports, who at least one day in the week found means to get on shore with spirits'.
#
"10 April 1788",77,0,g,0
Collins, like White, was now concerned for the health of the settlement as, 'Our little camp now began to wear the aspect of distress, from the great number of scorbutic patients that were daily seen creeping to and from the hospital tents; and the principal surgeon suggested the expediency of another supply of turtle from Lord Howe Island: but it was generally thought that the season was too far advanced, and the utmost that could have been procured would have made but a very trifling and temporary change in the diet of those afflicted with the disorder'.
#
"11 April 1788",78,0,g,0
As the Tank Stream was the reason for the choice of settlement, Collins said it had to be protected, 'The run of water that supplied the settlement was observed to be only a drain from a swamp at the head of it; to protect it, therefore, as much as possible from the sun, an order was given out, forbidding the cutting down of any trees within fifty feet of the run, than which there had not yet been a finer found in any one of the coves of the harbour'.
#
"12 April 1788",79,0,g,0
There were promotions for some as the settlement gained more substantial buildings and even the beginnings of a main street. As Collins says, 'Lieutenant Dawes of the marines was directed in public orders to act as officer of artillery and engineers; in consequence of which the ordnance of the settlement, and the constructing of a small redoubt on the east side, were put under his direction. Mr. Zachariah Clark, who came out of England as agent to Mr. Richards the contractor, was at the same time appointed an assistant to the commissary; and the issuing of the provisions, which was in future to be once a week, was put under his charge.
'In the course of this month a stone building was begun on the west side for the residence of the lieutenant governor, one face of which was to be in the principal street of the intended town.'
#
"13 April 1788: Sunday",80,0,g,0
Bradley talks of another expedition, 'The Governor went down the Harbour to visit the Cove in the lower part of it. He crossed the neck from the N Cove & found at the end of the beach at the back of it a piece of stagnate brackish water'.
Worgan adds that on this trip, 'The Governor, & Captain Hunter made a Discovery of an Inlet which led into an extensive Space of Water forming a fine spacious Harbour, they likewise fell in with some Water which they had Reason to suppose was a Lake'.
#
"14 April 1788",81,0,g,0
'Capt Hunter traced the N. most branches of the Middle Harbour', Bradley says, 'to endeavour to know if they had any communication with that piece of water found yesterday. The N. most branch was found to end in a flat, dry at low water & about 2 Miles above it a large run of fresh water.'
#
"15 April 1788",82,62741035.jpg,c,0
The search for 'the lake' continued. White says, 'His excellency, attended by Lieutenant Ball of the navy, Lieutenant George Johnston of the marines, the judge advocate, myself, three soldiers, and two seamen, landed in Manly Cove (so called from the manly conduct of the natives when the governor first visited it) on the north side of the entrance into Port Jackson harbour, in order to trace to its source a river which had been discovered a few days before. We, however, found this impracticable, owing to a thicket and swamp which ran along the side of it. We decided to proceed along the sea-shore, a mile or two to the northward and fell in with a small salt-water lagoon, on which we found nine birds that, whilst swimming, most perfectly resembled the \Irara avis\i of the ancients, a \Iblack\i swan. We discharged several shots at them, but the distance was too great for execution. Our frequent firing, however, caused them to take wing, and they flew towards the sea, which was very near, in the order that wild geese generally preserve, the one before the other. Their size appeared not equal to that of an European swan, but the shape exactly corresponded, except about the wings, which seemed rather small for the body'.
Later, 'We this day discovered the Banksian Cockatoo. This species was first described by Mr. Latham, in his seventh volume or supplement to the \IGeneral Synopsis of Birds.\i These birds have been met with in several parts of New Holland. We likewise saw several Blue-bellied Parrots. This is a very beautiful bird also very common species in various parts of New Holland'.
\BDescription:\b The Psittaceous Hornbill was one of the more popular birds spotted and detailed by colonists. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"16 April 1788",83,0,g,0
On the expedition White says, 'We pursued our route westward, proceeding many miles inland without being able to trace, by a single vestige, that the natives had been recently in those parts. We saw, however, some proofs of their ingenuity in various figures cut on the smooth surface of some large stones. They consisted chiefly of representations of themselves in different attitudes, of their canoes, of several sorts of fish and animals; and, considering the rudeness of the instruments with which the figures must have been executed, they seemed to exhibit tolerably strong likenesses. On the stones, where the natives had been thus exercising their abilities in sculpture, were several weather-beaten shells. In the evening, after a long and fatiguing march, we fell in with the north-west branch of Port Jackson harbour'.
#
"17 April 1788",84,0,g,0
The footsore hikers returned, as Bradley records, 'Lieut Ball with some of the Governor's party crossed the Branches of Middle Harbour & returned to the N. shore opposite to Sydney Cove; they left the Governor at the N.most branch leading to a large run of water up which they meant to go the next day. Mr Ball found all the country he crossed to be a jumble of rocks & thick woods, except one small spot about a mile to the NW of the place he came to'.
White continues his expedition story, 'The next morning we hid our tents and the remains of our provisions, and, with only a little rum and a small quantity of bread, made a forced march into the country, to the westward, of about fourteen miles, without being able to succeed in the object of our search, which was for good land, well-watered. Indeed the land here, although covered with an endless wood, was better than the parts which we had already explored.
'Finding it, however, very unlikely that we should be able to penetrate through this immense forest, and circumstanced as we were, it was thought more prudent to return. We, accordingly, after an expeditious walk, reached the stream from whence we had set out in the morning, and, taking up the tents and provisions which we had left, proceeded a little farther down, to the flowing tide, and there pitched our tents for the night, during which it rained very heavily, with thunder and lightning. The Wattled Bee-eater fell in our way during the course of the day. This bird seems to be peculiar to New Holland, and is undoubtedly a species which has not hitherto, been described'.
#
"18 April 1788",85,0,g,0
White continues, 'We began our progress early in the morning, bending our course down the river. Some places along the shore, where the tide had flowed so as to obstruct our passage, we were obliged to ford, and at times we were under the necessity of climbing heights nearly inaccessible. At length, after undergoing much fatigue, we were agreeably surprised, and cheered, with the sight of two boats, sent by Captain Hunter to meet us, and just then coming up with the tide. We all went on board the boats, and fell down the river till we got to a pleasant little cove, where we dined, with great satisfaction and comfort, upon the welcome provisions which were sent in the boats by the governor's steward.
'After having refreshed ourselves, we again embarked, and about six o'clock in the evening arrived in Sydney Cove. We were likewise able, during this excursion, to take one of the Gold-winged Pigeons. This species is a native of New South Wales'.
#
"19 April 1788",86,0,g,0
More gifts were presented to the natives. Bradley says, 'Some Canoes landed on Garden Island, had some things given to them & went away immediately'.
Smyth writes, 'Our Steward shot a Kangooroo about 3 parts grown; we had a leg of it roasted for dinner on the Sunday & was tollerable good Eating'.
#
"20 April 1788: Sunday",87,0,g,0
The paranoia about more ships appearing in Botany Bay, French or otherwise inspired another trip. 'Some Officers went to Botany Bay & a boat was sent without the Heads of the Harbour, from a report having been made to the Governor that distant guns had been heard. The Officers & Boat returned in the evening, nothing at Botany Bay or to be seen in the Offing,' Bradley says.
Smyth, getting ready for his trip to China, 'Weigh'd Anchor & drop'd down out of Sydney Cove astern of the \ISirius\i meaning to water the Ship on the North shore. This day I apply'd to the Governor for his Letter to the Secretary of State respecting my superintending the Convicts & to the surgeon of the Settlement (Mr. White) for his Certificate and was very politely received by the Governor & am promised the Letter & Certificate tomorrow. On friday night abt. 8 o'Clock Mr. Watts (very much intoxicated) fell over the Jolly Boat's Stern in coming from the \ISirius\i & very narrowly escaped drowning not being able to swim, & only 2 Boys in the boat, but it being a very moonlight night they back'd astern time enough to haul him into the boat before he sunk'.
#
"21 April 1788",88,0,g,0
Smyth was happy as, 'Rec'd my Letter from the Governor & Certificate from Mr. White with thanks for my Attendance'. The letter from Phillip would help Smyth as it said, 'As the surgeon volunteer who was put on board the \ILady Penrhyn\i transport to attend the convicts was found to be very unequal to the task, I was under the necessity of desiring Mr. Arthur Bowes Smyth, surgeon of that transport, to take charge of the medicines, and attend to the sick, which he did with great attention. I therefore beg leave to recommend him to your notice, as he has not received any recompense for his trouble.'
#
"22 April 1788",89,62741036.jpg,c,0
On an exploring expedition Bradley came across the first evidence that the Australian Aboriginals buried their dead. 'On a point where we landed, found the earth thrown up in the manner of a Grave, which we turned up & found the ashes of some deceased person & by the burnt wood laying near it we suppose it to have been consumed on that spot, the ashes appeared to be heap'd together on the surface of the ground & cover'd with earth, some pieces of bone were found not quite consumed but too much as to know what part of the body they belonged to. From a greater quantity of the ashes at one end than at the other, I suppose the body to have been laid at length before the fire is applied to the Pile & conclude that they dispose of the dead in the same manner. Saw very few of the Natives.'
Worgan notes that Phillip also set out again. 'The Governor, accompanied by some of the Military Officers, the surgeon of the Settlement, and a Party of Marines set out this Morning to penetrate Inland some Miles to the Westward, Had you seen them, they would have put you in Mind of a Gang of Travelling Gipsies, for each of them had a Knapsack on his Back, with 8 Days Provision, some had Kettles, & Iron-Pots; In order they might find their Way back again, they Notched all the Trees that stood in the Direction of their Route.'
White once again went with Phillip and, 'the same party, with the addition of Lieutenant Cresswell of the marines and six privates, landed at the head of the harbour, with an intention of penetrating into the country westward, as far as seven days provisions would admit of; every individual carrying his own allowance of bread, beef, rum, water, a camp kettle, tents, with poles, spare shoes, shirts, trowsers, together with a great coat, or Scotch plaid, for the purpose of sleeping in, as the nights were cold, we proceeded on our destination. We likewise took with us a small hand hatchet in order to mark the trees as we went on, those marks (called in America blazing) being the only guide to direct us in our return. The country was so rugged as to render it almost impossible to explore our way by the assistance of the compass.
'In this manner we proceeded for a mile or two, through a part well covered with enormous trees, to a thicket of brush-wood so impervious as to oblige us to return to whence we had set out in the morning. Here we encamped for the night when the governor was suddenly attacked with a most violent complaint in his side and loins, brought on by cold and fatigue, not having perfectly gotten the better of the last expedition.'
\BDescription:\b The East India Company had only chartered its ships to the British Government, as it could show a profit by backloading tea from China. Here we see hectic activity on a Canton deck. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"23 April 1788",90,0,g,0
Still exploring, Bradley writes, 'Examined all the N. most branch & moored the boats below the flats leading up the large run of water, passed several of the Natives on & fishing off the Middle Cape'.
On his trip, White says, 'His excellency, who was rather better, though still in pain, would not relinquish the object of his pursuit; and therefore we proceeded, and soon got round the wood or thicket which had harassed us so much the day before. After we had passed it, we fell in with an hitherto unperceived branch of Port Jackson harbour and followed this branch westward for a few miles, until we came to a small fresh-water stream that emptied itself into it. Here we took up our quarters for the night, as our halts were always regulated by fresh water and made a kettle of excellent soup out of a white cockatoo and two crows, which I had shot, as we came along'.
#
"24 April 1788",91,62741037.jpg,c,0
Phillip's party marched on and White says, 'We proceeded to trace the river and discovered a quarry of slates, from which we expected to derive great advantage in respect to covering our houses, stores, &c., it being a material beyond conception difficult to be procured in this country; but on trial it was found of no use, as it proved to be of a crumbling and rotten nature. Near the head of the stream, and somewhat apprehensive of rain, we pitched our tents before the grass became wet, a circumstance which would have proved very uncomfortable during the night. Here we had our ducks picked, stuffed with some slices of salt beef. At night we heard a noise which not a little surprised us, on account of its resemblance to the human voice. What it proceeded from we could not discover, but I am of opinion that it was made by a bird, or some animal'.
Bradley's support party sent, 'A Boat to the upper part of the Harbor to attend the Governor who with a party of Officers & Marines had been landed there the 22nd to make an excursion to the W.ward. Some Officers who had been at Botany Bay return'd. In going there they crossed from the upper part of the SW arm to the NW branch of Botany Bay which they found but a very short distance across a swamp, they met several of the Natives, all very friendly. One party which they met at the close of the morning showed them a Hut, making signs for them to sleep there, they also brought them Fire & water & came to visit them in the morning. This night six sheep were killed by some Animal'.
White continues, 'Having sowed some seeds, we pursued our route for three or four miles west, where we met with a mean hut belonging to some of the natives, but could not perceive the smallest trace of their having been there lately. Close to this hut we saw a kangaroo, which had come to drink at an adjacent pool of stagnated water, but we could not get within shot of it. A little farther on we fell in with three huts, as deserted as the former, and a swamp, not unlike the American rice grounds.
'Near this we saw a tree in flames, without the least appearance of any natives; from which we suspected that it had been set on fire by lightning. Close by the burning tree we saw three kangaroos. We proceeded about two miles farther on. The ground was so very dry and parched that it was with some difficulty we could drive either our tent pegs or poles into it. The trees around us were immensely large, and the tops of them filled with loraquets and paroquets of exquisite beauty, which chattered to such a degree that we could scarcely hear each other speak.'
Back in Port Jackson, Scott says, 'John Kennady Serjt Reduced to privt By A Courtmartial, Prosacuted by Lt & Adjautant Long'.
\BDescription:\b Aboriginal ceremonies and rituals, although little understood by the Europeans, were faithfully recorded by Judge Advocate David Collins in a series of highly descriptive drawings. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"26 April 1788",92,62741038.jpg,c,0
White records the progress of Phillip's expedition, 'We still directed our course westward, and passed trees which were hollow and perforated by a small hole at the bottom, in which the natives seemed to have snared some animal. It was certainly done by the natives, as the trees where these holes or perforations were, had in general many knotches cut for the purpose of getting to the top of them. Beyond a chasm we came to a pleasant hill, the top of which was tolerably clear of trees and perfectly free from underwood. His excellency gave it the name of Belle Veue.
'From the top of this hill we saw a chain of hills or mountains, which appeared to be thirty or forty miles distant, running in a north and south direction. The northernmost being conspicuously higher than any of the rest, the governor called it Richmond Hill; the next, or those in the centre, Landsdown Hills; and those to the southward, which are by much the lowest, Carmarthen Hills. Here, finding our provisions to run short, our return was concluded on, though with great reluctance, as it was our wish, and had been our determination, to reach the hills before us if it had been possible.
'In our way back, which we easily discovered by the marks made in the trees, we saw a hollow tree on fire the smoke issuing out of the top part as through a chimney. On coming near, and minutely examining it, we found that it had been set on fire by the natives; for there was some dry grass lighted and put into the hole wherein we had supposed they used to snare or take the animals. We pitched our tents, shot two crows and some loraquets, for supper and during the night we often heard, as before, a sound like a human voice, concluded to proceed from a bird perched on some of the trees near us.'
\BDescription:\b The Aboriginals remained unimpressed by the lifestyle of the Europeans, continuing to live in their traditional manner as much as possible. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"27 April 1788: Sunday",93,62741039.jpg,c,0
Again, a check on Botany Bay was organised. Bradley says, 'Officers visited Botany Bay, no ships there, they met the Natives in great numbers along the shore of the upper part of the Bay where they stopt near a large party of them; the Natives were very friendly, gave the Officers Fish & remained the night near them & parted in the morning very friendly. There were many women & children amongst them'.
On the Governor's trip, White says they had 'to make a forced march back, as our provisions were quite exhausted, a circumstance rather alarming in case of losing our way, which, however, we met with no difficulty in discovering by the marked trees. By our calculation we had penetrated into the country, to the westward, not less than thirty - two or thirty - three miles.
'This day we saw the dung of an animal as large as that of a horse, but it was more like the excrement of a hog, intermixed with grass. The governor sent Lieutenants Johnston and Creswell, with a marine, a-head, in order to secure such provisions as might have been sent up, and to give directions for the boats to come for us the next morning. Those gentlemen accordingly went forward, and were so fortunate as to be just in time; and they returned to us with a reasonable supply of bread, beef, rum, and wine.'
In Port Jackson, Scott says John Kennedy, marine, who had been demoted to private two days earlier was now 'restored to Searjeant Again'.
\BDescription:\b The Banksian Cockatoo was named after the great English botanist Sir Joseph Banks, who took a vital interest in the new discoveries. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"28 April 1788",94,0,g,0
Phillip's party returned with the help of Bradley and others. 'The Marines who were with the Governor return'd. A small boat was detained up the Harbour to examine a lake which runs to the W.ward above the Flats. The Governor had been several Miles into the Country all of which was found to be a clear open Country & good Soil. They found a channel up the lake to a large run of water where there was a kind of slate found in great quantities.'
#
"29 April 1788",95,0,g,0
HMS \ISirius\i was now being checked for future voyages. Bradley says, 'The Carpenter was employed fixing new skirting boards & while the ship was on the Heel for that purpose, the white composition Bolts & Nails which had been driven for experiment at Rio Janeiro were examined and found to be very much decay'd being eaten into. Some of the Iron Bolts in the Butts were also examined & found but little touched'.
The precious animals were being depleted, Collins says, and 'The governor had the mortification to learn on his return from his western expedition, that five ewes and a lamb had been destroyed at the farm in the adjoining cove, supposed to have been killed by dogs belonging to the natives.
'The number of sheep which were landed in this country were considerably diminished; they were of necessity placed on ground, and compelled to feed on grass, that had never before been exposed to air or sun, and consequently did not agree with them; a circumstance much to be lamented, as without stock the settlement must for years remain dependent on the mother-country for the means of subsistence.'
#
"30 April 1788",96,0,g,0
Fishing went on in earnest, according to Bradley. 'At one haul of the seine we caught Fish enough to serve the Ships Company, Hospital, Battalion & great part of the convicts.' Easty says, 'This Morning Thomas Armsworth Departed this Life of a fever & flux att the Hospitall Lift a Wife and 2 small Children'. Scott claims it was 'Thos Harmsworth, Marine Died'.
The rehabilitation of the convicts worried Worgan who claimed, 'We have had a few Trials, & plenty of Flogging, but I believe the Devil's in them, and can't be flogged out'. Collins felt that the problem was one of accommodation. 'There being no other shelter for the guard than tents, great inconvenience was found in placing under its charge more than one or two prisoners together. The convicts, therefore, who were confined at the guard until they could be conveyed to the soutward, were sent to the Bare Island at the entrance of this cove, where they were to be supplied weekly with provisions from the store, and water from the \ISirius\i, until an opportunity offered of sending them away.'
#
"1 May 1788",97,0,g,0
The building program proceeded slowly at Port Jackson with many still too sick to work.
#
"2 May 1788",98,0,g,0
So far there had only been one hanging in the settlement but as stealing became more common, Phillip had to act.
Collins starts the story. 'The month of May opened with the trial, conviction, and execution of James Bennett, a youth of seventeen years of age, for breaking open a tent belonging to the \ICharlotte\i transport, and stealing thereout property above the value of five shillings. He confessed that he had often merited death before he committed the crime for which he was then about to suffer, and that a love of idleness and bad connexions had been his ruin. He was executied immediately on receiving his sentence, in the hope of making a greater impression on the convicts than if it had been delayed for a day or two.'
Smyth described Bennett as a 'Convict Boy, about 18 yrs. old'. White says Bennett stole 'sugar and some other articles and before he was turned off he confessed his guilt, and acknowledged that, young as he was, he had been an old offender'. Tench rather unsympathetically says, 'Few enormous offences were perpetrated by the convicts, a petty theft was now and then heard of, and a spirit of refractory sullenness broke out at times in some individuals but one execution only, however, took place. The sufferer, who was a very young man, was convicted of a burglary, and met his fate with a hardiness and insensibility, which the grossest ignorance, and most deplorable want of feeling, alone could supply'.
#
"3 May 1788",99,0,g,0
The East India Company ships prepared to leave, Smyth says \ILady Penrhyn\i 'Weighed Anchor & fell down below Convict Island, near the Entrance of the Harbour, as did the \IScarborough\i soon after us - This day many Gentlemen paid us the compliament of coming down to us in boats, to take their final leave, while we did with some reluctance, (notwithstanding our wishes to get to Sea in hopes of falling in with some Island which would afford us fresh provisions which this place would not do so) for after lying in a Port so many months & being constantly visited or visiting it had some resemblance to our first parting with our Acquaintance in England'.
#
"4 May 1788: Sunday",100,62741040.jpg,c,0
Bradley says, 'Some of the Officers sailing in one of the Boats, met with several of the Natives who they mixed with & were very sociable, the Natives gave them Fish & several women peeping behind the trees came forward at times & were order'd back by the Men'.
\BDescription:\b Although they tried to tame young Dingoes found as cubs, the first settlers lost many of their first chickens to the Dingo. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"5 May 1788",101,0,g,0
The long awaited day now arrived for the departure of the first of the eleven ships that had been together since leaving Portsmouth a year before. Bradley says, 'A party of Seamen from the \ISirius\i were employed Hutting the women Convicts. The \ILady Penrhyn\i Transport sailed for China'. Smyth was on board \ILady Penrhyn\i. 'At day break all hands call'd to weigh Anchor, & set Sail. A very rainy morng. but a gentle breeze & quite fair for carrying us out of the Harbour - The \IScarborough\i did not follow us till the next day. The Capt. determin'd to find out Ld. Howe Island, if possible, in hopes of getting some Turtle which would be an almost invaluable acquisition to the Ship's Company, after living so long on salt provisions.'
#
"6 May 1788",102,0,g,0
The second of the three East India Company ships, 'The \IScarborough\i Transport sailed for China & the Supply for Lord Howes Island', Bradley says. Worgan adds, 'As it is a matter of Doubt, whether those Ships will not arrive in England, before any of the other Transports Can that sail direct for England, as soon as they can be cleared of their Stores, I have put 2 or 3 Letters on Board them for You & all my Friends, indeed, it is natural for Us, in such a distant part of the World, to snatch greedily at every Opportunity to convey our Hopes & Wishes to our Friends'. Tench said, 'The Supply sailed to escort the transports out of the Heads and before going on to Lord Howe Island, to take on board turtle for the settlement'.
Easty was again involved with a court case, this time giving evidence. 'This Day a court of Enquirey was held upon Wm Parr Convict and John Easty marine, Concerning Provisions Parr Sentancd 200 Lashes.'
#
"7 May 1788",103,0,g,0
Now well out to sea, Smyth, on the first of the East India Company ships, \ILady Penrhyn\i, wrote, 'At break of Day discover'd the \ISupply\i Brig on our Lee Bow at no great distance, but soon lost sight of her. It rain'd this morning very heavy with a good deal of Thunder & lighteng. & frequent Squalls. Many Albatrosses, Pintato birds & a very large Shark (14 ft. long) seen this day, & also several Mother Carey's Chickens'. And so with this final entry, Smyth passes out of the records of the first settlement and on to China and then England.
The third East India Company ship, the \ICharlotte\i, 'Transport sailed for China', Bradley says, with the task of catching up with the other two so they could all sail in company. White, watching the last ship go, says once again, 'Some of the natives came along-side the \ISirius\i and made signs to have their beards taken off. One of them patiently, and without fear or distrust, underwent the operation from the ship's barber, and seemed much delighted with it'.
Many of the first settlers sent letters home via China, including Reverend Richard Johnson. 'My paper is full, & I must therefore conclude, otherwise I might tell you a little how we come on in our Buildings, &c., but respecting all this I doubt not you will receive sufficient information from the Papers. The convicts we have some well others ill; some are idle, &c., others industrious. Have already had two executions, & am afraid we shall soon have more.'
#
"Death by Rope and Death by Spear",104,62741041.jpg,c,0
\B8 May to 14 July 1788\b
Once the East India Company ships had sailed for China, Phillip intensified his efforts to transfer all goods from the remaining six commercial ships on to the shore so that he could dismiss these expensive ships from Government service. First of all, however, he had to finish constructing the buildings to house all the equipment. That was no easy task, especially as supplies now began to run down.
The longer the Europeans stayed, the more trouble there was with the Australian Aboriginals, and before long there were regular conflicts, frequent deaths and growing resentment.
The convicts too, caused more trouble as time dragged on and food ran short, while the marines fought among themselves, and with naval officers and convicts alike. So, Phillip had many distractions as he tried to complete his building program.
The troubles during this period are recorded on a daily basis right up until 14 July when the bulk of the commercial ships left for England; after that it was a different story.
\BDescription:\b The first settlement starts to take shape - government buildings on the left, military barracks on the right. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"8 May 1788",105,0,g,0
The Reverend Richard Johnson remained sympathetic to 'the natives', who 'from what I have both seen & heard they are very harmless & inoffensive - have been amongst some both at Botany & here - tied buttons about their arms, giving them combs etc, with which they seem wonderfully pleased. The men have in general one of their fore teeth out. The women (of whom they are very reserved and careful) have a joint of one of their fingers cut off. They chiefly live upon fish & dwell near the water, none being to be seen more inland. At the exercise of fishing they seem very expert which is chiefly by a fishing spear about 8 or ten feet long'.
#
"9 May 1788",106,0,g,0
The building program was held up by a lack of materials which were not easy to find. As Bradley says, 'An officer went up the Harbour to examine the state up the creek above the flats; it was found to be a kind of rock & slate together & not fit to work into slate for covering a house or other use'.
Tench says the Australian Aboriginals had more buildings than previously anticipated. 'It appears as if some of the Indian families confine their society and connections within their own pale: but that this cannot always be the case we know; for on the north-west arm of Botany Bay stands a village, which contains more than a dozen houses, and perhaps five times that number of people; being the most considerable establishment that we are acquainted with in the country.'
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"10 May 1788",107,0,g,0
Sharks fascinated most of the settlers, including Bradley who says, 'Many Natives, men and women about our fishing boat when a shark followed our boat on her coming up the Harbour; he got hold of the blade of one of the oars and when he got a shock from that, he went to the rudder & did not quit it till he was struck with the Tiller: the fish caught for several days past have been very trifling which we suppose to be occasioned by the cold weather'.
#
"11 May 1788: Sunday",108,0,g,0
Phillip hoped for early food relief ships, and had signs placed at Botany Bay telling any newcomers where the settlement had moved to. As Bradley records, 'The Officers at Botany Bay found no ship there; they painted on some conspicuous rocks near the entrance that the Settlement was made at Port Jackson: they met with a great number of Natives & very friendly; during the night the Natives kept a continual noise & appear'd to keep a good look out: 3 Emews were seen between Port Jackson & Botany Bay but not within shot. A boat down the Harbour met with several of the Natives who appeared to be very hungry, they had not any fish with them & eat the salt meat which our people gave them'.
#
"13 May 1788",109,0,g,0
The first anniversary of the departure of the first fleet from Portsmouth was remembered by Worgan, 'Tis now just twelve months since we left Portsmouth, weighed anchor from the Mother Bank on the 13th of May 1787 and although we have endured many hardships our spirits were not so flagged or low'. To celebrate, Worgan 'walked out to day, as far as the Brick Grounds, it is a pleasant road through the wood about a mile or two from the village, for from the number of little huts & cots that appear now, just above ground, it has a village appearance.
'I see they have made between 20 & 30,000 bricks, and they were employed in digging out a kiln for the burning of them. I afterwards walked to the publick farm, where, I find they have turned up 8 or 10 acres of land, and they talk of putting some corn in the ground soon. The sheep die very fast from some cause, the cows & bulls thrive I think, as do the horses. The hogs don't thrive. The poultry do not increase fast'.
#
"14 May 1788",110,0,g,0
Enthusiasm for life in the colony was often expressed by Worgan, who 'had a most delightful excursion to day with Captain Hunter and Lt. Bradley, We went in a boat about 12 miles up the Harbour which at high water, has the appearance of a river. The trees are small and grow almost in regular rows, so that, together with the evenness of the land for a considerable extent, it resembles a beautiful park. We walked about two miles up the country in the direction of this river; the soil was extremely rich, and produced luxuriant grass. We also saw the leaves of a peculiarly beautiful Verdure growing like the fern. Having extended our excursion as far as we wished, we returned to the place where we landed and after regaling ourselves with a cold Kanguroo Pie and a Plum Pudding, a bottle of wine all which comforts we brought from the Ship with us'.
#
"15 May 1788",111,62741042.jpg,c,0
Gifts of food continued to be exchanged between black and white, as Bradley says, 'Some of the Officers shooting up the Middle Harbour, on their return landed in a Cove where they saw some Natives to whom they gave the Birds they had'.
It was a big day for colonial building history as the foundation stone for Government House was laid. As Collins reports, 'A gang of labourers was put under the direction of a stonemason, and on the 15th the first stone of a building, intended for the residence of the governor until the government house could be erected, was laid on the east side of the cove. The following inscription, engraven on a piece of copper, was placed in the foundation:
\IHis Excellency
ARTHUR PHILLIP Esq.
Governor in Chief and Captain General
in and over the Territory of New South Wales,
landed in this cove,
with the first Settlers of this Country,
the 24th Day of January 1788;
and on the 15th Day of May
in the same Year,
being the 28th of the Reign of His present Majesty
GEORGE THE THIRD
The First of these Stones was laid.'\i
\BDescription:\b The Aboriginals looked set to attack the colonists from time to time, but they never came into the main settlement in anger. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"16 May 1788",112,0,g,0
The first settlers had now been on shore for four months and as on so many other days, Phillip wrote more memos to his superiors. One urgent memo concerned the troublesome marines. 'The great want of proper persons to superintend the convicts. The officers who compose the detachment are not only few in number, but most of them have declined any interference with the convicts, except when they are employed for their own particular service. I requested soon after we landed that officers would occasionally encourage such as they observed diligent, and point out for punishment such as they saw idle or straggling in the woods. This was all I desired, but the officers did not understand that any interference with the convicts was expected, and that they were not sent out to do more than the duty of soldiers. The consequence must be obvious to your Lordship. Here are only convicts to attend to convicts, and who in general fear to exert any authority, and very little labour is drawn from them in a country which requires the greatest exertions.
'The sitting as members of the Criminal Court is also thought a hardship by the officers and of which they say they were not informed before they left England. It is necessary to mention this circumstance to your Lordship, that officers coming out may know that a young colony requires something more from officers than garrison duty.'
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"17 May 1788",113,0,g,0
The future of the settlement depended on livestock and Collins says, 'The governor directed every person in the settlement to make a return of what livestock was in his possession and the total stock in the colony included: 1 Stallion, 2 Bulls, 19 Goats, 5 Rabbits, 35 Ducks, 3 Mares, 5 Cows, 49 Hogs, 18 Turkeys, 122 Fowls, 3 Colts, 29 Sheep, 25 Pigs, 29 Geese, 87 Chickens'.
#
"18 May 1788: Sunday",114,0,g,0
This being the Lord's Day, Bradley says the whites helped the blacks again. 'A party visited some of the Coves down the Harbour where some of the Natives were seen; they were all friendly. They seemed very badly off for food not having any fish; at another cove where we landed, an old woman with a child remained with the men who met us; they had two fires under a very large hollow rock, we did not find any fish with these people, they were most of them chewing a root much like fern; we passed close to two men on a rock who were so intent upon fishing that they did not notice us, nor did they strike a fish the whole of the time that we were near them.'
#
"19 May 1788",115,62741043.jpg,c,0
Tench says, 'Scurvy now began its usual ravages, and extended its baneful influence, more or less, through all descriptions of persons. Unfortunately the esculent vegetable productions of the country are neither plentiful, nor tend very effectually to remove this disease. And the ground we had turned up and planted with garden seeds, either from the nature of the soil, or, which is more probable, the lateness of the season, yielded but a scanty and insufficient supply of what we stood so greatly in need of'.
Worgan, who observed 'They have begun to unload the Transports, and land the Stores, and has this Day been publickly announced that some of the Transports will sail for England in 6 Weeks', declared to a friend 'and so a scribbling we will go as I shall put a Letter on Board each Ship for You and Pray my friend Mr. Dick have You had an Opportunity yet of Sending Me a Packet of News? who is the King? the Queen? the Ministers? whats the Whim? our whim will soon be, to go Naked, for You know, "When we are at Rome &c" As for my part I shall be obliged soon to make a Virtue of Necessity for I have torn almost all my Cloaths to pieces by going into the Woods; and tho' we do not want for Taylors, We do, Woolen Drapers. Our Excursions, put me in Mind of your going a Steeple Hunting, We sometimes, put a Bit of Salt Beef, or Pork, Bisket, a Bottle of \IO be joyful,\i in a Knapsack throw it over our Backs, take a Hatchet, a Brace of Pistols, and a Musket, and away we go. I enjoy these little Rambles, and I think you would, however, I think it is hardly worth your while to come and try them'.
Bradley, the Australian Aboriginal watcher, noted, 'Several Natives were seen on a point of land just above the Ship: About Noon 4 Canoes with men & women in them passed up the Harbour'.
\BDescription:\b A cause of great curiosity, especially when they chose to run through the middle of the settlement, the Kangaroo became a favourite with the colonists. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"20 May 1788",116,0,g,0
Relations with the convicts fluctuated, Collins says, 'But it might have been foreseen that this would unavoidably happen: the convicts were every where straggling about, collecting animals and gum to sell to the people of the transports, who at the same time were procuring spears, shields, swords, fishing-lines, and other articles from the natives, to carry to Europe; the loss of which must have been attended with many inconveniences to the owners, as it was soon evident that they were the only means whereby they obtained or could procure their daily subsistence; and although some of these people had been punished for purchasing articles of the convicts, the practice was carried on secretly, and attended with all the bad effects which were to be expected from it'.
#
"21 May 1788",117,0,g,0
Then a nasty incident was reported by Worgan. 'A poor Convict who is on Recovery from a long Sickness, having rambled a little way into the Woods, to pick some wild Balm for Tea returned this Evening, having been wounded in his Back by the Natives with a Lance, part of which was sticking in the Wound, when the surgeon came to Him. He said that another Convict was with Him, whom, they wounded and beat very much, and then, carried him away. The Man said, they had given no Offence that he knew of, and that the Lance was thrown suddenly at them.'
Hunter, also upset by the incident, says after Peter Burn 'was murdered by the natives some part of his cloaths were found which were bloody, and had been pierced by a spear and later part of the bones of a man had been found near a fire by which a party of the natives had been regaling themselves; this report gave rise to a conjecture, that as this man had been killed near this place, the people who had committed the murder had certainly ate him.
'Whether any of the natives of this country are cannibals is yet a matter on which we cannot speak positively; but the murder of two other men, as related immediately after this, seems to contradict the conjecture that they are cannibals, as the men were left on the spot where they were killed: however, the following circumstance may, in some degree, incline us to believe, that although the natives in general do not eat human flesh, yet that that horrid custom is sometimes practised. I was one day present when two native children were interrogated on the subject of the quarrels of their countrymen; they were particularly asked, what the different chiefs did with those they killed, they mentioned some who burnt and buried the slain, but they also particularly named one who ate those he killed.'
#
"22 May 1788",118,0,g,0
'A Black Swan was kill'd', Bradley says, 'which measured 6 feet 3 inches from wing to wing, all black except just the tip of the wings which were white'.
#
"23 May 1788",119,0,g,0
More trouble occurred, Bradley says, when 'Some Canoes landed at Major Ross's Garden up the Harbour; they stole a jacket & several other things which were afterwards found in one of the Canoes by some of the Convicts who followed them along the shore to the next cove where they landed & we have reason to suppose that one of the Natives was murder'd by them but the proof could not be got, they were dismissed without coming before a Criminal Court. Lieut. Dawes was this day discharged from the \ISirius\i to the Battalion'.
#
"24 May 1788",120,62741044.jpg,c,0
The Aboriginal women at last attracted more than a passing glance, as Worgan admits. 'Accompanied Captain Hunter & Lt. Bradley upon an Excursion to the Point of Land, that forms the South Head of the Opening of Port Jackson for the Purpose of ascertaining the Latitude of it. We likewise saw under us, for we were standing upon a tremendous Precipice from which you looked down into the Sea, (but not without being Giddy) 5 or 6 Canoes, in which were 8 or 10 of the Damsels of this Country, jabbering and Fishing.
'We hollowed to them, and They, to us, I tied my Hankerchief to a piece of Wood, and threw it down into the Water, which, presently one of them paddled after, & taking it up between her Thumb, and Finger turning it round two or three times gave it a Toss, with the utmost Indifference, into the dirtiest Corner of the Canoe, chattering something at the same time. If that is the Way You treat my Favours Madam, says I, I'll keep my Hankerchiefs to myself. There is something singular in the Conduct of these \IEvites,\i for if ever they deign to come near You, to take a Present, they appear as coy, shy, and timorous, as a Maid on her Wedding Night, (at least as I have been told Maids are) but when they are, as they think out of your Reach, they hollow and chatter to You, Frisk, Flirt, and play a hundred wanton Pranks, equally as significant as the Solicitations of a Covent-Garden Strumpet.
'I cannot say all the Ladies are so shy and timorous on your approaching them, for some shew no signs of Fear, but will laugh and Frisk about You like a Spaniel, and put on the Airs of a Tantalizing Coquet. Indeed, if it were not for the nauseous, greasy, grimy appearance of these \Inaked\i Damsels, one might be said to be in a state of \ITantalism,\i whenever they vouchsafe to permit Us to come near them; but what with stinking Fish-Oil, with which they seem to besmear their Bodies, & this mixed with the Soot which is collected on their Skins from continually setting over the Fires, and then in addition to these sweet odours, the constant Appearance of the excrementitious Matters of the Nose which is collected on the upper pouting Lip, in rich Clusters of dry Bubbles, and is kept up by fresh Drippings; I say, from all these personal Graces & Embellishments, every Inclination for an Affair of Gallantry, as well as every Idea of fond endearing Intercourse, which the Nakedness of these Damsels might excite one to, is banished. And I can assure You, there is in some of them a Proportion, a Softness, a roundness, and Plumpness in their Limbs & Bodies, were they but cleanly, that would excite tender & amorous Sensations, even in the frigid Breast of a Philosopher:
\IWould stop a Druid in his pious Course
Nor could Philosophy resist their Force.'\i
\BDescription:\b The Aboriginals preferred to use their own implements and often threw away the 'modern' European tools given as gifts. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"25 May 1788: Sunday",121,62741045.jpg,c,0
Although the settlement had been waiting for fresh turtle for some time, Tench says, 'The unsuccessful return of the \ISupply\i cast a general damp on our spirits, for by this time fresh provisions were become scarcer than in a blockaded town. The little live stock, which with so heavy an expence, and through so many difficulties, we had brought on shore, prudence forbade us to use, and fish, which on our arrival, and for a short time after had been tolerable plenty, were become so scarce, as to be rarely seen at the tables of the first among us. Had it not been for a stray kangaroo, which fortune now and then threw in our way, we should been utter strangers to the taste of fresh food'.
Bradley passes on a last word from the East India Company ships, 'The \IScarborough,\i \ICharlotte\i & \ILady Penrhyn\i Transports were all at Lord Howe Island while the Supply was there, the \IScarborough\i & \ICharlotte\i sailed from thence together & the \IPenrhyn\i by herself'.
\BDescription:\b As they did not exist in Britain, the Black Swans were an exciting discovery for the settlers. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"26 May 1788",122,62741046.jpg,c,0
Crime and punishment continued, Worgan says, 'A Trial came on to Day in the Criminal Court of a Seaman and Marine belonging to the \ISirius,\i for beating & wounding in a most cruel Manner another Man, a Seaman of the same Ship. I, being the Surgeon of the \ISirius,\i and the first of the Faculty who saw the Man, whom they had so cruelly treated, was obliged to attend the Trial, to give my Opinion, how far his Life was endangered from his Wounds; They had nothing to say in their Defence, therefore, they were sentenced to receive 500 Lashes each'.
\BDescription:\b The tradition of flogging on board was continued in earnest on land in the naval administered colony, with up to 500 lashes being delivered for serious offences. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"27 May 1788",123,0,g,0
An old man kangaroo was killed. Bradley says, 'A Kanguroo was killed which weigh'd 140 pounds; the largest yet met with: His length from head to tail 7 ft 3 in: of the Tail 3 ft. 4 in: circumference of the tail at the rump 17 inches, fore legs 1 foot, hind legs 2 ft. 7 inches'.
#
"29 May 1788",124,0,g,0
The difficulty of clearing land worried Tench, who said, 'It will scarcely be credited when I declare that I have known twelve men employed for five days in grubbing up one tree; and, when this has been effected, the timber (as already observed) has been only fit for fire-wood; so that in consequence of the great labour in clearing of the ground and the weak state of the people, to which may be added the scarcity of tools, most of those we had being either worn out by the hardness of the timber or lost in the woods among the grass through the carelessness of the convicts, the prospect before it is not of the most pleasing kind'.
#
"30 May 1788",125,62741047.jpg,c,0
The little settlement was shocked by a double murder put most simply by Easty. 'This Day 2 Convicts ware killid by the natives in a horred manner.' Worgan continues, 'A most Shocking Spectacle was brought to the Hospital this Evening: Two poor Creatures, Convicts, had been sent a few Miles up the Harbour, to cut Rushes, for thatching the Huts, and this Afternoon a Boat was sent to bring them down again, when, they found them lying among some Bushes, and murdered in a most horrid Manner by the Natives. Three Points of Spears were taken out of one Man, two of which had Transfixed Him in the Back the Points sticking some Inches out of his Breast a large Piece of his Skull, including the Eye seemed to have been cut out with an Axe.
'In the other Man, no wound was discovered from Spears, but he appeared to have been struck with some heavy broad Weapon over his Face, as that Part was black and bloody - The Natives had not stripped them of their Cloaths, nor had they taken their Tents away, but none of their Tools could be found. The Governor, means to take a Party of Marines to morrow Morning, and go to the Place where this Murder was committed, to endeavour to find out the Cause of these Hostilities: For it is his Opinion, with many others, that the Natives are not the Aggressors'.
Tench, ever removed as an observer, says, 'On first setting foot in the country, we were inclined to hold the spears of the natives very cheap. Fatal experience has, however, convinced us, that the wound inflicted by this weapon is not a trivial one; and that the skill of the Indians in throwing it, is far from despicable. Two convicts who were employed as rush cutters up the harbour, were (from what cause we are yet ignorant) most dreadfully mangled and butchered by the natives. A spear had passed entirely through the thickest part of the body of one of them, though a very robust man, and the skull of the other was beaten in'.
Collins claims, 'It has been strongly suspected that these convicts had engaged in some dispute or quarrel with them, and as they had hatchets and bill-hooks with them, it is believed they might have been rash enough to use violence with some of the natives, who had, no doubt, been numerous there'.
Later, Bradley 'saw several of the Natives on the high land, they were gathering a kind of fruit which they soaked in water & suck'd. On our return to the cove where we landed we found a Native in a tree gathering a fruit of the size of a small pine & of a beautiful pale yellow, he got it by fixing a four pronged spear over the stalk & twisting them off, it had a sweet taste; we found two children, a boy & a girl near the tree in which the man was, the children did not appear frightened when we took hold of them, the girls fingers were complete as were the boy's teeth. When the man had got a good quantity of this spungy fruit he, with the children walked along the beach & sat down by the side of a pool of fresh water, to which place we followed him. They eat or rather sucked the whole of what they had gathered frequently dipping them in the water.
'On our return to the \ISirius,\i we found that some of the Natives had been alongside & examined the outside of the ship with great attention particularly the figure; they appear'd to be the same that visited the ship some days before, as they had been shaved'.
\BDescription:\b The Sacred Kings Fisher, as it was known, was a favourite subject for early artists. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"31 May 1788",126,0,g,0
Phillip decided to investigate the murders, as White records, 'Early morning the governor, Lieutenants G. Johnston and Kellow, myself, six soldiers, and two armed convicts, whom we took as guides, went to the place where the murder had been committed, in hopes, by some means or other, to be able to find out either the actual perpetrators or those concerned. We could not observe a single trace of the natives ever having been there.
'We then crossed the country to Botany Bay, still flattering ourselves that we might be able to discover, among a tribe at that place, some proof that they had been concerned, as the governor was resolved on whomsoever he found any of the tools or clothing to shew them his displeasure, and by every means in his power endeavour to convince them of his motives for such a procedure.
'A little before sun-set, after a long and fatiguing march, we arrived at Botany Bay. When we approached the bay we saw eleven canoes, with two persons in each, fishing; most of them had a fire in their canoe, a convenience which they seldom go without at any time or season, but particularly at this as the weather was very cold. Here we pitched our tents and kindled large fires both in front and rear; still, however, the cold was so very intense that we could scarcely close our eyes during the night.'
Bradley discovered more evidence and attributed blame: 'The Governor with a party went to the place where the two men had been killed by the Natives, the boat returned leaving them in a Natives path which they meant to follow until they met with the Natives. The Officer who was in the boat called at the Lt. Governors farm as he returned & was there informed that a convict had killed one of the Natives some days before by cutting him across the belly with his knife. I have no doubt but this Native having been murdered occasioned their seeking revenge & which proved fatal to those who were not concerned. They have attack'd our people when they have met them unarmed, but that did not happen until they had been very ill treated by us in the lower part of the Harbour & fired upon at Botany Bay by the French.'
#
"1 June 1788: Sunday",127,62741048.jpg,c,0
The search for the murdering Aboriginals continued, White says, with some diversions, 'After breakfast we visited the grave of the French abbe who died whilst the Count de Peyrouse was here. It was truly humble indeed, being distingushed only by a common head-stone, stuck slightly into the loose earth which covered it. Against a tree, just above it, was nailed a board, with the inscription on it.
'As the painting on the board could not be permanent, Governor Phillip had the inscription engraved on a plate of copper and nailed to the same tree; and at some future day he intends to have a handsome head-stone placed at the grave. We cut down some trees which stood between that on which the inscription is fixed and the shore, as they prevented persons passing in boats from seeing.
'Between this and the harbour's mouth we found forty-nine canoes hauled upon the beach, but not a native to be seen. After we had passed them, we fell in with an Indian path, and, as it took a turn towards the camp, we followed it about two miles, when, on a sudden, in a valley or little bay northward of Botany Bay we were surprised at hearing the sound of voices, which we instantly found to proceed from a great number of natives, sitting behind a rock, who appeared to be equally astonished with ourselves, as, from the silence we observed, they had not perceived us till we were within twenty yards of them.
'Every one of them, as they got up, armed himself with a long spear, the short stick before described, used in throwing it, a shield made of bark, and either a large club, pointed at one end, or a stone hatchet. At first they seemed hostilely inclined, and made signs, with apparent tokens of anger, for us to return; but when they saw the governor advance towards them, unarmed, and with his hands opened wide (a signal we had observed among them of amity and peace), they, with great confidence, came up to him, and received from him some trifles which he had in his pocket, such as fish-hooks, beads, and a looking-glass.
'As there appeared not to be less than three hundred of them in this bay, all armed, the soldiers were ordered to fix their bayonets, and to observe a close, well-connected order of march, as they descended the hill. These people (as already mentioned) seem to dislike red coats and those who carry arms, but on the present occasion they shewed very little fear or distrust; on the contrary, they in a few minutes mixed with us, and conducted us to a very fine stream of water, out of which some of them drank, to shew that it was good.
'The women and children kept at some distance, one or two more forward than the rest excepted, who came to the governor for presents. While he was distributing his gifts, the women danced (an exercise every description of people in this country seem fond of), and threw themselves into some not very decent attitudes.
'The men in general had their skins smeared all over with grease, or some stinking, oily substance; some wore a small stick or fish-bone, fixed crossways, in the division of the nose, which had a very strange appearance; others were painted in a variety of ways, and had their hair ornamented with the teeth of fish, fastened on by gum, and the skin of the kangaroo.
'This was the greatest number of the natives we had ever seen together since our coming among them. What could be the cause of their assembling in such numbers gave rise to a variety of conjectures. Some thought they were going to war among themselves. Others conjectured that some of them had been concerned in the murder of our men, notwithstanding we did not meet with the smallest trace to countenance such an opinion, and that, fearing we should revenge it, they had formed this convention in order to defend themselves against us. Others imagined that the assemblage might be occasioned by a burial, a marriage, or some religious meeting.'
Tench interpreted the meeting differently. 'Governor Phillip fell in with a party of Indians which consisted of more than three hundred persons, two hundred and twelve of whom were men and his Excellency was at the very time in search of the murderers, on whom, could they have been found, he intended to inflict a memorable and exemplary punishment. The meeting was unexpected to both parties, and considering the critical situation of affairs, perhaps not very pleasing to our side, which consisted but of twelve persons, until the peaceable disposition of the Indians was manifest.
'After the strictest search the Governor was obliged to return without having gained any information. The laudable perseverance of his Excellency to throw every light on this unhappy and mysterious business did not, however, stop here, for he instituted the most rigorous inquiry to find out, if possible, whether the convicts had at any time ill treated or killed any of the natives; and farther, issued a proclamation, offering the most tempting of all rewards, a state of freedom, to him who should point out the murderer, in case such an one existed.'
\BDescription:\b The first settlers watched fascinated, as the Aboriginals performed complex rituals well beyond their European understanding. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"2 June 1788",128,0,g,0
As supplies ran shorter, convicts became more daring, as Worgan reported, 'A fine She Goat belonging to one of the Gentlemen, was found Dead, and some of the Fleshy Parts cut off, and to Day two Men were taken up on Suspicion of having killed this Goat, and made a Pie of some part of it, but it appeared that they found the Goat dead, its Entrails torn out and otherwise mangled as if some Animal had been eating of it, and as it was at this time perfectly sweet, and one of the Men was to be married the next Day, they took the Liberty of cutting some of the Meat off, to make a Pie for the Wedding-Dinner'.
#
"3 June 1788",129,0,g,0
Following the official return of livestock, Tench noted that things were getting worse. 'All the stock that was landed, both public and private, seems, instead of thriving, to fall off exceedingly. The number at first was but inconsiderable, and even that number is at present much diminished. The sheep, in particular, decrease rapidly, very few being now alive in the colony, although there were large numbers, the property of the Government or individuals, when first landed.'
#
"4 June 1788",130,62741049.jpg,c,0
After twenty weeks of hard work, the settlers welcomed the birthday of King George III. As Collins said, 'The 4th of June being the birth-day of our much beloved sovereign, and the first we had seen in this most distant part of his dominions, it was celebrated by all ranks with every possible demonstration of loyalty, and chearfulness and good order'. All ranks joined in, as Easty testifies, 'Att 12 oclock the Batalion of marines marched over with thare Colours and freed 3 Volies and the Govener gave the marines a pint of porter each man and the convicts half a pint of rum each man'.
As the romantic Tench says, 'Hours of festivity, which under happier skies pass away unregarded, and are soon consigned to oblivion, acquire this forlorn and distant circle a superior degree of acceptable importance.
'The day was passed in cheerfulness and good-humour; but it was a little damped by our perceiving that the governor was in great pain, from a return of his complaint. Though his countenance too plainly indicated the torture which he suffered, he took every method in his power to conceal it, lest it should break in upon the festivity and harmony of the day. His excellency ordered every soldier a pint of porter, besides his allowance of grog, that they all might drink his Majesty's health; and, as it was a day of general rejoicing and festivity, he likewise made it a day of forgiveness, remitting the remainder of the punishment to which the sailors of the \ISirius\i were subject, and pardoning Lovel, Sideway, Hall, and Gordon, who had been confined on a little sterile island, or rather rock, situated in the harbour, until a place of banishment could be found.
'This act of lenity and mercy, added to many others which the governor had shewn, it is to be hoped will work some change on the minds of these men. Indeed some good may be expected from Hall and Gordon, who, since their sentence, have appeared penitent; but from Lovel and Sideway very little change for the better can be expected, because they seem so truly abandoned and incorrigible.
'At night every person attended an immense bonfire that was lighted for the occasion, after which the principal officers of the settlement, and of the men of war, supped at the governor's, where they terminated the day in pleasantry, good humour and cheerfulness.'
Worgan, who had brought a piano with him to Sydney Cove for such occasions, said, 'The Governor, who received Us with great Politeness at his house and congratulated Us, on being the first of His Majesty's Subjects, who celebrated this Day in New South Wales: We sat down to a very good Entertainment, considering how far we are from Leaden-Hall Market, it consisted of Mutton, Pork Ducks, Fowls, Fish, Kanguroo, Sallads, Pies & preserved Fruits. The Potables consisted of Port, Lisbon, Madeira, Teneriffe and good old English Porter, these went merrily round in Bumbers'.
'Worgan adds that Phillip 'then gave as a Toast, the County & the Cumberland Family', and so 'when the Governor had occasion to step into an adjacent Room it was intimated by some one to pay Him a flattering Compliment, and every Gentleman standing up & filling his Glass, we all with one Voice gave, as the Toast, The Governor and the Settlement (The Band playing the whole Time). We had hardly seated ourselves again before the Governor entered, He said "Gentlemen I heard You, and I thank You heartily for the Honour you have done Me", and filling his Glass, drank our Healths, wishing Harmony & Unanimity throughout the Settlement, promising that nothing should be wanting on his Side to promote it' and 'In a Word every Heart beat with Loyalty & Joy'.
\BDescription:\b Once livestock supplies ran short, the settlers began to hunt down and eat the Kangaroo. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"5 June 1788",131,62741050.jpg,c,0
The morning after the King's birthday party, White says, 'We were astonished at the number of thefts which had been committed, during the general festivity, by the villanous part of the convicts, on one another, and on some of the officers, whose servants did not keep a strict look-out after their marquees. Availing themselves thus of the particular circumstances of the day, is a strong instance of their unabated depravity and want of principle. Scarcely a day passes without an example being made of some one or other of these wretches, but it seems to have no manner of effect upon them'.
Tench then tells of another problem. 'The whole of our black cattle, consisting of five cows and a bull, either from not being properly secured, or from the negligence of those appointed to take care of them, strayed into the woods, and in spite of all the search we have been able to make, are not yet found. As a convict of the name of Edward Corbet, who was accused of a theft, eloped nearly at the same time, it was at first believed, that he had taken the desperate measure of driving off the cattle, in order to subsist on them as long as possible; or perhaps to deliver them to the natives. In this uncertainty, parties to search were sent out in different directions; and the fugitive declared an outlaw, in case of not returning by a fixed day. After much anxiety, those who had undertaken the task returned without finding the cattle.'
\BDescription:\b Many convicts escaped into the bush as soon as the first fleet landed. The survivors, including the notorious bushranger, 'Black Ceasar', raided the settlement for food. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"6 June 1788",132,0,g,0
Edward Corbet became one of the colony's first bushrangers. As Collins says he then 'absconded, and lived in the woods, existing by what he was able to procure by nocturnal depredations among the huts and stock of individuals. His visits for this purpose back into the settlement were so frequent and daring, that it became absolutely necessary to proclaim him an outlaw, as well as to declare that no person must harbour him after such proclamation'. Whether or not he was the cattle rustler the officers suspected him of being nobody could prove as the cattle could not be found.
#
"7 June 1788",133,0,g,0
Crime seemed to have been encouraged rather than discouraged by the King's birthday pardons and Collins says, 'Exemplary punishments seemed about this period to be growing daily more necessary. Stock was often killed, huts and tents broke open, and provisions constantly stolen about the latter end of the week; for among the convicts there were many who knew not how to husband their provisions through the seven days they were intended to serve them, but were known to have consumed the whole at the end of the third or fourth day. One of this description made his week's allowance of flour (eight pounds) into eighteen cakes, which he devoured at one meal; he was soon after taken speechless and senseless, and died the following day at the hospital, a loathsome putrid object'.
#
"8 June 1788: Sunday",134,0,g,0
The building program went ahead, as Collins recorded, despite poor materials. 'Carpenters were now employed in covering in that necessary building the hospital, the shingles for the purpose being all prepared; these were fastened to the roof (which was very strong) by pegs made by the female convicts.
'The timber that had been cut down proved in general very unfit for the purpose of building, the trees being for the most part decayed, and when cut down were immediately warped and split by the heat of the sun. A species of pine appeared to be the best, and was chiefly used in the frame-work of houses, and in covering the roofs, the wood splitting easily into shingles.'
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"11 June 1788",135,0,g,0
Bradley 'went to the North Head to observe the Latitude. On the beach of the N.Head we saw a man immediately under the overhanging cliff, on our calling to him, he answer'd & made signs where the road was to come down. The Rocks under the Cliff appear to be a large flat with deep water close to the edge of it; on our return we were joined by 2 Men & 2 boys of about 14 years old, they laid down their spears & made signs for us not to fire our Musquets, they had a quantity of shellfish in a net which had been taken out of the shell, these they offer'd to us eating one themselves at the same time, we tasted & returned them: Several parties were sent in quest of the Bull and Cows which belonged to the settlement they having been missing some days. These parties were continued for several days without success, in all directions'.
#
"12 June 1788",136,0,g,0
The use of the ever diminishing supplies worried Collins because of the convicts 'want of economy which meant that he who had three days to live, and nothing to live on, before the store would be again open to supply his wants, must steal from those who had been more provident. Had a few persons been sent out who were not of the description of convicts, to have acted as overseers, or superintendants, regulations for their internal economy, as well in the articles of clothing as provisions, might have been formed which would have prevented these evils: it would then too have been more practicable to detect them in selling or exchanging the slops which they received, and their provisions would have been subject to a daily inspection. But overseers drawn from among themselves were found not to have that influence which was so absolutely necessary to carry any regulation into effect'.
#
"13 June 1788",137,0,g,0
The colonists had now been on shore for five months and as Collins says, 'The large store-house now being completed, and a road made to it from the wharf on the west side, the provisions were directed to be landed from the victuallers, and proper gangs of convicts placed to roll to the store'.
#
"14 June 1788",138,0,g,0
Ships freed of their convicts and supplies prepared for departure as Bradley notes, 'The Governor made known his intention of sending the \IPrince of Wales\i Transport to England, this ship had been fitting for sea several days & said to be going to Norfolk Island until the question was asked by Capt Tench. A convict was poison'd by eating some fruit which he got in the Woods'.
#
"15 June 1788: Sunday",139,0,g,0
The Australian Aboriginals were also short of food from time to time as Hunter noted, 'They frequently attended our boats when hauling the seine, and were very thankful to the officer for any fish he might give them, as in cold weather the harbour is but thinly stocked; indeed, when we arrived here it was full of fish, and we caught as many as we could use, but in the winter they seem to quit our neighbourhood.
'I had reason to think, that the people who inhabited Port Jackson when we first entered it were gone farther to the northward, and that it is their constant custom, as the cold weather approaches, to seek a warmer climate, by following the sun; and they have no other method of dressing their food, than that of boiling. Boiling water they have no conception of, as appeared very lately; for when one of our boats was hauling the seine, one of the sailors had put a pot on the fire ready to dress some fish, and when the water was boiling, some fish were put in; but several natives, who were near, and who wished to have more fish than had been given them, seeing the fish put into the pot, and no person watching them, a native put his hand into the boiling water to take the fish out, and was of course scalded, and exceedingly astonished'.
#
"16 June 1788",140,0,g,0
Fire created setbacks to the building program. Collins says, 'From the nature of the materials with which most of the huts occupied by the convicts were covered in, many accidents happened by fire, whereby the labour of several people was lost, who had again to seek shelter for themselves, and in general had to complain of the destruction of provisions and clothing. To prevent this, an order was given, prohibiting the building of chimneys in future in such huts as were thatched'.
#
"17 June 1788",141,0,g,0
The dwindling livestock in the settlement was also vulnerable to dingoes, as Hunter noted, 'Of those dogs we have had many which were taken when young, but never could cure them of their natural ferocity; although well fed, they would at all times, but particularly in the dark, fly at young pigs, chickens, or any small animal which they might be able to conquer, and immediately kill, and generally eat them. I had one which was a little puppy when caught, but, notwithstanding I took much pains to correct and cure it of its savageness, I found it took every opportunity, which it met with, to snap off the head of a fowl, or worry a pig, and would do it in defiance of correction'.
#
"18 June 1788",142,0,g,0
Death struck one of Scott's companions who was at first 'Reduced to the pay of a private Man & Invilided Home to Europ On Account of his Bad State of Health But then Deseaced and so Was Interred as Serjeant With the Usual Militery Honers'.
#
"19 June 1788",143,0,g,0
As fish became scarce in the harbour, Hunter noted how the Aboriginals added to their diet. 'As most of the large trees are hollow, by being rotten in the heart, the opossum, kangaroo rat, squirrel, and various other animals which inhabit the woods, when they are pursued, commonly run into the hollow of a tree; in order, therefore, to make sure of them, which they seldom fail in, when they find them in the tree, one man climbs even the tallest treet with much ease, by means of notches at convenient distances, that are made with a stone hatchet; when he is arrived at the top, or where there may be an outlet for the animal, he sits there with a club or stick in his hand, while another person below applies a fire to the lower opening, and fills the hollow of the tree with smoak; this obliges the animal to attempt to make its escape, either upwards or downwards, but whichever way it goes, it is almost certain of death, for they very seldom escape. In this manner they employ themselves, and get a livelihood in the woods.'
#
"20 June 1788",144,0,g,0
'Seven canoes passed through the Cove,' Bradley says, 'within the \ISirius\i, 20 men, 12 women & 1 child; the child was carried upon one of the mens shoulders as he passed in a Cove down the Harbour an old Man was found nearly dead, with some young men & women with him, he was laying on his back appear'd worn and with age, they had a fire on each side of him to keep him warm'. One of the Europeans also died, as Easty records, 'This Evnining John Gannon A marine Departed this Life of a fever and was buried the next Day'.
#
"21 June 1788",145,0,g,0
All sorts of cures were tried for the sick, as Bradley says, 'A kind of fruit had been discover'd here a pure acid & found very good in scorbutic cases, as we had several people down with the scurvy, a party was employed to get those berries'.
#
"22 June 1788: Sunday",146,62741051.jpg,c,0
The calm of the colony was shattered on the Lord's day, White says, when 'About four in the afternoon a shock of an earthquake was felt at Sydney Cove and its environs. This incident had so wonderful an effect on Edward Corbet, a convict, who had eloped about three weeks before, on a discovery being made of his having stolen a frock, that he returned and gave himself up to justice. A few days antecedent to his return he had been outlawed, and was supposed to have driven off with him four cows, the only animals of this kind in the colony. This, however, he declared himself innocent of, but confessed his having committed the theft laid to his charge. The strictest search was made, but in vain, after the cows. It is probable that they have strayed so far off, in this endless wild, as to be irrecoverably lost.
'Previously to the return of Corbet he must have suffered very severely from hunger; his eyes were sunk into his head and his whole appearance shewed that he had been half starved. While he was absent, he says, he frequently fell in with the natives, who, though they never treated him ill, did not seem to like his company. He informed us that, in a bay adjacent to that where the governor and his party had met with so many of the natives, he saw the head of one of the convicts lying near the place where the body had been burnt in a large fire. This, in all likelihood, was Burn, who was carried off at the time Ayres was wounded, as he has not been heard of since.'
Tench claims that Corbet was betrayed. 'Corbet made his appearance near a farm belonging to the Governor, and entreated a convict, who happened to be on the spot, to give him some food, as he was perishing for hunger. The man applied to, under pretence of fetching what he asked for, went away and immediately gave the necessary information, in consequence of which a party under arms was sent out and apprehended him.'
\BDescription:\b The attractive Spotted Opossum was stuffed and sent back to Sir Joseph Banks in London. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"23 June 1788",147,0,g,0
Having talked to a few people, Scott found out that, 'Corbet the Convict Who Absconded June 5th Was taken Neer the Governors Farm, by Dodd the Governer's Servant. & a Convict that Gows By the Name of Banbeury Jack' and on this day 'Joseph Payton. Was tryd. for Attemping to Rob Captain Lt. Meradeth's Marquee on the, 4th of June, he Was found Guilty & Condemd. to Die Next Day'.
Despite Corbet's return, the valuable cattle still could not be found. Worgan says, 'Many Parties have been out in different directions, some said they thought they saw the Print of the Cattles Feet, and a Man's near it, however We have Reason to fear they have strayed so far, that they will never be brought back again, if they would but turn wild they might still, perhaps, be of Use to the Country, but we fear that the Natives will kill them, if they fall in with them'.
#
"24 June 1788",148,0,g,0
The cattle rustler's time came, White says, as 'The governor revoked the decree by which Corbett was outlawed, and he was tried by the criminal court simply for the theft he had committed, and sentenced to be hanged. Samuel Payton, a convict, likewise received the same sentence, for feloniously entering the marquee of Lieutenant Fuzer, on the night of the fourth of June, and stealing from thence some shirts, stockings and combs.
'His trial had been put off to the present time on account of a wound in his head, which he had received from Captain Lieutenant Meredith, who, on his return from the bonfire, found Payton in his marquee. When brought to the hospital, in consequence of the wound which he had received, he was perfectly senseless. During the time he remained under my care, I frequently admonished him to think of the perilous situation he then stood in, and to make known the accomplices whom he was supposed to have; but he firmly and uniformly denied his guilt and disclaimed his having any knowledge of, or concern in, robbing Lieutenant Fuzer.
'He further said that he did not recollect how he came to Captain Lieutenant Meredith's tent, or any circumstance relative to it. However, since he received his sentence he has confessed that he robbed Lieutenant Fuzer, and gave him information where to find the articles he had been robbed of; he at the same time acknowledged that he entered Mr. Meredith's marquee with an intention to rob him, doubting not but he should be able to make his escape undiscovered, as every one seemed so fully engaged on the pleasures of the day.'
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"25 June 1788",149,0,g,0
In the morning, Bradley says, gifts were exchanged with the natives. 'Several canoes came down the Harbour & passed within the Ship, some of the men came alongside. We gave them some fish & several other things, they were much pleas'd & gave us some Oysters in return, there people seem'd to suffer much from the Cold.' And before lunch, Scott says, 'Edward Corbet, & Joseph Payton, Convicts Was Exacuted at ╜ past 11, OClock forenoon; Died penaten'.
Details were added by White, 'When Payton and Corbett were brought to the fatal tree, they (particularly Payton) addressed the convicts in a pathetic, eloquent, and well-directed speech. He acknowledged the justice of his sentence, a sentence, which (he said) he had long deserved. He added that he hoped and trusted that the ignominious death he was about to suffer would serve as a caution and warning to those who saw and heard him.
'They both prayed most fervently, begging forgiveness of an offended God. They likewise hoped that those whom they had injured would not only forgive them, as they themselves did all mankind, but offer up their prayers to a merciful Redeemer that, though so great sinners, they might be received into that bliss which the good and virtuous only can either deserve or expect. They were now turned off, and in the agonizing moments of the separation of the soul from the body seemed to embrace each other.
'The execution of these unhappy youths, the eldest of whom was not twenty-four years of age, which seemed to make a greater impression on the convicts than any circumstance had done since their landing, will induce them, it is to be hoped, to change their conduct, and to adopt a better mode of life than, I am sorry to say, they have hitherto pursued.'
White then says, 'Peyton, at the time of his suffering, was but twenty years of age, the greatest part of which had been invariably passed in the commission of crimes, that at length terminated in his ignominious end. The following letter, written by a fellow convict to the sufferer's unhappy mother, I shall make no apology for presenting to the reader; it affords a melancholy proof, that not the ignorant and untaught only have provoked the justice of their country to banish them to this remote region'.
\ISydney Cove, Port Jackson,\i
\INew South Wales, 24th June, 1788.\i
\IMy dear and honoured mother!
With a heart oppressed by the keenest sense of anguish, and too much agitated by the idea of my very melancholy condition, to express my own sentiments, I have prevailed on the goodness of a commiserating friend, to do me the last a Blessed Redeemer, I am at perfect peace with all mankind, and trust I shall yet experience that peace, which this world cannot give. Commend my soul to the Divine mercy. I bid you an eternal farewell.
Your unhappy dying Son,
SAMUEL PEYTON.
To Mrs. Peyton,
London.\i
#
"26 June 1788",150,0,g,0
The search for food by the Australian Aboriginals went on as Hunter notes. 'They also when in considerable numbers, set the country on fire for several miles extent; this, we have generally understood, is for the purpose of disturbing such animals as may be within reach of the conflagration; and thereby they have an opportunity of killing many. We have also had much reason to believe, that those fires were intended to clear that part of the country through which they have frequent occasion to travel, of the brush or underwood, from which they, being naked, suffer very great inconvenience.'
#
"27 June 1788",151,0,g,0
During the day 'A Flying Fox was killed that measured 3 feet from wing to wing, this was the first met with', Bradley says. And Collins recorded that during the night, 'a party of the natives, supposed to be in number from twenty to thirty, landed at the point on the east side of the cove, between the hours of eleven and twelve at night, and proceeded along close by the sentinels, stopping for some time at the spot where the governor's house was building, and in the rear of the tents inhabited by some of the women. It was said that they appeared alarmed on hearing the sentinels call out "All is well", and, after standing there for some time, went off toward the run of water.
'The sentinels were very positive that they saw them, and were minute in their relation of the above circumstances; notwithstanding which, it was conjectured by many to be only the effect of imagination. It is true, the natives might have chosen that hour of the night to gratify a curiosity that would naturally be excited on finding that we still resided among them; and perhaps for the purpose of observing whether we all passed the night in sleep'.
Tench claimed a fort was needed because of such threats to security. 'Amidst our public labours, that no fortified post, or place of security, is yet begun, may be a matter of surprise. Were an emergency in the night to happen, it is not easy to say what might not take place before troops, scattered about in an extensive encampment, could be formed, so as to act.'
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"28 June 1788",152,0,g,0
Crime was increasing on both sides of the racial fence, as Collins recorded. 'It having been reported, that one of the natives who had stolen a jacket from a convict had afterwards been killed or wounded by him in an attempt to recover it, the governor issued a proclamation, promising a free pardon, with remission of the sentence of transportation, to such male or female convict as should give information of any such offender or offenders, so that he or they might be brought to trial, and prosecuted to conviction; but no discovery was made in consequence of this offer.'
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"29 June 1788: Sunday",153,0,g,0
Still pining the loss of the cattle, Worgan says, 'No Tidings of our Cows & Bulls yet. Their Loss, if it proves one, will be rather a Misfortune for our Colony, & as an additional Calamity the Sheep, both of the Public, & Private Stocks'.
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"30 June 1788",154,0,g,0
In a quiet moment away from exploring duties, Hunter recorded an extraordinary speculation, 'It would appear, from the great similarity in some part or other of the different quadrupeds which we find here, that there is a promiscuous intercourse between the different sexes of all those different animals. The same observation might be made also on the fishes of the sea, on the fowls of the air, and, I may add, the trees of the forest. It was wonderful to see what a vast variety of fish were caught, which, in some part or other, partake of the shark: it is no uncommon thing to see a skate's head and shoulders to the hind part of a shark, or a shark's head to the body of a large mullet, and sometimes to flat body of a sting - ray'.
#
"1 July 1788",155,62741052.jpg,c,0
Taking their cue from the weather, Bradley says, 'It having blown a Gale of wind dead upon the shore for 40 Hours, we went down the Harbour to get on the high land of one of the Heads to look round that part of the Harbour which is exposed to the Sea, for any broken water or foul ground that may shew itself in so great a sea; we found the swell too great to attempt landing near the Middle Head as we intended. We went to the So. Head, where we had a good view of the sea & of all that part of the Harbour open to it, could not see the least appearance of any foul ground except the rock marked in the Chalk & which was seen when the boats first visited this Harbour & that shoal did not appear of greater extent than we had before determined it'.
More letters could be sent home soon, Worgan says, as, 'It has this Evening been announced that two of the Transports will sail for England on the 10th & two more on the 12th. I shall put Letters on Board of each, for You, & many of my Friends, so that you will receive One Mong them all probably just to tell you where I am, and that wherever I am, or may be, I shall hope, Wish & Pray for Your, & their uninterrupted Health & Happiness'.
\BDescription:\b Rough seas off Sydney Heads were always a danger whenever ships had to leave the harbour. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"3 July 1788",156,0,g,0
The convicts continued to steal, Collins records, and wine 'was stolen from the hospital, and some of those who had the care of it were taken upon suspicion and tried, but for want of sufficient evidence were acquitted. There was such tenderness in these people to each other's guilt, such an acquaintance with vice and the different degrees of it, that unless they were detected in the fact, it was generally next to impossible to bring an offence home to them. As there was, however, little doubt, though no positive proof of their guilt, they were removed from the hospital, and placed under the direction of the officer who was then employed in constructing a small redoubt on the east side'.
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"4 July 1788",157,0,g,0
'The principal business now going forward', White says, 'is the erecting huts for the marines and convicts, with the cabbage-tree. We have been here nearly six months and four officers only as yet got huts: when the rest will be provided with them seems uncertain, but this I well know, that living in tents, as the rainy season has commenced, is truly uncomfortable and likely to give a severe trial to the strongest and most robust constitution'. In a letter to Phillip, White called for more medical supplies, hoping the governor would send for these when the next ships left. 'Among the troops, their wives and children, as well as among the convicts who have been ill, the want of necessaries to aid the operation of medicine has been most materially and sensibly felt. My duty leads me to mention this circumstance to your Excellency in order that you may use such means for their procurement as may seem most expedient.
'I beg blankets and sheets for the hospital, none of which are in the colony. altho' they are essential and absolutely necessary. The want of them makes that observance and attention to cleanliness (a circumstance which among sick persons cannot be too much inculcated or attended to), utterly impossible. With respect to necessaries, our situation here, constantly living on salt provisions without any possibility of a change, makes them more necessary than perhaps in any other quarter of the globe.'
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"5 July 1788",158,0,g,0
Phillip, writing home to his superiors in a letter to go on the departing ships, explained, 'Rations for seven days successively for each marine and male convict are Seven pounds of bread, or seven pounds of flour. Seven pounds of beef, or four pounds of pork; three pints of pease; six ounces of butter; one pound of flour, or half a pound of rice'.
#
"6 July 1788: Sunday",159,0,g,0
Despite the order of clothing for the Australian Aboriginals, Hunter observed that they 'now found the number of natives to decrease considerably; but we have no reason to suppose that they retire back into the interior parts of the country; for in all the excursions which have been made inland, very few have been seen. The sea-coast, we have every reason at present to believe, is the only part of this country which is inhabited by the human race; the land seems to afford them but a very scanty subsistence. We have seen them roast and chew the fern-root. There is a small fruit here, about the size of a cherry; it is yellow when half grown, and almost black when ripe; it grows on a tree, which is not tall, but very full and bushy at the top; of this fruit we have often seen them eat: it has a good deal the taste of a fig, and the pulp, or inside, very much resembles that fruit in appearance: but the sea is their principal resource, and shell, and other fish, are their chief support'.
Native numbers went up and down. Bradley reported, 'A considerable party of the Natives were met with about 2 miles from the Camp', but immediately after, Hunter claimed their numbers were decreasing.
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"8 July 1788",160,0,g,0
The hunger of the Australian Aboriginals made them violent, White says. 'A party of the natives came to the place where the \ISirius\i's boat had been to haul the seine and, having beaten the crew, took from them by force a part of the fish which they had caught. It is a great misfortune to us that we cannot find proper wood in this place wherewith to build a boat, particularly as fish is not only so very plentiful in the summer but the only change from salt provisions which we can procure, there being neither wild nor domestic animals fit for food.
'Here, where no other animal nourishment is to be procured, the Kangaroo is considered as a dainty; but in any other country I am sure that such food would be thrown to the dogs, for it has very little or no fat about it, and, when skinned, the flesh bears some likeness to that of a fox or lean dog.'
#
"9 July 1788",161,0.jpg,"Representation of 1787-88 First Fleet voyage (ABS)",mabs1.avi
Ross explained to his superiors 'that I have permitted First Lieutenant James Maxwell and Second Lieutenant William Collins to return to England, in consequence of the report made to the Governor and me of the impossibility of their recovering their health in this country.
'The several duties we have to perform being very severe upon the officers in general, and the subalterns in particular, I beg to assure their Lordships that nothing less than the chance of saving those officers' lives could have made me grant the leave they requested, and therefore hope their Lordships will approve of what I have done.' Ross had plans for filling the gaps. 'I have taken them off the strength of the detachment, and Second Lieut. Dawes, who has been discharg'd from the \ISirius\i's books, has taken the place of Second Lieutenant Collins in it.
'I have likewise turned a drummer, a very bad one, into the ranks, and replaced him with a very fine, stout boy, son to one of the detachment, in order to draw as few men as possible from the \ISirius\i; and, sir, as he is attested, he stands upon the strength of the detachment. As I have ever since my arrival here entered my son, John Ross, as a volunteer, serving without pay, may I presume to solicite their Lordships to do me the honor of appointing him to that vacancy in the detachment?'
#
"10 July 1788",162,62741053.jpg,c,0
Another fish snatching incident took place, Bradley reports. 'The Governor's fishing boat met a great number of the Natives in the lower part of the Harbour, as they were hauling the Seine, the People gave fish to all the Natives, but they were not satisfied with that, they jumped upon the people employed in the Boat & took what they pleas'd, their Musquet happening to be left in the Boat.'
Major Ross, on behalf of the marines, wrote an angry letter to his superiors, 'This detachment came out with a promise of their being properly victualled while they remained here, and that I had myself been informed by Mr. Nepean, of the Secretary of State's office, that we were to be victualled in every respect the same as the garrison of Gibraltar, only not to pay for our rations. That had I not understood it so, and could I possibly have imagined that I was to be served with, for instance, no more butter than any of the convicts (nearly six ounces per week), I most certainly would not have left England without supplying myself with that article, as well as many other, or oyle, for my own use. I likewise beg you to authorize his Excellency to purchase on the next passage a proportion of wine or spirits to serve the marines three years.
'It is therefore, in justice to the detachment under my command, my earnest request that we be properly victualled in the manner intended; and as it is not possible to suppose troops can subsist with comfort on salt provisions and water only, it is hoped this request will be attended to, as I can affirm that no troops in the King's service ever had such severe duty to do; so can I with equal truth say that duty can never be done with more alacrity that it is done by this detachment.
'But should their grog be stopt I dread the consequences, and must pray that before such an event takes place, should it be so intended, their Lordships will order the detachment to be relieved, and shall hope I may be permitted to share with them in the same indulgence.' Ross concluded, 'But I will not answer for what may be the case hereafter, for, take my word for it, there is not a man in this place but wishes to return home'.
Surgeon White also wrote to his superiors of 'The prevalence of disease among the troops and convicts, who on landing were tainted with the scurvy, and the likelyhood of its continuance from the food (salt provisions) on which they are from necessity obliged to live, which has made the consumption of medicines so very great that the inclosed supply will be very much wanted before any ships can possibly arrive here from England'. His medical list included 'sugar, sago, oatmeal, barley, rice, currants, different spices, vinegar, and potable soup. Indeed, our situation, not having any fresh animal food, nor being able to make a change in the diet, which has and must be salt meat, makes these things more necessary here than, perhaps, in any quarter of the globe'.
Phillip also sent the last words ever heard from the ill-fated French fleet. 'Lieutenant Shortland is likewise charged with a box of letters from Monsieur La Perouse for the French Ambassador.'
\BDescription:\b Governor Phillip, concerned that the Aboriginals were naked, sent off to London for new clothing, with mixed results, as King Bungaree demonstrates. \I(Courtesy National Library of Australia)\i
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"11 July 1788",163,0,g,0
The settlers had now been on land for six months and for some, these twenty - four weeks must have seemed a very long time. The seasons had changed and Scott records on this day, 'A White frost in the Morning Which Was priety Sharp'.
Bradley reports another kill. 'One of the People killed a Male & Female Kangaroo & took a young one alive, which was sent on board the \Ialexander\i Transport to go to England.'
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"12 July 1788",164,0,g,0
The Reverend Richard Johnson wrote a letter home to his superiors saying, 'Though I have nothing particular to mention I cannot think of letting the fleet return to England without dropping you a single line to inform you of my health and welfare. Everything here is as yet (as you may easily suppose) very unsettled, but hope in time our situation will be rendered more comfortable, and even now, all things considered, thank God! I have no reason to complain'.
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"13 July 1788: Sunday",165,0,g,0
The ships at last began to leave. White says, 'The \IAlexander\i, \IFriendship\i, and \IPrince of Wales\i transports, with the \IBorrowdale\i victualler prepared to sail for England. His Majesty's brig the \ISupply\i to sail at the same time for Norfolk Island, with provisions, &c. for the people there'. Scott adds, 'Lieut. Shortland, On Board the \IAlexander\i prepared to Sail for England, With the first Despatch, Sence Wee Arrived'. Worgan found he had 'no less than 31 Letters' in different ships.
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"14 July 1788",166,0,g,0
The ships finally departed as Collins reports, 'The \IAlexander\i, \IPrince of Wales\i, and \IFriendship\i transports, with the \IBorrowdale\i storeship, having completed their preparations for sea, sailed together'. Bradley adds, 'Those ships were all in a distressed state when they sailed both as to sickness, want of provisions & furniture: we made a party to the So. Head to see them off the land, they had a fresh gale from the NW & were soon out of sight steering to the No.ward'.
Collins says, 'Two marines Lieutenant George Maxwell and Lieutenant William Collins embarked as passengers on the ships having obtained permission to return to Europe for the recovery of their healths, which had been in a bade state from the time of their arrival in the country'. Maxwell had gone insane since leaving England. Hunter adds, 'On the 14th of July, four transports, under the command of Lieutenant Shortland, sailed for England; they intended going to the northward, and passing through the streights of Macassar and Sunda, the season being too early either to attempt going round Van Diemen's land, and to endeavour to get to the westward by that tract, or to go to the eastward by Cape Horn'.
Tench, as during all epic moments in this story, has the last word. 'The departure of the first fleet of ships for Europe, on the 14th of July, had been long impatiently expected, and had filled us with anxiety, to communicate to our friends an account of our stituation; describing the progress of improvement, and the probability of success, or failure, in our enterprise. That men should judge very oppositely on so doubtful and precarious an event, will hardly surprise.' But then, 'It was impossible to behold without emotion the departure of the ships. On their speedy arrival in England perhaps hinged our fate; by hastening our supplies to us.'
#
"All Alone and Not a Ship in Sight",167,62741054.jpg,c,0
\B15 July to 2 October 1788\b
The departure of the bulk of the first fleet ships was a milestone for the first settlement - now they were much closer to being on their own than ever before and it was only a matter of time before the final commercial ships would have to abandon them.
Apart from the two naval ships HMS \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i there were now, 'only two transports remained of the fleet that came out from England', Collins noted, 'these were the \IGolden Grove\i and \IFishburn,\i and preparations were making for clearing and discharging them from government service. The people were employed in constructing a cellar on the west side for receiving the spirits which were on board the \IFishburn,\i and in landing provisions from the \IGolden Grove,\i which were stowed in the large storehouse by some seamen belonging to the \ISirius,\i under the inspection of the master of that ship'.
Soon the settlers would be left to themselves and the natives who, Tench says, could have been worse hosts. 'With the natives were very little more acquainted than on our arrival in the country. Our intercourse with them was neither frequent or cordial. They seemed studiously to avoid us, either from fear, jealousy, or hatred. When they met with unarmed stragglers, they sometimes killed, and sometimes wounded them. I confess that, in common with many others, I was inclined to attribute this conduct, to a spirit of malignant levity.
'But a farther acquaintance with them, founded on several instances of their humanity and generosity, which shall be noticed in their proper places, has entirely reversed my opinion; and led me to conclude, that the unprovoked outrages committed upon them, by unprincipled individuals among us, caused the evils we had experienced. To prevent them from being plundered of their fishing - tackle and weapons of war, a proclamation was issued, forbidding their sale among us; but it was not attended with the good effect which was hoped for from it.'
Tench felt the health record during this period was excellent. 'In July and August, we experienced more inclement tempestuous weather than had been observed at any former period of equal duration. And yet it deserves to be remarked, in honour of the climate, that, although our number of people exceeded 900, not a single death happened in the latter month.'
They had now been there over half a year and were becoming more acclimatised, even if they lacked the shelters they would have liked. As Tench observes, 'Since our disembarkation, in the preceding January, the efforts of every one had been unremittingly exerted, to deposite the public stores in a state of shelter and security, and to erect habitations for ourselves. We were eager to escape from tents, where a fold of canvas, only, interposed to check the vertic beams of the sun in summer, and the chilling blasts of the south in winter. A markee pitched, in our finest season, on an English lawn; or a transient view of those gay camps, near the metropolis, which so many remember, naturally draws forth careless and unmeaning exclamations of rapture, which attach ideas of pleasure only, to this part of a soldier's life. But an encampment amidst the rocks and wilds of a new country, aggravated by the miseries of bad diet, and incessant toil, will find few admirers.
'Nor were our exertions less unsuccessful than they were laborious. Under wretched covers of thatch lay our provisions and stores, exposed to destruction from every flash of lightning, and every spark of fire. A few of the convicts had got into huts, but almost all the officers, and the whole of the soldiery, were still in tents.
'In such a situation, where knowledge of the mechanic arts afforded the surest recommendation to notice, it may be easily conceived, that attention to the parade of duty of the troops, gradually diminished. Now were to be seen officers and soldiers not "trailing the puissant pike", but felling the ponderous gum-tree, or breaking the stubborn clod. And though "the broad falchion did not in a ploughshare end", the possession of a spade, a wheelbarrow, or a dunghill, was more coveted than the most refulgent arms in which heroism ever dazzled. Those hours, which in other countries are devoted to martial acquirements, were here consumed in the labours of the sawpit, the forge, and the quarry.
'On the convicts the burden fell yet heavier: necessity compelled us to allot to them the most slavish and laborious employments. Those operations, which in other countries are performed by the brute creation, were here effected by the exertions of men: but this ought not to be considered a grievance; because they had always been taught to expect it, as the inevitable consequence of their offences against society. Severity was rarely exercised on them; and justice was administered without partiality or discrimination. Their ration of provisions, except in being debarred from an allowance of spirits, was equal to that which the marines received. Under these circumstances I record with pleasure, that they behaved better than had been predicted of them. To have expected sudden and complete reformation of conduct, were romantic and chimerical.
'Our cultivation of the land was yet in its infancy. We had hitherto tried only the country contiguous to Sydney. Here the governor had established a government-farm; at the head of which a competent person of his own house hold was placed, with convicts to work under him. Almost the whole of the officers likewise accepted of small tracts of ground, for the purpose of raising grain and vegetables: but experience proved to us, that the soil would produce neither without manure; and as this was not to be procured, our vigour soon slackened; and most of the farms (among which was the one belonging to the government) were successively abandoned.'
From this time on, perhaps because so many detailed dispatches and letters had been sent with the departing ships, the journal entries, instead of being daily, became irregular, recording only things of great interest to the individual diary-keeper. Worgan's journal stops altogether.
\BDescription:\b As the first settlers dug in around Sydney Cove, gardens and farms sprung up, increasing the viability of the settlement. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"15 July 1788",168,62741055.jpg,c,0
Forever expecting ships from England, Bradley writes, 'Boards of direction were sent to Botany Bay to be fixed on Bare Island which is near the entrance, so that any ship that may arrive there would be informed that we were at Port Jackson, this party met with but few of the Natives. One of our Boats down the Harbour had several stones thrown at her on landing. A musquet fired at them set them off. The \ISupply\i sailed for Norfolk Island with Provisions & stores'.
\BDescription:\b On her voyage to Cape Town for supplies, HMS \ISirius\i struck rough seas and was fortunate to return safely. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"19 July 1788",169,62741076.jpg,c,0
Tench confirms the sailing date while Bradley reports that 'Several of the women convicts met with a party of the Natives in a cove where they were employed. The Natives did not appear to notice the difference of dress but soon found which sex they were of'.
\BDescription:\b The most successful farms were those on the Parramatta River, such as this one established by convict settler James Ruse. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"22 July 1788",170,0,g,0
A narrow escape was reported by White. 'A party of convicts, who had crossed the country to Botany Bay to gather a kind of plant resembling balm, which we found to be a good and pleasant vegetable, were met by a superior number of the natives, armed with spears and clubs, who chased them for two miles without being able to overtake them; but, if they had succeeded in the pursuit, it is probable that they would have put them to death, for wherever persons unarmed, or inferior in numbers, have fallen in with them, they have never failed to maltreat them.
'The natives had with them some middling-sized dogs, somewhat resembling the species called in England fox-dogs. A servant of Captain Shea being one day out shooting, he found a very young puppy, belonging to the natives, eating part of a dead Kangaroo. He brought it to the camp, and it thrives much. The dog, in shape, is rather short and well made, has very fine hair of the nature of fur, and a sagacious look. When found, though not more than a month old, he showed some symptoms of ferocity. It was a considerable time before he could be induced to eat any flesh that was boiled, but he would gorge it raw with great avidity.'
#
"23 July 1788",171,0,g,0
Fires once again set back the building program, White says. 'The blacksmith's shop, which was built of common brush wood, was burnt down. Very fortunately for us, the bellows and the other tools were through the exertion of the people, saved. To effect this was no easy point, as in the course of three of four minutes, the wood being very dry, every part of the shop was in flames.'
#
"27 July 1788: Sunday",172,0,g,0
Another convict and Australian Aboriginal encounter was observed by Bradley. 'Convicts gathering greens for the use of the sick were attacked by the Natives, one of them got clean & ran into Camp leaving his companion to do the best he could for himself. He was soon found by a Marine who happened to be near, but not before he was wounded by a spear which passed through one side of his face to his neck.'
These incidents worried the Judge Advocate who says, 'No precautions, however, that could be taken, or orders that were given, to prevent accidents happening by misconduct on our part, had any weight with the convicts. On the evening of the 27th one of them was brought in wounded by the natives. He had left the encampment with another convict, to gather vegetables, and, contrary to the orders which had been repeatedly given, went nearly as far as Botany Bay, where they fell in with a party of the natives, who made signs to them to go back, which they did, but unfortunately ran different ways. This being observed by the natives, they threw their spears at them. One of them was fortunate enough to escape unhurt, but the other received two spears in him, one entering a little above his left ear, the other in his breast. He took to an arm of the bay, which, notwithstanding his wounds, he swam across, and reported that the natives stood on the bank laughing at him.
'Much credit, indeed, was not to be given to any of their accounts; but it must be remarked, that every accident that had happened was occasioned by a breach of positive orders repeatedly given.
'Still, notwithstanding this appearance of hostility in some of the natives, others were more friendly. In one of the adjoining coves resided a family of them, who were visited by large parties of the convicts of both sexes on those days in which they were not wanted for labour, where they danced and sung with apparent good humour, and received such presents as they could afford to make them; but none of them would venture back with their visitors.'
#
"28 July 1788",173,0,g,0
A clever seaman had a lucky escape, Bradley says. 'A sailor straggling into the woods met several of the natives who threw stones at him & followed him when he attempted to run away. He with great presence of mind stopped & presented a stick at them in manner of a Musquet, at which they stopped & by that means he got away clear of them.'
#
"29 July 1788",174,62741077.jpg,c,0
Yet another convict escaped the Australian Aboriginals, and White says, 'Their spears are made of a kind of cane which grows out of the tree that produces the yellow gum; they are ten or twelve feet long, pointed, and sometimes barbed, with a piece of the same cane or the teeth of fish. These they throw, with the assistance of the short stick already mentioned, which has a shell made fast to the end of it with the yellow gum.
'With this gum they likewise fasten their barbs to their spears and fish - gigs. The latter of these differ from the former by having four prongs, and being always barbed, which is not generally the case with the spears.
'Their spears, the only weapon they are ever seen to have that may be considered in any degree as dangerous, they throw thirty or forty yards with an unerring precision. When equipped for any exploit, they are also armed with a shield made of the bark of a tree, with which they very dexterously ward off any thing thrown at them. An humble kind of scymitar, a bludgeon, or club, about twenty inches long, with a large and pointed end, and some times a stone hatchet, make up the catalogue of their military implements.
'This day three canoes, with a man and woman in each, came behind the point on which the hospital is built, to fish. I went over to them, as did two other gentlemen, my assistants, without their shewing any fear at our coming; on the contrary, they manifested a friendly confidence. We gave them some bread, which they received with apparent pleasure, but did not eat any of it while in our presence. We likewise presented them with a looking-glass, but this they received with indifference, and seemed to hold in no kind of estimation.
'I gave one of the women a pocket handkerchief, which she immediately tied round her head, and shewed great satisfaction. She had a young child between her knees in the canoe (the way in which they always carry their infants), for whom she solicited something, in the most suppliant tone of voice I ever heard. The only thing I had about me was a narrow slip of linen, which I gave her; and, trifling as it was, she appeared to be perfectly satisfied with it, and bound it round the child's head. She would not come out of the canoe, though alongside the rocks; but the man quitted it, and shewed us some wild figs that grew near at hand. Such as were green and unripe he did not pull; but, after some search, having found one that was tolerably ripe, he made me pluck it and put it into his mouth. He eat it with an apparent relish, and smacked his lips, after he had swallowed it, to convince us how good it was.
'At some little distance from the place where we were a sheep lay dead. As soon as he had discovered it, he took it by the horns, and, as well as we could understand him, he was extremely inquisitive and anxious to know what it was. When his curiosity was satisfied, he went into the canoe, where the woman had been waiting for him.'
\BDescription:\b Gum from the Yellow Gum plant was used by both Aboriginals and Europeans. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"7 August 1788",175,0,g,0
Heavy rains for the first week of August took their toll, Bradley reports. 'The Lt. Governor's House which was building of stone & several feet above the ground, gave way with the heavy rains & fell to the ground.'
#
"9 August 1788",176,0,g,0
The convicts took advantage of the bad weather, Collins says, as 'Thefts among the convicts during the bad weather were frequent; and a sheep was stolen from the farm on the east side for of which it had been for some time kept separate from the others and fattened; and although a proclamation was issued by the governor offering a pardon, and the highest reward his excellency could offer, emancipation, to any male or female convict who should discover the person or persons concerned in the felony, except the person who actually stole or killed the sheep, no information was given that could lead to a discovery of the perpetrators of this offence'.
#
"10 August 1788: Sunday",177,0,g,0
Two copulating kangaroos were killed with one shot, Bradley records. 'Two kanguroo were killed at one shot they were in the act of propagating the species which from the construction of the generative points they perform with their backs to each other.'
The marines, meanwhile, were asked if they wanted to stay, Scott says, or go home. 'Campbell was asked by the Governor, to Know Whom of the Detachment Would wish to Remaine in the Country After the Experation of three Years.'
#
"11 August 1788",178,0,g,0
The settlers had now been on shore seven months and the marines, ever conscious of their terms and conditions, received extra rations. Scott says, 'The whole detachment was victuled at full weight of every speacie except beef which was served, 3╜ lb of beef 21b of pork each man for one week. With the addition of one pound of flour on Sundays, no cheese but 6 oz butter per man per week'.
#
"12 August 1788",179,0,g,0
Royal birthdays always provided a welcome break and Scott says, 'This day the batalion marched from the parade to the flagstaff and fired 3 volies, the officer all dined with the governer. This night Mr Wight thee Surgoen Gen'l and Mr Balmain the 2d asstant fired thier Pistrols att each other and slightly wounded each other', which was a duel that went unreported in any more official account.
Collins adds that 'The anniversary of the Prince of Wales' birth was observed by a cessation from all kinds of labour'.
#
"13 August 1788",180,0,g,0
Food was becoming a major topic of conversation and Collins says, 'It had been imagined in England, that some, if not considerable savings of provisions might be made, by the quantities of fish that it was supposed would be taken; but nothing like an equivalent for the ration that was issued to the colony for a single day had ever been brought up. We were informed, that the French ships, while in Botany Bay, had met with one very successful haul of large fish, that more than amply supplied both ships companies; but our people were not so fortunate. Fish enough was sometimes taken to supply about two hundred persons; but the quantity very rarely exceeded this. Three sting-rays were taken this month, two of which weighed each about three hundred weight, and were distributed amongst the people'.
#
"14 August 1788",181,0,g,0
The rains had held up the progress, Collins says, as 'It was not until the 14th of the month, when the weather cleared up, that the people were again able to work. The public works then in hand were, the barracks for the marine detachment; an observatory on the west point of the cove; the houses erecting for the governor and the lieutenant-governor; and the shingling of the hospital'.
#
"15 August 1788",182,0,g,0
Natives came and went. Bradley notes, 'Fourteen canoes passed going down the Harbour. 12 of them had a man in each the other two empty & towed by them'.
#
"16 August 1788",183,0,g,0
Another incident was reported by White. 'A convict who had been out gathering what they called sweet tea, about a mile from the camp, met a party of the natives, consisting of fourteen, by whom he was beaten, and also slightly wounded with the shell-stick used in throwing their spears; they then made him strip, and would have taken from him his clothes, and probably his life, had it not been for the report of two musquets; which they no sooner heard than they ran away. This party were returning from the wood with cork, which they had been cutting, either for their canoes or huts; and had with them no other instruments than those that were necessary for the business on which they were engaged, such as a stone hatchet, and the shell stick before mentioned. Had they been armed with any other weapons, the convict would probably have lost his life.
'The scurvy still prevails with great violence, nor can we at present find any remedy against it, notwithstanding that the country produces several sorts of plants and shrubs which, in this place, are considered as tolerable vegetables, and used in common. The most plentiful is a plant growing on the sea shore, and a kind of wild spinage, besides a small shrub which we distinguish by the name of the vegetable tree, and the leaves of which prove rather a pleasant substitute for vegetables.'
#
"17 August 1788: Sunday",184,0,g,0
A survey was now taken by Hunter when 'the governor directed two boats from the \ISirius\i, with a proper officer in each, to go up the harbour to enter every cove on the way up, in order to ascertain, as exactly as possible, the number of canoes and natives within the harbour of Port Jackson.
'On comparing the accounts, which were taken by the different boats employed upon this business, it appeared that we had seen: Canoes 67, men 94, women 34, children 9 - which is by no means a just account of the numbers, who, at that time, lived in and about this harbour; for I have since seen in one part of the harbour more than that number.' Tench says there were 147 people counted but, 'No estimate, however, of even tolerable accuracy, can be drawn from so imperfect a datum; though it was perhaps the best in our power to acquire'.
#
"18 August 1788",185,0,g,0
The Australian Aboriginals now began to follow the fishing parties about, as Bradley said, 'A canoe with 3 men followed our fishing boat up the harbour & came alongside the ship but could not be persuaded to come on board'.
#
"19 August 1788",186,0,g,0
The ever-restless Phillip was on the move again. Bradley reports, 'The Governor with a party landed at the bay near the sound hills to walk along the shore to Botany Bay'.
#
"20 August 1788",187,0,g,0
Bradley says Phillip 'returned, met many Natives & on a part of the coast near Botany Bay was the remains of a whale which had been thrown ashore apparently a considerable time since. On this the Natives were then feasting'.
#
"21 August 1788",188,0,g,0
The Australian Aboriginals continued to preoccupy Bradley. 'Several natives passed through Sydney Cove & landed with 2 canoes on the west point; whilst their people enjoyed the attention of the Officer on one side; the rest went round & seeing a goat on the other side killed it with a spear & made off with it in a canoe towed by one of the others, they were pursued but not until it was too late, either to recover the goat or discover the thief.'
#
"22 August 1788",189,fp2-122.jpg,c,0
Further encounters with the Australian Aboriginals followed the goat killing. As Bradley says, 'The Governor landed in the N. arm of the harbour on an expedition and met a great number of Natives there with 50 canoes'. White added, 'His Excellency Governor Phillip, Lieutenant George Johnston, his Adjutant of Orders, Lieutenant Cresswell of the Marines, myself, and six soldiers, landed in Manly Cove, in order to examine the coast to Broken Bay. At a short distance from the shore, we saw sixteen canoes, with two persons in each, and in some three, employed in fishing. They seemed to take very little notice as we passed them, so very intent were they on the business in which they were engaged.
'On our landing, we saw sixty more of the natives, about two hundred yards distant from us. Some of them immediately came up to us, and were very friendly. A black man who carried our tents gave two of them a stocking each, with which they seemed much pleased; and, pointing to the naked leg, expressed a great desire to have that also clothed. The morning was so cold, that these poor wretches stood shivering on the beach, and appeared to be very sensible of the comfort and advantage of being clothed. One of them wore a skin of a reddish colour round his shoulders.'
Major Ross sent another demanding memo to Phillip. 'Having on the 15th of May represented to your Excellency the absolute impossibility of erecting barracks for the officers and men of the detachment without employing such artificers for that purpose as could be found amongst themselves, and having at the same time said that they could not be retained at such work unless they were to be paid in the customary manner of paying all troops employed on extra works for the public service, and more especially so as they knew that the artificers employed from the ships of war and transports were to be paid for work done on shore.'
\BDescription:\b Portrait of Major George Johnston. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"23 August 1788",190,0,g,0
White continued the story of his trip. 'As soon as the dew was off the grass, we began our march, and about twelve o'clock fell in with the south branch of Broken Bay but finding the country round this part very rugged, and the distance too great for our stock of provisions, we returned to the sea shore, in order to examine the south part of the entrance into the bay.
'All along the shore we met the natives, who seem to have no fixed residence or abode, but, indiscriminately, whenever they meet with a hut, or, what is more common, a convenient excavation or hole in the rocks, take possession of it for the time.
'In one of their huts, at Broken Bay, which was constructed of bark, and was one of the best I had ever met with, we saw two very well made nets, some fishing lines not inferior to the nets, some spears, a stone hatchet of a very superior make to what they usually have, together with two vehicles for carrying water, one of cork, the other made out of the knot of a large tree hollowed. In this hut there were two pieces of coarse linen, which they must have obtained from some of our people, and every thing about it bespoke more comfort and convenience than I had observed in any other.
#
"24 August 1788: Sunday",191,62741056.jpg,c,0
A fight was then observed by Bradley, 'Two boats were sent down to attend the Governor in case of his return; they found a great number of the natives in the cove where they lay with the boats. They observed several small parties join those who were first seen; the women came to the waterside & used every means to entice our boats to land: when the boats had been there about an hour, the men formed into two parties & fought sometime with spears & using oval shields, some fought with clubs & sticks; when they began the women & children scream'd & ran about seemingly much frightened & some of them came close down upon the beach off which the boats lay, some spears were thrown at our boats & fell so near them as to be picked up.
'One of the officers was of opinion that this was a sham fight from their holding frequent parties & only one seen to fall: at sunset when the boats left the cove, they set up a loud & apparently contemptuous shout & came close to the waterside, except a party of very tall stout men, who remained among the long grass and had the appearance of being chosen either as a guard for the women or a reserved party. In this branch of the harbour we have experienced that they have hostile intentions when they suppose our people in their power. There were about 200 of them collected together during the time of the boats stay'd in the cove & all arm'd with spears & clubs.' White says, 'We returned by the same passage, along the coast, without seeing any objects worth notice, until we came to a convenient spot to encamp for the night, where there was great plenty of cabbage trees and tolerable water'.
Meanwhile, Collins tells of an amazing incident. 'A convict named Daily then came in out of the woods claiming he had discovered a gold mine - making his discovery known to the lieutenant governor and the judge advocate; for which he said that he hoped and expected to have his freedom, and a pecuniary reward. The gentlemen to whom he applied answered that they could not promise to grant his request until he should have put them in possession of the mine; but that they were well assured that the governor would bestow on him a proper recompence, after sufficient proof of the discovery.
'A boat was, in consequence, ordered from the \ISirius,\i to carry him and Captain Campbell down to the place where he declared that the mine was situated. At their landing, he begged leave to withdraw a little, on some necessary occasion; when, instead of returning to Captain Campbell, he went back to the camp, and, waiting on the lieutenant governor and judge advocate, asserted that he had put Captain Campbell in possession of the mine, who had dispatched him over land for another officer and a proper guard.
'His account not being doubted, he was well fed and treated; and Lieutenant Paulden, with a guard and all necessary articles, was ordered to attend him to the place. But, before they could set out, to the great astonishment of all Captain Campbell arrived, and unravelled the whole of this extraordinary deception. This produced an unexpected revolution. Instead of receiving a reward for his golden discoveries, the impostor was immediately taken into custody, with two others, supposed to be concerned in carry on the artifice. The next day he was examined, with great privacy and strictness; but, no satisfactory elucidation being obtained from him, he was ordered to be severely whipped.
'Subsequently to this punishment, of which he was prepared to expect a weekly repetition, between the intervals of hard labour, and to be loaded incessantly with heavy irons, during the time of his remaining in the colony, he most audaciously persisted in endeavouring to maintain the delusion, and declared that if an officer was sent with him he would show the mine; adding that he was heartily sorry for what had happened.
'Accordingly, he was suffered to accompany Lieutenant G. Johnston, the Governor's Adjutant of Orders, to the place in question. Before the boat had reached its destination Mr. Johnston argued with him, yet not without protesting that if he either attempted to deceive \Ihim\i as he had imposed upon Captain Campbell or presumed to move five yards from him and his party, he would instantly order him to be shot. Finding that this officer was not to be trifled with, but seemed determined, he acknowledged that it was unnecessary to proceed any farther; that he was ignorant of the existence of any such mine, and that the specimens shown by him were only a composition of brass and gold, which he had filed down and melted.
'Mr. Johnston brought him back, when he was again examined, and ordered to be punished. It is needless to add that no further discovery was made. He is now at liberty. He is, however, obliged to wear a large R on his back to distinguish him as a Rogue. The man, whose name is Daily, appears insane; yet others cannot be persuaded that he is a lunatic, but are rather of opinion that he is a designing miscreant, and that time will disclose a deep-laid scheme, which he had planned for some purpose hitherto undiscovered.
'For my own part, I freely confess, that I cannot coincide with their sentiments. He was so artful as to circulate a report that he had sold several pounds weight of the ore to the master of the \IGolden Grove,\i and some of his seamen. This rumour was received with such credulity that, in consequence of the impression which it made, none of the sailors were suffered to leave the ship after a certain hour in the evening.
'In a word, so many ridiculous circumstances attended this affair, that to attempt a complete enumeration of them would prove not less difficult than uninteresting.'
\BDescription:\b Although the settlers tried to understand the markings on the Aborigines, the settlers were at a loss to understand their significance. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"25 August 1788",192,62741057.jpg,c,0
White 'set off early in the morning to look at the branch of Broken Bay which we had seen the evening before, and were led to it by a path not very much frequented. At the head of this branch we found a fresh-water river, which took its rise a little above, out of a swamp. Such is the origin and source of every river we have yet discovered in this country, though few, when compared to those in any other part of the world. It is very extraordinary that, in all this extensive tract, a living spring has not yet been explored. We returned to Manly Cove, where we met many natives, men, women and children. The women beckoned to us when the men, of whom they seemed to stand in very great dread, had turned their backs. Many of them were painted about the head, breast, and shoulders, with some white substance. None of those who were thus ornamented came on shore, till by signs we made them understand that we intended to offer them some presents; and even then only one of them ventured.
'To this person Lieutenant Cresswell gave a white pocket handkerchief, with which she seemed much pleased. Every gentleman now singled out a female and presented her with some trinkets, not forgetting, at the same time, to bestow gifts upon some of her children.
'A body of men came out of the woods with a new canoe, made of cork. It was one of the best we had observed in this country, though it fell very short of those which I have seen among the American or Musquito-shore Indians, who, in improvements of every kind, the Indians of this country are many centuries behind. The men had also with them some new paddles, spears, and fish-gigs, which they had just been making. They readily showed us the use of every thing they had with them. Indeed they always behave with an apparent civility when they fall in with men that are armed; but when they meet persons unarmed they seldom fail to take very advantage of them.
'Those females who were arrived at the age of puberty did not wear a covering; but all the female children and likewise the girls wore a slight kind of covering before them, made of the fur of the kangaroo, twisted into threads. The women landed, and began to broil their fish, of which they had a large quantity. There seemed to be no harmony or hospitality among them. However, the female to whom I paid the most attention gave me, but not until I asked her for it, some of the fish which she was eating. She had thrown it on the fire, but it was scarcely warm.
'Many of the women were strait, well formed, and lively. My companion continued to exhibit a number of coquettish airs while I was decorating her head, neck, and arms with my pocket and neck handkerchiefs, which I tore into ribbons, as if desirous of multiplying my two presents into several. Having nothing left, except the buttons of my coat, on her admiring them, I cut them away, and with a piece of string tied them round her waist. Thus ornamented, and thus delighted with her new acquirements, she turned from me with a look of inexpressible archness.
'The natives pointed to a hawk, and made signs to us to shoot it. It had alighted upon an adjoining tree, and the governor desired that I would bring it down. The report of the gun frightened them very much. Some ran away; but on perceiving that no harm was intended against them, they returned, and were highly pleased to see the hawk presented by the governor to a young girl, who appeared to be the daughter of the most distinguished amongst them.'
\BDescription:\b The 'noble savage', popularised by 18th century French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, influenced many of the early portraits of Aborigines. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"26 August 1788",193,62741058.jpg,c,0
'The \ISupply\i arrived from Norfolk Island', White says, 'after a long and rough passage. She had landed, but neither in apparent safety nor with facility, the stores which she carried to that place: and, upon the present occasion, I am sorry to add, that the hazard of landing and embarking from this little island is so very great that Mr. Cunningham, a midshipman of the \ISirius\i (who resided on it with Lieutenant King, the superintendant), was lost, with three seamen, in a boat that was swamped by the surf, which on every part of the coast runs high, and beats against the shore with great violence; so that I much fear, from the difficulty of access, and its situation, it never will prove of any great consequence, although it promised some advantages, particularly in furnishing us with pine trees, which grow here to a size nearly equal to those of Norway.
'In the whole island there is not a harbour capable of admitting even so small a vessel as the Supply, and the anchorage on every part of the coast is equally bad.
'The people get great plenty of fish and, at certain seasons, turtle. In the island also are pigeons, as tame as domestic fowls; and the soil seems well adapted for the growth of all kinds of grain and vegetables. It produces a wild banana, or plantain tree, which, by cultivation, may assist the settlers as a succedaneum for bread: and I am not without hopes that we shall be able to make some additions from thence to such necessaries of life as may in time be produced here.'
\BDescription:\b As the Europeans settled in, destroying traditional hunting grounds, the Aborigines left the area. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"27 August 1788",194,0,g,0
The settlers were always keen to build up their meagre supply of livestock and Scott says, 'I got a sow pig from William Reed (a Seaman belonging to the \ISirius\i)'.
#
"29 August 1788",195,0,g,0
More precious livestock was lost through Aboriginal attacks. White reported, 'some goats belonging to the \ISupply\i were browsing, when they killed, with their spear, a kid, and carried it away. Within this fortnight, they have also killed a he - goat of the governor's. Whenever an opportunity offered, they have seldom failed to destroy whatever stock they could seize upon unobserved. They have been equally ready to attack the convicts on every occasion which presented itself; and some of them have become victims to these savages.
'I have already observed that they stand much in fear of a musquet, and therefore they very seldom approach any person by whom it is carried; and their apprehensions are almost equally great when they perceive a red garment.'
#
"1 September 1788",196,0,g,0
Spring began badly for one convict, Bradley reports. 'A convict at Major Ross's farm was wounded by a spear being thrown at him from behind a tree by a native who ran away immediately.' Bradley then heard his ship was to sail. 'It had been determined that the \ISirius\i should visit some of the Islands near the Settlement, the Friendly or Society Islands. Every preparation was made for the voyage.'
#
"5 September 1788",197,62741059.jpg,c,0
The first settlers had now been on shore for eight months, when Bradley said the destination of HMS \ISirius\i was now altered as Phillip realised that, as remaining vegetables were damaged and as the grain crop had failed, he would need more supplies than any Pacific island could supply. Hunter takes up the story. 'Governor Phillip signified to me, that it was now his intention very soon to dispatch the \ISirius\i to the Cape of Good Hope, in order to purchase such quantity of provisions as she might be capable of taking on board; and that she might be made as light as possible for that purpose.
'In consequence of this order, eight guns, with their carriages, and 24 rounds of shot for each gun, 20 half barrels of powder, a spare anchor, an various other articles, were put on shore at Sydney cove: he also directed that I should leave the ship's long-boat behind for the use of the settlement: this order I confess I with reluctance obeyed, as the want of such a boat has often been very severely felt. The \ISirius\i was (except in the carpenter's department), perfectly ready for sea; but the carpenter's crew, together with the carpenter of the ship himself, having all been employed constantly on the business of the settlement, since our arrival in this country, the ship had, in consequence, been much neglected in that department.'
Other plans were also formed. Collins reports at 'the same time his excellency made known his intention of establishing a settlement on some ground which he had seen at the head of this harbour when he made his excursion to the westward in April last, and which, from its form, he had named the Crescent. This measure appeared the more expedient, as the soil in and about the settlement seemed to be very indifferent and unproductive, and by no means so favourable for the growth of grain as that at the Crescent'. Also 'the master of the \IGolden Grove\i storeship also was ordered to prepare for sea, the governor intending to employ that ship in taking provisions and stores, with a party of convicts, to Norfolk Island.
'The stores of the detachment having been kept on board the \ISirius\i until a building could be erected for their reception, and a storehouse for that purpose being now ready, they were removed on shore.'
\BDescription:\b Cook had reported extensive stands of Flax during his 1770 sojourn, but the first settlers only found small amounts, and an industry was never really developed. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"9 September 1788",198,0,g,0
The sunsets normally excited little attention, but Scott says, 'this evining the eliment was very red more so than ever I saw in my life which lasted about an hour'. A phenomenon explained by the more erudite White, 'About half after six in the evening, we saw an auror australis, a phaenomenon uncommon in the southern hemisphere'.
#
"14 September 1788: Sunday",199,0,g,0
Livestock raids continued on and off, Collins says, with varying results. 'Several canoes passed the \ISirius\i, and above 30 natives landed from them at the observatory or western point of the cove. They were armed, and, it was imagined, intended to take off some sheep from thence; but, if this was their intention, they were prevented by the appearance of two gentlemen who happened to be there unarmed; and, after throwing some stones, they took to their canoes and paddled off.'
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"17 September 1788",200,0,g,0
Relations with the Australian Aboriginals deteriorated, Tench reports, with serious consequences. 'Unabated animosity continued to prevail between the natives and us: in addition to former losses, a soldier and several convicts suddenly disappeared, and were never afterwards heard of. Three convicts were also wounded, and one killed by them, near Botany Bay: similar to the vindictive spirit which Mr. Cook found to exist among their countrymen at Endeavour river, they more than once attempted to set fire to combustible matter, in order to annoy us.'
#
"20 September 1788",201,0,g,0
A shortage of boats worried the settlement, as Collins explains. 'Two boats, one of eight and another of sixteen oars, having been sent out in frame for the use of the settlement, the carpenter of the \ISupply\i was employed in putting them together during that vessel's day in port, and one of them, the eight oared boat, was got into the water this month; but the want of a schooner or two, of from thirty to forty tons burden, to be employed in surveying this coast, was much felt and lamented.'
#
"25 September 1788",202,0,g,0
Incidents with the natives began to be the main journal subject with people such as Collins. 'The people in the fishing-boat reported that several spears were thrown at them by some of the natives; for no other reason, than that, after giving them freely what small fish they had taken, they refused them a large one which attracted their attention.'
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"27 September 1788",203,0,g,0
Food was another constant preoccupation, with Collins returning to the livestock. 'We had now given up all hope of recovering the cattle which were so unfortunately lost in May last; and the only cow that remained not being at that time with calf, and having since become wild and dangerous, the lieutenant-governor, whose property she was, directed her to be killed; she was accordingly shot at his farm, it being found impracticable to secure and slaughter her in the common way.'
#
"28 September 1788: Sunday",204,62741060.jpg,c,0
Having written to his superiors previously, asking for relief supplies, Phillip now alerted them to his own relief plan in a letter that was to go to Cape Town and then on to London. 'I have ordered the \ISirius\i to the Cape as all the seed wheat and most of the other seeds brought from England having been spoiled, as well as what wheat was put on board the \ISupply\i at the Cape; which has left us without a bushel of seed in the settlement. Having only a year's flour in store, Captain Hunter has orders to purchase as much as the ship can stow, and I apprehend he will be able to bring six months' for the settlement; as likewise what seed wheat, &c., we may want.' Phillip repeated his fear about the wreck of a future store ship. 'And you will, I believe, see the necessity of having always two years' provisions beforehand; a store-ship may be lost a long time before it is known here or in England'.
Phillip also called for medical supplies as, 'No kind of necessarys for the sick after landing was sent out. I have ordered to be purchased necessarys for the hospital. The cloaths for the convicts are in general bad, and there is no possibility of mending them for want of thread; it is the same with the shoes, which do not last a month; these I have likewise ordered. A strong launch to remove provisions will soon be necessary.
'Bills are given to the carpenters and sawyers of the \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i for the time they have been ashore. These small bills will give the Treasury some trouble, but this country has no Treasury. There are now only ten convict carpenters; more are absolutely necessary, as well as bricklayers, for the building to secure stores will be a heavy work. Tools will be much wanted by the time they can be sent out, and I cannot help repeating that most of the tools were as bad as ever were sent for barter on the coast of Guinea.
'The punishment records that show when the time expires for which the convicts have been transported is very necessary, many of whom will desire to return; and there are many that will be a burthen to Government, and who I should be glad to send away. The good behaviour and industry of two convicts have induced me to request that their families may be sent to them. The men are at Norfolk Island, and which they do not wish to leave after the time for which they have been transported expires. The names and places of abode of these two families are inclosed.
'The \IGolden Grove\i is now ready to sail, with one midshipman, one serjeant, one corporal, and five marines, twenty men and ten women convicts. These will make the number on Norfolk Island sixty, and I send eighteen months' provisions. The \IFishburn\i will be ready to sail by the time the \IGolden Grove\i returns, and both ships shall sail immediately for England.'
Phillip's update on the Australian Aboriginals said, 'I am sorry to have been so long without knowing more of these people, but I am unwilling to use any force, and hope this summer to persuade a family to live with us, unless they attempt to burn our crops, of which I am apprehensive, for they certainly are not pleased with our remaining amongst them, as they see we deprive them of fish, which is almost their only support; but if they set fire to the corn, necessity will oblige me to drive them to a greater distance, though I can assure your Lordship that I shall never do it but with the greatest reluctance, and from absolute necessity'.
\BDescription:\b The colony badly needed ships, but it was not until years later, as shown here, that London permitted local shipbuilding. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"30 September 1788",205,62741061.jpg,c,0
At last the \IGolden Grove\i was ready and Bradley says, 'A midshipman, 2 seamen, a Corporal and 5 private marines belonging to the \ISirius,\i 20 men and 12 women convicts were put on board the \IGolden Grove\i Transport to proceed under the direction of the Master of the \ISupply\i Captain Ball, to Norfolk Island to be left there in addition to those people already on that Island with Mr. King, taking 12 months provisions of all species for the whole number of people'.
\BDescription:\b William Pitt was British Prime Minister during the early period of settlement. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"1 October 1788",206,0,g,0
Hunter received his final orders, 'and on Wednesday the 1st of October, unmoored the ship; the governor and his family dined on board, and the wind being easterly, we got under weigh and worked down to the lower anchorage, where we came to, intending to take advantage of the land wind in the morning to put to sea. The \IGolden Grove\i store-ship also came down and anchored below, having on board provisions and other stores, for Norfolk Island. In the evening, the governor and the other gentlemen who were with him took their leave'. Scott, whose comrades went to Norfolk Island, says, 'Lieut & Qr Master James Furzer was put under an arrest by the Commanding Officer Major Ross'.
#
"2 October 1788",207,62741062.jpg,c,0
Collins writes, 'The detachment finding it convenient to collect vegetables, and being obliged to go for them as far as Botany Bay, the convicts were ordered to avail themselves of the protection they might find by going in company with an armed party; and never, upon any account, to straggle from the soldiers, or go to Botany Bay without them, on pain of severe punishment.
'Notwithstanding this order and precaution, however, a convict, who had been looked upon as a good man (no complaint having been made of him since his landing, either for dishonesty or idleness), having gone out with an armed party to procure vegetables at Botany Bay, straggled from them, though repeatedly cautioned against it, and was killed by the natives. On the return of the soldiers from the bay, he was found lying dead in the path, his head beat to a jelly, a spear driven through it, another through his body, and one arm broken. Some people were immediately sent out to bury him; and in the course of the month the parties who went by the spot for vegetables three times reported that his body was above the ground, having been, it was supposed, torn up by the natives' dogs.
'This poor wretch furnished another instance of the consequences that attended a disobedience of orders which had been purposely given to prevent these accidents; and as nothing of the kind was known to happen, but where a neglect and contempt of all order was first shewn, every misfortune of the kind might be attributed, not to the manners and disposition of the natives, but to the obstinacy and ignorance of our people.'
White says the convict was 'named Cooper Handley and the natives were so near our men that they heard them very distinctly shouting and making a great noise, yet were unable to overtake them in the pursuit'.
Easty also noted, 'Cupper Handley was barberasely killed by the natives att Botany Bay where they ware a going for greens'. Scott also confirms the death, 'Cooper Hanley a convict kild by the natives at Botnay bay'.
Scott also says, 'When the \ISirius\i sail,d for the Cape I sent 3.6.0 for sundrey artickels, by mr. Wargan Doctr of the \ISirius\i'.
Hunter records the departure of the \ISirius\i on her emergency dash to Cape Town for supplies. 'Early in the morning of the 2d, with the wind at south west, we sailed out of the harbour.' Collins says, 'The same day the \IGolden Grove\i sailed for Norfolk Island, with a reinforcement of male and female convicts as gardeners; a midshipman from the \ISirius\i to fill up the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Cunningham; a sergeant, corporal, and six privates; and a supply of necessaries for eighteen months'.
Tench, always one for the last word, caught the \ISirius\i with his own letter home via Cape Town. 'In Port Jackson all is quiet and stupid as could be wished. We generally hear the lie of the day as soon as the beating of the Reveille announces the return of it; find it contradicted by breakfast time; and pursue a second through all its varieties, until night, welcome as to a lover, gives us to sleep and dream ourselves transported to happier climes.
'Let me not, however, neglect telling you the little news which presents itself. All descriptions of men enjoy the highest state of health; and the convicts continue to behave extremely well. A gang of one hundred of them, guarded by a captain, two subalterns and 20 marines, is about to be sent up to the head of the harbour, at the distance of 3 leagues, in a westerly direction, from Sydney Cove, for the purpose of establishing a settlement there. The convicts are to be employed in putting the land around into cultivation, as it appears to be of a more promising nature than that near the encampment. Indeed this last hitherto succeeds but very indifferently, though I do not yet despair, that when good seeds can be procured, our toil will be better rewarded. But as this is an event at a distance, and in itself very precarious.'
It must have seemed precarious, as now only two ships remained in the harbour - HMS \ISupply,\i the tiny tender, and \IFishburn,\i the storeship full of spirits. Everybody would now be counting the days till \ISirius\i returned with the badly needed supplies.
\BDescription:\b Fishing was the main food gathering activity for the Port Jackson Aboriginals who, despite using simple tools, caught sufficient fish for their own needs - until the Europeans arrived. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Eenie Meenie Minie Mo",208,62741063.jpg,c,0
\B3 October 1788 to 26 January 1789\b
The settlement now entered an uneasy waiting period. Admitting that relief was not about to come from England, they were now fending for themselves by sending off their own relief ship. After nearly nine months without word from home, this was a wise decision, but it was a long way to Cape Town and back and many things could go wrong. So Phillip had to prepare for the worst as food supplies dwindled, the Australian Aboriginals attacked more often and the settlers fought among themselves.
As conditions deteriorated, the journals fell off, and with Bradley and Hunter away, only White, Collins, Tench, Scott and Easty were left to record events at a basic level - apart from official reports from Phillip and Ross.
\BDescription:\b By the end of the first year, the settlement had a definite plan with main buildings already in place. \I(Courtesy Newgate Calendar)\i
#
"3 October 1788",209,0,g,0
'On the departure of the \ISirius\i', Collins says, 'one pound of flour was deducted from the weekly ration of those who received the full proportion, and two thirds of a pound from such as were at two-thirds allowance. The settlement was to continue at this ration until the return of the \ISirius\i, which was expected not to exceed six months. But public labour was not affected by this reduction'.
#
"6 October 1788",210,0,g,0
The settlers had now been ashore for thirty-six weeks, or nine months; children conceived on shore were now being born in the colony - the first white Australians.
#
"10 October 1788",211,0,g,0
Easty says, 'John Jones a marine departed this life of a concumtion and fever' and Scott identifies him from the Plymouth division.
#
"13 October 1788",212,0,g,0
The marines had been unhappy since they sailed and, since landing, had refused to co-operate in many duties. Now they met and decided they were not able to hold any more court martials for disciplining their own troops. As Collins wrote to Ross, 'The officers assembled by your order for the purpose of holding a general court-martial beg leave to acquaint you that not conceiving they can legally sit as members of a court-martial under any other than a warrant from the Admiralty, enclose you their reasons for that opinion, which they request you will lay before his Excellency the Governor, and afterwards transmit a copy of the same to the Right Hon'ble the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. They further request they may be allowed to accompany you to his Excellency with the statement of their opinion'.
#
"17 October 1788",213,0,g,0
Collins says, 'The cellar being completed and ready for the reception of the spirits that were on board the \IFishburn\i, they were landed from that ship; and she, being cleared and discharged from government employ, hove down, and prepared for her return to England'.
Meanwhile, 'A gang of convicts were employed in rolling timber together, to form a bridge over the stream at the head of the cove; and such other public works as were in hand went on as usual; those employed on them in general barely exerting themselves beyond what was necessary to avoid immediate punishment for idleness', wrote Collins.
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"24 October 1788",214,0,g,0
Another incident was reported by Collins. 'A party of natives, meeting a convict who had straggled from the settlement to a fence that some people were making for the purpose of inclosing stock, threw several spears at him; but, fortunately, without doing him any injury. The governor, on being made acquainted with the circumstance, immediately went to the spot with an armed party, where some of them being heard among the bushes, they were fired at; it having now become absolutely necessary to compel them to keep at a greater distance from the settlement.'
#
"26 October 1788: Sunday",215,0,g,0
Easty, keeping track of fellow marines, says, 'James Roges a marine went this day into the woods and could not be found after'.
#
"27 October 1788",216,0,g,0
Governor Phillip wrote to Lord Sydney, saying, 'I am very sorry to be under the very disagreeable necessity of troubling your Lordship with the very unpleasant situation of the detachment doing duty in this country and the discontents between the Commandant and the officers, but it is not in my power to restore that harmony which is so very requisite in our situation.
'Having received a letter from Major Ross requesting a general court martial on an officer for neglect of duty, contempt, and disrespect to him, I issued a warrant for assembling a general court-martial; but the thirteen senior officers, when assembled, declared that they could not sit as members of a general court-martial under that warrant, being, as a part of his Majesty's marine forces, amenable only to the authority of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain. The warrant was issued under the authority of his Majesty's Commission under the Act of Parlament made for the Army.'
#
"28 October 1788",217,0,g,0
White reports another loss when, 'A marine went to gather some greens and herbs, but has not returned; as he was unarmed, it is feared that he has been met and murdered by the natives'.
#
"29 October 1788",218,0,g,0
Scott 'was sent with a party of men to look for James Rdgers a Marine that was lost in the woods'.
#
"30 October 1788",219,62741064.jpg,c,0
Phillip began a letter home complaining of 'the little progress we have been able to make in cultivating the lands and, I presume, the necessity of a few proper persons being sent out to superintend the convicts, as well as settlers, who have been used to cultivation; for at present this settlement only affords one person that I can employ in cultivating the lands on the public account. Most of the officers have cultivated a little ground, but it is merely for their own conveniency, and none more than a single acre, except the Lieutenant Governor, who has about three acres. I have sixteen at a small farm on the public account. It must, my Lord, be settlers, with the assistance of the convicts, that will put this country in a situation for supporting its inhabitants.
'Now natives attack any straggler they meet unarmed; and though the strictest orders have been given to keep the convicts within bounds, neither the fear of death or punishment prevents their going out in the night; and one has been killed since the \ISirius\i sailed.
'If my former letters have reached your Lordship the situation of this settlement is known, and as most of the officers have declined any kind of interference with the convicts, except when immediately employed by themselves, the little progress made in clearing land that requires so much labour will be accounted for.
'The \IFishburn\i is now fitting for sea, that she may sail with the \IGolden Grove,\i as soon as that ship returns from Norfolk Island.
'The same reason which makes me trouble your Lordship with tedious extracts from my former letters makes it necessary to point out in this letter that we at present depend entirely for provisions being sent from England; and I beg leave to observe that if a ship should be lost in the passage it might be a very considerable time before it could be known in England. The \ISirius,\i from the length of the voyage, would not be able to supply this settlement from the Cape.
'I hope a very few years will put this country in a situation to support itself, for I have the pleasure of seeing what land has been cleared in a very flourishing state.'
\BDescription:\b The Aboriginals, despite preconceptions of the Europeans, were found to have a complicated religious belief system involving many associated rituals. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"31 October 1788",220,0,g,0
White reports a lucky escape. 'A sergeant and four privates, who had been missing three days, returned. They were sent by the commanding officer to look for the marine, and lost themselves in the woods. In the evening of this day we had very loud thunder, and a shower of hail; many of the hail-stones were measured, and found to be five-eights of an inch in diameter.
#
"2 November 1788: Sunday",221,0,g,0
As seeds were not growing very well in Sydney, Phillip decided to spread out, as Easty records. 'This day 3 officers and 8 private marines with some convicts went up the harbour to Rose Hill and made a settelment there.' Scott says the party was led by 'Lieut J. Johnstone who proseeded with the party up to the head of the harbour to make the settelment there'.
White adds, 'This day more hail; the weather dark and gloomy, with dreadful lightning. The mercury during the whole of the day stood between 66 and 68'. Collins notes, 'His excellency the governor also went up to the Crescent, with the surveyor-general, to choose the spot, and to mark out the ground for a redoubt and other necessary buildings; and the party of ten convicts, being chiefly people who understood the business of cultivation, were sent up to him, and a spot upon a rising ground, which his excellency named Rose Hill, in compliment to G. Rose Esq. one of the secretaries of the treasury, was ordered to be cleared for the first habitations. The soil at this spot was of a stiff clayey nature, free from that rock which every where covered the surface at Sydney Cove, well clothed with timber, and unobstructed by underwood'.
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"3 November 1788",222,0,g,0
Tench says the 'new settlement was 16 miles inland and a small redoubt was thrown up, and a captain's detachment posted in it, to protect the convicts who were employed to cultivate the ground'.
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"7 November 1788",223,0,g,0
Reinforcements were sent to Rose Hill. Easty says, 'A nother party went up to joyne Lieut. J. Johnston'. White says, 'A criminal court sentenced a convict to five hundred lashes for stealing soap, the property of another convict, value eight pence'.
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"10 November 1788",224,0,g,0
The settlement was excited when 'The \IGolden Grove\i returned from Norfolk with firr plant etc for the Governor', Easty says. White confirms, 'The \IGolden Grove\i carried a few spars, and some timber for the governor. While she lay there, she was obliged to cut her cable and stand to sea, there being no harbour in the whole island where a ship can ride in safety. The master of the ship was swamped in the surf and nearly lost, with his boat and crew'.
\IGolden Grove\i also 'brought from Norfolk Island a lower yard and a topgallant-mast for herself, and the like for the \IFishburn\i'.
#
"11 November 1788",225,0,g,0
Fighting took its toll among the marines. Easty says, 'This day Thos Bulmore departed this life of some bows that he recievd from James Baker when they ware fighting for which thay ware to be tryed by the Sevil Law and sentanced 200 lashes for man Slaughter'. Scott says, 'Bulmoe was stongley suspected to be ill, used by others' and the others 'confined were Askew, Hanes & Richard Dukes where immeditley after his death to take their trial'.
White justified the impending trial. 'So small is our number, and so necessary is every individual who composes it, for one purpose or another, that the loss of even a single man may truly be considered as an irreparable disadvantage!' White then signs off saying, 'The preceding is all the account I am able at present to send you of the territories of New South Wales, and its productions. The unsettled state in which you must naturally suppose every thing, as yet, to remain, will not permit me to be as copious as I could wish; but, by the next dispatch, I hope to be able to send you no inconsiderable additions to the Natural History, and at the same time such further information concerning our affairs here as during the interim shall have occured'. Sadly, White's second journal has never been located.
#
"13 November 1788",226,0,g,0
Scott says, 'Capt. Merradeths company's grogg was stoped by Major Ross for 7 Days', for some unexplained reason, nevertheless reflecting growing tensions among the marines.
#
"15 November 1788",227,62741065.jpg,c,0
Deaths promoted changes in the colony, as Scott observes. '3 marines joynd. the detachmt. from the \ISupply\i Brig. in leu of 3 men deceased.'
The Reverend Richard Johnson began a report home for the ships about to leave. 'Am happy that another opportunity offers of writing to you to inform you of our health & welfare. 'Tis now near Ten Months since we first arrived at this part of the world. I travel much about home; with much Labour & no small cost we have got into our little Cabbage tree Cottage - no smaller curiosity it is, I assure you, & could it be placed on Bonfire Corner but one day, I dare say it would have as many spectators & admirers as ever had Lunardy's Balloon.
'Am happy, however, that it in some measure answers our purpose, though now and then in excessive Rains, we are all in a swim within doors. My little Garden also begins to flourish & supplies us daily with either one kind of vegetables or other. As to the Country in general, I confess I have no very great opinion of nor expectation from it. The greatest part of it is poor & barren & rocky & requires a great deal of labour to clear it of trees, roots, &c., & to cultivate it, & after all, the corn that has been sown hitherto looks very poor & unpromising. I think I can say none have given it a fairer trial than myself. Others seem to be in the same predicament & all almost, at least with but few exceptions, are heartily sick of the expedition, & wish themselves back safe in old England.
'Mrs. J. was delivered of a man child, but my Babe was still born & my dear Parner, for some time, was in the utmost danger. Through Mercy, however, she was at length safely delivered & continues to recover though but very slowly.
'I am yet obliged to be a field Preacher. No Church is yet begun of, & I am afraid scarcely thought of. Other things seem to be of greater Notice & Concern & most would rather see a Tavern, a Play House, a Brothel - anything sooner than a place for publick worship.'
\BDescription:\b After months of preaching in the open or in the government storehouse, Reverend Richard Johnson financed the building of this church out of his own pocket. He was later paid back by the government. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"16 November 1788: Sunday",228,0,g,0
Before the last two ships left, Ross filed more complaints to his superiors. 'I much fear you expect to hear from me by every ship which sails from here. The truth of the matter is that I have no one thing to communicate to you that can give you either pleasure or satisfaction, for, unless I attempted to give you a description of this country, and of the hardships, mortifications, and I had almost said cruelites, we are obliged to submit to, I have no subject worth taking up your time with.
'From our Governor's manner of expressing himself, for he communicates nothing to any person here but to his secretary (Capt. Collins), he has, I dare say, described this country as capable of being made the Empire of the East. But notwithstanding all he may from interested motives say - and as this letter is only for your own private perusal - I do not scruple to pronounce that in the whole world there is not a worse country than what we have yet seen of this. All that is contiguous to us is so very barren and forbidding that it may with truth be said here nature is reversed; and if not so, she is nearly worn out, for almost all the seeds we have put into the ground has rotted, and I have no doubt but will, like the wood of this vile country when burned or rotten, turn to sand. If the Minister has a true and just description given him of it he will not surely think of sending any more people here. If he does, I shall not scruple to say that he will entail misery on all that are sent and an expense on the mother country that in the days of her greatest prosperity she was not equal to, for there is not one article that can ever be necessary for the use of man but which must be imported into this country. Of the general opinion entertained here of the wretched prospect we have before us I cannot I think give you a more convincing proof than that every person who came out with a design of remaining in the country are now most earnestly wishing to get away from it.'
#
"17 November 1788",229,0,g,0
The day came for the trial of James Barker and the three other marines who killed Tom Bullmore. Scott says, 'The above mentioned, Baker, Hanes Askew & Dukes was tryed for the murder of Thos. Bulmore. It was brought in man slaughter & they was sentenced to receve 200 lashes each'.
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"18 November 1788",230,0,g,0
Scott, a would-be farmer, says, 'Lieut. Dawes gave me a sow pig'.
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"19 November 1788",231,0,g,0
At last the day came for the final two commercial ships of the first fleet to leave for home - more than ten months after arriving. Collins says, 'By these ships - \IFishburn\i and \IGolden Grove\i - The governor sent home dispatches, and he strongly recommended to the masters to make their passage round by the south cape of this country; but it was conjectured that they intended to go round Cape Horn, and touch at Rio de Janeiro'.
Many letters, reports, dispatches and presents went to England on either the \IGolden Grove\i or \IFishburn\i, and now with the departure of the hired ships, only HMS \ISupply\i remained - a tiny seventy-foot brig, 150 tons of timber transport - connecting the settlement to civilisation.
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"20 November 1788",232,0,g,0
As if to protect themselves or boost morale, Collins says, 'The small redoubt that was begun in July last being finished, a flag-staff was now erected, and two pieces of iron ordnance placed in it'.
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"21 November 1788",233,0,g,0
The killers of Tom Bullmore received their 200 lashes from the hangman, Scott reported.
Collins says this was 'Instead of burning in the hand, which would not have been in this country an adequate punishment'.
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"22 November 1788",234,0,g,0
Reinforcements went up the harbour, as Scott tells. 'This day Captn Cambell with a party of 16 marines went up the harbour to govern the Party att Rose Hill.' Easty adds that 'Lt Sharp went as well'.
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"24 November 1788",235,0,g,0
The farming marine, Scott, was sufficiently excited in the livestock-starved settlement, to report, 'I sett a hen on 17 eggs. She layed one while sitting which made 18 and brought forth 16 chickens', which would have added greatly to the number in the settlement.
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"28 November 1788",236,0,g,0
Stealing was getting out of hand, so Collins said, and 'In order to prevent, if possible, the practice of thieving, which at times was very frequent, an order was given, directing that no convict, who should in future be found guilty of theft, should be supplied with any other clothing than a canvas frock and 3 trousers. It was at the same time ordered, that such convicts as should in future fail to perform a day's labour, should receive only two thirds of the ration that was issued to those who could and did work.
'Unimportant as these circumstances may appear when detailed at a distance from the time when they were necessary, they yet serve to show the nature of the people by whom this colony (whatever may be its fate) was first founded; as well as the attention that was paid by those in authority, and the steps taken by them, for establishing good order and propriety among them, and for eradicating villany and idleness.'
#
"3 December 1788",237,0,g,0
The first settlers had now been on shore for more than ten months but still the convicts stole and so Phillip hanged another one. As Easty recorded, 'This day James Dealey a convict was excuted for roberrey'. Scott says, 'Dealey confessed at the gallows the robbing of Lieut. Kellow & Mr. Alt the Survayor'. Collins adds, 'James Daley was the convict who in August pretended to have discovered an inexhaustible source of wealth in gold and was punished for his imposition. He was observed from that time to neglect his labour, and to loiter about from hut to hut, while others were at work. He was at last taken up and tried for breaking into a house, and stealing all the property he could find in it; of this offence he was convicted, and suffered death; the governor not thinking him an object of mercy. Before he turned off, he confessed that he had committed several thefts, to which he had been induced by bad connections, and pointed out two women who had received part of the property for the acquisition of which he was then about to pay so dear a price.
'These women were immediately apprehended, and one of them made a public example of, to deter others from offending in the like manner.'
#
"6 December 1788",238,0,g,0
Men kept disappearing, as Easty says, 'Wee receved the disagreeabel news from Rose Hill of Captain Campbells being missing in the woods sence 3 OClock yesterday without any person in companey or any provision'.
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"7 December 1788: Sunday",239,0,g,0
The missing marine caused some concern, Scott says. 'A boat returns from Rose Hill at 6 in the morning but no account of Captain Campbells being found. This evening a party sent from camp (at Sidney Cove) in serch of him. Several parteys contineus in serch at Rose Hill. This evening Adjut. Long proseedes with a party up the river to Rose Hill.'
Then, 'Wee receve the agreeabel news of the Catps. returing to camp (at Rose Hill) this morning. He relates that while he was in the woods he had onley two charges of pouder & shot, with which he shot one pidgeon & made a fire & while he was dressing one half a hawk came & took the other half a way'.
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"11 December 1788",240,0,g,0
'The governor set off with a small party in boats', Collins said, 'to examine the different branches of Botany Bay, and, after an excursion of five days, returned well satisfied that no part of that extensive bay was adapted to the purpose of a settlement; thus fully confirming the reports he had received from others, and the opinions he had himself formed'.
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"18 December 1788",241,0,g,0
More trouble with the Australian Aboriginals now erupted. Tench wrote, 'Early on the morning of the 18th of December, word was brought that they were assembled in force, near the brick-kilns, which stand but a mile from the town of Sydney. The terror of those who brought the first intelligence magnified the number to two thousand; a second messenger diminished it to four hundred. A detachment, under the command of an officer was ordered to march immediately, and reconnoitre them. The officer soon returned, and reported, that about fifty Indians had appeared at the brick-kilns; but upon the convicts, who were at work there, pointing their spades and shovels at them, in the manner of guns, they had fled into the woods.
'Tired of this state of petty warefare and endless uncertainty, the governor at length determined to adopt a decisive measure, by capturing some of them, and retaining them by force; which we supposed would either inflame the rest to signal vengeance, in which case we should know the worst, and provide accordingly: or else it would induce an intercourse, by the report which our prisoners would make of the mildness and indulgence with which we used them. And farther, it promised to unveil the cause of their mysterious conduct, by putting us in possession of their reasons for harassing and destroying our people, in the manner I have related. Boats were accordingly ordered to be got ready, and every preparation made, which could lead to the attainment of our object.'
#
"20 December 1788",242,0,g,0
Short food supplies and the desire to get back to England killed one poor wretch as, 'A convict having been found dead in the woods near the settlement', Collins said, 'an enquiry into the cause of his death was made by the provost-marshal; when it appeared from the evidence of Mr. Balmain one of the assistant-surgeons who attended to open him, and of the people who lived with the deceased, that he died through want of nourishment, and through weakness occasioned by the heat of the sun. It appeared that he had not come for more than a week past eaten his allowance of provisions, the whole being found in his box. It was proved by those who knew him, that he was accustomed to deny himself even what was absolutely necessary to his existence, abstaining from his provisions, and selling them for money, which he was reserving, and had somewhere concealed, in order to purchase his passage to England when his time should expire'.
#
"22 December 1788",243,0,g,0
Travel by land was so bad that Collins says, 'Mr. Reid, the carpenter of the \ISupply,\i now undertook the construction of a boat-house on the east side, for the purpose of building, with the timber of this country, a launch or hoy, capable of being employed in conveying provisions to Rose Hill, and for other useful and necessary purposes. The working convicts were employed on Saturdays, until ten o'clock in the forenoon, in forming a landing-place on the east side of the cove. At the point on the west side, a magazine was marked out, to be constructed of stone, and large enough to contain fifty or sixty barrels of powder'.
#
"25 December 1788: Christmas Day",244,0,g,0
Only Collins reported anything on Christmas Day, which he says 'was observed with proper ceremony. Mr. Johnson preached a sermon adapted to the occasion, and the major part of the officers of the settlement were afterward entertained at dinner by the governor'.
#
"29 December 1788",245,0,g,0
Any post-Christmas celebrations being enjoyed by Easty and his colleague were cut short, as Easty admits, 'This day John Easy and Thomas Brimage was tryed by a courtmartial for leaveing the camp without leave for which we was sentanced 50 lashes each but the cortt recommended us to the Commanding officer for mercy and we was forgiven'.
#
"30 December 1788",246,62741067.jpg,c,0
The first year drew to a close on a rather strange note, as Scott reported, 'The Governor sent Captain Ball of the \ISupply\i brig & Lieutenant George Johnston with two armed boats to secure some of the Natives, they brought in one and call him, "Manley". They secured him at Manley Bay. One more made his escape after they had hold of him'.
As Collins explains, 'It being remarked with concern, that the natives were becoming every day more troublesome and hostile, several people having been wounded, and others, who were necessarily employed in the woods, driven in and much alarmed by them, the governor determined on endeavouting to seize and bring into the settlement, one or two of those people, whose language it was become absolutely necessary to acquire, that they might learn to distinguish friends from enemies.
'Accordingly, a young man was seized and brought up by Lieutenant Ball of the \ISupply,\i and Lieutenant George Johnston of the marines. A second was taken; but, after dragging into the water beyond his depth the man who seized him, he got clear off The native who was secured was immediately on his landing led up to the governor's, where he was clothed, a slight iron or manacle put upon his wrist, and a trusty convict appointed to take care of him.'
\BDescription:\b Mutton Birds common to Norfolk Island were a much needed food supplement and easy to catch. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"31 December 1788: New Year's Eve",247,62741066.jpg,c,0
'When the news of his arrival at Sydney was announced', Tench says, 'I went with every other person to see him: he appeared to be about thirty years old, not tall, but robustly made; and of a countenance which, under happier circumstances, I thought would display manliness and sensibility; his agitation was excessive, and the clamourous crowds who flocked around him did not contribute to lessen it. Curiosity and observation seemed, nevertheless, not to have wholly deserted him; he shewed the effect of novelty upon igorance; he wondered at all he saw: though broken and interrupted with dismay, his voice was soft and musical, when its natural tone could be heard; and he readily pronounced with tolerable accuracy the names of things which were taught him. To our ladies he quickly became extraordinarily courteous, a sure sign that his terror was wearing off.
'Every blandishment was used to soothe him, and it had its effect. As he was entering the governor's house, some one touched a small bell which hung over the door: he started with horror and astonishment; but in a moment after was reconciled to the noise, and laughed at the cause of his perturbation. When pictures were shewn to him, he knew directly those which presented the human figure: among others, a very large handsome print of her royal highness the Dutchess of Cumberland being produced, he called out, 'woman', a name by which we had just before taught him to call the female convicts. Plates of birds and beasts were also laid before him; and many people were led to believe, that such as he spoke about and pointed to were known to him.
'But this must have been an erroneous conjecture, for the elephant, rhinoceros, and several others, which we must have discovered did they exist in the country, were of the number. Again, on the other hand, those he did not point out, were equally unknown to him.
'His curiosity here being satiated, we took him to a large brick house, which was building for the governor's residence being about to enter, he cast up his eyes, and seeing some people leaning out of a window on the first story, he exclaimed aloud, and testified the most extravagant surprise. Nothing here was observed to fix his attention so strongly as some tame fowls, who were feeding near him: our dogs also he particularly noticed; but seemed more fearful than fond of them.
'He dined at a side-table at the governor's; and eat heartily of fish and ducks, which he first cooled. Bread and salt meat he smelled at, but would not taste: all our liquors he treated in the same manner, and could drink nothing but water. On being shewn that he was not to wipe his hands on the chair which he sat upon, he used a towel which was gave to him, with great cleanliness and decency.
'In the afternoon his hair was closely cut, his head combed, and his beard shaved; but he would not submit to these operations until he had seen them performed on another person, when he readily acquiesced. His hair, as might be supposed, was filled with vermin, whose destruction seemed to afford him great triumph; nay, either revenge, or pleasure, prompted him to eat them! but on our expressing disgust and abhorrence he left it of.
'To this succeeded his immersion in a tub of water and soap, where he was completely washed and scrubbed from head to foot; after which a shirt, a jacket, and a pair of trowsers, were put upon him. Some part of this ablution I had the honour to perform, in order that I might ascertain the real colour of the skin of these people. My observation then was (and it has since been confirmed in a thousand other instances) that they are as black as the lighter cast of the African negroes.
'Many unsuccessful attempts were made to learn his name; the governor therefore called him Manly, from the cove in which he was captured: this cove had received its name from the manly undaunted behaviour of a party of natives seen there, on our taking possession of the country.
'To prevent his escape, a handcuff with a rope attached to it, was fastened around his left wrist, which at first highly delighted him; he called it \IBen-gadee\i (or ornament), but his delight changed to rage and hatred when he discovered its use. His supper he cooked himself: some fish were given to him for this purpose, which, without any previous preparation whatever, he threw carelessly on the fire, and when they became warm took them up, and first rubbed off the scales, peeled the outside with his teeth, and eat it; afterwards he gutted them, and laying them again on the fire, completed the dressing, and eat them.
'A convict was selected to sleep with him, and to attend him wherever he might go. When he went with his keeper into his apartment he appeared very restless and uneasy while a light was kept in; but on its extinction, he immediately lay down and composed himself.'
As the year turned, Collins wrote, 'The following report of the casualties which had happend from the day of our leaving England to the 31st of December 1788 recording that fifty six people had died since disembarkation on 26 January 1788; four had been speared; five had been executed and fourteen were missing.'
\BDescription:\b Aboriginal women were rarely allowed near the white men and remained somewhat of a mystery during the early days. A contemporary drawing titled 'Pussy Cat'. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"1 January 1789: New Year's Day",248,62741068.jpg,c,0
'The first day of the new year was marked as a holiday by a suspension of all kinds of labour, and by hoisting the colours at the fort', Collins says. 'Upon a calculation of the different people employed for the public in cultivation, it appeared, that of all the numbers in the colony there were only two hundred and fifty so employed - a very small number indeed to procure the means of rendering the colony independent of the mother-country for the necessaries of life. The rest were occupied in carrying on various public works, such as stores, houses, wharfs, etc. A large number were incapable, through age or infirmities, of being called out to labour in the public grounds; and the civil establishment, the military, females, and children, filled up the catalogue of those unassisting in cultivation.
'The convicts by no means exerted themselves to the utmost; they foolishly conceived, that they had no interest in the success of their labour; and, if left to themselves, would at any time rather have lived in idleness, and depended upon the public stores for their daily support so long as they had any thing in them, than have contributed, by the labour of their hands, to secure themselves whereon to exist when those stores should be exhausted.'
The kidnapped Australian Aboriginal, Manly, Collins says survived the night and in the 'morning the convict reported, that he slept very well during the night, not offering to make any attempt to get away'. Scott said during the 'day he is secured with a rope & a man leades him abought; there is a house built for him & his keeper'.
Manly's great fan, Tench, wrote, 'Sullenness and dejection strongly marked his countenance in the morning; to amuse him, he was taken around the camp, and to the observatory: casting his eyes to the opposite shore from the point where he stood, and seeing the smoke of fire lighted by his countrymen, he looked earnestly at it, and sighing deeply two or three times, uttered the word \Igwee-un\i (fire).
'His loss of spirits had not, however, the effect of impairing his appetite; eight fish, each weighing about a pound, constituted his breakfast, which he dressed as before. When he had finished his repast, he turned his back to the fire in a musing posture, and crept so close to it, that his shirt was caught by the flame; luckily his keeper soon extinguished it; but he was so terrifed at the accident, that he was with difficulty persuaded to put on a second.
'To-day being new-year's-day, most of the officers were invited to the governor's table and Manly dined heartily on fish and roasted pork; he was seated on a chest near a window, out of which, when he had done eating, he would have thrown his plate, had he not been prevented: during dinner-time a band of music played in an adjoining apartment; and after the cloth was removed, one of the company sang in a very soft and superior style; but the powers of melody were lost on Manly, which disappointed our expectations, as he had before shown pleasure and readiness in imitating our tunes. Stretched out on his chest, and putting his hat under his head, he fell asleep.'
\BDescription:\b The Dingo was the only animal domesticated by the Aborigines. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"2 January 1789",249,0,g,0
'To convince his countrymen that he had received no injury from us, the governor took him in a boat', Tench says, 'when the boat arrived, and lay at a little distance from the beach, several Indians who had retired at her approach, on seeing Manly, returned: he was greatly affected, and shed tears. At length they began to converse. Our ignorance of the language prevented us from knowing much of what passed; it was, however, easily understood that his friends asked him why he did not jump overboard, and rejoin them. He only sighed, and pointed to the fetter on his leg, by which he was bound.
'In going down the harbour he had described the names by which they distinguish its numerous creeks and headlands: he was now often heard to repeat that of \IWee-rong\i (Sydney), which was doubtless to inform his country men of the place of his captivity; and perhaps invite them to rescue him. By this time his gloom was chased away, and he parted from his friends without testifying reluctance. His vivacity and good humour continued all the evening, and produced so good an effect on his appetite, that he eat for supper two Kanguroo rats, each of the size of a moderate rabbit, and in addition not less than three pounds of fish.'
#
"4 January 1789: Sunday",250,0,g,0
'Two days after he was taken on a similar excursion', Tench says, 'but to our surprise the natives kept aloof, and would neither approach the shore, or discourse with their countryman: we could get no explanation of this difficulty, which seemed to affect us more than it did him. Uncourteous as they were, he performed to them an act of attentive benevolence; seeing a basket made of bark, used by them to carry water, he conveyed into it two hawks and another bird, which the people in the boat had shot, and carefully covering them over, left them as a present to his old friends. But indeed the gentleness and humanity of his disposition frequently displayed themselves: when our children, stimulated by wantan curiosity, used to flock around him, he never failed to fondle them, and, if he were eating at the time, constantly offered them the choicest part of his fare'.
#
"5 January 1789",251,0,g,0
Scott's precious flock of chickens met disaster when, 'An anamal came at night & destroyed eleven chickings in the hen house as two lost before & one drown'd (which makes 14) two now only remains'.
#
"6 January 1789",252,0,g,0
Fighting back, farmer Scott reports fresh from the kill, 'Set a trap for the anamal and caught a rat'.
#
"7 January 1789",253,0,g,0
Another bushranger story was recorded by Scott, 'Thomas Sanders a convict fled from justice & lived in the woods for 24 day but frequentley viseted the camp by night committing several robereys. In particular that of robbing the publick store in companey with Robert Boyl a Convict'.
#
"8 January 1789",254,0,g,0
The bushrangers were caught, Scott says, and, 'Sanders & Boyl took there tryal and Sanders was condemd & exacuted at 5 Oclock same day (Boyl not tryed today, aquited)'. It was a hot day to die as Collins noted, 'For fifteen days of this month the thermometer rose in the shade above eighty degrees. Once on the 8th, at one in the afternoon, it stood at 101 degrees in the shade.'
Easty adds, 'Thos. Saunderson, convict, was tryed by a crimanal court and executed for robing the store house and absconding from quarters and was out lawed on Christmas Eeve'. Collins explains, 'Idleness, however, was not the only vice to be complained of in these people. Thefts were frequent among them; and one fellow, who, after committing a robbery ran into the woods, and from thence coming at night into the settlement committed several depredations upon individuals, and one upon the public stores, was at length taken and executed, in the hope of holding out an example to others. His thefts had been so frequent and daring, that it became necessary to offer a reward of one pound of flour to be given weekly, in addition to the ration then issued, for his apprehension. Another convict, named Ruglass, was tried for stabbing Ann Fowles, a woman with whom he cohabited, and sentenced to receive seven hundred lashes, half of which were inflicted on him while the other unhappy wretch was suffering the execution of his sentence'. This brought the number of convicts executed in the first year to six.
#
"19 January 1789",255,0,g,0
Another Royal celebration relieved the boredom for officers as Collins reported, 'The 19th was observed as the birthday of her Majesty the colours were displayed at sunrise; at noon the detachment of marines fired three rounds; after which the governor received the compliments of the day; and at one o'clock the \ISupply\i, the only vessel in the country, fired twenty-one guns. The governor entertained the officers at dinner, and the day concluded with a bonfire, for which the country afforded abundant materials'.
#
"20 January 1789",256,0,g,0
The marines continued to misbehave and Scott says, 'John Kennadey a Seargeant was reduced to private by the sentince of a Court Martial'.
#
"21 January 1789",257,0,g,0
The stillness was shattered, Collins says, and 'The place was agitated by a report that a great gun had been fired at sea; but on sending a boat down without the harbour's mouth, nothing was seen there that could confirm a report which every one anxiously wished might be true'.
#
"23 January 1789",258,0,g,0
Yet another incident finished off the first year, as Collins reported, 'A boat having been sent down the harbour with some people to cut rushes, a party of natives came to the beach while they were so employed, and took three of their jackets out of the boat. On discovering this theft, the cockswain pursued a canoe with two men in it as far as a small island that lay just by, where the natives landed, leaving the canoe at the rocks. This the cockswain took away, contrary to an order, which had been made very public, on no account to touch a canoe, or any thing belonging to a native, and towed it to the bay where they had been cutting rushes.
'The natives returned to the same place unobserved, and, while the cockswain and his people were collecting what rushes they had cut, threw a spear at the cockswain, which wounded him in the arm, notwithstanding they must have known that at that time we had one of their people in our possession (Manly) on whom the injury might be retaliated. He, poor fellow, did not seem to expect any such treatment from us, and began to seem reconciled to his situation. He was taken down the harbour once or twice, to let his friends see that he was alive, and had some intercourse with them which appeared to give him much satisfaction'.
#
"26 January 1789: Australia Day",259,62741069.jpg,c,0
And so, without a single remark in any of the journals, the foundation day came round again. The settlers had survived a year and although their supplies were now dangerously short and too many had died in the first twelve months, they expected the relief ships from England soon, or at least the return of their own relief ship HMS \ISirius,\i and were able to face a second year with some limited optimism - at least at the naval officers' level.
\BDescription:\b The Great Brown Kings Fisher was frequently studied by the colonists who had never seen anything like it. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"Smallpox Strikes the Natives",260,62741070.jpg,c,0
\B27 January to 9 May 1789\b
The second year in the settlement began with the events surrounding the kidnapped native, Manly, who Phillip hoped would act as a go-between in the efforts to communicate with the blacks. Before long, however, all attempts at dialogue were destroyed as smallpox began to strike down the natives, both friend and foe alike, leaving the colony littered with purple-faced corpses and the settlers feeling guilty.
Further gloom spread with the departure of the remaining ship, HMS \ISupply,\i to Norfolk Island, as this left the settlement without a ship for the first time. As food supplies dwindled, stealing increased by both convicts and marines. Phillip had no choice but to execute those guilty, despite the uniform they wore.
The high point in the first half of the second year was the return of HMS \ISirius\i from Cape Town.
\BDescription:\b As the settlement grew, buildings spread out along both sides of Sydney Cove, before new areas were settled in adjacent coves. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW Dixson Gallery)\i
#
"27 January 1789",261,62741072.jpg,c,0
Tench followed the progress of the Australian Aboriginal kidnapped by Phillip, saying, 'His reserve, from want of confidence in us, continued gradually to wear away: he told us his name, and Manley gave place to Ar-ab-a-noo. Bread he began to relish; and tea he drank with avidity: strong liquors he would never taste, turning from them in disgust and abhorrence. Our dogs and cats had ceased to be objects of fear, and were become his greatest pets, and constant companions at table. One of our chief amusements, after the cloth was removed, was to make him repeat the names of things in his language, which he never hesitated to do with the utmost alacrity, correcting our pronunciation when erroneous. Much information relating to the customs and manners of his country was also gained from him'.
\BDescription:\b Once farms were established further inland, the soil was found to be far superior to that around Sydney and crops flourished. This is the second main settlement - Rose Hill. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW Dixson Gallery)\i
#
"2 February 1789",262,62741071.jpg,c,0
The highest ranking officer to die so far, 'Captain John Shea of Marines Departed this Life after a Long illness of a Concumtion and was Buried the next Day in Miliantary form, very Neat and handsome', John Easty says. Tench adds, 'He was interred on the following day, with the customary military honours, amidst the regret of all who knew him. In consequence of his decease, appointments for the promotion of the oldest officer of each subordinate rank were signed by the major commandant of the marine battalion, until the pleasure of the lords of the admiralty should be notified'.
\BDescription:\b The nocturnal activities of the Aborigines worried the colonists when they once came into the village at night. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"4 February 1789",263,0,g,0
Stepping into dead man's shoes, 'Captain Lt. Merideth was Appointed full Captain instead of Captain Shea Deceased', Easty says, and '1st Lt. George Jonstone appointed Captain Lieutenant in Stead of Captain Lt. Merideth and 2d Lt. Ralph Clarke appointed 1st Lt. in Stead of George Jonstone', although, as Collins noted, 'their commissions were still to receive the confirmation of the lords commissioners of the Admiralty'.
The convicts, meanwhile, behaved worse than ever, Collins says, and 'among these must be particularised William Bryant, to whom, from his having been bred from his youth to the business of a fisherman in the western part of England, was given the direction and management of such boats as were employed in fishing, every encouragement was held out to this man to keep him above temptation; an hut was built for him and his family; he was always presented with a certain part of the fish which he caught; and he wanted for nothing that was necessary, or that was suitable to a person of his description and situation. But he was detected in secreting and selling large quantities of fish; and when the necessry inquiry was made, this practice appeared to have been of some standing with him. For this offence he was severely punished, and removed from the hut in which he had been placed; yet as, notwithstanding his villainy, he was too useful a person to part with and send to a brick cart, he was still retained to fish for the settlement; but a very vigilant eye was kept over him, and such steps taken as appeared likely to prevent him from repeating his offence, if the sense of shame and fear of punishment were not of themselves sufficient to deter him'.
#
"6 February 1789",264,0,g,0
Promotions and transfers interested Easty as, 'Captain Lieutenant George Jonstone was orderd to Command Captain Sheas Company and the otherer Captains to Command the Same Companys as before'.
#
"8 February 1789: Sunday",265,0,g,0
Jobs for the boys appealed to Major Robert Ross who promoted his son. As Easty says, 'Young John Ross was appointed 2d. Lieut of Marines'. Scott thought this was a bit far - fetched as the Major's son was 'but a Boy 9 Years old'.
#
"10 February 1789",266,0,g,0
The convicts would do anything for money to buy food or alcohol. As Collins says, 'The convicts being found to continue the practice of selling their clothing, an order was issued, directing, that if in future a convict should give information to the provost-marshal against any person to whom he had sold his clothes, the seller should receive them again, be permitted to keep whatever was paid him for them, and receive no punishment himself for the sale. It was also found necessary to direct, that all stragglers at night who, on being challenged by the patrole, should run from them, should be fired at.'
#
"12 February 1789",267,0,g,0
The only free immigrant, James Smith, moved from strength to strength, 'having procured a passage from England in the \ILady Penrhyn\i, with a design to proceed to India in the event of his not finding any employment in this country, on his offering his services, and professing to have some agricultural knowledge was received into the colony, and, being judged a discreet prudent man, was now placed about the provisions store under the assistant to the commissary at Rose Hill, and was moreover sworn in as a peace-officer, to act as such immediately under the provost-marshal; a line wherein, from the circumstance of his being a free man, it was supposed he might render essential aid to the civil department of the colony. It was farther intended, at a future period, to place some people under his direction, to give him an opportunity of exercising the abilities he was said to possess as a practical farmer'.
#
"14 February 1789",268,0,g,0
With more and more attacks by the Australian Aboriginals, Collins says the defences became important and 'The magazine at the Point being now completed, the powder belonging to the settlement was lodged safely within its walls'.
#
"17 February 1789",269,0,g,0
The remaining ship, 'the \ISupply\i Brig, Saild for Norfolk', Scott says, and Collins adds that it was under the command of 'Leiutenant Ball who was proceeding to Norfolk Island with provisions and convicts having on board twenty-one male and six female convicts, and three children; of the latter, two were to be placed under Mr. King's care as children of the public'.
Tench adds, 'When \ISupply\i sailed for Norfolk Island, the governor went down the harbour in her, and carried Arabanoo with him, who was observed to go on board with distrust and reluctance; when he found she was under sail, every effort was tried without success to exhilarate him; at length, an opportunity being presented, he plunged overboard, and struck out for the nearest shore: believing that those who were left behind would fire at him, he attempted to dive, at which he was known to be very expert: but this was attended with a difficulty which he had not foreseen: his clothes proved so buoyant, that he was unable to get more than his head under water: a boat was immediately dispatched after him, and picked him up, though not without struggles and resistance on his side. When brought on board, he appeared neither afraid or ashamed of what he had done, but sat apart, melancholy and dispirited, and continued so until he saw the governor and his other friends descend into a boat, and heard himself called upon to accompany them: he sprang forward, and his cheerfulness and alacrity of temper immediately returned, and lasted during the remainder of the day. The dread of being carried away, on an element of whose boundary he could form no conception, joined to the uncertainty of our intention towards him, unquestionably caused him to act as he did'.
#
"18 February 1789",270,62741073.jpg,g,0
The stretch of water in Sydney Harbour in front of the settlement was now empty and silent, as Collins noted. 'The cove was now, for the first time, left without a ship; a circumstance not only striking by its novelty, but which forcibly drew our attention to the peculiarity of our situation. The \ISirius\i was gone upon a long voyage to a distant country for supplies, the arrival of which were assuredly precarious. The \ISupply\i had left us, to look after a dangerous reef; which service, in an unknown sea, might draw upon herself the calamity which she was seeking to instruct others to avoid. Should it have been decreed, that the arm of misfortune was to fall with such weight upon us, as to render at any time the salvation of this little vessel necessary to the salvation of the colony, how deeply was every one concerned in her welfare! Reflection on the bare possibility of its miscarriage made every mind anxious during her absence from the settlement.'
#
"19 February 1789",271,0,g,0
Little progress was made with the kidnapped Australian Aboriginal, Tench reported. 'One of the principal effects which we had supposed the seizure and captivity of Arabanoo would produce, seemed yet at as great a distance as ever; the natives neither manifested signs of increased hostility on his account, or attempted to ask any explanation of our conduct through the medium of their countryman who was in our possession, and who they knew was treated with no farther harshness than in being detained among us. Their forbearance of open and determined attack upon us can be accounted for only by recollecting their knowledge of our numbers, and their dread of our fire-arms.'
#
"21 February 1789",272,0,g,0
Sometimes marines had to be disciplined more than the convicts, Collins says. 'From the evident necessity that existed of maintaining a strict discipline among the military employed in this country, it became a requisite to punish with some severity any flagrant breach of military subordination that might occur. Joseph Hunt, a soldier in the detachment, having been found absent from his post when stationed as a sentinel, was tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to receive seven hundred lashes; which sentence was put in execution upon him at two periods, with an interval of three weeks.'
#
"27 February 1789",273,0,g,0
The second main settlement, Rose Hill, Collins said was progressing badly as 'the people were principally employed in clearing and cultivating the land; but the labour of removing the timber off the ground when cut down very much retarded the best efforts of the people so employed. The military and convicts still lived under tents; and, as a proof of the small space which they occupied, two Emus or Cassowaries, who must have been feeding in the neighbourhood, ran through the little camp, and were so intermingled with the people, who ran out of their tents at so strange an appearance, that it became dangerous to fire at them; and they got clear off, though literally surrounded by a multitude of people, and under the very muzzles of some of their muskets'.
#
"28 February 1789",274,0,g,0
Collins notes, 'Very little molestation was at this time given by the natives; and had they never been ill treated by our people, instead of hostility, it is more than probable that an intercourse of friendship would have subsisted.'
#
"6 March 1789",275,0,g,0
Death at the hands of the Australian Aboriginals remained a constant threat, as Collins records. 'The impracticability of keeping the convicts within the limits prescribed for them became every day more evident. Almost every month since our arrival had produced one or more accidents, occasioned principally by a non-compliance with the orders which had been given solely with a view to their security; and which, with thinking beings, would have been of sufficient force as examples to deter others from running into the same danger. But neither orders nor dangers seemed to be at all regarded where their own temporary convenience prompted them to disobey the one, or run the risk of incurring the other.
'A convict was now found dead belonging to the brick-maker's gang had strayed into the woods for the purpose of collecting sweet tea; an herb so called by the convicts, and which was in great estimation among them. The leaves of it being boiled, they obtained a beverage not unlike liquorice in taste, and which was recommended by some of the medical gentlemen here, as a powerful tonic. It was discovered soon after our arrival, and was then found close to the settlement; but the great consumption had now rendered it scarce. It was supposed, that the convict in his search after this article had fallen in with a party of natives, who had killed him.'
#
"9 March 1789",276,0,g,0
Another incident followed, Collins says, when 'a party of the convicts, sixteen in number, chiefly belonging to the brick-maker's gang, quitted the place of their employment, and, providing themselves with stakes, set of towards Botany Bay, with a determination to revenge, upon whatever natives they should meet, the treatment which one of their brethren had recently received. Near Botany Bay they fell in with the natives, but in a larger body than they expected or desired. According to their report, they were fifty in number; but much dependance was not placed on what they said in this respect, nor in their narrative of the affair; it was certain, however, that they were driven in by the natives, who killed one man and wounded six others. Immediately on this being known in the settlement, an armed party was sent out with an officer, who found the body of the man that had been killed, stripped, and lying in the path to Botany Bay.
'They also found a boy, who had likewise been stripped and left for dead by the natives. He was very much wounded, and his left ear nearly cut off. The party, after burying the body of the man, returned with the wounded boy, but without seeing any of the perpetrators of this mischief; the other wounded people had reached the settlement, and were taken to the hospital'.
#
"10 March 1789",277,0,g,0
Tench says, 'The governor was justly incensed at what had happened, and instituted the most rigorous scrutiny into the cause which had produced it. At first the convicts were unanimous in affirming, that they were quietly picking sweet-tea, when they were without provocation assaulted by the natives, with whom they had no wish to quarrel. Some of them, however, more irresolute than the rest, at last disclosed the purpose for which the expedition had been undertaken; and the whole were ordered to be severely flogged. Arabanoo was present at the infliction of the punishment; and was made to comprehend the cause the necessity of it; but he displayed on the occasion symptoms of disgust and terror only'.
#
"18 March 1789",278,62741073.jpg,c,0
Crime grew worse, Collins claimed, as 'within ourselves, we had enemies to encounter of a different nature, but in their effects more difficult to guard against. The gardens and houses of individuals, and the provision store, were overrun with rats. The safety of the provisions was an object of general consequence, and the commissary was for some time employed in examining into the state of the store.
'One morning, on going early to the store, he found the wards of a key which had been broken in the padlock that secured the principal door, and which it was the duty of the patrols to visit and inspect every night. Entering the storehouse, he perceived that an harness-cask had been opened and some provisions taken out. It being supposed that the wards of the key might lead to a discovery of the perpetrator of this atrocious act, they were sent to a convict blacksmith, an ingenious workman through whose hands most of the work passed that was done in his line, who immediately knew them to belong to a soldier of the name of Hunt, the same who in the course of the preceding month received seven hundred lashes, and who had some time back brought the key to this blacksmith to be altered.
'On this information, Hunt was taken up; but offering to give some material information, he was admitted an evidence on the part of the crown, and made an ample confession before the lieutenant-governor and the judge-advocate, in which he accused six other soldiers of having been concerned with him in the diabolical practice of robbing the store for a considerable time past of liquor and provisions in large quantities.
'This crime, great enough of itself, was still aggravated by the manner in which it was committed. Having formed their party, seven in number, and sworn each other to secrecy and fidelity, they procured and altered keys to fit the different locks on the three doors of the provision store; and it was agreed, that whenever any one of the seven should be posted there as sentinel during the night, two or more of the gang, as they found it convenient, were to, come during the hours in which they knew their associate would have the store under his charge, when, by means of their keys, and sheltered in the security which he afforded them (by betraying in so flagrant a manner the trust and confidence reposed in him as a sentinel), they should open a passage into the store, where they should remain shut up until they had procured as much liquor or provisions as they could take off. If the patrols visited the store while they chanced to be within its walls, the door was found locked and secure, the sentinel alert and vigilant on his post, and the store apparently safe.
'Fortunately for the settlement, on the night preceding the discovery one of the party intended to avail himself of his situation as sentinel, and to enter the store alone, purposing to plunder without the participation of his associates. But while he was standing with the key in the lock, he heard the patrol advancing. The key had done its office, but as he knew that the lock would be examined by the corporal, in his fright and haste to turn it back again, he mistook the way, and, finding that he could not get the key out of the lock, he broke it, and was compelled to leave the wards in it; the other part of the key he threw away.'
\BDescription:\b Among the fish netted for the settlers' dinner table were many weird and wonderful new species. This early drawing was probably inspired by Port Jackson sharks. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"20 March 1789",279,0,g,0
The names of the gang who robbed the store were given by Easty as, 'Luke Hines, Richard Askew, James Baker, James Brown, Richard Dukes, and Thomas Jones all private Marines who had been with him in Robing the Store house'.
Scott says, 'Hunt, Baker, Jones, and Brown were now confined for Robing the Store but Dukes, being at Rose Hill had to be caught and put in prison'.
#
"25 March 1789",280,0,g,0
Easty says, 'This Dai, Luke Hines, James Baker, James Brown, Richard Askew, Richard Dukes and Thomas Jones (Marines) was tryed by A Criminall Cort for Robing the Storehouse. Thay all received Sentance of Death and the Galleows was Erected before the Sentance was Cast upon them'. Scott says, 'Joseph Hunt Marine Was Admitted An Evedence for the Crown, against the Other Six', and spared!
Collins adds, 'The six soldiers whom Hunt accused were taken up and tried; when, the evidence of the accomplice being confirmed by several strong corroborating circumstances, among which it appeared that the store had been broken into and robbed by them at various times for upwards of eight months, they were unanimously found guilty, and sentenced to suffer that death which they owned they justly merited. Their defence wholly consisted in accusing the accomplice of having been the first to propose and carry the plan into execution, and afterwards the first to accuse and ruin the people he had influenced to associate with him. A crime of such magnitude called for a severe example: execution!'
#
"26 March 1789",281,0,g,0
Scott recorded that 'The Tryal of the aforesaid prisoners Ended With the awfull Sentince being Past on Luke Hanes, Richard Dukes, Richard Askew, James Brown, James Baker, & Thomas Jones, to be Hanged'.
#
"27 March 1789",282,0,g,0
Tench was moved as his fellow marines went to the gallows. 'An awful and terrible example of justice took place towards the close of this month, which I record with regret, but which it would be disingenuous to suppress as the six marines, the flower of our battaloion, were hanged by the public executioner, on the sentence of a criminal court, composed entirely of their own officers, for having at various times robbed the public stores of flour, meat, spirits, tobacco, and many other articles.'
Easty adds, 'This Day att 10 oclock Luke Hanes, James Baker, James Brown, Richard Askew, Richard Dukes and Thomas Jones was Excuted between the 2 Store houses, when thay all Said that Joseph Hunt was the ocation of all thier Deaths, as he was the first that bagan the Said Roberry but he Received a free Pardon, thare was hardley a marine Present but what Shed tears offacers and men'.
#
"29 March 1789: Sunday",283,62741074.jpg,c,0
The only free settler, James Smith, found life down on the farm tough. Collins says, 'Being advanced in years, he was found inadequate to the task of managing and controlling Rose Hill farm especially as the people who were under his care were always inventing plausible excuses for absence from labour, or for their neglect of it while under his eye. He was therefore removed, and succeeded by a person who came out from England as a servant to the governor.
'This man joined to much agricultural knowledge a perfect idea of the labour to be required from, and that might be performed by the convicts; and his figure was calculated to make the idle and the worthless shrink if he came near them. He had hitherto been employed at the spot of ground which was cleared soon after our arrival at the adjoining cove, since distinguished by the name of Fern [Farm] Cove, and which, from the natural poverty of the soil, was not capable of making an adequate return for the labour which had been expended on it. It was, however, still attended to, and the fences kept in repair; but there was not any intention of clearing more ground in that spot.'
\BDescription:\b Although the Emu was not very tasty, the European settlers hoped to put the feathers to good use and attempted to catch as many of them as possible. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"30 March 1789",284,0,g,0
'Two of the birds distinguished in the colony by the name of Emus were brought in by some of the people employed to shoot for the officers, the weight of each was seventy pounds', Collins reports.
#
"1 April 1789",285,0,g,0
Another death occurred. 'This Day William Wall a marin Departed this Life after a Long Lingering illness and was Buried in Miliertry form', Easty says and Scott adds, 'He willed his Effects to William Douglass, Marine'.
#
"3 April 1789",286,0,g,0
'The governor thinking it probable that foreign ships might again visit this coast, and perhaps run into this harbour for the purpose of procuring refreshments, directed Mr. Blackburn to survey a large bay on the north shore, contiguous to this cove; and a sufficient depth of water being found, his excellency inserted in the port orders, that all foreign ships coming into this harbour should anchor in this bay, which he named Neutral Bay', Collins records.
#
"13 April 1789: Easter Monday",287,0,g,0
The date on the religious calendar was noted by Scott, who says, 'The Governor Removed to his New House'.
#
"15 April 1789",288,62741075.jpg,c,0
'I Went With a party to Cut Grass tree for Lt. Johnstone', Scott says 'and found three Nativs Under A Rock, A Man & two Boys (of Which One Boy Was Dead) the Govorner being Aquented With it Order'd the Man & Boy to the Hospital Under Care of the surgion as having the Small pox'. And with these brief words, Scott announces the disastrous smallpox epidemic that swept through the Australian Aboriginals of the Sydney area.
Tench was among those astounded by the tragedy. 'An extraordinary calamity was now observed among the natives as repeated accounts brought by our boats of finding bodies of the Indians in all the coves and inlets of the harbour, caused the gentlemen of our hospital to procure some of them for the purposes of examination and anatomy. On inspection, it appeared that all the parties had died a natural death: pustules, similar to those occasioned by the small pox, were thickly spread on the bodies; but how a disease, to which our former observations had led us to suppose them strangers, could at once have introduced itself, and have spread so widely, seemed inexplicable. Is it a disease indigenous to the country? Did the French ships under Monsieur de Peyrouse introduce it? Let it be remembered that they had now been departed more than a year; and we had never heard of its existence on board of them. Had it travelled across the continent from its western shore, where Dampier and other European voyagers had formerly landed? Was it introduced by Mr. Cook? Did we give it birth here? No person among us had been afflicted with the disorder since we had quitted the Cape of Good Hope, seventeen months before. It is true, that our surgeons had brought out variolous matter in bottles; but to infer that it was produced from this cause were a supposition so wild as to be unworthy of consideration.'
\BDescription:\b Mysterious Aboriginal activities were faithfully recorded by David Collins and sent back to London for posterity. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"17 April 1789",289,0,g,0
Later, more smallpox victims were brought in, as Collins reports. 'Two elderly men, a boy, and a girl were brought up, and placed in a separate hut at the hospital. The men were too far overcome by the disease to get the better of it; but the children did well from the moment of their coming among us. From the native who resided with us we understood that many families had been swept off by this scourge, and that others, to avoid it, had fled into the interior parts of the country. Whether it had ever appeared among them before could not be discovered, either from him or from the children; but it was certain that they gave it a name \I(gal-gal-la)\i; a circumstance which seemed to indicate a preacquaintance with it.'
#
"19 April 1789: Sunday",290,0,g,0
'Distress continued to drive them in upon us', Collins writes, as 'two more natives, one of them a young man, and the other his sister, a girl of fourteen years old, were brought in by the governor's boat, in a most deplorable state of wretchedness from the small-pox. The sympathy and affection of Arabanoo, which had appeared languid in the instance of Nanbaree and his father, here manifested themselves immediately. We conjectured that a difference of the tribes to which they belonged might cause the preference; but nothing afterwards happened to strengthen or confirm such a supposition.
'The young man died at the end of three days: the girl recovered, and was received as an inmate, with great kindness, in the family of Mrs. Johnson, the clergyman's wife. Her name was Boo-ron; but from our mistake of pronunciation she acquired that of Ab-ar-oo, by which she was generally known, and by which she will always be called in this work. She shewed, at the death of her brother more feeling than Nanbaree had witnessed for the loss of his father. When she found him dying, she crept to his side, and lay by him until forced by the cold to retire. No exclamation, or other sign of grief, however, escaped her for what had happened'.
#
"23 April 1789",291,0,g,0
'The convicts, among other public works, were now employed in forming a convenient road on the west side from the hospital and landing-place to the storehouses', Collins says, 'and in constructing a stable at Farm Cove, with some convenient out-houses for stock.'
#
"29 April 1789",292,0,g,0
Among the rogues who were to trouble the settlement, two black convicts now became notorious. Scott says, 'Two Black Men (Convicts) One By the Name of Black Ceaser & the other called Black Jemmey Was tried By the Criminal Court for theft the former was Transported for Life to Norfolk Island the latter to Receve 500 Lasshes'.
#
"30 April 1789",293,0,g,0
Easty reports other lost marines, 'This Day about one oclock in the after noon Edward Odges and Michell Towlien Marines which belonged to Rose Hill and was doing Duty thare, went out a Shoting and was Lost in the Woods and wear not heard of Since, although Search was made for 3 or 4 Days after them'.
#
"3 May 1789: Sunday",294,0,g,0
The dreaded smallpox now struck one of the settlers, as Collins says. 'While the eruptions of the Smallpox disorder continued upon the children, a seaman belonging to the \ISupply\i, a native of North America, having been to see them, was seized with it, and soon after died; but its baneful effects were not experienced by any white person of the settlement, although there were several very young children in it at the time.'
#
"8 May 1789",295,0,g,0
Good news now cheered the settlement, as Easty says. 'This Evining Arived his Majesties Ship \ISirous\i from the Cape of goodhope Laden with flour for the Iland.' Scott adds, 'The \ISirius\i Came to An Anchor About ╝ before Six in the Evening in Sidney Cove; She Made a passage to the Cape of Goodhope Round Cape Horn in 90 days After She Made the South Cape or Van demans Land Met With Verey Bad Weather'. But their own relief ship was back - they were saved for the moment and would not starve.
Collins expands, 'After an absence of seven months and six days, to the great satisfaction of every one, \ISirius\i anchored in the cove from the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Hunter sailed from this port on the 2nd of October 1788, and, during the space which had elapsed between his departure and his return, had circumnavigated the globe. He made his passage by Cape Horn, arriving on the 2nd of last January at the Cape of Good Hope, from which place he sailed on the 20th of the following month. Off the southern extremity of this country the \ISirius\i met with a gale of wind, when so close in with the land that it was for some time doubtful whether she would clear it. In this gale she received considerable damage; the head of the ship, the figure of the Duke of Berwick, was torn from the cutwater, and she was afterwards found to have been very much weakened'.
#
"9 May 1789",296,0,g,0
Hunter's surprise on going ashore is evident in his journal. 'As soon as the ship was secured, I went on shore to wait on the governor, whom I found in good health. He was sitting by the fire, drinking tea with a few friends; among whom I observed a native man of this country, who was decently cloathed, and seemed to be as much at his ease at the tea-table as any person there; he managed his cup and saucer as well, as though he had been long accustomered to such entertainment.'
The colony was soon buzzing with the first news from the outside world for nearly eighteen months - since the fleet left Cape Town itself in November 1787. 'The \ISirius\i brought 127,000 weight of flour for the settlement, and a twelvemonth's provisions for her ship's company', Collins said, 'but this supply was not very flattering, as the short space of four months, at a full ration, would exhaust it. It was, however, very welcome, and her return seemed to have gladdened every heart.
'Eager were our inquiries after intelligence from that country from which we had been now two years divided, and to whose transactions we were entire strangers. With joy, mingled with concern that we were not personal sharers in the triumph, did we hear of our country's successful efforts in the cause of the Stadtholder, and of the noble armaments which our ministers had fitted out to support it. And why should the colonists of New South Wales be denied the merit of endeavouring to promote the glory of our country by establishing civilization in the savage world; by animating the children of idleness and vice to habits of laborious and honest industry; and by shewing the world that to Englishmen no difficulties are insuperable?
'We heard with concern that Lieutenant Shortland was near five months in reaching Batavia in the \IAlexander\i, in which ship he sailed from this port on the 14th of last July, in company with the \IFriendship\i, \IBorrowdale\i, and \IPrince of Wales\i. From this ship and the \IBorrowdale\i he parted company very shortly after leaving our harbour; they proceeded round Cape Horn, to Rio de Janeiro, where in last December they were left lying ready for sea.
'The \IAlexander\i and \IFriendship\i proceeding to the northward kept company together as far as the island of Borneo, where, the crews of both ships being so much reduced by the scurvy (the \IAlexander\i had buried seventeen of her seamen) that it was impossible to navigate both vessels against the strong currents which they met with, and the western monsoon which had then set in, both ships were brought to an anchor, and most of the \IFriendship's\i stores, with all her people, being taken out and received on board the \IAlexander,\i she was scuttled and sunk. When the \IAlexander\i arrived at Batavia, she had, of both ship's crews, but one man who was able to go aloft.'
Easty adds, 'The \IAaxander\i only arrived att the Cape 3 days befor \ISirius\i Saild for this Place and reported that the \IFrindship\i was ooblidged to be Scuttled and Sunk upon their being So violiont a Sickness on her and that all her hands Died exept 6'.
Collins continues, 'A Dutch ship, bound for Europe, sailing from the Cape of Good Hope on the 9th of last January, Captain Hunter took that opportunity of forwarding the dispatches with which he had been charged by Governor Phillip. He was informed by the master of the Happy Whaler, who had put into Table Bay, that in England there had been a general anxiety to hear of our safety and arrival in this country, and that ships to be take up had been advertised for, but had not been engaged, as the government waited for accounts from Governor Phillip.
'Of these accounts we now hoped that ministers had been some time in possession, and that in consequence supplies were at this hour on their passage to New South Wales.
'Our attention was now directed to receiving from the \ISirius\i the provisions she had brought us; and as the flour had been packed in bags at the Cape of Good Hope, the coopers were immediately employed in setting up and preparing casks for its reception on shore. These being soon completed, the flour was landed and deposited in the store. This, with the building and covering-in of a new hut for the smith's work now formed the principal labour of the convicts at Sydney.'
Tench, again enjoying the last word, says, 'The arrival of the \ISirius\i from the Cape of Good Hope diffused universal joy and congratulation. The day of famine was at least procrastinated by the supply of flour and salt provisions she brought us', especially as 'by the route, the weather proved intolerably cold. Ice, in great quantity, was seen for many days, water froze in open casks upon deck, and their passage back was effected by Van Dieman's Land, near which, and close under Tasman's Head, they were in the utmost peril of being wrecked'.
#
"Relief Ship Destroyed by Iceberg",297,0,g,0
\B10 May to 1 November 1789\b
Any sense of honeymoon was now over for Phillip as the food ran low and the desperate settlement threatened to collapse into a state of anarchy. It became a very sick society with officers going insane, convicts bolting hopelessly into the bush and people of all classes stealing food to avoid starving. A black convict terrorised the community with violent night raids after he got away (to become the first real bushranger - Black Caesar), more and more natives died of smallpox and still there was no sign of a relief.
Expeditions in search of a ship or food led to the discovery of the Hawkesbury and then Nepean Rivers - but no immediate source of food.
What Phillip did not know was that the relief ship sent by Lord Sydney in response to the pleas of the settlement had struck an iceberg and sunk with many hands lost.
#
"10 May 1789: Sunday",298,0,g,0
On his return to the settlement, Hunter was fascinated by the captive Arabanoo who 'very soon learnt the names of the different gentlemen who took notice of him, and when I was made acquainted with him, he learnt mine, which he never forgot, but expressed great desire to come on board my \Inowee\i; which is their expression for a boat or other vessel upon the water. The governor and his family did me the honour to dine on board, when I was also favoured with the company of Arabanoo, whom I found to be a very good natured talkative fellow; he was about thirty years of age, and tolerably well looked'.
#
"11 May 1789",299,62741078.jpg,c,0
'The boats in the colony not being found sufficient for the purpose of transporting provisions from the store at Sydney to the settlement at Rose Hill', Collins says, 'a launch or hoy was put upon the stocks, under the direction of Mr. Reid, the carpenter of the \ISupply,\i to be employed for that and other necessary purposes. She was to be built of the timber of the country, and to carry ten tons.'
Collins also noted sadly, 'From the first hour of the introduction of the boy and girl into the settlement, it was feared that the native who had been so instrumental in bringing them in, and whose attention to them during their illness excited the admiration of every one that witnessed it, would be attacked by the same disorder; as on his person were found none of those traces of its ravages which are frequently left behind. It happened as the fears of every one predicted; he fell a victim to the disease to the great regret of every one who had witnessed how little of the savage was found in his manner, and how quickly he was substituting in its place a docile, affable, and truly amiable deportment'. So now Manly or Arabanoo, the 'pet' native, had smallpox as well.
\BDescription:\b Secondary settlement at Rose Hill - the crops did exceptionally well as the soil was superior. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"13 May 1789",300,0,g,0
On the very anniversary of the fleet's departure from Portsmouth, Easty reports on the escape of 'Black Ceaser the convict that was tried the 29th of April and sentinced to be transported for life now elloped from camp taking with him arms & ammunition belonging to Abraham Hand, Marine, with several other articules'.
#
"18 May 1789",301,62741079.jpg,c,0
Sadly, less than five months after his capture, Arabanoo 'the Native (that was the first that was taken), now died of the small pox, and was buried in the Govorners gardin'.
Tench was quite moved, 'I feel assured, that I have no reader who will not join in regretting the premature loss of Arabanoo, who died of the small-pox after languishing in it six days. From some imperfect marks and indents on his face, we were inclined to believe that he had passed this dreaded disorder. Even when the first symptoms of sickness seized him, we continued willing to hope that they proceeded from a different cause. But at length the disease burst forth with irresistible fury. It were superfluous to say, that nothing which medical skill and unremitting attention could perform, were left unexerted to mitigate his sufferings, and prolong a life, which humanity and affectionate concern towards his sick compatriots, unfortunately shortened.
'During his sickness he reposed entire confidence in us. Although a stranger to medicine, and nauseating the taste of it, he swallowed with patient submission innumerable drugs, which the hope of relief induced us to administer to him. The governor, who particularly regarded him, caused him to be buried in his own garden, and attended the funeral in person.
'By his death, the scheme which had invited his capture was utterly defeated. Of five natives who had been brought among us, three had perished from a cause which, though unavoidable, it was impossible to explain to a people, who would condescend to enter into no intercourse with us. The same suspicious dread of our approach, and the same scenes of vengeance acted on unfortunate stragglers, continued to prevail.'
\BDescription:\b Each little house had its own garden fenced in against food thieves and night animals, giving the settlement the appearance of a well-established village. Here we see the view looking south from Flagstaff Hill. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"22 May 1789",302,62741080.jpg,c,0
The failure of farming became critical, as Collins said. 'There have been several attempts made by the gentlemen here, who had little farms in the neighbourhood of Sydney Cove, to raise grain of different kinds, for the purpose of feeding a few pigs, goats, or poultry; but although their endeavours seemed for a time to promise an ample reward, for the corn shot up very quickly, yet it no sooner formed into ear, than the rats (with which, as well as other vermin, this country is over-run) destroyed the whole of their prospect: the Indian corn, which was remarkably promising, was destroyed in a night; but I am sorry to say, that such of the corn as had escaped the vermin, notwithstanding its very promising appearance in the beginning, turned out the most miserable empty straws I ever beheld.'
\BDescription:\b By the end of the second year the settlement was rapidly spreading and moving inland. This is a north view of Sydney Cove taken from Pitts Row (now Street). \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"25 May 1789",303,0,g,0
Rations varied, Scott says, and today 'a full allowance of flour was served as the short allowance not paid at this time'.
#
"26 May 1789",304,0,g,0
The camp of the runaway black convict was found, Scott says. 'The firelock (& a pot boiling on the fire), was found close to the brick fields by the convicts and at the same time, Black Ceaser robbed the brick makers of a quantity of provision and was pursued by a party from quarters but to no effect.'
Collins reports, 'Some convicts having reported that they had found the body of a white man lying in a cove at a short distance from the settlement, a general muster of the convicts at Sydney was directed; but no person was unaccounted for except Caesar, an incorrigibly stubborn black, who had absconded a few days before from the service of one of the officers, and taken to the woods with some provisions, an iron pot, and a soldier's musket, which he had found means to steal.
'Garden robberies, after Caesar's flight, were frequent, and some leads belonging to a seine being stolen, a reward of a pardon was held out to any of the accomplices, on discovering the person who stole them; and the like reward was also offered if, in five days, he should discover the person who had purchased them; but all was without effect. It was conjectured that they had been stolen for the purpose of being converted into shot by some person not employed or authorized to kill the game of this country.'
#
"2 June 1789",305,0,g,0
At last Bradley spotted some Australian Aboriginals, 'Twenty canoes passed Sydney Cove going down the harbour, this was the first time any number of them had been seen together since the Small Pox having been among them'.
#
"4 June 1789",306,0,g,0
'The anniversary of his Majesty's birthday, the second time of commemorating it in this country, was observed with every distinction in our power', Collins reports. 'For the first time, the ordnance belonging to the colony were discharged; the detachment of marines fired three volleys, which were followed by twenty-one guns from each of the ships of war in the cove; the governor received the compliments due to the day in his new house, of which he had lately taken possession as the government-house of the colony, where his excellency afterwards entertained the officers at dinner, and in the evening some of the convicts were permitted to perform Farquhar's comedy of the Recruiting Officer, in a hut fitted up for the occasion. They professed no higher aim than "humbly to excite a smile", and their efforts to please were not unattended with applause.'
#
"6 June 1789",307,0,g,0
Phillip, the ever-restless explorer, set off again, as Scott says, 'His Excellency the Governor with Capt. Hunter & several other officers made an excurtion to Broken Bay'.
At the same time, Easty says, 'Black Ceaser the convict that eloped from Camp 13th May 89 was taken about twelve oclock at night by Saltmarsh a convict, close to Mr. Zacharyah Clark's house'.
#
"7 June 1789: Sunday",308,62741081.jpg,c,0
Collins says Phillip had gone off 'in the hope of being able, from the head of that harbour, to reach the mountains inland'. Hunter added, 'I was engaged in the party, with the governor, on a visit to Broken-Bay, in order to examine some part of that harbour which had not been (for want of time and opportunity) noticed in his last visit to that place; two boats were dispatched under the care of Mr Keltie, master of the \ISirius,\i with provisions. And the party which consisted of the governor, Captain Collins (the judge-advocate), Captain Johnston, of the marines, Mr White, principal surgeon of the settlement, Mr Worgan, Mr Newton Fowell and myself, from the \ISirius,\i and two men, all armed with musquets, landed on the north part of Port Jackson, and proceeded along the sea coast to the northward'.
\BDescription:\b Parramatta, chosen for a new settlement because of its good soil, was reached by water from Sydney. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"8 June 1789",309,62741082.jpg,c,0
The expedition soldiered on, Hunter says, 'meeting a native woman concealing herself from our sight in the long grass. She had been employed in fishing, this miserable girl, who had just recovered from the small-pox, was very weak, and unable, from a swelling in one of her knees, to get off to any distance. She appeared to be about 17 or 18 years of age; she was very much frightened on our approaching her, and shed many tears, with piteous lamentations: we understood none of her expressions, but felt much concern at the distress she seemed to suffer. We endeavoured all in our power to make her easy, and with the assistance of a few expressions which had been collected from poor Arabanoo while he was alive, we soothed her distress a little, and the sailors were immediately ordered to bring up some fire, which we placed before her: we pulled some grass, dried it by the fire, and spread round her to keep her warm; then we shot some birds, such as hawks, crows, and gulls, skinned them, and laid them on the fire to broil, together with some fish, which she eat'.
\BDescription:\b Fish supplemented the European settlement's food stores to a large extent by the time the original supplies began dwindling. The colonists may not have survived without the daily catch of fish such as these. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"9 June 1789",310,0,g,0
'Next morning we visited her again', Hunter said, 'she had now got pretty much the better of her fears, and frequently called to her friends, who had left her, that the strangers were not enemies, but friends.
'We employed this day in going up the south branch which the governor named Pitt Water, and so much of the day was spent in examining it, that when we returned down near the place where we had passed the last night, it was thought too late to proceed farther; we therefore encamped on the same spot. We went to visit our young female friend, whom we found in a little bark hut upon the beach. She was not alone, as before, but had with her a female child, about two years old, and as fine a little infant of that age as I ever saw; but upon our approach (the night being cold and rainy, and the child terrified exceedingly) she was lying on her elbows and knees on the ground, covering the child from our sight with her body, or probably sheltering it from the weather, but I rather think on account of its fears. On our speaking to her she raised herself up, and sat on the ground with her knees up to her chin and her heels under her, and was at that moment, I think, the most miserable spectacle in the human shape I ever beheld. We supplied her, as before, with birds, fish, and fuel, and pulled a quantity of grass to make her a comfortable bed, and covered her little miserable hut so as to keep out the weather. We gave her all the fish we had remaining, and having put a quantity of fire-wood and water within her reach, we took our leave.'
#
"10 June 1789",311,0,g,0
Hunter says, 'We proceeded to the northward after rowing about six or seven miles up, to a point near the entrance of a north harbour, where we encamped and spent the night. In this harbour we did not see more than twenty natives, some few of whom came and conversed with us. We encamped for the night, and hauled the seine with great success; and from the vast quantity of excellent mullet and other fish caught here, it got the name of Mullet Island'.
#
"11 June 1789",312,0,g,0
'The next morning', Hunter says, 'we struck our tents and proceeded, in the boats, to examine a point of high land, which, from our situation in the boat the day before, had the appearance of an island; in examining this, we were led into a branch which had not before been discovered: we proceeded up this for a considerable distance, found good depth of water, and every other appearance of its being the opening of an extensive river. We continued to row up in it the whole of this day, and in the evening we went on shore, on the most commodious spot we could find, which was a low marshy point. Here were raised our tents, and spent the night'.
Phillip and his party had discovered the Hawkesbury River.
Back in Port Jackson, Bradley says, 'A native man was met with at Botany Bay who had just recovered of the small pox. He had a child with him & made signs that the Mother of it had died of that disease'.
#
"12 June 1789",313,62741083.jpg,c,0
The exploration of the Hawkesbury River went on, Hunter says. 'The whole of this day was employed in exploring and making what progress we could. The ebb tides we observed thus far up were considerably stronger than the floods, and the water had very little taste of sea water; indeed, it scarcely could be called brackish. We continued going up until the evening, when it was found impossible, at this time, to make any further discovery, our provisions being nearly expended: we filled our water-casks, where we gave up the pursuit, and there, although the tide was high, the water was perfectly fresh.
'The general depth of this river was from three to seven fathoms, and its breadth was from 100 to 300 fathoms. Its general direction, as far as we were upto, is to the north-west. We were, when farthest up, about twenty miles from the entrance of the south-west arm of Broken-Bay.
'We were so anxious to prosecute this discovery, that we did not think of returning until it was near dark; and in our present situation, there was not a spot on which we could erect a tent, so very steep were the shores, except where they were marshy. We pushed down as fast as possible, in order to find a landing-place, before it should be very late; and soon after dark, we put a-shore on a parcel of rocks, which was, indeed, the only spot near on which we could find room for our tents, and here we passed the night.'
Phillip's party had gone far enough. It was a great river and would be useful for farming. Now they would return with the news.
\BDescription:\b The sheer cliffs along the Hawkesbury River amazed the first exploring parties as they searched for viable farmlands. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"16 June 1789",314,0,g,0
The good news was brought back, Collins says, 'On the evening of the 16th and having discovered a capacious freshwater river, emptying itself into Broken Bay, and extending to the westward. Phillip was compelled to return without tracing it to its source, not having a sufficient quantity of provisions with him; but immediately made the necessary preparations for returning to finish his examination'.
#
"17 June 1789",315,0,g,0
Bradley reports that on the expedition 'They met with but few natives & found some that had died of the smallpox laying near the path between Port Jackson & Broken Bay'.
#
"19 June 1789",316,0,g,0
The long overdue repairs to the flagship were now possible and Scott says, '\ISirius\i went over to the North Shore to careen & repair'. Bradley says it was 'to be cleared & refitted. Later in the night 3 of the natives appeared on the shore near the ship, where they stayed a short time & went away, they did not speak & we observed them creeping along to avoid making any noise, this appeared to be a visit of curiosity'.
Collins says, '\ISirius\i had, in the gale of wind which she met with off Tasman's Head, sustained much more damage, and was, upon inspection, found to have been weakened much more than was at first conjectured. This was the more unfortunate, as, from the nature of our situation, many important services were yet to be rendered by her to the colony. It became, therefore, a matter of public concern to have her damages repaired and the ship strengthened as expeditiously and as efficaciously as our abilities would admit. A convenient retired cove on the north shore being fixed on for the purpose of a careening cove, she dropped down and took possession of it toward the latter end of the month. She could have been refitted with much ease at Sydney; but there was no doubt that the work necessary to be done to her would meet with fewer interruptions, if the people who were engaged in it were removed from the connections which seamen generally form where there are women of a certain character and description'.
#
"20 June 1789",317,0,g,0
'In Spring Cove', Bradley says, '70 of the natives were seen in one party by our fishing boat, which was reassuring.'
#
"25 June 1789",318,0,g,0
'The Governor wished to go to Rose Hill', Bradley says, 'in consequence of receiving information of a large piece of water being discovered som distance to the W.ward of Rose Hill, but he being anxious to pursue his discovery of the River in Broken Bay left this for the present.'
#
"26 June 1789",319,0,g,0
Phillip set off again, as Scott noted. 'His Excellencey the Governor with several gentelmen prosseeded to Broken Bay to examin the fresh water river found out on the last expadition.' Tench could not go along for the ride as 'At this period, I was unluckily invested with the command of the outpost at Rose Hill, which prevented me from being in the list of discoverers of the Hawkesbury. Stimulated, however, by a desire of acquiring a further knowledge of the country, on the 26th instant, accompanied by Mr. Arndell, assistant surgeon of the settlement, Mr. Lowes, surgeon's mate of the \ISirius\i, two marines, and a convict, I left the redoubt at day-break, pointing our march to a hill, distant five miles, in a westerly or inland direction, which commands a view of the great chain of mountains, called Carmarthenhills, extending from north to south farther than the eye can reach.
'Here we paused, surveying the wild abyss; pondering our voyage. Before us lay the trackless immeasurable desert, in awful silence. We continued to march all day through a country untrodden before by an European foot. Save that a melancholy crow now and then flew croaking over head, or a kanguroo was seen to bound at a distance, the picture of solitude was complete and undisturbed'.
#
"27 June 1789",320,0,g,0
Tench continued on his walk. 'At daylight we renewed our peregrination; and in an hour after we found ourselves on the banks of a river, nearly as broad as the Thames at Putney, and apparently of great depth, the current running very slowly in a northerly direction. Vast flocks of wild ducks were swimming in the stream; but after being once fired at, they grew so shy that we could not get near them a second time. Nothing is more certain than that the sound of a gun had never before been heard within many miles of this spot.' Tench had discovered the Nepean River.
#
"28 June 1789: Sunday",321,0,g,0
The main Hawkesbury River expedition set off, as Hunter reported, 'On Sunday the 28th of June, the boats being ready, provisions embarked, and the wind fair for another visit to Broken-Bay, they sailed before daylight on Monday morning; the party engaged to go by land were put on shore at the north part of the harbour at six o'clock; the same gentlemen who were on the former expedition were on this also, and an addition of five marines; on the whole, our numbers were all well armed, and capable of making a powerful resistance, in case, as we advanced up the river, we should find the interior parts of the country well inhabited, and the people hostile.
'We arrived at the head of Pitt-Water. We were exceedingly fatigued; the weather being rather warm, and each person having his knapsack and arms to carry, this last part of our journey increased the distance from twelve or fourteen miles to about twenty-five; in the course of which we had very high and steep hills to climb, and many deep swamps to wade through. We pitched the tents, and occupied the spot which we had formerly done when here.'
Tench's minor expedition returned from the Nepean River. 'We returned to our quarters at Rose-hill, with the pleasing intelligence of our discovery. The country we had passed through we found tolerably plain, and little encumbered with underwood, except near the river side. It is entirely covered with the same sorts of trees as grow near Sydney; and in some places grass springs up luxuriantly; other places are quite bare of it. It deserves future cultivation, no impediment of surface, but that of cutting down and burning the trees, exists, to prevent its being tilled.
'To this river the governor gave the name of Nepean. The distance of the part of the river which we first hit upon from the sea coast, is about 39 miles, in a direct line almost due west.'
#
"29 June 1789",322,0,g,0
Phillip could be away a long time as he had provisions for twenty-one days and was determined, Bradley said, 'to trace the River to its source'.
#
"30 June 1789",323,0,g,0
Hunter says the Hawkesbury trip was going well, 'We embarked in the boats at day-break, intending to reach as high up this day as possible; we passed Mullet Island, and proceeded into the river, and before night, we had advanced within three or four miles of the place where we left off the pursuit: here we slept for the night'.
Back in Port Jackson, Collins says, 'Caesar, being closely attended to, as at length apprehended and secured. This man was always reputed the hardest working convict in the country; his frame was muscular and well calculated for hard labour; but in his intellects he did not very widely differ from a brute; his appetite was ravenous, for he could in any one day devour the full ration for two days. To gratify this appetite he was compelled to steal from others, and all his thefts were directed to that purpose. He was such a wretch, and so indifferent about meeting death, that he declared while in confinement, that if he should be hanged, he would create a laugh before he was turned off, by playing off some trick upon the executioner. Holding up such a mere animal as an example was not expected to have the proper or intended effect; the governor therefore, with the humanity that was always conspicuous in his exercise of the authority vested in him, directed that he shouid be sent to Garden Island, there to work in fetters; and in addition to his ration of provisions he was to be supplied with vegetables from the garden'.
#
"1 July 1789",324,0,g,0
Phillip's party pushed on up the Hawkesbury, says Hunter. 'After advancing a very little way beyond our farthest discovery, the river divided into two branches, one leading to the north-west, the other to the southward. We took that which led to the north-west, and continued all day rowing up this arm; the banks of this branch were in general immense perpendicular mountains of barren rock. At five in the evening we put on shore, and raised our tents.'
'By ten o'clock [next morning] we were so far up that we had not room for the oars, nor indeed water to float the boats: we therefore found it necessary to return, and before noon we put on shore, where I took the meridian altitude of the sun, which gave our latitude 33║2' south, and we judged, by the estimated distances marked in my sketch, that we were about thirty-four miles above Mullet Island.
'At the place where we passed the last night we were examining the ground round us, as was customary wherever we placed our tents for the night; and about half a mile distant, some of the gentlemen found a small hut; they saw a person whom they took for a native woman, and who, upon our approach, fled with great precipitation into the woods.
'They went to examine the hut, and found two small helpless children in it; the poor little creatures were terribly frightened, but upon their being kindly treated, they seemed to recover a little from their fear. They appeared to be in great distress, apparently for want of food; they had a little fire by them, and in it was found a few wild yams, about the size of a walnut. Upon a supposition that the parents of these children would soon return, after our leaving the place, a hatchet and some other trifles were left in the hut.'
#
"3 July 1789",325,0,g,0
On the Hawkesbury, Phillip 'proceeded up eight miles. We took a branch which led to the northward, (the other went to the southward) as high as the boats could find water. The banks of this branch were the same as the last, high, steep, and rocky mountains, with many trees growing down their sides, from between the rocks, where no one would believe there could be any soil to nourish them.
'Both this and the last branch we examined probably extend many miles farther than we with our boats could trace them, but they did not appear, where we left off the examination of them, to be navigable for any vessel. We saw several natives in these branches, but they fled into the woods on our approach. The wretched condition of the miserable natives who have taken up their residence, for a time, so far back from the sea coast, where no fish are to be had, is far beyond my description.'
#
"4 July 1789",326,0,g,0
'Having advanced as far as possible with the boats', Hunter says, 'I measured the height of the opposite shore, which I found to be 250 feet perpendicular above the level of the river. We embarked, and now rowed back down until we came to the entrance of the second southern branch, where we found a good depth of water. We went up this branch about 13 miles before we put on shore for the night'.
Hunter again, 'This day advanced about fourteen miles against the tide. In the woods we frequently saw fires, and sometimes heard the natives; in the afternoon we saw a considerable number of people in the wood, with many fires in different places; we called to them in their own manner, by frequently repeating the word \ICo-wee\i, which signifies, come here. At last, two men came to the water-side with much apparent familiarity and confidence. They received a hatchet, and a wild duck, which had been just before shot from the boat; and in return, they threw us a small coil of line, made of the hair of some animal, and also offered a spear, which was refused. They were the first we had met with who appeared desirous of making a return for any present they received.
'We frequently, in some of the reaches which we passed through this day, saw very near us the hills, which we suppose as seen from Port Jackson, and called by the governor the Blue Mountains.'
#
"5 July 1789: Sunday",327,0,g,0
Hunter says, 'We arrived at the foot of a high mountain, which was spread over with lofty trees, without any under-wood; and saw a pleasant looking country, covered with grass, and without that mixture of rocky patches in every acre or two, as is common in many other places'.
#
"6 July 1789",328,0,g,0
Hunter again continues the story. 'We walked to the top of the hill, and found we were not more than five or six miles from a long range of mountains, between which, and that where we stood, there is a deep valley, or low country, through which, probably, a branch of this river may run. This range of mountains we supposed to be those which are seen from Port Jackson, and called the Blue Mountains. The hills on each side of this gap were named by Governor Phillip; on one side the Carmarthen, on the other, the Lansdown hills; and that on which we stood was called Richmond-hill.
'Of the country it was perfectly clear of any kind of under-wood; the trees upon it were all very tall, and stood very wide apart; the soil was also examined, and found very good: a small patch was dug up, and a few potatoes, Indian-corn, melon, and other seeds were sown. This was a common practice, when a piece of ground, favourable from its soil, and being in an unfrequented situation, was found, to sow a few seeds of different kinds: some of the little gardens, which had been planted in this manner, and left to nature, have been since visited and found thriving, others have miscarried.'
#
"7 July 1789",329,0,g,0
Hunter noted the Hawkesbury's tendency to flood, 'We saw in the clifts of the branches of such trees, vast quantities of large logs which had been hurried down by the force of the waters, and lodged from thirty to forty feet above the common level of the river.
'On the banks here also we found yams and other roots, and had evident marks of the natives frequenting these parts. We found here many traps, for catching animals, in which we observed the feathers of many birds, particularly the quail. We now gave up the hope of tracing this river higher up with our boats; and we pushed down and encamped below Richmond-hill.
#
"8 July 1789",330,0,g,0
Hunter continued, 'Embarked again, and by four in the evening had reached a point about forty-three miles down, where we pitched our tents for the night, measured the perpendicular height of one of the banks of the river, nearly perpendicular from the water which I found to be 399 feet'.
#
"9 July 1789",331,62741084.jpg,c,0
The Hawkesbury party 'saw a few natives, who came off to us in their boats with much chearfulness and good humour; I thought I had seen them before: they received a few presents, among which was a looking-glass, which we took much trouble to shew them the use of: they were some time before they observed their own figure in the glass, but when they did, they turned it up and looked behind it; then pointed to the water, signifying that they could see their figure reflected as well from that'.
\BDescription:\b A Black Flying Possum. Stuffed examples were sent back to disbelieving English scientists. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"10 July 1789",332,0,g,0
The Hawkesbury party, 'Having now examined every thing which was thought worth our attention, we made the best of our way to Mullet Island, where we landed and caught some fish'.
#
"11 July 1789",333,0,g,0
Hunter says, 'It blew a gale of wind from the southward, so that we were obliged to pass a second night here'.
#
"12 July 1789: Sunday",334,0,g,0
Phillip's Hawkesbury party 'Sailed for Pitt-water and in a cave near the stream we found a native woman, who appeared to have been dead some time, for her skin was as hard as a piece of leather; it was impossible to know whether she had died of the small-pox or not'.
#
"13 July 1789",335,0,g,0
The Hawkesbury party now reached 'the sea-coast, where we fell into our old and well known path, and by four o'clock in the afternoon arrived at the north part of Port Jackson', says Hunter.
#
"14 July 1789",336,0,g,0
Hunter continues the story, 'The next day we crossed the hills, and came to the mouth of the north-west harbour, but could not find the means of crossing it when two of the people who were with us proposed swimming over the water, and to cross through the wood to the \ISirius\i; the distance they had to swim was not more than two cables length, or four hundred yards; they immediately stripped, and each having had a dram, they tied up in a handkerchief a shirt, trowsers, and a pair of shoes each, which was rested upon their shoulders. Thus equipped, they took the water, and in seven minutes landed on the opposite shore; but one being seized with the cramp, was obliged to disengage himself from his bundle, which was of course lost: they set off through the woods, and in a short time got on board the ship, the one with his shirt and trowsers, the other perfectly naked.
'Upon their information, a boat was sent down, and took us on board, after a pretty fatiguing journey.'
#
"15 July 1789",337,0,g,0
From his ship in the harbour, Hunter 'heard the report of a great gun, which led me to suspect that some person belonging to the \ISirius\i was missing, and had probably been lost in the woods. We frequently fired muskets that morning, and sometimes imagined we heard a musket at a considerable distance in the woods. In consequence of this suspicion, we frequently fired several together, and as often heard the report of that which we believed was meant to answer us.
'In short, by means of these repeated vollies, we drew nearer to that which answered us, and by hallooing all together, found we had got within hearing of the person who had answered our firing; for, after calling out, we listened attentively, and heard a very faint voice in answer. In that direction we walked, and at last, by frequent calling, and answering, we found the person out, who proved to be Peter White, sail-making of the \ISirius\i, who had been four days lost, and when he set out from the ship had not more than four ounces of biscuit with him, one ounce of which he had still left; he was very faint, and appeared to us to be stupid and almost exhausted, for he staggered like a man drunk. We took him with us, and by giving him such provisions as we had, in small proportions, he was soon recovered.'
#
"16 July 1789",338,0,g,0
Collins says, 'On visiting the settlement at Rose Hill, the convicts were all found to be residing in very good huts, apparently under proper regulations, and encouraged to work in the gardens, which they had permission to cultivate during those hours which were not dedicated to public labour. A barrack for the soldiers was erected in the small redoubt which had been constructed, and in which also stood the provision store. Some ground had been opened on the other side of the stream of water which ran into the creek, where a small house had been built for the superintendent Dodd, under whose charge were to be placed a barn and granaries, in which the produce of the ground he was then filling with wheat and barley was to be deposited'.
#
"20 July 1789",339,0,g,0
A legal problem now arose, as Collins reports. 'Notwithstanding little more than two years had elapsed since our departure from England, several convicts about this time signified that the respective terms for which they had been transported had expired, and claimed to be restored to the privileges of free men. Unfortunately, by some unaccountable oversight, the papers necessary to ascertain these particulars had been left by the masters of the transports with their owners in England, instead of being brought out and deposited in the colony; and as, thus situated, it was equally impossible to admit or to deny the truth of their assertions, they were told to wait until accounts could be received from England; and in the mean time by continuing to labour for the public, they would be entitled to share the public provisions in the store.'
#
"22 July 1789",340,0,g,0
'The observatory which was erected on our first landing being found inconvenient, as well for the purpose of observing as for the residence of Lieutenant Dawes and the reception of the astronomical instruments, the stone-cutters began preparing stone to construct another, the materials for which were found in abundance upon the spot, the west point of the cove', Collins reported.
#
"28 July 1789",341,0,g,0
Bradley says, 'The Parson and the Native girl went down the Harbor to endeavour to have an interview with the Natives they met with a party of them, some of whom the girl said were her relations, she told them how well she was treated that she had received by the care taken of her & that she was very happy & used every persuasion to get one or more of them to return with her, but to no purpose'.
#
"2 August 1789: Sunday",342,62741085.jpg,c,0
Collins continues, 'The Surgeon General with the Native boy went about the Harbour to make friends; they soon met with a party of the Natives who knew the boy, but they could not prevail on any to come with them, the boy was much inclined to join the naked tribe.'
\BDescription:\b The war ceremonies of the Aboriginals terrified the European settlers who initially expected to be attacked so built a fort in anticipation. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"4 August 1789",343,0,g,0
The future of the livestock worried Collins. 'It was soon observed with concern, that hitherto by far a greater proportion of males than females had been produced by the animals we had brought for the purpose of breeding. This, in any other situation, might not have been so nicely remarked; but here, where a country was to be stocked, a litter of twelve pigs whereof three only were females became a subject of conversation and inquiry. Out of seven kids which had been produced in the last month, one only was a female; and many similar instances had before occurred, but no particular notice was attracted until their frequency rendered them remarkable. This circumstance excited an anxious care in every one for the preservation of such females as might be produced; and at the moment now spoken of no person entertained an idea of slaughtering one of that sort; indeed males were so abundant that fortunately there was no occasion.'
#
"9 August 1789: Sunday",344,0,g,0
'Scarcely a night passed but complaint was made on the following morning of a garden being robbed, or a house broken into', Collins says, 'and the frequency of these enormities had become so striking, that it appeared absolutely necessary to devise some plan which might put a stop to an evil that was every day increasing. A convict of the name of Harris presented to the judge-advocate a proposal for establishing a night-watch, to be selected from among the convicts, with authority to secure all persons of that description who should be found straggling from the huts at improper hours. This proposal being submitted to the governor, and the plan thoroughly digested and matured, the first attempt toward a police in this settlement commenced.'
#
"10 August 1789",345,0,g,0
HMS \ISirius\i now needed lots of attention, Collins says, as 'on being closely inspected and surveyed by her own carpenter, was found to be so much weakened, that the repairs which were requisite to put her in a state fit to encounter the storms of this coast would require the labour of four men for six months and twenty-four days, not including Sundays in the calculation. This was unfortunate; the resources of a king's yard were not to be found in the careening cove in Port Jackson; people who looked forward beyond the event of the morrow began to think that her services might be wanted before she could be in a condition to render them; and it was considered a matter of the utmost moment, to bestow the labour that she required in as little time and with as much skill as the circumstances of our situation would admit'.
#
"12 August 1789",346,0,g,0
Another Royal celebration cheered people up, Collins claimed. 'Such attentions as were within our power were shewn to the anniversary of his royal highness the Prince of Wales's birthday; and although the table of our festivity was not crowned with luxuries or delicacies, yet the glass that was consecrated on that occasion to his royal highness's name was in no part of the British dominions accompanied with more sincere wishes for his happiness.'
#
"18 August 1789",347,0,g,0
A new kidnapping party set out in vain, Bradley says. 'A party went down the Harbour to take a Native if a good opportunity offer'd; they met with several & found them very friendly, they did not take much notice of the Native boy who accompanied the party or the Boy of them; they were a considerable time with them but had not an opportunity of taking one.'
#
"20 August 1789",348,0,g,0
'Daniel Gordon, a convict, was brought to trial', Collins says, 'for stealing a quantity of provisions and clothes, the property of persons employed by the lieutenant-governor at some ground which he had in cultivation near the settlement. The prisoner appearing wild and incoherent on being brought before the court, the principal surgeon of the settlement was directed to examine him, and giving it as his opinion, upon oath, that the man's pulse was very strongly indicated either a delirium or intoxication, his trial was put off until the following morning.'
#
"21 August 1789",349,0,g,0
Collins says at Gordon's trial, 'The same appearances of wildness continuing on him, witnesses were examined as to the tenor of his conduct during his being in confinement for the offence; and the court were of the opinion from their testimony, "That the prisoner was not in a state of mind to be put upon his trial." He was therefore placed under the care of the surgeon at the hospital, and the court broke up.
'It was generally supposed, that a firm belief that his offence would be fixed upon him occasioned the derangement of intellect which appeared. He was a notorious offender, and had been once pardoned in this country under the gallows. Many of his fellow-prisoners gave him credit for the ability with which he had acted his part, and perhaps he deserved their applause; but disordered as he appeared before the court, their humanity would not suffer them to proceed against a wretch who either had not, or affected not to have a sufficient sense of his situation.
'Slops were then served to the convicts and the detachment received the remainder of the shoes which they brought from England.'
#
"27 August 1789",350,0,g,0
The explorer, Hunter, set off again. 'The governor having expressed a wish to have a survey made of Broken-Bay and Botany-Bay, I offered to perform that service. A survey upon the defects of the ship was ordered by Captain Phillip, and she was reported to be very weak in her upper works; several bolts were decayed under her wales, which occasioned her making much water at sea; and that it was absolutely necessary to fix seven pair of top riders on each side, to strengthen her upper works; various other defects were given in.
'While the ship's company were employed in lightening the ship, and the carpenters were cutting down timber for riders and plank, I determined to make a survey of Broken-Bay and Pitt-Water.'
#
"28 August 1789",351,0,g,0
Hunter was in Broken Bay surveying Pittwater. 'A good harbour, though the entrance is rendered rather narrow by a shoal bank, which extends from the eastern point full two-thirds across.'
#
"4 September 1789",352,0,g,0
Fish supplemented the stores, Collins said, and 'On the 4th of this month the people belonging to the \ISupply\i had a very large haul; their seine was so full, that had they hauled it ashore it must have burst; the ropes of it were therefore made fast on shore, and the seine was suffered to lie until left dry by the tide. The fish were brought up to the settlement, and distributed among the military and convicts. A night or two after this, a fishing-boat caught about one hundred dozen of small fish; but this was precarious, and, happening after the provisions were served, no other advantage could be derived from the circumstance, than that of every man's having a fish-meal'.
#
"12 September 1789",353,0,g,0
Ration changes were always news, Collins says. 'The butter, which had hitherto been served at six ounces per week to each man in the settlement, being expended, the like quantity of sugar was directed to be issued in its stead. This was the first of the provisions brought from England which had wholly failed; and, fortunately, the failure was in an article which could be the best spared. It never had been very good, and was not, strictly speaking, a necessary of life.'
#
"20 September 1789: Sunday",354,0,g,0
Hunter now set off with Tench and others, for a nine day survey of Botany Bay, with 'two boats, provisions and tents'.
#
"24 September 1789",355,0,g,0
Bradley says, 'The Purser of the \ISirius\i being down the Harbor to get a cabbage tree, was met by some Natives who took an opportunity of stealing his axes & running away. On being pursued they left two children behind them; these were taken to the boat & very soon went to sleep in the boat. Some considerable time after this, the Men appeared again & were given to understand that they should not have the children until they brought back the axes; they after some hesitation fetched the axes & took the children; they did not seem to care about the eldest but were very anxious about the little one'.
#
"28 September 1789",356,0,g,0
A real conflict developed, Collins says. 'The natives, who had for some time past given very little interruption, toward the end of the month attacked Henry Hacking, one of the quarter-masters of the \ISirius\i, who, being reckoned a good shot, was allowed to shoot for the officers and ship's company. His account was, that, being in the woods, a stone was thrown at him from one of two natives whom he perceived behind him, and that on looking about he found dispersed among the trees a number that could not be less than forty.
'Wishing to intimidate them, he several times only presented his piece toward them; but, finding that they followed him, he at last gave them the contents, which happened to be small shot for birds. These he replaced with buckshot, and got rid of his troublesome and designing followers by discharging his piece a second time. They all made off; but some of them stumbling as they ran, he apprehended they had been wounded. This account met with more credit than could usually be allowed to such tales, as the person who gave it was held in great estimation by the officers of his ship both as a marksman and as a seaman.'
#
"29 September 1789",357,62741086.jpg,c,0
Having finished his report, Hunter now said of Botany Bay, 'I did formerly believe, that there was an easy channel over the flats into the west river, but on this examination I think it rather difficult, if practicable at all, as the soundings are very irregular.
'This river in some parts has good depth, and that near and within its entrance; but higher up it is all shoal water, and full of knowls of sand; in short, it is only to be navigated by boats: it has two branches, in which there are several coves, or bays, containing shoal water.'
Tench was on the survey team and wrote, 'So complete an opportunity of forming a judgment, enables me to speak decisively of a place, which has often engaged conversation and excited reflection. Variety of opinions here disappeared. I shall, therefore, transcribe literally what I wrote in my journal, on my return from the expedition: "We were unanimously of opinion, that had not the nautical part of Mr. Cook's description, in which we include the latitude and longitude of the bay, been so accurately laid down, there would exist the utmost reason to believe, that those who have described the contiguous country, had never seen it. On the sides of the harbour, a line of sea coast more than 30 miles long we did not find 200 acres of land which could be cultivated".'
\BDescription:\b Many of the Aboriginal rituals involved play-acting based on Australian animals. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"30 September 1789",358,0,g,0
Collins says, 'At Rose Hill, where the corn promised well, an Emu had been killed, which stood seven feet high, was a female, and when opened was found to contain exactly fifty eggs'.
#
"3 October 1789",359,0,g,0
Scott says, 'Thomas Scott a marine departed this life after a long lingern sickness'.
#
"5 October 1789",360,0,g,0
The first boat was built, Easty says. 'A craft about 20 tuns burden - the first of the sort that has been built, hear; was launched and called \IThe Prince, of Wales\i.' Collins adds, 'The launch that was begun in May last by the carpenter of the \ISupply\i, being completed, was put into the water the 5th of October. From the quantity of wood used in her construction she appeared to be a mere bed of timber, and, when launched, was named by the convicts, with an happiness that is sometimes visible in the allusions of the lower order of people The Rose Hill Packet. She was very soon employed in transporting provisions to Rose Hill, and going up with the tide of flood, at the top of high water, passed very well over the flats at the upper part of the harbour'.
#
"17 October 1789",361,0,g,0
Collins says, 'During this month a gang of convicts were employed at Sydney in forming a convenient road from the hospital to the magazine and observatory on the point; and a small hut, for the reception of a corporal's guard at the hospital, was erected.
'Of the few people who died in October, (one solider, three women, and one child), one was an unhappy woman who had been sent on board in a state of insanity, and who had remained in that condition until the day of her death; she and another of the three women died in child-bed; and the soldier was carried off by a disorder which he brought with him into the country. These circumstances tended to establish the good opinion which was at first formed of the salubrity of the climate of New South Wales.' Easty adds, 'This day Susanarh Allen departed this life of child berth & left the infant besterd'.
#
"18 October 1789: Sunday",362,0,g,0
Scott records, 'Serjt. Dawn's wife was delevered of a son'.
#
"23 October 1789",363,0,g,0
Scott's birth register continues, 'Serjt. Hume's wife was delvered of a daughter'.
#
"1 November 1789: Sunday",364,0,g,0
Hunter says the dreaded moment of a ration cut now arrived. 'In the end of October it was judged necessary to shorten the allowance of provisions one-third; for although we might expect store-ships from England by the end of January, 1790, yet as there did not remain above five months provisions in the settlement, the governor thought it necessary to issue an order for two-thirds allowance to commence the 1st of November.'
Collins adds, 'Thus opened the month of November in this settlement; where, though we had not the accompanying gloom and vapour of our own climate to render it terrific to our minds, yet we had that before us, in the midst of all our sunshine, which gave it the complexion of the true November so inimical to our countrymen'.
#
"Starving to Death",365,0,g,0
\B2 November 1789 to 5 April 1790\b
Despite their hopes, no relief ship had yet arrived to feed the starving settlement. Convicts stole more food, marines and sailors misbehaved or went insane and even the naval officers found the strain almost unbearable.
Black and white fought each other increasingly, the first female convict was hung and the notorious Black Caesar had to be banished to Norfolk Island along with other more troublesome convicts.
The grim situation in the starving settlement was accentuated when the vital flagship HMS \ISirius\i was wrecked on Norfolk Island leaving only the tiny HMS \ISupply\i as the last lifeline to the outside world.
By now the only regular journals were those of Collins, Tench, Hunter and Bradley, with occasional entries by Scott and Easty.
#
"4 November 1789",366,62741087.jpg,c,0
Yet another European strayed into the bush, as Hunter reported. 'John Mara, the gunner's mate, had been missing lost in the woods; parties were sent out in search of him. The third day after he disappeared, I was going up the harbour in a boat early in the morning, and some distance up, I heard the voice of a man and rowed immediately towards that part of the shore from whence the voice came, and there we found the person missing: he was sitting upon a rock, was exceedingly faint, and scarcely able to get into the boat; having had nothing to eat during his absence but an herb which the people use by way of tea, and which is so palatable they can drink it without sugar; it has exactly the taste of liquorish root. He said that having been sent on shore in the evening to fill a few water-casks and having just before taken a copious drink of grog, he felt himself disposed to sleep; and laid down upon the hill and fell fast asleep upon the grass; he did not wake until it was late, and dark, and a little confused when he awoke, he went farther into the wood instead of coming out of it, and became lost.'
\BDescription:\b By 1790, explorers from the settlement had traced the main rivers and bays around Sydney Cove and much more was known of inland areas. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"7 November 1789",367,0,g,0
'Captain Hunter brought the \ISirius\i into the cove completely repaired. She had been strengthened with riders, her copper had been carefully examined, and she was now in every respect fit for sea', Collins says.
'Previous to her quitting the careening cove, Mr. Hill, one of the master's mates, having had some business at Sydney, was landed on his return early in the morning on the north shore, opposite Sydney Cove, from whence the walk to the ship was short; but he was never afterwards heard of. Parties were sent day after day in quest of him for several days. Guns were fired from the \ISirius\i every four hours, night and day, but all to no effect. He had met with some fatal accident, which deprived a wife of the pleasurable prospect of ever seeing him return to her and to his friends. He had once before missed his way; and declared on the fatal morning, when stepping out of the boat, that he expected to lose himself again for a day or two. His conjecture was more than confirmed; he lost himself for ever, and thus added one to the number of those unfortunate persons who had perished in the woods of this country.'
#
"10 November 1789",368,0,g,0
Fights escalated with the Australian Aboriginals, Bradley says. 'One of the Boats was attack'd by the Natives, these people had met the boats crew & been some time together quite friendly. Soon after the Natives left them, they were surprised with several Spears flying among them & not a Native to be seen at that moment, they soon appear'd & were advancing toward the boat, when a Musquet ball was fired among them they stop'd which gave the people time to get out of their reach with the boat, none of our people were hurt altho' the Spears passed through amongst them.'
#
"11 November 1789",369,0,g,0
'The \ISupply\i sailed for Norfolk Island with Convicts & provisions for that place', Bradley reports. Collins says she had 'six male and eight female convicts for that colony, and was to stop at Lord Howe Island, to endeavour to procure turtle for this settlement; a supply of which, in its present situation, would have been welcomed, not as a luxury, but as a necessary of life'.
#
"15 November 1789: Sunday",370,0,g,0
Even the officers began to play up, as Scott says. 'Captain James Meradeth is Suspended from all Dutys in the Detachment till his Conduct, is Enquired Into'.
Bradley reported that, 'A Man belonging to the \ISupply\i who had left her before she sailed & ran into the woods, gave himself up, he had been about 11 days, he heard all our Guns, but his intention not being to return just then, he did not avail himself of so favorable an opportunity of directing himself back: but after this he was reduced to the necessity of returning to take the punishment awaiting him or perish in the woods'.
#
"20 November 1789",371,62741088.jpg,c,0
'The night-watch was found of infinite utility', Collins says, 'as the commission of crimes, since their institution, had been evidently less frequent, and they were instrumental in bringing forward for punishment several offenders who would otherwise have escaped. The fear and detestation in which they were held by their fellow-prisoners was one proof of their assiduity in searching for offences and in bringing them to light; and it possibly might have been asserted with truth, that many streets in the metropolis of London were not so well guarded and watched as the small, but rising town of Sydney, in New South Wales.
'By their activity, a woman (a female convict of the name of Ann Davis alias Judith Jones), was apprehended for breaking into the house of Robert Sidaway (a convict) in the daytime, and stealing several articles of wearing apparel thereout. The criminal court being assembled, she was tried and found guilty. On receiving sentence to die, she pleaded being quick with child; but twelve of the discreetest women among the convicts, all of whom had been mothers in children, being impanelled as a jury of matrons, they pronounced that she was not pregnant; on which she was sentenced to be executed.'
Other convicts, such as James Ruse, made good, as Collins said. 'Of the convicts whose sentences of transportation had expired, one who signified a wish of becoming a settler, had been sent up to Rose Hill by the governor; where his excellency gave him a grant of land. He then caused two acres of ground to be cleared of the timber and a small hut to be built for him. This man had been bred to the business of a farmer, and during his residence in this country had shewn a strong inclination to be industrious, and to return to honest habits and pursuits. Rewarding him, therefore, was but holding out encouragement to such good dispositions. The governor had, however, another object in view, beside a wish to hold him up as a deserving character: he was desirous of trying, by his means, in what time an industrious active man, with certain assistance, would be enabled to support himself in this country as a settler. He had taken possession of his ground the 21st of November 1789, and under some disadvantages. An opinion had prevailed, and had been pretty generally disseminated, that a man could not live in this country; but he determined to prove otherwise.'
\BDescription:\b Life for settlers who ventured out on their own, such as James Ruse, was arduous, but many became rapidly independent. \I(Mansell Collection)\i.
#
"21 November 1789",372,0,g,0
The first female was hung, Easty says. 'This Day Judah Jones a female Convict who Recd. Sentance of Death was hanged.' Collins adds, 'At that fatal moment which generally gives birth and utterance to truth, that she was about to suffer justly, and that an attempt which she made, when put on her defence, to criminate another person (a woman whose character was so notorious that she hoped to establish her own credit and innocence upon her infamy), as well as her plea of pregnancy, were advanced merely for the purpose of saving her life. She died generally reviled and unpitied by the people of her own description'.
#
"25 November 1789",373,62741089.jpg,c,0
Hunter describes another kidnap, 'The two children mentioned formerly, and who were very happy, Abaroo and Nanbarry, were yet too young to be of use in reconciling the natives to us. They now understood almost every thing we said, and could make themselves very well understood; but the governor was desirous of having a man or two in our possession, to whom we might teach enough of our language without the danger of losing any part of their own, to render them useful to their countrymen. So we were to endeavour, by force, to secure one or two.
'For that purpose Lieutenant Bradley, with some other officers, and a party of men, were sent down the harbour in an armed boat: they went to the north part of the harbour, where, upon one of the sandy beaches, they observed two native men walking; they immediately formed a scheme to entice them to a conversation. For that purpose, a few large fish were held up, and they were called to, which had the desired effect; the men with much confidence came forward unarmed, and with much chearfulness received the fish, and held a conversation with those who presented them.
'At this time there were about five of our people upon the beach, and the boat lying afloat, close to the shore. Mr Bradley, who was in the stern of the boat, seeing the opportunity good, gave the signal for securing them; in a moment their heels were knocked up, and they were tumbled into the boat, followed by those who secured them, and the boat pulled immediately off. They called out to their friends the moment they were taken hold of, but though a considerable number appeared in the skirt of the wood, on seeing arms in the hands of those in the boat, who stood up ready to fire, they did not venture an attack. The men were lashed to the thwarts of the boat, their terror was considerable.
'On their being landed at Sydney Cove, they were immediately taken up to the governor's house, where they were very kindly treated; but to prevent any attempt to escape being at all probable, they had each an iron-shackle put on one of their legs, to which a piece of rope was spliced, and a man was to be answerable for their security; wherever they went those keepers accompanied them, holding one end of the rope. When these two strangers landed in Sydney Cove, many people went to see them.'
'Nanbaree and Abaroo welcomed them on shore,' Hunter says, 'calling them immediately by their names, Ban-ee-lon [Bennelong], and Col-bee. But they seemed little disposed to receive the congratulations, or repose confidence in the assurances of their friends. The same scenes of awkward wonder and impatient constraint, which had attended the introduction of Arabanoo, succeeded. Baneelon we judged to be about twenty-six years old, of good stature, and stoutly made, with a bold intrepid countenance, which bespoke defiance and revenge. Colbee was perhaps near thirty, of a less sullen aspect than his comrade, considerably shorter, and not so robustly framed, though better fitted for purposes of activity. They had both evidently had the small-pox; indeed Colbee's face was very thickly imprinted with the marks of it.
'But Baneelon, though haughty, knew how to temporize. He quickly threw off all reserve; and pretended, nay, at particular moments, perhaps felt satisfaction in his new state. Unlike poor Arabanoo, he became at once fond of our viands, and would drink the strongest liquors, not simply without reluctance, but with eager marks of delight and enjoyment. He was the only native we ever knew who immediately shewed a fondness for spirits: Colbee would not at first touch them.'
\BDescription:\b Bennelong was the most popular of all the Aborigines caught and 'civilised' by the first settlers. Captured in November 1789, he went to London to meet King George III four years later. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"30 November 1789",374,62741090.jpg,c,0
'A brick house was begun', Collins says, 'on the east side of the cove for the judge-advocate. The huts which were got up on our first landing were slight and temporary; every shower of rain washed a portion of the clay from between the interstices of the cabbage-tree of which they were constructed; their covering was never tight; their size was necessarily small and inconvenient; and although we had not hitherto been so fortunate as to discover limestone any where near the settlement, yet to occupy a brick house put together with mortar formed of the clay of the country, and covered with tiles, became, in point of comparative comfort and convenience, an object of some importance'.
\BDescription:\b Despite food and labour shortages, Governor Phillip pushed on with his building and by the time the second fleet arrived, a viable township existed. Here we see an eastern view of Sydney. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i.
#
"5 December 1789",375,0,g,0
'The party from the \ISirius\i was still examining Botany Bay, and found a Creek of about 8 Miles length with a winding shoal channel & end in a drain to a swamp all salt water they also saw several Natives in small parties, they would not come near', wrote Bradley.
#
"7 December 1789",376,0,g,0
Corruption set in, Collins reported. 'The convicts who were employed about the provision store informed the commissary, by letter, that from certain circumstances, they had reason to accuse Mr. Zachariah Clark (his Assistant) of embezzling the public provisions. A complaint of such importance called for an immediate enquiry; and the judge-advocate and Captain Hunter lost no time in bringing forward the necessary investigation. The convicts charged Mr. Clark with having made at different times, and applied to his own use, a considerable over-draught of every species of provisions, and of the liquor which was in store. The suspicious appearances, however, were accounted for by Mr. Clark who stated, that expecting to be employed in this country, he had brought out with him large quantities of provisions, wine, rum, draught and bottled porter, all of which he generally kept at the store.
'With Mr. Clark's ample and public acquittal from this accusation, a commendation equally public was given to the convicts, who, noticing the apparent overdraught of spirits and provisions, and ignorant at the same time of the causes which occasioned it, had taken measures to have it explained. From the peculiarity of our situation, there was a sort of sacredness about our store; and its preservation pure and undefiled was deemed as necessary as the chastity of Caesar's wife. With us, it would not bear even suspicion.'
#
"9 December 1789",377,0,g,0
The versatile Lt. Dawes now 'with a party went to Rose Hill for the purpose of penetrating to the W.ward toward the Mountains', Bradley says, and Collins adds, 'The governor had penetrated to the westward as far as Richmond Hill, perhaps between fifty and sixty miles inland; but beyond that distance all was a blank, so Lieutenant Dawes with a small party, taking with them just as much provisions as they could conveniently carry, set off on an attempt to reach the western mountains by and from the banks of the fresh water river, the Nepean, first seen, some time since, by Captain Tench, and supposed to be a branch of the Hawkesbury.'
#
"12 December 1789",378,0,g,0
Collins continues the kidnap story, 'They were taken up to the governor's, the place intended for their future residence, where such restraint was laid upon their persons as was judged requisite for their security. The assurances of safety which were given them, and the steps which were taken to keep them in a state of security, were not perfectly satisfactory to the elder of the two; and he secretly determined to take the first opportunity which offered of giving his attendants no further trouble upon his account. The negligence of his keeper very soon gave him the opportunity he desired; and he made his escape, taking with him into the woods the fetter which had been rivetted to his ankle, and which every one, who knew the circumstance, imagined he would never be able to remove. His companion would have joined him in his flight, but fear detained him a few minutes too late, and he was seized while tremblingly alive to the joyful prospect of escaping'.
Bradley reports after Colby got away, 'The Man who had charge of Benallon was now chain by the wrist the other end being fasten'd to the shackle on Benallon's leg instead of a rope which was before used: Benallon was much alarmed, no doubt expecting punishment or to be put to death: but soon he became quite composed & seem reconciled better to his situation than before: He came on board the \ISirius\i without the smallest apprehensions for his safety: He looked with attention at every part of the ship & expressed much astonishment particularly at the Cables'.
Meanwhile, Collins reports a big moment in the drive towards self-sufficiency. 'The harvest was got in; the ground in cultivation at Rose Hill produced upwards of two hundred bushels of wheat, about thirty-five bushels of barley, and a small quantity of oats and Indian corn; all of which was intended to be reserved for feed. At Sydney, the spot of ground called the Governor's Farm had been sown only with barley, and produced about twenty-five bushels.'
#
"17 December 1789",379,62741091.jpg,c,0
'Mr. Dawes & party returnd', Bradley says, but 'found it impracticable to get near the Mountain in the direction which they went'. Collins adds, 'After quitting the river the ravines were nearly inaccessible. He had, notwithstanding the danger and difficulty of getting on through such a country, reached within eleven miles of the mountains, by computation. During his toilsome march he met with nothing very remarkable, except the impressions of the cloven feet of an animal differing from other cloven feet by the great width of the division in each. He was not fortunate enough to see the animal that had made them'.
\BDescription:\b By the start of year three, the houses of the settlement stretched inland far from the original site around the Cove. This is a south-east view showing Church, Pitt and Spring Rows. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"22 December 1789",380,62741092.jpg,c,0
Just before Christmas Day, Bradley says, 'The \ISupply\i arrived from Norfolk Island: she brought very favourable accounts of their crops of corn: called at Lord Howes Island but with very little success in getting Turtle'.
\BDescription:\b Prisoners were sent to Norfolk Island to bolster King's work program and relieve pressure in the rationed main settlement, while Phillip waited for relief ships. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"23 December 1789",381,0,g,0
'The working convicts at Sydney had lately been principally employed in constructing two convenient kitchens and ovens for the use of the detachment', Collins writes, 'building a house for the judge-advocate; forming roads either in or leading to the town; and removing the provisions from the old thatched storehouse to that in the marine quarters, which, by being covered in with tiles, was not so liable to an accident by fire, nor likely to prove so great an harbour for rats.
'Meanwhile at Rose Hill petty thefts and depredations were frequently committed, particularly on the wheat as it ripened; the bakehouse also was robbed of a quantity of flour by a person unknown. These offences were generally attributed to the reduction which had taken place in the ration of provisions; and every one dreaded how much the commission of them might be increased, if accident or delay should render a still greater reduction necessary.
'Later some people who had been out with a gun from Rose Hill brought in with them a tinder-box known to have belonged to the two unfortunate soldiers who had been unaccounted for since last April. They also picked up in the same brush a piece of linen, said to have formed part of a petticoat which belonged to Anne Smith, a female convict who absconded a few days after our landing in the country.'
#
"27 December 1789: Sunday",382,0,g,0
Two days after a Christmas unremarked in the journals, another casualty was noted by Bradley when 'W Maxwell, 3rd Lieut. being insane was invalided and dismissed from HMS \ISirius\i as unfit to perform duties'. But others were promoted as 'Mr Newton Fowell & Mr Henry Waterhouse were appointed to act as second & third Lieutenants'.
Convict crimes continued, Collins says and the incredible Black Caesar got away again. 'Several thefts having been lately committed by the convicts, and the offenders discovered by the vigilance of the members of our new police, several of them were tried before the criminal court of judicature. Caesar the black, whose situation on Garden Island had been some time back rendered more eligible, by being permitted to work without irons, found means to make his escape, with a mind insensible alike to kindness and to punishment, taking with him a canoe which lay there for the convenience of the other people employed on the island, together with a week's provisions belonging to them; and in a visit which he made them a few nights after in his canoe, he took off an iron pot, a musket, and some ammunition.'
#
"8 January 1790",383,0,g,0
'The \ISupply\i sailed for Norfolk Island with more convicts & provisions', Bradley says, and Collins says there were 'twenty-two male and two female convicts, and one child; Lieutenant King having in his last letters intimated, that he could very well find employment for a greater number of people than he then had under his orders and was to touch at Lord Howe Island to procure turtle'.
#
"17 January 1790: Sunday",384,0,g,0
'Information was received at this time from Rose Hill', Collins says, 'that a convict who had been employed to strike the sting ray, with another, on the flats, having gone on shore, engaged in some quarrel with the natives, who took all his clothes from him, severely wounded, and would inevitably have killed him, but for the humane, friendly, and disinterested interference of one of their own women, who happened to be present. This accident, and many others of the same nature, could not have happened, had the orders which he had received, not to land upon any account, been attended to'.
#
"20 January 1790",385,0,g,0
For defence or for spotting arriving ships, Bradley says, 'A look out post was now established at the South Head and Capt. Hunter with a party went to that station'.
#
"21 January 1790",386,0,g,0
Collins says, 'The bricklayers, having finished the judge-advocate's house, were employed in building a dispensary on the west side contiguous to the hospital, the medicines and surgical instruments being much exposed to damps in the place where they had hitherto been necessarily kept'.
#
"25 January 1790",387,0,g,0
'Garden robberies were now frequent', Collins says, 'notwithstanding the utmost care and vigilance were exerted to prevent them. A rainy tempestuous night always afforded a cloak for the thief, and was generally followed in the morning by some one complaining of his or her garden having been stripped of all its produce'.
#
"26 January 1790",388,0,g,0
The settlers had now been on land for two years. They had been given provisions for only two years as relief ships had been promised within this period of time.
Phillip still had food left as he had rationed supplies carefully and supplemented the stock from the Cape Town visit. However, not knowing when relief ships would be sent, he now had to plan another ration cut as his two-year supply might have to last one year further. It was not much of an anniversary for the settlement which now moved into its third year.
#
"29 January 1790",389,0,g,0
When Bradley went 'with a party to the South Head to relieve the look out post, a Black Kangoroo was seen about there'.
The sooner a relief ship was sighted the better, as Collins reports, 'The flour which had been brought from England did not serve much beyond this month, and that imported from the Cape now supplied its place. Every one began to look forward with much anxiety to the arrival of supplies from England; and as it was reasonable to conclude that every day might bring them on the coast, Captain Hunter, accompanied by Mr. Worgan, the surgeon of the \ISirius\i, and Mr. White, with six or eight seamen, having chosen a spot proper for their purpose, erected a flagstaff on the south head of this harbour, whence, on the appearance of a ship in the offing, a signal might be made, as to serve as a mark for the stranger. An hut was built for their accommodation, and this little establishment was of such importance, that our walks were daily directed to a spot whence it could be seen; thus fondly indulging the delusion, that the very circumstance of looking out for a sail would bring one into view'.
Ships did not come so they had to fend for themselves and 'sufficient quantity of fish having been taken one night to admit the serving of two pounds to each man, woman, and child belonging to the detachment, the governor directed, that a boat should in future be employed three times in the week to fish for the public; and that the whole quantity caught should be issued at the above rate to every person in turn. This allowance was in addition to the ration of provisions; and was received with much satisfaction several times during the month'.
#
"31 January 1790: Sunday",390,0,g,0
'Black Caesar a notorious Convict a Native of Madagascar deliver'd himself up to the Officer at Rose Hill', Bradley says. 'He had been absent since the 22nd. of December when he ran off with a canoe from Garden Island & on the 25th. paid them a visit in the night & stole a Musquet, which he dropt in a Garden at Rose Hill a few nights since being closely pursued: The account he gives of his subsisting himself so long a time was, that where he saw a party of Natives with any thing on, or about their Fire, that he frightend them away by coming suddenly on them & swaggering with his Musquet, then helped himself to whatever they had left; in this manner he made out very well without Amunition, sometimes robbing Gardens: When he lost the Musquet he found it impossible to subsist himself, he was then attack'd by the Natives & wounded in several places & escaped from a party of them through a very thick brush when he surrendered himself.'
#
"3 February 1790",391,0,g,0
'The Governor and Benallon visited the Look out post', Bradley says, 'Benallon being now well reconciled generally accompanied the Governor in little excursions: He threw a Spear on the South Head against a strong wind 98 yards, which was considerably farther than I ever noticed before: In their return to Sydney Cove they saw some women on a point of land near Rose Bay to which they rowed, throw'd them a Jacket & several other things, among this party was a woman whom Benallon was very fond of, BarangVoroo, with whom he had much conversation, he wanted her to come to the Boat telling her that he was fast by the leg & could not get to them, they learnd from this woman, that Colbey was then fishing on the other side of the Hill, that he could not get the shackle from his leg'.
#
"7 February 1790: Sunday",392,62741093.jpg,c,0
'Nanbaray (the Native Boy) was at the look out post on a visit', Bradley says, 'and among other amusements he went through the ceremony of a Burial: which he did by first digging a Grave, put into it a quantity of dry sticks the body was laid at length in green brush which he tied at both ends & placed it upon the dry sticks, then piled sticks over it above the surface of the Ground & signified that they set fire to the pile & threw ashes & earth all together leaving the ground in shape of the Grave usually met with: That part of the ceremony of lighting the fire he was obliged to omit not being strong enough to do it; He shew'd us the manner in which it was done by two sticks, one placed horizontally, the other pointed is applied to this which by constant friction, makes a small hole through which the fire is communicated to some very dry stuff placed under for that purpose, it appears to be rather tedious & laborious'.
\BDescription:\b The Aborigines attacked the European settlers if they were mistreated by escaped convicts. From then on, a running battle developed between black and white. \I(Mansell Collection)\i
#
"10 February 1790",393,0,g,0
'The first signal from the flagstaff at the south head was displayed', Collins reports, 'and though every imagination first turned toward the expected stranger, yet happening about the time at which the \ISupply\i was expected from Norfolk Island, conjecture soon fixed on the right object; and the temporary suspence was put an end to, by word being brought up to the settlement, that the \ISupply,\i unable to get into Port Jackson, had borne up for Botany Bay, in which harbour she anchored in the dusk of evening'.
#
"12 February 1790",394,0,g,0
Phillip started a dispatch home saying, 'The convicts in general have lately behaved better than I ever expected. Only two convicts have suffered death in the last year; four were executed in the first year.
'As near two years have now passed since we first landed in this country, some judgment may be formed of the climate, and I believe a finer or more healthy climate is not to be found in any part of the world. Of 1,030 people who were landed, many of whom were worn out by old age, the scurvy, and various disorders, only seventy-two have died in one-and-twenty months; and by the surgeon's returns it appears that twenty-six of those died from disorders of long standing, and which it is more than probable would have carried them off much sooner in England. Fifty-nine children have been born in the above time.
'Since the last ship sailed (November, 1788) two marines and two convicts have been lost in the woods. One convict has been killed by the natives, and ten wounded - for it is impossible to prevent the convicts from straggling, and the natives having been robbed and ill-treated, now attack those they meet unarmed.'
'Letters brought were received', Collins says and, 'Lieutenant King wrote, that his people continued healthy, and his settlement went on well. His wheat had returned twenty fold, he had employed his people in constructing a stockade of piles round his house, he purposed erecting storehouses, and a barrack for the military. He stated, that the convicts under his orders had in general very good gardens, and that many of them would have a very large produce of Indian corn.
'The \ISupply\i having in her way to Norfolk Island touched at Lord Howe Island, Lieutenant Ball left the gunner and a small party to turn turtle, but they met with no success; so that no dependance was to be placed on that island for any material relief.
'Now the intention was made public, if no ship arrived from England, to sail the \ISirius\i to proceed to China to procure a supply of provisions for the colony. China was chosen, under an idea that salt provisions were to be obtained there, and that it was preferable to sending to any of the islands in those seas, or to the Cape of Good Hope at this season of the year, when the \ISirius\i and her crew would have had to encounter the cold and boisterous weather of a winter's passage thither.
'The governor had, in all his dispatches, uniformly declared the strong necessity there was of having at least two years provisions in store for some time to come; and as this information, together with an exact account of the situation of the colony, had been transmitted by seven different conveyances, if only one had arrived safe, it could not reasonably be doubted that supplies would be immediately dispatched. From the length of time too which had elapsed since the departure of the last ships that sailed from hence direct for England (full fifteen months), it was as reasonable to suppose that they might arrive within the time that the \ISirius\i would be absent.'
#
"13 February 1790",395,0,g,0
Phillip continued his dispatches, 'Numbers of the natives were found dead with the small-pox in different parts of the harbour. It is not possible to determine the number of natives who were carried off by this fatal disorder. It must be great; and judging from the information of the native now living with us, and one who had recovered from the disorder before he was taken, one-half of those who inhabit this part of the country died; and as the natives always retired from where the disorder appeared, and which some must have carried with them, it must have been spread to a considerable distance, as well inland as along the coast. We have seen the traces of it wherever we have been'.
#
"14 February 1790: Sunday",396,0,g,0
Bradley reveals more plans, 'The \ISirius\i was told to be got ready for sea, it being judged that the state of the Colony with respect to Provisions was such, as made it necessary that she should be sent for Supplies to relieve it and China was determined on as a proper place for that purpose: it was also judged necessary to divide the people in the Settlement; Norfolk Island was fixed on to remove the Lieut. Governor Ross with his part of the Battalion & Convicts: it was therefore order'd that the \ISirius\i & \ISupply\i should take those people to Norfolk Island & return to Port Jackson after which if there was not a ship from England, the \ISirius\i was to go to China'.
#
"15 February 1790",397,0,g,0
Ralph Clark's journal starts up again after more than a year of lost words. 'Fine clear weather. Went up the Harbour in my Boat to Lane Cove where I was to See Dourrawan and Tirriwan the two Natives that I exchanged the hatchet with Yesterday for there two Spears. I had not gone far up the cove before I Saw the Smook of there fires. I Cald to them for I was certain that they could not be a great way from me. They Soon Answerd me I then got out of the Boat, Davis my Convict Servant who was in the Boat with me begd of me not to goe on Shore, he is one of the greatest Cowards living but on there Seing that it was me who had given them the Hatchet Yesterday they came down to me. Before I left the Boat I disired Ellis and Squirs my other convict Servant that Should they attempt to throu any of their Spears at me or them to fire without waiting for my Orders but they came to me without any weapens. I made Ellis, Davis and Squirs come on Shore to them Davis trembled the whole time. Dourrawan informed me that his woman the mother of his child was dead of the (\Imittayon\i) Small Pox. Tirriwan's child was not quite Recoverd from the Small Pox. I asked them if they would give me the children for my hatt which they Seemd to wish most for but they would not on any account part with there children which I liked them for.
'The Governour has often asked me because the Natives Seemd not So much affraid of me as they are of every body else, to take one of them and bring them in to the settlement but it would be very Ungenerous to take one of them after they had placed Such confidence in me so I could not think of doing it, for if I had taken them what would have become of there young children they must have Starved. I eat one of there Muscles which made me very Sick. They are very fond of asking your names I told them mine Yesterday which they recollected and cald me by it to day.'
#
"16 February 1790",398,0,g,0
'Fine weather', Clark says, 'after breackfast went in my Boat a little way up Lane Cove Saw a Native on the Shore with two Spears and a throwing Stick in his hand but the moment that he Saw that I was coming on Shore he Set of as if the Devil was after him. I land and took my Gun and made Ellis and my two Convict men doe the Same after making the Boat fast and we went a little way in the wood and found the Skeleton of a man or Woman - the Skin was Still entire on the back part of the Head and the Hair Still adhering to it which was in colour of light Brown from which I was certain that it could be non of the natives but must belong to Some Unfortunate person that was Kild by the Natives or what is much more dreadful than been Kild by the Natives that of lossing one self and perishing with hunger. It Struck me as it did every body in the Boat that it must be the Skeleton of Mr. Hill a midshipman beloning to the \ISirius\i who was either Kild by the Natives or lost in the woods. I brought the head home with me and Sent it to the Hospital to See if they could inform me if it was a Natives or one of the people that has been missing and it proves to be the Head of one Hill a convict that was loss from Rose Hill near a twelf month Since. The Surgeons wanted me to give them the Skull but I would not. I told them that I should carry it back and collect the rest of the Bons and Bury them and the Head'.
#
"19 February 1790",399,0,g,0
'Major Ross was orderd to hold him Self in readynes to Embark on bord his \ISirous\i and \ISupply\i for Norfolk Iland', Easty reports. Collins says, 'Heavy rains, with gales of wind, and rain came down in torrents, filling up every trench and cavity which had been dug about the settlement, and causing much damage to the miserable mud tenements which were occupied by the convicts. By these rains, a pit which had been dug for the purpose of procuring clay to plaister the walls of a hut, was filled with water; and a boy upwards of two years of age, belonging to one of the female convicts, falling into it, was drowned. The surgeons tried, but without success, to save his life, using the methods practised by the Humane Society. Yet bad as the weather was, several gardens were robbed, and, as at this time they abounded with melons and pumpkins, they became the object of depredation in common with other productions of the garden'.
'After I was Releved from Guard I went down to my Island to look at my Garden', Clark says, 'and found that Some Boat had landed Since I had been there last and taken away the Greatest part of a fine Bed of Onions. It is impossible for any body to attemp to raise any Gardin Stuff for before it comes to perfection they will Steal it. I thought that having a Garden on an island it would be more Secure but I find that they even get at it. My corn comes on as well as corn can doe'.
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"20 February 1790",400,0,g,0
'Rainy weather', Clark says, 'begun writing a letter to my Belovd to Send by the \ISirius\i after She has landed us at Norfolk Island but I hope the arrival of some Ship with provisions for us will prevent our going there as I find the reason of our being Sent there is that Norfolk has more Resourses in it than this place in fish and Birds for I find that there is not more than the first of next month than thirteen weeks provisions in Store. God help us if Some Ships dont arrive I dont know what will'.
#
"21 February 1790: Sunday",401,0,g,0
'Fine weather', Clark says, 'Soon after breackfast I went out in my Boat down to my Island to See my Garden and found that Some persons had been ther again and have taken away all my potatoes. However they are I wish that they were in hell for ther kindness. Returnd to dinner at Major Rosses'.
#
"22 February 1790",402,0,g,0
'This Day Thomas Brimage Private and John Easty Signed and Sealed thiaer Last Wills and testaments to Each other', Easty says.
Clark reports, 'After parade I mett with the rest of my Brother Officers at Lieut Kellows Hutt and Signd a letter to Majr. Ross the purport of which is that as Mr. Kellow Seems to be Sensible of his error and as he has given his word that the moment he Returns to England to goe on half Pay, we therfor beg that Major Ross would be So good as to take the Suspension off under which Lieut Kellow has for Some time past labourd under. Dinned with a party at Majr. Rosses. After dinner took a walk out in the country to the Bananas and Returned to Tea'.
#
"24 February 1790",403,0,g,0
Clark 'mounted the Governour Main Guard to day. In the afternoon Majr. Ross came over and walk with me for near two hours. I met with the Rest of my Brother officers at Capt. Tenchs hutt in consequence of a messaged from Majr. Ross acquainting us that he had Received our letter Respecting Mr. Kellow but that he could not grant our Request on account of our laying a Restriction on Mr. Kellow to goe on half Pay on his Return to England (for if he Majr. Ross was to grant our Request it would be Said bring him into a Scrap with the Admiralty) we therefore agreed to take off the Said Restriction'. Easty reports, 'William Edmonston, marine departed this life'.
#
"26 February 1790",404,0,g,0
Hunter says, 'We had not now more than provisions till June. The governor now saw a necessity for dividing the settlement, and signified his intention of sending a certain number of marines and convicts, under the command of Major Ross to Norfolk Island as there were many resources which Port Jackson did not afford; and the gardens and cultivated lands here also would then be more enjoyed by the remaining numbers, so I received an order to prepare the \ISirius\i for sea, and to embark the lieutenant-governor, with one company of marines, and the officers, baggage, and also convicts; in all, 221 persons, with such a proportion of the remaining provisions and other stores, as the settlement at that time could furnish; and I was directed to land them upon Norfolk Island. Lieutenant Ball, commander of his Majesty's armed tender \ISupply\i, was ordered under my command, and he also embarked a company of marines, and twenty convicts'.
#
"28 February 1790: Sunday",405,62741094.jpg,c,0
'The recent rains', Collins says, 'damaged a brick building, fifty-nine feet in front, designed for a guardhouse, of which the foundation had been laid a few days before the heavy rains commenced. The situation of this building was on the east side of the cove, at the upper part, contiguous to the bridge over the run of water, and convenient for detaching assistance to any part of the place where it might be requisite'.
Clark 'Sent Ellis and my two convict Servents out in the Boat to get Sweet Tea for to carry with me to Norfolk and myself have been busie in packing up my things. I went down to my Island to gather my indian corn but found the greatest part already gatherd to my hands. Some Boat must have landed yesterday or the day befor and taking the corn away in the place of my having about Six Bushels of corn I have not now got a bove a Bushel. They have Stole about fifteen hunderd Cobbs of corn. It is needless to vex one self about it it is gone past recovering. Return to dinner at Majr. Rosses.
'I find that the Governor has Remitted the Remainder of the Sentance of Transportation on John Irvin in Consequence of the unremitted good Conduct of the Said Irvin and is to be considered as Restord to all those rights and privelges which had been Suspended In consequence of the Sentance of the Law and is appointed to be an assistant surgeon at Norfolk Island. I am very glad that Irvin goes with us for I think he is the best surgeon amongst them all.
'Ships are to Embark for Norfok soon and Majr. Ross askd in what Ship I should wish to goe I told in that Ship he went in. He Said that is the Ship I should wish you to goe in.'
\BDescription:\b The early settlers found it difficult to believe when they first saw the Wombat. Writing home, they described it as a large mouse. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"1 March 1790",406,62741095.jpg,c,0
The sacred alcohol supply suffered as 'a reduction in the allowance of spirits now took place', Collins reports. 'The half pint per diem, which had hitherto been issued to each man who was entitled to receive it, was to be discontinued, and only the half of that allowance served. Thus was the gradual decrease in our stores followed by a diminution of our daily comforts and necessaries.'
But every day a ship was expected, Tench says. 'Still we were on the tiptoe of expectation. If thunder broke at a distance or a report resounded in the woods, "a gun from a ship", was echoed on every side, and nothing but hurry and agitation prevailed. For eighteen months after we had landed in the country, a party of marines used to go weekly to Botany Bay, to see whether any vessel, ignorant of our removal to Port Jackson, might be arrived there. But the better plan devised, on the suggestion of captain Hunter, was a party of seamen fixed on a high bluff, called the South-head, at the entrance of the harbour, on which a flag was ordered to be hoisted, whenever a ship might appear, which should serve as a direction to her, and as a signal of approach to us. Every officer stepped forward to volunteer a service which promised to be so replete with beneficial consequences. But the zeal and alacrity of captain Hunter, and our brethren of the \ISirius,\i rendered superfluous all assistance or co-operation.
'Here on the summit of the hill, every morning from daylight until the sun sunk, did we sweep the horizon, in hope of seeing a sail. At every fleeting speck which arose from the bosom of the sea, the heart bounded, and the telescope was lifted to the eye. If a ship appeared here, we knew she must be bound to us; for on the shores of this vast ocean the largest in the world we were the only community which possessed the art of navigation, and languished for intercourse with civilized society. To say that we were disappointed and shocked, would very inadequately describe our sensations. But the misery and horror of such a situation cannot be imparted, even by those who have suffered under it.
'Vigorous measures had become indispensable and the governor therefore ordered a farther retrenchment of our ration, on sailing of the \ISirius\i to China.'
\BDescription:\b The Platypus was the most unbelievable animal discovered by the colonists. Specimens were hurriedly caught, stuffed and despatched to England. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"2 March 1790",407,0,g,0
'Sent Some of my things on board of the \ISirius\i', Clark says, 'and after dinner went on board of the \ISirius\i with Some more of my things. We are to Embark to morrow afternoon. Bought a nother Sow for which I gave two Guineas for gave Davey four Guineas for the Sow which he let me have. She is big with Pigg'.
#
"3 March 1790",408,0,g,0
'Major Ross with George Jonstone, Kellow, John Jonston, Clark, faddy and John Ross with 3 sergeants 4 corporals 3 Drums and 46 privates Embarked on bord the \ISirous\i and \ISupply\i to Join Creswel now Doing Duty att Norfolk', Scott reports.
'The expected supplies not having arrived, the marines with their officers and the colours of the corps embarked on board the \ISirius\i and the \ISupply\i', Collins says, 'with them also embarked the lieutenant-governor, and Mr. Considen the senior assistant surgeon of the settlement. One hundred and sixteen male, sixty-eight female convicts, with twenty-seven children, were put on board; among the male convicts the governor had sent the troublesome and incorrigible Black Caesar, on whom he had bestowed a pardon. With these also was sent, though of a very different description, a person whose exemplary conduct had raised him from the situation of a convict to the privileges of a free man, John Irving had since our landing in the country been employed as an assistant at the hospital. He was bred a surgeon, and in no instance whatever, since the commission of the offence for which he was transported, had he given cause of complaint. He was now sent to Norfolk Island, to act as an assistant to the medical gentlemen there'.
Clark adds, 'After Breakfast Sent my Cott on board with the Remainder of my things. We have carried the colors with us. I came on Shore again for the Night as Majr. Ross and Capt. Campble disired I would. Paid Every body that I am endebted to in this part of the World compliaments, I wish I could Say all over the World but I hope that I Shall have that pleasure Soon'.
#
"4 March 1790",409,0,g,0
On HMS \ISirius\i Bradley says they loaded '96 men and 65 women convicts with 25 children: The \ISupply\i took 20 men & 2 women convicts and 3 children'.
'After Breakfast', Clark says, 'Sent all my Stock on Board Consisting of two Sows one Cock and Six hens. I have left my house in the care of Sergeant Chapman with liberty to live in it untill my Return if ever I should wont it. At twelf oClock all of use that are going to Norfolk met at Majr. Ross's house and went with him to the Governors to take our leave of him after which I went on board to See my thing put to Right and order my Servant to put what things I may want on the passage to be nearest at hand in my Cabin. I have parted with Ellis having had Some words with him and he Answering Shorter than I think he Should have done I told him to goe to his duty. He is ane honest man for I never knew him wrong me of a Single thing in my life. I shall be Sorry parting with him.
'Dined at Majr. Ross and drank Tea after which went on board as we Sail to Morrow. I have left money with Captain Campble to purchase me Some Tea and Sugar and Some Soap from the first Ships that may Arrive. He also gave me half a dozen pair of Stocking which I want very much the Sivility and friendship that Captain Campble has Shown to me I am affraid I never will have it in my power to make him a Sufficient Acknowlegement for his attention has been more like a father than a friend. His and Majr. Rosses friendship to me is what I call real and Sinceer.'
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"5 March 1790",410,0,g,0
A false start on the Norfolk Island trip was recorded by Bradley, 'Sailed with the \ISupply\i in company, but the weather being squally & very unsettled we came too in the lower part of the Harbour'.
#
"6 March 1790",411,62741096.jpg,c,0
Finally, as Easty says, from back on dry land, 'this Day the \ISirows\i and \ISupply\i Sailed for Norfolk Iland' - little knowing it was the last time HMS \ISirius\i was to be seen.
After the ships left and the harbour was empty and still again, Collins adds, 'At the South Head lookout post Captain Hunter left the gunner, a midshipman, and six of the \ISirius\i's people to look for ships. Mr. Maxwell, one of her lieutenants, having been for a considerable time past in a melancholy and declining way, and his disorder pronounced by the surgeons to be insanity, he was discharged from the ship, and had taken up his residence on shore under the care of the surgeon, with proper people who were left from the ship to attend him'.
\BDescription:\b The settlement had spread up over the hill on the western side of Sydney Cove, referred to as 'The Rocks' (and still known by that today), by the start of the third year. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
#
"7 March 1790: Sunday",412,62741097.jpg,c,0
'After the departure of these ships', Collins says, 'the governor directed his attention to the regulation of the people who were left at Sydney, and to the preservation of the stock in the colony. For these purposes, he himself visited the different huts and gardens whose tenants had just quitted them, distributing them to such convicts as were either in miserable hovels, or without any shelter at all. It was true, that by this arrangement the idle found themselves provided for by the labour of many who had been industrious; but they were at the same time assured, that unless they kept in good cultivation the gardens which they were allowed to possess, they would be turned out from the comforts of a good hut, to live under a rock or tree. That they might have time for this purpose, the afternoon of Wednesday and the whole of Saturday in each week were given to them.
'Much room was made every where by the numbers who had embarked (in all two hundred and eighty-one persons); the military quarters had a deserted aspect; and the whole settlement appeared as if famine had already thinned it of half its numbers. The little society that was in the place was broken up, and every man seemed left to brood in solitary silence over the dreary prospect before him.
'With respect to the stock, his excellency directed, that no hogs under three months old should be killed, nor were any to be butchered without information being first given at headquarters. Those who bred poultry were left at liberty to dispose of it in such manner as they thought proper; and the commissary was directed to purchase for the use of the hospital such live stock as the owners were desirous of selling, complying with the above regulations, and receiving one shilling a pound as the price.
'Some provisions which yet remained in the old large thatched store were removed for greater security into the store in the marine quarters. It was strongly suspected, that an attempt had been made to obtain some parts of these provisions in the night; and some convicts were examined before the judge-advocate on suspicion of having taken some flour from the store; but nothing appeared that could materially affect them. The provisions, when all collected together under one roof and into one view, afforded but a melancholy reflection; it was well that we had even them.'
\BDescription:\b The tail feathers of the Lyrebird were a much-prized possession. Few were sighted by the largely untrained observer in the early days. \I(Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)\i
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"27 March 1790",413,0,g,0
Week after week passed - following the departure of the two ships until 'On the 27th of the month, the long-expected signal not having been displayed, it became necessary to put the colony upon a still shorter ration of provisions', Collins says. 'It was a painful but a necessary duty. The governor directed that the provisions should in future be served daily; for which purpose the store was to be opened from one to three in the afternoon.
'The ration for the week was to consist of four pounds of flour, two pounds and a half of pork, and one pound and a half of rice, and these were to be issued to every person in the settlement without distinction; but as the public labour must naturally be affected by this reduction, the working hours were in future to be from sunrise, with a small interval for breakfast, until one o'clock: the afternoons were to be allowed the people to receive their provisions and work in their gardens. These alterations in the ration and in the hours of labour, however, were not to commence until the 1st of the following month.
'The nightwatch were called upon by the common interest to be more than ever active and sedulous in their efforts to protect public and private property; for robberies of gardens and houses were daily and nightly committed. Damage was also received from the little stock which remained alive; the owners, not having wherewith to feed them, were obliged to turn them loose to browse among the grass and shrubs, or turn up the ground for the fern-root; and as they wandered without any one to prevent their doing mischief, they but too often found an easy passage over fences and through barriers which were now grown weak and perishing. It was however ordered, that the stock should be kept up during the night, and every damage that could be proved to have been received during that time was to be made good by the owners of the stock that might be caught trespassing; or the animals themselves were to be forfeited.'
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"30 March 1790",414,0,g,0
Tench reports on the progress of the remaining adult kidnap victim, Bennelong, 'His powers of mind were certainly far above mediocrity. He acquired knowledge, both of our manners and language, faster than his predecessor Arabanoo had done. He willingly communicated information; sang, danced, and capered: told us all the customs of his country, and all the details of his family economy. Love and war seemed his favourite pursuits; in both of which he had suffered severely. His head was disfigured by several scars; a spear had passed through his arm, and another through his leg; half of one of his thumbs was carried away; and the mark of a wound appeared on the back of his hand.
'The cause and attendant circumstances of all these disasters, except one, he related to us. "But the wound on the back of your hand, Baneelon! how did you get that?" He laughed, and owned that it was received in carrying off a lady of another tribe by force. "I was dragging her away: she cried aloud, and stuck her teeth in me." "And what did you do then?" "I knocked her down, and beat her till she was insensible, and covered with blood."
'Whenever he recounted his battles, "poized his lance, and shewed how fields were won", the most violent exclamations of rage and vengeance against his competitors in arms, those of the tribe called Cam-ee-ra-gal in particular, would burst from him. And he never failed at such times to solicit the governor to accompany him, with a body of soldiers, in order that he might exterminate his hated name.
'Although I call him only Baneelon, he had besides several appellations; and for a while he chose to be distinguished by that of Wo-lar-a-war-ee. Again, as a mark of affection and respect to the governor, he conferred on him the name of Wolarawaree, and sometimes called him Been-en-a (father); adopting to himself the name of governor. This interchange we found is a constant symbol of friendship among them. In a word, his temper seemed pliant, and his relish of our society so great, that hardly any one judged he would attempt to quit us, were the means of escape put within his reach. Nevertheless it was thought proper to continue a watch over him.'
#
"31 March 1790",415,0,g,0
Hunger pains drove people to steal, and 'Richard Knight a marine was tryed by a Criminal Cort for Robing a Gardean for which he was Sintancd 200 Lashes', Easty says.
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"1 April 1790",416,0,g,0
'The reduced ration and the change in the working hours commenced, as was directed, on the 1st of this month', Collins says, 'and much time was not consumed at the store, and the people went away to dress the scanty allowance which they had received.
'Attention to our religious duties was never omitted. Divine service was performed in one of our emptied storehouses in the morning and the convicts were recommended to employ the remainder of it in their gardens. But, notwithstanding the evident necessity that existed for every man's endeavouring to assist himself, very few were observed to be so profitably occupied.'
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"3 April 1790",417,0,g,0
Food from any source was valuable, as Collins said. 'As every saving that could be made in the article of provisions was of consequence in the present situation of the stores, it was directed that such fish as should in future be taken by the public boats should be issued at the store, in the proportion of ten pounds of fish to two pounds and a half of pork; and one hundred and fifty pounds of fish, which had been brought up before the issuing of provisions commenced on that day, were served out agreeable to that order.'
#
"5 April 1790",418,0,g,0
Now came the devastating news of the wreck of the colony's flagship. As Tench says, 'News was brought, that the flag on the South-head was hoisted. Less emotion was created by the news than might be expected; every one, coldly said to his neighbour, "the \ISirius\i and \ISupply\i are returned from Norfolk Island". To satisfy myself that the flag was really flying, I went to the observatory, and looked for it through the large astronomical telescope, when I plainly saw it, but I was immediately convinced that it was not to announce the arrival of ships from England; for I could see nobody near the flagstaff except one solitary being, who kept strolling around, unmoved by what he saw. I well knew how different an effect the sight of strange ships would produce.
'The governor, however, determined to go down the harbour, and I begged permission to accompany him. Having turned a point about half way down, we were surprised to see a boat, which was known to belong to the \Isupply\i, rowing towards us. On nearer approach, I saw captain Ball make an extraordinary motion with his hand, which too plainly indicated that something disastrous had happened; and I could not help turning to the governor, near whom I sat, and saying, "Sir, prepare yourself for bad news". A few minutes changed doubt into certainty; and to our unspeakable consternation we learned, that the \ISirius\i had been wrecked on Norfolk Island, on the 19th of February. Happily, however, captain Hunter, and every other person belonging to her, were saved.
'Dismay was painted on every countenance, when the tidings were proclaimed at Sydney. The most distracting apprehensions were entertained; all hopes were now concerned in the little \ISupply.\i In the evening, all the officers of the garrison, both civil and military, were summoned to meet the governor in council; when the nature of our situation was fully discussed; and an account of the provisions yet remaining in store laid before the council by the commissary. This account stated, that on the present ration the public stores contained salt meat sufficient to serve until the 2d of July; flour until the 20th of August; and rice, or pease in lieu of it, until the 1st of October.
'After some interchange of opinion, the following ration was decreed to commence immediately: a vigorous exertion to prolong existence, or the chance of relief, being all now left to us: "Two pounds of pork, two pounds and a half of flour, two pounds of rice, or a quart of pease, per week, to every grown person, and to every child of more than eighteen months old."
'The immediate departure of the \ISupply\i, for Batavia, was also determined. Nor did our zeal stop here. The governor being resolved to employ all the boats, public and private, in procuring fish, which was intended to be served in lieu of salt meat, all the officers, civil and military, including the clergyman, and the surgeons of the hospital, made the voluntary offer, in addition to their other duties, to go alternately every night in these boats, in order to see that every exertion was made; and that all the fish which might be caught was deposited with the commissary.
And so the first settlement was down to its last ship, HMS \ISupply\i, a tiny 150-ton, 70-foot brig with a capacity for only fifty people. The settlement was in dire straits. All they could do was wait for help and send off HMS \ISupply\i for food hoping she would not be wrecked as well.
#
"Saved by a Shipload of 'Prostitutes'",419,62741098.jpg,c,0
\B6 April to 30 June 1790\b
Even as Phillip sent his last ship off to Batavia for supplies and dispatched Philip Gidley King to London to press for help, the second fleet was en route to Sydney carrying both convicts and food.
Because food was so short, people became exhausted and sick and Phillip was forced to cut back the public works program. Progress ground to a halt as people just sat about waiting for the food ships to save them.
Although everyone thought the first 'relief ship' to the colony to be a storeship, in fact it was the \ILady Juliana\i - a transport full of female convicts, many of whom had been convicted of prostitution, who could do little to help; and it was not till the later ships of the second fleet arrived that the long-awaited food was delivered.
The second fleet, five ships in all, brought enough food to enable the colony to survive, but it also brought more than 500 sick and dying convicts who were more trouble than they were worth. The second fleet was a scandal from start to finish and the first settlement was left reeling under the weight of the wave that brought the second lot of settlers to the struggling colony of New South Wales.
From this moment on the problems of a large society became the hallmark of the settlement and the special atmosphere of the period of first settlement was over forever.
Only Collins and Tench were still writing regular journals, though there were infrequent entries by others, including Scott and Easty.
\BDescription:\b The first settlement was initially built around the Tank Stream and within a few years had taken on the appearance of a typical European township. \I(Courtesy Mansell Collection)\i
#
"7 April 1790",420,0,g,0
A good catch supplemented the dwindling food supplies when Collins says, 'About four hundred weight of fish being brought up today it was issued agreeable to the order; and could the like quantity have been brought in daily, some saving might have been made at the store, which would have repaid the labour that was employed to obtain it. But the quantity taken was not often much more than equal to supplying the people employed in the boats with one pound of fish per man, which was allowed them in addition to their ration. The small boats, the property of individuals, were therefore returned to their owners, and the people who had been employed in them, together with the seamen of the \ISirius\i now here, were placed in the large boats belonging to the settlement.
'Neither was much advantage obtained by employing people to shoot for the public as only three small kangaroos had been brought in. The convicts who were employed on this service, three in number, were considered as good marksmen, and were allowed a ration of flour instead of their salt provisions, the better to enable them to sustain the labour and fatigue of traversing the woods of this country.'
#
"8 April 1790",421,0,g,0
'The necessity of procuring relief became every day more pressing', Collins wrote. 'Nothing had yet arrived from Engiand, though hourly expected. It was the natural and general opinion, that our present situation was to be attributed to accident rather than to procrastination. It was more probable, that the vessels which had been dispatched by the British government had met with some distress, that had either compelled them to return or had wholly prevented them from any further prosecution of the voyage, than that any delay should have taken place in their departure.
'The governor, therefore having determined on sending the \ISupply\i armed tender to Batavia; inspired her commander to become most zealously active in his preparations for the voyage and so she was soon ready for sea. Her tonnage, however, was trifling when compared with our necessities. Lieutenant Ball was, therefore, directed to procure a supply of eight months provisions for himself, and to hire a vessel and purchase 200,000 pounds of flour, 80,000 pounds of beef, 60,000 pounds of pork, and 70,000 pounds of rice; together with some necessaries for the hospital, such as sugar, sago, hogs lard, vinegar, and dongaree. The expectation of this relief was indeed distant, but yet it was more to be depended upon that that which might be coming from England. A given time was fixed for the return of the \ISupply\i; but it was impossible to say when a vessel might arrive from Europe. Whatever might be our distress for provisions, it would be some alleviation to look on to a certain fixed period when it might be expected to be removed.'
With a date now set for the departure of HMS \ISupply\i, people began to write letters home - to be posted from Batavia.
#
"9 April 1790",422,0,g,0
The Reverend Richard Johnson, writing home, said, ' 'Tis now a long time since I have been able to write to or hear from you, am happy, however, to embrace this first opportunity of scribbling over a few lines to you to inform you we are still alive & well, but have had many ups and downs, changes & vicissitudes of Providence since we left England, & I can only tell you that shd we be so fortunate as to set our feet upon English ground again, I think it wd not be a little that should induce us to venture a second time upon the deep & mighty ocean. I don't speak this by way of murmuring & complaining. I still believe this is by God's appointment, & this is a sufficient argument to silence objection or complaint, but our situation is not the most comfortable in the world.
' 'Tis now about two years & three months since we first arrived at this distant Country. All this while we have been as it were buried alive, never having an opportunity of hearing from our friends. Our Stock of Provisions brought from England is nearly exhausted, & as to flour we should have been without any for some months had it not been for the supply we received by her from the Cape. This Providence appears still greater as she was very nearly cast away by Diemen's Land as she returned here. Had this been the case, our situation by this time must have been deplorable.
'We have been anxiously looking out for a fleet for a long time, but hitherto none has appeared, and 'tis now generally conjectured that the fleet expected is either lost or taken by some enemy. Our hopes now are almost vanished, and everyone begins to think our situation not a little alarming.
'As an individual, I am as well off as most. Have plenty of vegitables, Potatoes which I feel of essential service & which are chiefly the fruits of my own hard labour. Had not we something of this to help out, you may judge how we should now do, upon the Provision of 2 lbs. of Pork, 2╜ lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of Rice, & a pint of pease per week. This is the utmost allowed us, & when served fish the Pork stopped.'
#
"10 April 1790",423,0,g,0
Phillip also wrote reports to go back home on HMS \ISupply.\i 'I have been for some time in expectation of ships arriving from England. On the provisions landed to serve the settlement for two years considerable losses have been sustained, and his Majesty's ship \ISirius\i and the \ISupply\i tender have been occasionally victualled from the stores, but no ships appearing, those expectations have given place to a fear that they might have met with some accident, and it now becomes necessary to take such steps best calculated to provide for the immediate support of the people.
'The \ISirius\i was to have proceeded from Norfolk Island to Canton or Batavia for provisions for the colony as the settlement had been at two-thirds of the established rations from the 1st of November, and it was now reduced to something less than half a ration; consequently little labour could be expected from the convicts, and they are only employed for the public in the mornings, leaving the afternoons to attend to their gardens.
'But following the loss of the \ISirius\i it was now necessary to reduce the ration to two pounds and a half of flour, two pounds of pork, and two pounds of rice, for seven people for the day. At this ration, which is served to every one without distinction, the flour will last till the middle of November, the pork till the end of July, and the rice till the first week in September. Most labour is now laid aside, all the boats are employed in fishing, and what is caught goes to the public store, where it is served in lieu of pork; and there is no doubt but that we shall support ourselves till the \ISupply\i returns, if no ships arrive before that time.
'The \ISupply\i wll be ready to sail for Batavia in a few days, in order to procure what flour that vessell can stow, and one of the lieutenants of the \ISirius\i is to be left to follow in any ship that can be hired, to bring provisions to the colony. I have ordered the \ISupply\i to Batavia, as I do not think that the vessel in a condition to attempt a winter's passage round the South Cape.'
#
"12 April 1790",424,0,g,0
As the day of departure of HMS \ISupply\i came closer, the official in charge of stores and supplies, John Palmer, was told to go with the ship to buy more food. Collins says, 'Mr. Palmer received his appointment from his excellency on the 12th of this month, on which day the following was the state of the provisions in the public store, viz:
1. Pork 23,851 pounds which will last another 4 months and 2 weeks until 26 August.
2. Beef 1,280 pounds which will also last till 26 August.
3. Rice 24,455 pounds which will last five months and one day till 13 September.
4. Peas 17 bushels which will also last till 13 September.
5. Flour 56,884 pounds which will last 8 months and 7 days till 19 December.
6. Biscuits 1,924 pounds which will also last till 19 December.
'The duration of the \ISupply's\i voyage was generally expected to be six months; a period at which, if no relief arrived in the mean time from England we should be found without salt provisions, rice, and peas. In the above statement three hundred bushels of wheat, which had been produced at Rose Hill, were not included, being reserved for seed.
'The governor, from a motive that did him immortal honor, in this season of general distress, gave up three hundred weight of flour which was his excellency's private property, declaring that he wished not to see any thing more at his table than the ration which was received in common from the public store, without any distinction of persons; and to this resolution he rigidly adhered, wishing that if a convict complained, he might see that want was not unfelt even at Government house.'
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"15 April 1790",425,0,g,0
Having been in the job since August 1786, Phillip now asked to be relieved, in a letter to Lord Sydney. 'As the settlement is now fixed, whenever his Majesty's service permits, I shall be glad to return to England, where I have reason to suppose my private affairs may make my presence necessary; but which I do not ask in any publick letters, nor should I mention a desire of leaving this country at this moment but that more than a year must pass before it can possibly take place'.
Writing to Nepean, Phillip said, 'I have to request that the necessary instructions may be sent out respecting those convicts who say their terms of transportation are expired, of which we already have a great number, very few of whom are desirious of becoming settlers in this country'. A great deal of trouble was caused by the omission of the Home Department to send out lists showing the names of the convicts, and their terms of transportation, and many criminals whose sentences had expired were treated in Phillip's time as convicts, because there was no evidence to support their claim to be released.
'The \ISupply\i will sail immediately, and the necessity of sending to Batavia for provisions will I presume be obvious; I do it more from being persuaded that some accident must have prevented the ships arriving.
'In a private letter to Lord Sydney I have expressed a wish to have leave to return to England, when the service permits, a request I should not have made at this moment but that the inconveniences under which the colony now labours will be done away long before my letters can reach England, and more than a year must pass before I can have any answer. Mrs. Phillip was supposed to be dying when I left England, and whoever the estate goes to some steps should be taken to secure the payment of two annuities for which I gave security, and for which it is probable no provision will be made. I should have no objection to return here, but some little change would, I hope, be thought necessary - I mean respecting myself; but how far that may be practicable you can judge. You may mention it to Lord Sydney, if you think it necessary, and whatever he determines I should think best; but to come to England for a twelve month is what I wish, for many reasons.
'Dismal accounts will, I make no doubt, be sent to England, but we shall not starve, though seven-eighth of the colony deserves nothing better; the present want will be done away by the first ship that arrives.
'The orders given to the officer who commands the \ISupply\i [Lieut. Ball] for his proceeding to Batavia, directed the procuring of six months' provisions for the settlement, more than what the \ISupply\i will bring, as I make no doubt but that ships from England will arrive before the time expires for which that quantity of provisions will last.'
#
"17 April 1790",426,0,g,0
At last the day arrived and with all hopes pinned on her, 'This Day His Majistys Armed tender \ISupply\i Brig Saild from this Port for Batavie for Provisions for the Settelment', Easty wrote. 'Having on board Lieutenant King', Collins added, 'the late commandant of Norfolk Island, who was charged with the governor's dispatches for the secretary of state, and Mr. Andrew Miller, the late commissary, whose ill state of health obliging him to resign that employment, the governor permitted him to return to England.
'Lieutenant Newton Fowell, of the \ISirius\i, was, together with the gunner of that ship, also embarked. The \ISupply\i was to touch at Norfolk Island, if practicable, and take on board Lieutenant Bradley of the \ISirius\i, who, from his knowledge of the coast, was chosen by the governor to proceed to Batavia, and was to return to this port in whatever vessel might be freighted by Lieutenant Ball; Mr. Fowell and the gunner were to be left at the island.'
Tench adds, 'when the \ISupply\i sailed for Batavia, we followed her with anxious eyes until she was no longer visible. Truly did we say to her - "\IIn te omnis domus inclinata recumbit.\i" We were, however, consoled by reflecting, that every thing which zeal, fortitude, and seamanship, could produce, was concentred in her commander. Our bosoms consequently became less perturbed; and all our labour and attention were turned on one object - the procuring of food. "Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war were no more".
'We prayed that the remaining food would last till her return but when the age of this provision is recollected, its inadequacy will more strikingly appear. The pork and rice were brought with us from England: the pork had been salted between three and four years, and every grain of rice was a moving body, from the inhabitants lodged within it. We soon left off boiling the pork, as it had become so old and dry, that it shrunk one half in its dimensions when so dressed. Our usual method of cooking it was to cut off the daily morsel, and toast it on a fork before the fire, catching the drops which fell on a slice of bread, or in a saucer of rice. Our flour was the remnant of what was brought from the Cape, by the \ISirius\i, and was good. Instead of baking it, the soldiers and convicts used to boil it up with greens.'
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"20 April 1790",427,0,g,0
On their own now the first settlers returned to normal activities. One man who would not live to receive relief supplies if they did come was William Chafe, as Scott explains, 'William Chafe A Convict Was Exacuted, for House Breaking although Formerly Sentinced two thousand Lashes'. Collins adds, 'The inevitable consequences of this scarcity of provisions ensued; labour stood nearly suspended for want of energy to proceed; and the countenances of the people plainly bespoke the hardships they underwent. The convicts, however, were employed for the public in the forenoons; and such labour was obtained from them as their situation would allow. The guard-house on the east side was finished and taken possession of during the month.
'There being many among the convicts who availed themselves of this peculiar situation to commit thefts, it became necessary to punish with severity all who were fully convicted before the court of criminal jurisdiction. One Convict, William Chafe, was executed for breaking into a house, and several others were sentenced to serve corporal punishments. Garden robberies were the principal offences committed. These people had been assembled by the governor, and informed that very severe punishment would follow the conviction of persons guilty of robbing gardens, as a necessary step toward preventing the continuance of such an evil; and he strongly inculcated the absolute necessity that existed for every man to cultivate his own garden, instead of robbing that of another.'
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"27 April 1790",428,0,g,0
'To the few who, from never having been industrious, had not any ground sown or planted with vegetables, he allotted a small but sufficient spot for their use, and encouraged them in their labour by his presence and directions; but they preferred any thing to honest industry. These people, though the major part of them were, during the night, locked up in the building lately occupied as a guardhouse, were ever on the watch to commit depredations on the unwary during the hours in which they were at large, and never suffered an opportunity to escape them. A female convict, who came down from Rose Hill, was robbed of her week's provisions; and as it was impossible to replace them from the public store, she was left to subsist on what she could obtain from the bounty (never more truly laudable than at this distressing juncture) of others who commiserated her situation.
'Another female convict and one child died. The female convict occasioned her own death, by overloading her stomach with flour and greens, of which she made a mess during the day, and ate heartily; but, not being satisfied, she rose in the night and finished it. This was one of the evil effects of the reduced ration.'
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"3 May 1790",429,0,g,0
'William Dowland a marine', Easty says, 'Departed this Life of a flux and fever att Rose Hill'.
A change in food gathering strategy now took place, Collins says, 'Shooting for the public not being found to answer the expectations which had been formed of it, sixty pounds of pork only having been saved, the game-killers were called in, and the general exertion was directed to the business of fishing. The seine and the hooks and lines were employed and with various success; the best of which afforded but a very trifling relief.
'As the \ISirius\i was fated not to return to perform her intended voyage to India, the biscuit which had been baked for that purpose was issued, in lieu of flour, that article being served again when the biscuit was expended; and it lasted only through seven days.'
Tench noted that, 'Our friend Baneelon, during this season of scarcity, was as well taken care of as our desperate circumstances would allow. We know not how to keep him, and yet were unwilling to part with him. Had he penetrated our state, perhaps he might have given his countrymen such a description of our diminished numbers, and diminished strength, as would have emboldened them to become more troublesome. Every expedient was used to keep him in ignorance; his allowance was regularly received by the governor's servant, like that of any other person; but the ration of a week was insufficient to have kept him for a day; the deficiency was supplied by fish, whenever it could be procured, and a little Indian corn, which had been reserved, was ground and appropriated to his use. In spite of all these aids, want of food has been known to make him furious, and often melancholy'.
Perhaps this is why he escaped, which Tench says, 'He effected in the night of the 3d. About two o'clock in the morning, he pretended illness, and awaking the servant who lay in the room with him, begged to go down stairs. The other attended him without suspicion of his design; and Baneelon no sooner found himself in a back-yard, than he nimbly leaped over a slight paling, and bade us adieu'. Collins adds, 'It shows how far before every other consideration he deemed the possession of his liberty, by very artfully effecting his escape from the governor's house, where he had been treated with every indulgence and had enjoyed every comfort which it was in his excellency's power to give him. He managed his escape so ingeniously, that it was not suspected until he had completed it, and all search was rendered fruitless. The boy and the girl appeared to remain perfectly contented among us, and declared that they knew their countryman would never return'.
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"12 May 1790",430,0,g,0
'The distress of the lower classes for clothes', Tench wrote, 'was almost equal to their other wants. The stores had been long exhausted, and winter was at hand. Nothing more ludicrous can be conceived than the expedients of substituting, shifting and patching, which ingenuity devised, to eke out wretchedness, and preserve the remains of decency. The superior dexterity of the women was particularly conspicuous. Many a guard have I seen mount, in which the number of soldiers without shoes, exceeded that which had yet preserved remnants of leather.
'Nor was another part of our domestic economy less whimsical. If a lucky man, who had knocked down a dinner with his gun, or caught a fish by angling from the rocks, invited a neighbour to dine with him, the invitation always ran, "bring your own bread". Even at the governor's table, this custom was constantly observed. Every man when he sat down pulled his bread out of his pocket, and laid it by his plate.
'The insufficiency of our ration soon diminished our execution of labour. Both soldiers and convicts pleaded such loss of strength, as to find themselves unable to perform their accustomed tasks. The hours of public work were accordingly shortened; or rather, every man was ordered to do as much as his strength would permit; and every other possible indulgence was granted.
'Every man could possess, by his utmost exertions, but a bare sufficiency to preserve life. Its preservation in some cases was found impracticable. Three or four instances of persons who 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 faltering 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. On opening the body, the cause of death was pronounced to be \Iinanition\i.
'No new laws for the punishment of theft were enacted; but persons of all descriptions were publicly warned, that the severest penalties, which the existing law in its greatest latitude would authorise, should be inflicted on offenders. The following sentence of a court of justice, of which I was a member, on a convict detected in a garden stealing potatoes, will illustrate the subject. "He was ordered to receive three hundred lashes immediately, to be chained for six months to two other criminals, who were thus fettered for former offences, and to have his allowance of flour stopped for six months." So that during the operation of the sentence, two pounds of pork, and two pounds of rice per week, constituted his whole subsistence. Such was the melancholy length to which we were compelled to stretch our penal system.
'Farther to contribute to the detection of villainy, a proclamation, offering a reward of sixty pounds of flour, more tempting than the ore of Peru or Potosi, was promised to any one who should apprehend, and bring to justice, a robber of garden ground.'
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"20 May 1790",431,0,g,0
'The bricklayer's gang and some carpenters were now sent down to the Lookout, to erect two huts for the midshipmen and seamen of the \ISirius\i who were stationed there, where the stonemason's gang were employed quarrying stone for two chimneys', Collins says
Collins adds, 'It was naturally expected, that the miserable allowance which was issued would affect the healths of the labouring convicts. An elderly man dropped down at the store, whither he had repaired with others to receive his day's subsistence. Fainting with hunger, and unable through age to hold up any longer, he was carried to the hospital, where he died the next morning. On being opened, his stomach was found quite empty. It appeared, that not having any utensil of his own wherein to cook his provisions, nore share in any, he was frequently compelled, short as his allowance for the day was, to give a part of it to any one who would supply him with a vessel to dress his victuals; and at those times when he did not choose to afford this deduction, he was accustomed to eat his rice and other provisions undressed, which brought on indigestion, and at length killed him.
'It might have been supposed, that the severity of the punishments which had been ordered by the criminal court on offenders convicted of robbing gardens would have deterred others from committing that offence; but while there was a vegetable to steal, there were those who would steal it, wholly regardless as to the injustice done to the person they robbed, and of the consequences that might ensue to themselves. The clergyman had taken a convict in his garden in the act of stealing potatoes. Example was necessary, and the court that tried him, finding that the severity of former courts did not prevent the commission of the same offence, instead of the great weight of corporal punishment which had marked their former sentences, directed this prisoner to receive three hundred lashes and his ration of flour to be stopped for six months.'
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"26 May 1790",432,0,g,0
'The governor's garden had been the object of frequent depredation', Collins reported, 'scarcely a night passed that it was not robbed, notwithstanding that many received vegetables from it by his excellency's order. Two convicts had been taken up, who confessed that within the space of a month they had robbed it seven or eight times, and that they had killed a hog belonging to an officer. These were the people who were ordered by the justices to work in irons. A soldier, a man of infamous character, had been detected robbing the garden while sentinel in the neighbourhood of it, and, being tried by a courtmartial for quitting his post, was sentenced and received five hundred lashes. Yet all this was not sufficient and on the evening of the 26th, a seaman belonging to the \ISirius\i got into the governor's garden, and was fired at by a watchman who had been stationed there for some nights past, and wounded, as it afterwards appeared, but so slightly as not to prevent his effecting his escape; leaving, however, a bag behind him, filled with vegetables.
'On close examination it was fixed upon him, and, being brought before a criminal court, he was sentenced to receive five hundred lashes; but at the same time was recommended to the governor's clemency, on account of a good character which had been given him in court. The governor, as it was his garden that was robbed, attended to the recommendation, remitting four out of the five hundred lashes which had been ordered him and sixty pounds of flour, which had been offered as a reward for bringing to justice a garden-thief, were paid to the watchman who fired at him. Being, after this, villain enough to accuse some of shipmates of crimes which he acknowledged existed only in his own malicious mind, he received, by order of the justices, a further punishment of fifty lashes.
'So great was either the villainy of the people, or the necessities of the times, that a prisoner lying at the hospital under sentence of corporal punishment having received a part of it, five hundred lashes, contrived to get his irons off from one leg, and in that situation was caught robbing a farm. On being brought in, he received another portion of his punishment.
'In this season of general distress, a convict employed in the fishing boats [William Bryant] found means to secrete several pounds of fish in a bag, which he meant to secure in addition to the allowance which was to be made for having been out on that duty. To deter others he was ordered to receive one hundred lashes.
'The colony had hitherto been supplied with salt from the public stores, a quantity being always shaken off from the salt provisions, and reserved for use by the store-keepers; but the daily consumption of salt provisions was now become so inconsiderable, and they had been so long in store, that little or none of that article was to be procured. Two large iron boilers were therefore erected at the east point of the cove; some people were employed to boil the salt water, and the salt which was produced by this very simple process was issued to the convicts.
'Our fishing tackle began now, with our other necessaries, to decrease. To remedy this inconvenience, we were driven by necessity to avail ourselves of some knowledge which we had gained from the natives; and one of the convicts (a rope-maker) was employed to spin lines from the bark of a tree which they used for the same purpose.'
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"28 May 1790",433,0,g,0
'The greatest quantity of fish caught at any one time', Collins says, 'was two hundred pounds. Once the seine was full; but through either the wilfulness or the ignorance of the people employed to land it, the greatest part of its contents escaped. Upwards of two thousand pounds were taken in the course of the month, which produced a saving of five hundred pounds of pork at the store, the allowance of thirty-one men for four weeks.
'Very little labour could be enforced from people who had nothing to eat. Nevertheless, as it was necessary to think of some preparations for the next season, the convicts were employed in getting the ground ready both at Sydney and at Rose Hill for the reception of wheat and barley. The quantity of either article, however, to be now sown, fell far short of what our necessities required.'
Two more mouths arrived to be fed just when the settlement could least afford them, Scott says, as 'Corporal Bacon's Wife Was Delevered of two Boys one at ╜ past two & the other at 3 in the Morning'.
#
"3 June 1790",434,62741099.jpg,c,0
Then, unbelievably, nearly two-and-a-half years after arriving, the great day came, as Tench records, 'At length the clouds of misfortune began to separate, and on the evening of the 3d of June, the joyful cry of "the flag's up", resounded in every direction.
'I was sitting in my hut, musing on our fate, when a confused 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 a pocket glass, my hopes were realized. 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.
'Finding the governor intended to go immediately in his boat down the harbour, I begged to be of his party. As we proceeded, the object of our hopes soon appeared: a large ship, with English colours flying, working in, between the heads which form the entrance of the harbour. The tumultuous state of our minds represented her in danger; and we were in agony. Soon after, the governor, having ascertained what she was, left us, and stept into a fishing boat to return to Sydney. The weather was wet and tempestuous; but the body is delicate only when the soul is at ease. We pushed through wind and rain, the anxiety of our sensations every moment redoubling. At last we read the word London on her stern. "Pull away, my lads! she is from Old England! a few strokes more, and we shall be aboard! hurrah for a belly-full, and news from our friends!" Such were our exhortations to the boat's crew.
'A few minutes completed our wishes, and we found ourselves on board the \ILady Juliana\i transport, with two hundred and twenty-five of our countrywomen, whom crime or misfortune had condemned to exile. We learned that they had been almost eleven months on their passage, having left Plymouth, into which port they had put in July, 1789. We continued to ask a thousand questions on a breath. Stimulated by curiosity, they inquired in turn; but the right of being first answered, we thought, lay on our side. "Letters! letters" was the cry. They were produced, and torn open in trembling agitation. News burst upon us like meridian splendor on a blind man. We were overwhelmed with it; public, private, general, and particular. Nor was it until some days had elapsed, that we were able to methodize it, or reduce it into form. We now heard for the first time of our sovereign's illness, and his happy restoration to health. The French revolution of 1789, with all the attendant circumstances of that wonderful and unexpected event, succeeded to amaze us. Now, too, the disaster which had befallen our intended relief ship the \IGuardian,\i and the liberal and enlarged plan on which she had been stored and fitted out by government for our use, was promulged. It served also, in some measure, to account why we had not sooner heard from England. For had not the \IGuardian\i struck on an island of ice near the Cape of Good Hope, she would probably have reached us three months before, and in this case have prevented the loss of the \ISirius.\i'
So contact with England had been established and the first ship of the second wave of settlers had arrived. All hoped that as well as the female convicts she had plenty of provisions on board.
The happiness at the arrival of the \ILady Juliana\i was of course soon tempered by the realisation that she was in fact fully loaded with convicted prostitutes rather than supplies and with the \IGuardian\i stores lost, the \ILady Juliana\i hardly had enough food for her own passengers. The situation was little better than before.
Messages were brought from the Captain of the wrecked \IGuardian,\i Edward Riou, who said, 'By the \ILady Juliana,\i transport, which sailed from this bay on the 30th of March, I sent seventy-five barrels of flour and one pipe of Teneriffe wine consigned to Governor Phillip. I had been so fortunate as to preserve the dispatches which I had received from the hands of Vice-Admiral Roddam for Govr. Phillip, and I delivered them to the care of Lieut. Thos. Edgar, superintendant of the \ILady Juliana.\i In that ship I also sent the five surviving superintendants of convicts which were on board the \IGuardian.\i
'I wish to recommend as much as in my power the case of the twenty convicts which my duty compelled me to send to Port Jackson. But the recollection of past sufferings reminds me of that time when I found it necessary to make use of every possible method to encourage the minds of the people under my command, and at such a time considering how great the difference might be between a free man struggling for life and him who perhaps might consider death as not much superior to a life of ignominy and disgrace, I publicly declared that not one of them, so far as depended on myself, should ever be convicts. And I may with undeniable truth say that had it not been for their assistance and support the \IGuardian\i would never have arrived to where she is.
'Their conduct prior to the melancholy accident that happened on the 23rd of Decr. last was always such as may be commended, and from their first entrance into the ship at Spithead they ever assisted and did their duty in like manner as the crew. I have taken the liberty to recommend them to the notice of Governor Phillip; I certainly shall not think of disposing of his Majesty's ship unless I find that she is not capable of remaining entire during the heavy north-west gales that blow into this bay in the winter months. It may be sufficient to know that never being able to direct the ship in any particular course, it is a matter of the greatest astonishment, though, at the same time, a proof of the gracious effects of Divine Providence, how she could ever have arrived back at anchorage in Table Bay.'
\BDescription:\b When the second fleet arrived, the marines, settlers, sailors, convicts, and children spilled ashore like refugees from a war. \I(Courtesy Mansell Collection)\i
#
"4 June 1790",435,62741100.jpg,c,0
The King's birthday celebration could not have come at a better time and Easty says, 'This Day the Detachment of marines fired 3 Voilies of Small arms in Honour of his Majesets Birth Day'. Easty was among the lucky ones as he 'received 2 letters from home all Well'.
Collins said the birthday celebrations were mixed, as, 'The joy that was diffused by the arrival of the transport was considerably checked by the variety of unpleasant and unwelcome intelligence which she brought. We learned that our beloved Sovereign had been attacked and for some months afflicted with a dangerous and alarming illness, though now happily recovered. Our distance from his person had not lessened our attachment, and on the anniversary of his Majesty's birth, it was kept with every mark of distinction that was in our power. The governor pardoned all offenders who were under confinement, or under sentence of corporal punishment; the ration was increased for that day, that every one might rejoice; at the governor's table, where all the officers of the settlement and garrison were met, many prosperous and happy years were fervently wished to be added to his Majesty's life; and Wednesday the 9th was appointed for a public thanksgiving on occasion of his recovery'.
A sober mood now spread around the settlement as the settlers realised the new shipload of women convicts would not be able to work as hard as men but would in time need feeding from the precious stocks.
Then Collins says they were told that another fleet was being prepared for Sydney and there would be more convicts but no more food ships to feed the increased number. 'In addition to the above distressing circumstances, we learned that one thousand convicts of both sexes were to sail at the latter end of the last year, and that a corps of foot was raising for the service of this country under the command of a major-commandant, Francis Grose esq. from the 29th foot, of which regiment he was major.
'Our transports which had sailed hence in May, July, and November 1788 (the \IFriendship\i excepted) fortunately arrived in England within a very short time of each other; and their arrival relieved the public from anxiety upon our account. '
\BDescription:\b The officers interviewed the second fleet settlers and convicts to discover what skills they had and what work they could best perform. \I(Courtesy Mansell Collection)\i
#
"5 June 1790",436,0,g,0
Mrs Scott gave birth, as the proud father says, 'About One O'Clock in the Morning My Wife Was Delevered of A Boy - William Boxell Scott'.
Meanwhile, the \ILady Juliana\i slowly worked her way up the harbour to Sydney Cove - the only ship from the second fleet in the water.
#
"6 June 1790: Sunday",437,0,g,0
Collins was now openly critical of the Government's sending of the ship full of women convicts to the starving colony instead of food supplies and hard working men with farming experience.
'The \ILady Juliana\i was, by strong westerly winds and bad weather, prevented from reaching the cove until the 6th, when the bad weather moderating, she was towed up to the settlement. The convicts on board her appeared to have been well treated during their long passage, and preparations for landing them were immediately made; but, in the distressed situation of the colony, it was not a little mortifying to find on board the first ship that arrived, a cargo so unnecessary and unprofitable as two hundred and twenty two females, instead of a cargo of provisions; the supply of provisions on board her was so inconsiderable as to permit only an addition of one pound and a half of flour being made to the weekly ration. Had the \IGuardian\i arrived, perhaps we should never again have been in want.'
There were extra supplies available but at a cost, as even in this desperate situation, profiteers moved in, Scott says, 'The Master of the \ILady Juliana\i Sent a Great Quantity of Goods (his owne privet Property) on Shore to be Sold but at an Exorbetant price.' The overpriced monopoly goods included, 'Moist Suger (that Could be purchased at Rio for three halfpence a pound but which he Sold for Eighteen pence). He also sold Sope for 3 shillings, Tobacco for 8 shillings, thread for 2 shillings an oz., Ribband for 3 shillings a yard, Bread for 6 pence a pound, Papper At 2 shillings per Quire & Everey thing Else in like Proportion'.
#
"9 June 1790",438,0,g,0
With female convicts still to come ashore and what fresh supplies there were being unloaded, the settlement paused to give thanks, Easty says and, 'This Day a Sermon was Preached by the Rev Mr Jonstone on the occasion of his Majestys happy Recoverery from his Late Sicknes'.
Collins adds, 'On the 9th, being the day appointed for returning thanks to Almighty God for his Majesty's happy restoration to health, the attendance on divine service was very full. A sermon on the occasion was preached by the Rev. Mr. Johnson, who took his text from the book of Proverbs, "By me kings reign". The officers were afterwards entertained at the governor's, when an address on the occasion of the meeting was resolved to be sent to his Majesty'.
Tench adds, 'All public labour was suspended; and every person in the settlement attended at church, where a sermon, suited to an occasion, at once so full of gratitude and solemnity, was preached by the Reverend Richard Johnson, chaplain of the colony'.
Tench could not believe that in the French Revolution the mob had executed King Louis XVI as a tyrant and recalled, 'an anecdote, which though rather out of place, I shall offer no apology for introducing. Among other inquiries, we were anxious to learn whether M. de la Peyrouse, with the two ships under his command, bound on a voyage of discovery, had arrive in France. We heard with concern, that no accounts of them had been received, since they had left Botany Bay, in March, 1788. I remember when they were at that place, one day conversing with Monsieur de la Peyrouse, about the best method of treating savage people, "Sir," said he, "I have sometimes been compelled to commit hostilities upon them, but never without suffering the most poignant regret; for, independent of my own feelings on the occasion, his Majesty's (Louix XVI) last words to me, \Ide sa propre bouche\i, when I took leave of him at Versailles, were, 'It is my express injunction, that you always treat the Indian nations with kindness and humanity; gratify their wishes, and never, but in a case of the last necessity, when self-defence requires it, shed human blood.'" Are these the sentiments of a tyrant, of a sanguinary and perfidious man?'
#
"11 June 1790",439,0,g,0
'When the women were landed on the 11th, many of them appeared to be loaded with the infirmities incident to old age, and to be very improper subjects for any of the purposes of an infant colony', Collins complained. 'Instead of being capable of labour, they seemed to require attendance themselves, and were never likely to be any other than a burden to the settlement, which must sensibly feel the hardship of having to support by the labour of those who could toil, and who at the best were but few, a description of people utterly incapable of using any exertion toward their own maintenance.
'When the women were disembarked, and the provisions and stores landed, it was found that twenty casks of flour (from the unfitness of the ship to perform such a voyage, being old and far from tight) were totally destroyed. This was a serious loss to us, when only four pounds of flour constituted the allowance of that article for one man for seven days.'
Some officers now believed that if the \ILady Juliana\i was representative of the people in the second fleet, then the settlement would have been better off without such reinforcements.
Lieutenant Thomas Edgar, who had travelled on \ILady Juliana\i as the Naval Officer responsible for the health and discipline of the convicts had, however, carried out his duty as few on board had either died or fallen sick.
#
"14 June 1790",440,0,g,0
Phillip had at last received news and dispatches from home and so now wrote his first letter of reply back, not to Lord Sydney but to 'The Right Hon. W.W. Grenville', saying, 'I am favoured with your letter informing me that his Majesty has been pleased to honor you with the seals of the Home Department. I have, sir, great pleasure in congratulating you on that appointment; my despatches in future shall be addressed not to Lord Sydney but to you accordingly'.
Phillip had been praised in the incoming letters so he replied, 'The approbation which his Majesty has been pleased to express of my conduct can only be merited by an earnest desire of faithfully and successfully discharging the trust reposed in me. It is, sir, through you that I am honoured with this mark of attention from my Royal Master, and through you, sir, I hope that my grateful sense of his Majesty's bounty will be made known'.
#
"16 June 1790",441,0,g,0
Having unloaded the female convicts and supplies from \ILady Juliana\i, Phillip now wrote to his old friend Evan Nepean, the Under Secretary of the Home Office. 'By the \ILady Juliana\i which arrived here the 3rd instant, I am favored with your letter of the 20th of June, 1789, acknowledging the receipt of my letters down to the 16th of November, 1788, and informing me that I should receive letters from Mr. Secretary Grenville respecting the provisions, stores, etc, sent out, and that care would be taken to forward, from time to time, the necessary supplies, until the settlement shall be in a condition to provide for the support of its establishment; that by the \IGuardian\i I should receive the necessary instructions relative to the granting of lands, with such other information as might be judged necessary for my guidance, together with a remittance for the payment of the artificers of the marine detachment.
'I have, sir, received Mr. Secretary Grenville's letters respecting the supplies sent out, and the instructions for the granting lands, but I have not received the remittance intended for paying the marine artificers, nor can I learn from any person on board the \ILady Juliana\i whether it was on board the \IGuardian\i or not.
'By the unfortunate loss of that ship this colony was deprived of those very liberal supplies ordered by Government, the want of which has thrown the settlement back so much that it will require a length of time to put it in the situation it would have been in at this moment had the \IGuardian\i arrived.'
#
"17 June 1790",442,0,g,0
In a further reply to Nepean, Phillip said, 'The Royal Instructions respecting the grants of land to be made to settlers, and the encouragement to be held out to those non - commissioned officers and privates belonging to the detachment of marines who may be inclined to enlist in the corps by which they are to be relieved, or to become settlers, shall be obeyed; and a particular attention shall be paid to what relates to the female convicts, the provisions and clothing.
'The dispatches sent home by Lieutenant King, who sailed for Batavia, the 17th of April, in the \iSupply\i, tender, will shew that settlers have little to apprehend from the natives, against whom I have never thought any defence necessary. When we first landed it was to have been wished, but at the time, and for that time, and for months after that period, the slightest defence could not have been made without neglecting what was so immediately and absolutely necessary - the securing the stores and provisions. I believe there is little reason to think that the natives will ever attack any building, and still less to suppose they will attack a number of armed men; not that I think they want innate bravery - they certainly do not - but they are sensible of the great superiority of our arms. Setting fire to the corn I most feared, but which they never have attempted; and as these avoid those places we frequent, it is seldom that any of them are now seen near the settlement. The cattle, if they find them in the woods, they undoubtedly will destroy, which is all I believe the settlers will have to apprehend. Their attacking straglers is natural, for those people go out to rob the natives of their spears and the few articles they possess; and as they do it too frequently with impunity, the punishments they sometimes meet with are not to be regretted - they have had a good effect.'
#
"20 June 1790: Sunday",443,0,g,0
Just as the settlement was resigning itself to the burden of just the one ship full of female convicts for 'reinforcement', the second ship of the second fleet appeared, as Scott reports, 'The \IJustinia\i Store Ship arrived from England After A Passage of five Months'. Easty added that 'the \IJustann\i Gives an account of 3 other Ships being upon the coast with troops and Convicts bound for Sydney'.
Collins explains more fully, 'In our situation of distress we were effectually relieved, and the colony might be pronounced to be restored, by the arrival (on the 20th) of the \IJustinian\i storeship, Mr. Benjamin Maitland master, from England.
'Mr. Maitland the day preceding the arrival of the \ILady Juliana\i, was off the entrance of this harbour, and would certainly have been found by that ship at anchor within the heads, had he not, by a sudden change of the wind, aided by a current, been driven as far to the northward as Black Head where he was very nearly lost in an heavy gale of wind; but which he providentially rode out, having been obliged to come to an anchor, though close in with some dangerous rocks. The wind was dead on the shore, and the rocks so close when he anchored, that the rebound of the wave prevented him from riding any considerable strain on his cable. Had that failed him, we should never have seen the \IJustinian\i or her valuable cargo, which was found to consist of stores and provisions, trusted, as it was true, to one ship but as she had happily arrived in safety, and was full, we all rejoiced that we had not to wait for the arrival of a second before the colony could be restored to its former plenty.
'We now learned that three transports might be hourly expected, having on board the thousand convicts of whose destination we had received some information by the \ILady Juliana\i, together with detachments of the corps raised for the service of this country. The remainder of this corps (which was intended to consist of three hundred men) were to come out in the \IGorgon\i man of war, of forty-four guns. This ship was also to bring out Major Grose, who had been appointed lieutenant-governor of the territory in the room of Major Ross, which officer, together with the marines under his command, were intended to return to England in that ship.'
#
"21 June 1790",444,0,g,0
'Of the change which had been effected in the system of government in France we now received more information', Collins says, 'and we heard with pleasure that it was not likely to interrupt the tranquillity of our own happy nation - happy in a constitution which might well excite the admiration and become the model of other states not so free.
'The \IJustinian\i had sailed on the 17th of last January from Falmouth, and touched only at St. Iago, avoiding, as she had not any convicts on board, the circuitous passage by the Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope.
'Every thing now seemed getting into its former train; the full ration was ordered to be issued; instead of daily, it was to be served weekly as formerly; and the drum for labour was to beat as usual in the afternoons at one o'clock. How general was the wish, that no future necessity might ever occasion another deduction in the ration, or an alteration in the labour of the people!
'That Norfolk Island should as quickly as possible reap her share of the benefit introduced among us by these arrivals, it was intended to send the \ILady Juliana\i thither; and as she required some repairs, without which she could not proceed to sea, some carpenters from the shore were sent on board her, and employed to sheath her bends, which were extremely defective.
'A shop was opened on shore by the master of this ship, at the hut lately occupied as a bakehouse for the \ISupply\i, for the sale of some articles of grocery, glass, millinery, perfurmery, and stationary; but the risk of bringing them out having been most injudiciously estimated too highly, as was evident from the increase on the first cost, which could not be disguised, they did not go off so quickly as the owners supposed they would.
'A report having been circulated in England soon after the establishing of this settlement, that a considerable sum of money had been subscribed in England, to be expended in articles for the benefit of the convicts who embarked for this country (which articles had been entrusted to the Rev. Mr. Johnson). Mr. Johnson now wrote to his friends in England to confute this report as by accounts lately received, it appeared that no such public collection had ever been made.'
#
"22 June 1790",445,0,g,0
Collins says, 'A sermon was now delivered by Reverend Richard Johnson to the female convicts from the \ILady Juliana\i on the theme of reform and he in his discourse, touched upon their situation, and described it so forcibly as to draw tears from many who were the least hardened among them'.
#
"23 June 1790",446,0,g,0
The third ship of the second fleet was now getting closer and Collins says, 'In the morning of the 23rd, one of the men at the Lookout discerned a sail to the northward, but, the weather coming on thick, soon lost sight of it. The bad weather continuing, it was not seen again'.
#
"25 June 1790",447,0,g,0
The third ship of the second fleet was sighted again. 'Word was brought up to the settlement', Collins says, 'that a large ship, apparently under jurymasts, was seen in the offing; and on the following day the \ISurprise\i transport, Nicholas Anstis master (late chief mate of the \ILady Penrhyn\i) anchored in the cove from England, having on board one captain, one lieutenant, one surgeon's mate, one serjeant, one corporal, one drummer, and twenty-three privates of the New South Wales corps; together with two hundred and eighteen male convicts. She sailed on the 19th of January from Portsmouth in company with two other transports, with whom she parted between the Cape of Good Hope and this place.
'We had the mortification to learn, that the prinsoners in this ship were very unhealthy, upwards of one hundred being now in the sick list on board. They had been very sickly also during the passage, and had buried forty-two of these unfortunate people. A portable hospital had fortunately been received by the \IJustinian\i, and there now appeared but too great a probability that we should soon have patients enough to fill it; for the signal was now flying at the south head for the other transports, and we were led to expect them in as unhealthy a state as that which had just arrived.'
#
"28 June 1790",448,0,g,0
Now the fourth and fifth ships of the second fleet arrived, Collins says, 'the \INeptune\i and \IScarborough\i transports anchored off Garden Island'.
Phillip notes that, 'The \ISurprize, Neptune\i, and \IScarborough\i, transports, are arrived since writing the above, with about six hundred casks of beef and pork, which were sent round from the \IGuardian\i, and nineteen convicts, who had been sent out in that ship'.
#
"29 June 1790",449,0,g,0
The \INeptune\i and \IScarborough\i now entered Sydney Cove and began unloading, Collins says, 'We were not mistaken in our expectations of the state in which they might arrive. By noon two hundred sick had been landed from the different transports. The west side afforded a scene truly distressing and miserable; upwards of thirty tents were pitched in front of the hospital, the portable one not being yet put up; all of which, as well as the hospital and adjacent huts, were filled with people, many of whom were labouring under the complicated diseases of scurvy and the dysentery, and others in the last stage of either of those terrible disorders, or yielding to the attacks of an infectious fever.
'The appearance of those who did not require medical assistance was lean and emaciated. Several of these miserable people died in the boats as they were rowing on shore, or on the wharf as they were lifting out of the boats; both the living and the dead exhibiting more horrid spectacles than had ever been witnessed in this country. All this was to be attributed to confinement; and that of the worst species, confinement in a small space and in irons, not put on singly, but many of them chained together. On board the \IScarborough\i a plan had been formed to take the ship, which would certainly have been attempted, but for a discovery which was fortunately made by one of the convicts (Samuel Burt) who had too much principle left to enter into it. This necessarily, on board that ship, occasioned much future circumspections; but Captain Marshall's humanity considerably lessened the severity which the insurgents might naturally have expected.
'On board the other ships, the masters, who had the entire direction of the prisoners, never suffered them to be at large on deck, and but few at a time were permitted there. This consequently gave birth to many diseases. It was said, that on board the \INeptune\i several had died in irons; and what added to the horror of such a circumstance was, that their deaths were concealed, for the purpose of sharing their allowance of provisions, until chance, and the offensiveness of a corpse, directed the surgeon, or some one who had authority in the ship, to the spot where it lay.'
Dead and diseased convicts kept coming ashore and the horrible conditions on the second fleet were now described by Collins. 'A contract had been entered into by government with Messrs. Calvert, Camden, and King, merchants of London, for the transporting of one thousand convicts, and government engaged to pay 17 pounds 7s 6d per head for every convict they embarked. This sum being as well paid for their provisions as for their transportation, no interest for their preservation was created in the owners, and the dead were more profitable (if profit alone was consulted by them, and the credit of their house was not at stake) than the living.
'All possible expedition was used to get the sick on shore; for even while they remained on board many died. The bodies were taken over to the north shore, and there interred.
'Parties were immediately sent into the woods to collect the acid berry of the country, which for its extreme acetosity was deemed by the surgeons a most powerful antiscorbutic. Among other regulations, orders were given for baking a certain quantity of flour into pound loaves, to be distributed daily among the sick, as it was not in their power to prepare it themselves. Wine and other necessaries being given judiciously among those whose situations required such comforts, many of the wretches had recourse to stratagem to obtain more than their share by presenting themselves, under different names and appearances, to those who had the delivery of them, or by exciting the compassion of those who could order them.
'Blankets were immediately sent to the hospital in sufficient numbers to make every patient comfortable; notwithstanding which, they watched the moment when any one died to strip him of his covering (although dying themselves) and could only be prevented by the utmost vigilance from exercising such inhumanity in every instance.
'The detachment from the New South Wales corps, consisting of one captain, three subalterns, and a proportionate number of non-commissioned officers and privates, was immediately disembarked, and room being made in the marine barracks, they took possession of the quarters allotted for them. 'Lieutenant Shapcote, the naval agent on board the \INeptune\i, died between the Cape of Good Hope and this place. A son of this gentleman arrived in the \IJustinian\i, to which ship he belonged, and received the first account of his father's death, on going aboard the \INeptune\i to congratulate him on his arrival.
'An instance of sagacity in a dog occurred on the arrival of the \IScarborough\i, too remarkable to pass unnoticed; Mr. Marshall, the master of the ship, on quitting Port Jackson in May 1788, left a Newfoundland dog with Mr. Clark (the agent on the part of the contractor, who remained in the colony), which he had brought from England. On the return of his old master, Hector swam off to the ship, and getting on board, recognised him, and manifested, in every manner suitable to his nature, his joy at seeing him; nor could the animal be persuaded to quit him again, accompanying him always when he went on shore, and returning with him on board.
'The total number of sick on the last day of the month was three hundred and forty-nine which created in the settlement a most melancholy scene as the morning generally opened with the attendants of the sick passing frequently backwards and forwards from the hospital to the burying-ground with the miserable Victims of the night.'
Tench adds, 'These ships also brought out a very large body of convicts, whose state and sufferings will be estimated by the following return.'
\ILady Juliana:\i 222 people embarked; 5 died on passage; 14 landed at Port Jackson sick.
\INeptune;\i 530 people embarked; 163 died on passage; 269 landed at Port Jackson sick.
\ISurprise:\i 252 people embarked; 42 died on passage; 121 landed at Port Jackson sick.
\IScarborough:\i 256 people embarked; 68 died on passage; 96 landed at Port Jackson sick.
\BTOTAL:\b 2038 people embarked; 278 died on passage; 500 landed at Port Jackson sick.
\INote:\i Of those landed sick, 124 soon died in the hospital at Sydney.
#
"30 June 1790",450,0,g,0
Phillip now had his hands full. Having wished for relief food ships and strong labourers, he now had dead and dying weaklings and a set of new problems to contend with.
Despite these seemingly insurmountable problems, he was now ordered to help start another settlement in America. 'It being the King's intention that his Majesty's ships \IDiscovery\i and \IGorgon\i after the conveyance of troops and stores to New South Wales should be employed upon an expedition on the north-west coast of America, and his Majesty having, with that view, ordered that the lower-deck guns, carriages of the \IGorgon\i shall be carried out in her hold, I am commanded to signify to you his Majesty's pleasure that as soon as the said troops and stores shall have been landed from the ship you do direct her commander to mount her guns and to put her in a fit condition as soon as possible for proceeding on that service. As the present company of that ship is barely sufficient for navigating her, it will be expedient that as many officers and man as can possibily be spared from the \ISirius\i should be lent to her during the expedition, which you will order to be done as soon as possible, and such deficiency as will then remain in the number of her war establishment of men you will complete from the marine corps now serving on shore.
'One of the objects of this expedition being to form a settlement on the north-west coast of America, it is his Majesty's pleasure that you should select from among the people with you a proper number of persons to compose it, and that you should embark them either on board the \IDiscovery\i or \IGorgon\i when they arrive. 'The extent of this establishment, it is imagined, need not at first exceed thirty persons, a moiety of whom at least should consist of drafts from the new corps, under the command of a discreet subaltern officer, who is to be entrusted with the temporary superintendance of the new settlement. The remainder should consist of two or three of the most intelligent of the overseers, who have lately been sent out, a storekeeper, and any other persons who may be desirous of accompanying them, together with a few of the most deserving of the convicts, to whom you may offer a remission of a part of their sentence as an inducement to go.
'And you will be careful to embark on board those ships such articles of stores, provisions, medicines, and utensils for building, &c., as you may judged sufficient for their use, in order to enable them to fulfil the object of forming such a settlement as may be able to resist any attacks from the natives, and lay the foundation of an establishment for the assistance of his Majesty's subjects in the prosecution of the fur trade in the N.W. coast of America.
'It is hoped that the frigate from the East Indies and the two vessels above mentioned will arrive at Owyhee soon enough to allow some time for refreshment to their crews, and to enable them to be on the coast of America early in the spring.
'You will receive by the \IDiscovery\i and \IGorgon\i certain packages, containing such articles as are most esteemed by the people of the Sandwich Islands and the inhabitants of the American coast, in order to barter with them for provisions, and such other necessaries as they can supply, which packages they are to deliver to the commander of the frigate, if they should join him on their arrival at the Sandwich Islands, or to make use of themselves in case of his absence.
'On the return of the \IGorgon\i to Port Jackson from the intended expedition you will order the officers and men belonging to the \ISirius\i on board their proper ship.
'In consequence of the information received from Lt. Bligh, later commander of H.M. ship the \IBounty\i, of a mutiny having taken place in that vessel, by which he was deprived of his command, his Maj'y has judged it proper that the \IGorgon\i should be directed, on her return from the N.-W. coast of America, to touch at the Society Islands, and eventually at the Friendly Islands, in order, if possible, to apprehend the muntineers. If he should succeed in this object, he is directed to bring those men, or any of them, in confinement, to Port Jackson. And you will, in that case, send them home in confinement by the \IGorgon\i, in order that they may be brought to trial in this country for an offence so prejudicial to the discipline of his Majesty's service.
'If the \IBounty\i should be recovered and brought to Port Jackson, it is left to your discretion to detain her or employ her in such manner as you shall judge best.
'If, by any accident, the \IGorgon\i or \IDiscovery\i should be disabled so as to be unfit to be employed on this service, it is left to your discretion to send the \ISirius\i in the room of the \IGorgon\i, and any light vessel, if any such should then be under your orders, in the room of the \IDiscovery\i.'
Luckily for Phillip this intention was later given up, but an exploring expedition was sent out under the command of Captain George Vancouver, who had accompanied Cook on his voyage towards the South Pole. He was placed in command of the \IDiscovery\i, and the armed tender \IChatham\i took the place of the \IGorgon\i as second vessel. Vancouver's instructions were not to go to Port Jackson for help, but to sail direct for the Sandwich Islands, and then explore the north-west coast of America for the purpose of discovering, if possible, a north-west passage.
Phillip was also told by his superiors, 'The number of female convicts bearing a great disproportion to that of the males, it was thought adviseable that such of the latter as were married should be allowed to take their wives with them on board the ships in which they have been embarked, or even women that cohabited with them; but notwithstanding the indulgence held out to them of supplies of provisions and clothing, very few of the two latter descriptions of women have been prevailed upon to accede to the proposal. Such of them, however, as shall arrive within the limits of your Government are to be furnished with the same proportions of those articles as the female convicts'.
Further, 'But as the ships in which they are now embarked are chartered by the East India Company to bring home teas from China, it will be necessary that the convicts, with the stores, provisions, &c., on board them, should be landed at Sydney, and that the ships should be discharged, and left at liberty to proceed upon their voyage as soon as possible'. Also, 'From the present crowded state of the hulks, and the increase which must be expected of the number of felons under sentence of transportation, not only in this kingdom, but in Ireland, after the next Spring Assizes, it is intended that about one thousand men shall be sent abroad, and preparations must be made for their reception'.
The first of the official free settlers was on the second fleet. 'Edward Foulkes, a young gentleman of the age of nineteen, is desirous of going to Botany Bay in any capacity he may be thought fit for. He has had a good classical education, writes a good hand, and is a good accountant. His is recommended by the means of Mrs. Morris's, of Croome's Hill, Greenwich, and is a relation of Mr. and Mrs. Foulkes, Cursitor-street, Chancery Lane.'
In Phillip's reply, he wrote, 'I have in my former letters requested the necessary information respecting the time for which the convicts sent out by the first ships were sentenced, and the intentions of Government respecting those convicts who, when that time is expired, may refused to become settlers, and demand liberty to return to Europe. We have now near thirty under the circumstances, and their numbers will increase, as well as their discontents.
'Ships stopping at this port, on their way to China, will always be ready to receive a certain number of healthy, able-bodied men, and those are the men we shall be the most desirous of retaining. You will, sir, be so good as to give me the necessary information on this head, if you have not already done it by the \IGorgon\i. The indentures and assignments received from the \ISurprize\i, \INeptune\i, and \IScarborough\i are very clear as to the term for which the convicts sent out in those ships have been sentenced, but no account has been sent out by the \ILady Juliana\i for the women who embarked in that ship; however, the women will give us no trouble on that head.
'The state of the convicts landed from those ships, and the numbers that died on the passage, I will not, sir, dwell on the scene of misery which the hospitals and sick-tents exhibited when those people were landed was miserable but it would be a want of duty not to say that it was occasioned by the contractors having crowded too many on board those ships, and from their being too much confined during the passage. The convicts having the liberty of the deck depended on the agent and on the masters of the ships; the agent died on the passage, and the masters say it was granted so far as was consistent with their own safety, and that many of the convicts were sick when sent from the hulks.
'I believe, sir, while the masters of the transports think their own safety depends on admitting few convicts on deck at a time, and most of them with irons on, which prevent any kind of exercise, numbers must always perish on so long a voyage, and many of those now received are in such a situation from old complaints, and so emaciated from what they have suffered on the voyage, that they never will be capable of any labour.
'The preparations directed to be made in your letter for one thousand more convicts shall be attended to, but the building of stores and barracks will find full employment for the few artificers in this settlement for some months; and the number of sick will employ all our carpenters for some time in procuring them shelter.
'By the surgeon's returns of this day there are 488 under medical treatment; when the ships arrived we had not fifty people sick in the colony.'
And so the honeymoon came to an abrupt end. The days of first settlement had ended. The arrival of the second fleet with its convicts and settlers ushered in a new era for the penal colony. It would never again recapture the simplicity of that initial period as the second fleet brought with it a new breed of hardened criminals and military officers who changed the character of the colony once and for all.
#
"First Settlement Postscript",451,0,g,0
The penal colony survived the arrival of the second fleet because, although the ships were full of sick and dying convicts, Phillip, White and others managed to tend these and build up the strength of the new arrivals until they were well enough to help work the settlement.
Within twelve months a third fleet arrived bringing more convicts, fortunately in better condition. From then on more supply ships came, bringing the essential foodstuffs and goods needed by Phillip. The colony began to gain a firm foundation.
By the end of 1791, however, Phillip was exhausted and once permission had been granted and a ship was available, he returned to England, having done his duty to the satisfaction of the government. The colony was left under the command of Major Francis Grose who had come out on the third fleet and this marked the first period of military rule until the arrival of John Hunter who was to govern as a naval officer from 1795 onwards. He was succeeded by Philip Gidley King who in turn was followed by William Bligh until the naval officers handed the colony over to the military again, in the form of Lachlan Macquarie, in 1810.
Thus ended the naval administration of European settlement in Australia. The new military regime was to usher in a totally different type of government that would survive until self-government was created in 1856 - the first step towards nationhood which was eventually achieved in 1901.
#
!,!,!,!,!
4#
211,0
"1600 to 1627",1,"f\7\king0182.jpg","c","0"
\B1606:\b William Jansz visited Cape York Peninsula, becoming the first known European to sight Australia.
\B1616:\b \JDirk Hartog\j, skipper of the \IEendracht\i, landed in Shark Bay area leaving behind a pewter dish recording details of his visit.
\B1621:\b HMS \ITryal\i wrecked near the Monte Bello Islands.
\B1623:\b Jan Carstens explored the Gulf of Carpentaria and Staaten River.
\B1627:\b The first recorded sighting of the South Australian coast by Europeans, when Dutch ship \IGulden Zeepaard\i examined the coastline from Cape Leeuwin to the islands of St. Francis and St. Peter in the far west of South Australia.
\BDescription:\b William Jansz visited Cape York Peninsula in the ship \IDuyfken\i, \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1629 to 1699",2,"f\7\king0183.jpg","c","0"
\B1629:\b The \IBatavia\i wrecked on the Abrolhos Islands. After Captain Pelsart left to seek help, passengers, including women and children, were murdered in a bloody mutiny led by J. Cornelisz. After Pelsart returned with help, the mutineers were tried, sentenced and some were executed. Two of the mutineers were sentenced to be marooned on the mainland.
\B1642:\b \JAbel Tasman\j, commanding \IHeemskirk\i and \IZeehan\i, sighted the west coast of Tasmania and named it Van Diemen's land.
\B1644:\b \JAbel Tasman\j explored Cape York Peninsula, naming it Carpentaria Land.
\B1656:\b The \IVergulde Draeck\i wrecked after striking a reef north of Fremantle. Of the crew of 193, only 75 survived the sinking. A small party set sail and reached Batavia to obtain help. Ships, including the \IDe Goede Hoop\i (1656) and \IWaeckende Boey\i (1658), were despatched to locate the survivors. Each ship lost crew members during the search, but the rescue failed, with none of the remaining survivors of the \IVergulde Draeck\i being located.
\B1668:\b \JWilliam Dampier\j explored the North West Coast (Kimberley region).
\B1699:\b \JWilliam Dampier\j explored the North West Coast for a second time and reported unfavourably on the land and its suitability for settlement.
\B1712:\b The \IZuytdorp\i, en route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia with the \IKockenge\i, was wrecked against the base of a cliff, 60 miles north of the Murchison River. It was not until \J1927\j that the wreckage was discovered by a stockman from the Tamala Station. Subsequent expeditions identified the wreck as the \IZuytdorp\i.
\B1770:\b \JCaptain Cook\j sailed up the Queensland coast: 16 May, Cook off Point Danger; Moreton (Morton) Bay named; 17 May, Cook named Cape Moreton (Morton).
\JCaptain Cook\j landed at Botany Bay on 28th April. Cook formally took possession of the whole of the eastern part of Australia in August on Possession Island, off Cape York Peninsula, calling the region New South Wales.
\BDescription:\b Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who narrowly missed discovering the east coast of Australia. \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1788",4,"f\7\r6930.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B18\b \ISupply,\b\i carrying Capt. Arthur Phillip, arrives at Botany Bay.
\i\B19\b Convict transports \IAlexander, \IScarborough,\b\i and \IFriendship\b\i arrive.
\i\B20\b Remainder of the First FleetùHMS \ISirius\b\i (Capt. John Hunter); transports \ILady Penrhyn, \ICharlotte,\b\i and \IPrince of Wales;\b\i and storeships \IFishburn, \IGolden Grove,\b\i and \IBorrowdale\b\iùreach Botany Bay.
\i\B22\b Phillip and Hunter investigate Port Jackson as a better site for settlement.
\i\B24\b French frigates \ILa Boussole\b\i and \IL'Astrolabe,\b\i commanded by the Comte de la PΘrouse, arrive off Botany Bay.
\i\B26\b Settlement established at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson.
First white child born in Australiaùa son to the wife of Sgt Thomas Whittle of the marines.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Rev. Richard Johnson conducts the first Christian service in the colony.
\i\B6\b Female convicts landed; debauchery and riot follow. At night, during a violent thunderstorm, lightning kills six sheep and a pig.
\i\B7\b Colony of New South Wales formally proclaimed; Judge-Advocate David Collins reads the commission appointing Phillip Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of NSW.
\i\B10\b First marriages solemnized in Australia, including those of William Bryant and Mary Broad, and Henry Kable and Susannah Holmes.
\i\B11\b First sitting of the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction (Judge-Advocate and six/seven military or naval officers).
\i\B14\b \ISupply\b\i (Lt Henry Lidgbird Ball) sails for Norfolk Is. with a party of 23 led by Lt Philip Gidley King to found a settlement there.
\i\B17\b Ball discovers Lord Howe Is.
\i\B27\b Convict Thomas Barrett sentenced to death for robbing public store; executed in evening (first death sentence imposed in the colony).
- Farm established at Farm Cove under the direction of Henry Dodd.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Phillip explores Broken Bay (to 9th).
\i\B6\b King takes formal possession of Norfolk Is.
\i\B10\b \ILa Boussole\b\i and \IL'Astrolabe\b\i leave Botany Bay, never to be seen again (wrecked on Vanikoro Is., Vanuatu, and all lives lost).
\i\B13\b Ball explores Lord Howe Is. on way back to Port Jackson in \ISupply.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Phillip leads a party on an expedition from Manly (to 18th); sights \JBlue Mountains\j.
\i\B23\b On another expedition, Phillip discovers the site of Parramatta.
- Dingoes kill five ewes and a lamb at Farm Cove.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b \IScarborough, \ICharlotte,\b\i and \ILady Penrhyn\b\i are discharged and leave for England via China.
\i\B29\b Aborigines kill two convicts at Rushcutters Bay. (Phillip leads a punitive expedition against them on 31st.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b All the cattle brought from Cape Town stray from the settlement. (Found, with their progeny, in Nov. \J1795\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b First sitting of the Court of Civil Jurisdiction (Collins, Johnson, and Surgeon-General John White).
\i\B14\b \IAlexander, \IPrince of Wales, \IFriendship,\b\i and \IBorrowdale\b\i sail for UK.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B12\b White and Asst Surgeon William Balmain fight a duel; both slightly wounded.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
- Sydney's first roadùa cleared track from the Governor's residence to Dawes Pointùcompleted.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Hunter sails for Cape Town in the \ISirius\b\i to obtain provisions.
More convicts and marines sent to Norfolk Is. in the \IGolden Grove.
\i\B25\b HMS \IBounty\b\i (Capt. \JWilliam Bligh\j) arrives at Tahiti to procure breadfruit plants for the West Indies.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Settlement established at Rose Hill (Parramatta).
\i\B10\b \IGolden Grove\b\i returns to Port Jackson and (19th) sails for England with \IFishburn.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B30\b Phillip secures the capture of an Aboriginal named Arabanoo to train as an interpreter.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Phillip instructs surveyor Augustus Alt to draw up a plan for Sydney (Apr.). (Plan sent to Lord Sydney, 9 July.)
Government House foundation stone laid (15 May).
Battery, fitted with two guns, erected by Lt William Dawes on eastern side of Sydney Cove.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Observatory erected by Dawes on Point Maskelyne (Dawes Point).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
First named piece of music performed in Australiaù'The Rogue's March'ùplayed at drumming-out of soldier caught in the convict women's tents (9 Feb.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Number of persons landed from First Fleet (excluding RN and merchant seamen): about 1,030, including an estimated 736 convicts (548 male and 188 female) and 211 marines; \Ilivestoc\Ik\b\i: 2 bulls, 5 cows, 4 stallions, 3 mares, 19 goats, 74 pigs, 29 sheep, 5 rabbits, 18 turkeys, 29 geese, 35 ducks, 209 fowls.
\BEstimated Aboriginal population of Australia:\b 750,000.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 17 Father Laurent Receveur (of La PΘrouse's expedition) d.
May 22 William Grant Broughton b. (-\J1853\j\j).
\BDescription:\b Sydney Cove \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1789",5,"f\7\king0120.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
- Planned convict uprising on Norfolk Is. suppressed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B20\b Gov. Phillip informs Under-Secretary Evan Nepean in England of the non-cooperation of Maj. Robert Ross.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B25\b Seven marines tried for systematic robbery of stores. (Six executed on 27th.)
- Henry Dodd takes charge of a farm established at Rose Hill.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b \IBounty\b\i leaves Tahiti. (Stops at Cook Islands on 11th.)
\i\B27\b Capt. James Campbell and other marine officers challenge Phillip's authority to make them sit as members of the Criminal Court.
\i\B29\b Mutineers led by Fletcher Christian seize the \IBounty\b\i and cast adrift Captain \JWilliam Bligh\j and 18 others in the ship's launch.
- Outbreak of a disease resembling smallpox at Sydney Cove causes the death of many Aborigines, including Arabanoo (May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b \ISirius\b\i arrives back at Port Jackson with supplies from the Cape, having completed a voyage round the world.
\i\B13\b Convict John \JCaesar\jù'Black \JCaesar\j'ùescapes to the bush with arms and ammunition. (Recaptured 6 June.)
\i\B28\b Bligh lands on and names (29th) Restoration Is., off the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, then sails on through the Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Phillip leads an expedition to Broken Bay (to 16th), where he discovers the Hawkesbury River (12th).
\i\B14\b Bligh arrives at Kupang, Timor, after a voyage of 5,800 km in the open boat.
\i\B27\b Capt. Watkin Tench and party discover the Nepean River.
\i\B29\b Phillip makes another expedition to the Hawkesbury (to 14 July), exploring its tributaries the Colo and the Macdonald, and climbs Richmond Hill.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Brig \IMercury\b\i (Capt. John Cox) arrives at Oyster Bay, Maria Is., having visited and named Cox Bight, Van Diemen's Land.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Police force composed of 12 of the best-behaved convicts formed to carry out a night watch in Sydney.
\i\B20\b Colonial Office instructs Phillip to make land grants to marines and to assign convicts as servants.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B20\b Hunter explores and charts Botany Bay (to 30th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b \IRose Hill Packet,\b\i the first vessel built in the colony, launched for the Parramatta River trade.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Rations reduced by one-third.
\i\B21\b Time-expired convict \JJames Ruse\j established on land at Rose Hill (Experiment Farm) to see if and when he could support himself.
\i\B25\b Aborigines \JBennelong\j and Colbee captured by Phillip. (Colbee escapes 12 Dec.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Dawes and a small party make an unsuccessful attempt (to 17th) to climb the Carmarthen Hills (\JBlue Mountains\j).
\i\B22\b Black \JCaesar\j takes to the bush again. (Surrenders at Parramatta on 30 Jan. \J1790\j.)
\i\B24\b HMS \IGuardian\b\i (Lt Edward Riou), bound for NSW with stores for the colony, strikes an iceberg 12 days out from Cape Town and is forced to return to the Cape (21 Feb.).
* First school in the colonyùa dame schoolùestablished, with Isabella Rosson as teacher.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Phillip's first Government House completed (by 4 June).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
George Farquhar's comedy \IThe Recruiting Officer\b\i performed by convicts on the occasion of King George III's birthday (4 June)ùfirst theatrical performance in Australia.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\IThe Voyage of \JGovernor Phillip\j to Botany Bay; with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island.\i
Watkin Tench, \INarrative of an Expedition to Botany Bay.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population at Port Jackson: 645.
More than 200 bushels of wheat harvested at Rose Hill (Dec.), as well as 35 bushels of barley and some maize, oats, and flax; 25 bushels of barley harvested at Farm Cove.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 1 George Fife Angas b. (-\J1879\j).
Nov 5 William Bland b. (-\J1868\j).
\BDescription:\b Mutiny on the Bounty \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1790",6,"f\8\king0167.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B15\b Eight \IBounty\b\i mutineers, led by Fletcher Christian, and a number of natives arrive at Pitcairn Is. from Tahiti and (23rd) burn the \IBounty.
- 'Famine approaching with gigantic strides' at Sydney Cove, Capt. Watkin Tench records.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B28\b Hospital assistant John Irving becomes the first convict emancipated.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b \ISirius\b\i (Hunter) and \ISupply\b\i leave Port Jackson for Norfolk Is. with a detachment of marines and over 200 convicts, under Major Robert Ross.
\i\B19\b \ISirius,\b\i having landed passengers on Norfolk Is., runs aground on a reef and is completely wrecked; Ross proclaims martial law.
\i\B24\b P. G. King leaves Norfolk Is. in \ISupply;\b\i Ross takes over as commandant.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Rations further reduced at Sydney.
\i\B5\b \ISupply\b\i returns to Sydney with news of the wreck of the \ISirius;\b\i Phillip announces a further cut in rations.
\i\B15\b Phillip writes to Lord Sydney asking permission to return to England.
\i\B17\b \ISupply\b\i (Ball) sails for Batavia to obtain provisions; King leaves on it to return to England to report on conditions in the colony.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b \JBennelong\j escapes.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Transport \ILady Juliana,\b\i carrying 221 female convicts and 11 children, arrives at Port Jackson.
\i\B20\b Food shortage relieved by the arrival of the \IJustinian,\b\i storeship of the Second Fleet; rations restored next day.
\i\B26\b Second Fleet transports \ISurprize\b\i and (on 28th) \INeptune\b\i and \IScarborough\b\i arrive at Port Jackson with 759 convicts, including 486 sick, and the first detachment (100 men) of the New South Wales Corps, under Capt. Nicholas Nepean; others aboard include Lt \JJohn Macarthur\j, his wife, Elizabeth, and their infant son Edward, Surgeon John Harris, and \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j (assistant surgeon on \INeptune).\i
- Phillip instructs Dawes to lay out a regular town at Rose Hill; two streets (the present George and Church Streets, Parramatta) are marked out.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b \ISupply\b\i arrives at Batavia, where Ball hires the Dutch snow \IWaaksamheyd.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j sails for Norfolk Is. in the \ISurprize;\b\i also aboard are Catherine Crowley and her infant son William (W. C. Wentworth).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B7\b Phillip is speared by a native at Manly, where he had gone to speak to \JBennelong\j and Colbee.
\i\B26\b Five convicts steal a boat and set out for Tahiti. (Boat wrecked at Port Stephens, where four survivors live with Aborigines for five years.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b \ISupply\b\i returns from Batavia with a small cargo of provisions.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B10\b Phillip's gamekeeper, John Macintyre, is speared by the Aboriginal Pemulwy; Tench leads a punitive party (14th); none captured or shot.
\i\B17\b \IWaaksamheyd\b\i arrives from Batavia with supplies of beef, pork, flour, sugar, and rice.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Look-out post and signal station established on Port Jackson's South Head\b\i (Jan.).
Portable hospital brought out in the \IJustinian\b\i erected at Dawes Point (7 July).
Brick hut built for \JBennelong\j on the eastern point of Sydney Cove (Nov; demolished in \J1795\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Unidentified 'Port Jackson painter' produces some of the 250 drawings now\b\i in the British Museum.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John White, \IJournal of a Voyage to New South Wales.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population at census taken on 25 July: NSW, 1,715; Norfolk Is., 524.
Deaths during year: 2 seamen, 1 soldier, 123 male convicts, 7 female convicts, and 10 children die of sickness; 4 male convicts executed; 1 midshipman, 2 soldiers, and 6 male convicts drown; 1 male convict dies in the bush.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 1 James Hurtle Fisher b. (-\J1875\j).
Oct - \JWilliam Charles Wentworth\j b. (-\J1872\j).
ù - Saxe Bannister b. (-\J1877\j).
ù - Isaac Nathan b. (-\J1864\j).
ù - John Joseph Therry b. (-\J1864\j).
\BDescription:\b Subcolony at Norfolk Island \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1791",7,"f\8\rsmh34.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B22\b \JJames Ruse\j having declared himself self-supporting, the deed of the first land grant made in Australiaù30 acres (12 ha) at Rose Hill (Experiment Farm)ùis signed. (Ruse receives title to the land in April.)
\i\B27\b \ISupply\b\i returns from Norfolk Is. with Capt. John Hunter and the rest of \ISirius\b\i's company.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B16\b First land grants made to free men (two sailors from \ISirius).\b
\i\B23\b HMS \IPandora\b\i (Capt. Edward Edwards), dispatched from England in Nov.\b\i \J1790\j to search for \IBounty\b\i mutineers, reaches Tahiti; 14 mutineers arrested.
\i\B28\b \IWaaksamheyd\b\i sails for England, carrying Hunter and officers and crew of the \ISirius.\i
Convict William Bryant and his wife, Mary, their two children, and seven other convicts escape from Port Jackson in the Governor's six-oared cutter.
\i\B30\b Bryant's party go ashore near present-day Newcastle and find coal.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Bryant's party enter and examine Port Stephens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Capt. Watkin Tench and Lt William Dawes set out from Prospect Hill on an expedition that establishes the Hawkesbury and Nepean as the one river.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Rose Hill renamed Parramatta.
\i\B5\b Bryant's party reach Kupang, Timor, posing as survivors of a shipwreck.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B9\b Transport \IMary Ann\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 141 female convicts.
- John McCluer, in the \IPanther,\b\i with the \IEndeavour\b\i (Lt Proctor) begins a two-month survey of the north-west coast of New Guinea during which he discovers McCluer Gulf.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b \IMatilda,\b\i first of the Third Fleet transports, arrives at Port Jackson with 205 convicts.
\i\B3\b Captain \JWilliam Bligh\j leaves England in HMS \IProvidence\b\i with the brig \IAssistant\b\i (Lt Nathaniel Portlock) on a second voyage to obtain breadfruit and to explore Torres Strait.
\i\B18\b Jervis Bay entered and named by Lt Richard Bowen in the transport \IAtlantic.
\i\B20\b \IAtlantic\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 202 convicts, including Simeon Lord.
\i\B21\b \ISalamander\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 155 convicts.
\i\B28\b \IWilliam and Ann\b\i (Eber Bunker) arrives at Port Jackson with 181 convicts. HMS \IPandora\b\i wrecked on the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j near Torres Strait; 35 drowned, including 4 \IBounty\b\i mutineers; 99 set out in four open boats to sail to Timor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b Capt. Edwards and \IPandora\b\i shipwreck survivors arrive at Kupang.
\i\B21\b Storeship HMS \IGorgon\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 30 convicts and a large quantity of provisions, livestock, and seed; on board is Philip Gidley King, with the colony's seal.
\i\B26\b HMS \IDiscovery\b\i (Capt. George Vancouver) and the brig \IChatham\b\i (Lt W. R. Broughton), on way to Nootka Sound, arrive off the south-west coast of WA.
\IActive\b\i and \IQueen\b\i arrive at Port Jackson with 302 convicts, including the first Irish prisoners (from Cork).
\i\B28\b Vancouver discovers and names King George Sound.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Capt. Edwards of the \IPandora\b\i arrests Bryant's party and sails next day with them and fellow survivors and prisoners to Batavia (where William Bryant and one child die).
\i\B13\b \IAlbermarle\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 256 convicts.
\i\B14\b \IBritannia\b\i (Thomas Melville) arrives at Port Jackson with 129 convicts; Thomas Reibey one of the officers.
\i\B16\b \IAdmiral Barrington,\b\i last of the Third Fleet transports, arrives at Port Jackson with 264 convicts, including James Underwood and Isaac Nichols; on board is Capt. William Paterson of the NSW Corps.
\i\B21\b Vancouver leaves the WA coast at Termination Is. to continue his voyage into the Pacific.
\i\B24\b \IBritannia\b\i and \IWilliam and Ann\b\i leave to make the first whaling expedition. (Return 10 Nov.)
\i\B26\b King leaves for Norfolk Is. in \IAtlantic.\b\i (Replaces Ross as commandant, 4 Nov.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Party of convicts (20 male and 1 female) escape from Parramatta and attempt to walk to China. (Some die; others captured.)
\i\B26\b \ISupply\b\i sails from Port Jackson for England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Ross returns to Sydney from Norfolk Is.
\i\B18\b HMS \IGorgon\b\i leaves Port Jackson for England carrying returning marines (including Ross, Tench, and Dawes).
\i\B31\b New arrivals among convicts protest at Parramatta following changes to the issuing of rations.
- \ISalamander\b\i visits Port Stephens and makes a rough survey of the harbour.
* Colony experiences its third year of drought.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
New fortification built at Dawes Point; battery transferred there from \JBennelong\j Point.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of NSW: 2,873, including 2,350 convicts and 87 free settlers (1 original, 44 former convicts, 11 seamen, 31 discharged marines).
Livestock, public (Nov.): 1 ram, 50 ewes, 6 lambs.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 28 Henry Dodd d.
Jan - \JJames Stirling\j b. (-\J1865\j).
Apr 26 John Lee Archer b. (-\J1852\j).
Jul 13 \JAllan Cunningham\j b. (-\J1839\j).
Aug 4 Henry Savery b. (-\J1842\j)
Dec 13 Phillip Parker King b. (-\J1856\j)
ù - George Gipps b. (-\J1847\j)
\BDescription:\b Illustration of Government Farm at Rose Hill, \J1791\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1792",8,"e\6\r7012.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b \IPitt\b\i arrives at Port Jackson carrying 368 convicts and the second detachment of the NSW Corps, commanded by Major Francis Grose, Lt-Governor of the colony; also on board are Lt John Piper and Richard Atkins.
Sydney's first retail shop opens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b HMS \IGorgon,\b\i en route to England, arrives at the Cape of Good Hope, where the \IBounty\b\i mutineers and Mary Bryant and the surviving members of her party, having been brought from Batavia in Dutch ships, are taken aboard.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b \IProvidence\b\i (Bligh) and \IAssistant\b\i (Portlock) at Tahiti (to 19 July).
\i\B21\b French ships \IRecherche\b\i (Adm. Bruni d'Entrecasteaux) and \IEspΘrance\b\i (Capt. Huon de Kermadec), on their way to the Pacific to investigate the fate of La PΘrouse's ships, arrive at Recherche Bay, Van Diemen's Land.
\i\B23\b D'Entrecasteaux explores the coast of south-east Van Diemen's Land (to 28 May), then sails on to Amboina.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Flour ration reduced.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b \IGorgon\b\i arrives at Portsmouth; Mary Bryant and her surviving fellow absconders gaoled indefinitely.
\i\B20\b \IAtlantic\b\i returns to Port Jackson from Calcutta with supplies and 20 Bengal sheep; rations increased.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B14\b Home Secretary Henry Dundas authorises Phillip to make land grants to civil and military officers.
\i\B25\b Storeship \IBritannia\b\i (William Raven) arrives at Port Jackson.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Bligh discovers Portlock Reef.
\i\B2\b \IProvidence\b\i and \IAssistant\b\i successfully pass through Torres Strait (to 18th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b \IRoyal Admiral\b\i arrives at Sydney with 336 convicts, including artist Thomas Watling and Mary Haydock (Reibey).
\i\B24\b \IBritannia\b\i (Raven) leaves Sydney for the Cape of Good Hope on a speculative voyage for officers of the NSW Corps. (Some crew members are left at Dusky Sound, NZ, to hunt seals.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b American brigantine \IPhiladelphia,\b\i the first foreign trading vessel to visit Sydney, arrives with a speculative cargo, which Phillip buys.
\i\B18\b \IKitty\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 29 convicts and ú1,000 in silver dollars.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b D'Entrecasteaux arrives off Cape Leeuwin, WA, from Amboina, and enters and names Esperence Bay (9th).
\i\B10\b Phillip sails for England in the \IAtlantic,\b\i taking \JBennelong\j and another Aboriginal, Yemmerrawannie.
\i\B11\b Grose becomes administrator of the colony.
\i\B24\b American trading vessel \IHope\b\i arrives in Sydney; Grose is obliged to buy 34,095 litres of spirits in order to obtain other cargo.
- Civil magistrates' powers suspended and transferred to NSW Corps officers.
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
Water tank of 36,000 litres capacity constructed on the Tank Stream in Sydney near present-day Hamilton Street (completed 3 May).
Work begins on George Street (Wynyard) Barracks (Sept.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\ILes EmigrΘs \Iaux Terres Australes,\b\i the first play having reference to Australia, has its premiere in Paris.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of NSW: 3,264, plus 1,115 on Norfolk Is.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 15 Thomas Livingstone Mitchell b. (-\J1855\j).
Oct 20 John Pascoe Fawkner b. (-\J1869\j).
ù - Fletcher Christian d. (\Ic.\b\i 29).
\BDescription:\b \JBennelong\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1793",9,"f\8\43smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Samuel Marsden appointed assistant to the chaplain of NSW.
\i\B16\b \IBellona\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with the first immigrant free settlers (five men, one with wife and children) and 17 women convicts.
\i\B21\b D'Entrecasteaux arrives back at Van Diemen's Land, anchoring in Recherche Bay, having circumnavigated Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b Land grants made to free settlers at Liberty Plains (Strathfield-Homebush).
\i\B12\b \JJohn Macarthur\j receives grant of 100 acres at Parramatta, which he names Elizabeth Farm; other grants made to Capt. George Johnston (100 acres, Annandale), Commissary-General John Palmer (100 acres, Woolloomooloo), Quartermaster Thomas Laycock (80 acres, Vaucluse), Surgeon John White (100 acres, Petersham), and Rev. Richard Johnson (100 acres, Canterbury).
\i\B16\b Macarthur appointed Inspector of Public Works.
\i\B18\b School opened in an unfinished church building in Sydney; teacher is Johnson's clerk, Stephen Barnes.
\i\B25\b William Bampton's \IShah Hormuzear\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with a cargo of goods and livestock, including about a hundred Bengal sheep.
\i\B28\b D'Entrecasteaux sails from Van Diemen's Land for Tonga after charting bays and islands in the south-east.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B13\b Spanish expedition led by Alessandro Malaspina visits Sydney in the ships \IDescubierta\b\i and \IAtrevida\b\i (to 20 Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B20\b Storeship \IDaedalus\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with two young Maori chiefs carried off from NZ to assist in flax dressing on Norfolk Is.
\i\B26\b Lt John Hayes, with the \IDuke of Clarence\b\i and \IDuchess of Bengal,\b\i arrives at the Derwent River (which he names) and carries out a survey of the area (to 9 June).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Mary Bryant granted an unconditional pardon in England after the intercession of James Boswell.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B20\b \IBritannia\b\i returns from Cape Town, having picked up en route the sealing party from NZ and 4,500 sealskins.
- Grose is empowered to assign convicts as servants to civil and military officers and is instructed to prevent 'secret and clandestine sale of spirits' in the colony.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b \IShah Hormuzear\b\i and the whaler \IChesterfield\b\i (M.B. Alt), the first merchant vessels to sail through Torres Strait, anchor at Darnley Is., where some crew members are killed by natives; others sail in a ship's boat to Timor.
\i\B20\b D'Entrecasteaux dies of fever off the coast of New Guinea.
\i\B24\b Schooner \IFrancis,\b\i the first ocean-going vessel to be built in the colony, launched at Sydney.
- Phillip, in England, resigns from the governorship of NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Bligh arrives back in England with \IProvidence\b\i and \IAssistant.
\IBoddingtons\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 144 Irish convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b \IBritannia,\b\i chartered by Grose, leaves Port Jackson for India via Norfolk Is.
\i\B15\b Grose River, NSW, discovered and named by William Paterson during an unsuccessful attempt to cross the \JBlue Mountains\j.
\i\B17\b \ISugar Cane\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 159 Irish convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B25\b Hayes annexes part of New Guinea at Dore Bay, which he names New Albion, and forms a settlement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B8\b P. G. King takes the two Maori chiefs back to NZ in the \IBritannia.\b\i (Returns to Norfolk Is. on 18th and is later reprimanded by Grose for leaving his post without permission.)
* Regular ferry service begins on the Parramatta River.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney's first church, of wattle-and-daub with thatched roof, built by Rev. R. Johnson at his own expense. (Opens for divine service on 25 Aug.)
\JJohn Macarthur\j's Elizabeth Farm House, Parramatta (-\J1794\j)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
P. G. King sanctions regular performance of plays on Norfolk Is.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Hunter, \IHistorical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island.\i
Watkin Tench, \IA Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of NSW: 3,514.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 8 David Jones b. (-\J1873\j).
Jun 1 Augustus Earle b. (-\J1838\j).
\BDescription:\b Early European arrivals \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1794",10,"f\8\king0155.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b \JJames Ruse\j given a land grant at Green Hills (Windsor), on the Hawkesbury River. (Others settle there during the month.)
\i\B18\b Members of the NSW Corps on Norfolk Is. riot following a play held for the Queen's Birthday; Commandant P. G. King is forced to take stern measures to keep the peace.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Capt. John Hunter appointed Governor of NSW to succeed Phillip.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Rev. Samuel Marsden arrives at Port Jackson in the storeship \IWilliam.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Macarthur receives a further grant of 100 acres in the Parramatta district.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b Yemmerrawannie dies in England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b \IBritannia\b\i (Raven) returns from India and Batavia with supplies; crew member Thomas Reibey settles in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Hunter is given his commission as Governor and his instructions, including permission to assign convicts as servants to landowners.
\i\B4\b Marsden moves to Parramatta to become chaplain there.
\i\B8\b American ships \IIndispensable\b\i and \IHalcyon\b\i leave Port Jackson with an escaping convict on each ship.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B20\b Henry Hacking leads an expedition to try to find a way over the \JBlue Mountains\j. (Returns 27th.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b \IBritannia,\b\i chartered by civil and military officers, leaves Port Jackson for the Cape of Good Hope to purchase trade goods.
\i\B7\b Thomas Reibey marries Mary Haydock.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B25\b Four of the five 'Scottish Martyrs'ùThomas Muir, Thomas Fyshe Palmer, William Skirving, and Maurice Margarotùsentenced to 14 years' transportation for sedition, arrive in Sydney on the \ISurprize.
\i\B29\b Marsden receives a grant of 100 acres at Hunters Hill.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Storeship \IResolution\b\i sails from Port Jackson with 14 escaping convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b William Paterson replaces Francis Grose as commander of the NSW Corps and administrator of the colony.
\i\B17\b Grose and Surgeon John White sail for England in the \IDaedalus.\i
* Road cleared between Sydney and Parramatta.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
George Shaw, \IZoology of New Holland\b\i (contains the term \IAustralia\b\i to apply to the whole continent, probably the first time in a printed book).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Thomas Watling, \IA Direct North General View of Sydney Cove.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rev. Richard Johnson, \IAn Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies Established in New South Wales and Norfolk Island.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of NSW: 3,579.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Nov 10 Robert Towns b. (-\J1873\j).
\BDescription:\b John Hunter \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1795",11,"f\8\king0071.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b HMS \IReliance,\b\i with the \ISupply,\b\i leaves England carrying John Hunter to take up his appointment as Governor of NSW; also aboard are Henry Waterhouse (second captain), \JMatthew Flinders\j (master's mate), \JGeorge Bass\j (surgeon), with the boat \ITom Thumb,\b\i and a repatriating \JBennelong\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b \IBritannia\b\i returns from the Cape with goods and livestock.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
- New Albion settlement abandoned and settlers evacuated in \IDuke of Clarence.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b \IBritannia\b\i leaves on another voyage to India chartered by Lt-Gov. Paterson to procure provisions for the colony.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B25\b James Squire granted 30 acres at Eastern Farms (Ryde), on which he later builds a brewery.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B26\b HMS \IProvidence\b\i (W. R. Broughton), bound for survey work in the Pacific, arrives at Port Jackson with four survivors of the party of convicts who escaped in Sept. \J1790\j, picked up at Port Stephens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B7\b \IReliance\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with Hunter, Waterhouse, Flinders, Bass and \JBennelong\j.
\i\B11\b Hunter takes up his position as Governor of NSW and its dependencies.
- Floods occur on the Hawkesbury.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B26\b Bass and Flinders in the \ITom Thumb\b\i explore Botany Bay and Georges River (to 4 Nov.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Joseph Gerrald, the fifth of the Scottish Martyrs, arrives in Sydney in the storeship \ISovereign.
\i\B28\b First export consignment of cedar from NSW sent to India in \IExperiment.\i
- Cattle that strayed from Port Jackson in June \J1788\j are found, with their progeny, at the Cowpastures (Camden).
- Convict George Hughes does the first printing in the colony (government orders, etc.) on a small press brought out in the First Fleet.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
- Black \JCaesar\j absconds again and joins up with other runaways.
***
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of NSW: 3,466.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 28 \JCharles Sturt\j b. (-\J1869\j).
Jul 21 George Gawler b. (-\J1869\j).
\BDescription:\b Australia's two most noted explorers, \JGeorge Bass\j and Lieutenant \JMatthew Flinders\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1796",12,"e\10\king0156.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B23\b General order issued prohibiting distilling of spirits.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b NSW Corps soldiers wreck the house of carpenter John Baughan.
\i\B10\b Magistrate William Balmain challenges Macarthur over the Baughan incident; in return, all NSW Corps officers offer to fight Balmain.
\i\B11\b \IMarquis Cornwallis\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 222 Irish convicts, a mutiny having been put down during the voyage.
\i\B15\b Black \JCaesar\j is shot and killed by a settler at Liberty Plains.
\i\B18\b Thomas Muir, one of the Scottish Martyrs, escapes in the American vessel \IOtter\b\i (eventually reaching Paris).
\i\B29\b Macarthur resigns as Inspector of Public Works and is replaced by Richard Atkins.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B19\b William Skirving dies, three days after the death of his fellow Scottish Martyr Joseph Gerrald.
\i\B24\b Bass and Flinders in the second \ITom Thumb\b\i explore the coast south of Botany Bay (to 2 Apr.); discover Lake Illawarra (27 Mar.); examine Port Hacking (1 Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b \JD'Arcy Wentworth,\j back in Sydney from Norfolk Is., is appointed assistant surgeon.
\i\B30\b \IIndispensable\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 131 female convicts.
- In an attempt to control the sale of spirits, Gov. Hunter issues the first 10 licences to run public houses.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b \IBritannia\b\i (Raven) returns from Calcutta with provisions.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
- Fishermen find coal near Port Stephens.
- Bass makes an unsuccessful attempt to cross the \JBlue Mountains.\j
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
- Balmain's appointment as principal surgeon (to replace White) confirmed.
- William Paterson returns to England on sick leave.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B14\b Hunter writes to the Colonial Secretary, the Duke of Portland, complaining of Macarthur's behaviour.
\i\B15\b Macarthur writes to Portland complaining of Hunter's governorship.
\i\B29\b \IReliance\b\i (Waterhouse) and \ISupply\b\i sail for the Cape of Good Hope for supplies. \IBritannia\b\i sails for England via Norfolk Is., carrying David Collins home on leave of absence; his position as Judge-Advocate is taken by Atkins.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B22\b P. G. King sails from Norfolk Is. for England in \IBritannia;\b\i Capt. John Townson of the NSW Corps replaces him as commandant.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Hunter disbands the convict night watch and divides Sydney into four districts whose inhabitants choose three residents to act as watchmen; also orders houses to be numbered.
ò First beer brewed in Australia by John Boston.
***
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Australia's first theatre opened by Robert Sidaway in Sydney (16 Jan.); Edward Young's \IThe Revenge\b\i and a farce, \IThe Hotel,\b\i first performance. Playbill\b\i printed for the performance of 23 July is the oldest extant piece of printing in Australia.
William Shield's ballad opera \IThe Poor Soldier\b\i performed in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
'A Society of Gentlemen', \IA New and Correct History of New Holland.\i
\B9\b \ISydney Cove,\b\i en route from Calcutta to Port Jackson, is beached on Preservation Is. in the Furneaux Group; 17 men set out in the ship's longboat to sail to Sydney for help (28th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b \ISydney Cove\b\i longboat is wrecked on the southern coast near present-day Cape Everard; the survivors continue their journey to Port Jackson on foot (15th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Three survivors of the \ISydney Cove\b\i are picked up by fishermen about 22 km south of Botany Bay; they report finding coal further south and the probable existence of a strait between the mainland and Van Diemen's Land.
\i\B27\b \IBritannia\b\i (Thomas Dennott) arrives at Port Jackson with 177 Irish convicts, 11 deaths having occurred on the voyage from harsh treatment.
\i\B30\b Gov. Hunter sends the schooner \IFrancis\b\i and longboat \IEliza\b\i to the stranded \ISydney Cove.\b\i (Arrive Preservation Is. 11 June.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b \IGanges\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 190 convicts, including Joseph Wild, and a detachment of the NSW Corps.
\i\B21\b \IFrancis\b\i and \IEliza\b\i leave Preservation Is. for Port Jackson with the survivors of the \ISydney Cove; \IFrancis\b\i arrives at Sydney on 6 July; \IEliza\b\i is never seen again.
\i\B26\b \IReliance\b\i (Waterhouse) returns to Port Jackson with stores and some merino sheep from the Cape of Good Hope, some of which are bought by \JJohn Macarthur\j (2 rams, 4 ewes) and Samuel Marsden (1 ram, 1 ewe).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Hunter sends a party of soldiers to protect settlers in the Hawkesbury area following the killing of a number of settlers by Aborigines.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Soldiers aboard the transport \ILady Shore\b\i (carrying 66 female and two male convicts as well as three officers and 70 men of the NSW Corps) mutiny, kill the captain and mate, set 'loyalists' adrift, and sail the ship to Montevideo (where the ship is impounded).
\i\B5\b \JGeorge Bass\j makes a voyage to the south coast (to 13th) with one of the \ISydney Cove\b\i survivors to examine the reported coal seams; finds coal at present-day Coalcliff.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Convicts steal the government boat \ICumberland\b\i from the Hawkesbury and sail north; Hunter sends Lt John Shortland in pursuit in a whaleboat.
\i\B9\b Shortland discovers the Hunter River estuary and an abundance of coal.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Fourteen convicts seize a boat and escape from Port Jackson. (Later abandon seven of their number on Glennie Is., off Wilsons Promontory.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Bass sets out from Port Jackson in a whaleboat with six oarsmen to explore the southern coast of NSW.
\i\B6\b Bass discovers the Blowhole at Kiama and (7th) names the Shoalhaven River.
\i\B10\b Bass examines Jervis Bay.
\i\B19\b Bass enters and names Twofold Bay.
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
Foundation stone of St John's Church, Parramatta, laid by Gov. Hunter (5 Apr; another foundation stone laid in \J1799\j; church opened \J1803\j; twin steeples added \J1818\j-20; new church built \J1852\j-58, incorporating twin steeples; transepts added \J1883\j-85).
Construction of Australia's first windmillùon Observatory Hill, Sydneyùcompleted.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Platypus first observed, at the Hawkesbury River.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 4,344.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 8 John Septimus Roe b. (-\J1878\j).
Jun 19 \JHamilton Hume\j b. (-\J1873\j).
Jul 20 Paul Edmond de \JStrzelecki\j b. (-\J1873\j).
\i\B3\b Bass finds the seven escaped convicts abandoned on Glennie Is.
\i\B5\b Bass discovers and names Western Port (now Westernport, Vic.).
\i\B14\b Party guided by the ex-convict and 'wild white man' John Wilson explores to the south-west of Sydney as far as the junction of the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly rivers (to 9 Feb.).
\i\B26\b Bass transfers five of the stranded convicts from Glennie Is. to the mainland to walk to Sydney. (Not seen again.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b \IFrancis,\b\i with \JMatthew Flinders\j aboard, leaves Port Jackson again to retrieve stores from the wreck of the \ISydney Cove.
\i\B8\b \IFrancis\b\i discovers the Kent group of islands.
\i\B12\b Flinders explores the Furneaux Is.
\i\B25\b Bass returns to Port Jackson convinced of the existence of a strait at the south of the continent, which Hunter names in his honour.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Wilson leads another party, which includes Henry Hacking, to the south-west of Sydney, penetrating as far as the vicinity of present-day Goulburn.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b \INautilus\b\i (Charles Bishop) arrives at Port Jackson from a trading cruise in the Pacific carrying missionaries of the London Missionary Society from Tahiti, including Rowland Hassall.
\i\B18\b Transport \IBarwell\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 287 convicts, including the lawyer/poet Michael Massey Robinson; passengers include Richard Dore.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Dore appointed Judge-Advocate, to succeed David Collins.
\i\B10\b Calcutta merchant Robert Campbell arrives at Port Jackson in the \IHunter\b\i on a trading visit and buys land at Dawes Point.
\i\B15\b \INorfolk,\b\i a sloop built on Norfolk Is., arrives at Port Jackson.
\i\B22\b Dore appointed Hunter's secretary.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B18\b \IBritannia\b\i (Robert Turnbull) arrives at Port Jackson with 94 convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
- Simeon Lord acquires a warehouse from which to retail goods and spirits bought from NSW Corps officers.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Sydney's first church destroyed by fire, apparently deliberately.
\i\B7\b Bass and Flinders leave Port Jackson in the \INorfolk\b\i on an exploratory trip to Van Diemen's Land, accompanied by the brig \INautilus\b\i (Charles Bishop) on a sealing expedition to Cape Barren Is.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Bass and Flinders discover and explore the Tamar estuary (to 20th).
\i\B8\b Nauru discovered by Capt. John Fearn in the \IHunter.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Bass and Flinders ascertain the existence of Bass Strait.
\i\B22\b \INorfolk\b\i enters the mouth of the Derwent River.
\i\B25\b Bass climbs Mount Wellington.
Bishop returns to Port Jackson in the \INautilus\b\i with 9,000 sealskins.
* Capt. William Reed in the sealer \IMartha\b\i discovers King Is. in Bass Strait.
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
Foundation stone of St Phillip's, Church Hill, Sydney, laid by Gov. Hunter (7 Oct; church opened Aug. \J1809\j, consecrated 25 Dec. \J1810\j, demolished \J1856\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Lyrebird and koala first observed, by John Price, one of John Wilson's party (26 Jan.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Robert Sidaway's theatre closed by order of the Governor because of the number of robberies occurring on theatre nights.
\BD Books and Writing\b
David Collins, \IAn Account of the English Colony in New South Wales,\b\i vol. 1 (vol. 2 in \J1802\j).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 4,588.
Opening of licensed premises prohibited during church hours (Aug.).
\BDescription:\b Bass and Flinders Southern Journeys map \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1799",15,"f\8\king0146.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b Bass and Flinders complete their circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land. (Return to Port Jackson on 12th.)
\i\B23\b Gov. Hunter dispenses with the services of Richard Dore as his secretary.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B11\b Public gaol in Sydney deliberately burnt down.
\i\B28\b Hunter issues another general order prohibiting the distilling of spirits.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Hawkesbury River floods after torrential rains break the drought; grain stores destroyed and one man drowned.
\i\B6\b William Paterson ordered to return to NSW from leave in England and put an immediate end to trading by the NSW Corps officers, especially in spirits.
\i\B12\b Isaac Nichols charged with receiving stolen goods and sentenced (16th) to 14 years on Norfolk Is.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Hunter orders an inquiry into the verdict of the Nichols case and (3rd) suspends sentence. (Refers case to UK on 30th.)
\i\B24\b Spanish ship \INuestra Senora de Bethlehem,\b\i captured by whalers off Peru, arrives at Port Jackson and (1 May) is declared a lawful prize (bought by Simeon Lord and renamed \IHunter).\b
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Storeship \IBuffalo\b\i (W. Raven) arrives at Port Jackson as a replacement for HMS \ISupply.
\i\B16\b \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j becomes surgeon at Parramatta.
\i\B29\b \INautilus\b\i (Bishop) sails for England via China with Bass aboard.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Violent storms in Sydney (to 6th) cause much damage.
\i\B29\b Capt. Eber Bunker arrives at Port Jackson in the storeship \IAlbion\b\i and subsequently goes whaling.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B8\b Flinders leaves Port Jackson in the \INorfolk\b\i to examine the coast to the north. (Explores the Moreton Bay area, 15th to 31st.)
\i\B26\b \IHillsborough\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 205 convicts, 95 having died, mostly of typhoid fever, on the way; prisoners include lawyer George Crossley.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Flinders examines and charts Hervey Bay (to 7th). (Returns to Sydney 20th.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b Five settlers on the Hawkesbury found guilty of murdering two Aborigines. (Subsequently pardoned.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Paterson arrives back in Sydney and resumes command of the NSW Corps.
\i\B5\b Dispatch sent recalling Hunter and naming Philip Gidley King as his successor.
\i\B12\b Capt. Thomas Rowley replaces John Townson as commandant on Norfolk Is.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Spanish ship \IEl Plumier,\b\i captured by whalers off the South American coast, arrives at Port Jackson and (7th) is sold as a prize.
\i\B28\b Gaol at Parramatta deliberately burnt down.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Old Government House, Parramatta, erected on the site of an earlier house built by Gov. Arthur Phillip which had collapsed.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 5,088, including 1,724 convicts.
\IAlbion\b\i makes the voyage from England to Port Jackson in a record 93 days.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 26 Thomas Muir d. (33).
Aug 25 John Dunmore Lang b. (-\J1878\j).
Oct 2 William Lonsdale b. (-\J1864\j).
Oct 15 Archibald Mosman b. (-\J1863\j).
\BDescription:\b Government House \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1800",16,"f\8\king0157.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B11\b \IMinerva\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 188 convicts, including Father James Harold and 'General' Joseph Holt; passengers include Lt \JWilliam Cox\j. \IThynne,\b\i under charter to officers of the NSW Corps, arrives from Bengal with large quantity of spirits.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b Robert Campbell returns to Sydney from Calcutta to establish a trading and importing business.
\i\B16\b \IFriendship\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 114 convicts, including Father James Dixon and James Meehan.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b \IReliance\b\i (Henry Waterhouse) leaves Port Jackson for England with \JMatthew Flinders\j aboard.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Capt. Philip Gidley King arrives at Port Jackson in the \ISpeedy\b\i to replace John Hunter as Governor; also aboard are George Caley, Francis Barrallier, and 50 convicts.
\i\B26\b William Balmain receives a land grant of 550 acres on the west side of Cockle Bay (Balmain).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B26\b Maj. Joseph Foveaux appointed Lt-Governor of Norfolk Is., replacing Thomas Rowley.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b Revs Richard Johnson and Samuel Marsden open a Church school at Kissing Point (Ryde).
- Henry Kable and James Underwood establish a business partnership for manufacturing, sealing, shipbuilding, etc.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B7\b Holt arrested on suspicion of being involved in a planned insurrection of Irish political prisoners. (Later released.)
Concerned about the possible insurrection, Hunter forms Loyal Associationsùthe first volunteer corps in the colonyùin Sydney (commanded by Balmain) and Parramatta (Richard Atkins).
\i\B28\b King takes over from Hunter as Governor.
\i\B29\b Col. William Paterson appointed Lt-Governor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b King issues a general order aimed at ending monopolies in trade and forbids traffic in spirits without permission.
\i\B10\b Import duties imposed on liquor; ships required to pay entry and victualling charges.
\i\B17\b Balmain appointed Naval Officer (i.e., harbourmaster).
Paterson arrests George Johnston on charges of paying spirits to a sergeant as part of his pay.
\i\B21\b \IBuffalo\b\i leaves for England carrying Hunter, Rev. Richard Johnson, George Johnston (under arrest), and eight sample merino fleeces from \JJohn Macarthur\j's farm.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b \IPorpoise\b\i (with John Murray as master's mate) arrives at Port Jackson with four tons of copper coins.
\i\B19\b King fixes the value of coinage in circulation.
\i\B21\b \IRoyal Admiral\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 257 convicts, including the West Indian George Howe (subsequently Government Printer), 43 having died of typhoid fever on the voyage; passengers include Ensign \JWilliam Lawson\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b \ILady Nelson\b\i (Lt James Grant) arrives in southern Australian waters to begin survey work; Grant names Cape Northumberland, Cape Banks, Mt Schanck, and Mt Gambier.
\i\B7\b Grant names Portland Bay and Cape Otway, then passes through Bass Strait, the first to do so from the west. (Arrives Port Jackson 16 Dec.)
\i\B14\b Foveaux suppresses an incipient rebellion on Norfolk Is; hangs two Irish prisoners.
\i\B18\b Atkins appointed deputy Judge-Advocate following the death of Dore.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney's first customs house built.
James Larra's inn, the Freemasons Arms (later the Woolpack Inn), erected at Parramatta.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
George Caley establishes a botanical garden at Parramatta and begins collecting Australian plants for Joseph Banks.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Robert Sidaway again allowed to present plays.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 5,217.
General order (31 Oct.) decrees that assigned convicts are to be clothed, fed, and housed at the expense of their masters (without wages).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 22 Roger Therry b. (-\J1874\j).
Jun 1 Edward Deas Thomson b. (-\J1879\j).
Dec 13 Richard Dore d. (51).
\BDescription:\b Captain Philip Gidley King, Governor of NSW \J1800\j-\J1806\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1801",17,"f\8\king0158.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b King Is., Bass Strait, named by Capt. John Black of the brig \IHarbinger.
\i\B5\b T. F. Palmer, his sentence expired, leaves Sydney in \IEl Plumier.\b\i (Detained as prisoner of war in Guam, where he dies in June \J1802\j.)
\i\B18\b Simeon Lord appointed public auctioneer.
\i\B21\b US ship \IFollensbe\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with a huge cargo of liquor, which Gov. King refuses to allow to be landed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Ticket-of-leave system introduced by King, enabling convicts to work for wages and choose their own master.
\i\B21\b Transport \IAnn\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 251 convicts, including 137 Irish political prisoners.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b Lt James Grant in the \ILady Nelson\b\i surveys Westernport Bay (to 29 Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b King orders Aborigines to be driven out of Parramatta, Prospect, and Georges River districts.
\i\B2\b US ship \IMissouri\b\i arrives at Port Jackson; King refuses to allow the landing of a cargo of spirits.
\i\B30\b French mariner Nicolas Baudin, with the ships \ILe GΘographe\b\i and \ILe Naturaliste\b\i (Emmanuel Hamelin), arrives at Geographe Bay, WA, on a voyage of scientific discovery. (Ships there part company.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b King sends Lt-Gov. Paterson in the \ILady Nelson\b\i (Grant) to examine the Hunter River.
\i\B12\b \IEarl Cornwallis\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 253 convicts.
\i\B16\b Paterson founds a settlement on the Hunter. (Abandoned in \J1802\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b Survey party finds seams of coal at the Hunter.
\i\B14\b Hamelin at Rottnest Is. (to 28th); explores Swan River.
\i\B18\b Flinders leaves England in \IInvestigator\b\i to explore Australian coastline.
\i\B20\b Baudin explores De Witt's Land and names Monte Bello Is. (to 10 Aug.).
\i\B27\b King disbands the Loyal Associations.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Female Orphan School opened in Sydney by Samuel Marsden under Gov. King's patronage.
\i\B26\b Balmain leaves Sydney in the \IAlbion\b\i to return to England; Surgeon John Harris replaces him as Naval Officer.
\i\B28\b \IVenus\b\i (Charles Bishop) arrives at Port Jackson, carrying part-owner \JGeorge Bass\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B14\b Paterson and Macarthur fight a duel; Paterson wounded; Macarthur arrested.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B4\b Consignment of coal exported to Bengal in the \IEarl Cornwallis.\b\i
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B12\b Lt John Murray, who replaced Grant as commander of \ILady Nelson,\b\i leaves Port Jackson to explore in southern waters.
\i\B15\b Macarthur leaves Sydney for court martial in England. (Arrives London 21 Dec. \J1802\j.)
\i\B21\b Bass sails in the \IVenus\b\i on a commercial voyage in the Pacific.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Flinders in the \IInvestigator\b\i arrives off the coast of WA, names Cape Leeuwin (7th), and enters King George Sound (8th).
\i\B14\b Transports \IMinorca,\b \ICanada,\b\i and \INile\b\i arrive at Port Jackson with 296 convicts, including James Hardy Vaux, Dr \JWilliam Redfern\j, artist \JJohn Eyre\j, and \JMargaret Catchpole\j; passengers include Richard Rouse.
- Female convicts at the Parramatta gaol begin making rough blankets from locally produced wool.
* Schooner \ICumberland\b\i (28 tons), the first armed vessel belonging to the colony, launched at Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
King installs a battery on Georges Head, Port Jackson.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Hamelin finds and restores (16 July) the metal plate left by Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh on \JDirk Hartog\j Is. (WA) in 1697.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JMatthew Flinders\j, \IObservations on the Coasts of Van Diemen's Land, on Bass's Strait, etc.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 5,945.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 \JJohn Batman\j b. (-\J1839\j).
Mar 20 Charles Joseph La Trobe b. (-\J1875\j).
Mar 21 Conrad Martens b. (-\J1878\j).
\BDescription:\b The \ILady Nelson (Jonathan King)\i
#
"1802",18,"f\8\mattf.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Lt John Murray discovers the entrance to Port Phillip.
\i\B5\b \JMatthew Flinders\j in the \IInvestigator\b\i leaves King George Sound, sights Stirling Range.
\i\B10\b Murray examines King Is. (to 27th).
\i\B13\b Nicolas Baudin's expedition in D'Entrecasteaux Channel (to 7 Mar.); explores Derwent.
\i\B29\b Flinders surveys Nuyts Archipelago, the Investigator Group, and the coast as far as Cape Catastrophe (to 21 Feb.).
\i\B31\b J. Bowen, mate of \ILady Nelson,\b\i examines Port Phillip (to 4 Feb; \ILady Nelson\b\i enters on 14th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B21\b Boat crew of eight from \IInvestigator\b\i drown at Cape Catastrophe.
\i\B25\b Flinders surveys Port Lincoln and Spencer Gulf (to 20 Mar.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Murray takes formal possession of Port Phillip area.
Baudin's two ships are separated in a gale off Van Diemen's Land.
\i\B21\b Flinders discovers Kangaroo Is., observes a high hill on the mainland (23rd) which he later names Mount Lofty, and explores Gulf St Vincent (to 1 Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Flinders and Baudin meet at Encounter Bay.
\i\B9\b Emmanuel Hamelin in \ILe Naturaliste\b\i examines Westernport (to 17th).
\i\B24\b \ILe Naturaliste\b\i arrives at Port Jackson.
\i\B26\b Flinders examines Port Phillip (to 3 May; returns to Sydney on 9th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
- Rations reduced in Sydney owing to food shortage.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Aboriginal leader Pemulwy shot and killed following the killing of four white men by Aborigines at Parramatta and Toongabbie.
\i\B13\b \ICoromandel\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 137 convicts and 10 free settlers; Surgeon Charles Throsby settles.
\i\B14\b Duty of 5% imposed on all goods imported from east of Cape Town.
\i\B20\b \ILe GΘographe\b\i (Baudin) arrives at Port Jackson.
\i\B26\b Arrival of US ship \IGeneral Boyd\b\i with cargo of salted meat eases food shortage. \IHercules\b\i arrives with 121 convicts, 14 having been killed during a mutiny and 30 others having died of sickness.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b \IAtlas\b\i (1) arrives with 111 convicts (65 having died), including Sir Henry Browne Hayes.
\i\B22\b Flinders leaves Sydney in the \IInvestigator,\b\i with Murray in the \ILady Nelson,\b\i to explore and chart the northern coastline of Australia.
\i\B23\b Colony divided into two parishesù St Phillip's (Sydney) and St John's (Parramatta).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Flinders discovers Port Curtis and (21st) Port Bowen.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b First properly assembled masonic lodge in Australia (held by officers of \ILe Naturaliste)\b\i admits Capt. Anthony Fenn Kemp of the NSW Corps into masonry.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B16\b Maj. George Johnston returns to Sydney in HMS \IBuffalo,\b\i his trial in England having been quashed; also aboard are \JJohn Oxley,\j G. W. Evans, and Garnham Blaxcell.
\i\B18\b Flinders, at Cumberland Is., orders \ILady Nelson\b\i back to Sydney.
\i\B30\b \IAtlas\b\i (2) arrives at Port Jackson with 188 Irish rebel prisoners.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Flinders enters the Gulf of Carpentaria, having passed through Torres Strait, and begins a running survey of the gulf.
\i\B5\b Francis Barrallier makes an attempt to cross the \JBlue Mountains\j (to 23 Dec.), reaching about 25 km south of Jenolan Caves.
\i\B18\b \ILe GΘographe, Le Naturaliste,\b\i and a purchased vessel, \ICasuarina\b\i (Louis de Freycinet), leave Port Jackson for Bass Strait.
\i\B23\b Gov. King sends Lt Charles Robbins in \ICumberland\b\i to examine Bass Strait (Surveyor-Gen. Charles Grimes also aboard) and to thwart any colonising attempts by the French.
\i\B24\b Flinders careens \IInvestigator\b\i and finds it unfit to return to Sydney the way he came.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Baudin's expedition at King Is. \I(Le Naturaliste\b\i sails for Mauritius on 9th.)
\i\B7\b Flinders names Mornington Is.
\i\B13\b Robbins hoists the British flag near Baudin's tents on King Is. and fires a volley over them.
***
\BD Books and Writing\b
\INew South Wales General Standing Orders,\b\i printed by George Howeùthe first book printed in Australia.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: 7,014.
Some 25,660 fur seal skins and 34 tons of elephant seal oil obtained from Bass Strait (most skins exported to China).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 2 Thomas Fyshe Palmer d. (54).
\BDescription:\b Illustration of \JMatthew Flinders\j \I(Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)\i.
#
"1803",19,"f\8\king0118.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b \ILe GΘographe\i and \ICasuarina\i at Kangaroo Is. (to 1 Feb.); de Freycinet explores mainland gulfs.
\i\B8\b Capt. A. F. Kemp arrested (with Lts Hobby and Bayly) for being involved in scurrilous attacks on Gov. King.
\B10\b "Pipe" (scurrilous verse) lampooning King found in barracks.
\B20\b \ICumberland\i (Robbins) in Port Phillip (to 27 Feb.) to enable Charles Grimes to make a survey.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Grimes discovers the Yarra River and (3rd) navigates to the site of Melbourne.
\B5\b \JGeorge Bass\j leaves Port Jackson in the \IVenus\i and is never heard of again.
\B12\b Robert Campbell's ship \ICastle of Good Hope\i arrives in Port Jackson with 307 Bengal cows and 64,000 litres of spirits. (King allows only 18,000 litres to be landed.)
\B17\b \JMatthew Flinders\j in the \IInvestigator\i meets a fleet of Macassan praus off Arnhem Land.
Nicolas Baudin's expedition in King George Sound (to 1 Mar.).
\i\B23\b Maj. George Johnston, president of the court martial of Capt. Kemp, stops proceedings by arresting deputy Judge-Advocate John Harris for revealing votes at Hobby's trial.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Flinders charts Arnhem Bay (to 5th) and then sails for Timor to repair the \IInvestigator.\i
\i\B5\b Kemp acquitted on resumption of his court martial.
George Howe publishes the first issue of the weekly \ISydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser,\i Australia's first newspaper.
\i\B11\b Harris acquitted by court martial.
HMS \IGlatton\i arrives at Port Jackson carrying 387 convicts, some free settlers, and Lt John Bowen.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Flinders leaves Kupang to sail west about to Port Jackson.
\B10\b St John's Church, Parramatta, opened; Samuel Marsden conducts the inaugural service.
\i\B19\b Father James Dixon given conditional emancipation.
\B27\b Lt-Col. David Collins leaves UK in HMS \ICalcutta,\i accompanied by storeship \IOcean,\i with an expedition to settle Port Phillip; 307 convicts with 30 of their wives and children (including John Fawkner and his 11-year old son John Pascoe Fawkner), 49 free settlers, 60 marines, and 17 civil establishment, including Rev. Robert Knopwood.
\B30\b Baudin leaves the Australian coast and sails for Timor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B9\b Gov. King applies for leave to return to England.
\i\B14\b Meeting of freemasons held in Sydney at the home of Sgt Thomas Whittle; participants arrested for unlawful assembly, including Sir H. B. Hayes.
\i\B15\b First authorised public Roman Catholic mass in Australia and first Catholic marriage celebrated in Sydney by Father Dixon.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b \IInvestigator\i arrives back in Port Jackson, Flinders having circumnavigated Australia in one voyage.
\i\B19\b \JWilliam Redfern\j, assistant surgeon at Norfolk Is., is granted a free pardon.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b Flinders sails for England as a passenger in the \IPorpoise.\i
\B17\b \IPorpoise\i runs aground on Wreck Reef.
\B26\b Flinders sails from Wreck Reef for Sydney in a ship's cutter.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Lt John Bowen in the \IAlbion\i (preceded by \ILady Nelson)\i arrives at the Derwent with a party of 48 to found the first settlement in Van Diemen's Land. (Settles at Risdon Cove.)
\B26\b Convicted murderer Joseph Samuels reprieved after three attempts to hang him fail.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b Flinders returns to Wreck Reef in the \ICumberland\i with \IFrancis\i and \IRolla\i to pick up maroons. (\ICumberland\i sails for England 10 Oct.).
\B9\b Collins in the \ICalcutta\i (preceded by \IOcean,\i 7 Oct.), arrives at Port Phillip and (10th) founds a settlement on the site of the present-day Sorrento.
\B23\b Rev. R. Knopwood conducts the first Christian church service at Port Phillip.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Collins seeks King's permission to move the settlement from Port Phillip.
\i\B25\b First white child (Robert Hobart Thorne) born at Port Phillip.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b King calls for volunteers for the Loyal Associations, reformed because of the resumption of war between Britain and France.
\B12\b Collins receives King's authorisation to move from Port Phillip to the Derwent.
\B15\b \ICumberland,\i leaking, stops at Mauritius, and Flinders is interned by the French (17th).
\i\B27\b Convict \JWilliam Buckley\j escapes from Port Phillip and lives for the next 32 years with a tribe of Aborigines.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Campbell's Wharf completed in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Grant, \INarrative of a Voyage... in H.M. Vessel the Lady Nelson.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First record of cricket being played in Australia - by officers of HMS \ICalcutta\i in Sydney (arr. 26 Dec. on way back to UK).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 7,016; Van Dieman's Land, 177.
Dr John Harris imports deer for his property near Blackwattle Swamp, Sydney.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Sep 16? Nicolas Baudin d. (c. 53).
Nov 17 William Balmain d. (41).
- George Bass d. (32).
\BDescription:\b The ships of Baudin's expedition - \ILe GΘographe\i and \ILe Naturaliste\i \I(Courtesy Jonathan King)\i
#
"1804",20,"f\8\king0116.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B9\b William Collins, sent from Port Phillip to examine Port Dalrymple and the Tamar River, discovers the site of \JLaunceston\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b David Collins and party in the \IOcean\b\i arrive at the Derwent from Port Phillip. (Collins becomes Lt-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, 16th.)
\i\B19\b Collins decides on Sullivan Cove (not Bowen's site at Risdon Cove) as settlement site, takes possession, and (20th) lands a party there.
\i\B26\b First church service in Tas. conducted by Robert Knopwood on the site of Hobart Town Hall.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Irish convicts at Castle Hill launch a full-scale rebellion.
\i\B5\b Gov. King declares martial law in Parramatta, Castle Hill, and adjacent districts; Maj. George Johnston and a force from the NSW Corps march to Parramatta, and the rising is quickly put down at Vinegar Hill (Kellyville); 12 rebels are killed and 26 captured; leader Philip Cunningham hanged without trial.
\i\B8\b Principal Castle Hill rebels tried and condemned; three hanged forthwith at Parramatta (another three at Castle Hill, 9th; two at Sydney, 10th).
\i\B10\b Martial law revoked.
\i\B30\b Lt Charles Menzies arrives at the Hunter River to re-establish a settlement, which is named Newcastle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B22\b Soldiers refuse guard duties at Risdon Cove; fears are held of a convict uprising.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Aborigines approach Risdon Cove settlement and are fired upon; 50 killedùthe first casualties in Tasmania's 'Black War'.
\i\B7\b \ICoromandel\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 200 convicts and a consignment of smallpox vaccine.
\i\B8\b Bowen relinquishes command at the Derwent to Collins.
\i\B20\b Last of the Sorrento settlement leave Port Phillip for the Derwent.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Hobart Town adopted by Collins as the name of the Sullivan Cove settlement.
\i\B24\b \IExperiment\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 132 convicts (130 females, including Molly Morgan for the second time) and Alexander Riley as a free settler.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Settlement at Risdon Cove abandoned; most of the establishment, including Bowen, return to Sydney in the \IOcean.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b Capt. John Piper replaces Joseph Foveaux as Lt-Governor of Norfolk Is., most of the convicts and half the military detachment having been withdrawn; Foveaux sails for UK in the \IAlbion\b\i on leave.
\i\B16\b Government brewery at Parramatta begins producing beer.
- G. W. Evans discovers the Warragamba River, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B15\b Col. William Paterson in HMS \IBuffalo\b\i leaves Port Jackson to establish a settlement at Port Dalrymple; Johnston takes over as commander of the NSW Corps.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b \IBuffalo\b\i arrives at Port Dalrymple, and (11th) Paterson officially takes possession at Outer Cove on the eastern side of the Tamar (now George Town).
George Caley makes an attempt to cross the \JBlue Mountains\j. (Reaches Mount Banks; returns 23rd.)
\i\B9\b Crew of the \IUnion,\b\i under charter to Simeon Lord, massacred by Koro Is. natives.
\i\B26\b Guards at Port Dalrymple fire on a band of unfriendly Aborigines, killing one and wounding another.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B27\b Paterson moves the Port Dalrymple settlement to the West Arm of the Tamar, which he names York Town.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Stone bridge across the Tank Stream in Sydney completed (27 Mar.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Asst Surgeon John Savage carries out the first successful inoculation against smallpox in Australia (9 May).
Australia's first medical treatiseù\IGeneral Observations of the Smallpox,\b\i by Principal Surgeon Thomas Jamisonùpublished in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i (14 Oct.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJohn Eyre\j (pardoned on 4 June) advertises in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i for a box of watercolours.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Chuck-farthing (two-up) referred to in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i of 15 Apr.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 7,040; Van Diemen's Land, 558.
Assigned convicts entitled to claim wages from their masters (from Jan.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 3 William Denison b. (-\J1871\j).
Sep 14 John Gould b. (-\J1881\j).
\BDescription:\b An eyewitness' version of the clash between troops and convict rebels \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1805",21,"f\8\king0122.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b Robert Campbell's ship \ILady Barlow\b\i leaves Port Jackson with the first all-colonial cargo (sealskins, seal oil, and timber) to be shipped directly to UK, defying the East India Co. monopoly.
- Simeon Lord enters into partnership with Henry Kable and James Underwood.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B23\b Surveyor-General G. W. Evans discharged for fraud.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b Colonial schooner \IFrancis\b\i wrecked on Oyster Bank, Newcastle.
\i\B30\b In an attempt to stop convicts escaping in ships, Gov. King decrees that all ships' captains will be required to put up bonds before communicating with the settlement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B27\b King orders troops to be sent to the Hawkesbury following the killing of several settlers by Aborigines.
\i\B30\b Kable and Underwood launch their 185-ton deep-sea whaler \IKing George,\b\i the largest vessel thus far built in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Capt. \JWilliam Bligh\j commissioned in London as Governor of NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b John Macarthur, having resigned from the army and received permission to return as a private citizen to NSW, arrives at Port Jackson in his own ship, the \IArgo,\b\i accompanied by his nephew Hannibal, with eight merino sheep from King George III's flock, and a letter ordering King to grant him 5,000 acres of land.
\i\B24\b Lt-Gov. Collins notifies King of an extreme shortage of food in Hobart.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Judge-Advocate Atkins states that since Aborigines have neither religion nor morals they cannot give evidence.
\i\B13\b \ILady Barlow\b\i arrested on arrival in England for infringing East India Co. charter (but allowed to leave on condition the cargo would be sold outside Britain).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B13\b Macarthur is given conditional occupancy of land in the Cowpastures area subject to Colonial Office confirmation. (Receives grant on 15 Jan. \J1806\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B28\b Food and settlers from Norfolk Is. arrive at the Derwent.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Four convicts escape from Newcastle; recaptured near Castle Hill, they and their pursuers become the first white overlanders from Newcastle to Sydney.
\i\B18\b First land grants made in Van Diemen's Land, including 10 acres to Rev. Robert Knopwood.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
John Lewin, \IProdromus Entomology: Natural History of the Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales.\i
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Lewin's engravings of butterflies and moths in \IProdromus Entomology\b\i are the first engravings done in Australia.
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Tuckey, \IAn Account of a Voyage to Port Phillip.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
General muster of settlements: NSW, 6,980 (3,863 men, 1,370 women, 1,747 children); Van Diemen's Land, 760; Norfolk Is., approx. 700.
The word \Ibushranger\b\i first appears in print, in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i of 17 Feb.
Tasmanian tiger shot near York Town (30 Mar.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 7 Alexander Harris b. (-\J1874\j).
Oct 24 John Fairfax b. (-\J1877\j).
\BDescription:\b Settlement at Hawkesbury River \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1806",22,"f\8\king0119.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B15\b Hawkesbury River rises to an unprecedented level, causing great loss of crops, stock, and houses and reducing the colony almost to starvation; seven drown in floods (to 20th).
- William Paterson begins transferring his settlement on the Tamar from York Town to 'Patersonia' \J(Launceston)\j.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b \I\JWilliam Pitt\j\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 117 convicts and news of the Battle of Trafalgar; passengers include \JGregory Blaxland\j and family, as free settlers, and Charles Grimes returning from leave.
\i\B22\b Colonial schooner \I\JGovernor King\j\b\i wrecked on Oyster Bank, Newcastle.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Convicts at Port Dalrymple seize the brig \IVenus\b\i and sail to NZ.
- Sydney's first girls' school opened by a Mrs Williams.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b \ILady Madelaine Sinclair,\b\i carrying \JWilliam Bligh\j as Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief, and William Gore as Provost-Marshal, arrives at Port Jackson, escorted by HMS \IPorpoise.
\i\B13\b Bligh assumes office as Governor, replacing Philip Gidley King.
\i\B15\b King embarks on the \IBuffalo\b\i but collapses, and his departure is delayed for six months.
\i\B20\b \IAlexander\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 56 convicts, including Solomon Wiseman.
\i\B21\b With provisions at Hobart almost exhausted, prisoners are permitted to hunt kangaroos.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B22\b Sydney's free inhabitants present an address of welcome to Bligh, repudiating an earlier address signed by Macarthur on their behalf.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B4\b Bligh issues new and stricter port regulations.
\i\B21\b Food shortage at Hobart relieved by the arrival of the \IRoyal George\b\i with provisions.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b Bligh announces that people could be called up for harvesting and stipulates wages and conditions for various tasks.
ò Maori chief Te Pehi and four of his sons visit Sydney and are entertained by King and Rev. Samuel Marsden.
ò William Collins sets up Australia's first bay whaling station at Ralphs Bay, on the Derwent estuary.
ò Formal Roman Catholic education begins in Australia with the opening of a Catholic school in Sydney, apparently run by a Jeremy Cavanagh (mentioned in a dispatch by King on 12 Aug.).
***
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJohn Eyre,\j \IView of Sydney from West Side of Cove.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
George Howe, \INew South Wales Pocket Almanack and Colonial Remembrancer.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 7,162; Van Diemen's Land, 748.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 14 Charles Hotham b. (-\J1855)\j.
Mar 29 James \JMatra\j d. (60?).
May 26 \JJohn Ridley\j b. (-\J1887)\j.
ù - John Skinner Prout b. (-\J1876)\j.
\BDescription:\b Floods on the Hawkesbury River in the early \J1800\js \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1807",23,r6120.jpg,g,0
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B24\b Ship \IPerseverance\b\i launched at Robert Campbell's yard. (Sails for China via Norfolk Is., 9 Feb.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Lt Thomas Laycock and four others walk from Port Dalrymple to Hobart (arr. 11th) to try to obtain provisions for the settlement.
\i\B8\b Laycock discovers the Clyde River, Tas.
\i\B10\b P. G. King sails for England in command of HMS \IBuffalo;\b\i also aboard are Samuel Marsden, going to England to recruit clergy for the colony and taking with him the first consignment of Australian wool large enough to weave into a length of cloth, and J. H. Vaux as King's unofficial secretary.
\i\B14\b Gov. Bligh prohibits the use of spirits to barter for food and clothing.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b \IDart,\b\i part-owned by \JJohn Macarthur\j, arrives at Port Jackson carrying two stills, one for Macarthur and the other for Capt. Edward Abbott. (Confiscated and held in government stores awaiting re-exportation; Naval Officer John Harris allows Macarthur to remove the two boilers belonging to the stills.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b John Blaxland arrives at Port Jackson in his ship, \IBrothers.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Robert Campbell is appointed Naval Officer in place of Harris.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Russian corvette \INeva\b\i (Capt. Leontii Hagemeister), the first Russian vessel to call at Port Jackson, arrives on a voyage of exploration (to 1 July).
\i\B18\b \ISydney Cove\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 114 convicts; passengers include Joseph Underwood and his brother James (returning from England).
\i\B27\b Public notice in Sydney announces that a convict transported for life had escaped from the colony in the \IParramatta,\b\i a schooner owned by Macarthur and Garnham Blaxcell, bound for Tahiti.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B25\b Bligh suspends \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j for alleged misconduct in administering Parramatta Hospital.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b William Blue advertises in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i as a licensed ferryman on Sydney Harbour.
\i\B11\b Simeon Lord, Henry Kable, and James Underwood are fined and gaoled for a month by Bligh for 'writing a letter in improper terms' seeking permission to tranship goods without unloading them.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B22\b Bligh orders the confiscation of the boilers imported on the \IDart.
\i\B24\b Macarthur institutes proceedings for unlawful seizure of the boilers.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b \IParramatta\b\i returns to Port Jackson from Tahiti and is placed under arrest and its bond of ú800 forfeited.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b Macarthur notifies the captain of the \IParramatta\b\i that he has abandoned the ship and will not be responsible for pay or rations.
\i\B14\b Captain and crew of the \IParramatta\b\i go ashore and are charged with violating regulations. Judge-Advocate Richard Atkins summons Macarthur to come to Sydney to 'show cause' for his conduct over the \IParramatta\b\i affair. (Macarthur refuses.)
\i\B15\b Atkins issues a warrant for Macarthur's arrest; Macarthur gives the arresting officer a defiant written refusal to comply.
\i\B16\b Macarthur arrested on a second warrant; granted bail.
\i\B17\b Macarthur committed for trial before the Criminal Court.
\i\B21\b Macarthur demands payment of a 15-year-old debt from Atkins.
***
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 7,948; Van Diemen's Land, 846.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 26 Charles Cowper b. (-\J1875\j).
\BDescription:\b Governor Bligh \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1808",24,"f\8\king0180.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B12\b \ICity of Edinburgh,\b\i carrying 100,000 litres of whisky, arrives at Port Jackson with part-owner Alexander Berry aboard.
\i\B25\b \JJohn Macarthur\j comes before court on a charge of sedition; he challenges the right of Judge-Advocate Richard Atkins to try him; the court adjourns in confusion.
\i\B26\b Macarthur arrested and gaoled; military officers forming the court ask Gov. Bligh to restore bail and replace Atkins; Bligh summons them to appear before him next day; Maj. George Johnston signs an order for the release of Macarthur, proclaims martial law, and arrests Bligh.
\i\B27\b Johnston suspends Atkins and several other officials; martial law repealed.
\i\B30\b Charles Grimes becomes acting Judge-Advocate.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Johnston reports the arrest of Bligh to Lt-Gov. William Paterson (his senior officer) in Port Dalrymple; Paterson subsequently orders HMS \IPorpoise\b\i to be sent to convey him to Sydney.
Macarthur faces a new trial and (6th) is acquitted.
\i\B6\b Capt. Mayhew Folger of the US whaler \ITopaz\b\i discovers, on Pitcairn Is., the last survivor of the \IBounty\b\i mutineers, John Adams (alias Alexander Smith), with a small community of the mutineers' descendants.
\i\B12\b Macarthur appointed magistrate and 'Secretary to the Colony'ùits virtual administrator.
\i\B17\b \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j exonerated by court martial.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b Former Provost-Marshal William Gore charged with perjury and held in gaol. (Sentenced to seven years at Newcastle on 30 May.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Grimes resigns as acting Judge-Advocate and (20th) is sent to England with dispatches.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Brig \IHarrington\b\i seized by 50 convicts, led by Robert Stewart, in Farm Cove and sailed for the Philippines. (Captured three months later and Stewart hanged in Sydney in August.)
\i\B24\b Floods on the Hawkesbury and Georges rivers (to 27th).
\i\B28\b Anthony Fenn Kemp appointed acting Judge-Advocate.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B28\b Lt-Col. Joseph Foveaux arrives from England on his way to resume administration of Norfolk Is. and, being senior to Johnston, takes over next day as administrator of NSW.
\i\B29\b Further flooding on the Hawkesbury and Georges rivers.
\i\B30\b Foveaux refuses Bligh's request to be reinstated.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b Foveaux asks Paterson to come to Sydney immediately or send a plan for the government of the colony.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b \JWilliam Redfern\j is examined by tribunal of surgeons and given a certificate of competenceùthe first medical diploma issued in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b Bligh refuses to leave Government House to make way for Paterson.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b \IPorpoise\b\i leaves Port Jackson to bring Paterson from Port Dalrymple.
\i\B16\b \ISpeke\b\i arrives in Port Jackson with 97 convicts; passengers include Lt \JJohn Oxley\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B13\b Kemp resigns as acting Judge-Advocate; Foveaux reinstates Atkins.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Tasmanian Devil (\ISarcophilus harrisi)\b\i first described by G. P. R. Harris (published by Linnean Society in London).
\BD Books and Writing\b
J. W. Lewin, \IBirds of New Holland with Their Natural History.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 9,105; Van Diemen's Land, 1,158.
Number of liquor licences in NSW increased to 112.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May - Caroline Jones (Caroline Chisholm) b. (-\J1877\j).
Sep 3 Philip Gidley King d. (50).
\BDescription:\b The arrest of Governor Bligh \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1809",25,"f\8\r6124.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b William Paterson arrives at Port Jackson in HMS \IPorpoise\b\i and (9th) assumes governorship of NSW.
\i\B26\b John Hosking and Isaac Lyons, the first trained teachers in the colony, arrive in the \IAeolus\b\i (carrying 79 convicts), Hosking to take charge of the Female Orphan School.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B20\b Deposed Governor \JWilliam Bligh\j boards the \IPorpoise,\b\i agreeing to proceed to England and not return to any part of the colony or interfere with the government. (For various reasons, sailing is delayed.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B17\b \IPorpoise\b\i leaves Port Jackson, but instead of proceeding to UK, Bligh sails for Hobart.
\i\B29\b \JJohn Macarthur\j (with his sons James and William) and Maj. George Johnston (bound for England to put his version of events before the British government) sail from Port Jackson in the returning transport \IAdmiral Gambier.
\i\B31\b Bligh arrives at Hobart and subsequently moves into the government cottage with his daughter, Mrs Putland.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B25\b Isaac Nichols, assistant to the Naval Officer, is appointed Sydney's first postmaster. (Post office opened in Nichols's house on 28th.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Lt-Col. Lachlan Macquarie officially appointed Governor of NSW.
\i\B21\b Lt-Gov. David Collins makes public in Hobart a proclamation by Paterson forbidding communication with Bligh.
\i\B22\b Macquarie leaves England in HMS \IDromedary\b\i escorted by HMS \IHindostan;\i with him is Ellis Bent, to become Judge-Advocate (appointed 6 May); \IHindostan\b\i carries Lt-Col. Maurice O'Connell with headquarters of Macquarie's own regiment, the 73rd, which is to replace the NSW Corps.
\i\B25\b Hawkesbury River in flood (to 27th), rising to a higher level than the great flood of Mar. \J1806\j.
\B30\b Floods on the Hawkesbury yet again (to Aug; eight lives lost, as well as much grain) and on the Derwent, Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b \IBoyd\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 134 Irish convicts and a detachment of the 73rd Regiment.
\i\B18\b \IIndispensable\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 61 female convicts; passengers include asst. chaplain William Cowper and family (including son Charles).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B29\b G. W. Evans appointed assistant surveyor at Port Dalrymple.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B28\b \IDromedary\b\i and \IHindostan\b\i arrive at Port Jackson. (Macquarie lands on 31st.)
- \IBoyd,\b\i chartered by Simeon Lord, is attacked and burnt by Maoris at Whangaroa, NZ, and about 60 persons on board are massacred; only a woman and three children survive.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Ebenezer Church, on the Hawkesbury River near Windsor, NSWùthe oldest existing church in Australia\b\iù\b\i opens (completed in \J1817\j).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 10,263; Van Diemen's Land, 1,298.
In one week, three vessels arrive in Port Jackson with 45,000 seal skins caught in the region of Foveaux Strait, NZ.
\B1\b Lt-Col. Lachlan Macquarie takes over as Governor of NSW.
\i\B4\b Macquarie dismisses all persons appointed to official positions since Gov. Bligh's removal, restores those previously in office, and nullifies all trials and land grants, gifts, etc., made to members of the NSW Corps.
\i\B8\b \IDerwent Star and Van Diemen's Land Intelligencer,\b\i Australia's second newspaper and the first in Tas., begins publication.
\i\B12\b Macquarie appoints emancipist Andrew Thompson a JP and chief magistrate at the Hawkesbury (the first emancipist magistrate appointed).
\i\B17\b Bligh returns to Sydney from Hobart in HMS \IPorpoise.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B24\b Macquarie issues a proclamation condemning cohabitation and immorality.
\i\B27\b Rev. Samuel Marsden returns to Sydney in the transport \IAnne\b\i (197 convicts), accompanied by Rev. Robert Cartwright and Maori chief Ruatara, who had been taken to England.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B22\b Charity School opened in Parramatta by Macquarie; \JJohn Eyre\j appointed teacher.
\i\B24\b David Collins dies suddenly in Hobart.
- W. C. Wentworth, aged 19, returns to NSW after schooling in England.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Lt T. A. Crane replaces John Piper as commandant at Norfolk Is.
- Macquarie enunciates his policy on emancipation to Secretary of State Lord Castlereagh.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Lt-Col. Maurice O'Connell marries Bligh's widowed daughter, Mary Putland.
\i\B12\b Bligh sails for England in HMS \IHindostan,\b\i accompanied by HMS \IDromedary\b\i and \IPorpoise;\b\i aboard are officers (including William Paterson) and other ranks of the NSW Corps, as well as Richard Atkins and William Gore as Bligh's witnesses at the court martial of George Johnston.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B13\b \JMatthew Flinders\j is released from internment on Mauritius. (Arrives in England on 24 Oct.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Capt. Frederick Hasselburg, on a sealing voyage in Robert Campbell's ship \IPerseverance,\b\i discovers Macquarie Is.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
- William Pascoe Crook, a missionary, organises Australia's first Congregational Church in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B6\b Macquarie divides Sydney into five police districts, seven constables being allotted to each, and names four major streets as well as Hyde Park, Macquarie Place, etc.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Alexander Riley and Garnham Blaxcell (and, later, D'Arcy Wentworth) sign a contract with Macquarie giving them a monopoly on the import of rum (i.e., 205,000 litres of all spirits) in return for their undertaking to build a hospital in Sydney (the 'Rum Hospital').
Macquarie, his wife, and party set out from Sydney to visit all the inhabited inland districts. (Return 15 Jan. \J1811.)\j
\i\B7\b Macquarie fixes the site of Liverpool and orders James Meehan to begin a survey.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Macquarie names five township sites: Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Pitt Town, and Wilberforce.
\i\B16\b \IIndian\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 192 convicts, including James Hardy Vaux for the second time.
\i\B29\b \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j appointed Superintendent of Police in Sydney.
***
\BB Science, Tehnology, Discovery, etc.\b
Robert Brown publishes vol. 1 of his \IProdromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van-Diemen.\i
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Public fair held on St George's Fields (cricket ground) on Easter Monday, and Subscribers' Ball held during Race Week in Oct.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Michael Massey Robinson's 'Ode on His Majesty's Birthday' published in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i (first of a series of similar odes published until \J1821)\j.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First recorded horse-race in Australia held at Parramatta on 21 Apr.
Race Week held in Hyde Park, Sydney, on 13, 17, and 19 Oct.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 10,096 (Sydney, 6,160); Van Diemen's Land, 1,470.
Number of public houses in Sydney reduced by Macquarie from 75 to 20.
Caterpillar plague destroys wheat and other crops in the Hawkesbury River area (Sept.).
\B1\b Gov. Macquarie's police regulations for Sydney (issued 6 Oct. \J1810\j) come into effect; Sydney Police Court established.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Toll bars come into operation on the newly completed turnpike road from Sydney to Parramatta (one in George St, Haymarket; the other at Boundary St, Parramatta).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b At his court martial in London, George Johnston is convicted of mutiny and sentenced to be cashiered from the army (but allowed to return to NSW); Macarthur is ordered to remain in England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b \IProvidence\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 174 convicts, including Edward Eagar.
- \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j appointed Principal Surgeon following the death of Thomas Jamison in England (27 Jan.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Maj. Thomas Davey commissioned as Lt-Governor of Van Diemen's Land.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Brig \I\JGovernor Macquarie\j\b\i launched in Sydney.
\i\B10\b \IFriends\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 100 female convicts; Edward Smith Hall also on board as passenger.
\i\B26\b Macquarie appoints W. C. Wentworth acting Provost-Marshal (the first native-born Australian to hold an important official position).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Macquarie leaves Port Jackson in the \ILady Nelson\b\i to visit Van Diemen's Land and the Hunter River.
\i\B23\b Macquarie arrives at Hobart, visits New Norfolk and fixes the site for the town of Elizabeth (27th), and crosses overland to Port Dalrymple (2-8 Dec.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Samuel Marsden exports 1,800 kg of wool to England in the returning transport \IAdmiral Gambier.
\i\B16\b Macquarie decides to move the settlement at Port Dalrymple back to the George Town site on Outer Cove (renamed York Cove).
\i\B20\b Macquarie sails from Port Dalrymple in \ILady Nelson\b\i for Port Stephens (arrives 31st).
* Mental asylum established at Castle Hill.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Foundation stone of Rum Hospital laid by Macquarie, 23 Oct. (completed \J1816\j; central block demolished in \J1879\j; the two surviving wings now form Parliament House and the Mint Museum).
Bridge rebuilt over the Tank Stream.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Lewin opens a painting academy in Sydney.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 10,287; Van Diemen's Land, 1,588.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 5 Thomas Reibey d. (42).
Jun 13 Owen Stanley b. (-\J1850\j).
Nov 17 Eugen von GuΘrard b. (-\J1901\j).
\BDescription:\b Parramatta \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1812",28,"f\8\king0124.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \JJohn Oxley\j (in England) appointed Surveyor-General of NSW.
\i\B3\b Gov. Macquarie visits Newcastle (to 5th) and inspects coalmines, lime pits, and cedar camps.
\i\B18\b \IGuildford\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 199 convicts, including Andrew Bent (who continues to Hobart, 2 Feb.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b House of Commons appoints a select committee to consider transportation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Methodist laymen meet in Sydney and resolve to form two fellowship classes.
\i\B9\b Private John Gould of the 73rd Regt hanged for the murder of the wife of a fellow private.
\i\B25\b G. W. Evans sails in the \ILady Nelson\b\i to survey Jervis Bay.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Returning overland from Jervis Bay, Evans traverses the sites of Nowra, Port Kembla, and \JWollongong\j (to 11th; arrives Appin 15th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b USA declares war on Britain, bringing the Australian colonies also into conflict with America.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B10\b Select committee of the House of Commons reports on transportation to NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Macquarie orders the branding of all cattle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b \IIndefatigable,\b\i the first convict transport to sail direct to Van Diemen's Land, arrives at the Derwent with 199 convicts, including Michael Howe.
\i\B25\b \IMinstrel\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 125 female convicts; passengers include Thomas Davey and \JJohn Oxley\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B26\b \ISamarang\b\i arrives at Port Jackson from India with ú10,000 in Spanish dollars.
\i\B30\b Armed brig \IEmu,\b\i en route to Hobart with 49 female convicts, is captured by US privateer \IHolkar\b\i and taken to New York as a prize. (Captain and convicts released at Cape Verde Is. on 17 Jan. \J1813\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Site for St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney chosen by Gov. Macquarie and Rev. Samuel Marsden (5 June).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First record of a hunt with hounds in Australia (after a kangaroo) at the Cowpastures (8 Oct.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 10,936; Van Diemen's Land, 1,694.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 14 George Grey b. (-\J1898\j).
Jul 27 Henry Waterhouse d. (42).
Dec 16 Stuart Donaldson b. (-\J1867\j).
ù - John Lort Stokes b. (-\J1885\j).
\BDescription:\b First settlement of Newcastle, with Nobby's Head \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1813",29,"a\1\rsmh73.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b \IIsabella\i\b, bound for London from Sydney with Macquarie's first dispatches, is wrecked on a reef off the Falkland Is. (Crew and passengersùincluding Sir Henry Browne Hayes and Joseph Holtùrescued by HMS \INancy,\i\b 17 May.)
\B10\b Col. Thomas Davey leaves Port Jackson for Hobart and (20th) takes up his post as Lt-Governor of Van Diemen's Land.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B30\b George Johnston returns to Sydney in the \IJames Hay\i\b as a private citizen and takes up residence at his Annandale property.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B23\b Schooner \IUnity\i\b seized by convicts in the Derwent and is not heard of again.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b New South Wales Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Benevolence in these Territories and Neighbouring Islands established at a meeting chaired by Edward Smith Hall. (Reorganised as the Benevolent Society of NSW on 6 May \J1818\j.)
\B11\b \JGregory Blaxland\j, Lt \JWilliam Lawson\j, and W. C. Wentworth set out on an expedition to find a way across the \JBlue Mountains\j.
\B15\b Gov. Macquarie issues an order restricting Sunday trading.
\B28\b Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth reach Mount York and (31st) arrive at Mount Blaxland, beyond the Cox River, where they turn back, having found a way across the mountains and sighted the plains beyond.
û First Sunday school in Australia established by Thomas Hassall on the Parramatta property of his father, Rowland Hassall.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B28\b Macquarie again sets forth his emancipist policy to the Colonial Office.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Proclamation issued regarding the introduction and design of the "holey dollar": "ring" worth 5s, "dump" worth 1s 3d, to become legal tender on 30 Sept. (but not in fact issued until Jan. \J1814\j).
\B16\b Two officers of the 73rd Regt who killed a settler are convicted only of manslaughter and given a six-month gaol sentence by the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction (Judge-Advocate and seven of their fellow officers); public outcry ensues.
\B31\b Macquarie informs the Colonial Office of his dissatisfaction with the 73rd Regt and asks that no officer be allowed to remain in the colony after the regiment's withdrawal.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B30\b Road to Botany completed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b \IEarl Spencer\i\b arrives at Port Jackson with 196 convicts and some free settlers, including William \JHovell\j.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b G. W. Evans crosses the main range of the \JBlue Mountains\j (to 18 Dec.) and discovers and names the Fish and Macquarie rivers and the Bathurst Plains. (Returns to Nepean, 8 Jan. \J1814\j.)
\B27\b Macquarie prohibits meetings of more than six persons without notice to the Provost-Marshal and any attempts to influence rates of exchange through the issue of promissory notes.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B20\b Public meeting held in Sydney to form a society for the protection of Pacific Island natives.
û Convict Michael Howe escapes and joins a bushranging gang in Van Diemen's Land. (Later becomes its leader.)
* Turnpike road completed to Windsor.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Foundation stone of Female Orphan School, Parramatta, laid. (Completed by \JFrancis Greenway\j in \J1818\j; now part of Rydalmere Mental Hospital.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
J. H. Clark, \IField Sports of the Native Inhabitants of New South Wales.\i
John Lewin, \IBirds of New South Wales\i\b (the first illustrated book published in Australia).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
\BEstimated population:\b NSW, 12,157; Van Diemen's Land, 1,800.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 3 \JBennelong\j d. (\Ic\i\b. 50).
Jan 23 Charles Harpur b. (û \J1868\j).
Jun 7 Redmond Barry b. (û \J1880\j).
Aug 16 P. E. Warburton b. (û \J1889\j).
Oct 23 \JLudwig Leichhardt\j b. (û \J1848\j).
\BDescription:\b Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson find a way over the \JBlue Mountains\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1814",30,"e\6\king0073.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B31\b \JMargaret Catchpole\j given a conditional pardon.
û "Holey dollar" and "dump" go into circulation.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Second Charter of Justice provides for the establishment of three new civil courtsùGovernor's Court and Supreme Court in NSW, Lt-Governor's Court in Van Diemen's Land.
\B7\b \IGeneral Hewitt\i\b arrives at Port Jackson with 266 convicts, including \JFrancis Greenway\j and Joseph Lycett, and a detachment of the 46th Regt to replace the 73rd Regt; passengers include Capt. John Piper, returning to become Naval Officer and Collector of Customs.
\B11\b Lt-Col. George Molle, commander of the 46th Regt and Lt-Governor of NSW (appointed 20 June \J1813\j), arrives in the \IWindham\i\b with headquarters of the regiment.
\B28\b Last inhabitants leave Norfolk Is. (which remains unoccupied for next 11 years).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B22\b Road from Sydney to Liverpool opened.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B5\b Lt-Col. Maurice O'Connell and members of the 73rd Regt leave Sydney for Ceylon.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b First issue of the fortnightly \IVan Diemen's Land Gazette and General Advertiser\i\b appears. (Ceases publication, 24 Sept.)
Macquarie offers an amnesty to bushrangers in Van Diemen's Land who surrender before 1 Dec.
\B20\b \IThree Bees\i\b (arr. 6 May with 210 convicts) catches fire in Sydney Cove and explodes, some shot landing in Bridge Street.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B14\b \IArgo\i\b seized by convicts in the Derwent and not seen again.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B14\b Macquarie authorises \JWilliam Cox\j to build a road across the \JBlue Mountains\j along the Blaxland-Evans track.
\B28\b Jeffery Hart Bent, bringing with him the Charter of Justice, arrives in Sydney on the transport \IBroxbornebury\i\b to take up his post as judge of the NSW Supreme Court (appointed in Feb.).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Court of Civil Jurisdiction dissolved and (12th) Governor's Court and Supreme Court established.
\B22\b Russian ship \IGeneral Suvorov\i\b at Port Jackson (to 11 Sept.).
\B23\b J. P. Fawkner sentenced to 500 lashes and three years' gaol for helping convicts to escape from Hobart.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b "Common stage cart" service begins between Sydney and ParramattaûRichmondûWindsor.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B28\b Rev. Samuel Marsden leaves for New Zealand to take Christianity to the Maoris.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B28\b Macquarie calls a conference of Aborigines at Parramatta to try to induce them to settle.
\B31\b Ellis Bent withdraws from the Bench without informing Macquarie, following the Governor's criticism of the magistracy.
Rum Hospital contractors' monopoly on the sale of spirits expires; government order allows importation of spirits and imposes a duty.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JFrancis Greenway\j advertises in the \ISydney Gazette\i\b (17 Dec.) his services as an architect.
Officers' Quarters (part of Anglesea Barracks), Hobart (û \J1819\j).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JMatthew Flinders\j, \IA Voyage to Terra Australis\i (in which he advocates the adoption of the name \IAustralia\i\b for the continent).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First recorded prize fight in Australia takes place on 7 Jan. between John Berringer (winner) and Charles Lifton, over 56 rounds.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population:\b NSW, 12,183; Van Diemen's Land, 1,903.
\B4\b \IFrances and Eliza,\b\i en route to Australia with 123 convicts, is captured by US privateer \IWarrior\b\i and pillaged. (Later allowed to continue.)
\i\B14\b Road over the \JBlue Mountains\j completed to the Macquarie River.
\i\B18\b Residential school for Aboriginal children opened at Parramatta.
\i\B27\b Attorney W. H. Moore, the first free solicitor in NSW, arrives in Sydney as a passenger in the transport \IMarquis of Wellington.\b\i
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B23\b Samuel Marsden returns to Sydney from NZ with several Maori chiefs.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B24\b Michael Howe's bushranging gang raid New Norfolk, Van Diemen's Land; two settlers killed.
\i\B25\b Lt-Gov. Davey proclaims martial law throughout Van Diemen's Land to check bushranging. (Revoked in Oct. following censure by Gov. Macquarie.) Macquarie and party journey west of the \JBlue Mountains\j (to 19 May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Jeffery Bent opens the Supreme Court and swears in William Broughton and Alexander Riley, Macquarie's nominees, as magistrates.
\i\B5\b Jeffery Bent rejects applications from emancipist attorneys George Crossley and Edward Eagar to appear before the Supreme Court and subsequently adjourns the court until a ruling can be obtained from the UK government on the matter.
\i\B7\b Macquarie selects the site of and names Bathurst.
\i\B8\b First sitting of the Governor's Court, presided over by Judge-Advocate Ellis Bent and two assistants, who (15th) refuse to permit emancipist attorneys to appear before the court.
\i\B13\b G. W. Evans begins an exploring trip south from Bathurst and (25th) discovers the Lachlan River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Macquarie complains to the Colonial Office about the conduct of the Bent brothers and says he will resign if they are not recalled.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Crown Solicitor Frederick Garling arrives in Sydney in the \IFrances and\b \IEliza.
\i\B10\b First Wesleyan minister in Australia, Rev. Samuel Leigh, arrives in Sydney in the \IHebe\b\i to organise the Methodist Church in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B27\b Dr William Bland receives a pardon and establishes a private medical practice in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B10\b Ellis Bent dies before the arrival of the letter recalling him.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Garling appointed deputy Judge-Advocate.
\i\B12\b James Kelly and four others circumnavigate Van Diemen's Land (to 30 Jan. \J1816\j), discovering Port Davey (17 Dec.) and Macquarie Harbour (28th).
- NSW Sunday School Institution opened on a non-denominational basis, by Rowland Hassall and \JJohn Eyre\j.
* Simeon Lord establishes a woollen mill at Botany Bay.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Watts, Military Hospital on Observatory Hill, Sydney (later Fort Street School, now the National Trust headquarters).
Macquarie Arms Inn, Windsor, NSW (opened by Macquarie 26 July).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
First steam engine in Australia begins operating at John Dickson's flour mill on Cockle Bay, Sydney (29 May).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 13,116; Van Diemen's Land, 1,947.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 9 Augustus Alt d. (83?).
May 27 \JHenry Parkes\j b. (-\J1896\j).
Aug 5 Edward \JJohn Eyre\j b. (-\J1901\j).
Sep 7 \JJohn McDouall Stuart\j b. (-\J1866\j).
Nov 10 Ellis Bent d. (32?).
Nov 11 Maurice Margarot d. (70?).
\BDescription:\b Road over the \JBlue Mountains\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1816",32,"e\8\king0128.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B18\b \IFanny\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 171 convicts and news of the Battle of Waterloo (18 June \J1815\j).
\i\B19\b Colonial schooner \IEstramina\b\i (captured as a Spanish prize in \J1805\j) wrecked on Oyster Bank, Newcastle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Aborigines kill four whites near the Nepean River, NSW.
\i\B25\b W. C. Wentworth sails for England to study law.
\i\B30\b Gov. Macquarie appoints \JFrancis Greenway\j as the government's Civil Architect.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Macquarie sends out three punitive expeditions against Aborigines along the Nepean, Grose, and Hawkesbury rivers; one party kills 14 Aborigines and captures several others.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Andrew Bent's \IHobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter\b\i begins regular publication (trial issue published 11 May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Convicts seize Simeon Lord's brig \ITrial\b\i in Port Jackson and escape. (Vessel found wrecked north of Port StephensùTrial Bayùin Jan. \J1817\j.)
\i\B20\b First free migrants arrive in Hobart in the \IAdamante.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b John Wylde arrives in Sydney as a passenger in the transport \IElizabeth\b\i to succeed Ellis Bent as Judge-Advocate; ship also brings dispatches recalling Jeffery Bent. (Macquarie stops Bent's salary as Supreme Court justice.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B20\b Macquarie calls a meeting of 14 people to discuss plans for opening a bank. (Public meetings for subscribers held on 5 and 18 Dec.)
\i\B30\b Advertisement in the \ISydney Gazette\b\i calls for horses for export to India (beginning of export trade in horses for Indian army).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b First land grants in the Illawarra district, NSW, allotted by Surveyor-General \JJohn Oxley\j on the site of present-day \JWollongong\j. (Deeds issued on 24 Jan. \J1817\j.)
\i\B11\b Macquarie announces the recall of Jeffery Bent and proclaims that Bent no longer has any authority in NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JFrancis Greenway\j, Macquarie Tower (Lighthouse), South Head, Sydney (completed \J1817\j; light installed Nov. \J1818\j; lighthouse replaced with a replica in \J1883\j).
Old Government House, Parramatta, enlarged by John Watts and \JFrancis Greenway\j for Macquarie.
Cadman's Cottage, on the shore of Sydney Coveùthe oldest residence still standing in Sydneyùprobably built this year.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Road completed to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney, on 13 June, the date traditionally observed as the foundation of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, with Charles Frazer as superintendent.
Botanist \JAllan Cunningham\j arrives in Sydney as a passenger in the transport \ISurry\b\i (20 Dec.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 15,518; Van Diemen's Land, 2,035.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 12 Charles Gavan Duffy b. (-\J1903\j).
Oct 7 \JEdward Hammond Hargraves\j b. (-\J1891\j).
Oct 15 John Robertson b. (-\J1891\j).
Dec 23 Thomas Sutcliffe Mort b. (-\J1878\j).
\BDescription:\b Macquarie Tower (Lighthouse) designed by \JFrancis Greenway\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1817",33,"f\8\king0137.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Gov. Macquarie's secretary, J. T. Campbell, under the name of 'Philo Free', attacks Samuel Marsden in the \ISydney Gazette.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B21\b Hawkesbury River in high flood; two lives lost.
\i\B24\b Barron Field arrives in Sydney as a passenger on the transport \ILord Melville\b\i to replace J. H. Bent as judge of the Supreme Court.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Bible Society of NSW (auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society) formed in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Australia's first bank, the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) opens for business in \JMary Reibey\j's house in Macquarie Place.
Col. William Sorell arrives at Hobart in the \ICochin\b\i and next day takes office as Lt-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, replacing Thomas Davey.
\i\B20\b \JJohn Oxley\j and party set out from Bathurst to explore the inland plains and trace the Lachlan River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b J. H. Bent leaves Sydney to return to England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B9\b Oxley turns back after meeting swamps about 60 km from the Murrumbidgee River and (25th) discovers Lake Cargelligo.
\i\B25\b Macquarie requests the withdrawal of the 46th Regt, which he has criticised for insubordinate conduct.
\i\B26\b Transport \IChapman\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 186 convicts, 12 having been killed and 30 wounded during threatened uprisings en route; inquiry held immediately; military involved subsequently acquitted.
\i\B28\b Charles Throsby explores south-west of Moss Vale (to 10 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b First detachment of 48th (Northamptonshire) Regt, under Lt-Col. James Erskine, arrives in Sydney to replace the 46th Regt.
\i\B19\b Oxley reaches the locality of Wellington and names it Wellington Valley. (Returns along Macquarie River to Bathurst, 29 Aug.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Lt Phillip Parker King and John Septimus Roe arrive at Port Jackson in the \IDick\b\i to conduct hydrographic surveys.
\i\B17\b Lt-Gov. George Molle brings charges against \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j consequent on a 'pipe' by W. C. Wentworth lampooning Molle and demands a court martial. (Judge-Advocate John Wylde rules the court cannot try him.)
\i\B30\b \JJohn Macarthur\j returns to Sydney as a passenger on the transport \ILord Eldon,\b\i after an 'exile' of eight years, on condition that he take no further part in public affairs.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b First Methodist church in Australia, at Castlereagh, NSW, opened by Rev. Samuel Leigh.
\i\B10\b Bushranger Michael Howe captured but escapes after stabbing and shooting his two captors.
\i\B21\b Marsden brings a libel action in the Criminal Court against Campbell for his 'Philo Free' letter in \ISydney Gazette.\b\i (Action fails.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Father Jeremiah O'Flynn, appointed Prefect Apostolic of New Holland but without official sanction of the British government, arrives in Sydney and is allowed to stay temporarily. (Subsequently avoids orders to leave.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Marsden awarded ú200 damages in a civil case against Campbell before Justice Barron Field in the Supreme Court.
Macquarie tenders his resignation to Earl Bathurst.
John Beamont leads an expedition to explore the interior of Van Diemen's Land (to 10th).
\i\B16\b \JFrancis Greenway\j given conditional pardon.
\i\B21\b Macquarie recommends the adoption of the name \IAustralia\b\i for the continent instead of New Holland.
\i\B22\b P. P. King, with botanist \JAllan Cunningham\j and J. S. Roe, leave Port Jackson in the cutter \IMermaid\b\i to survey the north-western coast of the continent.
* Jewish burial society formed in Sydney. (Early Jewish burial services and memorial prayers conducted by German-born convict Joseph Marcus.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JFrancis Greenway\j, Hyde Park Barracks (-\J1824\j); Government House stables (-\J1821\j; now NSW State Conservatorium of Music); Fort Macquarie (-\J1819\j; demolished \J1903\j and replaced by tram depot; replaced by Sydney Opera House \J1973\j); St Matthew's Church, Windsor (work demolished and restarted \J1818\j, completed \J1822\j).
St David's Church, Hobart (-\J1823\j; demolished \J1874\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
James Wallis, \ICorroboree at Newcastle\b\i (painting).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 17,848; Van Diemen's Land, 2,344.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jul 8 James Bonwick b. (-\J1906\j).
Aug 25 \JEdmund Blacket\j b. (-\J1883\j).
Dec 7 \JWilliam Bligh\j d. (63).
\BDescription:\b First bank of New South Wales (Australia) opens for business in \JMary Reibey\j's house in Macquarie Place \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1818",34,"f\8\king0054.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Gov. Macquarie accuses Samuel Marsden of conspiracy against him and forbids him to come to Government House.
\i\B18\b Great Western Road between Parramatta and Emu Ford (Plains) opened.
\i\B26\b First Australia Day celebrations held.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Charles Throsby, \JHamilton Hume,\j and James Meehan set out from Liverpool to find an overland route to Jervis Bay. (Throsby reaches Jervis Bay on 2 Apr.)
\i\B28\b Samuel Marsden removed as JP and magistrate.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b Prosper de Mestre arrives at Port Jackson from Calcutta as supercargo in the \IMagnet.
\i\B19\b P. P. King discovers Port Essington and (8 May) the (East) Alligator River.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Father Jeremiah O'Flynn arrested and gaoled and (20th) deported because he lacked credentials.
\i\B20\b King names Bathurst Is. and (21st) Melville Is.
\i\B28\b \JJohn Oxley\j sets out from Bathurst with a party including G. W. Evans to explore along the Macquarie River.
\i\B29\b First regular mail service between Hobart and \JLaunceston\j begins, a road having been recently built between the towns.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b King names Barrow Is. (Returns to Port Jackson, 29 July.)
\i\B30\b Female orphans moved to a new orphanage at Parramatta.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B8\b Oxley sends Evans off to the north-east, where he discovers the Castlereagh River (12th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Oxley reaches the \JWarrumbungle\j Ranges, discovers the Liverpool Plains (26th), and crosses the Peel River near site of Tamworth (2 Sept.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Louis de Freycinet in the French naval corvette \IL'Uranie\b\i surveys Shark Bay, WA (to 26th) and at \JDirk Hartog\j Is. finds de Vlamingh's plate (which he takes to Paris).
\i\B15\b Oxley crosses the Macleay River and (25th) reaches the Hastings River, which he follows to the sea, discovering and naming Port Macquarie (8 Oct.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B21\b Bushranger Michael Howe killed by Private William Pugh and convict Thomas Worrall on the banks of the Shannon River.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B21\b Macquarie issues a proclamation giving magistrates jurisdiction in wages disputes between master and servant.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B24\b King leaves Port Jackson in the \IMermaid\b\i to survey Macquarie Harbour, Van Diemen's Land. (Completed 24 Jan. \J1819.)\j
ò Thomas Raine establishes a whaling station at Twofold Bay, the first in NSW.
ò Paper mill established at present-day Waterloo, Sydney, by Messrs Warren and Duncan.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JFrancis Greenway,\j Female Factory, Parramatta (-\J1821\j; demolished in \J1844)\j; St Luke's Church, Liverpool (-\J1824)\j; and obelisk in Macquarie Place, Sydney, from which all distances from Sydney to be measured.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Thomas Wells, \IMichael Howe, the Last and Worst of the Bush Rangers of Van Diemen's Land,\b\i published by Andrew Bent.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Four-oared gig stroked by John Piper wins a rowing race from Bradley's Head\b\i to Sydney Cove.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 22,438; Van Diemen's Land, 3,421.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 21 S. T. Gill b. (-\J1880)\j.
Sep 5 \JEdmund Kennedy\j b. (-\J1848)\j.
ù - Eliza Winstanley b. (-\J1882)\j.
ù - Thomas Elder b. (-\J1897)\j.
\BDescription:\b The killing of Michael Howe the bushranger was in 1818 \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1819",35,"f\8\king0138.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Male Orphan School opened in Sydney in the former female orphan institution.
\i\B5\b J. T. Bigge commissioned by Colonial Secretary Lord Bathurst to inquire into conditions in NSW and the administration of the colony.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B27\b Schooner \IYoung Lachlan\b\i seized by convicts in the Derwent. (Apprehended in Java.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b William Gore suspended as Provost-Marshal and J. T. Campbell appointed in his place.
\i\B22\b Macquarie forwards to the Colonial Office a petition by 1,260 colonists requesting a new legal system, including trial by jury, and the removal of restrictions on trade and the distillation of liquor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B25\b Charles Throsby makes an exploratory journey from Moss Vale to Bathurst (to 9 May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b P. P. King in the \IMermaid\b\i leaves Port Jackson to resume his survey of the north-west coast of Australia. (Returns, 12 Jan. \J1820\j.)
\i\B22\b Headquarters at Port Dalrymple transferred from \JLaunceston\j to George Town.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Hyde Park Barracks officially opened by Macquarie.
\i\B5\b Public meeting chaired by Macquarie decides to establish a savings bank.
\i\B25\b Road from Hobart to New Norfolk completed.
\i\B26\b Rev. L. H. Halloran arrives as a convict on the transport \IBaring.\b\i (Given a ticket-of-leave, he opens a private school in Sydney on 10 Jan. \J1820\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B17\b First savings bank in Australia, founded by Barron Field and Robert Campbell and popularly known as Campbell's Bank, opens in Sydney, Parramatta, Liverpool, and Windsor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B26\b Commissioner Bigge arrives in Sydney in the transport \IJohn Barry;\b\i with him are his secretary, T. H. Scott, and Dr James Bowman.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B24\b John Howe finds an overland route to the Hunter River (arr. 5 Nov.).
\i\B25\b Bowman succeeds \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j as Principal Surgeon. (Redfern resigns from the medical service as a result of being overlooked.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Macquarie appoints Redfern a magistrate. (Appointment subsequently overruled by Lord Bathurst.)
\i\B18\b Capt. Louis de Freycinet in Port Jackson (to 25 Dec.) after survey in \IL'Uranie\b\i from WA to Timor, New Guinea, and the Marianas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B13\b Henry Rice leads an expedition from the Coal River settlement (Richmond, Tas.) to St Patrick's Head and thence to Port Dalrymple.
* The 210-ton ship \IFrederick\b\i wrecked near Bathurst Bay (Qld) with the loss of 22 lives; five saved. (Wreck found by King in the \IMermaid.\b\i)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JFrancis Greenway\j, St James's Church, Sydney (-\J1824\j). (Intended originally as a courthouse but changed on Bigge's direction to a church.)
Foundation stone of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, laid by Gov. Macquarie (1 Sept.). (Commissioner Bigge orders work to stop soon after.)
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.
Thomas Kent develops a method of extracting tannin from wattle bark.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Barron Field, \IFirst Fruits of Australian Poetry\b\i (first book of Australian verse).
\JWilliam Charles Wentworth\j, \IA Statistical, Historical and Political Description of the Colony of New South Wales\b\i (first book by an Australian-born author).
\IMemoirs of James Hardy Vaux: Written by Himself,\b\i with an appendix: \IVocabulary\b \Iof the Flash Language.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 26,059; Van Diemen's Land, 5,413.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 8 \JGeorge Coppin\j b. (-\J1906\j).
May 13 \JMargaret Catchpole\j d. (57).
Aug 1 A. C. Gregory b. (-\J1905\j).
Aug 27 John Lewin d. (49).
Nov 8 Isaac Nichols d. (49).
\BDescription:\b St James Church \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1820",36,king0181.jpg,g,0
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B26\b James Hardy Vaux given conditional pardon.
\i\B27\b Consecration of Sydney Burial Ground (Sandhills Cemetery) on the site of Central Station.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B29\b Gov. Macquarie again asks Earl Bathurst for permission to resign as Governor. (Granted, 15 July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Russian exploration ships \IBlagonamerenny\b\i and \IOtkrytie,\b\i en route to Alaska, sojourn in Port Jackson (to 27th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b William Minchin (holder of a land grant, Minchinbury, at Rooty Hill) appointed Superintendent of Police.
\i\B11\b Russian ship \IVostok,\b\i commanded by F. F. Bellingshausen, arrives at Port Jackson on a voyage of scientific discovery to the Antarctic, followed by the \IMirnyi\b\i on 19 Apr.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b John Joseph Therry and Philip Conolly, the first Catholic priests officially appointed to Australia, arrive at Port Jackson in the convict transport \IJanus.
\i\B19\b \IVostok\b\i and \IMirnyi\b\i leave for the Antarctic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B14\b P. P. King sets out again in the \IMermaid,\b\i proceeding via Torres Strait to Brunswick Bay, WA, naming York Sound and Prince Regent River. (Returns 9 Dec.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B29\b Supplementary issue of \ISydney Gazette\b\i printed on paper made at a mill established at Waterloo in \J1818\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B12\b Australian Social Lodge, the first permanent masonic lodge in Australia, established in Sydney.
\i\B15\b Macquarie issues an order enforcing left-hand driving.
\i\B19\b Joseph Wild discovers Lake George and (21st) sights mountains he calls Snowy.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B21\b \IVostok\b\i and \IMirnyi\b\i return to Port Jackson for a stay of seven weeks.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B25\b Macquarie issues a government order permitting limited grazing outside the Cumberland Plains and (9 Dec.) allows grazing on the Goulburn and Breadalbane Plainsùmarking the beginning of the movement of graziers inland.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Campbelltown, NSW, marked out and named by Macquarie.
\i\B31\b Frederick Goulburn arrives in Sydney to become Colonial Secretary, replacing J. T. Campbell.
* \JJohn Macarthur\j establishes a vineyard at Camden with cuttings brought from France in \J1817\j.
* Benevolent Asylumùfor the poor, blind, aged, and infirmùerected in Sydney under Macquarie's direction and run by the Benevolent Society. (Opens 12 Oct. \J1821\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Watts, Lancer Barracks, Parramatta, NSW, completed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JJohn Oxley\j, \IJournals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 33,543, including 4,969 emancipists (1,352 pardoned convicts and 3,617 expirees).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 14 James Martin b. (-\J1886\j).
Jun 13 W. J. Macleay b. (-\J1891\j).
Jun 19 Sir Joseph Banks d. (77).
Nov 21 Richard Atkins d. (75?).
#
"1821",37,"e\10\king0123.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B23\b Meeting of emancipists in Sydney to prepare a petition to the king. (Petition forwarded to UK by Macquarie on 22 Oct.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Frederick Goulburn assumes duty as Australia's first officially appointed Colonial Secretary.
\i\B3\b Lt-Gen. Sir \JThomas Brisbane\j commissioned as Governor to succeed Macquarie.
\i\B14\b Commissioner Bigge leaves Sydney in HMS \IDromedary\b\i to return to the UK.
\i\B17\b Solomon Wiseman granted a licence for the Packet Inn on the Hawkesbury (Wiseman's Ferry).
- New, self-contained Female Factory at Parramatta opens for 200 convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Stage coach begins operating between Sydney and Richmond.
\i\B17\b Capt. Francis Allman and a party of soldiers and convicts sail from Sydney in the \IPrince Regent\b\i and \ILady Nelson\b\i to found a penal settlement at Port Macquarie, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
- Charles Throsby discovers the Murrumbidgee River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia's first periodical, the \IAustralian Magazine,\b\i begins publication.
\i\B26\b P. P. King in the brig \IBathurst\b\i leaves on his final survey voyage to the west coast.
\i\B30\b Macquarie, on a visit to Van Diemen's Land, selects the site of Perth, then Campbell Town (31 May), Ross (2 June), Oatlands (3 June) and Brighton (4 June).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
- King surveys Collier Bay and names Roebuck Bay and then sails to Mauritius to rest his crew.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B25\b \JWilliam Redfern\j and Edward Eagar sail for England to present the emancipists' petition to the king.
\i\B29\b Macquarie lays the foundation stone of St Mary's Chapel (Cathedral) in Sydney, the first Catholic church built in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b Sir \JThomas Brisbane\j arrives in Sydney to take over from Macquarie as Governor; with him are astronomers Carl Rⁿmker and James Dunlop.
\i\B12\b Site of Mudgee, NSW, traversed by Lt \JWilliam Lawson\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Brisbane sworn in as Governor.
Clyde River, NSW, discovered by Lt Robert Johnston in the \ISnapper.
\i\B18\b Barnett Levey arrives in Sydney as a free settler.
\i\B23\b \IBathurst\b\i arrives back on the WA coast near Rottnest Island; King then resumes his survey from North-West Cape to King Sound. (Returns to Sydney 25 Apr. \J1822\j.)
* Turon River discovered by James Blackman.
* Father J. J. Therry establishes a Catholic school at Parramatta (now Parramatta Marist High School).
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney (consecrated \J1836\j; destroyed by fire \J1865\j).
\B1\b Van Diemen's Land Agricultural Society formed in Hobart, with Edward Lord as president.
\i\B2\b Penal settlement established at Macquarie Harbour, Van Diemen's Land, for twice-convicted prisoners.
\i\B6\b First service held in the unfinished St James's Church, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b Macquarie sails for England in the \ISurry.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Brisbane reinstates Samuel Marsden as magistrate.
\i\B25\b Magistrates meet in Parramatta to discuss claims by Judge Wylde that laws effected by the Governor which are contrary to British laws are invalid.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b Commissioner Bigge's first report, 'On the State of the Colony of NSW' (i.e., the convict system), submitted to Lord Bathurst.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Agricultural Society of NSW (later the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) founded at a public meeting in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Marsden and Dr James Hall try to induce convict servant Ann Rumsby to leave the house of Dr J. H. Douglass; she refuses; magistrates at Parramatta subsequently refuse to sit on the Bench with Douglass.
\i\B8\b First sale of Australian-grown tobacco leaf held in Sydney.
\i\B19\b Parramatta magistrates convict Ann Rumsby of perjury against Hall (superintendent surgeon of the ship on which she was transported) and sentence her to gaol at Port Macquarie.
\i\B23\b Brisbane dismisses Marsden, Hannibal Macarthur, and other magistrates and remits Rumsby's sentence.
\i\B31\b First part of Bigge's second report (on judicial system) submitted. (Second part submitted 2 Oct.)
- Henry Dangar begins a survey of the town of Newcastle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B25\b P. P. King sails for England in the \IBathurst.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b Greenway dismissed as Civil Architect following a series of disagreements with his superiors.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B24\b Rev. Archibald Macarthur, the first Presbyterian minister in Australia, arrives in Hobart.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Darlinghurst Gaol, Sydney (not completed until \J1885\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Carl Rⁿmker, Gov. Brisbane's private astronomer, verifies the reappearance of Encke's Comet (2 June).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Richard Read's portrait of \JGovernor Macquarie\j.
Musician John Phillip Deane arrives in Hobart (19 June).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 29,680; Van Diemen's Land, 7,684.
Assigned convict James Straiter is given 500 lashes and a month's solitary confinement on bread and water for inciting his master's servants to combine for higher wages and better rations.
Honey bees successfully introduced and acclimatised.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 \JFrancis Cadell\j b. (-\J1879\j).
Aug 28 Graham Berry b. (-\J1904\j).
\BDescription:\b Early NSW \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1823",39,"f\8\34smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Distilling of spirits permitted.
\i\B10\b Commissioner Bigge's third and final report on NSW issued.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b St David's Church, Hobart, consecrated (but opened on 25 Dec. \J1819\j).
\i\B15\b Gold discovered by surveyor James McBrien at the Fish River near Bathurstùthe first known discovery, though not made public.
\i\B24\b Lt Percy Simpson arrives at Wellington Valley, NSW, with a party of convicts and soldiers to establish an agricultural depot.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b Road from Richmond, NSW, to Wallis Plains (Maitland) opened for droving.
\i\B21\b Convict Thomas Pamphlett and three others leave Port Jackson in an open boat and are driven north for several days by a gale, eventually being wrecked at Moreton Bay, where Pamphlett and two surviving companions settle with Aborigines.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b \JAllan Cunningham\j leaves Bathurst to explore north to Liverpool Plains.
\i\B21\b Cunningham discovers and names Blaxland's River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Samuel Marsden comes before magistrate H. G. Douglass on a charge of having allowed his assigned servant to be at large contrary to regulations and is fined but refuses to pay. (Fine eventually remitted.)
\i\B22\b Capt. Mark Currie, accompanied by Maj. John Ovens, explores beyond Lake George to the upper Murrumbidgee (to 4 June) and discovers the Monaro district.
\i\B23\b Rev. John Dunmore Lang arrives in Sydney in the \IBrixton.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b Cunningham finds an opening through the Liverpool Range (Pandora's Pass) leading into the Liverpool Plains.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B14\b Board of inquiry begins investigation into the behaviour of Douglass following charges by Marsden; Douglass is exonerated.
\i\B19\b New South Wales Judicature Act receives royal assent, enabling the establishment of a nominated Legislative Council, a Supreme Court with full independence, courts of quarter sessions, the appointment of a Chief Justice to replace the Judge-Advocate and Supreme Court judge, and trial by jury in civil cases under certain conditions.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B29\b Headquarters and final detachment of the 3rd Regt (Buffs) arrives in the \ICommodore Hayes\b\i to replace the 48th Regt.
- Archibald Bell pioneers a shorter and less rugged route across the \JBlue Mountains\j (Bell's Line).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B24\b Royal Veteran Company (formed from former members of NSW Corps) disbanded.
- Australian Religious Tract Society established.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B13\b Supreme Court of NSW constituted under the Third Charter of Justice.
\i\B23\b \JJohn Oxley\j leaves Port Jackson in the cutter \IMermaid\b\i to examine Port Bowen, Port Curtis, and Moreton Bay.
\i\B31\b Oxley discovers and names the Tweed River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B13\b Band of Tasmanian Aborigines led by Musquito (transported from NSW) and Black Jack kill two stock-keepers at Grindstone Bay.
\i\B29\b Oxley, at Moreton Bay, finds Pamphlett (and next day one of his companions, John Finnegan).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Oxley explores and names the Brisbane River (to 4th), which Pamphlett and Finnegan direct him to.
* Cutter \IEclipse\b\i begins a regular service between Sydney and Newcastle.
***
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JGregory Blaxland\j, \IJournal of a Tour of Discovery across the \JBlue Mountains\j in New South Wales.
B. Godwin, \IEmigrant's Guide to Van Diemen's Land, More Properly Called Tasmania.\i
W. C. Wentworth, \IAustralasia.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 30,623; Tas., 10,009.
The treadmill adopted for punishment of convicts and other offenders.
\B11\b St James's Church, Sydney, consecrated by Samuel Marsden.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b Francis Forbes arrives in Sydney to take up his position as first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
\i\B15\b Bank of Van Diemen's Land opens for business in Hobart.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land opened; John Lewes Pedder Chief Justice; Joseph Tice Gellibrand Attorney-General.
\i\B12\b Meeting held in London to form the Van Diemen's Land Co., with Edward Curr as secretary.
Col. George Arthur arrives in Hobart and (14th) replaces William Sorell as Lt-Governor of Van Diemen's Land.
\i\B17\b New Charter of Justice proclaimed in Sydney; Francis Forbes installed as Chief Justice, Saxe Bannister as Attorney-General.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Convict \JMatthew Brady\j escapes from Macquarie Harbour and begins bushranging career.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B15\b W. C. Wentworth returns to Sydney with Robert Wardell to start a newspaper.
\i\B24\b Gov. Brisbane initiates a system for the sale of Crown land.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Convict Alexander Pearce, who escaped twice from Macquarie Harbour and survived by eating his companions, is hanged in Hobart.
\i\B14\b Brisbane proclaims martial law in the Bathurst district following attacks by Aborigines. (Revoked, 11 Dec.)
\i\B24\b Capt. J. J. G. Bremer in HMS \ITamar\b\i leaves Sydney to establish a settlement in northern Australia.
\i\B25\b First meeting of Legislative Council of NSW.
- Musquito and Black Jack captured near Little Swanport River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Brisbane sends \JJohn Oxley\j with a party of convicts and soldiers under Lt Henry Miller in the \IAmity\b\i to found a penal settlement at Moreton Bay.
\i\B10\b Wentworth and Wardell admitted as barristers.
\i\B11\b Oxley arrives at Moreton Bay and finds Richard Parsons, companion of Pamphlett and Finnegan; Redcliffe chosen as site of settlement.
\i\B20\b Bremer lands at Port Essington and takes formal possession of the coast from 135░\b\i to 129░\b\i E; finding no fresh water at Port Essington, he chooses a site on Melville Island which he names Fort Dundas (30th).
\i\B28\b Oxley recommends an alternative settlement site on the Brisbane River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b NSW raised to the status of archdeaconry within Anglican diocese of Calcutta; T. H. Scott appointed Archdeacon.
\JHamilton Hume\j and William \JHovell\j leave Appin, NSW, to find an overland route to Port Phillip.
\i\B14\b Wentworth and Wardell begin publication of the \IAustralian,\b\i the first independent newspaper in Australia.
\i\B15\b Freedom of press recognised; censorship of \ISydney Gazette\b\i ends.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Agricultural Co. incorporated by act of parliament.
\i\B2\b First civil jury empanelled at first court of quarter sessions.
Hume and \JHovell\j discover the Tumut River, then sight and name the Australian Alps (8th) and discover the Murray (16th), Ovens (24th), and Goulburn (3 Dec.) rivers.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B16\b Hume and \JHovell\j reach Corio Bay, Port Phillip, which they mistake for Westernport.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
St John's Church, \JLaunceston\j (-\J1825\j).
Scots Church, Sydney (-\J1826\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sugar first made by T. A. Scott from cane grown at Port Macquarie (Sept.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Joseph Lycett, \IViews in Australia.\i
Artist Thomas Bock arrives in Hobart.
Robert Campbell opens Sydney's first music shop in George Street.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
'Young' Kable, of Windsor, NSW, knocks out visiting English pugilist Sam Clark in 10 minutes (Feb.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 35,769; Tas., 12,303.
Dysentery the most common disease in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jul 1 Lachlan Macquarie d. (62).
\BDescription:\b \JWilliam Charles Wentworth\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1825",41,"f\8\king0075.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B17\b Ship \IAlmorah,\b\i chartered to bring 'rice, flour, etc.' from Batavia, arrested in Sydney for carrying tea contrary to East India Co. charter.
\i\B19\b \ILady Nelson\b\i sails from Fort Dundas and is subsequently captured by Malay pirates and her crew murdered.
\i\B25\b Aboriginal outlaws Musquito and Black Jack hanged in Hobart.
\i\B28\b Gov. Brisbane orders the removal of the Moreton Bay settlement from Redcliffe to the site of Brisbane. (Move made in May-June.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Penal settlement established on Maria Is., Tas.
\i\B24\b Brisbane issues regulations for the sale of Crown land (from 5 shillings to 10 shillings per acre).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b F. N. Rossi succeeds \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j as Superintendent of Police in NSW.
\i\B20\b Andrew Bent prosecuted for libelling Gov. Arthur in the \IHobart Town\b \IGazette.\b\i (Subsequently fined and gaoled.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Norfolk Is. reopened as a penal settlement for incorrigibles.
\i\B14\b Van Diemen's Land administratively separated from NSW by order in council.
- Van Diemen's Land Co. established by act of parliament to operate pastoral and agricultural interests.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b Lt-Gen. Ralph Darling given separate commissions as Governor of NSW and Tas., the area of NSW (with its western boundary extended from 135░\b\i E to 129░\b\i E, to include Fort Dundas) to extend south to Wilsons Promontory; south of that to be Tas.
\i\B17\b Warrant issued in London for the appointment of three non-official members to the NSW Legislative Council.
\i\B21\b Australian Agricultural Co. promised a 31-year lease of Newcastle coalmines.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B6\b Maj. Edmund Lockyer in the \IMermaid\b\i explores 195 km up the Brisbane River (to 6 Oct.).
\i\B29\b \ISydney Gazette\b\i changes from weekly to twice-weekly publication.
Licence issued for the Bush Inn (later Bush Hotel) at New Norfolk, Van Diemen's Land, the oldest continuously licensed house in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B21\b At a public meeting in Sydney to frame a farewell address to Gov. Brisbane, W. C. Wentworth makes his first important move in a campaign for representative government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Sydney Free Grammar School opens; L. H. Halloran headmaster. (Closes late \J1826\j.)
\i\B24\b Darling arrives at Hobart in the \ICatherine Stewart.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Darling sworn in as Governor of Van Diemen's Land, proclaims the colony's independence from NSW, establishes the Legislative Council, and then hands over control to Lt-Governor Authur.
\i\B17\b Darling arrives at Port Jackson in the \ICatherine Stewart\b\i and (19th) takes over from Brisbane as Governor.
\i\B20\b New Legislative Council of NSW sworn in. Members: Lt-Gov. William Stewart, Chief Justice Francis Forbes, Archdeacon T. H. Scott, Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay (arr. 3 Jan. \J1826\j), and the three non-official members, \JJohn Macarthur\j, Robert Campbell, and Charles Throsby.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Richmond Bridge, Tas. (oldest existing bridge in Australia) opened 1 Jan.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Artist Augustus Earle arrives in Hobart from Tristan da Cunha, where he had\b\i been accidentally marooned.
First church organ in Australia installed at St David's Church, Hobart; J. P. Deane appointed organist.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Barron Field, ed., \IGeographical Memoirs on New South Wales.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Sydney Turf Club (Australian Turf Club) formed, 18 Mar; holds its first meeting at Bellevue Hill on 25-26 May.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 38,313; Tas., 14,192.
Livestock in NSW: 237,600 sheep, 134,500 cattle; 18,500 hectares of land under cultivation; 186,600 kg of wool exported during year.
Buffaloes imported from Timor and acclimatised at Fort Dundas.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 30 F. J. H. von Mueller b. (-\J1896\j).
Oct 31 Catherine Helen Spence b. (-\J1910\j).
Nov 15 Andrew Garran b. (-\J1901\j).
\BDescription:\b Sir \JThomas Brisbane\j, 6th Governor of NSW \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1826",42,"f\8\smh20.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B3\b Alexander Macleay arrives in Sydney to replace Frederick Goulburn as Colonial Secretary.
- Fr Philip Conolly opens the first Catholic school in Van Diemen's Land at Hobart.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Gov. Arthur suspends J. T. Gellibrand as Attorney-General.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Letters Patent issued in London to form a Church and School Corporation, giving the Anglican Church the status of an established religion in NSW with the right to vast areas of Crown land and control of the school system.
\i\B16\b Australian Subscription Library, forerunner of the State Library of NSW, founded. (Opens, 1 Dec. \J1827\j.)
\i\B17\b Bushranger \JMatthew Brady\j captured by \JJohn Batman\j near \JLaunceston\j. (Hanged, 4 May.)
Capt. Patrick Logan takes command of the Moreton Bay settlement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b First street lamp in Australia lit in Macquarie Place, Sydney. (General lighting in Sydney turned on, 13 Mar. \J1827\j.)
\i\B12\b Tasmania's Legislative Council meets for the first time.
- Female School of Industry opened in Sydney to train girls as domestics.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b Edward Smith Hall's \IMonitor\b\i newspaper begins publication in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Chamber of Commerce founded in Sydney.
\i\B12\b Gas lighting installed by shopkeeper J. T. Wilson of Pitt Street, Sydney (first recorded use of gas light in Australia).
\i\B17\b Frederick Fisher (of 'Fisher's Ghost' fame) murdered at Campbelltown.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Bank of Australia opens in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B21\b Logan discovers the Logan River (Qld).
\fs19 29 Darling cancels tickets of occupation of land (from 1 Mar. \J1827\j) and substitutes grazing licences at ú1 per 100 acres.
- Sydney Dispensary (renamed Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary in \J1843\j) opens in Macquarie Street for the care of the free pauper sick.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Darling issues a 'Limits of Location' order restricting settlement to certain areas.
\i\B25\b Convict insurrection on Norfolk Is. savagely suppressed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b French navigator J. S. C. Dumont d'Urville in \IL'Astrolabe\b\i at King George Sound (to 25th).
\i\B13\b W. H. Moore replaces Saxe Bannister as NSW Attorney-General.
\i\B21\b Bannister fights a duel with Robert Wardell at Pyrmont.
\i\B27\b Van Diemen's Land Co. lands settlers and livestock at Circular Head.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B8\b Privates Joseph Sudds and Patrick Thompson openly commit a robbery to get convicted, considering a convict's life better than a soldier's; Darling orders that they serve seven years' hard labour in irons.
\i\B12\b Dumont d'Urville at Westernport (to 19th).
\i\B27\b Joseph Sudds dies, giving rise to public criticism of Darling.
- Fr J. J. Therry deprived of his official status and salary as chaplain. (Restored, Apr. \J1837\j.)
- Influenza epidemic causes 37 deaths in two days in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Settlement established by Capt. Samuel Wright at Westernport as a precaution against French colonisation. (Abandoned, Jan. \J1828\j.)
\i\B20\b Convicts bound for Norfolk Is. in the brig \IWellington\b\i seize the ship and sail it to NZ (where they are captured by the whaler \ISisters\b\i).
\i\B25\b Maj. Edmund Lockyer and a party of soldiers and convicts in the brig \IAmity\b\i arrive at King George Sound to take possession of the western part of the continent and establish a settlement there. (Settlement established on the site of Albany.)
* Aboriginal mission established on Lake Macquarie, NSW, under the charge of L. E. Threlkeld.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Carl Rⁿmker discovers a new comet in the constellation Orion.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Augustus Earle publishes his \IViews in Australia,\b\i printed on his own lithographic press.
Sydney Amateur Concerts launched (7 June).
\BD Books and Writing\b
P. P. King, \INarrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia.\i
Charles Tompson, \IWild Notes from the Lyre of a Native Minstrel\b\i (first book of poetry from an Australian-born writer).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 38,890; Tas., 14,992.
Fifty-three persons executed in Tas. during year.
Registration of births, deaths, and marriages required to be kept in each parish (from 1 Jan.).
Burials no longer allowed within church walls but in burial grounds at least one mile from town.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 6 George Dalrymple b. (-\J1876\j).
May 16 Joseph Holt d. (69?).
Jun 24 George Goyder b. (-\J1898\j).
Aug 6 T. A. Browne ('Rolf Boldrewood') b. (-\J1915\j).
\BDescription:\b New Road, Kings tableland, \JBlue Mountains\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1827",43,"f\8\7710.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \ISydney Gazette\b\i begins daily publication (until 10 Feb., when reduced to three times a week).
\i\B9\b L. H. Halloran opens his own private school in Sydney.
\i\B26\b Public meeting held in Sydney to demand trial by jury, taxation by representation, and a Legislative Assembly elected on manhood suffrage; W. C. Wentworth the main speaker.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b Henry Helyer, exploring for the Van Diemen's Land Co. (to 4 Mar.), discovers the Helyer River, the Surrey Hills, and the Arthur River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b G. T. Howe publishes the first edition of the \ITasmanian\b\i in Hobart.
\i\B5\b Capt. \JJames Stirling\j in HMS \ISuccess\b\i examines the Swan River district (to 22nd) with a view to establishing a settlement there.
\i\B16\b \IMonitor\b\i attacks the government of Darling on 24 charges.
\i\B19\b Darling's private secretary Henry Dumaresq fights a duel with Robert Wardell over an article in the \IAustralian\b\i attacking him and his brother.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Darling introduces two bills into the Legislative Council to stifle criticism by licensing newspapers and imposing a tax of fourpence a copy. (Chief Justice Forbes refuses to certify the legislation.)
\i\B30\b \JAllan Cunningham\j sets out from the Hunter River to explore to the north.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Cunningham crosses the Namoi River and discovers the Gwydir (21st), the Macintyre, and the Dumaresq (28th) rivers.
\i\B18\b Lt Nathaniel Lowe arraigned before the Supreme Court for the murder of an Aboriginal while in custody. (Subsequently acquitted.)
\i\B23\b Capt. \JCharles Sturt\j arrives in Sydney on the transport \IMariner.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b Cunningham reaches the Condamine River and discovers the Darling Downs.
\i\B8\b Patrick Logan discovers coal at Limestone (Ipswich).
Cunningham sights the Canning Downs from Mt Dumaresq.
\i\B18\b Stirling establishes a settlement at Raffles Bay (NT).
- Sturt appointed military secretary to Gov. Darling.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B17\b First lecture delivered at the Van Diemen's Land Mechanics' Institute in Hobart, the first mechanics' institute in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B15\b Lt-Gov. Arthur passes acts to restrict the press and impose duties on newspapers.
\i\B23\b T. L. Mitchell arrives in Sydney to become Asst Surveyor-General.
\i\B29\b Robert Wardell tried for seditious libel for referring to Darling in the \IAustralian\b\i as 'ignorant and obstinate'. (Discharged by jury.)
- Work begins on 'Busby's bore', John Busby's tunnel scheme to bring water from the Lachlan Swamps (Centennial Park) into Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b John ('Bold Jack') Donohoe and gang rob carts on the Sydney-Windsor road. (Subsequently caught and condemned, gang members are hanged except for Donohoe, who escapes and begins terrorising the countryside.)
* John Clunies Ross establishes a settlement on the Cocos (Keeling) Is.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Vaucluse House, Sydney, probably begun.
Old Windmill, Brisbane.
John Lee Archer takes up his post as Colonial Architect in Tas. (2 Aug.).
Building regulations issued in Sydney to control alignment of buildings.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Colonial Office sanctions the establishment of the Colonial Museum in Sydney. (Becomes the Australian Museum in \J1834\j.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
Peter Cunningham, \ITwo Years in New South Wales.\i
Rev. L. E. Threlkeld, \ISpecimens of a Dialect.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Regattas held on the Derwent at Hobart on 3 Jan. and on Sydney Harbour (arranged by officers of HMS \ISuccess\b\i and HMS \IRainbow\b\i) on 28 April.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 39,467; Tas., 16,833.
\IColonial Times,\b\i Hobart (11 May), reports the 'common rabbit' running about in thousands on some estates.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 5 \JPeter Lalor\j b. (-\J1889\j).
Mar 13 Rev. Richard Johnson d. (73?).
Jul 7 \JD'Arcy Wentworth\j d. (65?).
Oct 2 David Syme b. (-\J1908\j).
\BDescription:\b Captain Sturt\I (RAHS)\i
#
"1828",44,"f\8\rsmh25.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B24\b Gov. Darling sends the schooner \IIsabella\b\i to withdraw the settlers from Westernport. (Schooner returns with settlers, 7 Apr.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b R. L. Murray founds \IMurray's Austral-Asiatic\b \IReview\b\i (in Hobart).
- Orders issued against the practice of 'squatting' in Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Post offices opened at Parramatta, Windsor, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Penrith, Bathurst, and Newcastle; Australia's first postman appointed in Sydney, a twice-weekly horse post established between principal towns, and a regular sea postal service started between Sydney, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, and Hobart.
\i\B3\b Transport \IMorley\b\i arrives at Port Jackson carrying whooping cough (first time in Sydney); several deaths occur, including that of Gov. Darling's son.
- Visiting Malays form a trepang-fishing establishment at Raffles Bay.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Lt-Gov. Arthur issues a proclamation excluding all Aborigines from settled areas in Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B28\b T. L. Mitchell becomes Surveyor-General of NSW following the death of \JJohn Oxley\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B17\b First Masters' and Servants' Act passed in NSW.
\i\B24\b \JAllan Cunningham\j and Patrick Logan set out from Brisbane to establish a route to the Darling Downs.
\i\B25\b Judicature Act of \J1823\j amended in UK to increase the NSW Legislative Council to 15 members (7 official and 7 non-official, plus the Governor), a majority of whom being able to overrule the Governor's proposals; a week's notice to be given of proposed bills.
\i\B30\b Capt. \JJames Stirling\j, back in England, urges the Colonial Office to form a colony on the Swan River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Logan and Cunningham climb Mount Lindesay (now Mount Barney) and sight and name the Macpherson Range.
\i\B25\b Cunningham determines access to the Darling Downs through Cunningham's Gap.
\i\B26\b Capt. Henry Rous in the \IRainbow\b\i discovers and names the Richmond River, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B13\b Capt. Collet Barker arrives at Raffles Bay to take over command of the settlement.
\i\B14\b Bank of Australia in Sydney robbed of a large amount by a gang who break into the strongroom by a tunnel from a water drain. (Bank never recovers from the loss.)
\B17\b\i '\b\i Holey dollars' withdrawn from circulation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Martial law proclaimed by Lt-Gov. Arthur in the settled districts of Tas; roving parties hunt Aborigines.
\i\B10\b \JCharles Sturt\j with \JHamilton Hume\j and a party leave Sydney to trace the course of the Macquarie River.
\i\B14\b Thomas Peel in Britain puts forward a proposal to the Colonial Office for the colonisation of WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B30\b Stirling given instructions to occupy the Swan River area and officially appointed Lt-Governor of WA.
* Female convict factory opened at the Cascades, near Hobart.
* NSW in the third year of drought.
* Widespread floods in Tas.
* The Netherlands claims the south-west coast of New Guinea.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Verge arrives in Sydney (Dec.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sir \JThomas Brisbane\j awarded the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society for his work at Parramatta.
Charles Frazer begins laying out Brisbane's Botanic Gardens (3 July).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian Racing and Jockey Club formed in Sydney. (First meeting held at Parramatta on 1 and 3 Oct.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
First regular census taken in NSW in Nov: population, 36,598 (including 15,728 convicts).
New legislation provides for forfeiture of wages and six months' imprisonment for any servant or workman leaving a job in breach of contract.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 2 Charles Throsby d. (50?).
May 9 Nicholas Chevalier b. (-\J1902\j).
May 26 \JJohn Oxley\j d. (42).
\BDescription:\b Life in the bush - arrival of the mail \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1829",45,"f\8\king0144.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \JCharles Sturt\j's party reaches the Bogan River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Sturt discovers the Darling River, near the present site of Bourke (then traces the Castlereagh River before returning to Sydney, 27 Apr.).
\i\B9\b \I\JLaunceston\j Advertiser\b\i founded by J. P. Fawkner.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b W. C. Wentworth, in a letter to the Colonial Office, impeaches Darling.
\i\B25\b G. A. Robinson appointed guardian of Aborigines at Bruny Is., Tas.
\i\B31\b Fort Dundas, Melville Is., is abandoned; settlers move to Raffles Bay.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Edward Smith Hall found guilty of seditious libel of Darling in the \IMonitor\b\i of 22 Nov. \J1928\j. (Sentenced to 12 months' gaol, 15 Sept.).
\i\B14\b A. E. Hayes, editor of the \IAustralian,\b\i fined and gaoled for six months for libelling Darling.
- James Hardy Vaux absconds to Ireland.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Capt. Charles Fremantle of HMS \IChallenger\b\i lands at the site of Fremantle and takes formal possession of the western third of Australia (i.e., all of the mainland not included in NSW).
\i\B31\b Capt. (later Sir) \JJames Stirling\j in HMS \IParmelia\b\i arrives at Cockburn Sound to form a settlement on the Swan River. (Forms temporary settlement on Garden Is., 7 June.)
- Ship \IGovernor Ready\b\i wrecked in Torres Strait; crew in ship's boats sail 2,400 km to Timor in 14 days.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b Colony of Western Australia proclaimed, with Stirling as Lt-Governor. (Becomes Governor and Commander-in-Chief on 28 Apr. \J1831\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B12\b Site of Perth chosen. (Land sales in Perth and Fremantle begin on 5 Sept.)
\i\B14\b Convicts seize the brig \ICyprus\b\i at Recherche Bay, Tas., and sail it to China.
\i\B15\b Foreign coins no longer accepted by the government.
\i\B21\b Legislative Council of NSW meets for the first time in the present Parliament House.
\i\B31\b Settlement at Raffles Bay closes down. (Most of the settlers move to the Swan River settlement.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B13\b Archdeacon William Grant Broughton (later Bishop Broughton, the first Anglican bishop in Australia) arrives in Sydney.
- Lt William Preston and Surgeon Alexander Collie follow the Canning River, WA, to its source and examine part of the Darling Range.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b Emancipists become eligible for jury service, such juries to consist of 12 men.
\i\B14\b Gov. Darling proclaims the Nineteen Counties of NSW, redefining the 'Limits of Location', beyond which settlement is prohibited.
- NSW's four-year drought breaks.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Sturt leaves Sydney on an expedition to determine the course of the Murrumbidgee.
\i\B30\b Compositors on the \IAustralian\b\i newspaper strike over a reduction in wages owing to currency depreciation.
- Preston and Collie discover the Preston and Collie rivers, WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Capt. Collet Barker, transferred from Raffles Bay, takes command of the settlement at King George Sound.
\i\B15\b Thomas Peel arrives at the Swan River with 300 settlers, too late to be eligible for the land grant for his colonisation scheme.
* Shipwrights' Society of Sydney formedùbelieved to be the first trade association in NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Commissariat Store, Brisbane.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Barnett Levey given a licence to hold balls and concerts in the Assembly Room of his Royal Hotel, Sydney.
David Burn's play, \IThe Bushrangers,\b\i performed in Scotland.
\BD Books and Writing\b
'Simon Stukeley' (Henry Savery), \IThe Hermit in Van Diemen's Land\b\i appears in the \IColonial Times.\i
Edward Gibbon Wakefield, \ISketch of a Proposal for Colonising Australia\b\i (published anonymously).
Robert Gouger, ed., \IA Letter from Sydney\b\i (written by E. G. Wakefield in\b\i prison).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First record of a football game being played in Australia (noted in the Sydney \IMonitor\b\i of 25 July).
\B7\b \JCharles Sturt\j begins his journey by whaleboat down the Murrumbidgee and (14th) enters 'a broad and noble river' which he names the Murray.
\i\B23\b Following a dangerous encounter with Aborigines, Sturt passes the junction of the Murray and Darling.
\i\B26\b Foundation stone of Sydney College (now Sydney Grammar School) laid by Francis Forbes.
\i\B27\b G. A. Robinson sets out from Hobart for Port Davey to conciliate the Aborigines. (Continues up west coast to Circular Head.)
\i\B29\b Legislation to restrict the press passed by the NSW Legislative Council. (Disallowed by Colonial Office, Jan. \J1831\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b Public meeting held in Sydney to consider a petition prepared by Sir John Jamison calling for trial by jury and more representative government.
Sturt arrives at Lake Alexandrina and, after crossing the lake to Encounter Bay, begins (13th) the return journey up the Murray, against the current.
\i\B27\b \IFremantle Journal and General Advertiser,\b\i a manuscript newspaper, begins publication.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Edward Smith Hall sentenced to 25 months' gaol for libel.
\i\B23\b Sturt's boat party arrive back at their depot on the Murrumbidgee and find it abandoned; they continue to row up the river in flood.
\i\B26\b Foundation stone laid of a Congregational church in Pitt Street, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Sturt abandons the whaleboat near the site of Narrandera and sends two men to obtain relief supplies. (Continues return journey overland, arriving at Sydney on 25 May.)
\i\B21\b NSW Bushranging Act authorises arrest on suspicion.
Australian Agricultural Co. given permission to select more than 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) in two locations.
- Destructive floods on the Hunter and Hawkesbury rivers, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
- Swan River in flood at Perth (to June).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B28\b Order in council empowers Legislative Council to extend trial by jury to criminal cases if 'advantageous to the community'.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B13\b Port Macquarie opened to free settlers. (Most convicts moved to Moreton Bay and Norfolk Is.)
\i\B31\b Ensign Robert Dale explores the Avon River, WA (to 15 Aug.). (Returns with Stirling in Oct. to examine the Avon Valley.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b 'Bold Jack' Donohoe shot dead by police near Campbelltown, NSW.
- Port Arthur, Tas., penal station founded.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b Lt-Gov. Arthur organises a drive by police, soldiers, and settlersùthe Black Lineùto capture and confine all Tasmanian Aborigines (to 26 Nov.). (Only two captured; two others shot.)
\i\B17\b Capt. Patrick Logan killed (apparently by Aborigines) during a survey of the upper Brisbane River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Order in council constitutes WA as a separate Crown colony and authorises the establishment of a Legislative Council.
\i\B15\b First hackney coach begins operating in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Capt. Thomas Bannister and party make an overland expedition from Fremantle to King George Sound (to 4 Feb. \J1831\j).
* James Busby establishes the Kirkton vineyard in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Architect Mortimer Lewis arrives in Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
T. L. Mitchell finds Pleistocene vertebrate fossils in the Wellington Caves, NSW.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Augustus Earle, \IViews in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land.\i
Officers of HMS \ICrocodile\b\i and HMS \IZebra\b\i present the plays \IAgnes, or the Bleeding Nun\b\i and\IThe Miller and His Men\b\i under canvas at Fort Macquarie, Sydney.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Cornwall Turf Club holds its first meeting in \JLaunceston\j (9 Mar.).
\B14\b Janet Templeton and her nine children, with her brother John Forlonge and family and a flock of merino sheep, arrive at \JLaunceston\j in the brig\i\b \ICzar.\i\b (Forlonges remain in Van Diemen's Land; Templetons continue to NSW.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Control of King George Sound settlement transferred from NSW to WA. (Capt. Collet Barker and garrison relieved and convict station closed on 29th.)
\B15\b Colonial Office recalls Gov. Darling.
\B31\b \ISurprise\i\b, the first steamer built in Australia, launched at Sydney. (Makes trial run 1 June; begins regular service to Parramatta in July.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B13\b Barker arrives at Gulf St Vincent in the \IIsabella\i\b to make a survey.
\B16\b Darling issues a proclamation prohibiting trade in Maori heads (the schooner \IPrince of Denmark\i\b having arrived at Port Jackson with 14 Maori heads on 29 Mar.).
\B18\b \ISydney Herald\i\b begins publication (as a weekly).
\B19\b Barker ascends Mount Lofty and views the opening to present-day Port Adelaide.
\B24\b John McKaeg conducts the first Baptist service in Sydney.
\B30\b Barker disappears while tracing the connection between Lake Alexandrina and Encounter Bay (presumed killed by Aborigines).
James Hardy Vaux arrives in Sydney for the third time as a transportee.
û Serious floods on the Hunter and Hawkesbury rivers.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b \ISophia Jane\i\b, the first steamship to operate in Australian waters, arrives at Port Jackson from UK under sail. (Begins SydneyûNewcastle service, 13 June.)
\B28\b Agricultural Society formed in Perth.
\B31\b Robert Hoddle's plan for Berrima, NSW, approved.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Regular coach service between Hobart and \JLaunceston\j begins.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Free land grants discontinued in NSW and sale by auction introduced, with a minimum price of five shillings per acreùthe Ripon regulations. (Implemented in Tas. in June \J1831\j and in WA in Jan. \J1832\j.)
Guards on the convict transport \IEleanor\i\b in Sydney Harbour fire on the heavily ironed prisoners, killing two and wounding two.
û Party of Aborigines led by Midgegoroo and Yagan kill a European near Melville Water, WA, in retaliation for the shooting of an Aboriginal. (No attempt is made to punish them.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B13\b \IStirling Castle\i\b arrives at Port Jackson with a large number of skilled Presbyterian workmen, two ministers, and three schoolmasters to build and staff Rev. J. D. Lang's Australian College.
\B22\b Darling sails for England in the \IHoogly\i\b (Col. Patrick Lindesay replacing him as administrator); W. C. Wentworth holds a huge celebration at Vaucluse.
û Australian Agricultural Co. takes over completely the mining of coal in the Newcastle area.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b Australian College classes begin (in a hired hall).
\B24\b T. L. Mitchell leaves Sydney to explore the Castlereaghû Gwydir area. (Returns, March. \J1832\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Maj.-Gen. Sir \JRichard Bourke\j arrives at Port Jackson in the \IMargaret\i\b and is installed next day as Governor of NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Henry Reveley, the Round House gaol, Fremantle, WA.
Ross Bridge, Tas. (û \J1836\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Artist John Glover arrives at \JLaunceston\j (1 Apr.).
Thomas Bock opens an art studio in Hobart.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Jorgen Jorgenson, \IObservations on the Funded System.\i
Henry Savery, \IQuintus Servinton\i (the first novel written, printed and published in Australia).
Boat builders in Sydney establish a benefit society providing medical treatment and sickness, unemployment, and funeral benefits.
First honey bees to survive in Tas. introduced.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jul 5 William Bede Dalley b. (û \J1888\j).
Jul 21 Henry Hacking d. (81).
Nov 8 Alfred Felton b. (û \J1904\j).
Nov 17 Adelaide Ironside b. (û \J1867\j).
\BDescription:\b \ISophia Jane\i boat, first steamship to NSW from England \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1832",48,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b G. A. Robinson arrives in Hobart with Aborigines from Oyster Bay and Big River tribesùthe last of the Aborigines from the settled districtsùto be resettled on Bass Strait islands.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b WA Legislative Council and Executive Council meet for the first time.
\i\B8\b Quakers James Backhouse and G. W. Walker arrive in Hobart and (12th) hold the first Australian meeting of the Society of Friends.
\i\B13\b King's School, Parramatta, opens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b \IGovernment Gazette\b\i first issued (as part of \ISydney Gazette).\b\i
-\b\i Hunter River flooded; six or seven lives lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b Soldier Thomas Brennan executed by firing squad at Dawes Battery,\b\i Sydney, for 'discharging his piece at a sergeant'.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
- Party of Aborigines led by Yagan kill a settler on the Canning River, WA. (Yagan later captured, but reprieved.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Large number of vine cuttings obtained by James Busby in France, Spain, and Portugal arrive in Sydney in the transport \ILady Harewood.
\i\B10\b \IRed Rover\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 202 female assisted migrants from Irish charitable institutions.
\i\B12\b Gov. Stirling leaves for London to place WA's problems before the British government.
\i\B18\b Savings Bank of New South Wales, established as a public concern by act\b\i of parliament (and taking over from Campbell's Bank) opens to receive deposits.
- \JTruganini\j saves G. A. Robinson from pursuing hostile Aborigines by ferrying him across a river on a log.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B11\b Sydney receives news of the passing of the Reform Bill in UK.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Presbytery of NSW formed in Sydney, thus beginning ordered Presbyterian Church government in Australia.
*\b\i Cascade Brewery established in Hobart by Peter Degraves.
*\b\i Charles Macfaull plants first grape vines in WAùon Hamilton Hill, near Fremantle.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Verge, Camden Park House, NSW (-\J1835\j); included in its design is Australia's first authenticated bathroom.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\IExperiment,\b\i a paddle-boat driven by horses moving a capstan (later converted to steam), begins service between Sydney and Parramatta.
Rudimentary washing machines (agitating devices in barrel or cradle form) become available.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Charles Rodius, \ISydney Harbour from Dawes Point\b\i (painting).
Sydney's first professional theatrical performanceùthe melodrama \IBlack-Eyed Susan\b\i and the farce \IMonsieur Tonson\b\iùpresented by Barnett Levey in the converted saloon of the Royal Hotel (26 Dec.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Ned Chalker beats Young Kable in a bare-knuckle fight over 28 rounds at Baulkham Hills, Sydney (19 Oct.).
Assisted-migrant arrivals during year: NSW, 782; Tas., 550.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 4 E. W. Cole b. (-\J1918\j).
Feb 20 John White d. (75?).
#
"1833",49,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b Charles Macfaull launches the \IPerth Gazette and West Australian Journal,\b\i forerunner of the \IWest Australian\b\i (published under that title in \J1879\j).
\i\B23\b Bathurst, NSW, gazetted as a town. (First land sales, 9 Aug.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Order in council issued in London abolishing the Church and School Corporation, ending Anglican monopoly in NSW.
\i\B5\b \IHibernia,\b\i bound for NSW from Ireland, catches fire off the coast of America; 153 people burnt to death.
\i\B18\b William Ullathorne arrives in Sydney as Vicar-General of the Catholic Church in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B22\b Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts formally constituted. (Lectures begin, 13 June.)
\i\B27\b Goulburn, NSW, gazetted as a town.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B12\b Australian Steam Navigation Co. founded.
\i\B21\b James Busby leaves Sydney to become Government Resident in New Zealand. (Arrives at the Bay of Islands, 16 May.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Yagan and Midgegoroo proclaimed outlaws for killing two whites at the Canning, WA, in revenge for hostile acts towards Aborigines.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
- \JEdward Henty\j explores Portland Bay area en route from Port Lincoln to \JLaunceston\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
- Yagan and another Aboriginal shot dead near the Swan River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B28\b Legislation passed in NSW providing for trial by jury in criminal cases. Legislation passed authorising the appointment of land commissioners to prevent unauthorised occupation of outlying Crown land by 'squatters'.
\i\B30\b \IAmphitrite,\b\i bound for Australia with 106 female convicts and 12 children, is driven ashore on the coast of France and 134 lives are lost, only three being saved.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B13\b Sir Richard Spencer arrives at Albany, WA, to become Government Resident at King George Sound.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B23\b Township of Muscle Brook (Muswellbrook), NSW, proclaimed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Convict John Graham returns to Moreton Bay after living with the Aborigines since his escape in July \J1827\j.
\i\B5\b Assigned convicts of James Mudie in the Hunter Valley abscond and return\b\i to rob Mudie's house and attempt to kill his son-in-law John Larnach. (Captured and hanged, 21 Dec.)
\i\B30\b Brig \IAnn Jamieson\b\i explodes at King's Wharf, Sydney; eight people killed.
- Macquarie Habour penal settlement closed down.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B26\b South Australian Association founded by Robert Gouger and other followers of E. G. Wakefield.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Lennox Bridge, Lapstone Hill, NSWùthe oldest existing bridge on the Australian mainlandùcompleted (28 June).
Robert Campbell's house Duntroon (now part of Royal Military College).
Dr George Bennett establishes that kangaroos conceive in the womb and not in the pouch.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Philharmonic Society of Sydney formed.
Theatre Royal, Sydney, opened by Barnett Levey (5 Oct.).
First professional theatrical performance in Hobart staged at the Freemasons Tavern by Samson Cameron's company in Kotzebue's \IThe Stranger\b\i and a farce, \IThe Married Bachelor\b\i (17 Dec.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JCharles Sturt\j, \ITwo Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First race meeting held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney (17 Apr.)
A total of 53,038 lashes given in 1,149 floggings; 247 convicts in NSW receive 9,909 lashes between them.
Police Act prohibits bathing in Sydney Cove and Darling Harbour between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. as well as the flying of kites and the beating of carpets in the streets.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 7 Watkin Tench d. (74?).
Jul - \JWilliam Redfern\j d. (59?).
Oct 19 Adam Lindsay Gordon b. (-\J1870\j).
#
"1834",50,"f\8\r2802.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B10\b John Lhotsky leaves Sydney to explore the Monaro district and the Australian Alps (to 12 Mar.). (Names the Snowy River, 27 Jan.)
\i\B13\b Convicts evacuating Macquarie Harbour seize the brig \IFrederick\b\i and sail it to Chile.
\i\B14\b Convict servants Sarah McGregor and Mary Maloney kill their tyrannical employer in the Illawarra district. (Their death sentences are commuted to three years' imprisonment following public sympathy.)
\i\B15\b Insurrection on Norfolk Is; nine convicts shot dead. (Thirteen others executed, 22-25 Sept.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Gov. Arthur informs the Colonial Office that he has set up a separate establishment at Port Arthur, Tas., for boy convicts, which he names Point Puer.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Australian Union Benefit Society formed in Sydney.
-\b\i First land sale at Albany, WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b NSW Temperance Society holds its first meeting in Sydney (Francis Forbes chairman).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b Gov. Stirling returns to WA. (Arrives at Perth, 19 Aug.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Passenger coach service begins between Sydney and Bathurst.
\i\B5\b Forbes Act passed in NSW, limiting and defining the rate of interest recoverable on borrowed money.
\i\B15\b Act for the establishment of the province of South Australia receives royal assent; land to be sold to finance migration; board of commissioners to be appointed.
Barque \ICharles Eaton\b\i wrecked on the Barrier Reef. (Four men make their\b\i way in a boat to Amboina; natives murder remaining 27 except for the ship's boy, John Ireland, and a passenger's two-year-old child, William D'Oyley, whom they keep.)
\i\B17\b Five of the\b\i '\b\i Tolpuddle Martyrs'ùJames Loveless, Thomas and John Standfield, James Hammett, and James Brineùarrive in Sydney after being sentenced to seven years' transportation for conspiring to raise wages 'by administering unlawful oaths'.
\i\B25\b Barque \IEdward Lombe\b\i wrecked on Middle Head when entering Sydney Harbour; 12 lives lost, 17 saved.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b George Loveless, the sixth of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, arrives at Hobart.
\i\B7\b Robert Wardell shot dead by one of three runaway convicts he encountered\b\i on his land near Cooks River, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B28\b 'Battle of Pinjarra', WAùan armed party of police, soldiers, and civilians led by Gov. Stirling clash with a band of Aborigines; at least 14 Aborigines killed; police superintendent dies from spear wounds.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Commercial Banking Company of Sydney opens for business.
\i\B19\b \JEdward Henty\j and party in the schooner \IThistle\b\i arrive at Portland Bay to establish an agricultural settlement.
\i\B28\b \JWollongong\j, NSW, notified as a town site. (Laid out by T. L. Mitchell in July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B11\b Blacktrackers (Migo and Mollydobbin) used for the first time in WA, to find a lost boy in bush near Fremantle.
-\b\i First wool exported from WAù3,440 kg to UK.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Lee Archer, St John's Church, New Town, Tas. (-\J1835\j).
Peter Degraves, Theatre Royal, Hobart (-\J1837\j).
Edward Hallen, Lindesay, Sydney.
David Lennox, Lansdowne Bridge, NSW (-\J1836\j).
Throsby Park, Moss Vale, NSW.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Eliza Winstanley makes her debut in Henry Bishop's \IClari, or the Maid of Milan\b\i at the Theatre Royal, Sydney (31 Oct.).
John Phillip Deane presents concerts and plays at the Argyle Rooms (later the Argyle Theatre), Hobart.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Dunmore Lang, \IAn Historical and Statistical Account of New South Wales.\b\i
L. E. Threlkeld, \IAn Australian Grammar of the Language as Spoken by the Aborigines of Hunter's River. \i
\B12\b \JJohn Batman\j in the \IRebecca\b\i sails from \JLaunceston\j for Port Phillip to acquire land for the nascent Port Phillip Association.
\i\B14\b Convict ship \INeva\b\i wrecked off King Is. with the loss of 225 lives; 22 survive.
\i\B25\b Mitchell reaches the junction of the Bogan and Darling rivers and (29th) completes the building of a stockade he names Fort Bourke.
\i\B28\b John Hindmarsh appointed Governor of SA.
\i\B29\b Australian Patriotic Association formed in Sydney to obtain representative government for NSW (Sir John Jamison president, W. C. Wentworth vice-president).
Batman arrives at Port Phillip and (6 June) makes a treaty with the Aborigines to acquire 242,800 hectares of land near the site of Melbourne. (Leaves party at Indented Head and returns to \JLaunceston\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b \JWilliam Buckley\j, after living with the Aborigines for almost 32 years, meets Batman's party at Indented Head, Port Phillip.
\i\B9\b Mitchell reaches the site of Menindee but turns back before reaching the Murray owing to the hostility of the natives.
\i\B17\b Emigrant ship \IEnchantress\b\i wrecked in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, with the loss of 16 lives.
\i\B21\b J. P. Fawkner and a party in the \IEnterprise\b\i leave \JLaunceston\j to investigate the mainland for the purposes of settlement. (Fawkner, sick, is left at George Town.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b \IEnterprise\b\i at Westernport (to 16th).
\i\B26\b Gov. Bourke declares Batman's treaty invalid and the settlers at Port Phillip to be trespassers.
\i\B29\b \IEnterprise\b\i sails up the Yarra River and anchors at the site of Melbourne (an advance party having pitched tents there on 23 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B13\b John Bede Polding, first bishop of the Catholic Church in Australia (consecrated 29 June \J1834\j) arrives in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Tooth's Kent Brewery established in Sydney by John Tooth and Charles Newnham.
\i\B16\b Fawkner and family, with cattle, arrive at the Yarra camp in the \IEnterprise.\b\i (Fawkner subsequently opens a store and a hotel.)
\i\B28\b Regulations issued for the 'bounty system' of emigrationùsettlers introducing labourers to be paid a per capita bounty equal to the cost of the passage.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Batman and party land with 500 sheep and 20 cattle at site of Williamstown.
\i\B26\b Foundation stone laid for first Baptist church in Australia, in Bathurst Street, Sydney. (Opens 23 Sept. \J1836\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Bank of Australasia opens in Sydney.
*\b\i George Wyndham produces wine from his Dalwood estate in the Hunter Valley.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Lee Archer, Parliament House, Hobart (-\J1840\j).
Stocks and pillories 'with comfortable accommodation for five couples' erected at the corner of Bathurst Street, Sydney.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 17 Thomas McIlwraith b. (-\J1900\j).
Jun 17 James Brunton Stephens b. (-\J1902\j)
Jul 20 \JErnest Giles\j b. (-\J1897\j).
\BDescription:\b Lennox Bridge, Lapstone Hill, \JBlue Mountains\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1836",52,"f\8\r2612.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B12\b HMS \IBeagle,\b\i carrying Charles Darwin, at Sydney (to 30th).
\i\B22\b South Australian Company constituted; George Fife Angas chairman.
-\b\i Land sales at Singleton, NSW (beginnings of town).
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b William Grant Broughton consecrated as bishop of the newly created Anglican diocese of Australia. (Enthroned in Sydney on 5 June.)
\i\B24\b Independent Order of Odd Fellows formed in Sydney.
- Australian Gas Light Co. issues its first prospectus. (Company formed 7 Sept. \J1837\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Free pardons ordered for the Tolpuddle Martyrs. (Reach Sydney in June.)
\i\B15\b T. L. Mitchell leaves a site near Orange on an expedition to check Sturt's findings on the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers.
\i\B16\b Wooden-railed tramway, with trucks hauled by convicts, completed between Port Arthur and Norfolk Bay, Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B13\b Gov. Bourke sends opposing petitions from 'exclusives' and 'emancipists' to the Colonial Office.
\i\B20\b \JJohn Batman\j and family arrive at Port Phillip and occupy Batman Hill.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B21\b Brig \IStirling Castle\b\i wrecked on Swain Reefs; Capt. James Fraser, his wife, Eliza, and crew take to the boats and eventually reach Great Sandy (now Fraser) Is.
\i\B27\b Mitchell's party ambush about 180 Aborigines on the Murray near present-day Euston, killing eight and wounding many others.
\i\B31\b Mitchell examines the junction of the Murray and Darling (to 2 June).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b First public meeting at Port Phillip requests a resident magistrate.
\i\B13\b Mitchell crosses the Murray near its junction with the Murrumbidgee, follows its southern bank to the site of Swan Hill (20th) and Cohuna (25th), then strikes south through 'Australia Felix'.
\i\B18\b First number of the \ISouth Australian Gazette\b\i published in London.
Boy survivors of the \ICharles Eaton\b\i wreck in \J1834\j found on Murray Is.
\i\B28\b Snow falls in Sydney.
\i\B29\b St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, consecrated by Bishop Polding.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Thomas Petty opens Petty's Hotel in York Steet, Sydney.
\i\B27\b First SA settlers arrive at Kangaroo Is. with the South Australian Co.'s whaling expedition.
\i\B29\b Church Act places all religious bodies on an equal footing and provides for state aid to principal Christian denominations in NSW.
\i\B31\b Mitchell reaches the Glenelg River, and then follows it to the sea.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Bishop Broughton at a meeting of Protestants attacks Bourke's proposal for a national system of education favouring no Church.
\i\B11\b Rescue party, including 'wild white man' John Graham, leave Morton Bay to look for survivors of the \IStirling Castle;\b\i Graham finds two ship boys (13th) and the second mate (15th) and rescues Mrs Fraser (Capt. Fraser having died) from Aborigines (17th).
\i\B20\b Col. \JWilliam Light\j, Surveyor-General of SA, arrives at Kangaroo Is. to choose a site for the SA settlement.
\i\B29\b Mitchell arrives at Portland Bay and finds the Hentys there.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b Port Phillip district declared open for settlement.
\i\B29\b Capt. William Lonsdale arrives at Port Phillip as police magistrate.
\i\B30\b Mitchell climbs Mt Macedon and sees Port Phillip.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Gov. Bourke grants squatters grazing rights beyond the 'Limits of Location' subject to payment of a ú10 licence fee (to operate from 1 Jan. \J1837\j).
\i\B5\b Mitchell discovers and names the Campaspe River, reaches the Goulburn River (8th) and Ovens River (15th). (Returns to Sydney 3 Nov.)
-\b\i John Gardiner, Joseph Hawdon, and John Hepburn set out from the Murrumbidgee with the first stock to be overlanded to Port Phillip (arr. Dec.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Torrens River discovered by G. S. Kingston and named by Light.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B28\b Gov. Hindmarsh arrives at Holdfast Bay in HMS \IBuffalo,\b\i with Resident Commissioner J. H. Fisher, and proclaims the province of SA.
\i\B31\b Light confirms his choice of site of Adelaide, despite Hindmarsh's objections.
*\b\i 'Mahogany Ship', an ancient wreck of unknown origin, discovered by shipwrecked sealers in\b\i 'The Hummocks'ùsand dunes in the Port Fairy-Warrnambool district. (Last seen in \J1880\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
David Lennox, Lennox Bridge, Parramatta (-\J1839\j).
Mortimer Lewis, Darlinghurst Courthouse, Sydney.
Henry Reveley, Old Courthouse, Perth (-\J1837\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Charles Darwin makes geological and botanical observations in Australia.
First recorded meeting of Australian Museum committee in Sydney (June).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Glover, \IThe Last Muster of Tasmanian Aborigines at Risdon\b\i (painting).
Irish musician W. V. Wallace and his brother and sister arrive in Sydney.
J. P. Deane comes to Sydney from Hobart and sets up a music school.
Supreme Court of NSW rules that Aborigines within the colony are subject to\b\i the colony's laws.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 14 William Saumarez Smith b. (-\J1909\j).
Mar 19 David Scott Mitchell b. (-\J1907\j).
Aug 27 W. C. Piguenit b. (-\J1914\j).
ù - William Dawes d. (74?).
\BDescription:\b William Lonsdale \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1837",53,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Edward Deas Thomson succeeds Alexander Macleay as Colonial Secretary of NSW.
\i\B5\b Sir John Franklin arrives in Hobart to take up his appointment as Governor of Tas. (Sworn in on 6th.)
\i\B11\b Col. \JWilliam Light\j surveys and lays out Adelaide (to 10 Mar.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B26\b Migrant ship \ILady McNaghten\b\i arrives at Port Jackson, 44 children having died of measles and whooping cough and 10 adults from typhus on the way; a further 80 arrivals subsequently die.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Gov. Bourke visits the Port Phillip settlement and (8th) approves Robert Hoddle's plan of a town, which he names Melbourne.
\i\B2\b Charles Bonney leaves C. H. Ebden's station on the Murray for the Goulburn River with 9,000 sheep, the first to be overlanded.
\i\B4\b Yass, NSW, gazetted as a town. (First land sale 12 July.)
\i\B27\b First land sales held in Adelaide (holders of preliminary land orders having made their selection on 23 Mar.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b House of Commons select committee appointed to inquire into transportation.
\i\B21\b Sir John Jeffcott arrives in Adelaide to become first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- Fremantle Whaling Co. begins operations.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B20\b Prison reformer Alexander Maconochie submits to Franklin a new system for the treatment of convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b First sale of town allotments in Melbourne and Williamstown.
Bank of Western Australia opens for business in Perth.
\i\B3\b \ISouth Australian Gazette and Colonial Register\b\i begins publication in Adelaide.
- Busby's bore completed and begins providing Sydney's water supply.
- Busselton, WA, declared a town site, and first land sold.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Gov. Bourke's resignation accepted by the Colonial Office.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B21\b Gov. Hindmarsh suspends Robert Gouger as Colonial Secretary of SA following a street fight between Gouger and Treasurer Gilles.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Scone, NSW, gazetted as a village.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b WA Governor Sir \JJames Stirling\j submits his resignation.
\i\B8\b News reaches Sydney of the death of King William IV and the accession to the throne of Queen Victoria.
\i\B27\b Police station and gaol erected in Bourke Street West, Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b \IBeagle\b\i (Commander J. C. Wickham) arrives at Fremantle to begin a 5╜ -year survey, mainly in Torres Strait and Bass Strait.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Lt George Grey and a small party arrive at Hanover Bay, WA, to begin an exploratory journey.
\i\B5\b Bourke leaves Sydney to return to England. (Lt-Col. Kenneth Snodgrass becomes administrator.)
\i\B11\b Dr J. D. Lang separates from the Church of Scotland Presbytery of NSW and forms a separate Church court known as the Synod of NSW.
\i\B30\b Overland mail service by coach and packhorse begins between Sydney and Melbourne.
* St Mary's Seminary, Australia's first Catholic secondary school for boys, established in Bishop Polding's residence in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
* J. B. Hack plants the first grape vines in SA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Edward Blore, Government House, Sydney (-\J1845\j).
Foundation stone relaid and work begins on St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. (Completed by \JEdmund Blacket\j \J1846\j-74.)
Semi-circular quay built at Sydney Cove (-\J1844\j).
John Lee Archer, Treasury Building, Hobart (-\J1842\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Tasmanian Natural History Society formed (Nov.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Royal Victorian Theatre (subsequently the Theatre Royal), Hobart, opens (6 Mar.).
W. V. Wallace and members of the Deane family form a chamber music ensemble in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Macarthur, \INew South Wales: Its Present State and Future Prospects.\i
James Mudie, \IThe Felonry of New South Wales.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 86,482; Tas., 42,698; WA, 2,035; SA, 3,273.
Between 1830 and 1837, 42,000 convicts received 1.8 million lashes.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb - \JBen Hall\j b. (-\J1865\j).
Mar 15 \JWilliam Cox\j d. (72).
Sep 5 \JJames Ruse\j d. (77?).
Sep 26 \JFrancis Greenway\j buried (59).
Oct 2 Barnett Levey d. (39).
#
"1838",54,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b J. P. Fawkner's \IMelbourne Advertiser\b\i begins publication (first copies handwritten; suppressed after 17 issues for being unlicensed).
\i\B12\b Mudgee, NSW, gazetted as a village.
\i\B31\b G. A. Robinson appointed Chief Protector of Aborigines, with headquarters at Port Phillip.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B23\b Sir George Gipps arrives in Sydney and next day takes up his duties as Governor of NSW.
\i\B26\b Fitzroy River, WA, discovered by the \IBeagle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b George Grey discovers the Glenelg River, WA.
\i\B25\b Site of Geelong determined by Robert Hoddle. (Proclaimed town site, 26 Oct; first land sales, Feb. \J1839\j.)
\i\B30\b Party of Lutheran missionaries arrive at Moreton Bayùthe first free settlers thereùand establish a mission at Nundah.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Joseph Hawdon, accompanied by Charles Bonney, arrives at Adelaide with cattle overlanded from Howlong, NSW, having discovered and named Lake Victoria and Lake Bonney on the way.
\i\B11\b Aborigines attack a party of men and cattle belonging to George and William Faithfull near present-day Benalla; at least eight whites killed.
- Town site of Queanbeyan surveyed. (First land sales, 15 Aug. \J1839\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Station hands on Henry Dangar's Myall Creek station near present-day Inverell, NSW, massacre 28 Aborigines.
\i\B22\b \JWilliam Light\j resigns as Surveyor-General of SA after being refused additional staff and being ordered to use an inexact method of survey.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B12\b E. J. Eyre arrives at Adelaide with a herd of cattle overlanded from Sydney by way of the Port Phillip district.
\i\B14\b Gov. Hindmarsh leaves Adelaide, having been recalled.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Final report of the select committee on transportation criticises all forms of transportation and condemns assignment.
\i\B28\b \JCharles Sturt\j and party arrive at Adelaide with a mob of 300 cattle over-landed from NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b Site of \JGundagai\j gazetted. (First land sales, 2 Dec. \J1842\j.)
\i\B12\b Lt-Col. George Gawler arrives in Adelaide and (17th) is sworn in as Governor of SA, also replacing Fisher as Resident Commissioner.
\i\B19\b Public market opened in Sydney.
\i\B26\b Capt. Sir J. Gordon Bremer in HMS \IAlligator,\b\i together with Lt Owen Stanley in the \IBritomart,\b\i arrives at Port Essington to establish a new settlement there (named Victoria).
\B18\b Some 200 German migrants under the guidance of Lutheran pastor Augustus Kavel arrive at Adelaide in the \IPrince George.
\i\B29\b Seven of the men involved in the Myall Creek massacre, previously tried and acquitted on a technicality, are charged again and found guilty. (Sentenced to death, 5 Dec; hanged, 18 Dec.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B31\b William Ullathorne returns to Sydney with a group of priests, students, and teachers, as well as five Sisters of Charity, the first nuns in Australia.
* David Jones opens a retail store in Sydney.
* John Reynell establishes Reynella farm south of Adelaide, SA. (Plants first vineyard in \J1841\j.)
* Commercial vineyard established by William Ryrie at Yarra Glen, Vic.
* Drought in NSW and WA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Trinity Church, Adelaide.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sydney Botanic Gardens opened to the public.
Ornithologist John Gould and his family, with field assistant John Gilbert,\b\i arrive in Hobart (18 Sept.).
Natural History Society of SA founded in Adelaide.
Prepaid stamped letter sheetùthe first in the worldùintroduced by PMG James Raymond for the Sydney delivery area (1 Nov.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Augustus Earle, \IA Bivouac of Travellers in Australia in a Cabbage Tree Forest,\b \IDay Break,\b\i exhibited at the Royal Academy, London.
Conrad Martens, \IElizabeth Bay and Elizabeth Bay House\b\i (watercolour).
Aboriginal wandjina paintings discovered by George Grey in a cave near the Glenelg River, WA.
Music festival held in St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney (31 Jan.).
Barnett Levey's Theatre Royal, Sydney, closes down (22 Mar.), and Joseph Wyatt's Royal Victoria Theatre opens (26 Mar.).
Adelaide's first playhouse, the Theatre Royal, opens with the play \IThe\b \IMountaineers, or Love and Madness,\b\i and the farce \IThe Lancers.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
Anna Maria Bunn, \IThe Guardian\b\i (first novel printed and published on the\b\i Australian mainland).
James Maclehose, \IPicture of Sydney.\i
James Martin, \IThe Australian Sketch Book.\i
T. L. Mitchell, \IThree Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Melbourne Cricket Club founded (15 Nov.).
First race meetings held in Adelaide (1 Jan.) and Melbourne (6 Mar.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 98,176; Tas., 45,764; WA, 1,928, SA, 6,000.
Assigned convict's entitlements: 5.5 kg wheat, 3.2 kg mutton or beef or 2 kg salt pork, 57 g salt, and 57 g soap per week; and two jackets, three shirts, two pairs of trousers, three pairs of shoes, and a hat or cap each year.
Asylum opened (29 Nov.) at Tarban Creek, Sydney (now part of Gladesville Mental Hospital).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 12 Samuel Marsden d. (73).
Sep 18 Robert Knopwood d. (75).
Dec 10 Augustus Earle d. (45).
#
"1839",55,"a\4\r2435.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Assignment of male convicts for service in town ends.
\i\B3\b John Hutt replaces Sir \JJames Stirling\j as Governor of WA. (Stirling leaves for UK on 4 Jan.).
\i\B15\b First US consul in Sydney, J. H. Williams, takes up office.
\i\B17\b Minimum price for Crown land in NSW increased from five to twelve shillings an acre.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b J. P. Fawkner launches the \IPort Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser.
\i\B16\b Kiama, NSW, proclaimed a town.
\i\B25\b George Grey leads an expedition from Shark Bay to Perth (to Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B19\b Settlement begins at Port Lincoln, SA.
\i\B22\b Legislation passed requiring squatters in NSW to pay a variable tax on the number of stock grazed as well as the ú10 annual licence fee.
\i\B31\b Joseph Forbes ('Timor Joe') rescued by the schooner \IEssington\b\i from Timorlaut Is., where he had been held captive for 14 years.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b \JCharles Sturt\j replaces \JWilliam Light\j as Surveyor-General of SA.
\i\B6\b French corvettes \IAstrolabe\b\i and \IZΘlΘe,\b\i commanded by Commodore Dumont d'Urville, at Port Essington (to 9th).
\i\B13\b Albury gazetted as a village. (First land sales, 10 Oct.)
\i\B24\b Braidwood gazetted as a town. (First land sale, 9 July \J1840\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b E. J. Eyre explores to the north of Adelaide (to 25 June) and discovers Lake Torrens. (Returns, 29 June.)
\i\B20\b Moreton Bay penal settlement closes down.
Angus McMillan begins his first exploration of Gippsland. (Reaches site of Omeo, 11 June.)
- Drought in NSW ends.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Boundaries of NSW extended to include 'such portions of New Zealand as the Crown might acquire'.
\i\B20\b R. W. Newland and party begin a settlement at Victor Harbour, SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B27\b Adelaide River, NT, discovered by L. R. Fitzmaurice of the \IBeagle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Hunter River Steam Navigation Co. formed.
\i\B5\b Eyre leaves Port Lincoln to explore Eyre Peninsula. (Reaches Streaky Bay and returns to the head of Spencer Gulf.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b Lt J. L. Stokes of the \IBeagle\b\i examines and names Port Darwin.
\B20\b Military juries abolished in NSW.
\i\B30\b C. J. La Trobe arrives at Port Phillip to take up his post as Superintendent of the Port Phillip district.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B16\b J. C. Wickham of the \IBeagle\b\i discovers the Victoria River, NT.
\i\B27\b First shipload of assisted immigrants (mainly Scots) arrive at Port Phillip in the \IDavid Clark.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B24\b Cyclone hits Port Essington; HMS \IPelorus\b\i wrecked; 12 lives lost.
\i\B28\b SA Agricultural Society formed.
\i\B29\b Two frigates of a US scientific expedition commanded by Capt. Charles Wilkes enter Port Jackson at night and anchor in Sydney Cove, causing near panic when discovered next morning. (Incident leads to construction of Fort Denison.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
- Floods on the Yarra and Saltwater rivers, Victoria.
* Drought in SA.
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
Robert Russell, St James' Church (Old Cathedral), Melbourne (opened \J1842\j; completed \J1851\j; moved to present site \J1913\j).
G. S. Kingston, Government House, Adelaide (-\J1840\j; central portion erected \J1855\j; additions \J1863\j-78).
All Saints Church, Upper Swan, the oldest standing church in WA (-\J1841\j).
Berrima Gaol (NSW) completed.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
First theatrical performance in WAùthe play \ILove α la Militaire\b\i in Perth (9 July).
Marines from HMS \IBritomart\b\i at Port Essington stage the first theatrical\b\i performance in NTùthe play \ICheap Living\b\i (24 Aug.).
Samson Cameron's Royal Victoria Theatre opens in Adelaide (27 Nov.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
George Grey, \IVocabulary of the Aboriginal Language of Western Australia.\i
Alexander Maconochie, \IThoughts on Convict Management.\i
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 113,437; Tas., 44,033; WA, 2,154; SA, 10,315.
Registration of births, deaths, and marriages begins in Tas. (WA in \J1841\j, SA in \J1842\j, Vic. in \J1853\j, NSW [incl. Qld] in \J1856\j).
\B3\b \IPort Phillip Herald\b\i (later the Melbourne \IHerald)\i first published.
\i\B11\b Angus McMillan and party set out from the Tambo River to explore into Gippsland.
\i\B16\b McMillan discovers Lake Victoria (Lake King), the Nicholson River (17th), the Mitchell (18th), and the Avon and Macalister rivers (22nd).
\i\B19\b William Hobson leaves Sydney to become Lt-Governor of NZ.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b P. E. de \JStrzelecki\j and James Macarthur begin an exploratory journey to Port Phillip (alt. date 2 Mar.).
\i\B6\b Hobson signs the Treaty of Waitangi with Maori chiefs.
\i\B15\b \JStrzelecki\j climbs and names Mount Kosciusko (from March 1997 spelt Kosciuszko) (alt. date 12 Mar.).
\i\B26\b HMS \IBuffalo\b\i arrives at Port Jackson with 58 French-Canadian political exiles (others disembarked at Hobart) to be interned near present-day Concord (hence Canada Bay, French Bay, Exile Bay).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Patrick Leslie overlands sheep from New England to the Darling Downs (to 4 June), the first overlanding of stock from NSW to the Moreton Bay district.
\i\B6\b Alexander Maconochie becomes superintendent at Norfolk Is.
\i\B18\b Royal Hotel and theatre, Sydney, destroyed by fire.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Public meeting in Melbourne to petition for separation from NSW.
\i\B12\b \JStrzelecki\j and party reach Westernport. (Arrive Melbourne 28 May.)
\i\B21\b Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over all of NZ.
\i\B22\b Transportation of convicts to NSW abolished by order in council (effective from 1 Aug.).
\i\B31\b Surveyor G. C. Stapylton and assistant killed by Aborigines near the McPherson Range, Queensland.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b E. J. Eyre and party leave Adelaide to explore to the north.
- Brigantine \IMaria\b\i wrecked on the Coorong, SA; 27 passengers and crew killed by Aborigines. (Two natives hanged in reprisal, 25 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Runaway convict John Storry Baker ('Booralsha') gives himself up at Moreton Bay after living with Aborigines for 14 years.
\i\B14\b Eyre discovers Lake Eyre (thinking it to be part of Lake Torrens).
\i\B19\b Adelaide incorporated as Australia's first municipality.
- Tailors in Sydney and carpenters in Melbourne strike for higher wages.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Eyre reaches Mt Hopeless, then turns back towards the coast.
\i\B28\b Mass meeting of workers in Sydney protests against amendments to the Masters and Servants Act which make conspiring to increase wages or improve conditions illegal. (Legislation passed, 20 Oct.)
\B5\b NSW's two Presbyterian synods unite to form the Synod of Australia.
\i\B14\b Road from Adelaide to Port Adelaide completed.
\i\B15\b First sale of land at Portland.
\i\B31\b Adelaide municipal election held (Australia's first political election); J. H. Fisher elected mayor.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b Eyre sets up base at Fowler's Bay.
\i\B18\b \IEden,\b\i the last convict transport to unload in Sydney, arrives with 267 male convicts.
\i\B21\b \IGeelong Advertiser\b\i established by J. P. Fawkner.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B23\b Bushranger Edward Davis ('Teddy the Jewboy') and five of his gang captured and sentenced to death. (Hanged 16 Mar. \J1841\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Holy Trinity Church (the Garrison Church) Miller's Point, Sydney (-\J1843\j).
Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney (consecrated 10 Sept. \J1845\j; spire, by \JEdmund Blacket\j, added in \J1856\j).
Causeway over the Swan River near Perth (-\J1843\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Meteorological records begin in Sydney, Port Macquarie, and Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Gould, \IThe Birds of Australia\b\i (-\J1848\j).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First race meeting held at Flemington, Port Phillip district (3 Mar.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 127,468; Tas., 45,999; WA, 2,311; SA, 14,630.
Total number of convicts transported to NSW and Van Diemen's Land between 1788 and 1840: 111,500 (16,000 of whom were women).
Two compositors sentenced (in Feb.) to two months on the treadmill for absenting themselves from work on a Saturday.
Camels first introduced (a pair landed at Hobart on 10 Dec.)
Bathurst burr introduced into NSW during the \J1840\js (possibly from the tails\b\i of horses imported from Chile).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 29 Simeon Lord d. (69?).
\BDescription:\b Emigrants on boat in the \J1840\js \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1841",57,"f\8\rsmh70.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B3\b Sydney-Melbourne steamer \IClonmel,\b\i on its second voyage, is wrecked near Corner Inlet, Vic.
\i\B17\b Brisbane River in high flood.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b John Fairfax and Charles Kemp buy the \ISydney Herald.
\i\B9\b Angus McMillan makes an expedition to Port Albert, near Corner Inlet (to 14th).
\i\B25\b E. J. Eyre, with John Baxter and three Aborigines, leaves Fowler's Bay to attempt a crossing of the Great Australian Bight.
- Bunbury, WA, surveyed as town site. (First land sales in June.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B18\b \IParkfield\b\i arrives at Leschenault Inlet, WA, with the first settlers for the Australind colony.
- John Lort Stokes replaces J. C. Wickham as commander of the \IBeagle.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b Hunter River SN Co.'s first vessel, the iron paddle-steamer \IRose,\b\i arrives in Port Jackson from the UK.
\i\B12\b First sitting of the Supreme Court in Melbourne.
\i\B29\b Two of Eyre's Aborigines murder Baxter, steal much of the stores and run away; Eyre and \JWylie\j continue their journey westward.
- Rev. W. B. Clarke discovers gold near Hassan's Walls in the Hartley Valley, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b New Zealand proclaimed a colony independent of NSW from 1 July.
\i\B15\b Capt. George Grey replaces George Gawler as Governor of SA.
\i\B24\b Gas lighting in Sydney (the first gas lighting scheme in Australia) turned on during celebrations for Queen Victoria's birthday.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Eyre and \JWylie\j receive succour from the French whaler \IMississippi\b\i (Capt. Rossiter) at Thistle Cove, near Esperance.
\i\B20\b First land sales at Jervis Bay.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Assignment of convict labour to private employers abolished in NSW. Bounty system of assisted migration suspended.
\i\B7\b Eyre and \JWylie\j reach Albany.
\i\B28\b J. L. Stokes, surveying the Gulf of Carpentaria in the \IBeagle,\b\i discovers the Flinders River and the Albert River (1 Aug.) and names a nearby fertile area the Plains of Promise.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B27\b Police and volunteers kill about 50 Aborigines in an encounter near the Rufus River, south-western NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Savings Bank of Port Phillip established.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B6\b Five Tasmanian Aborigines (\JTruganini\j among them), absconders from G. A. Robinson's Port Phillip establishment, kill two whalers near Westernport. (Arrested 20 Oct.)
\i\B18\b Hunter River SN Co.'s \IShamrock\b\i begins service between Sydney, Melbourne, and \JLaunceston\j.
Sheriff of NSW Supreme Court suicides over money difficulties.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B11\b \IHunter River Gazette,\b\i the first mainland country newspaper, begins publication in Maitland.
- Caroline Chisholm establishes a Female Immigrants Home in Sydney.
- Registrar of NSW Supreme Court suspended following discovery of his embezzlement of large sums of money.
* Silver-lead deposits found at Glen Osmond, near Adelaide.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
George Barney, Victoria Barracks, Sydney (-\J1848\j).
John Bibb, Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney (-\J1846\j).
St John's Church, ACT (-\J1845\j).
Work begun on Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour, but abandoned until \J1855\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
First known Australian photograph (a daguerreotype)ùof Bridge and George Streets, Sydneyùtaken by a visiting Frenchman (reported in \IAustralian,\b\i 15 May).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
English composer Isaac Nathan arrives in Sydney (6 Apr.) and becomes choirmaster at St Mary's Cathedral.
Pavilion (later the Royal Victoria Theatre) opens in Melbourne.
Queen's Theatre opens in Adelaide. (Closes Nov. \J1842\j.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
[Lady Bremer? Charlotte Barton?], \IA Mother's Offering to Her Children: By a Lady Long Resident in New South Wales.\i
George Grey, \IJournals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Port Phillip Turf Club holds its first meeting (13 Apr.)
Australia's oldest classic horse race, the St Leger, is run for the first time (at Homebush Racecourse, Sydney).
Legislation prohibits sport, for profit or pleasure, on Sundays in NSW.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 145,303 (census, 2 Mar: 130,856 [87,298 males, 43,558 females], incl. 11,738 in the Port Phillip District); Tas., 57,420 (first official census, 27 Sept., 50,216); WA, 2,760; SA, 15,485.
Legislation passed in WA allowing Aborigines to give evidence. (Similar legislation passed in SA in \J1844\j, Vic. in \J1854\j, NSW in \J1876\j, Qld in \J1884\j.)
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 20 Jorgen Jorgenson d. (60).
Aug 13? Johnny Mullagh (Muarrinim) b. (-\J1891\j).
Nov 8 Sir Francis Forbes d. (57?).
\BDescription:\b Mounted police clash with Aborigines \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1842",58,"a\10\r0702.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b First public execution in Melbourneùthe hanging of two male Tasmanian Aborigines involved in the murder of two whalers on 6 Oct. \J1841.\j \J(Truganini\j and two other females acquitted.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Gov. Gipps proclaims the Moreton Bay district open to free settlers.
\i\B24\b Native police force of 25 Aborigines formed at Narre Warren, near Dandenong, under command of Henry Dana.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B12\b \I\JLaunceston\j Examiner, Commercial and Agricultural Adviser\b\i first published (as a weekly; daily publication begins 21 Dec. \J1877)\j.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian Roman Catholic hierarchy established; John Bede Polding becomes Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of Australia (9th).
\i\B19\b Foundation stone laid for a permanent synagogue in Sydney. (Consecrated 2 Apr. \J1844.)\j
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b German settlement established at Lobethal, SA.
\i\B7\b Andrew Petrie, exploring to the north from Moreton Bay, finds David Bracewell ('Wandi') and (20th) James Davis ('Duramboi'), escaped convicts who lived with Wide Bay Aborigines for many years.
\i\B17\b Petrie discovers the Mary River.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B21\b Convicts at Norfolk Is. attempt to escape in the brig \I\JGovernor Phillip\j;\b\i six killed in fray and four later executed.
\i\B22\b Imperial Waste Lands Act increases the minimum price of land in the colonies to ú1 an acre, half the proceeds to be used to encourage migration.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B14\b First sale of Brisbane building allotments.
\i\B18\b \JBenjamin Boyd\j arrives at Port Jackson in his yacht \IWanderer.\b\i (Opens the Royal Bank in Sydney soon after.)
\i\B20\b Sydney incorporated as a city.
\i\B30\b Act for the Government of NSW and Van Diemen's Land introduces representative government for NSW, creating a Legislative Council of 36 members, 24 elected (franchise dependent on property and rent qualifications) and 12 nominated (6 chosen by Governor; 6 officials appointed by British government); district councils to be established.
SA becomes a Crown colony, losing its semi-independent status, with a nominated Legislative Council; self-government to be granted on population reaching 50,000.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b \ISydney Herald\b\i becomes the \ISydney Morning Herald.
\i\B12\b Melbourne officially incorporated as a town.
\i\B20\b \IPortland Guardian\b\i (later \IPortland Observer)\i first published.
\i\B27\b Boys from Parkhurst Prison, UK, arrive at Perth as migrants.
- Vehicular ferry begins across Sydney Harbour from Dawes Pt to Blues Pt.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
- W. C. Wentworth forms a Coolie Association to investigate uses of Asian labour.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B15\b HM Corvette \IFly\b\i (Capt. F. P. Blackwood) and the cutter \IBramble\b\i arrive at Port Jackson to begin a survey of the Barrier Reef and Torres Str.
\i\B20\b \ISydney Gazette\b\i published for the last time.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Election held for Sydney's first municipal councilùthe first popular election in NSW. (John Hosking elected mayor, 9 Nov.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne's first municipal council elected (Henry Condell elected mayor, 9 Dec.).
- George B. Goodman, Australia's first professional photographer, opens a studio in Sydney.
ò Hunter River SN Co. begins a regular Sydney-Brisbane service.
ò Copper discovered at Kapunda, SA, by C. H. Bagot and Francis Dutton.
ò Falling wool prices, higher cost of labour, and drought cause a slump.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JEdmund Blacket\j arrives in Sydney (3 Nov.)
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\ITasmanian Journal of Natural Science,\b\i Australia's first scholarly scientific journal, first published.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
First statue erected in Australia\b\iù\b\i of Sir \JRichard Bourke,\j near the present State Library of NSW in Sydneyùunveiled (11 Apr.)
Complete performance of Handel's \IMessiah\b\i presented for the first time at Sydney's Royal Victoria Theatre.
Sir Joseph Banks Hotel opens in Botany and becomes a favourite resort and pleasure gardens.
\BD Books and Writing\b
David Burn, \IPlays and Fugitive Pieces in Verse.\i
John Skinner Prout, \ISydney Illustrated\b\i (-\J1844)\j.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian Jockey Club founded (Jan.) and holds its first meeting at Homebush Racecourse (29 Sept.)
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 162,317; Tas., 58,851; WA, 3,476; SA, 16,340.
Some 600 people in NSW declared bankrupt.
Tasmania receives 4,334 convicts during year.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 15 Mary MacKillop b. (-\J1909)\j.
Feb 6 Henry Savery d. (50).
\BDescription:\b Last full blood Tasmanian Aborigines \I(RAHS)\i.
#
"1843",59,"e\6\king0082.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b \IMaitland Mercury,\b\i the oldest surviving provincial newspaper in NSW, first published.
\i\B17\b J. C. Wickham arrives in Brisbane as police magistrate. (Appointed Government Resident on 1 Jan. \J1853\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Riots in Parramatta Female Factory; 80 arrested after military called in.
\i\B14\b Foundation stone of the Australian Subscription Library's new building in Macquarie St, Sydney, laid by Alexander Macleay.
\i\B23\b Old (nominated) Legislative Council of NSW meets for the last time.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Great Comet makes its appearance in southern skies.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Bank of Australia fails.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Rush on Sydney Savings Bank.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Sydney Banking Co. fails.
\i\B15\b First election for the NSW Legislative Council begins. (Those elected include W. C. Wentworth, William Bland, Hannibal Macarthur, Charles Cowper, \JWilliam Lawson\j, Alexander Macleay, Roger Therry, and J. D. Lang.)
\i\B17\b Gov. Gipps orders the removal from office of Justice J. W. Willis, resident judge in the Port Phillip district, after powerful interests in Melbourne petition for his recall.
- Yass pastoralist Henry O'Brien begins boiling down sheep for their tallow, thus establishing a standard minimum value for sheep.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b \IAdelaide Observer\b\i first published.
\i\B15\b Assisted migration resumed by British government.
\i\B26\b Maitland, NSW, proclaimed the first district council area.
- Consignment of horses shipped to India as cavalry remounts and polo ponies.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b New Legislative Council meets for the first time (ceremonial opening by Gipps on 3 Aug.); Alexander Macleay elected Speaker; W. C. Wentworth becomes natural leader of the non-official majority.
\i\B21\b Sir John Eardley-Wilmot arrives in Hobart to take office as Lt-Governor of Tas., Franklin having been recalled.
\i\B22\b Bushranger \JMartin Cash\j caught in Hobart. (Given death sentence, later commuted; pardoned in \J1853\j.)
- Unemployed mechanics and labourers, thrown out of work as a result of the economic crisis, given relief work on roads by NSW government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Thomas Sutcliffe Mort establishes his wool-auctioning agency in Sydney.
\i\B5\b Australian Mutual Protection Association formed in Sydney to ameliorate conditions of disadvantaged and unemployed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b SA Legislative Council (of seven nominees) meets for the first time.
\B1\b Crowd of unemployed threaten Gov. Gipps in Hyde Park, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Regular monthly sea mail service begins between UK and Sydney.
\i\B7\b Maj. Joseph Childs arrives at Norfolk Is. to replace Alexander Maconochie as commandant.
\i\B13\b John Knatchbull hanged outside Darlinghurst Gaol for the murder of Ellen Jamieson on 6 Jan.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B20\b First sale of land at Seymour (Vic.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Occupation regulations issued limiting area and stock-carrying capacity of squatters' runs and making it obligatory to hold a separate licence for each run.
First permanent Hebrew synagogue opened in York Street, Sydney.
\i\B9\b Public meeting of pastoralists in Sydney protests against occupation regulations and forms the Pastoralist Association.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Squatters meet in Melbourne to protest against new land regulations.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b \JLudwig Leichhardt\j and party leave Sydney in the \ISovereign\b\i for Moreton Bay to begin an overland expedition to the far north.
\i\B15\b \JCharles Sturt\j sets out from Adelaide to explore inland Australia and investigate the existence of an inland sea.
- Smelting of copper begins in Adelaide.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B29\b Norfolk Is. annexed to Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Leichhardt's party leave Jimbour station, on the Darling Downs, at the start of their expedition to Port Essington.
\i\B10\b Sturt's party reach the site of Menindee on the Darling River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Dawson River.
\i\B16\b \IRoyal George\b\i arrives in Port Phillip from London with 21 'exiles'ùconvicted criminals given conditional pardons on landing.
\i\B28\b Public meeting in Melbourne demands separation from NSW and appoints a representative to take a petition to England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B17\b Public meeting of squatters in Melbourne supports the continued arrival of 'exiles'.
\i\B28\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Comet River.
* Dr C. R. Penfold establishes a vineyard at Magill, SA, with cuttings from France and Spain.
* South Australian Subscription Library formed.
* Ben Boyd establishes a whaling station at Twofold Bay.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JCharles Sturt\j, exploring the Broken Range near the site of \JBroken Hill\j, gathers the desert pea that bears his name (23 Oct.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Convict Edward Geoghegan's musical play \IThe Currency Lass\b\i and his melodrama \IThe Hibernian Father\b\i performed at Sydney's Royal Victoria Theatre during May.
Isaac Nathan conducts the first concert of the Australian Philharmonic Society in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Louisa Anne Meredith, \INotes and Sketches of New South Wales.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Swimming baths opened on the south bank of the Yarra in Melbourne.
Bowling green established at Sandy Bay, Tas.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 178,460; Tas., 62,478; WA, 4,350; SA, 18,999 (first official census, 26 Feb: 17,366).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 6 W. J. Lyne b. (-\J1913\j).
Jun 29 Sir John Jamison d. (67?).
Nov 21 Ada Cambridge b. (-\J1926\j).
\BDescription:\b Sturt sets out from Adelaide - Saturday, August 10, \J1844\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1845",61,"f\9\king0046.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Weekly newspaper \IBell's Life in Sydney\b\i begins publication.
\i\B10\b \JLudwig Leichhardt\j discovers the Mackenzie River.
\i\B27\b \JCharles Sturt\j's party reach Depot Glen (site of Milparinka), where they are forced to remain for six months owing to lack of rain.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B13\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Isaac River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Hobart Savings Bank opens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Burdekin River.
\i\B4\b Cutter \IAmerica\b\i wrecked in Torres Strait. (Sole survivor Barbara Thompson lives with Aborigines until rescued in \J1849\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b Copper discovered at Burra Burra, SA.
\i\B23\b Leichhardt reaches the Lynd River, his first encounter with a stream flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
\i\B24\b \IMary\b\i wrecked off Flinders Is., Bass Strait, with the loss of 17 lives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Leichhardt discovers the Mitchell River.
\i\B28\b Aborigines attack Leichhardt's party, killing one man (John Gilbert) and wounding two others (John Roper and J. S. Calvert).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary reopened in the south wing of the Rum Hospital.
\i\B5\b Leichhardt reaches the Gulf of Carpentaria and (12th) discovers and names the Gilbert River.
\i\B14\b Sturt divides his party, sending most back to Adelaide under James Poole (who dies on 16th); Sturt moves on to a new depot at Fort Grey (15th).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Emigrant ship \ICataraqui\b\i wrecked off King Is; only 9 of the 415 aboard survive.
\i\B18\b Sturt discovers and names \JStrzelecki\j Creek.
\i\B20\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Nicholson River.
Sturt crosses Cooper's Creek, which he later names.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b Sturt turns back after reaching Sturt's Stony Desert and retreats to his depot at Fort Grey (2 Oct.).
\i\B21\b Leichhardt discovers and names the Macarthur River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b Sturt moves north again from Fort Grey.
\i\B19\b Leichhardt names the Roper River (sighted by Roper on 17 Oct.).
\i\B21\b Sturt again forced to turn back from the Stony Desert.
\i\B25\b Maj. F. H. Robe replaces George Grey as Governor of SA. (Grey leaves for NZ to become Lt-Governor.)
\i\B31\b 'The patriotic six' unofficial members of Tasmania's Legislative Council walk out in protest over taxes to pay for police and judicial establishments.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b \JSir Thomas Mitchell\j leaves Sydney on his last expedition, to lead a party overland to Port Essington.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Sturt's party set off from Depot Glen to return to Adelaide; Sturt, too ill to ride, is carried on a dray.
\i\B17\b Leichhardt's party reach Port Essington, after a journey of 14╜ months. (They return to Sydney by sea, arriving 25 Mar. \J1846\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
All Saints Church (now the Anglican cathedral), Bathurst (-\J1848\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sizar Elliott of Sydney begins experimenting with large-scale preservation of food in tins.
Leichhardt discovers the barramundi in the Mackenzie River.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
First known exhibition of pictures in Australia held in Hobart (6 Jan.), organised by John Skinner Prout.
Carandini Opera Company performs in Sydney, Madame Carandini appearing in Auber's \IThe Fairy Lake\b\i and in \IFra Diavolo.\i
First civilian brass band in Australia formed at \JLaunceston\j by the St Joseph's Total Abstinence Society.
\B19\b \JCharles Sturt\j's party arrive back at Adelaide.
\i\B21\b Wellington, NSW, gazetted as a village.
\i\B27\b Lt-Col. Andrew Clarke succeeds John Hutt as Governor of WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B16\b Spanish Benedictine monks Dom Rosendo Salvado and Dom Joseph Serra leave Perth for the Victoria Plains to found an Aboriginal mission (New Norcia).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b Lt-Gov. Robe imposes a royalty on minerals recovered in SA, which leads to a public outcry.
\i\B8\b Barque \IPeruvian\b\i wrecked on the Barrier Reef; sole survivor of the 22 on board, James Murrell, lives with the Aborigines for 17 years.
- \IOrwell\b\i arrives at Moreton Bay with 51 coolies from India to work for Robert Towns, Ben Boyd, and others.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B30\b Sir John Eardley-Wilmot dismissed as Governor of Tas., allegedly for not suppressing homosexuality among convicts.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
- Convict transportation to Tas. suspended for two years.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b \JSir Thomas Mitchell\j makes a depot on the Maranoa River, from there making expeditions to the Warrego (28 June) and Belyando (20 July) rivers.
\i\B2\b \IArgus\b\i begins publication in Melbourne (published by William Kerr and named \IMelbourne Argus\b\i until \J1852\j).
\i\B20\b Brisbane's first newspaper, the \IMoreton Bay Courier\b\i (later \IBrisbane Courier\b\i and then \ICourier-Mail\b\i) begins publication.
\i\B29\b Paddle-steamer \IExperiment,\b\i brought from Sydney, begins running on the Brisbane River between Brisbane and Ipswich.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Four guards killed during a riot on Norfolk Is; 12 convicts subsequently executed.
\JLaunceston\j Church Grammar School opens.
\i\B11\b Sir George Gipps leaves Sydney to return to UK; Lt-Gen. Sir Maurice O'Connell becomes acting Governor.
\i\B12\b Riot in Melbourne between Orangemen and Roman Catholic members of the Irish community; shots fired; martial law proclaimed for one night.
\i\B21\b Public meeting in Adelaide opposes state aid for religion proposed by Gov. Robe.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir Charles FitzRoy arrives in Sydney and next day takes up his appointment as Governor of NSW.
\i\B3\b Hutchins School opens in Hobart.
\i\B6\b John Price replaces Joseph Childs as commandant on Norfolk Is.
\i\B18\b Alexander Berry's ship \ICoolangatta\b\i wrecked on the coast south of Moreton Bay which now bears the ship's name.
\i\B28\b Sale of Waste Lands Act passed in UK, offering squatters long leases in unsettled districts and other privileges.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B15\b Mitchell discovers a river he thinks flows north-west to the Gulf, which he names the Victoria (later found to be the Barcoo).
\i\B24\b Mitchell turns back and returns to Sydney (29 Dec.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Christ's College, near Longford, Tas., opens.
\i\B10\b Breakaway group of 'Free Presbyterians' forms the Synod of Eastern Australia in Sydney.
\i\B22\b First of several public meetings held in Sydney to protest against the proposed resumption of transportation to NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B18\b Orange, NSW, proclaimed as a site for a village. (First land sales Dec. \J1848\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b \JLudwig Leichhardt\j sets out again from the Darling Downs, this time to cross to the west coast. (Returns unsuccessful on 31 July \J1847\j.)
\i\B22\b Anti-Transportation Committee founded at meeting in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Mortimer Lewis, Australian Museum, Sydney (north wing completed in \J1849\j; additions carried out in \J1861\j, \J1892\j, and \J1909\j).
Samuel Jackson, Melbourne Hospital (-\J1848\j).
David Lennox, Princes Bridge, Melbourne (-\J1850\j; demolished \J1884\j).
Corrugated iron used as roofing for Walwa homestead at Walwa in the Port Phillip districtùfirst known building to use the material.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Royal Adelaide Theatre opens (22 June).
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Lort Stokes, \IDiscoveries in Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First recorded swimming championship in Australia held at Sydney Domain baths on 14 Feb.ùwon by W. Redman over 440 yards.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 196,704 (census, 2 Mar: 189,609, incl. 25,781 over the age of 13 unable to read or write); Tas., 66,105; WA, 4,547; SA, 25,893 (census, 26 Feb: 22,390).
'Pushes' such as the Cabbage Tree Mob (mentioned in Col. G. C. Mundy's journal in Aug.) make a nuisance of themselves in Sydney.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 10 James Burns b. (-\J1923\j).
Mar 16 Henry Kable d. (82?).
Mar 20 Joseph Foveaux d. (80?).
Apr 11 Barron Field d. (59).
Apr 15 Robert Campbell d. (76).
Apr 24 \JMarcus Clarke\j b. (-\J1881\j).
Jul 7 Livingston Hopkins ('Hop') b. (-\J1927\j).
Jul 17 Nikolai Mikluho-Maclay b. (-\J1888\j).
\BDescription:\b Thomas Mitchell \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1847",63,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Lt-Col. George Barney and party leave Sydney in the barque \ILord Auckland\b\i to found the 'Gladstone Colony' in northern Australia centred on Port Curtis. (Colony proclaimed 30 Jan.)
\i\B26\b Sir William Denison takes up his appointment as Lt-Governor of Tas.
\i\B30\b Warrnambool (Vic.) proclaimed a town site. (First land sale 22 July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b Lt-Col. F. C. Irwin becomes Governor of WA following the death of Andrew Clarke on 11 Feb.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Order in council implementing the Sale of Waste Lands Act divides land in NSW into settled, intermediate, and unsettled areas; 8- and 14-year lease-holds available to squatters in intermediate and unsettled areas with subsequent right of purchase; a scramble for land follows.
\i\B11\b Paddle-steamer \ISovereign\b\i wrecked in Rous Channel, between Moreton and Stradbroke islands, with a loss of 44 lives.
\i\B13\b E. B. Kennedy sets out to investigate whether Mitchell's Victoria River flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b Ben Boyd's ship \IVelocity\b\i arrives at Twofold Bay with 65 Melanesian labourers to work on his estates.
\i\B15\b Gladstone Colony disbanded on instructions from the Colonial Office. (Evacuation completed by July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b Earl Grey orders the closing of the convict establishment in NSW and the transfer of the remaining convicts to Tas.
\i\B6\b Large anti-transportation meeting in Hobart petitions the Queen for abolition.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Melbourne proclaimed a city. (Gazetted 5 Feb. \J1848\j.)
Anglican diocese of Australia subdivided into dioceses of Sydney (Bishop Broughton), Newcastle, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
\i\B29\b Three new bishops, William Tyrrell (Newcastle), Charles Perry (Melbourne), and Augustus Short (Adelaide) consecrated in London.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B9\b J. A. Goold appointed first Catholic Bishop of Melbourne.
\i\B15\b Collegiate School (later St Peter's College) opens in Trinity Church, Adelaide, schoolrooms. (College building erected \J1849\j-51.)
\i\B16\b HMS \IRattlesnake\b\i (Capt. Owen Stanley) with English biologist T. H. Huxley aboard, arrives in Sydney to begin a three-year survey in Australian waters.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
- Kennedy establishes that Mitchell's Victoria River is the upper course of Cooper's Creek, which he names the Barcoo River. (Returns to Sydney 7 Feb. \J1848\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b Aboriginal station at Flinders Is. (Wybalenna) closes down, and the 47 survivors are taken to Oyster Cove, south of Hobart.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b Lady Mary FitzRoy, wife of the NSW Governor, and the Governor's aide-de-camp are killed when thrown from a carriage at Parramatta.
* Johann Gramp establishes his Orlando vineyard, the first in the \JBarossa Valley\j, SA, at Jacob's Creek near Rowland's Flat.
* Henry and William Dangar set up a meat-canning works at Newcastle, NSW.
* Paddle-steamer \IThe\b \IBrothers\b\i begins the Manly ferry service in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
W. P. Kay, Lands Department Building, Hobart (-\J1848\j).
New Norcia monastery, WA (foundation stone laid 1 Mar.).
Richard Lambeth, Supreme Court, Adelaide (-\J1851\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Ether first used as a general anaesthetic in Australia by Dr W. R. Pugh at St John's Hospital in \JLaunceston\j (7 June) and by dental surgeon John Belisario in Sydney (also in June).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts founded in Sydney. (Holds its first exhibition 22 June.)
Isaac Nathan's opera \IDon John of Austria\b\i (first opera written, composed, and produced in Australia) given its first performance at Sydney's Royal Victoria Theatre on 3 May.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Alexander Harris, \ISettlers and Convicts.\i
J. B. Jukes, \INarrative of the Surveying Voyage of HMS Fly.\i
\JLudwig Leichhardt\j, \IJourney of an Overland Expedition in Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Golf first played in Melbourne on the site of Flagstaff Gardens.
First interstate race meeting held in Melbourne (Apr.).
\B4\b Dual system of education introduced in NSW, with the appointment of two boards of education, one national, one denominational.
- Female Factory at Parramatta closed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B25\b \JLudwig Leichhardt\j sets out from Canning station on the Darling Downs in a second attempt to cross Australia from east to west. (Fate of the party remains unknown; last communication from Cogoon on 4 Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B15\b Melbourne Hospital opens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b Benalla (Vic.) proclaimed a town site. (First land sale 28 June \J1849\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b E. B. Kennedy and 12 others set out from Rockingham Bay to find a route through Cape York Peninsula.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B26\b Electors in Port Phillip district, in protest against an absentee government in Sydney, refuse to nominate representatives to the NSW Legislative Council (and elect Earl Grey as the member for Melbourne).
- Netherlands Indies government claims all of west New Guinea from the 141st parallel.
- Some 120 Chinese shipped from Amoy to become shepherds in NSW under an indenture scheme.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir Henry Fox Young replaces F. H. Robe as Governor of SA.
\i\B12\b Capt. Charles Fitzgerald replaces F. C. Irwin as Governor of WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b British government revokes the order in council abolishing convict transportation to NSW.
\i\B8\b J. S. Roe explores south-east of Perth and north-east of Albany, WA (to 2 Feb. \J1849\j).
\i\B9\b A. C. Gregory leads an expedition to the Murchison district, WA, and discovers good pastoral land as well as lead in the Murchison River. (Returns to Perth 12 Nov.)
\i\B28\b \IAustralian\b\i newspaper published for the last time.
- Richard Goldsbrough founds a wool auction in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b \IPort Phillip Patriot\b\i becomes the Melbourne \IDaily News.
\i\B27\b Convict ship \I\JGovernor Phillip\j\b\i wrecked off Cape Barren Is; 16 die from drowning or starvation before rescue arrives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b First sale of land in Colac (Vic.)
\i\B13\b Kennedy, having reached Weymouth Bay, leaves eight of the party there and pushes on with Aboriginal Jacky Jacky and three others.
\i\B24\b Kennedy leaves three men at Shelbourne Bay and continues with Jacky Jacky.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B11\b Gov. Fitzgerald wounded by Aborigines while exploring with Gregory near Champion Bay, WA.
\i\B13\b Kennedy fatally speared by Aborigines; Jacky Jacky continues alone to Cape York.
First government-assisted immigrants arrive at Moreton Bay.
\i\B15\b Australian Mutual Provident Society founded.
\i\B20\b Constitutional Association formed in Sydney to effect electoral and land reforms. (Subsequently publishes the \IPeople's Advocate.\b\i)
\i\B24\b \IAriel\b\i rescues Jacky Jacky at Port Albany and (30th) the two other survivors of the Kennedy expedition at Weymouth Bay.
* Australia's first iron smelting works opened at Mittagong, NSW.
* Port Phillip Farmers' Society (later Royal Agricultural Society) formed.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JEdmund Blacket\j, St Phillip's, Church Hill, Sydney (-\J1857\j) and St Mark's, Darling Point (-\J1864\j; tower and spire added \J1875\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Chloroform first used as an anaesthetic in Australia.
W. L. Morton demonstrates his swing gate for drafting sheep.
\BD Books and Writing\b
T. L. Mitchell, \IJournal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Port Phillip Turf Club obtains a lease of Flemington Racecourse site.
First meeting at Ascot Racecourse, Perth.
W. F. King ('the Flying Pieman') races a coach from Windsor to Sydney, winning by seven minutes.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 220,805; Tas., 68,235; WA (first official census, 10 Oct.), 4,622; SA, 38,666.
Hobart reaches its peak as a deep-sea whaling port, with 37 whaling ships manned by 1,046 men.
SA Destitute Board established for the welfare of immigrants.
Jenolan Caves first described (in the \IBathurst Advocate,\b\i 30 Dec.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 28 \JGeorge Chaffey\j b. (-\J1932\j).
Feb 17 Louisa Albury (\JLouisa Lawson\j) b. (-\J1920\j).
Jun 4 William Sorell d. (72?).
Jul 18 Alexander Macleay d. (81).
Oct 15 John Langdon Bonython b. (-\J1939\j).
Oct 28 Jessie Couvreur ('Tasma') b. (-\J1897\j).
Dec 13 \JEdmund Kennedy\j d. (30).
ù - \JLudwig Leichhardt\j d. (\Ic.\b\i 35).
#
"1849",65,"e\7\chisolm.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \IPort Phillip Herald\i\b becomes the \IMelbourne Morning Herald.\i\b
\B2\b Mortgaged estates of the Bank of Australia liquidated by public lottery.
\B8\b \IPlymouth\i\b, the first of several ships carrying people to the California gold-fields, leaves Port Jackson for San Francisco.
\B20\b \IFortitude\i\b arrives at Moreton Bay with 253 immigrants from Britain for J. D. Lang's Cooksland cotton-growing scheme. (Temporary headquarters set up in an area of Brisbane that becomes known as Fortitude Valley.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B11\b First batch of German migrants arrive in Melbourne in the \IGodeffroy\i\b.
\B23\b Public meeting in Perth requests that WA be converted into a penal settlement to aid the flagging state of the colony.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B23\b Armidale, NSW, town site gazetted. (First land sale 14 June.)
û Mass meetings held in Sydney and Melbourne opposing reintroduction of convict transportation.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Convict ship \IHashemy\i\b, carrying 212 convicts "of the better class", arrives at Port Jackson, La Trobe having refused it permission to land convicts at Port Phillip.
\B11\b Protest meeting held at Circular Quay, Sydney, against the landing of convicts from the \IHashemy.\i\b
\B28\b Plan of Grafton, NSW, approved. (First sale of land 22 Jan. \J1851\j.)
First sale of land at Wangaratta (Vic.).
û Aborigines kill two brothers from \JGregory Blaxland\j's Gin Gin station (near Bundaberg), leading to the massacre by whites of a huge number of Aborigines.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B21\b \IPhoenician\i\b, the first clipper ship to come to Australia, arrives at Port Jackson from Britain after a 91-day voyage (compared with an average of 140 days).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Convict ship \IRandolph\i\b arrives at Port Phillip; La Trobe orders it to sail on to Sydney.
\B20\b \IRandolph\i\b arrives at Port Jackson; FitzRoy sends the convicts to Moreton Bay. (All subsequent convict ships sent direct to Moreton Bay.)
\B24\b Cooma, NSW, proclaimed a village site.
û Ben Boyd's Royal Bank closes. (Subsequently liquidated.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b Sydney Railway and Tramway Co. incorporated by act of parliament.
\B12\b Town of Geelong (Vic.) incorporated.
\B16\b Castaway Barbara Thompson, after living with Aborigines for five years, is rescued by HMS \IRattlesnake\i\b at Evans Bay, Cape York Peninsula.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B23\b Wagga Wagga, NSW, proclaimed a town, Dubbo a village site.
û Geraldton, WA, laid out as a town site. (First town lots sold in June \J1850\j.)
û Yarra and Saltwater rivers in high flood.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Port Essington again abandoned and settlers returned to Sydney.
\B13\b \IAdelaide\i\b arrives at Port Phillip with 281 "exiles"; refused entry and sails on to Port Jackson (last ship to bring "exiles" to NSW).
\B14\b Cowra, NSW, gazetted as a town site.
* Caroline Chisholm establishes the Family Colonisation Loan Society in London to help families migrate.
* Tasmanian apples exported to New Zealand and California.
* Tokens, used as currency, issued for the first time in Australia by Melbourne grocers Annand, Smith & Co.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Mortimer Lewis, Treasury Building, Sydney (opened \J1851\j; now incorporated in the Inter-Continental Hotel), and Richmond Villa, Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Museum opens a small zoo in Hyde Park, Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Alexander Harris, \IThe Emigrant Family.\i\b
\JCharles Sturt\j, \INarrative of an Expedition into Central Australia.\i\b
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 247,260; Tas., 68,553; WA, 4,645; SA, 52,904.
Livestock in NSW: 12.1 million sheep, 1.8 million cattle, 122,000 horses, 59,000 pigs.
Secondary industry in NSW: 95 boiling-down works, 168 mills, 19 soap and candle factories, 6 woollen cloth manufacturers, 72 tanneries, 7 meat-preserving factories, 31 breweries, 2 distilleries.
\B1\b Adhesive postage stamps issued in NSW (first in Australia).
\B3\b Vic. issues its first adhesive postage stamps.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b Railway between Adelaide and Port Adelaide authorised by the SA Legislative Council.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B12\b Deniliquin, NSW, gazetted as a town.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Rev. J. D. Lang, recently returned to Sydney from the UK, reopens his Australian College and (3rd) separates the Synod of NSW from the Synod of Australia.
\B30\b \IBangalore\i\b, the last convict ship to Moreton Bay, arrives with 392 "exiles".
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B9\b Horsham (Vic.) notified as a village site.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Transportation of convicts to WA begins with the arrival of the \IScindian\i\b carrying 75 convicts together with 54 prison guards, a number of officials, and their families.
Tamworth, NSW, gazetted as a town.
\B27\b \IFreeman's Journal\i\b founded in Sydney. (Merges with \ICatholic Worker\i\b in \J1942\j.)
\B30\b First Unitarian congregation in Australia formed in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Work begins on NSW's first railway line, from Sydney to Parramatta.
\B31\b First land sales at Warwick, on the Darling Downs.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian Colonies Government Act receives royal assent in Britainùprovides for the separation from NSW of the Port Phillip district, to be known as Victoria, and for the eventual self-government of the Australian colonies.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B28\b \ISlain's Castle\i\b, first of the ships to sail under Caroline Chisholm's Family Colonisation Loan Society scheme, leaves England with 150 migrants.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Act to incorporate and endow the University of Sydney receives royal assent.
NSW Legislative Council resolves that no more transported convicts will be received under any conditions.
\B29\b Anglican bishops of Australia and NZ, meeting in Sydney, establish the Australian Board of Missions.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Ship \ILysander\i\b brings news to Melbourne of the passing of the Australian Colonies Government Act, which sets off four days of general rejoicing.
\B14\b Bank of NSW opens a branch in Brisbane, the first bank there.
\B15\b Princes Bridge opened in Melbourne. (Demolished in \J1884\j.)
\B16\b United Operative Masons' Society formed in Melbourne. (Held to be the precursor of all labour organisations in Aust.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Pentridge Gaol, recently completed, receives its first prisoners.
\B18\b First Australian branch of the YMCA formed in Adelaide.
\B28\b \JHenry Parkes\j's \IEmpire\i\b newspaper founded in Sydney. (Suspended \J1858\jû 59; incorporated in \IEvening News\i\b \J1875\j.)
* Measles first reported in Australia.
* Model School (later Fort Street School) opens in Sydney, inaugurating teacher training in Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Constitution Dock, Hobart, officially opened (1 Dec.).
A. W. N. Pugin, old St Stephen's Church ("Pugin's Chapel"), Brisbane, opened (12 May).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Philosophical Society (later the Royal Society of NSW) formed in Sydney (19 Jan.).
T. L. Mitchell reads a paper to the Philosophical Society applying the principle of the boomerang to a ship's propeller (3 Dec.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Joseph Wilkie opens a music shop (later Allans) in Collins Street, Melbourne.
A new Royal Victoria Theatre opens in the old Queen's Theatre, Adelaide.
"Grand Fete" held by William Beaumont and James Waller at their Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany, to inaugurate their zoological gardens (26 Dec.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Game of "Australian Rules Football"ù12 players to a sideùplayed in Melbourne as part of the Separation celebrations (18 Nov.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 266,900; Tas., 68,870; WA, 5,886; SA, 63,700.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 29 \JLawrence Hargrave\j b. (û \J1915\j).
Feb 9 Elizabeth Macarthur d. (82?).
Mar 13 Owen Stanley d. (38).
May 12 F. W. Holder b. (û \J1909\j).
Jun 16 \JWilliam Lawson\j d. (76).
ù û Quong Tart b. (û \J1903\j).
\BDescription:\b First Sydney Railway station, Cleveland Street, Redfern \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1851",67,"f\9\king0047.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir Charles FitzRoy appointed Governor-General of all the Australian colonies.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Australasian League, originated by John West in \JLaunceston\j to secure the abolition of transportation, constituted in Melbourne.
\B2\b Maryborough (Qld) proclaimed a town site.
\B6\b "Black Thursday"ùbushfires rage from near Melbourne, where shade temperature reaches 47░C at 11 a.m., to Mount Gambier in SA; at least 10 people killed.
\B12\b E. H. Hargraves discovers gold at Lewis Ponds Creek, near Bathurst.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B29\b Sydney Chamber of Commerce revived.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne Chamber of Commerce founded.
Balranald, NSW, proclaimed a town site. (First land sales 14 Jan. \J1852\j.)
\B7\b John Lister and William Tom find gold at Ophir, NSW.
\B24\b J. D. Lang sentenced to four months' gaol and fined ú100 for the libel of Thomas Icely in Lang's \IPress\i\b in Feb.
û Earl Grey's revocation of the order in council abolishing transportation is rescinded.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b \ISydney Morning Herald\i\b carries news of gold discovery; rush to the Ophir goldfield begins.
\B22\b Proclamation issued in NSW declaring all gold found on private or Crown land to be the property of the Crown; licence to dig required after 1 June (fee 30s per month).
\B26\b Hamilton (Vic.) notified as a town site.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b Goldfield discovered on the Turon River, NSW.
\B26\b Sale (Vic.) gazetted as a village site.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Port Phillip district officially becomes the colony of Victoria; C. J. La Trobe becomes Lt-Governor (15 July).
\B2\b Election held for SA Legislative Council (to 12th).
\B7\b James Esmond's discovery of gold at Clunes, Vic., announced.
\B8\b First great nugget found in Australia, the Kerr Hundredweight, yielding 1,272 oz of gold, discovered on the Turon River.
\B20\b Gold discovered near Castlemaine, Vic. (Mount Alexander).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Gold discovered in the Buninyong Range, near \JBallarat\j.
\B20\b New SA Legislative Council, with 16 of the 24 members elected, meets for the first time. (Discontinues state aid to religion, 29th.)
û Most extensive flooding of the Torrens since the founding of SA.
û Gold discovered at Araluen, NSW, and near Daylesford and \JBendigo\j, Vic., and a rush begins to Hill End, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Gold-digging licences (fee 30s per month) required in Vic.
\B11\b Election held for Vic. Legislative Council (to 18th).
\B27\b \JSir Thomas Mitchell\j and politician Stuart Donaldson fight a duel over allegations of extravagance in the Surveyor-General's Dept.
û Goldfield discovered near Creswick, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B6\b Melbourne Academy (later Scotch College) opens in Spring Street.
\B7\b Tenterfield, NSW, gazetted as a town. (First land sale 9 Mar. \J1854\j.)
\B15\b Ben Boyd disappears, presumed killed by natives, after going ashore at Guadalcanal Is. from his yacht \IWanderer.\i\b
\B24\b Election held for Tasmania's Legislative Council.
\B30\b First official Mormon missionaries to Australia arrive in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B13\b Victoria's Legislative Council formally opened in St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street, Melbourne.
Boyd's yacht \IWanderer\i\b wrecked at Port Macquarie.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B29\b Education Act in SA ends state grants to denominational schools.
\B30\b Bega, NSW, town site gazetted.
* J. E. Seppelt establishes a vineyard near Tanunda, SA.
* Influenza epidemic in all colonies.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Work begins on the Convict Establishment, Fremantle (commissariat stores and offices completed \J1852\j; gaol built \J1852\jû58; lunatic asylum \J1861\jû65).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Dr William Bland sends to the Great Exhibition in London designs for an "atmotic ship", a precursor of the airship.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Aboriginal runner Manuello beats Tom McLeod, acknowledged as the fastest runner in Australia, over 100 yards in Melbourne.
Thomas Spencer opens the first billiard saloon in Sydney.
Port Phillip District]); Tas., 69,187 (census, 1 Mar: 70,130); WA, 7,186; SA, 66,538 (census, 1 Jan: 63,700); Vic., 97,489.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 27 \JJulian Ashton\j b. (û \J1942\j).
Mar 27 Rosa Caroline Murray-Prior (Mrs Campbell Praed) b. (û \J1935\j).
Jun 8 John Piper d. (78).
Jun 30 Henry Bournes Higgins b. (û \J1929\j).
Oct 15 \JBenjamin Boyd\j d. (\Ic\i\b. 48).
Dec 28 Robert Philp b. (û \J1922\j).
\BDescription:\b The discovery of gold by Hargraves in \J1851\j, in the vicinity of Bathurst \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1852",68,"f\9\king0010.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B28\b SA passes the Bullion Act which allows for the stamping of gold ingots to be used as legal tender for one year.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Supreme Court of Vic. established (William ß Beckett Chief Justice).
\B19\b Hovenden Hely and party leave Brisbane to search for Leichhardt's missing expedition.
û Gold discovered at Beechworth, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B19\b First gold escort from Mount Alexander to Adelaide arrives with 5,119 oz of gold.
\B21\b \IIsabella Watson\i\b wrecked off Port Phillip; nine lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Gang of 22 men raid the barque \INelson\i\b at anchor off Williamstown, Vic., and get away with 8,000 oz of gold (not recovered).
\B30\b \JWodonga\j (then known as Belvoir), Vic., notified as a town site.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B9\b Schooner \IFavourite\i\b leaves Melbourne for Sydney and is lost with all hands (13 passengers, 8 crew).
\B24\b Port Augusta, SA, named by exploring party under A. L. Elder and J. Grainger in the government yacht \IYatala.\i\b (First land sales in \J1854\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B24\b Murrumbidgee River in flood washes away most of \JGundagai\j; 89 lives lost out of a population of 250.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B29\b P & O mail steamer \IChusan\i\b arrives at Port Phillip (continues to Sydney, arriving 3 Aug.) to inaugurate a two-monthly mail and passenger service between Sydney and London (overland at Egypt).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Gold discovered in the Ovens Valley, Vic.
\B10\b Glen Innes, NSW, proclaimed a town site. (First land sales June \J1855\j.)
\B25\b First sale of land at \JBallarat\j, Vic. (Proclaimed a municipality 17 Dec. \J1855\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B15\b SS \IConside\i\b wrecked off Point Lonsdale, Vic; 10 of its 200 passengers drown.
\B18\b Clipper \IMarco Polo\i\b, first of the Black Ball Line's emigrant ships, arrives at Port Phillip after a record 68-day run from Liverpool with 930 government-assisted migrants, 53 of whom die on the way (all but two of them children).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Amalgamated Society of Engineers formed by a shipboard group en route to Sydney.
\B11\b Australia's first university, the University of Sydney, inaugurated.
\B16\b Crew of the migrant ship \IGeorgiana\i\b, anchored in Port Phillip, mutiny, kill one of the ship's officers, and make off for the goldfields.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B12\b SS \IGreat Britain\i\b, then the largest iron passenger steamer in the world, arrives in Melbourne with 615 passengers and 137 crew.
\B24\b Transportation to eastern Australia ends with the dispatch of the last convict ship (\ISt Vincent\i) to Tasmania.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b "Adelaide sovereigns"ùgold pound tokens minted by the Adelaide Assay Officeùfirst issued.
\B15\b Colonial Secretary Sir John Pakington authorises NSW, Vic., SA, and Tas. to draft new separate constitutions providing for an elected lower house and a nominated upper house.
\B22\b Clipper \ITiconderoga\i\b arrives at Port Phillip with 646 migrants, 96 having died from typhus on the way; another 82 die while at the new Point Nepean quarantine station.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Joseph Bosisto begins distilling eucalyptus oil near Dandenong, Vic.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
S. T. Gill, \IA Series of Sketches of the Victorian Gold Diggings and Diggers As They Are\i\b (published as lithographs).
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Bonwick, \INotes of a Gold Digger.\i\b
John MacGillivray, \INarrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake.\i\b
G. C. Mundy, \IOur Antipodes.\i\b
John West, \IThe History of Tasmania.\i\b
Melbourne bookseller and publisher George Robertson opens his first bookshop in Russell Street.
Vic. receives 94,644 immigrants (mainly gold-diggers), doubling its population.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 19 Thomas Price b. (û \J1909\j).
Apr 14 John Quick b. (û \J1932\j).
Sep 4 E. J. Banfield b. (û \J1923\j).
Oct 16 George W. Evans d. (72).
Dec 4 John Lee Archer d. (61).
\BDescription:\b Checking for gold licences in NSW, \J1852\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1853",69,"f\9\king0024.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B3\b Bank of Victoria opens in Melbourne.
\B5\b Hobart Municipal Council meets for the first time; mayor elected.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Bushranger "Captain Melville" (Frank McCallum) sentenced to 32 years' gaol at Geelong.
\B19\b HMS \IHerald\i\b (Capt. H. M. Denham) arrives in Sydney to begin nine years of survey work on the Australian coast.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b La Trobe's resignation as Governor of Vic. accepted by the Colonial Office.
\B29\b Barque \IRebecca\i\b wrecked off the west coast of Tas; nine lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Operative Stonemasons' Society formed in Sydney.
\B15\b \IMonumental City\i\b, the first screw steamer to cross the Pacific, runs aground near Gabo Is., Vic., with a loss of 33 lives.
\B20\b Select committee chaired by W. C. Wentworth appointed by the NSW Legislative Council to draft a new constitution.
\B26\b \ISt Vincent\i\b, the last convict transport to Tas., arrives at Hobart.
\B31\b Ship \ISea\i\b wrecked near Point Nepean when leaving Port Phillip; 16 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b Rabbi Herman Hoelzel, the first qualified Jewish minister in Australia, inducted as minister of the Hobart Synagogue.
\B6\b Miners at \JBendigo\j form an Anti-Gold Licence Association.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Beechworth, Vic., proclaimed a town.
\B20\b Bushrangers hold up the gold escort from the McIvor field, Vic., killing three troopers and the driver and taking 2,320 oz of gold and cash. (Five later captured; three hanged.)
\B28\b Wentworth's select committee makes its recommendations, which include an upper house whose members would constitute a colonial peerage.
û Australia's first government-maintained free public library established in Melbourne.
û Severe flooding on the Murrumbidgee (higher than previous year).
û Gold discovered at Buckland River, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Vic. miners petition La Trobe for a reduction of licence fee, representation on Legislative Council, and release of land.
\B10\b Meeting held at the Royal Hotel, Sydney, to protest against Wentworth's proposal for a hereditary nobility.
\B11\b Frigate \IMadagascar\i\b leaves Melbourne for London with 70,000 oz of gold and is not seen again.
\B15\b At a public meeting in Sydney, \JHenry Parkes\j makes his first public speech to denounce Wentworth's Constitution Bill, and Daniel Deniehy ridicules the proposed "bunyip aristocracy"
û Murray River navigated by steamer from Goolwa to Swan Hill (arr. 17 Sept.) by \JFrancis Cadell\j in his \ILady Augusta\i\b and from Mannum to Echuca (arr. 24 Sept.) by William Randell in the \IMary Ann.\i\b
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B24\b New Caledonia annexed by France.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Gold licence fee in NSW reduced to 10 shillings per month.
\B8\b \IIllustrated Sydney News\i\b first published. (Ceases publication \J1894\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Tas. issues its first adhesive postage stamps.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b \I\JBendigo\j Advertiser\i first published. (Absorbed in \IIndependent\i\b, \J1918\j.)
\B21\b Town site at Gladstone (Qld) gazetted. (Land sales Feb. \J1854\j.)
* Freeman Cobb establishes a coaching service (Cobb & Co.) in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
W. P. Kay, Government House, Hobart (û\J1858\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Museum incorporated by act of parliament.
Baron Ferdinand von Mueller appointed Victorian Government Botanist.
Observatory established at Williamstown (Melb.). (Moved to Domain park in \J1863\j.)
Adelaide Philosophical Society (later Royal Society of SA) holds its first meeting (21 Feb.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Victorian Fine Arts Society, recently formed, holds its first exhibition in Melbourne (Aug.).
Dutch violinist W. H. Paling arrives in Sydney.
Melbourne Philharmonic Society founded (15 Oct.).
Cremorne Gardens amusement park founded in Melbourne by James Ellis. (Closes in \J1862\j.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
J. E. Erskine, \IJournal of a Cruise among the Islands of the Western Pacific.\i\b
Gold becomes Australia's major export (surpassing wool).
Public hangings abolished in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 1 \JGregory Blaxland\j d. (74).
Feb 20 William Grant Broughton d. (64).
Jun 11 Francis Barrallier d. (80?).
Sep 9 \JFred Spofforth\j b. (û \J1926\j).
\BDescription:\b Death Mask of Captain Melville \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1854",70,"f\9\rsmh24.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B13\b Fire destroys three stores and five houses in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
\B20\b Fire destroys a city block in Hobart.
\B30\b Cobb & Co. extend operations to the Victorian goldfields.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B25\b T. S. Mort begins building a dry dock (Mort's Dock) at Balmain, Sydney (completed \J1855\j).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Australia's first telegraph line begins operating between Melbourne and Williamstown.
\B5\b St Vincent de Paul Society established in Australia.
\B13\b Dalby (Qld) proclaimed a town.
\B30\b M. C. O'Connell arrives at Gladstone to become Government Resident.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b C. J. La Trobe relinquishes his post as Lt-Governor of Vic. and next day leaves the colony.
\B18\b Horse-drawn railway opened between Goolwa and Port Elliot, SA.
\B21\b \IBrahmin\i\b wrecked on King Is; 15 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B22\b Sir Charles Hotham installed as Governor of Vic.
News received of the outbreak of the Crimean War (28 Mar.), which gives rise to fears of an attack on Australia by the Russian navy.
\B24\b First sales of land at Toowoomba (Qld.)
û Goldfields discovered at Ararat and Maryborough, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b John Davies founds the bi-weekly \IHobarton Mercury\i\b (later the Hobart \IMercury\i\b; daily publication from 1 Jan. \J1860\j).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Adhesive postage stamps first issued in WA.
\B18\b SS \IGreat Britain\i\b arrives at Port Phillip with several cases of smallpox on board. (Fireworks to indicate its discharge from quarantine give false alarm that the Russians have invaded.)
\B25\b Surveyor Robert Austin discovers Mount Magnet during his exploration of the Murchison district, WA.
û First land sales at \JBendigo\j, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Australia's first steam railway, from Flinders Street, Melbourne, to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) opens.
\B13\b Gov. Hotham orders a twice-weekly inspection of miners' licences instead of once a month as before.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B17\b Melbourne \IAge\i\b first published.
Melbourne Exhibition opens (to 12 Dec.).
û \JFrancis Cadell\j in the \ILady Augusta\i\b reaches Howlong on the Murray.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b \JBallarat\j Reform League formed at a meeting of aggrieved miners.
\B29\b At a mass meeting at Bakery Hill, \JBallarat\j, miners burn their licences, fly the Southern Cross flag, and swear to resist any attempt to arrest them.
\B30\b Shots fired during a licence check at \JBallarat\j; Riot Act read; \JPeter Lalor\j appointed leader of the rebellious miners, who begin to build a stockade at the \JEureka\j Lead.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Military and police attack the \JEureka\j Stockade and quickly overcome the miners; five troopers and 35 to 40 miners killed; Lalor, badly wounded, escapes; Raffaello Carboni and 12 others captured; martial law proclaimed (revoked 9th).
\B8\b Carboni and the other captured diggers charged with high treason.
û First land sales at Taree, NSW, a town having been laid out.
* SA and Vic. legislate to raise volunteer defence forces.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
\JEdmund Blacket\j, main building of the University of Sydney (û \Ic\i\b. \J1860\j).
Kirribilli House, Sydney.
Joseph Reed, Melbourne Public Library (now State Library of Vic; opened \J1856\j; domed reading room added \J1909\jû 13; La Trobe wing and long facade, \J1951\jû 61).
Foundation stone of University of Melbourne laid (3 July).
Old Legislative Council Building, Adelaide (û \J1855\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
National Museum, Melbourne, established.
Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science and the Philosophical Society of Victoria founded. (Amalgamated in \J1855\j; become the Royal Society of Vic. in \J1859\j.)
Two masses (3╜ tons and 1╜ tons) of an iron meteorite found near Cranbourne, Vic.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Nicholas Chevalier arrives in Melbourne (25 Dec.).
Irish soprano Catherine Hayes gives concert performances in Sydney, Melbourne, and other centres.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Catherine Helen Spence, \IClara Morison: A Tale of South Australia during the Gold Fever.\i\b
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 241,813; Tas., 64,874; WA, 11,743 (census, 30 Sept.); SA, 92,545; Vic., 283,942 (first census as a separate colony, 26 Apr; 234,298).
Public hangings abolished in Vic.
The crinoline introduced in Australia.
Royal Park, Melbourne, permanently reserved.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 George Musgrove b. (û \J1916\j).
Sep 19 Sir George Arthur d. (70).
Oct 22 Walter Withers b. (û \J1914\j).
\BDescription:\b Arrival of Governor General, Sir Charles Fitzroy to open Museum's first exhibition \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1855",71,"f\9\king0041.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Colonial Sugar Refining Co. founded in Sydney to take over the insolvent Australasian Sugar Co.
\B8\b Sir Henry Fox Young becomes Governor of Tas., replacing Sir William Denison, who succeeds Sir Charles FitzRoy as Governor of NSW and becomes Governor-General of the five colonies (20 Jan.).
û Adhesive postage stamps first issued in SA.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B22\b Trials of the 13 charged with treason at \JEureka\j (to 27 Mar.); all acquitted.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Armed ketch \ISpitfire\i\b (65 tons), first warship built in NSW, launched in Sydney.
\B12\b Sandhurst (\JBendigo\j), Vic., proclaimed a municipality.
\B13\b University of Melbourne, established by act of parliament in Jan. \J1853\j, officially opened. (First permanent buildings opened 30 Oct.)
\B23\b Castlemaine, Vic., proclaimed a municipality.
\B27\b First land sales at Echuca, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Coalminers begin an unsuccessful ten-week strike at the Australian Agricultural Co.'s mines at Newcastle.
Tas. Constitution Act assented to in UK.
\B14\b Branch of the Royal Mint opened in the south wing of the Rum Hospital, Sydney (to coin sovereigns and half-sovereigns).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Sir Richard MacDonnell becomes Governor of SA.
û Chinese Immigration Restriction Act in Vic. imposes a head tax of ú10 on every new arrival and limits the number of Chinese immigrants to one for every ten tons of shipping.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B13\b Site of Shepparton, Vic., surveyed. (First land sales 13 Mar. \J1856\j.)
\B16\b NSW and Vic. constitution bills assented to in UK.
\B18\b A. C. Gregory and party (including Ferdinand von Mueller) leave Sydney by ship for the Victoria River (NT) to search for Leichhardt.
\B23\b A. E. (later Sir Arthur) Kennedy becomes Governor of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Australia's first illustrated popular magazine, \IMelbourne Punch\i\b (shortened to \IPunch\i\b in \J1900\j), begins publication.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B26\b NSW's first railwayùthe first government-owned steam railway in the British Empireùopens between the Sydney station (Redfern) and Parramatta Junction (Granville).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Diocesan schoolùthe origins of Geelong Church of England Grammar Schoolùopens in a private house in Newtown, Vic. (School building officially opened in Geelong on 24 June \J1858\j; moves to Corio in \J1914\j.)
\B2\b G. B. Johnston takes Cadell's river steamer \IAlbury\i\b up the Murray as far as Albury.
\B8\b \IIllawarra Mercury\i\b founded in \JWollongong\j. (Becomes a daily in \J1950\j.)
\B24\b Constitution Act, granting responsible government, proclaimed in Tas.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B23\b Constitution Act proclaimed in Vic.
\B24\b Constitution Act proclaimed in NSW.
\B28\b First Vic. ministry formed; W. C. Haines becomes Premier.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b Warrnambool, Vic., gazetted as a municipality.
\B17\b Portland, Vic., proclaimed a municipality.
\B18\b William Nicholson moves and carries a motion in the Vic. Legislative Council providing for votes by secret ballot in elections.
\B21\b Haines government resigns over ballot motion; Nicholson deputed to form a government but is unable to.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\iGeorge Barney, Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour (û \J1857\j).
Joseph Reed, Geelong Town Hall, foundation stone laid (9 Apr.).
Corio Villa, Geelong, assembled from prefabricated cast-iron parts (û \J1856\j).
Present NSW Legislative Council chamber added to the north wing of the Rum Hospital.
Como, in South Yarra, Melbourne, completed. (Ballroom wing added in \J1874\j.)
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Brisbane Museum (later Queensland Museum) founded.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
S. T. Gill's series of lithographs \IThe Diggers, Diggings of Victoria as They Are in \J1855\j.\i\b
English soprano Anna Bishop (wife of Sir Henry Bishop) arrives in Sydney with harpist Nicholas Bochsa, who dies after giving one concert.
Lola Montez entertains Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide with her "Spider Dance".
Joseph Wyatt's Prince of Wales Theatre opens in Sydney (12 Mar.)
\JGeorge Coppin\j opens the prefabricated Olympic Theatre in Melbourne (June).
John Black's Theatre Royal, Melb., opens (6 July) with \ISchool for Scandal.\i\b
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JEdward Hammond Hargraves\j, \IAustralia and Its Gold Fields.\i\b
John Lang, \IThe Forger's Wife.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
James Kelly and Jonathan Smith fight with bare knuckles for 6 hours at Fiery Creek, near Daylesford Vic. (3 Dec.)ùthe longest fight on record.
Aug 13 William Astley (Price Warung) b. (û \J1911\j).
Oct 5 \JSir Thomas Mitchell\j d. (63).
Dec 31 Sir Charles Hotham d. (49).
\BDescription:\b Sir \JRichard Bourke\j died this year \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1856",72,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Tasmania officially adopted as a name in place of Van Diemen's Land.
\B5\b Melbourne weekly the \ILeader\i\b first published. (Last issue 26 Jan. \J1957\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B11\b Melbourne Public Library opened.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Moore Theological College opened at Liverpool, NSW. (Moves to Sydney in \J1891\j.)
\B11\b Elections held for NSW's first Legislative Assembly (to 19 Apr.).
\B19\b Voting by secret ballot introduced in Australia with Vic.'s passing of the first ballot law.
û Sydney stonemasons achieve the eight-hour working day.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Voting by secret ballot becomes law in SA.
\B19\b SA's first steam railway, from Adelaide to Port Adelaide, opens.
\B21\b Building workers in Melbourne begin working an eight-hour day; large demonstration held by workers not granted the shorter hours.
\B25\b Eight Hours Labour League established in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Victorian Railways established, the government having taken over the privately owned Melbourne, Mt Alexander and Murray River Railway Co.
\B2\b Lismore, NSW, gazetted as a village. (First land sales Apr. \J1858\j.)
\B22\b First representative parliament of NSW assembles.
\B31\b Vic.'s first warship, the steam sloop \IVictoria\i\b, arrives at Port Phillip from Britain.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b NSW's first ministry under responsible government appointed, with Stuart Donaldson as Prime Minister (Premier).
Ebenezer Syme buys the Melbourne \IAge.\i\b (His brother David becomes a partner on 27 Sept., manager and editor on Ebenezer's death in \J1860\j, sole owner in \J1891\j.)
\B8\b Pitcairn Island's entire community of 194 arrive at Norfolk Is. for resettlement. (Some return to Pitcairn in \J1858\j and \J1863\j.)
\B21\b A. C. Gregory and party, having explored the Victoria River, set out to traverse northern Australia from west to east. (Arrive Port Curtis 22 Nov.)
\B24\b Norfolk Is. separates from Tas. and becomes an individual settlement under the NSW Governor's administration.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Belfast (now Port Fairy), Vic., declared a town site.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B26\b Charles Cowper replaces Donaldson as Premier of NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B23\b Perth constituted a city, and a bishopric created.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b H. W. Parker replaces Cowper as Premier of NSW.
\B17\b Election held for Tasmania's first House of Assembly.
\B24\b SA Constitution Act proclaimed; first ministry appointed.
Election held for Vic.'s first Legislative Assembly. (Results gazetted 6 Nov; \JPeter Lalor\j one of those elected.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Tasmania's first ministry under responsible government appointed;
W. T. N. Champ becomes Premier.
\B21\b First Vic. parliament under responsible government meets.
û \IHansard\i\b reporting of parliament begins in Vic. (by the \IArgus\i\b). (Introduced in SA in \J1857\j, Qld in \J1864\j, NSW in \J1879\j, WA in \J1890\j, Commonwealth in \J1901\j, NT in \J1948\j, Tas. in \J1979\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b First Tas. parliament under responsible government opens.
\B26\b Sir Henry Barkly becomes Vic.'s first constitutional Governor.
* Melbourne Trades Hall Committee formed.
* Chinese begin to land in SA and walk overland to Vic. to circumvent immigration regulations.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
J. G. Knight and Peter Kerr, Parliament House, Melbourne (Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council chambers; additions in \J1860\j, \J1879\j, and \J1892\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
South Australian Museum established. (Available to public in \J1862\j.)
\JJames Harrison\j patents an ice-making process employing the evaporation of ether.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
SA Society of Fine Arts founded in Adelaide.
Lola Montez attacks Henry Seekamp, editor of the \I\JBallarat\j Times\i\b, with a horsewhip following an article critical of her (19 Feb.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Bonwick, \IThe Bushrangers\i\b and \IThe Discovery and Settlement of Port Phillip.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First intercolonial cricket match, between NSW and Vic., played in Melbourne (26û 27 Mar.).
Victorian Yacht Club formed (later Royal Yacht Club of Vic.).
SA Jockey Club holds its first meeting (24 Jan.).
A crowd of 10,000, gathered in the Sydney Domain to watch a balloon ascent by Pierre Maigre, riot when the attempt is unsuccessful, and a boy is killed in the crush (15 Dec.).
SA leads the world with the granting of adult male suffrage; constitution also provides for triennial parliaments, no property qualifications for lower house members, and no plural voting.
American cooking stoves become popular in Australia.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 14 J. F. Archibald b. (û \J1919\j).
Feb 26 Phillip Parker King d. (64).
Mar 9 \JTom Roberts\j b. (û \J1931\j).
Aug 3 \JAlfred Deakin\j b. (û \J1919\j).
#
"1857",73,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B11\b First sale of town land at Nowra, NSW.
\B16\b Charles Gavan Duffy obtains the appointment of a Vic. select committee to inquire into federation of the Australian colonies.
û \IBell's Life in Victoria\i\b first published (û \J1868\j).
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B26\b T. G. Gregson replaces William Champ as Premier of Tas.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Hobart lit by gas.
Elections held for SA's first parliament under responsible government. (Opens 22 Apr; B. T. Finniss becomes Premier.)
\B11\b John O'Shanassy replaces W. C. Haines as Premier of Vic.
Supreme Court of Moreton Bay established.
\B26\b Convicts from the prison hulk \ISuccess\i\b attack and kill Inspector-General John Price at Gellibrand Point, near Williamstown, Vic.
\B28\b Maryborough, Vic., proclaimed a municipality.
\B30\b Railway opened between Newcastle and East Maitland.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Brig \ISea Belle\i\b wrecked off Fraser Is; only survivors, a woman and two children, not rescued for two years.
\B25\b W. P. Weston succeeds Gregson as Premier of Tas.
\B29\b W. C. Haines replaces O'Shanassy as Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b F. V. Smith becomes the fourth Tas. Premier in less than a year.
û Chinese driven off the Ararat, Vic., goldfield.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Railway line opened from Williamstown to Geelong.
\B30\b Dutch barque \IKoenig Willem II\i\b wrecked at Guichen Bay, SA, with the loss of 16 lives.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b European miners drive some 2,000 Chinese from the Buckland River goldfield, burning their tents and looting their equipment.
\B15\b National convention meets in Melbourne (to 6 Aug.) to press for the "unlocking" of the land.
\B23\b First sale of town land at Gunnedah, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Sydney Grammar School opens (in the buildings of Sydney College).
\B10\b Melbourne streets lit by gas.
Telegraph line between Hobart and \JLaunceston\j officially opened.
\B20\b \IDunbar\i\b wrecked at the Gap, Sydney, with the loss of 121 lives and only one survivor.
\B21\b John Baker, MLC, forms a ministry in SA after the resignation of the Finniss government.
\B24\b SS \IChampion\i\b collides with SS \ILady Bird\i\b off Cape Otway, Vic., and sinks with a loss of 32 lives.
\B25\b St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, opens in temporary premises.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b R. R. Torrens replaces Baker as Premier of SA.
\B7\b Charles Cowper again becomes Premier of NSW.
\B30\b R. D. Hanson replaces Torrens as Premier of SA.
û W. Masson in the riverboat \IMosquito\i\b reaches Balranald on the Murrumbidgee.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Railway from Adelaide to Gawler completed.
\B24\b Clipper \ICatharine Adamson\i\b wrecked on inner North Head, Sydney Harbour, with a loss of 21 lives.
\B27\b Aborigines murder Martha Fraser, of Hornet Bank station, central Qld, and seven of her children.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b SA imposes a head tax of ú10 on Chinese arrivals.
\B24\b Manhood suffrage granted for Vic. lower house elections.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Fitzroy Dock on Cockatoo Is., Sydney, opens.
\B22\b Hobart incorporated.
\B31\b Melbourne's Yan Yean water supply turned on.
* Cocos Islands proclaimed a British possession.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
J. J. Clark, old Treasury Building, Melbourne (û \J1862\j).
Alexander Dawson, Sydney Observatory (û \J1858\j).
\B26\b First telephone line in NSW opened between Sydney GPO and South Head.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b "Captain" William Dean in his balloon \IAustralasian\i\b makes the first balloon ascent in Australia at Cremorne Gardens, Melbourne.
\B25\b Voting by secret ballot adopted in Tas.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Eight-hour working day granted to some stonemasons in Qld. (Granted to others on 5 Apr.)
B. H. Babbage explores to the west of Lake Torrens, SA (to 29 Aug.).
\B10\b John O'Shanassy becomes Premier of Vic. for the second time.
\B24\b A. C. Gregory and party set out from the Dawson River (Qld) to search for Leichhardt traces.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b Melbourne Church of England Grammar School opens.
\B14\b F. T. Gregory explores and discovers pastoral land in the MurchisonûGascoyneûLyons rivers area, WA (to 22 June).
\B17\b A. C. Gregory reaches the Barcoo River and (21st) finds a tree marked "L".
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b J. M. Stuart and a companion set out to follow up Babbage's expedition into country west of Lake Torrens.
û Australia's first Agent-General in London appointedùG. S. Walters (SA).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b A. C. Gregory passes Kennedy's furthest point on Cooper's Creek and (9th) passes the point from which Sturt returned. (Reaches Adelaide 21 July.)
\B9\b Welcome nugget, weighing 2,217 oz and containing an estimated 2,195 oz of pure gold, found at Bakery Hill, \JBallarat\j.
\B11\b Township of Stawell, Vic., proclaimed.
û Inverell, NSW, approved as a town site. (First land sales Mar. \J1859\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Torrens system of land conveyancing and registration comes into operation in SA (adopted in Qld. in \J1861\j; NSW, Vic., Tas. in \J1862\j; WA in \J1874\j).
\B10\b Two killed in a train derailment at Haslem's Creek (Lidcombe), NSW.
\B12\b \ISouth Australian Advertiser\i\b first published in Adelaide. (Renamed the \IAdvertiser\i\b 3 Mar. \J1899\j.)
\B21\b First intercolonial telegraph line officially opened between Melbourne and Adelaide.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b \JFrancis Cadell\j takes the steamer \IAlbury\i\b up the Murrumbidgee as far as \JGundagai\j.
\B28\b Stuart and his companion reach Streaky Bay in a state of near starvation after travelling more than 1,600 km.
û \INewcastle Chronicle\i\b (later \INewcastle Morning Herald\i\b) first published.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B20\b Ararat, Vic., becomes a municipality.
û Rush begins to Canoona, north of Gladstone, following the discovery of gold in July.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b W. S. Jevons publishes a shocking report on the state of the Rocks area of Sydney ("a social cesspool").
National Bank of Australasia opens.
\B8\b Rockhampton proclaimed a port of entry. (First land sale 17 Nov.)
\B22\b Lying-in Hospital (later Royal Women's Hospital) opens in Melbourne.
\B29\b Sydney linked by telegraph with Melbourne (and thus with Adelaide).
\JLaunceston\j, Tas., incorporated.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B24\b Secret ballot and manhood suffrage granted in NSW for the Legislative Assembly; property qualifications abolished for candidates.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Royal commission on the defence of NSW names Russia as a possible aggressor.
\B13\b Balloonist William Dean makes the first balloon ascent over Sydney.
* Carlton Brewery established in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
William Wardell, St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne (consecrated \J1897\j; spires not completed until \J1939\j).
Leonard Terry, Melbourne Club (û\J1859\j; extended in \J1879\j).
Pyrmont Bridge, Sydney, opened (17 Mar.)
Knight, Kemp, and Kerr, Customs House, Melbourne (modified and completed \J1876\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery etc.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. H. Paling opens a music centre in Wynyard Square, Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Richard Rowe, \IPeter 'Possum's Portfolio.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Football match played between Scotch College and Church of England Grammar in Melbourne (7 Aug.) considered to be the foundation of Australian Rules football.
Melbourne Football Club formed.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 335,990; Tas., 85,484; WA, 14,543; SA, 118,665; Vic., 496,146; total population of the five colonies passes one million.
Diphtheria recorded for the first time in Australia.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 25 John Norton b. (û \J1916\j).
Jan 28 T. W. Edgeworth David b. (û \J1934\j).
Feb 26 Sir Charles FitzRoy d. (61).
Apr 2 Sir Ralph Darling d. (86?).
Jul 4 King O'Malley b.? (û \J1953\j).
Sep 5 Victor Daley b. (û \J1905\j).
Nov 20 Nellie Stewart b. (û \J1931\j).
\BDescription:\b Eight hour day - The anniversary committee, Melbourne \J1858\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1859",75,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B13\b Railway line from Geelong to Williamstown extended to Melbourne (Spencer Street).
û Tariff League of Victoria formed, the first of many such leagues for the promotion of the protection movement.
û \JFrancis Cadell\j takes the paddle-steamer \IAlbury\i\b up the Darling River and reaches Mount Murchison, near Wilcannia (Feb.).
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Corowa, NSW, gazetted as a town site.
\B24\b Paddle-steamer \IGemini\i\b reaches Brewarrina on the Darling.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B25\b Australian naval station established as a separate command of the Royal Navy under Captain William Loring (who takes up his post on 1 July).
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b J. M. Stuart explores central SA (to 3 July), discovering Hergott Springs (Marree) and the Neales River.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u24 Melbourne Trades Hall opened.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B14\b Wentworth, NSW, gazetted as a town. (First land sales in Mar. \J1860\j.)
\B15\b First NSW election under secret ballot. (J. D. Lang elected for West Sydney.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b SS \IAdmella\i\b, en route from Adelaide to Melbourne, strikes a reef near Cape Northumberland and breaks into three; only 24 of the 113 on board saved in rescue attempts made over a week.
\B16\b G. E. Dalrymple and party leave Rockhampton to look for pastoral land to the north. (Discover Bowen and Bogie rivers.)
û Stonemason C. J. Don, considered to be Australia's first "Labour" MP, elected to the Vic. Legislative Assembly (to represent Collingwood) in the colony's first election under manhood suffrage.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B7\b Brisbane proclaimed a municipality.
\B23\b Ship \ISapphire\i\b wrecked near Raine Is., Barrier Reef; all but one of the crew of 18 killed by natives on reaching Hammond Is.
û Submarine cable between Cape Otway, Vic., and Circular Head, Tas., completed. (Breaks down within a few weeks.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Hay, NSW, proclaimed a town. (First land sale 11 Oct.).
\B27\b William Forster replaces Charles Cowper as Premier of NSW.
William Nicholson replaces John O'Shanassy as Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B30\b Traralgon, Vic., proclaimed a township. (First land sale 27 Dec.)
Condobolin, NSW, proclaimed a town. (First land sale 3 Jan. \J1860\j.)
û J. M. Stuart makes another expedition in the vicinity of Lake Eyre.
û Gold found at Kiandra, NSW. (Rush begins in Dec.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B10\b Queensland proclaimed a colony separate from NSW; Sir George Ferguson Bowen becomes Governor; R. G. W. Herbert becomes Premier.
\B17\b Copper discovered on Yorke Peninsula, SA, leading to the opening of the Wallaroo mine.
\B20\b Manhood suffrage and secret ballot granted in Qld.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Government House, Perth (û \J1863\j).
State Public Offices, Melbourne (û \J1876\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Queensland Philosophical Society formed (1 Mar.)
Joseph Hooker's \IIntroductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania\i\b supports Darwin's theory on the mutability of species.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Charles Parker's oratorio \IThe Second Advent\i\b performed in Melbourne.
"Song of Australia" (words by Caroline Carleton, music by Carl Linger) wins the Gawler Institute's national song competition. (First public performance 12 Dec.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
Richard Hengist Horne, \IAustralian Facts and Prospects.\i\b
Henry Kingsley, \IThe Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn.\i\b
John Lang, \IBotany Bay.\i\b
Caroline Leakey, \IThe Broad Arrow.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Tasmanian Jockey Club founded in Hobart.
First meeting held on a primitive Caulfield, Vic., Racecourse.
Chinese on the Vic. goldfields reach a peak of 42,000.
Rabbits released in Vic. by Thomas Austin of Barwon Park, near Geelong, who imported 72 partridges, 5 hares, and 24 wild rabbits on the clipper \ILightning\i\b on 25 Dec.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 19 Ethel Pedley b. (û \J1898\j).
Dec 27 William Lister Lister b. (û \J1943\j).
#
"1860",76,"f\9\king0030.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B6\b Melbourne Trades Hall Committee and Operatives' Board of Trade merge to form the Trades Hall Council.
\B12\b Narrabri, NSW, gazetted as a town site. (First land sales in Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b Volunteer corps formed in Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b J. M. Stuart and two companions leave Chambers Creek, SA, in an attempt to cross the continent from south to north.
\B9\b John Robertson forms his first government in NSW.
\B16\b John Mackay begins an expedition north from Rockhampton during which he discovers the Pioneer River.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Stuart discovers the Finke River and (12th) reaches the MacDonnell Range, which he names.
\B9\b \JLaunceston\j Mechanics' Institute (later Public Library) opens.
\B16\b NSW parliamentary select committee reports on the Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis (large number unemployed; many living in overcrowded and insanitary conditions).
\B22\b Stuart reaches the centre of the Australian continent and next day ascends and names Central Mount Sturt (later changed to Stuart).
\B24\b HMCS \IVictoria\i\b sails from Hobart for NZ with British troops for the war in Taranaki between the Maoris and colonists.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B9\b Thomas Reynolds replaces R. D. Hanson as Premier of SA.
\B22\b First Qld parliament meets. (Officially opened 29th.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Stuart discovers \JTennant Creek\j.
\B25\b Twenty-five camels landed in Melbourne for the use of the \JBurke and Wills\j expedition.
\B26\b Aborigines attack Stuart's party at Attack Creek; Stuart decides to turn back. (Arrives back at Chambers Creek 3 Sept.)
\B1\b J. M. Stuart sets out again from Chambers Creek, SA, to try to cross the continent from south to north. (Returns 23 Sept., having reached as far as Bonney Creek.)
\B10\b Charles Cowper becomes Premier of NSW for the third time.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B11\b \JBurke and Wills\j, with King and Gray, reach the tidal waters of the Flinders River at the Gulf of Carpentaria. (Begin return journey two days later.)
\B25\b G. E. Dalrymple leads an expedition from Rockhampton to found Bowen, Qld. (Town proclaimed 12 Apr.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B22\b Sir John Young becomes Governor of NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B21\b Burke, Wills, and King (Gray having died 17 Apr.) arrive back at Cooper's Creek to find the depot party had left earlier in the day; they decide to make for Mt Hopeless.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B13\b \IMoreton Bay\i\b \ICourier\i\b becomes a daily.
25
F. T. Gregory explores country inland from Nickol Bay, WA (to 17 Oct.), and discovers and names the Ashburton, Fortescue, De Grey, and Oakover rivers and the Hamersley Range.
û Copper discovered at Moonta, on Yorke Peninsula, SA.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Supreme Court established in WA.
\B30\b Miners attack the Chinese tent township at Lambing Flat. (Five leaders arrested next day.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b A. W. Howitt leaves Melbourne to search for \JBurke and Wills\j. (Other relief parties subsequently set out: John McKinlay from Adelaide; William Landsborough from the Gulf of Carpentaria; Frederick Walker from Rockhampton.)
\B8\b Geelong College founded.
\B14\b Miners attack police camp at Lambing Flat in an attempt to release those arrested. (Order restored when military arrive on 31st.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b T. D. Chapman becomes Premier of Tas.
\B13\b Cootamundra, NSW, gazetted as a town site.
\B17\b Coalminers in NSW refuse to accept a 20% wage cut and walk out. (Locked out until 14 Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b First bridge across the Murray River at Albury officially opened.
\B15\b Howitt finds King, alive, and the remains of Wills (18th) and Burke (21st). (McKinlay finds Gray's grave 21 Oct.)
û Rush begins to Forbes, NSW, following discovery of gold in July.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b G. M. Waterhouse becomes Premier of SA.
\B17\b Aborigines massacre 19 whites at Cullin-la-ringo station, near Springsure, Qld.
\B18\b Legislation passed in NSWùRobertson Land Actsùproviding for free selection before survey. (Comes into force 1 Jan. \J1862\j.)
\B26\b Stuart's third transcontinental expedition sets out from Adelaide. (Stuart, ill, does not leave Adelaide to join until 5 Dec.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Brisbane and Sydney linked by telegraph.
\B14\b John O'Shanassy becomes Premier of Vic. for the third time.
\B27\b NSW act restricting Chinese immigration becomes law.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Landsborough discovers the Barkly Tableland.
\B10\b Western boundary of SA extended to coincide with the eastern boundary of WAùi.e., the 129th meridian. (Legislation passed 22 July.)
\B23\b First trams (horse-drawn) run in Sydney, along Pitt Street from Circular Quay to the railway station at Redfern. (Cease in \J1866\j.)
* Pearling begins in WA, at Nickol Bay.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
John \JTebbutt\j discovers \JTebbutt\j's Comet (13 May).
Peppin family of Wanganella station in the Riverina begin a sheep stud that develops the Peppin merino types.
\JEugene Nicolle\j takes out a patent for ice-making by the liquefaction of ammonia.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Museum of Art opens in Melbourne's Public Library.
Irish-American impresario W. S. Lyster brings his opera company to Australia for a seven-year period of opera presentations.
Liedertafel established in Tanunda, SA.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First English cricket team to visit Australia arrives in Melbourne on 23 Dec. Melbourne Cup run for the first time (7 Nov.); won by Archer.
Brisbane Turf Club formed.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population (census, 7 Apr.): Vic: 538,628 (Melbourne: 139,916), NSW: 350,860 (Sydney: 95,789), SA: 126,830, Tas: 89,977, Qld (first official census as separate colony): 30,059.
Acclimatisation Society of Vic. formed to introduce exotic animals, fish, birds, plants, and insects (depot at Royal Park, Melb.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 10 John Longstaff b. (û \J1941\j).
May 19 Helen Porter Mitchell (\JNellie Melba\j) b. (û \J1931\j).
Jun 29? William Wills d. (27).
Jun 30? Robert O'Hara Burke d. (40?).
Jul 9 John Verge d. (79?).
Sep 6 William Lane b. (û \J1917\j).
Dec 29 Hubert Murray b. (û \J1940\j).
\BDescription:\b Anti-Chinese riots on the goldfields \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1862",78,"f\9\king0029.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \I\JBendigo\j Independent\i\b first published (û \J1918\j).
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B21\b Moree, NSW, gazetted as a town site. (First land sale 21 June.)
\B28\b J. S. Hampton becomes Governor of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Police Regulation Act brings organisation and control of all police forces in NSW under one central administration.
\B4\b Sir Dominick Daly becomes Governor of SA.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b George Dill, general manager of the Melbourne \IArgus\i\b, charged with contempt of parliament and held in custody for a month.
\B5\b J. M. Stuart reaches Newcastle Waters (his terminus of \J1861\j) on his final transcontinental expedition.
\B8\b John McKinlay discovers the Diamantina River.
\B10\b Melbourne and \JBallarat\j connected by railway via Geelong.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b McKinlay's party reach tidal waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria (second to make transcontinental crossing), then head east.
\B21\b Landsborough's party arrive at the Warrego, having discovered good pastoral land on their expedition down the Flinders and Thompson.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Bushranger Frank Gardiner and gang hold up the gold escort at Eugowra, NSW, and get away with gold and notes worth ú14,000.
\B16\b Col. Thomas Browne becomes Governor of Tas.
\B18\b Charles Gavan Duffy's Land Act assented to in Vic.
Common Schools Act in Vic. replaces the national and denominational boards with a single Board of Education; state aid to be given only to designated common schools.
\B23\b Qld's western boundary north of SA is extended from 141░E to 138░E.
û Cobb & Co. begin a coaching service in NSW from headquarters in Bathurst.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B24\b Stuart's party reach the sea at Chambers Bay, having crossed the continent from south to north, and two days later begin the return journey to Adelaide. (Arrive back 17 Dec.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
û McKinlay's party reach Port Denison after crossing north Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Roma, Qld, gazetted as a town.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B20\b Railway line from Melbourne reaches Sandhurst (\JBendigo\j).
û Township of Mackay, Qld, founded.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b State aid to religion abolished in NSW.
\B26\b Gold found at Walhalla, Vic.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Zoological Gardens established at Royal Park, Melbourne (Mar.)
Entomological Society of NSW founded (û \J1873\j).
Sugar first made in Qld by John Buhot from cane grown in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Brisbane Philharmonic Society founded.
\JGeorge Coppin\j's Haymarket Theatre opens in Melbourne (15 Sept.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
Roderick Flanagan, \IHistory of New South Wales.\i\b
Charles Harpur, \IA Poet's Home.\i\b
\JHenry Kendall\j, \IPoems and Songs.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First cricket match between English and Australian teams played in Melbourne on New Year's Day.
Australian Yacht Squadron (later Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron) founded.
Archer wins the Melbourne Cup for the second time.
Law of primogeniture abolished in NSW (Vic. in \J1864\j, SA and Qld in \J1867\j, Tas. in \J1874\j, WA in \J1893\j).
NSW Coal Fields Regulation Act provides for a minimum working age of 13 years.
Acclimatisation societies founded in Adelaide (13 May), Brisbane (12 Aug.) and Hobart.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 4 G. E. ("Chinese") Morrison b. (û \J1920\j).
Mar û G. W. L. Marshall-Hall b. (û \J1915\j).
May 16 Edward Gibbon Wakefield d. (66).
Aug 29 \JAndrew Fisher\j b. (û \J1928\j).
Sep 25 William Morris Hughes b. (û \J1952\j).
\BDescription:\b \JFrank Gardiner\j - one of Australia's bushrangers \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1863",79,"f\9\king0007.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b NSW's first Agent-General in London, Edward Hamilton, appointed.
\B18\b Railway line from Sydney reaches Penrith.
\B20\b James Whyte replaces T. D. Chapman as Premier of Tas.
\B21\b Public funeral of \JBurke and Wills\j in Melbourne.
\B25\b James Murrell, sole survivor from \IPeruvian\i\b wreck in \J1846\j, makes contact with Europeans again at the Burdekin River, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
û Macleay River, NSW, floods, causing ten deaths.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B25\b Settlement established at Somerset, on the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula, by John Jardine.
\B26\b Henry Manns, one of the Eugowra gold escort robbers, executed at Darlinghurst Gaol, Sydney.
Intercolonial conference held in Melbourne (to 13 Apr.) to consider uniform tariffs.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
û Walter Padbury pioneers settlement on the De Grey River, WA.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b First public demonstration of electric light in Sydney.
\B22\b Adelaide lit by gas.
\B27\b James McCulloch becomes Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b F. S. Dutton replaces George Waterhouse as Premier of SA (but resigns on 15th, when Henry Ayers, MLC, forms a government).
\B6\b Area later named the Northern Territory (hitherto part of NSW) is annexed to SA.
\B16\b Newington College opened in Sydney. (Moves to Stanmore in \J1880\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b Schooner \IDon Juan\i\b arrives at Brisbane with 67 indentured kanaka labourers recruited by Ross Lewin to work on Robert Towns's plantation on the Logan River.
û NZ government offers free grants of land to volunteers from Australia to fight in the Second Taranaki War. (By the end of the year, 11 ships have sailed from Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart with 1,475 volunteer military settlers.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Sir Charles Darling becomes Governor of Vic.
\B25\b Ipswich Grammar School, first of the government-subsidised secondary schools under Qld's Grammar Schools Act, opens.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B12\b Bushrangers John Gilbert, John O'Meally, \JBen Hall\j, Michael Burke, and John Vane occupy Canowindra, NSW (to 14th).
\B16\b James Martin forms a ministry in NSW following the fall of the CowperûRobertson government.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B12\b SA legislates to sell 500,000 acres (202,500 ha) of land in the NT.
\B19\b John Vane of the Hall gang surrenders to a priest; another member, O'Meally, is shot during a raid by the gang.
* General and serious flooding in south-east Qld during most of the year; floods also in Vic. (Oct., Dec.) and on the Derwent, Tas. (Dec.).
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Benjamin Backhouse, St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane (û \J1874\j).
W. H. Hunter, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart.
E. W. Wright, Adelaide Town Hall (û \J1866\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
School of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology founded at Melbourne University under Prof. G. B. Halford.
Melbourne Observatory established in the Domain park, with R. L. J. Ellery as director (June).
Capt. Louis Hope, "father of Qld's sugar industry", manufactures sugar from his 8 hectares of sugarcane at Ormiston, near Brisbane (Sept.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sydney's Prince of Wales Theatre reopens (13 May).
Charles Kean and Ellen Tree perform in Melbourne and Sydney.
Edward Reeve's declamatory tragedy \IRaymond, Lord of Milan\i\b first performed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Roger Therry, \IReminiscences of Thirty Years' Residence in New South Wales and Victoria.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First intercolonial rowing race held on the Parramatta River, Sydney.
Cartes-de-visiteùphotographic portraits the size of a visiting cardùbecome popular (one photographer claiming to have taken 30,000 negatives in Melbourne during the summer).
Vic. Acclimatisation Society releases 120 sparrows, 42 mynas, and 36 starlings in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens; and the NSW society recommends the planting of blackberries as feed for introduced birds.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 29 Archibald Mosman d. (63).
Jun 12 Bertram Mackennal b. (û \J1931\j).
Sep 4 Arthur W. Jose b. (û \J1934\j).
Oct 16 Daisy May O'Dwyer (\JDaisy Bates\j) b. (û \J1951\j).
\BDescription:\b Gilbert, Hall and Dunn \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1864",80,"e\8\king0038.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B13\b G. E. Dalrymple leads an expedition by sea from Bowen to establish the port of Cardwell, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B25\b Work begins on Qld's first railway line, from Ipswich to Toowoomba.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b NT land offered for sale in London and Adelaide. (Most taken up by speculators.)
\B3\b Bushranger \JFrank Gardiner\j arrested near Rockhampton, Qld. (Convicted on 8 July and sentenced to 32 years' imprisonment.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b \IMoreton Bay Courier\i\b becomes the \IBrisbane Courier.\i\b
\B11\b Fire burns out 14 shops in Queen Street, Brisbane.
\B29\b B. T. Finniss, SA Government Resident for the NT, sails from Adelaide in the \IHenry Ellis\i\b to establish a permanent settlement in the north. (Chooses site at Escape Cliffs, on Adam Bay.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B27\b \ISydney Punch\i\b begins publication.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b SS \IRainbow\i\b wrecked in Seal Rocks Bay, NSW, with the loss of seven lives.
\B24\b Bushranger Daniel ("Mad Dog") Morgan kills Sgt McGinnerty on the Tumbarumba road, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B28\b Adam Lindsay Gordon makes his famous horseback leap over the fence at the edge of Blue Lake, Mt Gambier, SA.
û Settlement established at the Ross River on Cleveland Bay (Qld.) on instructions from Robert Towns. (First called Castletown, later Townsville; first land sale, 31 July.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Arthur Blyth forms a government in SA.
\B21\b Official foundation of the settlement of Somerset, at Port Albany on Cape York.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B19\b Railway line opened between \JBendigo\j and Echuca, bringing the Vic. railways from Melbourne to the NSW border.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne \IArgus\i\b launches the weekly \IAustralasian\i\b (later the \IAustralasian Post\i\b).
\B11\b Frank and Alexander Jardine set out from Carpentaria Downs station, near Rockhampton, to overland 250 head of cattle and 42 horses to Somerset.
\B16\b Stock Exchange of Melbourne formed.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b McCulloch government re-elected in Vic. on a program of reform of the Legislative Council, amendment of the Land Acts, and protection of local industries by tariff reform.
\B16\b \JBen Hall\j and his gang hold up all travellers on the road near Jugiong and rob the mail coach; police sergeant Edmund Barry killed in the gun battle.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Fire sweeps through a large area in central Brisbane bounded by Queen, George, Elizabeth, and Albert streets, destroying 50 buildings.
* General Synod of the Presbyterian Church of NSW formed from the amalgamation of the Synod of Eastern Australia and the Synod of NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
W. H. Hunter, Hobart Town Hall (û \J1866\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Steam cultivator imported by Alfred Joyce of Plaistow, Vic. (May).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Strutt, \IBlack Thursday\i\b (painting begun \J1862\j).
Nicholas Chevalier's \IBuffalo Ranges\i\b wins a ú200 prize offered by the Museum of Art's new gallery (later the \JNational Gallery\j of Vic.).
Brisbane's first permanent playhouse, the Victoria Theatre, opens (26 Jan.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Adam Lindsay Gordon, \IThe Feud.\i\b
Charles Thatcher, \IThatcher's Colonial Minstrel.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Sydney University forms Australia's first Rugby football club.
Melbourne Bowling Club, the oldest existing bowling club in Australia, formed at Windsor.
First trout and salmon hatched at New Norfolk, Tas., from imported ova.
Foxes liberated in Vic. by the Melbourne Hunt Club.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 15 Isaac Nathan d. (73?).
Feb 17 A. B. ("Banjo") Paterson b. (û \J1941\j).
Mar 4 Daniel Mannix b. (û \J1963\j).
Mar 28 William Lonsdale d. (64).
Apr 22 Phil May b. (û \J1903\j).
May 25 John Joseph Therry d. (73?).
Sep 29 Rupert Bunny b. (û \J1947\j).
\BDescription:\b Daniel Morgan - an Australian bushranger \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1865",81,"f\9\king0153.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Brisbane and Rockhampton linked by telegraph.
\i\B11\b Charleville, Qld, gazetted as a town site.
\i\B24\b SS \IStar of Australia\b\i leaves Sydney for Rockhampton and is not heard of again; 17 lives lost.
\i\B25\b Confederate cruiser \IShenandoah\b\i arrives at Melbourne for repairs; US consul demands its seizure as a pirate, but after being slipped at Williamstown it is allowed to leave (18 Feb.).
\i\B26\b Bushrangers \JBen Hall\j, John Gilbert, and John Dunn raid the township of Collector, NSW; Const. Samuel Nelson shot dead by Dunn.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Charles Cowper again becomes Premier of NSW following the defeat of the Martin government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Frank and Alexander Jardine reach Somerset after an overland journey lasting five months.
\i\B22\b F. S. Dutton becomes Premier of SA for a second time.
\i\B28\b Land Act (Grant's Act) assented to in Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Felons' Apprehension Act passed in NSW, allowing bushrangers to be proclaimed outlaws and shot on sight.
\i\B9\b Bushranger Dan Morgan shot dead near Wangaratta, Vic.
\i\B21\b Thirty dissatisfied settlers at Escape Cliffs leave on a supply ship for Singapore. (Six others later sail a small boat to Champion Bay and proceed to Adelaide to make a report.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b \JBen Hall\j shot dead near Forbes. (Gilbert shot dead and Dunn wounded near Binalong eight days later.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B29\b St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, destroyed by fire.
- Wooden bridge over the Brisbane River at Brisbane completed. (Central section collapses in Nov. \J1867\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B25\b Vic. Legislative Council rejects the Appropriation Bill because of the protective tariff bill attached to it.
\i\B31\b Qld's first railway line, between Ipswich and Grandchester, opens.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Protectionists and Free Traders hold separate large meetings in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b \IAustralian Journal\b\i begins publication in Melbourne (-\J1962\j).
\i\B8\b General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church formed in NSW by union of the various synods.
\i\B20\b Henry Ayers replaces Dutton as Premier of SA.
\i\B25\b John McKinlay leaves Adelaide in the barque \IEllen Lewis\b\i to investigate sites for settlement in the NT.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b Townsville, Qld, gazetted as a port of entry and named.
\i\B23\b John Hart replaces Ayers as Premier of SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b B. T. Finniss recalled from Escape Cliffs and replaced by J. T. Manton.
\i\B29\b Brisbane lit by gas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Surveyor-General G. W. Goyder completes his survey to delineate the limits of safe agriculture in SA (Goyder's Line).
\i\B11\b Election held in Vic. following the Legislative Council's refusal to pass the Appropriation Bill; McCulloch government returned.
Bank of Adelaide opens for business.
* Colonial Naval Defence Act provides for the maintenance by the separate colonies of their own naval forces.
* Stamp duties on legal documents imposed in NSW.
* Scots immigrant William Arnott opens a bakery and confectionery in Newcastle, initiating the Arnott's biscuit business.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Charles Tiffin, Parliament House, Brisbane (-\J1867\j; Alice Street wing completed in \J1889\j).
Stow Memorial Congregational Church, Adelaide (-\J1867\j).
Fernberg, Brisbane (purchased in \J1910\j to become Government House).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Charles Summers's \JBurke and Wills\j memorial (bronze casting) unveiled in Melbourne (21 Apr.).
Artist Louis Buvelot arrives in Melbourne and begins work as a photographer.
S. T. Gill's album of lithographs, \IThe Australian Sketchbook,\b\i published.
\BD Books and Writing\b
E. W. Cole opens a bookshop in Melbourne's Eastern Market.
Aug 16 Mary Jean Cameron (Mary Gilmore) b. (-\J1962\j).
Aug 28 A. G. Stephens b. (-\J1933\j).
\BDescription:\b \JBen Hall\j's gang holds up the mail coach at Black Springs \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1866",82,"f\9\king0093.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B11\b SS \ILondon,\b\i en route to Melbourne, founders in the Bay of Biscay; 244 passengers and crew drown, including actor G. V. Brooke.
Wesley College opens in Melbourne.
\i\B22\b James Martin (Premier) and \JHenry Parkes\j form a coalition in NSW.
\i\B26\b Colonial Office rebukes \JGovernor Darling\j of Vic. for permitting financial and constitutional irregularities by the McCulloch government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Arthur Macalister becomes Premier of Qld on the resignation of R. G. W. Herbert.
\i\B3\b Australian sovereigns become legal tender in the UK.
\i\B26\b Gov. Darling recalled for not keeping aloof from personal conflicts. (Leaves Melbourne in May.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b New Vic. Tariff Bill passed by Legislative Assembly but (9th) rejected by Legislative Council; McCulloch resigns. (Recalled 13 Apr.)
\i\B20\b Hugh George, publisher of the Melbourne \IArgus,\b\i called before the bar of Vic. parliament and detained in custody for three weeks because his paper accused McCulloch of lying.
\i\B28\b J. P. Boucaut becomes Premier of SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B17\b Tariff Bill passes through both houses of Vic. parliament; Australia's first protective tariffs become law next day.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B20\b Adelaide Town Hall opened.
- Gold discovered at Crocodile Creek, near Rockhampton.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Brisbane's water supply from Enoggera Creek reservoir turned on.
\i\B10\b News of the failure of the Agra and Masterman Bank, supplier of finance for railway construction in Qld, reaches Brisbane, causing a financial crisis.
\i\B12\b SS \ICawarra\b\i wrecked on Oyster Bank, Newcastle, during a gale; only 1 saved of the 61 aboard.
\i\B18\b Emigrant ship \INetherby\b\i wrecked on King Is., Bass Strait; all 450 aboard saved.
\i\B20\b Macalister resigns as Premier of Qld when Gov. Bowen refuses to sanction the introduction of inconvertible government notes ('greenbacks'); Herbert forms a temporary administration and authorises the issue of Treasury bonds to sustain public works.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Macalister resumes the premiership of Qld on the easing of the bank crisis.
\i\B15\b Sir John Manners-Sutton becomes Governor of Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b 'Bread or blood' riots in Brisbane (to 10th)ùunemployed workers attempt to storm the Government Stores, stone police; ringleaders arrested.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B24\b Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia opens in Melbourne (to 23 Feb. \J1867\j).
John Martin and Otto Peters open a store in Adelaide (later John Martin's Ltd).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B24\b Sir Richard Dry becomes Premier of Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b Gold commissioner J. G. Grenfell killed by bushrangers near Narromine, NSW.
\i\B22\b \JHenry Parkes\j' Public Schools Act of NSW assented to; dual system abolished and Council of Education established to maintain state schools; government aid to Church schools greatly reduced.
* Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison-Woods found the Sisters of St Joseph of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at Penola, SA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
James Barnet, General Post Office, Sydney (opened \J1874\j; clock tower added \J1886\j; clock and bells installed \J1891\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Philosophical Society of NSW becomes the Royal Society of NSW.
Systematic recording of tides begins at Fort Denison, Sydney.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Louis Buvelot, \ISummer Afternoon, Templestowe;\b\i and Eugen von GuΘrard, \IMount Kosciusko Seen from the Victorian Border\b\i (paintings).
Pianist and composer Charles E. Horsley organises a music festival at the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Code of rules adopted for Australian Rules football (drafted by Henry Harrison).
\B11\b Escape Cliffs settlement abandoned. (Inhabitants return to Adelaide.)
- A. B. Weigall becomes headmaster of Sydney Grammar School (to \J1912\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Composite (iron and teak) clipper \ISabraon\b\i (later the training ship \ITingira\b\i) arrives at Sydney on its maiden voyage.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Townsville and Bowen severely damaged by a cyclone (to 3rd).
\i\B4\b Intercolonial conference held in Melbourne (to 20th) to decide on a common policy on postal services; \JHenry Parkes\j makes a speech advocating federation, and the conference calls for the establishment of a Federal Council.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B12\b Railway line between Ipswich and Toowoomba completed.
\i\B27\b Bushrangers John and Thomas Clarke of Araluen, wanted for the murder of four special police constables, are captured in the Jindera Ranges. (Executed 25 June.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Henry Ayers replaces J. P. Boucaut as Premier of SA.
\i\B20\b Ernest Henry finds copper at Cloncurry, Qld, leading to the opening of the Great Australian Copper Mine.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B23\b Hawkesbury River floods; six lives lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b General Post Office in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, officially opened.
\i\B29\b Samuel Bennett's \IEvening News\b\i begins publication in Sydney (to \J1931\j).
- Judge Benjamin Boothby of the SA Supreme Court removed from office.
(Boothby had declared the Constitution Act and all the laws enacted under its provisions to be invalid.)
- Gold discovered at Cape River, north Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B15\b Robert Mackenzie replaces Arthur Macalister as Premier of Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B16\b James Nash reports his discovery of gold on the Mary River, Qld. (A rush follows, leading to the founding of a settlement called Nashville, later renamed Gympie.)
\i\B29\b Newcastle lit by gas.
\i\B30\b Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, arrives at Glenelg, SA, in HMS \IGalatea\b\i to begin a tour of the Australian colonies.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Two constables in charge of a gold escort from Rockhampton to the Clermont goldfield murdered and robbed. (Gold commissioner Thomas Griffin convicted of their murder and hanged on 1 June \J1868\j.)
\i\B27\b A crowd of Irish Catholics storms the Orange Lodge building in Melbourne during the Duke of Edinburgh's visit; shots fired and a youth fatally wounded.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B28\b Qld Constitution Act assented to.
* Rookwood Necropolis established in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Joseph Reed, Collins Street Independent (Uniting) Church, Melbourne (-\J1868\j).
Reed and Barnes, Melbourne Town Hall (opened \J1870\j; Prince Alfred clock-tower added \J1869\j-74; portico, \J1887\j).
E. W. Wright, General Post Office, Adelaide (-\J1872\j).
R. R. Jewell and James Manning, Perth Town Hall (-\J1870\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Dr G. H. Pringle reports his successful use at Parramatta of his friend Joseph
Lister's antiseptic treatment of open wounds (before Lister had published his findings).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Hobart Philharmonic Society founded.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Adam Lindsay Gordon, \ISea Spray and Smoke Drift\b\i and \IAshtaroth.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Prince Alfred Yacht Club founded in Sydney (\IRoyal\b\i added in \J1911\j).
First organised open-field greyhound coursing meeting held, at Naracoorte, SA.
\BDescription:\b The capture of the Clarke Brothers \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1868",84,"e\10\king0085.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Arrival in Brisbane of the \ISyren\i with kanaka labourers, 12 having died on the way and another 12 quarantined, causes a public outcry.
\i\B8\b Earl of Belmore becomes Governor of NSW.
\i\B10\b Last convict transport to Australia, the \IHougoumont,\b\i arrives at Fremantle, WA, with 229 convicts, including Irish revolutionary John Boyle O'Reilly and 56 other Fenians.
\i\B24\b Vic.'s first woollen mill, the Woollen Cloth Manufacturing Co. of Geelong, begins production. (First sale of cloth in May.)
\i\B26\b Clipper \ICity of Melbourne\b\i catches fire and sinks at Williamstown.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B28\b Qld's Crown Lands Alienation Act opens up land for closer settlement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Polynesian Labourers Act passed in Qld to control the recruiting (black-birding) of kanakas for labour in Qld.
\i\B5\b \JLucy Osburn\j, with five other trained nurses selected by Florence Nightingale, arrives in Sydney to become superintendent of Sydney Hospital and begin the training of nurses.
\i\B12\b Prince Alfred shot and wounded at Clontarf, Sydney, in an assassination attempt by an Irish Australian, H. J. O'Farrell (subsequently tried, sentenced to death, and hanged).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B16\b Railway to Dalby, Qld, opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Railway over the \JBlue Mountains\j, NSW, reaches Mount Victoria.
\i\B6\b Charles Sladen forms a ministry in Vic. following the resignation of James McCulloch because of a deadlock with the upper house over a grant to Gov. Darling.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b McCulloch resumes the premiership of Vic. following the defeat of the Sladen government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Qld's Parliament House officially opened.
\i\B14\b Col. Samuel Blackall becomes Governor of Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b \JHenry Parkes\j resigns as NSW Colonial Secretary in protest at the dismissal of the Collector of Customs.
\i\B24\b John Hart becomes Premier of SA for the second time but is replaced after 19 days by Henry Ayers (his fourth ministry).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B27\b John Robertson forms a ministry in NSW with William Forster's support.
- Gold discovered at Ravenswood, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b H. B. T. Strangways becomes Premier of SA after a succession of unstable ministries.
\i\B19\b Four members of the Christian Brothers Catholic teaching order arrive in Melbourne to found the order in Australia.
\i\B25\b Charles Lilley becomes Premier of Qld following the resignation of Robert Mackenzie.
\i\B30\b Sydney's St Andrew's Anglican cathedral consecrated and opened.
- Sydney retailer Gowings begins operations.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Vic.'s first Agent-General, G. F. Verdon, takes up his appointment in
London.
\i\B28\b G. W. Goyder, Surveyor-General of SA, leaves Adelaide in the \IMoonta\b\i to found a new settlement in the NT.
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
Reed and Barnes, Rippon Lea, Elsternwick, Melbourne (additions completed \J1887\j).
William Wardell, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney (dedicated \J1882\j; extensions built 191\b\i 3\b\i -28).
St David's Cathedral, Hobart (consecrated \J1874\j; tower completed \J1936\j).
St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
J. A. B. Higham patents the first machine for shearing sheep.
Maria Smith of Eastwood, Sydney, propagates the \JGranny Smith\j apple.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
New Theatre Royal opens in Adelaide (Apr. 15).
\BD Books and Writing\b\i\B
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Team of Aboriginal cricketers from the Western District of Vic., the first Australian cricket team to make an overseas tour, play matches in England.
Glencoe wins the Melbourne Cup.
W. C. Kernot (later Professor of Engineering at Melbourne University) builds a velocipede ('boneshaker' bicycle), which he rides round Melbourne.
Total number of British convicts sent to Australia during the period of transportation (\J1788\j-\J1868\j): 160,500 (including 24,700 women).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 10 Charles Harpur d. (55).
Jun 11 A. E. (Bert) Bailey b. (-\J1953\j).
Jul 21 William Bland d. (78).
Jul 28 Randolph Bedford b. (-\J1941\j).
Oct 24 \JCharles Conder\j b. (-\J1909\j).
Oct 28 Anthony Fenn Kemp d. (95?).
Nov 14 Arthur Hoey Davis (Steele Rudd) b. (-\J1935\j).
\BDescription:\b \JHenry Parkes\j "Father of Federation" resigns as Col. Sec. \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1869",85,"f\9\king0048.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Melbourne \IHerald\b\i changes to evening daily publication.
\i\B9\b Clipper \IThermopylae\b\i arrives at Port Phillip on its maiden voyage from London in the never-beaten time of 60 days (pilot to pilot).
\i\B15\b Charles du Cane becomes Governor of Tas.
\i\B18\b Prince Alfred College opened in Adelaide. (Main building inaugurated 22 June.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Brisbane Grammar School officially opened.
\i\B5\b G. W. Goyder arrives at Port Darwin to survey the area for the town of Palmerston (renamed Darwin in \J1911\j).
Welcome Stranger nugget (2,520 oz) found near Dunolly, Vic.
\i\B16\b Sir James Fergusson becomes Governor of SA.
\i\B18\b Transported Fenian J. B. O'Reilly escapes from Fremantle in the American whaler \IGazelle.\b\i (Subsequently taken to the United States.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b William Lanney (Lanny or LannΘ), alias King Billy, the last surviving full-blood male Tasmanian Aboriginal, dies.
- Richard Daintree finds gold on the Gilbert River, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b \JJohn Forrest\j leaves Perth to explore inland and search for Leichhardt's remains. (Discovers Lake Barlee and Mts Leonora, Malcolm, Margaret, Flora, and Weld; returns to Perth 6 Aug.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Tas. connected with the mainland by a permanent telegraphic cable from Low Head, at the mouth of the Tamar, to the Mornington Peninsula, Vic.
\i\B3\b Agricultural Society of NSW holds its first show in Sydney (at Prince Alfred Park, to 6 May).
\i\B8\b '\JCaptain Moonlite\j' (Andrew Scott, an Anglican lay reader) holds up the bank at Mt Egerton, Vic.
\i\B27\b Railway from Sydney to Goulburn opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B21\b Telegraph line from Perth to Fremantle inaugurated. (Privately erected; taken over by government in \J1871\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b J. M. Wilson becomes Premier of Tas. following the death of Sir Richard Dry on 1 Aug.
\i\B20\b National Mutual Life Association of Australasia opens in Melbourne.
- Eight Hour Extension Committee formed in Sydney. (Merges into NSW Trades and Labor Council in \J1871\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Melbourne \IHerald\b\i launches the \IWeekly Times.
\i\B20\b J. A. MacPherson replaces James McCulloch as Premier of Vic.
\i\B30\b Official opening of the Sydney Free Public Library (formerly the Australian Subscription Library; taken over by the NSW government). Frederick A. Weld becomes Governor of WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b Railway line over the \JBlue Mountains\j reaches Bowenfels; includes the Lithgow Zigzag (abandoned in \J1910\j when deviation with tunnels opened).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b Opening of the Suez Canal speeds up travel between Australia and England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B29\b Public Library, Museum, and \JNational Gallery\j of Vic. incorporated by act of parliament.
* Copper discovered at Cobar, NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
James Barnet, Mortuary Station, Sydney.
William Butterfield, St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide (-\J1904\j).
Charles Webb, Royal Arcade, Melbourne (-\J1870\j; Elizabeth St annexe added \J1889\j).
J. H. Wilson, Sydney Town Hall (-\J1880\j; clock tower completed \J1881\j; large hall built \J1883\j-89).
Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (-\J1870\j).
Royal Mint (now Civil Marriage Registry), Melbourne (-\J1872\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Louis Buvelot, \IWaterpool at Coleraine\b\i (painting).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JHenry Kendall\j, \ILeaves from Australian Forests.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First bicycle race held by the 'Boneshaker Club' on Melbourne Cricket Ground (10 July).
Professional runner Matt Higgins beats Tom Cusack in a series of races in Wangaratta for the Australian championship.
South Australian Yacht Club formed (later Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron).
\B8\b \IAustralian Town and Country Journal\b\i established in Sydney by Samuel Bennett. (Ceases publication in \J1919\j.)
\i\B13\b Charles Cowper replaces John Robertson as Premier of NSW.
\i\B30\b Townsville-Bowen area severely damaged by cyclone; several ships wrecked. (Hit by another cyclone on 20 Feb; many buildings demolished.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B30\b \JJohn Forrest\j leads an expedition overland from Perth to Adelaide (to 27 Aug.).
- Harry Redford and four associates overland about a thousand head of cattle (stolen from Bowen Downs station, central Qld) 2,400 km to SA, pioneering the \JStrzelecki\j Track.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b James McCulloch replaces J. A. MacPherson as Premier of Vic.
\B3\b Arthur Palmer becomes Premier of Qld following the resignation of Charles Lilley.
\i\B25\b '\JCaptain Thunderbolt\j' (Frederick Ward) shot dead near Uralla, NSW, by Constable A. B. Walker.
\i\B30\b John Hart becomes Premier of SA for the third time, replacing H. B. T. Strangways.
Perth Town Hall opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b New constitution adopted in WA providing for a Legislative Council of 18 (12 elected on a property franchise, 6 nominated).
\i\B17\b British and Australian Telegraph Co. agrees to lay a cable from Java to Darwin on condition that a line is completed between Port Augusta and Darwin by 1 Jan. \J1872\j.
\i\B20\b Intercolonial conference in Melbourne (to 5 July) brings out differences between protectionists (mainly Vic.) and free traders.
\i\B21\b Legislation passed in Vic. abolishing state aid to religion (to be phased out over five years).
\i\B25\b Ship \IHarlech Castle\b\i leaves Melbourne for Newcastle and is not heard of again; 23 lives lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Melbourne Town Hall opened.
\i\B30\b Intercolonial Exhibition opens in the Exhibition Building in Prince Alfred Park, Sydney (to 30 Sept.).
\i\B31\b Charles Gavan Duffy secures the appointment of a royal commission to consider federation. (Reports 30 Oct.)
- All British troops withdrawn from Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b \JBallarat\j proclaimed a city.
\i\B15\b Construction begins on the Overland Telegraph Line, superintended by Charles Todd.
- Children's Hospital opens in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b \JHenry Parkes\j resigns from NSW parliament because of insolvency.
\i\B26\b \JBallarat\j School of Mines officially opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b WA's first elected Legislative Council meets for the first time.
\i\B16\b James Martin forms a coalition ministry in NSW with Robertson.
\i\B29\b Legislation passed in Vic. providing for the payment (ú300 a year) of MPs for a trial period. (Extended in \J1874\j; made permanent in \J1886\j).
* Tooheys Brewery established in Sydney.
* Serious and severe floods occur in all states during the year.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Exhibition Building, Prince Alfred Park, Sydney (demolished \J1954\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Industrial and Technological Museum (now Museum of Applied Science) opens in Melbourne (8 Sept.).
Discovery of the Qld lungfish by William Forster reported by J. L. G. Krefft in a letter to the \ISydney Morning Herald\b\i (18 Jan.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Victorian Academy of Arts founded (10 Jan.), and art classes begin at Melbourne's Public Library and Museum (later the \JNational Gallery\j School).
W. S. Lyster's second opera company gives its first performance in Melbourne (5 Feb.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Adam Lindsay Gordon, \IBush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes.\i
\JMarcus Clarke\j's \I[For the Term of] His Natural Life\i begins serialisation in the \IAustralian Journal\i (-\J1872\j).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First Australian Rules premiership competition held in Vic. (Won by Melbourne club.)
Free education introduced in Qld, the first of the Australian colonies to adopt this principle.
Vic. becomes the first Australian colony to allow married women to own personal property (SA in \J1884\j, Tas. in \J1885\j, Qld in \J1890\j, WA in \J1891\j, NSW in \J1893\j).
The word \Ilarrikin\b\i first appears in print.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 3 Ethel Richardson (Henry Handel Richardson) b. (-\J1946\j).
Jan 24 Ethel Turner b. (-\J1958\j).
Apr 18 William Dixson b. (-\J1952\j).
Jun 5 Jeannie Taylor (Mrs Aeneas Gunn) b. (-\J1961\j).
Jun 24 Adam Lindsay Gordon d. (36).
Oct 2 Florence Young b. (-\J1920\j).
Nov 1 Christopher Brennan b. (-\J1932\j).
Dec 16 Alfred Hill b. (-\J1960\j).
\BDescription:\b Interior of George Street Markets, Sydney \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1871",87,"f\9\r4912.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b 'Precious' nugget (1,621 oz) found near Dunolly, Vic., by Ah Chang.
\i\B8\b Railway reaches Warwick, Qld, from Toowoomba.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b First steam railway in Tas., from Deloraine to \JLaunceston\j, completed by a private company. (Taken over by the government on 31 Oct. \J1873\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b \JAlice Springs\j discovered by survey party for the Overland Telegraph Line.
- WA's first railway (horse-drawn until Aug.), from Lockville (Busselton) to Yoganup, opened by a private timber company.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b Vic.'s 2,108-ton iron-clad turret ship-of-war \ICerberus\b\i arrives at Port Phillip from England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b Australian Natives' Association (originally called the Victorian Natives' Society) founded in Melbourne.
Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, opens.
\i\B10\b Act passed in NSW enabling the raising of a permanent military force.
\i\B11\b Tichborne estates trial begins in London. (Arthur Orton, a butcher from Wagga, claims to be the missing heir Roger Tichborne.)
\i\B25\b NSW Trades and Labor Council holds its first meeting.
- Sydney Stock Exchange founded.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b Charles Gavan Duffy replaces James McCulloch as Premier of Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B21\b \JBendigo\j (then called Sandhurst) proclaimed a city.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Elementary Education Act passed in WA.
\i\B12\b Marquis of Normanby becomes Governor of Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b Brig \ICarl,\b\i on a blackbirding voyage, kidnaps 85 Solomon Islanders, 60 to 70 of whom are shot and thrown overboard after an escape attempt. (Nine crew members subsequently charged with murder; two convicted but serve only a short prison sentence.)
\i\B22\b Haymarket Theatre, Melbourne, destroyed by fire.
\i\B24\b Mary MacKillop excommunicated from the Catholic Church for protesting against a directive to break up the nuns in her order. (Absolved in Feb. \J1872\j.)
- Russian scientist and explorer Nikolai Mikluho-Maclay begins a fifteen-month study of the 'Maclay coast', east from Astrolabe Bay, New Guinea.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B15\b Germans in SA hold a peace festival at Tanunda to celebrate the German victory in the Franco-Prussian War.
- Government Savings Bank of NSW begins operations, through post offices.
\i\B10\b Arthur Blyth forms a ministry in SA following the defeat of the Hart government.
- National (later Royal) Agricultural Society of Vic. holds its first show in Melbourne (at a site on St Kilda Road).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b One of the world's richest tin deposits discovered by James ('Philosopher') Smith at Mt Bischoff, Tas.
\i\B25\b Goldfield discovered at Charters Tors (Towers), Qld, by Hugh Mosman and others. (Rush begins in Feb. \J1872\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
William Wardell, Government House, Melbourne (-\J1876\j).
General Post Office, Brisbane (-\J1872\j; central tower and southern wing added\b\i \J1877\j-79).
Institute of Architects founded in Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Queensland Museum opens in Brisbane.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
NSW Academy of Art constituted in Sydney (25 Apr.)ùpresident, T. S. Mort; instructors, Giulio Anivitti and Achille Simonetti.
Italian opera company of Cagli and Pompei presents a season of operas in Australia.
Harry Rickards makes his first Australian stage appearance in Melbourne (9 Dec.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
James Brunton Stephens, \IConvict Once\b\i (long narrative poem).
Anthony Trollope arrives in Melbourne (27 July) to begin a year's visit to Australia.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Larry Foley and Sandy Ross fight a 71-round bare-knuckle match lasting 2 hours 40 minutes; declared a draw. (Foley beats Ross in a return bout.)
The Pearl wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population (censuses 2 Apr. and 1 Sept. [Qld]):
Vic: 730,198 (Melb., 206,780).
NSW: 502,998 (Syd., 137,586).
SA: 185,626 (includes NT).
Qld: 120,104.
Qld produces 3,494,000 kg of cotton.
SA becomes the first colony to allow a man to marry his deceased wife's sister (Vic., \J1872\j; Tas., \J1873\j; NSW, \J1875\j; WA and Qld, \J1877\j).
RSPCA established in Melbourne.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 19 Sir William Denison d. (66).
Jan 24 Oscar Asche b. (-\J1936\j).
Apr 3 \JJohn Wren\j b. (-\J1953\j).
Jul 23 Albert Griffiths ('Young Griffo') b. (-\J1927\j).
Aug 4 W. A. Holman b. (-\J1934\j).
Aug 20 \JSydney Long\j b. (-\J1955\j).
Sep 2 James Duhig b. (-\J1965\j).
Oct 12 Louis Stone b. (-\J1935\j).
Dec 25 Helena Rubinstein b. (-\J1965\j).
\BDescription:\b Church Street, Parramatta \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1872",88,"f\4\r1218.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B6\b Prince of Wales Theatre, Sydney, burnt down for the second time.
\i\B12\b Tin discovered at Tenterfield, NSW.
\i\B22\b Sir Henry Ayers forms a new ministry in SA following the defeat of the Blyth government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B26\b Brig \IMaria,\b\i en route to New Guinea with 70 prospectors, runs onto a reef near Cardwell, north Qld; 21 drown and 14 are killed by Aborigines.
(Survivors, including \JLawrence Hargrave\j, rescued by John Moresby in HMS \IBasilisk.\b\i)
Four members of the Marist Brothers Catholic teaching order arrive in Sydney. (Open St Patrick's School 8 Apr.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Tin discovered at Stanthorpe, Qld. (Town site proclaimed 26 May.)
\i\B20\b Theatre Royal, Melbourne, gutted by fire.
Cyclone destroys every building in Roebourne, WA.
- Ralph Milner completes a journey from Port Augusta to the NT with a thousand sheep, the first stock overlanded from SA to NT.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b General Post Office in King William Street, Adelaide, officially opened.
\i\B14\b \JHenry Parkes\j, re-elected to NSW parliament in Feb. as member for East Sydney, forms his first ministry.
\i\B30\b Thursday Is. and other islands in Torres Strait within 60 miles (97 km) of the mainland are annexed to Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Sir Hercules Robinson becomes Governor of NSW.
Queensland National Bank begins business in Brisbane.
\i\B7\b Women at Clunes, Vic., attack Chinese miners and drive them out of town.
\i\B10\b J. G. Francis replaces Charles Gavan Duffy as Premier of Vic.
\i\B12\b Branch of the Royal Mint opens in Melbourne. (Ceases printing sovereigns in \J1931\j, other coins in \J1968\j.)
\i\B26\b William Hann leads an expedition into Cape York Peninsula (to 12 Nov.) and discovers the Palmer and Normanby rivers and gold on the Palmer.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B24\b A. G. Scott ('\JCaptain Moonlite\j') tried in \JBallarat\j for the Egerton bank robbery and sentenced to eleven years' gaol.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b \JErnest Giles\j leaves Charlotte Waters, NT, to try to cross to the Indian Ocean. (Turns back at Lake Amadeus after discovering Mount Zeil, the highest mountain in the NT, and sighting \JAyers Rock\j in the distance.)
\i\B22\b Overland Telephone Line completed. (First direct messages from London to Adelaide not received till 22 Oct., after the broken Java-Darwin cable restored.)
First land sales at Bundaberg, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Brisbane \ITelegraph\b\i first published.
\i\B3\b General Synod of the Church of England in Australia initiated.
\i\B19\b \JHoltermann\j Nugget, the largest mass of gold ever found, discovered at Hill End, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b F. M. Innes replaces J. M. Wilson as Premier of Tas.
\i\B9\b Paddle-steamer \IProvidence\b\i explodes soon after leaving Menindee, on the Darling River; all five crew die; two passengers saved.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b HMS \IBeagle\b\i and HMS \ISandfly,\b\i the first of five armed schooners built in Sydney for the NSW navy, are commissioned for anti-blackbirding duties in the Pacific.
\i\B17\b Vic. Education Act assented to. (Comes into force on 1 Jan. \J1873\j.)
\i\B18\b First recorded discovery of opals, at Listowel Downs, near Adavale, Qld.
***
\i\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
F. Y. Wolseley evolves a working model of a sheep-shearing machine.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Theatre Royal, Melbourne, rebuilt immediately after being destroyed by fire, opens on 6 Nov.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First sheepdog trial held at Forbes, NSW; won by a collie named Kelpie (origin of the name of the breed).
The Quack wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 534,194; Tas., 103,034; WA, 25,856; SA, 191,828;
Vic., 759,428; Qld, 128,507.
Victoria becomes the first of the colonies to establish a free, compulsory, and secular primary education system under government control (followed by SA and Qld in \J1875\j, NSW in \J1880\j, Tas. in \J1885\j, WA in \J1895\j).
Kings Park, Perth, dedicated for public use.
Cattle tick introduced into northern Australia with cattle shipped from Java.
\B1\b Five Newcastle coalmining companies form 'the vend' to present a common front to the miners' union, to fix a minimum price for coal, and to divide up the market.
\i\B29\b Fire in George Street, Sydney, destroys nine buildings.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Coalminers in NSW gain a reduction of working hours from 12 to 10╜ a day after a six-week strike.
\i\B20\b Capt. John Moresby in HMS \IBasilisk\b\i discovers and names Port Moresby.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Sir George Ferguson Bowen becomes Administrator of Vic. (Appointed Governor 30 July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b P. E. Warburton leads an expedition from \JAlice Springs\j westward in search of new pastoral areas.
\i\B21\b W. C. Gosse sets out from the Overland Telephone Line near Central Mount Stuart in an attempt to reach Perth.
\i\B22\b Arthur Orton (the Tichborne Claimant) tried for perjury in London.
(Sentenced to 14 years' gaol on 28 Feb \J1874\j; released in Oct. \J1884\j.)
- \IAustralasian Sketcher\b\i begins publication in Melbourne (to \J1889\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B26\b Legislation passed in Britain allowing Australian colonies to impose preferential and differential duties on colonial goods.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Sir Anthony Musgrave becomes Governor of SA.
\i\B18\b Warburton reaches Waterloo Wells, where he is pinned down through lack of water.
- Street lighting (oil) installed in Perth.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B19\b Gosse discovers and names \JAyers Rock\j and the Musgrave Ranges.
\i\B22\b Arthur Blyth becomes Premier of SA for the third time, following the resignation of Henry Ayers.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b \JErnest Giles\j sets out from the junction of the Alberga and Stevenson rivers, SA, to cross the continent to the west.
Alfred Kennerley replaces F. M. Innes as Premier of Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Eight-hour day granted in SA to building trades, the government's public works force, and certain other workers.
\i\B3\b J. V. Mulligan announces his discovery of gold on the Palmer River, north Qld, which begins a dramatic gold rush.
\i\B17\b Gosse reaches the Townsend Range, WA, and turns back. (Returns to Overland Telegraph Line 16 Dec.)
\i\B29\b G. E. Dalrymple leads an expedition by sea from Cardwell to explore the north coast of Qld to the Endeavour River.
\i\B30\b Warburton reaches Joanna Springs and decides to head for the Oakover River.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b Giles reaches his most westerly depot (some 100 km further than Gosse had gone), then returns to Fort Mueller.
\i\B24\b Dalrymple reaches the Endeavour River and (26th) selects a site for a settlement (later named Cooktown). (Returns to Cardwell 22 Dec.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b NT's first newspaper, the \INorth Australian,\b\i begins publication in Palmerston (Darwin) (to \J1909\j).
\i\B11\b Vic. passes Australia's first Factory Act, regulating employment of females in workrooms and factories.
\i\B19\b Railway line from Melbourne reaches \JWodonga\j on the NSW border.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Striking miners and their supporters at Clunes goldfield drive off Chinese strike-breakers and their police escort.
\i\B20\b Mail-steamer service begins between Sydney and San Francisco.
\i\B29\b Warburton's party, at the Oakover River, are saved by the return of one of his men (sent ahead earlier) with help and relief.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Joseph Reed, Scots Church, Melbourne (-\J1874\j).
Bridge at Murray Bridge, SA (-\J1879\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JJames Harrison\j invents a new process for freezing carcasses for export.
T. S. Mort erects a freezing works at Darling Harbour (Sydney) and Lithgow, and refrigeration begins on a commercial scale.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Anthony Trollope, \IAustralia and New Zealand.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Don Juan wins the Melbourne Cup.
Adelaide Cricket Ground formally opened (13 Dec.).
English cricket team led by W. G. Grace begins its Australian tour with a match against a Victorian XIII in Melbourne (26 Dec.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population: NSW, 552,836; Tas., 104,311; WA, 25,952; SA, 197,685;
Vic., 773,808; Qld, 139,928.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 29 David Jones d. (80).
Apr 11 Robert Towns d. (78).
Apr 19 \JHamilton Hume\j d. (75).
Sep 13 George W. Lambert b. (-\J1930\j).
Oct 6 Sir Paul de \JStrzelecki\j d. (76).
Dec 11 John West d. (64).
\BDescription:\b Queensland goldfields with thousands of Chinese \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1874",90,"f\9\rsmh44.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Arthur Macalister becomes Premier of Qld for the third time, following the defeat of the Palmer government.
\i\B16\b \JErnest Giles\j and party move north from Fort Mueller and (21st) reach the Rawlinson Range.
\i\B26\b P. E. Warburton's expedition reaches Roebourne and then proceeds in easy stages to Fremantle (arr. 25 Mar.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Act passed in NSW reducing the term of the Legislative Assembly from five years to three years.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Giles discovers and (12th) names the Petermann Range.
\i\B27\b Henri Rochefort and five other French political prisoners arrive at Newcastle after escaping from New Caledonia in an Australian vessel. (Proceed to California 11 Apr.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b \JJohn Forrest\j leads an expedition from Geraldton, WA, across the Gibson Desert to the Peake telegraph station, SA (to 30 Sept.).
\i\B2\b Mine workers at Moonta and Wallaroo, SA, strike (to 15th) over a reduction in wages, which leads to the formation of the United Tradesmen's Society, later the Labor League of SA.
\i\B23\b Alfred Gibson, one of Giles's party, disappears in the desert that bears his name. (Giles turns back 21 May; reaches Charlotte Waters 13 July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B23\b Iron sailing ship \IBritish Admiral\b\i wrecked on King Is., Bass Strait, with the loss of 79 lives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Brisbane's first Victoria Bridge officially opened. (Carried away by floods in \J1893\j.)
- Amalgamated Miners' Association of Vic. formed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B20\b Bushranger \JFrank Gardiner\j released from gaol (having served ten years) on condition that he leave Australia. (Sails for China on 27 July and subsequently settles in San Francisco.)
\i\B31\b G. B. Kerferd becomes Premier of Vic. on the retirement of J. G. Francis.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b General Post Office in Martin Place, Sydney, opened.
\i\B28\b Victorian Humane Society (later the Royal Humane Society of Australasia) formed in Melbourne following the wreck of the pilot schooner \IRip\b\i with the loss of several lives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b NSW Governor Sir Hercules Robinson formally accepts sovereignty of the Fiji Islands on behalf of Britain and becomes temporary Governor of Fiji.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b University of Adelaide established by act of parliament. (Officially inaugurated 25 Apr. \J1876\j; Letters Patent not granted until 22 Mar. \J1881\j.)
- Rev. W. G. Lawes of the London Missionary Society establishes a mission at Port Moresby.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B16\b NSW Trades and Labor Council representative Angus Cameron elected to parliament as member for East Sydney (paid ú3 a week by TLC).
\i\B23\b Fire destroys 45 houses in Windsor, NSW.
* Swan Brewery established in Perth.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
A. L. Smith and A. E. Johnson, Law Courts, Melbourne (-\J1884\j).
Central Government Offices complex, Perth, WA (-\J1896\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Transit of Venus observed in NSW by expeditions dispatched by H. C. Russell, director of Sydney Observatory, and in Vic. and SA.
Linnean Society of NSW formed in Sydney (30 Oct.) with W. J. Macleay as president.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
J. C. Williamson and his wife, Maggie Moore, tour Australia in the play \IStruck Oil\b\i (opens at Melbourne Theatre Royal 1 Aug.).
French tightrope walker Charles Blondin cooks and eats an omelette on a tightrope in Sydney Domain (29 Aug.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JMarcus Clarke\j's [\IFor the Term o\If\I] His Natural Life\b\i appears in book form.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Southern Rugby Union established. (Renamed the NSW Rugby Union in \J1892\j.)
Joe Smith and Jack Biggs compete in a tree-felling match at Sprent, near Ulverstone, Tas. (apparently the beginning of the sport), although it has been disputed that this was in 1870.
Haricot wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 1,849,392 (NSW, 573,979; Tas., 104,261; WA, 26,455; SA, 204,246; Vic., 786,108; Qld, 154,343).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 1 Alexander Harris d. (68).
Mar 2 Gregan \JMcMahon\j b. (-\J1941\j).
Mar 3 Ada Crossley b. (-\J1929\j).
May 17 Sir Roger Therry d. (74).
Sep 17 Walter Murdoch b. (-\J1970\j).
Oct 17 Lionel Lindsay b. (-\J1961\j).
\BDescription:\b The General Post Office, George Street, Sydney \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1875",91,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B11\b Sir William Robinson arrives in Fremantle to become Governor of WA.
(With him as valet is Henri Grin, later to become notorious as the hoaxer Louis de Rougement.)
\i\B13\b Sir Frederick Weld becomes Governor of Tas.
\i\B23\b W. W. Cairns becomes Governor of Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b John Robertson replaces \JHenry Parkes\j as Premier of NSW.
\i\B24\b SS \IGothenburg\b\i wrecked on the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j near Flinders Passage with the loss of 102 lives; 27 survivors.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Narcisse Pellatier, survivor of the French ship \ISt Paul\b\i (wrecked in \J1858\j), is rescued by the schooner \IJohn Bell\b\i on Cape York Peninsula.
\i\B17\b J. V. Mulligan leads an expedition from Cooktown, Qld, and discovers the Barron River (24 May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b \JErnest Giles\j leads an overland expedition from Beltana, in SA, to Perth (to 10 Nov.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b SA Premier Arthur Blyth resigns and is replaced by J. P. Boucaut.
\i\B14\b Railway from Ipswich to Brisbane completed (but rail bridge over Brisbane River at Indooroopilly not opened till 5 July \J1876\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Graham Berry replaces G. B. Kerferd as Premier of Vic.
- Fire at Cooktown, Qld, destroys eight stores.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b First Australian postcards issued in Sydney (12,000 issued on first day).
\i\B9\b Adelaide Steamship Co. founded in Adelaide.
\i\B20\b Sir James McCulloch displaces Graham Berry to become Premier of Vic. for the fourth time.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Ten thousand Protestants and Orangemen march in Sydney on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Protestant Hall.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B16\b Eskbank Ironworks begins operating in Lithgow, NSW.
\i\B24\b Cyclone destroys a pearling fleet in the Exmouth Gulf, WA; 59 lives lost.
* Widespread flooding in NSW (Mar., May-Sept.), Qld (Feb.-Apr., July), SA (May), and Tas. (June, Aug., Sept., Dec.).
* Tin discovered at Herberton, Qld.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Horbury Hunt, St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale, NSW.
E. J. Woods, Education Department Building, Adelaide.
Titles Office, Melbourne (-\J1877\j; extensions and alterations carried out \J1885\j-90 and \J1931\j).
St Barnabas' Church, Norfolk Is. (-\J1880\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
W. J. Macleay, in the barque \IChevert,\b\i obtains a valuable collection of zoological specimens from Torres Strait and New Guinea.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Art gallery established in Sydney by the NSW government (beginnings of the Art Gallery of NSW).
William Ford, \IPicnic Party at Hanging Rock near Mount Macedon\b\i (painting).
Sydney's new Theatre Royal opens (Dec.).
Italian tragedienne Adelaide Ristori tours Australia.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ada Cambridge's novel \IUp the Murray\i appears as a serial in the \IAustralasian.\i
\JAlfred Deakin\j, \IQuentin Massys.\i
\JErnest Giles\j, \IGeographic Travels in Central Australia.\i
Havelock Ellis (aged 16) arrives in Sydney at the beginning of his four-year stay in Australia.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Polo played in Australia for the first time, at Albert Park, Melbourne.
Morphettville Racecourse opened by the SA Jockey Club.
First 'penny farthing' bicycles reach Melbourne from the UK.
Wollomai wins the Melbourne Cup (held on the first Tuesday in Nov. for the first time).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 1,898,223 (NSW, 593,367; Tas., 103,739; WA, 27,002; SA, 210,076; Vic., 794,934; Qld, 169,105).
More than three thousand Chinese arrive in Cooktown, Qld, during the year to seek gold on the Palmer River.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 28 Sir James Hurtle Fisher d. (84).
Mar 20 Benjamin Fuller b. (-\J1952\j).
Apr 29 Margaret Rose McPherson (Margaret Preston) b. (-\J1963\j).
Oct 20 Sir Charles Cowper d. (68).
Nov 9 William \JHovell\j d. (89).
Dec 2 C. J. La Trobe d. (74).
Dec 3 Max Meldrum b. (-\J1955\j).
#
"1876",92,"f\9\19smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B13\b \JErnest Giles\j sets out from Perth for Geraldton to make a return journey overland to SA. (Arrives Peake telegraph station 23 Aug.)
\B8\b Debate in Vic. Legislative Assembly prolonged by Graham Berry's followers without intermission until late on 10th (which introduces the term \Istonewall\b\i into the English language); Premier McCulloch finally introduces a 'gag' motion.
\i\B20\b Submarine cable connected between NSW and NZ.
\i\B23\b Cyclone causes great property damage in Bowen, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Qld dock workers granted an eight-hour day.
\i\B21\b J. V. Mulligan reports finding gold on the Hodgkinson River, Qld.
SS \IBanshee\b\i wrecked off Townsville with the loss of 17 lives.
\i\B28\b Academic work begins at Adelaide University, women being admitted to classes from the start.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Railway line reaches Bathurst, NSW.
\i\B18\b Six Fenian transportees to WA escape from Fremantle on the American whaler \ICatalpa.\b\i (Subsequently taken to the US.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b \JTruganini\j, the last surviving full-blood Tasmanian Aboriginal on the island, dies.
\i\B18\b Luigi d'Albertis in the steam launch \INeva\b\i (with \JLawrence Hargrave\j as engineer) leaves Somerset to explore in New Guinea. (Navigates 800 km up the Fly River; returns to Somerset 21 Nov.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b George Thorn becomes Premier of Qld on the resignation of Arthur Macalister.
\i\B6\b John Colton replaces J. P. Boucaut as Premier of SA.
\i\B14\b Barque \IGiltwood\b\i wrecked near Rivoli Bay, SA; 27 lives lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Opening of the railway bridge over the Brisbane River at Indooroopilly completes the rail link between Brisbane (Roma Street Station) and Ipswich.
\i\B20\b Thomas Reibey becomes Premier of Tas. following Alfred Kennerley's resignation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Shipping firm Huddart Parker & Co. founded in Geelong.
\i\B22\b Intercolonial exhibition opens in Brisbane.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b SS \IDandenong\b\i sinks off Jervis Bay with the loss of 40 lives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
- Settlers begin arriving at Trinity Bay, Qld, following the discovery of gold on the Hodgkinson. (Port and settlement later named Cairns; first town land sales, 15 Feb. \J1877\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Railway from Hobart to \JLaunceston\j inaugurated.
\i\B27\b Legislation enacted in Qld to establish a public fire service to take over from volunteer and private fire brigades. (Similar legislation passed in SA in \J1882\j, Tas. in \J1883\j, NSW in \J1884\j, Vic. in \J1890\j, WA in \J1898\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b SS \IGeorgette\b\i runs aground near Busselton, WA; sixteen-year-old \JGrace Bussell\j, on horseback, rescues a number of passengers from the surf.
* Barnet Glass opens a rubber factory in Footscray, Melbourne, pioneering the rubber industry in Australia.
* SA becomes the first of the colonies to legalise trade unions by legislating to provide for registration and protection of their funds (NSW in \J1881\j, Vic. in \J1884\j and \J1886\j, Qld in \J1886\j, Tas. in \J1889\j, and WA in \J1900\j).
***
\i\BA Architecture, Building\b
James Barnet, Lands Department Building, Sydney (-\J1890\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Joseph Bancroft of Brisbane discovers the adult female of the parasitic worm \IFilaria bancrofti\b\i and shows how filariasis is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Robert Bowyer Smith demonstrates his working model of the first successful stumpjump plough. (Patent registered \J1877\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Academy of Music (later Bijou Theatre) opens in Melbourne (5 Nov.).
Bland Holt begins his career in Australia, appearing in Sydney in the burlesque \IIxion.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Moresby, \IDiscoveries and Surveys in New Guinea.\i
'The Vagabond' (J. S. James, a.k.a. Julian Thomas) begins his series of articles in the Melbourne \IArgus\i on conditions in gaols and institutions.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Onkaparinga Handicap Steeplechase (now the Great Eastern Steeplechase, Australia's biggest picnic race carnival, held each Easter at Onkaparinga, SA), first run (17 Apr.).
Edward Trickett of Sydney becomes Australia's first world sporting title-holder by beating the English champion sculler J. H. Sadler on the Thames (27 June).
Briseis wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 1,958,679 (NSW, 613,288; Tas., 105,549; WA, 27,673; SA, 224,560 [census, 26 Mar., 213,271]; Vic., 805,424; Qld, 182,185 [census, 1 May, 173,283]).
Maximum working week of 50╜ hours prescribed for boys 13 to 18 years old in NSW mines; employment of boys under 13 and females forbidden in mines.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 22 George Dalrymple d. (49).
May 8 \JTruganini\j d. (64?).
May 24 Henry Kingsley d. (46).
Aug 29 John Skinner Prout d. (70?).
Sep 7 C. J. Dennis b. (-\J1938\j).
Sep 10 Hugh D. McIntosh b. (-\J1942\j).
Sep 18 \JJames Scullin\j b. (-\J1953\j).
Sep 23 Cyril Brudenell White b. (-\J1940\j).
Oct 4 Hugh McCrae b. (-\J1958\j).
Nov 24 Walter Burley Griffin b. (-\J1937\j).
Dec 21 J. T. Lang b. (-\J1975\j).
\BDescription:\b Gold Town \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1877",93,"f\9\r933.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Railway reaches Kingston via Naracoorte in SA.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b John Douglas replaces George Thorn as Premier of Qld.
\B10\b Cloncurry, Qld, proclaimed a town site.
\B16\b Dr R. W. B. Vaughan becomes Catholic Archbishop of Sydney on the death of Archbishop Polding.
\B22\b \JHenry Parkes\j forms a ministry in NSW following the defeat of the Robertson government.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Thursday Is. established as a coaling station for steamers, and the settlement moves there from Somerset.
Railway reaches Wellington, NSW, and Orange (19th).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B21\b Liberals win a sweeping victory in Vic; Graham Berry again becomes Premier.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Maj.-Gen. Sir William Jervois, appointed with Lt-Col. Peter Scratchley of the Royal Engineers to advise on defences of the various colonies, reports on NSW's defences.
\B8\b Party of Lutheran missionaries arrive at the Finke River, NT, to found the Hermannsburg Mission.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B15\b Paddle-steamer \IYarra Yarra\i\b sinks in a gale off Newcastle, NSW, with the loss of all hands. (As a result, the National Shipwreck Relief Society of NSWùlater the Royal Shipwreck Relief and Humane Society of NSWùis formed.)
\B20\b Sir Arthur Kennedy becomes Governor of Qld (having been administrator since 11 Apr.).
\B24\b Jervois reports on Vic.'s defences.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b P. O. Fysh replaces Thomas Reibey as Premier of Tas.
\B17\b Sir John Robertson resumes the premiership of NSW.
\B20\b Qld imposes a ú10 poll tax on Chinese immigrants.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Ships \IAvalanche\i\b and \IForrest\i\b collide and sink off Portland, Vic; 104 lives lost, only 3 being saved.
\B17\b Port Arthur, Tas., penal establishment finally closed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir William Jervois becomes Governor of SA.
\B11\b Land tax imposed in Vic. (on estates over 640 acres and valued at more than ú2,500) to break up large holdings.
\B26\b J. P. Boucaut becomes Premier of SA again after the fall of the Colton ministry.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B12\b Maj.-Gen. Sir Harry Ord becomes Governor of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b Telegraph line from Perth to Adelaide (and hence to London) completed.
\B12\b Jervois report on Adelaide's defences presented to SA parliament.
\B18\b J. S. Farnell forms a ministry in NSW following the Oct. elections.
\B19\b Railway reaches Portland, Vic.
* Drought experienced throughout Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Peter Johns installs the first hydraulic lift in Melbourne for Allans Music Warehouse.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
F. Y. Wolseley takes out his first shearing-machine patent.
Louis Brennan of Melbourne patents his invention of a self-propelling torpedo, later taken up by the British government.
Daily weather map introduced by NSW Government Astronomer H. C. Russell (first published in \ISydney Morning Herald\i\b 5 Feb.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Alfred Dampier makes his first appearance in Sydney in \IHamlet\i\b at the Royal Victoria Theatre (10 Feb.).
Garnet Walch's \IRainbow Revels\i\b, performed by the Stewart family, launches Nellie Stewart as a popular stage performer.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
A combined NSW and Vic. cricket team beats a visiting English team at Melbourne in what is regarded as the first official test match (15û17 Mar.).
Victorian Football Association formed as the controlling body of Australian Rules football (4 May).
British boxer Jem Mace visits Australia and lays the foundations of the sport in Australia under Queensberry Rules.
Chester wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of the Australian colonies reaches two million (NSW, 642,845; Tas., 107,159; WA, 28,242; SA, 238,155; Vic., 818,935; Qld, 195,794).
Chinese on the Palmer River (Qld) goldfield number 17,000, compared with 1,400 Europeans.
Phylloxera vine pest discovered in Geelong vineyards.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 17 \JMay Gibbs\j b. (û \J1969\j).
Mar 25 Caroline Chisholm d. (69?).
Apr 2 W. H. ("Bully") Hayes d. (47?).
Jun 16 John Fairfax d. (71).
Aug 25 John Latham b. (û \J1964\j).
Aug 27 \JMartin Cash\j d. (67?).
Sep 16 Saxe Bannister d. (87?).
Oct 8 Hans Heysen b. (û \J1968\j).
Nov 2? \JVictor Trumper\j b. (û \J1915\j).
Nov 14 Norman Brookes b. (û \J1968\j).
\BDescription:\b Australia in the late \J1870\js \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1878",94,r7224.jpg,g,0
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b First telephone line in Australia established in Melbourne (operated by McLean Bros and Rigg between Elizabeth and Spencer streets).
Because of the Vic. Legislative Council's refusal to pass the Appropriation Bill (with provisions for payment of MPs "tacked" on), Premier Berry orders the dismissal of more than 200 civil servants, to take effect next dayù"Black Wednesday".
\B12\b Telephone successfully tested by NSW Superintendent of Telegraphs between Sydney and Kurnell and (27th) between Sydney and Maitland.
\B14\b Cyclone damages every building in Darwin.
\B30\b Two goods trains collide head-on near Emu Plains, NSW; 5 killed.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Xavier College, Melbourne, opened.
- Long-distance telephone conversations conducted between Adelaide and Port Augusta in SA and Melbourne and \JBallarat\j in Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Great Synagogue in Elizabeth Street, Sydney, consecrated.
\B5\b W. R. Giblin replaces P. O. Fysh as Premier of Tas.
\B8\b Violent cyclone causes great damage in Cairns, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Police constable A. Fitzpatrick is wounded while attempting to arrest Dan Kelly for horse-stealing. (Dan and \JNed Kelly\j take to the bush, where they are joined by Steve Hart and Joe Byrne; rewards are offered for the Kellys' apprehension.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B16\b Quorn, SA, proclaimed a town.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Iron clipper \ILoch Ard\b\i wrecked near Cape Otway, Vic; only two of the 54 aboard survive.
\B10\b Horse-drawn trams begin running in Adelaide. (Tramway electrified in \J1909\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B23\b Barque \IJames Service\b\i wrecked south of Fremantle, WA, with the loss of 24 lives.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B12\b Many Chinese killed in a fight between miners at Maytown, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Railway line from Sydney reaches Wagga Wagga.
\B27\b William Morgan, MLC, succeeds J. P. Boucaut as Premier of SA.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B15\b Railway from Newcastle reaches Tamworth.
\B26\b Kelly Gang kill three policemen at Stringybark Creek, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Vic. parliament passes the Felons Apprehension Act. (Three days later the Kelly Gang are declared outlaws with rewards of ú500 each offered for their capture, alive or dead.)
\B18\b Seamen in NSW, Qld, and Vic. begin a six-week strike in protest against employment of Chinese crews.
\B28\b YMCA re-established in Adelaide.
\B30\b Education Act in SA sets up a state education system.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Vic. parliament prorogued, with the deadlock over reform of the Legislative Council unresolved; Berry sails for the UK (28th) to press for reform.
\B10\b Kelly Gang raid Euroa, Vic., and rob the bank of ú2,000. (Rewards for their capture are increased to \ú1,000 a head.)
\B20\b W. L. Crowther replaces Giblin as Premier of Tas.
\B21\b Sir \JHenry Parkes\j becomes Premier of NSW for the third time, in coalition with Sir John Robertson, following the defeat of the Farnell government.
- Iron bridge across the Murray at Echuca completed.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
James Barnet, Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney (- \J1880\j), and Bathurst Court House (- \J1880\j).
Lloyd Tayler, Australian Club, Melbourne (- \J1879\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Zoological Society of SA founded (as the Acclimatisation Society of SA).
Artesian water discovered at Kallara station, near Bourke, NSW. (First successful free-flowing bore put down in \J1879\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJulian Ashton\j arrives in Melbourne to draw for the \IIllustrated Australian News.\b\i
"Advance Australia Fair", composed by Peter Dodds McCormick, first played and sung in Sydney on St Andrew's Day (30 Nov.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian cricket team touring England dismisses the MCC (27 May) for a two-innings total of 52 runs, \JFred Spofforth\j taking 10 wickets for 20 runs and Harry Boyle 9 for 17. The successful tour launches the continuing series of first-class cricket between Australia and England.
Stawell Gift professional footrace first run, for a prize of 20 sovereigns (won by W. J. Millard).
Tennis first played in Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Melbourne Bicycle Club formed (first official bicycle club in Australia).
Callamai wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,092,164 (NSW, 671,063; Tas., 109,993; WA, 28,612; SA, 252,099; Vic., 829,918; Qld, 200,479).
"Spiritualism is just now very much to the front in this city"ùMelbourne \IAge.\b\i
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 8 Simcha Baevski (Sidney Myer) b. (- \J1934\j).
May 9 Thomas Sutcliffe Mort d. (61).
May 24 Mary Grant Bruce b. (- \J1958\j).
May 28 John Septimus Roe d. (81).
Aug 8 John Dunmore Lang d. (78).
Aug 21 Conrad Martens d. (77).
Sep 23 \JRaymond Longford\j b. (- \J1959\j).
\BDescription:\b Women at work \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1879",95,"f\9\rsmh46.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b Thomas McIlwraith becomes Premier of Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B5\b Railway reaches Horsham, Vic.
\B8\b Kelly Gang raid Jerilderie, NSW, capture police, and (10th) rob the Bank of NSW of more than ú2,000. (Rewards increased to ú2,000 each.)
\B25\b Alexander Forrest leads an expedition from Roebourne, WA, to explore to the north-west through the Kimberley region. (Explores and names King Leopold Range, discovers the Ord River [24 July], and reaches Darwin on 7 Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B24\b Bridge at Murray Bridge, SA, opened for road traffic. (Adapted for railway \J1886\j.)
û Smithfield, a settlement on the Barron River, north Qld, completely destroyed by floodwaters.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Railway completed to Sale from Melbourne.
\B29\b Marquis of Normanby becomes Governor of Vic. (having administered since 27 Feb.).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Provincial and Suburban Bank in Melbourne closes its doors after a run on its coin.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Tin discovered at Tinaroo Creek, north Qld, by John Atherton.
\B24\b Qld extends its boundary to include Torres Strait islands beyond the previous 60-mile limit.
\B26\b WA's first public railway line opens between Geraldton and Northampton.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Lord Loftus becomes Governor of NSW.
\B15\b R. L. Jack leads an expedition north from Cooktown and discovers good agricultural land.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b Steam tramway (horse-drawn until 28th because of late arrival of steam locomotives) begins in Sydney from Hunter Street to Redfern.
\B17\b Sydney International Exhibition opens in the newly built Garden Palace in the Domain. (Closes 20 April \J1880\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B30\b W. R. Giblin becomes Premier of Tas. for the second time, heading a coalition government.
û First Intercolonial Trade Union Congress held in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b "\JCaptain Moonlite\j" (A. G. Scott) and gang occupy Wantabadgery station, near Wagga Wagga. (Police attack on 17th, and two bushrangers and one policeman are killed; Scott captured 18th.)
\B26\b R. L. Jack makes a further expedition through Cape York Peninsula to Somerset (to 3 Apr. \J1880\j).
\B29\b First successful cargo of frozen meat leaves Sydney for London aboard the \IStrathleven\i\b. (Arrives London in good condition 2 Feb. \J1880\j).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b "\JCaptain Moonlite\j" tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. (Hanged 20 Jan. \J1880\j.)
* Secret ballot introduced in WA.
* Working Men's College founded in Sydney, in association with the Mechanics' School of Arts.
* Castlemaine Brewery established in Brisbane.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
James Barnet, Garden Palace, Sydney (destroyed by fire \J1882\j).
Reed and Barnes, Exhibition Building, Melbourne (û \J1880\j).
Charles Webb, South Melbourne Town Hall (û \J1880\j).
Jervois wing of the State Library, Adelaide (û \J1884\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Zoological Society of NSW formed (originally for the purpose of acclimatising birds and fish), with occupancy of a section of Moore Park, Sydney.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Thomas Woolner's statue of \JCaptain Cook\j in Sydney's Hyde Park unveiled (25 Feb.).
J. C. Williamson and Maggie Moore begin a second tour of Australia.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Henniker Heaton, \IAustralian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time.\i\b
John Boyle O'Reilly, \IMoondyne\i\b.
E. W. Cole publishes his \IFunny Picture Book.\i\b
Joseph Conrad visits Sydney for the first time, as an ordinary seaman on the wool clipper \IDuke of Sutherland.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JFred Spofforth\j takes 6 for 46 and 7 for 62 (including the hat-trick) against the visiting English cricket team in Melbourne (2û4 Jan.).
Larry Foley beats Abe Hicken in a bare-fist fight lasting 1 hour 20 minutes on the bank of the Murray near Echuca (20 Mar.).
Caulfield Cup first run (won by Newminster).
Darriwell wins the Melbourne Cup.
SA sanctions the use of the totalizator at race meetings.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,162,343 (NSW, 708,666; Tas., 112,506; WA, 29,139; SA, 265,055; Vic., 841,757; Qld, 205,220).
Aboriginal population in Vic. reported to be declining rapidly as a result of lung disease caused by unhealthy living conditions.
(Royal) National Park, near Port Hacking, NSWùAustralia's first national park and the world's secondùestablished (dedicated 26 Apr.).
\IRiverine Grazier\i\b (5 Mar.) warns of rabbits in great numbers on the NSW side of the Murray River opposite Swan Hill.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 22 \JNorman Lindsay\j b. (û \J1969\j).
May 15 George Fife Angas d. (90).
Jul 16 Sir Edward Deas Thomson d. (79).
Sep 15 J. A. Lyons b. (û \J1939\j).
Oct 14 \JMiles Franklin\j b. (û \J1954\j).
Nov 18 C. E. W. Bean b. (û \J1968\j).
\BDescription:\b Map of Sydney - \J1879\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1880",96,"e\9\king0032.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Sydney Hospital for Sick Children (later the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children) opens in Glebe, Sydney.
\B13\b Railway reaches Shepparton, Vic.
\B31\b J. F. Archibald and John Haynes begin publishing the \IBulletin.\i\b
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b Sydney Town Hall (vestibule of present building) officially opened (having been in use since July \J1875\j).
\B25\b NSW parliament passes \JHenry Parkes\j's Public Instruction Act, providing for the establishment of government high schools, full responsibility for primary education, and the withdrawal of all state aid to Church schools (from 31 Dec. \J1882\j).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b James Service forms a ministry in Vic. after the defeat of the Berry government at the polls.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Sir William Robinson becomes Governor of WA for the second time.
\B20\b William Jack and John Newell discover the Great Northern tin lode on the Wild River, north Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Melbourne Telephone Exchange Co. opens the first telephone exchange in Australia in Collins Street, Melbourne.
û Chinese find gold at the Margaret River, NT, encouraging further migration to the NT.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b Macpherson Robertson, founder of the MacRobertson confectionery company, begins making confectionery in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
\B11\b First sugarcane planted on T. H. Fitzgerald's Innisfail estate, on the Johnstone River, north Qld. (Mill constructed \J1881\j.)
\B26\b Joe Byrne of the Kelly Gang kills the informer Aaron Sherritt.
\B27\b Kelly Gang occupy the Glenrowan Hotel.
\B28\b Railway from Port Augusta reaches Hawker, SA.
\B29\b \JNed Kelly\j captured by police and the rest of the Kelly Gang killed at Glenrowan.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B22\b Royal Victoria Theatre, Sydney, burns down.
\B27\b Service resigns the premiership of Vic. following a no-confidence motion on resumption of parliament; Berry becomes Premier again (3 Aug.).
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b First meeting of the Salvation Army in Australia held in Adelaide's Botanic Gardens by Edward Saunders and John Gore.
\B16\b Railway opened to Roma, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b International Exhibition opens in the newly built Exhibition Buildings in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne. (Closes 30 Apr \J1881\j.)
\B8\b Telephone exchange opened in Brisbane.
û NSW Government Geologist Lamont Young and four others disappear mysteriously at Bermagui, NSW, and are never seen again.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Sydney's first telephone line opened, from the Royal Exchange to Darling Harbour. (Switchboard installed 11 Oct \J1881\j.)
\B11\b \JNed Kelly\j hanged at the old Melbourne Gaol.
\B19\b Jacob Garrard wins the seat of Balmain in the NSW Legislative Assembly to represent the interests of trade unions, which pay his salary.
* The first Young Women's Christian Association is formed in Sydney.
* St Ignatius' College (Riverview) opens in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
William Butterfield, St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne (û \J1891\j; spires added \J1933\j).
Thomas Rowe, Sydney Hospital (completed to a modified design by John Kirkpatrick; opened \J1894\j).
Last of Sydney's windmills demolished.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Royal Society of SA formed.
A. W. Howitt and Lorimer Fison lay the foundations of scientific study of the Aborigines with their book \IKamilaroi and Kurnai.\i\b
Sydney Technological Museum (later the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) founded.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
(Royal) Art Society of NSW founded.
Gaiety Theatre, Sydney, opens (27 Dec.).
With the death of W. S. Lyster (27 Nov.), opera presentation ceases; operetta takes its place, beginning with George Musgrove's presentation of Offenbach's \ILa Fille du Tambour Major\i\b in Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JHenry Kendall\j, \ISongs from the Mountains.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Melbourne Cricket Club holds the first tennis championships of Vic.
First soccer club in Australia, the Wanderers, formed in Sydney. (Plays its first match, against King's School, Parramatta, 14 Aug.)
Grand Flaneur wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,231,531 (NSW, 741,142; Tas., 114,790; WA, 29,561; SA, 276,393; Vic., 858,605; Qld, 211,040).
University of Melbourne admits female students for the first time (but not to study medicine).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Aug 8 \JEarle Page\j b. (û \J1961\j).
Sep 3 Will Dyson b. (û \J1938\j).
Sep 20 \JElizabeth Kenny\j b. (û \J1952\j).
Oct 27 S. T. Gill d. (62).
Nov 23 Sir Redmond Barry d. (67).
Nov 25 \JJohn Flynn\j ("Flynn of the Inland") b. (û \J1951\j).
\B6\b Cyclone causes great destruction to pearling vessels in north-western WA (to 7th); 16 lives lost.
\B13\b Intercolonial conference meets in Sydney (to 24th) and decides to introduce uniform legislation to restrict Chinese immigration. (Qld, NSW, Vic., and SA subsequently pass acts based on passenger limitation in relation to tonnage of vessel carrying migrants.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Railway from Sydney reaches Albury.
\B17\b First officers of the Salvation Army, Capt. Thomas Sutherland and his wife, arrive in Adelaide. (Australian corps formed soon after.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Railway opened between Fremantle and Perth, continuing to Guildford.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b First simultaneous census of the six Australian colonies taken, as part of the first simultaneous census of the British Empire.
\B7\b Survivors of the ill-fated New France settlement on New Ireland, organised by the Marquis de Rays, arrive in Sydney. (Later settle in the Northern Rivers area.)
- George Adams, licensee of Tattersall's Hotel in Sydney, runs a "Tattersall's Sweep" on the Sydney Cup horse race, the first of the Tattersall's lotteries.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B17\b Prince Albert and Prince George (later King George V), teenage sons of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) arrive in Albany, WA, as midshipmen on HMS \IBacchante.\b\i (Visit Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane; leave Australia 20 Aug.)
\B25\b Smallpox epidemic breaks out in the Rocks area of Sydney. (Over the next nine months, 178 cases are quarantined; 40 die.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Two houses of Vic. parliament reach a compromise; number of members of Legislative Council increased, and property qualifications of members and electors reduced.
\B24\b J. C. Bray replaces William Morgan as Premier of SA.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B9\b Sir Bryan O'Loghlen becomes Premier of Vic. after the fall of the Berry government.
\B18\b "Sanitary camp" set up at Little Bay, Sydney, to deal with the smallpox epidemic. (Becomes the Coast Hospital, later Prince Henry Hospital.)
- St Joseph's College opened at Hunter's Hill, Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B20\b Four people killed in a train derailment at Jolimont, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Mrs Mary Watson, with her baby and a Chinese servant wounded in an attack by Aborigines, puts to sea from her home on Lizard Is., near Cooktown, in an iron tank; their bodies and a diary kept for 11 days are later found on an island in the Howick group.
\B21\b SS \IBalclutha,\b\i en route from Melbourne to Sydney, last seen off GaboIs. before apparently foundering with the loss of 22 lives.
\B29\b Iron clipper \ILoch Maree\b\i leaves Geelong, Vic., and is not seen again.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b Sir George Strahan becomes Governor of Tas.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
F. D. G. Stanley, Queensland National Bank head office, Brisbane (- \J1885\j).
Parliament House, Adelaide (work suspended after foundations laid; building opened in \J1889\j; second stage built \J1936\j- 39).
Farmer's department store in Sydney installs the first passenger lift using the Otis principle of a suspending cable.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
John \JTebbutt\j discovers his second "great comet".
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Art Gallery of SA opens in the Public Library (18 June).
Theatre Royal, Brisbane, opens on the site of the old Queensland Theatre (18 Apr.).
J. C. Williamson becomes lessee of Coppin's Theatre Royal in Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Mrs Campbell Praed, \IPolicy and Passion\b\i (\ILongleat of Kooralbyn\b\i).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First six-day bike race in Australia held at Melbourne's Exhibition circuit.
Zulu wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia (census 3 Apr.): 2,250,194ùVic., 861,566 (Melb., 282,947); NSW, 749,825 (Syd., 224,939); SA, 276,414; Qld, 213,525; Tas., 115,705; WA, 29,708; NT, 3,451.
University of Sydney admits its first female students.
Legislation passed in NSW providing for Sunday closing of hotels and weekday closing at 11 p.m.
Paspalum grass, acquired from South America, introduced into Vic. by Government Botanist F. J. H. von Mueller.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 13 Essington Lewis b. (- \J1961\j).
Feb 3 John Gould d. (76).
Jul 23 J. J. Hilder b. (- \J1916\j).
Aug 2 \JMarcus Clarke\j d. (35).
\BDescription:\b Parramatta River \J1880\js \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1882",98,king0084.jpg,c,0
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Screw-corvette \IWolverine\i transferred from the Royal Navy to NSW for use as a training ship.
Cyclone hits Darwin; many buildings destroyed.
\B29\b Russian naval vessels \IAfrika,\bVestnik,\b\i and \IPlaton\i visit Port Phillip (to 24 Feb.) after short visits to Sydney and Hobart. (Sensational articles subsequently appear in the press about Russian intentions.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne, opens in temporary premises, with W. H. Fitchett as principal.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Cyclone causes serious damage at Cossack and Roebourne, WA.
\B22\b Government telephone exchange opens at the Sydney GPO.
- J. F. Archibald and John Haynes gaoled for non-payment of costs arising from a libel action brought against them for a \IBulletin\b\i article criticising conduct at the Clontarf picnic grounds. (Released after six weeks when money is raised by public subscription.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Agricultural Society of NSW holds its first show at Moore Park, Sydney (to 15th).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B17\b Adelaide and Port Augusta connected by rail.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
- Australian Electric Co. exhibits electric light in Melbourne. (Illuminates Spencer Street Station in Nov.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B13\b Gold found at Mount Morgan, Qld.
\B26\b Perth \IDaily News\b\i begins publication.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b Dedication of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.
\B22\b Garden Palace in Sydney destroyed by fire.
\B25\b (Royal) Prince Alfred Hospital opens in Sydney, and the Austin Hospital opens in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B28\b SS \IWoniora\b\i founders off Botany Bay; only one of the 16 crewmen saved.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Parkes ministry falls in NSW when Robertson's amending Land Bill is defeated. SS \IAustral \b\i sinks at anchor in Neutral Bay, Sydney, with the loss of five lives.
- Wharf labourers in Sydney begin an unsuccessful four-week strike to increase their hourly rate from 1s to 1s 3d.
- Umberumberka Silver Mine opened at what is now Silverton, NSW.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Seven people killed when two trains collide head-on near Burnley, Vic.
\B4\b Silver-lead discovered at Zeehan, Tas.
\B10\b Melbourne tailoresses strike successfully over a reduction in piece-work rates and (15th) form Australia's first women's trade unionùthe Victorian Tailoresses Union.
\B12\b New Australasian Mine at Creswick, Vic., floods; 22 lives lost.
- Four ministers lose their seats in NSW elections.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
John Young, The Abbey, Annandale, Sydney.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
J. C. Williamson, Arthur Garner, and George Musgrove form a partnership ("the Triumvirate") controlling the Theatre Royal and Princess Theatre in Melbourne and the Sydney Theatre Royal and the Adelaide Theatre Royal.
Electric light installed in the Theatre Royal, Sydney.
Wirth's Circus formed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rolf Boldrewood's \IRobbery Under Arms\b\i begins serialisation in the \ISydney Mail\b\i (1 July).
G. E. Morrison, in a series of articles in the Melbourne \ILeader,\b\i describes his experiences on the blackbirder \ILavinia.\b\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
An Australian touring cricket team captained by W. L. Murdoch beats England at the Oval by seven runs, Spofforth taking four of the last six wickets for two runs (29 Aug.). Next day the \ISporting Times,\b\i in a mock \Iin memoriam\b\i notice lamenting the death of English cricket, reports, "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."
NSW Soccer Association formed (Apr.).
NSW and Qld play the first intercolonial Rugby match, in Sydney (12 Aug.).
Australian Golf Club formed in Sydney.
The Assyrian wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,388,082 (NSW, 809,403; Tas., 120,477; WA, 31,016; SA, 292,092; Vic., 892,765; Qld, 242,329).
Fern Tree Gully, Vic., reserved.
Corriedale sheep introduced in Vic. by Henry Corbett.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 31 Peter Dawson b. (- \J1961).\j
May 5 Douglas Mawson b. (- \J1958).\j
Jul 8 Percy Grainger b. (- \J1961).\j
Aug 1 \JHenry Kendall\j d. (43).
Dec 2 Eliza Winstanley d. (64?).
Dec 16 Elioth Gruner b. (- \J1939).\j
\BDescription:\b Women installing telephone lines in the 1880s \I(J. King)\i.
#
"1883",99,"f\9\35smh.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b Alexander Stuart forms a government in NSW.
\B24\b Aborigines ambush and kill Marcus de la Poer Beresford, officer in charge of native police at Cloncurry, Qld, and four of the police. More than a year of battles between whites and blacks ensues.
\B30\b Premier Sir Bryan O'Loghlen loses his seat in the Vic. election. (James Service forms a coalition government 8 Mar.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b Sir William Robinson becomes Governor of SA.
\B27\b Port Kembla, NSW, and Mount Kembla coalmine inaugurated.
- Irish politician J. E. Redmond and his brother arrive in Adelaide on a visit to raise funds for the Irish National League.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Turbulent public meeting held in the Protestant Hall, Sydney, to protest against Irish National League representatives in Australia.
\B24\b Salvation Army newspaper \IWar Cry\b\i first issued in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b H. M. Chester, police magistrate on Thursday Is., acting on instructions from Qld Premier Sir Thomas McIlwraith, annexes south-eastern New Guinea for the Crown. (Repudiated by Britain on 2 June.)
\B21\b G. E. Morrison arrives in Melbourne after walking more than 3,000 km from Normanton, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, in 123 days.
- Burns Philp and Co. Ltd formed in NSW by the amalgamation of the various businesses of James Burns and Robert Philp.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b Government telephone exchange opened in Adelaide. (Other exchanges opened in Hobart [6 Aug.] and \JLaunceston\j [12 Dec.].)
- Durack family begin their great overlanding movement from western Qld to the Kimberleys. (Arrive at the Ord River in Sept. \J1885\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir Frederick Broome becomes Governor of WA.
David Lindsay leads a party from Palmerston (Darwin) to explore into Arnhem Land. (Arrives at Katherine in Nov.)
\B14\b Bridge over the Murray River at Albury-\JWodonga\j completed, linking NSW and Vic. railways. (Train service between Sydney and Melbourneùwith change for break of gaugeùbegins 21 Aug.)
\B26\b St John Ambulance Association formed in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B21\b G. E. Morrison leads an expedition from Port Moresby to report on New Guinea for the Melbourne \IAge.\b\i (Returns on 15 Oct., having been speared by natives and badly wounded.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b NSW Board of Technical Education appointed. (Takes over Working Men's College in Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Boundary rider Charles Rasp registers the first mineral claim on what is now \JBroken Hill\j.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Sydney High School, first of the state-run high schools established under the Education Act of \J1880\j, enrols its first students.
\B23\b Ayr, Qld, proclaimed a town site.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Public Service Act passed in Vic., creating Australia's first Public Service Board.
\B6\b Sir Anthony Musgrave becomes Governor of Qld.
\B13\b Samuel Griffith replaces McIlwraith as Premier of Qld.
\B28\b Intercolonial conference in Sydney (to 9 Dec.) calls for the creation of a Federal Council of Australasia.
- Derby and Broome, WA, declared town sites.
* Central trade union councils formed in Hobart and Brisbane.
* Alfred Thomas Bushell founds his tea business in Brisbane.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Charles Webb, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne (- \J1884\j).
Darwin's Fanny Bay Gaol completed.
W. G. Watson, \JBendigo\j Public Offices and Post Office (- \J1887\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Zoological Gardens opened in Adelaide.
Medical School opened at Sydney University.
Time signals telegraphed from Greenwich to Australia to help determine Australia's longitude.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Tomaso Sani completes his controversial carvings on Sydney's GPO.
Art Gallery of Vic. opens on Sunday (6 May) despite many protests. (Parliament votes on 5 July against Sunday opening, and galleries do not open on a Sunday until \J1904\j.)
Livingston Hopkins ("Hop") arrives in Sydney (9 Feb.) from the US to work as a cartoonist for the \IBulletin.\b\i
Australia's first college of music founded in Adelaide by Immanuel G. Reimann.
George Darrell stages his melodrama \IThe Sunny South,\b\i starring Essie Jenyns.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Edward Curr, \IRecollections of Squatting in Victoria.\b\i
G. W. Rusden, \IHistory of Australia.\b\i
Cole's Book Arcade opens in Bourke Street, Melbourne (6 Nov; closes \J1929\j).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Aboriginal runner Bobbie Kinnear wins the Stawell Gift.
All-round athlete "Professor" William Miller knocks down champion boxer Larry Foley in the 40th round of a challenge fight (28 May), declared a draw after spectators rush the ring.
Martini-Henry wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,505,736 (NSW, 855,398; Tas., 123,277; WA, 32,086; SA, 301,907; Vic., 912,453; Qld, 280,615).
Bella Guerin, the first woman to graduate from an Australian university, receives a BA degree from the University of Melbourne.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 \JEdmund Blacket\j d. (65).
Apr 12 Dally \JMessenger\j b. (- \J1959\j).
Apr 15 S. M. Bruce b. (- \J1967\j).
Dec 4 Katharine Susannah Prichard b. (- \J1969\j).
\BDescription:\b Railroads - NSW to Vic. \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1884",100,"f\9\rsmh55.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B30\b Cyclone severely damages Bowen, Qld, wrecking meatworks and sugar mill and unroofing nearly all houses.
\B31\b Trades and Labor Council established in Adelaide.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b Patrick Francis Moran appointed Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.
(Arrives to take up duty on 8 Sept.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Two trains collide near Werribee, Vic., 3 killed, 46 injured.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Oriental Banking Corporation of London closes its doors, forcing Australian branches to do likewise. (Reopen on 6th; later reconstructed as the New Oriental Bank.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b John Colton replaces J. C. Bray as Premier of SA.
\B18\b Pioneer Dairy Co., first co-operative dairy and butter factory in Australia, opens in Kiama, NSW.
\B22\b Vic. Women's Suffrage Society formed in Melbourne by Henrietta Dugdale and Annette Bean.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B15\b Sir Henry Loch becomes Governor of Vic.
\B17\b Schooner \IHopeful \b\i arrives at the Herbert River, north Qld, with 123 island labourers; soon after, crew members are charged with kidnapping and murder. (Recruiter and bosun receive the death sentence; master and government agent sentenced to life imprisonment; other crew members receive terms of 7 to 10 years; no executions carried out.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B15\b Adye Douglas becomes Premier of Tas. on the defeat of the Giblin ministry.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B30\b SA's first warship, the gunboat \IProtector,\b\i arrives at Port Adelaide from Britain.
- In a pitched battle at Prospector's Creek, 120 km north-west of Cloncurry, Qld, between Kalkadoon tribesmen and a punitive force of police and native police led by F. C. Urquhart, most of the Kalkadoon warriors are wiped out.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b German warship \IElisabeth\b\i annexes New Britain for Germany.
\B6\b Commodore J. E. Erskine in the \INelson\b\i proclaims a British protectorate over south-eastern New Guinea (Papua).
\B14\b Land and income taxes introduced in SA.
\B16\b Germany proclaims a protectorate over north-eastern New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.
\B22\b Maj.-Gen. P. H. Scratchley appointed Special Commissioner for British New Guinea. (Dies of malaria on 2 Dec. \J1885\j.)
- Boot factories in Melbourne lock out 1,400 employees campaigning against sweated outside labour (to Feb. \J1885\j).
* Leaders of Sydney bakers striking for an eight-hour day imprisoned.
* Smallpox epidemics in Vic. (to \J1885\j) and SA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
F. D. G. Stanley, Queensland Club (opens I June).
Steel swing-span bridge over the Parramatta River at Gladesville, Sydney (replaced in \J1964\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
C. L. Wragge establishes the Torrens Observatory at Walkerville in Adelaide (Jan.).
Royal Society of Qld founded.
\JLawrence Hargrave\j gives his address "The Trochoided Plane", on the basic principles of flight, to the Royal Society of NSW (8 Aug.).
W. H. Caldwell establishes that monotremes lay eggs.
H. V. McKay invents his first stripper-harvester. (Patented \J1885\j; developed about \J1892\j-93 into the Sunshine Harvester.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JBallarat\j Fine Art Gallery opens, in the Academy of Music.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rolf Boldrewood, \IOld Melbourne Memories.\b\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Canterbury Racecourse opens in Sydney (19 Jan.).
Bare-fist boxing officially banned in all colonies after the death of Victorian Alex Agar in a fight with American Jimmy Lawson at Randwick Racecourse (17 Apr.).
Cyclist A. Edwards rides a penny-farthing bike from Sydney to Melbourne in 8╜ days (23-31 May).
William Beach of Dapto, NSW, wins the world sculling championship, beating Canadian Edward Hanlan on the Parramatta River (16 Aug.).
Australian team captain W. L. Murdoch scores the first double century in test cricket, at the Oval.
Malua wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,605,725 (NSW, 899,203; Tas., 126,665; WA, 33,546; SA, 308,947; Vic., 935,777; Qld, 301,587).
\B1\b NSW Crown Lands Act, aimed at promoting "closer settlement", comes into operation.
\B25\b Train derailment near Cootamundra; 7 killed, 25 wounded.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Roseworthy Agricultural College, SA, opened.
\B11\b News of General Gordon's death reaches Sydney. Next day, NSW offers a contingent of volunteer troops for service in the Sudan.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Troops embark from Sydney for the Sudan. (Arrive 29th.)
\B13\b Victorian Employers' Union formed.
\B20\b A total of 121 cities (including Armidale, Bathurst, Grafton, and Goulburn), towns, and villages in NSW proclaimed under Crown Lands Act.
\B28\b HMQS \IGayundah,\b\i the first of two gunboats for Qld's navy, arrives at Brisbane from Britain. (The other, \IPaluma,\b\i arrives in May, a torpedo boat, \IMosquito,\b\i having been shipped out earlier in the year.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B14\b Orbost, Vic., proclaimed a town.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
- Royal commission on island labour condemns recruiting methods.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b First Seventh Day Adventists arrive in Melbourne.
\B16\b J. W. Downer replaces John Colton as Premier of SA.
\B19\b Sudan contingent returns to Sydney, having participated in only one minor skirmish. (Casualties: 3 slightly wounded in action; 7 deaths from fever or dysentery.)
\B20\b First prospectus of the \JBroken Hill\j Proprietary Co. Ltd issued. (Company floated on 10 Aug.)
\B26\b Weekly journal \ITable Talk\b\i founded in Melbourne (- \J1937\j).
\B27\b Archbishop Moran becomes Australia's first cardinal.
- Boundaries between German and British New Guinea ratified.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B31\b NSW Chamber of Manufactures formed at a meeting at Sydney Town Hall.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b Horse tramway begins operating in Brisbane.
- Charles Hall and Jack Slattery find gold in the Kimberley region, WA.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Trades and Labor Council founded in Brisbane.
\B18\b Railway reaches Bourke, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b George Dibbs replaces Alexander Stuart as Premier of NSW.
- Melbourne's Homeopathic Hospital (later Prince Henry's Hospital) opens in new premises in St Kilda.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B10\b Pacific Islanders' Act, passed by the Griffith government in Qld, prohibits the indenture of kanaka labour after 31 Dec. \J1890\j.
\B11\b Charles Strong, a former Presbyterian minister, founds the Australian Church.
First cable tram service begins in Melbourne (to Richmond).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Baron Carrington becomes Governor of NSW.
\B18\b Vic.'s new and comprehensive Factory Act regulates hours and conditions in factories employing more than six workers.
\B19\b Weekly \IWestern Mail\b\i begins publication in Perth.
\B22\b Sir John Robertson becomes Premier of NSW for the fifth time, following the resignation of the Dibbs ministry (on the 16th).
* A. E. and J. M. Grace open a drapery store in George Street, Sydney, later to become Grace Bros. department store chain.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
James Barnet, Customs House, Sydney (- \J1887\j).
J. J. Clark, Treasury Building, Brisbane (- \J1928\j).
Sherrin and Hennessy, St Patrick's College, Manly (- \J1889\j).
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, opened (23 Dec; courts added \J1897\j, \J1899\j, southern wing \J1901\j, central facade \J1906\j, later additions opened \J1972\j, \J1988\j).
Prell's Building in Melbourne is the first to rise to ten storeys.
Grainger & D'Ebro, Fremantle Town Hall (- \J1887\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JTom Roberts\j, Frederick \JMcCubbin\j, and Louis Abrahams set up an artists' camp at Box Hill, Vic., laying the foundations for the Heidelberg School.
Phil May arrives in Sydney (25 Dec.) to work for the \IBulletin\b\i (until \J1888\j).
Joshua Ives establishes the first (temporary) chair of music in Australia at Adelaide University.
Dion Boucicault's theatrical company brought to Australia by J. C. Williamson.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Mary Hannay Foott, \IWhere the Pelican Builds and Other Poems.\b\i
Mrs Campbell Praed, \IThe Head Station.\b\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney, opens (18 Apr.).
Sheet Anchor wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,694,518 (NSW, 943,867; Tas., 128,860; WA, 35,959; SA, 309,313; Vic., 959,838; Qld, 316,681).
First female medical student (Dagmar Berne) admitted to Sydney University.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 8 \JJohn Curtin\j b. (- \J1945\j).
Feb 7 George Sorlie b. (- \J1948\j).
Mar 28 G. J. Coles b. (- \J1977\j).
Jun 11 John Lort Stokes d. (72?).
Jul 1 \JDorothea Mackellar\j b. (- \J1968\j).
Aug 12 Keith Murdoch b. (- \J1952\j).
Aug 18 Janet Higgins (Nettie Palmer) b. (- \J1964\j).
Aug 28 Vance Palmer b. (- \J1959\j).
Sep 22 J. B. Chifley b. (- \J1951\j).
Oct 15 Frank Hurley b. (- \J1962\j).
Dec 4 David Rivett b. (- \J1961\j).
#
"1886",102,"f\3\smh15.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne wharf labourers strike (to 18th) for better wages and an eight-hour day.
\B25\b Federal Council of Australasia holds its first meeting in Hobart (to 5 Feb.).
- First Seventh Day Adventist church in Australia opens in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Methodist Ladies' College (Oakburn College) opens in \JLaunceston\j.
\B9\b A "board of arbitration" (first of its kind) chosen by Employers' Union and Trades Hall Council settles wharf labourers' dispute; eight-hour day granted.
\B18\b Duncan Gillies becomes Premier of Vic., replacing James Service.
\B26\b Sir Patrick Jennings replaces Sir John Robertson as Premier of NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b J. W. Agnew becomes Premier of Tas., replacing Adye Douglas, who becomes first Tas. Agent-General in UK.
\B29\b \JJohn Forrest\j leaves Fremantle to examine the Kimberley district, during which he selects the site for the port of Wyndham. (Declared a town site 2 Sept.)
- Amalgamated Railway and Tramway Association formed in NSW.
- Convict establishment in WA disbanded.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Railway from Adelaide to Bordertown officially opened.
\B22\b Sydney's first cable tramway begins, from Milsons Point to Ridge Street, North Sydney. (Converts to electricity in \J1900\j.)
\B30\b SS \ILy-ee-moon\b\i wrecked off Green Cape, NSW; 76 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B12\b Amalgamated Shearers' Union formed at \JBallarat\j; W. G. Spence president.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b George Clunies Ross given a grant of the Cocos Is. in perpetuity.
\B21\b Railway reaches \JGundagai\j, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Carnarvon, WA, proclaimed a town site.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Fourth Intercolonial Trade Union Congress meeting in Adelaide (to 7th) resolves that there should be direct representation of labour in parliament and that members should be paid.
Aboriginal Protection Act in WA provides for the setting up of a Protection Board.
\B16\b Legislation passed granting payment of expenses for Qld MPs.
\B21\b "The Normanby woman", a white woman speaking no English, is found living with Aborigines near Cooktown, Qld. (She dies within a few days of capture.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Dookie Agricultural College, Vic., enrols its first students.
\B21\b \JGeorge Chaffey\j signs an agreement with the Vic. government to establish an irrigation settlement at Mildura.
- Mount Morgan Gold Mine Co. registered in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B27\b Nine young men are sentenced to death for the rape of a 16-year-old unemployed domestic servant on Mount Rennie in Moore Park, Sydney. (Five reprieved and given life sentences; other four hanged.)
\B30\b Sydney's water supply from the Upper Nepean catchment via Prospect reservoir turned on (superseding Botany Swamps scheme).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b SS \IKeilawarra\b\i sinks after colliding with the \IHelen Nicoll\b\i off North Solitary Is., NSW, with the loss of 40 lives.
\B24\b Academy of Music Theatre, Adelaide, destroyed by fire for the third time in three years; three firemen killed.
* Methodist Ladies' College established in Burwood, Sydney.
* Copper (and gold) found at Mt Lyell, Tas.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
John Petrie, Customs House, Brisbane (- \J1889\j).
Princes Bridge, Melbourne (- \J1888\j).
St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide (- \J1926\j).
Terracotta Marseilles pattern roof tiles begin to take the place of slates and iron.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Aboriginal skull 14,000-16,000 years old found at Talgai station, Qld.
\B19\b Vic. and SA railways link at Serviceton; first Adelaide- Melbourne express runs next day.
\B20\b Sir \JHenry Parkes\j replaces Sir Patrick Jennings as Premier of NSW.
\B31\b Quakers open the co-educational Friends' School in Hobart.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Qld's railways reach the NSW border at Wallangarra.
\B14\b Chaffey Brothers make an agreement with the SA government to establish an irrigation system at Renmark. (Pumps operating by end of year.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b Sir Robert Hamilton becomes Governor of Tas.
\B23\b Mine disaster at the Bulli colliery, NSW; gas explosion kills 83.
\B29\b P. O. Fysh becomes Premier of Tas. for the second time.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b First Colonial Conference held in London (to 9 May).
\B22\b Twenty-two pearling vessels sink during a cyclone at Eighty Mile Beach, WA; 140 men drown.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian Socialist League formed in Sydney.
\B6\b Working Men's College (later Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) inaugurated in Melbourne. (Opens 7 June.)
\B11\b Express train runs into a stationary train at Windsor, Melbourne; 6 killed; 154 injured.
- Chinese investigative commission visits Australia. (Protests to Britain about restrictive legislation.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b Thomas Playford replaces Sir John Downer as Premier of SA.
\B14\b Railway line from Port Pirie, SA, reaches the NSW border at Cockburn, and (16th) the line from Adelaide reaches Mt Gambier.
\B21\b SA Intercolonial and Jubilee Exhibition opens in Adelaide (to 7 Jan. \J1888\j).
Six people killed and 73 injured in a railway accident at Peat's Ferry, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b Anti-Chinese demonstrations in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B10\b Railway from Silverton, NSW, to \JBroken Hill\j opened.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b SS \ICheviot\b\i wrecked near Point Nepean, Vic; 35 drown.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b Gordon Memorial Technical College (later Gordon Institute of Technology, now Deakin University) opens in Geelong.
\B16\b Legislation passed in SA providing for the payment of MPs.
\B19\b \IBoomerang,\b\i a radical weekly edited by William Lane, begins publication in Brisbane (to \J1892\j).
- Longreach, Qld, gazetted as a town.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Telephone exchange opens in Perth.
\B20\b Australasian Naval Defence Act, passed in the UK, provides for an auxiliary naval squadron, partly maintained by the colonies, to supplement the British squadron in Australian waters.
\B31\b Steam tramway begins running in Newcastle, NSW.
- Horse tramway starts in \JBallarat\j. (Electrified between \J1905\j and \J1913\j.)
* William Bede Dalley becomes a member of the Privy Council, the first Australian to be appointed.
* Smallpox epidemic in \JLaunceston\j, Tas.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, \JLaunceston\j (- \J1891\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Longstaff wins the first Vic. \JNational Gallery\j travelling scholarship with his painting \IBreaking the News.\b\i
\JNellie Melba\j makes her dΘbut in grand opera in \IRigoletto\b\i at Brussels (13 Oct.)
Francis Ormond endows a chair of music at Melbourne University.
George Rignold's Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, opens (10 Sept.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Farrell, \IHow He Died and Other Poems.\b\i
John Boyle O'Reilly, \IThe Golden Secret: A Tale of Bush and Convict Life in Western Australia.\b\i
\JHenry Lawson\j's first printed poem, "Song of the Republic", appears in the \IBulletin\b\i (1 Oct.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
NSW Amateur Athletics Association founded (20 Apr.).
Aboriginal runner Bobby McDonald first uses a crouch start in a sprint race, initiating the start universally used today.
William Beach beats Edward Hanlan on the Nepean River (26 Nov.) to retain his world championship sculling title, then retires, having rowed unbeaten for the world championship seven times.
Dunlop wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,881,362 (NSW, 1,014,607; Tas., 135,541; WA, 43,820; SA, 310,038; Vic., 1,025,476; Qld, 351,880).
Gas bath heaters begin to be used in Australian homes.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 9 Sydney Ure Smith b. (- \J1949\j).
Apr 16 H. Gordon Bennett b. (- \J1962\j).
Apr 17 Roland Wakelin b. (- \J1971\j).
Jun 26 Adolph Basser b. (- \J1964\j).
Nov 25 \JJohn Ridley\j d. (81).
\BDescription:\b Custom's House, Sydney \J1887\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1888",104,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B12\b \JBroken Hill\j connected by rail to Adelaide via Silverton and Cockburn.
\B16\b Railway line from Newcastle reaches Wallangarra on the Qld border, completing the Sydney- Brisbane rail link (though no bridge yet across Hawkesbury River).
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B17\b Mackay, Qld, severely damaged by cyclone; 2 ships wrecked.
\B28\b \IBarrier Miner\b\i newspaper begins publication in \JBroken Hill\j.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Fifth Intercolonial Trade Union Congress, held in Brisbane (to 7th), demands legislation to restrict Chinese immigration.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Mass protest meeting held in Sydney following the arrival of two ships carrying Chinese immigrants (who are prevented from landing).
\B15\b \IDawn,\b\i \JLouisa Lawson\j's monthly journal (edited, printed, and published by women), first issued in Sydney. (Ceases publication 1 July \J1905\j.)
\B16\b Chinese Exclusion Bill passed by NSW parliament in one sitting.
\B6\b Christmas Is. annexed by Britain. (Settlement established at Flying Fish Cove by George Clunies Ross in Nov.).
\B12\b Intercolonial conference held in Sydney (to 14th) recommends that uniform legislation be passed to restrict Chinese immigration.
\B13\b Sir Thomas McIlwraith forms his second ministry in Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B13\b \IStar of Greece\b\i wrecked near Willungra, SA; 17 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Centennial International Exhibition opens in Melbourne (to 31 Jan. \J1889\j).
\B24\b Newcastle coalminers begin a 13-week strike over a new agreement.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b Dr (later Sir) William Macgregor arrives at Port Moresby to take up his appointment as Administrator of British New Guinea and formally annex the protectorate as a British Crown colony.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Nauru annexed by Germany.
\B3\b Railway line from Sydney to Kiama completed.
\B4\b Princes Bridge opened in Melbourne.
\B9\b \JLaunceston\j becomes a city.
\B13\b Township of \JAlice Springs\j (originally named Stuart) surveyed by David Lindsay. (First land sales 31 Jan. \J1889\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Fire destroys a block of more than 60 business premises in \JBroken Hill\j's main thoroughfare.
\B9\b Tamworth, NSW, becomes the first town in Australia (and in the Southern Hemisphere) to be lit by electricity.
\B30\b Boyd Morehead succeeds McIlwraith as Premier of Qld.
- W. M. and R. R. Foster establish a brewery in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b First demonstration of a parachute jump in Australia made by J. T. Williams from a balloon over Sydney.
* Copper discovered in the Chillagoe area, Qld, by William Atherton.
* Widespread drought throughout Australia, most severe in NSW and north-west Vic.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
John Horbury Hunt, Rose Bay Convent, Sydney.
Federal Hotel, Melbourne (opened July; demolished \J1972\j).
Pressed-metal ceilings first installed in Sydney Town Hall by Ernest Wunderlich (who begins manufacturing in \J1890\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science holds its first congress in Sydney (28 Aug.). (Name changed to Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of ScienceùANZAASùin \J1930\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Arthur Streeton, \IGolden Summer\b\i (painting).
\JCharles Conder\j, \IThe Departure of the S.S. OrientùCircular Quay\b\i (bought by the Art Gallery of NSW).
Conder joins Streeton and \JTom Roberts\j at Eaglemont, near Heidelberg, Vic.
J. E. Boehm's statue of Queen Victoria in Queen's Square, Sydney, unveiled (24 Jan.).
Brisbane's Her Majesty's Opera House (Theatre) opens (2 Apr.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rolf Boldrewood's \IRobbery Under Arms\i appears in book form.
\IBulletin\b\i publishes \JHenry Lawson\j's first short story, "His Father's Mate" (22 Dec.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Henry Searleù"the Clarence Comet"ùwins the world sculling championship on the Parramatta River (27 Oct.).
Mentor wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 2,981,677 (NSW, 1,044,290; Tas., 137,877; WA, 43,814; SA, 309,453; Vic., 1,079,077; Qld, 367,166).
Chinese population in Australia peaks at 50,000.
The term \IWhite Australia\b\i first appears in print in the \IBoomerang\b\i (2 June).
Centennial Park, Sydney, permanently reserved for the people of Sydney (26 Jan.).
Trout first released in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 2 Nikolai Mikluho-Maclay d. (41).
May 30 Louis Buvelot d. (74).
Oct 28 William Bede Dalley d. (57).
Oct 31 Hubert Wilkins b. (- \J1958\j).
#
"1889",105,"f\9\7918.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B17\b George Dibbs forms a ministry in NSW following the defeat of the Parkes government.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Election held in NSW; Free Traders win narrowly; new members include Charles Dickens's son Edward (Protectionist, Wilcannia).
\B8\b Sir \JHenry Parkes\j resumes the premiership of NSW, forming his fifth ministry.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b Cable from Roebuck Bay, WA, to Batavia opened.
\B11\b Earl of Kintore becomes Governor of SA.
\B22\b Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, destroyed by fire; two firemen killed and six injured.
\B27\b St Patrick's College, Manly, opened by Cardinal Moran.
- Liberal Political Association and Free Trade Association amalgamate to form the Free Trade and Liberal Association of NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b With the opening of the Hawkesbury River railway bridge, Sydney is directly connected by rail to Newcastle, and thus a rail link is formed between Adelaide and Brisbane.
Gen. Sir Henry Norman becomes Governor of Qld.
\B4\b Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) opens in Holtermann's Tower, North Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b WA's Great Southern Railway opened, linking Perth and Albany.
\B11\b Australian Labour Federation formed by unions in Brisbane.
\B22\b Eleven miners killed in a fall at Hamilton Mine, Newcastle.
\B27\b J. A. Cockburn becomes Premier of SA after the defeat of the Playford government on 22 June.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b Qld Legislative Assembly members granted a salary of ú300 a year.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B13\b Fire in Collins Street, Melbourne, completely destroys George's Emporium and Allan's Music Warehouse; three firemen killed and nine seriously injured.
\B21\b Legislation passed granting payment to members of the NSW Legislative Assembly.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Railway completed from Darwin to Pine Creek.
\B14\b First electric tramway in Australia begins operating between Box Hill and Doncaster, Melbourne (to Jan. \J1896\j).
\B24\b Parkes delivers a stirring pro-federation speech at Tenterfield, NSW, calling for a federal government and parliament in place of the ineffectual Federal Council.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B27\b Centennial Hall of Sydney Town Hall opened.
\B28\b Earl of Hopetoun becomes Governor of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B20\b Premier Permanent Building, Land and Investment Association of Melbourne collapses, heralding the end of the "long boom"
* Opals discovered at White Cliffs, NSW.
* General flooding in Tas. (June, Oct., Nov.) and in Vic., and Murray River in flood during year.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Cyril Blacket, Australia Hotel, Sydney (- \J1891\j; demolished in \J1970\j to make way for the MLC Centre).
\JLawrence Hargrave\j invents a rotary aeroplane engine.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibitionùpaintings by Roberts, Streeton, Conder, and \JMcCubbin\j, many on cigar-box lidsùopens in Melbourne (17 Aug.).
Frederick \JMcCubbin\j, \IDown on His Luck.\b\i
Cecil Sharp joins I. G. Reimann in the Adelaide School of Music (later the Elder Conservatorium).
\BD Books and Writing\b
"Tasma", \IUncle Piper of Piper's Hill.\b\i
\IHistory of New South Wales from the Records,\b\i vol. 1 (vol. 2, \J1894\j).
A. B. Paterson's "Clancy of the Overflow" appears in the \IBulletin\b\i (21 Dec.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Henry Searle retains his world sculling title on the Thames, London (9 Sept.), but contracts typhoid on the way home and dies in Melbourne on 10 Dec. (Crowds estimated at 170,000 line Sydney's streets to watch his funeral cortege pass after a service at St Andrew's Cathedral.)
Bravo wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of the Australian colonies reaches three million (NSW, 1,074,140; Tas., 141,661; WA, 45,660; SA, 314,589; Vic., 1,104,938; Qld, 381,489).
Highest temperature ever recorded in Australia: 53.1░F) at Cloncurry, Qld, on 16 Jan.
Publication of Sunday papers prohibited in Vic. (Act repealed in \J1969\j.)
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 22 \JHarry Hawker\j b. (- \J1921\j).
Feb 9 \JPeter Lalor\j d. (62).
Feb 23 Percy Leason b. (- \J1959\j).
Apr 18 Jessie Lillingston (Jessie Street) b. (- \J1970\j).
Sep 20 Ion L. Idriess b. (- \J1979\j).
Nov 5 P. E. Warburton d. (76).
Dec 31 Daryl Lindsay b. (- \J1976\j).
\BDescription:\b Hawkesbury River Bridge \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1890",106,"f\9\r2824.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b University of Tasmania established in Hobart by act of parliament.
Sydney's North Shore railway opened between St Leonards and Hornsby.
- Qld shearers reject an agreement made in Blackall; pastoralists subsequently make contracts with non-union labour.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Railway opened to Warrnambool, Vic.
\B6\b Representatives of all Australian colonial governments and NZ meet in Melbourne (to 14th) to discuss Parkes' federation proposals.
\B28\b Passenger steamer \IQuetta\i sinks after striking an uncharted rock near Torres Strait; more than 130 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b \IWorker\b\i newspaper, edited by William Lane, founded in Brisbane.
\B6\b Henry George arrives in Sydney to begin a lecture tour arranged by the Single Tax League.
- Association of Marine Officers affiliates with the Melbourne Trades Hall Council; shipowners refuse to recognise the affiliation and threaten officers with dismissal.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B25\b Trains collide at Bathurst, NSW, killing four people.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B14\b Tramway (battery operated) begins operating in \JBendigo\j, Vic. (Power inadequate; replaced by steam in \J1892\j.)
\B24\b William Saumarez Smith consecrated in St Paul's, London, as Anglican Bishop of Sydney and Primate of Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Labour Federation's first annual meeting in Brisbane draws up a platform of political action and socialist objective.
\B3\b Sunday newspaper \ITruth \b\i begins publication in Sydney. (John Norton becomes associate editor in Oct., sole proprietor in \J1896\j.)
\B6\b Wharf labourers refuse to handle wool shorn by non-union labour.
\B12\b Sir Samuel Griffith forms a ministry in Qld in coalition with Sir Thomas McIlwraith (the "continuous ministry").
\B16\b Maritime Strike begins, with officers and seamen walking off their ships in Sydney (and in Melbourne on 18th).
\B19\b Wharf labourers in Sydney withdraw their labour.
Thomas Playford forms his second ministry in SA.
\B25\b Coalminers in NSW refuse to cut coal for local ships and are locked out by mine owners.
\B26\b Gas workers in Melbourne called out on strike.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b BHP locks out workers, who refuse to return to work after a week.
\B15\b Sydney carriers refuse to convey wool from railway to wharf.
\B19\b Riot Act read at Circular Quay in Sydney after unionists clash with volunteer carriers of non-union wool and their police escort.
\B24\b Shearers strike (but return to work after a week).
\B25\b BHP miners agree to return to work (but with working hours reduced from 48 to 46).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Fire destroys central Sydney area between Castlereagh and Pitt streets from Hosking Place to what is now Martin Place.
\B17\b Marine officers agree to abandon affiliation with Trades Hall Council and return to work.
\B20\b Sir William Robinson becomes Governor of WA for the third time.
\B21\b Constitution Act Proclaimed in WA, granting responsible government.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b James Munro becomes Premier of Vic.
Last of the unions involved in the Maritime Strike, the Newcastle coalminers, return to work.
\B9\b Experimental electric trams begin running between Bondi Junction and Waverley in Sydney.
\B27\b Elections held (to 12 Dec.) for WA's first Legislative Assembly.
\B28\b Legislation enacted in Tas. providing for the payment of MPs.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B29\b \JJohn Forrest\j (commissioned Premier on 22nd) forms WA's first ministry under responsible government.
\B31\b Importation of kanaka labour to Qld ends. (Resumed in \J1892\j.)
* Severe floods occur on the northern rivers of NSW and along the Darling (Feb., July), in south-east and central Qld (Mar.), on the Murray in SA (Aug.-
Oct.), and on the Fortescue in WA (May).
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i \b
Queen's Bridge, Melbourne, opened (14 Apr.).
Stony Creek railway bridge, built by John Robb on the line between Cairns and Atherton Tableland, completed (Apr.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Blue-speckle cattle dog ("blue heeler") established as a pure breed. (Standard adopted by NSW Kennel Club and Agriculture Department in \J1897\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Frederick \JMcCubbin\j, \IA Bush Burial\i; \JTom Roberts\j, \IShearing the Rams\i; and Arthur Streeton, \IStill Glides the Stream\i (paintings).
Charterisville, a house in the Yarra Valley rented by Walter Withers, becomes the centre of an artist's colony.
G. W. L. Marshall-Hall appointed first Ormond Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne. (Gives inaugural lecture Mar. \J1891\j.)
Florence Young makes her debut in von Suppe's \IBoccaccio\b\i at Her Majesty's Opera House, Melbourne (14 June).
Alfred Dampier presents his adaptation of \IRobbery Under Arms\b\i (melodrama).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rolf Boldrewood, \IThe Miner's Right.\b\i
Ada Cambridge, \IA Marked Man.\b\i
"Tasma", \IA Sydney Sovereign and Other Tales.\b\i
Robert Louis Stevenson visits Sydney from Samoa (13 Feb. to 10 Apr.) and while there writes \IAn Open Letter to the Rev. Dr Hyde of Honolulu\b\i (a defence of Father Damien).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
NSW Lawn Tennis Association founded.
First intercolonial women's cricket match played at the SCG (NSW v. Vic.).
Albert Griffiths ("Young Griffo") beats world featherweight champion "Torpedo" Billy Murphy in Sydney (3 Sept.), but his world championship is not recognised in the US.
Carbine wins the Melbourne Cup after winning the Sydney Cup for the second successive year.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3 151 355 )NSW, 1 113 275; Tas., 144 787; WA, 48 502; SA, 318 947; Vic., 1 133 728; Qld, 392, 116).
Dr Constance Stone of Melbourne becomes the first woman registered as a medical practitioner in Australia (7 Feb).
Rust disease in wheat causes huge losses.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jul 18 F.M. Forde b. - (\J1983\j).
Aug 10 John Boyle O'Reilly d. (56?).
Aug 29 R.G. Casey b. (-\J1976\j).
Sep 1 Arthur W. Upfield b. (-\J1964\j).
\BDescription:\b Fire Brigade in \J1890\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1891",107,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B6\b Qld shearers' strike begins.
\B7\b Railway from Port Augusta, SA, reaches Oodnadatta.
United Labour Party formed at a meeting in Adelaide.
\B15\b Earl of Jersey becomes Governor of NSW.
- Great floods on the Murrumbidgee River.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
- Non-union labour from the south begin working in Qld shearing sheds.
- Clipper \ISobraon \b\i becomes a reformatory ship in Port Jackson.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b First National Australasian Convention, held in Sydney (to 9 Apr.), drafts a federal constitution.
\B10\b Presbyterian Ladies' College opens in Croydon, Sydney (school founded in \J1888\j).
\B21\b Hawkesbury Agricultural College, NSW, enrols its first students.
\B23\b Troops arrest strike leaders in union camps at Clermont and Barcaldine, Qld.
\B24\b Sydney Trades and Labour Council draws up the platform and rules for Labour Electoral Leagues, to endorse candidates for the next election. (First league formed in Balmain on 4 Apr.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Trial of the unionists arrested in Clermont and Barcaldine begins in Rockhampton; twelve of the strike committee gaoled for conspiracy. Workers in Barcaldine hold the first May Day procession.
\B2\b David Lindsay leads a scientific expedition from Warrina, SA, to cover unexplored land westward to the coast of WA.
Two Aborigines murder a Pole named Murskiewicz at Dora Dora Creek, near Albury. (Culprits captured after a three-year manhunt.)
\B9\b Two Labour candidates win seats in the SA Legislative Assembly.
\B30\b Meeting of Vic. labour organisations in Melbourne (to 2 June) forms the Progressive Political League and draws up a platform.
- Womanhood Suffrage League formed in Sydney; \JRose Scott\j secretary.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B17\b Labour candidates contest 45 seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly election and win 36, to hold the balance of power.
- Murrumbidgee again in flood.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B17\b Railway opened from Brisbane to Gympie (and thus to Bundaberg).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Bank of Van Diemen's Land, the second oldest bank in Australia, fails.
(Three banks in Melbourne and one in Sydney also fail during the month.)
\B7\b "Freedom of contract" agreement, signed by pastoralists and Shearers' Union, agrees to the employment of non-union labour.
\B28\b SS \IGambier\i sinks in Port Phillip after colliding with another ship; 21 drown.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian Auxiliary Naval Squadronùcruisers \IKatoomba, Mildura, Ringarooma, Tauranga,\i and \IWallaroo,\i and torpedo gunboats \IBoomerang\i and \IKarrakatta\iùarrives in Sydney from Britain.
\B28\b Miners at Moonta, SA, strike for higher wages (to Feb. \J1892\j).
- Two more banks fail in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian colonies join the Universal Postal Union.
\B9\b New mace presented to the Vic. Legislative Assembly by the House of Commons disappears and is never recovered.
\B19\b Workers' journal the \IHummer \b\i(later the \IWorker\b\i) founded in Wagga.
(Moves to Sydney in \J1893\j and becomes the \IAustralian Worker\b\i in \J1913\j.)
\B23\b George Dibbs becomes Premier of NSW following the resignation of Sir \JHenry Parkes\j.
- Trades and Labor Council established in Perth. (Re-formed in Jan. \J1893\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
- Four banks and one building society in Melbourne collapse.
- A group of 320 Italians arrive at Townsville to work on sugar plantations.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
G. H. M. Addison, Queensland Museum building, Brisbane.
J. B. Spencer, Strand Arcade, Sydney (opens 1 Apr. \J1892\j).
Martin Place, Sydney, completed between George and Castlereagh Streets (progressively extended, reaching Macquarie Street in \J1935\j).
\B B Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Queen Victoria Museum opened in \JLaunceston\j, Tas. (Apr.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JTom Roberts\j, \IThe Breakaway\b\i (painting).
Arthur Streeton, \I"Fire's On!", Lapstone Tunnel\b\i (painting).
Roberts and Streeton establish "Curlew Camp" near Mosman, Sydney.
First South Street music competitions held in \JBallarat\j (June).
Sarah Bernhardt performs in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney in \ICamille.\b\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
The first of Nat Gould's innumerable sporting novels, \IThe Double Event,\b\i published as a book.
\JHenry Lawson\j's poem "Freedom's on the Wallaby" appears in the Brisbane \IWorker\b\i (16 May) during the shearers' strike.
Rudyard Kipling makes a brief visit to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Hobart (Nov.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
(Royal) Melbourne Golf Club formed (22 May).
Malvolio wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia 3,240,985 (simultaneous census, 5 Apr: 3,177,823ùVic., 1,140,088 [Melb., 490,896]; NSW, 1,127,137 [Syd., 387,434]; Qld, 393,718; SA, 315,533; Tas., 146,667; WA, 49,782; NT, 4,898).
Sheep numbers in Australia exceed one hundred million.
Hotels in SA close on Sundays.
Belair Recreation Park, in the Mt Lofty Ranges, SA, reserved.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 J. J. Cahill b. (- \J1959\j).
Feb 15 Henry Vande Sluice (Roy Rene) b. (- \J1954\j).
Mar 27 A. P. Elkin b. (- \J1979\j).
Apr 7 David Low b. (- \J1963\j).
May 8 Sir John Robertson d. (74).
Aug 14 Johnny Mullagh (Muarrinim) d. (50).
Aug 24 Richard Boyer b. (- \J1961\j).
Sep 26 \JWilliam McKell\j b. (- \J1985\j).
Sep 29 Ian Fairweather b. (- \J1974\j).
Oct 29 \JEdward Hammond Hargraves\j d. (75).
Dec 7 Sir William Macleay d. (71).
Dec 25 Clarrie Grimmett b. (- \J1980\j).
#
"1892",108,"f\9\75_0036.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
- Financial crisis worsens, particularly in Vic. (Twenty-three banks either suspend payment or fail before the end of June.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Railway from Strahan to Zeehan, Tas., opened.
\B10\b Run on the head office of the Savings Bank of New South Wales in Sydney (to 12th), depositors withdrawing their funds in gold.
\B16\b William Shiels becomes Premier of Vic. after James Munro resigns and becomes Agent-General in London to escape creditors of his collapsed Real Estate Bank.
- Labour Bureau set up in NSW to provide work for the unemployed.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Disastrous floods on the Hunter River, NSW (to 10th).
Brig \IHebe\b\i lost near Port Stephens.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B14\b Prohibition on the importation of kanakas into Qld removed.
WA's first Agent-General, Sir \JMalcolm Fraser\j, appointed.
\B20\b Labour candidates win ten seats at the general election in Vic.
\B27\b Eight die in a train derailment near Tarana, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b May Day procession inaugurated in Sydney.
\B23\b Frederick Deeming, convicted killer of his wife and four children in England and a second wife in Melbourne, is hanged in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Melbourne \IAge\b\i accuses the Vic. railway commissioners (suspended on 17 Mar.) of mismanagement and the chairman, Richard Speight, of incompetence. (Speight sues David Syme for libel and after two prolonged trials is awarded a farthing damages in Sept. \J1894\j.)
\B17\b Theatre Royal, Sydney, destroyed by fire.
\B21\b F. W. Holder replaces Thomas Playford as Premier of SA.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b \JBroken Hill\j miners go on strike over the repudiation by the mine proprietors of their agreement.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Qld adopts an optional preferential (contingent) voting system.
\B17\b Henry Dobson becomes Premier of Tas. following the resignation of the Fysh government.
- First Labour-in-Politics convention held in Brisbane. (Labour party issues its first manifesto, 9 Sept.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B10\b Rioting in \JBroken Hill\j over the arrival of non-union labour to work in mines; strike leaders arrested by police with fixed bayonets (15th); further arrests made in Sydney (19th).
\B17\b Arthur Bayley and William Ford report their discovery of gold at \JCoolgardie\j, WA.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b Jacky Howe shears a record 321 sheep in a standard working day of 8 hours 40 mins using hand shears.
\B15\b Sir John Downer becomes Premier of SA for a second time, following Holder's resignation.
\B30\b Six \JBroken Hill\j union leaders sentenced to gaol terms varying from three months to two years for conspiring to prevent non-union labour working in the mines. (Amnesty granted 3 July \J1893\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Strike at \JBroken Hill\j collapses; miners return to work (11th).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B24\b Hurricane strikes WA coast between Roebourne and Busselton (to 27th); at Onslow 15 luggers wrecked and 20 men drown.
* William Lane founds the New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
\b\i W. G. Watson, Law Courts, \JBendigo\j (- \J1896\j).
Construction of Fremantle Harbour begins (16 Nov.) to a plan by C. Y. O'Connor.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Western Australian Museum opens in Perth.
First milking machines in Australia installed at Bodalla, NSW.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
G. W. L. Marshall-Hall forms a symphony orchestra in Melbourne.
Lyceum Theatre opens in Sydney (26 Dec.). (Destroyed by fire in \J1964\j.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
"John Miller" (William Lane), \IThe Working Man's Paradise.\b\i
Price Warung, \ITales of the Convict System.\b\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Sheffield Shield cricket competition inaugurated.
NSW Amateur Swimming Association formed in Sydney.
Glenloth wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
"1967",183,13smh.jpg,c,0
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B18\b Marshal Ky, Premier of South Vietnam, visits Australia (to 23rd), setting off protest demonstrations by opponents of the Vietnam War.
\B26\b AWU agrees to affiliate with the ACTU.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b \JRonald Ryan,\j the last person executed in Australia, is hanged in Melbourne for killing a warder while escaping from Pentridge Gaol on 9 Dec. \J1965.\j
\B7\b Bushfires ravage south-east Tas., penetrating suburban Hobart; more than 50 people killed and more than 3,000 made homeless.
\B8\b E. G. Whitlam replaces \JArthur Calwell\j as leader of the federal ALP.
\B24\b Princess Alexandra visits Australia (to 26 Mar.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Prince Philip visits Australia (to 10th).
\B13\b Record floods in northern Qld.
\B30\b South-East Asia Commonwealth telephone cable (Seacom) officially opened.
û Gurindji people occupy part of Wave Hill station, NT.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B29\b Referendum held in northern NSW on a proposal to create a new state; majority opposed.
Bolte government re-elected in Vic. with a 44-seat majority.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b National campaign of immunisation against poliomyelitis with Sabin oral vaccine begins.
\B16\b Liberal members of parliament, including Edward St John in his maiden speech, call for a new inquiry into the \IVoyager\i\b sinking in \J1964.\j
\B27\b Two Commonwealth referendums heldùproposal to end the nexus between numbers in both houses of parliament defeated; proposal to end constitutional discrimination against Aborigines approved.
\B29\b Five-dollar note goes into circulation.
\B31\b Oil strike in Kingfish well in Bass Strait.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b D. A. Dunstan becomes Premier of SA on the retirement of Frank Walsh.
\B5\b Total wage concept introduced by the Commonwealth Arbitration Commission to replace the basic wage plus margins. (Operates from 1 July.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
û Postcode system introduced.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Trade Practices Act comes into force.
\B6\b Commonwealth government announces its intention to limit appeals from the High Court to the Privy Council. (Act assented to, 6 Aug. \J1968.)\j
\B8\b Police arrest 114 demonstrators in Brisbane protesting against changes in the law governing street marches.
\B16\b North-West Cape naval communications station officially commissioned.
\B17\b Prime Minister Holt announces that Australia would increase its military aid to South Vietnam by another battalion and support groups.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B20\b Fixed rate of exchange between the Australian dollar and the pound sterling ends when Australia decides not to devalue in line with sterling.
\B25\b Election for half Senate; DLP wins two more seats, giving it the balance of power in the Senate (27 ALP, 28 LûCP, 4 DLP, 1 ind.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B17\b Prime Minister \JHarold Holt\j disappears in the surf at Cheviot Beach, Portsea, Vic. (Body never found.)
\B19\b Country Party leader \JJohn McEwen\j sworn in as Prime Minister.
\B22\b Representatives of 26 nations, including President Johnson and Prince Charles, attend the Holt memorial service in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
State Office Block, Sydney, completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Honeysuckle Creek space tracking station, near \JCanberra,\j opened (17 Mar.).
Australia's first satellite, WRESAT 1, successfully launched from Woomera Rocket Range (29 Nov.).
Joint Defence Space Research Facility established at Pine Gap, near \JAlice Springs.\j (Becomes operational in \J1969.)\j
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJudy Cassab,\j \IMargo Lewers\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian Elizabeth Theatre Trust forms a permanent orchestra in Sydney for opera and ballet performances.
National Training Orchestra (later the ABC Sinfonia) established by the ABC. (Disbanded \J1986.)\j
Richard Meale composes \INocturnes\i\b.
Dorothy Hewett's play \IThis Old Man Comes Rolling Home\i\b and Jack Hibberd's \IWhite with Wire Wheels\i\b first produced.
Melbourne's La Mama theatre opens.
Current affairs program "This Day Tonight" begins on ABC TV (10 Apr.).
Talkback radio begins.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Donald Horne, \IThe Education of Young Donald\i\b.
\JThomas Keneally,\j \IBring Larks and Heroes\i\b \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
Joan Lindsay, \IPicnic at Hanging Rock\i\b.
R. G. Menzies, \IAfternoon Light\i\b.
Barry Oakley, \IA Wild Ass of a Man\i\b.
Kylie Tennant, \ITell Morning This\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JJohn Newcombe\j wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Newcombe and \JRoy Emerson)\j wins the Davis Cup.
Australia challenges for the America's Cup \I(Dame Pattie\i\b beaten by \IIntrepid\i)\b.
Red Handed wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 11,912,253.
Commonwealth subsidises sheltered workshops and introduces the Sheltered Employment Allowance.
SA's Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Qld's Simpson Desert National Park proclaimed.
National Parks and Wildlife Service set up in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 7 David Unaipon d. (94).
Aug 25 Viscount (S. M.) Bruce d. (84).
Dec 17 \JHarold Holt\j d. (59).
Dec 31 Arthur Mailey d. (81).
\BDescription:\b Vietnam War protests \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1893",109,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B23\b J. B. Patterson replaces William Shiels as Premier of Vic.
\i\B28\b Federal Bank of Australia in Melbourne fails.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Disastrous record floods in south-east Qld (to 21st); Brisbane inundated (6th); Indooroopilly railway bridge and Victoria Bridge swept away.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B27\b Sir Thomas McIlwraith becomes Premier of Qld following Sir Samuel Griffith's retirement.
- Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. formed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B5\b Commercial Bank of Australia in Melbourne suspends payment, setting off a panic. (Reopens 6 May after 'reconstruction'.)
\i\B13\b English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank closes for reconstruction. (Reopens 19 Aug.)
\i\B15\b United Labour Party candidates win eight seats in the SA election.
\i\B20\b Australian Joint Stock Bank suspends payment, followed by the London Chartered Bank of Australia (25th), the Standard Bank of Australia (28th), and the National Bank of Australasia (1 May).
- Labour candidates win 16 seats in the Qld Legislative Assembly election.
- Smallpox epidemic in WA (to \J1894\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Government of Vic. proclaims a five-day moratorium in the form of a bank holiday to give banks time to consider their position and allow public excitement to cool down. Some banks stay open.
\i\B3\b NSW legislates to make bank notes a first charge on assets (as in Vic. and SA) and declares all bank notes legal tender (16th).
\i\B5\b Colonial Bank of Australasia in Melbourne suspends payment, followed by the Bank of Victoria (9th), the Queensland National Bank and the Bank of North Queensland (15th), the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney (16th), and the City of Melbourne Bank and the Royal Bank of Queensland (17th). All eventually reopen after reconstruction.
\i\B26\b NSW authorises payment in Treasury notes to people with deposits locked up in suspended banks.
\i\B29\b Sir Robert Duff becomes Governor of NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B14\b Patrick Hannan discovers gold at \JKalgoorlie\j, WA.
\i\B16\b C. C. Kingston replaces Sir John Downer as Premier of SA.
\i\B22\b Australasian Federation League established in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b Seamen strike unsuccessfully over an enforced reduction of wages.
\i\B16\b \IRoyal Tar,\b\i carrying 220 passengersùmembers of William Lane's New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association and their childrenùsails from Sydney for South America.
\i\B31\b Federation conference held at Corowa, NSW (to 1 Aug.), called by the Australasian Federation League.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Viscount Gormanston becomes Governor of Tas.
\i\B25\b \JCoolgardie\j, WA, proclaimed a town site.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B20\b Sydney's first regular electric tramway service begins, from North Sydney to Spit Junction.
\i\B21\b Electric tramway begins operating in Hobart.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B13\b Homestead Act passed in WA allowing free selection of 160-acre (65-hectare) homestead farms.
\i\B16\b Submarine cable between New Caledonia and Bundaberg, Qld, opened.
\i\B27\b Hugh Nelson becomes Premier of Qld on McIlwraith's retirement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Electoral Act abolishes plural voting in NSW.
\i\B15\b Esperance, WA, gazetted as a town site.
\i\B28\b SS \IAlert\b\i sinks off Cape Schanck, Vic; 14 lives lost.
\i\B31\b \IRoyal Tar\b\i sails from Adelaide with another 199 settlers for the New Australia settlement in Paraguay (81 of the first settlers having already been lost to the community through expulsion or disaffection).
* Farmers and Settlers' Association of NSW founded.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
George McRae, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney (-\J1898\j; remodelled \J1918\j, \J1935\j, 198\b\i 3-\b\i 86).
John Sulman, Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital, Concord, Sydney.
George Adams's new Tattersall's Hotel opens in Sydney (since demolished).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Technological Museum opens in Ultimo, Sydney (4 Aug.).
NSW's first public telephone installed at Sydney GPO (8 Mar.).
Thargomindah, Qld, lit by electric power generated from artesian water (first hydro-electric plant in Australia).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Arthur Streeton, \IThe Railway Station, Redfern\b\i (painting).
Bertram Mackennal, \ICirce\b\i (sculpture).
\JJulian Ashton\j's murals decorate the \JMarble Bar\j of Adams's Hotel.
Harry Rickards acquires the Garrick Theatre in Sydney and renames it the Tivoli (opens 18 Feb.).
J. C. Williamson buys out Arthur Garner and assumes full control of 'the Firm'.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Simpson Newland, \IPaving the Way.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
(Royal) Sydney and (Royal) Adelaide golf clubs formed.
\JJohn Wren\j sets up an illegal tote in Collingwood, Melbourne.
Tarcoola wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,361,895 (NSW, 1,206,497; Tas., 150,396; WA, 64,923; SA, 344,916; Vic., 1,176,170; Qld, 418,993).
'Larrikin pushes now terrorise Sydney' (Melbourne \IArgus,\b\i 1 July).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 31 \JRoy Cazaly\j b. (-\J1963\j).
May 26 Eugene Goossens b. (-\J1962\j).
Jun 10 Martin Boyd b. (-\J1972\j).
Jun 23 Frank Dalby Davison b. (-\J1970\j).
Sep 3 Harold Williams b. (-\J1976\j).
Sep 18 Arthur Benjamin b. (-\J1960\j).
Nov 1 John Anderson b. (-\J1962\j).
Nov 27 Frank Clune b. (-\J1971\j).
Dec 2 Raphael Cilento b. (-\J1985\j).
#
"1894",110,"f\9\75_0033.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Two severe hurricanes (the second on 9th) hit the north-west coast of WA; 12 pearling luggers and a steamer lost and about 50 men drown.
\i\B15\b Australia's first steel rolling mill opens at the Eskbank ironworks, near Lithgow, NSW.
Baby-farmer Frances Knorr, convicted of murdering her charges, is hanged at the old Melbourne Gaol.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b Steam trams begin operating to Bondi, Sydney. (Able to reach 65 km/h, they give rise to the phrase 'shoot through like a Bondi tram'.)
- Shearers' and shed hands' unions of Qld, NSW, Vic., and SA amalgamate to form the Australian Workers' Union, with W. G. Spence as secretary.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Central business area of Melbourne lit by electric street lighting generated by the City Council.
- Widespread and serious floods in NSW (to Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B14\b Sir Edward Braddon replaces Henry Dobson as Premier of Tas.
\i\B24\b Nineteen NSW Labour MPs refuse to sign the Electoral League pledge to vote as a bloc according to caucus decisions. \J(Joseph Cook\j becomes leader of the independent Labour faction.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B17\b Qld shearers' strike begins in Longreach over a new agreement imposed by pastoralists and a reduction in wages.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Unionists fight with strike-breakers on Oondooroo station, Qld, and during the month a number of woolsheds are burnt and violent incidents occur.
\i\B16\b Election in NSW results in the Protectionists and the two Labour groupings losing ground to the Free Traders. \JGeorge Reid\j replaces Sir George Dibbs as Premier (3 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b New Sydney Hospital opens.
\i\B21\b Tas. introduces a flat-rate personal income tax.
\i\B26\b Unionists force strike-breakers off the river steamer \IRodney\b\i near Pooncarie, NSW, and burn and sink the vessel.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Dagworth station, Qld, woolshed burnt down; shots fired by both sides.
\i\B5\b Bill for the Better Preservation of Peace in Queensland passes through the Qld Legislative Assembly after bitter debate.
\i\B10\b Shearers call off their strike, having been unable to prevent strike-breakers from working.
\i\B27\b George Turner becomes Premier of Vic. following the Liberals' success in the elections.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B28\b SS \IWairarapa,\b\i en route from Sydney to Auckland, is wrecked off the coast of NZ with the loss of 112 lives.
\B31\b Suburban train and country train collide at Redfern, Sydney; 11 people killed and 27 injured.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B24\b Railway from Perth (Midland Junction) to Geraldton completed.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B21\b SA enacts legislation to establish a statutory authority to conciliate in disputes between employers and employees.
ò Monthly magazine \IAustralian Home Journal\b\i founded in Sydney.
ò (Royal) Life Saving Society formed in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Perth railway station completed (25 March.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia (May-Aug.).
\JLawrence Hargrave,\j experimenting with boxkites, is lifted six metres off the ground at Stanwell Park, NSW (12 Nov.).
David Shearer of Mannum, SA, develops a steam car, the first car built in Australia.
\B1\b Qld standardises its time at ten hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (Eastern Standard Time).
\i\B24\b C. E. Borchgrevink, a Qld surveyor, and H. J. Bull of Melbourne, travelling with a Norwegian expedition in the whaler \IAntarctic,\b\i land at Cape Adare, the first men to land on the Antarctic continent.
\i\B29\b Income tax introduced in Vic.
Premiers' Conference held in Hobart to discuss federation calls for a convention of ten representatives from each colony to frame a federal constitution, which would then be put to a plebiscite.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b NSW, Vic., and SA standardise their times, NSW and Vic. on EST, SA nine hours ahead of GMT (changed to\b\i 9╜ hours ahead of GMTùCentral Standard Timeùin \J1899).\j
\i\B15\b Municipality proclaimed at Hannan's Find, WA, and named \JKalgoorlie.\j
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Labour Electoral Leagues and the Australian Labour Federation in NSW merge to form the Political Labour League, with J. S. T. McGowen as leader.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B28\b Sydney ferry-master George Dean, condemned to death for poisoning his wife, is released after an inquiry by royal commission. (His lawyer, R. D. Meagher, MP, is subsequently struck off the rolls as a solicitor when it is revealed that he knew Dean to be guilty, and Dean is sentenced to 14 years' gaol for perjury.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B18\b Nine men killed and many injured in a rock fall in \JBroken Hill\j South mine, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b SS \ICatterthun,\b\i bound for China from Sydney, is wrecked off Seal Rocks, NSW, with the loss of 55 lives.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Tas. standardises its time on EST.
\i\B14\b \I\JKalgoorlie\j Miner\b\i begins publication as a daily newspaper.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b State aid to religion abolished in WA.
\i\B15\b Suppression of Gambling Act passed in Qld, forcing Tattersall's Sweeps (already forced out of NSW by similar legislation) to move to Hobart.
\i\B25\b Baron Brassey becomes Governor of Vic.
\i\B29\b Sir Thomas Buxton becomes Governor of SA.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b Visiting English actors Arthur Dacre and his wife, Amy Roselle, commit suicide in Sydney the day before they are to open in \IThe Silence of Dean Maitland.
\i\B22\b Viscount Hampden becomes Governor of NSW.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b WA standardises its time at eight hours ahead of GMT (Western Standard Time).
\i\B10\b \JLaunceston\j lit by electricity.
\i\B12\b Land and income taxes introduced in NSW.
\i\B20\b SA enacts federal enabling legislation, as does NSW (23rd).
\i\B23\b Sir Gerard Smith becomes Governor of WA.
ò Sydney Church of England Grammar School for Girls (SCEGGS) founded.
ò Drought experienced in NSW, Qld, and SAùthe beginning of an extensive and severe drought lasting in some areas until \J1903.\j
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Reinforced concrete first used in Australia in two arches spanning creeks in Forest Lodge, Sydney.
The cavity wall, an Australian development of the previous decade, now standard building practice.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Tasmania's first hydro-electric station, at Duck Reach on the South Esk River, comes into service.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
E. Phillips Fox, \IArt Students\b\i (painting).
\JTom Roberts,\j \IBailed Up\b\i (painting).
Walter Withers, \IThe Yarra below Eaglemont\b\i (painting).
Qld and WA Art Galleries open (29 Mar. and 31 July).
G. W. L. Marshall-Hall founds a conservatorium of music as part of the University of Melbourne (opens 28 Feb.).
'Waltzing Matilda' (words by A. B. Paterson) first sung in public at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Qld (6 Apr.).
Edison Electric Parlour, with Kinetoscopes (moving picture peep-shows) and gramophones, opens in Pitt Street, Sydney (Mar.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
A. B. Paterson, \IThe Man from Snowy River and Other Verses.\i
The word \Icobber\b\i first appears in print in the \IBulletin\b\i (9 Feb.).
Mark Twain makes a lecture tour of Australia (arrives Sydney 16 Sept.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Warrnambool road race (between Warrnambool and Melbourne), the world's oldest cycling event, held for the first time.
Auraria wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,491,621 (NSW, 1,255,503; Tas., 154,895; WA, 100,515; SA, 351,968; Vic., 1,185,676; Qld, 443,064).
\B7\b Tattersall's first lottery in Tas. conducted by George Adams to dispose of the assets of the liquidated Van Diemen's Land Bank.
\i\B10\b Federation enabling legislation passed in Tas.
\i\B12\b Heat wave in Bourke, NSW (to 25th), during which 47 people die; daily top temperatures average 116.6░\b\i F (47░\b\i C).
\i\B26\b Cyclone causes severe damage in Townsville and Bowen; 18 people killed in Townsville.
- Brisbane Public Library (now the State Library of Qld) instituted. (Officially opened to the public on 29 Apr. \J1902\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B13\b Steam ferry \IPearl\b\i sinks while conveying passengers across the flooded Brisbane River; number drowned uncertain, but 28 bodies are subsequently recovered.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Premiers' Conference agrees that colonies should amend anti-Chinese legislation to restrict immigration of all coloured races.
\i\B7\b Federation enabling act passed in Vic.
First Japanese consulate in Australia opens in Townsville, because of the large number of Japanese working in CSR canefields.
\i\B24\b Railway from Perth to \JCoolgardie\j opened. (Reaches \JKalgoorlie\j 8 Sept.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b Baron Lamington becomes Governor of Qld.
\i\B25\b Women vote for the first time in an Australian parliamentary electionùfor the SA Legislative Assembly. (New members include King O'Malley.)
\i\B26\b Newcastle coalminers begin an 11-week strike over reduction in wages. (Return to work on company terms, 14 July.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Smelting begins at Mount Lyell, Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B28\b Vic.'s Factories and Shops Act amended to provide for the setting up of minimum wage boards.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B29\b American lone sailor Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail single-handed round the world, arrives at Newcastle from Boston in his yawl \ISpray.\b\i (Leaves Australian coast 24 June \J1897\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B23\b Port Hedland, WA, declared a town site.
\i\B27\b Federation enabling act passed in WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b People's Federal Convention held in Bathurst, NSW (to 21st).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b Boulder, WA, declared a town site.
\i\B6\b Eleven miners die from the effects of gas in the Stockton Mine, Newcastle.
* National Council of Women of Australia founded.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
A. B. Brady, Victoria Bridge, Brisbane (first half opened in Oct; completed bridge officially opened 22 June \J1897\j; replaced in \J1969\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Charles Henry Packham breeds the Packham's Triumph pear on his property 'Clifton', near Molong, NSW.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Paintings: G. W. Lambert, \IA Bush Idyll.\i
Frederick \JMcCubbin\j, \IOn the Wallaby Track.\i
Arthur Streeton, \I'The Purple Noon's Transparent Might'.\i
\JJulian Ashton\j establishes the Sydney Art School.
First national brass band contest held in Sydney.
Motion pictures shown for the first time in Australia by an American, Carl Hertz, at Harry Rickards's Opera House (Tivoli) in Melbourne (22 Aug.). (Subsequently shown at Sydney's Tivoli, 19 Sept., and in Brisbane in Oct.).
Frenchman Marius Sestier exhibits films at Australia's first 'cinema', the Salon LumiΦre in Sydney (28 Sept.) and shoots the first moving film in Australia.
George Adams's Palace Theatre opens in Sydney (19 Dec.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
W. H. Fitchett, \IDeeds that Won the Empire.\i
\JHenry Lawson\j, \IIn the Days When the World Was Wide\i and \IWhile the Billy Boils.\i
Mrs K. Langloh Parker, \IAustralian Legendary Tales.\i
\IBulletin\b\i 's 'Red Page', edited by A. G. Stephens, first appears under that title (29 Aug.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
E. H. Flack of Vic., sole Australian representative at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, wins the 800 metres and 1,500 metres track events.
William Virgin cycles from Perth to Brisbane in 60 days (1 Sept. to 31 Oct.).
Newhaven wins the Melbourne Cup. (Part of the race is filmed by Marius Sestier with his LumiΦre Cinematographe.)
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,553,093 (NSW, 1,272,364; Tas., 159,296; WA, 136,816; SA, 352,067; Vic., 1,179,850; Qld, 452,705).
Child adoption by law approved in WA, the first of the colonies to legislate for this.
Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital for Women and Children (managed and professionally staffed by women) established in Melbourne. (Officially opened in July \J1899\j.)
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 2 Lawrence Wackett b. (-\J1982\j).
Jan 22 Norman Gilroy b. (-\J1977\j).
Apr 27 Sir \JHenry Parkes\j d. (80).
Jul 5 Thomas Playford b. (-\J1981\j).
Aug 28 \JArthur Calwell\j b. (-\J1973\j).
Oct 10 Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller d. (71).
Oct 21 P. G. Taylor b. (-\J1966\j).
#
"1897",113,"f\9\king0110.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b Cyclone devastates Palmerston (Darwin); 28 lives lost, 15 of them at sea.
\i\B15\b Order in council transfers the government of Norfolk Is. to NSW (from 19 Mar.).
\i\B20\b Hare-Clark proportional-representation voting system used for the first time in the Tas. election (for only the multi-member electorates of Hobart and \JLaunceston\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Scotch College opens in Perth.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Election of representatives for the Federal Convention held in NSW, Vic., SA, and Tas. (WA representatives chosen by parliament.)
\i\B22\b Federal Convention meets in Adelaide (to 23 Apr.), attended by representatives of all colonies except Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B22\b Draft constitution bill accepted by the Federal Convention.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b First ship enters the newly opened Fremantle Harbour.
- Mining engineer (and future US President) Herbert Hoover arrives in \JCoolgardie\j as a representative of a mining consultation firm.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Narrogin, WA, declared a town site.
\i\B21\b Electric trams begin running in Brisbane.
\i\B24\b Premiers of the Australian colonies in London for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations attend the Colonial Conference.
\i\B27\b William Saumarez Smith becomes the first Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Federal Convention reassembles in Sydney (to 24th) to consider amendments to the draft constitution bill.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b \ITocsin\b\i (later \ILabor Call\b\i), a radical weekly founded by Bernard O'Dowd and others, begins publication in Melbourne.
\i\B27\b St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, consecrated and (31st) formally opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B21\b Fire sweeps through the two-hectare Melbourne city block between Swanston and Elizabeth streets and Flinders Street and Flinders Lane.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Collie, WA, declared a town site. (Coal mining begins during the month.)
\i\B19\b \ISunday Times\b\i begins publication in Perth.
\i\B31\b Bushfires raging in southern Tas. reach their peak; at least six people die.
* Seventh Day Adventist missionary training college built at Cooranbong, NSW.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Mueller Botanic Society (later Royal Society) of WA founded.
Prof. \JWilliam Bragg\j demonstrates wireless at a public lecture in Adelaide University (21 Sept.).
Henry Austin of Melbourne builds Australia's first internal-combustion-engine car, the Pioneer.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Rupert Bunny, \IA Summer Morning\b\i (painting).
Wynne Prize awarded for the first time (to Walter Withers for his painting \IThe Storm\b\i).
Achille Simonetti's sculpture of \JGovernor Phillip\j in Sydney's Botanic Gardens unveiled (22 June).
Bequest by Sir Thomas Elder endows a chair of music at Adelaide University and finances establishment of the Elder Conservatorium.
Theatre Royal opens in Perth (19 Apr.).
Salvation Army in Melbourne begins film production.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Barcroft Boake, \IWhere the Dead Men Lie\b\i (ed. A. G. Stephens).
Christopher Brennan, \IXXI Poems: Towards the Source.\i
A. C. Rowlandson acquires the NSW Bookstall Co.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Victorian Football League formed by a breakaway group from the VFA.
Percy Cavill, holder of Australian swimming records from 440 yards to a mile, wins the world 440 yards and five-mile championships.
Gaulus wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,617,783 (NSW, 1,295,589; Tas., 163,962; WA, 160,495; SA, 352,337; Vic., 1,182,106; QLD, 463,294).
Qld imports 10,800 kg of opium (per year).
Qld's Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act (15 Dec.) provides for the setting up of closed reserves for Aborigines and prescribes penalties for supplying them with opium or liquor.
Employers' Liability Act in NSW (7 Dec.) provides for payment to employees injured at work.
NT completely quarantined following the increasing prevalence of tick fever in cattle.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 Charles \JKingsford Smith\j b. (-\J1935\j).
Mar 6 Thomas Elder d. (78?).
Jul 9 Enid Burnell (\JEnid Lyons\j) b. (-\J1981\j).
Aug 16 Marjorie Barnard b. (-\J1987\j).
Oct 5 Percy Spender b. (-\J1985\j).
Oct 7 Charles Chauvel b. (-\J1959\j).
Oct 22 Jessie Couvreur ('Tasma') d. (48).
Nov 3 Doris Fitton b. (-\J1985\j).
Nov 13 \JErnest Giles\j d. (62).
Nov 20 Margaret Sutherland b. (-\J1984\j).
\BDescription:\b The \J1897\j Committee for the drafting of the Constitution \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1898",114,"f\9\king0095.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B20\b Federal Convention meets in Melbourne for the third and final session (to 17 Mar.); draft constitution approved.
- Bushfires sweep through the Otway Range and south and west Gippsland districts of Vic., flaring up again in Feb; townships destroyed and several settlers burnt to death.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Cyclone severely damages Mackay, Qld.
\i\B5\b Melbourne officially connected to the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works sewerage system.
\i\B9\b Barque \IAtacama\b\i founders on its way from Sydney to San Francisco; 13 lives lost, and 5 rescued after several days in a boat.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b Mine explosion at the Dudley Colliery, near Newcastle, causes 15 deaths.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B13\b T. J. Byrnes becomes Premier of Qld following the resignation of Sir Hugh Nelson to become president of the Legislative Council.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Paddle-steamer \IMaitland\b\i wrecked near Broken Bay, NSW, with the loss of 26 lives.
\i\B7\b SS \IMerksworth\b\i founders in Stockton Bight; nine of the crew drown.
\i\B29\b Greeks and Syrians begin building Australia's first Greek Orthodox church in Surry Hills, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Referendums held in NSW, Vic., and Tas. (and SA on 4th) to decide on the draft federal constitution. All the colonies vote in favour of acceptance, but NSW's vote falls short of the statutory minimum required.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B21\b Sydney's Queen Victoria Markets open.
\i\B27\b Federation dominates the NSW election; \JGeorge Reid\j remains Premier but with reduced support.
Death duties introduced in NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b NSW's new parliament meets for the first time and suggests amendments to the draft federal constitution.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b Sidney and Beatrice Webb arrive in Sydney at the beginning of a visit to Australia. (Leave Adelaide in Nov.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b J. R. Dickson becomes Premier of Qld on the death of Thomas Byrnes.
\i\B17\b David Scott Mitchell makes known his intention to bequeath his collection of Australiana to the Sydney Public Library on condition that suitable accommodation is provided for the Public Library and his collection is preserved in a separate wing called the Mitchell Library.
\i\B28\b Early Closing Act in WA provides for shops to be closed at 6 p.m. on five days a week and at 10 p.m. on Sat. (or Wed.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B18\b Hobart lit by electricity.
* First Christian Science services held in Australia and a reading room opened in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
A. B. Brady, Customs House, Rockhampton, Qld.
Swan Barracks, Perth, completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Edgeworth David confirms Darwin's theory about the growth of coral reefs.
Zoological gardens opened in South Perth (17 Oct.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JSydney Long\j, \IPan\b\i (painting).
Dattilo Rubbo opens an art school in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Victor Daley, \IAt Dawn and Dusk.\i
Edward E. Morris, \IAustral English: A Dictionary of Australasian Words, Phrases, and Usages.\i
Will H. Ogilvie, \IFair Girls and Gray Horses.\i
\IWide World Magazine\b\i begins serialising \IThe Adventures of Louis de Rougemont\b\i (June). On 7 Oct. the London \IDaily Chronicle\b\i exposes 'Louis de Rougemont' as the hoaxer Henri Grin.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Dick Cavill, aged 15, wins the NSW swimming championship (31 Dec.) using the crawl stroke (probably introduced into Australia by Alick Wickham from the Solomon Is.).
The Grafter wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,664,715 (NSW, 1,317,445; Tas., 168,437; WA, 166,878; SA, 354,813; Vic., 1,182,281; Qld, 474,861).
First referendums held in Australia; voting not compulsory and women allowed to vote only in SA.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 10 Judith Anderson b. (-\J1992\j).
Feb 12 Sali Yakubowitsch (Sali Herman) b. (-\J1993\j).
May 26 Laurence Hartnett b. (-\J1986\j).
Jun 26 W. K. Hancock b. (-\J1988\j).
Aug 29 \JWalter Lindrum\j b. (-\J1960\j).
Sep 19 Sir George Grey d. (86).
Sep 24 \JHoward Florey\j b. (-\J1968\j).
Oct 18 C. T. P. Ulm b. (-\J1934\j).
Nov 2 George Goyder d. (72).
\BDescription:\b Miners meeting in the late \J1890\js \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1899",115,"f\9\r6610.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B29\b Premiers of all six colonies meet (to 3 Feb.) to discuss amendments to the\b\i Constitution Bill to make it acceptable to NSW and Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b Cyclone devastates the far north coast of Qld; 55 pearling luggers in the Bathurst Bay area sink, with the loss of some 300 lives.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Baron Tennyson (son of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson) becomes Governor of SA.
\i\B11\b NSW Legislative Council enlarged by 12 new members favourable to federation (including the first Labour members), in order to gain approval for a further referendum on federation.
\i\B24\b Iron clipper \ILoch Sloy\b\i wrecked on Kangaroo Is., SA; 30 lives lost.
\i\B29\b SA begins the second round of referendums on federation: 65,900 vote in favour; 17,053 against.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b Earl Beauchamp becomes Governor of NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b Qld passes enabling legislation for a referendum on federation.
\i\B20\b NSW holds its second referendum and gains the required number of votes: 107,420 in favour; 82,741 against.
Branch of the Royal Mint opens in Perth, mainly to convert the colony's gold into sovereigns and half-sovereigns (to \J1931\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Qld offers volunteers for South Africa in the event of hostilities breaking out. (NSW and Vic. make similar offers within a few days.)
\i\B12\b During a heavy gale off the coast of WA, the \ICity of York\b\i is wrecked on Rottnest Is. and the \ICarlisle Castle\b\i near Rockingham; 22 lives lost.
\i\B27\b Referendums on federation held in Vic. (152,653 in favour; 9,805 against) and Tas. (13,437 in favour; 791 against).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B30\b Plural voting abolished in Vic.
- William Lane and his family withdraw from the New Australia settlement at Cosme, Paraguay, and go to New Zealand.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Qld holds its first referendum on federation: 38,488 vote in favour; 30,996 against.
\i\B12\b Fire burns out Sydney's Tivoli Theatre. (Reopens in six months.)
\i\B14\b W. J. Lyne replaces \JGeorge Reid\j as Premier of NSW.
\i\B24\b Electric tramway begins operating in Hay Street, Perth.
- \JDaisy Bates\j arrives in WA from the UK to investigate the condition of Aborigines for \IThe Times\b\i of London.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Education made free and compulsory in WA.
\i\B11\b Outbreak of the Boer War sparks off enthusiastic volunteering throughout Australia.
\i\B12\b N. E. Lewis replaces Sir Edward Braddon as Premier of Tas.
\i\B28\b Vic.'s first contingent of volunteers for the Boer War leaves Melbourne in the \IMedic\b\i (which picks up contingents from Tas., SA, and WA). In Sydney, the first NSW contingent marches through city streets to board the \IKent\b\i (which embarks the Qld contingent in Brisbane).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b NSW government appoints a royal commission to investigate sites for a national capital.
\i\B28\b Anderson Dawson forms a Labour government in Qldùthe first Labour government in the world. (Sworn in on 1 Dec., the ministry is forced to resign four days later.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b V. L. Solomon becomes Premier of SA following the fall of the Kingston government but is himself replaced by F. W. Holder a week later.
\i\B5\b Allan McLean replaces Sir George Turner as Premier of Vic.
\i\B7\b Robert Philp forms a ministry in Qld.
\i\B8\b Electric tramway begins running in George Street, Sydney.
\i\B16\b WA legislates for triennial parliaments and votes for women.
\i\B22\b Early Closing Act in NSW; shops in Sydney and Newcastle to close on four days at 6 p.m., one at 10 p.m., and one at 1 p.m.
* WA introduces a company tax.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Sulman, Yaralla, in Concord, Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
W. Baldwin Spencer and F. J. Gillen publish their study \IThe Native Tribes of Central Australia.\i
C. E. Borchgrevink and a scientific party arrive at Cape Adair, Antarctica (17 Feb.) and become the first to spend a winter on the Antarctic continent.
Prof. W. H. Bragg of Adelaide University and SA Postmaster-General Sir Charles Todd carry out the first successful transmission of a wireless message in Australia (10 May).
National Museum opens in the Public Library Building, Melbourne.
Herbert Thomson of Armadale, Vic., builds a successful steam-driven motor car, the Thomson Motor Phaeton (demonstrated in July).
Rosella Preserving and Manufacturing Co. makes its first tomato sauce.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
G. W. Lambert, \IAcross the Blacksoil Plains\b\i (awarded the Wynne Prize).
Lambert, Max Meldrum, and Hans Heysen leave Australia to study in Europe.
First gramophones arrive in Australia.
\BD Books and Writing\b
E. J. Brady, \IThe Ways of Many Waters.\i
Arthur W. Jose, \IA Short History of Australasia.\i
Ethel C. Pedley, \IDot and the Kangaroo.\i
Roderic Quinn, \IThe Hidden Tide.\i
Steele Rudd, \IOn Our Selection.\i
A. G. Stephens launches the \IBookfellow.\b\i (Ceases publication in \J1925\j.)
The word \Iwowser\b\i first appears in print in a \ITruth\b\i headline (8 Oct.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
F. C. V. Lane wins the English 220 yards swimming championship and establishes other records.
Fred and Bert James cycle 4,170 km from Mt Magnet, WA, to Melbourne in 48 days.
Merriwee wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3 715 988 (NSW, 1,339,214; Tas., 172,362; WA, 170,258; SA, 359,298; Vic. 1,188,541; Qld, 486,315).
Phylloxera attacks vines at Rutherglen, Vic., and the SA Phylloxera Board is created to protect SA against the introduction of the insect to SA vineyards.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 17 Nevil Shute Norway (Nevil Shute) b. (-\J1960\j).
Jan 21 Ernestine Hill b. (-\J1972\j).
Feb 21 Sir George Bowen d. (77).
Feb 22 \JIan Clunies Ross\j b. (-\J1959\j).
Sep 3 \JMacfarlane Burnet\j b. (-\J1985\j).
Sep 24 \JWilliam Dobell\j b. (-\J1970\j).
\BDescription:\b Nock and Kirby, Sydney, late \J1890\js \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1900",116,"f\9\r6412.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Adelaide streets lit by electricity.
\B15\b Suspected cases of bubonic plague reported in Adelaideùthe beginning of an epidemic affecting all mainland states over the next ten years.
\B19\b Sydney's first case of plague discovered. (103 deaths occur in Sydney over the following eight months.)
\B24\b Intercolonial conference held at the Sydney Trades Hall (to 25th) to consider forming a federal Labour party.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B22\b Whaling operations out of Hobart cease.
\B28\b Detachments of Citizen's Bushmen's Corps from NSW and SA leave for South Africa. (Detachments from Tas., Vic., and WA leave during March.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B25\b SS \IGlenelg\i\b wrecked off Vic. coast; 31 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B23\b Contingents of Imperial Bushmen begin leaving for South Africa.
\B25\b William Sandford blows in Australia's first open-hearth steel-making furnace at his Eskbank works in Lithgow, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b \ISierra Nevada\i\b wrecked at Back Beach, Portsea, Vic; 23 drown.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B13\b WA passes federal referendum enabling legislation.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Naval contingent leaves Sydney in the \IWallaroo\i\b to help the British suppress the Boxer Rebellion in China.
\B9\b Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, passed by the British parliament, receives royal assent.
\B20\b Jimmy Governor, with his brother Joe and another Aboriginal named Jacky Underwood, murder five whites at Breelong, NSW. (Kill another four during a 14-week rampage.)
\B24\b Capt. N. R. Howse wins the Victoria Cross at Vredefort, South Africa (first member of Australian forces awarded the VC).
\B31\b Referendum on federation held in WA: 44,800 vote in favour; 19,691 against. Women vote for the first time in WA.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Australian Bushmen hold out for 13 days under siege at Elands River, South Africa.
\B6\b SA gunboat \IProtector\i\b leaves Port Adelaide for service in the Boxer war.
\B8\b NSW and Vic. naval contingents leave Sydney for China.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b Brisbane \ITruth\i\b (later renamed the \ISunday Sun\i\b) begins publication.
\B14\b Tas. enacts legislation to introduce adult male suffrage, abolishing plural voting and property qualification.
\B17\b Queen Victoria proclaims that on and after 1 Jan. \J1901\j the six colonies "shall be united in a Federal Commonwealth under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia".
\B21\b Earl of Hopetoun officially appointed first Governor-General of Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B27\b Jimmy Governor captured. (Tried and convicted, 22û23 Nov; hanged at Darlinghurst Gaol on 18 Jan. \J1901\j.)
\B31\b Joe Governor shot dead.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b Sir George Turner again becomes Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Conciliation and Arbitration Act passed in WA. Legislation also passed providing for the payment of MPs.
SA Factories Act amended to introduce wages boards and early closing.
\B15\b Lord Hopetoun arrives in Sydney and (19th) invites NSW Premier Sir William Lyne to form a federal ministry, but Lyne, an anti-federalist, is unable to gain support and (24th) \JEdmund Barton\j is commissioned.
\B28\b Qld enacts early closing legislation (Sat. to be half day).
\B30\b Barton announces his ministers for the first federal government.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Art Gallery of South Australia (extended in \J1936\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Dr J. A. Thompson establishes that bubonic plague is transmitted to humans by fleas from infected rats.
Bore in Roma, Qld, yields Australia's first natural gas.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Longstaff, \I\JHenry Lawson\j\i\b (painting).
G. W. L. Marshall-Hall is removed as Ormond Professor of Music in Melbourne because of criticism of his views; he continues with his music school, which later becomes the Melba Memorial Conservatorium.
Her Majesty's Theatre opens in Melbourne (19 May).
Joseph Perry's film, \ISoldiers of the Cross\i\b, produced for the Salvation Army, has its first public showing at the Melbourne Town Hall (13 Sept.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JHenry Lawson\j, \IOn the Track\i\b; \IOver the Sliprails\i\b; and \IVerses, Popular and Humorous.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the Paris Olympics, F. C. V. Lane wins the 200 m freestyle swimming event, Donald Mackintosh wins the game-shooting event, and Stanley Rowley participates as a co-opted fifth man in the winning British 5,000 m cross-country team.
Donald Mackay completes a 240-day bicycle ride around Australia.
Herbert Thomson drives his Thomson steam car from Bathurst to Melbourne (30 Apr. to 9 May).
Clean Sweep wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,765,300 (NSW, 1,360,305; Tas., 172,900; WA, 179,967; SA, 357,250; Vic., 1,196,213; Qld, 493,847; NT, 4,857).
Cases of bubonic plague in Australia: NSW, 303; Vic., 10; Qld, 136; SA, 3; WA, 6; Tas., nil.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 Charles Moses b. (û \J1988\j).
Mar 29 \JJohn McEwen\j b. (û \J1980\j).
Jul 17 Sir Thomas McIlwraith d. (65).
Oct 20 Jack Lindsay b. (û \J1990\j).
\BDescription:\b Queen's Theatre, York Street, Sydney \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1901",117,"f\7\r3102.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed at a ceremony in Centennial Park, Sydney. Lord Hopetoun assumes office as Governor-General, and Prime Minister \JEdmund Barton\j and his cabinet ministers (Executive Council) are sworn in.
û Whyalla (then known as Hummock Hill), SA, comes into existence as the terminal for the BHP tramway from Iron Knob.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b Alexander Peacock becomes Premier of Vic. following Sir George Turner's resignation to become federal Treasurer.
\B15\b George Throssell becomes Premier of WA, Sir \JJohn Forrest\j having resigned to become a Commonwealth minister.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Naval and military forces and establishments of the states are transferred to the Commonwealth, which also assumes control of all postal and telegraphic services.
\B21\b SS \IFederal\i\b sinks in Bass Strait with the loss of 21 lives.
\B28\b John See becomes Premier of NSW following the transfer of Lyne, Reid, and others to federal politics.
\B29\b First federal elections held (to 30th). Supporters of Barton's Protectionist government win most seats in the House of Representatives; Free Traders dominate in the Senate. Labour wins enough seats in both houses to hold the balance of power.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b Missionary James Chalmers and ten others killed by natives of Goaribari Is. in the Gulf of Papua.
\B25\b Australian naval contingent returns to Sydney from China.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Federal parliamentary Labour party formed, with J. C. Watson as leader.
\B9\b Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) opens the first Commonwealth parliament in Exhibition Building, Melbourne. Parliament then meets in the Vic. Legislative Assembly building (and continues to do so until \J1927\j).
\B15\b J. G. Jenkins becomes Premier of SA, F. W. Holder having resigned to become Speaker in the Commonwealth parliament.
\B27\b George Leake replaces Throssell as Premier of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B12\b At Wilmansrust, South Africa, 18 Vic. troops are killed and more than 40 wounded in a guerrilla attack by the Boers.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B10\b Anthony Hordern's department store in Sydney almost destroyed by fire; five shop assistants die.
\B24\b Presbyterian Church of Australia formed out of the federal union of state churches.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Australian flag chosen by competition from 30,000 designs displayed at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne. (Gazetted officially in \J1903\j; status and dimensions officially established by act of parliament on 20 Nov. \J1953\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
û Tasmanian Workers' Political League (forerunner of the Tasmanian Labor Party) formed in Hobart.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b Commonwealth parliament resolves to accept responsibility for British New Guinea. (Legislation not passed until \J1905\j.)
Lying-in Hospital (later Royal Hospital for Women) opens in Paddington, Sydney.
\B21\b A. E. Morgans replaces Leake as Premier of WA until 23 Dec., when Leake returns to office.
\B17\b Federal parliament legislates to end recruitment of kanakas by 31 Mar. \J1904\j and to deport any found in Australia after \J1906\j.
\B23\b Immigration Restriction Act introduces a dictation test as a way of keeping out those regarded as undesirable. (Repealed \J1958\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\i\b John Pearson, St John's Cathedral, Brisbane (û \J1910\j).
Hobart GPO (û \J1905\j).
Rocks Resumption Board set up in Sydney to replan the area.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Baldwin Spencer and F. J. Gillen make a year-long investigation of the Aborigines of northern central Australia.
\JWilliam Farrer\j releases his early-maturing, drought-resistant "Federation" wheat.
First wireless message between ship and shore in Australia exchanged between H. W. Jenvey in Queenscliff, Vic., and the Royal Yacht carrying the Duke and Duchess of York when it enters Port Phillip (5 May).
Tarrant Motor and Engineering Co., of Melbourne, manufactures the first successful Australian petrol-driven car.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. C. Piguenit, \IThunderstorm on the Darling\i\b (awarded Wynne Prize).
Sydney Conservatorium founded by W. H. Wale.
Marie Lloyd appears at Harry Rickards's new Opera House, Melbourne.
J. C. Williamson presents \IFloradora\i\b, with Grace Palotta and Carrie Moore.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JMiles Franklin\j, \IMy Brilliant Career.\i\b
\JHenry Lawson\j, \IJoe Wilson and His Mates.\i\b
John Quick and Robert Garran, \IAnnotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth.\i\b
George Essex Evans wins the prize for an ode to celebrate the inauguration of the Commonwealth.
\JAlfred Deakin\j begins writing an anonymous weekly article on Australian public affairs for the London \IMorning Post\i\b (to \J1914\j).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
George Towns wins the world sculling championship in Canada (7 Sept.).
Revenue wins the Melbourne Cup.
Ping-pong becomes "the game of the moment".
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia 3,824,913 (simultaneous census, 31 Mar: 3,773,801).
National debt: ú200 million.
Tuberculosis causes 3,557 deaths during the year.
Old-age pension schemes introduced in Vic. and NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 22 Ken G. Hall b. (û \J1994\j).
Mar 27 Kenneth Slessor b. (û \J1971\j).
Apr 17 Eugen von Guerard d. (89).
May 15 Xavier Herbert b. (û \J1984\j).
Jun 6 Andrew Garran d. (75).
Aug 26 Eleanor O'Reilly (Eleanor Dark) b. (û \J1985\j).
Oct 8 Marcus \JOliphant\j b.
Nov 30 Edward \JJohn Eyre\j d. (86).
\BDescription:\b First Federal Ministry \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1902",118,"f\9\king0159.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Methodist sects unite.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b First battalion of Commonwealth troops (wearing the forerunner of the "rising sun" badge) embark for South Africa.
\B27\b Lt Harry ("Breaker") Morant and Lt P. J. Handcock executed by firing squad outside Pretoria, in the Transvaal, for shooting Boer prisoners.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b British New Guinea (Papua) formally transferred to Australian control (but responsibility not accepted by Australia until Sept. \J1906\j).
\B10\b C. Y. O'Connor, engineer-in-chief of WA, commits suicide as a result of criticism of his goldfields water supply scheme.
\B23\b Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, destroyed by fire.
û Post Office refuses to deliver mail addressed to Tattersall's Sweep. (Ban not lifted until \J1930\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Commonwealth Public Service Act establishes Australia's civil service.
\B31\b Boer War ends with a peace treaty signed in Pretoria.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b W. H. Irvine becomes Premier of Vic. following the defeat of the Peacock government.
\B12\b Commonwealth Franchise Act grants the vote to all British subjects of six months' residence aged 21 and over (Asians, Africans, and Australian Aborigines excluded).
\B24\b Frederick Illingworth becomes Premier of WA on the death of George Leake.
\B30\b Imperial Conference in London (to 11 Aug.); Naval Agreement negotiated, providing for a RN squadron to be stationed in Australia, its cost subsidized by Australia. (Ratified 28 Aug. \J1903\j.)
û Mundaring Weir, on the Helena River near Perth, completed.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b W. H. James replaces Illingworth as Premier of WA.
\B17\b Lord Tennyson becomes acting Governor-General following the resignation of Lord Hopetoun. (Appointment confirmed 9 Jan. \J1903\j.)
\B31\b Disastrous explosion at Mount Kembla colliery, NSW; 94 miners and two rescuers killed.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Women's magazine \INew Idea\i\b begins publication in Melbourne.
\B27\b Women's Franchise Act (NSW) gives women the right to vote in state elections in keeping with their right to vote in federal elections.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b Customs Tariff Act introduces the Commonwealth's first uniform tariff, a compromise between policies of Protectionists and Free Traders (retrospective to 8 Oct. \J1901\j).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b W. H. Gocher, proprietor and editor of a Manly (NSW) newspaper, defies the law forbidding sea bathing between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. by entering the water at noon.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Submarine cable between Southport, Qld, and Vancouver, Canada, officially opened. (First message sent 31 Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Qld imposes a personal income tax.
\B18\b Title of Lord Mayor conferred in Sydney and Melbourne.
\B26\b Brisbane, Rockhampton, and Townsville, Qld, declared cities.
* After eight successive dry years, the worst drought since settlement reaches its peak.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\i\b J. H. Grainger, Parliament House, Perth (first portion completed \J1904\j).
Supreme Court building, Perth (û \J1903\j).
Sydney's second Pyrmont Bridge opened.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
T. L. Bancroft establishes how the young hookworm enters the body through the skin.
R. C. Sticht carries out the world's first successful pyritic smelting at Mount Lyell, Tas.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. C. Piguenit, \IMount Kosciusko\i\b (painting).
Bertram Mackennal, statues of Queen Victoria in \JBallarat\j and T. J. Byrnes in Centenary Park, Brisbane.
\JNellie Melba\j makes her first return visit to Australia.
Nellie Stewart appears for the first time in \ISweet Nell of Old Drury\i\b at Melbourne's Princess Theatre (15 Feb.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Barbara Baynton, \IBush Studies.\i\b
Mrs Campbell Praed, \IMy Australian Girlhood.\i\b
A. G. Stephens, \IOblation\i\b (illustrated by \JNorman Lindsay\j).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Dick Cavill swims 100 yards in 58.6 sec. (becoming the first to break 1 min.) using the "Australian crawl" stroke (23 Sept.).
\JVictor Trumper\j scores 100 before lunch at Manchester, UK.
NSW Trotting Club formed (June).
The Victory wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,875,318.
Australian casualties in the Boer War: 251 killed in action, 267 dead from disease, and 882 wounded, out of a total of 16,175 sent to South Africa.
Women granted the right to be elected to federal parliament together with the right to vote.
Ada Evans, the first woman to qualify in law in Australia, graduates from Sydney University but is not allowed to practise.
Workers' compensation legislation passed in WA (Qld in \J1905\j, NSW and Tas. in \J1910\j, SA in \J1911\j, Vic. in \J1914\j; Commonwealth legislation in \J1912\j).
Rabbit-proof fence begun from Starvation Harbour, near Esperance, WA, to the north-west coast near Port Hedland. (Second fence later built to the west of No. 1 to contain rabbits found to be already established. Completed \J1907\j.)
Cattle tick fever reaches the NSW border.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 22 Robert D. FitzGerald b. (û \J1987\j).
Mar 15 Nicholas Chevalier d. (73).
May 2 \JAlan Marshall\j b. (û \J1984\j).
Jun 29 James Brunton Stephens d. (67).
Jul 17 \JChristina Stead\j b. (û \J1983\j).
Jul 28 Albert Namatjira b. (û \J1959\j).
Sep 22 Dymphna Cusack b. (û \J1981\j).
\BDescription:\b Two members of the SA Imperial Bushmen on active service in the Orange River colony, South Africa \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1903",119,"e\5\king0086.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B24\b WA goldfields water supply scheme opened, water flowing through a steel pipeline from Mundaring Weir, near Perth, to \JKalgoorlie.\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Cyclone Leonta demolishes a swathe of buildings in Townsville; ten killed.
\B20\b Automobile Club of Australia formed in Sydney. (Granted "Royal" prefix in \J1919.)\j
\B9\b Liberal Democrat W. B. Propsting forms a ministry in Tas. following an election in which Premier Lewis and four ministers lose their seats and three Labour candidates are elected.
\B15\b Electric trams begin running in \JBendigo\j (to \J1972)\j.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Railway engine-drivers and firemen in Vic. go on strike, causing the first large-scale disruption of a public utility. (Called off on 15th after Coercion Act introduced into parliament.)
\B26\b SS \IOakland\i\b wrecked near Port Stephens, NSW, with the loss of 11 lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B30\b Bounty provided for sugar growers.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b \JVida Goldstein\j stands as a candidate for the Senate, becoming the first woman in the British Empire to contest an election to a national parliament.
\B25\b Commonwealth Judiciary Act assented to, providing for the establishment of the High Court of Australia.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b Arthur Morgan becomes Premier of Qld, in coalition with Labour's W. H. Browne, following the resignation of Robert Philp.
\B24\b \JAlfred Deakin\j becomes Prime Minister on the resignation of Sir \JEdmund Barton\j to become a judge of the High Court.
\B30\b Automobile and Motor Cycle Club of South Australia formed. (Becomes the Automobile Association of SA in \J1911\j; "Royal" prefix added in \J1929.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Brisbane \IDaily Mail\i,\b edited by C. H. Buzacott, begins publication (to \J1933)\j.
\B5\b Sir Samuel Griffith appointed first Chief Justice of the High Court (Barton and R. E. O'Connor the other two judges).
\B6\b High Court of Australia formally opened in Melbourne.
\B22\b Commonwealth Defence Act assented to. (Comes into force on 1 Mar. \J1904.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
û NSW Legislative Assembly reduced from 125 to 90 members.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Automobile Club of Victoria formed. (Granted "Royal" prefix in \J1916.)\j
\B10\b Women gain the vote in Tas. state elections.
\B16\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate, women voting for the first time. Deakin retains office with the support of the 25 Labour members elected. \J(Vida Goldstein\j and the other three women candidates for parliament fail to win seats.)
ò Australia's first crematorium established, at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.
ò Seventh Day Adventist Sanitarium and medical training centre opens at Wahroonga, Sydney.
ò Jehovah's Witnesses established in Melbourne.
ò Great Drought breaks in most states after eight years.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney (Central) Station (foundation stone laid 26 Sept; completed in \J1906)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Arts and Entertainment\b
Arundel Orchard arrives in Sydney to conduct the Sydney Liedertafel.
Contralto Ada Crossley returns to Australia for a concert tour with Percy Grainger as accompanist.
J. C. W.'s new Her Majesty's Theatre opens in Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
"Tom Collins" (Joseph Furphy), \ISuch Is Life\i\b.
Bernard O'Dowd, \IDawnward?\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First AustraliaûNew Zealand Rugby Union Test match played (15 Aug.), NZ winning 22û3.
World's first fully enclosed artificial ice rink opens in Adelaide.
Lord Cardigan wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,916,592.
Gold production in Australia peaks at 3,836,095 oz for the year.
Women admitted to the practice of law in Vic.
The sheep blowfly (probably established in Australia from South Africa or India in the previous decade) becomes a serious pest.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 Sir Charles Gavan Duffy d. (86).
Jun 22 Garfield Barwick b. (û1997)
Jul 26 Quong Tart d. (53?).
Aug 5 Phil May d. (39).
Oct 15 Rhona Olive Harris (Pixie O'Harris) b. (û \J1991)\j.
\BDescription:\b Sir \JEdmund Barton\j, 1st PM of Australia \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1904",120,"f\9\king0111.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b Baron Northcote becomes Governor-General.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c:\b\c
\B16\b Thomas Bent succeeds W. H. Irvine as Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Defence Act \J(1903)\j comes into force, providing for conscription of men between 18 and 60 in time of war for service within the Commonwealth or territory controlled by the Commonwealth.
Capt. W. R. Creswell appointed director of Commonwealth naval forces.
\B31\b Recruiting of Pacific Island labour ceases.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B21\b Deakin government defeated in the House of Representatives on an amendment to the Arbitration Bill; Deakin resigns (22nd).
\B27\b J. C. Watson forms a minority Labour government (the first federal Labour ministry).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B25\b Five miners die in a mine-shaft fall at the Great Boulder gold mine, East \JCoolgardie,\j WA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B15\b Thomas Waddell becomes Premier of NSW on the retirement of John See to the Legislative Council.
\B20\b C. S. Robinson, Chief Judicial Officer and Acting Administrator of British New Guinea, shoots himself following criticism of his punitive expedition to Goaribari.
\b8\b Sydney streets lit by electricity when Pyrmont power station officially switched on.
\B10\b SS \INemesis\i\b founders off the coast of NSW during a storm, with the loss of all 21 aboard.
\B12\b J. W. Evans forms a government in Tas. following the resignation of W. B. Propsting.
\B20\b P & O liner \IAustralia\i\b runs aground on a reef at the entrance to Port Phillip; no lives lost but ship a total loss.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b Henry Daglish forms WA's first Labour ministry.
\B12\b Watson government defeated on the Arbitration Bill; Watson resigns.
\B17\b \JGeorge Reid\j becomes Prime Minister, forming a composite ministry in coalition with Protectionist Allan McLean.
\B30\b J. H. Carruthers becomes Premier of NSW following the defeat of the Waddell government in the election on 6 Aug.
û Hubert Murray appointed Chief Judicial Officer of British New Guinea.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B30\b French barque \IAdolphe\i\b wrecked on the northern breakwater at Newcastle. (Ship eventually built into the breakwater.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b Fire at the Brilliant gold mine, Charters Towers, Qld, causes the death of seven miners.
\B20\b Toowoomba, Qld, proclaimed a city.
\B5\b Iron barque \IBrier Holme\i\b wrecked on the south-west coast of Tas; one survivor out of the crew of 20 (not rescued until Feb. \J1905)\j.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Ipswich, Qld, proclaimed a city.
\B15\b Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act finally passed, setting up the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.
ò First Australian Rhodes Scholars selected.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
His (Her) Majesty's Hotel and Theatre, Perth.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Auguste de Bavay patents a flotation process for the separation of zinc.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Hugh Ramsay, \IThe Sisters\i\b (painting).
Hans Heysen's \IMystic Morn\i\b awarded the Wynne Prize.
\JNorman Lindsay\j's drawing \IPollice Verso\i\b in the Royal Art Society of NSW's exhibition causes a public outcry.
Melbourne businessman Alfred Felton leaves a large bequest to the Art Gallery of Vic.
Alfred Hill, \ITapu\i\b (opera).
Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski tours Australia.
Leon Brodsky founds the Australian Theatre Society in Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\ITom Petrie's Reminiscences of Early Queensland.\i
Steele Rudd, \ISandy's Selection\i\b (first book published by A. C. Rowlandson in the NSW Bookstall Co.'s shilling paperback series).
A. G. Stephens, \IThe Red Pagan.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First Australian Open golf championship held (2 Sept; won by Hon. Michael Scott).
Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia (later Australia) formed.
Henley-on-Yarra regatta first held (19 Mar; won by \JBallarat)\j.
First motor car race in Australia held at Sandown Park, Melbourne (12 Mar; won by Harley Tarrant in a twin-cylinder, 8 hp car he built).
Acrasia wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 3,974,150.
Motor Car Act in SA specifies a speed limit of 15 mph (24 km/h).
Legislation passed to allow Melbourne Gallery and Library to open on Sundays (last city in British Empire to do so).
Royal commission investigating the decline in the birthrate in NSW condemns contraception.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 25 Sir Graham Berry d. (81).
Apr 7 Roland Wilson b.
Apr 8 John Antill b. (û \J1986)\j.
May 2 Wilfrid Thomas b. (û \J1991)\j.
May 29 \JHubert Opperman\j b. (û 1996).
Jun 24 Alfred Felton d. (72).
Aug 4 Brian Penton b. (û \J1951)\j.
Aug 5 Sir George Dibbs d. (69).
Sep 23 George Adams d. (65).
\BDescription:\b The Watson Ministry - Labour's first \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1905",121,"a\1\r905.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B12\b Board of Administration of Naval Forces (Naval Board) established, with Capt. W. R. Creswell as director. (Also set up under the Defence Act are a Council of Defence and a Military Board.)
\B17\b Peter Board appointed first Director of Education in NSW. (New Syllabus subsequently introduced.)
\B25\b Full adult franchise (subject to racial exclusions) granted in Qld, and plural voting abolished.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Justice R. E. O'Connor appointed first president of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.
\B15\b First state secondary school in Vic., the Continuation School (later Melbourne High School), opens in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Richard Butler succeeds J. G. Jenkins as Premier of SA.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Empire Day inaugurated (on the late Queen Victoria's birthday).
\B31\b (Royal) Automobile Club of Queensland formed in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b \JGeorge Reid\j resigns as Prime Minister after a defeat in the House and the refusal of his request for a dissolution of parliament.
\B5\b \JAlfred Deakin\j forms a government with Labour support.
\B26\b Labour leader Thomas Price replaces Jenkins as Premier of SA, leading a coalition government with a Labour majority.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B25\b C. H. Rason forms a Liberal ministry in WA following the resignation of Henry Daglish.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Vic. Socialist Party founded in Melbourne by English trade union leader Tom Mann.
\B2\b Hobart GPO opened.
\B5\b Australian National Defence League formed in NSW to press for compulsory military training.
û Iron clipper \ILoch Vennachar\i\b lost off Kangaroo Is., SA, with the loss of all 26 hands.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b Wireless Telegraphy Act gives the Postmaster-General control of the operation of wireless stations.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B30\b Electric tramway service begins in Fremantle, WA. (Closed Nov. \J1952\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Steam bus begins operating in Melbourne between Prahran and Malvern.
\B21\b Immigration Registration Act amended to allow for the dictation test to be applied in "any prescribed language" rather than in a European language.
û Motor bus service begins in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Flinders Street Station, Melbourne (û \J1910\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
T. L. Bancroft demonstrates that mosquitoes carry the dengue fever pathogen.
A. G. Michell of Vic. patents his thrust bearing, which eliminates metallic contact of moving surfaces by oil lubrication.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Cosens Spencer arrives in Sydney and begins exhibiting films at the Lyceum Theatre.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Mrs Aeneas Gunn, \IThe Little Black Princess.\i\b
\JHenry Lawson\j, \IWhen I Was King and Other Verses.\i\b
A. B. Paterson, ed., \IThe Old Bush Songs.\i\b
Joseph Furphy's \IRigby's Romance\i\b begins serialisation in the \IBarrier Truth.\i\b (Published as a book in \J1921\j.)
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Barney Kieran establishes eight world swimming records in England over distances from 200 yards to 1 mile.
Harley Tarrant in an Argyll car wins the first reliability trial in Australia, between Sydney and Melbourne (Feb.ûMar.).
Blue Spec wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches four million.
Typhoid fever causes 630 deaths in Australia.
Women given the vote and admitted to the practice of law in Qld.
Wilsons Promontory National Park officially reserved. (Coastal strip added in \J1908\j.)
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 1 Paul Hasluck b. (û \J1993\j).
Jun 25 Sir Augustus Charles Gregory d. (85).
Dec 18 Roy Grounds b. (û \J1981\j).
Dec 29 Victor Daley d. (47).
\BDescription:\b The Rocks - Sydney \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1906",122,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B19\b William Kidston succeeds Arthur Morgan as Premier of Qld.
\B28\b Cyclone severely damages Cairns and Innisfail.
û Mater Misericordiae Hospital founded at Crows Nest, Sydney.
û Flooding of northern NSW inland rivers (to March).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving ClubùAustralia's (and the world's) first surf lifesaving clubùfounded in Sydney.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b First issue of the \ISocialist\i,\b edited by Tom Mann, published in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Electric trams begin operating in Melbourne between St Kilda and Brighton.
\B7\b N. J. Moore replaces C. H. Rason as Premier of WA.
\B29\b A. W. Canning leaves Wiluna, WA, to explore towards Halls Creek (arrives Jan. \J1907)\j, with a view to establishing a stock route from the Kimberleys to the markets in the south of the state.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B12\b Wireless telegraphy between Queenscliff, Vic., and Devonport, Tas., operated by the Marconi Co., officially opened.
\B14\b Unregistered bookmaker Donald McLeod, unable to meet his financial commitments, is killed by an angry mob at Flemington.
\B25\b Methodist minister Henry Worrall is summoned before the bar of the Vic. Legislative Assembly for impeaching the Chief Secretary (accusing him of being responsible for McLeod's death by not legislating to stop gambling).
û Murray River in high flood at Albury.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Sydney (Central) railway station formally opened for traffic.
\B30\b First driver's licence issued, to W. A. Hargreaves of Adelaide.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia assumes responsibility for the administration of British New Guinea, renaming it Papua (by the Papua Act of \J1905)\j.
\B24\b Australian Industries Preservation Act provides protection against the dumping of foreign goods on the Australian market.
\B26\b WA parliament proposes holding a referendum to withdraw from the Commonwealth. (No action taken until \J1933.)\j
û Rivers in southern NSW and northern Vic. in flood (to Oct.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b South African Preference Act introduces the first Commonwealth preferential tariff.
\B8\b Free Education Act assented to in NSW, making primary education free in the state.
\B15\b \JIsaac Isaacs\j and H. B. Higgins sworn in as justices of the High Court.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Deakin government retains office with Labour support. Referendum proposing minor changes concerning Senate elections carried.
Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children opens in Camperdown, Sydney.
\B19\b Legislation enacted authorising the construction of the Barren Jack (now Burrinjuck) Dam and the Murrumbidgee irrigation scheme.
ò NSW resumes assisted migration.
ò Sydney Teachers' College established at Blackfriars.
ò Anthony Hordern's emporium, the biggest department store in the Southern Hemisphere, opens on Brickfield Hill, Sydney. (Building demolished in \J1987.)\j
ò Phosphate mining begins on Nauru under a concession granted by the German government.
ò Kiwi boot polish put on the market by McKellow & Ramsay.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\i\b Mitchell Library, Sydney (û \J1910)\j.
WA Art Gallery (û \J1908)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Natural gas used to light the streets of Roma, Qld (June). (Supply runs out after ten days.)
Lyster Ormsby devises the surf lifesaving reel (demonstrated 23 Dec.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Frederick \JMcCubbin,\j \IThe Pioneer\i\b triptych.
Statue of Colonel Light unveiled in Victoria Square, Adelaide (27 Nov.). (Moved to Montefiore Hill in May \J1938.)\j
Alberto Zelman forms the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Lyceum Theatre, Sydney, converts to moving pictures.
Charles Tait's full-length film \IThe Story of the Kelly Gang\i\b first shown at the Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne (26 Dec.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Edward Dyson, \IFact'ry 'Ands.\i\b
Bernard O'Dowd, \IThe Silent Land.\i\b
\IJohns's Notable Australians\i\b (later \IWho's Who in Australia\i)\b first published.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Qld professional runner Arthur Postle beats Irish world champion Bernard Day over 75 and 300 yards at \JKalgoorlie\j (5 Dec.).
Black American cyclist Major Taylor draws 50,000 people to the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Poseidon wins the AJC Derby, Caulfield Cup, Victoria Derby, and Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,091,485.
Population of Sydney (est. 559,800) overtakes that of Melbourne (est. 530,660).
More than 4 million Australian possum skins marketed in London and New York.
Surf bathing in the daytime on Sydney's beaches made legal.
Lake Eyre partially fills with water (according to geological records).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 6 James Bonwick d. (88).
Feb 24 H. C. Coombs b. (-1997)
Mar 14 \JGeorge Coppin\j d. (86).
Apr 16 \JWilliam Farrer\j d. (61).
Aug 12 Harry Hopman b. (û \J1985)\j.
Dec 3 Frank Packer b. (û \J1974)\j.
#
"1907",123,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Excise Tariff (Agricultural Machinery) Act of \J1906\j comes into force, requiring manufacturers to pay their employees a "fair and reasonable" wage in order to avoid paying excise duty. (Act declared invalid by High Court in June 1908.)
\B3\b First rescue by Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Clubùof two schoolboys, one of them
Charles \JKingsford Smith.\j
\B19\b Cooktown, Qld, severely damaged by cyclone; government ketch \IPilot\i\b sinks with
the loss of eight lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B19\b Floodwaters trap miner Modesto Vareschetti in a mine at Bonnievale, WA, for nine days.
(Rescued by fellow miner Frank Hughes after being repeatedly brought food by Hughes in a diving suit.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Wireless telegraphy first used between ships in Australian waters: German mail steamer \IBremen\i\b to HMS \IEncounter\i\b in Port Jackson notifying arrival time in Sydney.
\B9\b Hubert Murray becomes Acting Administrator of Papua. (Appointed Lt-Governor on 27 Nov. 1908.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Carlton and United Breweries Ltd established in Melbourne by the amalgamation of six breweries.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B10\b Telephone trunk line opens between Sydney and Melbourne.
\B16\b \JBroken Hill\j proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b Italian barque \IIngeborg\i\b sinks after a collision with SS \IArawatta\i\b off Port Stephens, NSW; seven lives lost.
\B15\b Members of federal parliament vote themselves their first pay increase (of 50%).
\B27\b Frederick Peters establishes Peters' American Delicacy Co. Ltd in Sydney to make
ice-cream.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b H. B. Higgins succeeds R. E. O'Connor as the High Court judge presiding over the Arbitration Court.
\B15\b Disastrous night fire in Murwillumbah, NSW, destroys 59 buildings in the business section.
û Amalgamated Workers' Association formed in Irvinebank, Qld, by E. G. Theodore and William McCormack.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b C. G. Wade becomes Premier of NSW on the retirement of J. H. Carruthers.
\B18\b Surf Bathing Association of NSW formed at a meeting of seven surf lifesaving clubs in Sydney.
\B30\b J. C. Watson resigns the leadership of the federal Labour party and is succeeded by \JAndrew Fisher.\j
û Branches of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) established in Australia.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Hare-Clark system of voting extended to the whole of Tas.
\B8\b Justice Higgins in the Arbitration Court, hearing H. V. McKay's application for exemption from duty on his Sunshine Harvesters, finds that wages paid by McKay are not "fair and reasonable" and subsequently sets a minimum wage adequate for "the normal needs of the average employee" (with a wife and three children)ùthereby establishing the principle of the basic wage.
\B19\b Robert Philp replaces William Kidston as Premier of Qld.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B19\b Invalid Pensions Act passed in NSW, introducing the world's first non-contributory invalid pension (payable on 1 Jan. \J1908).\j
\B20\b Plural voting abolished and adult suffrage introduced for Legislative Assembly elections in WA.
Land tax and income tax introduced in WA.
û Railway from Townsville reaches Cloncurry.
ò Cataract Dam, NSW, completed.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Florence Parsons (later Taylor) establishes herself as the first woman architect in Australia (later as structural and civil engineer).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Frank Bottrill patents his "pedorail", a caterpillar-type road wheel used on many tractors in Australia.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Arthur Streeton, \ISydney Harbour\i\b (painting).
Cathedral organist George Sampson forms an orchestra in Brisbane.
\JNellie Melba\j makes her second Australian tour.
Bert Bailey and Edmund Duggan, \IThe Squatter's Daughter\i\b (play).
T. J. West opens the Glaciarium in Sydney as a film theatre.
George and Arthur Cornwell, \I\JEureka\j Stockade\i\b (film).
Charles MacMahon, \IRobbery Under Arms\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Barbara Baynton, \IHuman Toll.\i\b
Monthly journal the \ILone Hand,\i\b published by the \IBulletin\i\b and edited by Frank Fox, first appears (1 May). (Ceases publication in 1921.)
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Norman Brookes (Aust.) and Anthony Wilding (NZ), playing as the Australasian team, win the Davis Cup. Brookes also wins the Wimbledon singles, doubles (with Wilding), and mixed doubles.
NSW Rugby Football League formed as a breakaway professional code.
Francis Birtles, having cycled from Fremantle to Sydney, leaves Sydney (21 Aug.) and cycles to Darwin via Brisbane, Bowen and Normanton and returns via \JAlice Springs,\j Adelaide and Melbourne (arr. Sydney 23 Sept. 1908).
Apologue wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,161,722.
Commonwealth basic wage (set by Harvester judgement): ú2 2s per six-day week.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 17 Marjorie Lawrence b. (-1979)
Jul 21 A. D. Hope b.
Jul 24 David Scott Mitchell d. (71)
Aug 12 Andrew ("Boy") Charlton b. (-1975)
Aug 21 Betty Archdale b.
#
"1908",124,"b\2\smh17.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide, declared officially open.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B18\b William Kidston resumes the premiership of Qld following an election on 5 Feb.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Australians T. W. Edgeworth David and Douglas Mawson, of Sir Ernest Shackelton's British Antarctic expedition, ascend Mt Erebus in Antarctica.
\B17\b A. W. Canning sets out to equip a stock route between Hall's Creek and Wiluna, WA. (Puts down 52 wells; route completed Dec. \J1909.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B20\b Two trains filled with holidaymakers collide at Sunshine, Vic; 44 killed and more than 400 injured.
\B27\b Cyclone hits a pearling fleet at Eighty Mile Beach, WA, causing the loss of more than 50 lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Coat of arms granted to the Commonwealth. (Design amended in \J1912.)\j
\B16\b Commonwealth Literary Fund established to assist needy authors.
û Ship \IOrion\i\b disappears between Smithton and Melbourne; 27 lives lost.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Tariff Act increases the duty on imported goods and the number of items liable for duty, but allows a 5% rebate on goods from the UK.
\B30\b H. H. Dutton and Murray Aunger leave Adelaide in a Talbot car to drive to Darwin (arr. 20 Aug.), the first crossing of Australia by car.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Old-age pension scheme comes into force in Qld.
û Federal Labour conference adopts the title Australian Labor Party.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B20\b US fleet of 16 battleships and 5 auxiliariesùthe Great White Fleetùunder the command of Rear-Admiral Charles Sperry, arrives in Sydney at the beginning of a goodwill visit to Australia.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Rock fall at Mt Morgan, Qld, mine kills seven men. (Another fall on 4 Nov. kills five more miners.)
\B9\b Earl of Dudley succeeds Lord Northcote as Governor-General.
\B20\b Women granted the vote in Vic. state elections. (Act not proclaimed until 31 Mar. \J1909,\j after the Dec. election.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B10\b Deakin government defeated in the House of Representatives when Labor withdraws its support; Deakin resigns (11th), and Labor leader \JAndrew Fisher\j becomes Prime Minister (13th).
û Yassû\JCanberra\j chosen by federal parliament as the site for the federal capital.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Tas. Education Act provides for free primary education.
\B7\b BHP notifies its employees that wages will be cut by 12 and a half per cent from 1 Jan.
\J1909\j; miners refuse to accept this and a strike/lockout begins (to 24 May \J1909)\j.
û Cyclone strikes north-west coast of WA; 50 lives lost.
ò Dockyard established on Cockatoo Is., Sydney, by the NSW government.
(Transferred to Commonwealth in \J1913.)\j
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Cantilevered awnings first appear on buildings in Australia.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology opens in Melbourne (1 Jan.).
Riverview College Observatory, Sydney, proclaimed a seismological station.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
WA Art Gallery opens in Perth (25 June).
\IChloe\i\b (painting) goes on display in Young and Jackson's Hotel in Melbourne.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra founded, with Arundel Orchard as conductor.
Bryceson Treharne forms the Adelaide Literary Theatre (later the Adelaide Repertory Theatre).
Charles MacMahon, \IFor the Term of His Natural Life\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
E. J. Banfield, \IThe Confessions of a Beachcomber.\i\b
Mrs Aeneas Gunn, \IWe of the Never Never.\i\b
Henry Handel Richardson, \IMaurice Guest.\i\b
\IOfficial Year Book of the\i\b \ICommonwealth of Australia\i\b first issued.
\JDorothea Mackellar\j's poem "My Country" appears in the London \ISpectator\i\b (5 Sept.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Wallabies Rugby Union and Kangaroos Rugby League teams both make their first tours of Britain, the Wallabies winning gold medals at the London Olympic Games.
First surf carnival held, at Manly, Sydney (Jan.).
Hugh D. McIntosh opens the Sydney Stadium (21 Aug.) and stages the first world title bout in Australia (24 Aug.) between Canadian Tommy Burns and local boxer Bill Squires (Burns winning on a KO in the 13th round). McIntosh then arranges a bout between Burns and American Negro Jack Johnson for the world heavyweight championship (26 Dec.); Johnson is declared the winner after police stop the fight in the 14th round.
Lord Nolan wins the Melbourne Cup.
Australasia (Norman Brookes and A. F. Wilding) retains the Davis Cup, played in Melbourne (27û 29 Nov.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,232,278.
Boy Scout movement begins in Australia; groups formed in all states.
National park established at Mt Tamborine, Qld.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 14 David Syme d. (80).
Feb 23 William \JMcMahon\j b. (û \J1988)\j.
May 20 Henry Bolte b. (û \J1990)\j.
Aug 5 \JHarold Holt\j b. (û \J1967)\j.
Aug 27 Donald Bradman b.
\BDescription:\b Early \JCanberra\j - chosen as the site of the Australian Capital \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i.
#
"1909",125,"f\7\r6218.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b Pinnace of HMS \IEncounter\i\b sinks in Sydney Harbour after being struck by the collier \IDunmore\i\b; 15 sailors drown.
\B8\b John Murray replaces Sir Thomas Bent as Premier of Vic.
\B9\b Police clash with striking miners in \JBroken Hill\j; 27 miners and leader Tom Mann arrested. (Henry Holland, another leader, arrested on 20 Feb., charged with sedition and later sentenced to two years' gaol; Mann freed.)
\B16\b T. W. Edgeworth David, Douglas Mawson, and A. F. McKay of the Shackelton expedition reach the South Magnetic Pole.
\B31\b SS \IClan Ranald\i\b founders in Gulf St Vincent, SA; 40 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B5\b Fisher government orders the building of three destroyers in Britain for an Australian naval squadron.
\B11\b Eastern Suburbs Technical College (now Swinburne Institute of Technology) opens in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Electric tram service begins in Adelaide.
\B12\b Arbitration Court awards striking \JBroken Hill\j miners their former wages.
(Miners return to work on 24 May.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B5\b Cyclone at Onslow, WA; four luggers and 24 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b \JAlfred Deakin\j's Liberal Protectionists and \JJoseph Cook\j's Free Traders, with the corner group led by Sir \JJohn Forrest\j, combine to form "the Fusion", or Liberal Party.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Deakin becomes Prime Minister (with Cook his deputy), \JAndrew Fisher\j having been forced to resign on the resumption of parliament.
\B5\b A. H. Peake forms an all-Liberal ministry in SA following the death of Premier Tom Price on 31 May.
\B19\b Sir Neil Lewis becomes Premier of Tas., leading a "Liberal Fusion" group.
\B30\b Children's Hospital opens in Perth.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth old-age pensionsùfor men over 65 and women over 60, subject to means testùcome into operation.
Commonwealth quarantine service begins, for the purposes of preventing the introduction of human, animal, and plant diseases.
\B23\b Sir Frederick Holder, Speaker of the House of Representatives, collapses and dies after an unruly all-night sitting.
\B27\b SS \IWaratah\i\b, bound for London from Adelaide with 211 passengers (mostly Australians), disappears mysteriously between Durban and Cape Town, leaving no trace.
\B28\b Creation of an independent Australian fleet unit agreed upon at an Imperial Conference on defence in London.
û Motor taxis first used in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B23\b Deakin makes a financial agreement with the states under which the Commonwealth would pay 25 shillings per capita per year to the states.
û Long Bay Gaol opens in Sydney, at first as a women's reformatory. (Men transferred from Darlinghurst Gaol in \J1912\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B18\b NSW agrees to surrender approx. 2,400 sq. km of the state to the Commonwealth as a seat for the federal government.
\B20\b John Earle forms the first Labor ministry in Tas., following the resignation of the Lewis government.
\B27\b Lewis resumes the premiership of Tas. on the defeat of the week-old Earle government.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b NSW coalminers strike on the Newcastle coalfields (to 11 Mar. \J1910\j).
\B11\b Vic. government establishes a state coalmine at Wonthaggi.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b Miners' leader Peter Bowling and other strikers arrested and gaoled.
\B5\b First flight in a heavier-than-air machine (unpowered) in Australia made by G. A. Taylor at Narrabeen beach in Sydney. (Four days later, Colin Defries makes the first powered flight in Australia at Victoria Park Racecourse, Sydney.)
\B8\b Deakin orders the building of the battle-cruiser \IAustralia.\i\b
Lady Dudley calls a meeting at Government House, Melbourne, which leads to the formation of the Bush Nursing Service.
\B10\b University of Queensland founded. (Opens in the former Government House on 14 Mar. \J1911\j.)
\B13\b Defence Act provides for the introduction of compulsory military training.
\B16\b Legislation passed in NSW providing harsh penalties for instigating or aiding a strike.
\B21\b Lord Kitchener visits Australia (to 12 Feb. \J1910\j) to advise on Australia's military defence.
***
\i\b20 \BA Architecture, Building\b
\i\b N. G. Peebles, State Library of Vic. reading room (û \J1913\j); reinforced concrete dome designed by John Monash.
Hotel Kosciusko.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine established in Townsville.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Harold Cazneaux holds a one-man show of "pictorial" photography.
Amy Castles and Peter Dawson tour Australia jointly, and \JNellie Melba\j makes her third concert tour.
Dr Arthur Russell begins exhibiting films in Melbourne, using the name Hoyts.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Hugh McCrae, \ISatyrs and Sunlight.\i\b
Bernard O'Dowd, \IPoetry Militant\i\b.
B. R. Wise, \IThe Commonwealth of Australia.\i\b
E. A. Petherick's collection of Australiana becomes the basis of the National Library of Australia.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Norman Brookes and A. F. Wilding win the Davis Cup for Australasia for the third time.
Exhibition matches held between the Kangaroos (Rugby League) and the Wallabies (Rugby Union) touring teams; Wallabies defect to League.
Prince Foote wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,323,960.
Vic. parliament grants a Saturday half-holiday for Melbourne (1 May); shops close at 1 p.m. but with Friday night opening as alternative.
Wyperfield National Park, Vic., proclaimed.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 \JCharles Conder\j d. (40).
Feb 13 R. M. Ansett b. (û \J1981\j).
Mar 26 John Goffage (\JChips Rafferty\j) b. (û \J1971\j).
Apr 4 R. W. Askin b. (û \J1981\j).
Apr 9 Robert Helpman(n). b. (û \J1986\j).
Apr 18 Archbishop William Saumarez Smith d. (73).
May 22 \JBob Dyer\j b. (û \J1984\j).
Jun 10 Lang Hancock b. (û \J1992\j).
Jun 20 Errol Flynn b. (û \J1959\j).
Aug 8 Mother Mary MacKillop d. (67).
\BDescription:\b Men at a bush camp \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1910",126,"f\9\r0700.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B22\b Sir \JGeorge Reid\j becomes Australia's first High Commissioner in London.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b Lord Kitchener makes his report on Australia's defences.
\B17\b F. C. Custance flies a Bleriot monoplane for five minutes at Bolivar, SA; next day, American escape artist Harry Houdini makes the first certified successful series of flights in a powered aircraft in Australia, in a French Voisin at Digger's Rest, Vic.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Labor wins a majority in SA elections. (When parliament resumes, John Verran forces A. H. Peake's resignation and forms SA's first Labor government on 3 June.)
\B13\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Labor obtains a clear-cut majority in both houses; \JAndrew Fisher\j again becomes Prime Minister (29th).
Referendum on a proposal for the Commonwealth to take over state debts carried; another, to incorporate the financial agreement into the Constitution, rejected.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Sydney \ISun\i\b begins publication (to \J1988).\j
\B16\b John Duigan makes the first flight in an Australian designed and built aircraft, at Mia Mia, Vic.
\B18\b Train collision at Richmond, Vic; nine people killed and nearly 500 injured.
û Commonwealth legislates to make an annual per capita payment to the states instead of a percentage of customs and excise revenue.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b Australian Bank Notes Act gives the Commonwealth Treasury power to issue Australian paper currency. (A 10% tax is subsequently imposed on private bank notes and sterling to force them out of circulation.)
Frank Wilson succeeds N. J. Moore as Premier of WA.
\B19\b Liberal Union formed in SA by the formal amalgamation of the Australasian Nationalist League, the Farmers' and Producers' Political Union, and the Liberal and Democratic Union.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B21\b J. S. T. McGowen becomes the first Labor Premier of NSW.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Berri, SA, irrigation area proclaimed. (Town proclaimed 9 Feb. \J1911.)\j
\B16\b Commonwealth government imposes a land tax on all estates with an unimproved value of more than ú5,000 (first direct federal tax; abandoned in 1952).
\B20\b Cyclone causes extensive damage to Broome, WA; 26 pearling vessels wrecked and 40 lives lost.
\B23\b Torpedo-boat destroyers \IParramatta\i\b and \IYarra,\i\b the first ships to be built for the Australian navy, arrive in Fremantle from Britain.
\B25\b Naval Defence Act assented to, creating the Commonwealth Naval Forces.
(Title changed to Royal Australian Navy on 5 Oct. \J1911.)\j
û Australian Wireless Co. in Sydney establishes a shore station for communicating with ships at sea.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b Geelong proclaimed a city.
\B15\b Commonwealth invalid pension comes into operation.
\B23\b Education Act passed in Vic., initiating a state scheme of technical, preparatory trade, higher elementary, and high schools.
\B28\b Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust established.
ò First Australian Commonwealth silver coins issued.
ò Perth Modern School established.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
G. D. Payne, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Brisbane, completed.
L. S. Robertson, Nelson House, Clarence Street, Sydneyùthe first self-supporting steel-framed building in Australia.
Chalet built at Mount Buffalo, Vic.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Wireless Institute of Australia founded in Sydney by G. A. Taylor.
J. S. Dethridge invents a water meter to measure the amount of water delivered in irrigation channels.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
E. Phillips Fox, \IThe Ferry\i\b (painting).
Louis Esson, \IThe Woman Tamer\i\b (play).
Bert Bailey, \IThe Squatter's Daughter\i\b (film).
S. A. Fitzgerald, \IThe Life and Adventures of John Vane, Bushranger\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
C. E. W. Bean, \IOn the Wool Track.\i\b
Mary Grant Bruce, \IA Little Bush Maid.\i\b
\JJohn Flynn,\j \IThe Bushman's Companion.\i\b
Mary Gilmore, \IMarri'd and Other Verses.\i\b
\JHenry Lawson,\j \IThe Rising of the Court.\i\b
Henry Handel Richardson, \IThe Getting of Wisdom.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Vic. professional runner Jack Donaldson, competing in South Africa, establishes a world record of 9 and three-eighths sec. for 100 yards (unbroken for 38 years).
Surfboat with five-man crew demonstrated at Manly (Syd.) surf carnival (19 Mar.).
Comedy King wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,425,083.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 8 Jack Davey b. (-1959)
Apr 3 Catherine Helen Spence d. (84).
Jul 16 Stan McCabe b. (û \J1968).\j
Sep 1 Peggy Van Praagh b. (û 1990).
\BDescription:\b Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Sydney, \J1910\j \I(RAHS)\i.
#
"1911",127,"e\10\king0097.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal Capital Territory (now ACT) vested in Commonwealth.
Commonwealth formally takes over from South Australia administration of the Northern Territory. (Palmerston renamed Darwin, 3 Mar.)
Legislation proclaimed introducing compulsory military training for males aged from 12 to 25. (Training begins 1 July.)
û \ILand\i\b newspaper launched by the NSW Farmers and Settlers' Association.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Western Australia adopts a compulsory preferential voting system (optional preferential having been in force since \J1907\j).
\B7\b Digby Denham replaces William Kidston as Premier of Qld.
\B16\b University of Western Australia established by act of parliament. (Senate appointed 13 Feb. \J1912\j; lectures begin 31 Mar. \J1913\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b Reconstituted Naval Board gazetted, with Rear-Admiral Sir William Creswell as First Naval Member.
\B16\b Cyclone severely damages Cairns, Innisfail, and Port Douglas; two people killed.
\B24\b Passenger steamer \IYongala\i\b founders in a cyclone off Cape Bowling Green, Qld, with the loss of 120 lives. (Wreck discovered in \J1958\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b First Commonwealth census held.
\B4\b HMAS \IWarrego\i\b launched in Sydney, having been assembled at Cockatoo Island Dockyard from parts prefabricated in Britain.
\B26\b Referendums on extending Commonwealth powers over trade and commerce and the control of monopolies rejected.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Uniform penny postage comes into operation.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b Sidney Myer opens a drapery business in Bourke Street, Melbourne.
\B27\b Royal Military College, Duntroon, opens, with Col. W. T. Bridges as commandant.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B31\b Baron Denman succeeds Lord Dudley as Governor-General.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Electric trams begin operating in \JLaunceston\j. (Replaced by trolley buses in \J1952\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b SS \IRosedale\i\b founders between Smoky Cape, NSW, and Sydney; 26 drown.
\B30\b Victoria adopts a preferential voting system.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Labor wins office in WA; John Scaddan becomes Premier (7th).
\B6\b Enrolment for federal elections made compulsory.
\B11\b SS \IMacleay\i\b founders near Port Stephens, NSW; 15 lives lost, 2 saved.
\B25\b HMAS \IAustralia\i\b launched in Britain. (Commissioned in \J1913\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition leaves Hobart in the \IAurora\i\b.
\B5\b W. E. Hart becomes the first Australian to qualify as an air pilot.
\B15\b Queensland Farmers' Union formed as a country political party.
\B22\b Legislation enacted to establish the Commonwealth Bank.
* Australian bronze coins (pennies and halfpennies) first issued.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
World-wide competition held for a design for the federal capital.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
First permanent building erected at Mount Stromlo Observatory, ACT.
Meteorological station established on Macquarie Is. by Mawson's Antarctic expedition.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Commonwealth Art Advisory Board established.
MelbaûWilliamson opera company tours Australia.
Adelphi Theatre opens in Sydney (5 Apr.). (Becomes the Grand Opera House in \J1916\j, later the Tivoli.)
Gregan \JMcMahon\j founds the Melbourne Repertory Theatre.
Hugh D. McIntosh acquires Harry Rickards's theatrical interests.
\JRaymond Longford\j's films \ISweet Nell of Old Drury\i\b (with Nellie Stewart) and \IThe Fatal Wedding\i\b (with Longford and \JLottie Lyell\j) released.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Victor Daley, \IWine and Roses.\i\b
Louis Stone, \IJonah.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Dally \JMessenger\j scores a record 270 points in the Rugby League season.
Jimmy Sharman starts his travelling boxing troupe.
Australasia retains the Davis Cup, beating the US at Christchurch, NZ.
The Parisian wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia (census, 3 Apr.): 4,455,005
NSW 1,646,734 (Sydney 629,503)
Vic. 1,315,551 (Melbourne 593,237)
Qld 605,813 (Brisbane 139,480)
SA 408,558 (Adelaide 199,760 [est.])
WA 282,114 (Perth 111,400 [est.])
Tas. 191,211 (Hobart 39,937)
NT 3,310
ACT 1,714
Women admitted to the practice of law in SA.
SA legislates to "protect and control" Aborigines.
Vaucluse House and gardens in Sydney proclaimed a public park (24 Apr.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 11 Nora Heysen b.
Jan 13 Johannes \JBjelke-Petersen\j b.
Feb 16 Hal Porter b. (û \J1984\j).
Jun 21 Chester Wilmot b. (û \J1954\j).
Aug 16 Cardinal P. F. Moran d. (80).
Sep 9 \JJohn Gorton\j b.
Oct 5 William Astley (Price Warung) d. (56).
Oct 13 Harry Rickards d. (67).
\BDescription:\b \JDame Nellie Melba\j - Opera Singer \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1912",128,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Douglas Mawson sets up base at Commonwealth Bay, King George V Land.
\B31\b General strike begins in Brisbane following the suspension of tramway employees for wearing union badges (to 6 Mar.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Election in SA results in a defeat for Labor; John Verran resigns (16th), and A. H. Peake becomes Premier again (17th).
û Queensland's first state high schools open, in Bundaberg, Charters Towers, Gympie, Mackay, Mount Morgan, and Warwick.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen arrives in Hobart in his ship \IFram\i,\b bringing the news that he had reached the South Pole on 14 Dec. \J1911.\j
\B14\b Electric trams begin operating in Geelong.
\B21\b Adelaide SS Co. liner \IKoombana\i\b founders between Port Hedland and Broome, WA, during a cyclone, with the loss of some 150 lives.
û S. R. Ferguson and Francis Birtles drive a Brush motor car from Fremantle to Sydney in 28 days (first latitudinal crossing of the continent by car).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B25\b HMAS \ITingira\i\b (formerly the clipper and reformatory ship \ISobraon\i)\b commissioned as a training ship for boys in Sydney.
û J. A. Gilruth arrives in Darwin to take up his post as Administrator of the NT.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b W. A. Watt replaces John Murray as Premier of Vic.
\B30\b HMAS \IMelbourne\i,\b the RAN's first cruiser, launched in Britain.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Denison Miller takes up his appointment as first governor of the Commonwealth Bank.
\B14\b Albert Solomon becomes Premier of Tas. on the retirement of Sir Neil Lewis.
\B29\b W. E. Hart wins (by default) Australia's first air race, from Botany to
Parramatta and return, against "Wizard" Stone of the USA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b First automatic public telephone exchange in Australia installed in Geelong.
\B13\b Official opening of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area at Yanco.
\B15\b Commonwealth Bank of Australia opens for business as a savings bank. (Trading bank opens on 20 Jan. \J1913.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B7\b Kingsley Fairbridge opens a farm school for underprivileged British migrant children at Pinjarra, WA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B14\b Construction begins on the transcontinental railway from Port Augusta, SA, to \JKalgoorlie,\j WA.
\B20\b Ministry of Defence approves the formation of the Australian Flying Corps. (Recruiting begins 1 Jan. \J1913.)\j
\B26\b Rev. \JJohn Flynn\j's report to the Presbyterian Church of Australian leads to the founding of the Australian Inland Mission.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B12\b Fire in the underground pumping house at the North Lyell tin mine, Tas; 42 trapped miners die.
\B24\b \JHarry Hawker\j establishes a British endurance flying record (8 hours 23 min.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b Mawson sets out with two companions (Ninnis and Mertz) to examine King George V Land.
û \JDaisy Bates\j becomes honorary Protector of Aborigines at Eucla, SA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b One of Mawson's party (Ninnis) disappears into a crevasse with a sledge containing nearly all their provisions; Mawson and Mertz set off on the return journey to base camp.
ò Commonwealth Small Arms Factory opens in Lithgow, NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Walter Burley Griffin wins the competition for a design for \JCanberra.\j
High-rise era begins in Australia with the erection by Spain and Cosh of the 14-storey, 52 m high Culwulla Chambers in Sydney (û \J1913)\j.
Fibrous plaster sheets first imported into Melbourne from New Zealand.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Construction of a new zoological gardens in Sydney begun at Taronga Park. (Animals from the old Moore Park zoo moved in \J1915\jû 16.)
L. E. de Mole invents a tracked, armoured vehicle that anticipates the war tank.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JNorman Lindsay\j's pen drawing \IThe Crucified Venus\i\b exhibited at the Society of Artists' exhibition in Sydney (Nov.).
Irish promoter Thomas Quinlan brings an opera company of 200 people, 300 tons of scenery, and 3,000 costumes to Australia.
Bert Bailey appears in the stage adaptation of \IOn Our Selection.\i\b
Cosens Spencer's film studio at White City, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, opened by the NSW Premier (Aug.).
Australia's first luxury cinema, the Majestic, opens in Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Bernard O'Dowd, \IThe Bush.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
C. P. Paterson brings the first surfboard to Sydney from Hawaii.
At the Stockholm Olympics, Fanny Durack wins the 100 m freestyle swimming event and the Australasian men's team wins the 800 m relay swim.
William Longworth, a member of the Olympic team, wins all Australian and NSW swimming championships from 100 yards to 1 mile.
Piastre wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,746,589.
46,712 migrants arrive in Australia during the year.
Cost-of-living index ("A" series) first compiled (with \J1911\j as base year), and subsequently used in making adjustments to the basic wage.
\B2\b First Commonwealth postage stamp issued (one penny, showing a kangaroo on an outline map of Australia).
\B8\b Douglas Mawson's companion, Mertz, dies in Antarctica; Mawson makes an epic lone struggle back to base at Commonwealth Bay. (Arrives 8 Feb; \IAurora\i\b had left that day, leaving six men to stay for the winter.)
\B29\b Cyclone strikes Qld's north coast (to 4 Feb.); Cairns, Innisfail, and surrounding areas flooded, Cooktown damaged, SS \IInnamincka\i\b wrecked.
\B30\b Passenger train and breakdown train collide at Murphy's Creek, Qld; six people killed.
û Tasmania's first state high schools open in Hobart and \JLaunceston\j.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Royal Australian Naval College officially opened in temporary premises at Geelong.
\B12\b Lady Denman, wife of the Governor-General, names the federal capital \JCanberra\j at the official ceremony to mark the start of building.
\B19\b Farmers and Settlers' Association in Western Australia resolves to form a political party to be known as the Country Party.
\B23\b Daniel Mannix arrives in Melbourne as Catholic Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b First sale of town sites at Leeton, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b First Commonwealth Treasury banknotes issued.
\B31\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Labor loses its majority in the lower house; results; 38 Liberals (including six country members endorsed by the NSW Farmers and Settlers' Assoc.), 37 Labor.
Referendums on proposals to give the Commonwealth power to legislate on trade and commerce, corporations, industrial matters, trusts, nationalisation of monopolies, and railway disputes all rejected.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B24\b \JJoseph Cook\j replaces \JAndrew Fisher\j as Prime Minister.
\B29\b W. A. Holman becomes Premier of NSW on the retirement of James McGowen.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b All Royal Navy establishments in Australia transferred to the Commonwealth.
û Melbourne Hospital's new building opens.
û Frensham girls' school founded at Mittagong, NSW, by Winifred West and Phyllis Clubbe.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
û Workers' Educational Association of NSW founded, with David Stewart as secretary.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B4\b Royal Australian Navy squadronùbattle-cruiser and flagship \IAustralia\i\b, light cruisers \IMelbourne\i\b, \ISydney\i\b, and \IEncounter\i\b, and destroyers \IParramatta\i\b, \IWarrego\i\b, and \IYarra\i\bùceremonially enters Port Jackson.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b Melbourne Public Library's new domed reading room officially opened.
\B20\b Bundaberg, Qld, declared a city.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b G. A. Elmslie forms Vic.'s first Labor ministry, after W. A. Watt loses support of country members. (Watt resumes the premiership on 22nd.)
\B12\b \IAurora\i\b picks up Mawson and his party from Commonwealth Bay. (Expedition returns to Adelaide, 26 Feb. \J1914\j.)
\B29\b Norfolk Island Act authorises the transfer of Norfolk Island to the Commonwealth. (Transfer takes effect on 1 July \J1914\j.)
* Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) LtdùAWAùfounded, with Ernest Fisk as managing director.
* H. C. Sleigh begins to market Californian oil under the name Golden Fleece.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Australia House, London (û \J1918\j).
Construction begins on the federal capital (King O'Malley drives the first survey peg, 20 Feb.).
Yarralumla (built \J1891\j) purchased by the Commonwealth as the Governor-General's official residence in \JCanberra\j (5 May).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
H. S. Taylor patents a new type of header-harvester.
G. A. Julius's invention, the automatic totalizator, first operates (on Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, NZ).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Max Meldrum, \IPortrait of the Artist's Mother\i\b (painting).
Thomas Quinlan's visiting opera company presents the first complete cycle of \IThe Ring of the Niebelung\i\b in Australia.
Adeline GenΘe and company of dancers from the Imperial Russian Ballet tour Australia.
\JRaymond Longford\j, \IAustralia Calls\i\b, with airman W. E. Hart (film).
Frank Hurley, \IHome of the Blizzard\i\b (documentary film of the Mawson expedition to Antarctica).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ada Cambridge, \IThe Hand in the Dark.\i\b
C. J. Dennis, \IBackblock Ballads.\i\b
\JHenry Lawson\j, \ITriangles of Life.\i\b
\JNorman Lindsay\j, \IA Curate in Bohemia.\i\b
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Posinatus wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,893,741.
Commonwealth basic wage increased to 8 shillings a day.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 15 Miriam Hyde b.
Jan 23 \JAdrian Quist\j b. (û \J1991\j).
Feb 18 Louis Becke d. (57).
Mar 19 Henry Herbert ("Smoky") Dawson b.
May 6 Douglas Stewart b. (û \J1985\j).
Jul 6 J. C. Williamson d. (67).
Aug 3 Sir William Lyne d. (69).
Sep 25 Kenneth (Seaforth) Mackenzie b. (û \J1955\j).
\BDescription:\b 1st RAN Troops - \J1913\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1914",130,"f\10\king0160.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Geelong Grammar School opens at Corio.
\B16\b Court of Industrial Arbitration determines the first NSW basic wage.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B16\b Trains collide at Exeter, NSW; 14 killed and 32 injured.
\B27\b SS \ISaint Paul\i\b wrecked at Cape Moreton, Qld, with the loss of 18 lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b John Earle becomes Premier of Tas. for the second time.
\B11\b G. J. Coles opens a "nothing over a shilling" store in Collingwood, Melbourne.
\B18\b Victorian Farmers' Union formed. (Later becomes the Country Party.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson succeeds Lord Denman as Governor-General.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b Prime Minister \JJoseph Cook\j asks the Governor-General for a double dissolution. (Parliament prorogued 27 June, dissolved 30 July.)
\B18\b Sir Alexander Peacock becomes Premier of Vic. again following W. A. Watt's resignation to enter federal politics.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b French airman Maurice Guillaux leaves Melbourne in a Bleriot monoplane with Australia's first air mail. (Arrives Sydney 18th.)
\B25\b Telephone line established between Melbourne and Adelaide.
\B30\b Warning of impending war reaches Sydney by cable from London.
\B31\b Leaders of both political parties, electioneering, pledge Australian support of the Empire in the event of warùin \JAndrew Fisher\j's words, "to our last man and our last shilling"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Cook offers an expeditionary force of 20,000 troops to the Imperial government. (Accepted on 6th).
\B5\b News of the declaration of war between Britain and Germany reaches Australia. The first Allied shot in the war is fired at midday by Australian artillery at Fort Nepean, Port Phillip, when the German ship \IPfalz\i\b attempts to leave.
\B10\b Recruiting begins for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
\B17\b Training of military pilots begins at Point Cook, Vic.
\B19\b Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, under Col. William Holmes, leaves Sydney in the \IBerrima\i\b for training at Palm Island before being sent to New Britain.
û Australian Red Cross Society established.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Election for federal parliament; Labor gains a clear majority in both houses; Fisher becomes Prime Minister for the third time (17th).
\B11\b Expeditionary force captures the German wireless station on New Britain with the loss of six lives and four wounded, the first Australian casualties of the war.
\B12\b Australian forces capture Rabaul and (15th) accept the surrender of the government of German New Guinea.
\B14\b Australia loses its first naval vessel, the submarine \IAE1\i,\b off the coast of New Britain.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B29\b Commonwealth Crimes Act and War Precautions Act assented to.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b First convoy of AIF and NZ forces leaves Albany, WA, for Europe, escorted by HMAS \ISydney\i\band HMAS \IMelbourne\i,\b HMS \IMinotaur\i,\b and the Japanese cruiser \IIbuki\i\b.
\B6\b Australian forces occupy Nauru.
\B9\b HMAS \ISydney\i\b disables the German cruiser \IEmden\i\b at Cocos Island and (10th) takes the crew prisoner.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Australian and New Zealand troops disembark at Alexandria to undergo war training in Egypt, where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) is formed.
Commonwealth fisheries research ship \IEndeavour\i\b leaves Macquarie Island with Director of Fisheries H. K. Dannevig and his staff and is not heard of again.
\B21\b Lt-Gen. Sir William Birdwood arrives in Egypt to take up his appointment as commander of ANZAC.
\B23\b Enrolment and voting made compulsory in Qld.
ò Severe and protracted drought affects most of Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
A. B. Brady, Administration Building, Brisbane (û \J1922)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
W. Baldwin Spencer publishes his study \IThe Native Tribes of the Northern Territory.\i\b
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
NSW State Conservatorium of Music founded. (Opens in May \J1915.)\j
W. W. Francis first publicly sings his song "Australia Will Be There" at the Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne (15 Aug.).
\JRaymond Longford,\j \IThe Silence of Dean Maitland\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Christopher Brennan, \IPoems\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Norman Brookes wins the men's singles at Wimbledon for the second time.
Australasia (headed by Brookes and Anthony Wilding) beats the US at Forest Hills, NY, to win the Davis Cup.
Rugby Union suspends competition for the duration of the war.
Kingsburgh wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,971,778.
NSW basic wage: ú2 8s a week.
Paid annual leave awarded to printers in Western Australia.
\B1\b "Battle of \JBroken Hill\j": two men flying the Turkish flag fire on a train carrying picnickers from \JBroken Hill\j to Silverton; six killed (including the two attackers), and seven wounded.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b \JCoober Pedy\j, SA, opal field discovered.
\B10\b Royal Australian Naval College transferred to Jervis Bay.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Crawford Vaughan replaces A. H. Peake as Premier of SA.
\B20\b First Australian Flying Corps unit leaves for Mesopotamia.
\B25\b Anzacs and other Allied forces land at Gallipoli.
\B30\b Submarine \IAE2\i\b lost in the Sea of Marmara; crew captured.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Anzacs attack Baby 700 and Gaba Tepe.
\B19\b Anzacs beat off a determined Turkish attack, in which some 3,000 Turks are killed. Truce arranged to bury the dead. (Another on 24th.)
John Simpson (Kirkpatrick), "the man with the donkey", killed.
Lance-corporal Albert Jacka wins the first VC awarded to an Australian in World War I.
\B22\b Labor gains a clear majority in the Qld election; T. J. Ryan becomes Premier (1 June).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b BHP's steelworks at Newcastle officially opened.
\B30\b Attack by the Turks at the Nek repulsed by Anzacs.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B23\b War Census Act passed. (Census of males 18 to 60 taken, 6û15 Sept.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b Australians attack Lone Pine; Battle of Sari Bair begins (to 9th).
\B7\b Australian Light Horsemen (unmounted) go to their deaths in successive charges against Turkish machine-guns at the Nek.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b Area of 73 square kilometres at Jervis Bay transferred from NSW to the Commonwealth for use as a port.
\B13\b Income tax imposed by the Commonwealth to pay for the war.
Voting in federal referendums made compulsory.
\B14\b Tom Barker, editor of the IWW journal \IDirect Action\i\b, gaoled for publishing material likely to prejudice recruiting.
\B23\b Journalist Keith Murdoch, after visiting Gallipoli, writes to Prime Minister \JAndrew Fisher\j criticising the conduct and prospects of the Dardanelles operation.
\B30\b HMAS \IBrisbane\i\b, the first cruiser built in Australia, launched in Port Jackson.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B27\b Fisher resigns because of ill health (becomes High Commissioner in London, Jan. \J1916\j); W. M. Hughes succeeds him as Prime Minister.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b River Murray Waters Agreement ratified by NSW, Vic., SA, and Commonwealth governments. (Comes into force 31 Jan. \J1917\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Wheat Board begins operations.
\B8\b Evacuation of Anzacs from Gallipoli begins. (Completed 20th.)
\B14\b Farmers and Settlers' Association formed in Adelaide. (Becomes the Country Party Association in \J1923\j.)
\B29\b Land tax imposed in Qld.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
W. H. and W. L. Bragg share the Nobel Prize for their work in X-ray crystallography.
Melbourne chemists George Nicholas and H. W. Shmith discover how to make aspirin, a German-patented product cut off by the war, and begin manufacture. (Trade name Aspro registered by G. R. and A. M. Nicholas in \J1917\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Henri Verbrugghen becomes first director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music and re-forms the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Actor-manager Allan Wilkie arrives in Australia. (Tours Australia with his Shakespearean company from \J1916\j to the \J1930\js.)
Alfred Rolfe, \IThe Hero of the Dardanelles\i\b (film).
Francis Birtles, \IIn the Track of \JBurke and Wills\j\i\b (documentary film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
C. J. Dennis, \IThe Songs of a Sentimental Bloke\i\b.
Douglas Mawson, \IThe Home of the Blizzard\i\b.
Literary journal the \ITriad\i\b (first published in NZ), begins publication in Sydney. (Ceases in \J1942\j, after reverting to NZ.)
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLes Darcy\j knocks out American Eddie McGoorty, contender for the world middleweight championship (27 Dec.).
Duke Kahanamoku visits Australia from Hawaii and popularises surfboard riding.
First state surf lifesaving championships held at Bondi (20 Mar.).
Patrobus wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,959,457.
Australian casualties on Gallipoli: approx. 7,600 killed, 19,000 wounded.
Women given the right to sit in parliament in Qld.
Lamington National Park proclaimed (31 July).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 6 Donald Friend b. (û \J1989\j).
Mar 3 \JManning Clark\j b. (û \J1991\j).
Mar 11 T. A. Browne (Rolf Boldrewood) d. (88).
Apr 19 Dorian le Gallienne b. (û \J1963\j).
May 31 Judith Wright b.
Jun 28 \JVictor Trumper\j d. (37).
Jul 14 \JLawrence Hargrave\j d. (65).
Jul 16 David Campbell b. (û \J1979\j).
Jul 18 G. W. L. Marshall-Hall d. (53).
Aug 14 B. A. Santamaria b.
Oct 8 E. Phillips Fox d. (50).
\BDescription:\b Landing at Gallipoli \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1916",132,"f\10\king0164.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Prime Minister Hughes leaves Sydney to visit England and the European war zone.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Presbyterian Ladies' College opens in Pymble, Sydney.
\B14\b Troops from Casula and Liverpool army camps in NSW mutiny; one man shot dead and six wounded in a riot at Sydney's Central Station.
\B15\b \JLaunceston\jû Hobart express train crashes at Campania, Tas; four killed and 39 injured.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B24\b Wartime price control regulations introduced.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Sir Walter Lee replaces John Earle as Premier of Tas.
\B25\b Anzac Day first celebrated.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
û News of the Easter Rebellion in Dublin reaches Australia, leading to a wave of anti-British and anti-war feeling among Irish Australians and Catholics.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia established in Tas.
\B6\b Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia founded (now the Returned and Services League of Australia, or RSL).
\B15\b Hughes arranges for the purchase of 15 merchant ships in London to begin a Commonwealth shipping line.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B19\b Australian troops attack Fromelles in the Battle of the Somme.
\B23\b Australian troops capture PoziΦres, winning four VCs.
\B27\b Frank Wilson again becomes Premier of WA following the defeat of the Scaddan government.
\B31\b Hughes returns to Australia from Britain and France concerned about the decline in enlistments for the AIF.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b Anzac Mounted Division engages in the Battle of Romani in Sinai.
\B24\b War office cables a request to Australia for reinforcements.
\B30\b Hughes announces that a referendum would be held on compulsory overseas military service.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Australian troops capture Mouquet Farm (but later relinquish it).
\B4\b Hughes expelled from the NSW Labor executive.
\B8\b First of twelve incendiary acts, thought to be the work of the IWW, attempted in Sydney (to 12th).
\B9\b Daniel Mannix, Catholic Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne, begins publicly expressing his opposition to conscription and the war.
\B14\b Minister for Trade and Customs Frank Tudor resigns from the government over conscription. (Three other ministers resign on 27 Oct.)
\B30\b Australian Farmers' Federal Organisation formed in Melbourne.
û Premier Holman of NSW loses Labor Party endorsement for campaigning in favour of conscription.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B17\b Miners in NSW demand increased wages and reduced hours. (Locked out 1 Nov; all mines in Australia idle by 3 Nov; work resumes on 5 Dec. after demands met.)
\B28\b Referendum on conscription results in a "no" vote by a narrow margin.
û Full-time correspondence school begins in NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b Hughes walks out of federal Labor caucus, taking 23 supporters with him. (Expelled from ALP leadership, he forms the National Labor Party and a new ministry with support of the Liberal Party.)
\B15\b Holman forms a coalition ministry in NSW with five expelled Labor members, six Liberals, and a Progressive.
\B25\b British government agrees to buy the entire Australian wool clip for the duration of the war.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Trial of 12 IWW members charged with arson and sedition; 10 sentenced to between 5 and 15 years' gaol.
\B21\b Australian Light Horsemen capture El Arish and (on 23rd) Magdhaba in the Sinai.
\B28\b Most of Clermont, Qld, washed away and 62 people drown in floods following a cyclone.
û Two members of the IWW hanged at Bathurst after being found guilty of murdering a policeman at Tottenham, NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
BJ. C. Hawes, Cathedral of St Francis Xavier, Geraldton, WA (û \J1938\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Serum Laboratories established in Melbourne.
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research founded in Melbourne.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Elioth Gruner, \IMorning Light\i\b (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Sydney Ure Smith begins publishing \IArt in Australia\i\b (û \J1942\j).
Oscar Asche writes and produces the play \IChu-Chin-Chow\i\b. (Runs to \J1921\j.)
Stiffy and Mo (Nat Phillips and Roy Rene) first perform as a comedy team.
\JRaymond Longford\j, \IThe Mutiny of the Bounty\i\b (film).
Federal entertainments tax imposed. (Removed in \J1934\j.)
Hippodrome (later the Capitol Theatre) opens in Sydney (Apr.)
\BD Books and Writing\b
C. J. Dennis, \IThe Moods of Ginger Mick\i\b.
Ernest Scott, \IA Short History of Australia\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLes Darcy\j stows away on a freighter to America (27 Oct.), against war regulations preventing able-bodied men leaving the country.
\JJohn Wren\j gains control of Stadiums Ltd and thus virtual control of boxing and wrestling in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Sasanof wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,917,949.
Six o'clock closing of hotels introduced in NSW, Vic., SA, and Tas. as a wartime measure.
Mount Field and Freycinet national parks established in Tas.
Mediterranean mustard first noted near Merredin, WA. (Becomes chief plant pest of WA and spreads east.)
"1917",133,"0","Les Darcy died in 1917","film9i.avi"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Daylight saving introduced throughout Australia (to Mar.). (Unpopular, not reintroduced till World War II.)
\B9\b Anzac mounted forces capture Rafa in Palestine.
\B31\b River Murray Commission begins operating.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b W. M. Hughes's National Labor group merges with the Liberal Party to form the Nationalist (or National) Party.
\B15\b Qld enacts Australia's first soldier settlement legislation.
\B17\b Hughes forms his first Nationalist ministry (Labor having refused to join an all-party government).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B17\b Australian troops in France enter Bapaume and continue their advance towards the Hindenburg Line.
\B26\b First Battle of Gaza in Palestine.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b First Battle of Bullecourt, on the Hindenberg Line; 3,000 Australian casualties.
\B19\b Second Battle of Gaza.
û Vestey's meatworks opens in Darwin. (Closes \J1919.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Second Battle of Bullecourt begins (7,000 Australian casualties).
\B5\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Hughes's Nationalists win 53 of the 75 lower house seats and all 18 vacant seats in the Senate.
Referendum held in Qld on the abolition of the Legislative Council: 116,196 for; 179,105 against.
\B6\b Daniel Mannix becomes Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne on the death of Archbishop Carr and subsequently makes several anti-conscription speeches.
\B12\b Australian and British troops capture Bullecourt and (15th) repulse a German counter-attack.
\B13\b Commonwealth railway line extended from Pine Creek, NT, to Katherine.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b Messines ridge, Flanders, captured by II Anzac Corps after Australian tunnellers blow up Hill 60.
\B14\b First drawing of Qld's Golden Casket lottery (opened in Dec. \J1916\j in aid of patriotic war funds).
\B28\b H. B. Lefroy forms a National Coalition ministry in WA.
\B30\b All Lutheran day schools in SA closed by act of parliament.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b SS \ICumberland\i\b strikes a mine laid by the German raider \IWolf\i\b off Gabo Island and sinks while under tow. (Explosion attributed in Australia to a bomb placed by the IWW.)
\B14\b A. H. Peake again becomes Premier of SA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Sydney tramwaymen strike over a new work-record system, initiating a general strike involving railwaymen, miners, wharf labourers, seamen, and other unionists.
\B14\b "Loyal labour" camps of strike-breakers set up in the Sydney Cricket Ground.
\B18\b Three strike leaders arrested. (Railway union deregistered 24th.)
\B23\b NSW government takes over all coalmines in the state.
\B30\b Strikers attack two "loyalist" lorry drivers in Sydney; one striker shot dead and another wounded.
Crowd of 10,000 assemble in front of federal Parliament House in Melbourne to protest against the cost of living; 12 arrested.
û IWW declared illegal under the Unlawful Associations Act of Dec. \J1916.\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B19\b Rail strike officially ends (with a trial period for new system).
\B20\b Australian troops fight in the Battle of Menin Road, during the Third Battle of Ypres, and (26th) capture Polygon Wood.
\B22\b Legislation assented to introducing a wartime profits tax (to \J1919).\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Coalfields strike ends.
\B4\b Anzac forces take part in the assault on Broodseinde ridge and (12th) on Passchendaele.
\B24\b Collapse of strike by seamen and wharf labourers.
\B31\b Australian Light Horsemen, commanded by General Harry Chauvel, attack and capture Beersheba.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b Hughes announces that another conscription referendum is to be held.
\B8\b German place names in SA changed by act of parliament.
\B19\b Qld Premier T. J. Ryan speaks at an anti-conscription rally; his speech is censored in the press. (He repeats his speech in parliament three days later; censors seize \IHansard\i\b copies next day. He repeats his speech outside parliament following a challenge from Hughes to do so; he and his deputy, E. G. Theodore, are charged with breaches of the War Precautions Act. Charges dropped at trial, 6 Dec.)
\B29\b Hughes is hit by an egg while addressing a conscription rally at Warwick, Qld. (Angered by the lack of response from the Queensland police, he forms the Commonwealth Police Force on 12 Dec; disbanded in \J1921.)\j
John Bowser replaces Sir Alexander Peacock as Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B20\b Second conscription referendum held; conscription again rejected.
ò Holden's Motor Body Builders establishes a factory in Adelaide.
ò Star of the West pearl (of more than 100 grains) found at Broome, WA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
First national town-planning and housing conference held in Adelaide.
Eadith Walker establishes a convalescent home for soldiers in the grounds of her home, Yaralla, in Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Anzac forces in Gaza find the Shellal Mosaic, formerly the floor of a Byzantine church of AD 561û62 (now in the \JWar Memorial,\j \JCanberra).\j
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sidney Long, \IFantasy\i\b (painting).
Max Meldrum founds a school of painting in Melbourne.
Pat Sullivan creates the animated cartoon "Felix the Cat"
Beaumont Smith, \IOur Friends the Hayseeds\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
C. J. Dennis, \IThe Glugs of Gosh\i\b.
Leon Gellert, \ISongs of a Campaign\i\b.
A. B. Paterson, \ISaltbush Bill, J.P.\i\band \IThree Elephant Power and Other Stories\i\b.
Henry Handel Richardson, \IAustralia Felix\i\b (vol. 1 of \IThe Fortunes of Richard Mahony)\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLes Darcy\j dies of pneumonia in Memphis, Tennessee (24 May).
Automatic totalizator first used in Australia at Randwick (8 Sept.).
Federal government restricts the number of sporting fixtures as a wartime measure.
Westcourt wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,982,063.
The word \Idigger\i\b comes into use among the AIF.
Lake Eyre partially fills with water (according to geological records).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 7 Harry Gibbs b.
Mar 21 Frank Hardy b. (û \J1994).\j
Apr 22 \JSidney Nolan\j b. (û \J1992).\j
May 24 \JLes Darcy\j d. (21).
Jul 12 Larry Foley d. (70).
Aug 26 William Lane d. (55).
Oct 12 James McAuley b. (û \J1976).\j
Dec 20 Frederick \JMcCubbin\j d. (62).
\BViddescription:\b Les Darcy's life and death (Film World)
#
"1918",134,"f\10\r3304.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Corps formed from all five Australian divisions in France.
\B8\b Prime Minister W. M. Hughes tenders his resignation after failing to carry the conscription referendum; ALP leader F. G. Tudor is unable to command a majority in either house, and Hughes is recommissioned (10th).
\B2\b Sir \JJohn Forrest\j becomes the first native-born Australian to be raised to the peerage (as Baron Forrest of Bunbury).
\B21\b Anzac Mounted Division captures Jericho.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Cyclone in north Queensland (to 10th) almost completely demolishes Innisfail and Babinda and severely damages Cairns, Ingham, and Cardwell; 17 people killed.
\B21\b H. S. W. Lawson replaces John Bowser as Premier of Vic.
\B28\b Australian forces in France stop the German advance at Dernancourt.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Warrnambool, Vic., proclaimed a city.
\B24\b Hughes and Navy Minister \JJoseph Cook\j leave Australia to attend the Imperial Conference in London; W. A. Watt becomes Acting Prime Minister.
\B25\b Australian troops in France recapture Villers-Bretonneux.
û Repatriation Commission set up.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B31\b Lt-Gen. John Monash takes command of the Australian Corps in France, with Brig.-Gen. T. A. Blamey as chief of staff.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b Hughes attends the second session of the Imperial War Cabinet in London.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian (and American) troops under Monash capture Hamel.
\B22\b Cranbrook School opens in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Australia House in London officially opened by King George V.
\B8\b Australian and Canadian troops break through on the Somme.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian troops capture and hold Mont St Quentin and (2nd) PΦronne.
\B18\b Australian troops spearhead the attack on the Hindenburg Line.
\B19\b Desert Mounted Corps, led by Gen. Harry Chauvel, begins its great ride round the enemy's rear to Nablus in Palestine.
\B20\b SS \IUndola\i\b sinks with all hands off \JWollongong\j, NSW, after apparently striking one of the mines laid by the German raider \IWolf.\i\b
\B22\b First direct wireless message transmitted from Britain to Australia (from Marconi's station in Carnarvon, Wales) received by Ernest Fisk of AWA at his home in Wahroonga, Sydney.
\B25\b Anzac Mounted Division captures Amman.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Light Horsemen enter Damascus, having cut off the enemy's retreat and taken 4,000 prisoners.
\B5\b In their last engagement on the Western Front, Australian troops capture Montbrehain.
\B16\b House of Representatives permits the use of the "guillotine."
\B30\b Turkish Armistice ends fighting in Palestine.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Armistice concluded between Allies and Germany. (News received in Australia at 6 p.m.)
\B21\b Preferential voting introduced in elections for House of Representatives. In the Corangamite by-election (14 Dec.) Victorian Farmers' Union candidate W. G. Gibson wins on the distribution of preferences and becomes the first country party member of federal parliament.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B18\b Proportional representation in multi-member electorates introduced in NSW (to \J1926\j).
\B21\b Mass meeting in Darwin demands an inquiry into the Northern Territory Administration and the removal of Administrator J. A. Gilruth; Government House picketed. (Gilruth leaves 20 Feb. \J1919\j.)
* State Labour organisations adopt the name Australian Labor Party.
* Influenza epidemic reaches Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Leslie Wilkinson takes up the first chair of architecture at an Australian university, at the University of Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
John McGarvie Smith discloses the formula of his vaccine for anthrax in sheep and cattle.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\IThe Enemy Within\i, with Snowy Baker (film).
\IThe Lure of the Bush\i, with Snowy Baker and Rita Tress (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JMay Gibbs\j, \ISnugglepot and Cuddlepie\i\b.
Mary Gilmore, \IThe Passionate Heart\i\b.
\JNorman Lindsay\j, \IThe Magic Pudding\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Nightwatch wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Australia's population reaches five million.
Total number of troops raised in Australia for World War I: 416,809, of whom 331,781 were sent overseas; 59,342 were killed, and 166,819 were wounded.
Women in NSW admitted to the practice of law and allowed to be elected to parliament.
\B13\b Peace Conference begins in Versailles, with W. M. Hughes and Sir \JJoseph Cook\j as Australia's delegates.
\B29\b Compromise on Pacific mandates reached at the Peace Conference after wrangling between Hughes and US President Wilson.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B28\b Influenza epidemic causes the closure of theatres, libraries, churches, and schools in NSW; wearing of masks made compulsory.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b \ISmith's Weekly\i\b, founded by Joynton Smith, Claude McKay, and R. C. Packer, begins publication in Sydney (to \J1950\j).
\B6\b War Service Homes Act becomes operative.
\B10\b Commonwealth government offers a prize of ú10,000 to the first Australian crew to fly a British-made aircraft from Britain to Australia in 30 days before the end of the year.
\B24\b Several thousand "anti-Bolsheviks" led by returned soldiers clash with police in Brisbane; shots fired and 19 wounded.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B17\b Hal Colebatch, MLC, replaces H. B. Lefroy as Premier of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b "Battle of the Barricades" on Fremantle waterfront (to 8th) between striking wharf labourers, non-unionist strike-breakers, and police; one killed and 33 injured.
\B7\b Australia granted a "C" class League of Nations mandate over former German Territories in the Pacific.
\B17\b James Mitchell replaces Colebatch as WA Premier.
\B19\b \JBroken Hill\j mines closed by strike (to Nov. \J1920\j).
Seamen's strike (to 26 Aug.) halts most shipping around Australia.
\B28\b Electric trains begin running in Melbourne (Sandringhamû Essendon).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B28\b Hughes and Cook sign the Peace Treaty in Versailles.
\B29\b Striking meatworkers in Townsville clash with police; nine wounded in an exchange of gunshots.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B19\b Peace Day processions held throughout Australia, followed in Melbourne by riots and clashes between returned soldiers and police.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B18\b \JHudson Fysh\j and P. J. McGinness leave Longreach, Qld, in a T model Ford to survey an air route to Darwin.
\B24\b Hughes arrives back in Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
û F. H. Gordon and Co. of Sydney begins producing the Australian Six car.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B17\b Sir Samuel Griffith retires as Chief Justice of the High Court; Sir Adrian Knox is appointed in his place (18th).
\B22\b E. G. Theodore succeeds T. J. Ryan as Premier of Qld.
\B28\b Preferential voting system introduced for Senate elections (to \J1948\j).
û \JDaisy Bates\j sets up a tent camp in Ooldea, SA, and begins caring for the Aborigines there (to \J1935\j).
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B12\b Ross and Keith Smith, with Sergeants J. M. Bennett and W. H. Shiers, leave England in a Vickers Vimy aircraft to fly to Australia.
\B16\b H. N. Wrigley and A. W. Murphy make the first transcontinental flight from Point Cook, Vic., to Darwin (arrive 12 Dec.).
\B26\b Victoria's State Electricity Commission decides to establish a powerhouse on the Morwell brown coal field in the Latrobe Valley.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B10\b Ross and Keith Smith land at Darwin, winning the race to be first to fly from England to Australia and carrying the first overseas airmail between the two countries.
\B13\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Nationalists, with the support of 11 country members, are returned with a reduced majority. Two referendums on proposals to extend the Commonwealth's wartime powers fail to receive sufficient support.
\B16\b A. L. Long makes the first crossing of Bass Strait by plane.
* Mascot chosen as the site for Sydney's airport.
* Severe and widespread drought throughout Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\BFirst reinforced concrete building erected in Sydney (Angus and Coote building in George Street).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian National Research Council founded.
Polwarth sheep breed (bred in the \J1880\js near Colac, Vic.) officially named as a distinctive Australian breed.
Ernest Fisk demonstrates radio broadcasting in Sydney (13 Aug.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Elioth Gruner, \ISpring Frost\i\b (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Roland Wakelin and Roy de Maistre hold an influential exhibition of "synchromies" in Sydney (Aug.).
J. F. Archibald leaves part of his estate to found an annual prize for portraiture.
Australia's longest-running comic strip, "The Potts" (original title "You and Me"), created by Stan Cross, begins in \ISmith's Weekly\i\b. (Taken over by Jim Russell in \J1939\j.)
\JRaymond Longford\j, \IThe Sentimental Bloke\i\b (silent film), with Arthur Tauchert and \JLottie Lyell\j.
\BD Books and Writing\b
William Gosse Hay, \IThe Escape of the Notorious Sir William Heans\i\b.
\JJohn Shaw Neilson\j, \IHeart of Spring\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
AIF cricket team tours England and South Africa.
AIF rowing eight wins the first King's Cup at Henley-on-Thames.
Gerald Patterson wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
A. D. Felton wins the world sculling championship in England.
Alick Wickham dives into the Yarra River from a height of 62.5 metres.
Artilleryman wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,303,574.
Influenza epidemic causes nearly 12,000 deaths in Australia.
Kikuyu grass introduced into NSW from the Belgian Congo.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 3 Robin Boyd b. (û \J1971\j).
Jul 25 Nat Gould d. (61).
Sep 10 J. F. Archibald d. (63).
Oct 7 \JAlfred Deakin\j d. (63) and \JZelman Cowen\j b.
\BDescription:\b Peace Day processions are held throughout Australia \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1920",136,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Ray Parer and J. C. McIntosh in a DH9 biplane make the first single-engined aircraft flight from England to Australia (arrive 2 Aug.).
\B10\b League of Nations comes into force, with Australia an original member.
\B22\b Australian Country Party founded at a meeting of country MPs in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b During the Governor's absence, Lt-Governor William Lennon appoints 14 new members to Qld's Legislative Council, allowing the government to pass legislation increasing rents paid by pastoral companies.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B20\b Holman government defeated at the NSW election; John Storey forms a Labor ministry (13 Apr.).
û David Fletcher Jones establishes his tailoring company in Warrnambool, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Sir Henry Barwell becomes Premier of SA following the death of A. H. Peake.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B27\b Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) arrives in Melbourne in HMS \IRenown\i\b to begin a tour of all states (to 18 Aug.).
\B31\b \JBert Hinkler\j flies from London to Turin non-stop, setting a long-distance record.
û Qld Premier E. G. Theodore fails to negotiate a much-needed loan in London because of a financial boycott organised by pastoral companies. He subsequently borrows in New York and calls an election.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B10\b Civil servants and teachers in WA strike over wages (to 31st).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Trains collide at Hurstville, Sydney; five people killed, 50 injured.
\B21\b Collier \IAmelia J\i\b leaves Newcastle for Hobart and disappears, with the loss of 12 crew.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Flinders Naval Base (Depot from \J1921\j) officially opened.
û Brigantine \ISouthern Cross\i\b disappears in Bass Strait; 11 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b \JSir John Monash\j becomes general manager of the State Electricity Commission of Vic. (chairman from 10 Jan. \J1921\j).
\B2\b C. J. De Garis launches the \ISunraysia Daily\i\b in Mildura.
\B6\b Baron Forster succeeds Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson as Governor-General.
\B9\b Theodore government re-elected in Qld but with its majority reduced to four.
\B30\b Communist Party of Australia founded at a meeting in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Federal Labor MP Hugh Mahon is expelled from Parliament for making "seditious and disloyal utterances" at a demonstration in Melbourne (on 7th) organised by the Irish Ireland League.
\B16\b Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (Qantas) formed by \JHudson Fysh\j, P. J. McGinness, and Fergus McMaster.
\B23\b Royal commission chaired by A. B. Piddington recommends a 25% increase in the basic wage; Justice Powers of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court subsequently awards only three shillings, on the ground that industry could not afford to pay more.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Commonwealth Bank takes over the issuing of banknotes from the Treasury.
\B17\b League of Nations confirms Australia's mandates to control Nauru and German New Guinea (20th).
* Baha'i faith established in Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Hall and Prentice, Brisbane City Hall (û \J1930\j).
Sydney Central Station's clock tower erected. (Clock started 10 Mar. \J1921\j.)
Walter Burley Griffin's appointment as designer of \JCanberra\j is not renewed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry (predecessor of the \JCSIRO\j) established by act of parliament.
A. C. Howard first patents a rotary hoe.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
J. and N. Tait amalgamate with J. C. Williamson.
Gregan \JMcMahon\j founds the Sydney Repertory Theatre Society.
Eric Edgley and Clem Dawe are brought to Australia by the Taits for pantomime.
Films:
Franklyn Barrett's \IThe Breaking of the Drought\i\b.
Kenneth Brampton's \IRobbery Under Arms\i\b.
\JRaymond Longford\j's \IOn Our Selection\i\b.
Harry Southwell's \IThe Kelly Gang\i\b.
Frank Hurley's documentary \IIn the Grip of Polar Ice\i\b.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Hugh McCrae, \IColombine\i\b.
Competition run by C. J. De Garis for the "great Australian novel" is won by F. A. Russell with \IThe Ashes of Achievement\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Cyclist Bob Spears wins the world professional sprint title in Antwerp.
Poitrel wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,411,297.
Women gain the right to be elected to parliament in WA.
Spiritualism in Australia is stimulated by the visit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
One million koalas and 5╝ million possums killed in Qld in the \J1919\jû20 trapping season.
Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board established to combat the pest covering 9.3 million hectares of land in Qld and northern NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 7 Sir Edmond Barton d. (70).
May 30 G. E. ("Chinese") Morrison d. (58).
Jun 2 Victor Patrick Lucca (Vic Patrick) b.
Jul 24 Arthur Boyd b.
Aug 9 Sir Samuel Griffith d. (75).
Aug 12 \JLouisa Lawson\j d. (72).
Aug 15 \JJudy Cassab\j b.
Nov 11 Florence Young d. (50).
#
"1921",137,"f\10\king0101.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B5\b Work begins on the Yallourn, Vic., power station site.
\i\B28\b Essington Lewis succeeds G. D. Delprat as general manager of BHP.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B12\b Mitchell government re-elected in WA; among the successful candidates for the Legislative Assembly is Mrs \JEdith Cowan\j, the first woman to become a member of any parliament in Australia.
\i\B31\b Australian Air Force formed (\IRoyal\b\i added on 13 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b John Lysaght begins producing galvanised sheet steel at Newcastle.
\i\B5\b \JEarle Page\j elected permanent leader of the Country Party.
\i\B11\b \JBert Hinkler\j flies from Sydney to Bundaberg, Qld, non-stop in 8╜ hours, breaking his own long-distance flying record.
\i\B21\b Australia's first Rotary Club founded in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Legislation enacted to set up peacetime military forces.
\i\B9\b New Guinea Act comes into force; military administration in the Mandated Territory is replaced by a civil government.
\i\B29\b Bulk wheat first shipped from a terminal in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b SS \IOur Jack\b\i sinks in a gale off Cape Hawke, NSW, with the loss of five lives. Next day, SS \IFitzroy\b\i goes down in the same area; 31 drowned.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B12\b \JHarry Hawker\j dies in a test-flight accident in England.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B11\b Essendon airport opens in Melbourne.
\i\B23\b Bubonic plague breaks out in Brisbane (to Apr. \J1922\j; 64 deaths).
\i\B31\b Keith Murdoch becomes editor-in-chief of the Melbourne \IHerald.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B19\b Explosion at Mt Mulligan colliery, Qld, kills 75 miners.
\i\B24\b Rockhampton and Mackay linked by rail.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b James Dooley becomes Premier of NSW on the death of John Storey.
\i\B11\b At the federal conference of the ALP in Brisbane, the party adopts a socialisation objective.
\i\B27\b Act to abolish the Qld upper house passed. (Not proclaimed until 23 Mar. \J1922\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Sir \JJoseph Cook\j resigns from federal parliament to become High Commissioner in London.
\i\B12\b Senator G. F. Pearce represents Australia at the Washington conference on disarmament (to 6 Feb. \J1922\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Australia's first official airmail service begins, between Geraldton and Derby, WA. (Service disrupted by the crash of one of the three planes on the inaugural flight, killing the crew of two.)
\i\B6\b Six miners die when a cage falls down the shaft of the Golden Horseshoe mine, \JKalgoorlie\j, WA.
\i\B7\b SS \IMoreton Bay,\b\i first of the 'Bay' ships built for the Commonwealth Government Line, leaves Britain on its maiden voyage.
\i\B13\b Fire guts a wool store in Kirribilli, Sydney, threatening adjacent Admiralty House.
\i\B15\b Legislation enacted providing for the establishment of the Tariff Board and increasing tariff duties.
\i\B20\b Sir George Fuller becomes Premier of NSW for one day when the Dooley Labor government is temporarily unseated over tax proposals.
* Underprivileged British children begin coming to Australia under the Barnardo's Homes scheme.
* Miena Dam, in central Tas., completed.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
R. S. Falkiner patents a sugarcane harvester that cuts and tops the stalks in a continuous operation.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Archibald Prize awarded for the first time; won by W. B. McInnes for his portrait of Desbrowe Annear.
Elioth Gruner, \IThe Valley of the Tweed\b\i (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Ginger Meggs comic-strip character created by Jimmy Bancks.
\JGladys Moncrieff\j makes her first appearance as Teresa in \IThe Maid of the Mountains,\b\i at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne (21 Jan.).
Violinist Jascha Heifetz tours Australia.
Beaumont Smith, \IWhile the Billy Boils\b\i (film).
\JRaymond Longford\j, \IThe \JBlue Mountains\j Mystery\b\i (film).
AWA begins broadcasting radio concerts in Melbourne (Oct.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
C. E. W. Bean, \IThe Story of Anzac\b\i (vol. 1 of \IThe Official History of Australia in the War of \J1914\j-\J1918\j;\b\i last vol. published in \J1943\j).
C. J. Dennis, \IA Book for Kids.\i
Mary E. Fullerton, \IBark House Days.\i
John O'Brien, \IAround the Boree Log.\i
Katharine Susannah Prichard, \IBlack Opal.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JRoy Cazaly\j, after 12 years with St Kilda Australian Rules football team, begins playing for South Melbourne and gives rise to the cry 'Up there, Cazaly'.
Sister Olive wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,510,944; second Commonwealth census, 4 Apr: non-Aboriginal population: 5,435,734; Aboriginal population: 70,403.
Automatic quarterly cost-of-living adjustments to the basic wage introduced.
Women gain the right to be elected to parliament in Tas.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 25 Russell Braddon b. (-\J1995\j).
Apr 13 Max Harris b. (-\J1995\j).
Jul 12 \JHarry Hawker\j d. (33).
Nov 6 Robert Logan Jack d. (76).
Nov 21 Colleen Shirley Perry (Shirley Smith, 'Mum Shirl') b.
Dec 26 Donald Horne b.
\BDescription:\b Women cutting and storing fruit in a canning factory at Shepparton, Vic., in the \J1920\js \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1922",138,"0","Shark scares on Sydney's beaches","mfilm25i.avi"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B6\b \IDaily Mail\b\i begins publication in Sydney. (Becomes the \ILabor Daily\b\i in \J1924,\j \IDaily News\b\i in \J1937\j; incorporated in the \IDaily Telegraph\b\i in \J1940.)\j
- Rachel Forster Hospital opens in Sydney as 'The New Hospital for Women and Children'.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b A shark fatally attacks Milton Coughlan at Coogee Beach, Sydney. (Olympic swimmer Frank \JBeaurepaire\j goes to the young man's aid.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B23\b Act proclaimed abolishing the Qld Legislative Council (from 4 July).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Australia and New Zealand sign an agreement for reciprocal preferential tariffs.
\i\B13\b Sir George Fuller forms a coalition ministry in NSW, following Labor's defeat at the election on 25 Mar.
Sir Ross Smith and Lt J. M. Bennett killed on a trial flight in England.
\i\B21\b Country Women's Association formed in Sydney on the initiative of the \IStock and Station Journal.\i
- BHP closes its Newcastle steelworks because of falling prices and rising costs (to May \J1923)\j.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B31\b Empire Settlement Act comes into force, with the object of establishing British settlers on the land in Australia.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b All-Australia 'New States' convention held in Albury.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B12\b J. B. Hayes replaces Sir Walter Lee as Premier of Tas., leading a Nationalist-Country Party government.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Hugh Denison launches the morning tabloid \ISun News-Pictorial\b\i in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B15\b Northern Territory granted one member in the House of Representatives, but without voting rights.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Qantas begins its first regular air service, between Charleville and Cloncurry, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B16\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Nationalists lose ground (28 lower house seats to Labor's 30); Country Party, with 14 seats, holds the balance of power.
ò Vic. parliament reintroduces payment for members of the Legislative Council.
ò Smith Family welfare organisation founded in Sydney.
ò Maj.-Gen. Sir John Gellibrand founds the first Legacy Club (called at first the Remembrance Club) in Hobart, Tas.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association formed. (Reconstituted as the Standards Association of Australia in \J1929.)\j
Crossley gravity davit patented.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. B. McInnes, \IProfessor Harrison Moore,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Lionel Lindsay's \IBook of Woodcuts\b\i published.
Henri Verbrugghen resigns as director of the NSW Conservatorium of Music, and his orchestra is subsequently disbanded.
Jack O'Hagan composes the song 'Along the Road to Gundagai', which sells 97,000 copies of the sheet music within two years.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Hugh McCrae, \IIdyllia.
\IWho's Who in Australia\b\i first published under that title (formerly \IJohns' Notable Australians)\b.\i
Melbourne University Press founded.
D. H. Lawrence arrives in Fremantle (4 May), Sydney (27 May); leaves Sydney for America (11 Aug.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Gerald Patterson wins the men's singles at Wimbledon for the second time.
King Ingoda wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,637,286.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú3 16s.
Qld abolishes the death penalty.
Sick leave of six days a year awarded by the Commonwealth Arbitration Court.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 28 \JNeville Bonner\j b.
Jun 17 Sir Robert Philp d. (70).
Aug 2 Geoffrey Dutton b.
Aug 31 Lionel Murphy b. (-\J1986)\j.
Sep 2 \JHenry Lawson\j d. (55).
\BViddescription:\b Shark scares on Sydney beaches (Film World)
#
"1923",139,"f\10\r6718.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B17\b Country Party refuses to support or co-operate with a ministry led by or including W. M. Hughes.
\B29\b Trains collide at Clapham in Adelaide; 2 killed and 22 injured.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b Hughes resigns the prime ministership in favour of S. M. Bruce, who forms a Nationalist-Country Party coalition government with \JEarle Page\j (9th).
û Silver-lead deposits found at Mt Isa, Qld, by John Campbell Miles.
û Agreement signed between UK and WA governments for the settlement of groups of British migrants in the south-west of the state.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B23\b Hurricane in the Gulf of Carpentaria (to 9 Apr.); SS \IDouglas Mawson\i\b leaves Normanton (26 Mar.) for Darwin and is lost with all aboard.
û Barrier Industrial Council formed in \JBroken Hill\j, with E. P. (Paddy) O'Neill as president.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Postmaster-General approves a sealed-set broadcasting system, under which radio receivers would be tuned to only the station to which the listener paid a subscription.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Premiers' Conference agrees to the establishment of a voluntary loan council to co-ordinate borrowing.
\B26\b SS \ISumatra\i\b founders in a storm off Port Macquarie, NSW; 46 lives lost.
û Commonwealth financial aid for main roads introduced.
û \ISunday Mail\i\b first published in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b \IDaily Guardian\i\b begins publication in Sydney (to \J1931\j).
\B24\b Adelaide evening newspaper the \INews\i\b first published.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b James Cavill opens the Surfers Paradise Hotel at a site known as Elston on the Qld south coast, which eventually takes the name of the hotel.
\B14\b Sir Walter Lee again becomes Premier of Tas., replacing John Hayes.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Explosion at Bellbird coalmine, near Cessnock, NSW; 21 miners killed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Imperial Conference held in London (to 8 Nov.); Australia votes in favour of the planned naval base in Singapore.
\B10\b Sydney and Brisbane linked by trunk telephone.
\B12\b Cairns proclaimed a city.
\B25\b J. A. Lyons forms a Labor government in Tas. after the fall of Lee ministry.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Vic. police strike over the use of plain-clothes supervisors; rioting and looting occur in Melbourne over the next two days; the government dismisses the strikers and (4th) swears in volunteers as special police until a new regular force is recruited.
\B23\b Regular radio broadcasting begins in Australia, from station 2SB (later 2BL) in Sydney.
û National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) of NSW founded (begun in \J1920\j as NSW branch of the National Roads Association).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Radio station 2FC, established by the department store Farmer & Co., begins broadcasting in Sydney.
\B10\b General Motors signs an agreement with Holden's for the manufacture of car bodies at Woodville, SA.
* Pacific telephone cable extended from Southport, Qld, to Sydney.
* First house connected to the sewerage system in Brisbane.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Work begins on Sydney Harbour Bridge (28 Apr; completed \J1932\j).
Work begins on the temporary Parliament House at the foot of Camp Hill in \JCanberra\j (28 Aug; completed \J1927\j).
Forrest Place, Perth, officially opened (26 Sept.).
First electric lifts in Australia installed in the railway building at Spencer Street, Melbourne.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Qld meteorologist Inigo Jones begins his long-range forecasting of the weather.
Dr C. P. Callister of the Melbourne firm Fred Walker & Co. creates Vegemite, and Hoadley's Chocolates first produces the Violet Crumble Bar.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. B. McInnes, \IPortrait of a Lady\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Arundel Orchard, the new director of the NSW Conservatorium, begins building up a new symphony orchestra in Sydney.
Hobart Symphony Orchestra gives its first concert (19 Mar.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
V. Gordon Childe, \IHow Labour Governs\i\b.
D. H. Lawrence, \IKangaroo\i\b.
\JJohn Shaw Neilson\j, \IBallad and Lyrical Poems\i\b.
\IVision\i\b, a literary quarterly produced by Jack Lindsay, Kenneth Slessor, and Frank Johnson, first published (1 May; ceases after four issues).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
W. H. Ponsford scores 429 runs in a match between Vic. and Tas. at the MCG.
Bitalli wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,755,986.
Women gain the right to stand for parliament in Vic. and are admitted to the practice of law in WA.
Unemployment insurance scheme introduced in Qld.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 1 John Perceval b.
May 27 Jon Molvig b. (û \J1970\j).
Jun 2 E. J. Banfield d. (70).
Jun 15 \JNinian Stephen\j b.
Jun 25 \JHarry Seidler\j b.
Aug 22 Sir James Burns d. (77).
Oct 25 Don Banks b. (û \J1980\j).
\BDescription:\b Dawes Point before Sydney's Harbour Bridge \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1924",140,"f\10\r3022.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B23\b \IDaily Mail\i\b (Sydney) becomes the \ILabor Daily.\i\b
\B26\b Radio station 3AR begins broadcasting in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Loan Council meets for the first time.
\B27\b HMS \IHood\i\b, the biggest battleship afloat, arrives at Fremantle with five light cruisers at the beginning of a visit to Australian ports. (Sails from Sydney on 20 Apr.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Greek Orthodox Holy Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand established, with Christopher Knites as first Metropolitan.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B6\b S. J. Goble and I. E. McIntyre leave Point Cook, Vic., in a Fairey 111D seaplane to make the first round-Australia flight (to 19 May).
\B7\b Longest recorded period in Australia of above-century temperatures (over 37.8░C)ù161 days (from 30 Oct. \J1923\j), at \JMarble Bar\j, WAùcomes to an end.
\B12\b HMAS \IAustralia\i\b is sunk with naval honours off Sydney Heads in agreement with the terms of the Washington disarmament treaty.
\B16\b John Gunn becomes Premier of SA and Phillip Collier Premier of WA following Labor victories in both state elections.
\B26\b SS \ICity of Singapore\i\b, carrying petrol, catches fire at Port Adelaide; three firemen killed and ten others injured.
\B28\b Sir Alexander Peacock replaces H. S. W. Lawson as Premier of Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Airmail service begins between Adelaide and Sydney.
\B4\b Radio station 6WF begins broadcasting in Perth.
\B15\b Morwell power station in the Latrobe Valley begins generating electricity for Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B17\b Dual classification for radio stations adoptedù"A" class to be financed by listeners' fees, "B" class by advertising revenue.
\B18\b G. M. Prendergast forms a Labor ministry in Vic. following the election of 26 June.
\B25\b Traces of oil found in an exploratory bore at Lakes Entrance, Vic.
\B31\b Voting in federal elections made compulsory.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b Cobb & Co. make their last coach run, from Surat to Yuleba, Qld.
\B21\b Open-cut mining of brown coal begins at Yallourn, Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B23\b Big Brother movement, under which British migrant youths are sponsored by Australians, officially launched in Melbourne by Richard Linton.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b City of Brisbane Act creates "Greater Brisbane"
\B13\b Radio station 3LO begins broadcasting in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B18\b John Allan becomes Premier of Vic. (the first Country Party Premier in Australia) following the fall of the Prendergast government.
\B20\b Radio station 5CL begins broadcasting in Adelaide.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b H. P. Christmas opens Australia's first Woolworths store, in the Imperial Arcade, Sydney.
\B8\b Completion of gaps on Qld's coastal railway gives an unbroken rail link between Brisbane and Cairns.
\B17\b Radio station 7ZL begins broadcasting in Hobart.
û Pilot briquette plant completed at Yallourn. (Commercial production begins in \J1925\j.)
û R. G. Casey becomes Australian Liaison Officer to the UK Foreign Office in London.
* Far West Children's Health Scheme in NSW started by Methodist minister Stanley Drummond.
* King Gee Clothing Co. founded in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Walter Burley Griffin, Capitol Theatre, Melbourne.
Amphitheatre at Balmoral, Sydney, built by the Order of the Star in the East.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Mt Stromlo Observatory, \JCanberra\j, opened (1 Jan.), with Prof. W. G. Duffield as director.
National Museum of Australian Zoology (later the Australian Institute of Anatomy) established to house Sir Colin Mackenzie's collection of preserved Australian fauna.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. B. McInnes wins the Archibald Prize for the fourth consecutive time.
\JDame Nellie Melba\j gives her first "farewell performance" in Australia in \ILa BohΦme\i at His Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne (13 Oct.), broadcast over the new station 3LO.
Bernard Heinze begins presenting orchestral concerts for children in Melbourne.
Palatial cinemas open in Brisbane (the Wintergarden), Sydney (Prince Edward), and Melbourne (Capitol).
\BD Books and Writing\b
D. H. Lawrence and M. L. Skinner, \IThe Boy in the Bush\i\b.
Vance Palmer, \ICronulla\i\b.
Kenneth Slessor, \IThief of the Moon\i\b.
William Dixson offers his collection of Australiana to the Public Library of NSW.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the Olympic Games in Paris, "Boy" Charlton wins the 1,500 m freestyle swimming event, R. C. Eve the plain high-tower dive, and Nick Winter the hop, step, and jump.
\JHubert Opperman\j becomes Australian road cycling champion and wins a series of road events in Europe.
Melbourne Motordrome opens at Olympic Park. (Demolished in \J1932\j.)
Brownlow Medal, for fairest and best VFL footballer, first awarded: to E. "Cargie" Greeves of Geelong club.
Blackwood wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 5,882,002.
About two million koala pelts exported from eastern Australia, almost exterminating koalas in NSW and Vic.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Sep 13 Harold Blair b. (û \J1976\j).
Oct 1 Leonie Gibson (Leonie Kramer) b.
Dec 17 \JClifton Pugh\j b. (û \J1990\j).
\BDescription:\b Sydney Station yard, Central Railway \I(RAHS)\i
#
"1925",141,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal Capital Commission constituted in place of the \JCanberra\j Advisory Committee.
Main Roads Board set up in NSW.
\B26\b Radio station 2UE, Australia's oldest "B" class (commercial) station, begins broadcasting in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne Town Hall gutted by fire.
\B21\b First election held for the Greater Brisbane Council.
\B24\b Adelaide's first commercial radio station, 5DN, begins broadcasting.
\B26\b W. N. Gillies becomes Premier of Qld after the resignation of E. G. Theodore to contest a seat in federal parliament.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Radio 3UZ, Melbourne's first commercial station, begins broadcasting.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b May Holman wins a by-election for the state seat of Forrest, WA, and becomes the first Labor woman to sit in an Australian parliament.
\B25\b Australian \JWar Memorial\j founded in \JCanberra\j. (Building not completed and open to the public until \J1941\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B30\b Labor wins government at the NSW state election. (J. T. Lang sworn in as Premier on 17 June.) New MLAs include H. V. Evatt and Millicent Preston-Stanley (Nationalist), the first woman to be elected to NSW parliament.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Seamen's Union deregistered following a series of disputes; a strike follows.
\B9\b Train derailment on a bridge at Traveston, near Gympie, Qld; 10 killed and 28 injured in a falling carriage.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b Lang withdraws NSW from the Loan Council.
\B13\b Lang orders the NSW Railway Commissioner to reinstate men dismissed in the \J1917\j strike.
\B17\b Federal government suspends the Navigation Act to allow overseas ships to operate in coastal waters and (20th) amends the Immigration Act to provide for the deportation of "alien agitators."
\B22\b Regular airmail service begins between Sydney and Melbourne.
\B23\b Two squadrons of US Navy ships (56 vessels in all) visit Melbourne and Sydney simultaneously.
\B27\b "A" class (government) station 4QG begins broadcasting in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b N. R. Westwood and G. L. Davies set out from Perth in a two-seater Citroδn and become the first to drive round Australia (to 30 Dec.).
\B14\b Country Party of NSW formed out of a split in the Progressive Party.
\B30\b Peace Officers Bill rushed through federal parliament to establish a federal police force (because NSW police would not serve Commonwealth summonses on union leaders).
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Thomas Blamey becomes Chief Commissioner of Police in Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Baron Stonehaven succeeds Lord Forster as Governor-General.
\B22\b William McCormack replaces Gillies as Premier of Qld.
\B31\b Radio station 2KY begins broadcasting in Sydney. (Taken over by J. T. Lang, it becomes the world's first Labor-owned radio station.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B14\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate (the first federal election under compulsory voting). BruceûPage government re-elected with a large majority.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
û Melbourne \IPunch\i\b incorporated in \ITable Talk\i\b.
* Melbourne \IHerald\i\b acquires the \ISun News-Pictorial\i\b.
* Eagle Farm officially chosen as an airport in Brisbane.
* A. H. Appleroth and Albert Lenertz found the Clarence Manufacturing Co. (later Traders Ltd) in Sydney to make Aeroplane Jelly.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Waite Agricultural Research Institute founded by the University of Adelaide.
Ancient Aboriginal skull discovered at Cohuna, Vic.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Longstaff, \IMaurice Moscovitch\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
C. Web Gilbert's bronze memorial to \JMatthew Flinders\j unveiled outside St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne (8 Nov.).
Bertram Mackennal's bronze of T. J. Ryan unveiled in Queen's Park, Brisbane.
Percy Grainger, violinist Fritz Kreisler, and soprano Amelita Galli-Curci make concert tours of Australia.
Arthur Shirley, \IThe Mystery of the Hansom Cab\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
A. W. Jose, ed., \IAustralian Encyclopaedia\i\b, 2 vols (û \J1926\j).
Henry Handel Richardson, \IThe Way Home\i\b (vol. 2 of \IThe Fortunes of Richard Mahony\i\b).
J. T. Kirtley and Jack Lindsay found the Fanfrolico Press.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Banked concrete motor speedway opens at Maroubra, Sydney (5 Dec.). (Demolished in \J1934\j.)
Windbag wins the Melbourne Cup, which is broadcast for the first time.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches six million.
Qld introduces a 44-hour working week.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 20 \JRose Scott\j d. (77).
Aug 21 Don Chipp b.
Sep 23 John Coburn b.
Oct 3 Charles Web Gilbert d. (58).
Nov 17 Charles Mackerras b.
#
"1926",142,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b Five miners killed in an explosion at the Redhead colliery, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b Radio station 2GB begins broadcasting in Sydney.
-\b\i Bushfires sweep through west Gippsland, Vic., causing 31 deaths and extensive damage to forests.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b NSW's first electric train service beginsùbetween Sydney's Central Station and Oatley.
\i\B16\b Commonwealth Crimes Act amended to give the government power to deal with Communists and political agitators.
\i\B17\b Proportional representation abolished for NSW Legislative Assembly elections, and marking of preferences allowed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b SS \IDorrigo\b\i sinks off Double Island Point, Qld; 22 lives lost; captain and his son rescued after 34 hours on a raft.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B16\b Federal Aid Roads Agreement regulates Commonwealth assistance to the states for building and maintaining roads.
\i\B26\b Three killed and 153 injured in a train collision at Caulfield, Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Northern Australia Act divides the Northern Territory into North Australia and Central Australia, each with a separate administration. (Takes effect 1 Mar. \J1927\j; NT reverts to a single entity in \J1931\j.)
\i\B10\b Sydney-Brisbane express train falls through a timber bridge near Aberdeen, NSW; five killed and 50 injured.
\i\B25\b Beryl Mills of WA wins the first 'Miss Australia' competition.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B21\b Development and Migration Commission established.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B23\b Cotton Bounty Act introduces a bounty on seed grown and yarn made in Australia.
\i\B28\b L. L. Hill succeeds John Gunn as Premier of SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b \I\JCanberra\j Times\b\i begins publication as a bi-weekly. (Becomes a morning daily in \J1928\j.)
\i\B4\b Referendums to allow the Commonwealth to regulate commerce and industry and to protect the public against interruption of essential services both rejected.
\i\B13\b Runaway goods trucks collide with a passenger train at Murulla, NSW, killing 27 people and injuring 42.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b Imperial Conference in London (to 23 Nov.); Balfour formula defines relations between the UK and the self-governing dominions as autonomous communities, equal in status.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b General Motors (A/asia) Pty Ltd begins operations in Australia, with assembly plants in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth; bodies supplied by Holden's in Adelaide.
-\b\i Special NSW Labor conference confers almost dictatorial powers on Premier J. T. Lang.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B20\b Sydney's underground railway begins operating on its first sectionùCentral to St James Station.
\i\B23\b Compulsory voting introduced for Vic. Legislative Assembly elections.
*\b\i Oxley Memorial Library, Brisbane, established. (Officially opened in \J1934\j.)
*\b\i Twofold Bay whaling station closes down.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Yarralumla, \JCanberra\j, renovated as the official residence of the Governor-General.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) formed, to replace the Institute of Science and Industry. (David Rivett appointed chief executive officer in \J1927\j.)
Pedal radio transceiver developed by A. H. Traeger. (Introduced in Qld in \J1929\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. B. McInnes, \ISilk and Lace,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Hans Heysen, \IFarmyard,\b \IFrosty Morning\b\i (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Bertram Mackennal's Shakespeare Memorial sculpture erected near the State Library of NSW.
Feodor Chaliapin, Clara Butt, Toti dal Monte, the Don Cossack Choir, and Wilhelm Backhaus make concert tours of Australia.
Anna Pavlova tours Australia with a company of dancers.
St James Theatre opens in Sydney (26 Mar.). (Later becomes a cinema; demolished in \J1971\j.)
Hoyts Theatres cinema chain formed, with F. W. Thring as managing director.
Clarrie Grimmett takes 11 wickets for 82 in a test match against England.
Dirt-track motorcycle racing begins at Sydney Showground.
Spearfelt wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,124,020.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide, declared officially open.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B18\b William Kidston resumes the premiership of Qld following an election on 5 Feb.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Australians T. W. Edgeworth David and Douglas Mawson, of Sir Ernest Shackelton's British Antarctic expedition, ascend Mt Erebus in Antarctica.
\B17\b A. W. Canning sets out to equip a stock route between Hall's Creek and Wiluna, WA. (Puts down 52 wells; route completed Dec. \J1909.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B20\b Two trains filled with holidaymakers collide at Sunshine, Vic; 44 killed and more than 400 injured.
\B27\b Cyclone hits a pearling fleet at Eighty Mile Beach, WA, causing the loss of more than 50 lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Coat of arms granted to the Commonwealth. (Design amended in \J1912.)\j
\B16\b Commonwealth Literary Fund established to assist needy authors.
û Ship \IOrion\i\b disappears between Smithton and Melbourne; 27 lives lost.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Tariff Act increases the duty on imported goods and the number of items liable for duty, but allows a 5% rebate on goods from the UK.
\B30\b H. H. Dutton and Murray Aunger leave Adelaide in a Talbot car to drive to Darwin (arr. 20 Aug.), the first crossing of Australia by car.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Old-age pension scheme comes into force in Qld.
û Federal Labour conference adopts the title Australian Labor Party.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B20\b US fleet of 16 battleships and 5 auxiliariesùthe Great White Fleetùunder the command of Rear-Admiral Charles Sperry, arrives in Sydney at the beginning of a goodwill visit to Australia.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Rock fall at Mt Morgan, Qld, mine kills seven men. (Another fall on 4 Nov. kills five more miners.)
\B9\b Earl of Dudley succeeds Lord Northcote as Governor-General.
\B20\b Women granted the vote in Vic. state elections. (Act not proclaimed until 31 Mar. \J1909,\j after the Dec. election.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B10\b Deakin government defeated in the House of Representatives when Labor withdraws its support; Deakin resigns (11th), and Labor leader \JAndrew Fisher\j becomes Prime Minister (13th).
û Yassû\JCanberra\j chosen by federal parliament as the site for the federal capital.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Tas. Education Act provides for free primary education.
\B7\b BHP notifies its employees that wages will be cut by 12 and a half per cent from 1 Jan.
\J1909\j; miners refuse to accept this and a strike/lockout begins (to 24 May \J1909)\j.
û Cyclone strikes north-west coast of WA; 50 lives lost.
ò Dockyard established on Cockatoo Is., Sydney, by the NSW government.
(Transferred to Commonwealth in \J1913.)\j
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Cantilevered awnings first appear on buildings in Australia.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology opens in Melbourne (1 Jan.).
Riverview College Observatory, Sydney, proclaimed a seismological station.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
WA Art Gallery opens in Perth (25 June).
\IChloe\i\b (painting) goes on display in Young and Jackson's Hotel in Melbourne.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra founded, with Arundel Orchard as conductor.
Bryceson Treharne forms the Adelaide Literary Theatre (later the Adelaide Repertory Theatre).
Charles MacMahon, \IFor the Term of His Natural Life\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
E. J. Banfield, \IThe Confessions of a Beachcomber.\i\b
Mrs Aeneas Gunn, \IWe of the Never Never.\i\b
Henry Handel Richardson, \IMaurice Guest.\i\b
\IOfficial Year Book of the\i\b \ICommonwealth of Australia\i\b first issued.
\JDorothea Mackellar\j's poem "My Country" appears in the London \ISpectator\i\b (5 Sept.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Wallabies Rugby Union and Kangaroos Rugby League teams both make their first tours of Britain, the Wallabies winning gold medals at the London Olympic Games.
First surf carnival held, at Manly, Sydney (Jan.).
Hugh D. McIntosh opens the Sydney Stadium (21 Aug.) and stages the first world title bout in Australia (24 Aug.) between Canadian Tommy Burns and local boxer Bill Squires (Burns winning on a KO in the 13th round). McIntosh then arranges a bout between Burns and American Negro Jack Johnson for the world heavyweight championship (26 Dec.); Johnson is declared the winner after police stop the fight in the 14th round.
Lord Nolan wins the Melbourne Cup.
Australasia (Norman Brookes and A. F. Wilding) retains the Davis Cup, played in Melbourne (27û 29 Nov.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 4,232,278.
Boy Scout movement begins in Australia; groups formed in all states.
National park established at Mt Tamborine, Qld.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 14 David Syme d. (80).
Feb 23 William \JMcMahon\j b. (û \J1988)\j.
May 20 Henry Bolte b. (û \J1990)\j.
Aug 5 \JHarold Holt\j b. (û \J1967)\j.
Aug 27 Donald Bradman b.
\BDescription:\b Early \JCanberra\j - chosen as the site of the Australian Capital \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i.
#
"1927",143,"f\10\king0166.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Newspaper tax of ╜d a copy imposed by the Lang government in NSW.\b\i (Declared invalid by the High Court on 3 Mar.)
Sydney Mint closes.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b Collier \IGalava\b\i sinks off Terrigal, NSW, with the loss of seven lives.
\i\B21\b Radio station 3DB begins broadcasting in Melbourne.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B17\b Heavy cruiser HMAS \IAustralia\b\i launched in Scotland.
\i\B25\b Radio 5KA Adelaide begins broadcasting.
\i\B26\b Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) arrive in Sydney on a visit to all states (to 23 May).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b R. L. Butler forms a Liberal-Country Party coalition ministry in SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b All-Australian Trade Union Congress in Melbourne forms the Australasian (later Australian) Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), to act as a federal executive for the trade union movement; state Labor Councils are reorganised as branches of the ACTU.
\i\B9\b Duke of York opens Parliament House in \JCanberra\j, which becomes the official seat of government of the Commonwealth of Australia.
\i\B20\b E. J. Hogan replaces John Allan as Premier of Vic.
\i\B26\b NSW Premier J. T. Lang resigns in order to secure an early dissolution of parliament; recommissioned, he selects a new ministry without the assistance of caucus.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney, dedicated by Premier Lang. (Statues added in \J1929\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B27\b ACT Police Force established.
\i\B28\b Commonwealth parliament begins sitting in \JCanberra\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Labor loses its slim majority in the NSW election; T. R. Bavin replaces Lang as Premier (18th), leading a coalition government.
\i\B27\b Melbourne criminals Squizzy Taylor and Snowy Cutmore die in a gun duel in Carlton.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Ferry \IGreycliffe\b\i sinks with the loss of more than 40 lives after being cut in two by the liner \ITahiti\b\i in Sydney Harbour.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Financial agreement entered into by Commonwealth and states: Commonwealth to take over all state debts and make an annual contribution toward interest and sinking-fund payments; Loan Council to be put on a statutory and constitutional (instead of voluntary) basis.
-\b\i Bruce-Page government amends the Commonwealth Arbitration Act to provide severe penalties for union leaders involved in strikes. (Amending act comes into force in \J1928\j.)
*\b\i John Anderson becomes Challis Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney.
*\b\i Burrinjuck Dam completed.
*\b\i Severe drought throughout mainland Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
P. B. Hudson and J. H. Wardrop, Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance (-\J1934\j).
Civic Centre in \JCanberra\j opened by Prime Minister S. M. Bruce.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
W. B. Spencer and F. J. Gillen publish their study of the Aborigines in the\b\i MacDonnell Ranges area, \IThe Arunta.\i
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
George W. Lambert, \IMrs Murdoch,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
\JTom Roberts\j finishes his painting \IBailed Up\b\i (begun \J1895\j).
Margaret Preston draws attention to Aboriginal art in an article in \IArt in Australia\b\i (Mar.).
May Brahe publishes her song 'Bless This House'.
Jascha Heifetz and Ignace Paderewski make return visits to Australia.
Empire Theatre opens in Sydney (27 Feb.).
Norman Dawn, \IFor the Term of His Natural Life\b\i (film).
Tal Ordell, \IThe Kid Stakes\b\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
R. D. FitzGerald, \IThe Greater Apollo: Seven Metaphysical Songs.\i
Ion L. Idriess, \IMadman's Island.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First greyhound track meeting in Australia held at Epping Racecourse (now Harold Park) in Forest Lodge, Sydney (28 May).
W. H. Ponsford scores 437 runs for Vic. against Qld in Melbourne (Dec.).
Trivalve wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,251,016.
Child-endowment scheme introduced in NSW.
584,738 koalas and 1,014,632 possums slain in Queensland in one month (Aug.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 23 Fred Williams b. (-\J1982\j).
Jun 6 Alan Seymour b.
Jun 13 David Kirkpatrick (\JSlim Dusty\j) b.
Aug 21 Livingston Hopkins ('Hop') d. (81).
Aug 24 David Ireland b.
Dec 7 Albert Griffiths ('Young Griffo') d. (58).
\BDescription:\b Anzac tradition - Australian Victorian Cross winners who took part in the \J1927\j Anzac Day march - Melbourne \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1928",144,"f\1\king0057.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B10\b J. R. Moncrieff and G. Hood leave Sydney in an attempt to make the first flight from Australia to New Zealand and are not seen again.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B22\b \JBert Hinkler\j lands at Darwin in his Avro Avian after a record-breaking (15╜ days) solo flight from London (first solo flight from the UK to Australia).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Australian Inland Mission's Flying Doctor Service begins operating from Cloncurry, Qld.
\i\B31\b Charles \JKingsford Smith\j and C. T. P. Ulm, with Americans Harry Lyon and James Warner, leave Oakland, California, in the \ISouthern Cross\b\i to make the first flight across the Pacific (arrive Brisbane 9 June).
-\b\i Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate first produced at Claremont, Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Commonwealth Savings Bank of Australia established as a separate entity.
\i\B15\b J. C. McPhee replaces J. A. Lyons as Premier of Tas. following Labor's defeat at the polls on 30 May. (Lyons resigns from state parliament.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B25\b Francis Birtles arrives in Melbourne after driving a 14 h.p. Bean motor car from London (only failing by a small section in Burma to complete the overland link).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B8\b \JKingsford Smith\j, Ulm, H. A. Litchfield and T. H. McWilliams fly from Point Cook, Vic., to Perth in the \ISouthern Cross\b\i on the first non-stop trans-Australian flight.
\i\B29\b Australian Iron and Steel Ltd's blast furnace at Port Kembla, NSW, begins production.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Liquor referendum in NSW and the ACT results in a vote against prohibition.
\i\B10\b \JKingsford Smith\j, Ulm, Litchfield, and McWilliams fly from Sydney to Christchurch in the \ISouthern Cross,\b\i making the first flight across the Tasman (arrive 11th).
\i\B12\b Waterside workers repudiate a new award handed down by Justice Beeby of\b\i the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, beginning months of industrial trouble on the waterfront, mainly in Melbourne.
\i\B25\b British Economic Mission arrives in Australia to report on the Australian economy for the British government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Union demonstrators are fired on as they attack volunteer labourers on Melbourne wharves; one wharf labourer killed and four wounded.
\i\B16\b Hubert Wilkins makes the first Antarctic flight, from Deception Island in the South Shetlands.
\i\B17\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Bruce-Page government returned with a reduced majority; new members include \JJohn Curtin\j and J. B. Chifley.
Referendum to endorse the Financial Agreement between the Commonwealth and states and to set up a permanent Loan Council carried.
\i\B22\b Sir William McPherson forms a Nationalist ministry in Vic. following the defeat of the Hogan government over its handling of the waterfront dispute.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Australian National Airways Ltd formed in Sydney by \JKingsford Smith\j and Ulm. (Goes into liquidation in June \J1931\j.)
*\b\i Commonwealth Government Line disbanded and most of the ships sold to British interests.
*\b\i Voting made compulsory in NSW and Tas.
*\b\i Speedo swimsuits first produced.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Adelaide railway station.
Double-deck (road and rail) steel bascule bridge over the Clarence River at\b\i Grafton, NSW (-\J1932\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
First traffic lights in Australia installed in Melbourne, at the corner of Collins and Swanston streets.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Longstaff, \IDr Alexander Leeper,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Arthur Streeton, \IAfternoon Light,\b \IGoulburn Valley\b\i (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Melba makes her last appearance in opera in Australia at a matinee in Melbourne (27 Sept.) and her final Australian appearance at a concert in Geelong, Vic., in November.
Comedy Theatre opens in Melbourne (28 Apr.).
Two Sydney cinemasùthe Regent and the Lyceumùbegin showing talking films (Dec.).
Royal commission into the film industry calls for a Censorship Board and a quota for Empire films.
\BD Books and Writing\b
'\b\i Brent of Bin Bin' (\JMiles Franklin\j), \IUp the Country.\i
Martin Mills (Martin Boyd), \IThe Montforts.\i
Fellowship of Australian Writers formed by Mary Gilmore and John Le Gay Brereton.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
H. R. (Bobby) Pearce wins the single sculls at the Amsterdam Olympics.
Hubert Opperman wins the French Bol d'Or 24-hour cycle event, covering a record 909 km, and cycles on to break the 1,000 km record.
Australian Grand Prix motor race first held (31 Mar.), on Phillip Island, Vic.
Statesman wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,355,770.
Liquor first sold in the ACT (22 Dec.); territory previously 'dry'.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 John Olsen b.
May 30 \JPro Hart\j b.
Jul 22 George Dreyfus b.
Aug 8 Don Burrows b.
Aug 12 Charles Blackman b.
Oct 8 Leonard French b.
Oct 22 \JAndrew Fisher\j d. (66).
\BDescription:\b \JKingsford Smith\j, Ulm, McWilliams and Litchfield complete their first crossing of Tasmania \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1929",145,"f\10\40smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Bunnerong Power Station begins operating in Sydney.
- Riots in Adelaide over loading of ships by non-union labour.
- British Economic Mission recommends a policy of deflation by reducing government developmental work.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Timber workers go on strike (to Oct.) over a new award increasing their working hours from 44 to 48.
\i\B5\b Miners' Federation rejects a government proposal for a cut in wages as part of a plan to reduce coal prices.
\i\B15\b Mine owners in northern NSW announce their intention to reduce wages by 12╜%; miners refuse to accept this and are locked out (1 Mar.ùto 3 June \J1930\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B31\b Charles \JKingsford Smith\j, C. T. P. Ulm, H. A. Litchfield, and T. H. McWilliams leave Sydney in the \ISouthern Cross\b\i to fly to England but are forced down 400 km from Wyndham, WA. (Found 16 Apr.)
- \IAustralian Quarterly\b\i begins publication.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Dam on the Cascade River, Tas., bursts after heavy rain, flooding Derby town and tin mines and causing the deaths of 14 people.
\i\B27\b \IKookaburra,\b\i an aircraft that had gone searching for the \ISouthern Cross,\b\i is found with its crew, Keith Anderson and H. S. Hitchcock, dead from thirst.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b McCormack government defeated in the Qld election; A. E. Moore becomes Premier (21 May); Irene Longman, the first woman elected to the Qld parliament, wins the seat of Bulimba.
Tom Ugly's Bridge, across the Georges River south of Sydney, opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Fremantle proclaimed a city.
\i\B25\b \JKingsford Smith\j, Ulm, Litchfield, and McWilliams set out again for England in the \ISouthern Cross.\b\i (Reach London on 10 July in the record time of 12 days 18 hours.)
- Mount Morgan Ltd formed to work the derelict mine by open-cut methods.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Railway line from \JAlice Springs\j to Adelaide completed.
\i\B22\b Prime Minister Bruce introduces the Maritime Industries Bill with the object of repealing the Commonwealth Arbitration Act and passing arbitration over to the states.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B10\b W. M. Hughes, expelled from the Nationalist Party for voting with Labor in a no-confidence motion, successfully moves an amendment to the Maritime Industries Bill that the bill should be submitted to a referendum, thereby bringing about the defeat of the government.
\i\B29\b \ISunday Guardian\b\i first published in Sydney (to \J1931\j).
- Railway from Darwin reaches Birdum. (Service runs to \J1976\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B12\b Election for House of Representatives; Labor has a sweeping victory; new members include J. A. Lyons; Bruce loses his seat; J. H. Scullin becomes Prime Minister (on 22nd).
\i\B21\b Dixson wing of the State Library of NSW opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Compulsory military training replaced by a voluntary system.
\i\B24\b \JWar Memorial\j in King's Park, Perth, unveiled.
\i\B28\b Export of merino rams banned.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b E. J. Hogan becomes Premier of Vic. for the second time.
\i\B14\b Electric trams (and buses) replace trains between Adelaide city and Glenelg.
\i\B16\b Miners demonstrating at Rothbury colliery, NSW, against the use of non-union labour to open the mines clash with police; one miner killed and at least nine wounded by police bullets.
\i\B17\b Scullin government takes Australia off the gold standard.
*\b\i Tas. Hydro-Electric Commission established.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Henry White, State Theatre building, Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Jervois Skull found in Central Australia.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Longstaff, \IW.\b \IA.\b \IHolman,\b \IKC,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Sir Bertram Mackennal's bronze statues on Sydney's Martin Place Cenotaph unveiled (21 Feb.).
Australian-born pianist and composer Arthur Benjamin returns for a concert tour.
Anna Pavlova makes her second tour of Australia.
Fox Movietone News records the first talking film in Australia, an interview (8 Aug.).
Sydney's Empire Theatre converts to a cinema.
State Theatre (cinema) opens in Sydney (7 June).
State and Regent Theatres (cinemas) open in Melbourne (23 Feb., 15 Mar.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
M. Barnard Eldershaw, \IA House Is Built.\i
Robert D. FitzGerald, \ITo Meet the Sun.\i
Katharine Susannah Prichard, \ICoonardoo.\i
Henry Handel Richardson, \IUltima Thule\b\i (vol. 3 of \IThe Fortunes of Richard Mahony\b\i).
David Unaipon, \INative Legends.\i
Arthur W. Upfield, \IThe Barrackee Mystery\b\i (introduces Inspector Napoleon\b\i Bonaparte).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Jockey W. Thomas rides the winner of all seven races at a meeting in Townsville, Qld, on 29 July.
Nightmarch wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,436,213.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú4 10s 6d.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 13 Henry Bournes Higgins d. (77).
Apr 29 Peter Sculthorpe b.
Jun 10 Ian Sinclair b.
Jul 14 Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer d. (69).
Oct 17 Ada Crossley d. (55).
Dec 9 R. J. L. (Bob) Hawke b.
Dec 31 J. D. Anthony b.
\BDescription:\b Roads at North Sydney prior to the Harbour Bridge \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1930",146,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian National Airways begins a Sydney-Brisbane air service (Sydney-Melbourne service begins 1 June).
\i\B5\b Sir Douglas Mawson, in a plane from the British-Australian-New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition, discovers MacRobertson Land.
\i\B31\b Francis Chichester arrives in Sydney in his Gypsy Moth plane after a solo flight from London.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) established in Melbourne.
\i\B12\b Spencer Street Bridge, Melbourne, opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B31\b Lectures begin at \JCanberra\j University College.
-\b\i Prime Minister \JJames Scullin\j asks the Bank of England to fund Australia's interest payments due to the UK; the bank offers to send out a representative to investigate Australia's economic problems.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Sir \JIsaac Isaacs\j succeeds Sir Adrian Knox as Chief Justice of the High Court.
\i\B5\b Labor wins office in SA; L. L. Hill becomes Premier for the second time (17th).
\i\B8\b Brisbane City Hall officially opened.
\i\B24\b Sir James Mitchell forms a coalition ministry in WA.
\i\B30\b Radio telephone service between Australia and the UK inaugurated.
- Mass meeting of unemployed in Melbourne establishes the Anti-Starvation Crusade.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia, arrives at Darwin.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B24\b \JKingsford Smith\j flies from Ireland to New York (arr. 26th) and thence to Oakland, California (arr. 4 July), thereby completing his circumnavigation of the world in the \ISouthern Cross.
\i\B26\b Royal Australian Naval College transfers from Jervis Bay, NSW, to Flinders Naval Depot at Westernport, Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b Royal commission into the sale of Mungana Mines to the Qld government finds former Premiers E. G. Theodore and William McCormack guilty of fraud and dishonesty.
\i\B5\b Theodore resigns as federal Treasurer and (9th) Scullin takes over.
\i\B21\b L. H. B. Lasseter leaves \JAlice Springs\j with an expedition to a rich gold reef he claims to have found years before. (Dissension occurs, and Lasseter goes on alone into the Petermann Range and does not return; his remains and diaries are found in May \J1931\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B18\b Sales tax imposed for the first time by the federal government.
\i\B21\b Sir Otto Niemeyer, the Bank of England's representative, addresses the Premiers' Conference and advises a heavy deflationary program. Commonwealth and state governments agree to balance their budgets, raise no more overseas loans, and undertake only productive works.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B25\b Election in NSW; Bavin government defeated; J. T. Lang again becomes Premier (4 Nov.).
-\b\i Douglas Social Credit Association founded in Perth. (Established in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in Dec.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B29\b Scullin, in London for the Imperial Conference, obtains King George V's reluctant agreement to the appointment of Sir \JIsaac Isaacs\j as Governor-General.
-\b\i Apex Club founded in Geelong.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B18\b Perth connected by telephone to Adelaide (and thus to the rest of Australia).
\i\B19\b H. V. Evatt and E. A. McTiernan (on 20th) appointed to the High Court.
- NSW government legislates to introduce a state lottery to finance public hospitals.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Queensland National Anzac Memorial, Brisbane (dedicated 11 Nov.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australorp declared an Australian breed of poultry.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. B. McInnes, \IDrum Major Harry McClelland,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Doris Fitton founds the Independent Theatre in Sydney (30 May). (Opens the North Sydney theatre on 3 Sept. \J1939\j.)
Sydney's Palace Theatre becomes a mini-golf course.
F. W. Thring forms Efftee Film Productions in Melbourne.
\BD Books and Writing\b
'Brent of Bin Bin' (\JMiles Franklin\j), \ITen Creeks Run.\i
W. K. Hancock, \IAustralia.\i
\JNorman Lindsay\j, \IRedheap\b\i (banned in Australia until \J1959\j).
L. W. Lower, \IHere's Luck.\i
Frederic Manning, \IHer Privates We.\i
Vance Palmer, \IThe Passage.\i
F. J. Thwaites, \IThe Broken Melody.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JDon Bradman\j scores a record 452 not out for NSW against Queensland (6 Jan.) and 334 in a test match against England at Leeds.
Bobby Pearce wins the single sculls, and Noel Ryan wins the 440 and 1,500 yards freestyle swimming events at the first Empire Games, held at Hamilton, Canada.
First visit to Australia by a West Indian cricket team.
Phar Lap wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,500,751.
State governments pay a 'dole' to the deserving poor and issue sustenance rations free of charge.
Unemployed camp in tents and bag humpies in Sydney Domain.
First milk bar in Australia opens in Sydney.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 11 Geoffrey Blainey b.
Mar 30 \JRolf Harris\j b.
May 21 \JMalcolm Fraser\j b.
May 28 George W. Lambert d. (56).
Sep 29 Richard Bonynge b.
Oct 6 \JRichie Benaud\j b.
#
"1931",147,"0","Different aspects of Australian life 1930s","mfilm1ii.avi"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B22\b Sir \JIsaac Isaacs,\j the first Australian-born Governor-General, sworn in; Sir Frank Gavan Duffy succeeds him as Chief Justice.
\i\B28\b All for Australia League launched at a meeting in Sydney.
\i\B29\b E. G. Theodore reinstated as Federal Treasurer.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b All wages controlled by the Commonwealth Arbitration Court reduced by 10%.
Cyclones (to 8th) cause flooding from Innisfail to Brisbane, where more than a thousand houses are inundated and two men drown.
\i\B4\b J. A. Lyons and J. E. Fenton resign from cabinet in protest against the reinstatement of Theodore.
\i\B6\b Premiers' Conference (to 26th); Treasurer Theodore and NSW Premier J. T. Lang put forward differing financial plans.
\i\B7\b Royal Military College moved from Duntroon to Victoria Barracks in Sydney as an economy measure. (Returns to Duntroon Feb. \J1937.)\j
\i\B16\b \IDaily Guardian\b\i (Sydney) incorporated into the \IDaily Telegraph.\i
Eric Campbell forms the New Guard in Sydney.
\i\B18\b Sir Douglas Mawson takes possession of MacRobertson Land, Antarctica.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Prime Minister \JJames Scullin\j re-forms his cabinet, dropping J. A. Beasley and other NSW members, who withdraw from caucus (12th) to form the 'Lang Labour' group.
\i\B5\b Adelaide Bridge (across the Torrens at King William Road) opened.
\i\B13\b Lyons, Fenton, and three other Labor members vote against the government in a no-confidence motion, thereby placing themselves outside the party.
\i\B17\b Theodore introduces a measure to create 'fiduciary notes' to the extent of ú18 million. (Senate blocks the legislation.)
ANA airliner \ISouthern Cloud\b\i disappears on a flight between Sydney and Melbourne. (Wreckage found in the Snowy Mountains in \J1958.)\j
\i\B26\b Lang informs Scullin that NSW will not meet payment of interest to overseas bondholders on 1 Apr.
\i\B28\b Special federal conference of the ALP expels the Lang Labour group and the NSW branch executive.
- Holden's Motor Body Builders merges with the US firm General Motors to form General Motors-Holden's Ltd.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Burns Philp ship \IMalabar\b\i wrecked at Long Bay, Sydney.
\i\B23\b Government Savings Bank of NSW ceases operations following heavy withdrawals by depositors fearing reduction of interest or repudiation. (Absorbed by the Commonwealth Savings Bank in Dec.)
First experimental Australia-England airmail leaves Melbourne.
- Federal government begins legal action in the High Court to recover money due from NSW for interest payments paid by the Loan Council on NSW's behalf.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Nationalist Party merges with the Lyons group to form the United Australia Party; Lyons becomes opposition leader (7th).
\i\B25\b Premiers' Conference (to 10 June) adopts a plan involving increased taxation and cuts in wages, pensions, and interest rates.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B19\b Pitched battle between police and anti-evictionists in Newtown, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B22\b Queensland government brings Theodore and three others to trial over the Mungana Mines affair. (Jury rules in favour of defendants, 25 Aug.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B20\b First NSW State Lottery drawn.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B25\b Scullin government defeated on a motion by the Lang Labour group; parliament dissolved (27th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Exchange rate of the Australian pound is fixed at úA125 = ústg100.
\i\B11\b Statute of Westminister gives effect to resolutions passed at Imperial Conferences of \J1926\j and \J1930\j; the UK parliament would not enact legislation for the dominions without their request or consent.
\i\B19\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; UAP wins an absolute majority in both houses; Theodore loses his seat; S. M. Bruce is re-elected; Lyons becomes Prime Minister (6 Jan. \J1932.)\j
ò\b\i Coinage of sovereigns ceases.
ò\b\i Brisbane airport moved from Eagle Farm to Archerfield.
ò Flooding occurs in all states during the year.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
National \JWar Memorial,\j Adelaide (sculptures by Rayner Hoff), unveiled (25 Apr.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Arthur Carrington Smith develops a system of recording sound on film subsequently used by Cinesound Productions.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sir John Longstaff, \ISir John Sulman,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Hans Heysen, \IRed Gums of the Far North\b\i (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
George Lambert's memorial sculpture of \JHenry Lawson\j unveiled in the Sydney Domain (28 July).
Mischa Burlakov (from the Pavlova company) and Louise Lightfoot form the First Australian Ballet in Sydney.
F. W. Thring's \IDiggers\b\i (Australia's first commercially successful talking film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
'Brent of Bin Bin' \J(Miles Franklin)\j, \IBack to Bool Bool.\i
Neville W. Cayley, \IWhat Bird Is That?\i
Frank Dalby Davison, \IMan-Shy.\i
Ion L. Idriess, \ILasseter's Last Ride.\i
Arthur W. Upfield, \IThe Sands of Windee.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JHubert Opperman\j wins the Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race.
Jimmy Carlton equals the world record of 9.4 sec. for the 100 yards sprint. (Record disallowed because only two timekeepers present.)
White Nose wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,552,606.
Commonwealth Financial Emergency Act reduces the maternity allowance and invalid and old-age pensions.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 Malcolm Williamson b.
Feb 23 \JDame Nellie Melba\j d. (69).
Feb 24 Barry Oakley b.
Mar 11 \JRupert Murdoch\j b.
Apr 26 John Cain b.
Jun 20 Nellie Stewart d. (72).
Sep 14 \JTom Roberts\j d. (75).
Oct 8 \JSir John Monash\j d. (66).
Oct 10 Sir Bertram Mackennal d. (68).
\BViddescription:\b Different aspects of Australian life (Film World)
#
"1932",148,"0","Don Bradman","film13i.avi"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B29\b Premier J. T. Lang says NSW will again default if the Loan Council fails to approve his application to the Commonwealth Bank for money to meet interest debts.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Severe bushfires in Vic., especially in Gippsland; nine lives lost.
\i\B28\b Central-to-Wynyard section of Sydney's underground railway opened.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B12\b Commonwealth passes legislation to take over the liability for the debts of the states and to recoup itself by appropriating state funds. Lang withdraws ú1,150,000 in notes from banks and holds them in the Treasury.
\B19\b Sydney Harbour Bridge officially opened by Lang (but New Guard member F. E. \JDe Groot\j cuts the ribbon before him).
\B30\b William Jolly Bridge, Brisbane, opened.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B5\b Phar Lap dies in California.
\B6\b High Court upholds the validity of the Commonwealth legislation (challenged by Lang) to recover money not paid by NSW.
\B12\b Lang directs NSW government departments to pay revenue directly to the Treasury in cash.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b Commonwealth issues a proclamation requiring state officials to pay specific revenues into the Commonwealth Bank by 11 May.
\B8\b Bridge over the Clarence River at Grafton completed, allowing unbroken passage of trains between Sydney and Brisbane on standard-gauge line.
\B10\b Lang issues confidential circular instructing government departments not to pay money to the Commonwealth.
\B13\b NSW Governor Sir Philip Game dismisses Lang from office and asks B. S. B. Stevens, leader of the newly formed UAP, to form a provisional government.
\B19\b Sir Stanley Argyle becomes Premier of Vic., leading to a coalition ministry.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Liberal and Country League formed in SA.
\B11\b Labor defeated overwhelmingly at NSW election (UAP 41 seats, CP 25, Lab. 25); Stevens continues as Premier.
Labor government elected in Queensland; William Forgan Smith becomes Premier (on 17th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Broadcasting Commission established (takes over all "A" class stations).
\B10\b SS \ICasino\i founders in Apollo Bay, Vic., with the loss of ten lives.
\B26\b NSW basic wage reduced from ú4 2s 6d to ú3 10s.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
- S. M. Bruce becomes Resident Commissioner in London. (Resigns from parliament to become High Commissioner on 7 Oct. \J1933.)\j
- Ivan and Victor Holyman begin an air service between \JLaunceston\j and Flinders Island (later extended to Melbourne).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B23\b "Dog on the Tuckerbox" pioneer memorial unveiled by Prime Minister J. A. Lyons.
- E. G. Theodore and Frank Packer form Sydney Newspapers Ltd (to take over the Sydney evening daily the \IWorld).\i
\B29\b Ottawa Agreement ratified by parliament. (Assented to, 2 Dec.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
C. Bruce Dellit, Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney, with sculptural decorations by Rayner Hoff (-\J1934).\j
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell,\j \IBoy at the Basin\i (painting).
Ernest Buckmaster, \ISir William Irvine,\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Paul Montford's statue of Adam Lindsay Gordon erected in Spring Street, Melbourne.
Mike Connors and Queenie Paul reopen Sydney's Grand Opera House, renaming it the New Tivoli.
New Theatre founded in Sydney.
Ken G. Hall remakes \IOn Our Selection\i as a talking film, with Bert Bailey.
Cinesound Productions Ltd formed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ion L. Idriess, \IFlynn of the Inland.\i
Leonard Mann, \IFlesh in the Armour.\i
Kenneth Slessor, \ICuckooz Contrey.\i
Helen Simpson, \IBoomerang.\i
Endeavour Press founded, with P. R. Stephenson as manager.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JWalter Lindrum\j makes a world-record billiards break of 4,137 in his match against Joe Davis (19-20 Jan.).
At the Los Angeles Olympics, Clare Dennis wins the 200 m breaststroke (world record), Bobby Pearce the single sculls (for the second time), and E. L. (Duncan) Gray the 1,000 m cycling time trial.
Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup.
Stan McCabe scores 187 not out in the first test of the "bodyline" series.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,603,785
Commonwealth basic wage: ú3 3s 11d.
Over 30% of the Australian workforce unemployed.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 1 \JGeorge Chaffey\j d. (84)
Apr 27 Sir Adrian Knox d. (68)
Jun 17 Sir John Quick d. (80)
Aug 24 Richard Meale b.
Oct 5 Christopher Brennan d. (61)
\BViddescription:\b Bradman talking about cricket - 1932 (Film World)
#
"1933",149,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b \JBert Hinkler\j dies in a plane crash in Italy on a flight from England to Australia.
\i\B18\b Australian Cricket Board of Control cables the MCC protesting against 'unsportsmanlike' bodyline bowling 'likely to upset friendly relations existing between Australia and England'.
\i\B23\b MCC replies deploring the Australian cable and expressing full confidence in the English team and captain Douglas Jardine.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b Britain's Antarctic claims between 45░\b\i and 160░\b\i east longitude ceded to Australia. (Formally becomes Australian Antarctic Territory in \J1936\j.)
\i\B13\b R. S. Richards replaces Lionel Hill as Premier of SA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B14\b SS \IKinsen Maru\b\i founders in a cyclone off Sandy Cape, Qld; 25 lives lost; 13 saved from a raft.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Elections held in SA and WA; Liberal and Country League wins office in SA, R. L. Butler becoming Premier for the second time (18th); Labor wins in WA, Phillip Collier again becoming Premier (24th).
In a compulsory referendum, WA votes heavily in favour of seceding from the Commonwealth. (House of Commons rejects a submission, and the issue eventually lapses.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B13\b Referendum carried in NSW for reform of the Legislative Councilùto be reduced to 60 members, chosen by joint sittings of both houses, 15 retiring every three years. (Takes effect on 23 Apr. \J1934\j.)
\i\B30\b Commonwealth Grants Commission established to deal with applications from the less populous states for special grants of funds.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b E. G. Theodore and Frank Packer (Sydney Newspapers Ltd), having agreed not to publish a Sydney evening daily, launch the \IAustralian Women's Weekly.
\i\B24\b Collier \IChristina Fraser\b\i disappears off Gabo Is; all 17 hands lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Rural Bank of NSW (now State Bank) begins operations in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B22\b Legislation introduced to extend the life of the SA parliament to five years.\b\i (Three-year term restored in \J1939\j.)
\i\B28\b Brisbane \ICourier-Mail\b\i first issued (formed by the amalgamation of the \IBrisbane Courier\b\i and the \IDaily Mail\b\i).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b Trade pact signed between Australia and NZ under Ottawa Agreement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B13\b First traffic lights installed in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Lady Millie Peacock becomes the first woman elected to the Vic. parliament on winning her late husband's seat in the Legislative Assembly.
*\b\i Sister \JElizabeth Kenny\j opens her first infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis) clinic, in Townsville, Qld.
***
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Francois Sicard's Archibald Memorial fountain in Sydney's Hyde Park handed over to the citizens of Sydney (14 Mar.).
Charles Wheeler, \IAmbrose Pratt,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Alex Gurney's comic strip 'Ben Bowyang' begins in the Melbourne \IHerald\b\i (7 Oct.).
F. W. Thring presents Varney Monk's \ICollits' Inn\b\i (musical) at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.
First City of Sydney Eisteddfod held (19 Aug.).
Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney and the Theatre Royal in Melbourne close and are demolished.
Films: Charles Chauvel's \IIn the Wake of the Bounty,\b\i with Errol Flynn;\b\i Ken G. Hall's \IThe Squatter's Daughter.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
Frank Clune, \ITry Anything Once.\i
Frank Dalby Davison, \IThe Wells of Beersheba.\i
A. B. Paterson, \IThe Animals Noah Forgot.\b\i
Dorothy Wall, \IBlinky Bill.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Bodyline controversy comes to a head in the third test in Adelaide (Jan.); MCC team wins the series.
Jack Crawford beats American Ellsworth Vines to win the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Bobby Pearce turns professional and wins the world sculling championship.
Hall Mark wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia 6,656,695 (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 6,629,839).
Aboriginal population at its lowestùan estimated 67,000.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 23 W. G. (Bill) Hayden b.
Apr 15 A. G. Stephens d. (67).
#
"1934",150,"e\10\king0099.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B18\b Qantas Empire Airways (QEA) formed in association with Imperial Airways of Britain to operate the Singapore-Brisbane section of the England-Australia air trunk route.
\i\B29\b Mob violence breaks out in \JKalgoorlie\j and Boulder, WA (to 30th) against Italian and Yugoslav communities after the death of a man in a fight with an Italian barman; two killed and many buildings looted and burnt.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b Cyclone sweeps north Qld from Thursday Is. to Townsville (to 13th), causing the sinking of several pearling luggers and the loss of 75 lives.
\i\B15\b Sir Walter Lee becomes Premier of Tas. for the third time following the retirement of John McPhee.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b \JCharles Ulm\j in the aircraft \IFaith in Australia\b\i carries the first airmail from Australia to NZ.
\i\B17\b Commonwealth Arbitration Court rescinds the 10% wage cut of \J1931\j but abolishes the 'Powers three shillings' and adopts the 'C' series index to set a new 'needs' basic wage.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B9\b Labor wins Tas. election; A. G. Ogilvie becomes Premier (on 22nd).
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Towns on Gulf St Vincent, SA, flooded (to 14th) by a combination of heavy rains, gales, and high tides; 2 drown.
\i\B24\b Mildura, Vic., proclaimed a city.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Body of the 'pyjama girl' found in a culvert near Albury, NSW.
\i\B15\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Lyons government retains office but loses its absolute majority (32 UAP, 15 CP, 8 ALP, 9 Lang Labour); new members include R. G. Menzies and \JJohn McEwen\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B4\b Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, arrives at Fremantle to begin a tour of all states (to 11 Dec.).
\i\B18\b Duke of Gloucester opens Victoria's centenary celebrations in Melbourne.
\i\B19\b Holyman's Airways DH86 \IMiss Hobart\b\i disappears over Bass Strait; 12 killed, including proprietor Victor Holyman.
\i\B21\b Charles \JKingsford Smith\j and P. G. Taylor leave Brisbane in the \ILady Southern Cross\b\i on the first west-east crossing of the Pacific (arr. Oakland, Cal., 4 Nov.).
\i\B23\b C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black win the Centenary Air Race from England to Melbourne in 2 days 23 hours.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B9\b J. A. Lyons and \JEarle Page\j form a joint UAP-CP federal cabinet.
\i\B11\b Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance dedicated by the Duke of Gloucester.
\i\B12\b Czech journalist Egon Kisch jumps off the \IStrathaird\b\i in Melbourne after being refused admission. (Taken back on board with broken leg.)
\i\B16\b Kisch is given a dictation test in Gaelic and gaoled as a prohibited immigrant. (Conviction quashed on ground that Gaelic is not a European language; Kisch stays in Australia until Mar. \J1935\j.)
\i\B24\b Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney, unveiled by Duke of Gloucester.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Record floods in the Yarra, eastern Port Phillip streams, and central and south Gippsland; 35 lives lost.
\i\B2\b SS \ICoramba\b\i wrecked on Seal Rocks, NSW; all 17 hands lost.
\i\B4\b Aircraft \IStella Australis\b\i lost off Hawaii on a flight from USA to Australia; \JCharles Ulm\j one of three crew killed.
\i\B10\b Inaugural flight of QEA-Imperial Airways airmail service between Australia and England leaves Brisbane.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JCaptain Cook\j's cottage in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens formally handed over to Vic. by philanthropist Russell Grimwade (Oct.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Long-range weather forecaster Inigo Jones builds an observatory at Crohamhurst, Qld.
Ford and GM-H independently produce the coupΘ utility.
T. M. B. Elliott and Val McDowall transmit Australia's first successful experimental television transmissions from the Old Windmill to Redhill in Brisbane.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Albert Namatjira comes under the influence of artist Rex Battarbee.
Henry Hanke, \ISelf Portrait,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Edgar Bainton succeeds Arundel Orchard as director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music.
Olga Spessiva tours Australia with the DandrΘ-Levitoff Russian Ballet.
Melbourne's new His Majesty's Theatre opens (28 July).
Ken G. Hall, \IStrike Me Lucky\b\i (film), with Roy Rene ('Mo').
\BD Books and Writing\b
Mary Gilmore, \IOld Days Old Ways.\i
William Moore, \IThe Story of Australian Art.\i
A. B. Paterson, \IHappy Dispatches.\i
Brian Penton, \ILandtakers.\i
\JChristina Stead\j, \IThe Salzburg Tales\b\i and \ISeven Poor Men of Sydney.\i
P. L. Travers, \IMary Poppins.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
English women's cricket team captained by Betty Archdale visits Australia for a series of matches in which it is unbeaten.
Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup for the second time.
Hollow plywood surfboards begin to displace solid wooden boards.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,707,247.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 22 Arthur W. Jose d. (70).
Feb 15 \JGraham Kennedy\j b.
Feb 17 \JBarry Humphries\j b.
Jun 5 W. A. Holman d. (62).
Aug 28 Sir T. W. Edgeworth David d. (76).
Sep 5 Sidney Myer d. (55).
Nov 2 \JKen Rosewall\j b.
Nov 23 \JLew Hoad\j b. (-\J1994\j).
Dec 4 C. T. P. Ulm d. (36).
\BDescription:\b Robert Gordon Menzies \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1935",151,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B14\b Tasmania legislates for triennial parliaments.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B26\b QEA begins its first scheduled flight to an overseas airport (Darwin hitherto being its terminus), carrying mail to Singapore to be taken on to London by Imperial Airways.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B25\b Severe cyclone on the north-west coast of WA (to 27th); 20 pearling luggers sink and 140 lives lost.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b A. A. Dunstan forms Vic.'s first Country Party government, with Labor support.
\i\B25\b A recently captured shark on exhibition at Coogee Aquarium in Sydney disgorges the arm of a man identified by tattoos as missing ex-boxer James Smith. (A criminal associate suspected of murdering Smith implicates Smith's former employer, Reginald Holmes. Holmes is shot dead the day before Smith's inquest. Neither murder is ever solved.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b On an airmail flight to NZ, \ISouthern Cross,\b\i piloted by \JKingsford Smith\j, develops engine trouble, and P. G. Taylor climbs out under the wing to transfer oil from one engine to the other, for which he is awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal (later the George Cross).
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Associated Press (AAP) established by newspaper proprietors as a co-operative body to collect world news.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B25\b Goldsbrough Mort's nine-storey wool store in Pyrmont, Sydney, burnt out with the loss of 30,000 bales of wool.
- Nepean Dam, NSW, completed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b J. H. Scullin resigns as federal Labor leader and is succeeded by \JJohn Curtin\j.
\i\B2\b Holyman's Airways' DH86 \ILoina\b\i crashes into the sea off Flinders Is., Bass Strait; five killed.
\i\B4\b Hornibrook Highway, between Sandgate and Redcliffe, Qld, opened.
\i\B11\b Sir John Latham succeeds Sir Frank Gavan Duffy as Chief Justice of the High Court.
- BHP and Australian Iron and Steel merge to become an industrial monopoly.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Charles Moses becomes general manager of the ABC (to \J1965\j).
\i\B8\b Sir Charles \JKingsford Smith\j, on a flight from England to Australia in the \ILady Southern Cross,\b\i disappears in the Bay of Bengal.
\i\B15\b Australia imposes trade sanctions against Italy in response to Italy's invasion of
Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
* Australian Consolidated Press Ltd formed by the merger of Associated Newspapers and Sydney Newspapers (bringing together the \IDaily Telegraph\b\i and the \IAustralian Women's Weekly\b\i ).
* Grafton Jacaranda Festival first held.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Story Bridge, Brisbane (-\J1940\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
E. H. Derrick investigates a febrile illness which he names Q fever, its pathogen being subsequently identified by \JMacfarlane Burnet\j.
Herbert Sachse of the Esplanade Hotel in Perth creates the pavlova.
R. G. Whitehead develops Tarzan's Grip glue.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sir John Longstaff, \IA. B. ('Banjo') Paterson,\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Gertrude Johnson begins the National Theatre Movement, directed principally towards opera performance.
Sydney's Criterion Theatre closes and is demolished, half the site surrendered to widen Park Street, half becoming the Criterion Hotel.
Luna Park opens in Sydney (4 Oct.).
Charles Chauvel, \IHeritage\b\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Kylie Tennant, \ITiburon\b\i (winner of the S. H. Prior Memorial Prize).
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Ploughman and Other Poems.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
J. P. Metcalfe sets the world triple-jump record.
Marabou wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,755,662.
Swimming costumes for both men and women in NSW required by regulation to have legs at least 76 mm long and cover the front of the body to the armpits and the back to the waist.
Giant cane toad introduced into north Qld to control a sugar-cane pest (the grey-backed beetle).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 19 \JJohnny O'Keefe\j b. (-\J1978\j).
Apr 11 Rosa Campbell Praed d. (84).
May 13 Nigel Butterley b.
Sep 2 Sir Sidney Kidman d. (78).
Sep 26 Louis Stone d. (63).
Oct 7 \JThomas Keneally\j b.
Oct 11 Arthur Hoey Davis (Steele Rudd) d. (66).
Nov 8 Sir Charles \JKingsford Smith\j d. (38).
#
"1936",152,"f\10\77_0089.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b SS \IParinga\b\i sinks in Bass Strait while towing a tanker to Japan; 31 lives lost.
Service pension introduced for ex-servicemen at age 60 or if permanently unemployable.
\i\B23\b Baron Gowrie succeeds Sir Isaac Issacs as Governor-General.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b \ICatholic Worker,\b\i edited by B. A. Santamaria, begins publication in Melbourne.
\i\B17\b R. M. Ansett begins Ansett Airways with a service between Melbourne and Hamilton, Vic.
\i\B24\b Special unity conference of the Labor Party rescinds the \J1931\j expulsion of J. T. Lang and his followers; NSW state party again becomes a branch of the federal ALP.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B23\b Ampol Petroleum Ltd established.
\i\B25\b Submarine telephone cable between Vic. and Tas., via King Is., begins operating.
- Voting made compulsory in WA state elections.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b Australian Council for Civil Liberties founded in Melbourne.
\i\B22\b Federal government announces its trade diversion policy, prohibiting or restricting certain imports from countries outside the Empire.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B25\b Japan bans imports of Australian wool, wheat, and flour in retaliation to Australia's trade diversion policy.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian National Airways (ANA), incorporating Holyman's Airways, Adelaide Airways, and West Australian Airways, registered as a company (no connection with the earlier company of the same name).
\i\B9\b Sir Thomas Blamey forced to resign as Chief Commissioner of Police in Vic. for suppressing facts at a royal commission into the shooting of a police superintendent.
\i\B22\b New Theatre in Sydney defies the ban by the NSW Chief Secretary on Clifford Odets's anti-Nazi play \ITill the Day I Die.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b America withdraws Australia's most-favoured-nation concessions in\b\i response to Australia's trade diversion policy. (Restored Feb. \J1938\j.)
\i\B13\b SA abandons multiple electorates in favour of 39 single-member electorates with a 2:1 ratio of country to metropolitan seats.
\i\B20\b J. C. Willcock succeeds Phillip Collier as Premier of WA.
\i\B24\b Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act comes into force, formally passing responsibility for the territory to Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B30\b Mrs Mary Freer, a British subject travelling to Australia, is given a dictation test in Italian to prevent her admission. (The case attracts much public attention, and after an unsuccessful High Court challenge Mrs Freer is allowed to enter the country in June \J1937\j.)
-\b\i Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation formed in Melbourne to make military aircraft; L. J. Wackett manager.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B21\b Hume Reservoir on the Murray River officially opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B4\b Ernabella station in SA bought by the Presbyterian Church for an Aboriginal mission. (Opens Nov. \J1937\j.)
P. R. Stephensen, \IThe Foundations of Culture in Australia.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First Inter-Dominion Pacing Championship held, at Perth, WA (won by Logan Derby, from Tas.).
Wotan wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,810,413.
Paid annual leave first included in a federal awardùfor commercial printers (31 Dec.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 27 \JRon Barassi\j b.
Mar 23 Oscar Asche d. (65).
Jun 16 \JCharles Perkins\j b.
\BDescription:\b Ampol established, March 23, \J1936\j \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1937",153,"f\10\king0133.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B15\b Explosion at the State Coal Mine, Wonthaggi, Vic; 13 miners killed.
\i\B19\b Stinson airliner crashes in Lamington National Park, near the Qld-NSW border; five killed. (Plane and two survivors found a week later by bushman Bernard O'Reilly.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Referendums held on proposals to increase the powers of federal parliament to make laws with respect to aviation and marketing; both rejected.
\i\B23\b Tas. reverts to a five-year parliamentary term.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b First Police-Citizens Boy's Club opens in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
\i\B11\b Darwin Town Council disbanded. (Re-established in \J1951.)\j
\i\B15\b Harold Nossiter and his two sons, the first Australians to sail a yacht round the world, arrive back in Sydney in their yacht \ISirius\b\i (having set out on 14 July \J1935.)\j
\i\B20\b Regular airmail service begins between Australia and America.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B29\b Volcanic eruptions at Rabaul, New Britain (to 3 June), largely destroy the town and cause some 500 casualties.
- Australias's first diplomatic representative in a foreign country, F. K. Officer, takes up duty as Australian counsellor at the British Embassy in Washington.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B23\b Commonwealth Arbitration Court adds 'prosperity loadings' to the basic wage.
- Infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis) epidemic begins, most severely in Vic. (to Mar. \J1938)\j.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B16\b Royal commission into the monetary and banking system presents its report.
\i\B26\b Standard-gauge railway line opened from Port Augusta to Port Pirie; also a broad-gauge line from Port Pirie to Redhill (and thus to Adelaide).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
- National Secretariat of Catholic Action in Australia established, with B. A. Santamaria as deputy director.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B23\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Lyons government retains office; new members include Percy Spender.
- ACTU calls for a boycott of trade with Japan (especially in pig-iron), following Japan's invasion of China.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B23\b \ISpirit of Progress\b\i train begins running from Melbourne to Albury.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
- \ILabor Daily\b\i (Sydney) becomes the \IDaily News.\i
ò Open-cut mining of black coal begins at Blair Athol, Qld.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Foundation stone laid of new University of Queensland buildings at St Lucia, Brisbane (6 Mar.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
National Health and Medical Research Council established.
CSIR establishes a Fisheries Investigation Section at Cronulla, Sydney (later \JCSIRO\j Division of Fisheries and Oceanography).
Geologist and explorer C. T. Madigan discovers the kernel of a meteorite weighing nearly 1.5 tonnes at Huckitta station, NT.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell,\j \IMrs South Kensington\b\i (painting).
Elioth Gruner, \IWeetangera\b\i (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Normand Baker, \ISelf-Portrait,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
'Dad and Dave' radio serial begins (-\J1953)\j.
Films:
Ken G. Hall's \ITall Timbers,\b\i with Shirley Ann Richards.
Frank Hurley's documentary \IA Nation Is Built.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
Eleanor Dark, \ISun Across the Sky.\i
Ernestine Hill, \IThe Great Australian Loneliness.\i
Kenneth (Seaforth) Mackenzie, \IThe Young Desire It.\i
The Trump wins the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,871,492.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú3 15s.
Assimilation of some Aborigines into the white community adopted as official federal policy.
Ten o'clock closing of hotels reintroduced in Tas.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 14 Walter Burley Griffin d. (60).
Jun 1 Colleen McCullough b.
Jul 27 Robert Holmes α Court b. (-\J1990)\j.
Sep 4 \JDawn Fraser\j b.
Nov 19 George Rayner Hoff d. (42).
Dec 17 \JKerry Packer\j b.
\BDescription:\b \ISpirit of Progress\i train begins running from Melbourne to Albury \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1938",154,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b Royal commission into the treatment of poliomyelitis reports adversely on Sister Kenny's method.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Nearly 200 bathers swept out to sea at Bondi, Sydney, by the backwash of three huge waves; five drown, and 180 have to be rescued by lifesavers.
\i\B13\b Double-deck ferry \IRodney\b\i capsizes and sinks in Sydney Harbour while farewelling USS \ILouisville;\b\i 19 drown.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B4\b Assisted immigration from Britain resumes (after being in abeyance since \J1930\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
- New England University College established at Armidale by the University of Sydney. (Becomes the University of New England in Feb. \J1954\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b All exports of iron ore from Australia suspended (ostensibly to conserve supplies; actually to prevent export to Japan).
\i\B5\b Flying-boat \ICooee\b\i leaves Rose Bay, Sydney, on the first flight of the QEA-Imperial Airways flying-boat service to London.
- At a meeting of 31 nations at Evian, France, Australia agrees to accept 15,000 political refugees from Europe.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B24\b Attorney-General R. G. Menzies makes an oblique attack on the leadership of J. A. Lyons in a speech calling for 'inspiring leadership' in case of war in Europe.
\i\B25\b ANA aircraft \IKyeema\b\i crashes at Mount Dandenong, Vic; 18 killed.
\i\B27\b Parramatta becomes a city within the metropolitan area of Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B5\b Thomas Playford, jun., becomes Premier of SA on the resignation of Richard Butler.
\i\B7\b Federal cabinet resigns following public criticism of the government's defence policy; Lyons forms a reconstructed ministry.
\i\B16\b Waterside workers in Port Kembla refuse to load pig-iron for Japan.
(Menzies threatens them with the 'Dog Collar' [Transport Workers] Act if they continue to refuse.)
\i\B23\b Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) formed by the governments of Australia, NZ, and the UK.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal government announces that it would welcome refugees from Nazi Germany.
\i\B21\b Direct radio-telephone link established between \JCanberra\j and Washington.
\i\B28\b \ISydney Mail\b\i ceases publication.
* Australian Red Cross Society starts its Blood Transfusion Service.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Work begins on the floating bridge across the Derwent estuary at Hobart (-\J1943\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
National Standards Laboratory founded by the CSIR.
Australian Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd at Burnie, Tas., begins using Australian\b\i hardwood to produce paper.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Albert Namatjira's first exhibition held in Melbourne (5 Dec.).
Nora Heysen, \IMme Elink Schuurman,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Contemporary Art Society formed in Melbourne.
Covent Garden Russian Ballet tours Australia.
Five-year-old Joy King records the 'Aeroplane Jelly Song' (composed \Ic.\b\i \J1930\j; registered with APRA by Albert Lenertz in \J1937\j).
Ken G. Hall, \ILet George Do It\b\i (film), with George Wallace.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JDaisy Bates\j, \IThe Passing of the Aborigines.\i
H. V. Evatt, \IRum Rebellion.\i
Robert D. FitzGerald, \IMoonlight Acre.\i
Xavier Herbert, \ICapricornia\b\i (winner of the Commonwealth government's sesqui-centenary prize).
\JNorman Lindsay\j, \IAge of Consent.\i
\JChristina Stead\j, \IHouse of All Nations.\i
Rex Ingamells founds the Jindyworobak movement.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Empire Games held in Sydney; Decima Norman wins the 100 and 220 yards track events and the broad jump, setting Empire Games records in each.
Australian Grand Prix held at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, NSW, for the first time.
Catalogue wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 6,935,909.
Some 2,000 cases of polio reported in Vic. in the nine months to March.
Men officially allowed to wear swimming trunks on Melbourne beaches.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 21 Will Dyson d. (57).
Feb 25 \JHerb Elliott\j b.
Apr 20 \JBetty Cuthbert\j b.
Apr 22 Alan Bond b.
Jun 22 C. J. Dennis d. (61).
Aug 9 \JRod Laver\j b.
Oct 17 Les A. Murray b.
Dec 4 Yvonne Minton b.
Dec 21 Frank Moorhouse b.
#
"1939",155,"f\10\king0113.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B12\b Temperature in Adelaide reaches 117.7 degrees Fahrenheit (47.6 degrees celsius), the highest recorded in an Australian capital city.
\B13\b "Black Friday" in Vic.ùthe culmination of days of disastrous bushfires; 71 lives lost and more than a thousand houses and millions of hectares of forest destroyed; temperature in Melbourne reaches 114.1\'83F (45.6 degrees celsius).
\B14\b Bushfires in many parts of NSW; eight lives lost; temperature in Sydney reaches 113.6 degrees Fahrenheit (45.3 degrees Celsius).
\B22\b Waterside workers at Port Kembla, under government pressure, agree to load pig-iron for Japan.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B14\b R. G. Menzies resigns his ministerial portfolios (effective on 20th) and the deputy leadership of the UAP because of cabinet's failure to implement the National Insurance scheme (legislation passed in July \J1938)\j.
\B27\b Australia's first locally built military aircraft, the Wirraway (built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation) test flown in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b J. A. Lyons dies suddenly; Sir \JEarle Page\j becomes caretaker Prime Minister.
\B18\b Menzies elected leader of the UAP; Page (having failed to obtain the return of S. M. Bruce to federal politics) announces that the Country Party would not participate in a government led by Menzies.
\B26\b Menzies becomes Prime Minister and forms a new ministry.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b Edmund Dwyer-Gray becomes Premier of Tas. following the death of Albert Ogilvie.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b Defence Act extended to cover Papua and New Guinea as territories to which conscripts could be sent.
û National register of manpower taken.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Alexander Mair replaces B. S. B. Stevens as Premier of NSW.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Australia declares war on Germany immediately following Britain's declaration of war. (Next day, the first Allied shot fired in the war, as in World War I, is fired from Fort Nepean, Port Phillip, at an escaping German ship.)
\B5\b W. J. McKell replaces J. T. Lang as leader of the NSW parliamentary Labor Party following a struggle between opposing factions at the state conference in Aug.
\B9\b National Security Act assented to (granting the executive of the federal government authority to govern by regulation).
\B13\b Page resigns from Country Party leadership; A. G. Cameron replaces him.
\B15\b Menzies forms a war cabinet (first meeting 27 Sept.) and announces that a volunteer division (i.e., the 6th Division) would be formed for service at home or abroad.
\B28\b Price control introduced under a commissioner, Prof. D. B. Copland.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B11\b Empire Air Training Scheme inaugurated.
\B20\b Reintroduction of compulsory service in the militia announced (to begin 1 Jan. \J1940)\j; unmarried men aged 21 to undergo three months' training.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b \ISunday Telegraph\i\b begins publication in Sydney.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Import licensing imposed on goods from non-sterling countries.
\B18\b Robert Cosgrove replaces Dwyer-Gray as Premier of Tas.
\B20\b Short-wave radio service "Australia Calling" (later Radio Australia) begins broadcasting in English, French, Dutch, and Spanish.
ò Yarrawonga weir on the Murray River completed.
ò Youth Hostels Association movement in Australia founded in Vic.
ò National Fitness movement inaugurated by the Commonwealth Dept of Health.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\i\b Arthur Stephenson, Royal Melbourne Hospital (û \J1943)\j.
Central section of the State Library of NSW (û \J1942)\j.
Ready Mixed Concrete Co.ùthe first of its kind in the worldùformed in Sydney (July).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sliced bread introduced by Sunshine Bakeries, of Newtown, Sydney.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Contemporary Art Society holds its first exhibition (includes early works of Nolan, Drysdale, Tucker).
Melbourne \IHerald\i\b exhibition of post-impressionist art creates great public interest.
Max Meldrum, \IG. J. Bell, Speaker\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
David N. Martin opens the Minerva Theatre in Sydney (18 May).
Edouard Borovansky opens the Borovansky Ballet Academy in Melbourne.
De Basil ballet company begins its third tour of Australia (Dec.).
Lux Radio Theatre launched.
Outbreak of war with Germany traps the touring groups the Vienna Mozart Boys' Choir and the Bodenwieser Ballet in Australia for the duration of the war.
Australia (John Bromwich and \JAdrian Quist)\j wins the Davis Cup for the first time (previously won by Australasia).
Jim Ferrier wins both the Australian Open and Amateur golf championships for the second year running.
Rivette wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches seven million.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú3 18s.
Argentine ants first recorded in Australia, near Melbourne.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 29 \JGermaine Greer\j b.
Feb 13 Andrew Peacock b.
Apr 7 J. A. Lyons d. (59) and \JBrett Whiteley\j b. (û \J1992)\j.
Jul 12 Phillip Adams b.
Jul 26 John Howard b.
Oct 17 Elioth Gruner d. (56).
Oct 22 Sir John Langdon Bonython d. (91).
Dec 6 Sir Ernest Scott d. (72).
Dec 26 Fred \JSchepisi\j b.
\BDescription:\b Newspaper article on Hitler \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1940",156,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B10\b First contingent of the AIF (6th Division) sails from Sydney for the Middle East.
\B26\b R. G. Casey resigns from federal parliament to become Australia's Minister to the United States.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b N. T. Gilroy becomes Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.
\B11\b Coalminers strike for higher wages and shorter hours (to 16 May).
\B14\b Country Party members once again included in federal cabinet.
\B18\b War Savings Certificates go on sale.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B17\b \IQueen Mary\i\b arrives at Sydney as a troop carrier.
\B18\b Six federal MPs, led by J. A. Beasley, break away from the ALP and form the Non-Communist Labor Party.
\B30\b TEAL begins a flying-boat service between Sydney and Auckland.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B21\b Essington Lewis appointed Director-General of Munitions.
û Nine newspapers banned for refusing to abide by censorship regulations.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Sir Keith Murdoch appointed Director-General of the newly formed Department of Information.
\B11\b Australia declares war on Italy (following Italy's declaration of war against Britain and France).
\B15\b Communist and Fascist parties in Australia declared illegal under the National Security Act.
\B21\b Commonwealth government given increased powers to control Australia's resources, production, manpower, and people.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b Story Bridge, Brisbane, opened by the Qld Governor.
\B17\b Call-up extended to 24-year-olds.
Press, broadcasting, and film industry placed under the control of the Director-General of Information.
\B19\b HMAS \ISydney\i\b sinks the Italian cruiser \IBartolomeo Colleoni\i\b off Crete.
\B26\b \IDaily News\i\b (Sydney) incorporated in the \IDaily Telegraph.\i\b
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Three federal cabinet ministersùG. A. Street, Sir Henry Gullett, and J. V. Fairbairnùand Lt-Gen. Sir Brudenell White killed in an aircraft crash near \JCanberra\j.
\B18\b Sir John Latham appointed Minister to Japan (to \J1941\j).
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B6\b Prison ship \IDunera\i\b arrives at Sydney with over 2,000 German and Austrian internees from Britain.
\B21\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Menzies government remains in office with the support of two independents; new members include A. A. Calwell and H. V. Evatt.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Petrol rationing begins.
\B16\b A. G. Cameron resigns as Country Party leader; A. W. Fadden becomes acting leader.
\B26\b Last cable tram runs in Melbourne.
\B28\b Advisory War Council formed, with Labor Party participation.
û German raiders \IAtlantis\i\b and \IPinguin\i\b lay mines off Newcastle, Wilsons Promontory, Cape Otway, Hobart, and Adelaide (û Nov.).
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b British steamer \ICambridge\i\b strikes a mine and sinks off Wilsons Promontory; next day, American steamer \ICity of Rayville\i\b sinks after striking a mine off Cape Otway.
\B20\b Minesweeper HMAS \IGoorangai\i\b sinks after a collision with MV \IDuntroon\i\b in Port Phillip; 24 lives lost.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Australian coaster \INimbin\i\b strikes a mine and sinks off Newcastle; seven lives lost.
\B7\b German raiders \IKomet\i\b and \IOrion\i\b sink five phosphate ships (including three Australian vessels) off Nauru (to 8th).
\B13\b Call-up extended to age 33 for single men.
* Severe drought conditions over most of the country.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
AWA Tower, Sydney.
\JCaptain Cook\j Graving Dock at Garden Is., Sydney (û \J1945\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Radiophysics laboratory set up in Sydney for research into the design and use of radar equipment (Mar.).
Ancient Aboriginal skull found at Keilor, Vic. (Oct.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell\j, \IThe Cypriot\i\b (painting).
Max Meldrum, \IDr J. Forbes McKenzie\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Alex Gurney's comic strip "Bluey and Curley" begins publication.
HΘlΦne Kirsova opens a school of ballet in Sydney. (Forms a professional ballet company in \J1941\j.)
De Basil ballet company gives the world premiere of Lichine's \IGraduation Ball\i\b (1 Mar.).
Charles Chauvel, \IForty Thousand Horsemen\i\b (film), with Grant Taylor and \JChips Rafferty\j.
\BD Books and Writing\b
E. Morris Miller, Australian Literature (extended by Frederick T. Macartney in \J1956\j).
\JChristina Stead\j, \IThe Man Who Loved Children\i\b.
Literary magazines \IMeanjin Papers\i\b (Brisbane) and \IAngry Penguins\i\b (Adelaide) begin publication.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Old Rowley wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,077,586.
ABC appoints its first female announcer (Margaret Doyle).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 15 Keith Looby b.
Feb 17 Marilyn Jones b.
Feb 27 Sir Hubert Murray d. (78).
#
"1941",157,"f\10\king0152.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Income tax payment by instalments introduced.
\B5\b Australian forces (6th Division) capture Bardia, Libya.
\B17\b Jehovah's Witnesses organisation declared illegal under National Security regulations.
\B22\b Australian forces capture Tobruk and (30th) enter Derna.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B5\b Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) authorised.
\B6\b Australian forces take Benghazi.
\B20\b Training period for the militia doubled.
\B22\b Australian Newsprint Mills at Boyer, Tas., begin producing newsprint.
\B20\b Seven US warships arrive at Sydney on a goodwill visit.
Trawler \IMillimumul\i\b strikes a mine off Newcastle and sinks; 7 killed.
\B21\b Australian forces capture Giarabub, Libya.
\B28\b HMA Ships \IPerth\i\b, \IStuart\i\b, and \IVendetta\i\b take part in the Battle of Matapan, in which the Italian fleet suffers a crushing defeat.
û ALF 9th Division relieves the 6th Division in Cyrenaica to enable the 6th Division to be sent to Greece.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b \IQueen Elizabeth\i\b, the world's biggest passenger ship, arrives in Sydney on a troop-carrying mission.
\B7\b Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) formed.
Work begins on a military road from Mount Isa to \JTennant Creek\j. (Completed May \J1943\j.)
\B10\b Siege of Tobruk begins, pinning down the 9th Divisionùthe "Rats of Tobruk". (Relieved, Aug.ûNov.)
\B25\b Australian troops withdraw from Greece to Crete (to 2nd May).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b Labor swept into office in NSW election; W. J. McKell becomes Premier (on 16th).
\B12\b \IDaily Mirror\i\b begins publication in Sydney.
HMAS \IWhyalla\i\b (corvette), the first ship built at BHP's Whyalla shipyard, launched.
\B31\b British and Australian troops evacuated from Crete, but three battalions of 6th Division are left behind and taken prisoner.
\B30\b Destroyer HMAS \IWaterhen\i\b sunk off the Libyan coast.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Payroll tax introduced by the Commonwealth.
\B12\b Armistice arranged in Syria as Australian forces approach Beirut.
\B28\b Some militia units in Australia called up for full-time duty.
û Sir Frederic Eggleston appointed Minister to China at the newly established legation in Chungking.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) formed.
\B14\b Catholic Social Studies Movement ("The Movement"), founded by B. A. Santamaria, holds its first meeting.
\B22\b Prime Minister Menzies makes an offer to Labor to serve in an all-party government led by \JJohn Curtin\j; offer rejected (26th).
\B28\b Menzies resigns as Prime Minister; \JArthur Fadden\j, leader of the Country Party, succeeds him. (W. M. Hughes replaces Menzies as UAP leader.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Fadden government defeated in a no-confidence motion when independent MPs A. W. Coles and Alexander Wilson withdraw their support; Curtin commissioned to form a Labor government (sworn in on 7th).
\B20\b Australia First movement founded in Sydney, with P. R. Stephensen as president.
û Woronora Dam, NSW, completed.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b HMAS \ISydney\i\b sinks with the loss of 645 lives after a gunnery duel with the German raider \IKormoran\i\b (which also sinks) off the WA coast.
\B25\b Legislation enacted to establish the NSW Housing Commission.
\B27\b HMAS \IParramatta\i\b (sloop) sunk off Tobruk; 136 lives lost.
û Import licensing extended to goods from sterling countries.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B8\b Prime Minister Curtin announces that Australia is at war with Japan following Japanese attacks on Kota Bharu (Malaya), Thailand, Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Singapore, and Guam earlier in the day (Australian time). RAAF bombers based in Malaya attack Japanese landing at Kota Bharu.
Australia declares war on Finland, Hungary, and Romania.
\B11\b Single men 18 to 45 and married men 18 to 35 called up for full-time duty.
\B22\b First American servicemen arrive in Australia, disembarking at Brisbane.
\B27\b Curtin, in a New Year message to the Australian people, states, "Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom."
û Air-raid precautions instituted in Sydney; construction of shelters begins; many people move to the \JBlue Mountains\j.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Emil Sodersten and J. Crust, Australian \JWar Memorial\j, \JCanberra\j, opened to the public (11 Nov.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JNorman Gregg\j links defects in new-born babies with rubella infection in their mothers during pregnancy.
E. E. Owen of \JWollongong\j, NSW, patents the Owen gun.
William Dargie, \ISir James Elder\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Ola Cohn's \IPioneer Woman\i\b memorial statue unveiled in Adelaide (19 Apr.).
Douglas Stewart's drama for radio \IFire on the Snow\i\b first broadcast (6 June).
"Argonauts' Club" children's program and the "Wilfrid Thomas Show" begin on ABC radio.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Eleanor Dark, \IThe Timeless Land\i\b.
J. A. Ferguson, \IBibliography of Australia\i\b (û \J1969\j).
Ernestine Hill, \IMy Love Must Wait\i\b.
Kylie Tennant, \IThe Battlers\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Living and the Dead\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Skipton wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,143,598.
Child endowment introduced by the Commonwealthùten shillings a fortnight for each child after the first (begins 1 July).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 5 A. B. ("Banjo") Paterson d. (76).
Jul 7 Randolph Bedford d. (72).
Jul 31 Heather Blundell (McKay) b.
Aug 30 Gregan \JMcMahon\j d. (67).
Oct 1 Sir John Longstaff d. (80).
Nov 18 J. C. Watson d. (74).
\BDescription:\b World War II scenes \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1942",158,"f\10\king0062.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Daylight saving begins in all states as a wartime measure (to 29 Mar.) (Reintroduced each year between Oct. and Mar. until \J1944.)\j
\B4\b Rabaul bombed by the Japanese.
\B14\b Australian troops engage the Japanese for the first time in Malaya. (Begin a fighting withdrawal to Parit Sulong on 20th.)
\B21\b Japanese bomb Salamaua, Lae, Madang, and Bulolo.
\B23\b Rabaul falls to the Japanese.
\B31\b Manpower Directorate set up.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Australian forces on Ambon surrender to the Japanese. Aerial bombardment of Port Moresby begins.
\B15\b Singapore falls to the Japanese; more than 15,000 Australians, mainly of the 8th Division, imprisoned; Gen. Gordon Bennett escapes.
\B17\b Curtin cables London demanding the return of the AIF 6th and 7th Divisions from the Middle East to Australia. Federal cabinet orders complete mobilisation of Australia's human and material resources.
\B19\b Darwin bombed (the first of more than 60 air attacks); eight ships sunk in the harbour and some 240 people killed.
\B23\b Main Australian force on Timor surrenders to the Japanese.
\B26\b Allied Works Council established.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Cruiser HMAS \IPerth\i\b sunk in the Sunda Strait; 357 lives lost (and 106 survivors later die in prison camps).
\B2\b Australia declares war on Thailand.
\B3\b Japanese aircraft attack Broome, WA, destroying several flying-boats and other aircraft and causing some 70 deaths, then attack Wyndham.
\B4\b Sloop HMAS \IYarra\i\b sunk south of Java.
\B8\b Japanese occupy Lae and Salamaua. Australian forces in Java surrender to the Japanese.
\B10\b Sixteen members of the Australia First movement arrested in Sydney and imprisoned without trial. (P. R. Stephensen held until Sept. \J1945.)\j
\B11\b Registration of all persons over 16 required; the carrying of identity cards to be compulsory.
\B17\b Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives in Australia from the Philippines.
\B28\b Sydney receives its first shipload of US servicemen (8,398).
û Northern part of the NT placed under military control.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B10\b Destroyer HMAS \IVampire\i\b sunk off Ceylon.
\B18\b MacArthur takes up his post as Supreme Commander, South-West Pacific Area, with headquarters in Melbourne; Gen. Sir Thomas Blamey in command of Allied land forces.
û Civil Constructional Corps formed.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Battle of the Coral Sea (to 8th) forces a Japanese invasion fleet to turn back and abandon its attempt to capture Port Moresby.
\B31\b Three Japanese midget submarines enter Sydney Harbour; one is sunk by depth charges; one tangles in boom nets and is blown up by its crew; the third apparently escapes after torpedoing a naval depot ship (the ferry \IKuttabul\i),\b which sinks with the loss of 19 lives.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b SS \IIron Chieftain\i\b torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine off Sydney, with the loss of 12 lives. Next day, SS \IIron Crown\i\b torpedoed and sunk near Gabo Is; 37 lives lost.
\B7\b Japanese submarines shell Sydney and Newcastle.
\B13\b Ration books issued. (Clothes rationing begins on 15 June, tea on 6 July, sugar on 31 Aug.)
\B16\b Destroyer HMAS \INestor\i\b sunk in the Mediterranean.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Uniform income tax introduced, with the Commonwealth the sole collector (state income taxes abolished).
\B21\b Japanese troops land at Gona, on the Papuan coast, and advance towards Kokoda (which they occupy on 29th).
\B25\b Townsville experiences the first of three Japanese air raids.
\B27\b Australian Women's Land Army established.
\B30\b Port Hedland, WA, sustains a Japanese air raid.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Cruiser HMAS \I\JCanberra\j\i\b lost in the Battle of Savo Is.
\B26\b Japanese forces occupy Nauru. Japanese land at Milne Bay but are defeated by Australian forces and forced to withdraw (6 Sept.).
\B29\b Destroyer HMAS \IArunta\i\b sinks the Japanese submarine \IRO 33\i\b off the coast of Papua.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b F. A. Cooper becomes Premier of Qld following the retirement of William Forgan Smith.
\B21\b Mass breakout attempted at Tatura PoW camp, Vic; eight wounded; all recaptured.
\B23\b Destroyer HMAS \IVoyager\i\b runs aground on a reef near Timor. (Abandoned and destroyed on 25th.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b Australia adopts the Statute of Westminster (retrospective to \J1939)\j.
\B19\b Labor MP E. J. Ward accuses the previous Menzies and Fadden governments of responsibility for a "Brisbane Line" plan of defence.
\B23\b AIF 9th Division plays a major part in the Battle of El Alamein (to 4 Nov.).
\B28\b Williamstown Dockyard taken over by the RAN.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Australian troops recapture Kokoda.
\B9\b US serviceman Edward Leonski executed at Pentridge Gaol, Melbourne, for the "brown-out murders" of three Melbourne women in May.
\B26\b "Battle of Brisbane" between Australian and American servicemen; one Australian shot and killed by an American MP and many seriously injured.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Corvette HMAS \IArmidale\i\b sunk by a Japanese air attack in the Arafura Sea.
\B3\b Women aged 18 to 30 called up for war work.
\B9\b Optional preferential voting abolished in Qld in favour of a first-past-the-post system. (Preferential voting restored in \J1962.)\j
Australian troops recapture Gona.
\B16\b Voting (preferential) made compulsory in SA lower-house elections.
\B18\b Ban on the Communist Party of Australia lifted.
\B22\b Dept of Post-War Reconstruction created, with J. B. Chifley as minister.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney GPO tower and clock removed as a safety measure (restored \J1964)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produces the Boomerang, the only fighter aircraft designed and built in Australia during World War II (test flown 29 May).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Dargie, \ICorporal Jim Gordon\i,\b \IVC\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
\IArt in Australia\i\b ceases publication.
Douglas Stewart's verse drama \I\JNed Kelly\j\i\b first broadcast by the ABC (21 June).
ABC radio's "The Village Glee Club" launched (to March \J1971)\j.
\IKokoda Front Line\i,\b a Cinesound Review documentary with cinematography by Damien Parer, wins Australia's first Academy Award.
Federal entertainments tax reimposed. (Abolished \J1953.)\j
\BD Books and Writing\b
Gavin Casey, \IIt's Harder for Girls\i\b.
Eve Langley, \IThe Pea Pickers\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Horse racing banned in SA as a wartime measure (28 Feb.). (Ban lifted 30 Oct. \J1943.)\j
Colonus wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,201,096.
More than 12,000 vehicles in NSW equipped with charcoal gas-producer units.
Commonwealth widows' pensions begin (30 June).
"Victory suits" and other simplified styles of clothing enforced by regulation to save materials, and "austerity" meals served in cafes and restaurants. Restriction imposed on interstate rail travel; priority permits required by civilians.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 17 \JIta Buttrose\j b.
Feb 2 Hugh D. McIntosh d. (65).
Feb 24 David Williamson b.
Apr 27 \JJulian Ashton\j d. (91).
May 12 \JJohn Shaw Neilson\j d. (70).
Jul 16 Margaret Smith (Court) b.
Sep 3 Sir Mungo MacCallum d. (88).
\BDescription:\b Oil storage tanks at Darwin burn fiercely soon after the first Japanese air raid \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1943",159,"f\10\king0136.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Allied troops recapture Buna in Papua.
\B22\b Sanananda recaptured.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Commonwealth government establishes the Universities Commission and a scheme of scholarships for needy students.
\B5\b Australian troops repulse the Japanese attack on Wau after reinforcements are flown in under fire.
\B8\b SS \IIron Knight\i\b torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off Twofold Bay; 33 lives lost.
\B19\b Legislation passed enabling conscripts to be sent outside Australian territories as far north as the Equator in the South-West Pacific Area.
Japanese aircraft flies over Sydney, causing an alert and anti-aircraft fire.
û AIF 9th Division returns to Australia from the Middle East.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Battle of the Bismarck Sea foils Japanese attempts to reinforce their New Guinea bases.
\B15\b J. T. Lang expelled from the Labor Party. (Readmitted in \J1971.)\j
\B17\b Gen. Douglas MacArthur, reviewing his year in Australia, refers to the "Brisbane Line", claiming that Australia's plans before his arrival envisaged northern Australia in the hands of the Japanese.
\B30\b National Welfare Scheme established to increase the number and variety of social services.
\B31\b Australian and American servicemen unload ships in Sydney during a strike by wharf labourers.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Pay-as-you-earn taxation introduced with deductions spread over the year.
\B15\b Prices of all goods and services pegged at current levels.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Bus carrying soldiers and servicewomen collides with a train at a level crossing near \JWodonga,\j Vic; 25 killed.
\B14\b Hospital ship \ICentaur\i\b sinks after being torpedoed off Cape Moreton, Qld, on its way to the war zone; 268 lives lost.
\B20\b Naval installations at Exmouth Gulf, WAùthe most southerly point attacked by Japanese aircraftùsuffer an air raid (again on 21st).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b Butter and household drapery rationed.
\B11\b Minesweeper HMAS \IWallaroo\i\b sinks after colliding with a US liberty ship off Fremantle.
û Sealed road completed between Darwin and \JAlice Springs.\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Royal commission held (to 7th) on E. J. Ward's "Brisbane Line" allegations; Ward does not appear, owing to parliamentary privilege.
\B20\b Cruiser HMAS \IHobart\i\b torpedoed in the Solomons area and badly damaged.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b John Woolcott Forbes extradited from the USA for trial on 31 counts of fraud. (Given five years' gaol on 22 Mar. \J1944.)\j
\B21\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Curtin government returned with a majority in both houses; new members include the first women elected to federal parliamentù\JEnid Lyons\j and Senator Dorothy Tangney.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Agreement between governments of Australia and NZ for reciprocal provision of social services comes into operation.
\B11\b Allied forces recapture Salamaua.
\B14\b John Cain forms a brief Labor government in Vic. before being replaced (on 18th) by A. A. Dunstan's UAPûCP coalition government.
\B16\b Lae recaptured by Australian forces.
\B22\b Menzies resumes leadership of the UAP and the opposition.
\B26\b Task force in the disguised fishing boat \IKrait\i\b blows up seven ships in Singapore Harbour (and returns to Exmouth Gulf without loss).
û Eleanor Roosevelt visits Australia during a Pacific tour.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Australian forces recapture Finschhafen.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B25\b Australian forces capture Sattelberg.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B22\b Floating bridge across the Derwent at Hobart officially opened.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Commonwealth Serum Laboratories begins producing penicillin in commercial quantities for civilian use.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell,\j \IJoshua Smith\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize. (Award challenged in the NSW Supreme Court in Oct.ûNov. \J1944\j by two artists claiming the picture to be not a portrait but a caricature; verdict given in gallery trustees' favour.)
J. J. W. Power leaves a ú1 million art bequest to Sydney University (made public in \J1962,\j following the death of his widow).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Kylie Tennant, \IRide on Stranger\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Sydney Turf Club formed. (First meeting held at Randwick on 15 Jan. \J1944.)\j
Dark Felt wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,269,658.
School leaving age raised to 15 in NSW.
Funeral benefits for age and invalid pensioners introduced.
Means test removed from maternity allowance.
Zoot suits make their appearance in defiance of austerity regulations.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Sep 1 \JSir Arthur Streeton\j d. (76).
Sep 26 \JIan Chappell\j b.
Oct 10 Sir Joynton Smith d. (85).
Nov 6 William Lister Lister d. (83).
\BDescription:\b Australian Troops in New Guinea take time off to vote in the Federal elections of September \J1943\j \I(Jonathan King)\i.
#
"1944",160,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B17\b Meat rationing begins.
\B20\b Kempsey mail train strikes a bus at a level crossing near the Hawkesbury River, NSW; 17 killed.
\B21\b AustraliaûNew Zealand Agreement (Anzac Pact) signed in \JCanberra\j.
\B26\b Australian forces occupy Shaggy Ridge in the Finisterre Ranges.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme begins operating.
\B14\b Strike by southern coalminers in NSW (to 15 Mar.).
û Bushfires burning since Dec. \J1943\j in the Western District, Gippsland, and Yallourn areas of Vic. cause 51 deaths.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Sydney waiter Antonio Agostini charged with the murder in \J1934\j of his wife, Linda, the "pyjama girl". (Tried in June and sentenced to six years' gaol for manslaughter; deported to Italy in \J1949\j.)
\B31\b Pipeline bringing water from the Murray River at Morgan, SA, to Whyalla, on the Spencer Gulf, via Port Augusta, completed.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B15\b Fred Paterson, the only Communist to be elected to an Australian parliament, wins the seat of Bowen in the Qld state election. (Cooper government re-elected.)
News appears on the front page of the \ISydney Morning Herald\i\b for the first time (in place of advertisements).
\B17\b All Sydney daily newspapers (and the Melbourne \IHerald\i\b and Adelaide \INews\i\b) suppressed by the censor for defying censorship regulations. (Censorship relaxed on 19 May after a High Court injunction and a conference of the parties.)
\B24\b Australian forces reoccupy Madang.
\B29\b Playford government re-elected in SA in the first election under compulsory voting.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b Labor returned to office in NSW with an increased majority.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Japanese prisoners of war at Cowra, NSW, stage a mass escape attempt; 234 killed and 108 wounded; all 378 who escape from the camp precincts accounted for within nine days; 4 guards killed and 108 wounded.
\B19\b "Fourteen powers" referendum on post-war reconstruction and democratic rights defeated.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Aerogrammes first issued in Australia.
û Brown-out restrictions removed.
û Kiewa, Vic., hydro-electric scheme's first power station begins operating.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b Strike at Sydney's \ISun\i\b newspaper over a 40-hour-week campaign leads to a complete newspaper stoppage (to 19th); during the strike, the proprietors issue a composite paper and the strikers produce their own paper, the \INews\i\b.
\B13\b Liberal Party of Australia founded at a conference (to 16th) of 18 anti-Labor organisations convened in \JCanberra\j by R. G. Menzies. (Party formally constituted at another conference in Albury in Dec.)
\B18\b Minesweeper HMAS \IGeelong\i\b lost in a collision off New Guinea.
\B21\b Cruiser HMAS \IAustralia\i\b severely damaged by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft; 20 killed and 54 wounded, including Commodore J. A. Collins.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Australian forces land at Jacquinot Bay, New Britain.
\B23\b Australian forces replace Americans at Torokina, Bougainville.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Russell Grimwade donates ú50,000 to the University of Melbourne to establish a school of biochemistry.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Noel Counihan, \IAt the Start of the March\i\b (painting).
Sali Herman, \IMcElhone Steps\i\b (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
Joshua Smith, \IS. Rosevear, MHR, Speaker\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Albert Tucker paints his "Images of Modern Evil" series.
ABC's Concerto and Vocal Competition held for the first time.
Borovansky Ballet makes its first tour.
Arts Council of Australia founded by Dorothy Helmrich.
"The Lawsons" (later "Blue Hills") radio serial, by Gwen Meredith, begins on the ABC (û \J1976\j).
Charles Chauvel, \IThe Rats of Tobruk\i\b (film), with Grant Taylor, Peter Finch, and \JChips Rafferty\j.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rosemary Dobson, \IIn a Convex Mirror\i\b.
Lawson Glassop, \IWe Were the Rats\i\b. (Banned as obscene in \J1946\j.)
\JChristina Stead\j, \IFor Love Alone\i\b.
\IAngry Penguins\i\b publishes the Ern Malley hoax poems. (James McAuley and Harold Stewart reveal their responsibility, 25 June.)
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia formed in Sydney.
Sirius wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,347,024.
97 merchant ships sunk or damaged in Australian and New Guinea waters.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú4 16s.
Reginald Saunders becomes the first Aboriginal officer in the Australian army.
Free public hospital service begins in Qld.
Kosciusko (from March 1997 spelt Kosciuszko) State (later National) Park established.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 18 \JPaul Keating\j b.
Mar 18 R. H. (Dick) Smith b.
May 23 \JJohn Newcombe\j b.
Aug 27 Barry Conyngham b.
#
"1945",161,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B30\b Duke of Gloucester replaces Lord Gowrie as Governor-General.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B21\b R. G. Menzies formally notifies parliament of his party's change of name from United Australia Party to Liberal Party of Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B24\b \JCaptain Cook\j Graving Dock in Sydney officially opened.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B25\b H. V. Evatt and F. M. Forde represent Australia at the 50-nation United Nations Conference on International Organisation in San Francisco (to 26 June).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian forces land at Tarakan Is., Borneo.
\B9\b VE Day (8th) celebrated in Australian cities.
\B11\b Australian forces capture Wewak, New Guinea.
\B30\b White Paper on post-war plans for full employment presented to parliament.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b Australian forces land at Brunei and Labuan Is.
\B20\b Australian forces land at Sarawak.
\B26\b Australia signs the United Nations Charter in San Francisco.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Australian forces capture Balikpapan, Borneo.
\B5\b \JJohn Curtin\j dies suddenly; F. M. Forde sworn in next day as temporary Prime Minister.
\B13\b J. B. Chifley, elected leader of the Labor Party, replaces Forde as Prime Minister.
Department of Immigration created, with A. A. Calwell as minister.
û Federal government introduces legislation to nationalise interstate airlines. (Ruled invalid by the High Court.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b F. J. S. Wise succeeds John Willcock as Premier of WA.
\B6\b Atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and (9th) on Nagasaki.
\B15\b VJ DayùJapan surrenders, ending the war in the Pacific.
\B16\b Legislation passed to provide for the establishment of a government interstate airline (named Trans-Australia AirlinesùTAAùin Aug. \J1946\j).
\B21\b Banking Act and Commonwealth Bank Act come into operation, extending federal government control over private trading banks and financial policy.
\B28\b Liberal Party of Australia formally inaugurated at the first meeting of its federal council in Sydney.
û Taxes increased to pay for increased social services.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b General MacArthur accepts the Japanese surrender on board USS \IMissouri\i\b in Tokyo Bay, with Australian representatives in attendance.
\B24\b Waterside workers, in support of Indonesian independence, ban the loading of Dutch ships bound for the Netherlands East Indies.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b General demobilisation begins.
\B2\b Ian Macfarlan replaces A. A. Dunstan as Premier of Vic.
\B30\b Military court of inquiry finds Gen. Gordon Bennett not justified in leaving Singapore in \J1942\j. (Royal commission held 26 Nov. to 13 Dec. finds that he was legally justified in escaping but had shown an error of judgement in doing so.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B8\b Commonwealth Office of Education established.
Strikes by steelworkers, coalminers, and printers break out in NSW.
\B21\b John Cain becomes Premier of Vic. following Labor's election win.
û Commonwealthû States Housing Agreement signed.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Sir Thomas Blamey removed as Commander-in-Chief of Australian Forces.
\B7\b Maitland, NSW, proclaimed a city.
\B12\b Lithgow, NSW, proclaimed a city.
* ALP Industrial Groups formed in NSW to counter Communist influence in trade unions.
* Alcoholics Anonymous established in Australia.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Hawkesbury River road bridge at Peat's Ferry completed (May).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JHoward Florey\j shares the Nobel Prize for Medicine for this work in developing penicillin.
Albert Namatjira's first Sydney exhibition sells out within minutes.
William Dargie, \ILt-Gen. the Hon. Edmund Herring\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Musica Viva founded.
Richard Boyer becomes chairman of the ABC.
Australian National Film Board established (26 Apr.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Sidney J. Baker, \IThe Australian Language\i\b.
Robert Close, \ILove Me Sailor\i\b. (Banned as obscene in \J1948\j; author sentenced to three months' gaol; publisher fined ú300.)
Eleanor Dark, \IThe Little Company\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Rainbird wins the Melbourne Cup.
"Magic eye" camera first tested at Canterbury Racecourse, Sydney (15 Dec.).
Bernborough wins the Villiers Stakes (21 Dec.) the first of 15 successive race wins.
SydneyûHobart yacht race held for the first time (winner \IRani\i\b).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,430,197.
Australian casualties in World War II: 33,826 killed; 180,864 wounded.
Commonwealth unemployment and sickness benefits introduced (1 July).
National Trust of Australia formed in NSW.
Lowest temperature ever recorded to date in Australia: û 8 degrees Farenheit (û 22 degrees Celsius) at Charlotte Pass, Mount Kosciusko (later Kosciuszko), on 14 July. (Again on 22 Aug. \J1947\j.)
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 4 Gen. Sir Harry Chauvel d. (79).
Mar 27 \JJohnny Famechon\j b.
Jul 5 \JJohn Curtin\j d. (60).
#
"1946",162,"f\10\72_0030.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
û Commonwealth acquires Darwin and its environs to a distance of 16 km to allow for replanning.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B13\b British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), under an Australian commander-in-chief (the first being Lt-Gen. John Northcott), begins duty in Japan.
\B18\b Archbishop Gilroy of Sydney becomes the first Australian-born cardinal.
û Australian Council of the World Council of Churches constituted.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b E. M. Hanlon succeeds Frank Cooper as Premier of Qld.
\B10\b ANA DC3 airliner crashes at Hobart, Tas; 25 killed.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Weekly magazine the \IAustralasian\i\b becomes the \IAustralasian Post\i\b.
\B17\b Wagga Wagga, NSW, proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Wartime manpower controls end.
\B2\b Commonwealth Employment Service begins.
\B31\b Ansett Transport Industries established.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b Australia and the US sign an agreement terminating Lend-Lease.
\B24\b British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Ltd (BCPA) registered in Sydney. (Begins service between Sydney and Vancouver on 15 Sept.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Hawkesbury River railway bridge opened.
\B10\b Broadcasts of the proceedings of federal parliament begin.
\B18\b Tamworth, NSW, proclaimed a city.
\B19\b Orange, NSW, proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Legislation enacted to establish the Australian National University in \JCanberra\j, primarily for research and post-graduate studies.
\B4\b Second Women's Charter Conference opens in Sydney.
\B7\b Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) established as a statutory body to take over services previously conducted by AWA and Cable and Wireless Ltd. (Begins operations 1 Feb. \J1947\j.)
\B22\b Six-storey wool store in Ultimo, Sydney, gutted by fire.
\B30\b Lismore, NSW, proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Wool auctions resume in Sydney (after seven years of government purchase of the whole clip); prices rise significantly.
\B9\b Trans-Australia Airlines (TAA) begins operations with a daily service between Melbourne and Sydney.
\B28\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Chifley government returned to office. Referendum to give the Commonwealth power to legislate on social services approved; proposals concerned with marketing and industrial employment rejected.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B16\b Strike of ironworkers in Vic. begins a metal trades strike which lasts to 7 May \J1947\j.
\B30\b Commonwealth Arbitration Court declares itself in favour of the 40-hour week (but sets no time for its introduction).
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b Federal government approves a proposal to set up a guided-missile range in Australia as a joint venture with the UK.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B13\b Australian trusteeship over the former Mandated Territory of New Guinea approved by the UN.
\B14\b National Security regulations extended for a further year.
\B18\b Albury, NSW, proclaimed a city.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JLance Hill\j of Adelaide begins producing the Hills Hoist rotary clothes line.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JSidney Nolan\j begins his first \JNed Kelly\j series of paintings.
William Dargie, \IL. C. Robson\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra established by the ABC as a full-time body.
John Antill's \ICorroboree\i\b ballet music given its first performance.
Australian Jazz Convention held for the first time, in Melbourne.
Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott make a tour of Australia.
Films: Ken G. Hall's \ISmithy\i\b, with Ron Randell.
Harry Watt's \IThe Overlanders\i\b, with \JChips Rafferty\j.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Martin Boyd, \ILucinda Brayford\i\b.
Frank Dalby Davison, \IDusty\i\b.
\JMiles Franklin\j, \IMy Career Goes Bung\i\b.
James McAuley, \IUnder Aldebaran\i\b.
Rohan Rivett, \IBehind Bamboo\i\b.
Douglas Stewart, \IThe Dosser in Springtime\i\b.
Judith Wright, \IThe Moving Image\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Russia wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,517,981.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú4 18s.
School leaving age raised to 16 years in Tas.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 20 Henry Handel Richardson (Mrs Ethel Robertson) d. (76).
\BDescription:\b Tamworth proclaimed as a city \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1947",163,"f\10\pl109.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b South Pacific Commission established at a meeting in \JCanberra\j of representatives from Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, and USA. (Agreement ratified on 29 July \J1948\j.)
James McGirr succeeds W. J. McKell as Premier of NSW.
\B15\b Referendum held in NSW on hotel closing hours; majority in favour of 6 p.m.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B11\b W. J. (later Sir William) McKell succeeds the Duke of Gloucester as Governor-General.
\B31\b Assisted migration scheme reintroduced for British migrants to Australia (with free passages for ex-servicemen).
û Joint Coal Board, set up to regulate and assist the coal industry in NSW, begins operations.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b D. R. McLarty forms a coalition government in WA following Labor's defeat in the election on 15 Mar. Florence Cardell-Oliver, appointed minister without portfolio, becomes the first woman to hold cabinet rank in Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Sixteen people killed and 38 injured when a speeding train derails at Camp Mountain, Qld.
\B25\b Australia joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b ABC begins an independent radio news service.
\B12\b NT granted a Legislative Council, comprising the Administrator, seven official members, and six elected members.
\B30\b Qantas Empire Airways taken over by the Commonwealth.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b NSW introduces the 40-hour working week for workers under state awards.
\B3\b Sugar rationing ends.
\B21\b Immigration Minister A. A. Calwell signs an agreement with the International Refugee Organisation for Australia to accept displaced persons from Europe. (First batchù843 Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estoniansùarrives in the \IGeneral Heintzelman\i in Nov.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b RAAF College established at Point Cook, Vic.
\B7\b Freighter \IMahia\i\b burnt out at Victoria Dock, Melbourne; ten painters and dockers killed.
\B13\b High Court declares parts of the \J1945\j Banking Act invalid.
\B16\b Prime Minister Chifley announces his intention to nationalise private banks.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B8\b Commonwealth Arbitration Court grants a 40-hour week (to take effect on 1 Jan. \J1948\j).
\B24\b City of Greater \JWollongong\j created.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b City of \JBlue Mountains\j formed by uniting the municipalities of Blackheath and Katoomba and the shire of \JBlue Mountains\j, NSW.
\B15\b Bill to nationalise banking introduced into federal parliament.
\B18\b Two mail trains collide head-on at Tamaree, Qld; eight people killed.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Nauru becomes a United Nations Trusteeship Territory administered jointly by Australia, the UK, and NZ.
\B8\b Cain government voted out of office in Vic; T. T. Hollway (Lib.) forms a coalition government (20 Nov.).
\B18\b Australia conforms to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
\B30\b Australian Regular Army formed.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B13\b First election for the NT Legislative Council held.
\B18\b Edward Brooker becomes Premier of Tas. on Robert Cosgrove's resignation to face bribery and corruption charges.
\B26\b Heard Is. and the McDonald Islands transferred from British to Australian administration.
\B31\b Wartime Commonwealth control over the production and marketing of eggs ends, and State Egg Boards take over.
* Long Range Weapons Establishment (now Weapons Research Establishment) set up at Salisbury, SA, with a rocket range at Woomera.
* Archbishop H. W. K. Mowll of Sydney becomes Anglican Primate of Australia.
* \JBarossa Valley\j wine festival first held.
* Golden Circle factory set up in Brisbane by a co-operative of pineapple growers.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery etc.\b
Cloud-seeding experiments by the CSIR near Bathurst, NSW, cause the first man-made rain to fall (5 Feb.)
Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition establishes a scientific station on Heard Is. (Closes \J1955\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JRussell Drysdale\j, \ISofala\i\b (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
William Dargie, \ISir Marcus Clark\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra formed.
Graeme Bell's jazz band makes a European tour.
Evie Hayes stars in \IAnnie Get Your Gun\i\b.
"McCackie Mansion", with Roy Rene ("Mo"), begins on radio.
\IBush Christmas\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Jon Cleary, \IYou Can't See Round Corners\i\b.
M. Barnard Eldershaw, \ITomorrow and Tomorrow\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
First visit to Australia of an Indian cricket team.
Jim Ferrier wins the US Professional Golf Association championship.
Hiraji wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia 7,637,963 (census, 30 June: 7,579,358).
Aerial crop spraying first used in Australia (near Narrabri, NSW).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 25 Rupert Bunny d. (82).
Jul 30 Sir \JJoseph Cook\j d. (86).
\BDescription:\b Migrants arriving in Sydney \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"1948",164,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Employees under federal awards begin working a 40-hour week.
\B4\b Melbourne tramway employees strike over 40-hour-week rosters, prompting the state government to pass an Essential Services Act (15th).
\B22\b J. S. (Jock) Garden, former secretary to E. J. Ward, charged with forgery concerning timber leases in New Guinea. (Later sentenced to gaol term.)
\B28\b Immigration Minister A. A. Calwell announces that all coloured people who found refuge in Australia during the war must leave the country.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Qld railway workers strike (to 2 Apr.) for increased pay; state government responds by legislating to give the government and police power to deal with emergencies. (State of emergency declared on 27th.)
\B16\b NT Legislative Council sits for the first time.
\B25\b Robert Cosgrove resumes the premiership of Tas., having been acquitted of bribery, conspiracy, and corruption charges.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Department store of Charles Moore & Co. in Adelaide gutted by fire.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Customs Dept bond store in Waterloo, Sydney, burnt out.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b Inaugural session of the South Pacific Commission held in Sydney.
\B18\b Legislation enacted for proportional representation in Senate elections.
\B29\b Referendum seeking permanent Commonwealth power to control rents and prices defeated.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth pharmaceutical benefits become available.
\B24\b Rationing of meat and clothing ends.
\B30\b Mail train derailed near Rocky Ponds, NSW; 4 killed and 19 injured.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Citizen Military Forces (CMF) re-established.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B11\b High Court declares much of the Bank Nationalisation Act invalid.
\B16\b Rent control transferred from Commonwealth to states.
\B31\b RAN commissions its first air station, HMAS \IAlbatross\i\b at Nowra, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b First Holden motor car comes off the assembly line. (Publicly displayed and named on 29 Nov.)
\B2\b ANA DC3 \ILutana\i\b crashes near Quirindi, NSW; 13 killed, including Margaret McIntyre, the first woman member of Tas. parliament (elected to the Legislative Council on 8 May).
\B20\b Price control transferred from Commonwealth to states.
\B24\b H. V. Evatt elected president of the UN General Assembly.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia and NZ acquire full rights to mine phosphate on Christmas Is. (Buy out Christmas Island Phosphate Co.'s interests on 31 Dec.)
\B6\b NSW coalminers strike (to 8 Nov.).
\B27\b Covent Gardens Restaurant in Adelaide destroyed by fire; five killed.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B25\b Wheat Industry Stabilisation Act provides for a five-year stabilisation plan with a guaranteed price to growers.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Legislation enacted granting the ACT a non-voting member of the House of Representatives.
\B10\b Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service comes into operation.
\B16\b RAN's first aircraft carrier, HMAS \ISydney\i\b, commissioned.
û Town of South Coast (later City of Gold Coast), Qld, established.
* Senate enlarged to 60 members (10 per state instead of 6), House of Representatives to 121.
* Nuffield Foundation travelling scholarships first made to Australians.
* Dyason Foundation established to finance an annual lecture tour by an overseas scholar.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
BANARE sets up a permanent research station on Macquarie Is.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell\j wins both the Archibald Prize (with \IMargaret Olley\i\b) and the Wynne Prize (with \IStorm Approaching, Wangi\i\b).
Eugene Goossens appointed director of the NSW State Conservatorium and conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra established.
Raymond Hanson composes his Trumpet Concerto.
Eileen Joyce, the Williamson Italian Grand Opera Company, the Ballet Rambert, and the Old Vic Company, led by Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, make tours of Australia.
\JSumner Locke Elliott\j's play \IRusty Bugles\i\b banned in NSW (until language subdued).
\JBob Dyer\j's quiz show "Pick a Box" begins on radio.
Importation of horror films banned.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ruth Park, \IThe Harp in the South\i\b.
Francis Webb, \IA Drum for Ben Boyd\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Aunt's Story\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the London Olympic Games, John Winter wins the high jump and Merv Wood the single sculls.
Ossie Pickworth wins the Australian Open golf championship for the third time running.
Rimfire wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 7,792,465.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú5 19s.
Cost of Holden sedan: ú760.
Migrant intake reaches 20,000 a year.
National anti-tuberculosis campaign begins (Sept.).
Charges for patients in mental hospitals abolished.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 12 Sir \JIsaac Isaacs\j d. (92).
Jun 18 Robyn Archer b.
Jun 19 George Sorlie d. (63).
Jun 21 \JLionel Rose\j b.
Aug 7 \JGreg Chappell\j b.
#
"1949",165,"f\10\pl114.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B21\b Royal commission held (to 18 Apr) to consider whether E. J. Ward had any part in the granting of timber leases in New Guinea. (Ward exonerated 24 June.)
\B23\b \ISunday Herald\i\b begins publication in Sydney.
\B26\b Nationality and Citizenship Act comes into force, creating the status of "Australian citizen."
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B26\b Severe cyclone damages Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Bundaberg (Qld); 4 lives lost.
û Commonwealth government legislates to establish an Australian shipping line.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crashes at Coolangatta; 21 killed.
\B15\b Australian Broadcasting Control Board comes into being.
\B16\b Shepparton, Vic., created a city.
\B18\b High Court rules that Mrs O'Keefe, an Indonesian married to an Australian, and her eight children should not be deported.
\B25\b Federal franchise extended to certain Aborigines: (a) those entitled to vote in their own state; (b) members or former members of the armed services.
û Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) established.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
û Ten thousand people attend a meeting of the Australian Peace Congress in Melbourne addressed by the Dean of Canterbury, Dr Hewlett Johnson.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b Royal commission appointed in Vic. to investigate the activities of the Communist Party (sits from 20 June to 6 Mar. \J1950\j).
\B25\b Horsham, Vic., proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Petrol rationing lifted when the High Court declares the regulations invalid. (Reimposed temporarily in all mainland states on 15 Nov.)
\B27\b Nation-wide coalminers' strike (to 15 Aug.), which causes severe gas and electricity restrictions.
\B29\b National Emergency (Coal Strike) Act passed, freezing union funds and forbidding support for strikers. (Eight union leaders subsequently gaoled.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Papua and New Guinea Act comes into force, formally merging the two territories into an administrative union.
New South Wales University of Technology incorporated by act of parliament. (Renamed the University of New South Wales in \J1958\j.)
\B7\b Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority established by act of parliament. (Work begins on the Snowy Mountains scheme on 17 Oct.)
\B26\b Privy Council upholds the High Court decision that bank nationalisation was beyond the Commonwealth government's powers.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal government orders troops to begin operating open-cut mines.
\B15\b Coal strike collapses and miners resume work.
û J. M. White finds uranium ore at Rum Jungle, NT.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B19\b Australia, in line with Britain, devalues the pound against the US dollar (úA=$US2.24).
A. E. Monk becomes the first full-time president of the ACTU.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B17\b L. L. Sharkey, chairman of the Communist Party, sentenced to three years' gaol for uttering seditious words.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B22\b Hamilton, Vic. proclaimed a city.
\B26\b Australia and America sign an agreement in \JCanberra\j for educational and cultural exchanges under the Fulbright Scheme.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Unions lift their four-year ban on Dutch shipping to Indonesia.
\B10\b Election for House of Representatives (increased to 121 members) and half Senate (increased from 36 to 60 members); Chifley government defeated; new members include Paul Hasluck, William \JMcMahon\j, and Sen. \JJohn Gorton\j; R. G. Menzies becomes Prime Minister.
\B19\b Menzies government sworn in; A. W. Fadden Deputy Prime Minister; \JEnid Lyons\j, the first woman to serve in a Commonwealth ministry, Vice-President of the Executive Council.
* Poliomyelitis epidemic in most states.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
CSIR becomes the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (\JCSIRO\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Arthur Murch, \IBonar Dunlop\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Joan Sutherland wins the Sydney Sun Aria competition.
ABC establishes permanent symphony orchestras in Vic. and SA.
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Co., with Anthony Quayle and Diana Wynyard, tours Australia, as does Robert Morley in his own play, \IEdward My Son\i\b.
Films: Charles Chauvel's \ISons of Matthew\i\b.
Harry Watt's \I\JEureka\j Stockade\i\b.
\BD Books and Writing\b
David Campbell, \ISpeak with the Sun\i\b.
Ruth Park, \IPoor Man's Orange\i\b.
Percival Serle, \IDictionary of Australian Biography\i\b.
Judith Wright, \IWoman to Man\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Cyclist Sid Patterson wins the world amateur sprint championship.
\JDave Sands\j wins the Empire middleweight boxing championship.
Foxzami wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches eight million.
During the year the 100,000th British migrant and the 50,000th European displaced person since the end of the war arrive in Australia.
A. A. Calwell calls for the use of the term \INew Australian\i\b.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jul 18 \JDennis Lillee\j b.
Aug 15 Roderic Quinn d. (81).
Oct 11 Sydney Ure Smith d. (62).
\BDescription:\b \JRobert Menzies\j becomes Prime Minister \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"1950",166,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B9\b British Commonwealth foreign ministers meet in Colombo (to 14th), where Australia's Percy Spender initiates the Colombo Plan for economic aid to South-East Asia.
\B18\b Cyclone moving from Qld to Sydney causes seven deaths and widespread damage (to 19th).
\B25\b Explosion on HMAS \ITarakan\i\b at Garden Is. dockyard in Sydney; eight killed.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Petrol rationing finally ends.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B27\b Communist Party Dissolution Bill introduced into federal parliament. (Passed by both houses; receives royal assent 20 Oct.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B16\b Electricity Commission of NSW established to take over the generation of electricity in the state.
\B31\b Sale, Vic, proclaimed a city.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Sir Thomas Blamey becomes the first Australian to attain the rank of field marshal.
\B16\b Butter rationing ends.
\B26\b ANA DC4 \IAmana\i\b crashes near York, WA; 29 killed.
\B27\b J. G. B. McDonald forms a Country Party ministry in Vic. with Labor support following the election on 13 May.
\B29\b Prime Minister Menzies announces that two RAN shipsùthe frigate \IShoalhaven\i\b and the destroyer \IBataan\i\b ùwould be placed at the disposal of the UN in Korea (North Korea having invaded South Korea on 25 June).
û Severe gales, flood rains, and high seas cause 26 deaths in NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b RAAF Mustangs of 77th Fighter Squadron, based in Japan, begin operational duties in Korea.
\B3\b Rationing of tea ends.
\B17\b Aircraft of No. 1 Squadron RAAF fly to Tengah, Singapore, for duty during the Malayan Emergency.
\B26\b Australian government announces that ground troops would be sent to Korea.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B17\b Advance party of Australian troops from Japan land in Korea. (Main body of the 3rd Battalion, RAR, arrive on 28th.)
\B22\b Menzies announces that, in future, personnel recruited for army and citizen military units would be liable for service anywhere.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B16\b Railwaymen in Vic. begin a 54-day strike.
\B17\b Australian ground forces in Korea go into action at Sariwon and (22nd) have their first hard fight near Yongyu, north of Pyongyang.
\B23\b Rail strike in SA (to 19 Nov.).
\B27\b Australian forces in Korea win the Battle of the Broken Bridge.
\B11\b Adult suffrage introduced in elections for the Vic. Legislative Council.
\B14\b High Court hears a challenge to the validity of the Communist Party Dissolution Act made by the party and ten unions (to 20 Dec.); H. V. Evatt, ALP deputy leader, appears for the Waterside Workers' Federation.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Liquor prohibition rejected in WA referendum.
û Australian troops withdraw from North Korea to the south, and RAN ships \IWarramunga\i\b and \IBataan\i\b take part in the evacuation of UN forces and refugees from Chinnampo.
* Bauxite deposits discovered on Marchinbar Is., off the Gove Peninsula, NT.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Work begins on the overhead railway at Circular Quay, Sydney (û \J1956\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
\JCSIRO\j successfully releases the rabbit virus disease \Jmyxomatosis\j in the Murray Valley.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Dargie, \ISir Leslie McConnan\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
\JLloyd Rees\j, \IThe Harbour from \JMcMahon\js Point\i\b (awarded Wynne Prize).
June Bronhill wins the Sydney Sun Aria competition.
ABC establishes a permanent symphony orchestra in WA.
Eddie Samuels's musical \IThe Highwayman\i\b and the ballet \ICorroboree\i\b (music by John Antill, choreography by Rex Reid) first performed.
\IBitter Springs\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Brent of Bin Bin (\JMiles Franklin\j), \IPrelude to Waking\i\b.
Frank Hardy, \IPower Without Glory\i\b (subject of a criminal libel action brought by Mrs \JJohn Wren\j; author eventually found not guilty).
Brian James, \IThe Advancement of Spencer Button\i\b.
Nevil Shute, \IA Town Like Alice\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australia (Frank Sedgman, Ken McGregor, and John Bromwich) beats the US to win the Davis Cup.
Sid Patterson wins the world amateur pursuit cycling title in Belgium.
Keith Barry sets a world speed record in his hydroplane \IFirefly\i\b.
Comic Court wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 8,307,481.
Female basic wage set at 75% of the male wage.
Child endowment extended to cover the first child.
Commonwealth introduces a free milk scheme for schoolchildren.
"Bodgies" and "widgies" first noted in newspapers.
Sydney has a record-breaking 2,193 mm of rain during the year.
Lake Eyre fills with waterùthe first time to be observed by Europeans.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 E. G. Theodore d. (65).
#
"1951",167,"0","Anti-war bill of 1951","mfilm41i.avi"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b Melbourne prostitute Jean Lee and her two pimps are hanged in Melbourne for the torture and murder of a 73-year-old bookmaker.
\B21\b Pensioner Medical Service begins, providing all pensioners with free medical care.
\B24\b Train and bus collide at a level crossing at Horsham, Vic; 11 killed.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b High Court declares the Communist Party Dissolution Act invalid.
\B11\b Australian forces in Korea capture Chisan.
\B17\b National Service Act requires males aged 19 to register for compulsory training in the armed services.
\B19\b Prime Minister Menzies obtains a double dissolution of parliament following the failure of the Labor-dominated Senate to pass banking legislation.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B24\b Australian forces in Korea halt the Chinese advance at Kapyong.
\B26\b R. G. Casey replaces Percy Spender as Minister for External Affairs; Spender becomes ambassador in Washington.
\B28\b Election for federal parliament; Menzies government returned to office with a reduced majority in the lower house but with control of the Senate.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b School of the Air begins, broadcasting from the Flying Doctor base at \JAlice Springs.\j
\B13\b J. B. Chifley dies. (H. V. Evatt replaces him as leader of the opposition on 20 June.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
û Pensioner pharmaceutical benefits introduced.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b \IAustralian Financial Review\i\b begins publication in Sydney, as a weekly.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Security treaty between Australia, NZ, and the USùthe ANZUS Treatyùsigned at San Francisco. (Ratified on 29 Apr. \J1952.)\j
\B8\b Treaty of Peace between Allied Powers and Japan signed in San Francisco (comes into force on 28 Apr. \J1952)\j; Australia's occupation force in Japan ceases operations.
\B22\b Referendum to give the Commonwealth government power to ban the Communist Party defeated by a narrow margin (2,317,927 in favour; 2,370,009 against).
\B26\b Federal government introduces a "horror Budget", greatly increasing sales taxes.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian and New Zealand Bank Ltd formed by the amalgamation of the Union Bank of Australia and the Bank of Australasia.
\B8\b Australian forces in Korea advance to the Jamestown Line in the British Commonwealth Division's "Operation Commando."
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
û Aborigines holding certificates of citizenship are given the vote in WA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
û Newcastle University College established as a college of the NSW University of Technology. (Becomes the University of Newcastle in \J1965.)\j
ò Division of the NSW University of Technology established in \JWollongong,\j NSW. (Becomes the University of \JWollongong\j in \J1975.)\j
ò Commonwealth Scholarship scheme for university students begins operating.
ò Justice A. V. Maxwell heads a royal commission into liquor laws in NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
County of Cumberland Scheme, controlling town planning for the City of Sydney and 68 adjacent local government areas, becomes law (27 June).
Foundation stone laid of the La Trobe wing of the State Library of Vic. (2 July).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
F. G. McEncroe of \JBendigo,\j Vic., creates the Chiko Roll.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Blake Prize for religious art, awarded for the first time, goes to Justin O'Brien.
Ivor Hele, \ILaurie Thomas, Esq\i\b., wins the Archibald Prize.
Borovansky ballet company re-formed.
Aboriginal tenor Harold Blair makes an Australian tour for the ABC.
NSW National Opera Co. presents its first season.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Dymphna Cusack and Florence James, \ICome In Spinner\i\b.
Eric Lambert, \ITwenty Thousand Thieves\i\b.
Seaforth (Kenneth) Mackenzie, \IDead Men Rising\i\b.
Colin Simpson, \IAdam in Ochre\i\b.
Dal Stivens, \IJimmy Brockett\i\b.
Alan Yates begins publication of his Carter Brown crime stories.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australia (Frank Sedgman, Mervyn Rose, Ken McGregor) beats the US (Seixas and Schroeder) to win the Davis Cup.
Delta wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 8,527,907.
Price of wool reaches a record 375 pence per pound (average 144 pence), compared with 10 pence in \J1939.\j
More than 1,500 cases and 121 deaths from poliomyelitis reported in NSW.
Commonwealth and state governments agree to implement a policy of assimilation of Aborigines.
Paid sick leave and paid long-service leave introduced in NSW.
Waverley Council in Sydney bans the bikini swimsuit on its beaches.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 18 \JDaisy Bates\j d. (87).
May 5 \JJohn Flynn\j ("Flynn of the Inland") d. (70).
May 27 Sir Thomas Blamey d. (67).
Jun 13 J. B. Chifley d. (65).
Jul 31 Evonne Goolagong (Cawley) b.
Aug 24 Brian Penton d. (47).
Dec 22 Jan Stephenson b.
\BViddescription:\b Attempts to outlaw Communist Party (Film World)
#
"1952",168,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B11\b Frederick McDermott, imprisoned for life in \J1946\j for the murder of a Grenfell, NSW, storekeeper, is released after a royal commission finds him innocent.
\B15\b V. C. Gair becomes Premier of Qld on the death of E. M. Hanlon.
û Bushfires in NSW (which started in Dec. \J1951\j) and Vic. (to Mar.) claim 16 lives and cause great destruction to land and property.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b \INorthern Territory News\i\b begins publication in Darwin.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Severe import restrictions imposed on all commodities; tourists' travelling allowances reduced.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Agreement between Commonwealth and SA governments and the Combined Development Agency of the UK and USA on development of uranium deposits at Radium Hill, SA.
\B3\b J. J. Cahill becomes Premier of NSW following the resignation of James McGirr.
\B18\b Sir Owen Dixon succeeds Sir John Latham as Chief Justice of the High Court.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Ten people killed and 81 injured in a train crash at Berala, Sydney.
û Sixty-year-old artist Ian Fairweather sails a home-made raft from Darwin to the island of Roti, south-west of Timor.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Train and bus collision at a level crossing at Boronia, Vic; nine people killed.
û Serious flooding of the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, and Macquarie systems in NSW (to Aug.); in Gippsland and south-west Vic. (to July; two deaths); and in Tas. (most destructive in the state's history to date).
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B4\b ANZUS Council opens its first session at Honolulu.
û Floods on the Hunter, Macleay, Macquarie, Clarence, and Nepean rivers in NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B10\b MV \IAwahou\i\b disappears between Sydney and Lord Howe Is; all 12 hands lost.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B3\b Britain explodes its first atomic bomb in the Monte Bello Islands, WA (Operation Hurricane).
\B25\b Buddhist Society of NSW holds its first meeting in Sydney.
\B27\b T. T. Hollway forms a brief ministry in Vic. following refusal of supply by the upper house; John McDonald resumes office on 31st.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B18\b Two-airlines policy legislation enacted to maintain competition between ANA and TAA while ensuring the existence of ANA.
\B29\b \JGough Whitlam\j enters parliament, winning a by-election for the seat of Werriwa, NSW.
û Australian Army Observer Unit sent to Malaya during emergency.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b Labor wins Vic. election; John Cain again becomes Premier (17 Dec.).
\B25\b Body of Shirley Butler found in Waverton, Sydney; murderer never found.
* Severe drought continues in Qld, NT, and WA.
* Lang Hancock discovers the Hamersley, WA, iron-ore deposits.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Perth Causeway Bridge completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australian Academy of Science founded. (Constituted by Royal Charter on 16 Feb \J1954\j.)
Jindivik pilotless jet target aircraft makes its first controlled flight.
Alan Walsh of the \JCSIRO\j develops the atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Mervyn Victor Richardson begins producing the \JVicta\j rotary lawnmower.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Dargie, \IMr Essington Lewis\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Joan Sutherland makes her debut at Covent Garden in \IThe Magic Flute\i\b.
Kira Bousloff founds the West Australian Ballet Company.
\IKangaroo\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Martin Boyd, \IThe Cardboard Crown\i\b.
Jon Cleary, \IThe Sundowners\i\b.
Robert D. FitzGerald, \IBetween Two Tides\i\b.
T. A. G. Hungerford, \IThe Ridge and the River\i\b.
Judah Waten, \IAlien Son\i\b.
Chester Wilmot, \IThe Struggle for Europe\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the Helsinki Olympics, Marjorie Jackson wins the 100 m and 200 m track events, Shirley Strickland wins the 80 m hurdles, John Davies wins the 200 m breaststroke swimming, and Russell Mockridge wins the 1,000 m cycling time trial and (with L. Cox) the 2,000 m tandem race.
Frank Sedgman wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Sedgman, McGregor) wins the Davis Cup.
\JJimmy Carruthers\j beats Vic Toweel in Johannesburg to take the world bantamweight boxing title (15 Nov.).
\JHorace Lindrum\j becomes world professional snooker champion.
Dalray wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 8,739,569.
Inflation rate rises to 21%.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú11 11s.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 10 Sir Benjamin Fuller d. (76).
Aug 17 Sir William Dixson d. (82).
Aug 22 E. J. Brady d. (83).
Oct 4 Sir Keith Murdoch d. (67).
Oct 28 W. M. Hughes d. (88).
Nov 30 \JElizabeth Kenny\j d. (72).
#
"1953",169,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b Japan's first post-war ambassador to Australia arrives in Sydney.
\B22\b NT Legislative Council passes legislation to give full citizenship rights to
NT Aborigines other than those committed to state care.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b Labor wins office in WA election; A. R. G. Hawke becomes Premier (sworn in on 23 Feb.).
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B29\b Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia established as separate body.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b Sir William Slim succeeds Sir \JWilliam McKell\j as Governor-General.
\B9\b Election for half Senate. (Subsequent party affiliations: 29 ALP, 31 Lib.ûCP.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Britain and Australia sign an agreement for reciprocity in social service benefits. (Comes into operation on 7 Jan. \J1954\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth medical benefits scheme begins operating. (Benefits paid only to contributors to a voluntary health insurance fund.)
\B27\b Armistice signed at Panmunjom ends fighting in Korea.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Automatic quarterly cost-of-living adjustments to the basic wage discontinued.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B11\b Sydney's \ISunday Herald\i\b and \ISunday Sun\i\b merge to form the \ISun-Herald\i\b, following the purchase by the Fairfax organisation of a controlling interest in Associated Newspapers.
\B15\b Britain explodes the first of two nuclear devices at Emu Field, Woomera, SA (Operation Totem; second explosion on 27th).
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
û West Australian Petroleum Ltd (WAPET) strikes oil at Rough Range, near North-West Cape, WA. (Announcement made on 4 Dec.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Trial in Sydney of "Mr One-By-One" (Edward Charles Windeyer), who forged ú10 notes and used them one at a time at race meetings; sentenced to seven years' gaol.
\B19\b Two trains collide at Sydenham, Sydney; five killed and 748 injured.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
B. Y. Mills develops the Mills Cross radio-telescope.
Australian Atomic Energy Commission established (15 Apr.).
\JCSIRO\j discovers an anti-shrink process for wool.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ivor Hele, \ISir Henry Simpson Newland\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Lance Solomon, \IThe River Bend\i\b (awarded the Wynne Art Prize).
John Sumner forms the Union Theatre Repertory Company in Melbourne (becomes the Melbourne Theatre Company in \J1968\j).
Dick Diamond's musical play \IReedy River\i\b first produced at Sydney's New Theatre.
Festival of Perth first held.
Lee Robinson, \IThe Phantom Stockman\i\b (film).
Royal commission appointed to inquire into the proposed establishment of television.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Nevil Shute, \IIn the Wet\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLew Hoad\j, \JKen Rosewall\j, and Rex Hartwig beat Tony Trabert and Vic Seixas of the US to win the Davis Cup.
Hoad and Rosewall win the Wimbledon doubles.
Cyclist Sid Patterson wins the world professional pursuit title for the second year in a row.
Redex round-Australia car trial first held.
Wodalla wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 8,902,686.
Total Australian army casualties in Korean War: 1,538, including 281 killed.
Compulsory unionism legislation passed in NSW (though never enforced).
Australia proclaims sovereignty over the resources of its continental shelf.
Fluoridation of water supply first introduced in Australia at Beaconsfield, Tas.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 28 J. H. Scullin d. (76).
Mar 30 Bert Bailey d. (84).
Sep 1 Bernard O'Dowd d. (87).
Oct 26 \JJohn Wren\j d. (82).
Dec 2 R. L. ("Snowy") Baker d. (69).
Dec 20 King O'Malley d. (95?).
#
"1954",170,"f\6\3_0097.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Queen Elizabeth II, the first reigning monarch to visit Australia, arrives in Sydney with Prince Philip for a visit to all states (to 1 Apr.).
\B20\b NSW experiences its worst cyclone (to 22nd), which causes disastrous flooding of northern rivers and the deaths of 26 people; sustained and widespread flooding also occurs in Qld, where at least 10 lives are lost and Rockhampton is cut off.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Earthquake (5.4 on Richter scale) causes extensive damage in the Adelaide area.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Vladimir Petrov defects from the Soviet Embassy in \JCanberra\j and seeks political asylum in Australia.
\B13\b Prime Minister Menzies informs parliament of Petrov's defection and announces that a royal commission will be held into Soviet espionage in Australia.
\B20\b Mrs Evdokia Petrov leaves the aircraft taking her back to the Soviet Union at Darwin and seeks political asylum in Australia with her husband.
\B29\b Australia and Russia break off diplomatic relations.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b British interests in TEAL taken over by Australia.
\B17\b Petrov royal commission begins its inquiry.
\B21\b \JTennant Creek\j, NT, proclaimed a town.
\B29\b Election for House of Representatives; MenziesûFadden government re-elected with a reduced but safe majority.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Severe flooding in eastern and southern Tas. (to 7th).
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B5\b Tattersall's lotteries transfer from Hobart to Melbourne.
\B12\b Heavy rain and gales (to 13th) cause floods in river districts of south-east Qld and northern NSW.
û Large deposit of uranium discovered at Mary Kathleen, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b Federal opposition leader H. V. Evatt appears for two witnesses (members of his secretariat) in the Petrov royal commission. (His leave to appear is withdrawn on 7 Sept. after he makes charges of political conspiracy.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Telex (teleprinter exchange) service introduced in Sydney and Melbourne.
\B8\b South-East Asia Collective Defence Treaty and Pacific Charter signed at Manila, leading to the creation of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO).
\B17\b Treatment plant opened at Rum Jungle uranium mine, NT.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Evatt publicly attacks Vic. right-wing members of the ALP, accusing them of disloyal and subversive actions directed from outside the party (i.e., by the Industrial Groups, organised by the Catholic Social Studies Movement).
\B13\b Seven miners killed by gas in a coalmine at Collinsville, Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Legislation introduced in WA to legalise off-course betting.
\B13\b Australia's first automatic telephone time service begins operating in Sydney.
Referendum in NSW on hotel closing hours; majority in favour of 10 p.m.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Mt Gambier, SA, becomes a city.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
AustralianûAmerican \JWar Memorial\j in \JCanberra\j unveiled by the Queen (16 Feb.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
ANARE establishes a scientific research station at Mawson, on the coast of MacRobertson Land, Australian Antarctic Territory (13 Feb.).
Nuclear Research Foundation established in Sydney (12 May).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ivor Hele, \IRt Hon. R. G. Menzies\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust founded (Sept.).
William Orr's revues begin at the Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney.
Films: John Heyer's documentary \IThe Back of Beyond\i\b.
Lee Robinson's \IKing of the Coral Sea\i\b.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Vance Palmer, \IThe Legend of the Nineties\i\b.
Literary quarterly \IOverland\i\b launched by Stephen Murray-Smith.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JJohn Landy\j breaks two world records, running a mile in 3 min. 58 sec. and 1,500 metres in 3 min. 41.8 sec.
Hector Hogan runs 100 yards in 9.3 sec., equalling the world record.
\JPeter Thomson\j wins the British Open golf championship.
"Gelignite" Jack Murray wins the second Redex round-Australia car trial.
Film star Peter Lawford introduces the Malibu surfboard to Australia.
Rising Fast wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia reaches nine million (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 8,986,530).
Proportion of Australia's workforce unionised peaks at 62%.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 10 Chester Wilmot d. (42).
Sep 19 \JMiles Franklin\j d. (74).
Nov 14 Inigo Jones d. (81).
Nov 22 Roy Rene ("Mo") d. (63).
\BDescription:\b NSW experiences its worst cyclone which causes disastrous flooding \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1955",171,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b "Black Sunday" in Adelaide, with bushfires, gale-force winds, and a temperature of 40░C; two firefighters die and the vice-regal residence at Marble Hill is destroyed.
\B11\b Harbour at Cockburn Sound, WA, opened to provide shipping facilities for Kwinana.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Six o'clock closing of hotels in NSW ends; bars allowed to open till 10 p.m. (with, for some time, a break from 6.30 to 7.30).
\B7\b Australia's first aluminium plant, at Bell Bay, Tas., begins production.
\B19\b Labor retains office in a tied election in Tas., in which the first women (Liberals Mabel Miller and Amelia Best) are elected to the House of Assembly.
\B22\b First power generated by the Snowy Mountains schemeùfrom the Guthega power stationùis fed into the NSW electricity system.
\B23\b First meeting of SEATO council held in Bangkok.
\B25\b Disastrous floods in northern NSW; more than 2,000 homes flooded in Maitland and about 100 swept away; at least 22 people drown.
û Adelaide's new airport at West Beach opens.
û British Petroleum's refinery at Kwinana, WA, comes into operation.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B15\b Split in the Labor Party over activities of the Industrial Groups comes to a head at the ALP federal conference in Hobart.
\B31\b Federal cabinet agrees to send ground troops to Malaya.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b ALP Vic. executive expels 104 Industrial Group members of the party, including 18 members of the Vic. parliament and six members of the House of Representatives, who subsequently form the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), later the Democratic Labor Party.
\B29\b Catholic bishops and archbishops issue a joint pastoral attacking communism in unions and criticising the withdrawal by the ALP of official recognition of the Industrial Groups.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B28\b Cain Labor government defeated in Vic. election; Henry Bolte becomes Premier (8 June).
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B10\b Frank Browne and Raymond Fitzpatrick charged before the bar of the House of Representatives with a breach of parliamentary privilege and sentenced to three months' imprisonment.
\B24\b Strike by Sydney newspaper printers (to 15 July); proprietors bring out a composite paper, and journalists and printers produce their own daily, the \IClarion.\i\b
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
û Huge deposits of bauxite discovered at Weipa, Cape York, by geologist Henry J. Evans.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B30\b Pilotless Auster aircraft takes off from Bankstown and flies over Sydney for three hours before being shot down by navy planes.
Australian Iron and Steel Ltd's new hot-strip steel mill opened at Port Kembla.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Advance party of Australian troops leave for Malaya to become part of the British Commonwealth Strategic Defence Force in South-East Asia.
\B14\b Petrov royal commission final report tabled in federal parliament. (No new spies uncovered and no prosecutions begun.)
\B17\b Referendum in the ACT on hotel closing hours results in a majority for 10 p.m.
\B27\b Severe import restrictions imposed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b Opposition leader H. V. Evatt reveals that he wrote to Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov to ascertain the truth of evidence given before the Petrov commission.
\B27\b Aircraft-carrier HMAS \IMelbourne\i\b (formerly HMS \IMajestic\i\b) commissioned in Britain.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B16\b New satellite town of Elizabeth, SA, named.
\B23\b Cocos (Keeling) Islands become Australian territory.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B10\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Menzies government returned with an increased majority; Anti-Communist Labor members lose their seats in the House of Representatives (but have two seats in the Senate); new members include J. F. Cairns, \JMalcolm Fraser\j, and B. M. Snedden.
\B18\b Adelaide's \ISunday Advertiser\i\b merges with the \IMail\i\b to become the \ISunday Mail.\i\b
***
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ivor Hele, \IRobert Campbell, Esq.\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Ray Lawler's play \IThe Summer of the Seventeenth Doll\i\b first produced in Melbourne by the Union Theatre Repertory Co. (28 Nov.).
Robert Helpmann and Katharine Hepburn head an Old Vic company on an Australian tour; another to tour is Judith Anderson (in \IMedea\i\b).
\JBarry Humphries\j' character Edna Everage makes her stage debut (19 Dec.).
Elizabethan Theatre opens in Newtown, Sydney (27 July).
Melbourne's Moomba Festival inaugurated.
Charles Chauvel, \IJedda\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Martin Boyd, \IA Difficult Young Man\i\b.
A. D. Hope, \IThe Wandering Islands\i\b.
\JAlan Marshall\j, \II Can Jump Puddles\i\b.
D'Arcy Niland, \IThe Shiralee\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Tree of Man\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australia (Hoad, Rosewall, Hartwig) beats the US to win the Davis Cup.
Laurie Whitehead in a Volkswagen wins the third and last (and longest) Redex round-Australia car trial.
\B1\b Australian troops take part in their first action in Malaya against Communist terrorists in Kedah state.
\B17\b Waterside workers begin a month-long strike for pay increases.
\B19\b Two new savings banks opened (the Bank of NSW and ANZ Bank), ending the virtual monopoly of the Commonwealth Savings Bank.
\B22\b Sydney underground railway's Circular Quay loop comes into use.
\B23\b Floods in south-west Qld wipe out the tobacco crop.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b Floods in NSW central districts, and in Vic. and north-east Tas. (to Mar.).
\B23\b Shearers begin a four-month strike over a reduction in wage rates.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Cahill government re-elected in NSW, and the Playford government re-elected in SA.
\B6\b Cyclone Agnes batters Cairns and Townsville; four people drown.
\B14\b Federal government in its "little Budget" greatly increases company tax and sales tax on cars, petrol, cigarettes, beer, and spirits.
\B16\b Prof. Sydney Sparkes Orr is summarily dismissed by the University of Tas; grounds for dismissal include misconduct with one of his female students. (Orr sues university for wrongful dismissal; claim dismissed, 19 Nov.).
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b Hawke government re-elected in WA.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B16\b Britain explodes the first of two nuclear tests (Operation Mosaic) at the Monte Bello Islands. (Second, on 19 June, raises a radioactive cloud that drifts over the mainland.)
\B19\b Labor wins its eighth successive election in Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B12\b ALP Federal executive dismisses the NSW executive, replacing it with a "balanced" group of members.
\B30\b Conciliation and Arbitration Act amended to replace the Federal Court of Conciliation and Arbitration with the Commonwealth (later, Australian) Industrial Court (to deal with judicial matters) and the Commonwealth (later, Australian) Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (for the arbitral function).
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B9\b Federal government announces its decision to subsidise Church schools in the ACT by paying interest on loans for new school buildings.
\B31\b Poker machines legalised in NSW clubs.
û Immunisation campaign against poliomyelitis using Salk vaccine begins.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B3\b Prime Minister Menzies leads a five-nation delegation to Cairo to try to settle the Suez Canal nationalisation dispute (to 6th).
\B16\b Channel TCN-9 in Sydney launches Australia's first regular television service. (GTV-9 in Melbourne begins transmission on 27 Sept., ABC on 5 Nov.)
\B27\b Britain conducts the first of a series of four atomic weapons tests (Operation Buffalo) at Maralinga, WA (other tests on 4, 11, and 12 Oct.).
\B29\b NSW Democratic Labor Party formed in Sydney by expelled ALP executive members and Industrial Group supporters.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Coastal Shipping Commission established to operate government ships, to be known as the Australian National Line.
\B13\b Labor retains government in Tas. in a second tied election.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Menzies announces his government's support of Anglo-French military action against Egypt in the Suez crisis.
\B8\b Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Australia broken off.
\B10\b Prince Philip arrives at Port Moresby on his way to open the Olympic Games in Melbourne (on 22nd).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Train collision at Wallumbilla, Qld; five people killed.
\B24\b \IWoman's Day\i\b, formed by the amalgamation of \IWoman\i\b and \IWoman's Day and Home\i\b, begins publication.
û Australia agrees to provide sanctuary for up to 10,000 refugees from Hungary following the Soviet invasion to quell uprisings.
* Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) services first introduced (in Sydney and Melbourne).
* Church of the New Faith (Scientology) introduced from the US.
***
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Dargie, \IMr Albert Namatjira\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Co. presents its first season.
Qld Conservatorium of Music founded.
Sir Eugene Goossens resigns as director of the NSW Conservatorium and conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (11 Apr.) following the discovery by Customs officers of prohibited imports in his baggage (9 Mar.).
Richard Beynon, \IThe Shifting Heart\i\b (play).
\ISmiley\i\band \IWalk into Paradise\i\b (films).
Sydney's first drive-in cinemas open at Frenchs Forest and Chullora.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ethel Anderson, \IAt Parramatta\i\b.
David Campbell, \IThe Miracle of Mullion Hill\i\b.
Alan Moorehead, \IGallipoli\i\b.
Randolph Stow, \IA Haunted Land\i\b.
\IWesterly\i\b and \IQuadrant\i\b begin publication.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian winners at Melbourne's Olympic Games: \Iathletics\i\b, \JBetty Cuthbert\j (100 m and 200 m), \JShirley Strickland\j (80 m hurdles), women's team (4 {\f1 \ú5\i\b 100 m relay); \Iswimming\i\b, \JDawn Fraser\j (100 m freestyle), \JLorraine Crapp\j (400 m freestyle), women's team (4 x 100 m relay), Jon Hendricks (100 m freestyle), \JMurray Rose\j (400 m and 1,500 m freestyle), David Theile (100 m backstroke), men's team (4 x 200 m relay); \Icycling\i\b, I. Browne and A. Marchant (200 m tandem).
\JLorraine Crapp\j breaks 18 world records while training for the Olympics.
Dave Stephens runs six miles in a world record time of 27 min. 54 sec.
\JLew Hoad\j wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Hoad and Rosewall retain the Davis Cup for Australia.
\JPeter Thomson\j wins the British Open golf championship for the third year in a row.
Evening Peal wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Australia's first motel opened, in \JCanberra\j (2 May).
\B18\b "Meals on Wheels" service introduced in Sydney.\B
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B24\b Qld central executive of the ALP expels Premier V. C. Gair from the party.
\B26\b Gair and his supporters form the Queensland Labor Party.
\B29\b Commonwealth Arbitration Commission increases the basic wage by ten shillings a week and decides to institute an annual review.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal government announces amendments to the National Service system: number of trainees to be reduced; training in the navy and air force to be discontinued; registration to remain compulsory, but intake to be determined by a ballot based on the date of birth.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B12\b Qld government falls when ALP members vote with the opposition to block supply.
\B22\b Closing of the Adaminaby Dam outlet gates completes the second major phase of the Snowy Mountains scheme.
\B26\b Melbourne \ILeader\i\b ceases publication.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b Australia and Japan sign a trade agreement on most-favoured-nation terms.
\B13\b Australia and the US conclude an agreement concerning atomic information for mutual defence purposes.
û Asian flu epidemic breaks out.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b Labor loses office in Qld after 25 years in power; G. F. R. Nicklin becomes Premier (12 Aug.).
\B27\b State anti-Communist Labor breakaway groups form the national Democratic Labor Party, with Senator George Cole as parliamentary leader.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B14\b Britain conducts the first of three Operation Antler nuclear weapons tests at Maralinga, WA (other tests on 25 Sept. and 9 Oct.).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B4\b Ansett Transport Industries takes over Australian National Airways, becoming AnsettûANA.
\B21\b Australia's first automatic telephone weather service begins in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Special Christmas postage stamps issued for the first time.
û Wyndham committee reports on secondary education in NSW. (Wyndham Scheme not introduced until \J1962\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Bushfires in the \JBlue Mountains\j, NSW, destroy 158 houses and cause the deaths of five people.
û National executive of "The Movement" leave that organisation and subsequently form the National Civic Council, with B. A. Santamaria as president.
* Mount Whaleback iron ore deposits discovered by prospector Stan Hilditch.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Joern Utzon of Denmark wins the competition for a design for Sydney's Opera House.
National Capital Development Commission established to carry out the planning, development, and construction of \JCanberra\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Davis scientific research station established on the coast of Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica, by ANARE (13 Jan.).
International Geophysical Year begins (1 July), over 250 Australian scientists taking part.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell\j, \I\JDame Mary Gilmore\j\i\b (painting).
Arthur Boyd begins his "Love, Marriage and Death of a Half-Caste" series of paintings (û \J1959\j).
Ivor Hele, \ISelf Portrait\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
\JSlim Dusty\j's "A Pub With No Beer" awarded Australia's first gold record.
Peter Scriven's \ITintookies\i\b puppets and the musical \ILola Montez\i\b first presented.
\JBob Dyer\j's quiz show "Pick a Box" begins on television.
\IThe Shiralee\i\b (film), with Peter Finch.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Martin Boyd, \IOutbreak of Love\i\b.
"Nino Culotta" (John O'Grady), \IThey're a Weird Mob\i\b.
John Passmore, \IA Hundred Years of Philosophy\i\b.
Vance Palmer, \ISeedtime\i\b.
Nevil Shute, \IOn the Beach\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IVoss\i\b (winner of the inaugural \JMiles Franklin\j Award).
\IAustralian Letters\i\b begins publication.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLew Hoad\j wins the men's singles at Wimbledon for the second year running.
Australia (Mal Anderson, Ashley Cooper, Mervyn Rose) wins the Davis Cup.
Australian Soccer Federation formed.
Straight Draw wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 9,744,087.
Commonwealth basic wage: ú12 16s.
Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira granted full Australian citizenship.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 11 Sir Robert Garran d. (89).
Feb 27 Robert \Jde Castella\j b.
#
"1958",174,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B10\b First Opera House lottery drawn in NSW.
\B14\b Qantas inaugurates a round-the-world air service.
\B20\b Royal Australian Naval College transferred from Flinders Naval Depot back to Jervis Bay.
\B28\b British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan arrives in Sydney for a two-week visit to Australia, the first by a British PM in office.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother arrives in \JCanberra\j to begin a visit to all states (to 7 Mar.).
\B22\b Fortnightly journal the \IObserver\i\b begins publication in Sydney (û \J1961\j).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B21\b \JJohn McEwen\j succeeds Sir \JArthur Fadden\j as federal Country Party leader.
\B24\b Sydney's Cahill Expressway opened. (Completed to Woolloomooloo in \J1962\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Cyclone damages or destroys nearly every building in Bowen, Qld.
\B5\b Bushfire near Glencoe, SA; eight fire-fighters die.
\B15\b Monash University, Melbourne, established by act of parliament.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b Work finishes on Adaminaby Dam, completing Lake Eucumbene (4,807 mil. kilolitres capacity).
\B31\b Bolte government re-elected in Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B19\b Trams cease running in Perth.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B26\b Eric Reece succeeds Robert Cosgrove as Premier of Tas.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B26\b Fortnightly independent journal \INation\i\b, founded by T. M. Fitzgerald, begins publication in Sydney (û \J1972\j).
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Administration of Christmas Is. in the Indian Ocean transferred from British-ruled Singapore to Australia.
\B7\b Albert Namatjira sentenced to six months' gaol (reduced on appeal to three months) for supplying liquor to another Aboriginal.
\B26\b Wreckage of the airliner \ISouthern Cloud\i\b, lost in \J1931\j, found in the Snowy Mountains.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B20\b Australia linked with Britain, Canada, the USA, and Japan by telex.
Australian Association of Airline Pilots strike over wages (to 27th).
\B22\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Menzies government returned with a substantial majority helped by DLP preferences.
Trams cease running in Adelaide (except on the line from city to Glenelg).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B10\b Agreement reached in \JCanberra\j between Australia and the Netherlands on administrative problems of New Guinea.
Legislation enacted in NSW to prevent the defamation of dead as well as living persons.
\B20\b Aboriginal itinerant worker Rupert Max Stuart murders nine-year-old Mary Hattam at Ceduna, SA. (Stuart is subsequently sentenced to death, but after a series of appeals, a royal commission, and much public controversy, his sentence is commuted to life imprisonment.)
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australia's first nuclear reactor, at Lucas Heights, NSW, becomes operational (18 Apr.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
W. E. Pidgeon, \IMr Ray Walker\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) established at the University of NSW.
"Bandstand", hosted by Brian Henderson, begins on television.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\IAustralian Encyclopaedia\i\b (10 vols.).
Christopher Koch, \IThe Boys in the Island\i\b.
Jack Lindsay, \ILife Rarely Tells\i\b.
Cyril Pearl, \IWild Men of Sydney\i\b.
A. A. Phillips, \IThe Australian Tradition\i\b.
J. M. D. Pringle, \IAustralian Accent\i\b.
Randolph Stow, \ITo the Islands\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Russel Ward, \IThe Australian Legend\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JHerb Elliott\j runs a world record 3 min. 54.5 sec. for the mile.
Marlene Mathews wins the Australian 100 and 220 yards championships in world record times.
Ashley Cooper wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Baystone wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 9,947,358.
Three weeks' annual leave granted to all employees under NSW awards (effective from 1 Jan. \J1959\j).
Legislation enacted in NSW to provide for equal pay for "work of the same or like nature and of equal value" performed by men and women (female wage to be increased progressively).
Clean Air Act passed in Vic., the first state to legislate to control air pollution.
Uluru National Park (\JAyers Rock\jûMt Olga), NT, proclaimed.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 17 Hugh McCrae d. (81).
Apr 8 Ethel Turner d. (88).
Jul 2 Mary Grant Bruce d. (80).
Oct 14 Sir Douglas Mawson d. (76).
Nov 30 Sir Hubert Wilkins d. (70).
#
"1959",175,"0","g","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B26\b Darwin attains city status.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b Evangelist Billy Graham arrives in Sydney to begin his first crusade in Australia (to 31 May).
\i\B16\b Cyclone Connie, the most powerful cyclone for forty years, causes severe damage and the death of one man at Bowen, Qld.
\i\B23\b National Heart Foundation formed at a conference in \JCanberra.\j
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Playford government re-elected in SA; new MPs include Joyce Steele and Jessie Cooper, the first women elected to the SA parliament.
\i\B21\b Labor loses office in WA election; David Brand becomes Premier of a coalition government.
Cahill government re-elected in NSW by a narrow majority.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Reece Labor government re-elected in Tas.
\i\B4\b First major power station of the Snowy Mountains scheme (T1 underground station) begins operating.
\i\B7\b Legislation enacted establishing a permanent Australian Universities Commission.
- Town of South Coast, Qld, reconstituted as the City of Gold Coast.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Migration Act comes into force, abolishing the dictation test as means of excluding ineligible persons entering Australia and substituting an entry permit.
\i\B4\b Australia and the Soviet Union resume diplomatic relations.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Qantas receives its first 707 jet aircraft (which makes its initial flight, to San Francisco, on the 29th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b Princess Alexandra arrives in Australia for the Qld centenary celebrations (leaves 26 Sept.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b ANL's vehicular ferry \IPrincess of Tasmania\b\i begins operations between Melbourne and Devonport, inaugurating the roll-on/roll-off concept.
\i\B19\b Australia and the United Arab Republic (Egypt) agree to resume diplomatic relations.
\i\B22\b R. J. Heffron becomes Premier of NSW on the death of J. J. Cahill (sworn in on 28th).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B26\b National Service training scheme suspended.
\i\B27\b Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission increases margins for skill in the metal trades by 28%.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia and eleven other nations sign a thirty-year treaty in Washington to preserve Antarctica for peaceful scientific research and to retain the status quo of sovereignty.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Work begins on the Sydney Opera House (plaque laid by J. J. Cahill, 2 Mar.).
Roy Grounds, Academy of Science building, \JCanberra,\j completed (official opening, 7 May).
Narrows Bridge, Perth, completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australia takes over custody of Wilkes Antarctic research station from the USA (Feb.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JWilliam Dobell,\j \IDr Edward \JMcMahon,\j\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, opened (Feb.).
Peter Kenna, \IThe Slaughter of Saint Teresa's Day\b\i (play).
Theatre Royal, Brisbane, closes down.
\ISummer of the Seventeenth Doll\b\i and \IOn the Beach\b\i (films).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Mary Durack, \IKings in Grass Castles.\i
Vance Palmer, \IThe Big Fellow\b\i (winner \JMiles Franklin\j Award).
Morris West, \IThe Devil's Advocate.\i
Judith Wright, \IThe Generations of Men.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Jack Brabham wins the world motor-racing championship.
Australia (Neale Fraser, \JRoy Emerson,\j \JRod Laver)\j wins the Davis Cup.
Macdougal wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches ten million.
Australia receives its 1,500,000th migrant since \J1945.\j
Working hours in state-owned coalmines in NSW reduced to 37╜ a week.
Legislation introduced into federal parliament to provide for a uniform code of divorce law throughout Australia (grounds for divorce reduced to 14).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 2 \JRaymond Longford\j d. (80?).
Jun 20 Sir \JIan Clunies Ross\j d. (60).
Jul 15 Vance Palmer d. (73).
Aug 8 Albert Namatjira d. (57).
Sep 11 Percy Leason d. (70).
Oct 14 Jack Davey d. (49) and Errol Flynn d. (50).
Oct 22 J. J. Cahill d. (68).
Nov 11 Charles Chauvel d. (62).
Nov 24 Dally \JMessenger\j d. (76).
Dec 18 Edouard Borovansky d. (57).
#
"1960",176,"e\8\78_003.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B14\b Three federal banking bodies established in \J1959\jùthe Reserve Bank of Australia, the Commonwealth Development Bank, and the Commonwealth Banking Corporationùbegin operations.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Council of Churches holds its first national conference.
\i\B2\b Viscount Dunrossil succeeds Lord Slim as Governor-General.
\i\B10\b H. V. Evatt resigns as leader of the federal opposition and (15th) becomes Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court.
\i\B23\b Import licensing removed from 90% of all imported goods.
\i\B26\b Seven people die when a bridge collapses under a train at Bogantungan, Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Charge for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions introduced.
\i\B7\b \JArthur Calwell\j elected federal ALP leader to replace Evatt.
\i\B26\b Cyclone strikes Carnarvon, WA; houses blown away; town flooded.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B21\b New Commonwealth Police Force, incorporating the Peace Officers and the Commonwealth Investigation Service, begins operations.
\i\B22\b Severe floods in the Derwent Valley, Tas. (to 23rd); Hobart business basements under water and houses swept away.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b Futures trading begins in Australia with the establishment of Sydney's Greasy Wool Futures Exchange.
\i\B19\b Legislation passed prohibiting telephone tapping except in the interests of national security.
\i\B28\b Nicklin coalition government re-elected in Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b First of the 'Mutilator' murders discovered in Sydney.
\i\B10\b TAA Fokker Friendship \I\JAbel Tasman\j\b\i crashes into the sea off Mackay, Qld; 29 killed.
\i\B30\b National Service training officially ends; remaining trainees discharged.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b Eight-year-old Graeme Thorne, son of an Opera House lottery winner, is kidnapped on his way home from school in Sydney; kidnapper demands ú25,000 ransom.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B16\b Body of Graeme Thorne found at Seaforth. (Police arrest killer Stephen Bradley at Colombo on his way to England on 10 Oct.)
- Consumer Price Index (CPI) compiled for the first time (retrospectively to the Sept. quarter \J1948\j), to replace the 'C' series index.
- NSW Humanist Society founded (as the Sydney Humanist Group).
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b Warragamba Dam, NSW, officially opened (begun in \J1948\j).
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B15\b Treasurer \JHarold Holt\j introduces a credit squeeze, raising interest rates and heavily increasing sales tax on motor vehicles.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Commonwealth relaxes its 22-year-old embargo on the export of iron ore.
\i\B7\b National Library of Australia, \JCanberra\j, formerly part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, established as an independent institution.
\i\B20\b Australia's first commercial heliport opens in Melbourne on the Yarra.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JHarry Seidler\j, Australia Square, Sydney (-\J1967\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sir \JMacfarlane Burnet\j shares the Nobel Prize for medicine with Sir Peter Medawar for their work on acquired immunological tolerance.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJudy Cassab\j, \IStanislaus Rapotec,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
\JRolf Harris\j composes and records 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport'.
Adelaide Festival of the Arts first held.
\IThe Sundowners\b\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Thea Astley, \IA Descant for Gossips.\i
Robin Boyd, \IThe Australian Ugliness.\i
Jack Lindsay, \IThe Roaring Twenties.\i
Elizabeth O'Conner, \IThe Irishman\b\i (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Bernard Smith, \IEuropean Vision and the South Pacific 1767-\J1850\j.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian winners at the Rome Olympic Games: \Iathletics,\b\i \JHerb Elliott\j (1,500 m); \Iswimming,\b\i \JDawn Fraser\j (100 m freestyle), John Devitt (100 m freestyle), \JMurray Rose\j (400 m freestyle), \JJohn Konrads\j (1,500 m freestyle), David Theile (100 m backstroke); \Iequestrian,\b\i Laurie Morgan (indiv. event), Australian team (3-day trial).
\JDawn Fraser\j sets five world records at the Australian swimming championships.
Neale Fraser wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Fraser, Emerson, Laver) retains the Davis Cup.
First cricket test between Australia and the West Indies ends in a tie after a throw out on the second-last delivery with both teams twice dismissed and the scores level.
James Hardie 1,000 motor race first held (as the Armstrong 500; later the Hardie Ferodo 500) at Phillip Is., Vic.
Jack Brabham wins the world motor-racing championship for the second year in a row.
Hi Jinx wins the centenary Melbourne Cup (NZ horses taking first three places).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 10,391,920.
Provision made for Social Service Benefits to be paid to Aborigines.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 12 Nevil Shute d. (60).
Apr 10 Arthur Benjamin d. (66).
Jul 30 \JWalter Lindrum\j d. (61).
Oct 30 Alfred Hill d. (89).
\BDescription:\b \JRolf Harris\j composes and records \I"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"\i \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1961",177,"f\3\1_0058.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B9\b Myer Emporium Ltd takes over Farmer & Co. of Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Matrimonial Causes Act of \J1959\j comes into operation unifying state divorce laws.
\B25\b Last trams run in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Three timber towns in south-west WAùKarridale, Pemberton, and Augustaùdestroyed by bushfires (to 5th).
\B16\b Monash University opens in Melbourne.
\B29\b Stephen Bradley, kidnapper of Graeme Thorne, found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
\B31\b Maryborough, Vic., declared a city.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B20\b "C" series retail price index discontinued.
\B29\b NSW votes at referendum to retain the Legislative Council.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B21\b First aircraft to fly non-stop from UK to Australia (RAF Vulcan jet bomber) arrives at Richmond, NSW, after refuelling in mid-air three times during the 20-hour flight.
\B29\b Australia and the US announce a joint guided missile research project to be carried out at Woomera, SA.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B15\b Bolte government re-elected in Vic. with the help of a solid DLP vote; government majority slightly reduced.
\B26\b Australia sells its interests in Tasman Empire Airways to NZ.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b International trade fair opens in Sydney (to 12th).
\B3\b Viscount De L'Isle becomes Governor-General following the death of Lord Dunrossil on 3 Feb.
\B9\b Australia's last coastal passenger liner, the \IManoora\i\b (sold to Indonesia on 3 July), arrives in Sydney at the end of its last interstate voyage.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b Whyalla, SA, becomes a city.
\B24\b \IAustralian Financial Review\i\b changes from weekly to twice-weekly publication.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Artist Leonard Lawson, released in May after serving seven years of a 14-year sentence for the rape of two models at Terrey Hills (Syd.), rapes and kills a 16-year-old girl at Collaroy and then attempts to take several students hostage at Moss Vale where one girl is shot dead.
\B12\b Discovery of vast iron-ore deposits in the Pilbara, WA, announced.
\B30\b Viscount aircraft crashes into Botany Bay soon after take-off from Sydney Airport; all 15 on board killed.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Australia's first commercially proved oilfield discovered at Moonie, some 300 km west of Brisbane.
\B9\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Menzies government returned (as a result of DLP preferences), but with a majority in the House of Representatives of one after electing a Speaker; new members include \JBill Hayden\j and Sen. Lionel Murphy.
\B30\b Australian government expresses its concern over the controversy between the Netherlands and Indonesia in West New Guinea.
* College of the University of Qld established in Townsville. (Becomes the independent James Cook University of North Queensland in \J1970\j.)
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Peddle, Thorp and Walker, AMP Building, Sydney (û \J1962\j).
Woodward and Taranto, El Alamein Fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney.
Baha'i house of worship at Ingleside, Sydney, completed (dedicated 16 Sept.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
William \JMcBride\j confirms the link between birth abnormalities and the drug thalidomide taken during pregnancy.
\JCSIRO\j's 64 m radio-telescope at Parkes commissioned (Oct.).
Moving footway from Sydney's Domain parking station to College Street opens (9 June).
Malley's registers the trade name Esky for its insulated metal food container.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ian Fairweather, \IMonastery\i\b (painting).
John Olsen, \IJourney into You Beaut Country\i\b (painting).
William Pidgeon, \IRabbi Dr I. Porush\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Igor Stravinsky conducts performances of his own works in Australia.
Alan Seymour's play \IThe One Day of the Year\i\b and \JPatrick White\j's \IThe Ham Funeral\i\b first produced.
ABC's current affairs television program "Four Corners" launched.
\BD Books and Writing\b
H. M. Green, \IA History of Australian Literature\i\b.
Hal Porter, \IThe Tilted Cross\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IRiders in the Chariot\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\IAustralian National Bibliography\i\b begins publication (Jan.).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JRod Laver\j wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Laver, \JRoy Emerson\j, Neale Fraser) wins the Davis Cup.
Lord Fury wins the Melbourne Cup.
Totalizator Agency Boards established in Vic. and WA. (NSW in \J1964\j.)
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia 10,642,654 (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 10,508,186).
China buys more than a million tonnes of wheat from Australia.
Contraceptive pill introduced in Australia.
Population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish observed in the Cairns region of the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 20 Percy Grainger d. (78).
Apr 1 Sir David Rivett d. (75).
May 22 Sir Lionel Lindsay d. (86).
Jun 5 Sir Richard Boyer d. (69).
Jun 9 Mrs Aeneas Gunn d. (91).
Sep 27 Peter Dawson d. (79).
Oct 2 Essington Lewis d. (80).
Dec 20 Sir \JEarle Page\j d. (81).
\BDescription:\b China buys more than a million tonnes of wheat from Australia \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1962",178,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b Standard-gauge railway line opened between NSW and Melbourne; first express freight through train leaves Sydney.
\B12\b Australia accepts Indonesian sovereignty over West New Guinea.
\B13\b Banks in all states except Vic. open on Saturday morning for the last time. (Vic. banks adopt the five-day week on 5 Jan. \J1963\j.)
Bushfires within 20 km of central Melbourne cause eight deaths and the destruction of 300 houses.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Labor wins its seventh successive election in NSW, with an increased majority, and the Playford government retains office in SA with the support of two independents.
\B31\b Brand government re-elected in WA.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B9\b Co-axial cable telephone link opened between Melbourne, \JCanberra\j, and Sydney.
\B10\b Tax clearances no longer required by people travelling overseas.
\B12\b \ISouthern Aurora\i\b leaves Sydney on its first run to Melbourne, inaugurating the through-train passenger service between the two capitals.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B8\b US Secretary of State Dean Rusk arrives in \JCanberra\j for a two-day session of the ANZUS Council.
\B9\b External Affairs Minister Sir Garfield Barwick announces that Australia, if invited, would send "a handful" of military instructors to South Vietnam. (Up to 30 instructors committed on 24th.)
\B10\b Prime Minister Menzies foreshadows the establishment of a US naval communications centre at North-West Cape, WA.
\B28\b Australia commits a squadron of RAAF Sabre jets to Thailand.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B27\b Minister for Air Leslie Bury is asked to resign for differing publicly with cabinet on the impact of British membership of the EEC.
\B29\b Australian army advisers (29 men of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam) leave for Vietnam. (Arrive Saigon 3 Aug.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B11\b Huge iron-ore deposits discovered at Mount Tom Price, WA.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Qld Labor Party agrees to become the state branch of the DLP. (Retains QLP title for state elections.)
\B5\b Death sentence on Robert Peter Tait, murderer of Ada Hall at Hawthorn vicarage on 8 Aug \J1961\j, commuted to life imprisonment.
\B20\b Prince Philip arrives in Australia to open the Commonwealth Games in Perth (on 22nd).
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Country Party re-established in Tas.
* Secondary school course in NSW extended to six years under the Wyndham Scheme.
* STD telephone service introduced between Sydney and \JCanberra\j.
* Branches of Amnesty International established in NSW and Vic.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Roy Grounds, Victorian Art Centre (\JNational Gallery\j completed in \J1968\j, Melbourne Concert Hall in \J1982\j, Theatres in \J1984\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Snake antivenene developed capable of counteracting poison from most common Australian snakes.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ian Fairweather, \IEpiphany\i\b (painting).
Louis Kahan, \I\JPatrick White\j\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian Ballet established, with Peggy Van Praagh artistic director.
\JPatrick White\j's play \IThe Season at Sarsaparilla\i\b first produced.
Frank Ifield's record of "I Remember You" becomes the first Australian record to appear in US charts.
\BD Books and Writing\b
John Anderson, \IStudies in Empirical Philosophy\i\b.
Thea Astley, \IThe Well-Dressed Explorer\i\b (co-winner of the \JMiles Franklin\j Award with George Turner, \IThe Cupboard under the Stairs\i\b).
Martin Boyd, \IWhen Blackbirds Sing\i\b.
C. M. H. Clark, \IA History of Australia\i\b, vol. 1 (û \J1987\j).
Jack Lindsay, \IFanfrolico and After\i\b.
Hal Porter, \IA Bachelor's Children\i\b.
Australia's first chair of Australian literature established at the University of Sydney.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JRod Laver\j becomes the first Australian to win the tennis Grand Slam (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US singles).
Australia (Laver, Neale Fraser, \JRoy Emerson\j) wins the Davis Cup.
Margaret Smith (Court) wins the US Open tennis championship (the first of five times).
Heather Blundell (McKay) wins the British Open squash championship (the first of 16 consecutive times).
\IGretel\i\b makes Australia's first challenge for the America's Cup. (Defeated by \IWeatherly\i\b.)
Sculler Stuart Mackenzie wins the Diamond Sculls at Henley for the sixth year in succession.
Even Stevens wins the Melbourne Cup.
Commonweath Games held in Perth.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 10,846,059.
Aborigines in Qld, WA, and NT given the right to vote in federal elections if enrolled (though enrolment not compulsory).
Roma Mitchell becomes Australia's first female QC.
Crown-of-thorns starfish infest Green Is. on the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 16 Frank Hurley d. (76).
Jun 13 Sir Eugene Goossens d. (69).
Jul 6 John Anderson d. (68).
Dec 3 \JDame Mary Gilmore\j d. (97).
#
"1963",179,"f\10\king0117.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b \JCSIRO\j physicist Gilbert Bogle and Mrs Margaret Chandler found dead in bushland beside the Lane Cove River near Fullers Bridge, Sydney; circumstances of their deaths remain unexplained.
\B28\b Shark fatally attacks actress Marcia Hathaway in shallow water at Sugarloaf Bay in Sydney's Middle Harbour.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B18\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive in Australia for a visit to all states (û 27 Mar.) and to attend \JCanberra\j's jubilee celebrations.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Moe, Vic., becomes a city.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Satirical monthly magazine \IOz\i\b begins publication in Sydney.
\B28\b Wreckage of the Dutch ship \IVergulde Draeck\i\b, lost in 1656, found by skindivers about 95 km north of Perth.
û Comalco begins full-scale mining of bauxite at Weipa on Cape York Peninsula.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B9\b Australia and the US sign an agreement allowing the US to establish and operate a naval communications station at North-West Cape, WA.
Townsville's bulk sugar terminal, containing 78,000 tonnes of raw sugar, catches fire and burns for five days.
\B14\b "The Mutilator"ùWilliam McDonaldùarrested for the murder and sexual mutilation of derelict men in Sydney over the previous two years.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b Nicklin coalition government re-elected in Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
û First stage of the Ord River irrigation scheme in WA opened.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Australia and Japan conclude a new trade agreement extending full rights and privileges accorded to members of GATT.
\B15\b External Affairs Minister Garfield Barwick announces Australia's signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Marriage Act of \J1961\j comes into operation, placing the marriage laws of the states and territories on a uniform basis.
\B2\b Perth's "moonstruck murderer", truckdriver Eric Edgar Cooke, arrested. (Hanged 27 Oct. \J1964\j.)
\B20\b Floodgates closed on the Molonglo River at \JCanberra\j, beginning the filling of Lake Burley Griffin.
\B25\b Australia pledges military assistance to the new nation of Malaysia against direct or indirect aggression.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B10\b Moura open-cut coalfield in Qld begins large-scale production.
\B21\b \IAustralian Financial Review\i\b changes from twice-weekly to daily publication.
\B24\b Australia agrees to buy 24 American F-111 aircraft for the RAAF.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Port Augusta, SA, proclaimed a city.
\B15\b Police evict Aborigines of the Mapoon community on Cape York Peninsula and raze community buildings to allow for the mining of bauxite.
\B30\b Election for House of Representatives; Menzies government returned with an additional 10 seats; new members include Ian Sinclair.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b Commonwealth Pacific Cable (Compac) officially opened, connecting Australia by direct telephone link to NZ, Fiji, Hawaii, and Canada.
* Dutch ship \IBatavia\i\b, wrecked in 1629, located in Houtman Abrolhos, WA.
* Vic. board of inquiry investigates the activities of Scientology.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
\JRoyal Australian Mint\j, \JCanberra\j (û \J1965\j).
NSW State Planning Authority established.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Sir \JJohn Eccles\j shares the Nobel Prize for his research on transmission of nerve impulses.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Leonard French designs the stained-glass ceiling for the Great Hall of the Melbourne Arts Centre.
J. Carington Smith, \IProf. James McAuley\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Barry McKenzie, a comic-strip (later, film) character created by \JBarry Humphries\j and artist Nicholas Garland, first appears in the English magazine \IPrivate Eye\i\b.
Richard Meale composes \ILas Alboradas\i\b and \IHomage to Garcia Lorca\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j's play \IA Cheery Soul\i\b first produced.
Old Tote Theatre opens on the campus of the University of NSW (2 Feb.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JSumner Locke Elliott\j, \ICareful, He Might Hear You\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Alan Moorehead, \ICooper's Creek\i\b.
Hal Porter, \IThe Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony\i\b.
Randolph Stow, \ITourmaline\i\b.
Morris West, \IThe Shoes of the Fisherman\i\b.
Australian Society of Authors founded (26 June).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Margaret Smith (Court) wins the Wimbledon singles tennis championship.
Bernard ("Midget") \JFarrelly\j wins the Makaha (Hawaii) international surfboard-riding competition (2 Jan.).
Gatum Gatum wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches eleven million.
School leaving age raised to 15 in SA.
Three weeks paid annual leave granted by the Commonwealth Arbitration Commission.
Children born out of wedlock become legitimate by the subsequent marriage of their parents.
Lifeline, Australia's first telephone counselling service, founded in Sydney by the Central Methodist Mission (16 Mar.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 13 Will Ogilvie d. (93).
May 28 Margaret Preston d. (88).
Jul 29 Dorian Le Gallienne d. (48).
Sep 20 Sir David Low d. (72).
Oct 10 \JRoy Cazaly\j d. (70).
Nov 6 Archbishop Daniel Mannix d. (99).
\BDescription:\b Dutch ship \IBatavia\i, wrecked in 1629, located in Houtman Abrolhos, WA \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1964",180,"0","Menzies and conscription 1964","mhist5b.avi"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B29\b RAAF receives its first two Mirage jet fighters.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Double-deck carriages begin trial runs on Sydney's suburban railway.
\B10\b Destroyer HMAS \IVoyager\i\b sinks after being cut in two by the aircraft carrier HMAS \IMelbourne\i\b in a collision off Jervis Bay; 82 lives lost.
\B25\b Fire destroys Sydney's Lyceum Theatre.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B10\b Sir Percy Spender becomes president of the International Court of Justice (û \J1967\j).
û Split in the Communist Party of Australia results in the founding of the pro-Chinese Communist Party of Australia (MarxistûLeninist).
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B8\b Opening of the Moonie-to-Brisbane oil pipeline marks the beginning of production on Australia's first commercial oilfield.
\B12\b Rev. \JTed Noffs\j opens the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, Sydney.
\B27\b Sir Garfield Barwick resigns from parliament to become Chief Justice of the High Court. (Paul Hasluck replaces him as Foreign Minister.)
\B29\b J. B. Renshaw becomes Premier of NSW following the retirement of R. J. Heffron.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B2\b Reece Labor government re-elected in Tas.
\B28\b Legislation enacted authorising Commonwealth financial aid to public and private schools for science education (from 1 July), thereby reviving state aid to Church schools.
û Australian army engineers sent to Sabah, Malaysia.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B8\b Australian army advisers in Vietnam increased to 80 and committed to active service.
\B12\b Macquarie University (Syd.) founded. (First undergraduates accepted in \J1967\j.)
\B27\b Bolte government re-elected in Vic. with a majority in both houses.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B15\b Australia's first national daily newspaper, the \IAustralian\i\b, begins publication in \JCanberra\j.
\B19\b Thirty-four RAAF personnel leave Sydney for South Vietnam to fly and maintain Caribou transport aircraft.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B24\b AWU members begin industrial action at Mount Isa over dissatisfaction with a wage increase.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B23\b \IOz\i\b magazine judged to be obscene by a Sydney magistrate; publishers \JRichard Walsh\j, \JRichard Neville\j, and Martin Sharp sentenced to terms of imprisonment. (Convictions quashed in Feb. \J1965\j after an appeal.)
\B26\b Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, visits Australia (to 8 Oct.) for the British Exhibition and the opening of Sydney's Gladesville Bridge.
\B23\b Pat Mackie, leader of a rival union faction in the Mt Isa Mines dispute, is sacked on the eve of a vital mass meeting.
\B27\b NSW's biggest oil fire at Mobil storage depot, Hunters Hill, Sydney.
\B30\b Australian troops capture Indonesian guerrillas in Malacca during their first action in the IndonesiaûMalaysia Confrontation.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B10\b Prime Minister Menzies announces the re-introduction of National Service from July \J1965\j; 20-year-olds to be selected on a birthday lottery for two years' full-time service; conscripts liable for service anywhere.
\B14\b Mount Isa Mines shuts down its copper smelter because of dispute.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Election for half Senate; government retains its majority; V. C. Gair wins a Qld seat and becomes DLP leader, replacing a defeated George Cole.
\B10\b Qld government declares a state of emergency in an attempt to end the Mt Isa dispute.
\B16\b La Trobe University established in Melbourne. (First students admitted in Mar. \J1967\j.)
\B27\b Australia's first offshore oil well spudded in in the Gippsland Basin of Bass Strait.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Tasman Bridge, Hobart, opened (Aug.).
Bridge over Pumicestone Passage to Bribie Is., Qld, completed.
Sydney GPO clock tower re-erected.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australia and 17 other countries agree to set up a communications satellite system. (Group becomes the management body of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation, or Intelsat.)
Space tracking station opens at Carnarvon, WA.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JSidney Nolan\j, \IRiverbend\i\b (painting).
No award made for the Archibald Prize.
Tas. Conservatorium established.
The Beatles make an Australian concert tour.
Robert Helpmann's ballet \IThe Display\i\b (music by Malcolm Williamson) has its world premiere at the Adelaide Festival.
Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev appear with the Australian Ballet.
\JPatrick White\j's play \INight on Bald Mountain\i\b first produced.
"The Mavis Bramston Show" begins on television.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Patsy Adam-Smith, \IHear the Train Blow\i\b.
Donald Horne, \IThe Lucky Country\i\b.
George Johnston, \IMy Brother Jack\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
James McAuley, \ICaptain Quiros\i\b.
\JKath Walker\j, \IWe Are Going\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian winners at the Tokyo Olympic Games: \Iathletics\i\b, \JBetty Cuthbert\j (400 m); \Iswimming\i\b, \JDawn Fraser\j (100 m freestyleùfor the third time), Bob Windle (1,500 m freestyle), Kevin Berry (200 m butterfly), Ian O'Brien (200 m breaststroke); \Iyachting\i\b, 5.5 m race (Bill Northam becomes the oldest competitor to win an Olympic gold medal).
Englishman Donald Campbell breaks the world wheel-driven land speed record on Lake Eyre in the \IBluebird\i\b (17 July) and the world water speed record at Lake Dumbleyung, WA, in the hydroplane \IBluebird\i\b (Dec.).
\JRoy Emerson\j wins the tennis singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Emerson, Fred Stolle) wins the Davis Cup.
Polo Prince wins the Melbourne Cup.
Bernard \JFarrelly\j wins the first organised world surfboard-riding championship at Manly, NSW.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 11,280,429.
NSW government employees granted four weeks' annual leave.
Child endowment extended to children 16û21 in full-time education; rates increased for third and subsequent children.
NT Legislative Council passes legislation removing much discrimination against Aborigines.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 12 Arthur W. Upfield d. (73).
Jul 25 Sir John Latham d. (86).
Oct 19 Nettie Palmer d. (79).
Oct 20 Sir Adolph Basser d. (77).
\BVideo:\b \J1964\j Conscription for Vietnam War \I(ABC)\i
#
"1965",181,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B7\b Australia's first hydrofoil ferry begins service to Manly, in Sydney.
\B12\b Bodies of two 15-year-olds, Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt, found at Wanda Beach, Sydney; case remains unsolved.
\B16\b Passenger and car ferry \IEmpress of Australia\i\b begins operating between Sydney and Hobart.
\B27\b Police at Mt Isa given the power to arrest without warrant and ban any person aiding the strike there; Pat Mackie banned.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B11\b Mt Isa Mines suspends all operations.
\B18\b Gas (later, oil) struck in Bass Strait from EssoûBHP's Barracouta well.
\B20\b Brand government re-elected in WA.
Duke of Edinburgh visits Australia (to 26th).
\B22\b \JRoyal Australian Mint\j opened in \JCanberra\j by Prince Philip. (Begins producing the first Australian-made decimal coins.)
û \JCharles Perkins\j leads a "freedom ride" through NSW in an attempt to end Aboriginal segregation.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Echuca, Vic., gazetted as a city.
\B6\b Labor wins government in SA for the first time in 32 years; Frank Walsh becomes Premier, replacing Sir Thomas Playford, who had been in office for 26 years and four months, a record term in Australia.
\B10\b First drawing of the birthday lottery to determine those eligible for National Service training.
\B12\b Swan Hill, Vic., becomes a city.
\B17\b Legislation introduced outlawing picketing and restricting pamphlets and banners at Mt Isa. (Strikers begin returning to work later in month.)
\B20\b Duke and Duchess of Gloucester visit Australia (to 26 Apr.).
\B24\b Prime Minister Menzies announces a new concept in tertiary education as recommended by the Martin Committee on the Future of Tertiary Education in Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B29\b Menzies announces the government's decision to send a combat force to Vietnam following a request from Saigon for more military aid.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Labor defeated in NSW after 24 years in office; R. W. Askin becomes Premier.
\B27\b First Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, leaves Sydney in the aircraft-carrier \ISydney\i\b for active duty in Vietnam.
\B29\b \JCaptain Cook\j Bridge, Sydney, opened.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Secondary school teachers in Vic. stage a strike, the first teachers' strike in Australia since \J1920\j.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Limited free-trade agreement negotiated between Australia and NZ.
\B21\b Report of the Vernon Committee of Economic Inquiry tabled in federal parliament. (Principal recommendations rejected by government.)
\B22\b Baron Casey succeeds Lord De L'Isle as Governor-General.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B23\b Roma Mitchell appointed judge of the Supreme Court of SAùthe first woman to become a judge in Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b Sir \JRobert Menzies\j appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b Underground fire at the Bulli colliery, NSW; four miners killed.
\B16\b Economic sanctions imposed on Rhodesia following that country's unilateral declaration of independence.
û Churchill Fellowships awarded for the first time.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B15\b Harry Chan becomes the first elected president of the NT Legislative Council.
û First section of the SydneyûNewcastle expressway opened.
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Siding Spring Observatory established in the \JWarrumbungle\j Ranges, NSW.
Mills Cross radio-telescope opened near Hoskinstown, NSW (Nov.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ian Fairweather, \IThe Drunken Buddha\i\b paintings.
\JClifton Pugh\j, \IR. A. Henderson\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Larry Sitsky, \IThe Fall of the House of Usher\i\b (opera).
Peter Sculthorpe, \ISun Music I\i\b, presented at the Commonwealth Festival of Arts in London.
Joan Sutherland returns to Australia after 14 years abroad for the SutherlandûWilliamson International Grand Opera season.
The Seekers' record "I'll Never Find Another You" becomes the first Australian record to sell a million copies.
\JCanberra\j School of Music established.
Sydney Dance Company founded (as Ballet in a Nutshell) and the Australian Dance Theatre formed in Adelaide.
South Australian Theatre Company formed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Thea Astley, \IThe Slow Natives\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Hal Porter, \IThe Cats of Venice\i\b.
Randolph Stow, \IThe Merry-Go-Round in the Sea\i\b.
Morris West, \IThe Ambassador\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JRoy Emerson\j wins the Wimbledon singles for the second year in a row.
Australia (Emerson, Fred Stolle, \JJohn Newcombe\j, and Tony Roche) wins the Davis Cup.
Margaret Smith (Court) wins the Wimbledon singles for the second time.
\JLinda McGill\j becomes the first Australian to swim the English Channel.
\JDawn Fraser\j is suspended for ten years by the Amateur Swimming Union.
Ron Clarke becomes the first person to run 3 miles in less than 13 minutes and sets 6 world records in 17 races.
\JPeter Thomson\j wins the British Open golf championship for the fifth time.
Light Fingers wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 11,505,408.
Kevin Sarre machine-shears a record 346 full-grown merino sheep in 7 hours 48 minutes at Batesworth station, Penshurst, Vic.
ú737 million ($1,474 million) spent by Australians on gambling in year.
ALP removes the White Australia policy from its platform.
Provisional drivers' licences introduced in Tas.
Males begin to adopt unorthodox long hairstyles.
Australian Conservation Foundation established in Melbourne.
Australian Council of National Trusts set up in \JCanberra\j.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 1 Helena Rubinstein d. (93).
Apr 10 Archbishop Sir James Duhig d. (93).
May 27 \JPat Cash\j b.
Jul 8 Sir Ernest Fisk d. (78).
Nov 2 H. V. Evatt d. (71).
#
"1966",182,13smh.jpg,g,0
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B20\b Sir \JRobert Menzies\j retires after a record 16 successive years as Prime Minister; \JHarold Holt\j replaces him.
\B26\b Dame Annabelle Rankin, appointed to Holt's new ministry, becomes the first woman to hold a federal portfolio.
Three Beaumont children disappear on their way to Glenelg beach, Adelaide, and are never seen again.
\B28\b Rich nickel-ore deposits found at Kambalda, WA, by Western Mining Corp.
\B30\b Prince Charles arrives in Australia to attend Geelong Grammar's Timbertop school (to 1 Aug.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Hotel trading hours in Vic. extended from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05% becomes a criminal offence.
\B14\b Decimal currency introduced.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Prime Minister Holt announces a trebling of Australian forces in Vietnam, including 1,500 National Servicemen.
\B22\b Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visits Australia (to 7 Apr.).
\B25\b Flinders University of South Australia officially opened.
\B30\b Legislation enacted granting the ACT member of the House of Representatives full voting rights (from 21 Feb. \J1967\j).
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B24\b Andrew Peacock wins the by-election for Menzies' vacated seat of Kooyong.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B26\b Australia's third commercial oilfield declared at Barrow Is., WA.
\B28\b Nicklin coalition government re-elected in Qld.
\B29\b Harry Chan, MLC, becomes mayor of Darwin, the first of Asian ancestry to hold such a position.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Australia and eight other countries form the Asian and Pacific Council.
\B21\b Opposition leader \JArthur Calwell\j is injured when shot at after attending a political meeting in Mosman (Syd.).
\B30\b Holt, on a visit to Washington, promises complete support for the US escalation of the Vietnam War ("all the way with LBJ").
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Arbitration Commission introduces a minimum wage for adult male employees under federal awards.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Fire guts a Salvation Army hostel for men in Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne; 29 die.
\B18\b Australian forces in Vietnam inflict heavy losses on a large enemy force in the Battle of Long Tan.
\B26\b Some 200 Gurindji people (including 80 station hands) walk off Wave Hill station, NT, in protest against low wages and poor conditions and begin a fight to obtain title to their tribal territory.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B12\b Dubbo, NSW, becomes a city.
\B22\b AnsettûANA Viscount crashes near Winton, Qld; 24 killed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B20\b President Lyndon Johnson's visit to eastern Australian cities (to 23rd) sparks off rowdy political demonstrations.
\B21\b Five miners killed in a cave-in at Wyee (NSW) state coalmine.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Liberal Reform Group (later Australian Reform Movement) established as a result of businessman Gordon Barton's publicised opposition to the Vietnam War.
\B24\b Qantas pilots begin a worldwide strike (to 22 Dec.).
\B26\b Election for the House of Representatives; Holt government returned with an increased majority; new members include Phillip Lynch.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Agreement for an American satellite base at Pine Gap, NT, negotiated.
\B12\b Lone round-the-world sailor Francis Chichester arrives at Sydney in his yacht \IGypsy Moth IV.\i\b
\B22\b Australian commitment in Vietnam increased to 6,300 men, with an additional 12 tanks, two minesweepers, and eight bombers.
* Severe and widespread drought which began in \J1957\j and affected the whole country, especially NSW and Qld, finally eases.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Joern Utzon resigns as designer of the Sydney Opera House (28 Feb.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
World's largest solar still set up at \JCoober Pedy\j, SA, to supply town water (June).
OTC opens its first satellite communications earth station at Carnarvon, WA (29 Oct.).
First TV programs transmitted between UK and Australia by way of satellite (25 Nov.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Jon Molvig, \ICharles Blackman\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Fred Williams, \IUpwey Landscape\i\b (awarded Wynne Art Prize).
Nigel Butterley's musical collage for radio \IIn the Head the Fire\i\b wins the Italia Prize.
Don Banks, Horn Concerto, composed for Barry Tuckwell.
John Cargher's "Singers of Renown" program begins on ABC radio.
Melbourne and Sydney Tivoli theatres close.
Marian Street Theatre opens in Sydney.
\JThomas Keneally\j, \IHalloran's Little Boat\i\b (play).
\IThey're a Weird Mob\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\IAustralian Dictionary of Biography\i\b, vol. 1.
Geoffrey Blainey, \IThe Tyranny of Distance\i\b.
Elizabeth Harrower, \IThe Watch Tower\i\b.
Peter Mathers, \ITrap\i\b(\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Solid Mandala\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Jack Brabham wins the world motor-racing championship for the third time.
Australia (Emerson, Stolle, Newcombe, Roche) wins the Davis Cup.
Galilee wins the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia (Commonwealth census, 30 June): 11,550,462ùNSW 4,233,822 (Syd. 2,447,219); Vic., 3,219,526 (Melb. 2,110,336); Qld, 1,663,685 (Bris. 719,278); SA, 1,091,875 (Adel. 728,279); WA, 836,673 (Perth 500,246); Tas., 371,435 (Hob. 119,469); NT, 37,433 (Darwin 21,205); ACT, 96,013 (Canb. 93,314).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B4\b Two severe hurricanes (the second on 9th) hit the north-west coast of WA; 12 pearling luggers and a steamer lost and about 50 men drown.
\i\B15\b Australia's first steel rolling mill opens at the Eskbank ironworks, near Lithgow, NSW.
Baby-farmer Frances Knorr, convicted of murdering her charges, is hanged at the old Melbourne Gaol.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B19\b Steam trams begin operating to Bondi, Sydney. (Able to reach 65 km/h, they give rise to the phrase 'shoot through like a Bondi tram'.)
- Shearers' and shed hands' unions of Qld, NSW, Vic., and SA amalgamate to form the Australian Workers' Union, with W. G. Spence as secretary.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Central business area of Melbourne lit by electric street lighting generated by the City Council.
- Widespread and serious floods in NSW (to Apr.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B14\b Sir Edward Braddon replaces Henry Dobson as Premier of Tas.
\i\B24\b Nineteen NSW Labour MPs refuse to sign the Electoral League pledge to vote as a bloc according to caucus decisions. \J(Joseph Cook\j becomes leader of the independent Labour faction.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B17\b Qld shearers' strike begins in Longreach over a new agreement imposed by pastoralists and a reduction in wages.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Unionists fight with strike-breakers on Oondooroo station, Qld, and during the month a number of woolsheds are burnt and violent incidents occur.
\i\B16\b Election in NSW results in the Protectionists and the two Labour groupings losing ground to the Free Traders. \JGeorge Reid\j replaces Sir George Dibbs as Premier (3 Aug.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b New Sydney Hospital opens.
\i\B21\b Tas. introduces a flat-rate personal income tax.
\i\B26\b Unionists force strike-breakers off the river steamer \IRodney\b\i near Pooncarie, NSW, and burn and sink the vessel.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Dagworth station, Qld, woolshed burnt down; shots fired by both sides.
\i\B5\b Bill for the Better Preservation of Peace in Queensland passes through the Qld Legislative Assembly after bitter debate.
\i\B10\b Shearers call off their strike, having been unable to prevent strike-breakers from working.
\i\B27\b George Turner becomes Premier of Vic. following the Liberals' success in the elections.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B28\b SS \IWairarapa,\b\i en route from Sydney to Auckland, is wrecked off the coast of NZ with the loss of 112 lives.
\B31\b Suburban train and country train collide at Redfern, Sydney; 11 people killed and 27 injured.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B24\b Railway from Perth (Midland Junction) to Geraldton completed.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B21\b SA enacts legislation to establish a statutory authority to conciliate in disputes between employers and employees.
ò Monthly magazine \IAustralian Home Journal\b\i founded in Sydney.
ò (Royal) Life Saving Society formed in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Perth railway station completed (25 March.).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia (May-Aug.).
\JLawrence Hargrave,\j experimenting with boxkites, is lifted six metres off the ground at Stanwell Park, NSW (12 Nov.).
David Shearer of Mannum, SA, develops a steam car, the first car built in Australia.
\B18\b Marshal Ky, Premier of South Vietnam, visits Australia (to 23rd), setting off protest demonstrations by opponents of the Vietnam War.
\B26\b AWU agrees to affiliate with the ACTU.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b \JRonald Ryan,\j the last person executed in Australia, is hanged in Melbourne for killing a warder while escaping from Pentridge Gaol on 9 Dec. \J1965.\j
\B7\b Bushfires ravage south-east Tas., penetrating suburban Hobart; more than 50 people killed and more than 3,000 made homeless.
\B8\b E. G. Whitlam replaces \JArthur Calwell\j as leader of the federal ALP.
\B24\b Princess Alexandra visits Australia (to 26 Mar.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Prince Philip visits Australia (to 10th).
\B13\b Record floods in northern Qld.
\B30\b South-East Asia Commonwealth telephone cable (Seacom) officially opened.
û Gurindji people occupy part of Wave Hill station, NT.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B29\b Referendum held in northern NSW on a proposal to create a new state; majority opposed.
Bolte government re-elected in Vic. with a 44-seat majority.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b National campaign of immunisation against poliomyelitis with Sabin oral vaccine begins.
\B16\b Liberal members of parliament, including Edward St John in his maiden speech, call for a new inquiry into the \IVoyager\i\b sinking in \J1964.\j
\B27\b Two Commonwealth referendums heldùproposal to end the nexus between numbers in both houses of parliament defeated; proposal to end constitutional discrimination against Aborigines approved.
\B29\b Five-dollar note goes into circulation.
\B31\b Oil strike in Kingfish well in Bass Strait.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b D. A. Dunstan becomes Premier of SA on the retirement of Frank Walsh.
\B5\b Total wage concept introduced by the Commonwealth Arbitration Commission to replace the basic wage plus margins. (Operates from 1 July.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
û Postcode system introduced.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Trade Practices Act comes into force.
\B6\b Commonwealth government announces its intention to limit appeals from the High Court to the Privy Council. (Act assented to, 6 Aug. \J1968.)\j
\B8\b Police arrest 114 demonstrators in Brisbane protesting against changes in the law governing street marches.
\B16\b North-West Cape naval communications station officially commissioned.
\B17\b Prime Minister Holt announces that Australia would increase its military aid to South Vietnam by another battalion and support groups.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B20\b Fixed rate of exchange between the Australian dollar and the pound sterling ends when Australia decides not to devalue in line with sterling.
\B25\b Election for half Senate; DLP wins two more seats, giving it the balance of power in the Senate (27 ALP, 28 LûCP, 4 DLP, 1 ind.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B17\b Prime Minister \JHarold Holt\j disappears in the surf at Cheviot Beach, Portsea, Vic. (Body never found.)
\B19\b Country Party leader \JJohn McEwen\j sworn in as Prime Minister.
\B22\b Representatives of 26 nations, including President Johnson and Prince Charles, attend the Holt memorial service in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
State Office Block, Sydney, completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Honeysuckle Creek space tracking station, near \JCanberra,\j opened (17 Mar.).
Australia's first satellite, WRESAT 1, successfully launched from Woomera Rocket Range (29 Nov.).
Joint Defence Space Research Facility established at Pine Gap, near \JAlice Springs.\j (Becomes operational in \J1969.)\j
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JJudy Cassab,\j \IMargo Lewers\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian Elizabeth Theatre Trust forms a permanent orchestra in Sydney for opera and ballet performances.
National Training Orchestra (later the ABC Sinfonia) established by the ABC. (Disbanded \J1986.)\j
Richard Meale composes \INocturnes\i\b.
Dorothy Hewett's play \IThis Old Man Comes Rolling Home\i\b and Jack Hibberd's \IWhite with Wire Wheels\i\b first produced.
Melbourne's La Mama theatre opens.
Current affairs program "This Day Tonight" begins on ABC TV (10 Apr.).
Talkback radio begins.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Donald Horne, \IThe Education of Young Donald\i\b.
\JThomas Keneally,\j \IBring Larks and Heroes\i\b \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
Joan Lindsay, \IPicnic at Hanging Rock\i\b.
R. G. Menzies, \IAfternoon Light\i\b.
Barry Oakley, \IA Wild Ass of a Man\i\b.
Kylie Tennant, \ITell Morning This\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JJohn Newcombe\j wins the men's singles at Wimbledon.
Australia (Newcombe and \JRoy Emerson)\j wins the Davis Cup.
Australia challenges for the America's Cup \I(Dame Pattie\i\b beaten by \IIntrepid\i)\b.
Red Handed wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 11,912,253.
Commonwealth subsidises sheltered workshops and introduces the Sheltered Employment Allowance.
SA's Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Qld's Simpson Desert National Park proclaimed.
National Parks and Wildlife Service set up in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 7 David Unaipon d. (94).
Aug 25 Viscount (S. M.) Bruce d. (84).
Dec 17 \JHarold Holt\j d. (59).
Dec 31 Arthur Mailey d. (81).
\BDescription:\b Vietnam War protests \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1968",184,"d\9\3_0088.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B10\b Senator \JJohn Gorton\j sworn in as Prime Minister after defeating Paul Hasluck for the leadership of the Liberal Party (William \JMcMahon\j having declined to stand because of CP opposition).
\B17\b J. C. A. Pizzey becomes Premier of Qld on the retirement of Frank Nicklin.
\B31\b Nauru becomes an independent republic.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B24\b Gorton, having resigned from the Senate, wins the by-election for \JHarold Holt\j's vacant seat.
Askin government re-elected in NSW.
\B25\b Report of the second \IVoyager\i\b royal commission clears \IMelbourne's\i\b commanding officer (Capt. R. J. Robertson) of any blame and places responsibility for the disaster on the \IVoyager.\i\b
û Twenty Australian soldiers killed and 80 wounded in Operation Coburg following the Tet offensive in Vietnam.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Labor and LCL win 19 seats each in the SA election; Raymond Steele Hall becomes Premier (17 Apr.) when the independent Speaker gives his support to the LCL, forcing \JDon Dunstan\j to resign the premiership.
\B22\b Helicopter crashes on the Barracouta natural gas platform in Bass Strait, killing two journalists and an oil company officer.
\B23\b Brand government re-elected in WA.
\B29\b Australian Resources Development Bank opens for business.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Evangelist Billy Graham makes his second visit to Australia (to 28th).
\B23\b Australia's first liver transplant performed at Sydney Hospital by a medical team headed by A. G. R. Sheil.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b Prince Philip visits Australia (to 5 June) for the third Duke of Edinburgh Study Conference.
\B14\b Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, begins a five-day visit to Australia.
\B15\b NT member in the House of Representatives granted full voting rights.
\B21\b Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, visits Australia (to 27th).
\B28\b Sydney vice king Joe Borg dies when a bomb explodes in his car at Bondi. (Leaves $250,000 to RSPCA.)
û Mineral boom begins on Australian stock exchanges.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b Warringah Expressway opens in Sydney.
\B24\b National Service Act increases penalties for evasion of National Service.
British comedian Tony Hancock suicides in Sydney.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B2\b Students demonstrating against conscription clash with police in Sydney; 30 arrested.
\B4\b Mounted police charge a crowd of about 1,500 anti-Vietnam War demonstrators outside the US Consulate in Melbourne; more than 45 arrested.
û Major epidemic of Hong Kong flu breaks out in Melbourne and spreads to other states.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Following the death of Qld Premier Jack Pizzey, Liberal leader Gordon Chalk temporarily takes over the premiership.
\B8\b Johannes \JBjelke-Petersen,\j elected unopposed as Country Party leader in Qld (2 Aug.), replaces Chalk as Premier.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b Earthquake in south-west WA devastates the town of Meckering.
\B23\b Australia's first heart-transplant operation performed by Dr Harry Windsor at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.
\B28\b Postal deliveries in suburbs reduced from two to one a day.
Disastrous bushfires in NSW around \JWollongong\j and in the \JBlue Mountains\j (29th), where three firefighters die and over 100 houses are destroyed.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Referendum in Tas. approves a proposal for the Wrest Point Casino.
\B19\b Breathaliser introduced in NSW.
\B31\b MacRobertson-Miller Airlines Viscount crashes at Port Hedland, WA; all 26 on board killed.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Bunning and Madden, National Library, \JCanberra,\j completed (opens 15 Aug.).
Work begins on the West Gate Bridge, Melbourne (û \J1978)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Melbourne becomes one of the three vital links in World Weather Watch.
Partial skeleton of a young woman found at Lake Mungo in western NSW dated 25,000 years old. At Kow Swamp in northern Vic., excavations reveal skeletal remains dated to between 9,000 and 15,000 years ago.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Australian Council for the Arts (later Australia Council) established.
New \JNational Gallery\j of Vic. opens (20 Aug.).
William Pidgeon, \I\JLloyd Rees\j\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
Alexander Buzo, \INorm and Ahmed\i\b (play).
Robert Helpmann's ballet \ISun Music\i\b (music by Peter Sculthorpe) first performed.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Frank Dalby Davison, \IThe White Thorntree\i\b.
David Ireland, \IThe Chantic Bird\i\b.
\JThomas Keneally,\j \IThree Cheers for the Paraclete\i\b \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
National Literature Board of Review Established, and uniform Commonwealthûstate censorship laws come into force.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JLionel Rose\j beats Masahiko ("Fighting") Harada in Japan to win the world bantamweight boxing title (27 Feb.).
Bill Emmerton of Tas. becomes the first man to run through Death Valley, Cal. (200 km in 3 days 3 hrs 23 mins).
Bill Moyes flies a hang-glider in the Snowy Mountains to a height of 518 m and a distance of 2.4 km (world's longest unassisted flight).
\JRod Laver\j wins the first Wimbledon Open men's singles.
Rain Lover wins the Melbourne Cup.
Australian winners at the Mexico City Olympic Games: \Iathletics\i,\b Maureen Caird (80 m hurdles), Ralph Doubell (800 m); \Iswimming\i,\b Lynn McClements (100 m butterfly), Michael Wenden (100 m and 200 m freestyle).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches 12 million.
Shops in Tas. allowed to open 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Twelve-mile fishing limit around Australia comes into force (30 Jan.).
Woodchip industry begins with a clear-felling project at Eden. NSW.
Fluoridation of Sydney's water supply begins.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 14 \JDorothea Mackellar\j d. (82).
Feb 21 Lord (Howard) Florey d. (69).
May 15 Florence Austral d. (74).
May 28 Kylie Minogue b.
Jul 2 Sir Hans Heysen d. (90).
Aug 25 Stan McCabe d. (58).
Aug 30 C. E. W. Bean d. (88).
Sep 28 \JSir Norman Brookes\j d. (90).
\BDescription:\b Disastrous fires in NSW \I(DFAT)\i.
#
"1969",185,"f\10\king0179.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B8\b Bushfires in Vic. (to 9th) cause 23 deathsù15 at Lara, near Geelongùand the loss of more than 200 houses and large numbers of livestock.
\B13\b Cannons from \JCaptain Cook\j's ship \IEndeavour\i\b recovered from Endeavour Reef, off Cooktown, north Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B7\b Sydneyû Melbourne express train \ISouthern Aurora\i\b collides head-on with a goods train at Violet Town, Vic; nine killed.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B13\b Natural gas piped from Bass Strait into Vic. (Enters Melbourne's metropolitan system later in the month.)
\B17\b With the opening of the pipeline from Roma, Brisbane becomes the first Australian capital to receive a natural gas supply.
\B18\b Australia's first container ship, the \IKanimbla\i\b, docks in Sydney.
\B20\b Liberal MP Edward St John accuses Prime Minister Gorton of impropriety in his personal conduct.
\B25\b Nimmo Committee report strongly criticises aspects of health insurance.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b First shipment of iron ore from Mount Newman, WA, leaves for Japan.
\B3\b Arrival of the container ship \IEncounter Bay\i\b in Sydney inaugurates the containerisation of sea cargo between Britain and Australia.
\B13\b Trams cease running in Brisbane.
\B30\b Sir Paul Hasluck succeeds Lord Casey as Governor-General.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia becomes party to the Universal Copyright Convention.
\B10\b Labor Party defeated in Tas. after 35 years in office; W. A. Bethune, leader of the LiberalûCentre Party coalition, becomes Premier. (For the first time since \J1910\j, no Labor government holds office in Australia.)
\B15\b Clarrie O'Shea, secretary of the Vic. tram and bus employees' union, is gaoled following his union's refusal to pay fines imposed by the Commonwealth Industrial Court. (National strikes protesting against the penal clauses follow; O'Shea is released on 21 May after the union's fines are paid anonymously.)
\B17\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld.
\B29\b Coral Sea Islands Territory, off the Qld coast between the Barrier Reef and 157░ east, comes under Commonwealth control.
\B30\b \JLaunceston\j experiences its worst floods for forty years.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b HMAS \IMelbourne\i\b collides with USS \IFrank E. Evans\i\b during SEATO naval exercises in the south China Sea, cutting the American ship in two; 73 American lives lost.
\B19\b Commonwealth Arbitration Commission adopts the principle of equal pay for women doing the same work as men (increases to be introduced over three years).
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b Thousands demonstrate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, \JCanberra\j, and Adelaide against America and the war in Vietnam.
\B20\b Australian Reform Movement becomes the Australia Party; Sen. R. J. D. Turnbull, formerly an independent, becomes the party's sole parliamentary representative. (Resigns from party on 3 Mar. \J1970\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Duke and Duchess of Kent visit Australia (to 3 Sept.) to open the third Pacific Conference Games in Port Moresby.
\B25\b ANL freighter \INoongah\i\b founders off Smokey Cape, NSW, with the loss of 21 crew members; five rescued.
û Twelve-sided cupro-nickel 50-cent piece replaces the round silver coin.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B29\b Poseidon mining company announces the discovery of a massive lode of nickel at Windarra, WA, setting off a share boom. ($1 shares peak at $280 in Feb. \J1970\j; company in receivership in \J1977\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b \IOz\i\b magazine ceases publication in Australia.
\B11\b Australia's steam train era ends with the last journey of loco 3801 between Sydney and Goulburn.
\B25\b Election for the House of Representatives; Gorton government returned with its majority reduced to seven (DLP preferences keeping Labor out of office); new members include Lionel Bowen and \JPaul Keating\j.
û Bass Strait oil piped to shore.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b Gorton re-elected Liberal Party leader after challenges from \JMcMahon\j and Fairbairn.
\B29\b Standard-gauge railway line between Sydney and Perth completed. (Inaugural freight train leaves Sydney on 12 Jan. \J1970\j.)
û Sydney publisher Francis James detained by the authorities in China on a charge of espionage.
* Natural gas from the MoombaûGidgealpa field reaches Adelaide through an 832 km pipeline.
* Remains of the English ship \ITryal\i\b, wrecked on the WA coast in 1622, found near the Monte Bello Islands.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Qantas building, Sydney (û \J1983\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Casey Antarctic base established by ANARE.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ray Crooke, \IGeorge Johnston\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
John Olsen, \IThe Chasing Bird Landscape\i\b (awarded the Wynne Prize).
Christo Javacheff wraps up Little Bay (Syd.) in plastic sheeting.
Alexander Buzo's play \IRooted\i\b and Jack Hibberd's \IDimboola\i\b first produced.
Rock musical \IHair\i\bpresented in Sydney.
\IAge of Consent\i\b and Tim Burstall's \ITwo Thousand Weeks\i\b (films).
"Australia All Over" (originally called "All Ways on Sunday") begins on ABC radio (July).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Bruce Beaver, \ILetters to Live Poets\i\b.
George Johnston, \IClean Straw for Nothing\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Frank Moorhouse, \IFutility and Other Animals\i\b.
Commonwealth government introduces a protective bounty on the manufacture of books.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JJohnny Famechon\j wins the world featherweight boxing title in London from Jose Legra (21 Jan.).
Victor Browne cycles from Perth to Sydney in 11 days 6 hrs 47 mins, breaking \JHubert Opperman\j's 32-year-old record.
\JRod Laver\j wins the tennis Grand Slam for the second time.
Rain Lover wins the Melbourne Cup for the second year in a row.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 12,407,217.
First women's liberation groups formed in Sydney and Adelaide.
Abortion law liberalised in SA, allowing abortion under certain conditions.
Tapered means test for pensions introduced.
High Court rules that the states have no rights or jurisdiction over territorial waters or the sea bed adjacent to their coastline.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 7 Sir John Ferguson d. (87).
Oct 2 Katharine Susannah Prichard d. (85).
Nov 21 \JNorman Lindsay\j d. (90).
Nov 27 \JMay Gibbs\j d. (93).
\BDescription:\b "\IThe Step's the same, on the moon or a mine..."\i The Americans landed on the moon at a time of heavy fighting for the Australian diggers in Vietnam \I(Jonathan King)\i
#
"1970",186,"0","g","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b R. J. Hawke succeeds Albert Monk as president of the ACTU.
\B18\b Cyclone Ada devastates Daydream and Hayman island holiday resorts off the central Qld coast (to 19th); 13 lives lost.
\B27\b Reports that Tasminex mining company had discovered a large nickel field raise share prices from $3.35 to $85.60. (Prices fall back to $7.50 on 3 Mar. when company reveals only traces of nickel were found.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B23\b \IIndian Pacific\i\b train makes its inaugural transcontinental journey (û 26th).
\B28\b Nine Australians killed and 29 wounded in three incidents in the Long Hai mountains of Phuoc Tuy Province, Vietnam.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B30\b Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, and Prince Charles visit Australia (to 3 May) for the \JCaptain Cook\j Bicentenary.
û Rural Bank secretary Peter Huxley sentenced to 20 years' gaol for fraudulently manipulating more than $5 million. (Released in \J1978\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B21\b WA wheat farmer L. G. Casley declares his independence from the Commonwealth, naming his property the Hutt River Province and himself the Administrator (later Prince Leonard).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B3\b International terminal at Sydney's \JKingsford Smith\j Airport officially opened by the Queen.
\B8\b More than 70,000 people, led by federal MP Jim Cairns, march through Melbourne in protest against Australian participation in the Vietnam War; similar "moratorium" rallies held in other capital cities.
\B30\b Labor wins SA election; \JDon Dunstan\j again becomes Premier.
Bolte government re-elected in Vic.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B18\b Newington College (Syd.) headmaster D. A. Trathen is dismissed for calling on Australian youth to defy the National Service Act.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport opened. (Freeway opened in Feb.)
\B26\b Hans Tholstrup completes a circumnavigation of Australia in a 5.2 m runabout.
\B31\b Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, destroyed by fire.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Queensland Mines Ltd announces the discovery of a rich uranium field at Nabarlek, NT.
Federal government bans a visit by US comedian and pacifist Dick Gregory.
\B14\b Vic. branch of the ALP dissolved by the federal executive.
\B18\b Further Vietnam moratorium rallies held in capital cities throughout Australia; 200 marchers arrested in Sydney, 100 in Adelaide.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B11\b \ISunday Review\i\b (later \IThe Review\i\b) begins publication in Melbourne.
\B15\b Melbourne's West Gate Bridge collapses, killing 35 bridge workers.
û Black ban imposed by unions on the redevelopment of Carlton (Melb.).
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Legislation passed establishing the Australian Wool Commission, to operate a flexible reserve price scheme.
\B5\b \ILa Balsa\i\b raft, with a crew of four men, reaches Mooloolaba, Qld, from Ecuador.
\B12\b Australia's withdrawal of troops from Vietnam begins with the return of the 8th Battalion, which is not replaced.
\B21\b Election for half Senate (resulting party affiliation: 26 ALP, 26 Lib.-CP, 5 DLP, 3 other).
\B30\b Pope Paul VI, the first Pope to visit Australia, arrives in Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
John Andrews, King George Tower (American Express Building), Sydney (û \J1976\j).
Collins Place, Melbourne (û \J1981\j).
Martin Plaza, Sydney (opened 1 Sept.).
Carillon on Aspen Is. and Capt. Cook Memorial Water Jet in Lake Burley Griffin, \JCanberra\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
National Botanic Gardens officially opened in \JCanberra\j.
\JRalph Sarich\j of Perth begins developing his orbital combustion engine.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Eric Smith, \IGruzmanùarchitect\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Co. becomes the Australian Opera.
Nimrod Theatre opens in Sydney, and the Palace Theatre is demolished to make way for the Hilton Hotel.
Australian Performing Group begins performing at the Pram Factory in Melbourne.
Michael Boddy and Bob Ellis, \IThe Legend of King O'Malley\i\b (play).
\I\JNed Kelly\j\i\b (film), with Mick Jagger.
Australian Film Development Corporation set up (17 Aug.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JGermaine Greer\j, \IThe Female Eunuch\i\b.
Shirley Hazzard, \IThe Bay of Noon\i\b.
Humphrey McQueen, \IA New Britannia\i\b.
Barry Oakley, \IA Salute to the Great McCarthy\i\b.
Dal Stivens, \IA Horse of Air\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Vivisector\i\b.
Penguin Books defy censorship laws by publishing \IPortnoy's Complaint\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JMargaret Court\j wins the tennis Grand Slam (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US singles).
\JJohn Newcombe\j wins the Wimbledon singles and doubles.
\JShane Gould\j breaks world swimming records for the 200 m, 800 m, and 1,500 m.
VFL Park opens at Mulgrave in Melbourne (18 Apr.).
Record crowd of 121,696 see Carlton recover from 44 points behind at half time to beat Collingwood in the VFL grand final.
Cyclist Gordon Johnson wins the world professional sprint championship.
Baghdad Note wins the Melbourne Cup.
Sir Frank Packer's \IGretel II\i\b challenges for the America's Cup and loses to \IIntrepid\i\b.
Sydney Stadium closes.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia: 12,663,469.
A record 185,325 migrants arrive in Australia.
Sheep numbers in Australia peak at 180 million.
Margaret Sleeman becomes Australia's first female magistrate.
Eighteen-year-olds get the vote in WA (SA and NSW in \J1971\j, Qld and Vic. in \J1973\j).
Right to Life movement formed in Qld (spreads to other states).
Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) founded to press for homosexual law reform.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 27 Sir Edward Hallstrom d. (83).
May 14 Sir \JWilliam Dobell\j d. (70).
May 15 Jon Molvig d. (46).
May 24 Frank Dalby Davison d. (76).
Jul 2 Jessie Street d. (81).
Jul 22 George Johnston d. (58).
Jul 30 Sir Walter Murdoch d. (95).
Dec 14 Viscount Slim d. (79).
#
"1971",187,0328.jpg,g,0
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Wearing of seat belts in cars made compulsory in Vic. (Made compulsory in NSW on 1 Aug; throughout Australia in \J1972.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Industry Development Corporation begins operations.
\B2\b J. D. Anthony succeeds Sir \JJohn McEwen\j as federal Country Party leader.
\B5\b Mining investment group Mineral Securities (Aust.) Ltd crashes.
\B7\b \INational Times\i\b begins publication in Sydney. (Becomes the broadsheet [\INational\i\b] \ITimes on Sunday\i\b in \J1986.)\j
\B13\b Askin government re-elected in NSW with a reduced majority.
\B20\b Labor wins office in WA election; John Tonkin becomes Premier.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b \JMalcolm Fraser\j resigns as Defence Minister, accusing Prime Minister Gorton of disloyalty.
\B10\b William \JMcMahon\j replaces Gorton as Prime Minister (Gorton having made a casting vote against himself in a divided vote of confidence.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B27\b Yirrkala Aborigines lose their two-year legal battle for land rights at Gove, NT, site of Nabalco's bauxite mining project.
û Five Power Defence Arrangements concluded by Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Britain.
û Relics from the 1629 wreck \IBatavia\i\b recovered from Houtman Abrolhos, WA.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B24\b \JNeville Bonner,\j chosen by the Liberal Party to fill a casual Senate vacancy, becomes the first Aboriginal member of any Australian parliament.
\B26\b Qantas pays $500,000 to bomb hoaxer-extortionist "Mr Brown" (Peter Macari). (Arrested three months later.)
û Seabed agreement between Australia and Indonesia signed in \JCanberra.\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b Australia becomes a full member of the OECD.
\B27\b ALP delegation led by \JGough Whitlam\j visits the People's Republic of China (to 14 July).
û Work begins on Melbourne's underground railway.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Police at Melbourne's Olympic Park oval attack demonstrators protesting against the visit of the South African Springboks football team. (In Sydney on 6 July demonstrators interrupt play and, on 10th, clash with 1,000 police; 140 arrested.)
\B14\b State of emergency declared in Qld for the Springboks' visit (terminated on 2 Aug.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Retail price maintenance becomes illegal.
\B12\b \JMcMahon\j dismisses Gorton from the Defence Ministry. (Gorton resigns the deputy leadership of the Liberal Party soon after.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Payroll tax transferred from the Commonwealth to the states.
\B19\b Trams stop running in \JBallarat.\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B31\b Daylight saving introduced on a trial basis throughout Australia except in WA and NT. (Qld decides in Aug. \J1972\j not to reintroduce daylight saving.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B25\b Late-night shopping introduced in Vic. (and in NSW on 14 Dec.).
û Operational role of the Australian task force in Vietnam ends.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B5\b Socialist Party of Australia formed by Moscow-sympathetic former members of the CPA.
\B7\b Det.-Sgt Philip Arantz suspended from the NSW Police Force for leaking confidential material on crime statistics to the press. (Given $250,000 in compensation in \J1985\j; dismissal revoked in \J1989.)\j
\B24\b Cyclone Althea damages hundreds of buildings in Townsville and causes the deaths of three people.
ò Griffith University established in Brisbane. (Teaching begins in \J1975.)\j
ò Mass immunisation of girls against rubella (German measles) begins.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Jeffrey Howlett, Perth Concert Hall (û \J1973)\j.
\JHarry Seidler,\j MLC Centre, Sydney (û \J1977)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Large deposits of natural gas discovered on the North-West Shelf, off the WA coast 1,200 km north of Perth.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JClifton Pugh,\j \ISir \JJohn McEwen\j\i,\b wins the Archibald Prize.
David Williamson, \IThe Removalists\i\b and \IDon's Party\i\b (plays).
Tim Burstall, \IStork\i\b (film), with Bruce Spence.
"The Village Glee Club" and "The Argonauts' Club" end after 29 and 30 years on ABC radio (Mar. and Apr.), and quiz show "Pick a Box" finishes after 23 years with \JBob Dyer\j's retirement (28 July).
Sydney's Trocadero dance restaurant closes down (14 Apr.).
"R" certificate introduced for categorising films.
\BD Books and Writing\b
George Johnston, \IA Cartload of Clay\i\b.
David Ireland, \IThe Unknown Industrial Prisoner\i\b \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Inaugural one-day international cricket match held in Melbourne (5 Jan.).
Evonne Goolagong and \JJohn Newcombe\j win Wimbledon singles titles.
Sydney's City to Surf race held for the first time.
Springbok Rugby tour sparks off anti-apartheid demonstrations.
Jimmy Sharman's boxing troupe makes its last appearance, at the Shepparton (Vic.) show.
Silver Knight wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated population of Australia reaches 13 million (Commonwealth census 30 June: 12,755,638).
Albany (WA) whaling station takes a record 823 male sperm whales.
Australia's first sex shop opens in Sydney (Oct.).
Green bans (a term applied by Jack Mundey of the Builders' Labourers Federation) first imposed on building development in Sydney: Kelly's Bush (18 June) and the Rocks (Nov.).
Environmental Protection Authority set up in Vic.
Fraser Island Defence Organisation formed by John Sinclair to oppose sand mining on the island.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 11 Frank Clune d. (77).
May 27 \JChips Rafferty\j d. (62).
May 28 Roland Wakelin d. (84).
Jun 30 Kenneth Slessor d. (70).
Sep 27 Sir Douglas Copland d. (77).
Oct 16 Robin Boyd d. (52).
#
"1972",188,"f\10\4_0015.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B27\b "Aboriginal Tent Embassy" set up outside Parliament House, \JCanberra\j, in a demonstration for land rights. (Removed by police in July.)
\B28\b General Motors-Holden's dismisses 1,240 employees in NSW, Vic., and SA.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
û Women's Electoral Lobby formed.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B15\b Steele Hall resigns as leader of the Liberal and Country League opposition in SA and (28th) forms the Liberal Movement within the party.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B16\b Trams cease running in \JBendigo\j.
\B22\b Labor sweeps back into office in Tas; Eric Reece again becomes Premier.
\B24\b WA appoints Australia's first ombudsman by legislation enacted in \J1971\j (SA in \J1972\j, Vic. \J1973\j, Qld \J1974\j, NSW \J1975\j, NT and Commonwealth \J1977\j, Tas. \J1979\j).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b Adelaide University lecturer George Duncan drowns in the Torrens River after being thrown in by a group of men. (Special investigation winds up in \J1990\j without casting light on allegations against police officers.)
\B27\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld with a reduced majority.
û ACTU places a black ban on all French ships and aircraft as a protest against continuation of French nuclear tests in the Pacific.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B30\b Ord River Dam (Lake Argyle) officially opened as the second stage of the Ord River scheme.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B22\b \INation\i\b mergers with the \ISunday Review\i\b to become \INation Review\i\b.
\B31\b Underground explosion at the Box Flat colliery, near Ipswich, Qld, kills 17 miners.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B23\b R. J. Hamer becomes Premier of Vic. following the retirement of Sir Henry Bolte.
\B30\b Three metal trades unions merge to form Australia's largest union, the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union.
Prof. R. F. Henderson appointed by the federal government to head a national inquiry into poverty.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b Terrorists explode two bombs inside Yugoslav travel agencies in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B6\b Six schoolchildren and their teacher, Mary Gibbs, are kidnapped from Faraday state school, Vic., but escape next day while their captors go to arrange the ransom. (Kidnappers captured on 9th.)
\B7\b Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden visit Australia (to 17th) for the opening of the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth.
\B15\b Hijacker of a Fokker Friendship aircraft at \JAlice Springs\j is fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire.
û Monthly magazine \ICleo\i\b begins publication.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Election for the House of Representatives: Labor Party wins office after 23 years in opposition.
\B5\b Interim two-man ministry of Prime Minister \JGough Whitlam\j and deputy Lance Barnard sworn in. Barnard announces the immediate end of National Service call-up. (Gaoled draft resisters released next day.)
\B11\b Federal government announces the withdrawal of the remaining troops in Vietnam. (Last Australian servicemen leave on 19th.)
\B12\b Australian Schools Commission interim committee set up.
\B19\b Full Whitlam ministry sworn in.
\B20\b B. M. Snedden replaces William \JMcMahon\j as leader of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party.
\B22\b Diplomatic relations established with the People's Republic of China and the German Democratic Republic.
\B23\b Australian dollar revalued upwards by 7.05%.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Bates, Smart, and McCutcheon, AMP Tower and Square, Melbourne.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Production of the Nomad aircraft approved by the federal government (23 May).
Celsius temperature scale adopted in place of Fahrenheit (1 Sept.).
Interscan aviation guidance system developed by the \JCSIRO\j.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JClifton Pugh\j, \IThe Hon. E. G. Whitlam\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
George Dreyfus's opera \IGarni Sands\i\b first presented.
La Boite Theatre opens in Brisbane.
National Black Theatre presents \IBasically Black\i\b.
Jack Hibberd, \IA Stretch of the Imagination\i\b (play).
Bruce Beresford, \IThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie\i\b (film), with Barry Crocker.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Thea Astley, \IThe Acolyte\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\JThomas Keneally\j, \IThe Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith\i\b.
Peter Mathers, \IThe Wort Papers\i\b.
Frank Moorhouse, \IThe Americans, Baby\i\b.
Dennis Altman, \IHomosexual: Oppression and Liberation\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian winners at the Munich Olympic Games: \Iswimming\i\b, \JShane Gould\j (200 m and 400 m freestyle, 200 m indiv. medley), Gail Neall (400 m indiv. medley), Beverley Whitfield (200 m breaststroke), Brad Cooper (400 m freestyle); \Iyachting\i\b, Dragon and Star class crews.
Tony Mundine wins the Commonwealth middleweight boxing championship.
Bill Moyes sets a hang-gliding altitude record of 1,447.8 m over Lake Ellesmere, NZ.
Piping Lane wins the Melbourne Cup.
Federal government excludes all racially selected sporting teams from Australia.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 13,409,288.
Australian servicemen involved in the Vietnam War (1962û72); 49 211, including 19,450 National Servicemen. Casualties: 499 killed; 2 missing presumed dead; 2,069 injured in action.
Australian Conservation Foundation loses its 16-month battle to stop the flooding of Lake Pedder, Tas., as part of a hydro-electric scheme.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jun 3 Martin Boyd d. (78).
Jul 7 Sir Owen Dixon d. (86).
Aug 22 Ernestine Hill d. (73).
\BDescription:\b Dam at Lake Argyle \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1973",189,"f\10\3_0094.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Wool Corporation takes over the functions of the Australian Wool Commission and the Australian Wool Board.
\B16\b Francis James released from detention in China.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B10\b Australia's first legal casino opens at Wrest Point, Hobart.
\B18\b International Eucharistic Congress held in Melbourne (to 25th).
\B28\b Bill introduced into federal parliament reducing the voting age in federal elections from 21 to 18.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Brisbane deliberately set on fire; 15 people killed.
\B10\b Dunstan government re-elected in SA.
\B16\b Attorney-General Lionel Murphy and Commonwealth police raid ASIO headquarters in Melbourne to demand information on Croatian terrorists.
\B31\b Liberal Movement in SA formally separates from the LCL.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B19\b Hamer government re-elected in Vic.
û Karmel report for the Australian Schools Commission recommends a big increase in spending on education.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B1\b RAAF receives the first six of its 24 F-111C strike aircraft.
\B25\b HMAS \ISupply\i\b leaves Sydney to rendezvous with NZ frigate \IOtago\i\b at the French nuclear test zone in protest against nuclear testing in the Pacific.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B6\b ACTU president R. J. Hawke elected president of the ALP.
\B18\b All tariffs reduced by 25%.
\B25\b Murdoch University of Western Australia, Perth, formally established. (First undergraduates enrolled in \J1975\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Prices Justification Tribunal established.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B9\b Australian dollar revalued upward by 5%.
\B26\b Bus carrying elderly tourists plunges 100 metres into the Tumut Pond Dam near Cabramurra in the Snowy Mountains; 18 people killed.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B9\b Fifty-dollar note goes into circulation.
\B13\b Coastal freighter \IBlythe Star\i\b capsizes and sinks off South West Cape, Tas. (Seven survivors of the crew of ten rescued on 24th after drifting in an open life raft.)
\B17\b Queen Elizabeth joins Prince Philip in Australia for the opening of the Sydney Opera House (leaves on 22nd).
\B23\b Alburyû\JWodonga\j declared a growth centre.
\B24\b Police arrest 77 green-ban demonstrators preventing the demolition of a building in the Rocks, Sydney. (Another 21 arrested next day.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b Askin government re-elected in NSW with an increased majority.
\B24\b Aborigines throughout Australia vote to elect a National Aboriginal Consultative Committee of 41 members to advise the government on Aboriginal needs.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Papua New Guinea achieves self-government.
\B8\b Referendums to give government control of prices and incomes defeated.
* Widespread flooding affects much of Australia during the second half of the year, continuing to mid-\J1974\j.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Adelaide's Festival Centre opens (2 June; complex completed in \J1977\j).
Sydney Opera House completed (officially opened 20 Oct.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
John Olsen, \ISalute to Five Bells\i\b mural in the Sydney Opera House.
Tapestry curtains designed by John Coburn in the Sydney Opera House.
Janet Dawson, \IMichael Boddy\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian government buys Jackson Pollock's \IBlue Poles\i\b for $1.3 million.
Competition for an Australian national anthem results in the rejection of all 1,300 entries for the music.
Perth Concert Hall opens (26 Jan.).
Inaugural Country Music Festival held in Tamworth, NSW.
Sunbury (Vic.) pop festival held (27û29 Jan.).
Sydney's new Her Majesty's Theatre opens (30 Nov.).
Australian Film and Television School established.
Peter Kenna, \IA Hard God\i\b (play).
Tim Burstall, \IAlvin Purple\i\b (film), with Graeme Blundell and Abigail.
\BD Books and Writing\b
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Eye of the Storm\i\b. White wins the Nobel Prize for Literature; with the prize money, he sets up the \JPatrick White\j Award (first winner \JChristina Stead\j).
No \JMiles Franklin\j Award made.
Literature Board (of the Australian Council for the Arts) replaces the Commonwealth Literary Fund.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Jenny Turrall breaks the world record for 1,500 m freestyle swimming and at 13 becomes the youngest world record holder.
Stephen Holland sets a world record for the men's 1,500 m freestyle.
Australia (\JJohn Newcombe\j, \JRod Laver\j) wins the Davis Cup.
Tony Rafferty runs from Fremantle to Surfers Paradise.
Gala Supreme wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 13,614,344.
Inflation rate 13.2%.
Supporting mother's benefit comes into operation (3 July).
Means test abolished on old-age pensions for persons aged 75 or over.
Age of majority reduced to 18.
Maternity leave granted to Commonwealth Public Service employees.
Federal government appoints an adviser on women's affairs (Elizabeth Reid).
Export ban placed on kangaroo products.
Environmental impact statement required for all federal developmental projects having significant environmental consequences.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 21 Sir \JArthur Fadden\j d. (78).
Jul 8 \JArthur Calwell\j d. (76).
Aug 14 Kieren Perkins b.
Dec 3 Bee Miles d. (71).
\BDescription:\b Widespread flooding affects much of Australia during the second half of the year, continuing to mid \J1974\j \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1974",190,"0","Cyclone Tracy - 25 December 1974","cyclone2.avi"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Federal government takes over financial responsibility for tertiary education from the states; fees abolished.
Industries Assistance Commission replaces the Tariff Board.
\i\B27\b Brisbane suffers its worst floods of the century following Cyclone Wanda (to 30th); 7,000 houses inundated; 12 people drown.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Prisoners riot in Bathurst Gaol (NSW); much of the gaol destroyed by fire; 12 prisoners wounded by gunshots.
\i\B23\b Saturday mail deliveries cease.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B9\b Australian Country Party (federal) changes its name to the National Country Party of Australia.
\i\B26\b Ruth Dobson, the first female career diplomat to be appointed an Australian ambassador, becomes ambassador to Denmark.
\i\B30\b Labor loses office in WA election; Sir Charles Court becomes Premier.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B2\b Prime Minister Whitlam announces the appointment of DLP senator V. C. Gair as ambassador to Eire in a move to replace him with a Labor senator in the forthcoming half Senate election; Qld Premier \JBjelke-Petersen\j counters by issuing writs for the return of five instead of six senators.
\i\B6\b Country Party in Qld becomes the National Party of Australia (Qld).
\i\B8\b Whitlam announces that 'Advance Australia Fair' (chosen by 51.4% of respondents to a public opinion poll) would supersede 'God Save the Queen' as Australia's national anthem.
\i\B10\b Whitlam obtains a double dissolution after the opposition moves to defer appropriation bills in the Senate.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B18\b Election for federal parliament; Labor government re-elected with a reduced majority in the House of Representatives and still without control of the Senate (29 ALP, 29 Lib.\b\i-NCP, 2 ind.). Referendums on democratic elections, simultaneous elections, mode of altering the Constitution, and local government defeated.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
- Builders' Labourers Federation deregistered. (Federal office takes over NSW branch on 7 Oct., expelling Jack Mundey and other officials.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Sir \JJohn Kerr\j succeeds Sir Paul Hasluck as Governor-General.
\i\B22\b Liberal and Country League in SA changes its name to the Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b Federal parliament sits for the first time as a single legislature (-7th) to pass six bills previously blocked by the Senate (first parliamentary debate to be telecast).
\i\B14\b Report of the Moffitt royal commission into organised crime in clubs tabled in NSW parliament.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Radio and television licences abolished.
\i\B25\b Australian dollar devalued by 12% and no longer linked to the US dollar but to an average of foreign currencies.
\i\B28\b Election for the ACT Legislative Assembly (an advisory body replacing the ACT Advisory Council).
\i\B30\b Finance company Cambridge Credit Corp. collapses and is placed in receivership with debts of about $100 million.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Restrictive trade practices legislation comes into force.
- Bankcard introduced.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B20\b First meeting of NT's new 19-member Legislative Assembly (replacing the Legislative Council).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B7\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld with an increased majority.
\i\B14\b Minerals and Energy Minister R. F. X. Connor is given Executive Council authority to raise an overseas loan of $US4,000 million.
\i\B15\b Regular FM broadcasting in Australia begins, from 2MBS in Sydney.
\i\B25\b Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin; 62 people killed, some 1,000 seriously injured, and 45,000 rendered homeless (nine out of ten homes destroyed).
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Colin Madigan, Australian \JNational Gallery\j (-\J1982)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Adult male skeleton found at Lake Mungo in western NSW dated over 35,000 years old (26 Feb.).
Anglo-Australian 3.9 m optical telescope at Siding Spring, NSW, opened by Prince Charles (16 Oct.). (Becomes fully operational in \J1975.)\j
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sam Fullbrook, \IJockey Norman Stephens,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Peter Sculthorpe, \IRites of Passage\b\i (opera).
Sister Janet Mead's record of 'The Lord's Prayer' sells over two million copies.
Ron Blair's play \IThe Christian Brothers\b\i first produced.
'Countdown', hosted by Ian ('Molly') Meldrum, begins on television (-\J1987)\j.
Village Theatres open a three-screen cinema in George Street, Sydney.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Ronald McKie, \IThe Mango Tree\b\i \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
Frank Moorhouse, \IThe Electrical Experience.\i
Public Lending Right scheme introduced.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JEddie Charlton\j wins the World's Masters snooker championship.
Think Big wins the Melbourne Cup.
Trifecta first introduced in Melbourne.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 13,831,978.
Beer consumption peaks at 140.3 litres per head before beginning to fall as wine consumption increases.
Arbitration Commission grants four weeks' paid annual leave to Metal Industry Award, subsequently extended to other federal awards.
Lake Eyre fills with water to possibly the highest level since European settlement.
\i\B3\b Sir \JRobert Askin\j retires as Premier of NSW; T. L. Lewis succeeds him.
\i\B5\b Tasman Bridge in Hobart collapses when the bulk carrier \ILake Illawarra\b\i strikes two supporting piers; ship sinks and four cars crash off the bridge, with the loss of 12 lives.
\i\B7\b Mineral and Energy Minister Rex Connor's authority to raise an overseas loan of $US4,000 million withdrawn. (Given authority by Executive Council on 28th to raise $US2,000 million.)
\i\B19\b ABC rock radio station 2JJ (later\b\i 2\b\i JJJ-FM) opens in Sydney, broadcasting 24 hours a day.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b Attorney-General Lionel Murphy resigns to become a High Court judge.
\i\B26\b Legislation passed abolishing appeals to the Privy Council on High Court decisions having no federal context.
\i\B27\b NSW Premier Lewis breaks convention by replacing Murphy in the Senate with a non-Labor nominee (Cleaver Bunton).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Colour television officially introduced.
\i\B21\b \JMalcolm Fraser\j replaces B. M. Snedden as federal Liberal Party leader.
\i\B31\b W. A. Neilson replaces Eric Reece as Premier of Tas.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B23\b Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips visit Australia (to 6 May).
\i\B30\b Arbitration Commission introduces wage indexation, providing quarterly (later half-yearly) adjustments to award wages in line with movements of the CPI.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B20\b Connor's authority to raise an overseas loan revoked.
\i\B29\b Family Law Bill passed. (No-fault divorce laws come into effect on 5 Jan. \J1976.)\j
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Lance Barnard announces his resignation from federal parliament to become ambassador to Sweden. (J. F. Cairns replaces him as deputy Prime Minister on 12th.)
\i\B5\b Whitlam reshuffles his cabinet; W. G. Hayden replaces Cairns as Treasurer.
\i\B9\b Order of Australia awarded for the first time.
\i\B16\b Ethnic radio begins experimental broadcasting from 2EA in Sydney. (3EA begins in Melbourne on 23rd.)
\i\B28\b Liberal candidate (Kevin Newman) wins the by-election for Barnard's seat of Bass.
\i\B30\b Qld Labor senator Bert Milliner dies, and Premier \JBjelke-Petersen\j appoints an anti-Whitlam nominee, Albert Field, as a replacement (3 Sept.).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Medibank health insurance scheme begins. Australian Postal Commission (Australia Post) and the Australian Telecommunications Commission (Telecom) take over former functions of the Postmaster-General's Dept.
Commonwealth Railways become Australian National Railways (taking over SA non-metropolitan and Tas. railway systems).
\i\B2\b Cairns is dismissed from the ministry for misleading parliament over the existence of a letter to a loans broker.
\i\B4\b Sydney newspaper publisher \JJuanita Neilsen\j disappears, presumed murdered.
\i\B12\b Dunstan government re-elected in SA.
\i\B14\b Frank Crean becomes deputy Prime Minister in place of Cairns.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b ALP federal executive expels Tas. TLC secretary Brian Harradine from the Labor Party.
\i\B16\b Gurindji people of NT given title to some of their traditional land. (Receive inalienable freehold title to almost all of Wave Hill stationùnow called Daguraguùon 11 May \J1986.)\j
\i\B28\b Report of the Henderson Commission of Inquiry into Poverty tabled in federal parliament.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B16\b Papua New Guinea becomes an independent nation, ending Australia's 69-year rule.
\i\B21\b Thirteen miners killed by an explosion during a fire in the Kianga coalmine at Moura, central Qld.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B14\b Connor resigns as minister following revelations of his continued loan-raising activities.
\i\B15\b Fraser announces the opposition's intentions to block appropriation bills in the Senate until the government agrees to an election.
\i\B16\b Five Australian newsmen die at Balibo, East Timor, during the capture of the town by pro-Indonesian forces.
\i\B23\b Eleven killed when a DH114 Heron aircraft crashes near Cairns, Qld.
\i\B31\b Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act proclaimed; A. J. Grassby becomes Commissioner for Community Relations.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B11\b Governor-General Sir \JJohn Kerr\j dismisses the Whitlam government and asks Fraser to form a caretaker government; double dissolution of parliament proclaimed.
\i\B19\b Letter-bomb addressed to the Qld Premier injures two staff members.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B13\b Election for federal parliament; Liberal-NCP coalition wins majorities in both houses (91 of the 127 House seats and 35 Senate seats).
\i\B25\b Fifteen people die in a fire at the Savoy private hotel in Kings Cross, Sydney.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Goodsir, Baker, and Wilde, Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
John Cornforth shares the Nobel Prize for chemistry with Vladimir Prelog for their work on the structure of living matter.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Kevin Connor, \IThe Hon. Sir Frank Kitto, KBE,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize. (Original winning portraitùJohn Bloomfield's \ITim Burstall\b\iùis disqualified on the grounds of being painted from photographs.)
Malcolm Williamson appointed Master of the Queen's Musick.
Australian Council for the Arts becomes the Australia Council.
Seymour Centre opens in Sydney (Sept.).
Jack Hibberd's play \IA Toast to Melba\b\i and Robert Merritt's \IThe Cake Man\b\i first produced.
Reg Livermore presents his \IBetty Blokk Buster Follies.\i
ABC radio's 'Hospital Hour' ends after 37 years.
\JPeter Weir\j's \IPicnic at Hanging Rock\b\i and Ken Hannam's \ISunday Too Far Away\b\i (films).
Australian Film Commission established.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Murray Bail, \IContemporary Portraits and Other Stories.\i
Geoffrey Blainey, \ITriumph of the Nomads.\i
Frank Hardy, \IBut the Dead Are Many.\i
Xavier Herbert, \IPoor Fellow My Country\b\i \J(Miles Franklin\j Award winner).
\JThomas Keneally,\j \IGossip from the Forest.\i
\JDavid Malouf,\j \IJohnno.\i
Peter Singer, \IAnimal Liberation.\b\i
Anne Summers, \IDamned Whores and God's Police.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Think Big wins the Melbourne Cup for the second year in succession.
Bruce Hunt cycles from Perth to Sydney in 11 days and 29 mins, breaking previous inter-capital and coast-to-coast records.
George Perdon wins the Transcontinental Run (Fremantle to Sydney via Adelaide and Melbourne) in 47 days 1 hr 54 mins.
Skateboard craze arrives in Australia.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 13,968,881.
Inflation rate for \J1974\j/75: 16.9%.
Means test on old-age pensions abolished for persons aged 70 and over. (Reintroduced in \J1983.)\j
Capital punishment abolished in Vic. (23 Apr.).
'Irretrievable breakdown' after 12 months' separation becomes the sole ground for divorce.
Australia's first legal nude-bathing beach declared in SA (Feb.).
Act passed establishing the Australian Heritage Commission. (Begins operating in July \J1976.)\j
High Court rules that the Commonwealth has sovereign rights over territorial sea and continental shelf (17 Dec.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Sep 27 J. T. (Jack) Lang d. (98).
Dec 10 Andrew ('Boy') Charlton d. (68).
#
"1976",192,"f\10\4_0080.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B5\b Family Law Act comes into operation; Elizabeth Evatt is sworn in as Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia.
\i\B22\b Prime Minister Fraser reinstates 'God Save the Queen' as Australia's official anthem.
\i\B23\b Sir Eric Willis replaces T. L. Lewis as Premier of NSW.
\i\B24\b ABC's FM stereo radio service, with stations in Adelaide (network centre), Sydney, Melbourne, and \JCanberra\j, begins transmission.
\i\B30\b Restrictions removed on the ownership and trading of gold.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B20\b Hamer government re-elected in Vic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b ISD telephone service introduced in Sydney, with direct dialling to 13 countries.
\i\B21\b Bandits steal $1.4 million in bookmakers' settlements from the Victorian Club in Melbourne.
\i\B28\b First of the Vietnamese 'boat people' refugees arrive in Darwin seeking asylum.
\i\B30\b Skeleton of \JTruganini\j cremated and (1 May) her ashes scattered on the waters of D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Tas.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B1\b Labor government elected in NSW; \JNeville Wran\j becomes Premier. Referendum on proposal to continue with daylight saving approved.
Steele Hall and a majority of the Liberal Movement in SA rejoin the Liberal Party.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Australia and Japan sign the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B12\b ACTU calls a nationwide 24-hour strike as a protest against the Fraser government's proposed changes to Medibank.
- Press Council established to consider complaints about the conduct of the press.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Cigarette and tobacco advertising banned on radio and television.
\i\B20\b Large 'Kerr and the Consequences' rally in the Sydney Town Hall calls for Australia to become a republic.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b First of several major changes to Medibank comes into effect.
\i\B23\b Total eclipse of the sun in south-eastern Australia.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B28\b Report of the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry (Fox Commission) gives qualified approval to development of Australia's uranium reserves.
\i\B29\b Australian dollar devalued by 17.5%.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Aboriginal pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls becomes Governor of SAùthe first Aboriginal to fill a vice-regal position.
\i\B4\b Fire, deliberately lit, at HMAS \IAlbatross\b\i naval base at Nowra, NSW, destroys 12 of the navy's 13 Grumman Tracker aircraft (half the navy's anti-submarine strength).
\i\B9\b Federal Court of Australia created to take over jurisdiction of the Industrial Court and the Bankruptcy Court. (Begins exercising its jurisdiction on 1 Feb. \J1977\j.)
\i\B11\b Neilson government re-elected in Tas.
\i\B16\b Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act gives Aborigines freehold title to former reserve land in the NT and provides a procedure for them to claim other Crown land.
\i\B23\b First of seven young women abducted in Adelaide over a six-week period disappears. (Bodies of all seven found in \J1978\j-79 near Truro.)
* Random breath testing introduced in Vic.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney Square opened (23 Sept.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JBrett Whiteley\j, \ISelf Portrait in the Studio,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Australian Chamber Orchestra established.
Sydney's new Theatre Royal opens, replacing the old theatre demolished to make way for the MLC Centre.
Steve J. Spears, \IThe Elocution of Benjamin Franklin\b\i (play), starring Gordon Chater.
Radio serial 'Blue Hills' ends its 32-year run (13 Sept.).
Festival of Sydney first held (from New Year's Eve through Jan. \J1977\j).
NSW Film Corporation established (18 Aug.).
Films: Bruce Beresford's \IDon's Party.\i
Donald Crombie's \ICaddie.\i
Henry Safran's \IStorm Boy.\i
Fred \JSchepisi\j's \IThe Devil's Playground.\i
\BD Books and Writing\b
David Ireland, \IThe Glass Canoe\b\i (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Frank Moorhouse, \IConference-ville.\i
Gavin Souter, \ILion and Kangaroo.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the inaugural World Open squash championships, \JHeather McKay\j wins the women's title and \JGeoff Hunt\j the men's.
Tom Hayllar completes a 12,000 km walk around Australia (Mar. 1975 to 25 Jan. 1976).
Van Der Hum wins the Melbourne Cup.
Sailboarding takes off in Australia.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches 14 million. (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 13,548,467, including 160,915 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.)
Cattle numbers in Australia peak at 33.4 million.
During the first year of the Family Law Act's operation, 63,267 petitions for divorce are granted.
Henderson Inquiry into Poverty reports that 10.2% of households in Australia are 'very poor' and a further 7.7% 'rather poor'ùamounting to about two million people.
Family allowance scheme introduced (superseding child endowment).
Patricia O'Shane becomes Australia's first Aboriginal barrister (6 Feb.).
Nude bathing allowed on two Sydney beaches.
Sand mining on Fraser Is. stops (31 Dec.) after the federal government refuses export licences for its mineral sands.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 8 \JGladys Moncrieff\j d. (83).
May 21 Harold Blair d. (51).
Jun 5 Harold Williams d. (82).
Jun 17 Lord Casey d. (85).
Aug 10 Bert Oldfield d. (81).
Oct 15 James McAuley d. (59).
Dec 25 Sir Daryl Lindsay d. (86).
\BDescription:\b Aboriginal Land Rights in Northern Territory gave the Aborigines the right to reserve land and claim other Crown land \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1977",193,"f\10\smh1977.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Death duties abolished in Qld.
Australian Broadcasting Tribunal replaces the Australian Broadcasting Control Board.
\B5\b Sacked Connair pilot Colin Forman flies a stolen plane into the Connair building in \JAlice Springs\j, killing himself and three others.
\B18\b Australia's worst railway disaster occurs when a commuter train from the \JBlue Mountains\j crashes into a concrete bridge at Granville, Sydney; 83 people killed and many injured by the falling bridge.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B14\b Escaped convict Edwin Eastwood, gaoled for the Faraday school kidnapping in \J1972\j, kidnaps nine schoolchildren and their teacher at Woreen, Vic. (Arrested after a high-speed chase in an escape attempt with the hostages in a van.)
\B19\b Court government re-elected in WA.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B7\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit all states and territories (to 30th) during the Queen's Silver Jubilee year.
\B18\b MoombaûSydney natural gas pipeline officially commissioned.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B27\b Five nickel miners die at Agnew, WA, after falling 35 metres down the mine shaft in an ore bucket.
û Robyn Davidson sets out from \JAlice Springs\j with four camels to travel overland to the west coast. (Arrives at Hamelin Pool, south of Carnarvon, WA, eight months later.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Australian Democrats party launched by former Liberal MP Don Chipp.
\B21\b Referendums on proposals to fill casual Senate vacancies with members of the same party, to allow territorial electors to vote in referendums, and to set a retiring age for judges carried; proposal to hold simultaneous House of Representatives and Senate elections rejected. National poll held to determine the public choice of a national song; results: "Advance Australia Fair" 2,940,854, "Waltzing Matilda" 1,918,206; "God Save the Queen" 1,257,341, and "Song of Australia" 652,858.
\B25\b Second report of the Fox Commission makes no firm recommendation that uranium mining go ahead and recommends more stringent controls for the Ranger mine's development.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B22\b Uniting Church in Australia formed by the merger of the Methodist Church with major elements of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches.
\B30\b SEATO disbanded.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman established.
Licensing regulations introduced for Citizen Band radio.
\B7\b ALP adopts a policy to defer uranium mining development until nuclear waste safeguards are developed and other problems resolved.
\B15\b Griffith (NSW) anti-drug campaigner Donald Mackay disappears, presumed murdered.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B10\b Royal commission headed by Justice P. M. Woodward begins its inquiries into drug trafficking in NSW.
\B25\b Commonwealth government announces its intention to allow uranium mining to proceed. (Legislation passed 31 May \J1978\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B4\b Qld government bans street protest marches.
\B17\b Dunstan government re-elected in SA with an increased majority.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Tasman Bridge, Hobart, reopens.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Prince Charles visits all states (to 11th).
\B12\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld.
National Aboriginal Conference of 36 members elected, replacing the NACC.
\B17\b Wreck of the \IPandora\i\b, lost near Torres Strait in \J1791\j, located.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b D. A. Lowe replaces W. A. Neilson as Premier of Tas.
\B3\b Police in Brisbane make more than 200 arrests in clashes with civil liberties demonstrators protesting against street-march restrictions.
\B8\b Sir \JZelman Cowen\j becomes Governor-General, following Sir \JJohn Kerr\j's resignation.
\B10\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Fraser government re-elected; Democrats win two Senate seats; new members include Neal Blewett and Barry Jones; \JGough Whitlam\j announces he will step down as leader of the Labor Party.
\B22\b W. G. Hayden elected ALP leader.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Robin Gibson, Queensland Cultural Centre, Brisbane (Queensland Art Gallery completed in \J1982\j, Performing Arts Centre in \J1985\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Geostationary meteorological satelliteùGMS 1ùlaunched by Japan (14 July), provides cloud pictures of Australia for the Bureau of Meteorology.
Western Plains Zoo, Australia's first open-range zoo, opens at Dubbo, NSW (Feb.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Kevin Connor, \IRobert Klippel\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
David Williamson's play \IThe Club\i\b and \JPatrick White\j's \IBig Toys\i\b first produced.
Independent Theatre, Sydney, closes down.
Films: Bruce Beresford's \IThe Getting of Wisdom\i\b.
\JPeter Weir\j's \IThe Last Wave\i\b.
Bruce Petty's animated cartoon \ILeisure\i\b wins an Academy Award.
\B1\b Special Broadcasting Service established to provide multilingual radio and television services.
\B17\b SA Police Commissioner Harold Salisbury dismissed for misleading the government over dossiers kept by the Special Branch.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B9\b Sir \JJohn Kerr\j appointed ambassador to Unesco. (Resigns before taking up the position, following public opposition.)
\B10\b Unions involved in the uranium industry allow existing contracts to be honoured but ban any new mining until safeguards established.
\B13\b Bomb explodes outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, where Commonwealth Heads of Government are meeting; two council workers and a policeman killed.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B30\b Commonwealth police raid five Sydney doctors' clinics and begin arresting some 180 GreekûAustralians said to be involved in a conspiracy to defraud the Dept of Social Security.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B7\b Qld government abolishes Aurukun and Mornington Is. Aboriginal reserves to circumvent the federal government's plan to allow the communities to manage themselves.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b Australia's first open university, Deakin, at Geelong, Vic., officially opened.
\B18\b Prince Charles in Melbourne (to 19th) for the funeral of Sir \JRobert Menzies\j.
\B16\b Three Ananda Marga membersùRoss Dunn, Timothy Anderson, and Paul Alisterùare arrested in Sydney and charged with conspiring to murder National Front leader Robert Cameron. (Found guilty in Aug. \J1979\j and sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment.)
\B17\b Referendum carried in NSW to change the method of choosing members of the Legislative Council from a vote by sitting members of both houses to a popular vote.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b NT achieves self-government; Paul Everingham becomes Chief Minister.
\B10\b Light aircraft crashes into a house in Essendon, Vic., killing six members of the one family.
\B28\b Passenger train services discontinued in Tas.
\B31\b \JGough Whitlam\j resigns from federal parliament to take up a position as visiting fellow at the ANU.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B24\b Legislation enacted establishing fishing rights over a 200-mile zone around Australia and its external territories (from 1 Nov. \J1979\j).
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian government buys the Clunies Ross holdings on the Cocos Islands except for the family home and grounds.
\B14\b Commonwealth Arbitration Commission decides to hold half-yearly rather than quarterly wage-indexation hearings in future.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B7\b Wran government re-elected in NSW with an increased majority; opposition leader Peter Coleman loses his seat.
\B11\b Sydney Rugby League footballer Paul Hayward, Warren Fellows, and William Sinclair are arrested in Thailand for attempted heroin smuggling.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Medibank health scheme undergoes further modifications.
\B15\b West Gate Bridge opened in Melbourne.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sri Venkateswari Temple at Helensburgh, NSW, the first Hindu temple in Australia (û \J1986\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Anglo-Australian telescope at Siding Spring identifies the star SS433 and makes the first optical viewing of a neutron star.
Rich diamond deposit (the Argyle Deposit) discovered in the Kimberley region, WA. (First diamonds mined, cut, and polished in Australia go on sale in Aug. \J1985\j.)
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
\JBrett Whiteley\j wins the Archibald Prize (with \IArt, Life and the Other Thing\i\b), the Wynne Prize (with \ISummer at Carcoar\i\b), and the Sulman Prize (with \IYellow Nude\i\b).
Gay Mardi Gras first held in Sydney.
Films: Fred \JSchepisi\j's \IThe Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith\i\b.
Phil Noyce's \INewsfront\i\b.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Jessia Anderson, \ITirra Lirra by the River\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Nancy Cato, \IAll the Rivers Run\i\b (combining three earlier novels).
C. J. Koch, \IThe Year of Living Dangerously\i\b.
Geoffrey Lehmann, \IRoss's Poems\i\b.
Morris Lurie, \IFlying Home\i\b.
\JDavid Malouf\j, \IAn Imaginary Life\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Ken Warby becomes the first person to break the 500 km/h and 300 mph barrier on water (reaching 511.11 km/h) in his jet hydroplane \I
Spirit of Australia\i\b on Blowering Dam, NSW.
Tracey Wickham sets a 400 m freestyle world record and wins two gold medals at the World Swimming Championships (24 Aug.) and sets an 800 m freestyle world record at the Commonwealth Games.
Arwon wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 14,430,830.
Road deaths during year: 3,671.
Number of Vietnamese refugee boats to have arrived in Australia (Apr. \J1975\j to Sept. \J1978\j): 45, carrying 1,634 people.
China buys 4.6 million tonnes of wheat from Australia.
Maternity allowance abolished.
Equal Opportunity Act comes into force in Vic. (3 Apr.).
Whaling from Australia ends with the closing of the Cheynes Beach station near Albany, WA.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 15 Sir \JRobert Menzies\j d. (83).
Jul 27 R. J. Heffron d. (87).
Oct 6 \JJohnny O'Keefe\j d. (43).
\BDescription:\b Special Broadcasting Service established to provide multilingual radio and television services \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1979",195,"e\4\5_0030.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B9\b Federal government signs an agreement to allow the Ranger consortium to start mining uranium in the NT.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Finance company Associated Securities Ltd goes into receivership.
\B12\b \JHarry M. Miller\j's Computicket organisation collapses.
\B15\b \JDon Dunstan\j resigns as Premier of SA because of ill health; Des Corcoran replaces him as Premier.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B8\b Prince Charles visits Australia (to 1 Apr.) for WA's 150th anniversary celebrations.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Truck drivers blockade major NSW highways (to 12th) in protest against road taxes and cartage rates.
\B29\b Evangelist Billy Graham makes his third crusade in Australia (to 21 May).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B5\b Hamer government re-elected in Vic.
\B30\b Norfolk Island Act assented to, providing for a Legislative Assembly of nine members and an Executive Council of three Assembly members.
û Remains of the last of the seven young women who disappeared in Adelaide in \J1976\jû77 found in bushland near Truro, SA. (James William Miller arrested on 24th and charged with their murder.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Election held for the ACT House of Assembly (replacing the Legislative Assembly).
\B5\b Royal commission into the Vic. Housing Commission land deals announced.
\B8\b Hijacker of a TAA plane between Coolangatta and Brisbane overpowered by the crew.
\B9\b Seven die in a fire in the Ghost Train at Luna Park, Sydney.
\B21\b One-day general strike called by the ACTU to protest against the use of a controversial public assembly law to arrest union officials in WA during strike meetings.
\B1\b Commonwealth estate duty and gift duty abolished.
\B12\b Pieces of the disintegrating US space station Skylab fall on WA.
\B24\b Fourteen coalminers die at Appin, NSW, when methane gas ignites in a mine tunnel.
\B28\b Lowe government re-elected in Tas.
\B29\b Fire, deliberately lit, extensively damages the Morphettville (SA) racecourse.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
û Conservationists and police clash over logging at Terania Creek, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B15\b Liberals led by David Tonkin win the SA election.
\B27\b Ian Sinclair resigns as federal Minister for Primary Industry following the Finnane Commission's report that he forged his father's name on company annual returns. (Reinstated in Aug. \J1980\j after being acquitted of all charges.)
û Ban on protest marches in Brisbane eased.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Bunbury, WA, proclaimed a city.
\B14\b ACTU president \JBob Hawke\j wins preselection for the safe federal seat of Wills.
\B19\b Australian Federal Police formed, incorporating the Commonwealth and ACT police forces.
\B22\b Lotto tickets go on sale in NSW. (First draw held 5 Nov.)
û Report of the Woodward royal commission into drug trafficking in NSW tabled in parliament.
û \INation Review\i\b ceases publication. (Revived Feb. \J1980\j to Dec. \J1981\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B21\b ABC reporter Tony Joyce shot while on assignment in Zambia. (Dies in Feb. \J1980\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B14\b Hotels in NSW allowed to trade on Sundays.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Lionel Glendenning, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney (û \J1988\j).
Historic Bellevue Hotel in Brisbane demolished (21 Apr.).
Japanese millionaire Yohachiro Iwasaki starts a $100 million tourist development at Yeppoon, Qld (opened in May \J1986\j).
Centrepoint Tower (designed by Donald Crone in \J1969\j) begins rising over Sydney (opened in Sept. \J1981\j).
Birkenhead Point complex completed in Sydney.
Melbourne City Square completed.
Art Gallery of WA completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Skull of a diprotodon (largest marsupial) found near Coonabarabran, NSW (Sept.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Wes Walters, \IPortrait of Phillip Adams\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Robyn Archer presents her \ITonight: Lola Blau\i\b.
David Ireland, \IA Woman of the Future\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner)
\JThomas Keneally\j, \IConfederates\i\b.
Roger McDonald, \I\J1915\j\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IThe Twyborn Affair\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australia wins the Admiral's Cup. (During the last event, the Fastnet race, 17 yachtsmen of other countries die in a storm.)
\JDes Renford\j swims the English Channel three times during the year, taking his total crossings to 16.
Tracey Wickham breaks the world 1,500 m freestyle swimming record.
Robyn Burley becomes the first Australian to win an individual world ice skating championship.
Hyperno wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 14,602,481.
Highest recorded daily rainfall in Australiaù1,140 mmùregistered at Bellenden Ker station, Qld (4 Jan.).
Unpaid maternity leave awarded by the federal Arbitration Commission to women in private industry.
Kakadu National Park (NT), Nullarbor National Park (SA), and the first sectionùCapricorniaùof the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j Marine Park proclaimed.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 14 Marjorie Lawrence d. (71).
Jun 6 Ion L. Idriess d. (89).
Jul 9 A. P. Elkin d. (88).
Jul 29 David Campbell d. (64).
\BDescription:\b Hyperno wins the Melbourne Cup \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1980",196,"f\10\6_0010.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B24\b First section of Melbourne's underground rail loop opens.
\B27\b Merchant banker Frank Nugan found dead in his car at Bowenfels, near Lithgow, NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B21\b Thirteen people die when a Beechcraft plane crashes at Sydney Airport attempting an emergency landing after take-off.
\B23\b Court government re-elected in WA.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b ALP federal executive votes for intervention in the Qld branch, replacing most of the key office-holders.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B30\b Japanese company Mitsubishi takes over Chrysler Australia Ltd.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B23\b Australian Olympic Federation votes to send a team to the Olympic Games in Moscow despite a call by the federal government for a boycott because of Russia's intervention in Afghanistan. (Individual athletes subsequently withdraw.)
\B24\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit Australia for the opening of the High Court building in \JCanberra\j (26th).
\B29\b Convicted bank robber Darcy Dugan released from Maitland Gaol, NSW, after spending more than 30 of his 59 years in prison. (Re-arrested and charged on 2 July \J1981\j with armed hold-up of a service station.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B23\b Unknown gunman shoots dead Justice David Opas of the Family Court in Sydney on the doorstep of his Woollahra home.
Australia's first "test tube" baby (Candice Reed) born at the Royal Melbourne Women's Hospital.
\B17\b NSW MLC Peter Baldwin is beaten up by an intruder in his Marrickville home following attempts to clean up Sydney inner city Labor Party branches.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B17\b Baby Azaria Chamberlain disappears from a campsite at \JAyers Rock\j, reported taken by a dingo.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B30\b \JBob Hawke\j retires as president of the ACTU to contest the forthcoming federal election. (Replaced as ACTU president by Cliff Dolan.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Royal commission into the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union, under F. X. Costigan, begins sitting in Melbourne.
\B9\b Standard-gauge line from Tarcoola (SA), on the Trans-Australian Railway, to \JAlice Springs\j opened by Princess Alexandra.
\B15\b Violet Roberts and her son Bruce, convicted of killing their husband and father, are freed from prison in NSW after a public campaign for their release.
\B18\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate; Fraser government re-elected with a reduced majority; Democrats win three more Senate seats; new members include \JBob Hawke\j and Senator Florence \JBjelke-Petersen\j, wife of the Qld Premier.
\B24\b Multicultural television begins in Sydney and Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b Five volunteer firemen die fighting a bushfire at Waterfall, NSW.
\B29\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Federal government lifts controls on interest rates offered by banks on customer deposits.
\B15\b Inquest into the death of Azaria Chamberlain begins in \JAlice Springs\j.
\B17\b Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak and his bodyguard are shot dead in Dover Heights, Sydney; assassins escape on a motorcycle.
\B24\b Bomb explodes in Woolworths' Town Hall store in Sydney, the third bombing of a Woolworths store in a $1 million extortion attempt.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Andrew Andersons, NSW Parliament House offices (û \J1985\j).
World-wide competition for a design for the new Parliament House in \JCanberra\j won by the US-based Romaldo Giurgola.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Museum of Australia, \JCanberra\j, established by act of parliament.
Telecommunications tower on Black Mountain, \JCanberra\j, officially opened (15 May).
Australia's Landsat data-acquisition station at \JAlice Springs\j begins receiving direct information from US remote-sensing satellites.
Automatic teller machines introduced.
Oil and gas discovered in the Cooper Basin, SA.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Ron Robertson-Swann's plate-steel sculpture \IThe Vault\i\b erected in Melbourne's City Square. (Removed to Batman Park after public controversy.)
No award made for the Archibald Prize.
"Wilfrid Thomas Show" ends after 39 years on ABC radio.
Bruce Beresford, \IBreaker Morant\i\b (film).
AC/DC, \IBack in Black\i\b (rock album).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Jessica Anderson, \IThe Impersonators\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Murray Bail, \IHomesickness\i\b.
Geoffrey Blainey, \IA Land Half Won\i\b.
Shirley Hazzard, \IThe Transit of Venus\i\b.
Clive James, \IUnreliable Memoirs\i\b.
Les A. Murray, \IThe Boys Who Stole the Funeral\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Michelle Ford wins the 800 m freestyle swimming event at the Moscow Olympic Games, and the men's team wins the 4 x 100 m medley relay.
\JEvonne Cawley\j wins the women's singles at Wimbledon.
\JGrant Kenny\j wins the National Open Iron Man and Junior Iron Man titles in consecutive events at the Australian surf championships.
\JDes Renford\j swims the English Channel for a record 19th time.
Alan Jones wins the world Formula One driver's championship.
Beldale Ball wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 14,807,370.
Women allowed to become full members of surf lifesaving clubs.
Deborah Wardley becomes the first woman in Australia to be appointed a pilot for a major commercial airline.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 2 Clarrie Grimmett d. (88).
Sep 5 Don Banks d. (56).
Nov 20 Sir \JJohn McEwen\j d. (80).
\BDescription:\b Alan Jones wins the World Formula One driver's championship \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1981",197,"f\10\1_0029.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B13\b Sydney police trap Gregory McHardy attempting to collect the Woolworths ransom in the water at Taronga Park wharf. (McHardy and accomplice Larry Danielson sentenced on 27 Apr. to 20 years' imprisonment.)
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B8\b Headless and fingerless body of Kim Barry found on a cliff ledge at Jamberoo, NSW. (Graham Gene Potter subsequently arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.)
\B10\b International airport opened at Townsville.
\B11\b Sir Garfield Barwick retires as Chief Justice of the High Court and is succeeded by Sir Harry Gibbs.
\B14\b Australia withdraws diplomatic recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Kampuchea.
\B20\b \JAlice Springs\j coroner Denis Barritt finds that a dingo killed Azaria Chamberlain.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B12\b Prince Charles visits Australia (to 28th).
\B15\b Andrew Peacock resigns from federal cabinet, accusing Prime Minister Fraser of "gross disloyalty".
\B29\b Sixteen patients die in a fire in a nursing home at Sylvania, Sydney.
\B30\b Federal government "Razor Gang" institutes cuts in spending on public services and instrumentalities.
û Public funding of election campaigns becomes law in NSW.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Alleged crime boss Robert Trimbole flees Australia.
\B28\b R. J. Hamer resigns as Premier of Vic. and is replaced by Lindsay Thompson (2 June).
û Grant of assisted passage restricted to refugees.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B16\b Jack ("Puttynose") Nicholls, due to give evidence to the Costigan royal commission, found shot dead in a car at Wangaratta, Vic.
\B25\b Royal commission into drug trafficking (Justice Donald Stewart) established.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B31\b Wage indexation abandoned.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B18\b Senate reconvenes with government members in the minority, Democrats and independent Brian Harradine holding the balance of power.
\B20\b Federal and Vic. governments set up a royal commission to investigate allegations of corruption and impropriety in the Builders' Labourers Federation.
\B24\b Church of England in Australia becomes the Anglican Church in Australia.
\B25\b Nine people die in a fire at the Rembrandt Apartments in Kings Cross, Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Medibank health scheme undergoes further changes: free treatment for uninsured in hospital standard wards ends.
\B5\b First death from AIDS in Australia: a 72-year-old man in Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (established in Nov. \J1993\j by biopsy analysis).
\B19\b NT Chief Minister Paul Everingham orders the police to reopen investigation into the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain.
Wran government re-elected in NSW with an increased majority; opposition leader Bruce McDonald loses his seat. Referendums to extend the term of the Legislative Assembly from three years to four and to require MPs to disclose certain pecuniary interests both carried.
\B26\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit Australia (to 12 Oct.) to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Melbourne.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b National Bank of Australasia and Commercial Banking Company of Sydney merge to form the National Australia Bank.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B2\b Bank of New South Wales and the Commercial Bank of Australasia merge. (Begin trading under the name Westpac on 1 Oct. \J1982\j.)
Rural Bank of New South Wales becomes the State Bank.
\B4\b Pitjantjatjara people in SA granted land rights.
\B11\b Tas. Premier Doug Lowe resigns and leaves the ALP following a caucus vote of no confidence in him; Harry Holgate replaces him as Premier.
\B20\b Justice Toohey of the NT Supreme Court quashes coroner Barritt's findings in the Azaria Chamberlain inquest. (Second inquest opens on 30th.)
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B12\b Referendum held in Tas. to decide the site of the dam on the Franklin River (44.89% vote "No dams" or informal.)
\B31\b Death duties abolished in NSW.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Work begins on Parliament House, \JCanberra\j (foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Hawke on 4 Oct. \J1983\j).
AMP Building, Brisbane, wins the BOMA Award.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Antivenene for funnel-web spider bites, developed by Struan Sutherland of the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories over 22 years, first used (Feb.).
National genetic engineering centre established at the Research School of Biological Sciences at the ANU, \JCanberra\j.
Powerhouse Museum, stage 1, opens in Sydney. (Fully opened in \J1988\j.)
Radio-astronomers at the \JCSIRO\j's Parkes station discover pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Eric Smith, \IRudy Komon\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Olivia Newton-John's record "Physical" tops the charts in the US.
Melbourne's Pram Factory theatre closes down.
\JPeter Weir\j, \IGallipoli\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Peter Carey, \IBliss\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Blanche d'Alpuget, \ITurtle Beach\i\b.
A. B. \JFacey\j, \IA Fortunate Life\i\b.
\IThe Macquarie Dictionary\i\b.
Eric Rolls, \IA Million Wild Acres\i\b.
Gavin Souter, \ICompany of Heralds\i\b.
\JPatrick White\j, \IFlaws in the Glass\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Australian Institute of Sport opens at the National Sports Centre in \JCanberra\j (Jan.).
\JDennis Lillee\j takes his 310th test wicket, setting a new world record.
Trevor Chappell bowls the last ball underarm in a World Series Cricket match against NZ in Melbourne to prevent NZ scoring the six runs it needed to draw.
Brothers Glen, Mark, and Gary Ella play in Australia's Rugby Union test team.
Jan Stephenson wins the women's world golf championship in Japan.
Ron Grant runs across the Simpson Desert.
Just a Dash wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia reaches 15 million (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 14 926 800, including 160 915 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders).
Four-millionth Holden vehicle comes off the assembly line (June).
Metal trades gain a 38-hour week.
\JPat O'Shane\j, appointed permanent head of the NSW Dept of Aboriginal Affairs on 25 Nov., becomes the first woman to head a government department in Australia.
Cairns section of the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j Marine Park proclaimed.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 2 Sir Roy Grounds d. (75).
Jun 16 Sir Thomas Playford d. (84).
Jun 29 Sir \JRussell Drysdale\j d. (69).
Sep 2 Dame \JEnid Lyons\j d. (84).
Sep 9 Sir \JRobert Askin\j d. (72).
Oct 19 Dymphna Cusack d. (79).
Dec 23 Sir Reginald Ansett d. (72).
\BDescription:\b Four-millionth Holden vehicle comes off the assembly line (June) \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1982",198,"f\10\briscgo.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B25\b Sir Charles Court steps down as Premier of WA and is succeeded by Ray O'Connor.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B2\b \JLindy Chamberlain\j committed for trial for the murder of her baby daughter, Azaria. (Found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, 29 Oct.)
\B6\b Fairlea Women's Prison at Fairfield, Vic., extensively damaged by fire; three killed.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Labor elected to government in Vic., ending 27 years of Liberal rule; John Cain (son of former Premier John Cain) becomes Premier.
\B8\b XPT (Express Passenger Train) begins operation in NSW.
\B16\b Archbishop John Grindrod appointed Anglican Primate of Australia, to succeed Sir Marcus Loane.
\B19\b Health Minister Michael McKellar and Minister for Customs John Moore resign from the ministry following McKellar's failure to declare and pay duty on a colour television set.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Liberal government elected in Tas; Robin Gray becomes Premier.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B7\b Allegation of a mass conspiracy among doctors, patients, and prominent members of the Greek community dismissed by magistrate Bruce Brown on the 386th day of the hearing.
\B18\b Legislation passed in SA authorising the development of the Roxby Downs copper-uranium deposit, despite controversy.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b ALP reverses its policy on uranium mining to allow for the continuation of existing mining projects.
\B21\b Aboriginal Northern Land Council agrees to the mining of uranium at Jabiluka, NT.
\B29\b Sir \JNinian Stephen\j succeeds Sir \JZelman Cowen\j as Governor-General.
Australian dollar falls below parity with the American dollar for the first time.
\B8\b Dalai Lama arrives in Australia for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Buddhism in Australia.
\B24\b Fourth interim report of the royal commission into the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union highlights the "bottom of the harbour" tax-avoidance schemes.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
- Uranium mining ceases at Mary Kathleen. (Everything in the town auctioned in \J1983\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Queen Elizabeth visits Australia (to 13th) to open the Australian \JNational Gallery\j (Prince Phillip having arrived on 27th Sept. for the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane).
\B13\b Inquest into the Hilton Hotel bombing finds a prima facie case of murder against Ross Dunn and Paul Alister.
\B16\b National Country Party, at the federal level, changes its name to the National Party of Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B6\b Labor wins office in SA election; John Bannon becomes Premier.
\B15\b Instant lotteries introduced in NSW.
- First case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in Australia diagnosed in Sydney.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act comes into operation.
\B17\b Random breath testing introduced in NSW.
\B31\b \IAustralian Women's Weekly\b\i first published as a monthly.
* Much of Australia in the fourth year of drought.
***
\B \BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Gerard de Preu, Rialto building, Melbourne (- \J1985\j)ùAustralia's tallest building to date (56 storeys; 242 metres).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Bionic ear developed by Prof. Graeme Clark at Melbourne University in the \J1970\js is successfully implanted.
Omega maritime navigational station at Darriman, in Gippsland, Vic., becomes operational (16 Aug.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Australian \JNational Gallery\j, \JCanberra\j, opened (12 Oct.).
Queensland Art Gallery (first stage of the Qld Cultural Centre, Brisbane) opened (21 June).
Eric Smith, \IPeter Sculthorpe,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Melbourne Concert Hall of the Victorian Arts Centre opened (6 Nov.).
Opera in the Park (Joan Sutherland in \ILa Traviata\b\i) first held in Sydney's Domain during the Festival of Sydney (16 Jan.).
Records of the pop group Men at Work top the Australian, British and American charts.
\IThe Man from Snowy River\b\i (film).
\JPeter Weir\j, \IThe Year of Living Dangerously\b\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rodney Hall, \IJust Relations\b\i (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\B9\b Bushfires kill four fire-fighters in NSW and Vic.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B3\b Prime Minister \JMalcolm Fraser\j obtains a double dissolution of parliament; \JBob Hawke\j replaces \JBill Hayden\j as leader of the Labor Party.
\B8\b Severe dust storm envelops Melbourne in darkness and deposits 11,000 tonnes of topsoil on the city.
\B16\b "Ash Wednesday" bushfires in Vic. and SA result in the loss of 72 lives and the destruction of more than 2,000 houses.
\B19\b Labor wins election in WA; Brian Burke becomes Premier.
\B21\b ACTU endorses the prices and incomes accord.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B5\b Election for federal parliament; Labor wins office. \JMalcolm Fraser\j resigns from the Liberal leadership.
\B8\b Dollar devalued by 10%.
\B11\b Hawke ministry sworn in. Andrew Peacock elected Liberal Party leader.
\B20\b Prince Charles and Princess Diana with baby Prince William visit Australia (to 20 Apr.).
- Australian Catholic priest Brian Gore gaoled in the Philippines on charges of murder and inciting rebellion. (Released on 3 July \J1984\j after being exonerated; returns to Australia 22 July.)
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b National Economic Summit held in \JCanberra\j (to 14th).
\B22\b Soviet Embassy first secretary Valeriy Ivanov expelled for alleged spying.
\B27\b Archbishop Edward Clancy succeeds Cardinal Sir James Freeman as Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b \JCanberra\j lobbyist and former ALP federal secretary David Combe declared persona non grata by the federal government for his association with expelled Soviet diplomat Valeriy Ivanov.
\B16\b NSW Premier \JNeville Wran\j steps aside while a royal commission investigates allegations made on the TV program "Four Corners" that he attempted to influence the magistracy.
\B17\b Royal commission under Justice R. M. Hope set up to inquire into Australia's security and intelligence agencies.
\B31\b Final report of the royal commission into drug trafficking tabled in federal parliament.
- Floods in northern NSW and southern Qld (to June) end four years of drought.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Broadcasting Commission reconstituted as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
\B22\b \JDick Smith\j completes the first solo flight around the world in a helicopter (begun on 5 Aug. \J1982)\j.
\B28\b \JNeville Wran\j exonerated by the royal commission and resumes post as NSW Premier. (Chief magistrate Murray Farquhar charged with perverting the course of justice, 1 Aug.).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B2\b Paul Sharp becomes the first white person to cross the Simpson Desert alone and on foot.
\B14\b Roslyn Kelly becomes the first sitting member of parliament to give birth.
\B17\b Seven Liberal ministers resign from Qld government. (National-Liberal Party coalition formally ends at midnight on 18th.)
\B18\b Five people killed and 20 injured when a road train is deliberately driven into a motel at \JAyers Rock,\j NT. (Driver Douglas Edwin Crabbe found guilty of murder in Mar. \J1984.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B23\b Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission sets out guidelines for a centralised system of wage-fixing (full indexation).
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B22\b Qld state election: increased support for the National Party and the subsequent defection of two Liberals allows the National Party to govern in its own right.
- WA introduces daylight saving on a trial basis. (People vote against continuation at a referendum in Apr. \J1984.)\j
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B30\b Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) agents raid the Sheraton Hotel in Melbourne in a training exercise.
\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
\B9\b Australian dollar allowed to float.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Foundations of Sydney's first Government House uncovered by Heritage Council archaeologists (May).
Second building for the State Library of NSW, Sydney (- \J1988)\j.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) launched by Westpac (Dec.).
Fossil of a mammal that lived between 110 million and 120 million years ago found at \JLightning Ridge,\j NSW.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Nigel Thomson, \IChandler Coventry,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
\B17\b Ian Sinclair succeeds J. D. Anthony as federal National Party leader.
\B31\b Bank robber Hakki Bahadi Atahan takes ten hostages from the Commonwealth Bank in George St, Sydney, but is shot dead by police on the Spit Bridge after a car chase through the suburbs.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Medicare scheme begins operation.
\B2\b Melbourne \IAge\i publishes extracts from tapes of phone taps, made by members of the NSW Police Department, incriminating an unnamed judge.
\B22\b High Court dismisses \JLindy Chamberlain\j's appeal against her conviction and life sentence for the murder of her baby daughter Azaria.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B6\b Bomb blast wrecks the Belrose (Sydney) home of Family Court judge Richard Gee, injuring him.
Justice Lionel Murphy of the High Court named in parliament as the judge referred to in the "\IAge\i tapes".
\B14\b Neighbourhood Watch introduced in Vic. to help cut home burglaries.
\B24\b Wran government re-elected in NSW with a reduced majority.
\B26\b $100 note goes into circulation.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Stockbroking industry deregulated.
\B6\b Cocos Islands vote for integration with Australia.
\B15\b Family Court in Parramatta extensively damaged by a bomb explosion.
\B19\b "Advance Australia Fair" proclaimed as Australia's official national anthem and green and gold as Australia's national colours.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B14\b One-dollar coin goes into circulation. (Note gradually withdrawn.)
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B3\b Electrification of railway from Sydney to Newcastle inaugurated.
- Surgical specialists resign from NSW public hospitals in a dispute over Medicare. (Return in March \J1989\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B4\b Justice Ray Watson of the Family Court in Sydney narrowly escapes death and his wife is killed when an explosion devastates their Greenwich home.
Heavy snowfalls block roads and railways in eastern Australia; Sydney has its coldest July day since \J1896\j.
\B18\b National Crime Authority, chaired by Justice Donald Stewart, takes over investigations of the Costigan royal commission.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B1\b Banks deregulated.
\B8\b Friday night and Saturday afternoon shopping allowed in NSW. (Begins 10, 11 Aug.).
\B12\b First stage of the North-West Shelf natural gas project begins operations, gas being piped to Perth and industrial areas of WA.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B2\b Seven shot dead and 15 wounded in a clash between rival bikie gangs the Comancheros and the Bandidos at the Viking Tavern, Milperra, Sydney.
\B10\b Federal government invites foreign banks to set up in Australia.
- Regular air service begins between Australia and China.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Royal commission into British nuclear tests in Australia between \J1952\j and \J1963\j begins hearings in Sydney. (Sittings in London begin, 4 Jan. \J1985\j.)
Newcastle City Council dismissed by the NSW government.
\B3\b Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer become the first Australians to climb Mt Everest and the first to ascend the north face without oxygen.
\B17\b Ian Tuxworth becomes Chief Minister of NT following the resignation of Paul Everingham to enter federal politics.
\B25\b Crime boss Robert Trimbole arrested in Dublin. (Released 6 Feb. \J1985\j.)
\B31\b Senate select committee finds that Justice Murphy could have been guilty of behaviour serious enough to warrant his removal from the High Court.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Costigan Report, tabled in Vic. parliament, links media magnate \JKerry Packer\j with crime and urges prosecution. (Packer exonerated of all allegations in Mar. \J1987\j.)
\B18\b Federal task force set up to co-ordinate the campaign against AIDS.
\B26\b Former NSW Minister for Corrective Services Rex Jackson appears in court to face conspiracy charges over the early release of prisoners.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate. Hawke government returned with a reduced majority. Democrat numbers in the Senate increased to seven. Recently formed Nuclear Disarmament Party wins one Senate seat. Referendums on simultaneous elections for Senate and House and to allow interchange of powers between Commonwealth and states defeated.
\B13\b Director of Public Prosecutions, Ian Temby, decides that Justice Murphy should be charged with having attempted to pervert the course of justice.
\B17\b More than 76,000 square kilometres of land at Maralinga returned to traditional Aboriginal owners.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, restored and converted to a museum of social history.
Australia's first Mormon temple built in Carlingford, Sydney (dedicated 20 Sept.).
\B B \BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
World's first frozen-embryo baby born in Melbourne (Mar.).
Rich area of 15-million-year-old fossils discovered on Riversleigh cattle station, about 200 km north of Mt Isa, Qld.
\B \BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Keith Looby, \IMax Gillies,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Victorian Arts Centre Theatres in Melbourne officially opened (29 Oct.).
National Film and Sound Archives opens in \JCanberra\j (3 Nov.).
Compulsory classification of all video films introduced (June). WA and NSW ban X-rated videotapes.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Nicholas Hasluck, \IThe Bellarmine Jug\b\i (Age Book of the Year).
\JDavid Malouf\j, \IHarland's Half Acre.\b\i
Les A. Murray, \IThe People's Otherworld.\b\i
Bernard Smith, \IThe Boy Adeodatus.\b\i
Tim Winton, \IShallows\b\i (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the Los Angeles Olympics, Glynis Nunn wins the women's heptathlon, John Sieben wins the 200 m butterfly swimming, the Australian men's cycling team wins the 4,000 m team pursuit, and Dean Lukin wins the super heavyweight weightlifting.
AJC "warns off" Bill and Robbie Waterhouse following the substitution of the racehorse Bold Personality for Fine Cotton at Brisbane on 18 Aug.
Sunday VFL football games begin in Vic. (9 Sept.).
State Sports Centre opens in Homebush, Sydney (22 Nov.).
Black Knight wins the Melbourne Cup.
Wallabies Rugby Union team achieve the grand slam, beating England, Ireland Wales, and Scotland, and also the Barbarians.
Tom Carroll wins the world surfing (board-riding) championship.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 15,648,861.
Migrants from Asia increase by 17%, while those from Europe fall by 37%.
More than a hundred of the thousand companies listed on the stock exchange are taken over during the year.
Commonwealth and state anti-discrimination legislation becomes operative (1 Aug.).
Homosexual acts between consenting adults decriminalised in NSW.
Brothels legalised in Vic.
Video-cassette boom cuts attendance at cinemas and forces the closure of some drive-in cinemas.
Mice plague sweeps NSW, Vic., and SA country districts.
More than 220,000 red and grey kangaroos culled from an estimated population of 4╜ million in NSW.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 9 \JBob Dyer\j d. (74).
Jan 21 \JAlan Marshall\j d. (82).
Sep 29 Hal Porter d. (73).
Nov 10 Xavier Herbert d. (83)
Dec 20 \JGrace Cossington Smith\j d. (92).
\BDescription:\b Sunday VFL football games begin in Vic. (9 Sept.) \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1985",201,"f\10\4_0001.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australia begins a two-year term on the UN Security Council. (Australia's ambassador takes over as president for the month of Nov.)
\B14\b More than 140 bushfires flare through Vic. and SA (to 17th); five people killed.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b AM stereo radio broadcasting begins.
\B5\b US withdraws from a planned ANZUS naval exercise after NZ refuses to allow nuclear-capable US warships to call at its ports.
Australia cancels its involvement in American MX missile tests.
\B7\b State of emergency declared in Qld (to 7 Mar.) after Electricity Board workers go on strike. (Some 900 strikers subsequently sacked; new employment contract includes a no-strike clause.)
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Uniform credit legislation comes into effect in NSW, Vic., and WA.
\B2\b Cain government re-elected in Vic. with a reduced majority, the first time a Labor government in Vic. has been elected for a successive term.
\B4\b Annual meeting of the ANZUS Council cancelled by the Australian government at the request of the US.
\B8\b Former NSW Chief Stipendiary Magistrate Murray Farquhar found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and (15th) sentenced to four years' gaol.
\B13\b ALP gains control of the Vic. Legislative Council for the first time when the returning officer draws the winner's name out of a hat following a tied recount. (Loses control on 17 Aug. with the loss of the Nunawading by-election.)
\B21\b Qld enacts harsh anti-strike legislation.
\B31\b More than 300,000 people across Australia march in Palm Sunday anti-nuclear rallies.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B1\b Mary Beasley becomes SA's Ombudsman (the first female ombudsman in Australia). (Resigns in Oct.)
\B18\b Duke and Duchess of Kent visit Australia (to 25th).
\B26\b High Court judge Lionel Murphy is committed for trial on two charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. (Found guilty, 5 July; sentenced to 18 months' gaol, 3 Sept., sentence not to be enforced until appeal heard; granted new trial by NSW Court of Appeal and previous conviction set aside, 28 Nov.)
\B28\b Nuclear Disarmament Party splits when 35 members, including the NDP's only parliamentary representative, walk out of the national conference.
- Australian dollar collapses, falling to a low of 63 cents US (and 77.56 on the Reserve Bank's trade-weighted index).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B15\b Ananda Marga members Ross Dunn, Timothy Anderson, and Paul Alister are pardoned and released from gaol after serving seven years of a sixteen-year sentence.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b \IEmpress of Australia\b\i makes its last voyage between Tas. and the mainland.
\B13\b BLF federal secretary Norm Gallagher found guilty of 20 charges of receiving secret commissions and (21st) sentenced to four years and three months' gaol. (Released on 7 Oct; convictions quashed.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b Opening of a desalination plant at \JCoober Pedy\j, SA, inaugurates the town's piped water supply.
\B21\b Bomb blast tears apart the Jehovah's Witnesses hall at Casula, Sydney, killing one man and injuring 48 other churchgoers.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b G. J. Coles takes over the Myer Emporium to become Coles Myer Ltd.
\B22\b Agent Orange royal commission finds no link between chemical defoliants sprayed in Vietnam and health problems of veterans.
\B23\b Bond Corporation takes over Castlemaine Tooheys in the biggest takeover operation yet in Australia.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b John Howard replaces Andrew Peacock as leader of the federal opposition.
\B10\b Simon Crean succeeds Cliff Dolan as president of the ACTU.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B12\b Canon Arthur Malcolm becomes Australia's first Aboriginal bishop.
\B26\b Freehold title to \JAyers Rock\j and the Uluru National Park handed over to the Mutijulu Aboriginal community.
\B27\b Prince Charles and Princess Diana visit Australia (to 8 Nov.) for Vic.'s 150th anniversary celebrations.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Australia Act passed by federal parliament, abolishing the right of Australians to appeal to the Privy Council and cutting Australia's last remaining constitutional ties with Britain. (Comes into force, 3 Mar. \J1986\j.)
\B5\b Royal commission into British atomic tests in Australia, tabled in the Senate, criticises Britain for breaching safety standards and recommends compensation and a British clean-up of contaminated areas.
\B7\b Labor government of John Bannon re-elected in SA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b\i
Construction begins on the redevelopment of Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Aussat, Australia's first domestic communications satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral, USA (27 Aug.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Guy Warren, \IFlugelman with Wingman,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
NSW Supreme Court rules that the Archibald Prize should be retained in perpetuity (having been reassessed, under the terms of the will).
Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane (second stage of Qld Cultural Centre), officially opened (20 Apr.).
Long-running ABC television program "Weekend Magazine" comes to an end (3 Mar.), and "Neighbours" begins (13 Mar.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Peter Carey, \IIllywhacker.\b\i
Kate Grenville, \ILilian's Story.\b\i
C. J. Koch, \IThe Doubleman\b\i (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JJeff Fenech\j wins the IBF world bantamweight boxing championship against Satoshi Shingaki in Sydney (26 Apr.).
Dr Geoffrey Edelsten buys the Sydney Swans VFL football team for $6.3 mil.
Adair Ferguson wins lightweight single sculls women's world championship.
Formula One Australian Grand Prix first held in Adelaide.
What a Nuisance wins the Melbourne Cup.
Qld's first legal casino, Jupiter's, opens on the Gold Coast (23 Nov.), and Burswood Island casino opens in Perth (30 Dec.).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 15,858,700.
$2.28 billion outstanding on Bankcard.
Annual per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages: beer, 115 litres; wine, 22 litres; spirits, 1.1 litre.
Assets test for pensioners comes into effect (Mar.).
De Facto Relationships Act gives couples living in de facto relationships rights and obligations similar to those of married couples.
Women begin training alongside men in the Australian Army.
Washpool rainforest, NSW, declared a wilderness area.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 11 Sir \JWilliam McKell\j d. (93).
Feb 14 Douglas Stewart d. (71).
Apr 2 Dame Doris Fitton d. (87).
Apr 15 Sir Raphael Cilento d. (91).
May 3 Sir Percy Spender d. (87).
Aug 31 Sir \JMacfarlane Burnet\j d. (85).
Sep 15 Eleanor Dark d. (84).
Dec 28 Harry Hopman d. (79).
\BDescription:\b More than 140 bushfires flare in Vic. & SA \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1986",202,"f\10\5_0045.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
û Australian Defence Force Academy, \JCanberra\j, enrolls its first cadets.
û \IAustralian Geographic\i\b magazine launched by \JDick Smith\j.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Cyclone Winifred devastates a 200 km stretch of coast between Cairns and Ingham, Qld; one man killed, scores injured, hundreds of houses destroyed.
\B2\b Nurse Anita Cobby is abducted, robbed, raped, and murdered by John Travers, Michael Murdoch, and Leslie, Gary, and Michael Murphy at Prospect, Sydney. (All five men sentenced on 16 June \J1987\j to life imprisonment with the recommendation never to be released.)
\B7\b \JLindy Chamberlain\j released from gaol on licence after serving 39 months of a life sentence for the murder of her daughter Azaria. (Commission of inquiry into the Chamberlains' convictions begins in Darwin, 8 May.)
\B8\b Liberal government of Robin Gray re-elected in Tas; Labor government of Brian Burke re-elected in WA.
\B9\b First women (eight) ordained as deacons of the Anglican Church in Australia, at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral.
\B11\b Joan Child becomes first woman Speaker of House of Representatives.
\B12\b Ernie Bridge becomes the first Aboriginal cabinet minister on being elected to the Burke ministry in WA.
û Halley's Comet visible in the night sky (to late Apr.).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit ACT, NSW, Vic., and SA (to 13th).
\B27\b Car bomb explodes outside the Russell Street police headquarters in Melbourne; 21 people injured (one policewoman subsequently dies).
û Loggers and conservationists clash at Farmhouse Creek wilderness, Tas.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B11\b Builders' Labourers Federation deregistered following an Arbitration Commission findings of serious industrial misconduct by the BLF.
\B14\b Second trial of High Court judge Lionel Murphy begins in Sydney. (Jury acquits Murphy, 28th.)
\B16\b James Bazley convicted of conspiring to murder Griffith anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay and sentenced to life imprisonment.
\B20\b \IQueenslander\i\b train begins running between Brisbane and Cairns.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B10\b NT Chief Minister Ian Tuxworth resigns following pressure from his party.
(Steve Hatton elected to replace him, 14th.)
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Fringe benefits tax comes into effect.
\B4\b NSW Premier \JNeville Wran\j retires from politics and is succeeded as Premier by Barrie Unsworth.
\B16\b Twelve miners die when an explosion and cave-in traps them in a coalmine at Moura, Qld.
\B24\b Patricia O'Shane becomes NSW's first Aboriginal magistrate.
\B28\b Australian dollar falls to an all-time low of 57.3 cents US and (on 31st) 49.3 on the Reserve Bank's trade-weighted index.
û Australian Nugget gold coins first struck in WA. (Issued in Oct; officially launched on 23 Apr. \J1987\j.)
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B3\b \ISouthern Aurora\i\b and \ISpirit of Progress\i\b trains combine to become the Melbourne/Sydney Express.
\B4\b Trans-Australia Airlines becomes Australian Airlines.
\B5\b Sydney has its wettest 24 hours on record, with more than 327 mm of rain falling; six people killed, 1,500 evacuated; transport in chaos.
\B18\b Australian Democrats leader Don Chipp retires from federal parliament and is succeeded as party leader by Senator Janine Haines, the first woman and the first South Australian to become a parliamentary party leader.
\B19\b Federal government introduces a $250 administration charge for all tertiary students, to take effect in the \J1987\j academic year.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B7\b Sealed road around Australia completed with the opening of the section between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in the far north-west of WA.
\B10\b Australia's credit rating reduced from AAA to AA1 in the US.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b ACTU approves a two-tier wage-fixing system, to end three years of wage indexation. (Endorsed by Arbitration Commission, 23 Dec.)
\B21\b Justice Murphy dies of cancer (a special inquiry into his conduct having been dropped in Aug.).
\B24\b Last link of Australia's microwave telephone system completed at Kununurra, WA.
\B26\b Perth's new international airport opens.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b \JBjelke-Petersen\j government re-elected in Qld, the National Party winning an outright majority of seats.
\B11\b David and Catherine Birnie charged with the murder of four women found in shallow graves near Perth, WA.
\B23\b Bomb destroys the Turkish consulate in South Yarra, Melbourne; bomber killed in explosion.
\B24\b Pope John Paul II arrives in \JCanberra\j to begin a 6╜-day tour of Australia, visiting each capital city and \JAlice Springs\j.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Two youths, James Annetts and Simon Amos, vanish mysteriously from isolated cattle stations in East Kimberley, WA. (Skeletal remains found in the Great Sandy Desert in April \J1987\j.)
\B7\b Adelaide hit by two fierce storms, which cause extensive damage.
\B8\b Mary Gaudron becomes the first woman appointed to the High Court.
* Severe downturn in rural sector threatens survival of many farmers.
* Five currency futures trading companies collapse during the year.
Edgeworth David research base established in Queen Mary Land, Antarctica.
Supernova science and technology centre opens in Newcastle (20 June).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Davida Allen, \IDr John Arthur McKelvie Shera\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Richard Meale's opera \IVoss\i\b (libretto by \JDavid Malouf\j) has its world premiere at the Adelaide Festival (1 Mar.).
Films: Peter Faiman's \ICrocodile Dundee\i\b, with \JPaul Hogan\j, and Nadia Tass' \IMalcolm\i\b.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Sir Edward Dunlop, \IThe War Diaries of Weary Dunlop\i\b.
Elizabeth Jolley, \IThe Well\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Entertainment\b
Marathon runners Ron Grant and Tony Rafferty race on foot across the Simpson Desert in midsummer. (Grant wins.)
\JGreg Norman\j wins the British Open and the European Open golf championships.
Peter Antonie wins the single sculls and the Australian eight also wins a gold medal at the world rowing championships at Nottingham, UK.
Kerry Saxby sets a world record time (45 min. 8 sec.) in winning the women's 10,000 metre walk at the Moscow Goodwill Games.
At Talaq wins the Melbourne Cup.
Australia (\JPat Cash\j, Paul McNamee, John Fitzgerald) wins the Davis Cup.
NSW celebrates "cracker night" for the last time (7 June).
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches 16 million, including 3.3 million born overseas. (Commonwealth census, 30 June: 16,020,000, including 227,644 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.)
Australia's gross foreign debt reaches a record $101.37 billion (about 34 per cent of GDP) in the September quarter.
Number of millionaires grows by 3,000 to an estimated total of 31,829.
Fifty-seven thousand Australians lose their jobs in July.
Roman Catholic Church becomes Australia's largest religious denomination (26.25% of pop.).
All new cars must be designed to run on unleaded petrol.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 4 Sir Laurence Hartnett d. (87).
Sep 28 Sir Robert Helpmann d. (77).
Oct 4 Desiderius Orban d. (101).
Oct 21 Lionel Murphy d. (64).
Dec 29 John Antill d. (82).
\BDescription:\b Australian Defence Force Academy enrols its first cadets \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1987",203,"f\10\16smh.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b Princess Anne visits WA (to 8th) during the America's Cup races.
\B6\b News Ltd takes over the Herald and Weekly Times.
Sir Anthony Mason succeeds Sir Harry Gibbs as Chief Justice of the High Court.
\B15\b All-weather road between Adelaide and Darwin completed with the sealing of the last section near Marla Bore, 230 km north of \JCoober Pedy\j, SA.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B26\b NSW government dismisses the Sydney City Council. (Three-man commission subsequently appointed to run the city.)
\B29\b Crocodile kills an American woman at the Prince Regent River, north-west WAùthe eighth person in two years to be killed by crocodiles.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B28\b \JDick Smith\j becomes the first person to reach the North Pole by a solo helicopter flight.
û Legionnaires' disease breaks out in the \JWollongong\j district. (Forty-five confirmed cases and nine deaths by July.)
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B12\b Robert Trimbole, wanted in Australia on numerous charges involving murder, drugs, race fixing and corruption, dies in Spain.
\B27\b Prime Minister \JBob Hawke\j is granted a double dissolution of parliament; election called for 11 July.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b Morling Report tabled in NT parliament results in a pardon for Lindy and Michael Chamberlain.
\B12\b After a trial lasting 332 days, 30 members of rival motorcycle gangs are found guilty (nine of murder, 21 of manslaughter) of the "Fathers Day massacre" at Milperra, Sydney, in Sept. \J1984\j.
\B19\b Police shoot dead West German tourist Joseph Schwab, believed to have shot and killed five people in northern Australia in the past 11 days.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B11\b Election for federal parliament. Hawke government returned with a slightly increased majority.
\B27\b Commission of inquiry into corruption in the Qld police force, headed by G. E. Fitzgerald, begins sitting in Brisbane.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B9\b Five people shot dead and 11 others injured when 19-year-old Julian Knight opens fire at random in Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, Melbourne.
\B12\b Federal government announces the setting up of a royal commission to investigate the deaths in custody of 44 Aborigines since \J1980\j. (Headed by Justice James Muirhead, the commission begins sitting on 12 Nov; Report tabled in May \J1991\j.)
\B28\b Former NSW Minister for Corrective Services Rex Jackson found guilty of conspiring to accept bribes for the release of prisoners.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b Coffs Harbour, NSW, becomes a city.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b Share prices on Australian stock exchanges suffer a record fall, in line with the worldwide stockmarket crash.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b First transcontinental race by solar-powered cars begins from Darwin. (Winner, General Motors' \ISunraycer\i\b, arrives in Adelaide on 6 Nov.)
\B6\b Oldest person in Australia, Miss Carol Mockridge, 112, dies in Geelong.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B1\b Sir Joh \JBjelke-Petersen\j resigns as Premier of Qld and retires from parliament; Mike Ahern is sworn in as the new Premier.
\B8\b Gunman Frank Vitkovic shoots dead nine people and wounds five others in a Melbourne office building before plunging 11 storeys to his death.
\B10\b Federal government announces its intention of acknowledging, in the preamble to legislation, that Aborigines were the first owners of Australia.
\B17\b Federal Minister for Tourism, John Brown, resigns from the ministry after admitting he misled parliament over tenders for an Expo contract.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Perth's Superdrome sports complex completed.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Carbon dating of ancient artefacts found near Penrith, NSW, indicates that humans occupied Australia 47,000 years ago.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Robinson, \IEquestrian Self-Portrait\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Musical \IRasputin\i\b premieres in Sydney.
David Williamson's play \IEmerald City\i\b first produced.
TV program "Countdown" ends in its thirteenth year.
John Duigan, \IThe Year My Voice Broke\i\b (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Glenda Adams, \IDancing on Coral\i\b (\JMiles Franklin\j Award Winner).
Murray Bail, \IHolden's Performance\i\b.
C. M. H. Clark, final volume (vol. 6) of \IA History of Australia\i\b.
Robert Hughes, \IThe Fatal Shore\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
American yacht \IStars and Stripes\i\b beats Australia's \IKookaburra III\i\b in a series of races off Fremantle to win back the America's Cup.
\JJeff Fenech\j knocks out Samart Payakarun in Sydney to win the WBC super-bantamweight boxing championship (8 May) and becomes the first Australian to have held two world boxing titles.
\JPat Cash\j wins the Wimbledon men's singles tennis championship.
Martin Vinnicombe of Sydney wins the amateur 1,000-metre time trial at the world cycling championships in Vienna.
\JWayne Gardner\j wins the world 500-cc motorcycle championship.
Kensei wins the Melbourne Cup, in which a female jockey (Maree Lyndon) rides for the first time.
\JAllan Border\j overtakes \JGreg Chappell\j to become Australia's greatest run-scorer in test cricket.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 16,263,300.
Hole in the earth's ozone layer moves over southern Australia for about a month (Dec.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
May 8 Marjorie Barnard d. (89).
May 25 Robert D. FitzGerald d. (85).
Jun 26 Sir Billy Snedden d. (60).
Jul 26 Lady Cilento d. (93).
\BDescription:\b Hawke government re-elected \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"1988",204,"f\10\1988.jpg","c","0"
\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B15\b Aboriginal television station Imparja begins transmission in \JAlice Springs\j.
\B18\b First Fleet Re-enactment vessels arrive at Botany Bay.
\B22\b Two earthquakes, one registering 7 on the Richter scale, strike the \JTennant Creek\j area of the NT, generating a 20-km fault scarp.
\B25\b Prince and Princess of Wales arrive in Sydney for the Bicentennial celebrations.
\B26\b Australia Day Bicentennial celebrations on Sydney Harbour draw the biggest crowd yet (est. 2.5 million) to attend a single Australian event.
\B15\b Afternoon newspaper the \ISun\i\b begins publication in Brisbane, the morning paper the \IDaily Sun\i\b having closed on 13 Feb. (ceases publication 10 Dec. \J1991\j).
\B25\b Peter Dowding replaces Brian Burke as Premier of WA (Burke having been appointed ambassador to Ireland).
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B13\b Yachtsman John Sanders completes the first non-stop solo triple circumnavigation of the world.
\ITimes on Sunday\i\b published for the last time.
\B14\b Sydney \ISun\i\b ceases publication.
\B19\b Unsworth Labor government defeated in NSW election. (Lib.ûNat. coalition government led by N. F. H. Greiner sworn in on 25th.)
û Prolonged heavy rain causes flooding in southern Qld and northern NSW and across the centre of Australia from Port Hedland to \JAlice Springs\j.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B19\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive at Perth to begin a three-week visit to five states.
\B29\b Stockman's Hall of Fame, at Longreach, Qld, opened by the Queen.
\B30\b World Expo 88 opens in Brisbane (to 30 Oct.).
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B4\b Darling Harbour (Syd.) redevelopment officially opened by the Queen.
\B9\b Parliament House on Capital Hill, \JCanberra\j, officially opened by the Queen.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B5\b Kay Cottee in her yacht \IFirst Lady\i\b arrives back at Port Jackson to become the first woman to sail single-handed non-stop round the world.
\B20\b Two-dollar coin goes into circulation to replace the note.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B13\b Marshall Perron replaces Steve Hatton as Chief Minister of the NT.
\B21\b Sydney's monorail begins operating.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B14\b Stage one of Qld's Burdekin Dam and irrigation scheme officially opened.
\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b \IAcacia pycnantha\i\b proclaimed Australia's official floral emblem.
\B3\b Federal referendums on four-year parliamentary terms; fair and democratic elections; recognition of local government; and trial by jury, freedom of religion, and fair terms for persons whose property is acquired by governments are all defeated.
\B15\b NT Court of Criminal Appeal quashes the convictions of Michael and \JLindy Chamberlain\j and enters verdicts of acquittal.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Cain Labor government returned to office in Vic. with a reduced majority.
\JJohn Flynn\j memorial complex in Cloncurry, Qld, officially opened.
\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B3\b WA merchant bank Rothwells Ltd goes into provisional liquidation.
\B29\b ACT granted self-government (to take effect on 4 March \J1989\j).
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Construction work begins on the Sydney Harbour Tunnel (completed \J1992\j).
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Australia Telescopeùeight linked radio-telescope dishes at three dispersed sites in north-western NSWùformally opened (2 Sept.).
Fragment of human skull estimated to be up to 60,000 years old found in an ancient river bed north of Lake Eyre.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Fred Cress, \IJohn Beard\i, wins the Archibald Prize.
\JCanberra\j Institute of the Arts established, incorporating the \JCanberra\j School of Music and the \JCanberra\j School of Art.
Fred \JSchepisi\j, \IEvil Angels\i\b (film).
Luna Park (Syd.) closes down (10 Apr.). (Reopens, rebuilt, in January \J1995\j.)
Rock groups \JINXS\j and \JMidnight Oil\j achieve international success with their respective albums \IKick\i\b and \IDiesel and Dust\i\b.
\IAustralian National Dictionary\i\b, ed. W. S. Ramson.
Peter Carey, \IOscar and Lucinda\i\b (Booker Prize and \J1989\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
No \JMiles Franklin\j Award made for \J1988\j; rules changed so that books published in one year will be judged for the next year's award.
Peter Wright's \ISpycatcher\i\b is published in Australia despite Britain's attempts at suppression.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
National Tennis Centre, Flinders Park, Melbourne, opens (11 Jan.).
Kerry Saxby twice breaks the world record for the 5,000 metres walk.
Aboriginal cricket team tours England.
Sydney Football Stadium opens (4 Mar.).
\JJeff Fenech\j beats Puerto Rican Victor Callejas to win the World Boxing Council featherweight title and his third world championship.
Damien Hardman becomes the \J1987\jû88 world surfing champion.
Corinne Dibnah becomes the first Australian to win the British Women's Open golf championship.
At the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Duncan Armstrong wins the 200 metres freestyle; Sue Williams wins the women's judo; Debbie Flintoff-King wins the 400 metres hurdles; and the women's team wins at hockey.
Empire Rose wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 16,538,200.
Number of motor vehicles on Australia's roads: more than 9.3 million.
RAAF's first female pilots graduate.
Bicentennial Park in Homebush (Syd.) officially opened (1 Jan.).
Australia signs the Ozone Layer Treaty.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Feb 9 Sir Charles Moses d. (88).
Feb 28 Kylie Tennant d. (75).
Mar 31 Sir William \JMcMahon\j d. (80).
Jun 4 Sir Douglas Nicholls d. (81).
Aug 13 Sir Keith Hancock d. (90).
Dec 1 \JLloyd Rees\j d. (93).
\BDescription:\b Bicentennial celebrations at Sydney Harbour \I(DFAT)
#
"1989",205,"f\10\3smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Hawkesbury Agricultural College and the Nepean College of Advanced Education combine to form the University of Western Sydney.
\B10\b Asst Commissioner Colin Winchester of the Australian Federal Police shot dead in the driveway of his home in \JCanberra\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B4\b Dowding Labor government re-elected in WA with reduced majority.
\B16\b W. G. Hayden succeeds Sir \JNinian Stephen\j as Governor-General.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission abolished and replaced by the Industrial Relations Commission.
\B4\b First election for ACT Legislative Assembly under self-government. (After a complicated series of deals over 69 days, the ALP forms a minority government with Rosemary Follett as Chief Minister.)
\B23\b Vic. division of the National Safety Council found to have debts amounting to $180 million. (Chief executive John Friedrick found dead July \J1991\j.)
û Central Australia experiences worst flooding since white settlement.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B4\b Cyclone Aivu causes extensive damage, one death and dozens of injuries in the Burdekin area of north Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B11\b ACT Legislative Assembly sits for the first time.
\B13\b Election in Tas. Results: Liberal 17, Labor 13, independents 5. (Robin Gray's minority Liberal government sworn in 1 June.)
\B15\b Australia's first private tertiary institution, Bond University, opens at Burleigh Heads, Qld.
\B28\b \JDick Smith\j completes a round-the-world flight via both poles.
\B30\b Timothy Anderson arrested on charges related to the Hilton Hotel bombing in Sydney on 13 Feb. \J1978\j. (Found guilty, 25 Oct. \J1990\j; sentenced to 14 years' gaol. Acquitted 6 June \J1991\j following appeal.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B29\b Tas. Premier Robin Gray resigns after losing a no-confidence vote. Labor's Michael Field becomes Premier, leading an alliance of Labor and (Green) independents led by Bob Brown.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B3\b Report of the Fitzgerald inquiry into possible illegal activities and associated police misconduct released in Qld.
û \JCharles Sturt\j University established, incorporating campuses at Albury, Bathurst and Wagga, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B13\b Thirteen people die in a hot-air balloon accident near \JAlice Springs\j, NT. (Six die in another accident near Melbourne, 7 Oct.)
\B20\b Three Sunday newspapersù\ISunday Herald\i\b, \ISunday Age\i\b, and \ISunday Sun\i\bùbegin publication in Melbourne.
\B24\b All 1,645 pilots from Australia's domestic airlines resign in face of the airlines' move to sack and sue them over a dispute.
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B10\b Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk), NT, handed over to the Jawoyn people, the traditional owners. (Leased back to NT government for continued use as a national park.)
\B14\b Former Ananda Marga member Evan Pederick convicted of Hilton Hotel bombing murders.
\B22\b Russell Cooper replaces Mike Ahern as Premier of Qld.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B20\b Brisbane-bound tourist coach collides with a semi-trailer north of Grafton, NSW; twenty killed.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B7\b AsiaûPacific Economic Co-operation forum holds its first meeting, in \JCanberra\j.
\B10\b Gaby Kennard, the first Australian woman to fly single-handed round the world, arrives back at Bankstown airport.
\B25\b Election in SA. Bannon Labor government retains office with the support of two
independents.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B2\b Labor government elected in Qld after 32 years in opposition. (\JWayne Goss\j sworn in as Premier on 7 Dec.)
\B5\b ACT Labor government defeated on a no-confidence motion; coalition government led by Trevor Kaine takes over.
\B22\b Two tourist coaches collide on the Pacific Highway north of Kempsey, NSW; 35 killed and 39 injured.
\B28\b Earthquake strikes Newcastle, NSW, killing 13 people, injuring more than 120, and damaging many city buildings.
û Communist Party of Australia decides to disband.
* Several large corporations, including Equiticorp, Hooker Corporation, Spedley Securities and Qintex, collapse during year.
* Opal rock weighing more than 5 kg and a gem-quality opal of 765 carats found by a mining syndicate at \JCoober Pedy\j, SA.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Adelaide Plaza completed, with the opening of Exhibition Hall.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Adelaide Botanic Gardens conservatory officially opened (Nov.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Bryan Westwood, \IElwyn Lynn\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Kylie Minogue's debut LP "Kylie" and its associated singles sell more than 12 million copies and top the charts in 20 countries.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Bryce Courtenay, \IThe Power of One\i\b.
Tom Flood, \IOceana Fine\i\b (\J1990\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
Jill Ker Conway, \IThe Road from Coorain\i\b.
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Kerry Saxby breaks her own 3,000 m and 5,000 m walk world records.
\JWayne Gardner\j wins the inaugural Australian 500 cc Motorcycle Grand Prix on Phillip Is., Vic. (9 Apr.)
\JJeff Harding\j wins the world light heavyweight boxing title (24 June).
Australian cricket team captained by \JAllan Border\j wins the Ashes in England for the first time in 55 years (2 Aug.)
Victorian Football League (VFL) becomes Australian Football League.
Tawriffic wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 16,957,100.
Lakes Eyre and Torrens, SA, fill with water, Lake Torrens for the first time this century.
Sydney has 94 rainy days out of 151 in the first five months of the yearùthe highest on record to date.
Ian Kiernan organises Clean Up Sydney Harbour. (Clean Up Australia day begins in \J1990\j.)
û Fierce bushfires around Cootamundra, Tocumwal and Albury and in the Riverina; 40 homes destroyed, 70,000 sheep lost.
\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B12\b \JCarmen Lawrence\j replaces Peter Dowding as Premier of WA, becoming Australia's first female Premier.
\B23\b Report released that the State Bank of Victoria incurred a loss of $1.345 billion, the largest in Australia's corporate history.
\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B20\b Serial murderer John Glover arrested after having killed six elderly women in Sydney's northern suburbs since March \J1989\j. (Found guilty 29 Nov. \J1991\j and sentenced to prison for the rest of his life.)
\B24\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate: Hawke Labor government re-elected with a reduced majority. New members include Ted Mack, the first independent elected to the House for 35 years.
\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B18\b Martin Ferguson succeeds Simon Crean as president of the ACTU.
\B19\b \JCanberra\j CAE becomes the University of \JCanberra\j.
\B22\b All 4,000 residents of Charleville, Qld, evacuated as floods cover vast tracts of eastern Australia.
\B23\b Nyngan, NSW, inundated.
\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B6\b InterCity train crashes into the rear of a stationary chartered steam train (3801) near Cowan, NSW; six killed and many injured.
\B7\b Tas. businessman Edmund Rouse gaoled for three years for offering a bribe to a state Labor MP to cross floor in no-confidence vote. (Royal commission in Nov. \J1991\j finds that Liberal leader Robin Gray was involved.)
\B11\b Tim Macartney-Snape becomes the first person to climb Mount Everest from sea level (having begun at the Bay of Bengal on 5 Feb.).
Business jet aircraft crashes near Atherton, north Qld, killing all 11 people on board, including the mayor of Cairns and nine other local government officials.
\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B24\b Vic.'s largest building society, Pyramid, collapses.
\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
û Property trusts in Vic. and NSW freeze funds as financial crisis of confidence develops.
\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Flooding in and around Forbes and Warren in western NSW.
\B7\b Vic. Premier John Cain resigns; Joan Kirner succeeds him (10th).
\B13\b (and 14th) Three navy warships leave Sydney for the Persian Gulf as part of a multinational force to enforce the UN embargo of Iraq following its annexation of Kuwait.
\B22\b Direct broadcasting of Senate question time begins on television.
\B25\b Tour coach crashes in Qld's Gold Coast hinterland; 11 killed.
\B28\b Floor trading ends at the Australian Stock Exchange.
\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B8\b Sydney's \IDaily Telegraph\i\b and \IDaily Mirror\i\b and Melbourne's \IHerald\i\b and \ISun News-Pictorial\i\b merge to become the 24-hour tabloids the \IDaily Telegraph Mirror\i\b and the \IHerald-Sun\i\b.
\B27\b Marshall Perron's CLP government re-elected in NT with an increased majority.
\B28\b Qld adopts daylight saving permanently. (Legislation repealed June \J1992\j, after referendum.)
\B19\b WA Premier \JCarmen Lawrence\j announces a royal commission into the state government's commercial activities ("WA Inc.")
\B29\b Treasurer \JPaul Keating\j announces that Australia is experiencing an economic recession.
\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B6\b George Herscu, former head of Hooker Corporation, found guilty of corruptly paying $100,000 to former Qld minister Russ Hinze; Alan Bond arrested in Perth on criminal charges related to his role in the \J1987\j operation to rescue Rothwells; Brian Yuill charged in Sydney with fraud as director of Spedley Securities.
\B10\b John Fairfax group placed in receivership.
\B22\b \ISeaCat Tasmania\i\b begins operating across Bass Strait.
\B23\b Bushfires destroy more than 20 houses around Sydney and burn at 500 locations in NSW.
\B31\b Rockhampton district declared a disaster area as residents prepare for major flooding in the aftermath of Cyclone Joy. (Floodbound in early Jan. 1991; more than 1,000 residents evacuated.)
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery etc.\b
Prof. Allen Kerr of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, Adelaide, shares the inaugural Australia Prize for work on developing a bacterium to transfer genes in plants.
Sydney Tropical Centre, incorporating the Arc Glasshouse, officially opened (16 Sept.).
Telecom introduces Phonecard.
Wave-piercing catamaran \IHoverspeed Great Britain\i\b, designed in Sydney and built in Hobart, breaks New YorkûLondon passenger vessel record.
Dead specimen of the night parrot, last sighted in \J1912\j, found near Boulia, Qld.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Geoffrey Proud, \IDorothy Hewett\i\b, wins the Archibald Prize.
Jimmy Chi's Aboriginal musical \IBran Nue Dae\i\b premieres at the Festival of Perth (Feb.).
Joan Sutherland gives her final performance, in \ILes Huguenots\i\b at the Sydney Opera House (2 Oct.).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Thea Astley, \IReaching Tin River\i\b.
\JDavid Malouf\j, \IThe Great World\i\b (\J1991\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Kerry Saxby breaks her 26th world record, winning the 10km track walk at Fana, Norway.
Susie Maroney, 15, swims the English Channel (1 Aug.) and wins the Manhattan Island marathon (20 Aug.).
Kingston Rule wins the Melbourne Cup.
Twin brothers Mark and Steve Waugh compile a record fifth-wicket partnership score of 464 for NSW against WA at the WACA in Perth.
Surfboard-rider Pam Burridge wins the Association of Surf Professionals world title at Hawaii.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Population of Australia reaches 17 million.
Women in Australia's defence forces are allowed to do combat-related duties (though excluded from direct combat).
London Bridge arch on Vic.'s south-west coastline collapses (15 Jan.).
Sydney has the wettest February and the driest December on record.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 4 Sir Henry Bolte d. (81).
Mar 8 Jack Lindsay d. (89).
Jun 25 Peggy Glanville-Hicks d. (77).
Sep 2 Robert Holmes ß Court d. (53).
Sep 30 \JPatrick White\j d. (78).
Oct 14 \JClifton Pugh\j d. (65).
\BDescription:\b HMAS \IAdelaide\i and HMAS \IDarwin\i preparing for the departure to the Gulf War \I(Royal Australian Navy)\i
#
"1991",207,"f\10\dfat43.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B1\b Australian Catholic University opens, with eight campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, \JBallarat\j, \JCanberra\j, and Brisbane.
\B19\b Western Australian College of Advanced Education, Perth, becomes the \JEdith Cowan\j University.
\i\B21\b Violent storm in Sydney causes widespread damage; many homes left without power for a week.
\i\B31\b Perth experiences its highest recorded temperature (45.8░ C).
- Floods in north Queensland (to Feb.) isolate more than ten towns and cause at least seven deaths; floodwaters cover about 50,000 square kilometres in Gulf Country.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Dame Roma Mitchell becomes Governor of SA and the first woman to hold vice-regal office in Australia.
\i\B10\b SA government forced to bail out State Bank of South Australia, facing losses of up to $3 billion.
\i\B25\b Reserve price scheme for wool suspended. (Price of wool subsequently drops to lowest on record in Oct.)
\i\B27\b Pemulwuy Koori College opens in Newtown, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B3\b Seven killed in a helicopter crash on the Gold Coast.
\i\B12\b WA Inc. royal commission public hearings begin.
\i\B28\b Adelaide Steamship group reports a loss of $3.7 billion.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B3\b Communist newspaper \ITribune\b\i (first published in \J1932\j) published for the last time.
\i\B7\b \ISunday Herald-Sun\b\i replaces \ISunday Herald\b\i and \ISunday Sun\b\i in Melbourne.
\i\B18\b Bell Group, corporate flagship of Robert Holmes α Court until bought by Bond Corp. in \J1988\j, collapses with debts of $910 million.
\i\B19\b ACTU dumps centralised wage fixing in favour of wage increase plus superannuation and freedom to negotiate additional pay rises under enterprise bargaining.
\i\B29\b Former WA Premier Brian Burke resigns as ambassador to Ireland after revealing to the WA Inc. royal commission that he was controlling donations to the ALP while in Dublin.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B25\b Election in NSW. Results: Liberal-National coalition 49, Labor 46, independents 4. Nick Greiner forms a minority government, agreeing to a charter of reform to obtain support of independents.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B6\b Rosemary Follett's Labor government resumes office in ACT following the coalition government's defeat in a no-confidence vote.
\i\B13\b Entrepreneur \JChristopher Skase\j declared bankrupt with personal debts of $170 million. (Subsequently flees to Spain.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B1\b Telecom's phone monopoly ends.
\i\B4\b Sydney heart surgeon Victor Chang shot dead in a Mosman street.
\i\B7\b Australian Republican Movement launched in Sydney, with \JThomas Keneally\j as chairman.
\i\B17\b Shares in about 30 per cent of the Commonwealth Bank go on sale to the public in a partial privatisation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B5\b Sir Terence Lewis, former Qld Police Commissioner, sentenced to 14 years' gaol after being found guilty on 15 corruption charges.
\i\B17\b A 33-year-old taxi-driver kills seven people and wounds six others in Strathfield Mall, Sydney, before shooting himself.
\i\B21\b Fire engulfs six tanks at Australia's biggest chemical storage plant, at Coode Island in Melbourne, following a series of explosions caused by an electrical weather occurrence known as St Elmo's Fire.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B19\b After deliberating for 61 hours over five days, a jury fails to reach a verdict on whether Sir Joh \JBjelke-Petersen\j had lied to the Fitzgerald inquiry, and the charge is dropped.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B17\b WA introduces daylight saving on a trial basis. (Abandons it after a referendum on 4 Mar. \J1992\j.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B16\b Canadian media proprietor Conrad Black gains control of the John Fairfax group.
\i\B20\b \JPaul Keating\j replaces \JBob Hawke\j as Prime Minister. (Hawke resigns from Parliament on 20 Feb. \J1992\j.)
Compass Airlines, in operation since 1 Dec. \J1990\j, collapses, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. (After resuming operation on 31 August \J1992\j, the company collapses again on 11 Mar. \J1993\j.)
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
National Food Authority established (Aug.).
Australian National Maritime Museum, at Darling Harbour, Sydney, officially opened (30 Nov.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art opens (12 Nov.).
No Archibald Prize awarded owing to rescheduling of the competition (\J1991\j/92 prize awarded in Feb. \J1992\j).
Rock group Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty' becomes an international hit and their album \ITribal Voice\b\i a double-platinum seller.
\BD Books and Writing\b
David Marr, \I\JPatrick White\j: A Life.\b\i
Tim Winton, \ICloudstreet\b\i (\J1992\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
At the world swimming championships in Perth, \JHayley Lewis\j wins the 200 m freestyle, Linley Frame the 100 m breaststroke, and Shelley Taylor-Smith the women's section of the 25 km marathon event.
Kerry Saxby sets her 30th world record (the 3,000 m walk, in Melbourne), becoming the most prolific breaker of world records (7 Feb.).
Susie Maroney completes a double crossing of the English Channel in a record 17 hours 14 minutes (23 July).
Australia beats New Zealand to win the world netball championship.
Let's Elope wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 17,384,500. National census, 6 Aug: 16,850,540 (11.3% aged 65 and over; 22.3% under 15; 22.3% born overseas).
Darwin's \J1990\j-91 wet season rainfall is the highest on record. (Calculated from 1 Sept. it passes the previous record of 1,790 mm on 26 Feb.)
Blue-green algae infests 1,000 km of the Darling River system (Nov.-Dec.).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Mar 24 Sir \JJohn Kerr\j d. (76).
Mar 25 Eileen Joyce d. (78).
Apr 6 Bill Ponsford d. (90).
May 23 \JManning Clark\j d. (76).
\BDescription:\b Logging ceased on Fraser Island \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1992",208,"f\10\5_0005.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BJan\b\c\u
\B16\b Thirty-four men and women claiming to be teachers and students from Beijing, reach Doongan cattle station, west of Wyndham, WA, after walking for about ten days from their wrecked boat at Swift Bay. (Last of the 56 found alive on 25th, about 150 km from Swift Bay.)
\i\B24\b Rev. Dawn Kenyon (ordained in New Zealand) becomes Australia's first female Anglican priest when commissioned at Southern Cross, WA.
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b One-cent and two-cent coins no longer currency.
\B19\b Election in Tas. Results: Liberal 19; Labor 11; Green Independents 5. Ray Groom becomes Premier.
\i\B15\b Follett Labor government re-elected in ACT. Electors choose Hare-Clark voting system in referendum.
\i\B18\b Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip begin an eight-day visit to celebrate the sesquicentenary of local government in Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Open Learning university begins broadcasting on ABC television.
\i\B3\b Bomb blast damages \JBlue Mountains\j City Council chambers in Katoomba, NSW, during discussion of a controversial building development.
\i\B7\b Ten women ordained as priests at St George's Cathedral in Perth, the first Anglican women to be ordained in Australia. (The Anglican Church agrees to the ordination of women on 23 Nov., and the first five are officially ordained in Adelaide on 5 Dec.)
\i\B27\b Australia's last afternoon newspaper, \IThe News\b\i of Adelaide, ceases publication.
\i\C0000FF\U\BApr\b\c\u
\B12\b Brisbane's \ISunday Sun\b\i published for the last time.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMay\b\c\u
\B29\b Businessman Alan Bond is sentenced to 2╜ years' gaol for acting illegally during the \J1987\j rescue of Rothwells merchant bank. (Released in August and acquitted in November after a retrial.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B2\b John Elliott's holding company controlling the Foster's brewing group goes into receivership.
\i\B3\b High Court judgment in the 'Mabo case' (that the Murray Islands in Torres Strait belong to the Meriam people) recognises a new class of ownership right, native title, and ends the notion of \Iterra nullius.\b\i
\i\B16\b Former WA Premier Brian Burke is charged with defrauding parliamentary travel expenses. (Found guilty in July \J1994\j of four charges of false pretences and sentenced to two years' gaol.)
\i\B24\b NSW Premier Nick Greiner resigns in response to a threat by the three non-aligned independents to bring down his government following an ICAC report that he had acted in a corrupt manner (finding subsequently rejected by Supreme Court). John Fahey replaces him as Premier.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJul\b\c\u
\B7\b Plastic five-dollar note goes into circulation.
\i\C0000FF\U\BAug\b\c\u
\B29\b Sydney Harbour Tunnel officially opened. (Opens for traffic on 31st.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B1\b John Bannon steps down as SA Premier and Labor Party leader. Lynn Arnold takes his place.
\i\B15\b Qantas acquires Australian Airlines in preparation for eventual privatisation.
\i\B19\b Election in Qld. \JWayne Goss\j's Labor government returned with a comfortable majority.
\i\B30\b In its judgment invalidating the federal government's legislation banning political advertising on radio and TV, the High Court acknowledges the existence of an implied freedom of speech guarantee in the Constitution.
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B1\b Command of the joint naval communications station at Exmouth, WA, is handed over to Australia.
\i\B3\b Election in Vic. Coalition has a landslide victory. Liberal Party's Jeff Kennett replaces Labor's Joan Kirner as Premier.
\i\B5\b Primer Minister \JPaul Keating\j announces that the Queen would not accept any further recommendations for Australians to be made knights or dames.
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B19\b Westpac Banking Corporation reveals a \J1991\j-92 loss of $1.56 billion.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B3\b NSW announces that no more Queen's Counsel will be appointed.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Glen Murcutt is awarded the Alvar Aalto Medal for his 'ecologically responsive and socially responsible buildings'.
Work begins on Sydney's new Glebe Island Bridge.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Most of Sydney, Melbourne, and \JCanberra\j get access to the Optus telecommunications network (official launch on 1 Jan. \J1993\j).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Bryan Westwood's portrait of \JPaul Keating\j, \IThe Prime Minister,\b\i wins the \J1991\j/92 Archibald Prize.
Baz Luhrmann, \IStrictly Ballroom\b\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Alex Miller, \IThe Ancestor Game\b\i (\J1993\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Kieren Perkins breaks the world freestyle swimming records for the 800 metres (16 Feb.), 400 metres (3 Apr.), and 1,500 metres (5 Apr.)
At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, cyclist Kathryn Watt wins the women's individual road race; swimmer Kieren Perkins wins the 1,500 metres freestyle; equestrian Matt Ryan wins the individual three-day show jumping, and the Australian team wins the team event; rowers Peter Antonie and Stephen Hawkins win the double sculls, and the Australian crew win the coxless fours; canoeist Clint Robinson wins the KI 1,000 metres.
Subzero wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 17,573,200.
Unemployment reaches 11.4 per cent of the workforce (Nov.), the highest rate since the Great Depression.
Women in the Defence Forces permitted to fly fighter aircraft and serve on submarines.
Proclamation ordains that National Wattle Day be held on 1 September 'throughout Australia and in the national territories' (to take effect from \J1993\j).
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 4 Dame Judith Anderson d. (93).
Jun 16 \JBrett Whiteley\j d. (53).
Aug 24 Francis James d. (74).
Nov 29 Sir \JSidney Nolan\j d. (75).
\BDescription:\b 60th Anniversary of Sydney Harbour Bridge \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1993",209,"f\10\5_0100.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\U\BFeb\b\c\u
\B6\b Labor government of \JCarmen Lawrence\j is defeated in WA election. \JRichard Court\j becomes Premier of Liberal-National Party coalition government.
\i\C0000FF\U\BMar\b\c\u
\B13\b Election for House of Representatives and half Senate. \JPaul Keating\j's Labor government re-elected with an increased majority.
\i\B30\b Gunman who led a five-murder rampage through two states, suicides after a 26-hour siege at Cangai, NSW.
- Perth's new metropolitan railway line to the northern suburbs opened.
\i\C0000FF\U\BJun\b\c\u
\B11\b Monarch Air commuter jet crashes near Young, NSW; seven killed.
\i\B18\b Businessman-adventurer \JDick Smith\j and co-pilot John Wallington become the first to cross Australia by balloon (Carnarvon, WA, to Tabulam on the NSW north coast).
\i\C0000FF\U\BSep\b\c\u
\B24\b International Olympic Committee announces that Sydney has been chosen as host of the 2000 Olympic Games.
\i\B30\b Legislation passed to introduce a new citizenship oath in which new Australians no longer swear allegiance to the Queen and her heirs. ('From this time forward [under God] I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey.')
\i\C0000FF\U\BOct\b\c\u
\B5\b Republic Advisory Committee of ten eminent Australians, appointed in May to spearhead the federal government's push for a republic by 2001, reports that\b\i '\b\i a republic is achievable without threatening Australia's cherished democratic traditions'.
Skeletal remains of two people are found in Belanglo State Forest, NSW, not far from where the bodies of two backpackers were found in Sept. \J1992\j. (Remains of three more bodies are subsequently found nearby.)
\i\C0000FF\U\BNov\b\c\u
\B1\b Plastic ten-dollar note (featuring \JBanjo Paterson\j and Mary Gilmore) goes into circulation.
Federal government announces that 29,000 Chinese nationals, mostly students who were given temporary sanctuary in June 1989 following the violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, will be given permanent residency, with spouses and children.
Former WA Premier Ray O'Connor is charged with stealing a $25,000 political donation to the Liberal Party. (Found guilty on 17 Feb. 1995 and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.)
\i\B2\b Tour coach carrying 44 passengers collides with a truck on the Hume Highway north of Wangaratta, Vic; 9 killed and 36 injured.
\i\B11\b Remains of Australia's unknown soldier of World War I, retrieved from a grave site near Villers-Bretonneux, is entombed in the Australian \JWar Memorial\j, \JCanberra\j.
\i\C0000FF\U\BDec\b\c\u
\B11\b Labor government defeated in SA election. Liberal Party's Dean Brown replaces Lynn Arnold as Premier.
\i\B22\b Native title legislation passed by federal parliament. (Comes into operation on 1 Dec. \J1994\j.)
\i\B23\b John Elliott, former Liberal Party president and head of Elders IXL, is charged over the theft of $66.5 million in a conspiracy related to the attempted takeover of BHP by Robert Holmes α Court. (Committed for trial in Dec. \J1994\j.)
***
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
First Australian patent for an animal granted to an Adelaide company which produced a genetically engineered pig.
Fossilised single-cell organisms thought to be 3.5 billion years old discovered in rocks about 60 km from \JMarble Bar\j, WA.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Garry Shead, \ITom Thompson,\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Jane Campion's film \IThe Piano\b\i wins two Cannes Film Festival awards and three Academy Awards.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Rodney Hall, \IThe Grisly Wife\b\i (\J1994\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award winner.)
Frank Moorhouse, \IGrand Days.\b\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JAllan Border\j, in a match against New Zealand on 26 Feb., becomes Test cricket's greatest run-scorer. (Retires from international cricket on 11 May \J1994\j, having scored 11,174 runs in 156 Test matches and taken 156 catches in Tests.)
Irish horse Vintage Crop wins the Melbourne Cup. (First time the race won by a horse not from Australia or NZ.)
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 17,579,300.
Australia joins an elite group of nations with more than 50 per cent of students proceeding to tertiary education.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 9 Sir Paul Hasluck d. (87).
Feb 10 Fred Hollows d. (63).
Apr 3 Sali Herman d. (95).
Jul 2 Sir Edward ('Weary') Dunlop d. (85).
Sep 16 Oodgeroo Noonuccal (\JKath Walker\j) d. (81).
\BDescription:\b 2000 Olympic bid, Sydney Opera House \I(DFAT)\i
#
"1994",210,"g\1\1smh.jpg","c","0"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
\B2\b (to 14th). Hot, windy weather fans bushfires in eastern NSW from Qld border to south coast, several around Sydney (at Marsfield, Turramurra, Menai, Bundeena, etc.). About 450 square kilometres burnt on Central Coast; more than 100 homes destroyed in Sutherland shire and the northern suburbs of Sydney; Royal National Park almost completely burnt out.
\i\B26\b Prince Charles, on a 12-day visit to Australia, is attacked by a man who fires two shots from a starting pistol during an open-air function at Darling Harbour, Sydney.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
\B1\b \JChristopher Skase,\j wanted in Australia to face charges relating to the collapse of his Qintex media company, gives himself up to authorities in Spain. (Spends 11 months in gaol hospital; released in December after Australia's extradition attempts fail on medical grounds.)
\i\B22\b Oz Lotto drawn for the first time.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
\B2\b Letter bomb kills a policeman and injures five other people at the National Crime Authority's Adelaide headquarters.
\i\B11\b Former Spedley Securities managing director Brian Yuill sentenced to eight years' gaol for dishonesty as a director. (Conviction quashed in July and retrial ordered; sentenced to two years and ten months on 14 Sept.)
\i\B30\b Federal government's Industrial Relations Reform Act comes into operation: provides for certified agreements between employers and unions and flexibility in enterprise agreements between employers and their employees, and bans employers sacking workers for taking industrial action.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
\B7\b Residents of Christmas Island vote at a referendum for greater self-rule but reject secession.
\i\B9\b Entrepreneur Laurie Connell found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice; sentenced to five years' gaol.
\i\B24\b Two drivers and two officials die as one of the cars competing in the Cannonball Run from Darwin to Uluru and back, crashes near \JAlice Springs.\j (to 27th). Massive wind storm blows millions of tonnes of dust across south-eastern Australia.
\i\B31\b Ten days after his arrest, 49-year-old road worker Ivan Milat is charged with the murder of the seven backpackers whose bodies were found in Belanglo State Forest, NSW.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
\B4\b Marshall Perron's CLP government re-elected in NT with an increased majority.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
\B25\b Phone numbers throughout Australia begin converting to eight digits (Mona Vale, Sydney, first to change).
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
\B6\b Earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale rocks Cessnock, NSW, but causes only minor damage.
\i\B7\b Underground mine explosion at Moura, Qld, traps 11 miners, whose bodies are left entombed after further explosions make their recovery impossible.
\i\B15\b News Radio, the ABC's 24-hour news service, begins operating.
\i\B16\b Ten-tonne tropical Bryde's whale crosses the bar at the mouth of the Manning River, NSW, and swims upstream to the outskirts of Taree. (Helped back to sea on 24 Nov. after 100 days in the river.)
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
\B5\b NSW state MP for Cabramatta, John Newman, shot dead outside his house by an unknown gunman.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
\B2\b Seaview Air twin-jet aircraft with nine people aboard disappears on a scheduled flight from Williamtown to Lord Howe Island.
\i\B12\b High Court finds that the Constitution guarantees a right to free political speech and that 'in future defendants need only prove that they did not knowingly publish false material, did not act in reckless disregard for the truth, and took reasonable steps to substantiate their claims'.
\i\B24\b Tour coach overturns in the Brisbane suburb of Boondall, killing 11 women and a child.
\i\B31\b Plastic twenty-dollar note, featuring \JMary Reibey\j and \JJohn Flynn,\j goes into circulation.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
\B4\b Sydney Airport's third runway opens, prompting sustained protest about increased aircraft noise.
\i\B15\b Australia and other APEC members sign a free-trade agreement pledging to remove regional trade barriers by the year 2020.
ò More boat people arrive during the year than at any time since the Vietnam War (at least 930, mostly Chinese, and mainly from refugee camps in Indonesia).
ò Queensland and New South Wales in the fourth year of severe drought. (Breaks in many areas, accompanied in some places by floods, in early \J1995.)\j
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
NT's Parliament House completed (officially opened 18 Aug.)
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
Remains of more than 10,000 people dating back at least 6,000 years discovered in Lake Victoria, south-western NSW, when the lake drained for repair work.
Living specimen of a tree thought to have been extinct for 150 million years discovered in Wollemi National Park, NSW (Aug.).
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
Francis Giacco, \IHomage to John Reichard,\b\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Stephan Elliott, \IPriscilla, Queen of the Desert\b\i (film).
P.J. Hogan, \IMuriel's Wedding\b\i (film).
Les Girls all-male revue in Kings Cross, Sydney, closes after 31 years.
\BD Books and Writing\b
Helen Demidenko, \IThe Hand That Signed the Paper\b\i \J(1995\j \JMiles Franklin\j Award Winner).
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
Rebecca Brown breaks the world record for the 200 m breaststroke.
Shelley Taylor-Smith breaks her own 42 km world marathon swimming record at Lake Magog, Canada, setting her 11th world record.
Australian women's hockey team wins the World Cup in Dublin.
\JMichael Doohan\j wins the world 500 cc motorcycle world championship.
Swimmer \JKieren Perkins\j breaks the 800 m and 1,500 m world freestyle records in the one race at the Commonwealth Games.
Jeune wins the Melbourne Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 17,843,300.
Mobile telephones sell at a rate of 10,000 a week.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Jan 28 Frank Hardy d. (76).
Feb 8 Ken G. Hall d. (92).
Jul 3 \JLew Hoad\j d. (59).
Dec 16 Dame Mary Durack Miller d. (81).
\BDescription:\b January Bushfires\I (Fairfax Photo Library)\i.
#
"1995",211,"0","Keating re French nuclear testing","mpaulk.avi"
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJan\b\c\u
Coldest January in NSW for 23 years.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BFeb\b\c\u
Coldest February in NSW for ten years.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMar\b\c\u
There is public outrage as rapist Fred Many is released from prison.
Bob Carr defeats John Fahey in a Labor victory in the NSW state elections.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BApr\b\c\u
Driest April in NSW for 13 years.
100th Anniversary of \IWaltzing Matilda\i - Banjo Paterson's famous song.
The Rolling Stones tour Australia for the first time in 18 years.
Murdoch begins signing up players for a new Super League. So begins a fight between Channel Nine's ARL headed by \JKerry Packer\j and Murdoch's Super League. Players are signed up on both sides for unheard of amounts of money.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BMay\b\c\u
Wettest May in NSW for 12 years.
A Royal Commission has been called by Western Australian Premier, \JRichard Court,\j in relation to the Penny Easton Affair. A Labor MP claimed that Court (the then Opposition Leader) was being investigated by the police for assisting Easton (a lawyer) to get confidential documents to destroy Easton's estranged husband. Penny Easton subsequently commits suicide a few days later.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJun\b\c\u
The French Consulate in Perth is torched in protest of French nuclear testing.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BJul\b\c\u
Driest July in NSW for 23 years.
Telecom officially changes its name to Telstra on 1 July.
\JWayne Goss\j is re-elected as Queensland Premier.
Murdoch and Packer lock horns to control Rugby Union.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BAug\b\c\u
Top temperature on August 26 is Sydney's hottest winter day ever. Temperatures reach over 30 degrees Celsius for a number of days. As at August, over 60% of New South Wales is still declared drought-affected.
Governments from around the world condemn the decision of French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac to test nuclear bombs at Mururoa atoll in the Pacific.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BSep\b\c\u
Rain finally falls early September, ending 47 rainless days in Sydney. Consequently, it is the wettest September for 46 years.
The first nuclear bomb is let off by the French on 5 September amid strong anti-nuclear protests throughout the world.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BOct\b\c\u
The French detonate another nuclear device on 1 October at Fangataufa atoll, near Mururoa. This one is five times more powerful than the Hiroshima one. A further one detonates on 28 October.
Both Optus and Foxtel launch their pay-TV services.
Australia's worst ever food poisoning epidemic kills a 4-year-old girl and hospitalises over 150 others.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BNov\b\c\u
Geelong in Victoria is hit with the worst floods since the 1950s.
A rabbit virus (calicivirus disease) that escaped from Wardang Island, off South Australia onto the mainland in October, rapidly spreads over Australia, depleting wild rabbit populations. Many farmers see the outbreak as a godsend, however vaccines are available for domestic rabbit owners and breeders.
Super League and ARL officials finally meet to negotiate a settlement for the players and the teams.
Bob Hawke resurfaces to try to lead the ACTU into victory against CRA and the Australia-wide mining strikes.
\JCarmen Lawrence,\j Federal Health Minister, is branded a liar when the Marks Royal Commission is handed down. Despite pressure from the opposition, Dr Lawrence is determined to stay on as Health Minister, receiving \JPaul Keating\j's full support.
The French detonate their fourth nuclear device on 22 November.
Telstra and IBM sign up as major sponsors for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
\i\C0000FF\B\C800000\BDec\b\c\u
Widespread falls over two-thirds of NSW affected by drought, one year after it entered its worst drought in history, with 98 per cent of the state, at one stage, drought-declared.
A record compensation payout of over $30 million is awarded to actor Jon Blake, who was left crippled after a motor vehicle accident in 1986.
The Northern Territory Coroner brings down an open finding on the cause of Azaria Chamberlain's death of more than fifteen years ago. The Chamberlains are displeased with this finding and may appeal.
***
\BA Architecture, Building\b
Sydney Casino, Darling Harbour.
Brisbane International Airport completed.
$170 million Glebe Island Bridge completed in December.
Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.
\BB Science, Technology, Discovery, etc.\b
A Western Australian rare wildflower presumed extinct is found 600 km north east of Perth.
770 plants, 233 animals, three amphibians, and 16 fish are considered rare or threatened.
\BC Arts and Entertainment\b
William Roberts, \IStunned Mullet - self portrait,\i wins the Archibald Prize.
Michael Rymer, \IAngel Baby\i (film).
George Miller, \IBabe\i (film).
\BD Books and Writing\b
Bryce Courtenay, \IThe Potato Factory.\i
\BE Sport and Recreation\b
\JGreg Norman\j wins the Australian Open (golf).
\JJeff Fenech\j makes a comeback, winning his first fight.
Jo Bugner also makes a comeback and now holds the Australian Heavyweight Title.
\JMichael Doohan\j wins the world 500 cc motorcycle championship.
Doriemus wins the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup.
\BF Statistics, Social Change, the Environment\b
Estimated resident population of Australia: 18,000,500.
Australian road toll 1995: 2014.
\BG Births and Deaths\b
Apr 6 \JTed Noffs\j d. (69)
Aug 7 \JTed Whitten\j d. (61)
Dec 12 Andrew Ollie d. (47)
Dec 18 Maurie Fields d. (69)
\BViddescription:\b Keating on French nuclear tests (ABC)
#
!,!,!,!,!
5#
1,0
"On This Day In Australian History",1,"0","g","0"
#
!,!,!,!,!
6#
3,This is a null field
"Formation of Australia",1,"g\1\pl1.jpg","c","beach0"
In time beyond all dreaming, out of any mindùperhaps about 300 million years ago, when the present South America, Africa, Arabia, Iran, Tibet, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica were joined in one immense continent lately called Gondwanalandùthe world began to give Australia its features. Vegetation spread over the whole continent. In the next 50 million years, soils formed, forests appeared and animals moved from sea to land.
About 250 million years ago, the supercontinent began to break up, as the tectonic plates on which its sections rested drifted apart, with New Guinea remaining attached to Australia, forming the larger entity now known as Sahul, and this whole attached to Antarctica. It was then that the Australian animals began their slow evolution to their distinctive prehistoric and historic forms.
In the early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago, there was widespread flooding of the continent. The eastern coastal area remained above water, separated from other dry areas in the centre, west and south by a large inland sea, a separation which encouraged specific adaptations.
\BDescription:\b Western Australian coastline \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Turmoil in Development",2,"g\1\pl1.jpg","f","0"
In the next 30 million years, Sahul and Antarctica broke apart, with Sahul beginning its slow northward drift, bringing with it the primitive rainforest cover it had shared with Antarctica. Some 80 to 50 million years ago, the ocean floor to the southeast of Sahul opened, making the Tasman Sea, while another such opening in the north created the Coral Sea 62-56 million years ago.
Then, between 55 and 38 million years ago, as the continent's northern drift accelerated, its tectonic plate ground against that underlying the Pacific Ocean, producing the uplifts now known as the New Guinean Highlands, and the Great Escarpment of Eastern Australia, on which the Great Dividing Range marks the west/east watershed.
And, in a conflagration that continued into the recent past, volcanoes erupted along an arc corresponding roughly to the Great Dividing Range, a pattern seemingly determined by steady northward drift over a single fissure in the earth's crust up to another, lesser fissure nearer the equator. The conflagration resulted in large deposits of silcretes and basalts.
\BDescription:\b Western Australian coastline \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Australia Forms",3,"g\1\pl2.jpg","c","forest20"
The formation of the Coral and Tasman Seas and the subsequent rifting of the sea between Sahul and Antarctica about 40 million years ago produced the anti-cyclonic systems of winds and currents, a major effect of which was to bring rain to the coastal fringes but to leave the interior arid.
As this climatic pattern developed, the broad-leaved rainforest vegetation contracted north from an increasingly unsympathetic continental environment. As the continent's continued drift brought it within the tropics, and made it subject to the action of the summer (northwest) monsoon, this process intensified.
Thus Australia moved towards its present configuration. About two million years ago, the corals of the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j began to form.
No one really knows precisely when humans came to Australia. Pre-historians now generally agree that they had spread throughout Australia and New Guinea by c.40,000 BP, though they may have done so much earlier. Both the limitations of the radio-carbon dating technique and the inundation of coastal sites with the rising of the sea from about 16,000 BP make precision impossible. Nor is it clear which peoples then came, nor whence.
The Kow Swamp skeletons suggest that there may have been two distinct races inhabiting Australia into recent prehistoric times. What is clear is that by c.23,000 BP, humans had spread into all areas of Australia, from the tropical north through the desert to the moist southwest and southeast corners, along the escarpments of the Great Dividing Range and in the fertile river valleys below them to the coastal and alpine habitats of Tasmania.
\BDescription:\b A 10,000 year old Lake Wyrie Boomerang \I(South Australian Museum)\i
#
"Adaptation to Environment",2,"g\1\pl4.jpg","c","0"
In time, the cultures of these peoples came to show distinct adaptations to the regions they inhabited. The people on Lake Mungo's shores in western New South Wales developed the earliest cremation ritual yet discovered, dating to about 30,000 BP; western desert peoples adapted genetically to their biosphere; and upland Tasmanians to their cold environment.
Those about Tasmania's seashores, who became isolated from the mainland c.23,000 BP, gave up using canoes, and perhaps eating fish. Maintaining some links with New Guineans until the rising sea created Torres Strait c.8000 BP, the inhabitants of the Queensland rainforest used wooden 'swords', and those of the littoral built outrigger canoes. The people of the western plains of Victoria built stone houses and eel weirs, and harvested grass seeds.
\BDescription:\b Aboriginal corroboree \I(19th Century Engraving)\i
#
"Early Aboriginal Population",3,65smh.jpg,c,0
What the Aboriginal population of Australia was prior to the arrival of the Europeans remains a matter of great uncertainty. It is now generally conceded that Radcliffe Brown's old figure of 'over 250,000 and quite possibly, or even probably, over 300,000' is too small by far.
More recently, John Mulvaney and Peter White have suggested c.750,000; but there are others who are willing to contemplate a figure in excess of 1,000,000.
In the absence of reliable records, estimates must be derived from demographic modelling, which involves assumptions about average size of families, regional food supplies, and the presence or absence of diseases, about which it is easy to make mistakes.
Over millennia, then, the Aboriginal peoples of Australia established viable cultures throughout the continent. It is easy to romanticise the lives of individuals within those cultures. We may doubt that they were as carefree, free of violence, hunger and disease as some would have us believe. Whatever the extent of these drawbacks, however, for Aborigines, the coming of the Europeans constituted an infinitely greater one.
The arrival of Europeans in Australia was one of the culminations of the expansion which began early in the fifteenth century. As they refined ship-building and rigging techniques, and developed new methods of navigation, Europeans began to sail into oceans as well as to skirt coastlines.
By the mid 1480s, the Portuguese had reached south along the coast of Africa to the mouth of the Congo River. In 1487-8, sailing into the central Atlantic then turning east in 40 degrees S latitude, Bartholomeu Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope, thus indicating the possibility of a sea route to the East.
In 1497-9, pioneering this route, Vasco da Gama reached and returned from India. Then Magellan's circumnavigation of 1515-19 gave rise to a route across the Pacific Ocean from the southeast to the northwest, the wind and current systems pushing ships above the equator to the east of New Guinea.
\BDescription:\b Vasco da Gama \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Recorded European Sightings",2,"g\1\pl10.jpg","c","0"
These routes kept ships away from Australia though there are some reports of European sightings of the continent in the 1520s, either by Portuguese sailing out of Malacca, or Spanish crossing the Pacific. The evidence in support of such sightings remains too fragmentary and uncertain for us to be able to credit them confidently.
What is certain is that, sent to investigate the south coast of New Guinea and other lands that might lie near it, the Dutch navigator Willem Jansz coasted some 320 kilometres of the western side of Cape York in 1606. His is the first recorded European sighting of Australia.
The Dutch had followed the Portuguese into the East Indies at the end of the sixteenth century. Initially, once past the Cape of Good Hope, they had followed a northeast route across the Indian Ocean to the Indonesian islands, but uncertain winds and currents made for arduous voyages, with scurvy causing high mortality among crews.
Dirk Hartog, captain of a Dutch East India Company ship, the \IEendracht,\i landed on an island off the coast of Western Australia near Shark Bay in 1616. This crew left a plaque made of a flattened pewter dinner plate, nailed to a post as a record of their visit.
\BDescription:\b Pewter plate left by the explorer, \JDirk Hartog\j, on the coast of WA \I(WA Maritime Museum)\i
#
"Recorded European Sightings - (2)",3,"g\1\pl9.jpg","c","0"
In 1610, one navigator suggested that a better route would be found by sailing 1000 mijlen [c.6000 kilometres] due east from the Cape of Good Hope, before turning north for Sumatra. This became the favoured route from 1617 onwards.
However, as it was then impossible to calculate longitude accurately, it was all too easy for navigators to leave too late the turning north; and accidental landfalls on Australia's western coast soon accumulated.
Interested in developing trade in the Pacific and with the Spanish colonies in South America, the Dutch East India Company sent a number of deliberate exploring expeditions to the Southland (or New Holland, as it came to be known) between 1620 and 1700. That by Jan Carstensz in 1623 led to the delineation of the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land.
That by \JAbel Tasman\j in 1642 resulted in the discovery of Tasmania which he called Van Diemen's Land and the western coast of New Zealand. Tasman sailed again in 1644 and, during the voyage of which only scanty details survive, followed the coastline west from Cape York approximately to Northwest Cape. In 1697 Willem de Vlamingh sailed from the Swan River up to North-West Cape.
In 1688 an English adventurer, William Dampier, visited the coast of Western Australia, making the first recorded English landing in Australia. He published an account of his journey on his return to England and was sent on a second voyage to New Holland in 1699. He charted the coast of Western Australia but published a report which was unfavourable to both the country and its inhabitants.
\BDescription:\b Dampier in a storm \I(18th Century Engraving)\i
#
"James Cook",4,"g\1\pl13.jpg","c","0"
The result of these voyages was that, by the end of the seventeenth century, much of the Australian continent's northern, western and southern outline was known to Europeans.
What remained unknown was the eastern coast, and the relationship of Tasmania to the mainland. The eastern coast was revealed by the voyage of the English navigator Lieutenant James Cook in the \IEndeavour\i in 1770.
\BDescription:\b James Cook \I(Alan Bond Collection)\i
#
"James Cook - (2)",5,"0","c","explor13.avi"
Having sailed across the Pacific via Tahiti, Cook circumnavigated and charted the main islands of New Zealand, then crossed the Tasman sea to sight the Australian coast at Point Hicks on the east of what is now the state of Victoria. For four months he charted this coast northwards, landing at a number of places, including Botany Bay just to the south of Sydney, before almost losing the ship on the \JGreat Barrier Reef\j.
After effecting makeshift repairs at the Endeavour River (Cooktown), he passed through the strait between Australia and New Guinea found by Torres in 1606, to Batavia, thence home to England. (\JGeorge Bass\j and \JMatthew Flinders\j established the insularity of Tasmania in \J1797\j-8.)
\BVideo:\b Captain Cook's 1770 East Coast Voyage
#
"James Cook - (3)",6,"g\1\pl14.jpg","c","0"
Though the observing of the transit of Venus at Tahiti was the announced purpose of Cook's voyage, it had also the secret one of discovering a supposed continent of vast extent in the southern hemisphere, a discovery which the British hoped might give rise to extensive trade in the Pacific, and between Europe, China and South America. In keeping with this aim, Cook landed on an island in Torres Strait late in August 1770:
\IHaving satisfied my self of the great Probability of a Passage thro' which I intend going with the Ship, and therefore may land no more upon this Eastern coast of New Holland, and on the Western side I can make no more discovery the honour of which belongs to the Dutch Navigators; but the Eastern Coast of the latitude of 38 degrees South down to this place I am confident was never seen or viseted by any European before us, and Notwithstanding I had in the Name of His Majesty taken posession of several places upon this coast, I now once more hoisted the English Coulers and in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third took possession of the whole Eastern Coast from the above Latitude down to this place by the name of New South Wales, together with all the Bays, Harbours Rivers and Islands situate upon the said coast, after which we fired three Volleys of small Arms which were Answred by the like number from the Ship.\i
\BDescription:\b Death of \JCaptain Cook\jùnatives killed Cook on February 13, 1779 at Karakakooa Bay in the Pacificùartist John Webber \I(Mitchell Library)\i
The subsequent colonisation by Britain of New South Wales with convicts has tended to obscure imperial purposes. From the late sixteenth century, the British sent their criminals to the North American and West Indian colonies, but they did not make this form of punishment permanent until 1717-18, when Parliament enacted transportation to North America for a range of non-capital felonies.
One purpose of this move was to introduce more flexibility into penal practice, for hitherto there had been little provision for punishments between the extremes of death, on the one hand, and branding on the hand, whipping, exposure in the pillory, fine and imprisonment on the other.
In providing for transportation for seven of fourteen years (and, later, for life), Parliament not only broadened the range of punishment, but also gave justices the means of taking account of previous good character and mitigating circumstance, and of distinguishing between degrees of violence and callousness.
A second purpose was to obtain some benefit from the labour of the convicts. A third was to offer these a chance to reform in a new environment, one where fewer temptations to crime supposedly existed.
\BDescription:\b James \JMatra\j's Letter recommending that New South Wales be used as Britain's new settlement \I(London Public Records Office)\i
#
"North American Convicts",8,"a\2\smh04.jpg","c","0"
As it developed, the system of punishment by transportation to North America came to exhibit a number of distinctive features. First, the punishments were fundamentally exile from Britain, and the (temporary) loss of the right to the labour of their bodies, for once in North America the felons were required to work for the unexpired terms of their sentences, and were forbidden to return before that time. However, they were not otherwise punishedùfor example, by being confined or shackled.
The second striking feature is that central government had only a minimal role in the business. The merchants who agreed to receive convicts sentenced to transportation had to meet all expenses for shipping, food, medical care and supervision incurred in carrying them over the Atlantic Ocean, and they were responsible for landing them in the colonies. In return, the merchants acquired the legal right to the labour of the convicts, which they could sell in the place of transportation prescribed in the sentences.
Sometimes, central government and county authorities paid contractors 5 pounds per person for transportation. At times of high labour demand in the colonies, however, merchants were willing to carry the convicts for nothing, making their money instead from the sale of their labour, and from outward and return cargoes.
This system constituted a neat penal practice, from which central government gained in three ways: by 'exporting' a social problem; by doing so at little cost; and by obtaining a benefit for the nation from the convicts' labour. Then, the system was suddenly disrupted. As the standard account has it:
\IIn 1775, the American colonies revolted. For the time being at least, England could not send her convicts there. Those sentenced to transportation perforce had to remain at home, unless the government could find some other destination for them, but perhaps they could be punished in some other way.\i
\BDescription:\b Convict Chain Gang \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"New Convict Policies",9,"g\1\pl17.jpg","c","0"
The 'other way' the British government adopted as an interim measure was to vary the punishment for those felonies that previously brought transportation to labour at harbour works and to accommodate those so convicted on ships moored in the Thames.
Again the standard account has it, it was when these ships ('hulks') had become impossibly overcrowded that the British government decidedù'in a fit of absence of mind', as it wereùto solve the problem by transporting the convicts to New South Wales.
This standard account needs some revision. The hulks were never as overcrowded or unhealthy as historians have thought; and when the government of \JWilliam Pitt\j the Younger decided in August 1786 to establish a convict colony at Botany Bay, the ministers had more in mind than simply removing the convicts from the realm.
Other motives were the obtaining of naval materials from the islands of the southwest Pacific for the Indian dockyards; and the creation of a strategic outlier on the edge of the great ocean. There was also an intention of creating a trans-Pacific trade. Concern about the expansion of the French maritime empire was a serious consideration.
\BDescription:\b British convict hulk \I(18th Century Engraving)\i
On 13 May 1787 Captain Arthur Phillip took the eleven ships of what has become known in Australian history as the First Fleet, out from Portsmouth. They carried a handful of civil officers, 250 marines with some wives and children, and 759 convicts, a few of whom also had children.
Calling at Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope, these ships reached Botany Bay in mid-January \J1788\j.
With environs not nearly as attractive at the height of summer as they had been to Cook in May 1770, Phillip quickly decided to shift the settlement sixteen kilometres north to Port Jackson; and on 26 January \J1788\j he hoisted the British flag on the shores of Sydney Cove near where the Sydney Opera House now stands.
\BDescription:\b The First Fleet entering Botany Bay 1788 \I(J. King)\i
#
"The First Fleet",2,"g\1\pl21.jpg","c","0"
In the next days and months, the first European settlement in Australia took shape. Inevitably, the business was rather chaotic at firstùas one person observed:
\I[the confusion] will not be wondered at, when it is considered that every man stepped from the boat literally into a wood. Parties of people were every where heard and seen variously employed; some in clearing ground for the different encampments; others in pitching tents, or bringing up such stores as were more immediately wanted; and the spot which had so lately been the abode of silence and tranquillity was now changed to that of noise, clamour, and confusion.\i
\BDescription:\b Portrait of \JGovernor Phillip\j \I(Mitchell Library)\i
#
"Colony Prospers",3,"g\1\pl22.jpg","c","0"
Gradually, some 'order' prevailed, and the colony began to prosper. By the end of \J1792\j, the centre of the Sydney settlement occupied more than three acres. In and about it were brick cottages of the officers roofed with shingles or tiles, a Government House of brick windowed with glass, brick storehouses and a brick hospital, and a number of convict huts.
The officers of the New South Wales corps each had two acres for cultivation, the hospital had a large garden, and there were over six acres of gardens about Government House. The buildings were placed with some regularity, so that there was an embryonic township, shaped by roads and streets, delimited by fences. At the Government Farm, there were stables and storehouses, and convicts grew vegetables, fruits, and maize.
\BDescription:\b A view of Sydney taken from the Rocks: artist J. W. Lancashire \J1803\j \I(Dixson Galleries)\i
#
"Parramatta Settlement",4,"g\1\pl24.jpg","c","0"
At the second settlement at Parramatta, at the head of the harbour, there was a Government House, about which were six acres under maize and other grains, four acres under vines, and two of potatoes.
There was a village, with about one hundred officers' cottages and convict huts, a barracks, hospital, hall and storehouses forming a street one and a half kilometres long.
Spread about were government cultivations of 100 acres, and private ones of 400 acres; a track joined this settlement to Sydney.
\BDescription:\b Government House Parramatta \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Progress With Problems",5,"f\7\pl25.jpg","c","0"
This progress had not been easily achieved. Initially, many of the convicts had declined to work; and the military officers had declined to supervise those who did. Hundreds of the convicts who arrived on the Second and Third Fleets (\J1790\j,\J1791\j) had been very ill; and there was a long drought from mid \J1790\j until the spring of \J1791\j.
Also, presaging subsequent events throughout the entire continent, relations between the Europeans and the Aborigines had fluctuated from wary tolerance, to friendly cooperation, to open hostility.
\BDescription:\b Convict lash: Hyde Park Barracks\I (Courtesy Peter Luck)\i
#
"Progress Continues",6,"g\1\pl26.jpg","c","0"
This progress continued in the next dozen years. By \J1805\j, the colony was in reasonably comfortable circumstances, having spread over the Cumberland Plain, that bulbous lowland to the north, west and southwest of Sydney.
Its European population had risen (by new arrivals and births) to about 6,000. These enjoyed a good standard of living, and what with agriculture and trading activities in the Pacific and to India and China, they seem to have had a production rate approaching that in Britain.
There were also a handful of settlements elsewhereùat Norfolk Island (\J1788\j-\J1814\j), Newcastle (\J1801\j), Hobart (\J1803\j/4) and \JLaunceston\j (\J1804\j). Slowly but surely, the British were establishing themselves in Australia.
\BDescription:\b Nobby's Head in Newcastle showing the convict built breakwater \I(Engraving: F C Terrey)\i
While settlers spread up and down the valleys of the Derwent and Tamar Rivers in Tasmania between 1810 and 1820, those on the mainland essentially were confined to the Cumberland Plain. Approximately 29,000 convicts were transported to New South Wales and Tasmania up to 1820.
One feature above all others distinguished this phase of transportation from the earlier one to North America. With the exception of small numbers of civil and military officers who stayed after their terms of service had finished, and ex-convicts who become farmers, merchants, or manufacturers, there was no body of planters to utilise the convicts' labour.
In New South Wales and Tasmania, it was essentially the government which employed the convicts, on buildings and road works, and at the Government Farms.
In 1798û1799 George Bass and Matthew Flinders made a journey from Sydney down the coast of New South Wales through Bass Strait and circumnavigated Tasmania proving it to be an island.
Setting out from Sydney in July 1802 Flinders circumnavigated the continent adding greatly to the knowledge of the coastline and the flora and fauna of the country.
This feature was most marked during the governance of Lachlan Macquarie (\J1810\j-21), who pursued an extensive building program. On his departure, he listed 265 items whose construction he had overseen.
These included the 'Rum' Hospital, the Hyde Park Barracks, the Government Stables (now the Conservatorium), Government House Parramatta, the Court House at Windsor, St. James's Church at Sydney, St. John's at Parramatta, St. Matthew's at Windsor and the South Head Lighthouse.
He had also founded the 'Five Towns' (Castlereagh, Richmond, Wilberforce, Pitt Town and Windsor), built fourteen public roads, and encouraged the development of Hobart.
People both in the colony and in Britain criticised Macquarie for the extravagant cost of these buildings, and also for his withholding skilled convict labourers from private employment in order to complete them.
Nonetheless, these buildings gave the European settlements a substance they had previously lacked, and encouraged their now quite substantial populations (30,000 and 7,000 respectively in \J1821\j) to think of New South Wales and Tasmania as home.
\BDescription:\b Lachlan Macquarie engraving \I(Illustrated History of Australasia)\i
#
"Macquarie's Liberalism",9,"g\1\pl31.jpg","c","0"
Macquarie's time is notable for another reason. Extending a system instituted by Governor Philip Gidley King (\J1800\j-6), he liberally granted tickets-of-leave (which freed convicts to work for themselves), and also conditional and free pardons. He appointed former convicts ('emancipists') to civil and judicial posts, and received them socially.
Macquarie's justification for what seem to us enlightened policies, was that, in a society forming from a convict population, it was desirable to reward good behaviour by restoration to former status. However, Macquarie's critics charged that, not only had he restored people to status, he had also elevated them to positions that they would never have enjoyed in Britain.
The argument brought to a head fundamental issues that had been slowly gathering force. What was to be the legal status of convicts upon emancipation, and of their children? Were they to enjoy fully the rights of British citizens elsewhere? Or were they to suffer under (as it were) an hereditary disadvantage? In other words, were the New South Wales and Tasmanian settlements to develop as civil colonies, or were they to continue as places of convict punishment?
\BDescription:\b Picnic at Mrs Macquarie's Chair: artist believed to be F.C. Terrey, circa \J1855\j \I(Mitchell Library)\i
Giving added need to find answers to these questions were social conditions in England. There, with the demobilisation after the Napoleonic Wars, and as the full effects of the Industrial Revolution were felt, crime rates (or at least conviction rates) rose sharply. For example, whereas 839 male convicts reached New South Wales in \J1814\j, 2,845 came in \J1818\j, 2,372 in \J1819\j, and 2,283 in \J1820\j.
In \J1819\j, the British government sent T. J. Bigge to report in detail on the conditions of the Australian settlements, and to recommend how they should henceforth be allowed to develop. Bigge spent seventeen months in New South Wales and Tasmania, gathering copious oral and written evidence.
While his gentry background and legal training do seem to have conditioned him to viewing things in ways not entirely sympathetic to a society growing from convictism, his recommendations in three areas were to be of great significance in the emergence of modern Australia.
\BDescription:\b Convicts in cages on board transport ship \I(19th Century Engraving)\i
First, while Bigge did suggest that the Australian settlements should become civil ones, he also recommended the continuation of transportation, with administrative refinements to make it a greater punishment than it evidently had been under Macquarie. These changes marked the convict system between 1823 and 1840, when c.84,000 convicts reached eastern Australia.
The emphasis swung to placing convicts in private assignment, both to lessen the cost to government, and to locate the convicts in the country, away from civilian populations. (In 1838, for example, 26,000 of the 38,000 convicts in New South Wales were privately assigned.)
\BDescription:\b Flogging of William The Fell Tyrant of London \J1836\j \I(Mitchell Library)\i
Next, those privileges that convicts had previously enjoyed, such as task work and payment for their own-time work, were abolished. Third, a range of punishments for offences committed in the colonies was instituted, including hard labour in chain gangs, and sentencing to a place of secondary punishment.
These placesùPort Macquarie (\J1821\j), Moreton Bay (\J1824\j), Norfolk Island (\J1825\j), and Port Arthur (\J1830\j)ùquickly became notorious for their severity.
As one 'old lag' lamented:
\II've been a prisoner at Port Macquarie, at Norfolk Island and Emu Plains,
At Castle Hill and at cursed Toongabbie, at all those settlements I've worked in chains;
But of all the places of condemnation and penals stations of New South Wales,
To Moreton Bay I have found no equal; excessive tyranny each day prevails.
For three long years I was beastly treated, and heavy irons on my legs I wore;
My back with flogging is lacerated and often painted with my crimson gore.
And many a man from downright starvation lies mouldering now underneath the clay;
And Captain Logan he had us mangled at the triangles of Moreton Bay.\i
\BDescription:\b The cathedral at the Port Arthur penal settlement \I(Webster Publishing)\i
#
"Norfolk Island and Convicts",13,"f\7\pl37.jpg","c","0"
And the composer of this ballad did not exaggerate. At its peak, \JNorfolk Island\j for example, held 2,000 re-offenders. They were compelled to rise at dawn and to labour until dark. They were forced to feed without utensils.
When they became recalcitrant, they were punished by being given only bread and water; by labour in chains; by hundreds of lashes together; by confinement to dark cells where they could neither stand nor lie, and to which came no sound from the world. When in their anger and despair they killed, they were hanged.
Sent to Norfolk Island in the expectation that they were 'forever excluded from all hope of return', those who endured this regimen took on the appearance of ghosts exhibiting 'sunken glazed eyes, deadly-pale faces, hollow fleshless cheeks and once manly limbs, shrivelled and withered up as if by premature old age'. Deprived of women, many became homosexual.
Nor was it uncommon for prisoners to draw lots to see who might kill whom, for the charge of murder meant trial in Sydney, and thereby some faint hope of escape; and in any case, death by hanging was preferable to an indeterminate sentence to life on the island.
In January \J1834\j, there occurred the most serious of the numerous convict rebellions on Norfolk Island, in which some 160 men joined. Nine were killed in fighting, thirty others were sentenced to death, fourteen of whom were eventually hanged. One convict told the judge who sentenced them:
\ISentence has been passed upon us before, and we thought we should have been executed, and prepared to die, and wish we had been executed then. It was no Mercy to send us to this place; I do not ask life, I do not want to be spared, on condition of remaining here; life is not worth having on such terms.\i
\BDescription:\b Convict instruments of discipline \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"No More Convicts",14,"g\1\pl38.jpg","c","0"
With reports of the horror of the convict system reaching authorities in England, with their ideas of what was desirable penal practice changing anyway, and with the Australian colonists themselves increasingly opposed to it, transportation to New South Wales ceased in \J1840\j, and to Tasmania in \J1853\j.
It was reinstituted to Western Australia \J1850\j-\J1868\j, when the colonists there insisted that they needed a cheap labour force in order to succeed.
Altogether, between 1788 and 1868 approximately 165,000 convicted men, women and children came to Australia. While some suffered grievously, others found a healthy climate, good food supplies and, upon emancipation, opportunities for economic advancement. It is no exaggeration to say that their labour was the base on which modern Australia rose.
\BDescription:\b Anti-transportation medal \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
!,!,!,!,!
10#
30,0
"New Administrative Changes",1,"g\1\smh18.jpg","c","0"
In the second major change, and in line with Bigge's suggestions, the British Government instituted extensive administrative changes to pave the way for the settlements to develop as civil colonies.
In \J1832\j/5, New South Wales and Tasmania were separated, each with its own governor, advisory council and supreme court. Each colony was ordered to be surveyed into counties and parishes; and in \J1826\j the New South Wales Church and Schools Corporation was established.
These reforms continued through the \J1830\js into the \J1840\js, with trial by jury being introduced, and in New South Wales in \J1842\j and Tasmania in \J1851\j, the announcement of a legislative assembly two-thirds elected (on a male property franchise) and one-third nominated.
\BDescription:\b Early Nowra scenes \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"New Administrative Changes - (2)",2,"g\1\pl40.jpg","c","0"
In the \J1820\js, two strategic and commercial outliers beganùon Melville Island (near Darwin) in \J1824\j, and at Albany in Western Australia in \J1826\j.
In \J1829\j the British Government annexed the entire continent; and other civil settlements soon followedùSwan River (Western Australia, \J1829\j), Adelaide (South Australia, \J1836\j), Port Phillip District (Portland Bay, Melbourne and other places from \J1834\j onwards) and Moreton Bay (Brisbane, Queensland, \J1842\j).
Some of these settlements (particularly those in Western Australia and South Australia) struggled at first, but gradually the British established themselves all about the shores of the southern half of the continent.
\BDescription:\b Australia's size compared with Europe's \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Pastoral Expansion",3,"g\1\pl44.jpg","c","0"
Simultaneously, the settlers spread rapidly into the interior, a move which also followed from another of Bigge's recommendations, that the settlements' economic future lay in pastoralism, particularly in the production of fine wool, which British manufacturers, their capacity increased enormously by the Industrial Revolution, were then clamouring for.
The foundations for this development had been laid some decades earlier, when colonists such as John Macarthur and Rev Samuel Marsden had begun cross-breeding with Spanish merino rams, to produce sheep carrying fine wool. This experimentation continued throughout the \J1820\js into the \J1830\js. Increased flocks needed more extensive pastures, however, and these too were now located west of the Blue Mountains which had been crossed in 1813.
\BDescription:\b The residence of \JJohn Macarthur\j Esq., near Parramatta, New South Wales: artist Joseph Lycett \I(Mitchell Library)\i
#
"Inland Exploration",4,"g\1\pl47.jpg","c","0"
The program of inland exploration which had begun under Macquarie continued in the decades following, with \JHamilton Hume\j and William \JHovell\j travelling overland from Sydney to Port Phillip in \J1824\j; \JAllan Cunningham\j pushing up from the New England tableland to locate the Darling Downs in \J1827\j; \JCharles Sturt\j tracing much of the Murray Darling river systems, \J1828\j-30; and Thomas Mitchell exploring western New South Wales and Victoria, \J1831\j-6.
\BDescription:\b Sturt's Camp (model, The Grange, South Australia) \I(Peter Luck)\i
Mitchell's comments on the area of Victoria he names Australia Felix epitomises European response to these grasslands:
\IA land so inviting, and still without inhabitants! As I stood, the first European intruder on the sublime solitude of these verdant plains, as yet untouched by flocks or herds, I felt conscious of being the harbinger of mighty changes; and that our steps would soon be followed by men and animals for which it seemed to have been prepared.\i
\BDescription:\b The Murray River at Moorundi: artist Eugene von Guerard \I(Mitchell Library)\i
With such prospects, it was hardly surprising that the advice to new settlers to 'put everything in four feet' became ubiquitous. At first, colonial and imperial authorities tried to control the pastoral expansion by land grant policies.
However, as free immigrants arrived in ever increasing numbers from Britain, people spilled out beyond the boundaries of the Twenty Counties of New South Wales, northwest up the Hunter River valley into the New England tableland and across to the Liverpool Plains, west over the Bathurst Plains to the Darling River, southwest into the Yass Plains, and into what is now central and western Victoria.
\BDescription:\b Early settlers herding cattle across a river \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
Other pastoralists (increasingly known as 'squatters') brought their flocks from Tasmania across Bass Strait to Victoria. As Governor George Gipps wrote in \J1840\j:
\IAs well might it be attempted to confine the Arabs of the Desert within a circle, traced upon their sands, as to confine the graziers or Woolgrowers of New South Wales within any bounds that can possibly be assigned to them; and as certainly as the Arabs would be starved, so also would the flocks and herds of New South Wales, if they were so confined, and the prosperity of the Country be at an end.\i
Despite such vicissitudes as scab, footrot and catarrh ravaging flocks, drought (\J1838\j-9) and Depression (\J1839\j-41), the Australian wool industry developed extremely rapidly. Whereas in \J1810\j, Australian wool had constituted 3.8% of that imported into Britain, by \J1840\j this proportion had risen to 22%, and by \J1850\j to 47%.
\BDescription:\b Early settlers clearing land for the development of farms \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Aboriginal Problems",8,"g\1\rsmh26.jpg","c","0"
This rapid pastoral expansion brought extensive ecological change to southeastern Australia. Hundreds and thousands of hard-hooved ungulates destroyed native grasses and trampled the banks of watercourses, salt-laden water tables rose, and more rapid runoff led to widespread erosion.
This depletion of indigenous resources, together with the more general competition for land, brought Europeans and Aborigines into sharp conflict.
\BDescription:\b Interaction between white men and Aborigines was not always as peaceful as was depicted in this illustration, but in a lot of cases Aborigines had a lot to offer the British in terms of knowledge of the land and survival techniques. \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
The general results were that Aboriginal populations were decimated and dispossessed; in Victoria, for example, many Aboriginal groups were reduced to perhaps a quarter of their pre-contact population in a generation. Although official government policy was that Aborigines should be protected, settlers often took horrific reprisals against natives who tried to protect their land.
At the same time, there was some accommodation between the races, as some pastoralists recognised Aborigines' needs, and as Aborigines adapted to domestic and station work.
\BDescription:\b Conflict between whites and Aborigines \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
From the \J1850\js onwards, another factor greatly influenced the development of the Australian colonies. Though there had been some earlier finds, knowledge of which was suppressed for fear of social and economic disruption, gold was officially discovered at \JBathurst\j in New South Wales, and at \JBallarat\j, \JBendigo\j and other places in Victoria in \J1851\j.
\BDescription:\b Hargraves and Lister discover gold \I(19th Century Engraving)\i
When news of these discoveries spread, tens of thousands of immigrants flocked to Australia in the hope of striking it rich. These included people from the Californian fields, Europeans (numbers of refugees from the political and social upheavals of the \J1840\js), and Chinese.
There were many more mineral discoveries in the next decadesùgold in the mountains of central Victoria in the \J1860\js; in the \JBarossa Valley\j of South Australia in \J1868\j; at Gympie, Ravenswood, Charters Towers, the Palmer River and Mount Morgan in Queensland in the \J1860\js, \J1870\js and \J1880\js; at \JKalgoorlie\j and \JCoolgardie\j in Western Australia in the \J1890\js.
\BDescription:\b Queensland gold fields attracted hundreds of Chinese \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Other Minerals",12,"f\3\smh15.jpg","c","0"
Copper was found at Kapunda in South Australia in the \J1840\js, and later at Cloncurry in Queensland and Mt. Lyell in Tasmania.
Extensive tin mining developed in New South Wales and Queensland in the \J1870\js; silver was found at \JBroken Hill\j in \J1883\j. All over the continent coal mining expanded in the second half of the century.
\BDescription:\b BHP Mine at \JBroken Hill\j \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Population Increase",13,"f\9\19smh.jpg","c","0"
The European population of Australia increased massively as a consequence of the gold discoveries. Between \J1851\j and \J1860\j, that of New South Wales almost doubled, from c.200,000 to c.350,000, while that of Victoria increased seven-fold, from 77,000 to c.540,000. The general total rose from c.400,000 to c.1,200,000.
Containing as it did labourers, farmers, artisans and domestic servants and urban middle class, this population was much more diverse than the earlier one of squatters and present and former convicts, and it made new political demands.
\BDescription:\b Gold town \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"New State Governments",14,"f\7\pl51.jpg","f","0"
The Imperial Parliament in Britain granted responsible government (i.e., a fully-elected lower house able to legislate independently) to New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in \J1855\j, to South Australia in \J1856\j, to Queensland in \J1859\j, and to Western Australia in \J1890\j. Other reforms soon followed.
Adult male franchise for lower house (Legislative Assembly) elections was introduced in Victoria in \J1857\j, and in New South Wales in \J1858\j. Women acquired voting rights in South Australia in \J1861\j, and full suffrage in \J1894\j. Western Australian women gained full suffrage in \J1899\j.
\BDescription:\b Cover of the new constitution bill \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Growth of Education",15,"g\1\r1214.jpg","c","0"
By the end of the century all the colonies had instituted 'free, compulsory and secular' primary education - Victoria in \J1872\j, Queensland and South Australia in \J1875\j, New South Wales in \J1880\j, Tasmania in \J1885\j, Western Australia in \J1895\j.
State universities were founded in Sydney in \J1849\j, Melbourne in \J1853\j, Adelaide in \J1874\j and Hobart in \J1890\j. Women were unable to attend universities until the late nineteenth century, although Melbourne University admitted women to degree courses other than medicine in 1880. In 1876, women were allowed to attend classes at Adelaide University but not get a degree.
\BDescription:\b Bathurst Public School \J1871\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"Sale of Land",16,"g\1\pl54.jpg","c","0"
Pressure from the new arrivals also resulted in significant changes to land policies. With tens of thousands of disappointed diggers needing alternative livelihoods, one by one from the later \J1850\js into the \J1870\js, the colonial legislatures passed 'Selection' Acts permitting the sale of Crown land in lots, much smaller in size than the older pastoral leases. This change had the effect of drawing more people into the interior of the country, and of fostering the growth of agriculture.
Hence it was in the second half of the nineteenth century that we see the emergence of the third great Australian staple, with the extensive cultivation of wheat in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
\BDescription:\b Illustration: Land sales \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Northern Explorations",17,"0","McDouall Stuart's south to north crossing","explor15.avi"
Another consequence of the Selection Acts was to diminish the pastoralists' economic and political dominance. This caused many in the south to look northwards. As before, inland exploration preceded the second stage of pastoral expansion in Australia.
In \J1844\j-5, \JLudwig Leichhardt\j had moved up along the Great Dividing Range to the Gulf of Carpentaria, then followed the coast westwards to cross Arnhem Land and reach Port Essington.
In \J1845\j-6, Mitchell had explored into central Queensland. Starting from the Victoria River on the northwest coast, Augustus Gregory crossed east, south of Arnhem Land, through the Gulf Country and south inside the Great Divide to strike the coast at Gladstone.
The \JBurke and Wills\j expedition almost succeeded in crossing the continent from south to north before disaster overwhelmed it in \J1860\j-1. In \J1862\j, \JJohn Mcdouall Stuart\j did so. These and other expeditions led to the discovery of much good pasture land.
One of Leichhardt's companions said of the Dawson Valley, for example:
\II wish I could do justice to the beautiful country through which we now passedùmy feeble description will fall very short of what it really was. For upwards of 100 miles we passed through a most splendid, open country, consisting of plains and downsùplains stretching out as far as the eye could reach on one side and beautiful grassy slopes running down from a long and high range of mountains on the other. With only a tree to be seen every 500 or 600 yards, the whole face of the country was covered with the finest grasses and richest herbage, with wildflowers of every tint and colour.\i
\BDescription:\b Burke and Wills memorial \I(RAHS)\i
#
"New Industries Develop",19,"g\1\pl60.jpg","c","0"
As pastoralists followed the explorers into these regions, a new primary industry developed. By the end of the \J1850\js, experience of central Queensland had shown that the northern reaches of the continent were too hot and wet for sheep, but were well-suited to beef cattle production.
At first, this industry struggled, variously as a consequence of lack of capital, drought, disease and lack of access to markets. However, as the gold discoveries and Selection acts brought more people into the interior, as railways were built, and as from \J1879\j the new technique of refrigeration was developed, the market problem diminished.
By century's-end, drovers were bringing hundreds of thousands of animals along thousands of kilometres of stock routes to the railheads or directly to the capital cities, and meatworks were exporting tens of thousands of frozen beef. The last decades of the nineteenth century also saw the growth of the Queensland sugar industry and, with railways and refrigeration, of dairying all about the continent.
As had the southern one, the northern pastoral expansion brought Europeans and Aborigines into conflict. An undeclared war raged in Queensland for some decades, and continued sporadically in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley area of Western Australia into the twentieth century.
Inevitably, given the Europeans' weapons, the Aborigines were the losers. Yet, as earlier, if there was mayhem there were also accommodations.
With white labour often in short supply, pastoralists utilised Aborigines. Aboriginal labour was vital to the development of the grazing industry in the Northern Territory and the Kimberleys.
\BDescription:\b Aborigine being attacked by a white man \I(Early postcard)\i
There were important developments in communications in Australia in the middle decades of the nineteenth century. Regular steamship services commenced between Sydney and Newcastle in the late \J1830\js, and between Sydney and Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane in \J1843\j.
By the late \J1860\js, all the major ports were linked, and there were services to and from Europe. In \J1875\j, a service was opened between Sydney and San Francisco. Municipalities and colonial governments extended road and bridge-building programs.
\BDescription:\b \IEtona\i Paddlesteamer at Echuca \I(Peter Luck)\i
By the 1850s, there were regular mail services in all the colonies, The American Freeman Cobb introduced the 'Concord' coach to Victoria in 1854, and by the 1870s Cobb & Co. serviced 11,000 kilometres of routes stretching from South Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria, harnessing up to 6,000 horses per day.
In these same decades, paddle steamers plied the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Darling Rivers. Railway lines were first laid in the \J1850\js and \J1860\js, and steam services begun. In \J1869\j, Sydney was linked by rail to Goulburn, and Melbourne to \JWodonga\j in \J1873\j. The Goulburn line was extended to Albury in \J1881\j. By the \J1880\js, all colonies had at least an embryonic rail network.
\BDescription:\b Cobb and Co. coach \I(19th Century Engraving)\i
In the various colonies and between them, there was also an extensive telegraph network. On 29 October \J1858\j, the first telegraph message had passed from Sydney through Melbourne to Adelaide; a cable was laid across Bass Strait in \J1859\j; Sydney was linked to Brisbane in \J1861\j; Brisbane to Townsville in \J1869\j; and Adelaide to Perth in \J1877\j.
In \J1872\j, the completion of the line from Adelaide to Darwin had joined Australia to the world, via the Singapore cable. By the end of the \J1880\js, Australians were sending millions of telegrams each year.
The cumulative effect of all these developments was to shrink Australian distance as never before. For example, it had become possible to travel from Sydney to Melbourne in eighteen hours, and from Sydney to London via the United States in about forty days.
The result of the \J1888\j Melbourne Cup was known in Auckland before the judge had posted the place-getters' numbers.
\BDescription:\b Overland Telegraph Station \JAlice Springs\j \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Urban Centres Develop",24,pl66.jpg,c,0
The second half of the nineteenth century also saw the substantial growth of Australian cities, with the general increase in population, and with the ports becoming the points of interchange between the country's interior and the world.
To Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth came people and goods from Europe, Asia and America; from them went wool, minerals and wheat.
In the southern colonies, this meant that the cities also became the centres of the new networks of communications. From them into the interior, like spokes from the hub of a wagon wheel, radiated the roads, railways and telegraph lines.
Only in Queensland, where pastoral expansion spread north inland in advance of the settling of the coast, was this pattern not evident. There, ports at Brisbane, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns, grew to service the pastoral, mining and agricultural regions about them, so that while from the \J1870\js and \J1880\js a series of railway lines probed westward from the coast, it was not until \J1924\j that Brisbane and Cairns were finally linked.
Together with the growing realisation that there were distinct limits to the extent to which Australian soils would support agriculture, this development meant that Australia became a highly-urbanised country - by \J1906,\j for example, 34% of Europeans on the mainland lived in the capital cities alone.
"The Growth of Unionism",25,"g\1\pl69.jpg","c","0"
The increasing opposition of capitalism and labour in the cities, on the mining fields, in the growing manufacturing sector, and in the pastoral industries, together with the growth of the communication networks (which enabled organisers more easily to reach members) created a climate in which unionism might flourish. The growth of unionism in Australia was also aided by the fact that some of the convicts sent to Australia were transported for union activities e.g. Tolpuddle Martyns in 1834.
In \J1856\j, the Sydney Stonemason's Society demanded an 8-hour day, and won; in \J1858\j, building workers in Melbourne followed suit. The shortage of labour in the colonies gave the workers more bargaining power than workers had in Britain and some European countries.
\BDescription:\b Illustrated Address Carpenters and Joiners \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"The Growth of Unionism - (2)",26,"g\1\pl67.jpg","c","0"
A Mining Workers' Union was formed in \JBendigo\j in \J1872\j, which spread colony-wide two years later. A Seaman's Union was formed in Sydney and Melbourne in \J1874\j, and the Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union in \J1882\j.
In \J1886\j, after earlier attempts had ended in failure, shearers unionised in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
The major concerns of these unionists were the 8-hour day, better pay and conditions, and the prohibition of non-European labour. In the early \J1890\js, there was a series of bitter, sometimes violent clashes between employers and unionists.
\BDescription:\b Shearers Tree: United We Stand \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"The Growth of Unionism - (3)",27,"g\1\pl68.jpg","c","0"
In \J1890\j, the shearers attempted to force pastoralists to hire only union members, and when employers refused, the shearers enlisted the help of the Seaman's Union, whose members refused to load ships with wool shorn by non-union labour. However, with unemployment widespread because of the depression, the strike collapsed.
Queensland shearers struck again in \J1891\j and \J1894\j; and \JBroken Hill\j miners in \J1892\j. From this turmoil emerged the Australian Workers' Union (in \J1894\j) and the Australian Labor Party (from \J1891\j onwards), and formal conciliation and arbitration procedures.
"The Authentic Australian",28,"g\1\pl71.jpg","c","0"
Early in the twentieth century, the \J1880\js and \J1890\js came to be seen as the periods when the incipient nation at last found an authentic, Australian, voice.
With their skills, freedom and independence, mateship and egalitarianism, the 'overlanders' who drove cattle and sheep over thousands of kilometres, and the shearers who began the season in Queensland sheds in the middle of the year, working their way down through New South Wales to finish in western Victoria in October, seemed to epitomise the real, true Australian.
Accordingly, Australians came to consider that the best Australian literature and art was that which evoked bush lifeùthe short stories of \JHenry Lawson\j, for example, the poems of 'Banjo' Paterson, the paintings of \JTom Roberts\j and Arthur Streeton. The most powerful expression of this view was Russell Ward's \IThe Australian Legend\i (\J1958\j).
More recently, historians and sociologists have seriously questioned its premises, finding life in the bush to be a good deal less egalitarian and more violent than the legend would have it, pointing to the predominantly urban nature of settlement, and to the legend's male bias.
Still, the upholding of the male bush worker as the true Australian was important in the emergent nationalism of the late nineteenth century.
\BDescription:\b Swaggies around the campfire \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Towards Federation",29,"g\2\pl75.jpg","c","0"
With the spread and democratisation of responsible government, with the emergence of a better-educated population and one, moreover, brought increasingly together by modern communications and a sense of Australian identity, there developed a sense that the colonies' problems might require common solutions.
From mid-century, there had been suggestions that the colonies should federate; in the \J1880\js, politicians in a number of them took up these suggestions with renewed vigour.
\BDescription:\b Federation Rotunda: Centennial Park \I(Peter Luck)\i
In the \J1880\js, at a conference to discuss the levelling of customs duties, the New South Wales politician \JHenry Parkes\j suggested that a federal council be established, which was done formally in \J1885\j.
While this body could not enact legislation, it represented the beginning of Australia-wide deliberation. In the later \J1850\js, the need for some coherence in defence had also highlighted the issue.
In October \J1889\j, in a public speech at Tenterfield, Parkes argued for the creation of a bicameral federal parliament, to deal with 'great' (i.e. national) matters, and suggested that a constitutional convention be set up. This the colonial premiers agreed to in \J1890\j, and the first convention met in Sydney in \J1891\j.
In \J1897\j-8, a second convention drafted a national constitution, which was then, though not without considerable opposition, ratified by each of the colonies. The Imperial Parliament in Britain passed the Commonwealth of Australia Act in \J1900\j; and the new nation came into being on 1 January \J1901\j, the first year of the new century.
The inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia (European population: c.4,000,000) on 1 January \J1901\j was a momentous event, with a crowd of 100,000 people witnessing the ceremony in Sydney's Centennial Park.
The first election for Federal Parliament was held at the end of March, 1901 and the returned members sat for the first time on 9 May in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne (where Federal Parliament continued to meet until the opening of the first Parliament House in \JCanberra\j in \J1927\j). \JEdmund Barton\j was the first prime minister.
\BDescription:\b Opening of Federal Parliament, Melbourne, Jan 1, \J1901\j, detail of famous painting by \JTom Roberts\j \I(National Library)\i
#
"New Issues Addressed",2,"g\2\pl80.jpg","c","0"
In the next years and decades, the parliaments of the Commonwealth and the States continued to address issues that had emerged in the last decades of the nineteenth century, as well as, of course, others raised by the formation of the nation.
For example, a High Court of Australia was created in \J1903\j, with appeal in some matters to the Privy Council in Britain. The first Commonwealth Departments were set up, and a national defence force planned (though for some time, Australia continued an annual payment to Britain to help meet the cost of naval protection).
\BDescription:\b Cartoon: The Spirit of Arbitration \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"New Issues Addressed - (2)",3,"g\2\pl79.jpg","c","0"
In \J1902\j a Conciliation and Arbitration Court was set up, which in \J1907\j established the principle of a 'basic' wage for Australian workers. An old age pension for those who did not own their own homes and who had no income was legislated in \J1908\j. In \J1911\j, the Commonwealth assumed control of the Northern Territory.
From \J1902\j onwards, adult women were able to vote in federal elections; and they also received the vote in New South Wales in \J1902\j, Tasmania in \J1903\j, Queensland in \J1905\j and Victoria in \J1908\j. Queensland founded a state university in \J1909\j, Western Australia in \J1912\j.
\BDescription:\b The "Womens' Vote" petition Old Parliament House Adelaide \I(Old Parliament House South Australia)\i
#
"Tariffs Levied",4,"g\2\pl81.jpg","c","0"
The first Federal governments pursued two policies whose influence was to last well into the twentieth century. Tariffs of between 15% and 25% were levied on imported goods and manufactures, and immigration restricted.
The colonial Queensland government had banned the use of Chinese and Melanesian labourers in the cane fields in the early \J1890\js; and now the Commonwealth government continued this 'White Australia' policy, enacting a requirement that intending immigrants had to be able to pass a fifty-word dictation test in a 'prescribed' (i.e., European) language.
\BDescription:\b Cartoon: "Chinese menaceùIn three years Australia Destroyed" \I(Peter Luck)\i
The young Australian nation exhibited a number of conflicting characteristics in its early years. Its social welfare and industrial programs were among the most enlightened in the world, while its immigration and protectionist policies were deeply conservative. And if it was xenophobic, it was also jingoistic.
\BDescription:\b Cartoon: "The Socialist Menace" \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"World War I",6,"0","World War I conscription posters","gall3.avi"
Young Australian men had cheerfully volunteered to further Britain's military causes before \J1901,\j in Sudan \J(1885)\j and in South Africa \J(1899\j-\J1902)\j. In \J1914,\j they volunteered again, and went to fight in World War I. But they fought in the newly-formed all Australian armyùthe Australian Imperial Forceùthe A.I.F.
For much of the twentieth century, public rhetoric held that the infant nation had received its 'baptism of blood' on the beaches of Gallipoli in \J1915,\j and again in the battlefields of France in \J1916\j-18. Whatever its justification, such a view obscures other important realities.
The question of conscripting young Australian men to serve overseas in Britain's cause deeply divided Australia during World War I, with Prime Minister William Hughes losing two referenda on the issue, and with it bringing into the open the old English/Irish, Protestant/Catholic antagonism that had festered since early convict days.
To some extent, too, the opposition to conscription arose from the Australian public's becoming more aware of the ravages of war, of young men dying or returning home limbless, gassed and shell-shocked.
The \J1920\js were generally good years for Australia. Manufacturing and primary production expanded, and wages rose. An immigration program brought hundreds of thousands of people from Britain, which, together with a healthy birth rate, saw the population increase from 5.4 million in \J1921\j to 6.4 million in \J1930\j.
The Commonwealth government laid the foundations of a stronger Australian navy and an air force. The fore-runner of the \JCSIRO\j was established. More people enjoyed the convenience of electricity and motorised transport.
Qantas began its first flights in western Queensland in \J1922\j. Dance halls proliferated, radio broadcasting became widespread, cinemas opened.
The Federal parliament moved to the new city of \JCanberra\j, purpose-built to be the administrative centre of the nation, and hence the most carefully planned of all Australian cities.
Greater prosperity and improved transport meant greater leisure, which enabled Australians to achieve more at sport.
\BDescription:\b Qantas' first aircraft Avro 504K \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"The Great Depression",10,"g\2\12smh.jpg","c","soup0"
Then, in common with the rest of the industrialised world, Australian suffered terribly in the Great Depression of \J1929\j-33, with exports falling by 50%, businesses failing, unemployment becoming widespread, farmers forced from their land in droves, people from homes they could no longer afford.
As the war had done, these dislocations exacerbated underlying tensions, with workers and small business people protesting angrily about their circumstances, conservatives secretly forming an 'army' to preserve the nation from a communist takeover, and with the Governor Sir Phillip Game dismissing the New South Wales Labor government of \JJack Lang\j.
\BDescription:\b Men feeding in a soup kitchen during the Great Depression \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Depression Years",11,"g\2\pl89.jpg","c","0"
Among the lighter spots of the Depression years were the feats (broadcast to the nation via radio) of \JDon Bradman\j, the great cricketing batsman, and the remarkable racehorse Phar Lap.
For much of this time, \JJames Scullin\j was the Labor Prime Minister, with the United Australia Party winning power at the end of \J1931\j, and \JJoseph Lyons\j retaining the prime ministership until his death in \J1939\j.
As much through external causes as through Australian government policies, the Depression ended. Scarcely had it done so, however, when Australia was once more burdened with war.
\BDescription:\b Children in slums during the Depression \I(Peter Luck)\i
When Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on 1 September \J1939\j, Australia automatically did so too, with the new Prime Minister \JRobert Menzies\j announcing two days later:
\IFellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in consequence of persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that as a result, Australia is also at war.\i
Australia's small existing armed forces were mobilised, and plans to augment them significantly developed. By late \J1940\j, three Australian infantry divisions were fighting Italians and Germans in the deserts of northwest Africa, and in Greece and Crete.
In this, Australia was following a now well-established pattern of supporting Britain about the world as needed. However, the entry of Japan into the war in December \J1941\j brought about a radically new situation.
\BDescription:\b Diggers on the Pyramids \I(Peter Luck)\i
With the prospect of invasion looming, the new Labor Prime Minister \JJohn Curtin\j insisted, against British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's wishes, on the return of the Australian troops. Curtin did so in full knowledge of the historical importance of his stance:
\IWithout any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinships with the United Kingdom.
We know the problems that the United Kingdom faces. We know the constant threat of invasion. We know the dangers of dispersal of strength, but we know, too, that Australia can go and Britain can still hold on.
We are, therefore, determined that Australia shall not go, and we shall exert all our energies towards the shaping of a plan, with the United States as its keystone, which will give to our country some confidence of being able to hold out until the tide of battle swings against the enemy.\i
Summed up, Australian external policy was to be shaped towards obtaining American aid, and working out with the United States as the major factor, a plan of Pacific strategy, along with British, Chinese and Dutch forces.
\BDescription:\b Diggers depart on troop ship \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"War in the Asia Pacific",15,"g\2\pl103.jpg","c","explode10"
Things went badly for Australia and its allies in Asia and the Pacific in \J1942\j. The Japanese captured Singapore, and advanced through the Dutch East Indies, Melanesia and New Guinea towards Australia.
Many Australian servicemen and servicewomen were killed or captured. On the Australian mainland, Darwin and Broome were bombed, and there was a midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour.
In mid-1942, the American General Douglas Macarthur was made Supreme Allied Commander in the Southwestern Pacific having escaped from the Philippines and reached Australia, which then became the springboard for turning the Japanese back, as more than 100,000 American personnel arrived and Australia increased its war effort.
After a large Japanese fleet was defeated in the Coral Sea in May \J1942\j, the tide began to turn for the Allies, with Australian and American forces slowly pushing the Japanese out of New Guinea and the Melanesian islands, then up the Pacific. Because of the seriousness of the threat to Australia, conscription for overseas service in a specific Pacific area was introduced by the Curtin Governmentù without all the objections that had surrounded conscription issue in World War I.
The war in the Pacific ended shortly after the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August \J1945\j.
\BDescription:\b \IHMAS Deloraine\i bombed in Darwin Harbour. The ship was unharmed \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
!,!,!,!,!
12#
21,0
"Difficult Years",1,"g\2\pl106.jpg","f","0"
As they were for most of the Allied countries, the World War II years were difficult ones. In Australia itself, there was food and petrol rationing. There was also much social dislocation, because of the absence of large numbers of young men overseas, the arrival of tens of thousands of Americans, and the often unjust treatment of Australian citizens of Italian and German origin.
Overseas, Australian personnel suffered terribly in battle or in prisoner-of-war camps. Some of these difficulties continued in the years immediately following the war, with food and other goods still in short supply, and with massive labour unrest, which culminated in the New South Wales coal strike of \J1949\j, when Labor Prime Minister \JBen Chifley\j called in the armed forces to maintain essential services.
\BDescription:\b Rationing card \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Menzies Wins in 1949",2,"g\2\pl107.jpg","f","0"
Leading the Liberal Party, whose formation he had overseen in \J1944\j, \JRobert Menzies\j became Prime Minister in \J1949\j, and set about the task of post-war reconstruction. The 1949 election inaugurated a period of combined Liberal-Country Party governments that lasted until 1972.
The \J1950\js saw the continuation of high tariff protection and the White Australia policy; and with renewed exports of wheat, wool, frozen meats and minerals, and an expanding manufacturing base (seen, for example, in steel works, ship building and automobile manufacture), the nation became prosperous again.
"Australia Begins the 1950s",3,"g\2\pl108.jpg","c","0"
Some serious social tensions remained. Australia sent troops to the Korean War; and, while it failed in a referendum, Menzies' attempt to ban the Communist Party in \J1950\j-1 deeply divided the country, and led to the fragmentation of the Labor Party after the Petrov Royal Commission in \J1954\j.
On the face of things, given Menzies' deep attachment to Britain, and his Liberal government's policies, it might seem that the \J1950\js marked a resurgence of an older, conservative, subservient Australia. However, underneath the conservative surface, there were currents swelling that would in time quite transform the nation.
\BDescription:\b Newspaper headline: Soviet Spy Ring \I(Peter Luck)\i
As part of the World War II effort, the states had agreed to relinquish to the Commonwealth powers to levy taxes and custom duties; and in \J1942\j the Federal government had instituted a nationwide standard income tax.
This centralisation of power continued after the war, and, indeed has never stopped.
\BDescription:\b Exterior view of old Parliament House \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
Though immigration continued to be restricted, in the great diaspora following the war, hundreds of thousands of migrants from northern, eastern and southern Europe reached Australia from the late \J1940\js onwards, substantially changing the nature of the Australian population. Post-war migrants brought with them customs and attitudes which had a profound effect on the development of Australian society.
\BDescription:\b Migrants arrive at Circular Quay \I(Peter Luck)\i
Developing on the provisions of the Statute of Westminister (\J1931\j), whereby the British Parliament had decreed that the dominions might be fully responsible for their own external affairs, and following on the wartime swing to the United States, Australia began to grow independent of Britain in matters of foreign policy, as evidenced by, for example, its participation in the Colombo Scheme (\J1950\j), ANZUS (\J1951\j) and SEATO (\J1954\j).
\BDescription:\b Migrants arrive at Circular Quay \I(Peter Luck)\i
It became no longer automatic that Australian university graduates would pursue further studies in Britain. Gradually, numbers chose rather to go to the United States.
And with the growth of the research schools of the Australian National University (founded \J1946\j) in \JCanberra\j, and the granting of doctoral degrees by the older universities, it was finally possible for students in some fields of knowledge to complete their training in Australia, an endeavour in which they were now joined by Asian students under the Colombo Plan.
\BDescription:\b Sydney University \I(DFAT)\i
#
"Own Identity",8,"g\2\pl110.jpg","f","0"
Sportùcricket, tennis, athletics and especially the \J1956\j Olympic Games in Melbourneùput Australia more closely in touch with the larger world. And with increased prosperity, young Australians began to travel abroad as their parents had not done.
All these things together meant Australian society gradually became less attached to its British past, more diverse, and more interested in the region where the country lay geographically.
\BDescription:\b Hoad and Rosewall, two of Australia's sporting champions \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Australia and the Arts",9,"g\2\pl111a.jpg","c","0"
In \J1939\j, with war gathering in Europe, the poet A. D. Hope described Australia in the most uncomplimentary terms, castigating it for being 'without songs, architecture, history', for scorning things of the intellect.
These sentiments were powerfully enunciated again by the novelist \JPatrick White\j in \J1958\j, when he wrote that he found on return to Australia that:
\I "In all directions stretched the Great Australian Emptiness, in which the mind is the least of possessions, in which the rich man is the important man, in which the schoolmaster and the journalist rule what intellectual roost there is, in which beautiful youths and girls stare at life through blind blue eyes, in which human teeth fall like autumn leaves, and the buttocks of cars grow hourly glassier, food means cake and steak, muscles prevail, and the march of material ugliness does not raise a quiver from the average nerves."\i
Yet even as he said this, White himself and others such as \JChristina Stead\j and Randolph Stow were producing novels that invalidated his view. In doing so, they were contributing to a creative blossoming which had begun in the previous decade, with the paintings of \JSidney Nolan\j, Arthur Boyd, \JRussell Drysdale\j, Albert Tucker and in the poetry of Hope and Judith Wright. Donald Horne produced one of the best known critiques of Australian society in the 1950s and 1960s in his book \IThe Lucky Country\i published in 1964.
\BDescription:\b Donald Horne, author "The Lucky Country" \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Creative Blossoming",10,"g\2\utzon.jpg","c","0"
This blossoming, seen also in the expansion of the ABC state orchestras and the Commonwealth Literary Fund and in the establishment of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, culminated in the \J1960\js in the building of the striking Sydney Opera House.
At last, in voices at once international and local, Australian artists were elaborating the subconscious of their nationùconsider, for example, Nolan's \JBurke and Wills\j and \JNed Kelly\j series, or Judith Wright's evocation of the New England tableland in \ISouth of My Days:\i
\ISouth of my day's circle, part of my blood's country, rises that tableland, high delicate outline of bony slopes wincing under the winter, low trees blue-leaved and olive, outcropping graniteùclean, lean, hungry country. South of my days' circle I know it dark against the stars, the high lean country full of stories that still go walking in my sleep.\i
\BDescription:\b Article in the \IAustralian Womens Weekly\i on Utzon's winning Opera House plan.
#
"New Menzies Initiatives",11,"f\10\pl114.jpg","f","0"
Sir \JRobert Menzies\j remained Prime Minister until \J1966\j; and while he himself was conservative and, committed Australian troops to fight in Vietnam, nonetheless he helped usher in the newùfor example, by overseeing the introduction of television and decimal currency and other measures, and by understanding the need to find new markets in the face of the restrictions imposed on imports by the European Economic Community (EEC).
Menzies also had a keen sense of the general value of education, and during his time secondary and technical education expanded, and the Murray report paved the way for the founding of a large number of new universitiesùdevelopments that further increased the role of the Commonwealth government.
\BDescription:\b Prime Minister Sir \JRobert Menzies\j' last press conference \J1966\j\I (Courtesy Peter Luck)\i
The years between \J1966\j and \J1975\j were turbulent ones for Australia, as it moved towards the realities that would characterise it at the end of the twentieth century.
Opposition to the Vietnam War became intense; pressure grew to liberalise immigration, and also to make the economy more efficient by reducing tariffs and developing new avenues of trade. Demands for Aboriginal Land Rights increased and government policy on Aborigines changed from one of assimilation to integration. The Women's Liberation Movement and increasing higher education for women led to more participation of women in the workforce and in public life. The Women's Electoral Lobby was formed in 1972.
\BDescription:\b Scuffles outside Parliament House between protesters opposing the Vietnam War \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Whitlam Elected",13,"f\1\pl116.jpg","f","0"
Led by E. G. Whitlam, and espousing the 'It's time' slogan, a re-invigorated Labor Party won office in \J1972\j, and immediately began a series of reforms.
These included the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam and the abolition of conscription; more access for non-European migrants; the condemnation of the oppressive racial policies in South Africa; the diplomatic recognition of Communist China; the granting of independence to Papua New Guinea; the reduction of tariffs; and the promotion of trade with Japan.
\BDescription:\b \JGough Whitlam\j is elected \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Whitlam Initiatives",14,"g\2\pl117.jpg","c","0"
Subsequently, the government set up the Medicare health system, and advocated and obtained equal pay for many women. Many of these policies acted to increase further the role of the Commonwealth. More money was directed to schools on a 'needs' policy and university fees were abolished. Arts grants were increased.
The \J1970\js also saw a fundamental re-alignment of political forces, with Labor becoming less radical, the Country (i.e., National) Party less influential, and new parties, such as the Australian Democrats, emerging.
\BDescription:\b \JGough Whitlam\j meets Mao Tse Tung \I(Australian Government)\i
Though many of the reforms the Labor government instituted were clearly necessary (and, in some cases, long overdue), the pace of change alarmed many in the Australian community. Also, partly because of external factors (such as the increase in the price of oil), Labor's handling of the economy deteriorated and inflation increased.
When the Senate, dominated by the Liberal and National parties, refused to vote supply (i.e., to pass money bills) in late \J1975\j, governor-general Sir \JJohn Kerr\j dismissed the Whitlam government, thus precipitating a constitutional crisis that fundamentally remains unresolved.
\BDescription:\b \JGough Whitlam\j talks to the people of Australia about his dramatic dismissal \I(Peter Luck)\i
#
"Continued Change",16,"g\2\1_0056.jpg","c","0"
After 1975, both Conservative and Labor governments continued the general process outlined above, deregulating financial markets, promoting trade with Asia, reducing tariffs, and pursuing domestic economic reform.
In the \J1980\js, depressed commodity prices and high inflation led to chronic balance-of-trade deficits, high interest rates and high unemployment.
In the mid \J1990\js, with commodity prices rising again, with macro- and micro-economic reform policies working and inflation low, and with the export of manufactures increasing, Australia may be on the way to achieving a fundamental improvement in its circumstances. However, balance of payment deficits remain a serious concern in the Australian economy.
\BDescription:\b First Australian-built Toyota exported to Thailand \I(DFAT)\i
#
"Aborigines Included in Census",17,"g\2\pl120.jpg","c","0"
Since the mid \J1960\js, there have been notable developments, which will continue to have important effects.
Though notoriously reluctant to vote 'Yes' to questions put in referenda, in \J1967\j the Australian people approved of Aborigines being included in the Census, and of the Commonwealth Government's legislating in Aboriginal affairs (an area previously the prerogative of the states).
From these decisions followed the granting of equal pay to Aboriginal pastoral workers, and to the assumption by all Aborigines of full citizenship rights, including access to social welfare.
\BDescription:\b Gurindji leader, Vincent Lingiari, and tribal elders discuss land rights issues at Wattie Creek. \I(Peter Luck)\i
In the \J1970\js, the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments began to give Aborigines title to land. The states did so in the \J1980\js (though some legislated for long leases rather than for freehold title).
In \J1992\j, in the Murray Island ('Mabo') case, the High Court ruled that in certain circumstances native title survived the extension of British sovereignty over Australia, and therefore legally overturned any concept of 'Terra Nullius'.
Thus Aborigines have been brought into modern Australian society, and some historical wrongs at least partly corrected.
\BDescription:\b Traditional land holders at Uluru \I(DFAT)\i
Constitutional changes have also been initiated. The Whitlam government abolished appeals to the Privy Council, thus making the High Court the final arbitrator of Australian judicial matters.
In the mid \J1980\js, the Hawke government established a commission to enquire into what constitutional changes might be appropriate at the end of the twentieth century.
\JPaul Keating\j, Prime Minister 1993û1996, declared his interest in seeing Australia become a republic by the centenary of Federation in 2001. This step would mean that the British monarch would cease to be Australia's Head of State: but by what alternative means the nation should fill this office remains unclear.
\BDescription:\b New and old Parliament Houses, \JCanberra\j (the old Parliament House is seen in the foreground). \I(DFAT)\i
#
"Australia Today",20,"g\2\pl122.jpg","c","0"
As Australia (its population now c.18,000,000) approaches the twenty-first century it shows itself to be a diverse nation made up of peoples of many different ethnic backgrounds, races and religions, one surprisingly tolerant of diversity. It continues to enjoy a good standard of living.
\BDescription:\b An \J1895\j artist's impression of Sydney in 2001 \I(Town and Country Journal)\i
As well as remembering its historical links with Europe, it is finding a place in Asia. A further expansion of its tertiary education sector is preparing people for more complex employment.
Displayed and performed in a new generation of galleries, concert halls and theatres, and a host of private venues, its flourishing art, music, dance and literature amply demonstrate its vibrancy.
\BDescription:\b Australian school children learning about new cultures \I(DFAT)\i
#
!,!,!,!,!
13#
25,0
"Australia's First Coinage",1,"g\2\wstpc5.jpg","c","0"
Australia's role in the history of currency began when the first convict fleet arrived from England. The officers, sailors and marines carried a variety of English coins and a few odd ones picked up at ports of call on the way.
They may also have included some confiscated in Rio from one of the convicts, 17-year-old Thomas Barrett, who forged quarter dollars out of old buckles and pewter spoons. Barrett was the first person to be executed in New South Walesùnot for forging but for stealing.
The mixed bag of coins brought by the First Fleetersùand by subsequent convict ships, frigates, whalers and traders - circulated at the often vague intrinsic value of each coin's metal content. In those days, one could be pretty sure what an English shilling or a Spanish dollar were worth but not very confident about a Pagoda or Johanna.
\BDescription:\b Examples of Australia's early coinage \I(Noble Numismatics)\i
In \J1800\j \JGovernor King\j decided to establish a uniformly acceptable value for the most common coins then in circulation. He issued a proclamation that placed a set value on individual coins, starting with a copper coin of one ounceùa quantity of which he announced 'has been received in His Majesty's armed vessel \IPorpoise'.\i
The copper coin, with the profile of King George III on one side and a view of Britannia on the other, had a decreed value of two pence for each copper and was only allowed to be used for making payments under five pounds.
The one-penny piece (along with a two-penny piece that was also exported to the colony) were the first copper pennies ever struck in England and the first English coins ever made using a new invention: the steam powered press. The coins were shipped in kegs, featured a wide rim with sunken lettering and were dated \J1797\j and \J1799\j. The two-penny piece was so big and heavy it was nicknamed the 'cartwheel'.
\BDescription:\b \JGovernor King\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"Table of Specie",3,"g\2\r5524.jpg","c","0"
The Proclamation's Table of Specie (now in the NSW Archives) shows that New South Wales was so short of British coinage that it had to make do with a polyglot mixture of the familiar and the exotic.
What the proclamation didn't do was put an end to the scarcity of coins which remained a problem in the early \J1800\js.
The captains of trading ships snapped up as many as they could as payment for the goods they brought, while the more prosperous landowners and merchants used them for transactions between themselves and kept them out of general circulation.
\BDescription:\b \JGovernor King\j \I(RAHS)\i
#
"The Rum Colony",4,"f\8\r6120.jpg","c","0"
From the \J1790\js to around \J1816\j, rum played a significant part in the infant colony's financial dealings. In those formative years more goods were imported than exported. This caused a deficit that opened the door to unscrupulous traders in that other powerful commodity: demon rum.
Governors Hunter, King and Bligh were continually bedevilled with the rum problem. Even though they forbade the bartering of spirits for labour, grain or merchandise, the lack of moneyùand the huge profits that could be madeùgave rum an unsavoury role in the colony's affairs at all levels.
Rum became such an important item of internal trade that New South Wales gained notoriety as the Rum Colony. And no wonder. Overseas rum could be brought for as little as 7/6d (75c) a gallon and traded in the Colony for anything from 10/ù($1) to 8 pounds ($16), depending on the availability of supply.
During \JGovernor King\j's term of office he turned away almost 70,000 gallons of spirit! It was a bit hypocritical of him considering that in \J1801\j his own Government offered 30 gallons of spirits as a reward to any person lodging two criminals in gaol or delivering them to the nearest magistrate in command.
\BDescription:\b Governor Bligh \I(RAHS)\i
#
"Macquarie Faces a Shortage of Money",5,"f\8\r6124.jpg","c","0"
The shortage of money was a legacy left to Governor Macquarie by the British Government. The colony had been cast adrift as far as monetary support went and Macquarie found its stores virtually empty, its population corrupt, and its main currency the simple promissory note.
In 1810 just three months after his arrival, Macquarie wrote to Lord Castlereagh, then Secretary of State for the Colonies:\I 'The notes of hand of private individuals having already been productive of infinite frauds, abuses and litigation, could at some future period occasion a general bankruptcy.'\i
The Governor decided that the only way to solve the shortage of money was to make more of it and keep it in the country.
But how? The Colony wasn't capable of minting its own coins even if it had the metal and dies. A partial answer came with the arrival of His Majesty's sloop \ISamarang\i on 26 November \J1812\j from Madras. The ship carried a consignment of 40,000 Spanish dollars purchased by the English Government through the East India Company.
\JGovernor Macquarie\j and his advisers had an ingenious idea. Why not increase the supply by turning each dollar into two coins of different values.
They did it by creating a hole in what has since become known as the Holey Dollar. The centre pieceùabout the size of a five cent pieceùwas called a Dump.
A former convict, William Henshall, is thought to have been given the task of preparing dies to counterstamp both pieces. Henshell, whose initial 'H' appears on both, was later convicted for counterfeiting dumps on the same machinery.
"Characteristics of the Holey Dollar",6,"g\2\wstpc6.jpg","c","0"
The Holey Dollar was overstamped around the inner rim with the words 'New South Wales \J1813\j' on the obverse side and 'Five Shillings' on the reverse.
After being cut from the dollar, the central piece or Dump was filed smooth with 'New South Wales \J1813\j' stamped onto the obverse and 'Fifteen Pence' in two lines across the reverse.
From a coin worth 5/ù(50c), \JGovernor Macquarie\j had createdùat a handsome profitùtwo coins with a total value of 6/3d (62c).
The coins were not very popular. There were severe penalties imposed on any person taking them out of the colony. Besides, no matter what price the Government placed on them, they were really devalued to 4/ù(40c) and 1/ù(10c) respectively. The coins continued circulating but in diminishing numbers as the Treasury's coffers grew and larger amounts of English coinage became available.
The end came on 1 October \J1829\j when they were no longer authorised to be used as currency of exchange. About 1000 dumps and 300 Holey Dollars have survived and are now highly valued by collectors. Replicas can be seen in the Australian coin display at the Westpac Museum in Sydney.
\BDescription:\b A Holey Dollar \I(Noble Numismatics)\i
#
"Paper Money",7,"g\2\wstpc10.jpg","c","0"
One way of alleviating the coin shortage was to issue paper money, a convenient method of exchange invented by the Chinese. It solved the problem of how to pay for big bills without having to cart a heavy load of coins around. You can imagine what the NSW Commissariat had to say when a settler turned up one day to repay a debt of 460 pounds ($920) in 1 oz. copper coinsùall of which had to be counted.
Paper currency eventually became the mainstay of all major currency transactions. There were four main types, broadly grouped as follows:
* Store receipts and official government bills
* Promissory notes
* Currency notes
* Banknotes
\BDescription:\b A Bank of Sydney one pound note \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Store Receipts and Official Government Bills",8,"g\2\wstpc10.jpg","c","0"
This form of currency was established by the \J1790\js. The early settlers lodged their grain, wool or meat with the Commissariat store and were given an official receipt in exchange. The receipt stated the recipient's name, type and quantity of goods and the price paid.
Because they were backed by the Government, the receipts became increasingly popular instruments of exchange. They could be transferred between parties in payment for a debt, exchanged among settlers in the course of trade and for products from the Government stores, redeemed for the equivalent in coin and banknotes, and, through the Commissariat, exchanged for Government bills drawn on the English Treasury.
Such bills were sent to England to be redeemed in cash or used to purchase goods for shipment to Australia.
The captains of visiting trading vessels snapped up the guaranteed bills in payment for the goods they brought and most would accept nothing else. Eventually, when colonial banks became established, store receipts and Government bills were accepted as deposits. Today, a receipt is just that: a piece of paper that shows that the issuer has received money or goods to a certain value. In the old days, such a receipt was as good as cash - and, for many people, a lot more convenient.
\BDescription:\b A Bank of Sydney one pound note \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Promissory Notes and Currency Notes",9,"g\2\wstpc1.jpg","c","0"
In the early part of the 19th century it was no longer practical to rely on the facilities of the Commissariat. There was just too much business being transactedùbut still not enough official currency.
Merchants, farmers and other settlers overcame the problem by issuing their own form of paper currency. Their signed notes were a pledge or promise that the issuer would pay to the bearer or payee the face value in goods, banknotes and coins, whichever was appropriate.
Currency notes were bills not exchangeable at par for sterling; or printed bills, issued not by a bank but by a person or firm, with a fixed value printed on them.
Unlike Government bills, all these private notes were not guaranteed. They depended on good faith. If an issuer went out of business, was declared bankrupt, left the country or was found to be fraudulent, the owner of the note would be out of pocket. The notes were frequently exchanged for far less than their face valueùthe amount of the discount being based on the degree of risk or what the market would pay.
Of the promissory notes that have survived, at least 70 are dated between the early \J1800\js to around \J1828.\j
\BDescription:\b A Bank of New South Wales one pound promissory note \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i.
#
"A Colonial Bank is Established",10,"g\2\wstpc7.jpg","c","0"
Macquarie realised that what the Colony needed was financial stability. That meant a colonial bank and the creation of good money to drive out the bad.
Even though Macquarie's proposal for a bank was rejected by the British Government, he went ahead with it and with the arrival of John Wylde as Judge Advocate in October \J1816\j he found someone who would back his 'great undertaking'.
On 22 November \J1816\j, Wylde and Macquarie drew together a meeting of 13 'magistrates, principal merchants and Gentleman of Sydney'. The minutes of that meeting and the resolutions that were passed were the first official record of the Bank of New South Wales.
At precisely 10 a.m. on Tuesday 8 April \J1817\j, the bank opened its doors in the house of a former convict, Mrs \JMary Reibey\j, in Macquarie Place.
\BDescription:\b Bank minutes from the first meeting of the board of directors of Australia's first bank \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"New Notes Issued",11,"g\2\wstpc7.jpg","c","0"
From the date of its opening, Australia's first bank issued notes for 10 shillings, 1 pound and 5 pounds. Notes for 5 shillings went into circulation a few days later.
The Board decided to have the name J. Lee inserted on the notes 'as the person to whom they are made payable'. The back of the notes carried this inscription:
\ILet us possess the public Confidence so long as, by a faithful Discharge of the honourable Trust reposed in us, we may shew ourselves worth of it. Whenever any one Man can say with Truth 'the Bank has Broken Faith', be then, our ruin, and, ours only the immediate Consequence.\i
\BDescription:\b Bank minutes from the first meeting of the board of directors of Australia's first bank \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Dollars to Pounds, Shillings and Pence",12,"g\2\wstpc8.jpg","c","0"
The bank became an integral part of the Colony's daily life. In \J1822\j it issued bank notes for Spanish dollars (our first dollar notes!). In \J1823\j the bank's accounts were chiefly converted into dollars and the dividend was paid in dollars.
The reason why Spanish dollars played a leading role in Australia's early history is because they were then the world's most plentiful form of currency. The amount of silver the Spaniards extracted from South American mines over a period of three centuries staggers the imaginationùeven by today's standards.
\BDescription:\b An example of a Spanish dollar \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Pounds, Shillings and Pence Become Standard Currency",13,"0","g","0"
However, the bank decided to gradually do away with the old books and dollar amounts. From 1 January \J1826\j it used a new set of books in pounds, shillings and pence.
Dollars were accepted in deposits with the bank until \J1848\j when the Board stopped the sale of the coinage of the old currency as well as foreign coins. That was the main dividing line between the past and the future.
After the Bank of New South Wales began, it wasn't long before other banks were open for business. Most came and went as they were taken over, closed their doors or got caught in the economic crash of \J1893\j.
Those that survived continued issuing their own banknotes until \J1910\j when the Federal Government introduced a 10% surcharge on all outstanding private banknotes, effectively forcing their withdrawal. The private notes were replaced with the Commonwealth banknote issue although, oddly enough, it wasn't until \J1945\j that an Act was passed forbidding banks to issue their own notes.
#
"The Age of Bronze",14,"g\2\rsmh22.jpg","c","0"
In \J1860\j, England introduced bronze coinage. A supply was shipped to the Sydney Mint in \J1868\j and was to be given out in exchange for old coppers, most of which were, in the words of one mint official, 'in deplorable condition.'
Although 17,000 pounds in bronze coin was issued by the Mint, the whole amount of the old coppers that were exchanged from 1868 to the extended deadline of 31 December 1877 was only 273 pounds/14/5. No one knows what happened to the rest although they were probably still being used long after the deadline expired.
With the arrival of 100,000 pounds worth of English silver coins during \J1824\j/25, sterling began an ascendancy in Australia that lasted until it was replaced with Australia's own pounds and shillings in \J1910\j to be followed in \J1911\j by Australia's own copper pennies and halfpennies.
In the mid-19th century the cry of 'Gold!' in New South Wales and Victoria echoed around the world. The Australian gold rush triggered off a tremendous expansion of banking activities. It also led, at long last, to the prospect of overcoming the recurring shortage of gold coin.
\BDescription:\b A family on the Australian gold fields during the gold rush \I(Fairfax Photo Library)\i
#
"Striking Gold Did Not Necessarily Help the Economy",15,"a\10\1_0048.jpg","c","0"
In the beginning, the size of the gold finds caused a severe shortage of currency to pay for the bullion from the diggings. The shortage was remedied by urgent imports of coin, but to prevent it happening again, the New South Wales Legislative Council opened a Sydney Mint in \J1855\j for the production of gold sovereigns and half sovereigns.
Before then, however, South Australia had found itself being depopulated by the stampede to the goldfields in New South Wales and Victoria. The Government offered a reward to anyone who discovered gold in South Australia and, as a further inducement, decided to open an Assay Office.
In \J1851\j, South Australian merchants were ill-equipped to handle the early flood of gold dust and nuggets. They asked for the help of the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Henry Young, who gave the Assay Office the authority to produce ingots as a backing for the notes issued by the banks.
At first the Adelaide Assay Office produced thin gold ingots. Unfortunately, although they had '22 carat gold' stamped on them, the ingots were irregular in size and weight and were treated with suspicion. The Assay Office then tried to make amends by minting 1 pound and 5 pound gold coins, although there is no evidence that the 5 pound coin was ever issued.
\BDescription:\b One of the largest gold nuggets found in Australia \I(DFAT)\i
#
"Adelaide Pounds",16,"a\10\1_0048.jpg","c","0"
In 1852, 100 Adelaide Pounds were struck and between 40 and 50 issued before a crack in the die was found and the minting was suspended. This minting is known as Type I to differentiate it from the second minting (Type II) that took place that same year with a new die. There were about 25,000 Type II Pounds struck and issued.
The Adelaide Pounds are very rare. Shortly after they were issued it was discovered that their gold content was 10% more than the equivalent English coins. As quick as you could say \JBallarat\j, they were bundled up by speculators and shipped to England as if they were bullion. Minting in Adelaide was short-lived when Royal assent was withdrawn and the Assay Office (which had never called itself a mint) was forced to close.
Memories of Adelaide's brief coin-making chapter were rekindled in \J1919\j when six special gold restrikes and two silver ones were struck for historical reasons, and again in \J1927\j when the Pound was struck in gold for the \JNational Gallery\j in \JCanberra\j.
\BDescription:\b One of the largest gold nuggets found in Australia \I(DFAT)\i
#
"The First Mints",17,"b\1\tony29.jpg","c","0"
The gold discoveries in \J1851\j and \J1852\j gave rise to the first coin that can officially be described as Australian: the Sydney gold sovereign.
Up until \J1855\j, any British coinage used in Australia had been produced by the Royal Mint, London, or by a private contractor under the Royal Mint's authority. The large amounts of gold being produced in Australia made it more practical to have some of it turned into coin by Australian Mints.
The first of these was the Sydney Mint located on part of the site of the old Rum Hospital. Now a museum, it opened in \J1855\j and was an instant success. Mints were opened in Melbourne in \J1872\j and in Perth in \J1899\j. All were established as branches of the Royal Mint, London. The Sydney Mint closed in \J1926\j. The Melbourne Mint continued to operate until it was taken over by the \JRoyal Australian Mint\j in \JCanberra\j when the change to decimal currency was announced. The Perth Mint has continued to operate until this day.
\BDescription:\b The \JRoyal Australian Mint\j in \JCanberra\j \I(Webster Publishing)\i
#
"Royal Australian Mint, Canberra",18,"b\1\tony29.jpg","c","0"
Officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in \J1965\j, the Royal Australian Mint was the first Australian Mint that was not a branch of Britain's Royal Mint. It has the capacity to produce over two million circulating coins a day or 600 million a year. By the beginning of \J1992\j it had produced nearly 10 billion!
Each year the mint produces for collectors an uncirculated and proof coin set of Australia's circulating currency. Its \J1991\j and \J1992\j sets are splendid examples of special commemorative issues that have gained for the mint a worldwide reputation for high quality craftsmanship.
\BDescription:\b The Royal Australian Mint in \JCanberra\j \I(Webster Publishing)\i
#
"Tokens",19,"g\2\r5308.jpg","c","0"
Our early merchants had a real problem when coins were in short supply. Selling goods at the right price was difficult because there wasn't enough small change to go around. As late as \J1863\j a reader of the \ISydney Morning Herald\i complained in a letter that wives were obliged to pay sixpence for articles they did not require because no change was given.
Tired of waiting for the authorities to act, the merchants decided to have tokens made, most of them similar in size and composition to the English penny and halfpenny, although some also made silver tokens (one was issued at the value of a shilling and three merchants struck threepences). The first tokens were made in England and later ones in Australia.
\BDescription:\b Australian tokens \I(RAHS)\i
#
"Unique Features of Tokens",20,"g\2\r5306.jpg","c","0"
The designs often incorporated the merchant's name, address and merchandise. Common motifs were Australian wildlife such as the kangaroo and emu. Some tokens took their inspiration from English 'coppers' and featured Britannia.
Australia's earliest token is thought to be a W Cook counterstamp on a George III penny. It carried no date but was probably stamped in the early \J1820\js. Most subsequent tokens are dated from \J1849\j. There were around 120 issuers in 33 cities and towns.
The tokens had no official backing and had to be taken on trust. However, unlike promissory notes, their intrinsic value approximated their face value. After \J1860\j, they were swamped by shipments of smaller and lighter legal tender English copper coins and were subsequently declared illegal. The last known issues of merchant tokens was in Western Australia in \J1878\j.
\BDescription:\b Australian tokens \I(RAHS)\i
#
"A New Age - Australia's Commonwealth Currency",21,"g\2\wstpc3.jpg","c","0"
After the Commonwealth of Australia was inaugurated on 1 January \J1901\j, as a federation of six self-governing colonies and the Northern Territory, it took nine years before the new nation (with its colonies now States) was able to produce its first distinctive coinage.
\J1910\j was a landmark year. The link between the Mother Country remainedùas it remains todayùwith the portrait of King Edward VII on the obverse of Australia's first threepence, sixpence, shilling and two shilling pieces, while the Australian coat of arms appeared on the reverse. The King died before all denominations had arrived. The following year, Edward's son, George V, was portrayed crowned and robed on new coinage, beginning with the arrival of the Commonwealth's first pennies and halfpennies.
From \J1911\j to \J1936\j, most years saw the minting of both silver and bronze coins with the halfpenny and penny in bronze, and the threepence, sixpence, shilling and two shillings in sterling silver, all featuring a portrait of King George V.
During the reign of King George VI from \J1936\j to \J1952\j, a five shilling piece was added but become unpopular because of its large size and weight.
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II appeared at the start of her reign in \J1953\j. The last copper penny and halfpenny were issued in \J1964\j.
\BDescription:\b A Western Australian Bank note which became obsolete with the introduction of Commonwealth currency \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Commonwealth Notes",22,"g\2\wstpc3.jpg","c","0"
Hard times hit Australia in \J1893\j. A severe economic depression brought on a financial crisis and the collapse of many of Australia's banks. The notes these banks had issued became worthless.
The result of the collapse was the destruction of public trust and a rush on the banks, even those whose banknotes were still being fully honoured.
Once the crisis had passed, it was inevitable that the new Commonwealth of Australia would issue its own banknotes.
The move was expected shortly after Federation in \J1901\j but it wasn't until 1 November \J1910\j that the Australian Note Act became law.
There were problems even then. Because of poor planning, there were no plates to print the notes and the Commonwealth was obliged to purchase unused notes from private banks and overprint them with a certificate: 'Australian Note, payable in Gold coin at the Commonwealth Treasury'. (The souvenir 'AA' version of the \J1988\j commemorative $10 note was also overprinted, this time with the date 26 January \J1988\j.)
\BDescription:\b A Western Australian Bank Note which became obsolete with the introduction of Commonwealth notes \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"More New Notes Are Issued",23,wstpc2.jpg,c,0
On 1 May \J1913\j, Australia's first Commonwealth 10/- note was issued to parliamentarians and later to the public.
The following September, a 1 pound and a 5 pound note were released. These were followed by a 10 pound note in October, and 20, 50, 100 and 1000 pound notes in \J1915\j. The 1000 pound note was quickly withdrawn from the public and restricted to interbank transactions only.
In \J1960\j, the responsibility of printing and distributing Commonwealth notes was taken over by the Reserve Bank.
\BDescription:\b A one pound note issued by the Commercial Bank of Australia \I(Westpac Bank Museum)\i
#
"Decimal Currency",24,"g\3\coins.jpg","c","0"
On 14 February \J1966\j, Australian currency based on pounds, shillings and pence disappeared from everyone's pockets and generally became items of curiosity, nostalgia and numismatic collection. That day they were replaced with dollars and cents: decimal coinage in six denominations.
The 1 and 2 cent pieces had a composition of 97% copper, 2.5% zinc and 0.5% tin, the 5,10 and 20 cent pieces were 75% copper and 25% nickel to give them a 'silver' appearance. A circular 50 cent coin dated \J1966\j contained 80% silver and 20% copper; however, when more 50 cent pieces were struck in \J1969\j, they were issued with a dodecagonal shape and had a similar metal composition to the other copper/nickel coins.
In addition to the decimal coins, a new series of notes was issued.
The 10/- note became $1
1 pound note became $2
5 pound note became $10
10 pound note became $20
A $5 note was added to the series in \J1967\j, to be followed later by $50 and $100 notes.
\BDescription:\b Today's Australian coins \I(Webster Publishing)\i
#
"$1 and $2 Notes Become Coins",25,"g\3\d1d2.jpg","c","0"
Unlike coins, paper money wears out quickly. It's not a problem with large denominations but notes that are handled frequently soon look grubby and are easily torn. To overcome the problem, the Government replaced the $1 note with a $1 coin in \J1984\j, and the $2 note with a $2 aluminium nickel coin in \J1988\j.
In \J1980\j a $200 coin was issued at a premium. It is composed of 91.67% gold and 8.33% copper (22 carat), weighs 10 grams and was the first of a series of $200 gold coins that features Australia's koala on the reverse.
Other $200 gold issues commemorate the Prince Charles and Lady Diana royal wedding of \J1981\j and the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in \J1982\j.
A $10 polymer note was released in 1988 and the $10 polymer note released in 1993 incorporated additional security features and improved handling qualities. A $5 polymer note was released in 1992 and a $20 polymer note was released in early 1995. A $50 polymer note was released in October 1995 and the release of the $100 polymer note was in May 1996.
The $10 polymer note features \JMary Gilmore\j and Andrew Barton ('Banjo') \JPaterson\j; the $20 polymer note features \JMary Reibey\j and \JJohn Flynn\j; the $50 polymer note features \JEdith Cowan\j and David Unaipon; and the $100 polymer note features \JNellie Melba\j and \JJohn Monash\j.
\BDescription:\b Australian $1 and $2 coins \I(Webster Publishing)\i
