TRAVELS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
TRAVELS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Some Press Opinions of the First Edition
_The Daily Chronicle_: “This book is a pleasant and interesting one; it
tells what somebody really saw and felt, not what somebody thought the
proper thing to say. The average man will find May Vivienne a delightful
and exhilarating guide to the still only half-understood pleasures and
resources of Western Australia.”
_The Empire Review_: “It contains much first-hand information, clearly
given, concerning the cities, goldfields, and agricultural districts
of Western Australia. It is well illustrated, and will be found a most
useful work of reference.”
_The Financial Times_: “Among the several books published dealing
with Western Australia, we know of few, if any, which are at once so
entertaining and so instructive as this volume. Any one who desires
to obtain in a most pleasant way a good general knowledge of this
distant colony could scarcely do better than purchase this book. As a
mere record of travel, apart from its special interest as dealing with
a gold-producing colony, it is well worth reading, and it contains a
profusion of interesting illustrations.”
_The Pall Mall Gazette_: “Miss Vivienne knows her Westralia up and down;
she takes us to farms and timber estates; she has visited the goldfields
more than once, inspected all the chief mines, pegged a claim with her
own hand, and pluckily traversed the pioneer fringe of civilisation.
Her delightful journeys, which (with admirable illustrations) take us
over the whole country, reveal its astounding promise, which has already
largely become performance.”
[Illustration: _John Forrest_]
TRAVELS IN
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS
CITIES AND TOWNS, GOLDFIELDS, AND
AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS
OF THAT STATE
BY
MAY VIVIENNE
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration]
LONDON
WILLIAM HEINEMANN
1902
_First Edition, May 1901_
_Second Edition, January 1902_
_All rights reserved_
“_He Masters whose Spirit Masters_”
DEDICATED TO
THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN FORREST
P.C., K.C.M.G., G.C.M.G.
EX-PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
AND
MINISTER FOR FEDERAL DEFENCE
IN THE COMMONWEALTH
OF
UNITED AUSTRALIA
“_Steer thou with good strong hand and wary eye, oh Helmsman_”
_AUTHOR’S NOTE_
_Some readers may be disposed to question the accuracy of my statements
regarding the mines, and the actual wealth in gold of the State. I can
assure them that these statements are absolutely devoid of exaggeration,
and capable of being easily verified._
_This is true also of what is said respecting timber, fruits, and
agricultural produce._
_Finally, my hope in issuing this volume is that it may induce people not
only to visit but to settle in Western Australia, and so share in the
benefits offered by its prolific tracts._
_M. V._
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Albany—Sweet Boronia—Middleton Beach—Little
Grove—Regatta—Buildings—Whaling—Old Colonists—Travelling
Dairy—Splendid Vegetables—Wattle Farm—Porongurup—Land
Regulations—King George’s Sound Pp. 1-14
CHAPTER II
Torbay—Denmark Timber Mills—Mount
Barker—Katanning—Wagin—Narrogin—Beverly—York—Lovely
Wildflowers Pp. 15-28
CHAPTER III
Perth—Public Buildings—Yacht Clubs—Government House—Recreation
Ground—Lovely Perth Park—“Bond or Free” Pp. 29-40
CHAPTER IV
Darling Quarries—Kalayamba Vineyard—Mr. Brookman—Lady
Forrest—Cambria—Mayor of Perth—Mr. Hackett—Canning Park
Races Pp. 41-46
CHAPTER V
The Museum—Flower Show—Musical—Native Risings—Zoo—South
Perth—The Old Mill—Moonlight Pp. 49-69
CHAPTER VI
Drive to Claremont—Osborne—Keane’s Point—The
Chine—Cottesloe—The Ocean—North Fremantle—Arthur’s
Head—Smelting Works—Our Contingent—Fremantle Pp. 70-83
CHAPTER VII
Rottnest—Steam to Rottnest—The Lovely River—Crawley Point—The
Island—Boys’ Orphanage—Fremantle Harbour Pp. 84-89
CHAPTER VIII
Guildford—Henley Park—Hunting—Mundaring Weir—Sir John
Forrest—Darling Nurseries—Kelmscott—Armadale—Jarrahdale—Whitby
Falls—Mandurah—Yarloop Mills—Harvey—Collie Coalfields Pp. 90-105
CHAPTER IX
Bunbury—Exploring Days—The Estuary—Early Times—Whaling—Native
Murder—Mr. Layman—Retribution—Pasture Land—Robert Scott—Old
Residents Pp. 106-117
CHAPTER X
Dardanup Park—Donnybrook—Bridgetown—The Grange—Dallgarrup—A
Prodigious Prize—Greenbushes—Tinfield—The Great Forest Pp. 118-123
CHAPTER XI
Busselton—Napoleon’s Grave—Cattle Chosen—“All
aboard”—Karridale—Touring the Forest—King Karri—The Sand
Patch Pp. 124-136
CHAPTER XII
Deepdene Caves—Margaret Caves—A Welcome Lunch—Cape Leeuwin Pp. 137-147
CHAPTER XIII
Pretty Newcastle—Oranges!—New Norcia—Native Love—The
Mission—Northam—The Grand Old Man—Ploughing Match—Oat Crop—The
Show Pp. 148-158
CHAPTER XIV
Southern Cross—Early Discoveries of Gold—Heavy Tramps—Walking
on Gold—Bayley’s Reward—Fabulous Finds—The Potato
Ground—Bayley’s Death—The 90-Mile—The Treasure House—Great
Boulder Find—The Londonderry Pp. 159-175
CHAPTER XV
Coolgardie—The Camels are Coming—The Landlord’s Record—Meeting
a Friend—A Goldfields Camp—“Nap”—The Reward Mine—Bonnie
Vale—Londonderry—Nearly Lost—King Solomon’s Mine—Hampton
Plains Pp. 176-195
CHAPTER XVI
The Golden Butterfly—Norseman—Gold Exhibits—Coolgardie—Alluvial
Treasures Pp. 196-203
CHAPTER XVII
Kalgoorlie City—The Six Great Mines in the Golden Mile—Mr.
Kaufman—Early Predictions Verified—Associated—Lake View Consols
and Great Boulder Pp. 204-223
CHAPTER XVIII
The Ivanhoe—The Famous Stope—Climbing the Ladders—Boulder
Perseverance—The Rock Drill—Down 500 Feet in a Bucket—Blasting
the Rock—British Westralia Syndicate—Mr. Frank Gardner and our
own Zeb. Lane—Kalgoorlie Again—Wages on the Mines—Yield of the
Goldfields Pp. 224-236
CHAPTER XIX
Kanowna—The Great Alluvial Rush—Big Nuggets—“The Joker”—Father
Long’s Golden Sickle—Nobility Represented—Bulong Pp. 237-245
CHAPTER XX
Broad Arrow—Menzies—Rich Mines—Lady Shenton—Luncheon in the
Caverns of the Earth—Hon. H. J. Saunders—Welcome Tea and
Cake—Native Murder—A Lost Prospector—Cake of Gold—Box-seat
of the Coach—Mount Malcolm—Gold Escort—Windmills and Fresh
Water Pp. 246-256
CHAPTER XXI
A New Field—Mertondale—Stupendous Richness—Gold, Gold
Everywhere—A Lucky Prospector—Garden in the Bush—Murrin!
Murrin!—A Welcome Surprise—Western Australian Mount
Morgans—Golden Hills—Blackfellows on the Trail—The Lagoon Pp. 257-268
CHAPTER XXII
Laverton—Excitement among the Miners—Bachelors and Grass
Widowers—More Souvenirs—Lucky Discoveries—Erlistoun—Lost—Eagle
Nugget—Euro Mine—Hospitality in the Bush Pp. 269-279
CHAPTER XXIII
Leonora—The Gwalia Mines—In a Gingerbeer Cart—More Nuggets—Gold
Blocks—Pastoral Land—Swampers—Scarcity of the Fair Sex—Saturday
Life—Alas, poor Prospectors! Pp. 280-291
CHAPTER XXIV
Lawlers—Splendid Vegetables—Waiting for a Samaritan—Mount Sir
Samuel—While the Billy boils—The Kangaroo—Lake Way—Across the
Country—The “Back-blocks”—Camping Out—Arrival at Nannine—Bed
Once More—Splendid Mines of the Murchison—Peak Hill—The Gold
Patch—An Old Friend—A Hearty Welcome Pp. 292-312
CHAPTER XXV
Tuckanarra—The Lights of Cue—Surprising Vegetation—Sweet
Flowers Again—High Wages—Splendid Meat—The Island—The
Mirage—Jolly Faces—Mount Magnet—Donkeys—A Tasteful Camp—The
Morning Star—Windsor Castle Pp. 313-324
CHAPTER XXVI
Yalgoo—A Cold Welcome—Native Shepherds—Geraldton—Pearls—The
Abrolhos—Dutch Navigators—Aborigines—Finis Pp. 325-344
ILLUSTRATIONS
_Page_
_The Right Hon. Sir John Forrest_ _Frontispiece_
_Bird’s-eye View of Albany_ 1
_The_ “Omrah” _at Albany_ 1
_A Part of Kendinup Station_ 5
_Civilised Aborigines at Kendinup Station_ 11
_The Residency, Albany_ 13
_The Homestead, Kendinup Station_ 17
_Hauling Logs at the Mills_ 19
_Ready for Cross-cutting, Denmark Mills_ 23
_York_ 25
_Moirs’ Buildings_ 29
_Swan River, Perth_ 29
_Hay Street, Perth_ 31
_Perth Railway Station_ 33
_Melville Water_ 35
_Perth Water_ 37
_Mount Eliza and Swan River_ 43
_St. George’s Terrace_ 47
_City of Perth_ 53
_Aboriginal Camp_ 55
_Driving in Perth Park, at the Summit_ 59
_Gathering Wildflowers_ 63
_South Perth from the Banks of the Swan_ 67
_Fremantle Pier_ 70
_Freshwater Bay, Claremont_ 73
_North Fremantle_ 77
_High Street, Fremantle_ 81
_Government House, Perth_ 87
_Hon. H. J. Saunders_ 91
_Government Bore, near Mundaring_ 93
_Lunatic Asylum, Western Australia_ 99
_Paper Bark Tree_ 106
_Lady Forrest_ 109
_Bunbury_ 115
_Blackwood River_ 118
_Davies’ Karridale Timber Station_ 129
_Felling the Giant Karri_ 132
_The Sand Patch_ 133
_Cave_ 139
_Lighthouse_ 145
_Newcastle_ 149
_Avon River_ 157
_Camel Water Train going to Coolgardie_ 159
_Teams Returned to Southern Cross from Coolgardie_ 163
_Bakery and Miners’ Camp, Southern Cross_ 166
_Bayley’s Reward Mine—Underlay Shaft_ 169
_Bayley Street, Coolgardie, 1897_ 176
_Early Days, Coolgardie_ 177
_Water Condenser—Filling the Water-bag_ 183
_Burbanks Grand Junction Mine_ 187
_Vale of Coolgardie Mine_ 188
_Jubilee at Red Hill Mine_ 191
_Golden Butterfly Nugget_ 196
_The Main Shaft. Butterfly Leases_ 197
_The Miners’ Holiday_ 201
_Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, 1898_ 204
_Palace Hotel, Kalgoorlie_ 207
_Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, Early Days_ 208
_Great Boulder Mine and Offices from Lake View Consols_ 213
_Overlooking the Great Boulder_ 215
_Hannan’s Star Mine_ 217
_The Ivanhoe Mine_ 219
_Mr. Zebina Lane_ 221
_Roll-up at the Boulder Perseverance Mine_ 226
_Lane’s Shaft, Boulder Perseverance Mine_ 227
_Mr. Frank L. Gardner_ 231
_Hannan’s Public Crushing Company_ 233
_Central Boulder Mines and Manager’s House_ 234
_Saturday Afternoon at Kanowna_ 237
_Deep Lead, Kanowna_ 240
_Alluvial Diggings, Kanowna_ 243
_Hill End Mine—Broad Arrow_ 246
_Part of Lady Shenton Battery_ 248
_Messrs. A. Forrest and J. Dunn on a Prospecting Tour_ 251
_Merton’s Find, Mertondale_ 257
_Mr. Alick Forrest Inspecting Dunn’s Shaft near Mount Morgans_ 261
_Westralian Mount Morgans Mine_ 265
_Mine at Laverton_ 269
_Miners’ Camp, Laverton_ 273
_Sons of Gwalia Mine, Mount Leonora_ 280
_Camels at Diorite King_ 285
_Auction Sale, Goldfields (Tin Hotel)_ 287
_Off by Coach to Lawlers_ 292
_Lake Way Gold Mine_ 293
_Kangaroo_ 297
_A Well near Lake Way_ 300
_Lubra and Pickaninny_ 301
_Dry-blowing in the Golden West_ 307
_Mine at Cue_ 313
_Inclined Shaft, Cue One Mine_ 315
_Colonel North’s Expedition to Mount Magnet_ 319
_Donkey Team, Mount Magnet_ 323
_Marine Terrace, Geraldton_ 327
_Four Generations of the Western Australian Native_ 334
_Aborigines with Spears_ 338
_Distant View of Fremantle_ 341
[Illustration: Bird’s-Eye View of Albany]
CHAPTER I
Albany—Sweet Boronia—Middleton Beach—Little
Grove—Regatta—Buildings—Whaling—Old Colonists—Travelling
Dairy—Splendid Vegetables—Wattle Farm—Porongurup—Land
Regulations—King George’s Sound.
[Illustration: The _Omrah_ at Albany]
Having travelled all over Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales,
Victoria, and South Australia (now United Australia), I one day made up
my mind to set out for the land of gold, Western Australia, that has
created such a _furore_ in these last few years. Accordingly I took
my passage from Sydney in the mail-steamer _Omrah_ and, after a very
charming voyage on board that splendid vessel, landed at Albany. It was a
lovely day, and the first things that pleasantly greeted the passengers
on stepping from the tug-boat to the wharf were various small boys with
huge bunches of the exquisite-smelling boronia, of which I had often
heard. Pretty little Albany looked charming. The day was really perfect
in its loveliness; the country round looked like an exquisite emerald
robe fringed with pearl and sapphire, the grand blue mountains in the
distance, the opal sea, with its white-winged yachts and various sailing
vessels lying at anchor in beautiful Princess Royal Harbour; the blue
sky above, with here and there a tiny white cloud like a dove carrying
a message to heaven; the matchless wild flowers springing around in
profusion, and the scent of the sweet boronia wafting on the breeze from
the gullies, where it grows in such luxuriance that one wonders no scent
farm has been started to distil the exquisite perfume, made the drive
taken by most of us before lunch most delightful. The peacefulness of
this charming place was broken only by the arrival of the great steamers,
with their crowds of passengers, who always went ashore for an hour or
so, some of them to take the train _en route_ to Perth, Fremantle, or the
goldfields; the others, after driving, lunching, or dining, as time will
allow, at the Freemasons’ Hotel (where I put up for a week), returning to
the steamer to continue their passage “home,” as all we Australians call
dear mother England.
After an excellent lunch at the above-named hotel we set out to view the
surroundings of Albany.
On that day everything really looked so beautiful that one might
believe Nature to have put on her most attractive garb for us, as if to
say, “Why go from here?” Driving round the Marine Drive to Middleton
Beach, we thought nothing could be lovelier than the view to which no
attraction seemed wanting. The calm and stillness were broken only by a
few other tourists, also feasting their eyes on this scene of beauty.
It is a five-mile drive to Middleton Beach. The beach forms a circle
of some three miles. Mount Clarence is in the background; in front is
the land-locked Princess Royal Harbour, with its narrow gateway for the
passage of ships; tiny bays surround it, and the picturesque islands
look like so many lions guarding the portal. This is a favourite place
for picnics; family parties are often here in numbers; the water is
so limpid and shallow that children can dabble about to their hearts’
content; the sand is beautifully white and firm, and many little spades
and buckets are employed in making sandhouses. Afternoon tea-parties are
also quite an institution; it is considered quite “the thing” to bring a
party of friends to tea, and, if you do not wish to have it _al fresco_,
there is the pretty Esplanade Hotel, where everything, from afternoon
teas to wedding breakfasts, is served up in most excellent fashion.
Another beauteous spot near Albany is Little Grove. The day I went the
steamer was full, it being a holiday. Launches were plying from jetty
to jetty, taking parties of picnickers to the pretty shady groves. A
regatta was also being held, and many people were watching it. It was
a pretty sight to see the contest of the boats as they sailed merrily
round the lovely bay. The weather was exquisite, but a strong breeze
was blowing; good seamanship was called into play in the sailing of the
yachts and robust muscular exertion in the rowing events. Albany may well
be called the sanatorium of the colony. The air is so invigorating that,
after being there only a few days, one feels almost a new being. Any one
suffering from brain fag or exhaustion cannot do better than go to Albany
for a holiday. One need only look at the faces of the children, see their
healthy looks, bright eyes and general activity, to know that they have
been born and brought up amongst healthy surroundings. One feature of the
children is their beautiful hair; many possess such luxuriant tresses
that one feels inclined to envy the lovely colour and beauty of them, and
to wish one also had been born in Albany.
The town possesses some very good buildings, and, although not of very
large extent, is well laid out. It lies between the Mounts Clarence and
Melville, and the many dwellings on the hillsides give it a most quaint
and charming appearance. The principal places are the Town Hall, Post
Office, Customs House Office, and large sheds, also some fine stores.
There are still some very old structures standing, for Albany is an old
town, Princess Royal Harbour having been called after the daughter of
King George of England. The old-fashioned church of St. John has been
beautified by the hand of time and adorned with a mantle of ivy green.
Many stone cottages show the primitive way of building that prevailed in
1836. The gaol, built about that year, and in much the same style, still
exists, but the stocks then in use have almost disappeared. A very old
woman to whom I was speaking told me she remembered three women at a time
being put into them. Other evidences of days gone by are immense heaps of
bleached whalebones lying about in some parts. Albany was once a fishing
village frequented by traders of all countries, who did a large trade in
whale-oil, seals, &c., and exchanged for these things not only coin but
also potatoes and fruit. There were evidently stirring times in Albany in
those early days, and it was not an uncommon thing to see nine whales at
a time disporting themselves in the harbour. The huge mail-steamers must
have frightened them all away, for a whale is now a rare visitor. I spent
a pleasant hour at the house of Mr. J. McKenzie, which in the ’fifties
was the only hotel in Albany, and was known as The Thistle. It was also
the general concert-hall and theatre. There were no theatrical companies
in Western Australia in those days, and the small community used to get
up its own entertainments without aid from outside. Among the relics
cherished by Mr. McKenzie is the speaking-trumpet used by his father, a
master mariner, an imposing-looking instrument of brass, something like a
cornet. A magnificent double-pearl shell, with five or six lovely pearls
embedded in its sides, must be of great value.
One of the most prominent early colonists was Captain John Hassell,
who, after calling two or three times in his brig the _Belinda_, being
wrecked, and undergoing many hardships, was still so much attracted by
the splendid locality that he resolved to settle here, took another
trip to Sydney, N.S.W., and returned with his family in 1838, bringing
with him 700 sheep, 12 horses, 20 head of cattle, poultry, 15 men, also
rations for twelve months. Captain Hassell went first to Strawberry
Hill and afterwards to Kendinup Station, where a fine mansion stands,
which now belongs to his son, John Hassell. It comprises 41,144 acres of
freehold and 122,000 acres of leasehold property; the area is 225 square
miles, and there are 320 miles of fencing on it. 6000 sheep are on the
run, and one magnificent flock of imported sheep cost Mr. Hassell £4000.
The samples of wool I saw from this station are really splendid. There
is a plentiful supply of water, one well being 80 feet deep, and nearly
always full. There are 30 civilised natives on the station, photographs
of five of whom are here given.
[Illustration: A PART OF KENDINUP STATION]
Albany has been connected with the capital by rail since 1886; previous
to that time the overland journey of more than 300 miles was made by
mail-coach or private conveyance over a very lonely road. The first
railway here was negotiated by the late Mr. Anthony Hordern, of Sydney,
N.S.W., and constructed under the land-grant system by a company of
which he was director-chairman. Mr. Hordern took up large grants of land
near Albany, having a high opinion of its agricultural possibilities.
He had also large schemes for the future of the south-west part of the
colony, and intended to build agricultural colleges to teach people how
to use the splendid soil to advantage. Unfortunately Mr. Hordern did not
live to complete the schemes; he died at sea, and a splendid monument
to his memory tops the incline of the principal street in Albany. The
late Premier, Sir John Forrest, said he remembered taking a journey from
Albany to Perth in 1880, when the coach broke down at a distance of some
40 or 50 miles from the town, and it was necessary to get a team and
travel by it another 40 or 50 miles; also many other difficulties were
encountered before arriving at Perth, and the journey took a week. My
own experiences when I visited this colony in 1882 were worse than the
Premier’s. I landed in Albany with a party of four others; we hired two
conveyances and four horses, paying £50 for them, provisioned for ten
days, and set off through the sand and bush. As it took us sixteen days
to perform the journey, as very little food could be obtained anywhere,
and as we arrived at our journey’s end with only two horses, the other
two having died on the way, the pleasures of that expedition can better
be imagined than described.
The garden lands which lie in the valleys close to the town are being
largely cultivated, and selectors from England and elsewhere are
frequently arriving with the intention of taking up selections, and
undertaking dairy farming and market gardening. The new travelling dairy
instituted by the Government will be a great boon; it will have all the
latest appliances, and the plant will be erected in places where the
people have not facilities for making butter, &c., and persons who do not
understand the process can be instructed. The yield from this district
is one ton of hay, or fifteen bushels of wheat, per acre. This quantity
has been exceeded at Toobrunup Lake, where the yield was twenty bushels
per acre. Further proof of the fertility of the soil is given by the fact
that cabbages grown at Mr. Horton’s selection weighed from 20 to 30 lb.,
and grew to maturity in thirteen weeks. Forty-two tons of cabbage came
off three acres of land last year, and brought £10 per ton. Potatoes from
the farm at Strawberry Hill, cultivated 60 years ago by Sir R. Spencer,
weigh over a pound each, so that at dinner you are not asked to take
potatoes but a part of one. These potatoes are really stupendous; one
that I had in my hand I measured, and found it to be nearly a foot long,
and wide in proportion! Seventy tons of these gigantic tubers, grown
without the aid of any fertilisers, were taken from nine acres. Turnips
flourish in the same way and grow to the weight of 3 and 5 lb. It is not
“some pumpkins,” as they say in America, but “some turnips,” as they say
in Australia. Onions also grow to an immense size, often weighing over 6
lb. each.
Albany and its surroundings are really as near perfection as it is
possible for any place to be. It has a heavenly summer climate, the
coolest in Australia. A day is considered hot if the mercury rises above
80°. During the week of the terrible heat-wave, when in other parts
of the colony the temperature was from 110° to 115°, the record heat
here was 95°. There are never by any chance hot winds. The grass is
always green and flowers are always blooming. With its miles of harbour
frontage, its lovely valleys nestling at the foot of its grand hills, its
beautiful river, and the natural drainage which keeps the little town
always clean and healthy, no wonder it should be regarded as the very
choicest of health resorts. The rainfall is abundant, and the district
seldom suffers from frost. The winters are very mild, snow has only been
known to fall two or three times, and then was so novel a sight as to
excite wonder in all the native-born Albanians. Last winter, however, Mr.
Knight, of Wattle Farm, carted into town a huge snowball that had been
rolled on his farm in the Porongurup ranges, which then were covered with
snow, and afforded the grandest spectacle ever seen here. At Mr. Knight’s
farm and orchard some magnificent fruit is grown, the apples being
sometimes over a pound in weight. I shall never forget the lovely sight
of that orchard. It is on an elevation of 1200 feet above the sea-level,
and commands a view of the rich and fertile valleys around. The soil is
of a rich deep chocolate colour, and the country is stated by experts to
be volcanic.
Besides being endowed with beauty and richness of soil, Albany is likely
to become famous as a coal- and gold-producing district, for coal has
recently been found, and a company which will make further researches
formed. Timber also is abundant, and copper has recently been found at
the Phillips River, about 180 miles away. Thousands of people who have
gone direct to the goldfields have no idea of the beauty of this place.
They only think of Western Australia as a place in which, to look for
gold, and when that has been obtained in sufficiency, to be left behind
as quickly as possible. Tinned fruits, meat and vegetables have until
recently been the staple food of dwellers in the goldfields; but, as
population increases and fertile lands are taken up and cultivated,
a sufficiency of fresh fruits for all requirements will probably be
produced before long.
[Illustration: CIVILISED ABORIGINALS AT KENDINUP STATION]
The land regulations of Western Australia are so favourable to the
colonist that, if well known in England and upon the continent of Europe,
they would probably attract many families of the vine-growing, artisan,
and small capitalist classes. Any person over the age of eighteen, who
is the head of a family, can take up an area of 160 acres of land for a
free or homestead farm. A deposit of £1 is required as a guarantee of
_bona fides_. The applicant must live on the land for six months of each
year, and within two years must spend £30 in clearing or cropping, or put
down two acres of garden, orchard or vineyard; within five years, one
quarter of the selection must be fenced and one-eighth cropped; within
seven years the whole area must be fenced, and one quarter cultivated.
The selector then becomes entitled to his certificate of title, after
having paid for it and the cost of survey. Direct purchase can be made,
if desired, of from 100 to 5000 acres. The land is valued at 10_s._ per
acre, of which 10 per cent. is payable on application and the balance by
four quarterly instalments. Applicants must fence in the course of three
years and spend 5_s._ per acre within seven years, and then can acquire
their certificates of title. Grazing farms can be taken up at a rental of
2½_d._ per acre. Pastoral leases, or grass rights for grazing purposes,
can be got for the nominal rental of 2_s._ 6_d._ per 1000 acres per
annum and upwards. Garden lots, from 5 up to 50 acres, can be obtained.
In this case the land is valued at 20_s._ per acre, and the plot must
be fenced within three years, one-tenth to be put under cultivation as
a _bona fide_ garden. The terms are 10 per cent. deposit on application
and the balance in six half-yearly instalments. In addition to all this,
the Government have done yet more to induce land settlements by offering
assistance from the Agricultural Bank, created by the late Premier, Sir
John Forrest, for the benefit of all who desire to make a home in Western
Australia. This bank will lend money on freeholds at conditional purchase
(already fenced) to the amount of £800. An application fee of 1 per cent.
on the loan is demanded, and this amount covers cost of inspection
and mortgage. The amount lent is repayable by the borrower in thirty
years; for the first five years the interest is payable half-yearly. At
the sixth year a sinking fund of 4 per cent. commences, and continues
until the end of the thirty years, when the debt is wiped out. There are
Government land agents in nearly every agricultural town of the colony,
and a would-be selector arriving and communicating with the Government
agent receives all the assistance he wishes in making his selection. The
present population of Albany is about 3500.
[Illustration: The Residency, Albany]
A fine Quarantine Station has lately been built at a cost of £10,000. The
forts are very interesting. No doubt, in the future Albany will become
an important Naval station. An Imperial Officer of the Royal Artillery
is in command, there is a small garrison, and some murderous-looking
guns are in readiness to give a warm reception to any enemy who may
appear. Before leaving Albany I accepted an invitation to take a trip
out into the Sound. This was named by Vancouver, in 1791, King George’s
Sound, after the then reigning sovereign of England. It is sheltered by
magnificent granite rocks or headlands, and the anchorage is perfect,
for the islands of Breaksea, Michaelmas, and Haul Off Rock—an immense
block of stone, almost like a mediæval fortress—break the ocean swell.
The beauties of King George’s Sound have been well known since the first
navigators sought refuge in its quiet waters, and its maritime value can
never cease.
I said “Good-bye” with much regret to the many friends made during my
short stay in this little town, where even the Railway Reserve is a
perfect garden of Arum lilies. These peerless flowers seem to grow wild,
and their stately heads are to be seen everywhere. The scent of the
boronia is wafted on the breeze from afar; you hear the merry laughter
of boating-parties and of children who come along with their hands full
of gorgeous wild flowers. One of the townsfolk brought me a lovely
collection of orchids, of which there are many varieties to be found
hereabout; another friend brought me a collection of Western Australia
curiosities, shells, corals, &c.; indeed I was overwhelmed with kindness
by the warm-hearted people, and could not but be sorry to leave a place
where I had been received with so much kindness.
[Illustration: A Chopping Contest.]