Darling Quarries—Kalayamba Vineyard—Mr. Brookman—Lady
Forrest—Cambria—Mayor of Perth—Mr. Hackett—Canning Park Races.
It was a very pretty drive from Perth to the Darling Range Quarries,
where great quantities of stone for road-making and other purposes
were being turned out. The quarry is situated on the western slopes of
the range, and commands a magnificent view of the whole country to the
sea-board. The proprietor of the now prosperous quarries, Mr. Statham,
gave us a brief history of his enterprise, which began nearly five years
ago. For the first three years, March 26 was for him an unlucky day.
First he was burned out and lost between £300 and £400. In the following
year the same thing occurred, and he was a loser by £1200. The third
time, when March 26 came round, he felt disposed to stop the machinery,
but the day did not pass without accident, for the engineer was blown
up, and had to be taken to the hospital, but recovered in about a month.
Since the third accident Mr. Statham has felt proof against disaster on
March 26.
Stretching away from here in the direction of Bunbury are over 80,000
acres of well-matured land waiting for clearance and then cultivation; at
present there is no stock to feed on it, no creatures being seen but a
few wild horses.
The homestead and vine plantations of Kalayamba, belonging to Mr.
Wiedenbach, are prettily situated on the wooded banks of the Canning
river, and the grapes some of the finest that I have ever seen. Five
years ago Mr. Wiedenbach obtained cuttings at a cost of 2_s._ 6_d._
each, and from these he grafted six vines, out of that number four grew,
and at the present time the vines from the four cuttings number 500 or
600. The vinery contains 4000 vines. There are 3100 citron-trees, and
over 5000 other fruit-trees, many of them having fruit of phenomenal
size and most exquisite flavour. The oranges, especially the mandarins,
are really splendid. Last year 300 orange-trees yielded over 3000 dozen
oranges. The lemon-trees are almost as good. The climate of Western
Australia is specially suited to the growth of the orange. The most
delicious oranges I have ever tasted grow on the slopes of the Darling
Range, and must be eaten to be appreciated. The apple- and quince-trees
were positively bent to the ground with their lovely burdens; while the
almond-trees were a beautiful sight.
There is also a magnificent estate situated on the Canning river at
Cannington, called Riverside, and belonging to Mr. W. Brookman, the
well-known mining millionaire of Perth and Kalgoorlie.
This gentleman’s town house is full of fine furniture and curiosities
brought in part from Europe, among these being a dinner service of 120
pieces, each of which bears a different pattern of Venetian lace, the
whole set representing every pattern made in Venice since the earliest
manufacture of lace. In the drawing-room are exquisite chairs, the
embroidery of which is the work of a continental sisterhood; vases of
Venetian glass which cost 100 guineas each, Bohemian glass bowls in
amethyst, thickly encrusted with gold; priceless statuettes of Carrara
marble, and elegant Louis Seize cabinets containing rare curios from all
countries, are a few of the contents of this rich room; while on the
polished floor are handsome Brussels squares, on which lie rare skins,
one specimen of a magnificent Polar bear, with glistening teeth, bright
eyes, and perfect head, lying almost life-like. A fine aviary adjoining
the house is full of the twittering of birds and chattering of parrots.
[Illustration: MOUNT ELIZA AND SWAN RIVER]
After the wealth and magnificence of the Gold King’s house, it is not
to be wondered at if other homes look plainly furnished, and yet Lady
Forrest’s, although an old-fashioned house, is most pleasant to visit.
The furniture and surroundings are in exquisite taste. The afternoon I
called, the artistic drawing-room looking out into the garden of sweet
flowers was most restful to the eye. Lady Forrest is most kind and
genial, and very much liked by every one. She takes great interest in her
husband’s work, and takes many a worry from him by seeing people herself
who come to interview him. “Sir John is nearly always busy,” said Lady
Forrest pathetically, “I can’t get him to talk to me sometimes.” There
are a great many works of art in the house, especially pictures, some by
Lady Forrest herself and some by well-known artists; many portraits of
Lady Forrest’s ancestors, and also bits of lovely English scenery from
her father, the late Mr. Hammersly’s, old home in England, called Pyrton,
of which she is justly proud. Mr. Hammersly was an English sportsman, and
came to Australia many years ago. Lady Forrest is a Western Australian
born.
There are many other nice old houses in Perth, notably Mrs. O’Grady
Lefroy’s, at the upper end of St. George’s Terrace, called Cambay. The
house stands back in spacious grounds, and belongs to the family, which
is of old standing in Perth. Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy in 1843 made an
excursion into the Lake District to the east of York, and his discoveries
have been of great value to the country. Twenty years after, in 1863,
Mr. Lefroy made a more extended exploration. Mr. H. Bruce. Lefroy,
the late genial Minister of Mines, is a Western Australian, but was
educated at Rugby, England. He was Minister of Education in 1897, and
has administered the Department of Mines with great skill, and to the
satisfaction of Parliament and people.
Next to Mrs. Lefroy’s house is that of the late Mr. Alexander Forrest, in
1900 Mayor of Perth for the third time. Mr. Forrest has also done good
service in the early exploration of the colony, and is now known as the
Cattle King, because he took up immense tracts of land in the various
districts, utilised them for cattle stations, and amassed a large fortune.
There are two daily newspapers in Perth. The _West Australian_ is edited
and owned by the Hon. J. Hackett, M.L.C. Mr. Hackett is an Irishman who
landed in Melbourne thirty-five years ago. He was a barrister, but shook
off the shackles of the law, came to Western Australia, took up land, and
eventually became proprietor of the _Western Australian_ newspaper.
The other daily, the _Morning Herald_, belongs to a syndicate. As there
are several weekly papers, and a _Sunday Times_, Perth is well supplied
with newspaper lore.
The weather being beautifully fine, I one day accepted an invitation
to the races, and behind a spanking pair of horses, and in congenial
company, whirled away to Canning Park. Arriving at the course, after a
pleasant drive, we found fully 3000 people on the picturesque racecourse.
Nature had donned her most inviting garb, the day was beautifully cool,
and the effect of the mantle of green with which the lovely country was
decked was heightened by the shades of the surrounding hills. The vista
from the grand stand was delightful, and everybody was in good spirits
and well pleased. The terrible stiffness which, as a rule, characterises
Perth society, seemed to be thrown off for a time, and the leaders did
not, as they often do, glare at all newcomers as if to say, “How dare
you come here? This is our country; stay away.” Many pleasant afternoon
tea-parties were in evidence, the racing was good, and the band played
excellently. Some very handsome dresses were worn. When we left to return
to Perth I felt quite charmed with the pretty course, and also with
my good luck, for I had won two dozen pairs of gloves and ten golden
sovereigns—quite a run of luck for me.
[Illustration: ST. GEORGE’S TERRACE]