NEWCASTLE,

N E W S O U T H W A L E S

TUE DISCOVERER.

A SKETCH of thi3 discoverer's career may be the rae3ns of h.anding <lown to |iOstericy the .services of an enterprising seaman. The folluwing is from the voyage of Governor Philli]) to Botany Bay, published in 1789, page 183.

" We h*ve been induced to .subjoin lin this place a concise ac­count of Lieutenant Shortland, as well because his experience as an oflicer nas been'gi eat, an from the consideration that his journal has been deemed^ by thoio who b'est know its value, df very serious importance.

" Lieutenant John Shortland, very early in lite, had a strong predilection for the Navy, and in 175r) at the age of six­teen, he entered into His Majesty's service on board the Anson, a sixty-four gun sliip^ which went out in the fleet under the com­mand of Admiral Boscaweu. On the banks of Newfoundland ih 's fleet fell in with, and took the Alcide and Ly'x, two French ships of seventy four gnus. On his return from this expedition, iie went on hoard the CuUoden, a seventy-tour gun ship, and was in the fleet under Admiral Byng, ofl'Minorca, Shortly afterwards, he went into the Hampton Court, commanded by Captain Harvey, in which ship he was present at the taking of the Foadroyant and Arpc. On his arrival iu England, he weut on board the Vanguard, Commodore Swantou, to the West Lidies, in the fleet under Admiral flodney, and was present at the i-eduction of

* if ASt AWSt PSEflEJTf

Ma?tinique, the frPeaades, an([ the other islands vrVitch wefs taeu .saptHred. In 1763, he was promoted co the ratiic of Lieutenant by AdtttiFal Svraatoii. siuci* which peri'jd ke has always been em» ployed la HS'Hve and in ip i r tant services. Dur ing tkn !*te wa,r, fl,ad foreoiwe t i i Je afterwards, h(» was chieflv ^imployed i n g o i n g i^am A-meriea, excspfc In the year !782 , when he was appointed to enmm%tkd fch« fccaftsnafti with the 97th R . w t on hoard, destined /np fche relief of Gibrnitsr , under convoy «f H^M.S. Cerberus and Apollo. H« was aot only ancce^sfnl in getting alt the transports in eafuW. h«f; he als'* landed tlse men without auy loss.

" O n Lwii tenaat i^hortland's re tu rn home from this .service, ia «ade<»voiiiring fca sr^t fchvough the Out. of Gihpajtar in the night, ha w^aa/?h»aed by «, Bq't i d n a of Soanish frigates, wha took three of t h e fcr!^n«)>«>ft8 in eompiinv, lint he was so fortunate as to escape iii ltfee B^tey feFainspirt, and arrived in England wifchont either loss o r d*«na2<>!, i n the vear 1786, he w >si appointed ag©at to the *raB«ir»9rfc3 aont Hw th** ( l ivcrnm'^nt fco Nftw South Wales , a t whicli f)!ace iie arpivod (n J i n u a r y iT8S. After remaining six month* « t the n e v ast t lement in F >rt .faekson, lie was ordered to England tijT »-^(7 «f S i t i v U . by H i s E)ceelleney Governor Phi l l ip , vho ii'Jttored Sum •wiffe <;h<8 o^e ia l dispitehes foi the (S-overninent, aad lie a M r e d Jn E n g k n i OR the 29ik May, 1789.

' ' T W * «HBjtw»ry reeii)ifciil'Hif>n of Mr, Short laad 's services s u S ' Ostitis' ^(t'mta fliit Jiiii njftrifc *ri(i ahiti ty asi arj eyperieneed seaman, <yitfe<»iifc ajif f(iFt1i®y ««logi«m, which, if ifc were wanted, raight ha *'biti»d.*iifc!y «<ipr>Ued ffarrj fch? fiijhsesiteat afjeumnt of !ji« pd8»-»gft

©KSCWKST OT TUB HUWTES RtVEH.

' ^ rt M^^.tvsir^ of fctte Hmnic? R'ver. by Lieut. Shrtrtland of M-M..^. 'Udtfin,",'.. fteeiarped on i 6 t h S«p<-.enaher, 1757. Lient , ^horftJEtrid »-»frt<»(»e(I«d in hi* wfiatft haat in seareh of jfifine ef»nviets •wlia |,!^4 aetzed «ffid triin awav with one of ihe feoi^t Gavern tnen t tMMtta iia,«i«e(i tfce Cwin'bertnn'l, <in feetr pi ^ i ge fram Sydney t« *&» H9,<7^e«H<ii>9-. %A9it. SHrfcUffid, fchlnkiaT; it fikelv they might ^««i «U«ffc«F In "Part ^k».r»1ien», tnrak fcUafc course in his open boat, J n 6fif« fi«; ^%^ 4«<**[»EK»i«sted ' ' f f i^ pursiiitj liowevep, w a s ' ' n o t •^ifctiSOt; ft'ts-ii.nfca^e i fou <»« file refcura fee entered a eireir which I»« e«4(na'f ^*»fc«r ^iv&v, att<i.iit(»d A^jmit ten leagues ia fche nouth-•w»p'5 of p(?«<i gfcepfjffttt. H e found there v a s three fafcho ns of w»t«p i a (()« «f|(»4!e«t; ff^rt «f t h e entrins'^, and tha t there ^-A* «l*»igp w»b5r ft«4 (?<»fnl a!se1i9r*te witfein. The ^atritnce wan bu t

»»«>»,.. bfffc ^trewi hy »hl$\ t»Aj J»I»at}, l/i»g rfaht off it

I«a.viftg a. good pasisage r o u n d i t s n o r t h e n d a n d t h e shore , A r e e f connect'* t he s o u t h p a r t ot t he i s l and w i t h t h e fiouth shore of t h e main l and of t h e r ivex. I n t h e h a r b o u r h e f o u n d a v e r y -considerable q u a n t i t y of coal of good /qual i ty , a n d l y i n g so n e a r (the wa te r s ide ae to be c o n v e n i e n t l y 3hipi>ed, whieii gave it , in t h i s /par t icular , a mani fes t a d v a n t a g e over i h a t di!<covered to tiie s o u t h , sifard^ SotEB spec iu iens of this eoiil were b r o u g h t u p in t h e boa t . ' ' •The (o l ioAing is a v e r b a t i m copy fmru C o l l i n s ' a c c o u n t of t h e Kng l i sh Colony of N e w iSouth W a l e s i roui t h e first s e t t l e m e n t 1788 to iSOi. Vol. 2 page 48.

SepteuaUer, 1797.—^'This montli bef^au KJtli a eery re ia t ious circura-^taoco. A boat iiuiued the Uumberlaud, the largest and lie'<t in the Colouy ilielongicg to Goverinaeat, w*8 oa her passage to the Uawkesbury, whither ..she was carrying a lew etores, takeu jjOSBcsbtou of hy a part of the hoat'ii jcrew, beiug at uhe game titije bnanled by a small boat from the shore, tha jieople ia which geijad her aad put oif to eea, first Laudiug the coxswain jirid three others who weie unwillinii to ai;0(uiipaiiy them in Pi t t Vvater ia •yrokeu Bay. 'j'hose mea proceeded overland to Port JackaoH, where they ^avo the lira* iiiiorujatiou of this daring and piratical transaction. Two iboatB well inanoed and armed were iiaiucdiately despatched after them, Mader the .cooifaaud of Lieuteaaut i^hortland of the Reliance.

" O n e oi thesa boatg returned iu a lev/ days, without haviug eeen auy-(thing of them, bub Lieutenant Shortland proceeded with the other, a wbala iboat, as .far as Fort Stephens, ivhere he thought it probable they might (have t akea shelter ; but on the 19Lh, haviug been absent thirteen days, he jreturned without diacoveriag the smallest trace of them or the boat, Hu jpursuit, howevejr, had not heun without its adyaotage, for on his reiurn ha <eutered » river which he named bluuter Kiyer, (in the margin lOllt ^September) about ten leagues to tU* aouthuard of Port Stephens, into •which he carried three fathoms water, in the lihoaLest part of its eu ranee, ifiuding deep water and good anchorage within. The entrance to this river was but narrow, and covered by a high rocky isUod lying right otf it, so a« i o leave a good passage round the north end of the island, between that .»iii4 tlie shore, A reef connects the so.uth par t of the island with the suuth -shoiouf the entrance of the river,. Ia this harbour was found a very con-sKUrable quantity cf coal oi a Tery good sort, and lying so near the water #ide as to be conveuiently ahipped, which jjave it, iu this particular, a jnaniiest advantage over iliat diacovpred o the southward. Some spetjimeus <ol this coal ware brought up in the boat ."

Ti icse a r « tiie on ly pa r t i cu l a r s A'hich c a n be supp l i ed r e spec t ing (the t i rs t d i s c o v e r y of t he p o r t of N e w c a s t l e . N o t a n y t h i n g of iiu.-jportance occiuTed u n t i l Apr i l , 1804 , w h e n i t was es tab l i shed as » j ieual s e t t l e m e n t for the C o l o n y for second a n d t h i r d otfences (cottiuiitted b y .convicts t r i ed a n d s e n t e n c e d by t h e ^ u p i e m e C o n r t , Hydney., T h e ea tab l i sEraen t was lir»t fo rmed u n d e r t he d i r e c t i o n (Ot a O o i u m a n d a u t , Cbaa . TbrusUy. foq., w i t h a m i l i t a r y staff, <tc, JLC. l a 1 8 1 3 L i e u t . S k o t t o w e of 7 3 r d Keg t . , was the c o m m a n d a n t , vwith two S e r g e a n t s a n d 4 3 r a n k a n d file. A.^sis tant S u r g e o n Mr . Willkflj Braus, and Mr. John Tucker, storekeeper. A flagstaff

P.iST AND PRESENT

and coal Kfacon wi-re -A^o esliilili.shed on the hill, on which ;s now situated the rps,deuce of the pieseuc Harbour iWaster Capt. Al lan . A gaol, military barrack, oilicers' ipiurters, store, lumber yard or flock:,de, iio.^jiicil, and other nece.-iSary buihiiags were in pri 'gress. Gangs of comicts were sent u|) the rivers H u a t e r , Pat terson, and \\ illiauis, to cut cedar and other timber, and a settieii-eiit was al.,o lu.ule at Liui .bunierV LSay as a secondary punishmeab, and a breakwater coiuiuenced between Nobby'h and the main land, to give eiaployment to the worst characters. A coal shaft was opened upon the present site of the Market lately erected »y the 3Iunicipal Council, and by these means upwards of 1000 convicts were profitaibly employed. Nobby s Island was appropriated as a place of puni.'<liment lc|r refractory convict women, similar to Pinohgut in Sydney, used for a similar purpose. I u 1814 Lieut . Tliompson of the 46th Eegt . was coiumiudaut , and was succeeded by Captain VVallis ot the same Kegt,, who, dur ing his te rm of office, caused many i/iiprovements to ba effected, and erected several public bnildiugfi, including that of Christ Church, which was com­pleted iu 1821. I n looking through some old Aluiauacks, under theliead of "abridgments ol general orders, published by authori ty," there aie some curious rcgulatiuns respecting Newcastle, which I th ink worthy, of vtcurdiug. They are s truigent , and no doubt were necessary in th(>>,e eaily days of the CJiony. 1 copy them from the Almanack of 1813.

Ahrklrjment of General Orders, Puhl'tshed by Aut/writy,

'• Newcastle.— Regulations for vessels going to.—The coal and timber the eifcinsive property of the Crown. No vet^sel to proceed th i ther without a liccLibe from the Governor's Secretary. Tiie owners to enter mtu recog-uizances, themselves in £10l), and two sureties in £i5 each, to observe as follows : First, to take a regular cleaiauce from ihe IS aval Officer . Second, 10 procure cedar and coils as directed by ihe coiumaiidaut, and not to interlere witu people at public labour ; not to be troublesome or riotous, not Io disregard any order issued by the Govefiior or Commandant, on pain of penalty levied, and ves.sel ordered to depart ; no person on arriving Io leave ihe vessel until enteied, and the Conimuudaiit 's permission received to load ; to use only one kind uf basket, to contain lUO weignt of coali, lor ii.e.,sijring in and out of the vessel by ; to }<ivt a daily account to the ConiMuindaiit of coals and t imber received ; not to sail without giving him two days notice, and being provided with bis certificate and letters for tue Governor- Not to leave the harbour between dii^k and dayl igh t ; to laud at no other plhce ;liao that pointed out by the Com-ii.andant ; not to employ convicts without Commandant 's permission on pain of penally being levied on the owners for eacli oifeucc. Not to give spirits to prisoners, nor to land any without Commandaut 's permit • not to take any person lo or from that settlement vrithout a u t h o r i t y ' of the Governor or Commai.duut ; and no cx.ciis,u of the petbou'a swiinmmL'or being secreted wu board admi t ted ." •

'RR 'OI IDS OF >fr.WC.\STLE.

The G()vii-nm,"!nt colonial brig Ellzntbelh tflenrlette viHitcl i!i*? poft in July , 1816, and was unfortunately u[iset at her rnooriiu'^ in the harbour ; a Mr."?. Koss and one man were drowned. In tin.-Rume vea.sel in September, 1818, Governor Macquari« paid a vis t , to the settlement, and inspected the Public Building-J and Couvici«. I n 1819 the fir.st vessel built on the Hunter , the '• rrincp.sn Chur. htle," was launched, and in the Janua ry following Commissioner Higge, who had been specially sent by the Home authori ty to en­quire into the working and nxpenditure ot Governor .Macquarie's Government, paid the town a visit in the same vessel, and was much pleased and astonished at tlie Rjilendid discipline he tound under Major Morrisett'« Government. In the month of December, 1821, I first visited Newcastlf! in command of R. .M. C. Sloop Hally, on a voyage to examine and finish the coast survey be•< tween Sydney and Torres Straits, especially Moreton IJay ; and my report of-its capabilities being considered favourable, Mr. Oxiey, the Surveyor Guneral, was sent to select and establish the settle-ment . Although upward of .'")0 years have elapsed since, there ia not eifaced from my memory the impression then made. I had never visited a Convict settlement, or seen arbitrary power carried to .such an extent. Perhaps it was necessary for the safety of the settlement that such severe discijiline atid puoishments should be adopted, but to a stranger's eyo it seemed very un-Kaglish. Wa lk ­ing out with the Commandant to see the beauties of the harbour, the splendid ocean view, and above all the magnificent and nn-rivalled prospect from the cliurch clo.se, and to give mean idea of the awe in which he was held, 1 tound no convict passed us walking ; all drew up, head uncovered, long before we r.-^ached them, and every coal cart drew up and stopped. Soon after this, the year following, the. Hunte r l l iver was thrown open to Free Settlers, and the banks of both the Hunter , Patterson, and Willi.ams were soon alive •with free emigrants, and as a matter of course, the great severity of the e.'tablishment moJihed under the mild sway of Sir Thomas Brisbane's Government. In 1823, Sir Thomas Brisbane, paid the town a visit in H . M. S. Satellite, Captain Ciirrie, the first ship of war that had honored Newca-stle with a vivic. At this lime the -Hunter River District was (araed fiv ;iu t wide tor locating the res­pectable .settlers, who were arriving in Sydney by vessels, entirely loaded with goods and passengers direct from the United Kingdom, and to meet their wants the Government had given permission to the writer to build a vessel expressly adapted to the trade, which,

. called the ^c/i/).9o, and commanded by Captain Livingstone, late Harbour Master of the Port of Newcastle, was eminently suited to the carrying of passengers and the trade of the Port , There was

thus opened up a regular meaM of eomm-iinicatton with, a^ ' P ' ply of coals, grain, and timber for, the Sydney mafhet, ^"j ®*" , ' ^ Government protection and patron-.tge. In consideration ' ^ ' ^ y granted to my partner and myseli the tirst two town altotmcnt* measured in the city, a survey a t that t ime being made by Mr, Surveyor Henry Dangar.

This document is ol sufficient importance to have a i>lace IK these annals. I t speaks for itself, pointing out how few were the free privileges enjoyed by Englishmen iu this country a t thafr period of her history.

Colonial Secretary's Office, 23rd July, 1S22.

GBHTLEMES,-*! am directed by His Excelleiioy Sir Thos. Brisbane, in? reply to jour filemorial, to convey t» yon his periaisaion to buiM a vegael of 60 tons in Port Jackson.

On your executing a Bond tcobserse the liroal regulations of the settle* ment at Newcastle, the Surveyor General will be instructed to mark ouS and give you possession of town allotn>ents at that p-lace, tic enaibls yott tc •stablish yourselves a» Trade»'8 and M erchants.

I am, Gent emea, Youi sbidient servanl;,

F. GOULBtTRN, Colocial Secretary,

To Messrs. JoHSS BlNOtS, and KO*ERT COBAN DILLON, Sydney.

I n 1824 the Eclipse was cut out by a gang of con^victs, and fiiffi away with, and nothing was ever more beard of her , or her crew p and the English cutter Lord Liverpool was craployed under ther command of Captain Livingstone, to continue the trade, mntil th«r arrival of Captain Biddulpb in the steamer Sophia Jane at New­castle, J>ine 28th, 1 8 3 ] , which with the steamer ^fismar, arrived from Tasmania and commenced a daily t rade between Sydney^ Newcastle, and Morpeth. These were the Pioneer steamers eonvey-' ing the prodnce of the early settlers to Sydney. A company wa* formed called the Australian Company. Thev bongbt tber steamers in 1833, adding the William IV to- the fleet, and earriecJ on for a short time^ when the Company merged itself into the A.S.N, Company, established in 1841. Thi.'j Company had built in England three steamers for the trade. The Hose; Shamrock andl Thistle. These all ran successfully for years, and as they became ol<{ were replaced by others of larger dimensions. In 1844 anothes" company was formed called the H u n t e r River ©team Navigation! Company. They brought into the t rade three po«verful boats bnilfr in Enaland, named after our r iver and its tr ibutaries, viz the Hunter, 'Williams, and Patterson. Tl>ey divided the t rade with the" Old Company as they were called, and each continues their service' to thi» day. Both companies have inlroduned new and powerful

KECORDS OF NEWCASTLE. 0

steamnrs a.s the trade increased. ISTewcattle has been most fortu­nate in her steam fleet. The accommodation afforded to passengers in all their ve.isels is highly creditable to the companies, and their speed is far beyond what might be expected in so young a colony, and quite equal to similar lines in t]i« mother country.

NAME.

I am not aware that the n ime of our city •was first given by any authority of the Government; and am inclined to think tha t it was called Newcastle by the unanimous voice of the people. For some time after its discovery it wag known as the Coal Hirer , but as its trade increased it was necessary that a name should be given and from the similarity of the river with that of the Tyne, and the mineral deposits also being alike, the name of Newcastle was naturally suggested and adopted.

Mt. Burveyor Dangar, however, when marking out the town. Was not favourably imjiressed with the name by which it was gen­erally known, and he, in a small work published by him, styled i t King's Town. His authority, however, was not sufficient to over­ride that of the inhabitants, and to few even now is either his book or the ptojected name of King's Town known ; and to show that no in­tention was ever enfeitained of changing the n^me of the town, i t will be seen from the fact that the letters patent granted by our most Gracious Qiioen to the jiresent Bishop of the See was under the style and title of the Lord Bishop ot Newcastle.

TaE EARLY AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPEMEN'T OF ITS MINERAL WEALTU.

U P to the year 1827, the Government were the sole producers of co.d, but in t h i t year they handed over the whole of the interest tha t they had vested in the t rade to the A . A. Company, who a t once commenced opeiations in a manner that was creditable both to the'r management and uieaiis, A ])it was sunk on the hill a t the back of their present loading staiths. A temporary shipping place, where the vessels were moored to icceive their cargoes •was constiucted, and the means ot communication between the pit and place of shipment was by an inclined plane, and a wooden bridge, which crossed the road a little to the eastward of the 2)re" sent one, by which it was superseded in 1862. The conduct of the English Government in granting the Company such an area of mineral land and a monopoly on its production was then, and is now, the subject of complaint. This monopoly of the coal trade wan, however, terminated iu the year 1851 or 1852 by an action in the Supreme Court.

10 PAST AND PRESENT

The P i t generally called the A P i t was worked for many years ; others were sunk as the trade increased. No. 2 Pit , which is now in full work, produc«» 600 tons of best screened coal for market every working day. _

The late Dr. Mitchell owned the adjoining properties and dis­covered that it was equally rich in coal deposits, and that the upper seams could be worked at a trifling cost and without the expense ol sinking shafts. The Doctor requiring a road to his Bur wood Smelting Works, he engaged or contracted •with Messrs W . and J . Donaldson, to bore a tunnel through the Hi l l as a means of reach­ing tha t establishment; without the circuitous route round the headland. Several persons at this t ime—Messis . Donaldson, Brown, N o t t and Brown, rented part of Dr. Mitchell 's estate for the pur­pose of supplying coal to the shipping in the harbour. Horse teams for many months were employed in bringing it in for shipment, \ intil the ahoye named gentlemen sold their-interest in the land to a company, named the Coal and Copper Company, •which comi menced operations in 1853. Their funds, by expensive railways, cut­tings, and mismanagement, soon became exhausted, and their affairs wound up. The plant and expensive improTemeuts fell back in­to the hands of Dr. Mitchell iu 1862. I n tha t year the Scottish Australian Company -was brought into existence by gentlemen re* eliding in Scotland, and they have carried on a profitable trade. The Wallsend Company was started in Sydney, incorporated, and the first coal delivered and shipped J anua ry , 18G1. The coal stands A 1, and is in great demand in the foreign market . The Wara tah Company is also a colonial company and w.is incorpora­ted in the year 1863. New Lambton Pi t , belonging to Messrs. J . and A. Brown, -was opened February, 1868 ; th^ir Co-operative Tunnel in 1863, bu t did not realise the expectation of the miners, who had embarked in the ^pecnlation, and it was sold to Messrs, Lftidley and Co. in 1869, -who now profitably work it. The A . A. Company 1 have already given. These collieries are all directly connected with Newcastle, and the progress that has been made during the last quarter of a century may be seen from the following returns .

Tons. Vulne. In 18i9, the tot»l Coal raised was .,. 48,500 £14 000

18.57, ditto ditto ditto ... 210,400 148 200 1872, Aitto ditto ditto ... 6G5,69l "" 24i9n

EARLT BECOLLSCTIONS OF NB^WWASTLE.

So rapidly has the town grown, and i ts commerce increased that comparing the figure-^ which we have jus t quoted, its export of

RECOUDS o r NEWCASTLE. 11

505,994 tons valued at £243,911 10s. with the irapressioii which its a[>[)earance in 1821 created when I first visited it, I cannot venture to predict what a brilliant future there is for her yet in store. Then mo.st of the dwelliug.s were huts, inhabited by " s h o r t sentenced," men who li»d obtained their liberty by servitude, and by ticket of leavo holders, who obtained that iudulgence for good conduct. These were the only inhabit ints , and obtained their living by keeping small shops. At this time the settlement was under martial l«w, and continued so until the laud fronting the river vtna taken up by settlers. The law was then modified so as to suit and adapt its working to the habits which are so dear to Englishmen, and also to bring it more into harmony with other parts of the colony with which trade was being exchanged.,

The appearance of the huts was most cleanly, for the inhabitants were under the orders ot ihe Comm*ndant, and when ho issued the word that the buildiugj were to be white-washed, the exterihr and interior of every building from Christ Church on the hill down to the humblest hut underwent the cleansing process. One of the oldest dwelling houses of that day, and at jiresent standing, is used as the Post-olhce. I t was then occupied by the officer in charge of the Commis-iariat, and not the slightest change has taken place since I Ti»it<!d it in 1821, and at the ])resent day the old iron chest room remains secured as of old. I t was built some time be­fore that year, and considered a superior building. I t is to be handed over to the Municlp'Al Council /or their Mansion House Offices, &c., &c., so Boon as the new Post-oflSce is habitable which cannot be many weeks: The new Post-office is a handsome brick building, and conveniently situated for the receipt and delivery ot the mails, both from the railway and steameis, and will be a great acquisition to the commercial interests of the city.* Another of the oldest buildings, now standing, is Christ Church, which was commenced in 181T, and opened for Divine Service in the early part of 1821. U p to that time I can find no tr»ce of any re., ligious instruction having been given to the convicts or others ; certainly if there had been, i t was not by a clergyman. A third old building is the. dwellins house, known as Christ Church Parsonage, now occupied by the Rev. Canon Selwyn ; it was built in 1820. The Commandant's residence, named the Government House, was situated in the line of Watt-Btreet, about one hundred yards from the corner of the Barrack "wall in Church-street. This building was a coirvenient and pretty cottsge, but was unfortunately destroyed by fire some time after Major Morriset left to join his Regiment . A t the back of it, over the hill, the Major had made a pre t ty

* Since opened by the Hon. Q, A. Lloyd, Esq., June, 1873,

12 PAST XND PRESENT

walk called the Horseshoe, the only outlet even to the present day, in the shape of i pleasant stroll, and on the rocks washed by the sea he had a bath excavated f(n- his own u.se, which remains in its primitive state—called Moriiset 's Bath . '1 he three hist settlers who took up land were Mr. P ia t t , of the Folly, near New­castle on the Hunte r , near the property of the A. A . Company. Mr. J . P- Webber, of Tocal, on the Pat terson, and now occupied by Mr. Beynolds ; and Mr. Brown, of B u l w a n a , j u s t above Mait landjan estate now occupied by many families. I find in 1823, Capt. Gill-man was the Commandant, and iu the same year (the town having been measured and marked out by Mr. Surveyor H . Dangar,) than most of the free settlers had town allotments given them on a 20 years ' lease on the following terms :—That a building of a certain value should be erected before title deeds were delivered, and the land not transfeiable. A great portion of them never fulfilled these conditions, but the land and the town owes its progress to the purchasers or present possessors, and became what it now is ; a very pretty one for 50 years s tanding. I t s small area soon fell into private hands, and the Government had l i t t le or none of i ts surface at their disposal. I t is an injustice and a great mistake which is every day becoming more and more apparent in marking i t out on so lindted a scale in i ts first plans, but the second mis­take is worst than the first, that is, the grant made of all the land surrounding i t to a company formed in England for purely agricultural pu r su i t s ; and yet both surface and mineral wealth, was handed to them, and our town hemmed in by them on every side.

At this t ime there was scarcely any animal food—not even for the Government House,—beyond a herd of goats, kangaroos, and wild ducks. The kangaroos and duck.s were in g iea t abundance, as the surrounding country waa in i ts wild state, and atlorded excel­lent sport, f ix gamekeepers were kept to procure a sufficient supply for the Commandant and officers' quar ters . They were constantly employed, two or three for ducks, and the others for kangaroos. They were allowed so much ammunit ion and ex­pected to bring in daily a certain number of each k iad of (^ame, or as much more as they could get. These men were convicts and considered i t a mark of favor to be so employed / and used every effort to bring into camp (as the town was then called) above the allotted tnsk. They had been mostly poachers at home, and well adapted to the work. Others who had been bred to farmiu' ' pur­suits were placed up the river at Wallis Plains (Maitland) Nelson Plains and Patterson Plains, for the purpose of growing' wheat maize, (fee, for the settlement. They were called settlers and unac-

RECORDS OF NEWCASTLE. 1 3

countable as it may appear, were not removed on the arrival of the tree setclers, when the Hun te r and its tributaries were thrown open. They were visited frequently by the Commandant in his double-banked birge, with a house in the stern sheets, similar to the city of London barges, with the flogger and his triangles in the bow, to administei puni-ihment to the refractory, and those who rowed in the barge who did not sufficiently exert themselves. These con­victs so locsted, hold these choice spots—the cream of the Hunter , without any authority whatever from the Governraeut, but a dir ty piece cf paper under the Commandant's hand, so in like manner those who were permitted to live out of gacl in. the town, built; themselves huts on it, and were not removed by the Commandant, to the cost of those free settlers, to whom the Government gi've tho land on which these huts stood. All the annoyance that could be given the free settlers was done by the JMajor, both in town and country. He was jealous of both, as he considered they inter­fered with Ilia Government, not being under his immediate orders, Tho convicts were kept on the land under his special protection, and ultimately as year after year passed on, time created difficul­ties, and they and their offspring retain the possession or the value ot it to the present day.

When 1 first visited Newcastle in 1821, there \vere two wind« mills on Obelisk Hill, one on a large scale built of brick, the other of wood, much smaller, which foon fell to decay and disap­peared. The Obcli.sk, trected in 1850, stands on the site of the brick mill which was, without due consideration, sold and pulled down by the order of the Government in Sydney. They had betn forewarned of its utility, and the loss it would occasion to the navi­gator and the surveyor as a landmark. These facts were duiy re­presented, but from some tangle in the red tape department, i t was (Ifsregarded, and, like many other similar mistakes, when too late, it had to be lemedied at the coss of erecting an Obelisk, an expense which might have been avoided if only common sen e and attention had been paid to the representations of those v/ho woro entitled to be heard. The Obelisk does not answer all the pur-> poses of the old mill -.Thich was [lerfectly distinguished from the sumit of Mount Royal and was of great use as a fixed mark in surveying.

Our parson, the Rev . G. A. Middleton, (who was an especial favorite with the blacks) started with myself with the whole tribe of upwards of one hundred (100) on a walking trip to Lake Mac-quarie ; our necessary supplies, blankets, etc., they carried on thair heads. On arrival I was enchanted with its beautiful scenery, and can never forget it, The whole surrounding country and lake were

14 PAST AND PRESENT

serene and still, solitude reigned, no tree disturbed, and no trace of the white man's civilization, but all in its natural wild state. We enjoyed all the wild sports of Australian bush life in its primi­tive state as the Abotigines of that day (befoie they were con­taminated with our vices) were accustomed to enjoy them. Shooting, fishing, kangaroolng, and hunting—our game was ample for us all They supplied us also, by diving, with the finest mud oysters, lor which the waters of the Lake are noted, these we scal­loped on our bush fires, and we spent five or six days of as much enjoyment as I ever had in any part of the world.

NOBBT'S ISLAND, BEACON HILL AND SHIPPING DISASTERS,

The iron gang and convict establishments at Newcastle, was broken up in 1855. They had been principally employed on the breakwater, under the direction and control of Col. Ewen McPherson, a fine old soldier, who died, after leaving, from old wounds, received in the first New Zealand war, in 1854, when serving in H.M. 99th Kegt. He was a member of the Bench of Magistrates, and much respected. On his leaving he was pre­sented by the townspeople, with a farewell address, and some handsome silver plate in recognition of his services.

The Government at one time acting upon the suggestion of Col. BArney, of the Boyal Engineers, intended to remove Nobby's by blasting, but the citizens becoming aware of their design a public meeting was held in the Court House, on the 21st June, 1854, to petition the Legislative Assembly, to inquire into the particulars of the intention of the promoter?, and with a prayer that the ill-advised measure be frustrated. The citizens having taken this public step considered that their prayer would receive the atten­tion it demanded; However, i t was a false delusion, for Col. Burney, the promoter of the sofceme, was not to be daunted, but pushed on the excavation of the chambers for destroying the ill-lated Island, as it was called, and throwing it into the sea. Several of these chambers were completed, and filled with (I am afraid to say how many tons of) gunpowder sufficient not only to blow up Nobby's, but to seriously injure the city, and a day was fixed for the greac display. Fortunately for the citizens the inten­tion was known, but only a few days before it was to havei been an accomplished fact, Mr. Thorn, of Prince Alfred notoriety, visited the writer, and entered fully into his views on the matter and on his return to Sydney, at his request, called upon the Governor, inducing him to postpone the day. By this at first sight triyial incident the destruction of Nobby's -was abandoned,

l^j^,^^ < M U — ^ 1 -

RECORDS OF NE'STCASTLE. 1 5

and It remains in the position and beauty that nature as.signed it Bu t it was not long Co reaiain iu its original st ite, for it was soon determined to strike off its crest by cutting down and levelling many leet for the erection of a Lighthouse on the summit as a useful beacon by day, and a splendid light by night, to warn the mariner of his position, and guide him safely into the desired haven. Had the Island, which had weathered so many gales been removed by the Jloyal Engineer fo^ the benefit and improvement oj ihe harbour, as it was termed, it would have been looked upon by iisutical men as an unpardonable mis take ; iA«y do not look through the Koyal Engineer's 8]iec-taclc*, I have seen it afford shelter and ptoteclion to many vessels coming iii, in strong southeily weather, when tugs were not in exiatcDce, or so numerous as now. Dear old unofiending Nobby'.s, you have frequently sheltered me, and if it had not been for your friends you would have been cast to the •winds, blown up, scattered, and deposited at the harbour's mouth or into ths sea; But, thanks to them, you still stand erect in your beauty, capped wiili a .splendid lighthouse to warn the sailor of his danger and direct him into the waters of security. I n the veiy early settlement of Newcastle, a coal fire beacon (similar to tho primitive ones in Great Britain) was established on a hill called the Beacou Hill, to be a warning and guide to mariners. This fire •nas continued nightly, unti l the present lighthouse waa built, and the last night of it for a long series of years terminated at midnight, the 31st December, 1857. This hill «vaa also the signal station to give notice to the townspeople of wh»t was going on outside, and a neat sort of pagoda-house for the signal man and stoker's residence was erected in 1822, by Lieutenant Close, of the 48lh Begimcnt, •who Was acting Engineer to the convict gangs employed in constructing the breakwater. There were also seven (7) guns pUced on the point of the hill, in the shape of an earthem battery. They were used for salutes on high days and holidays, King's birthdays, and other rejoicings, aiad on more than one of those oc­casions the gunners suffered mutilation in body or limb, and it affords them no doubt a liv«;ly recollection of tiie memorable For t Fiddlestick for ;he remainder of their days. However, these for­midable weapons will neither frighten our foes, nor prostrate their gunners for the future. The flagstafi is the only relic reniaiuing. A neat cottage was built for the Harbour Master in 1860, on the site rf the old Pagoda. I t Is a suitable residence, commanding a splendid y'leif of the harbour and the sea.

Souip time in tho year 1830, I was in Sydney, and embarked

16 PAST A.VD PliESEST

on board the Governor Arthur for Newcastle. There vvei's several other passengers beside myself, the Revs. Mr. Adair and Sister, Mr. Frank Allman, Mr. Ja s , Scott, who was going to superintend Col. Duraaresque's estate in my neighbourhood, and many others. Our passage was tedious, and during the last night of our voyage, after retiring to rest, I felt the vessel strike heavily, and immedi. atel)- ran on deck, when 1 found the cafdain and crew in the greatest state of alarm and disorder, so much so tha t the Captain entreated me to act for him and assume the command, as he was perfectly unable to retain it, and he would willingly act under my r r d e r s ; my only alternative was <o do the best I could, the wind had freshened during the night from E.S.E. and our position was altogether unpardonable'. After some difficulty ] restored order and immediately fired guns of distress to a t t ract the attention of the look-out man on the hill, who, fortunately on the alert, saw and heard them and inmiediately gave notice to the Pilots' crew. During this time I had got the vessel's wlialeboat out, and by the time the pilot boat could lay safely a short distance from us, 1 succeeded in getting the females into our boat and hauling her by line to the Pilot 's, and when they had as many on board as they could carry my orders were to land them on Nobby's Island and return for more. This went on until all were safely landed, myself in the last turn and the last on board to leave. On reaching .N'ohby's we were all miserably wet and cold, and glad to be taken by the pilot boat (our own being rendered useless the last trip) to town, where we all landed a t ts r two or th iee trijis, ju3t before daylight, and took up our quartets at Mr . Cljmont 's Inn, which stood on the site of the present Great Northern Hotel . W e were only jus t in time, as by breakfast time, the Governor Arthur was no more. She had entirely broken up, and the wreck washing on Nobby's, but thank God all were safe on shore without anv serious accident, beyond (if 1 recollect right) a broken or injured «rm to Mr. F . Allman, But ths cream of the story is yet to come. After compaiing notes at the bieakfast table, it appeared that as soon as the vessel struck, all made a rush for the deck, and the minister in the dark and hurry, put on a coat which he considered his black one, and never detected his mistake, unti l about the middle of breakfast time, when to his astonishment, on bein" asked to have it dried by the fire, he discovered that he ha'd on a blue frock coat, and that it was not his own. I at once recognised it as mine, and to satisfy him, said that if it was mine, he would

S ? . n ' " ' ] j VT' ' '"' 'I 'f ' ^ I""''^'^^ ^'°°'^' containing £ 2 0 0 or XM[) H e did so, and I was amply repaid for all the exertions

KKCOEDS OF .XEWCASTLiC. il

\lned in savinj; him, and i t was a standing joke against him iint the day of his death.

Whilst reterring to these early shipiiing disasters we are re­minded of tho.se which occurred dur inga gale which raged with nvnit. fury on Ju ly 19th 18G6, 11 is gt'ueiully known as tiie Cawarra gale. I>rt;ydtul locises were sustained, tjve ves.s'-ls wrecked amongst which was the ill-fated Cavmrru, Cajitain Chattield. Being partly disabled near Por t Stejdiens on lii-r wav to the noi th-erii ports, she ran for shelter (it is suppnsed) to our ii.-iibour, and succeeded in Crossing tlie I'ar ; at that time the sea was breaking ill l i ightiul toilers, l.ut from her larneness, want of steam, and the heavy Ire.sli setting out of the harbour, was drawn dack, in and out of the breakers, for nearly an hour in sight of the town. lluuilreds ol citizens lined the shores witne.ssing this awful tragedy, and ivere powerless to render her or the crew and passengers the least assistance. At length after a very hard and maiilv struggle she fouuilered with all her crew and j'assengers, numbering nearly one hundred (100), one man excepted, who was picked up by one of the lighthouse ket jiers in a small dingy. Thirty-seven bodies were recovered, that of Cajitaiu Lhailield beiug one of the first found, and they weie MU deposited in the dead house of the hos-jiital, wher'-i a Coronei''s enquiry was held. At a ' jiublic funeral which took [ilac-e the lecovered bodies were buried in a large grave known as t i e Cawarra grave. I t vvas a sad and solemn spectacle to to witness t i 'enty-three coffins placed in a circle loiinJ the door of the oh' chuich, and as we looked upuu them, we had but to raise our eyes, and see the spot where the ill-fated vessel foundered. Never was our mind more affected than when the bodies were lowered into their last resting place, and theie was «aid the words of our incomparable church service—'• Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope ot the resur­rection to eternal lite through our Lord Jesus Christ."

t)ther bodies were afterwards picked up, and buried in the same srravA whilst those ot three were claimed bv friends and buried in Sydney.

On the Cawarra day there was wrecked the William Watson, Seayidl, Mary Hose, and Arthur.

For more ample particulars we refer the reader to the appendix.

VISIT o r PRIiNCE ALFRED.

The greatest event of the year [868, was the visit to our ci»y of H. K. H. Prince Alfred, accompanied by His Excellency Karl

1 8 PAST AXD P K E S E N T

Belmore, the Governor. 'I iiey arrived late at night on the Itii March, 1868, and on the following morning, the 5th, the public landing took place, a t r iumphal aich of coal from on- mines, wim erected, and other suitable preparat ions made to receive him. All the public bodies weie in attendance, and he was received with great eclat, an address was read and presented to him on the VVhaif, after which, conveyed in a special train, he paid a hurried visit to the coal mines. i:leturiiing at noon, he held a levee at llie Great Nor thern Hotel, and any who liked to present themselves—the washed and the unwashed —with cards and without, were received, ami as may be supposed there was a great rush, and put poor Lord Belmore quite in the shade. After the levee, the Prince and his .suite went np. the river in n steame." to Morpeth, and returned to a late dinner at the hotel. A t night the town was partially i l luminated, and a great display of fiteworks was made, accompanied by tl.o con-siant firing ot guns and other suitable rejoicings. Early ou the 6th, the par ty started by special train to Maicland to open the Agricultural Show, the members of that body entertaining him and his suite at a public luncheon, given in their best style. He also held a levee and then went on by train to bingleton. Alter making a very flying visit of it, he arrived iu ^Newcastle by 3 p.m., and immediately proceeded to Sydney, where he had (iromised to dine that evening with some public body. Quly six days after all this excitement, tha t is on the 12th, Hi s Royal Highness was struck down by the hand of an assassin a t a pic-iiic giveu at Clontarf in aid (>f the funds of the .Sailors' Home.

WHARVES, AS THEY W E R E AND ARE.

The only je t ty in early days was situated at the botto m of Watt street, and was bu: a poor specimen of engineering skill. I t re­sembled those on the banks of the river, used for private landing pkces for the settlers, and to which they moored their market boats. Wat t - s t r ee t was lengthened by casting'ballast into the river, and the wooden jetty was extended to allow small vessels to load and unload their cargoes. There was very little improvement in wharf accommodation until the railway was begun in 1855

In 1858 it became necessarv to reclaim the land on which to erect the Railway Terminus, and to lay down the numerous sidings to facilitate the shipment of coal. The sand from the Sand Hills •was tiollied down the space over which the tide flowed up to the upper line of Scott.street, and was til'ed up in a line as 1 a- as the

, i!i;(oi;us 01' xi;v,r.\sir,i;. 19

Market Whaif. During the time these works were carried on, the front was beiii^ piled and planked, until the long line of wharf, svliich we now pos.sess, was recialnied from the Injrbour

Steam cranes ware erected, a raihvay laid down, ships wore enable! to lie alongside, ]ierfectly protected from storms with a de[)th of water ranging from 13 to 20 feet.

These improvements were all efllected upon what may be termed the low level ; hense every vxaggon or box of coa' rhipped, has i.nd must be lifted from the wheels upon which it is conveyed, and placed over the «hip's hatchway liefore it can be emptied.

Staiths, at a great outlay, have been erected, to the west of the wharf, but there is not such a dejith of water there as at the CDine.". These staiths may be styled the high level, high not; only iu appearance, but in cost. This outlay is supposed V>y some to be exclusively drawn from the general revenue of the colony. But we are bold to say that most of the improvoinencs which have been inadi' in thi? liarVjour of Newcastle, to improve our .shipping,' facili ties, have lieen collected in tonnage and ])ilot dues, with other port charges, made xipon vessels visiting here, and, although thus a great deal has been acc'inipli-,lie<l, yet it is far from being adequate. The facilities which we possess are inadequate to supply the demand, which there is continually being made, and it is imperative that immediate and energe'ic steps should at once be takcnUo render more ea.sy the shipment of coal,—cultivate oclier branches of exports, and jirevent that long detention, which large vessels have unfortunately to sutler, when tliey call upon us • to supply them with our sta])le commodity.

It has always been the opinion of tlie writer that more wharves would ,bo required for shipping purposes than the s|)ace now devoted to thein affords, and he always thought from tho time when our coals were first held in demand that the great flat between Bullock Island, and the ballasc dyke, (a flat dry at ow water spring tides), that it should l e converted into a wet dock. Let it be excavated to the depth of 20 to 22 feet, with wharves around it capable of lierthing as many ships as ihe harbour can now contain. One portion could be devoted for tho shipment of coal, another to the export trade,—a trade liy the way now entirely neglected. Let warehouses be luiilt similar to those which grace the London, or West India, or Victoria Docks.

Complaints have been recently made of the want of harbour loom, and we liave cyen heard of vessels being instructed not to >-ome here because the harbour was full

2 0 PAST AKD PRESENT

Here is a plan vhich would give us an increa.se ot harbour accommodation, to the extent ot 140 or 150 acres, berthing upwards of 30 additional ships of 1500 tons register tcmnage.

If it was considered necessary by the Government for the benefit of the colony to make harbours, artificial pier.s, and Breakwaters where nature has .shewn neither design nor nece.ssity for them, and tlie.se at an enormous outlay, and if it was also considered necessary by Government to construct miles of railway, at the expense of millions, for which there is not . nor will be, for years, a return, how much more is it tlieii du ty to form for us a dock or basin, to carry on our trade -and to rid our city already too limited in area, of a nuisance which contracts it, and all of which could be done without any loss to the colony whatever. If every consumer of our coal, (for they are the proper persons to t ax—not the producer, who gives his wealth, nor the ship tha t carries it, bu t the con­sumer who uses it), was taxed through our Custom House say 2(1.

*)>or ton, a revenue of .£10,000 annually at our present rate of shipment 25,000 tons per week would yield ainjile funds to pav interest on debentures which might be issued, say from £200,000 to £250,000 as a commencement of the under taking,

1 have given n»y opinion freely on the wants and improvements' t)f the Harbour, and recommend the construction of Docks as a Go-«\;ernment undertaking, I feel myself called upon to suggest the fol­lowing ])lan by which the Government would be reim>)ursed for so large an outlay My iiropositiou is this, viz., that GrOvernine!! t debentures at a long date bearing 5 per cent, should be issued, the in te r rs ' on which would be paid by the small duty already referred to, of one or two pence per ton on all coal exported collected by

- the Customs, which would not be on the' shipping, bu t on the merchant who would sell accordingly, this iriflin" advance could not be considered a hardship or detr iment to the Port, as this <luty on 1000 tons at 2d. oer ton would only amount to £ 8 6s. 8d., and by this means, and a.s I have already stated, at the present rate of shipment aliout £10 ,000 a year would be insured to pay the interest on the Debentures issued. Such a sum would certainly be a good start to begin with, and 1)3 it remembered as the vvork advanced, increjsed f ic lities would be afforded and at least 30 or 40 ships of the largest tonnage loaded as fast as the miners couldt.ring the coal to the surface. The duty would in­crease every year, and as time went on and the hioh level shoots fell into decay, the ne'fv basin accommodation would siinolv their places. The shoots are a nuisauce and disfigurement to the Citv iind a partial fdiluve, -.ind their removed is to be desired

V

RECORDS OK N K W C A . S T L E . 2 1

We coiiinii lid tills proposal to those who are in authority, ami iiie convinced that it would not onlv Le a boon to Newcastle, pur­chased and secured by h ^ r o u n wealth, without infringing upon anj of the privileges or any person; and would also, tie an undertaking of which our Colouy iii ght be proul , and would would win lor her more renown than the engineering skill and money which has been expeniled in the construction of a zig-zag.

INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

A str-ang»Ar to the early history of Newcastle, and looking upon it now with its increasing trade, would, perhaps, lie led to condemn the non-existence of such institutions as a Chamber of Commerce, Kxchanne and Reading liooui, ifcc. ,tfcc.,—institutions which ire es­sential to a well regulated commercial community. But their ab­sence among us must not be attributed to any want of spirit O.A the part of early citiz'-ns, for a Chamber of Commerce was estab­lished in iVlay, 1856, and succeeded admirably in all its important undertakings. At that time the trade of the port was in its in-taiicy, and required every effort of the Chamber to establish it iu the eyes of the world as a free port and commodious harbour, as well as to regulate its internal commercial arrangemeius. Of, course there were jealousies of a rising port SO near head quarters, and it was no trifling matter to contend against these and other difficulties. The Governiiient were induced by the Chamber to )j;raut the citizens in perpetnitv (35) thirty-five acres of laud as a riicreation ground in the most delightlul and picturesque part of Newcastle from the top of Watt-street i-ound the Horse Shoe to the Obelisk. Thev also procured the site for the present Pos t -office, and its adjoining allotment for an Exchange building, when the subscrihei's were prepared with funds and the wants of the city required it. The (Tovernuieut architect has been allowed by the Mayor and Corporation (who woi'e aware of the a[)propriation, as well as fr'oiii the officially [lublished chart of the town from the ^urveyor-Genei'al's Othoe) to build on the site a Telegraph and Post-office, thereby depriving the citv of what had been granted to it. The commencement of the wharves and manv other mercantile advantages originated with the Chamber of Commer'ce, and it also exerted itself most strenuously to obtain a local Trinity or Pilot and Uarliour Board for the management of and to supply the local wants of the ])ort, so that it would be jnder their control and direc­tion. 'Idiey succeeded in obtaining this from the Government, and a list ot nauticiil gentlemen was forwarded from which they would select tlios! they considered best adapted to pi-omote the welfare