September 3, 2025 • 9 mins
Dive into a fascinating collection of letters penned by the early pioneers of Victoria, addressing the Lieutenant-Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe in response to his circular dated July 29, 1853. These correspondences provide a glimpse into the early days of the colony, its interactions with the Aboriginal community, and the perspectives of those who shaped its history. While these letters offer valuable insights, they are not without their flaws; as noted in the preface, they cannot be deemed infallible records of our past. The series concludes with a unique compilation of Aboriginal words and phrases gathered by a dedicated woman, which, though their accuracy may be uncertain, stands as a testament to her commitment to preserving cultural heritage. Remember, the views expressed in these letters reflect the sentiments of the time and may not necessarily align with modern perspectives. (Annise)
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section fifty of Letters from Victorian Pioneers. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Letters from Victorian Pioneers. Letter fifty from Doctor A. Thompson,
(00:25):
March twentieth, eighteen fifty four. Sir, I would have replied
long before this to your circular of date twenty seventh
July last, but waited expecting to find my journal, which
was lent to Miss Drisdale and cannot be found, which
will account for the meager reply. I now make one.
(00:47):
In September eighteen thirty five I shipped per Narbal Captain
Coltish the first cattle for Port Philip second. In March
eighteen thirty six I landed at my Melbourne with my family.
There being no constituted authority, I was requested to act
as a general arbitrator. I did so by common consent,
(01:10):
my tent being the police office. Many felt a pride
in showing an example in upholding order, which was done
without much trouble. The people were very quiet and attended
every Sunday morning at my tent for public worship. Where
I read the Church of England service. Three. In April
eighteen thirty six I built by subscription a house for
(01:34):
a church and school, the old weatherboard lately removed from
Saint James. Four. The first clergyman who visited us was
their Reverend josph Orton Westleyan, and afterwards their Reverend Messrs Clough, Forbes,
Grills and Butterfield. Five. In May eighteen thirty six mister
(01:55):
Batman arrived with his family. Six. From that time we
had weekly arrivals with stock from Van Dieman's land, and
many stations were taken up near Melbourne. Seven. In July
eighteen thirty six we took the first census, numbering one
hundred and forty nine. Eight. In December eighteen thirty six
(02:18):
the first herd of cattle was brought from Sydney by
mister Jino Cardiner and Captain herborn Geelong. Nine. In May
eighteen thirty six I landed my sheep at Point Henry
and occupied the present township of Geelong at the sheep
station and indented head as a cattle station of Captain Swanson,
(02:41):
Messrs Coobie and Stead, and myself had the whole Western
district ourselves for eighteen months parties, being all afraid of
the blacks. We were afterwards joined by road Night Dark
Durwent Company, Russell Anderson, Browne, Reed, MacLeod, Staglitz, Sutherland, Morey, Morris,
(03:01):
Lloyd ware Lhermon's Armitage, Raven Petted, Francis Bates and others. Ten.
In eighteen thirty seven I built the present house of Cardinia,
which I called after the Aboriginal ward for Sunrise. I
built also a house for the Darwin's Company, occupied afterwards
by mister Fisher. Eleven. In eighteen thirty eight mister Scratchen
(03:26):
built the first store in Geelon. He was followed by
Messrs Rocker and Champion Aborigines twelve. On my first journeys
into the country, I was very much surprised to find
so few natives, and thought they were keeping out of
the way. During our first visit to Bunignon we did
not see one, and on our first journey to the west,
(03:49):
when we discovered Colac and Krenga meat, we saw about
twenty at Pirnyallock, who fled on seeing us. On better acquaintance,
I found their number real le very small, all within
hundred Miles had visited US thirteen in December eighteen thirty six.
I was at great pains to muster all that were
(04:10):
in the Geelon district and gave each a blanket. They
were Buckley's tribe, and he assured me I had mustered
the whole of them, amounting to only two hundred and
seventy nine. They were always friendly. I was well known
amongst them, and wherever I went there received me kindly.
But alas the decrease has been fearful, chiefly from drinking
(04:33):
and exposure to all weathers bringing on pulmonary complaints. Since
our connection was the Whites, there has been little increase.
When I first numbered them, they had several children amongst them,
but they decreased every year, and now in this tribe
we have only thirty four adults and only two children
under five years. The men now living were all children
(04:55):
when I arrived, and are beginning to look old, so
that in ten years more there will not be one alive.
Every attempt to civilize them has signally failed. I have
had several in my family for years and taught them
to read and go to church with the family, but
after a time the other youth would threaten them and
(05:16):
carry them off when they again got fond of a
savage life. I am convinced that no plan except one
based on entire isolation will succeed with these poor, degraded people. A. Thompson,
M C. Too. His Excellency C. J. Latrobe Esquire addendam.
(05:38):
The Merrack scrubby Hills near Cape Otway, formed fifty miles
by ten of dense scrub exactly like the country you
saw at Wilson's Promontory, with immense trees towering to the
height of eighteen and one hundred and twenty feet and
foreign trees of twenty feet in the gullies, a rich
black soil, and streams of water running into the sea
(06:01):
every six or seven miles. A. Thompson Lonsdale's notes on
doctor Thompson's statement two. Mister Simpson was named by the
persons interested in the formation of a settlement at Port
Phillip as arbitrator, et cetera. Doctor Thompson and another ware
I understand afterwards name to assist him somewhat in the
(06:25):
quality of assessors. Doctor Thompson may possibly during the absence
of mister Simpson in Van Diemen's Land have acted as
arbitrator in some cases. As to the state of order
among the people, I have no reason to doubt but
that they were as peaceable as could reasonably be expected
under the circumstances in which they were placed. But I
(06:48):
know that repeated representations were made to the Sydney government
to the contrary of so strong a nature that Sir
Richard Bourke thought there was a problem ability of some
resistance being offered to his establishing authority in the place,
and directed me to apply to Captain Hobson for the
(07:08):
marines of his ship, should I find the detachment of
troops I took with me insufficient. This, however, was perfectly useless.
The people were quite quiet. The only indication to the
contrary was the simple circumstance of the printed proclamations, which
I had cause to be posted up being torn down.
(07:29):
One of the first persons who made himself known to
me was doctor Thompson, who, with a formidable brace of
pistols in his belt, told me he was very glad
I had arrived, as they were in a most lawless
state and always in dread of being assaulted, or something
to that effect. Doctor Thompson's appointment by the Port Phillip
(07:49):
people was that of medical officery, and I think catechist
in the former capacity. He was afterwards for a short
time in the employment of the government. I dare say
he performed the church service as his states, but on
my arrival I did not understand it was performed. Mister
James Smith was the first I was aware of who
(08:11):
read the service regularly on Sundays for such of the
people as choose to attend. Three. When I arrived in September,
this building was not near finished. I was given to
understand that it was erected by general subscription for Church
of England service, and was handed over to me for
this purpose. I afterwards collected further subscriptions to finish it,
(08:35):
in the course of which I had some little altercation
with doctor Thompson, who was supposed to be unconnected with it,
but he claimed to be a member of the church.
Four The Reverend mister Orton was hereafter I arrived as
a passing visitor. I was not aware that he had
been here previously. Mister Waterfield, an independent minister, was the
(08:59):
first clergyman who arrived to perform service permanently. Mister Naylor
had paid the settlement a visit, and had performed service
and some of the rights of the Church of England. Eight.
It was mister Gardiner and mister Joseph Hawdon who brought
over the first herd of cattle from Sydney. Twelve. This
(09:20):
is a very uncertain and indefinite statement, and appears in
some measure to be contradicted by the next paragraph, where
a tribe belonging to a small tract of country is
represented to be two hundred seventy nine, and which I
can say is correct from what I saw of the
other tribes at that time. End of Section fifty
Section fifty of Letters from Victorian Pioneers. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Letters from Victorian Pioneers. Letter fifty from Doctor A. Thompson,
(00:25):
March twentieth, eighteen fifty four. Sir, I would have replied
long before this to your circular of date twenty seventh
July last, but waited expecting to find my journal, which
was lent to Miss Drisdale and cannot be found, which
will account for the meager reply. I now make one.
(00:47):
In September eighteen thirty five I shipped per Narbal Captain
Coltish the first cattle for Port Philip second. In March
eighteen thirty six I landed at my Melbourne with my family.
There being no constituted authority, I was requested to act
as a general arbitrator. I did so by common consent,
(01:10):
my tent being the police office. Many felt a pride
in showing an example in upholding order, which was done
without much trouble. The people were very quiet and attended
every Sunday morning at my tent for public worship. Where
I read the Church of England service. Three. In April
eighteen thirty six I built by subscription a house for
(01:34):
a church and school, the old weatherboard lately removed from
Saint James. Four. The first clergyman who visited us was
their Reverend josph Orton Westleyan, and afterwards their Reverend Messrs Clough, Forbes,
Grills and Butterfield. Five. In May eighteen thirty six mister
(01:55):
Batman arrived with his family. Six. From that time we
had weekly arrivals with stock from Van Dieman's land, and
many stations were taken up near Melbourne. Seven. In July
eighteen thirty six we took the first census, numbering one
hundred and forty nine. Eight. In December eighteen thirty six
(02:18):
the first herd of cattle was brought from Sydney by
mister Jino Cardiner and Captain herborn Geelong. Nine. In May
eighteen thirty six I landed my sheep at Point Henry
and occupied the present township of Geelong at the sheep
station and indented head as a cattle station of Captain Swanson,
(02:41):
Messrs Coobie and Stead, and myself had the whole Western
district ourselves for eighteen months parties, being all afraid of
the blacks. We were afterwards joined by road Night Dark
Durwent Company, Russell Anderson, Browne, Reed, MacLeod, Staglitz, Sutherland, Morey, Morris,
(03:01):
Lloyd ware Lhermon's Armitage, Raven Petted, Francis Bates and others. Ten.
In eighteen thirty seven I built the present house of Cardinia,
which I called after the Aboriginal ward for Sunrise. I
built also a house for the Darwin's Company, occupied afterwards
by mister Fisher. Eleven. In eighteen thirty eight mister Scratchen
(03:26):
built the first store in Geelon. He was followed by
Messrs Rocker and Champion Aborigines twelve. On my first journeys
into the country, I was very much surprised to find
so few natives, and thought they were keeping out of
the way. During our first visit to Bunignon we did
not see one, and on our first journey to the west,
(03:49):
when we discovered Colac and Krenga meat, we saw about
twenty at Pirnyallock, who fled on seeing us. On better acquaintance,
I found their number real le very small, all within
hundred Miles had visited US thirteen in December eighteen thirty six.
I was at great pains to muster all that were
(04:10):
in the Geelon district and gave each a blanket. They
were Buckley's tribe, and he assured me I had mustered
the whole of them, amounting to only two hundred and
seventy nine. They were always friendly. I was well known
amongst them, and wherever I went there received me kindly.
But alas the decrease has been fearful, chiefly from drinking
(04:33):
and exposure to all weathers bringing on pulmonary complaints. Since
our connection was the Whites, there has been little increase.
When I first numbered them, they had several children amongst them,
but they decreased every year, and now in this tribe
we have only thirty four adults and only two children
under five years. The men now living were all children
(04:55):
when I arrived, and are beginning to look old, so
that in ten years more there will not be one alive.
Every attempt to civilize them has signally failed. I have
had several in my family for years and taught them
to read and go to church with the family, but
after a time the other youth would threaten them and
(05:16):
carry them off when they again got fond of a
savage life. I am convinced that no plan except one
based on entire isolation will succeed with these poor, degraded people. A. Thompson,
M C. Too. His Excellency C. J. Latrobe Esquire addendam.
(05:38):
The Merrack scrubby Hills near Cape Otway, formed fifty miles
by ten of dense scrub exactly like the country you
saw at Wilson's Promontory, with immense trees towering to the
height of eighteen and one hundred and twenty feet and
foreign trees of twenty feet in the gullies, a rich
black soil, and streams of water running into the sea
(06:01):
every six or seven miles. A. Thompson Lonsdale's notes on
doctor Thompson's statement two. Mister Simpson was named by the
persons interested in the formation of a settlement at Port
Phillip as arbitrator, et cetera. Doctor Thompson and another ware
I understand afterwards name to assist him somewhat in the
(06:25):
quality of assessors. Doctor Thompson may possibly during the absence
of mister Simpson in Van Diemen's Land have acted as
arbitrator in some cases. As to the state of order
among the people, I have no reason to doubt but
that they were as peaceable as could reasonably be expected
under the circumstances in which they were placed. But I
(06:48):
know that repeated representations were made to the Sydney government
to the contrary of so strong a nature that Sir
Richard Bourke thought there was a problem ability of some
resistance being offered to his establishing authority in the place,
and directed me to apply to Captain Hobson for the
(07:08):
marines of his ship, should I find the detachment of
troops I took with me insufficient. This, however, was perfectly useless.
The people were quite quiet. The only indication to the
contrary was the simple circumstance of the printed proclamations, which
I had cause to be posted up being torn down.
(07:29):
One of the first persons who made himself known to
me was doctor Thompson, who, with a formidable brace of
pistols in his belt, told me he was very glad
I had arrived, as they were in a most lawless
state and always in dread of being assaulted, or something
to that effect. Doctor Thompson's appointment by the Port Phillip
(07:49):
people was that of medical officery, and I think catechist
in the former capacity. He was afterwards for a short
time in the employment of the government. I dare say
he performed the church service as his states, but on
my arrival I did not understand it was performed. Mister
James Smith was the first I was aware of who
(08:11):
read the service regularly on Sundays for such of the
people as choose to attend. Three. When I arrived in September,
this building was not near finished. I was given to
understand that it was erected by general subscription for Church
of England service, and was handed over to me for
this purpose. I afterwards collected further subscriptions to finish it,
(08:35):
in the course of which I had some little altercation
with doctor Thompson, who was supposed to be unconnected with it,
but he claimed to be a member of the church.
Four The Reverend mister Orton was hereafter I arrived as
a passing visitor. I was not aware that he had
been here previously. Mister Waterfield, an independent minister, was the
(08:59):
first clergyman who arrived to perform service permanently. Mister Naylor
had paid the settlement a visit, and had performed service
and some of the rights of the Church of England. Eight.
It was mister Gardiner and mister Joseph Hawdon who brought
over the first herd of cattle from Sydney. Twelve. This
(09:20):
is a very uncertain and indefinite statement, and appears in
some measure to be contradicted by the next paragraph, where
a tribe belonging to a small tract of country is
represented to be two hundred seventy nine, and which I
can say is correct from what I saw of the
other tribes at that time. End of Section fifty
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