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 five 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 five from Thomas Winter,
Notes on Port Philip by Thomas Winter, esquire of Hobart Town,
(00:24):
in a letter to mister Swanston. Perhaps you have heard
that in eighteen o two two ships were dispatched from
Sydney with prisoners under sentence of transportation from that place
and a suitable guard, in order to form a settlement
for the infliction of secondary punishment, and Port Philip was
the place appointed for it. The vessel arrived there, but,
(00:44):
strange to say, the country, being considered inhospitable and badly watered,
the place was relinquished and the party came instead to
Van Diemen's Land and formed the fast settlement in this island.
It appears that from that time till about two years
and a half ago, no one had visited that part
of the coast adjacent to Port Philip. Then some sailors
(01:06):
who had gone upon it by chance, described it in
such terms as led mister Batman, and one or two
more to visit this new country. The result, you know,
a company of settlers was formed, and while they were
petitioning the Home Government for the grant of a large tract,
the place became notorious, and all eyes were set towards
a country possessing what seemed to the Van Diemen's Land
(01:28):
that led the source of unbounded wealth, namely unlimited pastridge
for sheep, and that of the finest kind. Great numbers
of sheep were soon sent over, so great that now,
within two years of the first shipment, the estimated number
of sheep and lambs in that country is two hundred
and fifty thousand, a few only of which have been
(01:49):
lately sent from Sydney out stations over land. Having mentioned
a few interesting circumstances connected with the place, I will
now describe the place itself. The entrance to Port Phillip
lies about north of Circular Head, the northwest point of
Van Diemen's Land, at a distance of one hundred and
eighty miles. The harbor resembles an inland sea and is
(02:11):
from forty to fifty miles across. The navigation is, however, intricate.
The water being for the most part shallow, with but
a narrow channel through the sand flights, these being covered
for the most part with about two fathoms of water.
At the northeast extremity of the harbor is the mouth
of the Yarrow Yarrow River, upon which, at the distance
(02:31):
of seven miles from the anchorage in the harbor is
the township of Melbourne. At the mouth of this river
is a bar of mud over which the water flows
only nine feet. Consequently, small vessels alone can reach the town.
Williamstown is formed opposite the anchorage on the western side
of the mouth of the Yarra at Jellybrand's Point, and
(02:54):
would be a thriving township but for the want of
fresh water, of which none has been found, and the
only supply at present is brought from Melbourne in boats.
The situation of Williamstown is very pretty, and it consists
of about ten houses and stores, chiefly for the reception
of cargo from vessels. Melbourne is also beautifully situated on
(03:16):
a gently sloping hill upon the banks of the Yarra,
and surrounded by a lovely country lightly covered with trees,
chiefly eucalyptus and acacia. I think there are one hundred
and fifty built or in progress at the present time.
For some miles round Melbourne, the country bears the same
beautiful character, grassy and luxuriant, with trees scattered over it,
(03:37):
as in the least woody parts of old forests in England.
There is, however, so great a scarcity of large sound
timber fit for building that the greatest part of Melbourne
is built with wood from Van Diemen's Land. The want
of good timbers generally felt throughout the colony, and although
there is plenty in the interior, it is probable that
(03:58):
many parts will always be more easily supplied from the
island than from elsewhere. Almost every kind of natural scenery
is to move met with at Port Philip, though it
is very rarely that we find the steep, thickly wooded
hills which abound here. On the contrary, I would say
that the largest quantity of land, perhaps one half the
country already explored, is plain, generally without trees, nearly flat
(04:22):
and often stony. Some of these plains are lightly timbered
and are then called forests. The hills vary very much,
some resembling the Wilchier Downs with the same short pastridge
others covered with rich, long herbage and spotted with trees,
while others are woody to the top. But few of them, however,
(04:42):
are either too steep or too woody to prevent a
horse trotting up to the top. About fifty miles west
of the port is a beautiful fresh water lake, the
scenery around which is delightful. It is about ten miles round.
Beyond this is a saltwater lake ninety miles in scon
with numerous smaller ones or lagoons, all of which are salt.
(05:04):
A singular feature of the country is the salt that
abounds within a few yards of freshwater rivers. Water rises
into holes as salt as the sea. I found one lagoon,
the water of which was nearly gone with a thick
crust of pure salt, and nearly all the wells hitherto
dug yield the same briny fluid. There are no navigable rivers.
(05:26):
Neither can the country be called well watered. I doubt not, however,
that eventually wells will be bored or dug sufficiently deep
to reach fresh water springs. The sheep, cattle, and horses,
and indeed every animal that has been sent over thrives
in an extraordinary manner. Lambs three months old weigh as
much as their mothers, while the cows are like fatted beasts.
(05:50):
The natives are numerous and troublesome. Indeed, they are the
greatest drawback to the colony, since they cannot be trusted.
Several murders have been committed by them, but not lately,
and they seem to fear the white man's revenge. The
men are tall, well made, and muscular. Their hair long,
black and generally curly, such as might be coveted by
(06:11):
an English dandy. Features very various, but often good teeth,
particularly fine. The original clothing, both of men and women,
seemed to be two mats made of skins joined together,
the one hanging before the other behind. Now most of
them have some article of English clothing. Their natural food
consists of the meat of the country when they can
(06:33):
kill it, but chiefly roots, of which the favorite is
that of a plant very much like dandelion. This they
roast or eat raw. Their arms are spears, stone hatchets,
and a sort of wooden tomahawk. The quadrupeds of the
country are the kangaroo of the largest kind, or forester.
Only a possum, bushy tailed and ring tailed flying squirrels,
(06:55):
which are I fancy o possums having the membrane between
the legs. These are theirus, the smallest, about as large
as a full sized cat. Is a very beautiful animal,
resembling the English squirrel in shape, the color slate shaded
off to white, the tail black, and the fur beautifully soft.
The warm bart I believe is the same as in
(07:17):
Van Diemen's Land. The holes are different and are remarkable,
being always of one construction, a large funnel shaped hole,
perhaps six feet deep and three in diameter at the bottom.
The burrow then strikes off horizontally, invariably under a large
slab of stone, which prevents the earth falling. How the
(07:37):
great hall is formed puzzles me. It is generally covered
with grass except the path by which the animal descends.
Rats are very numerous, rather smaller than the common English one.
The native dog a perfect fox, is the most destructive
animal to sheep. On account of this, sheep are folded
every night. I hope to send you ahead of one.
(07:59):
The words are the emu. I saw several, but could
not get one. My overseer found a nest with sixteen eggs.
We left them, but the natives afterwards found and ate them.
The native turkey, which is a busted and rather common.
The native companion a beautiful bird of the crane kind.
Apparently I was told of a kind of bat with
a body larger than a rat, but could not see one.
(08:23):
Owls are numerous, and there is a great variety. So
are eagles and hawks. White parrots are bound. Indeed, there
is a great variety of this tribe. Some very beautiful
quails are very plentiful, one species being very rare, their
color nearly black with red spots. I saw one at
a distance, but could not put it up again. I
(08:45):
saw but few insects. The weather was often rather cold,
and I was seldom stationary in a good district. Sirkadi
are deafening. End of section fifty five. Recording by Jenny
Bradshaw S
Section fifty five 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 five from Thomas Winter,
Notes on Port Philip by Thomas Winter, esquire of Hobart Town,
(00:24):
in a letter to mister Swanston. Perhaps you have heard
that in eighteen o two two ships were dispatched from
Sydney with prisoners under sentence of transportation from that place
and a suitable guard, in order to form a settlement
for the infliction of secondary punishment, and Port Philip was
the place appointed for it. The vessel arrived there, but,
(00:44):
strange to say, the country, being considered inhospitable and badly watered,
the place was relinquished and the party came instead to
Van Diemen's Land and formed the fast settlement in this island.
It appears that from that time till about two years
and a half ago, no one had visited that part
of the coast adjacent to Port Philip. Then some sailors
(01:06):
who had gone upon it by chance, described it in
such terms as led mister Batman, and one or two
more to visit this new country. The result, you know,
a company of settlers was formed, and while they were
petitioning the Home Government for the grant of a large tract,
the place became notorious, and all eyes were set towards
a country possessing what seemed to the Van Diemen's Land
(01:28):
that led the source of unbounded wealth, namely unlimited pastridge
for sheep, and that of the finest kind. Great numbers
of sheep were soon sent over, so great that now,
within two years of the first shipment, the estimated number
of sheep and lambs in that country is two hundred
and fifty thousand, a few only of which have been
(01:49):
lately sent from Sydney out stations over land. Having mentioned
a few interesting circumstances connected with the place, I will
now describe the place itself. The entrance to Port Phillip
lies about north of Circular Head, the northwest point of
Van Diemen's Land, at a distance of one hundred and
eighty miles. The harbor resembles an inland sea and is
(02:11):
from forty to fifty miles across. The navigation is, however, intricate.
The water being for the most part shallow, with but
a narrow channel through the sand flights, these being covered
for the most part with about two fathoms of water.
At the northeast extremity of the harbor is the mouth
of the Yarrow Yarrow River, upon which, at the distance
(02:31):
of seven miles from the anchorage in the harbor is
the township of Melbourne. At the mouth of this river
is a bar of mud over which the water flows
only nine feet. Consequently, small vessels alone can reach the town.
Williamstown is formed opposite the anchorage on the western side
of the mouth of the Yarra at Jellybrand's Point, and
(02:54):
would be a thriving township but for the want of
fresh water, of which none has been found, and the
only supply at present is brought from Melbourne in boats.
The situation of Williamstown is very pretty, and it consists
of about ten houses and stores, chiefly for the reception
of cargo from vessels. Melbourne is also beautifully situated on
(03:16):
a gently sloping hill upon the banks of the Yarra,
and surrounded by a lovely country lightly covered with trees,
chiefly eucalyptus and acacia. I think there are one hundred
and fifty built or in progress at the present time.
For some miles round Melbourne, the country bears the same
beautiful character, grassy and luxuriant, with trees scattered over it,
(03:37):
as in the least woody parts of old forests in England.
There is, however, so great a scarcity of large sound
timber fit for building that the greatest part of Melbourne
is built with wood from Van Diemen's Land. The want
of good timbers generally felt throughout the colony, and although
there is plenty in the interior, it is probable that
(03:58):
many parts will always be more easily supplied from the
island than from elsewhere. Almost every kind of natural scenery
is to move met with at Port Philip, though it
is very rarely that we find the steep, thickly wooded
hills which abound here. On the contrary, I would say
that the largest quantity of land, perhaps one half the
country already explored, is plain, generally without trees, nearly flat
(04:22):
and often stony. Some of these plains are lightly timbered
and are then called forests. The hills vary very much,
some resembling the Wilchier Downs with the same short pastridge
others covered with rich, long herbage and spotted with trees,
while others are woody to the top. But few of them, however,
(04:42):
are either too steep or too woody to prevent a
horse trotting up to the top. About fifty miles west
of the port is a beautiful fresh water lake, the
scenery around which is delightful. It is about ten miles round.
Beyond this is a saltwater lake ninety miles in scon
with numerous smaller ones or lagoons, all of which are salt.
(05:04):
A singular feature of the country is the salt that
abounds within a few yards of freshwater rivers. Water rises
into holes as salt as the sea. I found one lagoon,
the water of which was nearly gone with a thick
crust of pure salt, and nearly all the wells hitherto
dug yield the same briny fluid. There are no navigable rivers.
(05:26):
Neither can the country be called well watered. I doubt not, however,
that eventually wells will be bored or dug sufficiently deep
to reach fresh water springs. The sheep, cattle, and horses,
and indeed every animal that has been sent over thrives
in an extraordinary manner. Lambs three months old weigh as
much as their mothers, while the cows are like fatted beasts.
(05:50):
The natives are numerous and troublesome. Indeed, they are the
greatest drawback to the colony, since they cannot be trusted.
Several murders have been committed by them, but not lately,
and they seem to fear the white man's revenge. The
men are tall, well made, and muscular. Their hair long,
black and generally curly, such as might be coveted by
(06:11):
an English dandy. Features very various, but often good teeth,
particularly fine. The original clothing, both of men and women,
seemed to be two mats made of skins joined together,
the one hanging before the other behind. Now most of
them have some article of English clothing. Their natural food
consists of the meat of the country when they can
(06:33):
kill it, but chiefly roots, of which the favorite is
that of a plant very much like dandelion. This they
roast or eat raw. Their arms are spears, stone hatchets,
and a sort of wooden tomahawk. The quadrupeds of the
country are the kangaroo of the largest kind, or forester.
Only a possum, bushy tailed and ring tailed flying squirrels,
(06:55):
which are I fancy o possums having the membrane between
the legs. These are theirus, the smallest, about as large
as a full sized cat. Is a very beautiful animal,
resembling the English squirrel in shape, the color slate shaded
off to white, the tail black, and the fur beautifully soft.
The warm bart I believe is the same as in
(07:17):
Van Diemen's Land. The holes are different and are remarkable,
being always of one construction, a large funnel shaped hole,
perhaps six feet deep and three in diameter at the bottom.
The burrow then strikes off horizontally, invariably under a large
slab of stone, which prevents the earth falling. How the
(07:37):
great hall is formed puzzles me. It is generally covered
with grass except the path by which the animal descends.
Rats are very numerous, rather smaller than the common English one.
The native dog a perfect fox, is the most destructive
animal to sheep. On account of this, sheep are folded
every night. I hope to send you ahead of one.
(07:59):
The words are the emu. I saw several, but could
not get one. My overseer found a nest with sixteen eggs.
We left them, but the natives afterwards found and ate them.
The native turkey, which is a busted and rather common.
The native companion a beautiful bird of the crane kind.
Apparently I was told of a kind of bat with
a body larger than a rat, but could not see one.
(08:23):
Owls are numerous, and there is a great variety. So
are eagles and hawks. White parrots are bound. Indeed, there
is a great variety of this tribe. Some very beautiful
quails are very plentiful, one species being very rare, their
color nearly black with red spots. I saw one at
a distance, but could not put it up again. I
(08:45):
saw but few insects. The weather was often rather cold,
and I was seldom stationary in a good district. Sirkadi
are deafening. End of section fifty five. Recording by Jenny
Bradshaw S
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