The Three Colonies of Australia: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia: Their Pastures, Copper Mines, & Gold Fields"Samuel Sidney developed an interest in the Australian colony after the emigration of his brother John to New South Wales. Samuel and John established the magazine Sidney's Emigrant Journal, and worked together on two books concerning Australian emigration. The present work is an excellent description of Australia's contemporary state, where Samuel Sidney is clearly influenced by both Caroline Chisholm and Alexander Harris. He argues that the Australian colonies are ideal for working class emigration. Already in the introduction it becomes clear that Sidney is very anti-Wakefield, which makes it an important document in the debate between competing proposals for emigration. Apparently Sidney was very well-informed, he had access to otherwise inaccessible primary sources, and the verbatim transcripts add considerably to the book's value. Sidney's work is a full guide, giving excessive and detailed information on one of the most interesting world-regions."--abebooks website. |
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Common terms and phrases
acres Adelaide agricultural appointed arrived Australian Agricultural Company banks Bathurst Bendigo Botany Bay Brisbane Burra capital Captain cattle Chisholm Church coast Colonial Office Colonial Secretary colonists commenced commissioners committee convicts Creek crown cultivation Darling despatch Diemen's Land diggers diggings discovered discovery district drays Earl Grey emigrants employer England English established exports favour female Flinders formed Gawler gold gold-fields governor grants harbour hills home government horses hundred immigration agent important Island labour Legislative Council Lord Macquarie Melbourne ment miles months Moreton Bay mountains obtained Parliament parties pastoral persons plains population Port Jackson Port Macquarie Port Phillip price of land prisoners purchase quartz revenue River road servants settlement settlers sheep ship Sir George Gipps Sir Richard Bourke sold South Australia South Wales squatters Sydney thousand tion town trees Turon Van Diemen's Land Victoria wages Wakefield
Popular passages
Page 65 - The commercial regulations of the colony have in many instances been so impolitic as much to discourage mercantile speculation; for many years a maximum price was imposed by the Governor upon all imported merchandize ; and at this price, often too low to afford a fair profit to the trader, the whole cargo was distributed amongst the civil and military officers of the settlement, who alone, had liberty to purchase; and articles of the first necessity were afterwards retailed by them, at an enormous...
Page 195 - Representatives to make provision for the specific public service towards which such money is to be appropriated...
Page 163 - twas paid but for show; But he kept it and spent it; that's all that I know. The Commissioner fined me because I forgot To return an old ewe that was ill of the rot, And a poor wry-necked lamb that we kept for a pet; And he said it was treason such things to forget. The Commissioner pounded my cattle because They had mumbled the scrub with their famishing jaws On the part of the run he had taken away; And he sold them by auction the costs to defray.
Page 100 - Admitting, as every reasonable person must, that a certain degree of concentration is necessary for the advancement of wealth and civilization, and that it enables Government to become at once efficient and economical, I cannot avoid perceiving the peculiarities which, in this Colony, render it impolitic and even impossible to restrain dispersion within limits that would be expedient elsewhere.
Page 109 - I would observe that, in a new country, to which persons of all religious persuasions are invited to resort, it will be impossible to establish a dominant and endowed Church without much hostility, and great improbability of its becoming permanent. The inclination of these Colonists, which keeps pace with the spirit of the age, is decidedly adverse to such an institution ; and I fear the interests of religion would be prejudiced by its establishment.
Page 269 - He lost no time in preparing a second expe dition, for the purpose of " exploring the interior of Australia, the extent of Sturt's Desert, and the character of the western and north-western coast, and to observe the gradual change in vegetation and animal life from one side of the continent to the other.
Page 68 - ... place a considerably extensive plain is arrived at, which constitutes the summit of the Western Mountains; and from thence a most extensive and beautiful prospect presents itself on all sides to the eye.
Page 334 - A few days ago an educated aboriginal formerly attached to the Wellington Mission, and who has been in the service of WJ Kerr, Esq., of Wallawa about seven years, returned home to his employer with the intelligence that he had discovered a large mass of gold amongst a heap of quartz upon the run whilst tending his sheep. Gold being the universal topic of conversation, the curiosity of this sable son of the forest was excited, and provided with a tomahawk he had amused himself by exploring the country...
Page 412 - THE THREE COLONIES OF AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia : their Pastures, Copper Mines, and Gold Fields. By SAMUEL SIDNEY, Author of " The Australian Handbook," &c., with numerous authentic Engravings.
Page 60 - ... unknown; threatened with famine; distracted by faction; the public buildings in a state of dilapidation and mouldering to decay; the few roads and bridges formerly constructed rendered almost impassable; the population in general depressed by poverty; no public credit nor private confidence; the morals of the great mass of the population in the lowest state of debasement, and religious worship almost totally neglected.