# The Chronicles of Early Melbourne/Volume 1/Chapter 36

​C H A P T E R XXXVI. HOW PORT PHILLIP WAS PEOPLED.
SYNOPSIS
—Immigration and Emigration. — " The Bounty System."—" The Bounty System " Described.—First Immigration Board.—First Immigration Association.—Census, March, 184c —Orphan Immigration. —Indignation Meetings.— Memorial to ihe Queen. — German Immigration.—Enumeration Tables, 1836 to 1831. — Condition of Population.
HE newly occupied settlement yvas started by those yvho made their yvay to the district from Sydney and V a n Diemen's Land by sea, and the adventurous rovers and drovers yvho attempted the wild and unknoyvn overland journey from what soon came to be known as the Middle District of N e w South Wales. Fayvkner's primitive population of a half-dozen m e n and one yvoman, the historical seven, yvho comprised thefirstwhite people of Melbourne, yvere not left long in a state of solation, and ere six months had elapsed, they yvere not without a sprinkling of companions. During 1836 the progress in the yvay of colonisation was insignificant, though, considering the circumstances, even more than could be expected. Yet, though there yvas no legally constituted civil authority until the arrival of Captain Lonsdale, as Police Magistrate, in November, and not an inch of land had been legally alienated, there were at the close of the year, 50 acres in cultivation, and 75 horses, 155 horned cattle, and 41,332 sheep, revelling in the finest pasturage in the world. T h efirstpopulation return, taken in May, showed the total number of persons in the whole country (there yvas then no town) to be 177 souls, i.e., 142 males and 35 females, yvhich number increased before the next Neyv Year's Day to 186 males and 38 females, the six months having added only three ladies. Immigration, as applied to the increase of population in the early days, m a y be said to have commenced in 1837,forduring that year 740 individuals yvere so added. T h e Port Phillipian contribution to the territorial revenue, by means of land sales, commenced in August of that year, and the golden eggs, thenceforth laid in clutches, yvere so eagerly looked after, that apprehensions yvere at times entertained that the goose yvould be killed. But all the eggs were rolled off to Sydney, though the produce of many of them, transfused into yvhat were known as " Bounty Immigrants," yvas returned in human bone and sinew to the district. OF THE BOUNTY SYSTEM
It may be interesting to give a feyv details. The Land Fund supplied the means, and yvas administered by Commissioners in London, acting in concert with the authorities in Sydney. T h efirstregulations yvere issued on the 25th September, 1837, but as they were restricted, and offered what proved to be inadequate remuneration, they were revised subsequently, and what was termed " the bounties," increased. By a notification formulated from the Colonial Secretary's office, Sydney, and dated 3rd March, 1840, certain Immigration Regulations then in existence were revised, and it was determined to grant pecuniary aid under certain conditions to persons bringing into N e w South Wales from the United Kingdom, agricultural labourers, shepherds, carpenters, smiths, wheelwrights, bricklayers, masons, female domestics, and farm servants. T h e sum of £58 would be paid as a bounty for any married m a n of the foregoing descriptions, and his wife, neither of whose ages, on embarkation, to exceed forty years; £5 for each child between the ages of one and seven years ; ^ 1 0 for each between seven andfifteen; and £1$ for each above fifteen years. £19 would be allowed for every unmarried female domestic or farm servant, not belowfifteen,nor above thirty years, coming out under the protection of a married couple, as forming part of the family, and destined to remain with it until othenvise provided for; and a like amount for every unmarried male ​mechanic, or agricultural labourer, from eighteen to thirty years, brought out by a person, at the same time bringing an equal number of females, accompanying and attached to a family. O n the ship arriving at its destination the charterers were bound to provide the immigrants with suitable accommodation on shore, or allow them to remain on boardforten clear days from anchoring, and to ration them as on the voyage. Before any payments yvere m a d e the immigrants were required to present themselves before a Board of Inspection, appointed by the Governor, and the adults yvere to exhibit testimonials of good character, signed by clergymen and respectable persons of note in the places of their former residence ; yvith which testimonials it yvas necessary that every family and single person should be provided. T h e Board had also to be satisfied of the satisfactory fulfilment of the prescribed conditions, and ofthe "good bodily health and strength of the immigrants, and that in all other respects they yvere likely to be useful members of their class in society." T h e wives and families of soldiers in regiments in Neyv South Wales or in V a n Diemen's Land, and of persons serving under sentence of transportation in either colony, yvere excluded from the regulations. In October, 1841, the bounties were extended to married couples, although above 40, it not exceeding 50 years of age, but hale and capable of yvork, provided they were accompanied by one child over 10 years,forevery tyvo years the ages of the parents exceeded 40. But if either parent yvas over 50, no bounty would be paid on account of any m e m b e r ofthe family, unless qualified as a single m a n or w o m a n under the regulations. It was further to be understood that parties between the ages of 40 and 50, accompanied by children under 10 years, if in addition to the requisite number above that age, yvould not be considered ineligible on that account, nor would bounty be yvithheld on such children, if the family were in all other respects qualified according to the regulations prescribed. T h e first Immigration Board of Inspection in Port Phillip consisted of Dr. John Patterson, R.N. (the Immigration Agent), Messrs. Edward Lionel, Lee (Private Secretary to the Superintendent), and C. M . Lewis (Harbor Master). W h e n an immigrant vessel arrived in the Bay, she yvas boarded the day after by the members of the Board, w h o improvised a kind of court in the cabin, and before them the immigrantsfiledoff, were looked at, asked if they had any complaint to make, and then sent about their business. T h e ceremony was of a very perfunctory kind. T h e employers of labour crowded the ship's deck, anxious to engage town or country hands, and a considerable number yvould be engaged in this yvay. Those yvho remained left the vessel in a feyv days, and were for a short time located in tents in Melbourne, where the engagements would be resumed, and the tents were soon emptied. T h efirstimmigrants' depot yvas southyvard of the Prince's Bridge, about or on the site of yvhat afterwards yvas knoyvn as the Immigrants' H o m e on the Government House Reserve; but its distance from toyvn, the inconvenience of crossing on a punt, and the establishment betyveen the Yarra and Emerald Hill of a small colony of the rascality of the period led to the removal of the depot to the " Government block," yvest of King Street, yvhere it continued for several years. T h e Bounty System yvas full of abuses, and often afforded reason for well-founded complaint, but yvith all its drawbacks, the benefits it rendered the yveak, struggling infant settlement yvere incalculable.
In 1838 immigration added 1260 units of humanity, a total nearly doubled the next year. 1839 was an important era in the early peopling, because, during its latter half, there was a number of very desirable arrivals, merchants, professionals, and others, w h o introduced considerable capital for investment. T h e equitable distribution of the land fund was a question of m u c h interest, and thefirstefforts of public opinion yvere directed towards preventing the Sydney side from having the lion's share. Though not as successful as could be wished, this primitive agitation effected good so far that it undoubtedly obtained for Port Phillip more than it would otherwise have got.
An Immigration Association
Was formed at a public meeting of colonists, held at the Auction Company's Rooms (south-west corner of Collins and Williams Streets) on the 19th December, 1840. It was presided over by Mr. Latrobe (the Provincial Superintendent), and originated in a proposition made by the Australian Immigration Society at Sydney for the establishment of a branch Association at Melbourne. It was, however, the unanimous ​opinion of the meeting that Port Phillip yvould reap but little benefit from such an annexation of interests with Sydney, compared yvith what might be expected from the action of a local body, having for its object the introduction of immigrants exclusively to Port Phillip. A n independent body was accordingly inaugurated yvith His Honor C. Latrobe as patron, and a numerous central committee, consisting of Messrs. James Simpson, J. D. L. Campbell, AV. H . Yaldwyn, Thos. Wills, F. A. Powlett, W m . Lonsdale, P. W . Welsh, A. F. Mollison, Arthur Kemmis, H u g h Jamieson, G. F. Read, A. Morris, H . Murray, E. D. F. Hamilton, T h o m a s Ricket, J. D. Baillie, A. Campbell, Claud Farie, John Thomson, A. Thomson, 1). Fisher, G. W . Cole, James Watson, Charles Hutton, J. Enscoe, W m . Ryrie, D. Jennings, W . Piper, G. F. Burchett, Edyvard Henty, S. G. Henty, James Blair, Robert Jamieson, J. B. Were, James Graham, W m . Verner, F. M'Crae, Major W e b b , Captain Reid, Drs. Imlay and Stewart. This Association does not appear to have effected m u c h good directly, possibly through the absence of concerted and continuous exertion; but the Province was indirectly in various ways augmenting its population. Over 4000 persons yvere added by immigration in 1840, during yvhich year there yvere 358 births as against 198 deaths. A census taken (2nd March, 1 8 4 O showed the total population of the Province as 16,671, or 11,254 males and 5417 females. T h e inhabitants of Melbourne numbered 4479, or 2676 males to 1803 females, of yvhich total 152 yvere children under tyvo years, and only two persons over 60. Geelong had'454 residents, or 304 males and 150 females, including 10 under two years, none over 60, and only one individual between 45 and 60.• In all the rest of Port Phillip, outside Melbourne and Geelong, there yvere only six sexagenarians, and 305 persons under tyvo years. T h e social condition of this h u m a n aggregation yvas :—Males married, 2581 ; males unmarried, 8673. Females married, 2485 ; females unmarried, 2932. In the toyvn of Melbourne there were 809 married, and 1867 unmarried, males; whilst the married females yvere 783, and the unmarried 1020. At the close of 1841 the population was over 20,000, of waich 6908 yvere the result of immigration ; whilst the births had syvelled to 618, and the deaths were 319. T h e census also shoyvs that 939 persons "emigrated," i.e., I presume, went ayvay to seek their fortunes elseyvhere. In 1842 the immigration was slightly over 4000, and emigration slightly under 2000 ; whilst in 1843, as against 1264 immigrants, there were 2000 emigrants, an adverse balance about squared by the preponderance of births over deaths, for there yvere 1317 of the former to 313 of the latter. T h e cry for more people yvas incessantly rung out by the newspapers, and at every public meeting held for any purpose the question of immigration yvas mostly sure to be in some yvay or other ventilated. T h e population yvent on gradually enlarging, and the future Young Victoria commenced to put in an appearance of some significance, for the year 1845, yvhen the total population was estimated at 31,280, of yvhich 4335 yvere the immediate result of immigration, had to its credit 15 21 births. Still the cry was for more ; and the settlers especially were always hankering after labour cheap and in sufficiency ; and both in the colony, and through the influence of capitalists in England, pecuniarily interested in banking, commercial, and squatting pursuits here, unscrupulous subterfuges used to be resorted to, either in the shape of open and undisguised convictism, ticket-of-leave m e n from V a n Diemen's Land, or " exileism," as it was termed, from England, Happily for the country such dodges yvere frustrated by the uncompromising hostility of the population of Melbourne to any measure tending to introduce the penal system, even in the most diluted form. (Further particulars upon this point are given in the chapter on Transportation.) Public meetings yvere occasionally held, but emigration had no rallying power in it to stir the multitude to enthusiasm. T h e folloyving is a brief notice of two such events in 1847, condensed from old newspapers :— " O n the 16th August, 1847, a meeting yvas held at the Royal Hotel, Collins Street, and presided over by the Mayor (Mr. H . Moor). T h e principal speakers were Messrs. Edyvard Curr, W . F. Splatt, John Duerdin, and William Kerr. A resolution yvas passed affirming, 'That in consequence ofthe extreme scarcity of labour in the Port Phillip District, it was imperative that an effort should be m a d e to prevent the Land Fund of the Province being absorbed in immigration to the Middle District.' The draft of a Petition on the subject was approved, and ordered to be transmitted to the Governor of N e w South Wales." ​Another meeting for the promotion of systematic immigration yvas held at the same place, 20th September, at yvhich the Mayor also presided. This was got up by " squatters and others " interested in the matter, and addresses yvere delivered by Messrs. Edward Curr, Colin Campbell, W . F. Splatt, J. C. Riddell, and E d m u n d Westby. A Petition to the Governor yvas adopted, and it yvas resolved to form an Association to advance the object in view.
ORPHAN IMMIGRATION.
In the course of 1848, the Home Government conceived a design to transmit to this portion of the Colony of Neyv South Wales, a supply of female labour, consisting of orphan girls selected from the poorhouses of Great Britain and Ireland—chiefly the latter. In M a y thefirstbatch arrived, and thenceforth only at infrequent intervals. T o provide some sort of machinery for looking after the youngsters, and helping to procure them suitable employment, the Sydney Government appointed the Right Reverends the Protestant and R o m a n Catholic Bishops (Drs. Perry and Goold), Very Rev. P. B. Geoghegan (Roman Catholic A^icar-General), Rev. Irving Hetherington (Presbyterian Minister), Rev. A. C. Thomson (Episcopalian Minister), yvith Messrs. Edward Curr, W m . Lonsdale, John Patterson (Immigration Agent), R. W . Pohlman, Andreyv Russell, J. H . Ross, and James Simpson, a Port Phillip Orphan Immigration Committee and Board of Guardians. T h e girls, though rough enough in some respects, were honest, virtuous, and teachable. After entering service many of them proved to be excellent household servants. There yvere at the time certain malcoments in Melbourne, chronic fault-finders, and foremost among.'t them yvere Mr. William Kerr and the Argus neyvspaper. This journal yvas not then the influential and money-making leviathan it is noyv, but a puling urchin, only four years old, yvith a tenure of life precarious enough, and engaged in a hard struggle for existence. It yvas founded by Kerr, and after parting company yvith him, continued the mouthpiece of his party. T h e Pauper Immigration yvas, therefore, used as a good "cry" from both a national and sectarian point of vieyv, and the most alarming predictions yvere indulged regarding the demoralizing and proselytizing influences exercised by the arrival of a few hundred young girls in a new colony, yvhere an equalization of the sexes yvas a requirement yvhich a true philanthropist yvould welcome yvith satisfaction. The supposed discontent yvas fanned at every opportunity. T h e Argus charged the orphan girls with the grossest incapacity, dishonesty, and immorality, and averred that it was from their ranks that Melbourne street harlotry was recruited. From the newspaper the question was transferred to the City Council, where in 1850 Alderman Kerr moved a resolution for an Address to the Queen, protesting against the continuance of the pernicious system. After much vacillation on the part of the Council, the Address, though at first affirmed and then burked, yvas finally carried, and transmitted to its destination. It yvas, hoyvever, completely nullified by counter proceedings. A public meeting was held on the 18th April at St. Francis' school-room, off Lonsdale Street, at yvhich Bishop Goold presided, and several indignation speeches yvere delivered by Dean Coffey, the Revs. R. A. Downing, and T. Slattery, Messrs. J. O'Shanassy, John Lynch, J. W . Dunbar, J. Ballingall, James Main, S. Duggan, P. M'Donough, H . Cain, P. Kennedy, and others. Strongly worded resolutions were also passed, viz. :—(a) " Denouncing in the most unqualified language the charges as 'a base calumny. A wilful contradiction of facts and experience.'" (b) "Pledging protection and encouragement to a highly virtuous and deserving class of immigrants." (c) " Declaring that the City Council bad no right to meddle yvith such a question;" and (d) " T h e appointment of a Committee to prepare a Memorial to the Queen, in contravention ofthe mis-statements in the Council manifesto." But the most irrefutable vindication of the Irish orphan girls emanated from the St. Patrick Society. Mr. E. Finn yvas then Vice-President of that Association (a sketch of yvhich is given elsewhere), and being connected yvith the Herald, he had special facilities for hunting out information in days when no Government Statist figured in Melbourne, and anything like reliable statistics yvere officially difficult of obtainment. H e ransacked the records of the Police Court, and the gaol, procured information from the Immigration Agent, the Chief-Constable, the detectives and ordinary police, and, seized of every possible fact that could be gathered, he convened a special meeting of the Society, at which the attendance of the public yvas invited. O n the evening of the 7th May, 1850, St. Patrick's Hall was croyvded, for ​there were over 700 persons present. Mr. Finn presided, and in opening the business, delivered a lengthy and elaborate address, detailing the result of his investigations yvith a precision that carried conviction on the face of it. T n e allegations put forth by the Argus, and in the City Council, yvere torn to shreds, names of authorities given, facts and figures produced, chapter and verse quoted, and the refutation was so complete that the Argus, as if stricken by its journalistic conscience, did what newspapers were not then in the habit of doing, m a d e an amende, so far as to publish the portion of the address which had so effectually turned the tables. It did so, however, yvithout a syllable of retractation, apology, or even comment. T h e statement seemed to have come upon the journal as a surprise, and further than has been stated it maintained a solemn silence. T h e meeting yvas also addressed by Messrs. James Wallace, Jeremiah Dalton, P. M'Donough, H . Cain, J. Devine, P. Kennedy, J. W . Dunbar, M . H . Hickey, James Greene, Henry Hayden, John Bourke, and W . Finn. Resolutions were passed :— 1. "Denouncing as gross and unfounded the charges of immorality and dishonesty preferred, expressing the deepest indignation at the shameful perversions of truth indulged in, and attributing to the slanderers a desire to prejudice Irish emigration to the colony, and to blacken the national character of Ireland." 2. " Averring that the Irish Orphan Female Immigrants had, generally speaking, supplied a description of labour urgently required, as proved by the greater number of them having met yvith ready engagements and rendered satisfaction to their employers by their honesty and good conduct." 3. " That the interference of the City Council was an uncalled for and unjustifiable abuse of a representative poyver vested for purely local purposes—the administration of the Corporation A c t — a n d in no other way representative of the Province." 4. "That a copy of the resolutions be forwarded to the Superintendent for transmission to the Secretary of Stateforthe Colonies." T h e unprovoked rashness of the City Council was long remembered; but time, yvhich sooner or later softens every animosity, gradually effaced the impressions of the injustice from the public mind.
GERMAN IMMIGRATION
Was from an early period regarded as a desirable mode of increasing our population, and adding to it a contingent yvhich had in other parts of the yvorld proved a valuable contributory in developing the industrial resources of neyv colonies. Mr. William Westgarth paid special attention to the subject, and during a visit to England rendered valuable service in directing attention to Port Phillip as a suitable place for the exercise of G e r m a n industry. O n his return to the Province in 1849,3 public meeting yvas held at the Royal Hotel on the 4th December, yvith Mr. C. H . Ebden as Chairman, at yvhich Mr. Westgarth said 400 immigrants yvere shortly to arrive from H a m b u r g and Rotterdam, Dr. Thomson, of Geelong, having arranged yvith 10 families for three years. T h e immigrants included many vine dressers and yvere in family groups. They yvere coming under charter yvith the Messrs. Godefroy, yvho gave them credit for one half the passage money, the balance to be paid by those w h o employed them. Mr. Westgarth suggested the appointment of a committee to render assistance on the arrival of the consignment, and thought there ought to be a paid German Secretary, familiar with the English language. Messrs. W m . Westgarth, J. Hodgson, R. W . Wrede, W . F. Rucker, J. Hoffman, Buddee, W m . Kerr, Dr. Casperson and Dr. Black, were appointed for the purpose indicated, and Mr. Westgarth was yvarmly thanked for the kindly and patriotic interest manifested. T h e philanthropic exertions of Mrs. Caroline Chisholm in promoting family immigration to N e w South Wales and Port Phillip have become such well accredited portions of our colonial history as renders it unnecessary to dwell further on the subject here, beyond stating that the lady's husband (Captain Archibald Chisholm) came a m o n g us early in 1851, as assistant missionary. Before the ensuing Neyv Year yvas rung in there was no need for co-operative or sympathetic demonstrations, for Victoria was the golden point of attraction, to which people hurried from eveiy quarter of the civilized globe, and its inhabitants numbered close upon one hundred thousand. ​It may not be inapposite to conclude this notice yvith the following summary of the POPULATION.
Date of Enumeration.
Persons.
Males.
Females.
M a y 25, 1836 Nov. 8, 1836 Sept. 12, 1838 March 2, 1841 March 2, 1846 March 2, 185 1
177 224 3,5ri ",738 32,879 77,345
142 186 3,080 8,274 20,184 46,202
35 38 431 3,464 12,695
Number of Houses.
1,490 5,198 IO
3M43
,935
The census returns for 1851 supply the following particulars :—• SOCIAL CONDITION.
Males. Married
12,529
Males.
Females. 12,498
Single...
Females. 18,045
6
33, 73
CIVIL CONDITION.
Males. Born in the Colony or arrived free ... ... 43,006 Other free persons ... 3,053
Females. ... 30,784 356
Holding tickets of leave In Government employ In private assignment
Males. 62
Females. 3
79
0
2
0
RELIGION.
Church of England . Church of Scotland . Wesleyan Methodists Other Protestants
37,433
R o m a n Catholics
11,608
jews
18,014 364
J
1 s 4,988 | Mahommedans and Pagans 4,313 Other Persuasions
201
424
HOUSES.
Stone or Brick Wood Shingled Slated
4,864 6,128 9,912
132
Finished ... Unfinished Inhabited Uninhabited
10,237 698 ic,866 69