# The Chronicles of Early Melbourne/Volume 2/Chapter 55

CHAPTER LV.
A BUNDLE OF OLD ADVERTISEMENTS.
ON the principle of noscitur a sociis there is no surer mode of ascertaining the feelings of a community at any particular period than a study of its newspaper advertisements; for they are, to all intents and purposes, its companions for the time, and the media through which are ventilated its wants and wishes, its frivolities and perplexities. This department of an extensively circulated journal may not be inaptly assimilated to a telephonic gallery, by whose agency, opportunities, and facilities of inter-communication are afforded, applicable to universal use. This species of literature reflects with more fidelity than any other the conditions of individual and general temperament, and as a social, economic, and even political weather-guage, is as unerring as the reading of the barometer, or the pulsations in the human system.
If London, Paris, Berlin or Vienna, as they are now seen, could have access to a newspaper press issued during the first years of their existence, what curious untold relics of rare historical value, would not their advertisement columns reveal! In this respect Melbourne was peculiarly fortunate, for in less than a year after the fixing of its township it had its newspaper, such as it was, with its advertisement columns as indicators of the form and pressure of the hour. The site of Melbourne was determined on, on the 4th March, 1837; the first sale of Crown lands was held on the 1st June following, and the 1st January, 1838, witnessed the birth of Fawkner's puny journalistic manuscript bantling, the Melbourne Advertiser. Except a three months' hiatus, caused by the temporary cessation of the first newspaper, which was terminated by the establishment of the Port Phillip Gazette the connection has never once been cut to the present moment, when the journalism of Melbourne may fairly compete with kindred institutions throughout the world. I have prepared a collation from a series of old advertisements, which cannot be read with other than a strange interest, because of the beginnings of businesses, professions, and other avocations to which they refer. It would be a matter of no concern now to hear of the arrival of a lawyer, a doctor, a monthly nurse, an undertaker, a barber, an apothecary, or a tailor, or the importation of a stallion, a piano, or a cask of whisky; but a notice of the individuals who were the first to engage in such and other enterprises in the colony, is a very different thing, and to the antiquarian, the general reader, and the investigator of the wonderful progression of Melbourne in a short half century, such facts, though apparently trivial in themselves, cannot be devoid of interest.
In the chapter on journalism, reference is made to the advertisements published in the Advertiser, and in the early numbers of the Gazette and Patriot. The town was very limited, the population small and sparse, and trade and commerce inconsiderable, until the close of 1838, when the settlement began to make head-way. At first the advertising notices were principally devoted to announcements from storekeepers (as sellers wholesale and retail were then styled), Fawkner's Hotel, and shipping agents; but gradually the area was enlarged, and one by one new arrivals popped into print, and put forth their claims for public patronage. The first of the "barber" fraternity opened shop (24th October, '38), as "John Lamb, hairdresser, in Collins Lane, near the Royal Highlander." This Lamb, by no means as sheepish as his name might imply, in course of time cut his connexion with the painted pole, and took to billiards and grog selling. As "Jack Lamb" he was well known on the early turf, was once the landlord of the Albion Hotel, in Bourke Street, and as a billiard player his brand was A1. ​T h o m a s Capel, the first brewer, signifies that he sells " Capel's beer entire," and that " beer equal to any brewed in Melbourne is to be had at the Britannia Brewery, near the Wharf, at 2S. per gallon." Mr. John Hodgson, once well-known in Legislative and Civic circles, appears to have been the first introducer of musical instruments, for in November he advertises for sale " two superior pianos, one an elegant cabinet, and the other a horizontal." His stock was soon after increased by a supply of accordeons, flutes, clarionets, hunting and other horns, and some compass-fitted walking sticks. H e must have found m u c h of this a dead stock, for some of the articles were as unsuited to the public requirements as could be, and selected with about as m u c h judgment as was shown three years after when Mr. T. C. Riddell, an ancient wine and spirit merchant, actually got out from England a consignment of skates. Potatoes first opened their eyes at the corner of Flinders and Queen Streets, where Frederick Pitman "offered a few tons of the best at the moderate charge of 9s. 6d. per cwt. cash;" and P. W . Welsh was not behind in the provender line, as he was ready to sell oats at 6s. per bushel of 40 lbs., and at the same shop were also to be purchased a cigar-case with flint and steel, playing cards, lucifer matches and wax tapers. H e also had on hand several numbers of the Pickwick Papers for one shilling each. Three ladies were early in thefieldcatering for their o w n branch of the public. T h e first was Mrs. Lilly w h o (26th October, 1838) "apprizes the ladies of Melbourne that she has opened a quantity of baby-linen and children's dresses assorted, and for sale at the lowest prices." A week after she is vastly improved upon by Mrs. Aberline, w h o "opened a Tuscan Straw Bonnet establishment in Queen Street, and had received a quantity of Tuscan, Dunstable, and coloured silk bonnets at lowest prices." Mrs. Stewart strikes in the next week by "informing the ladies that she has commenced business as a dressmaker, and hopes by proper attention to orders to merit a share of public patronage. For cards of address apply at Gazette office." The first manufacturer of leather appears to have been Richard Tancred, in Tancred's Lane, off Collins Street and Flinders Lane, and had " sole, kangaroo, and kip, sheep and basil, & c , both imported and manufactured by self; and to be sold on the lowest terms for good payments." It was a neck-and-neck race between the m e n costumiers, but Mr. T. O'Reilly had the start in Collins Street as a "fashionable tailor." Close on his heels rushed Henry Grayling, late from Jermyn Street, St. James', London, tailor and habit-maker, in Little Collins Street. In the course of a few weeks Mr. O'Reilly has evidently got into trouble of another kind, as he issued a published manifesto in these words :—" Having seen m y n a m e posted up by a person named Finnigan, I beg to inform him that I have no wish for his wife to remain in m y employ; but she having informed m e that they had entered into a written agreement to separate, they taking each a child, I employed her as a housekeeper." T h e first saddle and harness maker m a d e his appearance in December, 1838, in the person of T h o m a s Jackson, from London. Orders were receivable "at Mr. John Moss's ale brewery, back of the Ship Lnn, or at M r . Smith's Lamb Inn." During the next month John Dinwoodie, saddler, collar and harness maker, from London, notifies his intention to c o m m e n c e business on the 19th, in Little Collins Street. Connubial unhappiness publicly showed itself so early as 1838, for on the 25th October, T h o m a s Coombes, wheelwright, cries d o w n the credit of his "better-half" by "cautioning the public against allowing his w.fe, Mary Anne, to go 'on tick,' as he will not be responsible." Amd the second to proclaim his domestic troubles was a James Connell, whose wife, " Shine," had unceremoniously given him the slip, and he consequently disavowed all further pecuniary liability on her account. T h e first engraver, John Greene, started business in a wee brick cottage just westward of the Temple Court Hotel in Little Collins Street. I have in m y possession a silver crest and monogram done by h.m, thefirstof the sort in Melbourne, and an exhibit of handicraft which would not discredit one of the metallic operators of the present day. ​The first confectioner's shop was opened in Collins Street, and issued its programme in 1838, after this fashion :—" Overton and Hill, bakers, confectioners, rusk and fancy biscuit makers. Ready to receive orders for wedding, dinner, and supper cakes, dressed dishes, pasties, patties, supplies, & c " Mr. Overton is (1888) residing near Melbourne, and an interesting reference to him appears in the Chapter on " Gas," for he was the first to apply it to shop lighting in Melbourne. T h efirstServants' Registry Office was kept by Edward Cockayne, w h o advertised his head-quarters as "at the Ship Inn, near Custom House. Flinders Lane." T h e first imported stallions are notified towards the close of 1838, viz., " R o m e o , a beautiful Entire horse," belonging to John M'Nall ; " Y o u n g Clydesdale, the best horse in the district," owner, John Hodgson; and " Noble," belonging to Alfred Langhorne. T h e "night-hawks" were early abroad, judging by the rewards offered in connection wtih nocturnal depredations, for the Rev. James Clow promises to pay ^ 1 0 "for information leading to the recovery of a quantity of silver plate stolen from his house on the night of 27th October, '38, i.e., table, dessert, tea, and egg spoons, dinner and dessert forks, soup ladle, gravy spoon with open division across, marrow spoon, and butter knife." George Smith, the proprietor of the Lamb Lnn, was so plucked by fowl-stealers that he offers £o reward for information whereon to convict the thief. Crown Land trespassers were also making a commencement, for Captain Fyans, P.M. "cautions persons against gathering, without being duly authorized, shells on pretence of burning lime on the shores about Geelong ; also, burning and collecting limestone, or removing anything on the Government ground." In the Gazette (28th August, 1839), there is an advertisement from two or three bachelors who wished to become respectable members of society, i.e., entering into the matrimonial state, and they expressed a hope "that no prudish fears will withhold the ladies from answering this appeal to Cupid, but will joyously c o m e forth in all their pristine purity, to meet half-way those w h o will Letters be but too happy to link their fates together in the happy bonds of holy matrimony. addressed A. B., care Gazette Office, will meet with the greatest secrecy and attention." T h e gentlemen, notwithstanding the scarcity of eligible spinsters, soon grew more exacting as to personal and pecuniary attractions, for in July, 1841, a young gentleman of good expectations advertises for a wife with ^ 3 0 0 0 . " She must be tall, and well-proportioned in every respect; but above all must have small feet and well-turned ankles, an expressive black or languishing blue eye, good teeth, and pouting lips." It is not at all likely that he was suited. A curious glimpse or two are obtained of the early business vocations of Mr. J. T. Smith, the seven times Mayor of Melbourne, for cropping up in the trade notices is one dated 26th March, 1839, in which he opens the Australian Store in Collins Street (the heart of "the Block") where he vends groceries, ironmongery, tobacco, and slop clothes; and notifies "that coffee will be roasted and ground early every morning of a superior quality ; also a small supply of fresh butter." In April, 1840, " h e retires from the grocery and store business, and is going into the timber trade." In 1838 John Briars announces that he has opened a stone quarry within two miles of Melbourne, where he had a supply of nine-inch coursers, and foot base stones on hand, and for sale by the load or otherwise. John Bennell, senior, of Little Bourke Street, advertises superior shell and stone lime, deliverable over Melbourne at is. 9d. per bushel; and so that purchasers m a y be sure of correct measure, he sent a bushel that they might measure for themselves. H e was soon followed by A d a m Murray, w h o in 1840, pompously announces "that he manufactures shell lime after the directions of Signor Ancello Cornaro, modeller and plasterer to the King of Naples, at 2s. 6d. per bushel. Stone lime free from sand or other impurities, prepared specially for the erection of churches, bridges, gaols, and other edifices of a permanent character, 2s. to 2s. 6d." T. S. Kay, from London, commenced business in Bourke Lane, "in the manufacture of nautical and optical instruments, where he had for sale spectacles and reading glasses, and informed the public that experience has proved beyond the shadow of doubt that the dust so often flying through the metropolis has a most baneful effect upon the vision." ​T h e first publicly proclaimed dancing master appeared in September, 1840, in the person of C. Clarke, w h o was "prepared to give tuition in dancing in the house in Bourke Street, recently occupied by Dr. Cotter." In 1843, Monsieur E. C. Greene (a gentleman of colour, though not so stated in advertisement), m e m b e r of L'Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, opened a "Fencing and Dancing Academy," at the corner of Lonsdale and Queen Streets. T h e first restaurant was opened in Melbourne in March, 1840. It is advertised as a tea, coffee, and dining-room, at the corner of P'linders Lane and Elizabeth Street, by Richard Graham, who emphatically declares that no trouble will be spared in promoting the comfort of his customers. " Up-country settlers leading their teams to Melbourne will find good accommodation on the premises," where there were single and double beds, and the newspapers were taken in. The first regular tobacconist was Jno. Macheeknie, w h o c o m m e n c e d 28th September, 1839, in "a fancy snuff and cigar shop," in the Market Square, next to the "Sporting Emporium." The " blowing u p " of this individual has been narrated in a previous chapter. About the same time D. Dole advertised himself as an operative chemist and druggist in Collins Street. H e performed operations of bleeding, capping, and tooth-drawing, and for the convenience of his customers was supplied with a varied assortment of groceries of the best description; but intermingled with the black and green teas were such trifles as quills, ink, and sealing wax, fancy snuffs, turpentine, and French polish. In October appeared in town a personage w h o afterwards m a d e a noise in more capacities than one, and whose name appears in the " Corporation" and other chapters. H e was a Mr. Michael M'Namara, a Sydney tailor, w h o opened " the E m p o r i u m of Fashion in Little Collins Street, and was ready to m a k e naval and military uniforms to order, equal to any imported from London or Paris." In November, 1839, George Arden, a co-proprietor of the Gazette, offered for sale "an English-built bush or travelling carriage and dog-cart, brought overland from Sydney, capable of holding four persons, and worthy the attention of squatters w h o have the happiness in this land of toil of possessing wives whose kindly and womanly offices can m a k e the rude hut of the lonely squatter enviable to the inmates of a palace." T h e first coachbuilder was Ebenezer Brown, w h o at same time started the business of "making in all its branches," in Little Bourke Street; and Lewis Robertson, a duly qualified veterinary surgeon, was not only willing to doctor, but also to train horses, and, furthermore, "to give security in any amount." T h e first published place of accommodation for horses was kept by James Graburn, who "called attention to the superior character of his livery and bait stables, where none but steady grooms were employed." Quite a flutter was occasioned among the small beau monde in January, 1840, when "Mrs. Brown, dressmaker to the Countess of Llandaff and the ladies of the Court of Dublin, begged respectfully to inform the ladies of Melbourne and its vicinity, that she had commenced business at N o . 4 Little Flinders Street East, and wanted two out-door apprentices." But she was soon cut out by Mrs. Margaret C. Dick setting up in Collins Street. H e r credentials set forth "that she had served under Mrs. Williams, dressmaker and milliner to Queen Victoria." R o w e and Co. (1840) initiated a somewhat pretentious medical establishment in Collins Street, next the Club House (now Union Club Hotel), not only as manufacturing chemists, but as having received a select assortment of the newest and most fashionable remedies, on the purity of which the profession and public m a y depend." For domestic use they supplied "pearl sago, sal volatile, salts, Robinson's patent groats and barley, pickles, capers, Lucca oil, and superior snuffs and lemon syrup. A new pastry-cook had also commenced under the n a m e of J. Davies, w h o informed " the gentry and public that he had a constant supply of soups, jellies, and brawn, and that dishes of all kinds are made to order." H e was soon outdone by Philip Burgin, from London, as a "pastry-cook and confectioner in all its branches. Jellies and blanc manges, mock-turtle, ox-tail and mulligatawney, ​with wine biscuits equal to Lemaun, of Threadneedle Street, London." This "Phil" distinguished himself in other more questionable ways, for he turned into a professional billiard player and marker, took occasionally to the stage, and was the first to sing to a public audience, the Cockney doggerel, misnamed an Irish comic song, "Paddy's Wedding." T h e first issue of Kerr's Melbourne Almanac and Port Phillip Directory, in January, 1841, contains a cloud of advertisements, indicative of a marked improvement in the trading habits of the community. In it are to be found the commercial notices of most of the early merchants such as Ashurt and Co., W . and H . Barnes, O. Williams, W . Westgarth, J. Cropper and Co., J. Bullen, Worsley and Forest, Campbell and Woolley, Heape and Grice, Hunter, Somervail and Co., J. B. Were, Thomas, Enscoe, and James, F. Pittman, P. W . Welsh and Co., Langhorne Bros., & c , & c D. H . Ley appears as thefirstadvertised gold and silversmith, working jeweller, and watch and clockmaker. H e professed to be stocked with a splendid variety of London-made jewellery, chains, seals, and watches, by the most celebrated manufacturers. H e was ready to repair and rate chronometers, and make Masonic jewels to order. H . G. Harrington had succeeded R o w e and Co. in the apothecary's shop next the Club House. His stock in-trade went far outside the pharmacopoeia, for he vended with his medicines innumerable trifles such as English honey and West India tamarinds, Tomlin snuffs and boxes, lucifers, Promethean and magic lights, pickles, jams, and marmalades, preserved meats and high dried sprats, lemon syrup and raspberry vinegar, table and pudding raisins, Indian currie powder, and wine-glasses and tumblers. R. Wilson and Co., chemists and druggists, are advertised at the corner of Collins and Queen Streets, where they had, at very great expense,fittedup a sodawater machine and fountain, from which the public could be supplied with most delicious beverages, viz., sodawater, effervescing lemonade, and raspberryade, either in draught or in bottle, A wholesale and retail draper, silk mercer, and haberdasher (W. Empson), appeared in Collins Street, with every description of drapery and fancy goods of the newest style, sprinkled with such useful commodities as Tuscan and Dunstable bonnets, Wellington boots, sheets, pillow-cases, and table-cloths, and only stopping at stretchers and mattresses of every kind. T h e tobacco, snuff, and cigar business soon spread, and, amongst others of lesser note, James Dick, junior, Collins Street, offered weeds of various brands, with 'Paddy's plain and fancy snuffs, real Planchadoes, • superior Young Queen, Havannah, and Chinsurah cigars, plain and fancy pipes, &c. But in August, 1842, Miss Jane Browne m a d e a further advance by opening a cigar divan, coffee and reading-room, in Elizabeth Street. Intending patronisers were assured that it was a place " combining every convenience for the enjoyment of smokers, as well as of those w h o love to cull the flower of literature while sipping ' the cup which cheers but not inebriates.'" T h efloristsappeared in 1841, when Daniel Bunce was prepared to sell packages of seeds and specimens of indigenous plants, m a d e up for exportation, at one guinea each. H e was also open to "lay out and stock gardens and pleasure-grounds, and had fruit and forest trees and seeds of all kinds." H e was outbid in public favour by Francis S. Dutton, of Collins Street, announcing " receipt of, direct from the celebratedflorists,Avan, Eaden and Son, Harlem, and Cornelius Stegenhock, of Nordyk, a large assortment of the choicest roots of tulips, hyacinths, jonquils, anemones, ranunculus and narcissus, ever imported." But Bunce for many years continued to be regarded as the professional horticulturist of the district. H e accompanied the explorer Leichardt on one of his North Australian expeditions, and he finally obtained the Curatorship of the Geelong Botanical Gardens, where he died some years ago. There was not m u c h newspaper puffing amongst the Melbourne butchers, w h o probably spent all their " blowing " energies in preparing their meat for the market; but one queer old fellow of them so believed in the magic of type, that he occasionally issued notices of a somewhat original make-up. H e was the A d a m Murphy already named, and he changed from lime-selling to the block and cleaver, at which he did not prosper, and subsequently resorted to half-a-dozen other means of obtaining a crust. In 1841 his butchery was in Bourke Street, near Swanston Street, where he professed to "retail roasts, steaks and chops, at 20 per cent, below rate." A s a sample of his m o d e of advertising, I transcribe ​a declaration " that the bullocks he n o w possesses for smallness of bone and deliciousness offlesh,are in no respect inferior to those which grace Nature's silken carpet beside the beauteous Lakes of Killarney." T h e primitive barbers, w h o attended customers at their houses, never got on well together; indeed they lived in such a state of mutual hatred that, if they could only do it without fear of Judge or Jury, they would have a pleasure in shaving one another. A p o m p o u s and combative m e m b e r of the tribeflourishedin 1841, and for several years after. His chequered pole was displayed from a shop in Elizabeth Street, between Collins and Little Collins Streets. His n a m e was Alfred Cooper, and in hisfirstadvertisement "he hoped to gain a share of patronage from an enlightened public, and put an end to the system of extortion hitherto practised by the Knights of the Razor. Easy shaving, 3d.; fashionable haircutting, 6d.; and he undertook to carefully ' ground' and set, not only razors, but surgical instruments." T w o months after he " warns ladies and gentlemen about trusting their lives in the hands of certain parties w h o profess to be tradesmen, situated in the precincts of Flinders Lane," taking care to add " that his Macassar pomade being in the original jars, ladies and gentlemen are requested to send their empty pots." Cooper's bete noir was H . S. Milbourne, w h o kept a little shop in Little Flinders Street, and rather prominently advertised his capabilities and his wares. H e not only shaved, but hair-dressed and perfumed, set razors and m a d e ordered wigs, fronts, and ringlets. H e had not only " an extensive stock of every description of perfumery, including combs and brushes," but he outdid his competitors by keeping a private room for hair-cutting. This Milbourne appears to have incurred the ire of others of the craft besides Cooper, for in 1842 one Walsh, w h o introduced himself as a newly-arrived hairdresser from N e w B o n d Street, London, through the public press wished " Milbourne, the barber, to recollect that he w h o lives in a glass house should not throw stones," a time-worn truism, which embodies a bit of advice applicable to other handicrafts than the tonsorial. In 1844 two somewhat special advertisements appeared, viz.:—It was announced as something novel on behalf of J. A. Marsden, that he had in his shop (Collins Street) "the most splendid exhibition of Berlin patterns ever imported to the colony, consisting of designs for chair-covers, piano-stools, ottomans, & c , in every variety of size and figure." This Berliner is the " Big Marsden" referred to in other chapters, and w h o m a y be still seen (1888) airing himself about the streets of Fitzroy, and administering justice, untempered with mercy, as a local Magistrate. H e is nearly as bulky, but not quite as smart, lively and long-winded, as in days of yore. J. S. Lambert, established in Queen Street, vouches for his ability "to repair and clean guns and pistols in a Mantonian and Purdeyian style that cannot be equalled by any other shop. N o imported or cobblers' rubbish applied—nothing but colonial workmanship, even to the nipple." Little Bourke Street was the head-quarters of the pristine oyster vendors, and one of them, named Clegg, startled the community with an announcement of turtle soup; but when it came to be spooned it was found to be a heterogeneous home-brewed compound, which was " m o c k " turtle in the most unrestricted sense of the epithet. I believe thefirstreal turtle soup was advertised in August, 1845, by J. W . Cowell, the then proprietor of the Royal Hotel, in Collins Street. H e not only guaranteed it to be such, but assured his customers " that there was a constant supply always on hand, and that he had engaged the only professed cook in Melbourne." In every annual balance-sheet issued by the Management of the Melbourne Hospital appears a quiet, unassuming little bequest of ^ 5 from the executors of Margaret Carroll; and h o w few know anything of the kindly donor, w h o went her way to the Old Cemetery m a n y a year ago ! She was one of the old confectioners, w h o kept an establishment in Elizabeth Street, and in 1845 she advertises "her thanks for the success of 'The Melbourne Restaurant,' and solicits attention to her extensive stock of pastry jellies, sodawater, lemonade, & c , with innumerable articles for morning refreshment." Mrs. Carroll was a widow lady with three daughters, one of w h o m was the handsomest girl of her time. T h e old lady had a «refrigerator" established on the counter, upon the cooling virtues of which she never tired expatiating. All the girls died young, and she followed them; but her name remains perpetually associated with the existence of Melbourne's oldest and principal Charity, through the periodically recurring gratuity demised by her benevolent thoughtfulness. ​On the 26th May, 1845, the following trade circular appeared in the newspapers :— New Drapery Establishment, Commercial House, (Late R. Spence's), Elizabeth Street. J O H N O ' S H A N A S S Y and CO., beg to announce to their friends and the public in general that they have commenced the Drapery Business in the above house.
No need to indicate the identity of the principal partner in the above firm, for few guessers will mistake the individual. T h e premises consisted of a small one-storey tenement on the eastern side of Elizabeth Street South, a few yards distant from what was known for m a n y years as the Clarence corner, where the City of Melbourne Bank n o w stands. In August, 1845, tne following announcement appeared in the newspapers:— Daguerreotype.—Little Flinders Street, at the stores lately occupied by Messrs. E. Westby and Co. M R . G. B. G O O D M A N begs to inform the inhabitants of Melbourne and its vicinity, that he has taken those extensive premises lately in the occupation of Messrs. Westby and Co., Little Flinders Street, and nearly opposite the residence of William Hull, Esq., J.P., where he will commence practising the above art on Monday next, the nth August, where he hopes by attention and care on his part to receive here as great a share of patronage and support as has hitherto been kindly extended to him in all the adjacent colonies that he has had the honour of visiting. For the information of those who may not have studied this most interesting and marvellous art, Mr. Goodman begs to state that sitting does not exceed five seconds, and the whole picture isfinishedand delivered in four minutes, thus avoiding the delay and tedium attending frequent and protracted sittings, and ensuring by the nature of the operation (which is the reflection of thefigureitselffixedin a mirror) a true and faithful likeness both of face, figure, dress, expression, &c, & c , ; in fact the portrait is a stamp of the original, and produces in effect a SECOND-SELF. As Mr. Goodman's stay must be very limited, he would particularly impress on those who may wish to patronise him the necessity of making an early application. Price of each Portrait—one guinea, including a handsome gilt and Morocco case. Specimens to be seen at the Stores, Little Flinders Street, at Mr. Cashmore's, corner of Collins and Elizabeth Streets, or at the Office of this Paper.
Mr. Goodman does not seem to have made a bad thing of it, for after being in business for four months, and taking £870 in cash, he rather unexpectedly packed up one summer morning and packed himself away, bag and baggage, to Adelaide. In 1846 the notion of versified advertising was realized by some of the more energetic of the retailers. There were two or three semi-professional rhymesters in Melbourne, and though no doubt ample value was given for the fees paid, some queer outbursts of rigmarole occasionally appeared in the newspapers. From a small pile I cull three specimens:— Henry Baker opened a tavern known as the Imperial Inn, a tidy two-storey house, erected on portion of the site of the Exchange in West Collins Street. H e was a pragmatical, dumpyish sort of fellow, w h o always appeared with a very clean-shaven face, and was white aproned from chin to ankles. H e was a precise and painstaking m a n of business, and established a table d' hote from which he hoped to realize a large fortune, though eventually his estimate of the probabilities was considerably in excess of the net results. In an ode headed " Comfort and Economy," the merits of the Bakerian establishment are indicated in a style more above than below mediocrity, as evidenced by the following stanzas which I extract:— "There 'cleanliness' and 'order,' hand in hand O'er the arrangements of his house preside, Where wholesome viands on the table stand, And genuine liquors pour their generous tide ; Combined with which his reasonable charges, Each guest's advantage very much enlarges. "'Tis there that 'new-come' emigrants may find A home at once—cheap, tranquil, and select, Fit for the wanderer—whose peace of mind Has been by adverse circumstances wreck'd ; And who escaped from ship-board and its riot, Would fain think o'er his future plans in quiet. ​" Nor is it less adapted for the sons O f lusty toil, who, hastening from the bush, (Leaving their (locks and herds on distant runs), T h e n into the town impatient push ; Intent, for once at least, to have a fling, A n d in ' true bushman style' to drink and sing " There may they quaff their draughts secure from harm, N o noxious drugs within the goblet lurk, For ' Baker's' spirits, howe'er strong their charm, Deal not in any hocus pocus work ; A n d he disdains to carry on a trade, W h i c h is not on an honest basis laid."
Like the P.S. of a lady's letter, there is an addendum far outweighing in importance the body of the communication. Towards the end, the Parnassian stilts are kicked off, the writer regains the terra firma of plain unadulterated prose, and winds up with this alluring and matter-of-fact intimation:— SCALE OF ACCOMMODATION. A A A A A
hearty breakfast at 9 o'clock, charge substantial dinner, at 2 comfortable tea or supper, at 7 ... good bed in a cleanly room good tea, bed, and breakfast £3T Board and lodging, 12s. per week, payable in advance.
s. 1 1 I I
d. o o o o
2 6
Henry Baker subsequently transferred the Lmperial to other hands, and in 1848 became the founder of the hotel at Heidelberg to this day favourably k n o w n as the Old England. William H o w e commenced the dyeing business " next to M r . Gregory's iron store in Collins Street, where ladies' cloaks and riding habits, doe and buckskin breeches, & c , were cleaned andfinishedup in true fashion. Centlemen coming from the bush could also have their clothes cleaned, repaired, dressed, and pressed in a few hours." His success was tolerable, but when the following farrago appeared over his name in the newspaper in November, 1846, his business so increased that opposition shops were started in such numbers as to terminate disastrously to the whole lot : " Respectfully the undersigned Soilcits all to bear in mind, That he crape shawls, veils, and silk dresses, Most beautifully dyes and presses ; A n d renders clothes whate'er their hue, Grey, drab, or brown, or dusky blue, A matchless black or perfect sable, By process quite inimitable. A n d 'ere the sun has twice gone down, His 'first-ratefinish' can be found, His ' unique' flag is n o w unfurl'd— ' Without a fraud I cheat the world.' FOR
I am a dyer—a dyer of blue; I can dye an old coat, and make it look new ;— And when it is done, I'll wager a crown It surpasses thefinestn e w cloth in town. M y liquor is pure, as m y customers k n o w ; A n d to strangers I sing out—Attention ! ! H o ! ! ! "
Howe next shifted his quarters to Queen Street, where ladies' cloaks, riding habits, shawls, and gent e m e n s raiment of all qualities, were cleaned, dressed, and pressed on a principle unrivalled L in the colonies.
Protector, and Renovating Mart." T o puff the n e w branch the services of the poetaster were secured, and the issue was half a column of bombastic epic doggerel in this strain :— " Halt, gallants, halt ! and let reason persuade you That comfort and beauty are excellent things— With beautiful truth as an angel to guide you, Pray read what the muse in her truthfulness sings. First—Howe's I M P E R I A L S claim your attention— Their beauty and comfort are n o w so well known, Napoleon L e Grand—it is proper to mention— Invented them on an Imperial throne. In peace or in war, or whenever he mounted, His equipments were suited for comfort and e a s e H e wore his Imperials happily appointed— Complete Leather Leggings right over his knees. Their texture and colour and polish surpasses T h e blackest and brightest that Warren can s h o w — Though you rode fifty leagues over rivers and marshes, Take them off, you're as clean as a drawing-room beau. For sportsmen w h o dash through scrub and through water, A n d recklessly ride over creeks and ravines, W h e n the g a m e is a-foot—and no object a matter, Imperials—Imperials, just suit for such scenes."
Brighton, originally known as Waterville, a more appropriate appellation than its successor, must have been in 1846 a somewhat different locality from what it is in 1888, as judged by the following notification of its then first and only innkeeper:— BRIGHTON HOTEL. TM. CROSBIE, in returning his grateful thanks to the gentry of Port Phillip for the liberal patronage which he • has received since he has opened the above Hotel, takes this opportunity to inform those families that have hitherto patronised him, that he has made extensive improvements in his establishment by an additional number of bedrooms, and other alterations, which will ensure the comfort of those parties w h o m a y honour him with a visit. T. M . C. also begs to inform his visitors that his cellar is always stocked with wines and spirits of the very best description, which he will dispose of at the Melbourne prices. T h e use of the bathing-house will be given gratis to parties staying at the Hotel. N . B . — T h e Omnibus will commence running three times a week, viz., Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, till further notice, leaving the Brighton Hotel at half-past 8 a m , and the Prince of Wales Hotel at half-past 4 p.m.
The locomotive requirements of the early Brightonians must have been of a rather limited character, when a tri-weekly 'bus, making an up and down trip every second day, Sunday excluded, sufficed. About the same time a fact deemed of m u c h interest to agriculturists was publicly notified by M r . John Harlin, Glenvale Farm, Upper Plenty, w h o proclaims the purchase of the well-known" Threshing Machine called the " Challenger," of 5-horse power, and his readiness to execute any orders for threshing grain in his neighbourhood, on very reasonable terms. H e engages that his machine will not break or injure the grain or straw, also thresh clean. T o any m e m b e r of the bachelor tribe in quest of a wife, the following advertisement, extracted from a newspaper of August, 1849, is recommended as a model upon which to frame any public appeal he m a y wish to m a k e to the fair sex. Though its insertion will cost more than the specified shilling, its probable success will far outweigh the extra outlay :— MATRIMONY. WANTED A YOUNG LADY WILLING TO STATE PARTICULARS.
of
" A gentleman in comfortable circumstances, of respectable connexions, but of reserved manners, is desirous engaging with a. young lady possessing some personal charms, and belonging to a family of real worth—as a ​partner for life. Delicacy naturally revolts from making public such peculiar intentions, but not wishing to employ the agency of relations or friends in such a matter—the advertiser trusts that this may meet the eye of some lady willing to communicate on the subject—who will not hesitate to confide in the honour of a gentleman, and address him through the post only, directed to X.Y.Z., Argus Office, stating age, complexion, religious denomination, profession or business of her parent, number of brothers and sisters, her own preference for a tall or a short man, and for a life in the town or country, and the objects of her greatest interest both as regards sentiment and occupation."
There is one omission in the foregoing which intending applicants are recommended to supply i.e., to require, in addition to the "profession or business of the parent" (evidently referring to the father), some particulars as to the accomplishments, temper, and idiosyncrasy of the possible mother-in-law. Whether the gentleman of "respectable connexions and reserved manners" succeeded in securing the " personal charms" for which he yearned so ardently was never communicated to the public, but it is to be hoped he did. In the last chapter a resume was given of the regularly established sports and pastimes; but independent of these, special amusements were occasionally got up, mainly through the exertions of some enterprising publican wishful to do an extra profitable stroke of business. T h e following advertisement thus intimates some " great expectations" in this line, to come off on the Boxing Day of 1850: — CHRISTMAS SPORTS. " Christmas comes but once a year, And when it comes it brings good cheer."
HENRY CONWAY, Travellers' Rest, Collingwood, R E S P E C T F U L L Y invites all lovers of fun and frolic to the U N R I V A L L E D SPORTS With which Boxing Day will be celebrated at his establishment. The commencement will be a
GOAT RACE, In which eight thoroughbred Billy-goats will run for half a mile ; each regularly caparisoned with saddle, bridle, etc., and ridden by a boy all booted and spurred. Several hurdle leaps to be taken in rare Newmarket style. The feat of
CLIMBING THE GREASY POLE, Prize, a Silver Watch, is the next part of the performance ; after which
T W O HUNDRED PIGEONS Will be shot at ; the best marksman to receive a suitable reward
THE RAT H U N T Follows, in which three hundred trained rats willfigure,and from which the greatest amusement may be anticipated.
T H E PIG W I T H T H E GREASY TAIL And many other O L D ENGLISH G A M E S Will wind up the day, which will be one of the pleasantest Boxing Days ever spent in Port Phillip.
A considerable number of persons collected to witness the performance, but though the people were there, the goats and the rats, the pigeons and the booted and spurred boy jockeys, forgot to put in an appearance, and the consequence was a general "sell." T h e place selected would be an inconvenient sporting arena, though it was then m u c h of an open c o m m o n . T h e Travellers' Rest r , was a quaintly-constructed tavern, years aeone demnlicberi <-^ „• „.,„.. . VT. , , ' J ™ ' " d & o n e aemolisned to give way for the structure n o w known as King s College, in Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, opposite Faraday Street 1A T h e now so well-known White Hart Hotel at the ton nf B n n r u c* * • , . . J-J-UICI, at m e top ot riourke Street, is prone on gala days r 1 . to sport a great variety of buntine in honour ^f ,„L„t nonour „, V of whatever m a y be on, and as an invitation to the .,. . , • A public to step m and test the qua tv of its tin • K,,t ;• • . P ts r f, L k-ii r!f fo,o ,u t 1. ' P °P riet or would never dream of getting up such a bill of fare as the following—pro ected and i«i^ri v, AT n , ., /» T- , 8 JIU ccuea a n a. , , , ... . , t J a issued by a Mr. Henry L m e h a m , w h o "bonifaced" f the same establishment, though under a rather T rlifrW^nt- tL .u , • b <>• uuner a aitterent face more than thirty years ago :— ​1850. NEW YEAR'S DAY ! '. ! O L D W H I T E H A R T INN, GREAT BOURKE STREET. T H E
Lovers of the good old English merriment are invited to witness the different sports opposite the above Inn on
TUESDAY NEXT, consisting of G O A T RACING—PRIZE, A SUIT OF CLOTHES. CLIMBING T H E G R E A S Y POLE—PRIZE, H A T A N D GUN. A PIG R A C E W I T H G R E A S Y TAILS. QUOITING A N D SKITTLES. The whole to conclude with a
GRAND MATCH at the old English Game of FOOTBALL. Luncheon will be provided.
The great demonstration came off accordingly, though the programme was very considerably curtailed. At the time there was a splendid sweep of lightly timbered grassy land away northward— the Churches of St. Peter and St. Patrick (then in course of erection) being the only breaks, and here on the site of the Parliament Houses used to occur every sort of human amusement, from holiday jollification to a nocturnal sticking-up. By night it was the most villainous, and by day the most innocent of the public thoroughfares. To-day it may be said not to abound in either quality. If the villainy of the locale has vanished into the unsubstantial region of tradition, it may safely be averred that it has taken the innocence along with it. Many years ago a small chemist's shop was started near the Colonial Bank in Elizabeth Street, on the site of the pile of buildings now designated O'Connor's Chambers. The projector of the druggery was Dr. W . H. Campbell, who annually made a great Christmas spurt in the newspapers to provide a tobacco treat for the inmates of the Benevolent Asylum and Immigrants' H o m e — a laudable effort, which to the medico's credit be it said, invariably eventuated in the letting off of a considerable quantity of smoke. The pill factory passed in an early stage to Mr. Nicholas O'Connor, an obliging and skilful prescriptionist, who stuck to it until he made a fortune, and then retired to enjoy a well-deserved otium cum dig. in a suburban seclusion. AUCTION RHODOMONTADE.
The old Melbourne " Knights of the Hammer " were a long-winded fraternity, and it would be impossible for tongue or pen to puff in a more bombastically inflated style than they did, especially in the advertising columns of the newspapers. Since the initiation of auctioneering as a mode of pushing on in the world, "buncombe" in some form or other was an inseparable accompaniment to the operations of the hammer, and in its use it is no exaggeration to declare that the old Auctioneer here " beat Banagher." This style of blowing wares intended as a " tremendous sacrifice " upon the altar of Mammon, has been always more or less in vogue, and recent events tend to establish an increasing belief in its efficacy ; but no comparison can be instituted between the modern crowing and the sonorous cock-a-hooping with which auction sales used to be heralded in the olden time. The first two auctioneers who made themselves heard in Melbourne (A.D. 1838) were George Lilly and Charles 'Williams. In January, 1839, they were re-inforced by James Purves, who commenced business as an architect, building surveyor, and house and land agent. In March he was followed by Thomas H. Power, as an auctioneer and commission agent; and before another year had completed its cycle the number ran up to a dozen. Auction rooms of sufficient capacity were difficult ​to be obtained, but Williams secured the largest two-storey house in M e l b o u r n e — o n e built for Batman, at the south-west corner of Collins and Williams Streets—where he remained until the formation of an Auction Company, to which the premises were transferred. A s the most lucrative business was land selling, the sales took place in tents pitched on the ground, enlivened by the music of either a bellman or bugler, and fortified by such an overwhelming supply of " refreshments," of which everyone might partake, as to be responsible for the ruin of m a n y otherwise well-conducted individuals, w h o began as auction loungers, and ended as disreputable cadgers and confirmed drunkards. It would be no easy task to find in the whole world of English typography more amusing reading than a selection of " elegant extracts " from the auction advertisements of the period of which I a m treating, and the grandiloquent nonsense, which would be mere frothy rubbish in the case of a town of ordinary progression, is spiced with a genuine interest by the marvellous leap into greatness made by Melbourne in some years less than half a century. T h e most unblushing gasconade has been turned by it into prophetic veracity, the most conscious romancing into stern reality. With these introductory remarks I present a few specimens, without any further addition than may be needed to render them intelligible, and establish as far as possible the particular locality. In announcing a sale on the 20th April, 1839, Williams thus spouts over some land in West Collins Street, declared to be the most valuable allotment in the Township of M e l b o u r n e : — " Its advantages are peculiarly attractive; it faces the superb basin of the lovely Yarra, the favourite spot for mooring vessels upon their arrival at the capital of Australia Felix ; between the river and it is the ground to be converted into the Grand Foreign Import and Export Wharf, the erection of which will very shortly be undertaken, by orders from H e r Majesty's Government. In the immediate vicinity of the admirable allotment are the Queen's Custom House, the Cathedral about being erected, the Union Bank, the Market, the Melbourne Club House, the beautifully situated and elegantly arranged residences of the Postmaster-General and James Smith, Esq. Within a few chains are the extensive warehouses of Strachan and Co., Mason and Co., R. Reeves, Esq., and M r . Charles Williams. Lady Franklin has described this province as a ' Paradise.' General Bourke has declared it to be 'the Region of Fertility.' Surveyor-General Mitchell pronounced it 'a country prepared by the bountiful Creator of the Universe for the replenishing of the earth.' Sir George Gipps has at length determined that justice shall be done to us ; Courts of Sessions and Requests are already instituted; a Supreme Court of Judicature will be immediately established, and branches of all the Sydney offices; an entire Regiment will shortly be quartered here; the power of steam will lend its aid to the magic progress of this favoured region, and the effects of so extraordinary a combination of favourable circumstances to this attractive spot, will first be discoverable in the enhanced value of this peculiar locality, immediately opposite to which will land thousands of immigrants weekly, and the produce of every nation, and then an acre of this spot m a y not be attainable for ,£10,000."* In June, 1839, the same individual thus jubilates upon an area in Elizabeth Street, between Bourke and Little Collins Streets :— "Could the newly-arrived immigrant be conducted blindfold to the spot, his mind being unprepared by an anticipatory description, upon the darkening hand being removed, he would conceive himself translated to an enchanted scene, and when he would be then informed by authority, in which he could place confidence, that that spot was one of the best mercantile sites in the capital of Australia Felix, the annals of whose rising people stand unrivalled in the history of the world, he would surely endeavour to become a competitor to obtain a portion of this favoured spot." Three months later, Mr. Williams started an enterprise, which m a y be termed our First Land Lottery, and though the patriotic project did not take, the bombast with which it was launched 'o ™ y v ° f ? r e s e r v a t , o n as a n u n i c l u e specimen of its kind. It thus reads, as extracted from the Port Philip Gazette, 18th September, 1 8 3 9 : — "Enterprising Public of Australia Felix read-think for yourselves, for your children, for your f n e n d s ^ o p e n i n g is now within your grasp by one step to become, and to m a k e them, independentrae a kind of prophetic prevision in M r . Williams' remarks notwithstanding.—ED. ​an independence which w e all are so earnestly seeking to obtain, and which the celebrated Bard of Scotland so beautifully pourtrays the advantage o f : — ' My youthful friend do gather gear B y every will that's justified by honour; Not to hide it in a hedge, Not for train attendant, But for the glorious privilege O f being independent.'
" An agent to a gentleman of capital, who is absent from the colony, thought it wise to invest the money left at his disposal in the purchase of some of the frontages in Collins Street, which c o m m a n d e d such competition at the last sale. Since then the number of applicants for these portions has been so numerous, and a feeling of regret being expressed that they should have fallen into the hands of a capitalist, the agent has thought that he would be acting in accordance with the desire of the philanthropy of his principal, to give every individual in this happy land the power of becoming possessed of its most important spot, and in order to accomplish this desired object, proposes thus :— T o make the four Grand Frontages to Collins Street four prizes, and four hundred of prime cattle of all ages, in ten prizes, forming a Grand Lottery, consisting of four hundred tickets at ,£20 for a whole ticket, ^ 1 2 for a half, £j for a fourth, and ,£5 for an eighth. A prospectus of the plan can be seen at the office of Mr. Williams, w h o will issue tickets, and further information will be given in the public papers as to the day upon which the drawing will take place, when it is to be hoped that all the beauty, rank, and respectability of Melbourne will meet together, to enjoy all the delicacies of the season, and to taste the sparkling wines of Germany, France, and Spain." But the public failed to see the valuable considerations, so thrust into its face, the tickets were not taken up as confidently anticipated, and the philanthropic intentions of owner, agent, and auctioneer were suffered to run waste as if so m u c h Yarra water. In the beginning of 1840 there were only two hotels, with scarcely a score of houses, in Bourke Street, about half-a-dozen habitats, and only a single " groggery" in Swanston Street, with Melbourne a straggling township, little more than three years old, yet Mr. Williams in offering some land in the vicinity does the prophetic in this strain : — " T h e olden inhabitants of Melbourne imagine that Bourke Street will be the leading street of this far-famed city; Swanston Street leading direct from the grand crossing-place of the Yarra (an old punt with almost impassable approaches) has been lately established as the 'grand thoroughfare to the Sydney Road." Salmon, a rival land and house agent, appears to despise Williams's high falutin, and boldly stigmatizes such diction as "silly remarks, trashy quotations, and miserably abortive efforts to write English." Williams, so far from being daunted by such " sarkasm," seemed to have drank in increased inspiration from the rebuff for two or three weeks after, in advertising a corner of Collins and Williams Streets, he thus rhapsodizes : " W o u l d a ray of light but be thrown into the abyss of futurity, there is no doubt that the multitude of competitors w h o would assemble at the spot on Saturday would be the most extraordinary event of this extraordinary city, for every mansion, every home, every skillion would pour out its inmates for the purpose, though experience of the past should be considered as that ray, still in listless doubt will they sit d o w n and cogitate, wondering h o w this will turn out." A corner of Collins and Stephen Streets, then in the bush, evokes this gush ; " Surely, if ever ' coming events cast their brightness before,' they do so n o w ; the rapid rise that must take place in town allotments wiil be truly astounding, and if ever money is to be m a d e by purchases in Melbourne, it is to be done now." George S. Brodie, a phlegmatic Scotchman, must have been considerably warmed up by the w a y in which Williams " worked the oracle," for he thus follows suit in selling some land in Collins Street :— " O n the opposite side of Swanston Street, a little nearer the Yarra, and the spot intended for the erection of the bridge, stands the reserve for the Courts of L a w * and the various appendages connected
therewith, which w e must soon see c o m m e n c e d and completed." Further on he unwittingly affords a marvellously true glimpse into futurity, for in the language of the scribe, "Collins Street, extending from the Market Place to Swanston Street will be the grand promenade of Melbourne, It will be the situation for our retail merchants to exhibit their wares to the beauty, the fashion, and the multitude which will constantly frequent it." T h e presence and surroundings of "the Block," in 1888, attest with wonderful accuracy the fulfilment of this hap-hazard prognostication in 1840. M r . Williams in puffing an allotment at South Yarra thus glowingly eclipses his previous achievements. " T h e harmony existing a m o n g all denominations of religious sects, leaves no doubt that this will be the 'chosen land' for the working out of the Millenium, and that in those happy days the price of land cannot be computed." In selling land (February, 1840) in the neighbourhood of the Yarra, Power declares "that the pure water of the river cannot be equalled anywhere; and of the salubrity of the air and the beauty of situation, it would be plagiarism to speak. The advancement of Melbourne surpasses wonder, and leaves all past calculations of the stranger but idle when he beholds reality itself—a petty little settlement of two years' growth already matured into a large and important city."* Williams is soon grinding away again over some land easterly of the Argus office, and extending to Russell Street, then known as the Eastern Hill. A s an inducement for the purchase of the property it is stated that on the allotments " is a quarry of the most superior stone, and there is not a shade of doubt this land will turn out the most profitable speculation ever entered into. T h e purchasers upon this occasion must realize a s u m in twelve months more than a Rothschild could ever have contemplated." Power again tackles South Yarra, within one hundred yards of the river. In his opinion " it is ever charming and ever verdant, except where the chaste native flower throws in variety of colours to dazzle and arouse our admiring senses. H o w can it be otherwise when Winter's chill is never felt, and the ardent rays of the s u m m e r sun are gently cooled by the placid zephyrs rising from the beauteous banks of the lovely Yarra, and gracefully moving the heads of the slumbering shrubs when they collect the essence of flowers which in sportive playfulness they scatter around, hallowing the air with a choice frankincense that would m a k e you think for the m o m e n t all was ideal, and that you had suddenly passed into a Celestial garden from Melbourne, and all done in the short space of five minutes, and in less than a mile ?" Power and Williams were Irishmen, but as a painter or dauber of words, the former " licked the other into fits." A corner of William and Little Collins Streets was given over to the h a m m e r of Salmon, who thus sketches this perspective of its surroundings :—" In other directions see the beautiful rise of hill and dale, with its thick clothing of beautiful verdure ; also the m a n y craft trading and discharging at the Queen's Wharf; as the view extends, the calm, clear, and beautiful water of the Yarra Yarra may be seen wending its sinuous course almost to the heart of this happy and well-nigh enchanted place." Williams soon collared his competitors in the "pumping-up" process as witness the following specimens taken at random from his land-selling promulgations. Getting out to Heidelberg he mounts his hobby and thus blows : " T h e Rosanna Estate m a y well apply to it the expression of the most renowned of the ancient poets,— Hie est aid nusquam, quod quaerimus— here or nowhere may w e hope to find what w e desire. It overhangs and runs into the village of Heidleberg, the loveliest villlage of the plain, the situation of which is naturally beautiful. At the foot of it runs the meandering, limpid waters of the Yarra, upon the banks of which even at the present are scattered in a most picturesque manner a number of rural cottages." Offering land in West Collins Street, facing a Church reserve, he exclaims, " T h e building of St. James' Church proceeds rapidly. When this magnificent edifice shall be completed, and the Church reserve tastefully laid out, and surrounded by a handsome cast-iron railing, this, the only square in Melbourne, at the West end of the town, and decidedly the healthiest, cannot fail to become the select spot for fashionable residences and gay promenades." Popping up at Geelong some time after he indulges in a grandiloquence which must t Melbourne was not so created until 1848.—ED. ​kind, whether manufactured out of flour or type :—" Underneath lies the Bay of Corio, in comparison with which the Bays of Dublin and Naples fall into insignificance, for here there is not a charm wanting that the imagination of the poet in his brightest pictures of Elysium ever dreamt of, or attempted to depict." Having an estate known as " Gartur" to knock d o w n at the M e m Creek, he thus premonitorily flourishes over the intended sacrifice:—"Casting our eyes around w e see a city springing up with a rapidity unparalleled in the history of nations, equalling the enterprise and perseverance of the greatest republic of this century. A country, whose numerous inhabitants with their flocks and herds, can only be compared to the Patriarchs of the East, and by their wealth even outvie the nobility of England. A seaport where at all times m a y be seen forests of masts, and from its excellent situation and safe anchorage, will, without doubt, be the ' Venice of the Southern Clime.' " Towards the end of 1840, some land near the Richmond boundary of Jolimont, was for sale, and the omniscient auctioneer, in gauging the public taste, finds it necessary to modify his former opinions on the Yarra in general thus :—" Melbourne will shortly go out of town owing to the waters of the Yarra being salt below the ' Falls,' and to the superior beauty of this locality. Fashion now seems tofixher abode in that quarter (Richmond), and the talent of a conjuror is not required to foretell that ere six months the locality around Melbourne will be studded with the dwellings of the wealthy and respectable." Brodie, however, clings with unshaken loyalty to the river, for in disposing of a property in the vicinity of the Vice-regal mansion he r e m a r k s : — " T h e Yarra Yarra almost sweeps past it; it overhangs the wide and extensive reserved domain of Government, which, though n o w clad in Nature's simplest garb, must speedily assume a very different appearance, and c o m e forth adorned and decorated with architectural splendour, exhibiting what the art and taste of genius can display." Foster and Davis, for several years a leading auctioneer firm in a general way, in September, 1841, had for sale under a writ of scire facias a cottage site in Brunswick Street, at the corner of William (now Moor) Street, Fitzroy. T h e neighbourhood was then known as Newtown, and the only track through it, that could at all approach even an approximation to a main thoroughfare, was Brunswick Street. This highway the auctioneers designate as " the Darlinghurst of Melbourne," and "as a place of residence the superiority of Newtown over any other spot in the vicinity of Melbourne, is evidenced by the fact that the majority of the leading m e n in Melbourne have established their residences in this delightful and salubrious village. T o walk through Brunswick Street and view the chaste and costly edifices on either side, surrounded respectively by beautiful and tastefully-laid-out gardens, together with every other luxury usually adorning the abodes of the wealthy, & c , &c." I walked through this " Darlinghurst" at the time referred to, and failed to be impressed by the visual and salubrious delights so specifically dilated upon. T h e " street" was a rough un-made bush way, without a sign of channelling, metalling, gravelling, or even levelling. F r o m the Parade to Palmer Street there were halfa-dozen tidyish cottages at each side, but none of them containing more than four or five rooms. F r o m Palmer Street, northward, a m u d or wattle-and-daub hovel was thrown up here and there, and about the inter-section of M o o r Street, then blocked up by a queer two-storey, brick-nogged rookery planted at the end of the track, was a group of seven or eight cabins, in which pigs, had they the right of free selection, would hardly condescend to wallow. A s for the tastefully laid-out gardens and other luxuries, they only existed in imagination. O f the Old Melbourne auctioneers some of them acquired rapid fortunes, and rapidly burst up. Others attained assured positions in society; but few of them m a d e any n a m e in public life. Mr. Peter Davis filled the office of Mayor of Melbourne, M r . Dal. Campbell sat for a short time in the City Council, but Messrs. T. H . Power and J. P. Bear stepped higher, for they were members of the Legislative Council for several years. T h e sole survivor in 1884 was M r . Bear, then in England. H e was a partner of the firm of Bear and Son, and with Power and Campbell constituted three of the principal station and stock-selling houses of a by-gone generation.