Morning journal and courier., 1892-08-03

First Settlement in IS34-The Gold
Craze-Finest Climate in the World
WOrkingmen Well Paid-The Cow
ernment NJ ust be n Partner to Every
Enterprise - Melbourne the Most
Popular City of the Southern Hem
1sphere.
MELBOURNE, May Ia.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The colony of Victoria occupies the
southeastern portion of the Australian
continent, extending from the 101st degree
of longitude to the 150th degree, and lying
between the 34th and 39th parallels of lat
itude. Its area is about $1,000 square
miles-its extreme length 4S0 miles, and
its breadth from north to south 240 miles,
The first permanent settlement was made
landed from the neighboring colony of
New Zealand and began farming and stock
breeding. Previous to this an unsuccess-
full attempt was made to colonize this por-
ton of Australia as far back as 1903.
Immediately following Mr.. Henty came
many others; but the sterile land in the
vicinity of the port, and the openness of
the bay which rendered it unsafe for ship
ping during the prevalence of certain
winds, caused it to be considered an un-
suitable site for the chief town. The city
of Melbourne was eventually founded in
1885 by still other parties from New Zes-
land. By these early settlers the land was
called Australia Felix" the aptness of
which name a subsequent knowledge of
the geniality of it's climate, the excellence
of its soil and the then unexpected rich
ness of its mineral treasures, has fully
justified.
The reports of these first settlers caused
great excitement-not only throughout
the adjacent colonies, but in the mother
country, and very shortly herds of sheep
and cattle driven overland from New
South Wales occupied the best parts of the
new territory.
Every available vessel, capable of float
| ing, was put into requisition to bring pas
| sengers and stock from New Zealand, and
| emigrants from the United Kingdom fol.
| lowed. Regular government was first es
| tablished in 1886, and in 1887 Sir Richard
| Bourke. the governor of New South Wales
| visited the settlement and named the city
Melbourne. The new settlement was
ruled by lieutenant governor until 1857
when it separated from New South Wales
and became a colony itself under the name
of Victoria. The separation of Victoris
from New South Wales was only effected
after strong and persistent agitation OF
| the part of Victoria.
But it must be remembered that at tina
time communication with Sidney was onl,
effected by coasting voyage, which tool
| at least three weeks, whereas now an ex
press train runs each way daily, occupying
only fourteen hours.
The new few years were remarkable il
the history of Victoria. 1t was in 1856
that the existence of gold became an es
tablished fact, and it was soon discovers
in such quantities as to spread the fame O
the Victorian gold fields throughout tn
civilized world, resulting Immediately in
great influx of population. The histor
of the "Welcome" nugget which wa
found at Demotly is doubtless familiar t
most of your readers. 1t weighed twenty
three hundred ounces and yielded a valu
of fifty thousand dollars.
There is a strong party feeling through
out the colony, but it has no permaner
effect in setting class against class, nc
J lessening the good feeling which exists b.
, tween all sections of the communit,
| Commerce has oft times been depressed
but has soon revived, and the prosperit
that the colony has enjoyed as whole
3 | perhaps without parallel in the histo1
f of any country.
A few facts, taken principally from tt
o Victorian handbook, may not be uninte
Q esting.
: The climate is ''the finest in the world
The season termed "winter" is simply IL
period in which there is more rain ar
j. less warmth than in summer. Snow
y never seen except in some of the high Ian,
distant from the sea, and frosts are We
rare. The native trees are always gret
g and do not shed their foliage during Il
n winter. Cattle and sheep remain in Il
- open air all the year round, and fatten
the winter pasture without extra fodde
70 Our American farmers who know the e
:, | pense and trouble of providing wint
n Quarters for their stock can understaI
:. the advantages that Victoria possesses
81 this respect The mean temperature
1t about that of the city of Washington
e say fifty-four degrees.
"a During the summer, while it often Is /
tensely hot during the day, the nights a
always cool, and you awake from sleep
70 vigorated-not enervated. The soil, WIKI
" is of volcanic origin, is SO rich as to
N adapted to all kinds of vegetation, wit
= out fertiIizing accessories, for years. T
Il average yield per acre, for period exten
Q. ing over seventeen years, is-for whes
10 twelve bushels; oats, sixteen bushels; bs
# ley, twenty bushels potatoes, three al
one-half tons; hay, one and one-four
tons. In the last year the extent of lal
O under cultivation amounted to nearly thT
million acres. The colonial laws affo
I'll great facilities for taking up land for C,
r. tivalion. Any one may take three hu
10 dred and twenty acres, for agricultu
as purposes, payments being arranged at t
80 oate of one shilling per acre per year, I
K til twenty shillings have been paid /
z ooro Altar that n ia ontional to nav