Through the British Empire (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886. Excerpt: ... 257 CHAPTER H VICTORIA. From October 5 To 15, 1883. From April 27 To May 5, 1884. Historical notice--Effects of the discovery of the gold mines--Appearance of Melbourne--The intercolonial railway. The history of this colony is very simple.1 At the beginning of the century a lieutenant in the English navy arrived at the entrance of a bay, up which he sailed and which was named Port Phillip, in honour of Colonel Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales. In 1835, a certain John Batman, born near Sydney, and settled in Tasmania, then Van Diemen's Land, came hither and signed a convention with the natives. A Mr. Fawkner and some other Tasmanian farmers followed on the heels of the first pioneer of the future colony of Victoria, and Fawkner settled on the piece of ground where, a short time afterwards, rose.the metropolis of the colony, the town of Melbourne. The dealings of these first settlers with the native chiefs, from whom they had bought their land, were not recognised by the Governor of New South Wales, the English Government having adopted the principle that the soil of Australia is the property of the Crown, and that the natives have no right to dispose of it. In 1836 the first English official arrived, and in the next year the new settlement exchanged its original name of Glenelg for that of Melbourne, after the Prime Minister of the day. At that time, and for some years after, this capital consisted of a few wooden huts, two wooden public-houses, and a wooden church, for which a tree served as a belfry. Mutton was still scarce, and so kangaroo flesh was eaten. By an Act of 1850 Port Phillip was made a separate colony under the name of Victoria, and in 1855 received a constitution with a responsible government. 1 I think I shall do well to remi...