Page:An Australian Parsonage.djvu/56

 stranger finds himself in the centre of Perth. If he looks up the street, towards Mount Eliza, he sees, at some half a mile's distance, a large red brick building of considerable pretensions, placed upon the slope of the hill, and facing the very centre of the main street. I believe that this really fine building has been erected for the headquarters and barracks of the Pensioner Force which has been introduced into the colony during the era of transportation, but as it was only just finished when we left the colony, I am not certain what may be its final destination. This main street, of which I have several times spoken, is of great width, and being planted on each side with Cape lilacs (which, unlike any of the native trees, give an excellent shade when full grown) has already a very pleasant and verdant look, and will, when the trees are a little taller, make a really fine boulevard.

Looking from the top of the street leading from the pier, in the opposite direction and down the town, the gardens of the "old Government House" are close upon the right hand, together with the building itself, which is rather small and low, and is now used for various official purposes. These gardens are well laid out, and contain a few fine specimens of auracarias and pines, although they cannot boast of any especial rarities, and make no pretence to botanical completeness. A few attempts at acclimatization have been made, but none of any consequence, and there is still ample room for further efforts in that most useful direction. In the centre of the gardens is, perhaps, the best specimen in Western Australia of that great desideratum, a green lawn. It is formed of a grass called in Perth, Indian coutch grass,