Page:History of West Australia.djvu/93

Rh The grants of several settlers comprised slopes which needed little clearing, and contained only sufficient trees for ornament. These slopes they cultivated. In the spring it was calculated that 200 acres were tilled, which, according to political economists of those days, should produce sufficient to subsist 800 people for one year. The early rains of May so rapidly changed the appearance of the country from a dry to a beautiful green that settlers were astonished, and they were pleased when many of their crops showed above ground. A belief was held by numerous people that the country was visited by fearful storms. The experience of 1830 seemed to deepen the conviction. When a gale of wind sprung up they were in fear lest a deluge would soon follow. On the 23rd June, 1831, a gale of wind startled every settler, and alarming reports were circulated of immense losses in different places. But these were proved untrue, and the only damage done was that sustained by a small vessel of 35 tons being driven ashore, and by the loss of a small boat. This fright of storms of wind was evidently caused by the strange roar which even a gentle breeze makes in the sheoak (casuarina) trees.

The farmers, therefore, watched daily for devastating storms and floods which never came. In October the fields looked promising, and in the harvest, while there were some failures, the general returns were satisfactory and encouraging. Mr. G. F. Moore, who was a farmer with the rest, wrote :—“The excellent crops that have been harvested this year (equalling, if not exceeding, the best in England) have inspired us all with confidence, but. . . . few have cultivated extensively.” There was also a good crop of hay. The prices for this commodity were:— At Guildford £5, at Perth £8, and at Fremantle £10 per ton.

The want of live stock was pressing. Great stretches of excellent pastoral country were scattered over different parts of Western Australia, and yet all the cattle and sheep and horses in the colony could depasture on a few thousand acres. There was little need of a shepherd, and only about twelve flocks were sufficiently large in 1831 to demand one. The land was there, but not the labour to systematically till it and the capital to stock it. So serious did this question seem that the authorities and leading settlers communed together, and decided to petition the English Government, notwithstanding the repeated assurances of the Imperial authorities in public circulars that they would render no help. All the local officials believed that the colony would be prosperous could the settlers obtain a little assistance in their now unfortunate condition. Some advance had been made in every respect in the settlement, but a wise system had not been inaugurated, and the colony suffered in consequence. Mr. G. F. Moore was requested to draft a memorial which solicited advances from the State Treasury to enable stock to be procured, and which guaranteed eventual payment. The petition was approved of, and was in course of signature during the latter part of 1831. Most settlers did not think it advisable to obtain stock from England, except a few of the best strains for stud purposes, but advocated purchase in neighbouring settlements, where sheep and cattle were then fairly cheap. The scab evil had been overcome, and the flocks and herds thrived exceedingly, although their bad management caused loss and annoyance. They broke into crops and destroyed the wheat. Van Diemen’s Land cattle were particularly troublesome, and needed most careful watching to prevent their scampering into the bush to the hills and the unsettled parts of southern rivers. At the same time that sheep were sold in Western Australia at £3 each late in 1831, they could be purchased in South Africa for 5s.; cattle ranged from £20 upwards, a cow and calf selling for £32.

Settlers very wisely determined during 1830-1 to firmly establish an Agricultural Society, which should at once disseminate useful information among agriculturists, and watch over the general interests of the agricultural and pastoral industries. So admirable an institution was bound to prove useful, and at the regular meetings, which were held four times a year, members were brought together to discuss all-important matters relating to the settlement. It was, indeed, their Parliament. Special meetings were convened to discuss subjects of importance connected with the land, the system of administration and alienation. Annual reports were issued describing the progress made during the year, announcing the results of the harvest, total of area cultivated and what applied for, classification and total of stock, and offering advice to settlers. Members were admitted by ballot. Mr. G. F. Moore was appointed secretary in 1831. A pregnant value was obtained from this institution, and the early reports were comprehensive and didactic, and, perhaps more than anything else, stimulated the development of the agricultural and pastoral industries.

The burning of the wooden house of a settler in Perth, in December, 1830, caused many more brick and a few stone buildings to be erected in 1831. In this way a more pretentious class of dwellings arose, and a comfortable air was given to Perth and the farms on the Swan. In place of the wooden structures, with the bare earth for floors, so general in 1830, was a fair proportion of brick. The residence of Captain Irwin was particularly ambitious. It was a two-story brick structure, with tiled floors. There was an unfortunate lack of stones for building purposes on the Upper Swan, and where brick was not used, mud and wood were brought into requisition. Remains of the old “daub” houses are still existent. The Lieut.-Governor possessed comfortable quarters in Perth, and in 1831 he built a roomy residence on his grant at Guildford—the Woodbridge Estate. There he entertained many of his guests, and applied himself to agriculture and horticulture on a moderate scale. He introduced excellent strains of sheep, cattle, and horses, conferring much benefit on the colony thereby.

Guildford quickly became a prosperous centre. Only one store existed there in December, 1830, but early in the following year numbers of people took up their residence in that pretty village. This was largely caused by settlers occupying their grants on the Upper Swan. At the termination of 1830 there were but ten settlers in that district, while in March, 1831, there were ninety-seven. They all proceeded on a more or less satisfactory scale to improve their grants, and for some time the Upper Swan was the most progressive portion of the Swan River country. The Canning, near the head of navigation, was also developing, and it was decided to form a town there late in 1830, and a charming site was fixed upon. The surrounding country was described by one settler as “beautiful, covered, or rather studded, with magnificent trees.” While there were good patches of soil, much was a heavy unmanageable clay, with a substratum of ironstone. The town was named Kelmscott, and nestled on delightful meadows on the Canning. In June, 1831, Thomas Middleton took up the first lots at Kelmscott—9 to 12; and in September, T. T. Ellis the second—19 to 22.

At about the same time the town of Kingston was declared open to allotment. This was situated on Rottnest Island, which it was then believed would eventually he cultivated. There was an early rush for town lots at Kingston. On 5th March R. M. Lyon (15), Charles Norcott (20), and D. Scott (26) received the first lots. Numerous others were taken up during the following