Settlers address the governor

TWO hundred years ago today, New Norfolk constable Denis McCarty called at Government House in Hobart to see governor Lachlan Macquarie. "At noon Mr McCarty waited on me with an address from the settlers and other inhabitants of the district of New Norfolk, to which I made a suitable reply in writing," the governor wrote in his diary.

The first three years of life at New Norfolk had not been easy and the settlers had survived on government rations since arriving from Norfolk Island in late 1807. Macquarie would allow this to continue into the following year and the townspeople were keen to express their thanks before the governor set off for Launceston on his way home to Sydney.
 
This is the letter McCarty presented to Macquarie:

"From the inhabitants of New Norfolk to His Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty's Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies.
"The Inhabitants of New Norfolk, a settlement formed under the jurisdiction of Hobart Town, most dutifully presume to return Your Excellency our most sincere thanks for your condescension in visiting our settlement.
"Our industrious exertions are fully compensated on receiving Your Excellency's approbation; and we pledge ourselves in future to persevere to the utmost in honest industry, and every effort to advance by agriculture the interests of the colony in general, to merit a continuance of Your Excellency's generous and kind patronage.       
"Our gratitude for allowing us to remain on the King's Stores shall never be effaced from our memories; and our children shall be instructed, as soon as their articulation commence, to lisp the name of Governor Macquarie; and dutifully in behalf of their brother settlers, subscribe ourselves, Your Excellency's most grateful Servants, (signed) D. McCarty, J. Triffith, J.B. Cullen, A. Hands." 

The governor was evidently pleased with the message and responded in writing.

"Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land. Saturday, November 30th, 1811.
"To Messrs Dennis McCarty, James B. Cullen, James Triffith, and Abraham Hands.   
"You will be so good as to acquaint the inhabitants ot the district of New Norfolk, that the address you have this day presented to me from them has proved highly gratifying to me; and that I receive it as a pledge of their resolution to persevere in that course of honest industry so happily begun - the beneficial result of which, in the present pleasing prospect of their enjoying the fruits of their labour in an abundant harvest, I have so recently wítnessed in my inspection of the district.           
"I beg you will assure the settlers and other inhabitants of New Norfolk, that I shall ever take a lively interest in their welfare and prosperity, and that it will always afford me sincere pleasure to extend every reasonable indulgence to such of them as prove themselves worthy of it, by persevering in habits of honest industry, sobriety, and morality. 
(signed) L. MACQUARIE."

Sources:

• Journeys in Time, retrieved November 29, 2011, from http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/all/journeys/1811/1811.html
• ADDRESS. (1812, January 11). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, p. 2. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article628395

Waking up in Elizabeth Town

Lachlan Macquarie

TWO hundred years ago today, governor Lachlan Macquarie awoke in Elizabeth Town, the town he had created "for the district of New Norfolk" and named after his wife the day before. The couple was particularly taken with the scenery at New Norfolk/Elizabeth Town and in the years to come a vice-regal cottage would be built on the bluff at Turriff Lodge.

Before making their farewells and returning to Hobart, the party went on a tour of inspection of several farms in the district. The farms impressed, but the farmers did not.

From the governor's diary:
"Thursday 28th November 1811.
At 1/2 past 5am we got up, and at 6 o'clock Mrs. M. & myself on horseback, attended by the gentlemen of our party and Mr McCarty on foot, set out to visit and inspect the several farms of this district, proceeding first along the front line of farms on the banks of the river, as far as William Clarke's darm, beyond the second fall, and about 4 1/2 miles above McCarty's Farm (which is reckoned 25 miles from Hobart Town), and returning by the back line of farms to McCarty's at 10 o'clock to breakfast. We were all very highly gratified with our morning's ride through this beautiful rich and picturesque country; the soil of the farms in general is excellent and there is at present every appearance of a plentiful and abundant harvest; but the houses of the settlers are mean and badly built, and themselves miserably clothed.

The greater part of the settlers attended at McCarty's on our departure thence and after speaking to them all on their several claims, and exhorting them to persevere in their present habits of industry, honesty, sobriety, and morality, I took my leave of them and we set out on our return to Hobart Town in Captain Murray's Barge at 12 o'clock. We had a pleasant row down the river as far as Tea Tree Point; but the tide & wind being there against us we were obliged to land; and having walked three miles to Black Snake Point, we found our horses waiting there for us, and rode home from thence; arriving at Hobart Town at half past 7 o'clock, very keen set for our dinners."

The governor's diary has been lightly edited for clarity. Read the original at:
http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/all/journeys/1811/1811.html

New Norfolk's big day

IN the absence of any other definitive date, the foundation of the New Norfolk can be said to have been formalised 200 years ago today, November 27, 1811. On this day, colonial governor-in-chief Lachlan Macquarie visited the small settlement of New Norfolk and announced that he would build a town on the bank of the River Derwent. Settlers had been in residence since their inauspicious arrival in November 1807 and the local constable, Denis McCarty, was appointed in early 1808 and is credited with building the first house - Birch Grove Farm.

From the governor's diary:
"Wednesday 27th November 1811.
At 6 o'clock this morning Mrs M. and myself, on horseback, accompanied by the gentlemen of our family and Lieutenant Gunning, set out from Hobart Town on purpose to visit and inspect the farms in the district of New Norfolk. We rode to a farm called Black Snake Point on the south side of the river about twelve miles from Hobart Town, where we halted to breakfast; after which we proceeded on horseback again to Tea Tree Point, three miles farther up the river, where we embarked on board of Captain Murray's Barge, which we found waiting for us there. We set out in her at 12 o'clock, and after two hours and a half's row up this fine river, we arrived at Mr Dennis McCarty's farm in the district of New Norfolk; five miles from Tea Tree Point on the north side of the river, where, finding a comfortable farm house, and a hearty rural honest welcome, we took up our residence for this day and night.

At 1/2 past 3pm Mrs Macquarie & myself attended by the gentlemen of our party, and Mr McCarty, crossed the river to the south side to visit the Government Farm & Stock Yard, running along this fine long reach of the river for about three quarters of a mile North East & South West. The land here is quite clear of timber and the view from this farm is beautiful and extensive; having a very pretty rivulet of fresh water running at the back of. The farm being elevated, and running along a fine ridge between the great river and the rivulet. This situation appeared to me so eligible and so remarkably well adapted for a township, being twenty miles only from Hobart Town, that I have determined to erect one here for the district of New Norfolk, naming it "Elizabeth Town", in honor of my dear good wife, and I have christened the rivulet "The Thames". After a delightful walk at Elizabeth Town, we re-crossed the River to Mr McCarty's, where we had a most excellent dinner.

A great number of the settlers received us with many cheers and huzzas on our first landing at McCarty's Farm, where they continued drinking, singing, and making bonfires the greater part of the night. We went in the boat to see the 1st fall after dinner."

The governor's diary has been lightly edited for clarity. Read the original at:
http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/all/journeys/1811/1811.html