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