Melbourne, Wed. morning, June 29/98.

My first call yesterday morning was at Cook’s office, where I was very delighted to find a letter awaiting me from my dear Willie, dated March 31st, & after reading it, I came to the conclusion that probably you had not written to Sydney. I was pleased to read the news & glad you were all very well, & I note I may expect letters both at Wellington & Auckland, & you may be sure they will be very warmly welcomed. [5:10] I then endeavoured to find out James Purvis but failed. The address the Whitfields knew is not now known, as the “Real Estate Bank” is out of existence, & the directory gives little clue for my purpose. I went into one bank & they knew nothing of him, however, I will do my best before I give it up. I next made my way to Mr. Manning’s & found them readily, & was very warmly received & spent the remainder of the day with them. Mr. Manning has a very nice grocery shop, rather high class, & Mrs. Manning, who is his second wife, is a fine, merry, able woman, well educated & thoroughly up to date. It was her brother, Mr. Colville, who visited at Berwick some years ago. I am going to call on him this morning. It is damp outside & cold too. I have landed in Australia at the worst time of the year, but this I don’t mourn about, as I’ve had fine weather else where, & will get it again after leaving New Zealand. 9 weeks is too much for these colonies this time of year but I can’t very well get out of them earlier.

I note Willie says the photos are good, what there’s of them. I didn’t expect much success. I also note Thomas reads the journals with delight. I am glad they are appreciated. Truly I think little o’ them. Mary Mitchell has got married. I am glad & wish her a happy union. Sorry to read about the ship wrecks. You must have had stormy weather this winter.

Now love to you & all, & kisses for my lovely Comely. Also my kindly remembrances to Mr. Leask, Mr. Adamson, Thos. & Alice, Mr. Windrim & Mr. Scott, & to any enquiring friends (the “Victoria” arrived here yesterday from home).

[5:11]

After breakfast yesterday, Wednesday morning, I made my way to the government offices, Board of Health Dept., & found Mr. Colville, who is secretary. I did not stay long, fearing intrusion during office hours. I am to spend an evening with him on my return from Adelaide. I casually asked him if he knew a Mr. James Purvis & he did, & directed me to him clearly. I made off & soon found Mr. Purvis, who gave me such a welcome as you could only understand by being present. He delights in all Berwickers. I stayed about 20 minutes with the promise I should be back at his office at ¼ to 5 & go home with him & spend the night. I viewed the sights of Melbourne mean time & when I got to office there was Mrs. Purvis waiting for me too, so off we all went by train & a real happy night we spent. Only one of the daughters was at home & after dinner she had to leave to attend her lectures as cookery mistress, certificated, at some school in the city. Oh, what was talked over – a life’s history in a night, & how happy they did try to make me for old association’s sake. The number of beautiful views, photos & oil paintings, of Berwick in every room warmed the cockles of my heart, you may be sure. Fine oil paintings of Hide Hill, Waugh Square (old time), High St., Bridges, several views, & in his office, too, he has 6 or 8, & on my entrance into it he waves his hand in silence to the walls, directing me to look, then a burst of eloquence from him on the days gone by, so often brought to his mind as he gazed on the lovely views of his boyhood days. Oh, what [5:12] a vivid memory he has of days gone by, & how graphically & volubly he related it all. He just talked incessantly & all of the very deepest interest. What a chat we had. “Oh, what a night!!” I am to go back again & see them. His family are all doing well & proud they are of them. Mr. Purvis was the essence of kindness & what think ye, as tho’ for my special delectation, & it could not have been by any arrangement: sheep head with broth for dinner, well, as you know, a very favourite dish of mine, & I related to them how, when a boy, & getting home for my annual holiday,[1] I [used?] to write mother before hand to have a sheep head for me. They were amused, I assure you. He says he enjoys the frugal dish beyond anything else. Mr. Purves set me to the station at 9:30 after a very bright & pleasant meeting.

On Thursday at 10:55, I left Melbourne for Adelaide, breaking my journey at Geelong. Luckily the previous day I had called in at Huddart Parker’s[2] office & saw Mr. Traill, a very fine old gentleman, the friend of Mrs. George Cerson & I told him I was going to break my journey at Ballaarat & call on Mrs. Cecil Jones (Mrs. George’s sister). He told me that just a month ago, they had promoted him to Geelong to manage their business at the port. This was opportune information & enabled me to kill the “two birds wi ye stone”. Mrs. Leask‘s friend, Mrs. Street, lives in Geelong & it was her on whom [5:13] I had specially to call at Geelong, however, I was not disconcerted, rather pleased, that both should be in the one town. I wrote both intimating that I intended being in Geelong the following day & would call, & both were consequently on the look out for me. I arrived at Geelong at 12:35 & dined with Mr. & Mrs. Jones, who very kindly received me & after a pleasant chat, Mr. Jones would have me go to his offices & see their establishment. They are in a big way, shipping & coal business &c. &c. Mrs. Jones presented me with a copy of her late father’s book[3], “A Trip Round the World in 1890 & Australia Revisited”, which I hope to read & enjoy en voyage. I also got to know that a daughter had been born into the household at Harrogate. I afterwards visited & spent nearly 2 hours with Mrs. Street, & enjoyed tea during the stay. She was very delighted to have a visit of one from the “old country”, & not less from one who knew Mrs. Leask, a life long friend. We talked much & parted regretfully because of the short time. Geelong is a fine old town, beautifully situated, & rich & luscious in vegetation, with charming atmosphere, & a lovely bright sky overhead. Mrs. Street had removed to Spring St., La Trobe Terrace was given me, but she had to remove at the doctor’s request into Spring St., where she feels better. She had just recovered from a serious illness but was very bright & cheerful. Mr. Jones was going to Ballaarat by the same train as I, so we joined again at 5:20 & journeyed together till nearly 8 o’clock, & parted at Ballaarat station, he seeing me into the train which was waiting for ours connecting.[4] I engaged a sleeping berth & soon got to bed, & comfortable I was, well bedded sheets & blankets, & arrived at Adelaide near forenoon at 10 o’clock, Adelaide time, but 11 o’clock Melbourne time, so I lost an hour on my journey. It is 490 miles, Melbourne to Adelaide.[5] Breakfast was served in refreshment rooms at 7:30 [5:14] en route. On my arrival at Adelaide, & taking up my quarters at the South Australian Hotel, I had a walk out & soon found Mr. Ebdy, who gave me such a welcome as I shall not soon forget. He devoted the whole day time & much I saw under his guidance. We called at his house in the suburbs & saw Mrs. Ebdy for a few minutes. Eventually we returned to his home, where I dined & spent the evening till 9:30.

Now do you follow me? I left Melbourne on Thursday forenoon 1 ½ hours’ ride to Geelong, fine day it was at Geelong, then left at 5:20 in company with Mr. Jones, arrived & left Ballaarat at 10 to 8 same night, travelled all night & arrived next forenoon, Friday July 1st, at Adelaide, South Australia. Melbourne is in Victoria. Long journeys here, 490 miles, Melbourne to Adelaide. As I came round about way from Melb.  to Ballaarat I travelled 20 miles additional on the journey. Then it is 500 from Sydney to Melbourne & 700 odd miles Brisbane to Sydney.[6] Well, on Friday, while Mr. Ebdy was around with me, we soon found out where Mrs. Leask lived & made just a passing call, & to intimate I would pay her a visit proper. Miss Leask (who keeps a boarding school, “Inglemere” school, 224 Gover St., No. Adelaide) is away to the coast at present, as this is holiday term, so unfortunately I won’t see her. Mrs. Leask is a very charming old lady, a picture to look at, old style (bell yellow by style) & a rare conversationalist. One you could spend a long time with & not weary. They live in a very nice house with plenty ground & garden around it, & presently she has a little 6-year-old grandson, “Roy”, staying with her, & the housekeeper. I think this comprises the family presently.[7]

Well, Saturday, July 2nd, I was to be ready for Mr. Ebdy at my hotel, close to station, & we were to go down to Port Adelaide, the shipping harbour for Adelaide, [5:15] half hour’s run, to view the port & the great refrigerating works now in very full operation.[8] These Mr. E. had constructed during his service under the South Australian government (4 years). He left & came home, as you know, & to seek up connection to begin on his own account as exporter for frozen meats, butter, fruits, rabbits, wines &c. &c. Now this was a great sight to me. These works are as close to the wharfs as our big warehouses are to the water at WH, & all frozen goods are simply shipped into the ship’s refrigerator within 2 or 3 minutes from the cold chambers. Mr. E. does an enormous trade in the exporting frozen rabbits. At the present this is the season & yesterday I saw the whole process from the rabbits coming in fresh, to packing & entering into the freezing chambers where we were, & very icy cold it was in them, snow encased tanks, of course. We previously had seen the machinery going & making the ice. Well, hundreds of crates were in these chambers awaiting the steamer. He can send to London an unlimited supply, & then they haven’t enough. Talk of rabbits being a pest here, doubtless they are, but what a boon & blessing to England. These can be exported & conserved fresh. They are very beautiful & well nourished & very fleshy. They are cheap, of course, & can be sold in London retail at 10d. Of course you would not distinguish them from English, did you see them hanging in home shops for sale. This freezing business must become a very stupendous trade in everything perishable. Fowls, too, undergo the same process & just now under limited accommodation they slaughter 800 sheep daily on these refrigerating premises, & they are doubling the place now, & has lately good additional steam engine power. It does not take long to turn the soft flesh into the condition of stone hardiness, then they are removed into large cold chambers to wait shipping.

[5:16]

Mr. Ebdy was overjoyed that I had seen the outcome of his original work. He entertained me for days on our outward passage in the Victoria & it was a sworn promise long before we parted at Aden, that when I got round to Australia, I was to visit them at Adelaide. Here I, of course, had intended coming, so to view the chief capitals of each government: Queensland, NS Wales, Victoria, & So. Australia, & here let me remark, this is the only place I have been enchanted with as a place of residence for the Britisher. I mean as regards beautiful home landscape scenery. Oh, the vastness of the richness of fertility here. They can grow everything that is known, & tho’ it is midwinter, the climate is charming & what atmosphere, so clear, rare & life giving. 10 miles looks but at your nose end. It’s marvellous to me, & the city of Adelaide[9] is a model, streets so wide, the 2 side ways or flags, as we term the path, in some of the streets here, are far wider joined together than Lynn St. is wide from building to building opposite, but you know land was no object early on, & wise heads had generously provided space for all eventualities. Their park lands encircle the city, & every here & there are lovely, open planted spaces, every building as clean as the day the stone was quarried, no smoke with unadulterated atmosphere. Yes, this is the place to live & everybody seems well doing. No ill-clad loafers, or poorly dressed children, but on the contrary, a thrifty folk, drunkenness is practically unknown. As you walk along the outskirts & not a great distance from the very centre of business, you see the olives growing in abundance, oranges, lemons, almonds, roses, figs, flowers &c. &c. Heliotrope everywhere & you could pick any of the fruit I’ve named without over reaching your arm as you pass by. Similarly to passing up Grange Road.

[5:17]

Mr. Ebdy kept always telling me on our passage in Victoria, “wait till you see Adelaide & South Australia, & you’ll get a surprise”. Well, since I’ve seen it so far & he has bummed me about these past two days, he would not let me rest, I’ve had to admit, like the Queen of Sheba, verily the half had not been told me. I am not the enthusiast I was 10 years ago, but believe me, when I say, I really would not exaggerate the loveliness, charms, and fascinations of this most heavenly place, Adelaide. Old Mrs. Leask thinks it a veritable paradise. Now this is Sunday morning, July 3rd, & I had to get up before 8 so that I might try & keep my journal up to the hour, but I can’t do it this morning. I have done well, tho’. I had a good breakfast & now it is 9:30, & Mr. E. would insist on me being driven out to Salisbury, where they lived for many years, & the carriage is now at hotel door waiting, & I am to drive up to his house where he & Mrs. E. join, & off we go. Oh, what a lovely morning it is, & midwinter too. It is the Sabbath day & I did wish to put it off till tomorrow, but no imperative, their kindness excels everything & I am not to move from Adelaide till the last possible hour of time left to me. I am sorry I had not come down sooner & spent more time, but I thought I would come just for 2 days & pay my obligations to Mr. Leask, Mrs. Stoddart, & Mr.  & Mrs. Ebdy, but, oh, its an offence to speak of when I shall have to go. Mr. Ebdy has introduced me to dozens of very leading men & he is quite lionising me.

[5:18]

[1] Annual holiday from apprenticeship in West Hartlepool (?)

[2] Australian shipping company.

[3] “Australia revisited in 1890, and excursions in Egypt, Tasmania, and New Zealand: being extracts from the diary of a trip round the world, including original observations on colonial subjects, and statistical information on the pastoral, agricultural, horticultural, and mining industries of the colonies,” by Josiah Hughes, 1891

[4] Inserted on facing page: “Geelong & Ballaarat”.

[5] Inserted on facing page: “Arriving at Adelaide”.

[6] Inserted on facing page: “Sydney to Melbourne”.

[7] Inserted on facing page: “Adelaide”.

[8] Inserted on facing page: “Refrigerating works, Port Adelaide. Rabbits & mutton”.

[9] Inserted on facing page: “Charming Adelaide”.