SECTION 4: Emigration and Free Selection
Published in Maitland Mercury and Hunter River:
R.H.S. 1933:
The first printer in Australia was a convict by the name of Hughes however since he only printed handbills the first official printer was George Howe Ed of the Sydney Gazette, which appeared 1803
Macquarie Barracks
During the early rein of Macquarie there were no barracks for the convicts and most slept in private dwellings and public buildings – the evenings became an opportunity for plunder and disorder. The Macquarie street barracks were erected in 1819 and described by lord Bathurst and Commissioner Bigge as 'too comfortable, forming a sort of luxury clubhouse'. On June 4, 1819, 589 convicts dined there for the first time, and enjoyed a 'most excellent dinner, plum pudding and an allowance of punch being allowed them'.
Land, land Land
(Tune: Land, Land, Land)
or...
Song of The Maidens
A new song to an old tune
(Tune: In The Strand)
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The Australian Emigrant's Song
BY 'OLD BOOMERANG' (J Houlding)
Q784.3/4A1
Published London 1867 Words and music
Typical art song and sheet notes that the song was published in Colonial Capers
First line: When the merry little spring birds
Make the woods and vales resound.
Hand-Written Diary of Augustus Cutlack
'Four Years In Queensland & New South Wales' 1875
After all that could be seen at night I made my way back to my fire in the old kitchen and taking my flageolet out of my pack I begun to make the old house ring with such tunes as 'Auld Robin Gray' Down to the Rat catcher's Daughter, not forgetting Home Sweet Home. When I had finished I laid down on my blankets in front of the fire and began to think of the old folks at home, not forgetting the youngest of the young ones, after wondering if they thought of me, and feeling sleepy, prepared myself for bed and finally dropped off and dreamt of home.
EMIGRANTS PENNY MAGAZINE
1850 Vol1. Printed in Charring Cross. The monthly magazine appears to be a Christian Guide to Emigration and includes religious-influenced stories, puzzles and poor songs.
"The most desired emigrants are young married couples, without children, or with only one or two; and elder parents with grown families, the youngest child not under 12 or 14.
The following list contains the smallest quantity of clothing to be taken:
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Men
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Women
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6 shirts
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6 Shifts
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6 pairs of stockings
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2 flannel petticoats
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2 pairs of shoes
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6 pairs stockings
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2 complete suits of exterior clothing
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2 pair of shoes
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2 gowns
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The magazine contains various games and discusses the importance of puzzles and word games in passing the endless days of sail.
Game Of Letters
This is a typical word game.
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GATHERINGS FROM THE GUMTREES
Michael Kilgour Beveridge
1863 Melbourne
Songster size
The Emigrant's Song
(Tune: Jeannot & Jeannette)
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PICTURE OF SYDNEY & STRANGERS GUIDE
James Maclehos
RHS reprint of the original 1839
Continues about the importance of emigration.
(The attraction of emigration to New South Wales) 'Was especially surprising when, the original elements of our society comprised all the vices and miseries of depraved society. Selected by the British Government as the great repository of national crime – as the immense sink into which the nation might discharge its 'superfluity of naughtiness' – this territory was for many years occupied exclusively by felons and their overseers, and could be regarded in no other light than that of a territorial gaol.
NB the system of making free land grants to emigrants remained in operation until the middle of the year 1931.
Further advice is given to those headed for an agricultural or mechanical employment recommending they bring tools of trade and 'any newly invented things'.
Advice, surprisingly, was also given for Convicts. One assumes this information to be passed on to the Convicts by their families.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD DIGGER'S MONTHLY
059/124
1852/3
Published in Melbourne by James Bonwick.
Songster size.
Toasts and songs followed. Among the latter was the following:
In every clime, it aye has been a Briton's proudest boast,
To have his Christmas pudding and his fine old English roast;
Then why should we, on Turin's stream, like soulless churls, forbear?
To keep the good old custom up, and have our Christmas fare?
Though 'neath no season's rarities our rough-made table bends,
We care not, since within this bower, we see but hearty friends,
Nor envy we the formal feast – each man precisely dressed –
Our shirts of scarlet suit us well as white cravats and vest.
Settler's Lament
Mitchell library, Sydney, complete text.
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Southern Cross
Fragment
From Southern Lights and Shadows by Frank Fowler 1859.
He claimed it was a bullocky toast
sung by the anti dray and land tax law league of SA
Olle heigh Ho
Blow your horns blow
Blow the Southern Cross down if you will
But on you must go
Where fresh gullies flow
And the thirsty crane wets his red bill
From Robyn Ridley 1970 who said her mother sang this ditty.
Hill End
The flies crawled up the window
That's all they had to do
They went up by the thousands
And came down two by two
The flies crawled up the window
They said they loved to roam
Once more up the window
And then we'll all go home.
THE EMIGRANT'S MANUAL
EDINBURGH 1852
'In NSW, as in other Australian colonies, crown land is now sold at not less than 20s an acre.'
Excursions & Adventures in NSW
Capt Henderson 78th Highlanders
London Vole 1 & 2
1854
DSM/981/37B Vols. 1 & 2
Being a Guide to Emigrants.
On the ship Fortune from Scotland to Sydney.
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Don't Go To The Bush Of Australia
(The King of The Cannibal Isle)
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The above song has been recorded in Paterson's 'Old Bush Songs' and Stewart & Keesing offer another, supposedly from 1857, however this possibly is the original. That said, Henderson's notes, though very reliable in other situations, is still slightly ambiguous in as far as his actual authorship of the song. It should also be noted that Surgeon Goodwin, whose version appears in Stewart and Keesing could also be considered as the original especially since he was resident in Sydney first. Whatever the case both versisons are very different.
Practical Hints for Emigrants
Songster size. John Willcox
Liverpool. 1858
980.1/89A1
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Rambles & Observations in New South Wales.
Joseph Townsend
London 1848
981/39A
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THE NEW CHUM IN AUSTRALIA
Percy Clarke
London 1886
DSM980.1/c
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Melodies of the People appeared in Heads Of The People Magazine and was a series of songs sharing the frustration of new settlers on the land. Sometimes witty and sometimes showing the frustration those pioneer farmers must have experienced.
The Settler Settled
HEADS OF THE PEOPLE
Magazine 1848
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The Squatter Done Brown
HEADS OF THE PEOPLE
Magazine 1848
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This is typical of a group of emigration songs where the English or Irish new chum is confounded by bush life. I have not been able to work out the meaning of the chorus where the blame is laid on the agent – I am assuming it is either an emigration agent or a shipping agent. Maybe it was an employment agent who sent him out bush?
Paddy Malone
Australian Melodist Songster
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THE GOLDEN COLONIES
Earp G B
1852
DSM/980.1/E
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AUSTRALIAN EMIGRANT'S COMPLETE GUIDE
S BUTLER
1849
84/557 Dixson
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Land speculation was almost a disease as emigrants moved across the country looking to buy land with government incentive programs. Journalist Clarke obviously took a dim view of some of the speculators selling the land.
Speculation
Written by Marcus Clarke, Esq.
(Air: Moet & Chandon)
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This next item concerns itself with opposition to the churches missionary zeal and their stance on the Maori Wars.
The Missionaries' Mull
COLONIAL SOCIETY MAGAZINE
Jan 21st 1868
(Tune: Guy Fawkes)
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Tarara (land) Boom Decay
Pat Finn
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HANDWRITTEN SONGBOOK BY DAVID MCLEOD
Dated 1855
D7505 misc.
Most of the songs in this collection are parlour-type songs.
This following item is found in Ireland, Scotland and America. It has been suggested the tune is as old as 1650 and was originally used as a fife tune. Another has it from Queen Elizabeth the First's era when it was used to pipe ships from and into the harbour. The tune has been collected in Australia several times and was popular as a dance melody. There exist several verses and variants of the song itself.
The Girl I Left Behind
(Tune: the Girl I Left Behind Me)
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THE AUSTRALIAN FAMILY HERALD
Aug 1877
Edited George Loyau. Published Adelaide
SLSA
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Includes the song....
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