IMPRESSIONS OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. 1852

 

A LETTER TO HIS FATHER FROM THOMAS HENRY SEVERN, NEWLY ARRIVED PASSENGER ON THE SHIP "PRINCE ALFRED". WRITTEN IN MELBOURNE ON 26 DECEMBER 1852.

Melbourne
Decr 26/52

My Dear Papa

I send with this my diary, you must not think it unkind of me because I did not write by the "Sydney" steamer, to announce my safe arrival, but on arriving on shore everything was as dear and uncomfortable that I could not find a place to sit down to write in , and secondly I had not time for I went to work the day after . But I will give you an account of the place. We arrived here on Saturday , and by all accounts everything was very dear - for instance - bread 2/- the 4lb loaf, salt 4d per lb - meat 6d per lb, coffee 1/8 per lb, sugar 4d per lb, lump sugar 10d. Spirits etc very dear - beer 6d per glass or 2/- per pot etc and everything in comparison. I did not intend going on shore till I went for good for they charged 5/- to land. I stayed on board all Sunday - packed up on Monday - and Tuesday morning at 8 o'clock went by the steamer to Melbourne which is about 10 miles from where we were anchored. It cost me nearly £2. to land with my luggage and all, for labour is so expensive. Entering the town, it seemed so queer and strange - my chum and I went and walked about, after we had got our luggage stored - we were quite bewildered. We went to a lodging house and there were two beds - mind I say beds because a room is a thing impossible to get. These beds were in a room where 12 slept - and I hear there are some houses where 20 sleep together in a room. We took these beds and paid 3/- each for them, and we then had dinner - 2/-. After dinner I walked in the town and I saw put up in a printers, "Compositors wanted" so I walked in and was engaged at £4.18/- per week. It is a jobing office and I like it very much - Well I was to go there next morning at 6 o'clock - after that I went and found Frank Wyman, who was very glad to see me - he is doing nothing, but he is not single in this - but of this I will write more of, when I have finished about myself. After that I went to the tents - or "Canvas Town" as they call it. I should think there must be nearly nearly 1000 tents, and it looks for all the world like Eden in the "Martin Chuzelwitt" of Dickens. There I saw Mountee and Charlotte, very miserable. They had arrived about 10 days before us - and were 120 days at sea. They are both very miserable and wish they had never come - which is the cry of everyone that arrived. We had tea with them, and then went home and went to bed. Since then I have been to work every day from 6 till 6 and have felt very tired when the day is over, and I generally turn in about 9 o'clock. On the morning after I arrived I went to a boarding house to live where they charged me £2.2/- per week for breakfast dinner and tea, and a bed with 12 in the same room. Oh it is a wretched place destitute of every comfort is this Australia. Cherries 4/- per lb - Cabbages 1/ each Apples 4/ per lb and not worth eating. Washing 12/- per dozen if you send all shirts - but if you mix the things large with the small you can get them done for 8/- per doz. On the first Monday and first week after I came on Shore I was so dreadfully bit by the Moschettos they bit me all over while I was asleep, you must not scratch the place when they itch for it makes them worse. My face was so covered with these bites that I looked as if I had the small pox, and really thought I was going to be ill, but I stood up against it, and Charlotte and Mountee, hearing of a house to let at 30/ a week near my office I said I would take one room with them for the houses have only two rooms most of them. Well - the second Monday after I arrived we were in this house, and thank God I am now free from moschettos, for it was only through so many living and sleeping in one room at the boarding house that I was so bit. On Christmas day we had some baked pork and plum pudding which was very good. They charged 9d for baking it and if you take 1/- will not give you the change. Coppers are rare things here nothing hardly is to be bought under 6d . Change is never hardly given. To give you an idea of the things here is today that 10/- here is only equal to 1/- in England this is a fact. I bought a bottle of Port wine and Rum to drink at Christmas and they charged me 6/- for the bad wine and 4/6 for the Rum - one thing of this, I don't care for I am no drinker. I drank all your healths at home and thought of what you were all doing calculating the 9½ hours we have gained on you for when we are going to bed at ½ past 9 it is 12 at noon with you. - I did not wish any of you here for it is a horrid country. The summer season is now on , and they say they have no rain, in England. There have been four or five showers - not such showers as we have in England, but rain that seems to pour - not "little babies in long clothes" but "Giants with pitchforks". The morning after I arrived I had to cross a street. The water was nearly up to my knees - this the old settlers call nothing. They don't call this rain - they say it lasts for 3 months right off. The Sunday before last I too a walk with Mr Wyman to Pryham, a place about 5 miles off - and nearly knocked myself up, you cannot walk here in the middle of the day - nor at night for murder is nothing here and no one thinks of walking out without a pistol in his pocket, they are "stuck up", as they call it and thrown into the Yarra river - It is a wicked country and a devil's life. To advise anyone to come out I certainly should not for though I have got a tolerable situation - I am one in a thousand, besides persons who are no trade are useless out here - Clerks are no good here - all they do is work on the road at £3 a week, which with the high price of things is not too much, considering what hard work is. If Alfred Newman was to come out he would not know what to do - I can assure him for no one but Carpenters and Brickmakers are wanted - not even printers, for they are plentiful now - and I can only say that I am very very lucky. As for coming out for the "beautiful country", it is nothing on England - even in the worst parts. It is a horrid place and where I never hope to settle. All I say is stay in England - don't leave her she is not to be equalled. What some have endured living in the tents I cannot tell you but it is dreadful. There are many out of work out of employment here as there are in England - and it is only the good workmen - and they must be lucky - that succeeds. As for letters of introduction they are not worth a dump - in fact I have not used mine. Bigamy is a constant occurance here that no notice is taken of it. If a man leaves his wife to go to the diggings she marries another man and when her husband comes back, if he goes to say anything about Justice, gets laughed at, and perhaps a bullet through the head for his trouble. All I have written is not overdrawn in the least - I can assure you, and after leaving beautiful England to come to such a different place, where comfort is not known. Do not advise anyone to come. I do not say this from any selfish mood but for their good while they can exist in England, let them stay. I was not born to be lucky in some things - I shall give myself ten years and then come home again and see old England again, that is to say if I don't make my fortune before. To make a fortune here is easy if you can get established well. Mr Lyon and Roy is here starving, but I don't think they make much of their London madrigal and Glee Club. The theatre and all connections with it is far from respectable. I went to the tents the other day and coming home heard a lady playing on the piano and singing in one of them, "I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls" - poor thing. I thought that all you can do here is to dream of those places here. Many persons who work on the roads get sun stroke, and die. The dysentry has carried off a great many - the water is very bad - in fact nothing is good - meat tough - the flies plentiful, and everything dear. The gentlemen wear veils as well as the ladies here, to keep off dust and flies. I have a wide-a-wake and green veil, to look like the rest. Dogs are very numerous. You have to carry a stick to knock them off to prevent them biting you. Every one is on an equality here and the only thing that I am not obliged to keep up any great appearances here. I can wear what I like and no one looks at you. I shall become a rough and uncouth being - and not the civilised Henry Severn that was. It is no good making friends here for they only cost money and I want to save so shall remain quite by myself going through the routine of the day like a clock. I have not been able to get all my clothes out of the box but shall go next week. I hope to send by next letter something to give you but must not promise till I know where I am and must keep a little store in case of illness which please God I may not have. Good bye. Give my love to all at home. I hope you are getting on well. I am expecting letters from you. Give my love to all - everyone. Tell them I am doing well and believe my dear father I am your loving son.

Thomas H. Severn

Tell Moma and children they must not be offended because I have not sent my love separately.

 

(Thomas Henry Severn married Jessie Mary Ann Underwood in Victoria in 1854.)

 

Thomas Henry Severn's Diary

Return to home page