History of West Australia
HISTORY
OF
WEST AUSTRALIA.
A Narrative of her Past.
TOGETHER WITH
BIOGRAPHIES OF HER LEADING MEN.
COMPILED BY W. B. KIMBERLY.
F. W. NIVEN & CO., PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, MELBOURNE AND BALLARAT (VIC.),
MDCCCXCVII.
PREFACE.
It would be curious indeed if inaccuracies are not found in the following narrative—the first yet published on Western Australia. At the same time, much care and nearly two years of labour have been devoted to its compilation, and every effort has been put forth to make it thoroughly correct and representative. Many obstacles, often insuperable, have been confronted. Only slight comment has been indulged in, the chief object being, while presenting a readable work to trace the growth of industries, to describe the peculiar circumstances which at first retarded general expansion, and to supply a record of Western Australian annals. From such points of view the reader is asked to form his judgment. A few letter-press inaccuracies, due to necessarily hurried revision, will be discovered in the first five or six chapters. The narrative is carried up to May, 1897; but for obvious reasons, mining statistics subsequent to that month have been included. Special thanks for assistance are tendered to the Government of Western Australia, to permanent heads of departments—such as Messrs. O. Burt, R. C. Clifton, J. B. Roe, H. Johnston, M. A. C. Fraser, R. Pether and H. C. Prinsep—to several early settlers, and to the Hon. R. S. Haynes, M.L.C.; Messrs. Edward Shenton, F. C. Broadhurst, W. M. Parker, and Thos. Burmingham. Two articles on the goldfields, by experienced men, are appended.
Part II. contains the biographies of the chief men of the colony, a feature of this production which should prove of general interest. Engaged on this section of the work have been J. M. Mackay, F. F. Macalpine, M.A., S. H. Whittaker, and other special writers.
CONTENTS.
ERRATA.
Since Chapter V. was printed information has been received from the Colonial Office, through the instrumentality of the Registrar-General Mr. M. A. C. Fraser, which suggests that the Parmelia first sighted the Western Australian coast on the 1st June, 1829. Captain Fremantle left the Cape of Good Hope in the Challenger for Swan River on 20th March, and on 25th April anchored off Garden Island. On 27th April the Challenger entered Cockburn Sound, and struck on a sunken rock without suffering any ill effects. On 2nd May possession was taken of the west coast of New Holland, the flag being hoisted on the south head of the Swan River, and not on the north head as stated in page 39. Captain Fremantle sighted the Parmelia on 1st June, and on 2nd June that vessel entered the Sound and struck on the Parmelia rock. On 8th June the Sulphur (see page 42) anchored in the Sound and sent some troops to relieve Captain Fremantle's party on the mainland on 17th June. It is to be supposed that Captain Stirling, the Lieutenant-Governor, landed on the south head of the Swan on that or the following day.
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