The life of Hugh Munro Hull

As written by himself

FOREWARD 
I have been constrained to write a book of my recollections of my life for the information & instruction of my children; My Grandfather was a farmer at Carshalton in Surrey, the name of the farm was Childesoakford & he (Thomas Hull) & his wife Rose had seven children of which my father George Hull was the youngest. 

My Grandfather was a man of commanding appearance 6 foot 2 inches high & was a member of the Surrey Royal Grenadiers. My Father George Hull was the youngest son & having received a good education was placed in a position with a Lawyer in Micham Surry, later on, on the influence of Sir Thomas Wood Bart, he was secured a position in the Commissariat office. 

In 1810 he proceeded to Spain & Portugal & saw service there under the Duke of Wellington in 1814 he was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissary General & at the close of the war in 1815 he returned to England & married my mother, Anna Munro daughter of Lieutenant Hugh Munro then a Lieutenant of the Royal Veterans Battalion & stationed at the Scilly Islands, he was previously a Captain in the Coldstream Guards but was practically blinded by a cannon blast in the Walcheren Expedition. 

Anna Munro was 15 years of age when my Father presented a letter of introduction to Govt. Macquarie, from Earl Bathurst v Lord Goulburn, he remained some months as a guest of Govt. Macquarie & then as he stated being eaten up by flies in the day, & mosquitos by night & being most dreadfully burnt up by the heat he requested a transfer to Van Diemen’s Land & this being granted he and his family left Sydney in the Brig "Admiral Cockburn" for Hobart, the voyage took 12 days & bad weather all the time. 

Arriving in Hobart he took up his duties as Commissariat Officer & remained there until 1823, he was then transferred to Launceston with the position as Kings Bonded Warehouse Keeper & Treasury Official, there was seldom sufficient cash or currency to pay his salary so he had to take the balance out in Rum, the result was many convivial parties at his house. 

In 1831 he retired, (on account of deafness) on half pay & took up farming at Glenorchy some little way out of Hobart, here he had built his home & called it ‘Tolosa’ while stationed in Hobart on the 2560 acres of land which had been granted to him The Sum Of Us | 219 by Govt. Sorell. He died in 1879 at the age of 93, his wife predeceased him aged 77, he left 10 children living out of 13 & I was the eldest son. 

I will commence my narative as follows: 

0 - 6 years Childhood 
6 - 16 " Boyhood 
16 - 30 " Manhood 
30 - 40 " Prime 
40 - ? " Going down hill 

0 - 6 CHILDHOOD 
My Childhood I believe was merry & happy I was a good looking child, healthy & full of life: I remember going to spend an afternoon at the Military Barracks with Colonel Bell's children, I was dressed in a white frock & red morocco shoes, I remember the grapes given some with strict instructions not to soil my frock, I remember bathing on the shallow sandy beach behind Government House where Franklin Wharf now stands, there I bathed with Governor Sorell's children & others, I remember old Stewart who drew me about in a little carriage made out of a cedar box, I remember going to Launceston in the Chaise cart on a mattress with other children & servants & until I went to school at Mr. Thomson's Academy of Learning in Hobart town in 1824 I remember very little else. 

I was then 6 years of age & my Father having been transferred to Launceston we lived there, he holding the position of Kings Bonded Warehouse Keeper. 

My Father drove me to Hobart town as I was to be a boarder at Mr. Thomson’s, he drove me in a Gig & the trip took 4 or 5 days to do the 120 miles, I can remember counting the mile posts of wood & the fear I had of the black natives on the road & I remember Jarvey the beautiful mottled gray gig horse of my Fathers one that he lent for a few horse rides to a dear friend Dr. Hamilton which returned home in an hour saddle empty, bridle broken, rider dead, smashed against a gum tree. I remember bivouacking beside Antill Ponds on our way, to eat some lunch & bait the horse, and the way in which Jarvey snorted & stared in the direction of a small copse of wattles seemed beautiful to me but to my Father it was a caution to be up & away, out of danger. 

Of an extremely fond mother, of little brothers & baby sisters, sugar-plums & happiness the sum of my childhood is made up. 

The first residence of my father was in a wooden building which stood where the Royal Society’s Museum now stands, Argyle St. between the Museum & the Town Hall was his potato garden & for many years two large gum trees stood at the gate which he had planted in December 1819: He had strolled up to the Bush to dig the little saplings up & this was where the Hutchins School now stands, all beyond being a thick scrub of Ti trees & prickly Mimosas. 

The best shop in Hobart town was then kept by Mrs Maria Lord the wife of one of the former Military Commandants & with whom I afterwards lodged at the Priory at Bothwell. 

My Father received a grant of 2560 acres of land in 1821 & he selected his estate at O’Brien’s Bridge & built his house ‘Tolosa’ which has seen so many of us children grow up & go out upon the world. 

I may add that in 1823, (then 5 years of age) I went to Miss Pitt's school & she was very kind to me, I remember the bread & honey which she used to give me & that I was her bed fellow when I stayed with her, she is now the wife of an old friend Capt. Bateman, the school house stood where Ballantine’s wine store now is & adjoined St. Davids parsonage garden. 

6 - 16 BOYHOOD 
In 1824 I was entered as a boarder at Mr. James Thomson's school in Melville St. where I had a large number of school fellows, I think 92, of which 25 were boarders. 

Mr. James Thomson was the Head Master, Mr. John Thomson Second, Mr. Wm. Thomson the Drawing Master & Mrs & Miss Thomson to superintend the arrangement of the household. My nickname 220 | The Sum Of Us was Frizzlewig, from my curly hair & old Susan the servant used to give me dips in the pan & wipe her greasy hands in my hair, I remember my dress of blue cloth jacket & trousers with lots of buttons on them & a wide broad brimmed leghorn hat & with a crimped white frill round my neck. Many of my then schoolfellows have risen in the learned professions or the Political Arena since then, I may name Sir Richard Dry M.L.C., Sir Francis Smith Pusine Judge & the Rev. Wm. Dry, the Honourable Wm. Archer M.L.C., Dr Edward Bedford, Dr Crowther, Wm. Race Allison M.H.A., David Lewis M.H.A., & many others. 

Old Thomson was very severe, especially to me to whom his hand & cane used to be more frequently applied than to any other boy in the school, then the periodical doses of Salts & Sonna of Brimstone & Treacle to which we were all subjected & for which our parents were charged as Medical attendance, are all fully impressed on my memory & my weekly allowance of threepence in coppers was all my pocket money except what I got as presents at Xmas. 

In 1826 I commenced my Latin Studies in which by the end of 1828 I had proceeded as having gone through Virgil’s Aneid, Cornelius Nepos etc. etc. My class fellows were Bushby, afterwards British Resident in New Zealand, John Lord M.H.A., Wm. Allison M.H.A., Dr. Crowther & Joseph Mather the Quaker, we were the first class. 

In 1827 my brother Fred accompanied me to school at Mr. Thomsons & although he was only 8 years old, yet he was a companion & playfellow for me, He was bigger than myself though 2 years younger. 

In December 1828, being then 10 years old I had completed my studies at school. I can remember little beyond the routine of work, floggings, physicking’s etc & my school days were not happy ones. 

My Fathers income was not 500 pounds a year, and as my eldest sister was at Ellenthorpe Hall at 60 pound p.a. & my brother Fred & I cost 100 pound more he had to remove me from school to make room for the younger boys who were now coming of an age to be educated. 

I was taken into his office where I copied letters, counted out Dollars and issued Slops & Rations to the Military & Convict Establishments. 

He brought Fred & I Timor ponies an which we rode after office, and at night the Officers used to come down to our house from the Barracks to spend their evenings over the Commissariats Grog whilst he told us long stories of his adventures in the war, much to the delight of us all. 

I remember the Bower of Roses & Willows in the Garden where he used to play the flute & we used to sing our little songs for we were all musical children, my Fathers Commissariat uniform was very showy, of deep blue cloth the breast covered with gold braid, large gold Epaulettes Å Cocked hat & steel sword. 

He cut up the lace in after years to make fishing lines & many a little trout in the creek at ‘Tolosa’ has been captured by the golden thread. 

He gave his cocked hat to his servant who managed the cattle & had broken in a young bullock to ride upon, this man Starkey, used to wear the cocked hat & ride his bullock at a fast pace & the figure they cut was most amazing. 

This brings me to the year 1829 during which I served as a clerk in my Fathers office, I had plenty of holidays, I had the loan of a single barrelled flint gun with which I used to go shooting parrots & wattle birds at Trevallyn the residence of Mr. Barnes which was under the care of his nephew Tom Mansfield. 

One day the Governor Sir George Arthur came over to Launceston and visited the office where he saw me & patting me on the head he promised to give me an appointment when I had arrived at a suitable age. 

I remember going rat hunting near an old stack of hay at Trevallyn and one of my younger brothers brought a firestick to burn them out, we thought  it fine fun & were greatly surprised with the grand blaze we made, the fire was seen from Launceston and my Father thought it was Trevallyn House in which he knew we were staying, so rushing to the wharf he seized a boat & pulled like a madman over the river, but the tide was low & he ran the boat onto a mud bank where he stuck fast a hundred yards from the shore, to get on dry land was impossible & there he sat with feelings easily imagined, thinking that his children were being burnt to death, however as the tide rose the boat floated off & he arrived safe to find we were safe also. 

We used to ramble out to Patterson's plains about 4 miles from Town to fish & bathe in the River & though we seldom caught much to bring home we sometimes caught a flogging for remaining out after dark. 

In 1830 I went to Georgetown to stay a few weeks with Tom Mansfield at Kelso, my brother Robert was with me & here we passed a merry life, living in a tent, fishing every day, shooting birds, collecting oysters, mussels, cockles & shells of all sorts; Mansfield had a large fish weir which used to collect fish at high tides & when the tide was out there was about 18 inches of water in the hollow of the basin of sand & here we used to obtain hundreds of flatheads, silver fish, garfish, dogfish & one day we found in it a shark nearly 9 foot long; on the mud bank close by one morning the servant man saw a shark 18 foot long floundering about & he tried to kill it with an oar, but failed & the monster escaped. We never walked out in the neighbourhood without killing snakes & at that time some bushrangers were out and we were in fear of a visit from them. 

About this time Mr. G.A.Robinson was engaged in the peaceful collection of the Blacks throughout the Colony & he & a party of them were bivouacking in a scrub on the banks of the Tamar where the friendly natives were engaged in cooking opossums etc. We had a chat with the party, who showed us how to use their spears & one of the black women on being told by Mr. Robinson rushed after me to kill me as I thought, but it was merely to kiss me, & her greasy face & hands gave my skin a nauseous smell for some days afterwards. 

The black complexion, woolly matted hair of the men, the flat disagreeable features & shaved heads of the women only clothed with Kangaroo skins give these Aboriginals a most uninviting appearance. 

I may say that the effect of removing these Blacks to Flinders Island where they were fed & well cared for, was that they died by dozens, until in a few years out of the 150 taken there in good health there were only 20 left alive, and now in 1864 there is but one man & three women left of the 5000 who roamed free & unrestricted over the whole Colony in 1814, or only 50 years ago. 

My father was accustomed to play the organ in St. John's Church on Sundays, as there was no one able or willing to take the duty, and my sisters & myself with a number of the Commissariat Clerks used to form a very respectable Choir. When my father had taught one of the Clerks to play he transferred his duties and the Churchwardens presented him with a purse of sovereigns. 

Many a joyous picnic we used to have in that year, with music & dancing & merriment, all happiness! Where are the happy faces, where are the light hearts, where are the clear eyes? Gone! And yet the world goes on the same. 

The names we loved to hear 
Have been carved for many a year 
On the Tomb.

In this year 1830 I had my skull nearly broken by a pig, and I shall carry the mark to my grave, another mark I got on my leg at school, on which an enormous boil had formed, and when it had been poulticed to a proper degree, old Thomson cut the head of with a pair of scissors, leaving a mark as large as a half crown for ever on my leg. 

In 1831 month of April my fathers health having given away, he retired upon half pay of 90 pounds per year & we all moved from Launceston to Hobart; we had a weary journey of it some of the children in the Gig, some in a Chaise cart, some in the Bullock cart, we were four days on the journey and arrived late at night at ‘Tolosa’ weary & bad tempered. The house was in bad repair in the hands of a drunken tenant Mr. Seagrim, but in a short time father obtained a number of prisoner servants, 21 I think, and all hands went busily to work, clearing paddocks, fencing burning off & ploughing, we all had to work hard, I minded the sheep and took them out to feed all day, bringing them home at night to be folded on newly ploughed ground with hurdles, Fred had the cows & the pigs and my father had the garden. 

This winter was a very inclement one snow being heavy on the ground and we caught numerous small birds chilled with the extreme cold, Parrots came down in thousands around the stacks of corn, & many a parrot pie my Mother used to make, we used to kill them by taking a number of large stones to the top of the stacks and lying down quietly until the ground below was green with parrots then a storm of stones generally killed or wounded a dozen birds, Fred once shot 17 with one shot. 

I did not like farm life being physically weak & the duties were hard, digging tired me and so I took to the light work in the garden & grafted successfully nearly all the trees now in ‘Tolosa’ orchard. 

I remember one night being employed with one of the men burning down trees near the garden & we had succeeded in burning down one of them but it fell into another large tree & hung there, the night was beautifully moonlight & so we determined to burn down the other tree, I sent the man Paddy to get some brush wood and had just turned my back to the fire to warm myself when a puff of wind brought the first tree to the ground, I waited a minute or two for Paddy, and as he did not come I called him without reply, I jumped on the body of the tree which had fallen & walked ten or twelve yards along it when I saw under my feet a mass of matter which two minutes before had been my man, smashed into a heap by the tree, I was dreadfully shocked & hardly know how I found myself getting up to the house, he was cut out from under the tree, and we buried him in Town & raised a cross & heap of stones on the spot where he was killed. 

This farming life lasted all 1831, 1832 & 1833 & up to April 1834 on which day at the request of Governor Arthur my father presented me to his Excellency at Government House when the Governor was pleased to appoint me to be Junior Clerk in his private Secretary's office with pay at the rate of 3 shillings and six pence per day. I used to ride into town to office daily on my Timor pony & the office hours were 9 to 5 so that in winter of course I had to ride home in darkness. 

There being no regular English mail in those days, the only way being to send a bag by Sailing Vessels going Home with wool or oil, we used to be kept on the occasions of Vessels sailing to a late hour in Office, sometimes until nearly day break before Captain Moriarty the Port Officer came for the Governors despatch bag. 

The Governor took some interest in me, offered me the use of his library & suggested books for my reading, which I have found since to be of advantage to me. 

I remained a resident of ‘Tolosa’ until the severity of the weather & the long office hours made me think of living in Town & in August 1835 my father having bought a small allotment in Macquarie Street on which was erected two small sheds, I came to Town lived in one of the sheds & kept an old man servant in the other, my salary was then 100 pounds a year, and Philip Emmett came to live with me. 

We only lived in this small place till November when we took a cottage higher up the street where a large Blackwood tree now stands, planted by myself on 5th. November 1835. 

Every Sunday I used to walk out to ‘Tolosa’ and it was here I met Emily Bostock the daughter of very old friends of our family, she was about 3 years younger than myself & was very beautiful, I remember one Good Friday having been out shooting with a flint gun & having killed a number of parrots was bringing them home, Emily ran down to meet me & in handing her the birds the gun went off & lodged a charge of small shot in her shoulder, the scream of terror & pain & the flow of blood on her white dress I shall never forget as long as I live; a man was despatched to Town for Dr. Bedford who extracted the shot, but for a long while she was laid up & her shoulder was ever afterwards disfigured; She married in after years a merchant named Connolly old enough to be her father & she died childless in Victoria some years ago. 

About this time I caught the measles & which laid me up for a few days. 

In 1837 on the arrival of Sir John Franklin the official staff at Government House was reduced & I was sent to the Colonial Secretary’s Office on the 7th May with an increase of 20 pound to my pay, & Emmett, his brother & I took a larger cottage in Elizabeth Street where we kept a man servant; - My fellow clerks at Government House were Noyes afterwards collector of Customs at Torquay & Tom Thorneloe who died in Port Phillip where he was manager for Capt. Montague. At the Colonial Secretary’s Office my fellow clerks were Driscoll, dead & his only son in New Norfolk mad house, Low dead, Morrison drowned, Gallot dead, Logan dead, Knox afterwards Colonial secretary, dead, James Burnett dead, Nairn now Comptroller General & Sheriff & Mitchell now a M.L.C. in Victoria with 2000 pounds a year & the Colonial Secretary was Captain Montagu now also dead. Here my duty was to copy letters in a book & make myself generally useful. 

In 1838 I was greatly affected towards a most agreeable blue eyed English Lady then 7 years older than myself she was the sister of my friend Fred Hayman who unfortunately was drowned in the Derwent near the new Govt. House; For her I bought flowers, copied music, sang songs with her, rambled, picnicked & had serious thoughts of marrying on 120 pounds a year, but a stern Uncle declined any arrangement & her father, an elder Brother of the Trinity House London sent for her & she went home in the ship Derwent. She left me on the day she went away a Myrtle tree in a flowerpot, which John Abbott had given her & I kept it for 13 years & gave it to Mrs Roofe who afterwards died suddenly on her father’s lawn. 

In December of this year I had a very severe attack of Neuralgia of the lungs which a young Doctor Stodart treated as inflammation & after getting over the attack a little I went across the Country to try the effect of Country air, my brother Fred accompanied me in a Gig; we went to Mr. Bostock’s at Vaucluse & a fit of constipation coming on I thought I should have died on the road from the agony I endured at the London Inn & also near ‘Tolosa’ was beyond expression. I got to ‘Tolosa’ & sent off to Town for Dr. Coverdale who bled & blistered me to a skeleton & I slowly recovered & then I moved to Town & lived with James Knox at 65 pounds a year. 

In January 1839 my pay was increase to 150 pound. All this year I lived with Knox & nothing occurred either to cloud or brighten the dull monotony of a Government Clerks life. In this year my brother Alfred was born, the last boy of my father’s family & a small active little chap he was & still is. 

In 1840 the office was under the care of Captain Forster, brother of Mr. Forster the Inspector of Police, he is dead & his family went to England by subscription amongst the friends of the late Colonial Secretary. 

In May 1841 Capt. Montagu returned from England where he had been on leave of absence & he remodelled the office making me Senior Clerk with two clerks under me & giving me pay at the rate of 200 pound per year & to be increased 25 pound a year. On the 18th. July of this year my brother Robert who had long been ill of consumption died quietly in his bed, he was a good-hearted boy and was a great favourite with all of us. 

On the day he died I went out to see him & on parting with him to return to Town he said he would soon be well again as Winter was nearly over & warm weather would soon set him right, in the night Fred was reading to him & not hearing him breathing went over to his bedside & found him dead, the handkerchief in his hand not clutched but quite loose as if he died without any pain. 

It is a mistake to say that Consumptive people feel no pain, for he suffered fearfully for nearly 6 months, the first cause of his illness was a cold which brought on a cough & in coughing he burst  a blood vessel on the lungs which never healed; He had been a few years in the Government Service Mauleys office, my sister Mary who was born in May of this year is the last of the Hull family of that generation; What is very remarkable in our family is the regularity with which sons & daughters occur of my fathers family thus, 1st. daughter, then 3 sons, then a daughter, then three sons, then a daughter, then 3 sons & lastly a daughter & out of 13 children ( in 50 years) only one dead. 

In November 1841 Miss Antoinette Martha Aitken (afterwards my first wife) came to stay at ‘Tolosa’ with my sisters, she was the eldest daughter of a very old friend of my fathers, a Country Magistrate & a large sheep farmer & agriculturist, I found out her excellent qualities proposed to her & was accepted, I visited Glen Esk, made myself agreeable to the whole family & was received as the acknowledged future son in law, being required to undergo two years probation. 

In the month of September 1842 I rode up to see my old friend Mr. Bostock of Vaucluse & whilst there I sent over to Mr. Aitken of whom I personally knew but little to say I would attend Divine Service at his house the next day which was Sunday, it being the custom of the Rev. Mr. Mackersey to preach at Glen Esk occasionally. 

I was stiffly received by my future Father in Law, but I put on my best behaviour, I returned to Hobart Town after a weeks leave & quite satisfied with my journey & its results. On 7th. July 1842 Capt. Montagu advised the Governor Sir John Franklin to increase my pay to 225 pounds & I took a house in Fitzroy Crescent where Jervis & Harbroe came to live with me each paying one pound per week towards the housekeeping expenses, I furnished the cottage plainly & acted as caterer, but I lost money by the bargain. 

On 7th. July 1843 my pay was increased another 25 pounds & on 1st. December 1843 I was made Secretary to the Committee of Officers with 50 pound per year; I left my cottage & took another higher up the Crescent, I had my rooms nicely furnished, kept wine & spirits in my cupboard & my bachelor apartments were seldom without plenty of friends who played cards, drank my grog & led me into debt, how easy it is to get into debt and how long it takes to work out of it. 

I may say that I held the office of Secretary for nearly 11 months on the same small salary and when I left I received a handsome letter of acknowledgement from the Chairman, owing to the office being given without pay to the Chief Clerk in the Comptroller Generals Office. 

I kept up correspondence with Mr. Aitken and his daughter and looked forward anxiously to the termination of my two years probation. 

In the year 1844 my brother Fred married Miss Turrell daughter of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, I went to the wedding at New Town Church & chartered a Cab with four grey horses which I filled with the Bridesmaids etc & drove out to O’Brien’s Bridge, this was on Valentines day 14th. February, coming home one of the horses fell & was killed & I paid two pounds ten shillings for the days work. 

I took a house in Nile Terrace No. 3 & got a Constable & his wife as servants, in June 1844 my sister Jane married Mr. Downing a merchant & ships owner, in August 1844 I went on a visit to Glen Esk for a week & enjoyed myself very much & whilst there I arranged to be married on the 31st. October. I visited New Norfolk with Jervis & Eichbaum and spent a pleasant day there. 

On the 31st. October 1844 having gone up to Glen Esk in a Gig with my brother George I was married about 9 a.m. by the Rev. John Mackersey to Antoinette Martha Aitkin; We came to town by easy stages calling at ‘Tolosa’ & Glen Lynden on the way home & soon settled down in our new position at 3 Nile Terrace. 

It would not be out of place here to describe the wedding festivities, the evening before the event we kept it up most joyously, there were Mrs Doveton, Fanny Cox, Joanna & Helen Crear & Annie Bostock & also Frederick & Walter Synnot; Old Mr.Bostock & many others. Champagne flowed to a late hour, in the morning we arose with headaches; At 9.30a.m. we breakfasted & then started in Mr Aitkens carriage for Oatlands, Marcus Aitken & a servant driving us; We stayed an hour at Hopes Inn at Ross to bait our horses which got tired before we reached Oatlands, the evening was very cold. We obtained the assistance of some road labourers to urge the horses up the hill for which I gave them two shillings and six pence & it was dark before we reached Pages Inn. Next morning George brought the Gig from Glen Esk & I took his place on the Coach for town, the carriage returned to Glen Esk & I drove on with my new wife towards home. 

In 1845 in the early part of the year we lived in Nile Terrace, but my old friend John Abbott having a large house in Davey St. only occupied by himself, offered us the use of the rest of the house except two rooms & here we lived very comfortably. There was a nice greenhouse attached which I found much pleasure in managing. On some occasions we had our friends together for a dance & sometimes as many as 60 or 70 at a time in our large drawing room. 

I then took a house in Davey Street with a pretty veranda covered with fuchsias & here I built a small greenhouse & stocked it with flowers. Our cousins the Misses Gage, Martha Fenton, Adelaide King, & others used to come in the evenings & many a merry little dancing party we had. 

Mr. Aitken frequently came to town to see us, he was in bad health & came to get the benefit of Dr. Agnew's advice. On the 7th. January 1847 my pay was increased to 265 pounds & I still held my secretaryship of 50 pounds, so that my income was sufficient for a man & wife. 

On the 21st. July 1847 my 1st. son was born; He came into this world before his time & was puny and delicate to the last degree, I could not feel proud of my 1st. born’s appearance. Mrs Wooller the nurse said he was the smallest baby she had ever seen alive, he was born about 2 p.m. & Dr Officer who attended did not think he would live, however with much care he got on well. 

Mr. Bicheno the then Colonial Secretary used frequently to ask us to his home, he was an excellent good hearted old gentleman with a fund of bonhomie and good humour, he is dead & so is Mrs Cook his cousin who used to be very good to us. 

In November 1847 I took my wife and her little one up to Glen Esk to introduce Herbert to his grand father, who inserted a legacy of 200 pound in his will in Herbert’s favour, but which he never received. 

In May 1848 Governor Sir William Denison ordered me to be stationed as clerk in his office to copy despatches & conduct the business of the office under his Private Secretary, here under Capt. Stanley R.E. Captain Clarke R.E. Colonel Last 99th. & Mr. Jolly my official days passed pleasantly for 8 years & a quarter. Plenty of work however, Sir William Dennison was a man of active mind & never kept an idle man near him, he was always studying something or another for the good of the Colony, by the people of which he was never duly appreciated; He who serves the Public serves a Fickle Mistress; This I have found out in my own experience. 

I had Frank Stanley Dobson now M.A. & a Barrister in Victoria as my junior in the office, my private hours were also happy, I had a good house, a good wife, a little son & hosts of friends; We used to form picnics to Fern Tree Valley, or Sandy Bay beach or Browns River & we used to really enjoy our holidays. 

In January 1848 I insured my life in the Australian Company (Since transferred to the Liverpool London & Globe) for 500 pounds at an annual premium of twelve pounds three shillings & fourpence. 

In November 1848 my wife’s father Mr. Aitken died at the early age of 54, I went up to his funeral with Downing, but returned to town immediately afterwards as my wife was ill, Mr. Aitken left my wife the little farm at Glenorchy for which he had paid 250 pounds to my father & he left her 250 pounds in cash & 200 pounds to Herbert. Of the 250 pounds I got all in 5 years except 36 pounds, Mr. Grubb the lawyers bill for Administration. 

The 200 pounds for Herbert was secured upon the property which did not realise by some hundreds of pound what it was expected to do & so Herbert lost his legacy; The Glen Esk property was left to Marcus Aitken who sold it for 10,000 pounds. The Athol Estate to Robert Aitken who sold for 1600 pound & each of the other children had 250 pound left to them, Mrs Aitken having an annuity of 150 pound chargeable upon Glen Esk & which she afterwards commuted for 700 pounds. 

In June 1849 the Tasmanian Public Library was established by a number of gentlemen who met together in the Museum of the Royal Society & I was unanimously elected Secretary, a house was taken No. 1. Barrack Street attached to which was a large room filled with shelves as a Library & Reading room & the rest of the house, 8 rooms was given to me free of rent for my services as Secretary to the Library Committee, here I resided until August 1850 when on account of my wife's continued bad health I determined to move out to the country for a change of air & we went to reside at ‘Tolosa’ with my father, we were not very comfortable as I had to walk into town every day to the office, however I managed to rub along until April 1851 

I again returned to the Library which in the meantime had been managed by Mr. Tribe to whom I gave 25 pound to return the office to me; Whilst we were at ‘Tolosa’ my sister Annie married Henry Power son of Capt. Power late Surveyor General & a nephew of the Countess of Blessington. On the 5th. December 1851 my brother Fred's only son died of Croup & Herbert had convulsions; While at ‘Tolosa’ I had a good bit of new ground dug & made into a garden & my crops of vegetables were worth looking at, but all my crop of onions being stolen & the cows having nearly destroyed the others I became disheartened & gave up gardening there. 

On the 1st. January 1852 my salary was raised to 300 pounds a year; During this year my wife’s health became very delicate, she suffered from painful presentiments of trouble from which she could not be driven, it was to no purpose to talk away her impressions, she was very religious & that consoled her, on the 23rd, July she was sitting on the sofa talking to my mother when she suddenly complained of illness & we carried her to the adjoining room to her bed, Dr. Officer was sent for but he was away from home, Dr. Agnews with a like result & meeting Dr. Huish in the street I took him home with me; but in the meantime Hugh was born about 4 p.m. before his time by 2 months, Nurse Robertson was sent for & all appeared to be going on well, Dr. Agnew had called & so had Dr. Officer & my mother was also with us, - Herbert had kissed his mamma & bid her good night & I had put him to bed in a adjoining room & the house was getting quiet for the night, when at 10 O'clock I heard a painful wail from the bedroom & on entering I found my unfortunate wife insensible and apparently in a fit. 

We applied hartshorn, cold water, everything to try & recover her & sent off immediately for Dr. Agnew & Dr. Officer, they were both soon in attendance & pronounced it a fit of Apoplexy; They tried to bleed her in the arm & in the temporal artery, but to no purpose, then mustard plasters to the feet & legs but still to no purpose. They left in about 3 hours telling me to watch for consciousness but giving me no hope. I watched my wife breathing heavily with her eyes open but evidently unconscious, & feeling sick at heart I left the room for some wood to replenish the fire, & on my return my Mother told me that my good, virtuous, religious wife had gone to her last home. I heartily believe in Heaven. 

Mrs Stewart a neighbour came over and nursed the baby till daylight & then nurse Robertson took him away with her, with faint hopes of being able to save his life with goats milk. On the 27th. July 1852 I buried my wife in Newtown churchyard & planting a tombstone at her head, I planted on her grave two pine trees from Glen Esk & a few roses & flowers. The nurse retained the baby for two months at 2 pound per week & then I obtained a wet nurse near ‘Tolosa’ who took him & nursed him till March 1853.  

On the 20th. September 1852 Isabella Gage died just after the birth of a little son, she was a cousin of ours & had married a Mr. Lucas. 

In February 1853 I went up to see Marcus Aitken at Fingal where he was Police Magistrate and had not long been married to Grace Lord; We visited the gold fields together & I bought some gold from the diggers. 

On the 19th. March 1853 being my 35th. birthday I had asked my mother to come in & stay with us for a day or two when she brought Herbert in from ‘Tolosa’ & he had three fits of convulsions one after the other, so that I had to call in Agnew & Bedford; Whilst attending to him Mrs Clothier brought Hugh into Town suffering from inflammation of the lungs & diarrhoea of a horrible nature, my mother became seriously ill & had to go to bed; The nurse refused to keep Hugh any longer & left him with me, still unweaned, I thought my heart would break. 

On 28th. March Mrs Tremlett departed for Campbell town with the intention of keeping school there, she took Herbert with her for whom I agreed to pay 100 pounds a year, I sold off most of my furniture and went to live with my sister Mrs Emmett at Newtown taking Hugh with me & hiring a wet nurse to whom I paid one pound per week to suckle him, I soon had to discharge her for drunkenness and sent a new nurse with Hugh up by coach to Mrs Tremlett's care, this was on the 4th. August 1853, I was sorry to part with the little fellow but I had no one to look after him while I was at the office; On 6th. April 1853 I paid the Newtown Churchwardens sixteen pound ten shillings for the 10 feet square of ground for my family burial place also White nine pound ten shillings for fencing it & Barclay two pounds ten shillings for the Headstone. Pearson’s bill for the funeral was 30 pound & Dr Agnew's for attendance five pound five shillings. I sold my late wife’s piano for 30 pound the same price I gave for it 7 years before & bought another for 35 pounds, which I presented to Margaret Tremlett. 

On the 18th May 1853 I received a Bronze Medal, a certificate of Honourable Mention & a large book handsomely bound for my contributions to the Great Exhibition of 1851; On the 20th. June 1863 Captain Clarke the Private Secretary on going away presented me with a gold pencil Case & a handsome signet ring with some very complimentary expressions of my official services under him. 

During this year I suffered a good deal from neuralgia which I relieved by the use of Camphor inwardly & mustard plasters outwardly. 

On 13th. Sept. 1853 I moved into lodgings at Mrs Parkers upper Elizabeth St. at 30 shillings a week, and made two excursions this month to the top of Mt. Wellington, one with Mr. L'Estrange when we brought down a quantity of frozen snow from the top & presented it to Mrs Hall & Miss King at Hall's house where we spent the evening. 

On the 10th December 1853 having just attended the funeral of Mrs Parker’s little girl who had died of scarlet fever I was taken ill with the same fever & kept to my bed in great pain under Dr. Agnew's care until the 21st. when I got up and soon picked up my strength. 

On 26th. December 1853 I took possession of a house in Davey St. having arranged to be married early in January to Margaret Tremlett who had been so careful of my two little motherless boys. 

Of our family at ‘Tolosa’ this Christmas there were at dinner 7 sons 1 daughter & a grandson, my brothers George & Temple came over from Victoria on a short visit to their father. They were full of adventures which they had met with during the years they had been away in California, Oregon, & the Rocky Mountains and in the Sandwich Islands. 

On 1st. January 1854 having made all arrangements and furnished my house I started in the Coach for Campbell Town & on the 3rd. January I was married by the Rev. Mr. Ewing to my second wife Margaret Basset Tremlett cousin to my late wife, I had sat up till 1 in the morning helping lay out the wedding breakfast & as the house had shortly before been broken into & robbed I slept on the 228 | The Sum Of Us sofa with a carving knife handy to protect the plate, the morning was excessively hot but neverless Dr & Mrs. Cameron, Mr. & Mrs Leake, Marcus Aitken & his wife Robert Aitken & his sister Mary Jane, Dr. Harrington & Mrs Bayley were all in attendance & the ceremony was performed according to the forms of the Church of Scotland as at my first marriage; I gave Mr. Ewing seven pound seven shillings for the affair & left for Ross with my new wife in Mr. Leakes carriage which he kindly lent us for the occasion. 

We stopped at Hopes Inn at Ross, next morning Robert Aitken brought Herbert to us & we started in coach & went as far as Green Ponds where we stopped at Ellis's Inn, next morning by coach to Town. 

We had not been home three weeks before the Measles & Scarlet Fever being prevalent my young wife took the measles & Herbert took Scarlatina both were very ill, Herbert was delirious for some days with Dr. Agnew & Dr. Downing attending him, Hugh was very ill at Campbell town with Dysentery attended by Dr. Harrington for which he charged me 6 pounds 6 shillings. 

On the 8th. March 1853 George & Temple returned to the diggings in Victoria. 

In June 1853 Hugh came down to his home with his nurse & in October Williamina Tremlett came to live with us. During this year I suffered much from Tic Doloreux owing to cavious teeth which I relieved with Camphor & Laudamusin. 

In June 1854 I went to some expense and a vast amount of trouble to get up a Society to establish a fund for paying pensions to the widows of Civil Officers, my scheme was not well supported and I abandoned it, but it led to Mr. Champ then Colonial Secretary to bring in a Pension Bill in the Legislative Council, Governor Sir Henry Young refused to assent to it. 

In January 1855 the Colony lost its best Governor Sir William Denison who had been promoted to the Governorship of New South Wales, - On going away his Excellency called me into his office & presented me with a letter of testimonial and a valuable gold watch for my 7 years service under him. As a fellow of the Royal Society I attended a Deputation to present an address to him, and as one of the first members of the Public Library I again attended to present an address from that body; On 13th. January I saw his Excellency & his family off in the steamer Tasmania having with my wife attended in the morning at Government House to bid him & Lady Denison goodbye.

 In this month my Mother in law came to live with me so that my family party began to be large, I also sent Herbert to Hutchins School under the Reverend J.R.Blackwood a clever but severe Master. 

On the 18th. February 1855 at half past 10 a.m. my third son William Denison was born, I called him this name in honour of my late Patron. The Rev. R. McLean baptised him on the 19th. March my 37th. birthday; 

In March Mrs Tremlett & her daughter took rooms for themselves in Macquarie St. and tried to keep school, but it failed & they returned to my home in May. 

In April 1855 my tenant Mr. Heiner paid me 22 pounds ten shillings to renew the lease of Herberts Farm & which I did for 10 years at 37 pound per year. 

In May I insured my life for 500 pounds in the Professional Company 

On the 2nd. June I moved out to a cottage at Newtown which I got at 52 pound a year, for my landlord Dr. Crooke wanted to charge me 90 pounds a year rent for the cottage I occupied & for which I was paying 80 pounds a year. Here I made a good garden, which produced splendid vegetables. 

In office hours I got together all the old Gazettes & Papers and prepared a Statistical Account of Tasmania from 1804 to 1824, which the Governor ordered to be published by the Government Printer. 

In July 1855 my tenant offered me 175 pounds 15 shillings to commute the Rent for 10 years, I was hard up, everything being so very dear, and I took the money; We were then paying 1 shilling per pound for meat & 10 pence for the 2lb. loaf. 

In December 1855 I insured my wife’s life in the Australian Mutual Company for 300 pounds at a premium of 6 pounds 8 shillings. 

On the 21st. December the Governor told me I might have either the Police Magistracy of Bothwell or Circular Head, but the Colonial Secretary said that Major Cotton or Lt. Forster had prior claims & were waiting for a vacancy and so I got neither. 

During this year owing to the very high price of Food all the civil servants had an increase in aid granted to them owing to excessively high price of provisions, mine was 185 pounds making my income 485 pound. 

In 1856 I commenced distributing all over the Colony some valuable Barley, the original seed of which was brought from California by my brother George. 

On 9th. January Colonel Last who had been Private Secretary for two years came to bid me "goodbye" & left me a handsome letter of approval; I felt the old Colonels kindness when my 1st. Wife died, for on the 24th. July (Sunday) the Regiment passed my house on its way to Church & the Colonel ordered the Band to cease playing within hearing of my house, a military compliment which I duly appreciated. In February I got the influenza & was laid up in bed for 5 days, Willie took the fever in March, In May I prepared the Statistical tables for 1855 which the Government Printer published. 

On the 13th. June 1856 I was duly elected a member of the United Brothers Lodge of odd Fellows; attended the lodge at the Hotel in Argyle St. & was duly initiated at a cost of 3 pound 6 shillings & 8 pence. 

On 19th. June 1856 the Governor nominated me to be Police Magistrate of Hamilton & Bothwell with a salary of 400 pound a year & Forage for a horse & now after 22 years service as a Subordinate Clerk I was promoted to a higher grade. 

On the 23rd. June the Governor put my name in the Commission of the Peace and on the 25th. I sat as a J.P. for the 1st. time in the Hobart Town Police Office and on 7th. July took my seat in the Court House to try Prisoners at the Quarter Sessions. 

On the 11th. July 1856 I was gazetted as Assistant Police Magistrate, Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions & Deputy Commissioner of the Court of Request for Hamilton & Bothwell & also as a Coroner for the Colony; and on 17th. July started in the Green Ponds Coach for my new Home at Bothwell, - I stayed at the Royal Oak Green Ponds that night and next day at one o'clock arrived per conveyance through the mud at the Crown Inn Bothwell. 

I made a humorous mistake on my arrival for I called in a passing Policeman and desired him to say to the Police Clerk Mr. Robinson that I wished to speak to him, but the policeman went to Mr. Robinson the Clergyman with my message, the result of which was a message in return to come down and take tea with him & have a chat; I accordingly went down & though perfect strangers to each other we passed a merry evening; I left my wife & children at Newtown till I could arrange to get them up to Bothwell. 

On the 22nd. July I started on a hired horse for Hamilton and lost my road so that it took me 6 hours to get there; Here I found an old friend, Dr. Sharland in the Senior Magistrate, and I found that 13 shillings & 4 pence allowed for mileage by the Government notwithstanding that I dined with the Doctor fell some three shillings short of my expenses. 

I found myself commanding two old Clerks, three Chief Constables & 21 Petty Constables & three Watchhouse-keepers, quite a Police staff; I had not been there long when I found we had more Cats than were required for the Mice, & so I advised a reduction in the Police Force of 8 men by which I made 8 enemies & saved more than 500 pound a year.

The position of a Country Magistrate is one requiring much diplomacy to please all parties, cases came before the Bench wherein justice requires a punishment of the Great and if this is done in all honesty, the man becomes your personal enemy. 

I lived at the Crown Inn where I had pleasant rooms, until 29th. August when my whole family came up. I had taken "Enfield" a small cottage at 30 pound a year, here I made a good garden & stocked it well with vegetables & flowers & I bought a mare from Reid for 30 pound & had her broken in; I had 130 miles a week to ride, the climate of Bothwell is very cold, being so high above the level of the sea, snow storms are frequent & I got frequently wet through in my journeys between Hamilton & Bothwell. 

I paid Andrews the Carrier for bringing my furniture, 25 pounds, and the Coach fare of my wife, children, Mother in law, Sister in law & servant was 7 pound more. 

On the 18th September 1856 I rode to Victoria Valley to hold my first Coroners Inquest on a man named Stock, I got through a disagreeable duty pretty well. 

On the 10th. October with much personal exertion we got up a Public Ball at Bothwell at which 50 of the Elite were present, we got a German Band from Hobart Town and nearly all our wine, ale, & cakes from Webb. The rain & snow came down heavily & spoilt most of our amusement, however we had a good supper & plenty of dancing. 

On 4th. November 1856 at about half past 8 a.m. my first daughter was born, Dr. Tensh attended, & though the house at Enfield was a miserably cold & dilapidated building everything went on well; We used to see the stars through the cracks in the roof & on wet nights frequently had the umbrella over our beds. 

On the 3rd. December 1856 came a letter from the Colonial Secretary offering me the Accountantship of Stores with the chance of permanency, I accepted it especially as Gellibrand told me in a private letter that the Police Magistery was to be abolished; when the Bothwell & Hamilton people sent petitions to the Government through the Member for there District, Captain Langdon, requesting that I might be retained & their addresses were couched in very flattering terms, to these the Government listened & I was allowed to remain for the present. 

On the 22nd. December 1856 the Reverand Mr. Robertson christened my daughter Margaret Annie after her two Grand Mothers & I had a champagne & cake lunch on the occasion. On the 29th. December myself & a party visited the Lakes & lunched on Lake Sorell where I got some beautiful Topazes and got home late at night after a ride of 46 miles. 

I found by the Gazette that I had been promoted to a full Police Magistracy and got Her Majestys Commission styling me Her "dearly beloved" which I duly appreciated. 

1856 was a year of much honour to me, but very little profit. 1857 This year entered upon its career with extraordinary changes of weather which I noted at the time, thus the 1st. was a very wet day, rain falling heavily all the day, the 2nd. was a hot day with loud vivid thunder & lightning & the 3rd. was fine but very cold, whilst on the 4th we had a perfect hurricane of wind; These sudden changes, exposed as I was to them by the nature of my duties affected my health and strength; - Up to this time I considered myself a hearty man at my culminant point of years health & honours, I was not quite 40 years old, I had no organic disease of any kind, weighed exactly 9 stone & could ride 50 miles without much fatigue. 

I held a great many offices, some lucrative others only honourable or honorary. 

I was Police Magistrate of Bothwell & Hamilton with 400 pound a year & forage allowance of 50 pounds, Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions, Deputy Commissioner of the Court of Requests, Coroner for Tasmania. Justice of peace for the Territory, Commissioner Under the Census Act. Returning Officer under the Electoral Act Member of the Literary Society of Bothwell Fellow of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1844. Corresponding Member of the Adelaide Philosophical Institute Church Warden of Bothwell. Chairman of the Road Trust. Manager of the Savings Banks, Bothwell & Hamilton; For all these offices I had work to do and my sole income was 450 pounds. 

In March 1857 my Sister in Law accepted Office as Governess in Dr. Sharland's family . 

In April 1857 I headed a "Subscription " list with 5 pound and in a few hours raised 150 pounds to be given as a Bonus to a qualified Doctor to come & reside at Bothwell, Dr. Tensh having left for Oatlands. The Doctor who accepted was a Mr. Strong, a violent tempered young married man who was ungrateful, expensive in his charges viz: Two guineas for drawing my child’s tooth, insulted me on the Bench for which I reported him to the Government & he resigned the Commission of the Peace & soon after left the District. 

In May 1857 having been invited to a Birthday Ball at Government House my wife & baby daughter & a servant & I all went down to Hobart town having hired Harvey's Dog cart & two horses to carry us down at the expense of 2 pound 10 shillings. 

On the 8th. June I prepared with some trouble and delivered a lecture in the Schoolroom to the Bothwellites on the Stars & what we know of them, there was a room full of people. 

During this month at the request of the Governor I prepared a full report on Irrigation in the Bothwell District & also a Statistical Account of Cumberland; His Excellency thanked me handsomely for my Reports & invited me down to read them to the Royal Society at a special meeting which was called for the purpose. 

On the 27th. June 1857 I received from Mr. Henty Colonial Secretary a letter offering me the Collectorship of Customs at Port Frederick as the Government were about to do away with the Police Magistracies; Port Frederick was 160 miles away & I did not like the change so I went down to Town & saw the Governor & the Government; Mr. Henty told me of the absolute necessity of reducing the Establishment of Police, but said if I would undertake the Visiting Magistracy of Green Ponds in addition to Bothwell & Hamilton I might remain, of course I consented & from 1st. August I got through a days work as follows:- 

I held a Court of Requests at 10 a.m. in Bothwell Police Office, - then mounted & rode to Green Ponds 18 miles, tried several cases there, returned home through heavy rain, dined, & at 7.p.m. went down to the School room & gave a lecture on the rise & progress of Tasmania. 

On the 29th. August 1857 we moved into larger & better Quarters at "The Priory" a fine large stone building which I got for 50 pound a year, the only drawback being that the Old Lady owner still required to occupy three rooms. We had a good garden and a lovely view of the whole Village. 

I had too much work to do with the Bench duty of three Police Officers & having to ride 130 miles a week to do so, I had also Inquests to hold, some of which took me 40 miles from home & so in the middle of October with a sad pain in the leg I went to Hobart Town to consult Dr. Agnew, who told me to give up horse exercise, this virtually would be giving up my office. 

Whilst in town I heard of George Turnbull’s death, he was Assistant Clerk of the House of Assembly with 330 pound a year; He was consumptive & delicate. I asked Mr. Henty to give me the Billet & to make the salary I was then receiving viz: 400 pound, when the Government were pleased to meet my wishes & on the 4th. November we moved into Town to No. 4 De Witt St., Hobart Town which I had rented at 60 pound a year. The year 1857 was one of great care, trouble, & annoyance; On the 28th. December 1857 my brother John's wife presented him with twin sons, both of whom died almost immediately after birth; In January 1858 I sent my second son to School to Mr. Edwin Pears at Battery Point. 

On the 26th. February 1858 finding it exceedingly inconvenient to attend the Police Office at the frequent requests of the Police, I tendered my resignation of the Commission of the Peace, which the Government accepted on the 5th. March. 

In March 1858 I commenced my little "Guide to Tasmania" which I finished in two months & of which the Publishers sold 1000 copies @ 2 shillings a copy. 

In April 1858 my Sister in law returned to us having been badly treated at Dr. Sharlands house & as she was very ill she & her mother left for Campbell town for a change of air & scene, & I took a house in Macquarie Street from W.W. White at 40 pound a year & here I studied the most rigid economy. On the 19th. March 1858 I had completed 40 years in this world of trouble, - I came across a few words the other day which struck me forcibly & I noted them down :- 

"Let us come forth, we who have known sorrow & even now are suffering from some hidden pain that we think is ceaseless as it is venomous & let us look into the World which God has made, if it hold not good for us or happiness it may hold something better, that even our humanity may rise to recognise as better, - So let us look it in the face, and travel the way that is appointed for us to go; The World may make a man unfortunate but it can never make him miserable, that is for himself to do." As a star shines impartially over the measureless expanse, tho' it seems to gild but one broken line to each eye, so, as our memory gazes on the Past, the light spreads not over all the waste, but falls narrow & confined along the single course we have taken." 

So I lean over the Raft on which I float, and see the sparkles of many a bright & happy hour, many a joyous scene reflected from the waves of memory commingled with the dark & deep waters of heavy sorrows; Oh memories of bygone days! How crowded & thronged are thy images, some of them how pleasant, some how painful! 

Thus ends a brief sketch of my climb to the top of the Hill, taking 40 years to do it. The downward run will be more rapid, until my weary feet are staid at the foot of the Mountain, when before me will be the Home far beyond the twilight judgments of this World, high above its 'mists' ands its obscurities. 

DOWN HILL 
In my new House I sat down determined to economise; out of a large yard I made a beautiful garden & stacked it with flowers & vegetables, I grew onions weighing 2 pounds each & I had Broad beans higher than my head. 

On 2nd September 1858 I was requested to hold an Inquest at Muddy Plains on a child who had been scalded to death; the day was stormy, I had a ride of 34 miles and cleared but little out of my fee in consequence of having to pay one pound for a horse and five shillings for a boat. 

In November 1858 I commenced the Royal Kalandar and Guide for 1859 and sent it to Fletcher's to print for me, I engaged him to do so for eight pounds per sheet of 24 pages. On 22nd November 1858 my son Henry was born: Mrs Tremlett came down from Campbell town to be with my wife on the occasion. The event took place at quarter to two in the morning, Dr Agnew & Mrs Mann being in attendance. 

On the 23rd. November I was appointed Secretary to the Royal Commission on Parliamentary Buildings. 

On 1st. December I received an order from Walsh & Sons Launceston for 350 copies of my Royal Kalandar and on 10th December the Government ordered 100 more & Sir Henry Young eighteen. 

On the 22nd December 1858 the Reverand McLean baptised my son as Henry Tremlett he & his daughter being the only strangers present. Christmas day 1858 fell on a Saturday and we met round our small table in full health & strength, thank God! 

Myself & wife (and children as follows) 
Herbert 
Hugh 
Margaret Annie 
William Denison 
Henry Tremlett  

and a good English dinner of Roast beef & Plum pudding. 

On 28nd December 1858 my little Royal Kalendar and Guide for 1859 issued from the press with good hopes of success. The year 1859 commenced with a frightfully hot day, so much so, that everyone who could do so kept in doors, in our Parlour the Thermometer stood at 80 degrees, yesterday it rose in the sun to 136 degrees and this day 128 degrees in the Sun & 99 degrees outside in the shade. 

On Sunday 9th. January 1859 I took Sacrament in St. John's Church, the Rev. Mr. McLean officiating, we had grumbling thunder, lightning, and rain all day. 

On the 15th January I was caught with the children in a fearful Thunder Storm with forked lightning and heavy rain, there was another thunder storm with heavy rain on the 17th, and again on the 18th. 

On the 19th. January I was taken ill with an attack of English Cholera and after taking 10 drops of laudanum sent for Dr. Agnew who gave me Catomel and morphine, I was in agony for 5 hours vomiting etc. without intermission. The morphine however did its work and after lying in bed for nearly two days I recovered. 

On the 22nd January 1859 I received a letter from Sir Henry Barkly’s Private Secretary in reply to mine of the 7th telling me that the Governor would at once bring my qualification for the Office of Deputy Registrar General before his Advisers so that my claim might not be overlooked. 

On the 24th. January the thermometer was 126 degrees in the sun and 91 degrees outside in the shade. On the 26th. there was a heavy thunderstorm the rain came down in torrents for half an hour. 

Sunday 6th. February 1859 was a frightfully hot day, the thermometer standing at 83 degrees in the Parlour, 99 degrees outside in the shade and 125 degrees in the sun. Wrote to Orger & Meryon as to the expense of publishing a small book on Tasmania and illustrating it, I sent them a copy of the Guide for 1858 and Kalendar for 1859; 

On 11th. February attended the funeral of Walter Synnots wife at St. Davids Church; On the 12th. received a letter from Silver & Co. of Cornhill forwarding to me a copy their Emigration Guide for 1858 in which my Guide is honourably mentioned. 

Saw the funeral of old Fox the Boatman who has left 500 pounds to the Orphan School Children, 400 children of both sexes attended the funeral. 

On the 13th. February there was snow on Mt. Wellington and the thermometer stood at 58 degrees in the sun. 

On the 8th. March 1859 I moved into 93 Davey Street where I had lived in 1847-48 and I have now to pay 50 pound a year rent. 

On 16th. March I completed my Alphabetical Index to the Statutes, which the Government ordered to be printed at the Government Printing Office. 

On March 1859 I had completed 41 years, the day was bright & pleasant & I took my wife & five children & the maid servant in the steamer to Kangaroo Point where on the Beach we spent a pleasant day returning home by 5 o'clock & found the housemaid drunk & incapable. 

On the 27th. March I sent my Post Office Directory to Fletcher to print for me, it has taken me 15 weeks to get it up, with hard work. 

On 3rd. May 1859 I commenced duty as Secretary to the Church of England Synod for which I am offered 10 pounds 10 shillings. 

On 23rd. June 1859 I read a lecture on the Capabilities of Tasmania at the Mechanics Institute, the Governor Sir Henry Young, Colonel Broughton, the Mayor & a very crowded assembly were present, & at the close of the Lecture the Governor called me to his Box and thanked me for my lecture. This lecture was published under the title of " Forty years experience in Tasmania" and the Parliament voted 100 pounds towards the expense of printing it & the Emigration Commissioners gave 10 pound for 100 copies.

July 3rd. 1859 again took the Sacrament in St. Johns Church, Mr. McLean officiating. 

October 20th. 1859 I took the M.S. of my Kalendar and Guide for 1860 to Fletcher who says that the expense of publishing will leave no margin for profit & so I don’t intend to publish anymore Calendars for I have only cleared 12 pound by the three 1858, 1859 & 1860 & in which the trouble & work has been immense. 

November 7th 1859, Wife, Aunt Mary, Dot, Baby & Nursemaid started in the Coach for a months tour to Launceston, Herbert & I saw them off in the Green Ponds Coach. 

On 15th. November 1859 Orgn & Meryon the Publishers in London, letter reached me stating that they had put my M.S, Pamphlet to Press. 

On 4th. December 1859 the heat was excessive, the thermometer outside in the shade 103 degrees, Herbert & I walked over the hills to ‘Tolosa’ & when I got home I stripped & dried myself with towels. 

7th. December 1859 Herbert & the young Forsters and myself ascended Mt. Wellington & cut our names on the Trigonometrical post; we started at 8.a.m. & got home at 5.30.p.m. 

16th. December 1859, Wife & children returned home from Launceston. Christmas 1859 Herbert went to ‘Tolosa’ to represent my branch of the family there, my last Christmas dinner at ‘Tolosa’ having been in 1853. 

30th. December 1859 Received a Telegraphic message of the sudden death of my brother in law Marcus Aitken in Victoria, an excellent goodhearted friend & liked by all who knew him. 

1860 Sunday 1st. January, having been elected as Manager of St John's Presbyterian Church I attended in my place morning & evening 144 persons attended church & the plate at the door produced 21 shillings & eightpence, the Revd. McLean named me from the pulpit as the Church's agent to visit the Poor, I am sure I need only look in my mirror for a very good specimen. 

1st. February 1860, Wife, Dot, & I drove out in a Cab to ‘Tolosa’ to be present at the wedding of my sister Polly to Mr Davidson the Architect, the day was fine, the Revd. Mr. Simson performed the Ceremony & 28 sat down to the Wedding breakfast.

 On the 5th. March 1860 I attended a meeting at the Theatre at a meeting of Oddfellows for the purpose of getting up a Volunteer Rifle Company, I made a speech & was elected to the Committee to draw up the Rules & Regulations & on the 20th. March I enrolled myself as a Volunteer of the Oddfellows Rifle Corps. 

On 31st. March I held an inquest on a tailor named Saville at Sandy Bay who had committed suicide by cutting his throat. 

On 17th. April the English Mail brought me two copies of my Illustrated Pamphlet "Forty Years in Tasmania", I sent a copy to the Colonial Treasurer who said "that it satisfied him that it would be of great service to the Colony and that it both reflected credit on my industry & skill & justified the Parliament in the Vote which it had passed (in faith) to aid its circulation". 

2nd. May 1860 I was examined by Dr. Agnew for an assurance on my Life & my Wife’s in the Australian Mutual Co. for 500 pound that sum being payable to the Survivor. 

On the 14th. May the Colonial Secretary informed me that he had sent to England 100 pound to pay for printing my Pamphlet. 

On 28th. May 1860 I was elected to be Quarter Master Sergeant of the Oddfellows Rifle Co. & on the 29th. we held a Court Martial on Charles Edmunds & dismissed him from the Company, In June 1860 I was again appointed Secretary to the Church of England Synod. 

On 5th. June 1860 my sister in law Lucy Aitken was married to Ernest Bostock at Warrnambool. 

I make a memorandum of the Salaries I have received since my appointment: 

25th. April 1834, 3 shillings & sixpence a day,
 Ist. January 1836 100 pounds, 
1st. May 1837 120 pounds, 
1st. January 1839 150 pound, 
1st. January 1840 160 pound, 
1st. July 1841 200 pound 
1st. July 1842 225 pound, 
1st. July 1843 250 pound 
1st. December 50 pound as Seceretary to Committee of Officers 
1st. Janaury 1850 265 pound, 
1st. Janaury 1852 300 pound, 1
1th July 1856 300 pound & 50 pound for house & forage for a horse, 
1st. January 1857 400 pound & forage for a horse 
1st. November 1857 400 pound. 

On 24th. July 1860 heard of the death on Sunday of Aunt Mary at Launceston, aged 60; During this month my Father, Mother & self & nearly all my family suffered severely from Influenza which has been very fatal this year. 

On 30th. August 1860 I was elected first Lieutenant & Adjutant of the Oddfellows Company & received the Governors Commission under Seal appointing me in the name of Her Majesty.

 On 4th. September 1860 I paid Mr. Knight my first quarters premium on the Life Policy in the Australian Mutual for 500 pound on my Wife’s life & my own. 

My Father gives me the following short account of himself:  At 13 years of age he was sent to a Lawyers office in the West of England & then to Gatton in Surrey, then in 1810 he obtained a Treasury clerkship in the Commissariat; He had often heard his father speak of his Grandfather who was a Baptist as were all the family at that time; Some of the Hull's went to Ireland with Oliver Cromwell. 

My Grandfather Hull was a man of 5 foot 11 inches & was second man in the Grenadier Company of a Volunteer Regiment raised during the war & my Grandfathers brother was 6 foot 2 inches, the family property was at Childe Okeford. 

On the 4th. September Hugh went over to Launceston by Coach to School at Mrs Tremlett’s; I attended with a Guard of Honour under my command at the Theatre where the Governor was. His Excellency stepped up to me & expressed himself highly gratified with our Military Appearance. 

On the 10th October 1860 my second daughter Netta was born at 12.45 a.m. On the 8th. November 1860 I attended Lady Young's Ball at Government House in the full uniform of 1st. Lieutenant of the Rifles, and on the following day, being the Prince of Wales’ birthday the Governor inspected the Volunteers on the Domain, 200 were present & His Excellency complimented us on our Soldierlike appearance; In the evening at our Drill room we presented our Drill Sergeant with a purse & ten sovereigns as a present. 

On 12th November Mr Storie baptised little Netty in the presence of my father, mother & ourselves. 

On this day I received a letter from Mr. Alfred Hull a nephew of my father's in England writing to me in a very friendly spirit. 

6th. December 1860 We had a Battalion drill on the Domain, 200 Volunteers were present, Colonel Russell selected me as Adjutant for the day & we went through our evolutions in a very credible manner. 

Christmas day 1860 we drove out in a Cab to ‘Tolosa’ where we all dined together; There were:

My Father & Mother - 2  
Ourselves - 7 
John Hulls - 4 
Davidsons - 3 
Alfred Hull - 1 
Henry Hull - 1 
Lesters - 2 
Spong - 1 
Downings - 7 

28 Tents were put up on the Lawn under which ale Wine & fruit of all sorts circulated, whilst outside the race, leapfrog, jumping & other games were actively engaged in; Four of us afterwards had a little rifle practice, these being Lt. of 2nd Rifles, a Cadet of Artillery and four Cadets of the Buckingham Rifles.  

My retrospect of 1860 is. - that I had much sickness in family, Diarrhoea, Low fever, and influenza & my father has been dangerously ill, my wife’s Aunt Mary died; myself, my sister Polly, Robert Aitken's wife & Marcus Aitkens widow each have had a daughter born; I joined the Volunteer force & rose from the Ranks to be First Lt. & Adjutant & also heard of English Cousins & Relatives. 

1861 On 1st. January we made a picnic to the Royal Society's Gardens, taking Mrs Mann to carry the Baby, little Netty, we enjoyed ourselves mightily notwithstanding the heat. 

9th. January 1861 the Regatta took place, the weather was hot, but we enjoyed ourselves. 

21st. January 1861, We had a fearful thunderstorm which lasted 2 hours, a house in Liverpool St. was struck by lightning; Old John Dunn died yesterday full of years & money, some say he left 100,000 Pounds. 

27th. February, On this day our Captain Davies assaulted one of our Cadets named Prout Hill a member of the House of Assembly for some insulting expressions used by Hill & broke his head with a heavy walking stick - for which Captain Davies was arrested & taken to Goal, where he afterwards received from the Supreme Court a sentence of a months imprisonment & a fine of 100 pounds. The injury brought on Ersypetas in the head & of which Hill died, He is buried in St. Georges Church yard; the command of the 2nd. Rifles developed on me during the Captains imprisonment. 

On 1st. March 1861 Mr. Archer the Secretary of the Royal Society who has 300 pound a year Salary, asked me to act for him for a month whilst he was absent & he would write "paid" opposite my name in the Society's books, I agreed to the arrangement. 

On the 6th. March I attended in Command of the Second Rifles, and in company with the Artillery which dragged two of their brass guns up, we marched to the site of the new Waterworks where Sir Henry Young & his Staff laid the foundation stone of the Works under Royal Salute from our Brass Guns & Rifles, then we had a grand lunch in a tent on the ground at the expense of the Corporation. 

In the night Mr Hamilton the Supt. of Police brutally murdered his wife & when afterwards placed in Goal for the offence committed suicide. 

On the 14th. March 1860 we all went down to the Steamer to bid good-bye to my sister Polly who with her husband Davidson & her child are going to Queensland, where he has received an appointment in the Survey Dept. at 600 pound a year, the steamer met with an accident to one of the men & put back and hour or so. 

On the 16th. March our Company with the 1st. Rifles, Artillery, & Buckingham rifles went out to Mr. T.J.Lowe's place for a target match on a large scale, & where we made some good shooting, I killed a Gull on the water at 300 yards, after the match was over we had a splendid lunch in a large building where wine, ale & champagne flowed & merriment prevailed. 

On 20th. March my wife & children & self with 150 Volunteers all went in the Monarch Steamer to New Norfolk, we were all in full uniform & were received on the landing by the Derwent Rifles & went through a number of Military Evolutions in the Square after which Dr Officer invited me & my wife to go to his house to lunch; We returned home by the Steamer in the evening & were overtaken by a tremendous thunderstorm of rain & lightning which just ceased as we reached the wharf. 

On 9th May Dot was taken ill with measles, on her recovery on the 17th, Willie took them & on the 24th Henry took them & this was the Queens Birthday the Volunteers had a grand drill in the Queen's Domain, where we paraded the Volunteer Artillery with 3 Brass Guns & 300 Volunteers who went through marching in slow & quick pace, firing Royal Salute etc. in Military Style; We all then went to His Excellency’s Levee & the officers were presented. Then our Company adjourned with the Derwent Rifles to a Marquee where we gave them a grand lunch & then escorted them under arms to the steamer on their return to New Norfolk. 

On 13th. June 1861 I was elected Paymaster of the Company of 2nd. Rifles & the Governor issued my Commission with rank & uniform of Captain; I managed by great practice to become a good rifle shot, for having been challenged by the Champion Rifle Shot of the Artillery, a Mr. A.B.Willis we fired a match at 2, 3 & 400 yards & I beat him by 4 points, we then fired at 350 yards & I again beat him by 2 points & a week afterwards gave him his revenge & beat him again by 3 points; pocketing his ten shillings & sixpence of which I spent 10 shillings in ale for the lookers on. 

On 16th. July I fired in a match at Kangaroo Point at 700 & 900 yards & gained a point at 900. In this month I published my Volunteer List & paid Davies 5 pound for printing it, Walsh & Sons took 100 Copies & I distributed the rest. 

20th. July 1861, On the day Herbert whilst playing at School broke his leg above the ankle, Dr Doughty set his foot & he suffered long & much & all his birthday, 21st, was in great pain. 

15th. August 1861. The new Parliament met today & after many divisions Dr Officer was elected Speaker. 

17th. August, Attended the Ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new Museum of the Royal Society in Macquarie St., which is to be erected on the site of my fathers first residence in the Colony. 

October 1861, Willie was taken ill with Diarrhoea attended with fever, Dr. Agnew attended him. All this month busy preparing for Herbert’s departure for New Zealand where he is to be employed by his Uncle Robert Aitken. 

On the 30th. November 1861, Governor Sir Henry Young & Lady Young held their farewell Levee at which my Wife & I attended & bid them good-bye; Sir Henry was kind enough to give me a handsome letter Testimonial. 

5th. December 1861, Hugh & his Aunt Mima returned from Launceston & next morning I saw Herbert off in the Coach for Launceston on his way to join his Uncle. 

On the 9th. December 1861 we had another field day at Mr. Lowe's to which we proceeded per Monarch Steamer & a grand Cold Collation afterwards at Mr. Lowe's expense. 

On 10th. December 1861, we all attended to see Sir Harry Young off in the steamer for Melbourne, the day was fine & the Volunteers mustered strong in full uniform, whilst a number of girls in white strewed flowers in Lady Young’s path. 

21st. December 1861, Dot went to her Grand Mothers at Launceston on a visit. 

Christmas 1861 , We dined at home, there being only myself, Wife, Hugh, Willie, Henry & Baby; Herbert was on the great ocean on his way to New Zealand & Dot in Launceston; after dinner I took all hands up to the Valley near Dynnyrne where we all had tea 'alfresco', the weather being very fine & returned home about 7 p.m. 

1st. January 1862 Went out with Wife & Children to examine Mary Vale which I had taken for 3 years from the 1st. February at 30 pound a year, and on 31st. January my wife & I dined at Government House with 16 others. 

On 11th. March 1862, I was gazetted as Acting Clerk of the House of Assembly in the room of Mr. Henslowe who had temporarily taken Chester Wilmot's duties as Clerk of the Executive & Legislative Councils & I had moved out to Mary Vale on 20th. February. 

During the week I held three inquests, one on a child at Ferntree Inn who had been killed by a sunstroke, another on Captain Clark & a third on a fire.

 On 11th. April 1862 my Wife & Henry went to Launceston for a week or so & to bring home Dot & they returned home on 30th. April. 

On 7th. June 1862 I resigned my Volunteer Commission, which the Governor accepted. 

On 21st. August I paid my first half years premium on a Life Policy for 300 pound with Bonus & additions in the Liverpool, London & Globe Company. 

On 17th September 1862 my Mother in law & Mima came to us from Launceston. 

Christmas 1862 I dined at ‘Tolosa’ with all my family, servants included, there were:- 

The Old Folks - 2 
Myself, Wife 6 children & two servants - 10 
Henry Hull, Wife child & servant - 4 
Downing & wife, 6 children & 2 servants - 10 
Mr. & Mrs Tremlett - 2 
Robt. Power - 1 
Total 29 

1863 Early in January Mrs Tremlett took a house in Town. 

On March 7th my brother Henry's little boy died from Whooping Cough. 

On 31st July I sent Hugh & Willie to the Hutchins School, boarding them with their Grand Mother Tremlett at 52 pound a year & the school fees were 24 pound more besides books. Mr. Henslowe informed me that he saw the Governor on the 19th. March 1864 (my birthday) & that the Governor had allowed him to retire on a pension & had nominated me to succeed him; Thus in my 31st. year of service I have reached the head of a Department in the Civil Service; I was only officially appointed on the 21st. April 1864 the day after Mr Henslowe retired from the Colony. 

Maxwell Miller a Member of the House resigned and was appointed to succeed me as Assistant Clerk & Librarian. 

On 22nd. July 1864 the House voted me 50 pound a year as a personal allowance in addition to my salary of 400 pound, paying me in their speeches some handsome compliments. In August I moved into Town having taken a house in Wellington Crescent at 48 pound a year & Mrs Tremlett & her daughter also came to live with us, so we had a pretty large family to maintain. 

On 15th. August 1864 little Gussie was born no doctor being present, only the Nurse Mrs Mann. 

And now from this date I make notes of matters as they occur. 

All 1864 & 1865 I remained at the Wellington Crescent House, where I succeeded in making a very pretty garden & got a hive of Bees from Rev. Mr. Simson, the house was close under the large Steam & Windmill the fans of which were very noisy & created a great draught, - A house in Macquarie Street was offered me at 40 pound & I removed there where I again made the wilderness into a productive & beautiful garden. This house was however badly drained & in winter the mud was dreadful & in the Summer the smell dangerous. 

Our little daughter Edith Beatrice was born to us in January 1867 & grew a very beautiful & intelligent child until in her 10 month she was struck down with Diarrhoea & died on the 10th. December to our great grief; we buried her at Newtown alongside my First wife, the Rev. Mr Storie was the only stranger present with our own people at the Funeral. 

At this time Prince Alfred came to visit Tasmania & I was selected to act as Secretary to his Reception Committee, I was invited on board the ' Galatea' & had lunch with the Prince & a number of the Elite, the Governor & Mrs Gore Brown being also present; The whole Colony was in a ferment about this Royal Visit, our Committee spent 7000 pound in the matter, Mr Kermode spent 1000 pound at Mona Vale & it is said that 2000 pound would not cover the cost of the affair. In May 1868 we had a little son born Dr. Smart & Mrs Mann being present, but he died the same evening about 14 hours old, I buried him at Newtown & as he had not been baptised I had prayers read over him at our house & then conveyed the little body to his last home, the Rev. Mr Storie accompanying us.  

Herbert went to New Zealand in the month of November & obtained a situation on Mr Mannings Station. 

In January 1869 we went over to Kangaroo Point & lived there for a month for change of Air & Scene and we had changed our residence from the sickly house in Macquarie St. to a larger one in Davey St., in this house another little son was born to us no doctor attended only Mrs Mann was present & Mrs Tremlett who had just returned from a visit she had been having with Mina to Victoria, she left Mina in Victoria in a situation as Governess. 

We remained in the Davey St. house till the main Sewer under the house became dangerous & our two years lease being up we took a house in Fitzroy Crescent next door to that where I lived in 1842 and which is now in ruins & also close above the pretty house I lived in, in 1843 which was then No 14 Fitzroy Crescent, the same number as the house I now reside in. 

In 1869 I insured my life for another 200 pounds in the Australian Mutual Co. 

In 1870 Willie took the A.A. degree 1st. class & left school his education being completed, and Henry gained the Newcastle Scholarship of 12 pound for 2 years, Hugh is Library attendant in the Parliamentary Library having been appointed in 1868 at a pound a week salary. 

I may here digress to extract from the "Courier" Newspaper an account of the 1st. King's Birth-Day Ball, which I attended as a Civil Servant. I remember the night as if it was yesterday, I spent the afternoon at Commissary Boye's house where I dressed for the Ball, my jacket was dark blue & my trousers white duck with a white vest, when I arrived at Government House I stood in the doorway of the Drawing Room waiting for other boys to go in to countenance me & whilst so waiting Frederick Arthur the Aide de Comp (only two years older than myself) took me by the collar & trousers behind & gave me a flying leap into the room to the infinite amusement of Colonel Arthur & the ladies around him, the Governor laughingly remarking on my unusual style of entering a Drawing room. 

This is the description of the Ball supper:

"The Ball & Supper at Government House on Thursday last, 24th. August 1834 in honour of the Kings Birthday was celebrated with unusual splendour, the enlarged arrangements keeping pace with the increasing population & growing importance of the Colony; Besides the numerous respectable arrivals since last year we were much pleased to see a large accession of the younger members of families who at least under the flattering circumstances of the lively scene promised not to fall below, if not to eclipse their progenitors in maintaining the fame & character of the Colony; after supper when the health’s of the King & Queen were given ( which were drunk with the strongest marks of loyalty & attachment several interesting & patriotic toasts were proposed as well by his Excellency as the other Gentlemen. 

Among those given by His Excellency, which particularly pleased us, were " the Landed & commercial Interests of Van Diemen's Land & may the prosperity of each be daily promoted. May we regard our enemies as if they may one day become our friends, & may we regard our friends as though they may never become our enemies". The health of Mr Kemp was also given "as one of the most able advocates of our liberties" which was drank with loud acclamation; to which Mr Kemp replied in an appropriate speech & proposed in his turn the health of "Earl Grey" with Her Majesty's Ministers & may he never forget the principles that placed him in his situation. The evening passed off with the greatest cheerfulness & delight of all present. 

His Excellency Colonel Arthur & Mrs Arthur & the other members of the family we were glad to see appeared to be in excellent health & naturally enjoyed the free and unrestrained amusement of their guests. A brilliant & very tastefully arranged illumination of variegated lamps all along the front of the building comprising a magnificent Crown over the entrance, the initials of His Majesty did much credit to Mr. Osborne the Contractor but unfortunately the high & boisterous wind extinguished most of the lights; Before the lamps were removed however they were lighted up on Monday evening which proving to be calm allowed them to burn in all their beauty, being the first exhibition of the kind in this remote corner of the World; May it be often repeated from the same cause, celebrating Long Life & Health to our excellent King. 

The year 1870 was one of interest to me in more ways than the success of Willie in taking his degree so creditably. Having in November 1869 applied to the Secretary of State in England for promotion I received copy of a Despatch in February 1870 in which Lord Granville enquired from the Sec. of State what my services had been, His Excellency Mr Du Cane replied favourably, and a reply came from Lord Granville in May telling me that my name had been noted for promotion as opportunities occurred, but that vacancies were few & candidates were numerous. 

Then I set to work to get up a Pamphlet on Tasmania & the Mercury office printed it for me & the Government took 800 copies, I got nothing whatever for preparing it beyond a dozen copies. 

Then I gave a lecture on the Aborigines of Tasmania at the Mechanics Institute & which pleased Graves the Lawyer so much that he had it printed as a Pamphlet & sent me many copies of it. 

In August 1870 my little boy Berties was born, the Eleventh Child living & a very good specimen of the Hull's. 

In 1871 I commenced a much larger Pamphlet with hints to Emigration & the Government approved of it so highly that Fletcher the Printer received orders for 20,000 copies at a cost of 135 pound of which he gave me 15 pound for drawing it up, during the remainder of the year whilst Parliament was not sitting I distributed these pamphlets to England, Scotland & Ireland & to India & the Australian Colonies & received letters of commendation from all quarters, the pamphlets brought me into collision with the Printer of my first pamphlet who was annoyed that I did not employ him though his charge was double that of Fletcher & he only offered me 5 pound for my trouble. This man is a leading member of the House of Assembly & in October 1871 when our estimates were before the House he tried to cut off 50 pound from my Salary but failed because a majority of the House voted for me, - He however then moved that Hugh's salary be discontinued after 31st. December 1871 & in this he succeeded so that Hugh after four & half years of Government service was thrown out of his employment; But this was only temporary because he was again appointed Assistant Librarian at the same salary & he helped me through the Session of 1871 as Clerk of Office work, having Mr James Clarke as our Sessional Clerk Assistant. 

We sent our Margaret to Mrs Garrett's school where she made good progress. 

I took the Secretaryship of a Royal Commission on Charitable Institutions & earned 10 pound by my work in November. 

In 1872 Willie was engaged by Henry Dobson as a clerk at 30 pound a year. 

In this year I was fortunate enough to find Mrs Ward who at Bothwell in 1857 had bought 39 pounds worth of my furniture & gave her Bill for it & then had absconded, My Lawyer Henry Dobson made her pay up with costs amounting all together to 47 pounds for I had forgiven her the interest for 15 years. 

In November 1872 our Little Florence Mima was born to us, No.12 of my Register. Things went on during this year in the usual humdrum style, nothing particular to record; We still have good news of Herbert’s success, - & Hugh visited Victoria. 

In 1873 I commenced a new & comprehensive Book on Tasmania & its products, - Hugh is still with Mr Manning at Wairaki, Henry & Arthur at High School at which Mr Harris had given Henry a Scholarship owing to the excellent position he held in the examinations for the Exhibition, Nettie & Gussie at their Aunts School. Henry spent his holidays at Port Arthur with the Todds & whilst there injured his foot so as to lame him for the whole year. Matters went on quietly with us all, not much sickness & then only of a trivial character. 

In 1874 Wife & daughter Margaret went to the Country for change of air for a month & leaving me in charge of house & children it was gratifying to hear of all my old friends on the other side & to find them as kind as ever. 

On 5th. February 1875 obtained leave of absence from the Government on account of unsatisfactory state of my health, the work of preparing my new book " Tasmania as a field for Emigrants" which has occupied me from August 1873 to the present date, taking up all my leisure time, has been too great a strain & I need a change, so with some trouble I have succeeded in getting 21 days relaxation or partial relaxation from office work. 

I want to make each day leave its mark, something attempted, something done, as Longfellows Village Blacksmith is said to have said. 

On 6th. February I received the Official notification of leave for which I had applied on Dec. 3rd & in the afternoon rambled down to Sandy Bay & collected seaweeds; On Sunday in the afternoon heard the Rev. Mr Inglis from Ballarat preach from the words, "It was good when they said unto me let us go up to the House of the Lord". His sermon was such as we do not frequently hear & impressed me much; He is an Elocutionist of the first Calibre & has a good voice & a great command over it; The Church was well filled with an attentive congregation & a Minister such as Mr Inglis would soon fill the empty pews of St. Johns. 

On Monday I went for a walk up McRobies Gully where I collected a number of pretty ferns & placed them between the leaves of a book; I also visited Stringy Bark Hill Stone Quarry & then climbed the pinnacle of Knocklofty where there is a cairn of stones, here was an extensive view of the City & harbour, also of Ralph's Bay, Norfolk Bay, & the Channel, looking North there was the Derwent sparkling in the sun & the line of Railway now constructing could be traced along the Country by the small fires where the scrub was being burnt off; The further line of view was dimmed by the smoke from the bushfires but I could see Table Mountain, Spring Hill, Den Hill & Constitution Hill & also the high lands under cultivation about Green Ponds, now yellow with harvest; Returned home by Lansdowne Crescent past the Catholic Nunnery & Cathedral, a building which cost many thousands of pounds, of which Mr Roderick O'Connor gave 10,000 pounds & which is not so well or strongly built as could be desired. 

The new Governor Mr Weld being a Catholic may possibly influence life & movement in the purses of the rich Catholics in Tasmania who however are very few in number, I also passed the Boys Home which seems to be an excellent institution in which the boys who would otherwise be larrikins are gradually trained to useful work, I also observed that a large portion of the East side of Stringy Bark Hill will never be of any use beyond being employed for stone quarries the soil being a mixture of sand & stone and altogether devoid of moisture & verdure. 

Next day I started with the intention of going up to the Springs, but the heat was intense and after toiling up the Huon Road for a couple of miles passing the Mountain Lake and the Leslie Tollgate on my way I turned down off the road into the creek & after washing & drinking to cool myself I collected ferns & moss & seeds, I also captured a fresh water lobster nearly 6 inches long but subsequently lost him out of my pocket - I met no snakes, notwithstanding the heat & the neighbourhood of water being their favourite camping places, going down along the Creek I admired John Degraves’ well cultivated fields with the fat horses & cattle feeding on them; On visiting the Brewery I met Degraves who asked me to go in for refreshment & after half an hours chat with Spencer the Manager I went over the Building & saw the copper of boiling ale, with 3000 gallons in it, boiled by steam & then went down to the cellars & had a glass of good cold ale; Here they make 100 hogshead a week & this is not enough to supply their customers for the Hobart Town people have almost deserted the old rum cask & take the more  wholesome drink of ale; A wineglass of bad fiery rum costs sixpence whilst a working man can get two tumblers of ale for the same price; a small quantity of Degraves ale finds its way to favoured customers in Melbourne & Sydney. 

FAMILY SKETCHES 
My Father (George Hull) is the youngest son of Thomas Hull of Surrey in England and was born at Mitcham in Surrey in August 1790. In 1810 he was appointed Commissariat Clerk & went out to Spain & Portugal with the Army. In January 1814 he was appointed to be a Deputy Assistant Commissary General & shortly afterwards returned to England. 

Of my fathers brothers I have heard very little, one was named Thomas and another James, of the latter we have a portrait in oils life size; My Fathers only sister Mary married the Rev. Mr Middleton & emigrated to Sydney where she died. 

My Mother is the only daughter of Lieut. Hugh Munro late of the Royal Veterans Battalion & was born in February 1800, she had two brothers, one of who obtained the rank of captain in the 42nd. Highlanders and was sadly wounded at Talavera for which he received a pension of 100 pounds a year. 

He was twice married, his son Hugh died Mate of an East Indian & his daughter Rosanna I do not know anything of, my mothers other brother was Robert Douglas who died of consumption at an early age; My grandfather Munro lived to 72 & my grandmother Munro to 76.

My eldest sister (Georgina Rose) married Philip Emmett an officer of the Comptroller General's Dept. who left after 29 years service & retired on a pension of 145 pounds a year & went with his two sons & two daughters to Port Phillip where they now reside. 

My brother Frederick married Miss Sophy Turrell the daughter of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy & who was some years older than himself; my brother was the first to commence manufacturing starch & blue in Tasmania; He had also a flour mill for some years; He then went into the service of the Local Government & after a few years left it to go to Port Phillip, where he now keeps a store; He had a son who died of croup & a daughter Lucy. 

My brother Robert was a clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s office in the Accountant of Stores Branch & was there for a few years & having taken cold he became consumptive and burst a blood vessel;- A Sea voyage was tried but to no purpose; He came home to die after about 6 months illness; He now lies in the Churchyard at Newtown, the only child of 13 that my parents lost in 43 years. 

My sister Jane married a merchant named Frederick A. Downing, the son of Mrs Harriet Downing the author of several works & brother to Dr. Charles Downing also an author; Mr. Downing is a merchant in Hobart Town & is Justice of the Peace for the Territory. Their eldest son Albert died of scarlet fever and they now have 3 daughters & 2 sons. 

My brother George was a clerk in the Government for some years & left the service to go to California on the breaking out of the Gold Diggings there, he was wrecked at the Sandwich Islands & lost everything; After some time he got to California where he got some gold & traded to the Oregon river where he was again wrecked & ruined; He travelled over the Rockies, again dug for gold & from some wild part of the Country returned me 20 pounds which I had lent him. From California he came to the diggings at Melbourne where he still is; He is married & has a child. 

My brother Temple after helping my father on the farm for some years went to Melbourne & then to California where he met with indifferent success, he also crossed the Rocky Mountains & tells wonderful stories of Indians & Grizzly Bears, he is at the Melbourne diggings & is still single. 

My brother Henry entered the Government Service in 1847, he is still serving the Government; He is single. 

My sister Annie married Henry Power ( the son of the late Surveyor General of Tasmania, Captain Power & who is a brother of the Countess of Blessington) he is now Bench Clerk at Campbelltown, they have 3 daughters. 

My brother Douglas is a farmer at Richmond he married Miss Clothier & has one daughter Anna. 

My brother John is a farmer at O'Briens Bridge, having been some years as clerk in the Comptrollers office; He married Miss Lester the only daughter of Mr. Lester of ‘The Grove’, O'Briens Bridge, they had twin sons but both died, they have one daughter. 

My brother Alfred who has a considerable amount of artistic skill is apprenticed to a Land Surveyor & Architect. 

My sister Polly is the only Miss Hull in the family & is at home at ‘Tolosa’. 

LATER 
George married Miss Roberts & has 4 sons & 4 daughters Henry married Miss Wilkinson & has 4 sons & 2 daughters Jas. Douglas married Miss Clothier & has 1 daughter. 

John Franklin married Miss Lester & has 2 sons & 3 daughters.

Alfred Arthur married Miss Barnes & has 2 sons & 1 daughter. 


HUGH MUNRO HULL was the author of the following publications: 

1858 Hull's Guide to Tasmania, 1000 copies 
1859 Royal Kalendar & Guide for 1859 450 copies 
1859 An Alphabetical & Classified Abstract of the Acts of Council & Parliament of Tasmania. 
1859 "The Experience of 40 years in Tasmania 100 copies"
1859 The Hobart Town Directory 
1860 The Royal Kalendar for 1860 
1861 The Volunteers Army List for 1861 
1863 An Index to the Acts of Parliament in force to 1863 
1866 An index to the Acts in force to 1866 
1866 "Statistical Summary of Tasmania from 1816 - 1866" 
1869 Index to Statutes now in force
1866 "A Catalogue of the books in the Library "  
1866 A Chronological list of Acts 1827 - 1869  
1870 Tasmania in 1870; 2000 copies bought by the Government. 
1871 Hints to Emigrants 20,000 copies 
1872 A new Catalogue of the Parliamentary Library 
1873 A New edition of the Statutes in force 
1875 Tasmania as a Field for British Emigrants 20 copies only printed. 
1876 Index to Statute Law. 

Positions Held:
1829-31 Volunteer Clerk in the Ordinance Stores Branch of the Commissariat Dept. Launceston 
1834 Clerk in the Government office, Salary 63 
1841 Clerk 1st Class & Keeper of Records Åí200 p.a. 
1843 Clerk 1st Class to the Committee of Officers Åí50 
1844 Statist of Tasmania (Honorary) Fellow of the Royal Society of Van Diemen’s Land. 
1849 Secretary Tasmanian Public Library 
1854-56 In charge of the Meteorological Observatory 
1856 Placed in Commission of Peace 
1856 Assistant Police Magistrate for Hamilton & Bothwell  
1856 Coroner for the Territory 
1856 Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions 
1856 Manager of the Hamilton & Bothwell Savings Banks, 
1856 Honorary Deputy Commissioner of Court of Requests Honorary 
1857 Gazetted as Police Magistrate Åí400 p.a. 
1857 Returning Officer for Cumberland (Honorary) 
1857 Chairman of Bothwell Road Trust 
1857 Visiting Magistrate Green Ponds 
1857 Assistant Clerk & Librarian to the House of Parliament Åí400 p.a. 
1858 Secretary to the Military Commission on Sanitation 
1858 Secretary to the Royal Commission on the New Parliament Buildings 
1860 Quarter Master Sergeant of the Oddfellows Volunteer Rifles 
1862 Acting Clerk of the House of Assembly Åí300 p.a. 
1862 Inter-Colonial Exhibition & Secretary to the Paris Exhibition Commission 
1867 Secretary to the Royal Commission on Education & the Queen's Asylum 
1867 Secretary to the Committee for the reception of Prince Alfred 
1867 Secretary to the Royal Commission on Railways 
1868 Secretary to the Royal Commission on Distillation 
1870 Secretary to the Royal Commission on Charities 
1873 Elected Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute 
1875 Secretary to Royal Commission on Penal Discipline 
1875 Secretary to the Philadelphia & Melbourne Exhibitions Royal Commission 
1876 Secretary to the Royal Commission on Lands & Works 
1875 Secretary to the Tasmanian Rifle Association 
1877 Member of the Local Schools Board 
1879 Secretary to Royal Commission on Sydney Exhibition 
1880 Secretary to the Melbourne Exhibition 
1881 Elected delegate of the Ethnological Institute of Paris 
1881 Fellow of the Royal Society of Tasmania.