An Account of
Eight Years Work, Wandering, and Amusement, in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria
by
Advance Australia! was published in 1885, with a second edition in 1886.
The first edition is a physically larger book than the second, and the 1st
edition has a green cover while the 2nd has a red cover. The text in the two
editions appears to be identical, but the 2nd edition uses a smaller font
with smaller page margins and less line spacing and hence has fewer pages
than the 1st edition. Both editions contain 15 line drawings by unidentified
artists, and the 1st edition also contains a fold-out map of Australia.
(For some strange reason, a Norwegian edition was also published;
the National Library of Australia has a copy.)
Original copies of the book are naturally fairly rare and quite expensive. However
Google has digitised the book
and made it available for download in a number of electronic formats. And, as it is now in the public domain,
a number of companies also sell cheap reprints of it in paperback format.
The following excerpts were all taken from my copy of the 2nd edition.
- My Favorites: passages which I found especially
interesting, funny, startling, or otherwise worthy of note.
Man overboard,
Mackay,
carpet snake,
two horrible deaths,
a post in the yard,
crocodile attack,
Long Lagoon massacre,
a new town,
claim-jumpers,
accidents,
knocking down a cheque,
drunken judge,
Fitzroy River,
Cobb & Co. coaches,
Sydney waiters,
cricket,
tennis.
- Insults (a collection of Finch-Hatton's best)
- Excerpts by Chapter
- Excerpts by Chapter (detailed)
-
Chapter 1: The voyage
The 18 year old Harold Finch-Hatton commences his voyage to Australia.
Departure,
Naples,
Port Said,
seasickness,
milky sea,
fire drill.
-
Chapter 2: The voyage (continued)
The voyage continues, stopping at Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Singapore. Finch-Hatton transferred to another ship, the Somerset, for the rest of the voyage to Australia.
Seasickness,
Singapore,
The Somerset,
the voyage,
man overboard.
-
Chapter 3: Somerset
The Somerset travels down the Queensland coast to Rockhampton where Finch-Hatton meets his brother Henry and catches another boat back to Mackay. They start the trip to Henry's station, visiting another station on the way.
Somerset,
Rockhampton,
Mackay,
leaving town,
an alligator,
Sleepy Hollow,
rum swizzle.
-
Chapter 4: First Impressions of the Bush
The following morning, the Finch-Hattons set out for their property at Mt. Spencer.
First impressions,
arrival,
carpet snake,
the station layout,
buck-jumping.
-
Chapter 5: Life in the Bush
Soon after his arrival, Finch-Hatton joined the station workers on the job as they mustered cattle for sale.
A description of the station,
working alone,
two horrible deaths,
mustering cattle,
stockmen,
drafting the cattle,
droving cattle.
-
Chapter 6: Life on the Station
Finch-Hatton describes some of the routine of life on a cattle station.
Mustering,
Billy Burgess,
being horned,
a post in the yard,
tailing the weaners,
hard work.
-
Chapter 7: Plagues and Pleasures of the Bush
Emus,
snakes,
redback spiders,
flies,
bushfires,
duck-shooting,
crocodiles,
wild pigs.
-
Chapter 8: Wild Cattle
The men on the station found hunting wild cattle to be the best sporting action available.
Kangaroos,
aborigines,
wild cattle,
off hunting,
the hunt,
another hunt.
-
Chapter 9: Comparison of Cattle and Sheep Stations
Finch-Hatton compared the economics of cattle station vs sheep stations. Raising sheep was much riskier, but potentially far more profitable.
Grass-seed,
cattle station costs,
sheep stations,
case study 1,
case study 2,
case study 3.
-
Chapter 10: The Blacks
The aborigines in the Mackay area were being rapidly displaced by white settlers.
Description,
Wakarra,
religion,
native police,
Long Lagoon massacre,
Rice and the myalls,
work,
nomads,
settlement of the Pioneer Valley,
letter to The Times.
-
Chapter 11: Sugar
Sugar had rapidly become an important crop for both Mackay and Queensland.
Early history,
coloured labour,
prejudice,
kanakas,
swindling,
Indian workers,
Cingalese workers.
-
Chapter 12: Gold-Mining
When a gold-rush started at Mount Britton in the nearby mountains, Finch-Hatton headed off to try his luck.
Gold-rush,
gold fever,
gold miners,
bankrupt,
growth of the diggings,
alluvial vs. reef gold,
searching for a reef,
the Chinese,
discovery of gold.
-
Chapter 13: Gold-Digging
Life on the Mount Britton goldfield. At great effort and expense, Finch-Hatton installed machinery to work his reefs.
Poor conditions,
revenge,
new house,
bullock-driving,
German doctor,
claim-jumpers,
death of S-----,
buying machinery,
difficulties,
Holliman,
accidents.
-
Chapter 14: Drink
Finch-Hatton discusses the role of drink in Australia, and rails at publicans who poisoned and cheated their customers.
Inquest,
drunkenness,
knocking down a cheque,
government,
drunken judge,
poisoning,
licensing.
-
Chapter 15: Gold-Digging
Slowly, progress is made on the building of a crushing mill for extracting gold from the reef ore.
Delays,
the dam,
design of the mill,
opening ceremony.
-
Chapter 16: Gold-Digging
Once the crushing mill was completed, the reefs finally started to yield gold, and the Finch-Hattons delivered their first shipment to Mackay.
First crushing,
gold escort,
float,
Sunday,
profits and losses,
Gympie.
-
Chapter 17: Queensland and her Resources and Prospects
Finch-Hatton describes Queensland's mineral and agricultural resources, political scene, working conditions and climate. Geography,
gold,
copper,
tin,
assets,
corrupt politicians,
Fitzroy River,
Mackay harbour,
state governments,
selectors,
investing,
wages,
climate.
-
Chapter 18: Brisbane
Finch-Hatton discusses the relative health benefits of city and country living, Brisbane, and travel.
Coastal towns,
heavy drinking,
"Musca",
women,
shouting,
Brisbane,
railway,
Cobb & Co.,
ship to Sydney.
-
Chapter 19: Sydney
Finch-Hatton found Sydney and its harbour quite unattractive.
The harbour,
Sydney,
climate,
hotels and waiters,
trams,
people,
Sydney Morning Herald,
Bulletin,
boating,
squatters,
rail to Melbourne.
-
Chapter 20: Melbourne
Gold had made Melbourne a flourishing and wealthy city. Finch-Hatton was able, with some difficulty, to form a company to take control of his gold interests.
Melbourne,
cricket,
train brakes,
Mt. Britton,
gold,
squatters,
parliament.
-
Chapter 21: Melbourne
Finch-Hatton praised Australian hospitality, and was highly critical of some English who took advantage of it. Melbourne enjoyed an active social life.
Hospitality,
women,
society,
dancing,
tennis.
-
Chapter 22: Imperial Federation
Finch-Hatton argued strongly in favour of Imperial Federation.
Federation,
opinions,
Gladstone,
New Guinea,
patriotism,
conclusion.
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