The History of Tasmania Volume II Part 35

_Denbigh_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of that name, and county of Somerset, on the Lake River, about 80 miles from Hobart.

_D'Entrecasteaux_--the name of the channel between the main land and Bruni Island, so called after the French admiral who first sailed through it. A small river of the same name flows into Recherche Bay. On the western side of the entrance of the channel is the reef on which the _Acteon_ was wrecked, in 1822.

_Derwent_--a river which rises at Lake St. Clair, in the western mountains, and flows through the county of Buckingham, which is well watered by it and its numerous tributaries. The land on the banks of the Derwent is fertile, with occasional tracts well adapted for grazing and pastoral purposes. In the upper Derwent there is a fall of some magnificence, and the scenery on the banks of the river is various and beautiful. The Derwent receives in its course the waters of the Dee, (flowing from Lake Esk) Clyde, Jones, Ouse, Styx, Plenty, and Thames.

From its source to Hobart it is about 70 miles long, and to its entrance at Storm Bay 85 miles.

_Devon_--a northern county.

_Dougla.s.s_--a river in Glamorgan, on the eastern coast. Excellent coal is procured in its neighborhood.

_Dulcott_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Forbes, and county of Monmouth, about 60 miles from Hobart.

_Eastbourne_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Eastbourne, and county of Cornwall, near the South Esk.

_East Grinstead_--a towns.h.i.+p in Somerset, about 80 miles from Hobart.

_Ebrington_--a towns.h.i.+p in c.u.mberland.

_Elderslie_--a village near the Jordan, in the parish of Wallace and county of Monmouth, about 40 miles from Hobart.

_Eldon_--a range of hills on the western side of the island, southward of the river Macintosh.

_Emu Bay_--a harbor on the northern coast, about 45 miles west of the Tamar heads. The Van Diemen's Land Company has an establishment at Emu Bay, and there is also a police and post station and an inn. The road to Circular Head pa.s.ses by the bay. The country here abounds with timber, of which large quant.i.ties are exported. A stream called the Emu falls into the bay.

_Enfield_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Staffa and county of Monmouth, about 20 miles from Hobart.

_Esperance_--a harbor on the south-eastern coast, into which falls a river of the same name.

_Evandale_--a town in the parish of that name and county of Cornwall, 115 miles from Hobart and 11 from Launceston. It is prettily situated on the eastern side of the South Esk, and contains several substantial brick buildings, three large inns, and a steam flour mill. It has a resident magistrate and a post station. There are two well-built, neat, and commodious churches (episcopalian and presbyterian), a Wesleyan chapel, and a good subscription library.

_Evercreech_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of that name, and county of Cornwall, about 120 miles from Hobart.

_Exeter_--a village on the west bank of the Tamar, about 15 miles below Launceston.

_Falmouth_--a towns.h.i.+p near St Patrick's Head, in Cornwall, on the eastern coast, 141 miles from Hobart and 104 from Launceston. There is a post station here and an inn. The produce of some of the farms on the coast is forwarded to Hobart by sea from this place.

_Fingal_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Fingal and county of Cornwall, on the southern side of the South Esk. It is 100 miles from Hobart and 70 from Launceston. The road from Campbell Town to the east coast pa.s.ses through it. On the banks of the Esk in this district are many fine farms, as well as tracts of pasture land. There is a resident police magistrate and a post station at Fingal, and two inns. There are 877 persons in the towns.h.i.+p and district, and 134 houses. About 11 miles beyond Fingal the road has been carried with immense labor, to a distance of 5 miles round the face of a high, rocky, and almost perpendicular hill, called St. Mary's Pa.s.s. On one side the hill towers above the traveller, and on the other he sees a precipice of many hundred feet. Gold has been discovered in the neighborhood.

_Forth_--a fine river in Devon, falling into Ba.s.s' Strait, between the Mersey and the Leven.

_Frankland_--the name of a range of hills on the western side of the island. A mountain called the Frenchman's Cap, 3,800 feet high, is near this range.

_Franklin_--a towns.h.i.+p on the river Huon, in the county of Buckingham, about 28 miles from Hobart and 149 from Launceston. It has an a.s.sistant police magistrate, an episcopal church and school, and a post station.

_Franklin_--a village on the main road, 117 miles from Hobart and 3 from Launceston. It contains a small church, an excellent private school, and two inns. About half a mile on the south side of the village there is a substantial stone bridge crossing a deep ravine.

_George Town_--a town in the parish of George Town and county of Dorset, 153 miles from Hobart, and 32 from Launceston. It is situated on the sh.o.r.e of a small bay of the Tamar, about 4 miles from the entrance. It was originally intended to fix the northern head-quarters at George Town, but the scarcity of water, and some other local disadvantages, caused the abandonment of the plan. The town is now chiefly supplied from Launceston, many inhabitants of which resort to it as a summer residence. It contains a small church, a school, three inns, and has a resident magistrate and a post station. The population of the town and district is 601, the number of houses 115. There is a road to George Town down the eastern side of the Tamar, but communication is chiefly carried on by water.... Outward-bound vessels waiting for a fair wind usually anchor off George Town, where there is a convenient bay.

_Glenorchy_--a towns.h.i.+p and post station in the parish of Glenorchy and county of Buckingham, 7 miles from Hobart, near New Town.

_Gordon_--a river on the western coast. It pa.s.ses through a wild and romantic country, and falls into Macquarie Harbor.

_Great Swan Port_--a bay on the eastern coast. A river of the same name falls into it. The district has a police magistrate, an episcopal and a presbyterian church, and a post station. The population of the town and district is 1,684, and the number of houses 274, 105 being of stone or brick.

_Green Ponds_--a district and towns.h.i.+p 29 miles north of Hobart, on the main road. It is situated in a fine valley, at the southern entrance of which is Const.i.tution Hill. There is a church (St. Mary's) and school, a congregational chapel, two inns, and a police and post station. The a.s.sistant police magistrate of Brighton holds a court at Green Ponds twice in a week.

_Grindlewald_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Denbigh and county of Somerset, about 80 miles from Hobart.

_Hadspen_--a village on the Westbury road, in the parish of Launceston, 128 miles from Hobart. There is a small church, a Wesleyan chapel, an inn and a post station. The South Esk is crossed by a wooden bridge at this place.

_Hamilton_--a town on the Clyde in the parish of Hamilton and county of Monmouth, 43 miles from Hobart and 93 from Launceston. There is a church (St. Peter's) and school, two inns, and other buildings in the towns.h.i.+p, which has also a resident police magistrate and a post station. The population, including that of the district, is 1,415, and the number of houses 281.

_Hobart_--in the parish of Hobarton, and county of Buckingham, is the chief town of the colony, and is in lat. 42. 53'. S., and long. 147.

21'. E. It was named after Lord Hobart, once secretary for the colonies; and stands on the sh.o.r.es of Sullivan's Cove, about 15 miles from the entrance of the Derwent. It is finely situated on a rising ground, and covers a surface of nearly two square miles. On the western side it is bounded by a range of wooded hills, with Mount Wellington, a snow-capped mountain, 4,000 feet high, in the back-ground. On the southern side of the harbor there are many beautiful residences, and, on a commanding eminence, fine military barracks. Close to the harbor, on the western side, stands the government-house, an extensive range of wooden buildings, erected at different times. Mulgrave Battery is on the southern side of the harbor. The streets are regular and well made; and many of the buildings--some built of freestone--are commodious and handsome. The wharves are extensive and well constructed, and are lined with numerous large stone warehouses and stores. St. David's church is a large well-built brick edifice, in the Gothic style, stuccoed, and well fitted up. The court house, nearly opposite the church, is a large stone building, containing various offices. The hospital and prisoners'

barracks, on the north-eastern side, are extensive buildings. The police office is a substantial edifice. The female factory and orphan schools, a short distance from the town, on the western side, are commodious buildings. The commissariat stores, the treasury, the bonded stores, the custom-house, and other public buildings are built of freestone. The legislative council chamber is included in the custom-house. On the north side of the harbor are situated the engineer stores and other government buildings. On this side also is the government domain, a large open piece of ground, used as a place of amus.e.m.e.nt and exercise.

The magnetical observatory is erected here. Many of the shops are large and handsome. Besides St. David's (the cathedral church), there are three handsome episcopalian churches--Trinity, St. George's, and St.

John's. There are two presbyterian churches--St. Andrew's and St.

John's--both commodious buildings--one Roman catholic church, two Wesleyan chapels, three congregational churches, a baptist chapel, a free presbyterian church, and a synagogue. There are four banks and a bank for savings, three local and two English insurance companies, and a company to establish steam communication with the adjoining colonies.

The educational establishments are the High School and Hutchins' School, besides private schools. The public inst.i.tutions are the Mechanics'

Inst.i.tute, the Tasmanian Society of Natural Science, the Royal Society, the Public Library, Gardeners' and Amateurs' Horticultural Society, St.

Mary's Hospital, Dispensary and Humane Society, Dorcas Society, Hebrew Benevolent Inst.i.tution, Asylum for the protection of dest.i.tute and unfortunate females, Branch Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and for the Propagation of the Gospel, Auxiliary Bible Society, Wesleyan Library and Tract Society, Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Auxiliary London Missionary Society, Wesleyan Missionary Society, Colonial Missionary and Christian Instruction Society, Infant School, Auxiliary of British and Foreign School Society, Wesleyan Strangers' Friend Society, Sunday School Union (including eight schools), three Masonic Lodges, Masonic Benevolent Fund, three Odd-fellow's Lodges, with Widows' and Orphans' Funds attached, Independent Order of Rechabites, Hibernian Benefit Society, four Temperance Societies, Society of Licensed Victuallers, Choral Society, Mercantile a.s.sistants' a.s.sociation, Turf Club, Bathing a.s.sociation.

There are a wet dock and a patent slip, and 170 vessels belonging to the port, their collective tonnage being 14,640. The population is 23,107, and the number of houses 4,050; 2,932 of which are of stone or brick.

Five bi-weekly newspapers and a Government _Gazette_ are published in Hobart. T. D. Chapman, Esq., and J. Dunn, jun., Esq., are the first members of council for the city.

_Huon_--a river which falls into the sea about 30 miles below Hobart. At its mouth there is a pretty island of 300 acres, also called Huon. On the northern side of the river, about 5 miles from the entrance, there is a beautiful bay, named by the French discoverers the Port of Swans.

The banks of the stream are finely wooded, and the timber, of which immense quant.i.ties are cut, is of great value. Fine spars for s.h.i.+pbuilding purposes are found here, as well as the mimosa bark. s.h.i.+ps of considerable tonnage can ascend the river for a distance of many miles. In the upper part of the river grows the valuable pine, to which the name of the district has been given. Many of the trees attain to a gigantic size, and some have measured ninety feet in circ.u.mference. The district contains on the banks of the Huon many fine farms, and the population is 2,988; the number of houses, 570. Richard Cleburne, Esq., is the first member for the district.

_Hythe_--a towns.h.i.+p at South Port, a harbor on the western side of Entrecasteaux's Channel. The towns.h.i.+p stands on the South Port river, which falls into the bay, and is about 50 miles from Hobart.

_Ilfracombe_--a village on the west bank of the Tamar, 25 miles from Launceston.

_Invermay_--a village near Launceston, on the road to George Town.

_Isis_--a beautiful river in Somerset, falling into the Macquarie, about 6 miles north of the village of Lincoln, which, with Auburn, stands on its banks.

_Jericho_--a towns.h.i.+p and post station on the Jordan, in the parish of Spring Hill and county of Monmouth, 43 miles from Hobart, and 78 from Launceston. On the southern side is the district called Lovely Banks.

_Jerusalem_--a towns.h.i.+p in the parish of Ormaig and county of Monmouth, 28 miles from Hobart, near the source of the Coal River. A police magistrate's court is held here once in a week, and there is a post station. An episcopalian clergyman is stationed at this place, and ministers of other denominations occasionally officiate in the district.

_Jordan_--a river flowing from a lagoon near Oatlands, and falling into the Derwent at Herdsman's Cove. It pa.s.ses by Brighton.

_Kangaroo Point_--a village on the eastern side of the Derwent, opposite Hobart. A police magistrate's court is held there twice in a week, and there is a post station, a chapel, and a school. After crossing the Derwent, the road from Hobart to Richmond and Sorell begins at this place.

_Kelso Bay_--a small bay on the western side of the Tamar, opposite George Town. There are several marine residences on its sh.o.r.es.

_King_--a small river rising near Mount Sorell, on the western side of the island, and falling into Macquarie Harbor.

_Kingston_--a town at the entrance of Brown's River, about 10 miles south of Hobart, and 130 from Launceston. It has an episcopal church and school, and a post station.