by Richard Hilder
Published in The Advocate, Thursday 27th September 1928.

THE Government Statistician, in his periodical vital statistics, frequently deplores the loss of Tasmania's adult population and a gradually falling birthrate throughout the island. It is not my purpose in this life story of the pioneers to challenge Major Giblin's figures nor to suggest a remedy. But it is my desire to unfold the past events to the present generation, and, through the columns of "The Advocate," give its readers the life story of Mr. John Lapham, who occupies such a unique position, as I shall endeavor now to describe.

On MAY 25, 1928, I paid a visit to Deep Creek road, near Wynyard, and interviewed the man I sought, now well cared for by his eldest daughter, Mrs. John Bull. Unfortunately John Lapham has developed weakness of his legs, which prohibits walking exercises. Otherwise this singular gentleman is hale and hearty enough, after having borne the brunt of hard work and some misfortune during the long life of 85 years with a cheery optimism, coupled with strong and practical religious convictions.

As I had known John Lapham the whole period of my somewhat briefer life he readily consented to give me some family history reaching back to early days of last century and to fairly early days of settlement at Emu Bay (Burnie).

John Lapham's Birth

John Lapham was born at Dayspring in 1843 in a small wooden humpy that stood on a slight elevation from the seashore, at what was later known as Seagrave's farm, about half way from Cooee Creek to Cam River. On January 2, 1843, John Lapham, jun., first saw the light. His father's name was John Lapham and his mother's maiden name was Julia Morey. They, though long dead, have the honored re cord of being the parents of the first white child born in the Emu Bay district. John Lapham's claim is not the first white child in the Emu Bay municipality, for there were earlier births at Ridgley and Hampshire Hills.

It is hardly possible for the present generation to realise the surroundings of that shinglecovered humpy on that January morning of 85 years ago. Womenfolk were few indeed, and the young mother brought forth her first born child without the service of trained assistants, or the presence of a doctor.

But so far as John Lapham was concerned, no misadventure overtook his mother or himself, and he thrived well. Soon he developed into a vigorous boy and failed to be spoilt by the knowledge that he was such a special child. In fact the circumstance was unheeded for hard, graft and splendid isolation confronted his parents, and it, was not long before other infants came to other homes and a couple of sisters as company for John Lapham.

John Lapham senior was born in England in 1819, and spent his boyhood in Bristol, Gloucestershire. In early life his parents designed a maritime life for him, which fitted well with his interests in the shipping industry of that wellknown city. While still a youth he became attached to the British Navy, and joined one of King William the Fourth's battleships. After some delay he found himself really afloat on a man'o'war.

While lying in Table Bay, South Africa, tidings reached the battleship that King William IV. was dead (June 1837). The unsettled condition of national affairs was taken advantage of by both officers and crew, so au extended stay of the battleship followed the receipt of the tidings. The relaxation from active duty gave opportunity for the crew to pay long visits to different parts of the interior, exploring both Dutch and native settlements, during which John Lapham gained considerable knowledge of the geological features of the country, which proved of good service in after years.

Returning finally to Cape Town, it was indefinite how the battleship would further proceed. Stern necessity compelled the young Englishman to seek fresh employment at once, so in company with an older navy companion, named John Spooner, he shipped as an able seaman on a schooner named the Charlotte, bound for Melbourne. This schooner, after arrival in Australian waters, was altered in rig, and be came the wellknown brig. Charlotte, attached to Henty Bros.' whaling fleet, with headquarters at Portland Bay (Victoria).

The young Englishman joined the whaling fleet at Henty's station, and in the course of time visited Hobart Town (Tasmania) and the Bay of Islands (New Zealand). In this arduous employment (though congenial to him) he continued for several years. John Lapham Meets a Sweet Irish Colleen.

Attracted by the reports of a free Australian life, Julia Morey, aged 17, an attractive Irish girl born in County Cork and reared to young womanhood in the Irish city of that name, joined a family named French and migrated to Australia about 1840. Mr. French, after his arrival in Australia, was employed in some way to conciliate the Australian aborigines, and frequently paid visits to the interior of the country for that purpose. His headquarters were at Portland Bay, and Julia Morey was the trusted companion and domestic of the French family.

The comeliness of the sweet Irish colleen was soon recognised by young British whaler during his shore periods at Portland Bay, and those per iods of relaxation became exceedingly pleasant when spent in each other's company. But domestics and congenial companions were exceedingly scarce at Portland Bay, and there appeared poor prospects of Mrs. French consenting to lose her treasure to become the wife of the young whaler. However, true love surmounted all obstacles, so one fine morning the Portland Bay homestead and Henty's whaling ship were deserted, and the young couple were happily married at Launceston in 1842.



The Young Couple Attracted to Emu Bay

In the early forties of 18th century Emu Bay and district claimed considerable attention from young people seeking to make a permanent settlement. The Van Diemen's Land Co. had issued a very attractive prospectus regarding the actual leasing and sale of township and country land at Emu Bay, N.W. Coast. The values were reasonable; and the terms of payment liberal. It also provided constant or temporary employment for good work men engaged in clearing its lands fronting on Bass Strait from Cooee Creek to the River Cam, and bringing the same under grass or rough cultivation.

The company's policy appealed to John Lapham; it gave promise of a permanent home, so he decided to settle and, if possible, become a landowner himself. So he and his young wife arrived per sailing boat in 1842 and Mrs. John Lapham became one of the first white women to live in the Emu Bay destrict.

Women Banned for 15 Years

lt appears certain that for some reason the Van Diemen's Land Co. from its first occupancy of the land contiguous to the coast from the river Emu to the river Cam, resolutely set its fare against any introduction of female workers (either married or single) into its camp of men carrying on the clearing work during the vears from 1827 to 1841.

There were married couples and families at the company's inland estates of Ridgley, Hampshire and Surrey Hills; but none at Emu Bay. With the company's land selling policy this rule was, perforce, relaxed, and the white women gradually came into residence, mixing freely within the real selliers. The camp class of working men were withdrawn or engaged elsewhere, and a few of them became permanent settlers in the Emu Bay district.

So far as can be ascertained, John Lapham, shortly after arrival at Emu Bay, became one of the V.D.L. Co.'s workmen. He was a robust man not like many other seafaring men, could turn his hand to a variety of occupations. So the arduous work of clearing timber, fencing, and cultivation with a chipping hoe did not come amiss to him.

A perusal of the V.D.L. Co.'s order for the day discloses a rigid timetable and system of rationing. The hours of work in summer time were extremely long, and in winter from daylight till dark, consequently there was little for recreation except during the evenings. The isolation was extreme, for there was no township to visit and not a vestige of entertainment of public character.

The means of public worship of any denomination were most meagre and could only be accomplished by a chaplain coming all the way from Circular Head. Despite these disadvantages to the small community, there was a true spirit of neighbourliness among the families that compensated much, so the young couple made the best of it, and on that bright January morning of 1843, when their first. child was born, they little thought they were making history for Emu Bay to be written up 85 years later.

What Became of the Aboriginal Race

There is undisputable evidence that aboriginal males and females were represented at Emu Bay in 1826 by a small community whose chief midden was at Blackman's Point (hence its name), adjacent to the base of the present Ocean Pier; but the determined efforts of the ruling powers, under Governor Arthur, to capture the remnant of these unfortunate people, and the avowed purpose to deport all captured to Bruni or Flinders Island, proved so alarming to the poor creatures inhabiting the triangular tus socky midden at Blackman' Point that previous to the coming of the white women in the early forties they had fled inland,or had been induced to surrender by that singularly humane gentleman, Mr. George Augustus Robinson.

The last black woman was induced to surrender at Emu Bay in 1832 Tom Birch, an intelligent aborigine (who had been brought up by Mr Birch, of Hobart Town) was one of Mr. Robinson's trusted assistants on this occasion. Unfortunately he succumbed to an acute attack of dysentery and was decently buried under the boobyalla bushes at the extreme north end of Wilson street, Burnie, in 1832'

Pioneers of the Town of Burnie

When John Lapham, jun., was small boy, with a couple of young sisters, his parents contemplated a change of residence. The clearing of the V.D.L. Co.'s land had been completed as far west as the small stream called Messenger's Creek. So in the year 1849 or 1850 the family removed from the small humpy at Seagrave's farm, and John Lapham, sen., became one of the pioneers of the newly surveyed township of Burnie, purchasing a quarter acre block of land situated Marine Terrace somewhere between Ladbrooke and Spring streets.

In 1850 there stood on this bushy section a tworoomed cottage, in which the Lapham family were comfortably located. The timber for building had beem readily got from the big forest trees that grow abundantly about the township reserve, and were either split or hand sawn with a pitsaw to provide the joists, studs, rafters, needed for such a building.

Few houses had been erected before this one , but from some unknown source there came an inkling that the township of Burnie would prosper exceedingly during the fifties. John Lapham, with the aid of a bush carpenter, built his home in Burnie and his second son, William, was born there in 1851.

On the Farm at New Country Road In the year 1851 a barquentinerigged vessel stranded on the sandy beach of Emu Bay. She came ashore just opposite the entry of Whalebone Creek and close to the V.D.L. Co.'s (or Cannon's) jetty that stood north of present fallen Soldier's Memorial Reserve.

After all local efforts had failed to refloat the stranded craft, which was not much damaged, and was named the Waterwitch, Thomas Wiseman, a ship's carpenter from West Tamar, was entrusted with the job. Mr. Wiseman brought some expert helpers with him and after some delay the Waterwitch was again afloat, and went gaily to sea, but Thomas Wiseman and his helpers were were ready to settle in the rumored rising Township.

Mr. Wiseman became the lessee of The Ship Inn, Marine Terrace, and also the proprietor of a 20 acre section of partlycleared land at 3 Mile line, New Country road. This land was good red soil and grew red skinned potatoes prolifically. Consequent on the gold rush in Victoria in the earlyf fiftie of last century potatoes rose to a high price, £20 per ton. Thomas Wiseman was anxious to obtain some freehold properly in Burnie, having now permanently settled, so a level handed swap was made with John Lapham. Mr. Wiseman took the land and cottage, and the Lapham family finally settled on the New Country road.

Pioneering Hardships

With becoming pride, Mr. and Mrs. Lapham took possession of their small freehold farm. They once more occupied a wooden holding down by a creekside. There they labored hard in clearing, etc., with few comforts and no luxuries. The smallness of the farm, coupled with a sad depression in prices of all farm products, commencing in 1856 and continuing with out improvement, for many years, ham pered the parents, whose family steadily increased until there were two sons and six daughters namely: John, Mary, Julia, William, Emma, Ellen Eliza and Fanny. Thc advantages for schooling the children were poor enough.

There was no public school in the whole district till the early sixties. The Lapham children had to turn to work away from home in very tender years. The father had also frequently, to seek employment away from his farm In so doing he became one of the original waterside workers, carrying produce and palings down the rocks to the waiting dinghies in thc vicinity of the base of the present Emu Pier. He also carried on prospecting work for the V.D.L. Co. after the subsidence of the gold boom in Victoria. In connection with his prospecting it was thought he had located important, mineral deposits at the extreme west end of the 3 Mile line on the banks of the Cam River.

The Big Family Move Off

As the Lapham family grew up they became well known as good, helpers and farm workers. The eldest son, John, gained the esteem of his employer at thc V.D.L. Co.'s homestead (now South Burnie). William for some years was a trusted and valuable servant of the Byrne family, at Uplands. The girls if not assisting at home were assisting at other homes, for good domestics we're scarce in those days.

Paris fashions had not reached Emu Bay in those faroff years, so Mrs. Lapham and her daughters dressed soberly enough. How well the writer recalls how they wore the sunbonnets in a variety of styles. For homework and weekdays it would be composed of simple print, material and a bit of lace for frill or front, but for Sunday and special visits it would be composed of satin or some other glossy material, worn close to thc face, completely obscuring the hair and not an atom of adornment.

As years rolled on, John Lapham jun., married Hannah Woodward; William, married widow, Mrs. J. Summers; Mary became Mrs. W. Miller; Julia, Mrs Geo. Dobson; Emma, Mrs. Jos. Bilson; Ellen, Mrs. William Maddox; Eliza, Mrs. J. Palmer; and Fanny, Mrs.. William Archer.

The Passing of Two Worthy Pioneers

With the early workings of Mt. Bischoff, John Lapham sen., and his two sons were actively engaged, and in the summer months the older man would go prospecting around the neigh boring ranges, particularly the Wombat. I once met him in 1874 near Bischoff, having just emerged from the bush after a fortnight of real fossicking in tho neighborhood of the presents Magnet mine. He reckoned something good would be found out that way some day. When well advanced in years during the very early eighties he was prospecting in the forest coun try west of Mooreville road,and came into Burnie for supplies.

One evening he was pressed to assist the waterside workers in some difficult work at the base of Emu Pier. By some mischance he was struck by the swinging crane and forced over on the rocky bottom and succumbed to his fearful injuries. Neither his prospecting locality nor kit of tools was ever discovered. After her husband's untimely . end, Mrs. Lapham continued in the old home at New Country road for a short lime. Then she resided with members of her family at Burnie and elsewhere. In later life she occupied a small cottage in Wilmot street, Burnie, but, falling from a camp stool, she broke her thigh bone, and ended her days (well cared for by her youngest daughter, Mrs. W. Archer) about the year 1900.

Further History of the First White Infant

John Lapham, jun., grew rapidly from a child,, and became a vigorous youth, with a pleasant, happy disposition, never afraid of hard work, and taking life's reverses with Christian complacency. At the age of 22 he married a fine young woman, who had been his companion for years, her parents occupying the adjoining farm. After marrying he worked for the late Mr John Buckingham for seven years. In the earlier years of activities at Mt. Bischoff he found employment during the summer months, but was wise enough to withdraw from its winter rigors.

While still a young man, with a young family of four sons and three daughters, he was left a widower,his wife dying suddenly. This proved a severe blow, from which if took some time to recover. During the eighties of last century John Lapham found employment as one of the general work men during the erection of the first concrete breakwater at the Port of Burnie. His wellknit figure and kindly disposition were well recognised during a stay of many years' residence. After marrying a second time he later removed to Penguin, where he was a second time left a widower, with n additional family.

Further Family Records

His family consisted of Messrs. William, John , George and Joseph,and the daughters, Eliza, Ada and Ellen. William resided in New Zealand; John in Waratah; and Eliza (Mrs. John Bull) at Deep Creek road, Wynyard. George unfortunately met his death in a milling disaster at Mt. Lyell some years ago; Joseph died in New Zealand from blood poisoning, following a severe axe cut wound; Ada died at Latrobe when only 14 years of age; and Ellen (Mrs Patton) died in early life at Burnie about 1893.

But John Lapham, the first white infant, has an honored record, and now in his advanced years can count numeruos descendants and quietly awaits his Creator's call a good Tasmanian. Conclusions.

I cannot close this life history of an important pioneer family without some further referenceto the original family of John Lapham, son. From the eight children sprang' 42 grand children, and there are numerous others in a fifth génération, from 1843 to 1928 Of the two brothers and six sisters Mary, Julia, Emma and Fanny, are dead. John lives at Deep Creek road William at Mooreville road; Ellen (Mrs. William Maddox) at La Trobe and Eliza (Mrs. J. Palmer) at Somerset. Their united ages total over 300 years. yours.

 Sport in Early Burnie

The first two generations of Emu Bay bush farmers had little or no incentive or inclination to organise or participate in the field of sport. The district didn’t even have a sporting field. That came when Burnie entered its first era of real growth and a measure of prosperity with the discovery of the immensely rich mineral deposits of the uninhabited, mountainous West Coast in the closing years of last century – Mt Bischoff, the fabulous ‘mountain of tin’, the silverlead fields of Zeehan, Magnet, Mt Read and Rosebery, the immense copper deposits of Mt Lyell and many more.

As the nearest deepwater port to the mineral fields of the West with eventual railway connections to the boom towns that mushroomed around them, Burnie became the gateway for the thousands of prospectors, miners, speculators, businessmen, engineers, tradesmen and others who flocked to the most exciting mineral bonanza Australia had experienced since the Victorian goldrush of the 1850s.

Vacant blocks in the Burnie town area surveyed in 1842 began to sell, export, import and general businesses were established, substantial hotels were built, banks opened, churches and schools were established to cater for Burnie’s growing population and the struggling bush farmers of Emu Bay found ready markets for their produce and livestock in the mining boom towns of the West.

By the late 1880s Burnie had emerged from its cocoon of isolation and its business trade with the free spending mining communities was the envy of the businessmen of the much older cities of Hobart and Launceston.

And with the new era of growth and prosperity a new breed of civicminded Burnie citizens began to organise and encourage sporting activity in the town. According to Burnie’s earliest recognised historian, Richard Hilder, the town’s first picnic sports were held on a stretch of flat grassland ‘kept short by a flock of geese’ near the foreshore between Spring and Ladbrooke Sts near Thomas Wiseman’s Burnie Inn and Tom Hands’ Welcome Hotel. The sports, which included running races, high jumps, polevaulting, horse jumping and novelty events – including an eel fishing contest in the pond at the bottom end of Spring St – were organised by Thomas Wiseman and Tom Hands and their wives on New Year’s Day of the late 1860’s. Richard Hilder recalled that a highlight of the afternoon for the youngsters of Burnie was the release of a gasfilled paper balloon which exploded in a ball of flame over Emu Bay.

An historical article in The Advocate on 10 January 1922 gave an account of a sporting carnival organised by the Loyal Wellington Lodge, IOOF, MU, at Burnie on New Year’s Day, 1882. Written by an anonymous author who was Noble Grand of the Lodge in 1881, said: A meeting of the Loyal Wellington Lodge was held at the Town Hall on October 25, 1881. Present: F.M. Bridley, ThompsonBrown, F.S. Denny, Wm O’Halloran, F. O’Reilly, Peter Collins, James Hurst, R.S. Sanderson, Thomas Hilder and Richard Hilder.

Amongst the items of ordinary business at the meeting was the following: ‘Proposed by Bro. T. Brown, seconded by Bro. J. Hurst, that the members of this Lodge, in conjunction with other Friendly Societies, have a (sporting) demonstration during the Christmas holidays.’ Carried.

After several more meetings the ‘demonstration’ was arranged for New Year’s Day, 1882, beginning with a procession of local and visiting Lodge members ‘gaily decked in regalia of all colours’ led by the Leven Brass Band from Ulverstone. Burnie had not formed a brass band at that time. They marched from the Town Hall down Cattley St to Marine Terrace to the South Burnie foreshore near Oakleigh House where ‘a programme of sporting events was carried out and the Burnie Carnival was born.’

The programme included a 100yard sprint, 300 yds., quartermile, threelegged races, tugawar and events for women and children. The writer said the 1882 ‘sporting demonstration’ was the first occasion at which more than a thousand people had gathered together in Burnie on New Year’s Day.

A.J. Donnelly, in his 75th Jubilee history The Burnie Athletic Club Story published in 1962, records that: As the population of Emu Bay increased and more of the foreshore became cleared, the carnival organisers (Capt. Wm. Jones and Messrs Joseph Alexander, Harry Lane, Thos. Farrell, Jim Boatwright and F.W. Wells, who was secretary) selected a larger area of land in the vicinity of Ford’s Creek, between Hopkinson and Reeves Sts.

For his success in the first 130 yds. Sheffield Handicap decided on the track, Fred Wells, a young VDL Co. drover who later opened a butcher’s shop, received a pair of elastic braces. They were said to be the first elastic braces in Burnie.

The first permanent sports ground developed at Burnie was the South Burnie Recreation Ground which originally, like all land at Emu Bay was owned by the VDL Co. According to A.J. Donnelly’s history the first sports carnival staged at the South Burnie Recreation Ground after it had been cleared of scrub by voluntary labour was organised in the early 1880s. The carnival organising committee consisted of F.S. Denny (chairman), Richard Hilder, Alfred Boatwright, R.S Sanderson, Capt. Wm. Jones and Thompson Brown (secretary). All were member of Burnie Lodges.

The Burnie Athletic Club was formed about 1885 and towards the end of that year it made arrangements with the VDL Co. to lease the fouracre South Burnie ground for 21 years from 1 January 1886. Rental was fixed at £5 per annum, less an allowance of £4/17/6, which made the actual rental a nominal 2/6 per annum. The trustees were Burnie’s first resident solicitor Thomas J. Crisp, hotelier Thomas Wiseman, business entrepreneur Capt. Wm. Jones with coach builder Sam Bird as secretary. The ground was finally purchased by the Burnie council from the VDL Co. on 16 April 1913 for £2000 but by then the BAC was already looking for a bigger ground.

Many Difficulties Which Confronted the Early Pioneers
By Richard Hilder

If anyone wished to pay visits for work, business or pleasure from one farm settlement to another, the choice of travelling methods were few —by foot, by horseback, or by a bullock dray. From 1840 to 1865 saddle horses or riding hacks were few and far between. Taking the Emu Bay district as an example, it was only for such journeys to the then town of Launceston or to Deloraine or Circular Head that saddle horses were used. Shanks' pony ("pad the boot") was the chief method. Men walked long distances to their work; women long weary miles to do their shopping; and of the principals and witnesses who attended the quarterly law courts some actually walked the whole way to Launceston.

The journey from Circular Head or Emu Bay to Launceston was a formidable undertaking for many years. Until the early fifties of last century the route led via Hampshire and Surrey Hills through Middlesex Plains and Gad's Hill into Chudleigh and Deloraine. Another route later ran from the Emu River mouth in and out over range and river to the Mersey River heads and on across that river to Port Sorell, crossing the Port Sorell arm and Badger Tiers to the estuary of the Tamar and following that river up to Launceston by bush track or boat. Some years later communication begun via Latrobe to Deloraine, but not by the fine road that now runs through the Sassafras district.

For many years after early North West Coast settlement not a single river was bridged from Circular Head to Deloraine. All had to be forded at low tide, or the horses towed behind a ferry boat. With no regular communication by mail, the Launceston journey was a perilous adventure and few of the tidal rivers escaped tragic accidents. Tho Blythe and Forth Rivers were considered the worst to ford, the first on account of its quicksands, and the second because of rolling boulders under the feet of the horses.

The journey to the Northern town occupied many days by the Surrey Hills route, and three or four by the Port Sorell or Latrobe to Deloraine route. During those earlier years a passage could be taken in some small sailing boats, a few of which were fitted for passengers. Only one or two, however, were more than 30 tons register. In the later fifties two small steamers ran once a week from Circular Head to Launceston, carrying mails and passengers. The first was the Titania (a threemaster), then the Gazelle. Some years later those steamers were succeeded by the Annie (paddleboat) and the Pioneer (twin screw), and later again by the steamers Devon and Wellington.

For nearly half a century the only means of conveyance of families or other parties of people was by bul lock drays. I well remember three large families who were in the habit of travelling to the Roman Catholic Church services at Burnie on Sunday mornings in bullock drays. There were six to eight members in each family. They came from different farms and one lot travelled over five miles. The drays would be lined with liberal supplies of clean wheaten or oaten straw, and the mother provided with a cush ioned box for her seat.

The others perched on the dray rail or sat in the straw, while the driver, well perched with his feet on the pole or fetchels of the dray, urged his "fourinhand" to greater speed by sundry cracks of a stout rawhide whip fitted on Sun day with a fancy colored silk cracker. In one case, father, arrayed in a half belltopper hat, leather gaiters and swallowtail black cloth coat, rode ahead of the dray on a bay cobby nag. In the other two cases father was either absent or took his seat in the straw with his children.

For any picnic or wedding party or a treat for the family to the beach, or for a dance or a family evening party a few miles away, the bullock dray would be put in good order and the large or small parties would jaunt away singing merrily this chorus:
"Come, jump into the wagon boys,
Jump into the wagon,
Yes, jump into the wagon, boys,
And we'll all take a ride."

My mother and somo of her large family paid a week's visit, to her friend Mrs. Joseph Coppin at Mt. Hicks Road in 1870. The conveyance was a well equipped bullock dray drawn by four bullocks, while the dray was generously littered with clean straw.

The first Spring Vehicle

During 1866 some curiosity was aroused in our large family by the appearance at our home, West Beach, one autumn evening, of a singular looking twowheeled cart. It was in reality only an English dogcart, but not one of us had seen such a stylish equipage before that evening. To us youngsters it proved a most memorable time, for we got permission from its owner (an old friend of my father) to go for joy rides in this dogcart, backwards and forwards across the fine green grass paddock.

We did not need the horse, but with three or four of us in the shafts and a couple perched turn about on the single seat we spent the hours till midnight of that moonlit night giving joyrides to each other in that suppleshafted springy vehicle, the very first one that had reached so far West in 1866. For the benefit of all readers of this oldtime record I will give some further particulars of this English dogcart.

Its owner was Mr. William Mitchell, sen., from Deloraine district. He was accompanied by his wife, and both of them were real Cornish people. This visit to the NorthWest Coast was preliminary to their taking possession of a farm at Flowerdale Junction, where he and his son, William Mitchell, jun., farmed for many years. Table Cape and Flowerdale readers will know the locality of Mitchell's farm. It will fur ther interest many readers to follow me as I try to describe the road along which Mr. and, Mrs. Mitchell drove the dogcart from Deloraine to Flowerdale Junction. They kept to the south side of the fine farming districts east of Latrobe and entered this township via Hooke's Bottom and Fossil Banks roads and tracks.

The route from Latrobe to the now flourishing town of Ulverstone was a succession of mere bullock dray tracks. Leaving the River Leven near the pre sent road bridge, the track to Penguin Creek ran back from the Coast through what was then known as the Leven forest, but now known us the South road.

After crossing Penguin Creek, at the sea bench, the track wended up over Cemetery Hill, coming down again to the bench at Preservation Bay, close to where Mr. Cameron's brick house now stands, then on through miles of soft sand and rock and hilly stretches to Table Capa and Flowerdale. The rivers had rough bridges at that period, but all the creeks and arms of salt water were little improved from Nature. The journey from Deloraine to the Flowerdale farm took five days to accomplish in the dogcart,''

Mr. Mitchell's household effects followed in the bullock drays drawn by eight and ten bullocks respectively. About ten miles a day was considered good travelling for frequently the teams would have to doublebank to get through the worst parts of the Leven forest track and elsewhere.

Mr. Mitchell's dogcart was followed a short time later by another, and family named Boultbee, who had also selected a farm on the old Cape road not far from Mitchell's. All credit due to those two pioneers of the dog carts, whose descendants should be pleased to read of this late recognition.

Rumbling of the Railway

Shortly after the dogcarts other spring vehicles of a secondhand type appeared here and there (chaise carts and highseated buggies), and rumors of a railway from Deloraine to Launceston reached the bush dwellers of the NorthWost Coast. Hopes of the carriages drawn by tho ironhorse coming within reasonable distance infused fresh energy into despairing folk, for not a yard of railway line was in existence in the island of Tasmania in 1869. Then the rumblings of years ceased, and the reality was the first section of Tas manian railway from Deloraine to Launceston in 1871. Now the journey from the North West Coast to the northern city was rendered somewhat more com fortable.

It was not for several years after the opening of this railway section that spring vehicles attempted to junction regularly with the Deloraine train. The mails still came by horse back and packhorse from Deloraine to the NorthWest, and the saddlehorse was used more than ever before. I well remember several country settlers who resided a few miles back from the Coast, saddling bullocks and bulls for riding into the township and packing back supplies.

Few of the Coast settlers became pos sessors of lighter vehicles than the bul lock or horse dray. All persons making up the rapidlygrowing mining township of Waratah (Mt. Bischoff) - workmen mothers and children, mine manager and officials — had to reach Waratah from Emu Bay (Burnie) by foot, horseback or bullock or horse drays right up un til the opening of the V.D.L. Co.'s wooden tramway in 1879.

The decade from 1875 to 1885 was marked by a great improvement in private and public travelling. The improvement of the main Coast road was the object of successive Govern ment departments, and the various road trusts concerned were awakened to a greater sense of duty to the travelling public. Hence roads began to assume a better surface, and the many miles of soft, sandy tracks were the first to be metalled. This was followed by the regrading of some of the hills and deviations round others.

The improved road system was soon followed by better conveyances for private use, and tho brake and light coach for public carriage of passengers and mails. To the late Jerry O'Neil and the late Sam Flight must be given the credit of satisfactory endeavors to establish regular services from Burnie to Latrobe, Deloraine, West Devonport and Wynyard, by brake and coach. Some previous attempts had failed more or less, but Jerry O'Neil's fourinhand, driven by Jack Templar or George Armstrong, finally conquered all diffi culties, and a regular service, at first triweekly and later daily, was established. Samuel Flight was a good second with his 3 horses, 2 in the pole and one ahead, team of greys.

Mr. J. A. Wakeham established a coachbuilding business at Latrobe, and new spring vehicles were turned out at his establishment in the flourishing township in 1880. The late John Mylan, with the assistance of the late Amos Eastwood, was grappling with the increasing trade in coach buiiding, repairs and occasional new work. By 1885 he was firmly established at Ladbrooke street, Burnie. In 1888 he was fortified by securing the services of two experts—a wood crafts man and a coach painter. The railway extension had reached the township of Devonport in 1885, and the consequent flourishing coachbuilding business came under the hands of the two experts, and by 1890 was in the name of two esteemed townsmen of Burnie, Messrs. Bird and Hopkins, and has continued so ever since.

The First Family Buggy

It will be of interest to know that as late as 1879 only three spring vehicles were kept for hire in the township of Burnie. The late William Henry Old aker, who kept the Ship Inn, in Marine Terrace, had a good hack horse and heavy pagnal cart for hire at 10/ per day. The late John Mylan, black smith, of Ladbrooke street, kept a good chaise cart for hire, but preferred all hirers to use their own horses. His charge was 6/ per day for cart and harness only. The other vehicle for hire was a fourwheeled wagonette with a pole, but as I write today memory refuses to name tho owner. The first farmer I remember to drive his own pagnal cart was the late Con. O'Callaghan of ThreeMile Line—Mooreville Road—in 1884. Considering that the only road by which he could come to Burnie township was the ungraded 'and unmetalled old Mooreville Hoad (now called View Hoad), it was but seldom Farmer O'Callaghan drove his pagnal.

Some time later the late Thomas Summers, farmer of Mooreville Road, secured a pagnal cart, but after one trip his good wife would not venture in it again. The late James Taylor, who had to come by an unmetalled by road to Mount Road, met with a similar fate, but by the middle eighties, despite unmade roads, many more residents of both township and country wore availing themselves of various varieties of spring vehicles, some with a pole for driving a pair of horses; also tandem teams attached to pagnals or chaiso carts were now and again seen. The first brandnew buggy used by country people was one from the Stow port district in 1885, driven by members of the late Mr. Robert Ruther ford's family. It was built by Anderson and Laney, of Launceston. Tandem teams were an innovation, and the pride of but few. The first of such teams to go from Burnie to Circular Head or Stanley was a pair driven by Mr. Thomas Hilder, of Burnie. The load was a commercial traveller's samples. This was in the year 1884 or 1885.

Steamer Communication

Apart from a steamer service from Launceston to the mainland, no regular service for passengers was established to the Northwest Coast till 1873. The s.s. Argyle was the first to run between the Coast and the mainland. A unit of the Gippsland Lakes Company, she had a siren that could be heard at Ridgley, and she was considered a fine boat for passengers. In 1880 we had the Rosedale and, after the West Coast mines became active, the Glenelg. Then followed the Grafton, the Flora and Macinderry, and occasionally the paddle steamer Newcastle. The small sailing crafts were now wholly superseded by steamers for passenger carrying, and a little later steamers began a direct produce service to Sydney, occasionally carrying a few passengers. The first direct produce steamer was the Corinna in 1890.

The Coming of the Bicycle

The introduction of the manpow driven vehicle or machine is romantic and will read like a fairy tale. If readers will pay a visit to the Burnie Museum they can see the most tangibe evidence of the very first introduction of tho bicycle into the then sparsely populated district, and Miss Rouse, an honored native-born member of the community, who is still living in Burnie, can give inquirers a graphic and romantic story of the ingenuity of her two brothers, the late Alfred and George Rouse. The queerlooking structure located at the Burnie Museum is a rough model of the push bicycle now in general use. This actual model was a real working one in its early years Miss Rouse informed me that her brothers commenced experimenting with the making of this model as far back as 1864.

Taking measurements and in structions from an illustrated newspaper of that period, Mr. Alfred Rouse worked all the needed ironwork and Mr. George Rouse the mechanical features and woodwork. To the everlasting credit of those two selftaught young men they finally completed a working model of the bicycle without ever having seen one in use, at least ten years earlier than any permanent introduction of similar machines.

As early as 1869 and 1870 the Rouse brothers could give sundry exhibitions of their riding powers with their singular invention. Thc River Emu road bridge and the South Burnie beach were the best resorts for action. The bridge spanned the river just above the pre sent railway bridge. It was 18 feet wide and covered with smooth sawn wood planks. It proved a splendid place to give trials of this newfangled affair with its wooden wheels shod with iron tyres, similar to the fore wheels of a goodsized buggy, so it rumbled mightily on the hard plank; when driven at a fast pace.

It was somewhat awkward to run sharply, and a real boneshaker to ride on the stony road, and too heavy to propel through the soft sandy tracks. But on the hard sandy beach at low tide either of the Rouse brothers could execute most graceful manoeuvres. One of them could easily cut out his name in large letters on the yielding wet sand. The ingenuity of the Rouse brothers gave stimulus to other aspiring local mechanics, and further attempts were made some years later to imitate the velocipede, a, very peculiar riding machine with a very high fore wheel and a little fellow running behind it.

The Velocipede Arrives

From a careful sifting of the memory I will give the credit of introducing the highwheeled, dangerous velocipede permanently to the Emu Bay district to the late John Mylan. Such strange riding contrivances had occasionally appeared with visitors after steamers from the North West Coast to Melbourne com menced running in 1873, and John Mylan, always of a mechanical turn of mind, be came the possessor of a high wheel and frame, with the small runner manufactured by himself at his own blacksmith shop in Ladbrooke street. Burnie.

He first began to ride his "high hobby horse" in 1879 or 1880. Another follower of the same practice was a Mr. Edgar, who ran a chemist shop in Wilson street. I fancy the late Mr. Jabez Tong or Mr. Henry Dowling, sen., were early disciples of those firstnamed riders. Those high wheeled machines were then the terror of horses, especially those harnessed in pagnals and buggies, which by this time were coming into more general use.

In I884 the smaller solid rubbertyred boneshakers with spider spoked wheels had come to supplant the high velocipede, and, being a lighter running device, it soon became the favorite. Trials of speed on the velocipede often resulted in serious falls, and as the newfashioned bike, with the pneumatic tyres, was about to come on to the market, both the velocipede and the boneshaker fell quickly into disuse.

Advent of Modern Bicycle

I am from memory unable to name the person who introduced the modern, in flated tyre cycle into Burnie, but I well remember my first contact with one, and the eyeopener it proved to me and my fasttrotting nag, Blondin, a shaggy half bred who loved to show his fine stride when running in shining harness. One Sunday morning in 1889 I was on my way to a preaching appointment at Gravel Hill, near Ulverstone.

I was driving my favorite horse Blondin in a fine, nearly new pagnal, with glistening harness. At Barkworth's, situated near the main road, east of Penguin, I encountered the new style of riding vehicle, a modern, well equipped pneumatictyred bicycle. It was ridden by the Rev. F. J. Nance, presi dent of the Methodist Ladies' College, Launceston, who was bound for Ulverstone. As we nodded to each other, Blondin felt shy of this newfangled machine that glistened and sparkled in the morning sun. As the reverend gentleman ped alled quickly up the incline of the road, I resolved I would show him the way into Ulverstone with my ninemile an hour trotting Blondin. At first my nag would not approach very close to the bike. Afterwards, however, he warmed up, and made a gallant endeavor to over take and pass the rider on his machine, but his efforts proved unavailing.

I saw the tail of his reverence's coat flapping in the wind as he rode triumphantly across the Leven River bridge half a mile ahead. He appeared cool and calm, while Blondin and myself were in a state of lather and heat. I recognised at once what a benefit had come to thousands of people by this fine modern means of locomotion if its costs could be brought with in the reach of the ordinary workers, who were poorly paid in those days; and what a boon it would be to all classes of the community to be able to jump on this softrunning vehicle and propel themselves to their destination without fur ther assistance.

Fortunately prices for thin mode of single travel quickly ac commodated themselves to the buyers' requirements by a system of time payment. Further improvements to the bicycle followed, one after the other, but one of the finest was the introduction of the hub brake, an invention of Mr. Stephen Priest, of West Devonport. All honor to the Tasmanian resident whose skilful brain devised such an important item to bike riding safety which has now become a worldwide utility.

The coming of tho motor cycle to the NorthWest I am unable to write abouts with any degree of certainty, but such riding machines came readily into favor for long distances and hilly travelling, but cannot ever supersede thE pneumatic tyred modern bike. Intensive inquiries prompt me to name Mr. Charles Gilmour, of Somerset, as thc probable introducer of the motor cycle. Some of my readers will no doubt be astonished to know that I never learned to ride any of.the bicycle tribe, and I regard the few rides I have had on the tail seat of a motor cycle with utter abomination.

Rumors from Afar

During the earlier years of the last decade of last century we occasionally read about a new invention in France—horse less carriages driven by motor power named an automobile. The drawing of this machine set out a low, fourwheeled car with a curved turnup front and the fore wheels fitted with a peculiar undercarriage that could be readily swerved by a handlever similar to the tiller of yacht. This small singleseated automobile, the reader was assured, could be safely turned about by its helm, but the cost of such vehicles ran into hundreds of pounds, so prognosticators declared that the motor conveyance could never become popular and widespread on account of it cost, so we dwellers in the Southern Hemisphere awaited further results.

Meanwhile a motor carriage something like a buggy made its appearance in Austtralia. It was driven by steam or motor power. In 1924 I saw one of such vehicles in the Melbourne Museum. A small metal plate indicated that this derelict was tho first motordriven vehicle imported into Victoria. Some time later I saw a drawing hanging on the wall of Mr Arthur Crisp's diningroom at Yolla, pur porting to be the first steam driven car carrying passengers (two only) introduced into Victoria. A vehicle called a motor buggy came by steamship to Burnie during the early part of 1902.

The Real Motor Car Arrives

Coming into Burnie on business one morning in 1903 I saw standing at the junction of Wilmot and Alexander streets a peculiar fourwheeled, lowseated car, the like of which neither I nor my horse had ever seen before. My mind worked quickly, and I remembered the pictures I had seen of the little French automobiles, and behold, ft similar vehicle was standing before me unoccupied in the street of Burnie!

While I gazed on this singular combination — a horseless carriage — and thought of Mother Skipton's prophecy, the owner and driver of the car came along, having left his automobile standing secure while he paid a profess ional visit to a patient in that neighborhood. But let Br. Gollan (now of Ulverstone) give the story of the introduction of this first motor car in his own words: "Dear Mr. Hilder.The car so well known to you and the Burnie people was purchased by me in 1903. The price was £100. lt was a singlecylinder car of seven horsepower. The engine was horizontal.

Before taking delivery it had to stand the test of two steep hills —namely, Old Mooreville Road (Burnie) and the old Blythe Road at the back of Mr. Ben McKenna's Blythe Hotel. It stood the tests all right, starting from a standing position on the steepest parts of either hill. After returning from those tests I took the wheel or helm myself. This was all the instructions given. No police tests, no registration fees were necessary, and petrol was at 7d. a gallon. This car did my work for three and a half years, but I had frequent interruptions.

Modern car drivers know little of the joys of early motoring. Mine was not the pioneer motorpowered vehicle in Burnie. Mr. Thomas Wiseman, you will remember, brought over from Melbourne a motor conch or 'bus, which failed on its first trip, and was returned as un fitted for tho work required on the poorly metalled roads. I suppose, there fore, I can claim to be the first man of Burnie to show that the self propelled vehicle was a real possibility.— L. Gol lan."

A similar vehicle to the one with which Mr. Thomas Wiseman experimented was sent to Waratah, ostensibly to run the short distances to Rouse's Camp or Whyte River. It also proved a white elephant, but it possessed a very fine engine. From their inception the motor vehicles caught on rapidly, and successive im provements since 1903 have revolutionised the passenger and goods transport, with disastrous results to our roads and rail ways. Readers can now journey from Stanley to Launceston or Hobart by sumptuous private cars or public parlor coaches in as many hours as it took days in 1840.

Creeping Railway Construction

Through the courtesy of the Secretary for the Government Railways and the sub manager of the Emu Bay Railway Co. I can give readers the dates of successive sections of railway which crept towards the NorthWest Coast and from Burnie towards the mining field of Waratah and on to the Zeehan field and the West Coast. I am persuaded to this course because I believe it will settle many a hot argument in the days to come.

Government Railways and Their Opening Dates:
Launceston to Deloraine, 1871.
Hobart to Evandale Junction, 1870.
Deloraine to Devonport West, 1885.
Devonport West to Ulverstone, 1890.
Ulverstone to Burnie, 1901.
Burnie io Wynyard and Myalla, 1913.
Myalla to Wiltshire Siding with Stan ley line, 1922.
The Government extensions took 51 years to reach Stanley from Deloraine, and for 95 years after its first settlement by the V.D.L. Co. in 1927; the good old bullock drays served Circular Head district well.

Company Railways and Their Opening Dates:
Van Diemen's Land Company's tramway, Burnie to Waratah, 1879.
Wooden tramway converted into railway, I884.
Emu Bay Railway Co.'s first section, Guildford to Rosebery, 1899.
Emu Bay Railway Co.'s other sections completed to Zeehan, 1900.

The companypromoted railways reached Zeehan (90 miles) in 20 years from the commencement, and one year before the creeping Government line reached Burnie, just 30 years after it had reached Deloraine, 70 miles away.

Reminiscing: Burnie in 1863

Burnie: The first fifty years

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Burnie Then And Now

The history of Burnie in photographs

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Reminiscing

Reflections on life in Burnie in yours gone by.

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The Port of Burnie

Emu Bay was developed to provide port services to the inland tracts of land. Since the mid-late nineteenth century the Port has evolved and developed as one of Tasmania’s and Australia’s most important deepwater ports.

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Railway Heritage

Burnie Railway Station was the terminus for a regional railway network for both commercial and passenger trade. Built railway infrastructure is increasingly rare in Tasmania, and the Station building is a very good example of its type.

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