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Food and Agriculture in the New Colony of Van Diemen's Land, 1803 to 1810

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Food and Agriculture in the New Colony of Van Diemen's Land, 1803 to 1810 Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Volume 122(2), 19R8 19 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN THE NEW COLONY OF VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, 1803 TO 1810 by Trevor D. Semmens (with four tables and one text-figures) SEMMENS, T.D., 1988 (31:x): Food and agriculture in the new colony of Van Diemen's Land, 1803 to 1810. Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm., 122(2): 19-29. https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.122.2.19 ISSN 0080-4703. Entomology Section, Department of Agriculture, G.P.O. Box 192B, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 7001. The new settlement of Van Diemen's Land and its first eight years are looked at in the light of the feeding of this young colony, and the development of agnculture to allow for sufficiency in food. For many reasons development was slow and progress limited. Key Words: food, agriculture, Van Diemen's Land, famine. " .... For Wise and Good reasons to promote the account; and as they are free settlers you will, as they are the first, allot 200 acres (81 ha) to each Interest of the British Nation and Secure the Advantaies that may be derived from the family and victual them for eighteen months. They are to be allowed the labour of two convicts Fisheries, etc., etc., in the Colony ... to form a Settlement On the South Part of this Coast, or each during that time, and to be supplied with Isles Adjacent, to Counteract any Projects or such portions of seed, grain, garden seeds and stock as can be spared; and also tools." plans the French Republic may arrainie ... [I] intrust you with the Charge of forminf? Such Instructions were reissued on IO June 1803 and Establishment" ... were much less liberal (H.R.A. 111(1): 193) viz.: Part of Order given to Lieut Bowen, 29 March "To have town lots of 5 acres (2 ha) each, on 1803 (H.R.A. III(l): 190-191) lease 14 years, and when circumstances will allow to have a grant of 100 acres (4 0.47 ha) IN THE BEGINNING each, subject to the usual quit rents. To be THE DEPENDENT COLONY victualled 12 months from the time of taking possession of their town lots. To be allowed the At Settlement - Risdon Cove labour of 2 convicts victualled for the same term· after which they and their families are to be of After several abortive attempts, settlement of no further expense to Government." 3 Risdon Cove by Lieut John Bowen and his small "To have 2 ewes each, 6 bushels (0.22 m ) of party occurred on 8 September 1803. This settle­ seed wheat, a proportion of tools, nails, clothing ment started the new colony. and such garden seeds as can be spared ... " In instructions given to Bowen on 28 March "Should any unforeseen circumstances ... induce 1803 (H.R.A. 1( 4): 152), the following had specific the Commandant to continue them longer on the stores f m loss of crops, etc., he is at liberty to regard to food and agriculture: _ �� do 11 ... "After taking measures to secure yourself and people and stores you will proceed to clear Additional instructions furnished in a ground on the public account for the cultivation "memorandum for Mr. Bowen" included the of wheat and other plants." following: "You are to inform yourself of the nature of the "Be careful the people get their ration given clear soil, what proportions of land you find proper for - 4 lbs (l .82 kg) pork and 7 lbs (3.18 kg) biscuit the cultivation of wheat, barley and flax ... what a week." quantity of cattle can be taken care of ... " "Slops are to be issued in December and June ..." "You are to fix the settlers ... [the] ground you [This refers to ready made or cheap clothing, not may intend to allot for cultivation on the public food "slops"!] 20 frevor D. Semmens "Everyman except ... to be kept employed at the The military will receive half a pint (0.28 1) of pu blic labour in securing the provisions and spirits daily as before." store•... " . They were urged "under pain of being As at 27 September 1803 the Risdon Cove severely punished';, to keep the supply of pure community consisted of "49 souls". A return of running water from being polluted. To store all the livestock landed showed: Government stock - 1 provisions brought in, a temporary wooden bull, 8 cows, 2 rams, 16 ewes, 4 ewe lambs, 3 storehouse was erected on Hunter's Island. wether lambs. Private stock - 1 mare, 8 goats, 38 A site three miles (4.8 km) away was picked pigs, 7 sheep, I cow. for the Government Farm and was named Farm In a short time the two free settlers had their Bay (now Cornelian Bay) and the settlers were blocks ready for sowing and the Surgeon, located in the next bay, Stainforth's Cove (now Mountgarrett, had a few acres ready. But there was New Town Bay). no ground prepared for cultivation on Government The settlers were entitled to land grants of account. The latter was due to the fractious nature 100 acres (40.47 ha) each, which were to be made and the lack of ability of the convicts. (The by the Governor of New South Wales (N.S.W.) on Administrator would have profited from reading the recommendation of Lieut Governor Collins. In Francis Bacon's "Essay on Plantations" where he addition, they and their families were to be vic­ said, "It is a shameful and un-blessed thing to take tualled from the public stores for twelve months, the scum of people and wicked condemned men to and assisted with tools, seed grain and the services be the people with whom you plant a colony" of whatever spare convicts could be assigned to (Barrett 1936).) them. Collins was anxious they should prove "by their exertions, abilities and propriety of conduct that they are deserving of being trusted with stock Settlement at Sullivan Cove and are likely to support themselves independent of the public stores", before being eligible for the land On 16 February 1804, Lieut Governor grant. In spite of lack of convict labour, the settlers Collins arrived at Risdon Cove and was most in the first season harvested a crop which gave disappointed at its positioning for a permanent them a small surplus over the requirement for seed. settlement. Next day he and others "went to Meanwhile, on the Government Farm a lot of work examine a plain on the S.W. side of the river" had been done. In July 1804 there were 19.5 acres (Nicholls 1977). They were delighted with this site (7.9 ha) of wheat, 1.75 acres (0.29 ha) of oats and which was called Sullivan Cove. So Collins settled 2.25 acres (0.91 ha) of rye. Interestingly, all the there. It had a good water supply and the loading seed grain brought out from England was spoilt (or and unloading of ships was not difficult, and the was poor to start with) and did not germinate. soil at least equal to thacat Risdon Cove. (Note: At Port Phillip, the aborted settlement prior Governor Collins viewed his expedition as to Sullivan Cove, " ... 18 or 20 different sorts of an attempt to establish a new· colony. It consisted of [garden] seeds which were put into the ground, not free settlers who were to till the land and raise one succeeded" (HRA III(1): 221).) Fortunately, crops and cattle so as to make the colony indepen­ further supplies which had been purchased at Cape dent in the matter of food supplies. It was not to be Town and some from Sydney proved satisfactory. thus independent in his period of office. Because of the scarcity of labour and the The first General Orders were issued by urgency of getting agricultural work underway, Collins on 28 February 1804 (HRA III(1): 219) and Collins allowed the convicts to work with the included the following as regard provisions: settlers in their spare time. Without the convicts' "The storekeeper will issue the following weekly aid the settlers would have made little progress. ration until further orders, viz:- Even at this very early stage, "labour troubles" To civil, military, free settlers and prisoners - beset the small community, forcing Collins on 7 lb. (3.18 kg) Beef or 4 lb. (1.82 kg) Pork 22 June 1804 to issue a General Order fixing the 7 lb. Flour price of labour (HRA III( 1): 270). Some 6 oz. (0.17 kg) Sugar agricultural wage rates were: To women two-thirds, children above five years "For felling and burning of timber, half and children under five years one fourth of per acre £1/10/0 the above rations. Grubbing and burning, per acre 4/0/0 The issuing days for provisions will be in future Breaking up new ground 3d. per rood, Tuesdays and Saturdays. per acre 2/0/0 Food and agriculture in Van Dicmcn's Land. lR03-1O 21 Chipping ground 2d. per food, per acre 1/0/8 pound; salted pork, 1/- per pound; in seed 1 and a half pence per rood, per pound; flour, 1/- per pound; and per acre 1/0/0 6d. per pound (see table I). Breaking up stubble ground 2d. per [ood, Methods of agriculture were necessarily vcr\, per acre 1/6/8 primitive. The settlers had no horses of the i~ ow~ Digging garden ground, per rood Oct. and no ploughing was done. The ground Reaping an acre of wheat 10/0 roughly cleared and then broken up with a hoe and Threshing wheat per bushel gd." the seed roughly sown, or, as often as not, sYmpiy chipped in.
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