7 f PAST AND PRESENT w P: C O R D s or NEWCASTLE, •ISAAT" SOCTTS: "W^A^XJISS, BY ,1 () U N BT^ii^LK, NEWt)AS'l LE : PAYl, ET, SON, AND HARWOOD, ril.OT OFFICE anS'lKR-fftBKET. \iQ^- PAST AND PRESENT EECORDS OF NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALI^S, BY JOHN SINGLE^ fffiWCASTLE BAirtirr, SON, AND HARWOOS*, PILOT 0»FIC», HWKTER-STRKET/ 187* NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES TUE DISCOVERER. A SKETCH of thi3 discoverer's career may be the rae3ns of h.anding <lown to |iOstericy the .services of an enterprising seaman. The folluwing is from the voyage of Governor Philli]) to Botany Bay, published in 1789, page 183. " We h*ve been induced to .subjoin lin this place a concise ac­ count of Lieutenant Shortland, as well because his experience as an oflicer nas been'gi eat, an from the consideration that his journal has been deemed^ by thoio who b'est know its value, df very serious importance. " Lieutenant John Shortland, very early in lite, had a strong predilection for the Navy, and in 175r) at the age of six­ teen, he entered into His Majesty's service on board the Anson, a sixty-four gun sliip^ which went out in the fleet under the com­ mand of Admiral Boscaweu. On the banks of Newfoundland ih's fleet fell in with, and took the Alcide and Ly'x, two French ships of seventy four gnus. On his return from this expedition, iie went on hoard the CuUoden, a seventy-tour gun ship, and was in the fleet under Admiral Byng, ofl'Minorca, Shortly afterwards, he went into the Hampton Court, commanded by Captain Harvey, in which ship he was present at the taking of the Foadroyant and Arpc. On his arrival iu England, he weut on board the Vanguard, Commodore Swantou, to the West Lidies, in the fleet under Admiral flodney, and was present at the i-eduction of * if ASt AWSt PSEflEJTf Ma?tinique, the frPeaades, an([ the other islands vrVitch wefs taeu .saptHred. In 1763, he was promoted co the ratiic of Lieutenant by AdtttiFal Svraatoii. siuci* which peri'jd ke has always been em» ployed la HS'Hve and inipirtant services. During tkn !*te wa,r, fl,ad foreoiwe tiiJe afterwards, h(» was chieflv ^imployed ingoing i^am A-meriea, excspfc In the year !782, when he was appointed to enmm%tkd fch« fccaftsnafti with the 97th R.wt on hoard, destined /np fche relief of Gibrnitsr, under convoy «f H^M.S. Cerberus and Apollo. H« was aot only ancce^sfnl in getting alt the transports in eafuW. h«f; he als'* landed tlse men without auy loss. "On Lwiitenaat i^hortland's return home from this .service, ia «ade<»voiiiring fca sr^t fchvough the Out. of Gihpajtar in the night, ha w^aa/?h»aed by «, Bq't idna of Soanish frigates, wha took three of the fcr!^n«)>«>ft8 in eompiinv, lint he was so fortunate as to escape iii ltfee B^tey feFainspirt, and arrived in England wifchont either loss or d*«na2<>!, in the vear 1786, he w^>si appointed ag©at to the *raB«ir»9rfc3 aont Hw th** (livcrnm'^nt fco Nftw South Wales, at whicli f)!ace iie arpivod (n Jinuary iT8S. After remaining six month* «t the nev asttlement in F >rt .faekson, lie was ordered to England tijT »-^(7 «f SitivU. by His E)ceelleney Governor Phillip, vho ii'Jttored Sum •wiffe <;h<8 o^eial dispitehes foi the (S-overninent, aad lie aMred Jn Engkni OR the 29ik May, 1789. ''TW* «HBjtw»ry reeii)ifciil'Hif>n of Mr, Shortlaad's services suS' Ostitis' ^(t'mta fliit Jiiii njftrifc *ri(i ahitity asi arj eyperieneed seaman, <yitfe<»iifc ajif f(iFt1i®y ««logi«m, which, if ifc were wanted, raight ha *'biti»d.*iifc!y «<ipr>Ued ffarrj fch? fiijhsesiteat afjeumnt of !ji« pd8»-»gft ©KSCWKST OT TUB HUWTES RtVEH. '^^^rt M^^.tvsir^ of fctte Hmnic? R'ver. by Lieut. Shrtrtland of M-M..^. 'Udtfin,",'.. fteeiarped on i6th S«p<-.enaher, 1757. Lient, ^horftJEtrid »-»frt<»(»e(I«d in hi* wfiatft haat in seareh of jfifine ef»nviets •wlia |,!^4 aetzed «ffid triin awav with one of ihe feoi^t Gaverntnent tMMtta iia,«i«e(i tfce Cwin'bertnn'l, <in feetr pi^^^i^ge fram Sydney t« *&» H9,<7^e«H<ii>9-. %A9it. SHrfcUffid, fchlnkiaT; it fikelv they might ^««i «U«ffc«F In "Part ^k».r»1ien», tnrak fcUafc course in his open boat, Jn 6fif« fi«; ^%^ 4«<**[»EK»i«sted^ ''ff i^ pursiiitj liowevep, was''not •^ifctiSOt; ft'ts-ii.nfca^e i fou <»« file refcura fee entered a eireir which I»« e«4(na'f ^*»fc«r ^iv&v, att<i.iit(»d A^jmit ten leagues ia fche nouth- •w»p'5 of p(?«<i gfcepfjffttt. He found there vas three fafcho ns of w»t«p ia (()« «f|(»4!e«t; ff^rt «f the entrins'^, and that there ^-A* «l*»igp w»b5r ft«4 (?<»fnl a!se1i9r*te witfein. The ^atritnce wan but »»«>»,.. bfffc ^trewi hy »hl$\ t»Aj J»I»at}, l/i»g rfaht off it I«a.viftg a. good pasisage round its north end and the shore, A reef connect'* the south part ot the island with the fiouth shore of the main land of the rivex. In the harbour he found a very -considerable quantity of coal of good /quality, and lying so near (the water side ae to be conveniently 3hipi>ed, whieii gave it, in this /particular, a manifest advantage over ihat di!<covered to tiie south, sifard^ SotEB speciuiens of this eoiil were brought up in the boat.'' •The (olioAing is a verbatim copy fmru Collins' account of the Knglish Colony of New iSouth Wales iroui the first settlement 1788 to iSOi. Vol. 2 page 48. SepteuaUer, 1797.—^'This montli bef^au KJtli a eery reiatious circura- ^taoco. A boat iiuiued the Uumberlaud, the largest and lie'<t in the Colouy ilielongicg to Goverinaeat, w*8 oa her passage to the Uawkesbury, whither ..she was carrying a lew etores, takeu jjOSBcsbtou of hy a part of the hoat'ii jcrew, beiug at uhe game titije bnanled by a small boat from the shore, tha jieople ia which geijad her aad put oif to eea, first Laudiug the coxswain jirid three others who weie unwillinii to ai;0(uiipaiiy them in Pitt Vvater ia •yrokeu Bay. 'j'hose mea proceeded overland to Port JackaoH, where they ^avo the lira* iiiiorujatiou of this daring and piratical transaction. Two iboatB well inanoed and armed were iiaiucdiately despatched after them, Mader the .cooifaaud of Lieuteaaut i^hortland of the Reliance. "One oi thesa boatg returned iu a lev/ days, without haviug eeen auy- (thing of them, bub Lieutenant Shortland proceeded with the other, a wbala iboat, as .far as Fort Stephens, ivhere he thought it probable they might (have takea shelter ; but on the 19Lh, haviug been absent thirteen days, he jreturned without diacoveriag the smallest trace of them or the boat, Hu jpursuit, howevejr, had not heun without its adyaotage, for on his reiurn ha <eutered » river which he named bluuter Kiyer, (in the margin lOllt ^September) about ten leagues to tU* aouthuard of Port Stephens, into •which he carried three fathoms water, in the lihoaLest part of its eu ranee, ifiuding deep water and good anchorage within. The entrance to this river was but narrow, and covered by a high rocky isUod lying right otf it, so a« io leave a good passage round the north end of the island, between that .»iii4 tlie shore, A reef connects the so.uth part of the island with the suuth -shoiouf the entrance of the river,. Ia this harbour was found a very con- sKUrable quantity cf coal oi a Tery good sort, and lying so near the water #ide as to be conveuiently ahipped, which jjave it, iu this particular, a jnaniiest advantage over iliat diacovpred o the southward. Some spetjimeus <ol this coal ware brought up in the boat." Tiicse ar« tiie only particulars A'hich can be supplied respecting (the tirst discovery of the port of Newcastle. Not anything of iiu.- jportance occiuTed until April, 1804, when it was established as » jieual settlement for the Colony for second and third otfences (cottiuiitted by .convicts tried and sentenced by the ^upieme Conrt, Hydney., The eatablisEraent was lir»t formed under the direction (Ot a Ooiumandaut, Cbaa. TbrusUy. foq., with a military staff, <tc, JLC. la 1813 Lieut. Skottowe of 73rd Kegt., was the commandant, vwith two Sergeants and 43 rank and file. A.^sistant Surgeon Mr. Willkflj Braus, and Mr. John Tucker, storekeeper. A flagstaff P.iST AND PRESENT and coal Kfacon wi-re -A^o esliilili.shed on the hill, on which ;s now situated the rps,deuce of the pieseuc Harbour iWaster Capt. Allan. A gaol, military barrack, oilicers' ipiurters, store, lumber yard or flock:,de, iio.^jiicil, and other nece.-iSary buihiiags were in pri'gress. Gangs of comicts were sent u|) the rivers Huater, Patterson, and \\ illiauis, to cut cedar and other timber, and a settieii-eiit was al.,o lu.ule at Liui.bunierV LSay as a secondary punishmeab, and a breakwater coiuiuenced between Nobby'h and the main land, to give eiaployment to the worst characters. A coal shaft was opened upon the present site of the Market lately erected »y the 3Iunicipal Council, and by these means upwards of 1000 convicts were profitaibly employed. Nobby s Island was appropriated as a place of puni.'<liment lc|r refractory convict women, similar to Pinohgut in Sydney, used for a similar purpose.