Earlydays/3/stephens2.html

[[Earlydays/index.html|File:Freotopia earlydays .. img banner.jpg]]

Fremantle Stuff > Early Days: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society

The First Growth of Potatoes in Western Australia

Robert Stephens

Robert Stephens, 'The First Growth of Potatoes in Western Australia', Early Days, Vol. 3, Part 7, 1945: 17-18.

A Paper Prepared by Robert Stephens and Read to the W.A. Historical Society by Hon. V. Hammersley, on November 24, 1944.

At 5.30 p.m. on Monday, 25th December, 1826, the Colonial brig "Amity" anchored in Princess Royal Harbour within half a mile of the Point, then named Point Frederick, but now known as Residency Point. With the casting of the “Amity's" anchor terminated a voyage begun some seven weeks earlier, and commenced the first settlement in New Holland west of 129 degrees east longitude. The expedition was under the command of Major Edmund Lockyer. The site selected for the first camp was in the vicinity of the Parade Street Recreation Reserve, and between it and Residency Point. From the diary kept by Major Lockyer, it would appear that the first garden was in the vicinity of the present Albany Bowling Green. The site must have been very quickly cleared, as an entry in the diary under the date Friday, 2nd February, 1827 chronicles that the eyes of the first potatoes planted in New Holland had peeped through the soil. The entry in the diary reads: “The potatoes first planted are up and only require the rake to make them shoot out." A further entry a few days later on Wednesday, 7th February, records: “Rain much wanted; everything in the garden promising well and only requires moisture."

Again on a Friday, a month later, on the 2nd March, the following appears in the energetic Major's diary. "The weather being fine made a visit to Breaksea Island in the Sound and was surprised on getting to the top of it to find it being far from what I considered a bare rock; there is at least eight or ten acres of excellent mould where potatoes and cabbage would grow well."

An entry in the diary on Tuesday, 27th March, annuls the earlier promise of the first garden with: “The garden has been completely labour lost as yet; everything dies after coming up."

Early in April, 1827, Major Lockyer returned to Sydney and handed over the control of the King George's Sound outpost to Captain Wakefield. In his final report to the Colonial Secretary in Sydney the Major wrote, apropos the garden: “The ground fixed on for the garden at the Settlement did not prove fortunate, as it has failed in producing any vegetables, which I attribute as much to the season not being favourable as to the soil not being good, the ground requiring a little management previous to the seeds being sown, which experience will remedy."

Captain Wakefield also had trouble with the garden, and in his report dated 10th July, 1827, wrote: “Our gardens are certainly improving, but we shall not at present derive much benefit from them." On the date of the report quoted, the area under cultivation as garden and orchard at the settlement was one acre and a half an acre on the south side of the Harbour in the vicinity of what is known as Little Grove. By the 27th October, the Captain was able to report: “A garden of near an acre promises a speedy and permanent supply of good vegetables. About an acre of maize is planted, and I shall use every endeavour to double that quantity before the season is too far advanced."

Again in a report to Headquarters in Sydney bearing on the matter of husbandry, and dated 15th January, 1828, the Captain wrote: "We have had considerable loss of pigs owing chiefly to the want of maize. The cows and sheep improve. We have about thirty acres of very good land within two miles of the Settlement; several acres are already cleared." (Note: This is the land adjacent to what is now known as Strawberry Hill). The Report continues: “One garden will turn out well. I planted a quantity of pumpkins as likely to produce the most speedy supply; they thrive tolerably well and appear to grow very large. Green Island (in Oyster Harbour) is also commencing to be of great service to us." (Note: Green Island was used

18

as a vegetable garden). "The maize crop will fail I fear and chiefly owing to our not having had sufficient time to prepare the land previous to the seed being put in. Some few plants are sufficiently fine to convince me that tolerably good crops of it may be grown here. Potatoes do remarkably well and are of excellent quality." Early in December, 1828 Captain Wakefield returned to Sydney and his place as Commandant was filled by Lt. George Sleeman on the 6th December.

Successful Husbandry.

It would appear that Lt. Sleeman found that the bulk of the vegetables required for the Settlement were grown on Green Island in Oyster Harbour. Because of this he reported that he had had three acres cleared on the site now known as Strawberry Hill. This move he fully justified in his report dated 14th May, 1829, which, on the matter of the garden, dealt with in the sixth paragraph read: "I feel much satisfaction in stating that the garden which I had just completed at the farm, and which I had the honour to describe in my last despatch, is in a very flourishing state, having more than 3,000 cabbage and broccoli plants in it of good size, besides an abundance of turnips, potatoes, carrots, onions, radishes, parsley, etc., rapidly coming forward." On the 7th October, 1829, Lt. Sleeman again reported: "I feel much satisfaction in stating for His Excellency's information that the Settlement has been well supplied with vegetables ever since the Lucy Ann left (21/5/1828), and that, during the greater part of the intervening period, they have been regularly distributed twice a week. On the 3rd December, 1829, Lt. Sleeman was replaced by Capt. Collet Barker, but no records are readily available relative to the administration of the latter officer. If it is considered necessary, confirmation of the foregoing facts can be obtained by reference to “Historical Records of Australia," Series 111, Volume VI, a copy of which is available at the Perth Public Library.

Swan River Settlement Expands.

Early in 1831 the King George's Sound Settlement passed from the control of New South Wales, and came under the control of Governor Stirling at the Swan River Settlement—this by a Proclamation dated 7th March, 1831. The convicts and military guard returned to New South Wales. The first Government Resident was Surgeon Alexander Collie who arrived during April, 1831. Collie was deeply interested in gardening, and in his letters to his brother George in Aberdeen, Scotland, referred to the gardens at the Settlement. In a letter dated 4th August, 1831, he wrote: “Since April my occupation and amusement have been chiefly among cabbage, turnips, potatoes, etc. Some practical lessons I had from our good father in my younger days have been of no little use to me. We have pretty generally three crops a year of garden vegetables, January, May and September being the times of planting potatoes, turnips, cabbages, etc. Peas and broad beans do best in our winter half year, whilst French beans require the spring for sowing." Again, on 30th October, 1831, he wrote to the same brother: “Our gardens (there are two Government) have never been regularly formed, received no proper manure, and poorish land will produce exceeding little without it; but with manure you would be astonished at our kitchen vegetables. We might count on three crops a year of potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and some others." Collie returned to Perth at the end of 1832. Copies of Collie's letters are in the Perth Public Library. Sir Richard Spencer arrived in 1833 to take up the position of Government Resident at Albany, and purchased the Government Farm at what is now known as Strawberry Hill. He commenced his residence at Strawberry Hill on 1st October, 1833.

Strawberry Hill.

The official and private correspondence of Sir Richard Spencer discloses that the farm at Strawberry Hill was farmed by him in a husband-like manner. During 1837 a visitor to Albany in the person of a Quaker clergyman, the Rev. James Backhouse, arrived in Albany on Christmas Day, 1837, on a visit, and on Boxing Day paid a visit to the farm. In his book published later he records: “Arrived at King George's Sound on 25/12/1837. On the 26th breakfasted with Sir Richard ard Lady Spencer and walked with them over their fine garden and little farm, which are on one of the little patches of good land. In the garden grapes, figs, almonds, pears, potatoes, etc., are thriving."

By 1837 Sir Richard Spencer was already established on Plantagenet Hay Location 13 on the Hay River, and by 1842 there were outposts at Kendenup, Two People Bay and at Cape Riche. An informative piece of work by Mr. Ivan Bird is in the records of the W.A. Historical Society. It is the history of Strawberry Hill from the beginning.

Freotopia

This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 7 April, 2021 and hosted at freotopia.org/earlydays/3/stephens2.html (it was last updated on 7 April, 2021). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.