THE society's heritage from the macleats. 589 



ney in those days, only one year since the importation of convicts had ceased, could 

 boast no shops finer than the Hobart Town ones; round the beautiful harbour' 

 stood a few tine houses, in particular the new Government House, still uninhabited, 

 built in the Elizabethan style, the new Custom House, and Mr. M'Leay's house 

 with its garden full of interesting plants." .... "A long visit to M'Leay's 

 o-arden proved it to be a botanist's paradise. My surprise was unl)ounded at the 

 natural beauties of the spot, the inimitable taste with which the grounds were laid 

 out. and the number and rarity of the plants which were collected together. . . 

 The interior of the house, a striking specimen of Colonial architecture, the indi- 

 vidual trees and creepers, flowers and shrubs, the revival of nature when the 

 rain ceased, and a few insects came out, the Diamond birds flitted from tree to tree, 

 and the large Sea Eagle or Osprey left his lovely lair and commenced wheelmg 

 over the calm waters of the bay, and beyond the bay 'a rocky precipice christened 

 Sunium, on which it is the intention to buihl a temple' — all this is fully set forth 

 in the Journal, with one very homely touch as to 'Mr. William's workshop' : 'The 

 smell of camphor and specimens, so well known to me at home, reminded me 

 strongly of olden times, especially as I found everything in the inimitable mixture 

 of confusion and order in which Mr. [R.] Brown's shop at the Museum and his 

 rooms in Deane-street are wont to be.' " . . . . "The record of tlie visit 

 ends with the entry for August 5th : 'at 11 a.m. sailing down Port Jackson along 

 the cold-looking sandstone cliffs, leaving Sydney with few regrets but leaving Mr. 

 McLeay's fine establishment where there was much to see.' " 



A most interesting account of a visit to Elizabeth Bay by Mrs. Robert Lowe, 

 towards the end of 1842 or early in 1843, is thus recorded in Patchett Martin's 

 "Life and Letters of Viscount Sherbrooke, Vol. i., p. 162 (1893) : "A few days ago 

 T saw one of the most perfect places I ever saw in my life, belonging to Mr. 

 Macleay. How I longed that Mrs. Sherbrooke could but see this splendid sight. 

 The drive to the house is cut through rocks covered with the splendid wild shrubs 

 and flowers of this country, and here and there an immense primeval tree; the 

 house is built of white stone, and looks like a nobleman's place. Mr. Macleay 

 took us through the gi-ounds; they were along the side of the water. In this gar- 

 den are the plants of every climate — flowers and trees from Rio, the West Indies, 

 the East Indies, China, and even England. The bulbs from the Cape are splendid, 

 and unless you could see them, you would n(5t believe how beautiful the roses are 

 here. The orange-trees, lemons, citrons, gua\as are immense, and the jiomegranate 

 is now in full flower. Mr. ]\Iacleay lias also an immense collection from New 

 Zealand. I must not omit some drawbacks to this lovely garden : it is too dry, and 

 the plants grow out of a white, sandy soil. I must admit a few English showers 

 would improve it. As we went along the wild walks, cut through the woods, the 

 native trees, covered with flowers, the ^^ews of rock, trees, and water were en- 

 chanting. The bays are innumerable, and resemble the Scotch salt-water locks." 



Sir George ^laeleay. then resident in England, inherited the jiroperty at 

 Elizabeth Bay, after the death of his elder brother, W. S. Macleay. in January, 

 1865. The subsequent history of the old garden is l)riefly told by Robert Lowe''5 

 biographer in these words: "The beautifully situated home of the scholar and 

 naturalist is now no more, and on the site of its grounds stand the villas and houses 

 of a 'genteel' suburb. Sir George Macleay, when showing me a picture of the 

 house and grounds said : My brotlier would never Iiave consented to its demoli- 

 tion; but Sir Henry Parkes thought fit to tax the land exorbitantly, with the view 



