122 FOUNDATION AND EARLY WORK 



U.S. TAS. 



come to Australia early in 1828, bringing with him "up- 

 "wards of 2,000 vines and other fruit trees' (C.S.O. 16,124, 

 Arthur), and he settled at Launceston. The Civil Com- 

 mandant at Launceston, writing to the Colonial Secretary, 

 reported that he was "a Northumberland man, aged 24 

 "years," and that he had obtained "a great many prize 

 "medals from the Botanical and Horticultural Societies of 

 "Northumberland and Durham and Newcastle-upon- 

 "Tyne."' (11) Mr. Davidson was appointed in November, 

 1828, at a "salary of .£100 per annum, with a ration and 

 "a house to live in." 



In 1829 the house at the Gardens still occupied by the 

 Superintendent was built, and the wall was commenced. 

 The wall was of stone, faced with brick, and fireplaces and 

 .flues were built in it, so that the wall could be heated to 

 assist the ripening of fruit. Governor Arthur gave vigilant 

 attention to the building of the wall, as to many other 

 matters connected with the Gardens, and the official 

 papers contain a sharp reprimand to the Colonial Engi- 

 neer, because stones for the wall "are drawn by cai'ts up- 

 "hill from a quarry at some little distance, when, it appears 

 "to me, they might be equally well procured almost on 

 ■^'the spot." 



Mr. Davidson developed the Gardens rapidly. In 1829 

 he applied for a quantity of worked trees from "the 

 "Government Garden at Launceston and the Garden at 

 "George Town," and in the same year a large quantity 

 -of trees and seeds weire ordered from England. The 

 Hobart Toivfi Courief of 28th March, 1829, reported that 

 Mr. Davidson had gathered the seeds of 150 species of 

 native plants on the slopes and siimmit of Mt. Wellington 

 for growth in the Gardens. By 1830 the area enclosed 

 was about 13 acres, and Mr. Davidson reported that "12 

 "gardeners and 12 of the chain gang are necessary for 

 ''cultivating the Garden and cleaning the Domain." The 

 Gardens became a popular resort, and on 19th December, 

 1832, Governor Arthur directed that they be closed on 

 Sunday, the Superintendent having represented "the 

 "extreme inconvenience and injury which arises from the 

 "great number of persons who resort there on the Sun- 

 "days." 



Mr. Davidson remained Superintendent until 1834, 

 when Mr. Martin Tobin was appointed. (12) In 1840 Mr. 



(11) C.S.O. 7139/3 (Arthur). This file contains numerous papers relating to the 

 Gardens from 1828 to 1834, from which most of the statements that follow are 

 taken. 



(12) C.S.O. 16124 (Arthur). 



