BY J. MOORE-ROBINSOX, F'.R^GS. 1^^ 



,^'4 •'''The dates given vary from June to Augitsf, but I tbink 

 ^ • "we may henceforth consider it settled, on the authority 

 t "of official documents, that the birthday! of Tasmania 

 ; "was Tuesday, the 7th day of September, 1803." \I' 



Walker's conclusion is not correct, and his error is due, 

 not to lack of examination on his part, but to the careless, 

 inconclusive, and incomplete Records of the period. Bowen 

 himself reported that he arrived at Risdon "on Sunday. 

 "September 12th, 1803." As a matter of fact he made n.i 

 error in the day of the month. The correct dates of that 

 important event are: — 



Lady Nelson (tender) arrived at Risdon Cove at 

 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 8th, 1803. 



Alhio7i (with Bowen on board) arrived at 8 a.m. on 

 Sunday, September 11th, 1803. 



Proof of these dates is given by Dr. F. Watson, Editor of the 

 Australian Historical Records, Series III., Vol. I., and to 

 .that author much credit is due for patient investigation and 

 •careful examination. In these circumstances it is pleasant 

 ,to be able to state that the Records of the Tasmanian Gov- 

 ernment give great promise of affording not only verification 

 .of disputed statements, but the discovery of new and import- 

 .ant facts. 



One specific instance of the latter will suffice on this 

 point. The exact history of Port Arthur has always been 

 regarded as a lost possibility owing to the non-existence o^ 

 earlier Records of the famous Settlement. It was loosely- 

 stated "that Port Arthur was born in 1830." The Tasmanian 

 Historians, West (1862) and FentDn (1884), totally ignore 

 so important a point. Since commencing the work of 

 indexing the MS. Records in the Chief Secretary's Depart- 

 ment, I have been fortunate enough to find: — 



(1) Governor Arthur's autographed Minute dated 

 September 7th, 1830, giving instructions to found Port 

 Arthur. 



(2) The Report to Arthur of Assistant Surgeon 

 John James Russell, the first Commandant, dated from 

 the Settlement October 2nd, and giving details of his 

 landing there on September 22nd, 1830. 



(3) Several other documents relating to the. same 

 subject. 



