CAPTAIN STURT ON THE MURRAY 77 



were sometimes from twenty to thirty. The whaling season, which 

 lasted from April to October, was generally a very busy time, 

 as many as fifty whales being sometimes secured within the six 

 winter months. When with the advent of the hot weather the 

 whaling season came to an end, the men devoted their time to 

 stripping wattle bark, cutting timber, and exploring the various 

 inlets about the coast. To this busy but isolated camp of industry 

 came in 1833 the avant-courier of a family who were destined to 

 leave their mark on the new country, Mr. Edward Henty, who, 

 according to Button's own statement, was hospitably entertained 

 by him, and shown without reservation the advantages and pos- 

 sibilities which the place possessed. 



The story of the Henty family is widely known, for it is of 

 enduring interest to all Victorian colonists. The advent of the 

 sturdy and enterprising farmer and banker, and his seven stalwart 

 and capable sons, with his considerable capital and comparatively 

 large retinue of servants and followers, was a distinct gain to the 

 community. His treatment by the Government was curt and un- 

 generous, to say the least of it, and few will now venture to affirm 

 that the family claims met with a just settlement. Mr. Thomas 

 Henty on his Sussex farm had a flock of pure merino sheep, a 

 breed at that time attracting great attention in New South Wales, 

 and the purchase at a high price of some of his fine stock for ex- 

 portation to Australia first directed his attention to that country. 

 In the year 1828 he made up his mind to emigrate, and tempted 

 by the favourable report then just published of the proposed new 

 colony at Swan River in Western Australia, and the promise of 

 extremely liberal land grants, he selected that place for his destina- 

 tion. Accordingly he despatched three of his sons James, John 

 and Stephen as an advance guard, and they landed at Swan Kiver 

 from the barque Caroline in October, 1829, with ten horses, ten 

 head of choice cattle, 180 pure-bred merino and South Devon 

 sheep, and upwards of forty servants and workmen, with all the 

 necessary material and implements for housing them and carrying 

 on extensive farming operations. The result was a serious dis- 

 appointment. The value of the property they had brought to the 

 colony entitled them by the Government regulation to 84,000 



