THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT GOVERNMENT 165 



the future importance of the place, and the necessity which he 

 realised for at once fixing the points of occupation. He assured 

 them that the fostering care of the Government would never be 

 wanting to protect them in the lucrative pastoral pursuits in which 

 they had embarked, and he complimented them on the praiseworthy 

 disposition they had evinced for the maintenance of order and social 

 decorum. From compliments he at once passed on to work. Mr. 

 Hoddle, the Surveyor, found that he had plenty to take in hand, for 

 his subordinates had only roughly measured out the area of the 

 town, and were not prepared with the details the energetic Governor 

 required. After dinner the party adjourned to the diminutive 

 quarters of the Commandant, at the extreme west end of Collins 

 Street, nearly on the site now occupied by the Sailors' Home, and 

 proceeded to work out the scheme until far into the night. The 

 rough plan disclosed twenty-four rectangular blocks of ten acres 

 each, with a base line on Flinders Street running approximately 

 parallel to the river, extending north to Lonsdale Street, and 

 bounded as at present by Spring Street and Spencer Street. 



The first point to be settled was the name by which the town 

 should hereafter be known. Though generally spoken of as " the 

 settlement," it had already been christened by the Tasmanian Press 

 as " Batmania " and " Glenelg" respectively, after its founder and 

 the Colonial Secretary of the day. It had also in Stewart's report 

 and some other documents tentatively borne the uncouth names of 

 Bearbrass and Bearhurp, from some half-defined supposition that 

 one of these was the native name. Captain Lonsdale favoured 

 Glenelg, as following the practice in naming Sydney and Hobart, 

 but the Governor, who appears to have entertained a belief that 

 the port at the mouth of the river would become the commer- 

 cial capital, elected to name it Williamstown, in honour of his 

 sovereign, and the adjacent inland village, Melbourne, after his 

 Majesty's Prime Minister. 



The width of the main streets having been fixed by the Sur- 

 veyors at a chain and a half, or 99 ft., the Governor decided that a 

 lane or right-of-way should run from east to west through the 

 centre of all the ten-acre blocks, to give access to the rear of all 

 the allotments it was proposed to sell These points having been 



