86 AUSTRALASIA ILLUSTRATED. 



orphan school in Cork. The second ship had on board fifty-nine mechanics (principally 

 stone-masons and carpenters), who came out under arrangements with the Rev. Dr. Lang, 

 for the purpose of building the Australian College which had been projected by him. 



The progress of exploration during this period is distinguished by the expeditions 

 conducted by Major (afterwards Sir Thomas) Mitchell, the Surveyor-General who had 

 succeeded Oxley. The first was directed to the north, to the Liverpool Plains ; the 

 second to explore the country between the Bogan and the Macquarie ; the third had for 

 its object a survey of the Darling ; and the fourth was to the west and south-west, and 

 resulted in the discovery of Australia Felix. Settlement on the eastern shores of New 

 South Wales kept pace with the development of the interior. Timber-getters in search 

 of cedar established themselves on the banks of the Clarence, and subsequently occu- 

 pied the Bellinger, Tweed and Richmond Rivers. 



In 1836 Sir Richard Bourke prevailed upon the Home Government to waive its 

 objections to the proclamation of a new settlement at Port Phillip, and he sent Captain 

 Lonsdale, of the Fourth Regiment, in H.M.S. Rattlesnake commanded by Captain 

 Hobson, to take charge of it. In March of the following year, Bourke himself visited 

 the new settlement, gave the name of Melbourne to the township, and laid out several of 

 the streets. In his despatch to the Secretary of State, he said : " I found on my arrival, 

 on the spot selected for a settlement by Mr. Batman on the banks of the Yarra River, 

 at the head of the inland sea called Port Phillip, an assembled population consisting of 

 from sixty to seventy families. The situation appearing to be well chosen, I directed a 

 town to be immediately laid out, which your lordship will perceive by the map has 

 received the name of Melbourne." 



Among the numerous progressive public measures passed during Bourke's tenure of 

 office was a Bill admitting the Emancipists to serve on civil and criminal juries, and 

 the abolition of free grants of land. The sites of the present Government House and 



the gaol at Darlinghurst were chosen by Committees 

 appointed for the purpose, and the erection of these 

 buildings recommended. The proposal to form a semi- 

 circular wharf from shore to shore at the head of the 

 inlet, named by Phillip Sydney Cove, was also approved. 



That the popularity which Bourke obtained on his 

 arrival was not lessened by his public career in the 

 colony, is- amply proved by the bronze statue which stands 

 at the entrance to the Domain. It still forms one of 

 the most conspicuous monuments in Sydney, and was 

 erected in his honour by the private subscription of the 

 people. He resigned his post and returned to England 



GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GIPPS. ' n December, 1837, and the Government of the colony 



passed temporarily into the hands of Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Kenneth Snodgrass, C.B., pending the arrival of Bourke's successor. 



In the year 1838 the French again appeared off the coasts, two ships the Astrolabe 

 and Zclie turning up at Raffles Bay, soon after an English expedition, under Sir Gordon 

 Bremer, had fixed upon the site of a settlement at Port Essington. In his narrative of 



