Landscape-Gardening in Australia. 587 



"The estate Elizabeth Bay is situated within the town boundary of Sydney, 

 in a delightful situation, and bounded on its north side by the river and 

 harbour of Port Jackson. On one side is a circular bay half a mile in extent, 

 in a commanding style, between rocky promontories of lofty elevation, branch- 

 ing off to the right and left. Between these promontories, the ground sweeps 

 round, by a grand and gradual descent, into a low and fertile flat of about ten 

 acres, which has been cleared from the natural woods. The outline of this 

 flat ground is also circular, terminating in an abrupt slope, beautifully fur- 

 nished with rocks, trees, and bushes, forming a splendid amphitheatre. A 

 range of luxuriant woods and pi'ecipitous rocks follows the boundary of the 

 water on the north side, till it reaches the boundary line of the estate, forming 

 a straight line by the side of a new road, about a mile in length, to a corner 

 of an angle where the main entrance gate is placed. A similar range of 

 beautiful woods and rocks extends from the other promontory for half a mile, 

 by the side of the water of a large bay, ending in a flat of several acres, and 

 thence running up to a fence forming the south-east corner of the boundary. 

 Thus, this estate has the entire command of one bay on the north, and one 

 side of a bay on the east ; and part of the south side ends in a flat of good 

 land of several acres in extent. 



" The high lands and slopes of this property are composed of rocks, richly 

 ornamented with beautiful indigenous trees and shrubs. About ten acres have 

 been cleared for pasture, which space has been laid off" in two paddocks into 

 two enclosures. The deficiency of pasture is a fault common with every 

 other estate near Sydney, and prevents them from being laid off in the useful 

 and ornamental style on a scale of magnitude. Sensible that his land is not 

 calculated for pasture, Mr. M'Leay has very judiciously applied but a small 

 space of it for that purpose, and has preserved his native trees and shrubs to 

 extend his landscape-gardening. From the first commencement, he never 

 suffered a tree of any kind to be destroyed, until he saw distinctly the ne- 

 cessity for doing so. He thus retained the advantage of embellishment from 

 his native trees, and harmonised them with foreign trees now growing. He 

 has also obtained the benefit of a standing plantation, which it might other- 

 wise have taken twenty or thirty years to bring to maturity. The moment 

 the improvements are finished, they will be furnished with full-grown trees. 

 The proprietor has certainl}' gone to great expense in general improvements. 

 His botanic, flower, landscape, fruit, and kitchen gardens are all on the first 

 scale ; and he has also expended large suras in digging out rocks, filling up 

 hollows, making approaches and walks, grass-plots, basins, &c., and in the 

 purchase of foreign trees and plants, which have been arranged with great 

 skill and taste. He has also planted a vineyard of considerable extent upon 

 terraces, which has answered every expectation. The coach house and 

 stables, with other buildings, have been erected upon an eligible site, entirely 

 out of sight of his intended mansion and principal walks. About twenty men 

 have been engaged in these general improvements, which have been going on, 

 in a moderate and judicious manner, for several years ; and it will require a 

 few more years to complete the work : but, when completed, the place will 

 probably not be surpassed by any garden in New South Wales. 



"I must now point out the nature of the whole design of the improvements 

 on the ground. Great taste has been employed in choosmg the site of the 

 mansion. In my opinion, it is so correct, according to the principles of 

 landscape-gardening, that, if one had studied for a century, he could not have 

 selected a better. The mansion is placed upon a flat piece of land, in the 

 bosom of a gentle elevation, furnished with beautiful trees, branching off" in 

 thick masses to the right and left. A splendid open lawn is placed in the 

 main centre front of the house, leaving to view, from the adjoining grounds 

 and windows, one of the most interesting prospects of the harbour and shores 

 of Port Jackson. To remove a few touches of nature's harshness, a dwarf 

 ornamental stone wall, having, at two extreme points, corners of ornamental 

 scroil-work, has been raised, surmounted by a curvilateral coping, with a few 



