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of the year and to the means at the disposal of the local government. The weather at the period of my arrival being extremely boisterous, I was forced to disembark the people and stores on Garden Island, the communication between the ships and the mainland being too unsafe and uncertain during the winter season to admit of their being placed at any other point. Since then as the weather has improved I have removed such persons and stores as have been necessary to the sites of the towns of Perth and Fremantle, but I intend to keep the principal depot of provisions and stores still at Garden Island, carrying over as they are wanted the articles therein deposited. The arrival of two other ships with settlers making it necessary to have locations prepared for them I have been under the necessity of interrupting the general survey of the surrounding coast and country for the purpose of laying out the town of Fremantle at the entrance of Melville Water as a landing port, and also the town of Perth near the island on the Swan River, with a view to its being in the neighbourhood of those who may wish to cultivate the rich lands immediately above it on the river. . . . The settlers have already made selection of town lots in each place and are proceeding with alacrity in the preparation of buildings."

During September the civil establishment was removed to Perth and the settlement began to acquire something of a permanent appearance. A cottage for the Lieutenant-Governor was erected not far from the present site of Government House, and the various departmental offices were built in close proximity to it, so that the work of administration could be carried on more easily. Houses of more or less permanent character began to arise and the first place of worship—for the Church of England—was erected through the earnest solicitation, as well as by the actual assistance, of the Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. John B. Wittenoom

Between then and the end of the year several ships arrived with settlers, stock, and provisions. Among these was the "Gilmore," with Thomas Peel and his party of immigrants and servants on board. As this vessel did not arrive at Swan River within the time stipulated in the agreement the land originally reserved for Mr. Peel had been granted to other applicants, but he secured a location to the south of Fremantle, as before mentioned, extending from the sea to the present south-western railway line, and containing an area of 250,000 acres.

In order to increase the knowledge of the country lying outside the area of settlement, and so as to have land ready for the requirements of the new settlers continually arriving, further expeditions were sent out in the latter months of the year. Lieutenant Preston (of H.M.S. "Sulphur") and Dr. Collie examined during November the coastline and adjacent country between Cockburn Sound and Geographe Bay, paying particular attention to the rivers and to the suitability of the soil for cultivation. In December Ensign Dale, of the 63rd Regiment, who had previously endeavoured to trace the source of the Helena River, made a further attempt. He followed the stream until it became a mere chain of ponds, and then returned bringing back the information that the country toward the coast did not give much promise in the way of agriculture, though it offered fairly good pasture for sheep. In the same month Dr. Wilson, R.N., left the settlement at King George Sound with a small party, intending to proceed toward the Swan River. Though he did not go far in the direction aimed at, he passed through some of the best country from a scenic point of view in Western Australia, and in the course of his wanderings discovered the Denmark River. Dr. Wilson's report of the trip spoke highly of the character of the soil in general, though some of it he admitted was "as miserable and useless as any to be found in New South Wales." For extended accounts of these and succeeding exploring expeditions we would refer the reader to the section of this publication dealing with the "Explorations in Western Australia."

It is worth recording as an event of importance that on Christmas Day, 1829, the first white child—daughter of the Surveyor-General—was born in Western Australia.

The total population of the colony at the end of the year was 1,290, of whom 850 were permanent residents, the greater part of the remainder forming the complement of the ships then at anchor, one of these being H.M.S. "Success," which grounded on entering Challenger Passage and received injuries that took twelve months to repair. To carry out these repairs she was beached at that portion of the Sound since known as Careening Bay. The value of the property brought by the settlers up to this time was about £45,000, the proportion of which that was applicable to the improvement of land, and upon which land was granted according to the regulations, being £42,000.

On January 20, 1830, Captain Stirling addressed a despatch to the Colonial Office embracing a report of the various matters we have already referred to and giving some important information as to the class of people arriving in the colony. Those who came as settlers, having a certain amount of capital, were on the whole highly respectable and independent persons, but the same could not be said of their workmen and servants. In many cases these seemed to have been recruited from parish outcasts, or engaged without any reference to character, and had consequently caused great inconvenience by their drunken and disorderly habits. So troublesome had these people become, the Governor reported, that he had found it necessary to