CHAPTER IVDarling Quarries—Kalayamba Vineyard—Mr. Brookman—Lady Forrest—Cambria—Mayor of Perth—Mr. Hackett—Canning Park Races.
Darling Quarries—Kalayamba Vineyard—Mr. Brookman—Lady Forrest—Cambria—Mayor of Perth—Mr. Hackett—Canning Park Races.
It was a very pretty drive from Perth to the Darling Range Quarries, where great quantities of stone for road-making and other purposes were being turned out. The quarry is situated on the western slopes of the range, and commands a magnificent view of the whole country to the sea-board. The proprietor of the now prosperous quarries, Mr. Statham, gave us a brief history of his enterprise, which began nearly five years ago. For the first three years, March 26 was for him an unlucky day. First he was burned out and lost between £300 and £400. In the following year the same thing occurred, and he was a loser by £1200. The third time, when March 26 came round, he felt disposed to stop the machinery, but the day did not pass without accident, for the engineer was blown up, and had to be taken to the hospital, but recovered in about a month. Since the third accident Mr. Statham has felt proof against disaster on March 26.
Stretching away from here in the direction of Bunbury are over 80,000 acres of well-matured land waiting for clearance and then cultivation; at present there is no stock to feed on it, no creatures being seen but a few wild horses.
The homestead and vine plantations of Kalayamba, belonging to Mr. Wiedenbach, are prettily situated on the wooded banks of the Canning river, and the grapes some of the finest that I have ever seen. Five years ago Mr. Wiedenbach obtained cuttingsat a cost of 2s.6d.each, and from these he grafted six vines, out of that number four grew, and at the present time the vines from the four cuttings number 500 or 600. The vinery contains 4000 vines. There are 3100 citron-trees, and over 5000 other fruit-trees, many of them having fruit of phenomenal size and most exquisite flavour. The oranges, especially the mandarins, are really splendid. Last year 300 orange-trees yielded over 3000 dozen oranges. The lemon-trees are almost as good. The climate of Western Australia is specially suited to the growth of the orange. The most delicious oranges I have ever tasted grow on the slopes of the Darling Range, and must be eaten to be appreciated. The apple- and quince-trees were positively bent to the ground with their lovely burdens; while the almond-trees were a beautiful sight.
There is also a magnificent estate situated on the Canning river at Cannington, called Riverside, and belonging to Mr. W. Brookman, the well-known mining millionaire of Perth and Kalgoorlie.
This gentleman’s town house is full of fine furniture and curiosities brought in part from Europe, among these being a dinner service of 120 pieces, each of which bears a different pattern of Venetian lace, the whole set representing every pattern made in Venice since the earliest manufacture of lace. In the drawing-room are exquisite chairs, the embroidery of which is the work of a continental sisterhood; vases of Venetian glass which cost 100 guineas each, Bohemian glass bowls in amethyst, thickly encrusted with gold; priceless statuettes of Carrara marble, and elegant Louis Seize cabinets containing rare curios from all countries, are a few of the contents of this rich room; while on the polished floor are handsome Brussels squares, on which lie rare skins, one specimen of a magnificent Polar bear, with glistening teeth, bright eyes, and perfect head, lying almost life-like. A fine aviary adjoining the house is full of the twittering of birds and chattering of parrots.
MOUNT ELIZA AND SWAN RIVER
MOUNT ELIZA AND SWAN RIVER
After the wealth and magnificence of the Gold King’s house, it is not to be wondered at if other homes look plainly furnished, and yet Lady Forrest’s, although an old-fashioned house, is most pleasant to visit. The furniture and surroundings are in exquisite taste. The afternoon I called, the artistic drawing-room looking out into the garden of sweet flowers was most restful to the eye. Lady Forrest is most kind and genial, and very much liked by every one. She takes great interest in her husband’s work, and takes many a worry from him by seeing people herself who come to interview him. “Sir John is nearly always busy,” said Lady Forrest pathetically, “I can’t get him to talk to me sometimes.” There are a great many works of art in the house, especially pictures, some by Lady Forrest herself and some by well-known artists; many portraits of Lady Forrest’s ancestors, and also bits of lovely English scenery from her father, the late Mr. Hammersly’s, old home in England, called Pyrton, of which she is justly proud. Mr. Hammersly was an English sportsman, and came to Australia many years ago. Lady Forrest is a Western Australian born.
There are many other nice old houses in Perth, notably Mrs. O’Grady Lefroy’s, at the upper end of St. George’s Terrace, called Cambay. The house stands back in spacious grounds, and belongs to the family, which is of old standing in Perth. Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy in 1843 made an excursion into the Lake District to the east of York, and his discoveries have been of great value to the country. Twenty years after, in 1863, Mr. Lefroy made a more extended exploration. Mr. H. Bruce. Lefroy, the late genial Minister of Mines, is a Western Australian, but was educated at Rugby, England. He was Minister of Education in 1897, and has administered the Department of Mines with great skill, and to the satisfaction of Parliament and people.
Next to Mrs. Lefroy’s house is that of the late Mr. Alexander Forrest, in 1900 Mayor of Perth for the third time. Mr. Forrest has also done good service in the early exploration of thecolony, and is now known as the Cattle King, because he took up immense tracts of land in the various districts, utilised them for cattle stations, and amassed a large fortune.
There are two daily newspapers in Perth. TheWest Australianis edited and owned by the Hon. J. Hackett, M.L.C. Mr. Hackett is an Irishman who landed in Melbourne thirty-five years ago. He was a barrister, but shook off the shackles of the law, came to Western Australia, took up land, and eventually became proprietor of theWestern Australiannewspaper.
The other daily, theMorning Herald, belongs to a syndicate. As there are several weekly papers, and aSunday Times, Perth is well supplied with newspaper lore.
The weather being beautifully fine, I one day accepted an invitation to the races, and behind a spanking pair of horses, and in congenial company, whirled away to Canning Park. Arriving at the course, after a pleasant drive, we found fully 3000 people on the picturesque racecourse. Nature had donned her most inviting garb, the day was beautifully cool, and the effect of the mantle of green with which the lovely country was decked was heightened by the shades of the surrounding hills. The vista from the grand stand was delightful, and everybody was in good spirits and well pleased. The terrible stiffness which, as a rule, characterises Perth society, seemed to be thrown off for a time, and the leaders did not, as they often do, glare at all newcomers as if to say, “How dare you come here? This is our country; stay away.” Many pleasant afternoon tea-parties were in evidence, the racing was good, and the band played excellently. Some very handsome dresses were worn. When we left to return to Perth I felt quite charmed with the pretty course, and also with my good luck, for I had won two dozen pairs of gloves and ten golden sovereigns—quite a run of luck for me.
ST. GEORGE’S TERRACE
ST. GEORGE’S TERRACE