E-text prepared by MWS, Martin Pettit, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/oldmelbournememo00bold OLD MELBOURNE MEMORIES [Illustration: Logo] OLD MELBOURNE MEMORIES by ROLF BOLDREWOOD Author of 'My Run Home,' 'The Squatter's Dream,' 'Robbery Under Arms,' etc. Second Edition, Revised London Macmillan and Co., Ltd. New York: Macmillan & Co. 1896 All rights reserved TO MY EARLIEST ADMIRER AND MOST INDULGENT CRITIC My Dearest Mother FROM WHOM I DERIVE THE WRITING FACULTY AND TO WHOM IS CHIEFLY DUE WHATEVER MEED OF PRAISE MY READERS MAY HEREAFTER VOUCHSAFE PREFACE These reminiscences of the early days of Melbourne--a city which, as a family, we helped to found--awakened, when first published in the columns of the _Australasian_, an amount of general interest most gratifying to the writer. It is hoped that, in their present more convenient form, they may secure and retain the approbation of the public. I should feel bound to apologise for the mention of names in full were I not conscious that I have written no line calculated to offend; nor have I, for one moment, failed in sincere goodwill towards every comrade of that joyous time. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE A.D. 1840 1 CHAPTER II THE FAR WEST 10 CHAPTER III THE DEATH OF VIOLET 23 CHAPTER IV DUNMORE 33 CHAPTER V SQUATTLESEA MERE 41 CHAPTER VI THE EUMERALLA WAR 51 CHAPTER VII THE CHILDREN OF THE ROCKS 63 CHAPTER VIII THE NATIVE POLICE 74 CHAPTER IX KILFERA 87 CHAPTER X OLD PORT FAIRY 98 CHAPTER XI PORTLAND BAY 106 CHAPTER XII GRASMERE 121 CHAPTER XIII SUPERIOR FATTENING COUNTRY 132 CHAPTER XIV BURCHETT OF "THE GUMS" 142 CHAPTER XV WORK AND PLAY 151 CHAPTER XVI THE ROMANCE OF A FREEHOLD 160 CHAPTER XVII LE CHEVALIER BAYARD 170 CHAPTER XVIII THE CHRISTENING OF HEIDELBERG 179 CHAPTER XIX THE WOODLANDS STEEPLECHASE 187 CHAPTER XX YERING 200 CHAPTER XXI TALES OF A "TRAVELLER" 212 CHAPTER XXII YAMBUK 222 POEMS BALLAARAT IN 1851 237 THE DEATH OF WELFORD 242 SUNSET IN THE SOUTH 244 BALACLAVA 246 THE BUSHMAN'S LULLABY 249 MORNING 252 WANTED 253 PERDITA 255