The following letters were all sent from Henry Tilby in Australia to his son Aubrey:
Letter written January 23, 1891
will be posted the first time I ride into town
My Dear Aubrey
Scan of original letter
(click to enlarge)
I am living in what is called the never never country during our hot summer weather, on the borders of New South Wales & Queensland 40 miles ride to the nearest town and over 500 miles from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.
You have an atlas in the house to look at and you may see that Australia is nearly as large as Europe, and that it is divided into 5 separate colonies. Queensland, N.S.Wales, Victoria, S. Australia and W. Australia : your Auntie will explain all this & show you how Victoria is separated from N.S.W. by a bent line which represents the river Murray, but all the others are separated by straight lines which the surveyors make.
I am living in a very nice tent, so I have no rent to pay and everywhere all is so silent that I sometimes think I shall forget my own name. I have not much money, but I possess a fast horse, a good rifle and a dog.
I shoot kangaroos, possums, wallaby's and dingoes. The skins I keep & shall soon send a second lot down to Sydney, and the agents there will send me money for them. Besides this, I cut scalps off and show them to the squatters (or sheep farmers) who gladly pay me for them, because the kangaroos destroy what the sheep would eat, and the dingoes will come at night & worry to death 2 or 3 score sheep. You can read all about kangaroos and possums in a book, and a wallaby is a small kind of kangaroo. But I must tell you what a dingo is like. He is betwixt & between a wolf and dog to look at, a long thin sick and sorry looking skeleton with a bushy tail which he carries half mast high, a long sharp face with lifted lips showing his teeth.He is a living, breathing allegory of want, always poor, out of luck & friendless, and yet so homely & scrawny & ribby. When he sees you he turns a little out of his course & strikes a long easy trot into the bush until out of range of your gun. This is if you take no notice of him. But if you do, he shows a livelier interest in his journey, & electrifies his heels, putting such a deal of real estate between himself & your weapon that by the time you have raised the trigger he is nearly out of sight, & you can see that nothing but an unusually long streak of lightening would reach him.
I rode into town the other day & bought some stories I wanted & got the newspapers; it is here so very hot, but I read that it is very very cold with you. I bought you a watch which I now send for your birthday present. It is not a toy, but a real live watch that keeps good time, it is the best kind of Waterbury they make, and your uncle will show you how to wind it and set hands but if it wants any regulating, he must do that for you. The back comes right off by inserting the blade of a pocketknife, and can be easily pressed on again spring tight as before - but I don't think you ought to take the back off yourself.
Give my love to Cecil & everyone
Sydney December 13th, 1897
My Dear Aubrey
Scan of original letter
(click to enlarge)
And now you want to hear some particulars of myself, well it was my hope and intention to have sent you a small present of money this Christmas, but I have been ill for a month, and quite an invalid for some months, consequently my work which I do at home, and is never enough to occupy all my time has been neglected, and I got behind with my rent fee, but I have turned the corner again, gradually repaid the old score and am now free from debt.
I scarcely know how to describe my complaint, except you would call it a general collapse, and extreme nervousness. One night I was being shaved in a barber's shop, and while the boy was lathering me I fainted away. From that time for about three months, all noises such as the barking of dogs, the whistling of boys, and the ordinary noises of a city were intolerable. I was afraid to cross the busy streets, and if while doing so a noiseless bicycle glided past me, I had a stomachache for the rest of the day – me, me too who used to take a secret delight when I was your age in dodging under the horses’ heads in our Cheapside. When my Mother talked about nerves I used to laugh in my sleeve, but I understand it now, and the sufferings are just as real as bodily pain arising from injury.
But enough of this, I was fortunate in getting good medical treatment, and every week I have been getting better and hope by the new year to be once more well again.
I have been living a long time in this house, my landlady thinks a lot of me, she says I am so regular that I am just like a clock - One thing I never give her is trouble.
I live in one large room which is both bed and sitting room; the front french window opens on to a verandah facing the reserve where the observatory is, and I can see the time ball fall every day at 1 o'clock. The back French window also opens on to a verandah facing and quite close to the harbour, and all the ships that come in from Europe & America I can see. If I look to the left, up the harbour, I see all the bays, inlets and islands, with the Parramatta, and the Lane Cove rivers in the distance, emptying into the harbour. If I look to the right I can just see the opening to the Pacific Ocean at Sydney Heads 4 miles off. Manley beach is down there too, with its lovely sands for miles. Steamers run to Manley every 2 hours return fare 6d. You can also go by tram for 6d return to either Coogee bay, or Bondi beach. My life is so regular, but very tame. I know so few people. Rise 6:30. Cold bath go out, and get daily paper, and something for breakfast which I cook on a "primus" kerosine stove, no dirt, no smoke, no trouble. 9:30 to 10:30 sit in observatory grounds while my room is tidied up. Then work till 12 OC. Lunch and rest till 2 OC. Work again till 5:30; then dress go out and have a good dinner; afterwards sit in the park, smoke & listen to the band. Sydney is well off for parks. The Botanical gardens, the Domain, and Hyde Park adjoin in a continuous line. It is as if in London you had a park running right down between Oxford St & Holborn on one side, with the Grand and Fleet Street on the other side. One side of the park is called Woolloommsolloo - a good aboriginal name to stick in your throat. The Bot Gdns are lovely, very select, no smoking or dogs allowed, there are wonderful palms, and strange extraordinary looking plants that will not grow in cold climates. The gardens close at sunset. The Park & Domain are open night and day, and of course not so well cared or carefully kept. Speaking of cold climates we get used to our surroundings. They say the blood gets thinner. The ordinary average summer shade temperature here is 80o and this is steady month after month (Queensland hotter). I find this very comfortable now, (and not excessive as I did when I was a new chum) There are many days when it is 90,95, & 100, then I am too hot, but these days generally finish up with a strong south wind direct from the pole - we call them Southerby busters and in twenty minutes the temperature will drop to 70o or 68o. The average winter temperature is 60o, and when it drops to 50o we feel as cold as ever we did at home in frosty weather. Two or three nights a week I go to the library and among other things contrive to see regularly my three favorites The Grand Magarine - The Sketch - and Black & White. The Bits I buy every week. I go to bed soon after 9 OC but read till 11. I cannot see with a candle , but I have a very nice reading lamp - my own - Sundays, mornings I potter about, afternoon Bot Gdns. Evening church or Cathedral. Saturday nights I generally squeese a sixpence for the Organ performance at the Town Hall. The organ is simply perfect, and the man knows how to play. I think you know all about everything that occurs to me just now. I have a chance of improving my position which will be about the middle of January next, when I shall remove about 10 or 12 miles from Sydney. I shall still have my work to do at home, which will bring me to town once a week, and in my spare time I shall do other work there, which will I hope make me better off. In my next letter I will give you my new address, and should you write during January or February, address me at G.P.O. Sydney and I will call once a week during Feb 4 & March to see if there is any letter. I send you a daily paper to show, because I am rather proud of our press. I send a cutting that may interest Martin, no wonder Sydney is a beautiful city, when they spend £20,500 borrowed money on the Post Office roof.
Love to all in the family & yourself from your loving father Henry Tilby.
Undated
My Dear Aubrey -- I am not very well. Helping to putout the fires was too much for me& knocked me out. I also got a spark in my eye which is much inflamed, but the sight will not be injured. I will answer your letter in 2 or 3 weeks.
This dirty little newspaper cutting gives us some idea of the great size of Australia. I have never been in the Northern Territory which is within the tropics, but I have always understood that it is too hot for a white man to work hard there. This ideal white Australia is very pretty but can it be carried out? -- Young Australia wants a lot, too much I think, & more than it can get; it wants to plant all this hot zone with sugar, with coffee & with rubber, so as to export to Europe - to do this with white labour working 8 hours a day, receiving at least 3 times the wages paid to coloured men who produce the same in other warm countries. How is it going to be done? -- I don't know.
We have the external labour trouble here. Unionism is a good thing, but the band of Trades Unionism which goes in or pickets & assaults when men go out on strike is bad & only tyranny. It always seems to me so simple to settle it; if men don't like their conditions or want more pay, let them strike, then the other fellow non unionist (miscalled black leg) gets a chance - if he can't do the work, the masters must come to the men's terms & have them back. But no tyranny, no picketing, no outrage, & no saying in a free country I won't work, & I am hanged if I will let you work
Undated
else in the family, and you can write to me if you like, telling me how you are, and addressing to the Post Office Sydney: because I write there from time to time & they forward my letters to where I tell them. I have in my mind to start from here in about 7 months time & ride on horse across Albany or Pearth in Western Australia, two thousand miles away: the weather would not be too hot then to travel 40 miles a day without knocking up my horse. I have paid a deposit on a block of land at both those places & I intend to keep up the payments for another two years when they will both be mine. It is well known here that in a four years time land will become as valuable as it now is in Sydney or Melbourne. So I hope to settle down soon & make some money some of these days.
Wentworth Falls, N.S.W. Aust.
Tuesday, 2/3/09
My Dear Aubrey
My eye is quite well & the bush fires are all out long ago. We had as usual at the end of January heavy rains & storms, one day 6 inches fell.
Diagram showing Pathways
at the Falls
(click to enlarge)
I was immensely pleased to get your letter and photo, which having seen and studied I should know you now if I met you: but I cannot see any likeness either to myself or your Mother, unless it is the brow which I think is shaped same as hers was. You look uncommonly wide awake as if you had plenty of go in you. I am very sorry that you are lame & hope it is only an inconvenience & not painful. It seems very absurd for me to say & I expect you will not credit it, but often when I have thought of you it has been as a little boy, & truly I have not realised that the years were passing & you grown up.
However I am very proud of your career & of course wish you every success. Martin & Ellen have been very good to me in bringing you up with such care. How you have managed to travel about & go abroad to all these places I don't know, it seems wonderful. About 5 or 6 years ago I got into a very nice situation at the Australian Club Sydney, I kept the books of all supplies received from tradesmen, also the ledger containing about 400 members XXXXX whose bills also I made out weekly. After I think about 18 months or so a new Secretary was appointed and he put some of his friends in so I left there. I was sorry because the position fitted me exactly. After that I found it difficult to get fixed up again. Not but what if I choose. I can write very well, and accounts are no trouble to me, even to preparing a balance sheet, but (and a large but) that is not enough now a days; They want short hand and type-writing and young men. So at last after waiting for a long time for what never came, I fancied I was tired of cities, and as I did not intend to die in the old mens home I thought I would try country life. I am afraid I was not much use at first and the fierce Australian Sun & open air with harder work tired me terribly at the beginning, but I have left all that behind me, and now it is no more trouble to use an axe or a spade than a pen. The life is healthy & wholesome but you have to do without theatres & concerts & town gaieties. Don't write anymore to this address as I am arranging my affairs to leave here in about 4 weeks time. I propose being in Sydney at Easter, when I will take a short holiday, see the Agricultural show & I will write to you again about the end of April or early in May with my new address. I should like to send you some money, however little, but I want every shilling I can lay my hands on. I am taking up a nice piece of land, good soil, grow anything. I am not going to rent it, but buy it paying by installments.
Now picture yourself how it is - I walk on the ground which has pegs driven in to show the boundaries, and I have the satisfaction of feeling this is all my own - but there is everything to do. First ut up the tent (it is no hardship, indeed it is pleasant to live in a tent in this climate). Then clear some of the ground of all the bush and thickets of undergrowth scrub, after that most of the trees must come down, & what timber I don't want for fences etc. I burn off. Next prepare a bit of land and get some money to keep going. Others have succeeded, why should I not?
The life is independent, people in the country are kind & neighborly and helpful. No one ever starves or wants in the Country, but in Sydney or Melbourne, you may see plenty of poor devils walking about without 2d in their pocket to get their boots cleaned & wondering where the next meal is coming from. When I am in Sydney I may perhaps get my photo taken, when I will send you one. I think I shall wear my hat for I look younger so, as my hair has gone very thin.
Your affectionate father
Henry
Postage from this end 2d, I think it is only 1d from your end
HOTEL GRAND CENTRAL
Saturday SYNDEY, July 17, 1909
My Dear Aubrey
This won't be a very nice letter because I am used to the country & people keep coming in here & talking and they disturb me.
I think I have received all your letters, also postage from Falmouth. My word Falmouth is different to what it was 20 years ago when I saw it - (I mean to say 30 years ago) it was very pretty then & I landed there on a Sunday evening & went to the Church Service, but there was no big Hotel as your post card shows.
Map showing Henry's Plot
(click to enlarge)
So you have got married, it seems marvellous to me to think of. I have no doubt in the world that the Lady you have chosen is in every respect one that you can be proud of & happy with - When I left the old country it was always thought that Yorkshire people were longheaded & the best in England. Tell your wife that although I am so far away I have very kind & respectful sentiments towards her.
Now as to myself.
I left Wenworth Falls at Easter came to Sydney, saw the show sent you a paper but no time to write.
I may tell you that I went to Gosford on the Northern line 50 miles from Sydney by rail, from there I went to Erina 4 miles & selected a lovely piece of land 17 acre odd - the price is £9 an acre. My block is No 11 Section C. But I am going to wait a bit until I have a few pounds more. The trees are very high, 60, 80 & 100 feet to the first branch, and as straight as a ship's mast. The undergrowth, (the scrub is very thick) you want a tomahawk to clear your way through as you go. You see I am not so young as I was and years ago I would have thought it quite a joke living in a tent & scraping up leaves to make a bed on the ground. I want a bit more comfort now, so I shall wait a few months & save what I earn, & with that money £20 or £28 employ a man to chop down the trees, do the heavy work (the bullocking work we call it) then I am all right & can make a living out of the place & live comfortably.
I remain, to you & your wife very affectionately yours,
H Tilby
P.S.
I shall write again some day, but remember this country is different to England
PS 2
Just now a telegram has come to me asking me to take the mail
train tomorrow Sunday night at 9 to Coonamble 300 miles -
I shall go, but if I don't like it, come back