Thirty-three years, almost to a day, after the first meeting held in No. 227 George street, in 1853, the bridges were finished and opened for public traffic; and since that day several sales of land have been held in the Field of Mars common—the results showing that my first estimate of the value of that land was under-rated.
During the thirty years’ war for the bridges, other means had to be resorted to to bring population to Hunter’s Hill. The Parramatta river trade was a monopoly. Steamers, calling at unsuitable hours, charged an exorbitant rate. The company was an old-established and powerful one, and all attempts to run an opposition had failed. So did all endeavours to get anything approaching unanimity amongst the few people interested in the locality. Messrs. P. N. Russell and Co. had on hand a small screw steamer which they were anxious to sell. I looked at her, and after some haggling, chartered her at a low monthly figure for six months, with right of purchase. On the first of the following month the “Isabel” made her appearance at the wharf, and in lieu of 2s. 6d. single, carried passengers to and from Sydney at 1s. return. The first week or two proved rather uphill work, but when the first month came to an end the number of passengers increased materially, and it soon became evident that a larger boat would be required.
The neck of the monopoly was broken. Overtures were made for a compromise, fares were lowered, accommodation increased; but all of no avail. I made up my mind that we should remain independent, and from that day to this we have remained so. The fleet of handsome, swift boats belonging to Hunter’s Hill have all originated from the little unpretending “Isabel,” which all the jeering, ridicule, and bitter jealousy of its powerful opponents could not put down. She was nick-named the “Jezebel” and the “Puffing Billy,” and her safety was cried down. But she kept up her course in spite of it all, and with all her insignificance proved to be the originator of a new line which has tended to bring up the value of land from £5 an acre to £5 a foot!! The opening of the direct communication over the bridges has also, as it was natural to expect, brought on railways and trams from the city, and further increased the value of the land, which has now reached £10 and £15 a foot, and converted the locality into one of the most populous, thriving suburbs of Sydney.
Building having always been a favourite hobby of mine, led me to put up a good many houses at Hunter’s Hill. In order to carry out my building scheme, and to do so profitably, I sent home to Lombardy for some artisans under special contract. This, as might be expected, gave rise to a good deal of discontent amongst the working class. However, I had made a very binding agreement with my men, and held them more particularly by the fact that they had no knowledge of English. Besides, on the first attempt made to turn them off their engagements, I at once met the difficulty by a system of piece-work, which enabled them to work long hours, and actually make wages far beyond their expectations. When my operations at Hunter’s Hill came to an end, the assistance of these seventy odd tradesmen enabled me to take contracts in and around Sydney for large buildings, wharves, &c., which we carried out on the co-operative system most profitably, in spite of trades and trades’ unions.
III.
A HARD KNOCK.”
