Through the munificent liberality of Captain Allen a school for the education of the middle classes was also established, and suitable building erected in Pulteney-street, the property being vested in the then Governors of the Collegiate School, and on similar principles, the object being to cheapen the cost of education to suit the circumstances of that class. Mr. Masters endowed this school with three country sections of land; the Government of that day also contributing £500. The property of this Institution is worth about £3,000, and it has been eminently successful.
Having been formerly stationed in the Island of Zante, one of the Ionian Islands, I became aware of the great mercantile value of the Zante currant, and while in Western Australia succeeded in introducing the plant into that province. Its history was remarkable. After a long correspondence in establishing agency, the Curator of the Government Garden of St. Antonio, in Malta, received an application from London for a supply of cuttings, which reached him a month after the pruning season, but the request being urgent he pruned a second time. The cuttings were then rolled in damp flannel, packed, and soldered in a tin case, and forwarded to Dr. Hooker, Curator of Kew Gardens, near London. That gentleman planted them in a glazed case, but many months elapsed before an opportunity occurred to forward them to their destination. They at length reached Western Australia, but at the wrong season. However, Mr. Mackay, the Judge of the Supreme Court, had a conservatory in which they were planted and most carefully attended. In the following spring they were removed and planted out, the roots being like fine white Cambric threads; but in the second year a few tolerably strong shoots were obtained. To save time, the double system of budding and grafting was adopted on old grape vines, and in the following year about 400 rooted plants of the Zante currant were established. None other existed in Australia. Mr. McArthur, of New South Wales, wrote to request a few plants, which I had the pleasure of forwarding, and distributed others to several gentlemen in South Australia.
As kindred to the above it may be here noticed that, during my residence in Western Australia, in conjunction with Mr. Richard Nash, we formed a Vineyard Society, the object being to prepare and trench a nursery for vines, to procure a collection of the choicest varieties, to preserve their names and identity, and to distribute them gratis to all who engaged to plant them in trenched ground. Some gentlemen reduced the rents of their lands to their tenants in proportion to the extent of their vineyards. The Society procured a collection of 400 varieties from Mr. Busby’s vineyard, in New South Wales, but the progress in distributing plants was rather slow, until a few of the settlers produced wine, which gave a rapid impulse to the operations of the society, and within a few years some of them were enabled to distribute a pint of wine daily to the men in their employ. The society also published a pamphlet containing instructions for the formation and cultivation of vineyards and for making wine.
Some time after the Lord Bishop (Dr. Short) arrived in Adelaide, a Conference of the several Australian bishops was summoned to meet the Metropolitan at Sydney. A new dogma was declared at that conference to be an article of faith, after some opposition, namely, baptismal regeneration. The Bishop returned, and on the day previous to the annual meeting of the “Church Society” (the then governing body of the affairs of the Church of England in South Australia), the proceedings of the Sydney Conference became known. The Governor, Sir Henry Young, presided, and after routine business being disposed of, I strongly protested against the Sydney Conference assuming authority to impose a new article of faith in addition to the Thirty-nine Articles. Unfortunately, I had not had time to give notice of my intention or secure a seconder of my motion, and a pause ensued. Sir Henry Young then said that as it was not seconded he would not put it to the meeting, when Mr. G. S. Walters stood up and said he would not only second, but support it. Sir Henry immediately left the chair in anger, and retired—the Bishop then presiding. The meeting was greatly excited; but after some discussion, His Lordship promised to call a general meeting of the members of the church in a fortnight, to consider the subject, on which the business of the day terminated.
The meeting referred to was held in the Pulteney-street schoolroom, which was crowded, and the subject of the new dogma was fully discussed. The resolutions opposed to it were carried almost unanimously, there being only two or three persons who voted against them. These proceedings were afterwards commented upon with approval by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the House of Lords, and were similarly noticed in the House of Commons.
An address of thanks on this occasion, most respectably signed, was afterwards presented to myself and Mr. G. S. Walters.
At this time the position of the Church of England in the colonies was very unsatisfactory. The Ecclesiastical Laws of England were declared to have no force, and the Church appeared to be cast adrift. A meeting of the “Church Society” took place, at which a committee was appointed—consisting of Major Campbell, Messrs. G. W. Hawkes, R. B. Lucas, and myself, of which I was named chairman—to consider and report upon “the best means they could devise for drawing the clergy and laity into closer union.” The constitution of a Diocesan Synod appeared to me to meet the requirements of the case, and I drew up a full scheme to accomplish that object, which I submitted to the Committee, and afterwards laid before the “Church Society.” This scheme was considered to be extremely bold, as there was no precedent of such plan having been adopted previously by any branch of the Church of England, except some approach to it in the diocese of Toronto in Upper Canada; and the only guide for such a system was that of the Episcopal Church of America. The subject was discussed at great length, and for several months. It was adjourned, however, as the Bishop proposed proceeding to England, where he could consult the highest legal authorities, including the Attorney-General. The scheme was declared to be perfectly legal, and on His Lordship’s return to the colony it was inaugurated by a consensual compact, and has now, in the year 1871, been in operation during seventeen annual sessions with the happiest results, and has been also adopted in all the other Australian colonies and New Zealand. Subsequently, another subject affecting the Church of England attracted much notice. The colony was visited by a very eminent and much respected Non-conformist minister, the Rev. Thos. Binney. He was cordially received by all classes of society, and was for a short time a guest at Bishop’s Court. The Governor, Sir Richard MacDonnell, was desirous that he should be invited to preach in the Church of England pulpits, and procured his own election as a member of Synod, for the purpose of proposing it, of which he gave due notice. A preliminary meeting of the Standing Committee of Synod was held to consider the subject, and I was requested to oppose the Governor’s motion by an amendment, moving the “previous question,” and thus defeating it. At the subsequent meeting of Synod, Sir Richard MacDonnell delivered a long address strongly urging the adoption of his motion, which was discussed at great length; and I moved the amendment agreed upon, which was carried by a majority of about two-thirds. The consideration that the Synod had only recently bound itself by its consensual compact to abide by the laws and usages of the Church of England, had a powerful influence with the majority. An address of thanks from the “Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Church Union,” dated 18th August, 1859, was afterwards received by me as the mover of the amendment on this occasion.
About the year 1848 a monetary pressure occurred, and the merchants were calling in their advances made to the sheepowners. I felt that if this course was continued it would probably lead to a commercial crisis, which would depreciate the securities held by the Bank. I therefore paid off the liabilities of those whom I considered safe to the extent of about £70,000, taking up their accounts, which prevented the expected crisis, greatly increasing the business of the Bank, and nothing was ever lost on those accounts. The London Directors became alarmed, however, at those large transactions, and remonstrated with me. It is difficult, however, for gentlemen residing at so great a distance to form an accurate judgment on such transactions.
In the year 1849, I received a letter from Lord Fitzroy Somerset, afterwards Lord Raglan, Military Secretary to the Commander-in Chief the Duke of York, forwarding to me a war medal and clasp. The Duke of Richmond had called the attention of the House of Lords to the fact that no medals had been granted to the army for certain distinguished battles and sieges, and moved an address to the Crown upon the subject, which was carried. A Board of General officers was appointed to consider and report upon the matter, and their recommendation was adopted.
The discoveries of gold in the Province of Victoria were so rich that a perfect exodus of all classes of the male population of South Australia, except the old and young, took place. It was a time of great anxiety, on account of the numerous helpless families which were left slenderly provided for. The Adelaide men were generally successful, and having collected large quantities of gold, began returning to their families in about six months, when the scenes occurring in Adelaide were quite marvellous. A dozen weddings almost daily taking place; the bridal parties driving in carriages about town and country, and clearing the drapers’ shops of silks and satins.