“At the close of the yearly report ending 1838 the following subjects are alluded to as having occupied his attention—

“1. Specimens of the Language } In print. The copies were then expended.
“2. An Australian Grammar
“3. The Gospel of St. Luke.
“4. The Gospel of St. Mark.
“5. The Gospel of St. Matthew to the 5th chapter.
“6. A Selection of Prayers for Morning and Evening Service.
“7. A Selection of Reading Lessons from the Old Testament.
“8. The Australian Spelling Book.

“In 1856 (some fifteen years after the close of the Mission) he completed and published his last work—‘The Key to the Structure of the Aboriginal Language’—and at the time of his death, in 1859, he had nearly completed the final revision of the Four Gospels, with a view to their publication. At the request of Sir George Grey, who has always taken a lively interest in aboriginal languages, I forwarded the manuscript to him, under the impression that he would have it printed and forward me a copy.

“In the annual report of 1839 allusion is made to the similarity of the aboriginal language with the Cherokee Indian, where specimens of the dual are given; the Cherokee habitual form of the verb agreeing with the modification in the Australian Grammar, page 29. A comparison of dialects is also made of the aborigines at Lake Macquarie, Manila River, Swan River, and King George’s Sound.

“Burwood House, March 16.

L. E. THRELKELD.”

The first institution, at Parramatta, was instituted by Governor Macquarie. Next, we may regard the Rev. Mr. Cartwright’s attempt at the Male Orphan School, which was only limited to a few children. One of the girls, under the care of Mrs. Cartwright, made great progress in learning, aspired to music, and was afterwards married to a stockman on Manaro Plains. Some of the boys turned out well.

The Rev. Mr. Threlkeld’s mission at Lake Macquarie (see his evidence and brief notice attached); the Church Missionary Society, Wellington Valley; Mr. Watson’s Mission of the remnant down the Macquarie; the Moravian Missions and Roman Catholic Missions, Queensland; Sir Richard Bourke’s Mission, Melbourne; also the Wesleyan and the Lake Mission there; Missions in Western Australia and Adelaide; Mission by the Rev. Mr. Ridley, Barwon and Namoi; two Missions under Mr. Matthews and the Rev. J. B. Gribble; Tasmanian Aborigines.

“Rev. L. E. Threlkeld, who had been associated with Rev. John Williams, ‘the martyr of Erromanga,’ in the South Sea mission, commenced a mission among the aborigines at Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, and continued for eleven years to labour among them. Mr. Threlkeld published a grammar of the language spoken by the aborigines of the Lower Hunter, which constitutes a valuable philological record. A large number of the natives received the elements of education from Mr. Threlkeld, and some of his old catechumens are still to be met with in different parts of the Colony; but no decided and permanent moral change appears to have resulted from his long-continued labours there. Like other tribes in the neighbourhood of colonial settlements, that in the midst of which Mr. Threlkeld carried on his labours rapidly decayed, and left no material for benevolent agencies to work upon. The Revs. Messrs. Watson and Gunther, of the Church of England, for several years conducted a mission for the aborigines in Wellington Vale, the results of which are very similar to those of Mr. Threlkeld’s mission. Among the aboriginal shepherds and stockmen scattered over a wide district Mr. Watson’s old scholars may be occasionally met with, and their training under his care has at least had the effect of making them more intelligent and useful servants. Mr. Watson accomplished a work of mercy for numerous half-caste children scattered among the tribes in the western and north-western districts. Many of these unhappy children, disowned by their fathers, and liable to be destroyed by their mothers’ tribe, having no prospect but an early death or a savage life, were rescued from such a fate by Mr. Watson, and instructed in Christian knowledge and useful art.” (See Bishop Broughton’s visit and report of this mission; also Bishop Barker’s tour.)

Between 1837 and 1844, the Rev. Benjamin Hurst and the Rev. Francis Tuckfield, under the auspices of the Wesleyan Society, started on a mission at Buntingdale, or Colac, near Geelong. They conducted a school at which 100 aboriginal children attended, and trained the adults to farm labour; but the spiritual good which was their chief aim was not manifest in a decided manner. Hostile attacks by other tribes put a stop to the work, and convinced the missionaries of the necessity of simultaneous and enlarged efforts among all the neighbouring tribes. Rev. William Walker, another Wesleyan Minister, laboured with great zeal for the conversion of the aborigines in the neighbourhood of Bathurst, and some of those brought up under his instructions made an open profession of Christianity and adopted the habits of civilized life. One of them was for years a preacher of the Gospel.