Port Phillip District example essay topic

In order to evaluate the truth of this statement this essay will analyze the reasons for the settlement of the Port Phillip District. In 1835 John Batman sailed from Launceston to the Port Phillip District on his ship the 'Rebecca'. He was being supported by a group of wealthy men known as the Port Phillip Association. He had come to the Port Phillip District in an attempt to purchase land from the aborigine's as well as to explore the unfamiliar territory.

Whilst exploring he wrote a report on the quality of land. "I went on shore to look at the land, which appeared beautiful, with scarcely any timber on. On my landing I found hills of a most superior description - beyond my most sanguine expectations. The land excellent, and very rich - and light black soil, covered with kangaroo grass two feet high, and as thick as it could stand. Good hay could be made, and in any quantity.

The trees not more than six to the acre, and those small she oak and wattle. I never saw anything equal to the land in my life. I walked over a considerable extent, and all the same description". When Batman returned and exchanged his reports with the people of Van Die mens Land everyone wanted to be a part of the wealth that could be obtained by settling in Port Phillip District. One problem was that settlement on the land at this time was illegal this was because the P.P. D was a part of the N.S. W colony. Only in a small section called 'The Nineteen counties' was land allowed for settlement.

Due to the P.P. D being a part of the N.S. W colony the N.S. W government decided that because people were settling there illegally they might aswell make a town and if they were going to make a town they wanted to make a proper one. So this they did with Captain William Lonsdale arriving with an entourage of builders, road makers, timber cutters and surveyors. These men turned to the task of building a pre-designed city. All pre-existing buildings were demolished and several people including Surveyor Robert Russell, Assistant Surveyor-General Robert Huddle and Governor Richard Bourke made a proper city layout. The design was a rectangle with a baseline of 1.6 km.

This rectangle ran parallel with the Yarra and was to be divided into twenty-four blocks. These blocks would be set out in eight blocks of three. Once all construction was complete they would be sold and then people could start to settle. Whilst all of this was in procession no one was allowed to settle in the Port Phillip District. The money made out of the sold blocks would be used to ensure Melbourne would have facilities such as Jails, Hospitals, offices, banks, courts etc. Now because a town had been built many agriculturists arrived from all over the world.

Agriculturists flocked from the United Kingdom due to poverty, the unreliable land and the rising costs of rent. People also arrived from V.D. L because of the shortage of land. For most of these people the P.P. D was a dream come true. The wealth that was brought to the P.P. D was not just from the land but it was also from the commercial side of things. For the P.P. D to run it must also have the everyday necessities of life. So not just agriculturists were flocking to the P.P. D but also labourers, building workers, shopkeeper's skilled workers, professionals, unskilled workers, domestic servants and even a vine dresser.

Due to all of these people arriving and settling how could the settlers be greedy? They were making jobs for the general public. They caused a district with very little but a few tribes of aborigines to turn into a growing prosperous city. All of the evidence above proves that the settlers were definitely not greedy.

Tim Rook e.