Letter from W. M. Bannatyne to his cousin Other Windsor Berry, 27 August 1840

MLMSS 10263

fonds

27 August 1840

9583871

0.03 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

This long letter, written with wry good humour, follows on from Bannatyne’s earlier three letters to his cousin. He begins by expressing his pleasure at receiving Berry’s last letter. At the same time he gently chastises him for not crossing ‘every part of the letter.’ Bannatyne then goes on to explain ‘his alteration in domicile.’ He has resigned his position in the Sherriff’s Office and is now living with Charles Cowper at his sheep station, ‘Wivenhoe’, about 40 miles from Sydney. Cowper also has another sheep station, ‘Chatsbury’, north of Goulburn as well as a cattle station on the Hume River and Bannatyne’s job is to visit these stations three or four times a year and also superintend the management of the farm at the homestead. He is aware that the life he has chosen is ‘a rough one’ with many hardships, privations and risks. At the same time he finds that ‘a bush life is very dull … travelling for days in the bush without meeting a single individual. A kangaroo may occasionally cross your path, but they go so fast that they do not allow you to to say good morning.’ He has not even been accosted by bushrangers who are active in the region but, in any case, is grateful to be ‘without their company.’

Bannatyne is writing this letter from ‘Chatsbury’ where he has come on work. It was his ‘maiden trip’ and he describes how he set off ‘in a Settler’s dress, a straw hat approximating in size and shape to an umbrella of moderate dimensions – mounted on a charger with great coat strapped on before and saddlebags behind.’ He got lost on the third day, was challenged by a fellow traveller to a race during which he fell off his horse which he eventually recovered ‘after a great deal of running and as much argument’, got lost again and ended up in a shepherd’s hut where he suffered ‘a great attack from fleas and bugs.’ He finally arrived at Chatsbury where there is ‘little society’ but he has ‘great fun hunting kangaroos and native dogs’ with the overseer and they ‘seldom come home ‘without having done something in the nature of a massacre.’ The letter concludes with news of his relations who have come out to New South Wales and a request for books and newspapers including ‘Dickens new work.’
Reference: Library correspondence file and the collection.

Purchased by Captain T.G.S. Ward from the UK stamp dealer Argyll in 1962. Since 2015 the letter has been in a private Sydney collection.

Letter from W. M. (William McLeod) Bannatyne to his cousin Other Windsor Berry, 27 August 1840, four pages on wove paper, 25.2 x 20.2 cm, completely crossed but clear and legible, one small hole, slight tears along folds most of which have been crudely repaired, stamps and postal marks on address panel. Includes a transcription and associated notes by Captain T.G.S. Ward.

Out of copyright: Author(s) died more than 70 years ago
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales