Copy of letters written by Alexander Williamson Edgar, to his sisters, while waiting in Fremantle for a boat to take him North.
Fremantle, 12 April 1877
Dear Sisters,
As the English mail will be in in a few days, I will write you a few lines to let you know that i am not dead yet. This is a fearfully lonely place there is nothing to do or be seen. I was out at a Catholic picnic the other day. It was a fine turnout, they had foot racing, throwing the stone and hammer. I ran second in a hurdle and I beat them all with the hammer in one throw but they would not give the money because the handle broke before they all had three throws, and I would have won the stone, only it slipped out of my hand on last throw, and so I had to be content with second honours as there was no money for second man.
There are plenty of people who know Johnny here. I saw Bob Richardson, his mother and sister are staying in Fremantle. I went up to see them, his sister looks very bad, as she has a very bad cold on her lung.
The people seem to be a very queer lot, they don't seem to care about telling you anything. I saw Hooley at the races and Piercy from the Nor-West. Donald and I were out on the Richardson's place on the Serpentine. We hired horses, and stayed all night with Mr and Mrs Wellard, they were staying at Richardson's.
We have just heard that we will not be starting before Wednesday next. I wish we could be away as it does not pay loafing about, and we are paying 2 pound for board. It is a very good hotel, and the landlord and his wife are nice people. Johnny stays here when he is down, there is a young lady going up with us, a Miss McKenzie.
Donald was summoned for landing his sheep without a permit, but he got off as there was no veterinary surgeon in the country.
Sunday 14th
There was rain last night, there was not much but I suppose it will start so scrub growing as I have not seen any grass yet. The horses that came over with us belongs to Grant Harper & Associates and company. I do not think he is going on this ship with us, I suppose he will go in the "Annie Beadon" when she goes. I sent a telegram from Albany to be posted in Albany. Has McEwan paid for the amre yet? I have to write to Angus, Roderick McKinnon and Halbert, and I have 3 or 4 other letters to write. There is not any more news so I will draw to a close with love to all.
I remain,
your affectionate brother,
A. W. Edgar
de Grey
26 September 1878
Dear Sisters,
As there are some pearlers at Condon shelling and perhaps will be going back to Cossack, I will write a few lines on spec. I wrote to you by a policeman that was over for a native prisoner. I am in good health, and hope this will find you the same. I have been at this station since lambing commenced. I expect I will be going up to Anderson's place in a month or two to look after the place as he is talking of going to the Swan for a spell. I am always riding about looking after sheep, cattle, horses and everything, I was horse breaking for a day, I cAugustht one in the afternoon, and was out looking for sheep on him the next. There is a splendid place for riding horses.
The river is about hald a mile wide and there is any quantity of sand. I have ridden most of the buckjumpers but they don't buck. All the men on the stations think they are crack riders but if they had a few like Andrew on Kadnook they would lose faith in themselves. I have not seen a horse that bucks since i have been here. There is one here that has not been ridden since she came here from the Swan River 8 years ago that I am going to practice on some of these days. I got a lot of papers last mail, and I saw from one of them that the Chetwynd footballers were using unparliamentary language at Dergholm, but that is nothing new for footballers, I suppose that you will be busy shearing before this reaches you, I wish you would get some good samples of wool from Moodie or Willis and send over to show the Nor-Westers what good is. The wool in this country is very bad but I suppose it is the climate, but the sheep are a great size. I wish I had a few thousand of them in Melbourne. There was one killed here that had 36 pounds of caul fat in it. The cattle get very fat here I have seen 3 or 4 that went 1200lbs, and they did not look very big.
September 28th
Jack is talking of going home this summer. He is coming round shelling and I suppose he will come up. I have told the natives to get me some shells to send over. I don't know if they will get them, there are many thousands big shells like those you have at home here. The natives use them for drinking out of. I forgot to thank Sandy Mathieson for his likeness so you can do it for me. There is a lot of wire fencing here now. There are about 13,000 sheep in paddocks. The lambing this year is not good at all, there are only about 2,000 lambs from 4,700 ewes, the worst lambing they have had since they have been here. But they are splendid lambs what there are of them. The April lambs are as big as any 12 months old sheep I ever saw in Victoria. i had bad eyes last time I wrote, and they are not well yet. They are awful things in this country I could not see for about a week. I believe all new chums get them. I suppose you will be cleared out of Moree before this reaches you, I think it is about time when you can't agree with Miss T. alias Mrs Ward. We have had the Cossack J.P. here for about a week signing niggars for diving. They will not start for a week or two as it is too windy and the water is cold today. They are a good bit later this year than last. There has been no hot weather yet at least not to speak about . It is a little hotter than shearing time in Victoria but I expect it will be hot enough before long. I think Ted Anderson is in Portland but I suppose he will not go up the bush. I intended to write a long letter but Mr Harper is going out shelling today and he will take the letters as he will have a better chance of seeing boats than us. I saw B. Edgar's Marriage in the papers. No more news at present.
your Affectionate Brother,
A. W. Edgar
Dear Bella,
Tell Jim I will write to him soon and Bob if he was here could learn to fight with the young niggers, it is fine fun to get little fellows fighting for a chew of tobacco.
A. E.
Note from the son: My father did not seem very impressed with Western Australia at first.
(from Alex Edgar's wife to her sister)
DeGrey
September 24th 1890
My Dear Edie,
As Mr Mitchell is going into town tomorrow, I shall write to you. We can only get a mail once a month, except when someone comes this way. I have had no letter from home since I left. I sent them a telegram a week after I got to the station, but got no reply.
I expect you are anxious to know how I like the North. I am not very much charmed with it yet, expect I will get used to it in time. Although the DeGrey is the prettiest station i have seen, it has the reputation of being the most dusty. We had a treat of it last week. When the wind goes round to the East the dust comes in thick clouds like a thick fog, and covers everything with a coat of brown dust in the house that is, when it blows pretty stiff in that direction, so you may be sure it is anything but pleasant. I just let it go until the wind goes down, and then clean up. One day the dust came when we were in the midst of washing, and I had to cover the tub up and wait until it was over.
The weather is beginning to get a little bit warm now, but have had no very hot days yet, one day 102 in the shade. We are early birds up here, have breakfast 6.30 am something new for me, but then everyone goes to bed early sometimes 8 o'clock. We are fortunate having a good cook, I make cakes and sometimes the puddings, he makes splendid bread.
We have a splendid garden, plenty of tomatoes and nearly all kinds of vegetables, sweet potatoes and plain ones. I was surprised to see how well everything grows here, every station has a garden. We have had green peas, plenty of cabbages, beetroot. The water melons are not ripe yet. Jack got the seeds of a rosella, a Queensland fruit from a man, and it grows well. It has a flower like a small Hibiscus, yellow with a red eye, then the fruit comes which looks like red bulb with just a row of red leaves round the seed. These leaves are cut off and stewed with sugar. They make very nice pies. It is a bright crimson when cooked and tastes something like rhubarb. I am going to send Maud some of the seeds. I expect it will grow there it bears in 2 or 3 months.
i have made 3 or 4 lots of jam and a little tomato sauce. I am going to make some pig melon jam tomorrow. I make it first thing in the mornings before the sun gets too hot. i want to make a good deal before the weather gets too hot. The jam I brought up is now more than half gone. We have no butter here, it won't keep. We have plenty of milk, but no place to keep it. Jessie grumbles about the house, but it is much better than ours. Our house only has an iron roof not lined and the dust blow in between the roof and the wall. No glass in the windows yet they are of wood and swing open, the glass is coming on the next wool ship. I shall be glad when the new one is built. The verandah is 12 foot wide.
Jack and Alex will be away for 3 days next week. I have been alone one night, but was not frightened. When the wool ship comes to Condon, Alex has to be away 3 or 4 nights. I am going with him rather than stay here without him. I expect we shall have to camp out or live in the store.
I hope ette is not thinking of Tom Hardie he only gets 8 pounds a month and this kind of life would never suit her, she would die in a week. Last week those dust days made me feel miserable but I feel as happy as a lark when the wind is in a good quarter. Tom Hardie told me that last mail he had written to the girls. Alex and I went over to see the native corroboree the other evening they were so pleased because we went. Most of them are here now this being shearing time, there are a tribe of them. I have 2 native girls to do the work, they manage to do very well especially Cheto she is about 15 years old and a nice little girl. Jessie the other one is rather dense but she cleans and scrubs very well.
How are the children getting on, I often long to see them especially Jack and little Sissy. I will write Jack a little letter and enclose it. I hope they are all well at home, but expect that no news is good news, also Mary and her family, Nelly and Will. I shall close now with love to yourself and everyone kisses to the children in which Alex joins.
I remain
Your loving sister
Myra Edgar