ROYAL CHARTER: Central Melbourne 1850s and the Welsh Community

Disgrifiad

The map shows the city of Melbourne, the Capital of the State of Victoria in Australia, in about 1855. Notice the regular layout of the streets leading down the river. The map shows buildings such as military barracks, chapels, shops, banks, and facilities for incoming immigrants.

Ships like the ROYAL CHARTER would have moored at the wharves at the lower left hand corner or used the small dock.

The ROYAL CHARTER could make the trip from Liverpool to Melbourne is under 60 days, whereas slower ships could take an average of 90-130 days.

It was from Melbourne that the ROYAL CHARTER set sail in August 1859 laden passengers and cargo to be wrecked in the October of Moelfre.

Melbourne had been founded in 1837 and named after the then British Prime minister Lord Melbourne. The population of the newly founded town was quite small, but with the discovery of gold in the region in 1851 people from across the world rushed in to seek their fortune. The population of Melbourne had been only about 29,000 in 1851 but grew to over 500,000 by 1861.

In the 1850s, the state of Victoria was responsible for about one third of the world's gold output.

There had been few Welsh colonists before 1851, but by 1863 there were enough to merit an Eisteddfod.

This map shows that within a few year's streets and road systems had been planned and laid out, and suburbs had begun to grow up. Shops, hotels, banks, schools, newspapers and a university were all present. Different churches of different denominations had also been set up; there was even a Jewish Synagogue.

Other spaces were dedicated to pleasure and relaxation with, theatres open squares, public parks and gardens and with even a cricket ground having been built.

One visitor to the city in the 1850s, a British civil servant, described Melbourne as being very much like London, with all the familiar sights and sounds.


How was life in the gold fields different to life in the city? What became of the Welsh communities that established themselves there?

For more information see:
Australian Gold Rush
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-gold-rush
The Welsh in Australia
http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=1095
City of Melbourne
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx