NRS-4514 | Despatches and enclosures from the Secretary of State relating to the fertilizer guano

Full description

These despatches are concerned with the issue of licences to extract the fertilizer guano from various uninhabited islands in the seas around Australia. The licensing arrangement for islands not within the limits of other Colonial Government's jurisdictions were placed in the hands of the Governor of New South Wales; hence there are enclosed background papers dealing with jurisdiction questions. Particular matters and enclosures include:

4/1620 The case of Dr William Crowther who wished to be authorised to take possession in the Queen's name of Bird Island, Wreck Reef, Cotos Bank and Booby Shoal; List of Existing Licences 1870 (showing name of island, latitude, and longitude, name and address of licensees, date and term of licence, rent or Royalty, and to whom payable).

4/1621 List of existing licences, 1 May 1867 (subheaded Arabian Coast, West Indies, Pacific Ocean); Guano Rent and Royalties received by the Emigration Commissioners and Crown Agents 1864-78; List of remaining Licences 1879; Report by Pemberton Walcot, Master of Revenue Cutter "Gertrude" of exploratory voyage to the Ashmore (or Caller) reefs and area (searching for guano and mapping reefs), recording his encounter with the American Captain Webber, his finding of the Ord Shoal etc., 22 June 1878; Report by Lieut. Tooker of the schooner "Airlie" on the Rowley group of reefs, Scott's reef, Seringapatan Shoal and the Ashmore group, 20 October 1878; Proposed annexation of Ashmore Islands to Western Australia; Annexation of Chesterfield Isles to France; Claims of the Netherlands to the Ashmore Islands.

(4/1620-21). 2 boxes.

Note:

This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.