VPRS 2 Confidential Despatches to Governor Bourke

Full description

This series consists of six confidential despatches from Captain William Lonsdale (Police Magistrate Port Phillip District) to the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke. It is believed these comprise the only evidence known in the Collections of Public Record Office Victoria and State Records New South Wales of the confidential reports requested of Lonsdale in the instructions he received from the Colonial Secretary (NSW) on taking up his appointment as Police Magistrate (see VPRS 4/P0 Inward Registered Correspondence, Unit 1, Item 36/1).

The letters report upon the establishment and administration of the Port Phillip settlement. Specific items are about:

- a meeting with members of the Port Phillip Company (dated 2 October 1836)
- the erection of buildings in the Port Phillip District (dated 1 November 1836)
- remarks upon the "Company" (dated 9 December 1836)
- stores and buildings (dated 8 December 1836)
- arrival of Mrs Langhorne (dated 1 February 1837), and
- the search for Gellibrand and land sales (dated 5 April 1837).