ALS to James Carter reporting on sheep farming in York.

£5,250 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

An early report from one of the first pioneers of York, Western Australia. Just under a hundred kilometres east of Perth, it was settled in 1831 and became the first inland town. Thomas Carter arrived at Swan River in July 1830 on the Medina . He was one of those first settlers to arrive in York. Notably, he assisted in the construction of the mud brick Gwambygine Homestead, which was the first to be built in York and remains one of the earliest colonial buildings in Western Australia. Both Lieutenant Bunbury and Rev. Wollaston would stay there. While York was located in 1831, and received its first settler, Henry Bland, the town wasn’t officially settled until 1835. It grew slowly. By 1836, it still didn’t look much like a township, holding little more than a couple of houses and a barracks. Indeed, the following year “over 500,000 acres had been allotted in 113 separate grants, but there were only about 10 farms in actual existence in the York district” (Hasluck). Here Carter writes to his family back in England. The letter is full of information on local farming conditions and colony politics. He writes: “we are in the midst of shearing the sheep … I continue to enjoy the blessings of health and that everything is going on with me as usual. I am anxious and expecting to hear from England every day by the Britomart which is hourly expected.” Turning to business matters, “ the last season has been the dryest and most unfavourable we have experienced since the formation of th

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