Causes of success in the Colony.
7
No returns have yet been received as to the employment of the remainder, they having only recently arrived; but owing to the demand for labour, no one has a difficulty in obtaining good wages who wishes for employment.
The facility with which this force was raised for service in the adjacent Colony of Victoria, at a very short notice, affords a striking instance of the advan- tage of having such men available in remote Settle- ments, where there is a difficulty in obtaining Advantage from having the Pen- troops. The discovery of the Gold-fields rendered sioners available in the Colony. the presence of an armed force absolutely necessary till troops could arrive from England; but as none could be spared from Van Diemen's Land, or any of the adjacent Colonies, pensioners were engaged for the service at the rate of 2s. 6d. a-day, with an allowance for the support of their wives and families during their absence. The required force was thus enrolled in a few days, and has since been employed
at the expense of the Colony of Victoria.
Convict Guards to Western Aus-
tralia.
Number landed in Van Diemen's
Land-522 men.
These Pensioners have performed the duty of
24 convict guards, in all of which the convicts were 24 Guards sent out.
safely conveyed to the Colony without a single
complaint.
According to the last accounts received from the Colony, the occupations of 350 of these men were
as under:
Holding situations in the public employ In private employ..
67
24
Pensioners in Van Diemen's Land
-how employed.
Settled in their cottages and allotments
113
Fullowing their trades in towns and villages Volunteered into a Police Force for the protection
16
of the Gold Fields at Victoria
130
Total
350
Number sent out.
Conditions of the service.
Western Australia.
The same system of sending out Pensioners as convict guards has been pursued in Western Aus- tralia, to which there have been forwarded, since 1850, the following numbers:
Men
Women
Children
Total
274
209
361
844
These men are generally engaged to do military duty for a year after their arrival, by which arrange- ment there has been no necessity for sending addi- tional troops of the line to that Colony since it has been made a convict station. On the termination of that engagement, the Pensioners are to be settled in cottages and allotments of land in the vicinity of the convict stations, subject to the obligation of serving under arms when called on; and thus a the number of convicts increase, so will the mcat. of protection.
TETTI
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
8
1
wages.
Most of these men and their families are in Success of the measure. High receipt of high wages, as the following summary of their employment and earnings will show:
Number
employed.
Inspector of Roads, at 1007. a-year Messenger and Commissariat Issuer,
Warders of Prisons (with rations
1
at 50% a-year.
2
How the Pensioners are employed
and paid.
at 55%. at 50%.
3
H
9
for self and family)
++
at 30/
4
Policemen, at 601. a-year
7
Tradesmen and Clerks, earning 5s. to 63. a-day Domestic Servants, receiving from 201. to 367. a-year
and rations
12
9
Ditto
Labourers and Woodcutters, earning 38. to 43. a-day
ditto earning about 2s.
46
In charge of Light-house, 301. a-year and rations ..
7
1
1
On Military duty in different parts of the Colony at
25. a-day
58
Settled on small farms
6
Total
*165
Of the occupations and earnings of the remainder
no accounts have yet been received, as they have only recently reached the Colony.
Falkland Islands and Fort Garry.
Pensioners have also been sent, with their families, Number sent
Islands. to these two stations, where it would be very incon- venient to keep regular troops. Their number and families are as follows:
to the Falkland
Men. Women. Children.
Falkland Islands..
30
29
52
Fort Garry, Hudson's Bay..
76
55
81
Total
106
84
133
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