Hobart Rivulet, Part I

For your reference, Google Maps, which, depending on the zoom, should show all of today's post or you have to pan right.


To start with, Cascade Brewery, which takes its water from the rivulet, is the oldest (or oldest continuing ooperating?) brewery in Australia and was established in 1824, except it wasn't. 1824 was when Degraves got his land grant and built a sawmill. Then he got gaoled for debt and, the story goes, it was while he was imprisoned that he got the idea to build a brewery.

Over to the ADB for the next bit of the story:

In 1832 Degraves laid down a brewery on his property. It soon flourished, and when a second sawmill, flour-mill, and bakehouses were added he employed more than fifty hands. On the mainland his beer brewed from cool mountain water was considered superior to other beers and sold well; with his sawn timber, flour, bread and biscuits, he was said to earn nearly £100,000 a year. However, he had much trouble over the water which passed through the brewery into his reservoir and thence to the town rivulet. Soon after 1833 its flow decreased in volume and citizens complained that he was exceeding his water concessions. The government retaliated by building a dam above his reservoir, but this gave only temporary improvement, and the town water supply remained a contentious subject.

The squabbling over water and various schemes to deal with the problem went on, but if you want to read, you can go to the page.

The building in the my photo is the usual image you see of the brewery (the 1927 date is when that building was constructed, in case you wondered) so I thought I'd find one a bit different (if the link works). Apparently they had to bring beer down from Boags to maintain a supply (!).

( Read more... )

19 female authors you might not have read

A list of 19th century Australian women novelists. Notes below.

( Cut for length )

My criteria for inclusion was born before 1870 or died before 1899, and published before 1899 so I've missed some of the better known ones, and Australian can be based on birth or residence.

I did skip some women who wrote some fiction but aren't really known as novelists (like Louisa Meredith, who is better known for her artwork and I couldn't her fiction online). For some of those I did include, I was unable to find online copies of their novels/or their best known work, or the copy was a poor quality. These are marked with a *

I would like to add a link to a list of works where possible, when I have more time.

Suggestions for additions (allowing for the above) and better links are welcome.