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119 Melbourne shall flourish, rise the cup ; Loudly hurra to her glory ! Her day now dawns—her sun is up — And success will be her story. Geelong was long dragging itself into notice. She was a beautiful but neglected child. Geographically situated, it had superior attrac tions to Melbourne, that required Government nursing, royal jelly, to sustain its growth. Mr. Westgarth thus remarks, “The site of Geelong, the qualities of its harbour, and the rich, beautiful and open country that extends for many miles behind it, appears to me to have offered recommendations for the site of the capital, decidedly superior to those of Melbourne.” The stations around Carayo or Corio Bay needed stores for supplies, and so the town was established before the Government survey was made. The first who drove a bullock team between the two places was the present Mayor of Geelong; the fears which his man entertained of the natives obliged him to take the whip. The first store was erected by Mr. Champion in the early part of 1838. It was of wood, and stood near the site of the Custom House. When the town was surveyed, Mr. Champion was directed to remove his dwelling. It was afterwards put up in Corio Street. The next erec tion was that of Mr. Strachan’s, on about the same place as his present store. Mr. Fisher, the squatter, had a house on the Barwon some time before either of these. Mack’s Hotel was originally a slab hut, of course without a license. McNaughton removed from Mr. Cham pion’s store to open the public house, July, 1838. The original tavern is now the back kitchen of the hotel. There was no brick house in Geelong before the ascension of Mr. Latrohe. The Rev. James Loves’ brick house first appeared in 1840. The first town sale of land was on February 14th, 1839. It was held at Sydney, and two thirds of the lots were purchased by Sydney folks. It was a double township—North and South Geelong. The north, by the Bay, was called Corio. The south, by the Barwon, was thought likely to form the villa residences of merchants. The average price of the 16 lots sold of North Geelong, was £140; that of the 26 lots of South Geelong, £40. Foster Fyans, Esq., was the first Police magistrate of the Geelong district, receiving his appointment as early as Sep. 5th, 1837. Mr. Fenwick followed. The mail cart between the two towns started, May, 15tli, 1839, a punt being then thrown over Saltwater river ; passengers paid £2. The first wool of
