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136 The first Church of England day school was established in January, 1838, under the care of Mr. James Clarke. The second master, Mr. Abbott, appointed in May, 1838, received the noble salary of .£50. Before this period, however, Mrs. Cook had a boarding school in Flinders Street, near the site of our Bridge. Brought over by Mr. Batman from Yan Diemen’s Land to educate his own daughters, she opened the first educational establishment in Port Phillip; her pupils still speak with esteem of her talents, and affection of her character. The Roman Catholics.—The early history of this body of Chris tians is interesting. Though without a pastor they thought it wrong to neglect the assembling of themselves together. Upon Easter Sunday, in April 1839, they were associated, as usual, at prayers, when the occasion seemed fitting to commence an effort to raise a chapel. They were then worshipping in a wooden building attached to the house of Mr. Bodecin. A subscription was commenced, and the sum of £120 then raised. The next thing was to apply for a clergyman. On April 28th, a memorial was drawn up addressed to Dr. Polding, then Vicar Apostolic for New South Wales, Yan Diemen’s Land, &c.; Dr. Ullathorne was gazetted Vicar General in 1833. The memorialists expressed their anxiety about their children, then mustering one hundred, “daily increasing.” They were solicitous “to be united by Discipline, as they ever have been in Faith, with the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” As some worldly wise induce ment, they shrewdly add, that there is “ not a place in which the temporal advantages of a clergyman could be better or more amply provided.” In conclusion, they solemnly entreat that their spiritual head would “ afford them those religious aids, without which all human prosperity is vain and nugatory.” But the appeal was needless. Their condition had been thought of, and a pastor sent them. The Rev. P. B. Geoghan arrived from Sydney, May 15th, 1839 ; his coadjutor, the Rev. Rd. Welsh came in September following. Three days after his arrival, Dr. Geoghan wrote an earnest public appeal to the Protestants for help. “ We are” said he, “ among you ; before you ; and we need but refer you to our numbers, industry and talent to induce you to acknowledge our importance in a new born, rising, and struggling Colony. We are, however, poor, as a community, and therefore, call upon you with confidence for assistance in our under taking.” As a conciliatory sentiment he adds, “ We need not, at the
