People Nearly

When Sydney

Starved

In the past 13 months or so,

ohn Cobley, a Sydney doctor,

las achieved a kind of fame that alls to very few people in Aus ralian journalism. He has had iis name in the paper —Sydney’s

~)aily Telegraph —every day.

CHE reason for this unusual distinction is that the Telegraph as been serialising a book which he ompiled on Sydney’s first year. The ook, Sydney Cove 1788, is a ascinating day-by-day record of life a Australia’s first settlement. It was ompiled by setting down, under the ate on which it occurred, every appening noted by every con smporary author, then deleting the edundancies.

Dr. Cobley has now published a econd volume along exactly the same ines as the first, the only difference icing that the new volume, Sydney love 1789-1790, covers two years in oughly the same number of pages ,s were needed for 1788. 300 Lashes The years 1789 and 1790 were not ;ood years to be in Sydney.

From about the middle of 1788, here had been anxiety over pro- Tsions; and by 1789, the food hortage was so serious that everyone vas put on short rations. By 1790, he colonists were almost starving.

The food ration in 1790 was so ow that the convicts could only be >ut to work in the mornings, and he theft of food was such a serious )ffence that offenders were punished vith up to 300 lashes.

Relief finally came on the evening )f June 3, 1790, when the transport Lady Juliana hove in sight. The jxcitement that her arrival caused vas set down by the diarist Captain Watkin Tench, of the Marines, in one of the most moving passages in the early literature of Australia.

Sydney Cove 1789-1790 is a warm, human document besides an invaluable reference book; and it is good to know that Dr. Cobley has decided to continue compiling his daily records of life in Sydney down to March, 1803, when Australia’s first daily newspaper started.—RL. (SYDNEY COVE, 1789-1790. Published by Angus and Robertson. 50/-.)