Australian Dictionary of Biography
Wikipedia
“Sir John Franklin owes much to his wife Lady Jane for his Tasmanian legacy” (from the Mercury).
UTAS Library Open Repository (letters, diaries etc)
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Came cross the following article (which was undated but it’s from the Examiner, 7 November 1888) and the referenced note.
ANOTHER RELIC OF THE PAST
A few months ago Commander Pasco, R.N., supplied some interesting facts in connection with Sir John and Lady Franklin’s visit to Macquarie Harbour in 1842, and the relief party sent to render them assistance when there was reason to fear that misadventure had overtaken them. This gentleman has just forwarded to us for presentation to the Museum of the Launceston Mechanics’ Institute an old document referring to the same event, which possesses historical interest. “It was left,” says Mr. Pasco, “by the party that had been sent overland to Sir John’s relief, and as he had reached Hobart before Bastian had reached Macquarie Harbour, my messmate, Mr. Forsyth, was sent round in the Vansittart to the relief of the re- lieving party. The paper was found in the hut at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, and the pencil note on the back records the fact of Forsyth having gone up the harbour in search of Bastian.”
The article then gives the contents of the note with the original spelling intact but punctuation added, but I prefer the original punctuation so this my transcription:
May 29, 1842
James Bastain and is party came heair on the 28 of may in the surch of sur John and lady Franklin after macken every surch trou the ole settlement and cold not find them bringen a supli of flouer and porck te and sugar and lurnen that Vansettart ad bean heair on the same purps waith Capten Bateman and we ar now macken the Best of our way to Port Davey as we should have to go Back the sam way this is to let anay one no that we have don ouer duty in whot we wos sen to dou may God heard our laBeir and gave us power to go trou the juney James Bastain, hill, Copperwhat, Haknes, Fraser, Sanston to all wo it may con surn
On the back of the paper is written in pencil :-“Mr. Forsyth, of H.M.S. Beagle, is gone up the harbour with a party in search of Bastian and his party.”
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Another note, from QVMAG.
Lady Franklin begs Mr Beaudenit’s acceptance
of a few books for the use of his children. Should
Mr Beaudenit find any opportunity of making use
of the other pamphlets for any of his household
or dependants, & should require a further supply
Lady F. will be very happy to furnish him with a
few more copies. Lady F. on reflecting upon what
she said to Mr Beaudenit respecting the live snakes
is so fearful but any evil or accident should be
incurred by an endeavour to procure any, that she
would feel more satisfaction if Mr. B. would dismiss
her request from his remembrance.
Govt House
Thursday
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Ancanthe
An art gallery, out in Lenah Valley which is right on the edge of Hobart, in under the mountain.
From the Australian Dictionary of Biography, “in 1839 Lady Franklin bought 130 acres (53 ha) of land near Hobart Town for a botanical garden, to which she gave the name Ancanthe. Here a museum of natural history was built for her, on the model of a Greek temple, and to it the collections she had been forming in Government House were removed. They and the accompanying library were dispersed in 1853” and the little temple was left to become a packing shed for apples. It wasn’t until a century later that it finally became an art gallery.
Card given at opening from UTAS Library Open Repository
Two very different images of the building:
Painting by Curzona Allport
Lenah Valley postcard
