ABOUT THE PAINTING My painting shows the Schooner Enterprize moored on the north bank of the River Yarra in the area which was to become William Street directly opposite the new Casino site. The falls in the background are where Queen Street Bridge now crosses. These falls were blasted away in 1885.

The tops'l schooner Enterprise slowly entered the salt water river at the head of Port Phillip Bay. After the heavy weather they had previously encountered, the light south westerly was a welcome change and ideal for this last leg. The river was quite narrow and difficult to navigate with snags and overhead branches. Previously they had taken the long boat up the river and taken soundings which enabled Captain Hunter to navigate successfully.

As they approached the area of the falls, the river widened. These falls formed a natural barrier across the river, probably no more than a metre high, which cascaded with sparkling fresh water. The north bank rose with a gradual slope and the pristine beauty of the red gum woodland was covered in long native grasses and wattles. The fresh clean water teemed with life; there were birds in abundance, white cockatoo, rosella and kookaburra.

The scene I have depicted is the following day; the horses are working unloading the cargo, a tent has been pitched and new cooking utensils have been unpacked from the ship's stores and a fire built. The woman, who was with child, is seen attending to the midday meal with her husband the blacksmith. There are eight of the group of settlers visible, the remainder not visible would be working on and below deck sorting cargo.

Captain Hunter is on deck supervising the unloading with the horses. On the south bank Aborigines look with wonderment.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND John Pascoe Fawkner was eleven years old when he accompanied his convict father with the Collins expedition to Port Phillip Bay in 1803. This settlement at Sorrento failed and they returned to Van Diemans Land.

Some eleven years later he also became a convict. His offence was assisting prisoners to escape by helping them build a vessel at Recherché Bay. From then on he worked towards the reform of the penal system and the end of an oppressive authority. He tried his hand at many professions, carpentry, sawmiller, baker, gardener, coach owner, bookseller and an organiser of events. In 1829 he became a newspaper proprietor, founding and editing the Launceston Advertiser.

In 1835 Fawkner and George Evans, a pastoralist, were meeting in a Launceston Hotel when John Batman entered and told of the beautiful bush with fresh water and the lush fertile plains he had encountered at the west end of Port Phillip Bay on his recent exploration of the area. Fawkner then determined to purchase a vessel with assistance from Evans and other pastoralists and set sail to explore the head of Port Phillip Bay.

Fawkner bought the fifty-five ton schooner Enterprize and set sail. Due to the inclement weather and his seasickness, he had the skipper turn the vessel back to deposit him and one of the three horses to be put ashore and so was unable to lead them on their voyage of discovery. After first exploring Westenport Bay and finding it unsuitable for settlement, the Enterprize set sail to Port Phillip Bay and eventually anchored at the mouth of a salt water river at the head of the bay.

The ship's boat was taken up the east arm of the river to where a small waterfall prohibited further progress. There was fresh water above the falls and deep enough water in the river to swing their small vessel They then proceeded to bring Enterprize up to this anchorage.

The first photographic records of Melbourne were recorded m the late 1850s. The only known drawings of Melbourne prior to this time were found to be 1839, therefore to research the settlement of 1835 Richard Linton had to draw from the written accounts, diaries, ships logs, books, notes and poems from museums and personal collectors worldwide.

The surrounds of the river had been described in its day, as a red gum woodland, the aspect was undulating, grassy with black wattles abounding their perfume pervading the atmosphere.

The ship's crew and settlers made camp on Saturday 30th August just as spring arrived. There were wild flowers and lovely new growth. The laugh of the kookaburra, the flocks of cockatoo and rosellas filled the air with flashes of colour and relentless chatter. The crisp air, blue skies, clean running water above the small waterfall, together with the realisation that this lovely location would one day make way for fertile lands in which to grow successful crops.

Richard Linton spent many hours around the upper reaches of the River Yarra exploring the contours of the land, studying the trees, the native grasses even observing how sunlight reflects from native vegetation.

The Enterprize was a typical tops'l schooner of the middle 19th Century. The vessel whose Company consisted of crew, settlers and one woman bought with it provisions and materials for a settlement. The vessel had tied up on the north bank of the river below the falls at which point they came ashore and disembarked the horses and began about setting up a campsite.

Their landing is held to establish the founding of Melbourne. A few days later the new settlers had a visit from one of Batman's party who had settled at Indented Heads and disputed their right of possession. After much discussion this was resolved. Thus Fawkner and Batman (although both absent at this time) are known as the co-founders of Melbourne.

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