Pioneer Letters
Read a selection of letters from early European settlersOn 29 July 1853 Charles Joseph La Trobe sent a circular letter to a number of early settlers, requesting information about their experiences in the Colony of Victoria. He asked them to describe the time and circumstances of their first occupation of country and to include mention of the interactions with the Indigenous people living there.
Whilst La Trobe’s circular letter to the colonists has not been found, 58 replies to his letter were received and later published. You can find a number of these letters here, especially those with a focus on the districts close to Geelong. Other documents have been selected such as the transcript of J.T. Gellibrand’s diary from early 1836. Members are encouraged to suggest other documents that they feel should be included here.
The Letters
Letters from Pioneers to Governor La Trobe, 1853: No 6
Letters from Victorian Pioneers to Governor La Trobe, 1853: No 18
Mr J.T. Gellibrand’s Memoranda of a trip to Port Phillip in 1836.
