State Library of NSW
PETTIT, John H W
Letters to his father in England, 1852-68; illustrated with sketches by the writer. Maps. 1 vol.
The letters describe the voyage out on the Atrevida, Sep.-Dec. 1852, arrival in Melbourne and journey to Forrest Creek Diggings, the tools and methods used, and the life at the diggings Ja.- Je 1853. In Oct. 1854 the writer settled at Tarraville where he was employed as superintendent of works connected with Roads and Bridges; later he set up privately as an architect-builder-land surveyor etc. until Sep. 1856 when he was appointed Assistant Surveyor in the Survey Department in which capacity he selected and cut up a new line of road to the Omeo diggings and laid out townships. In Au. 1860 the Department terminated the services of all Assistant Surveyors and Pettit found employment building bridge sections for the Road Engineer until May 1862 when he again setup privately. Letters from Oct. 1854 to Sep. 1856 give some information on the people, social life, opossum and kangaroo hunting, mustering cattle etc., those after 1856 mainly describe the country, methods of work and life led. A detailed description of surveying instrumentsre[sic] required for bush work is given on pp. 182-9, 198-200, 204-5. Vocabularies of the Omeo, Worradyeree and Gippsland tribes c.1859 and a list of names of places, rivers etc. in the language of various unnamed tribes in Gippsland c1857 occupy are on pp. 148-62. Pettit's gold licence, and various newscuttings are included. Some letters are written on various numbers of the Newsletter of Australasia, 1860-2
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