Painful to See
Nat Gould sailed to Australia in 1884 and worked as a journalist and sportswriter on various papers in Queensland and New South Wales. His observations of Melbourne as it was in 1894 were first published in his most famous book Town and Bush in 1896.
During the many times I have been in Melbourne I have explored most of its suburbs, and seen a good deal of its people. There is a vast difference between the people of the various cities of Australia. Melbourne people are go-ahead, and have plenty of push. They move about smartly, and, like Londoners, never seem to have a moment to spare. I do not think the people who rush most get through more solid work than others who go about their work in a slower way. As far as I can judge, I should say there is more solidity about Sydney than Melbourne.
The Melbourne ladies dress well, and there are few slovenly men. There may be more style about Melbourne than Sydney, but I doubt if the people as a rule, are more prosperous. Melbourne has suffered much from over-speculation and land booms…The last time I had a look round Melbourne suburbs was in 1894, and then it was positively painful to see the vast number of houses to let. It was not only moderate-sized houses that were tenantless, but gentleman’s residences were closed, or merely left in charge of a caretaker. In some instances there was no one in charge, and the once beautiful grounds, that were gay with flowers and echoed with the merry laughter of children, were neglected and solitary. It must have cost many a heartache leaving these lovely spots, full of old associations and connected with the happiness of families.
Let us hope that before long a change will come over the scene again, and the transformation be of a brighter character. I was told by a gentleman, well informed, that at this time there were over twenty thousand houses to let in and around Melbourne. Many of these houses will go to ruin. Vagabonds go round to the empty tenements and strip them of everything portable. They break into houses and remove the fixtures, and even the piping is not safe from them, as they tear it up to sell it for old lead. Coppers are coolly carted away; and I have seen houses literally stripped of everything by these thieves.
In more prosperous times Melbourne did not suffer more than other cities of similar size from these thieves; but the scarcity of employment drove men, who would otherwise have been honest, to desperation.