46. A Visit to Flinders Island The following day, he made a trip to Flinders Island, more out of curiosity than anything else, to see how the Blacks were thriving. To his great surprise and delight, he found them settled down and quite contented; he also found quite a number of Europeans there living very peacefully. Some of these had married the Blacks and by the appearance of the half caste children, it seemed as though in the course of years through intermarriages, a very fine stamp of people would ultimately be the outcome. This feature of the situation pleased Mr Wrathall very much and carried his memory back, with pride, to the distant past when he stood almost alone on Tasmanian soil and pleaded for segregation rather than annihilation of the Blacks so that they could be better controlled and their race conserved. This had been accomplished and they, as a people, were following varied pursuits that provided them with lifes necessities and snug homes suited to their tastes. He saw but very few of the old Negro faces that he knew in the earlier days in Tasmania. Time had removed them and the younger generation had risen to take their place and it was very apparent that with the passage of time and civilized environment, that this generation had a more intellectual outlook. Mr Wrathall returned perfectly satisfied that his early agitation and his expressed opinion of the result had proved fruitful far beyond his anticipation, and made him feel that he had at least done something worthwhile. 47. Remembering His Lost Wife The following Sunday afternoon he spent alone in the cemetery, where many years previously, he had laid his loving wife to rest. During his absence in New Zealand, the grave had been neatly kept and cared for by the sons in Australia. A beautiful tombstone had been erected with Mrs Wrathalls name and age engraved, and a space left blank for Mr Wrathalls inscription, when later he would be laid to rest beside her. She lay almost alone in the cemetery, as very few as yet had been interred, though plot rights were pegged and held by residents of the district who were then presumably settled. While standing beside his wifes grave, his thoughts carried him back to Old England, where he visualized the whole story of his early life, and he suddenly, quite unconsciously, burst into tears to think that he had taken this woman of his life away from her parents under such romantic circumstances. His lifes great desire was to have taken her back, when he had closed his commercial career, to see Old London and those that she had loved so dearly; but this could not now be fulfilled as she had gone to her resting place. All arrangements for this home going had been kept within his breast to spring upon her as a happy surprise when his lifes aim had been fulfilled, but all was now in vain. He murmured, My loving wife has gone and I am left alone in the world with no other hope than that I, too, will soon be laid beside her in the cold and silent grave. In the midst of this great romantic dream, he fell into a poetic mood and composed the following verses: 48. A Favour to Melbourne Mortgagees In again reviewing his commercial balance sheet, he now discovered that his equities in the Melbourne Township block had depreciated very much, and on looking into the reason for this he found that, during his absence in New Zealand, that J Route and RP Armstrong had started a settlement in another part, which checked, to a large extent, the advancement of the Block laid off by him. Theirs, too, was a failure; then Came Ted Henry, with his two stalwart sons, and selected a third site but he, too, met with the same fate as the others. Finally came D McKenzie, JR Batemen and RJ Falkner, and this trio picked the spot on which the business centre of the present Great Melbourne City eventually radiated from. Nothing could alter it, as its geographical situation and contour was much better than any of the other spots picked. Wrathalls block, being five and a half miles out from that of Falkners, put the prospects of his block out of the question for at least forty or fifty years and perhaps longer, so, seeing this, and realizing that he had unconsciously trapped his unfortunate tenants into a wild cat scheme, he felt that he should now do something for them by helping them out of a hole that he had unconsciously placed them in, by assuring them that they were buying into a block that would eventually be the foundation of a Great City. He had chosen this site from a strategic point of view, as it was far enough out from deep water to be practically safe from bombardment from the sea, but his absence gave the Falkner block the preference. However, he invited all the original section holders who had made part payments, and also those who had been persuaded to commit themselves to a capital expenditure, to attend a special meeting at his head office, and when they had assembled he put the whole facts before them. He admitted that he had erred in his judgement as to the best site, and that as Falkners was opened up he could see that it was certainly where the town would be built on account of its better access to port. Fortifications could be established, if necessary, at a later date, and though my Block is well away from Falkners, still it will have a suburban value for residential purposes in the years to come, said Wrathall, and continued, however, as I am responsible for the position you now find yourselves placed in, I wish to state that I am prepared to release you of all your financial responsibilities so far, as I, as holder of the first mortgage, is concerned and if you are prepared to pay for the cost of the Deeds of Conveyance, I will sign the Freehold Title and the Deed of Release of your mortgage. They all thanked him for his generosity and the lawyer was kept busy for a few days preparing the necessary documents which Mr Wrathall signed and handed over to the parties concerned, feeling that they had been granted a great concession. The section holders who had benefited by this act of benevolence on the part of Mr Wrathall held a conference at which they delegated some of their leading men to call on him and present him with a well worded memorial of appreciation of his most laudable act and which was to be signed by each of the beneficiaries. When he had received this memorial, he read it through and said that he was pleased to know that his act was appreciated, but he also felt that the gift was not so great as the text of the memorial would make it appear, as he had already received back, by way of the original deposits and also the annual interest on his mortgage equities, more than his capital outlay for the whole block. His son was also well established there in the hotel which certainly had a goodwill value, as it was the only hotel in the district which have him a monopoly, and in addition to that, the sections he had retained in his own right had an enhanced value that had come to him in the form of an unearned increment. He continued The presence of your friends in that locality kept those values from depreciating, so please do not look upon me in the light of a philanthropist for the small concession I may appear to have made. I want to be quite open about this and let you know that I am so prompted by the desire to conserve my own interests as well as yours when I made that offer that you thought was such a great benevolence. I am now in communication with the authorities to put convict labour on to construct the road from Falkners block to open a main outlet road through my block and out to the country beyond. There are no engineering difficulties so I have hopes that my proposal will be acceptable to the powers that be. If they accede to the request, and rather have a betterment clause places upon your sections, I am prepared to pay down a cash subsidy of one thousand pounds, or 200 pounds per mile, providing the road passed through the main main street on my block. That to my mind, will be something of a gift than what I have already done, as it will enhance your interest by this public works expenditure without placing any extra burden on your land in the form of a special rate. It will also give better access to the Falkner block or to wherever the future central point of the town may be. However, I thank you very much for your thoughtfulness in handing me this memorial which I shall always keep as a memento to commemorate our early associations. With this the deputation withdrew and the high spirits conveyed the further good news to the settlement that they would soon have a main road constructed from the port to their land. 49. Wrathall Exits Commercial Life For the next few weeks, Mr Wrathall was kept busy with callers in connection with the sale of his commercial interests. Prospective buyers were submitting proposals for certain branches of his business, all of which offers he carefully put down in writing and were signed by the prospective offerers to show their bona fides. At last, a representative of a company that was about to form waited on him with a proposition to take over the whole concern, suggesting that the company pay down fifty per cent of the price agreed upon, the balance to be paid in five bills, each one to be released annually, with interest at 7 per cent per annum. Mr Wrathall said that he wanted to see the names of the parties who were to form the company, and also to be acquainted with their financial position as he wanted to be perfectly satisfied that the transaction would be completed, seeing that he was to retain half interest for a period of five years, less the annual deductions by the release of the bills. The representative then tabled the names of those who intended forming the Company. On a perusal it was found that the list disclosed an all Australian firm: two from New South Wales, two from the Southern Territory and one from Tasmania. These men were known to Mr Wrathall by reputation, so he consented to meet them and make the necessary final arrangements as to price, conditions, etc. The day following this interview they all met in Mr Wrathalls office. Those from New South Wales and Tasmania had already met to discuss this proposition, and had been, for a few days previously, making their arrangements, and it was from their meeting place that the representative had been sent the previous day to arrange the interview with Mr Wrathall. When the company arrived at the office, the chief clerk was instructed to bring out the books showing the detailed operations of the separate branches, to prove the values placed upon them as business concerns. In the presence of his chief clerk, Mr Wrathall put his price upon the whole outfit which was under offer as a going concern. The two sawmills with the Australian standing timber and the kauri timber interests in New Zealand formed the greater part of the assets, and Mr Wrathall had assessed the value as a going concern at twenty-two thousand pounds. The other subsidiary concerns, which included sections of land and three stores, all well stocked, he valued at eight thousand pounds, making a total of thirty thousand pounds, which value could be upheld by records extending over a period of years. Mr Wrathall said that he was prepared to make a reasonable concession for a sale, outright for cash. Mr Herbert Spencer, who was the Principal of the Company, said that they had come along merely to get the bedrock price Mar Wrathall was prepared to take, and he asked if they may leave their accountant to go through the books and examine the securities so that his Company would have something definite before them. He would promise to give them a reply within a week; at the moment he thought there would be a deal, but the examination of the books and securities would be the deciding factor. Mr Wrathall said that he would be only too pleased to place the books at their disposal and the examination could be commenced at once if necessary. He said that his chief clerk would be at the disposal of their accountant in his office from nine oclock till five oclock each day. That closed the preliminary arrangements and the company promoters withdrew leaving the accountant to make arrangements for the carrying out of the investigation. The following morning the work started in earnest and at the end of the third day everything had been probed. Cobwebbed documents were unearthed to prove Titles of several interests and holdings and a most searching enquiry was undertaken, with a result that the summary of the Balance Sheet was certified to as a true statement of accounts, borne out by the presence of Deeds and documents to verify the position as set out by Mr Wrathalls chief clerk. The accountant lay the whole facts and figures before the Company and they decided that they would buy out the whole thing as a going concern and, in consequence, they arranged to meet Mr Wrathall. Their spokesman, Mr Spencer, said that the Company was prepared to buy out the whole thing but they could not raise sufficient capital at that moment to buy the total amount in cash, but he was instructed to make the following offer. The Company was willing to give thirty thousand pounds under a walk-out-walk in agreement, twenty thousand pounds to be paid down in each and the balance payable in five equal instalments of two thousand pounds each per year with interest at the rate of seven percent; the first annual payment to be made twelve months from the day of the payment of the deposit of twenty thousand pounds. This amount was now available and could be paid over within a week, but he felt now moved to make a further suggestion, and that was that Wrathall become a partner in his own business by having issued to him five thousand, fully paid up shares, in addition to the twenty thousand pounds. The company would then be liable to pay him one thousand pounds annually instead of the two thousand pounds as set out in the first offer. They were now prepared to allow him a little time to think over these offers, and they would like to call the next day for his reply. Mr Wrathall said that he would think the matter over, as suggested, and give him a reply when they assembled again the next day. He would suggest two oclock as the most suitable hour and he would be engaged during the whole of the forenoon. With this, the Company again withdrew, when Mr Wrathall and his chief clerk held a consultation at which many aspects of the deal were discussed. The following morning, Mr Wrathall went through his office documents and sorted out all his private papers that had no bearing on the business and no connection with the deal. These he placed on the table in readiness for the afternoons proceedings. At two oclock the Company arrived and when all were seated, Mr Wrathall said, Now, gentlemen, I have given your offer my fullest consideration and I will deal with your second proposal at the outset. My reply to that is, that I cannot find my way clear to become a member of your Firm or Company, for two very definite reasons. Firstly, if I had intended to remain in commercial life I would never have offered my business for sale; it was well established with a magnificent connection, and the organisation was perfect throughout. My decision to sell was the outcome of my desire of recent years to retire from business and so relieved of the great responsibility attached to an active commercial life. Secondly, I have a well grounded abhorrence for partnerships or company control, the result of practical experience in my earlier life. I had made up my mind that I would run my own business in my own way, and not be swayed by the voices of others, as is the case under directorate control. It is my candid opinion that many a man has been ruined by partnership acument and the orthodoxy attached to company control. It may be sentiment on my part, but I hold that view very strongly and must say that I must decline your offer as I have no desire to remain in commercial life. Now, as to your offer of thirty thousand pounds for the whole business walk out, walk in. The valuations are all on the conservative side and there is one thousand pounds dividing the offer and the real values. However, I have made up my mind to accept it providing the deal is finalised and closed at once. When the twenty thousand pounds is paid down, and the necessary five bills of two thousand pounds cash are signed, I shall in turn subscribe my name to the assignment and walk out. One condition that I must make for my own protection, is that the kauri timber bushes in New Zealand, which form part of the deal, must not have more than fifty percent of the timber removed, until the outstanding bills have been redeemed Mr Spencer, on behalf of the Company, said that though they were rather disappointed at not getting Mr Wrathall, with his wide experience , into the company, they partly expected that his inclination to sell was to get away from the hurly burly of active business life and consequently, they were partly expecting his reply to be in the negative. As to the last part re the condition concerning the kauri timber in New Zealand; that would be put in the agreement. The Solicitor would be instructed to prepare a draft for Wrathalls approval, and when the original agreement was completed, he would make the necessary payment and hand over the five bills duly drawn on the Company. This concluded the largest business deal yet contracted in Australia. The following day, the whole transaction was completed and Mr Wrathall walked out of commercial life, never to enter the arena again. The company that had now become possessed of this establishment line of businesses soon grew and developed into a great Australian concern known later as The Big Five, controlling various interests in Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania. New South Wales and Tasmania were territories already named, but Queensland was known as the Northern Territory and Victoria as the Southern Territory. During Mr Wrathalls experience in Australia, he had seen the Union Jack flown half mast on three occasions, in commemoration of the deaths of English Royalty, King George III, George IV and William IV, and again saw it given to the breeze at the summit of the flag staff when Queen Victoria came to the throne. He also witnessed the declaration of part of the Southern Territory as the State of Victoria; the Northern Territory, many years later, was designated Queensland. In his diary, there is a note to the effect that Melbourne was named after two photographers who were taking coastal photographs and panoramic views of Victoria, for the purpose of sending them to London to be placed on exhibition as an attraction for adventurers to come out to Australia. The names of the photographers were H Melville and G Bourne, but the partnership was known as Melbourne, hence the origin of Australias now great city; MB was their trade monogram and was embossed on their cabinet cards and plates. 50. Restless Retirement Mr Wrathall was now at a loose end and he decided that he would make a further allotment of his lifes savings to each of his sons, so he therefore gave each one, two thousand pounds as a final share of the Estate. The balance, he proposed keeping for his own comforts which he did, but he found it hard to settle down. The contrast between his younger active business life and that which he was now leading was so vastly different that he felt like a lost sheep, and became very moody at times. In one of these moods, he joined in with an old friend and took a trip to Sydney, where his friend was living, and while there he was invited to attend the opening of the first club that was established there. He met many of his comrades and also some of those Paramatta commercial men who had been his early day business rivals, but the hatchet had long been buried and Mr Wrathall enjoyed himself so much with these old folks, that he made a donation of twenty five pounds towards the furnishing of the club room. The members were so delighted with this gift that he became distinguished by being made the first life member of the Club. This change though, soon became stale and he yearned to get back to his sons in the South, and so it was with him, for quite a long time, living a peripetetic life, first with one son and then with another, until he had done the round. He then felt like crossing the Tasman to see how Stephen and John were doing in New Zealand. He made the trip, and while in New Zealand, he gave each of them their alloted share of his Australian concerns. His health by now, was gradually failing and the change was very noticeable, more particularly in his temperament; some days he would be quite himself, then the quiet moods would take a grip of him again. After spending about two months in New Zealand, he then went back to Australia, where he lived for the balance of his life. In his old diary appeared a separate leaf containing the following:- South Sea Islands Expedition Company formed and chartered scow Tasman ten guineas per day, owner provide men and maintenance. Third trip Customs seized shipment and vessel. Cost release Three hundred and seventeen pounds. Met demand, took cargo. Profit sale seventy eight pounds. I cannot associate this with any of his commercial records, but in trying to work it out in my mind, I have come to the conclusion that a Company was formed for the purpose of exploiting some form of trade with the South Sea Islanders. Probably this scow, that was not named (at least her name had not been previously recorded in Wrathalls diary), was the Tasman and that the Company was to pay Wrathall ten guineas per day for her hire, and Wrathall was to pay the seamens wages. She apparently made two trips and on the third trip some difference arose between the Marine or Customs Department and the Company, and the cargo was seized or an embargo placed upon it. There was a liability, however, of three hundred and seventeen pounds upon it and, in consequence, the cargo was seized, the ship apparently forming part of the seizure. It would appear that for the purpose of obtaining the release of the vessel, that Mr Wrathall paid the amount owing and became legally possessed of the shipment, which he sold for a profit of seventy eight pounds. There is no record to show what the cargo comprised; it could not have been black birds, pearls or island fruit as there was no ready sale in Australia at that time for any of these cargos. I will leave it for the readers to judge for themselves.