[Editor: Extracts from the news section of the The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser of 28 January 1836, including news on the limited commemorations for the founding of the colony, the state of the public footpaths, and an unusual bushranging incident.]
[News items]
The Anniversary. — Thursday last passed off, after all, without any thing of a public dinner! At noon some guns were fired from Dawes’ Battery, and the men-of-war and merchant vessels in harbour, during the day, displayed full suits of their gayest colors; but Sydney exhibited few or no other demonstrations of the day being the 48th Anniversary of the foundation of the colony!
Several trifling accidents have lately occurred from the insecure state of such portions of the street as are under repair, and although no serious injury has accrued, it has been more by good luck than otherwise, that the injuries have not been great. A woman fell from the pathway at the corner of Clarence and Market streets, a height of six or seven feet, in Tuesday, and was taken up insensible; she received a contusion on the head from a secondary blow, (having fallen on her side) from which she shortly recovered. Had she fallen on her head, the consequences might have been fatal. We shall select and point out a few of those places in our next for the information of the Town Surveyor.
Mr. Harper, of Stonequarry, on his way down to Sydney last week, was stopped at the unusual hour of 12 A. M, about a mile this side of Menangle Ford, by three mounted bushrangers; they enquired if he was not a mounted policeman, and on his answering in the negative robbed him of about twenty five shillings, and let him go; they, however overtook him shortly after again and enquired whether he was not Mr. Harper and on his “answering to his name” gave him back his money, and compelled him moreover to drink some rum, of which each of them had a bottle in his hand. At that hour of the night, of course no Police were on the road, the paucity of their numbers preventing any thing like a regular patrole. They are supposed to be the “Barge Bushrangers.”
Source:
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (Sydney, NSW), Thursday 28 January 1836, page 3
[Editor: Corrected “wen-of-war” to “men-of-war”.]
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