Summary

Three page handwritten letter from Reuben Gatward to 'My Dearest Polly' in Luton, England, dated 11 October 1858. It was written while Gatward was working on the diggings at Tarrangower, near Maldon in central Victoria.

The letter has been written on a wrapper for 'The Polygot Newsletter: a summary in English, French, German and Spanish, for Transmission to Europe'. 'The Polygot' was printed and published for the proprietors at the 'Punch' Office, Melbourne, October 1858. The wrapper has an etching of 'View on the Yarra near Dight's Mills' by F. Grusse on its front. The newsletter is an early example of a publication produced in several different languages, an indication of the diverse nature of the population of Victoria in the 1850s.

Born in 1826 in Hertfordshire, England, Gatward had been working as a draper's assistant in Luton, Bedfordshire before emigrating but was listed as a farmer in the shipping list. He writes that he has been unsuccessful on the diggings: 'After leaving you I expected to meet with many hardships and discomforts, and in that I have not been disappointed, but I certainly did not expect they would extend over such a length of time'. The letter gives an indication of the homesickness felt by many young men, especially those who came to Australia to make their fortune and were disappointed.

Physical Description

Three page letter, handwritten on a wrapper for 'The Polygot Newsletter'. The wrapper has an etching of 'View on the Yarra near Dight's Mills' by F. Grusse on its front.

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