15 July 1895. Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney. Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. New bore hole on Ayrshire Downs Station, Queensland; plans to buy 20 000 acres for 10 000 sheep; patent on a bushfire extinguishing machine.

Little family letters received mainly from Thomas Story Little

FOLDER 1 – Letters to Alice Horn, 1886-1896

Letters from Thomas Story Little:
14 January 1886 
Sent from on board the S.S. Bengal
Visit to Malta.

13 April 1886
Sent from 92 Botany St, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Visits to Bathurst, Katoomba and Mount Victoria.

8 January 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Mentions company problems and financial woes and the drunken antics of the Eighth Australian Eleven cricket team whilst on tour in England.

10 January 1894 
Sent from Sydney Works Department 
Unfinished letter. Expresses Little’s dissatisfaction with the Colonial Government and describes the architecture of some Sydney buildings.

14 January 1894
Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. Financial issues around the Artesian Boring company.

15 January 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Heatwave in Sydney and company update.

22 January 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Mentions the opening of Parliament and issues around the Governor [Sir Robert Duff].

19 February 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Questions and updates around family and friends and mentions of fishing.

24 February 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Mention of tension between pastoralists and shearers.

12 March 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Mentions of hot, rainy weather in Sydney and emigrants going to Paraguay [the New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association]

19 March 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Awkward relations with company co-liquidators; mention of weather and politics in Sydney.

9 April 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Company updates and offer of a government department billet.

19 April 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Attendance at the performances of two plays, The Amazons staged by the Brough-Boucicault team and The Second Mrs Tanqueray; weather in Sydney.

25 May 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Company updates and mention of a future “Little and Beauchamp” partnership; Queen’s Birthday celebrations in Centennial Park, Sydney. Includes clipping from a “knickerbocker” wedding in Christchurch, New Zealand.

4 June 1894 
Sent from 15 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Company updates and slow boring processes; descriptions of Sydney flowers and fruit shops.

11 June 1894 
Sent from 15 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Outings in Sydney including to the Domain and Botanic Gardens to hear various soapbox speakers, including women; ongoing issues with “artful” company co-liquidators.

25 June 1894 
Sent from 359 George Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co. Mentions of football, cricket and golf.

30 July 1894 
Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. Mentions of travelling to Longreach, Queensland or Melbourne for company business.

13 August 1894 
Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney 
Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. Mentions of an eye injury treated with cocaine; election of Free Traders.

10 September 1894 
Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. Work updates around a despatch of mutton at Little’s alternate employment and boring in Queensland for artesian water by the Federal Artesian Well and Mineral Boring Co.

15 October 1894 
Sent from Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton, Queensland 
Letterhead of the Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton, Queensland. Company updates around boring, meeting with partner and intended travel to Longreach.

2 November 1894 
Sent from Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton, Queensland 
Letterhead of the Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton, Queensland. Travel with Beauchamp family to Queensland and company updates around bore holes’ flow rate and temperature, and Little’s desire to lease acreage.

17 December 1894 
Sent from 15 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Anxieties around Queensland business not making a profit after three months; mention of the drowning death of Annie Rowbotham and visits to her brother.

4 February 1895 
Sent from 15 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Company updates around potential sale of land; Queensland rain and flooding; mention of cricket test match between Australian and Hoddart’s teams.

18 February 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Continued rainy weather preventing boring work; mentions of domestic life at Kellett Street, Sydney.

11 March 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Resumed drilling in Queensland and new contract for gold mining; mention of final cricket test match.

8 April 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Mention of farmers in Victoria going to South Australia taking up land on the “halves” system; architecture of the Equitable Life Assurance Building in Sydney.

20 May 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Updates on drilling and gold mining; mention of drought affecting grass growth.

15 July 1895 
Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney
Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited. New bore hole on Ayrshire Downs Station, Queensland; plans to buy 20 000 acres for 10 000 sheep; patent on a bushfire extinguishing machine.

26 August 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Mentions of dry weather and bushfires in Sydney, and the Free Trade Government seeking to impose a land income tax.

16 September 1895 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Expresses desire to go to Melbourne to seek a contract for their grass fire extinguisher; mentions loss of 160 000 sheep on a NSW station; Beauchamp suggested Little should take his “selection scheme home” (probably meaning England) but Little does not trust him to keep the books for up to six months.

26 November 1895 
Sent from Longreach Club, Longreach, Queensland 
Letterhead of Longreach Club, Queensland. Journey to Longreach via rail and horse-drawn buggy. Mentions potential negotiations to offer the government a water supply on a rail line to Winton in exchange for 30 000 acres of land.

FOLDER 2 – Letters to Alice Horn, 1896-1899

From Thomas Story Little:
23 January 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mentions of an “attack” suffered by Little’s sister, Susan[nah]; a heatwave which killed “hundreds of people” from apoplexy; trouble finding support for gold mining; Victorian cricket team coming to Queensland.

2 March 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Social updates around the marriage of friend Grainger Barton’s only son; women bicycling and the Atheism and credulity of people in Winton, Queensland.

16 March 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Concerns for Susan’s recovery; updates about hiring new boys; mention of Mr. Barton’s station near Burke and the contrasts in weather between drought and heavy rain.

30 March 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Purchase of a wagon and horses; desire to find an investor for land in Queensland.

20 April 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Transfer of plant to Elderslie Station, NSW; mentions of cricket, anticipated drought and outings to church and the Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

4 May 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mentions of writing to Frank Brown and defending his “selection scheme” and lands; death of Sir Henry Parkes.

1 June 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mentions of cold weather; golf; the stage play Trilby; the popularity of bicycling for women and the establishment of an associated club; a plague of ticks affecting cattle.

15 June 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Company updates and desire for a new contract; miners’ strike in Newcastle, NSW; considering moving to Queensland to reside; mention of an “automatic” bicycle “driven by oil”, probably a motorcycle.

20 July 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Further concerns about Susan’s poor recovery; details about the tick plague; mention the Australian Meat and Produce Shipping Agency Limited has ceased business and that Little might move to Queensland.

10 August 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney  
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Request for family updates; attempt to “float on our business into a small company” for more capital; mention of potential location for Little’s future offices in Queensland being Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville or Winton.

31 August 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Little is about to leave Sydney to move to Queensland; critique of the people he has encountered and of the Barton family’s kindness in contrast; mentions of a bush poem being enclosed to Alice.

19 October 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Success of Barton’s gold mines at Coolgardie; mention of Parliament seeking to pass the Coloured Races Restriction and Regulation Act 1896; death of Herbert Brown, relative of Frank Brown.

16 November 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mention again of Little moving to Winton and drought in Queensland; the Free Trade government and Protectionists in NSW; railway from Townsville to Winton; Melbourne Cup winner for 1896.

13 December 1896 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. The Queensland Premier visiting Brisbane regarding Federation; Little’s move to Winton in January 1897; Bogan Barton working at boring; mentions of cricket.

11 January 1897 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Updates on a new bore and the need for it to produce water soon; mentions of weather and the popularity of bicycling.

1 February 1897 
Sent from 13 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Little’s intention to leave for Winton, Queensland “next week”; general updates about Barton family, weather, prospect of Federation and arrival of the P&O China passenger ship.

2 May 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Descriptions of riding 40 miles to “the other bore” over the downs and of the existing bore; of the squatters and camp life.

5 July 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Descriptions of camp life including daily routine; limited water supply; updates on boring and the Ramsay family.

7 September 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Update that the bore has struck water, 1 million gallons a day; intention to go to Winton “for a selection” to buy acreage; descriptions of wildlife including black cockatoos and kangaroos.

1 November 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Secure of a 30-year lease on 20 000 acres of “grazing farm”; mentions of Townsville railway line; Little to be made a Justice of the Peace; dynamics with the squatters.

12 November 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mentions of signed agreement for one bore and tendering another; climate and lack of rain; materials to build houses (stone versus galvanized iron) and fencing properties.

15 November 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland
Detailed description of digging the second deepest bore in Australia at 4438 feet; Little naming his selection Tring after his familial home, Tring Grange, in Tring, Hertfordshire, England.

16 November 1897 
Sent from Ayrshire Downs, Winton, Queensland 
Letterhead of Little & Beauchamp Artesian Well Borers. Mention of a contract to begin boring beside the Tring selection; intention to go to Brisbane; biting flies; the Townsville railway line and grazing sheep and cattle.

From Sophie Barton, sister of Russell Barton (1830-1916):
16 January 1898 
Sent from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia 
Condolences extended to Alice following Thomas Little’s sudden death; mentions of the accident in the river and the closeness of him with Russell Barton and family.

From George Beauchamp, business partner of Thomas Story Little:
22 April 1898 
Sent from Longreach Club, Longreach, Queensland 
Letterhead of Longreach Club, Queensland. Speculation around cause of Thomas Little’s death; details of belongings; recap on how the two men met and became business partners and friends.

From Frank Little, brother of Thomas, Alice and Susannah:
1 January 1899 
Sent from 43 Cedars Road, Clapham, London
Suggestion to settle Thomas Little’s land selections; familial and social updates with mention of church attendance.

7 January 1899 
Sent from 43 Cedars Road, Clapham, London 
Discussion following a letter from Mr Crossman and Mr Davies regarding the land selection’s value and forthcoming meeting; reiteration of suggestion to settle.

26 May 1899 
Sent from 75 Rochester Row, Westminster, London
Advice to sell the partnership property following review by the barrister; legal details and note of reluctance by George Beauchamp to sell.

FOLDER 3 – Letters to Susanne (Susannah/Susan) Little

From Thomas Story Little:
15 June 1886 
Sent from Wellington, New Zealand 
Voyage from Sydney to New Zealand and experiences in Wellington and Christchurch

18 August 1886 
Sent from 92 Botany Street, Moore Park, Sydney
Experiences in New Zealand and Tasmania prior to travelling to Sydney

4 January 1887 
Sent from 92 Botany Street, Moore Park, Sydney
Travel to Burke and Cobar with Russell Barton.

1 May 1887 
Sent from 92 Botany Street, Moore Park, Sydney
Social updates including the Queen’s Birthday celebrations in Sydney.

31 August 1887 
Sent from Oxford Hotel, Inverell, New South Wales
Travel from Sydney to Newcastle via Tamworth and intentions to go to Queensland.

30 August 1888 
Sent from 7 Kellett Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Mentions a strike by 6000 coal miners at Newcastle over an increase of pay from 12/6 and a fortnightly holiday.

From Frank Little, brother of Thomas, Alice and Susannah:
18 April 1899 
Sent from 75 Rochester Row, Westminster, London
Information concerning Executors accounts of Thomas Story Little estate. Also includes a handwritten copy of legal expenses regarding the Will of Thomas Story Little.

15 July 1895. Sent from Bridge Street, Sydney. Letterhead of the Australian Meat and Produce Shippin...

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