The Van Diemen's Land Company (also found as Van Dieman Land Company) was created in 1824[citation needed], received a Royal Charter in 1825 [1] and was granted 250,000 acres (1,000 km²) in northwest Tasmania in 1826[citation needed]. The company was a group of London merchants who planned a wool growing venture to supply the needs of the British textile industry.[2]
The company established its headquarters at Circular Head under the management of Edward Carr who arrived in Tasmania in 1826.[2]
Much of the initial cargo, stock and farm labourers arrived in Tasmania aboard the Tranmere. Some of the settlers refused to adapt to their new surroundings. For instance they did not recognise that in the southern hemisphere the seasons were reversed.[2] For many years the costs of farming were only just recovered. By the 1880s the company was making more money from timber felling and timber exports than from farming.[2]
The Company was the constructor of the early stages of the Emu Bay Railway between 1875 and 1884 [3]
The company retains some of the original land grant and is widely-believed to be the last chartered company still operating. By the 1970s the company owned one seventh of its original selection.[2]
References
- ^ Royal Charters, Privy Council website
- ^ a b c d e Phillips, Valmai (1984). Enterprising Australians. Kensington, New South Wales: Bay Books. p. 22. ISBN 0858356473.
- ^ Atkinson, H.K. (1991). Railway Tickets of Tasmania. ISBN 0-9598718-7-X. pp.126-127
External links
Van Diemen's Land Company web site
This article about an Australian corporation or company is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
This agriculture article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.