Continuing with the diary of Augustus Bostock, written at Grasmere, Western Victoria... Sincerely in searching... Thelma (Bostock) Birrell SEPTEMBER 1863 Tue 1 - Went up to BOORTKOI,calling at COOMETE on the way up. JIMMY (Bostock) went on with me. Weather stormy. Wed 2 - MacGREGOR (Samuel) , ERNEST & TOM (Bostock) and myself went to STREATHAM on the way to SKIPTON SHOW. Weather fine. Thu 3 - Went on to Show and returned to STREATHAM. Bought two hundred and seventy eight cattle for HEPBURN (Benjamin) & LEONARD (William) to be delivered at HEXHAM. Placed the wethers at Coomete in McLEODS (Mr.D ?) hands for sale after shearing. Weather very stormy. Fri 4 - Returned to BOORTKOI. JIMMY (Bostock) came up and stayed all night. Weather rather stormy. Sat 5 - ERNEST (Bostock) & MacGREGOR (Samuel) started for Warrnambool. JIMMY (B) went as far as Coomete with them. Sent a letter by them to PALMER (Octavius Frederick William ) to meet me and bring home the cattle. Weather stormy. Sun 6 - Went out to see where the cattle were. PALMER (O.F.W.) & STEPHENS (Mr.) came up...Weather fine. Mon 7 - Took delivery of cattle and brought to Coomete and camped them in one of the sheep yards. Weather wet and stormy. Tue 8 - Brought the cattle home after a good deal of trouble. Weather very wet and stormy. Wed 9 - Divided cattle and put them in different paddocks. River too high to cross small bridge. Went over to DOYS (Mr.) to see about cartage of posts for wire fencing. Weather fine. Thu 10 - PALMER (O.F.W.) took his cattle home. STEPHENS (Mr.) went with him. Went into Warrnambool about RUTLEDGE'S (Wm ?) cattle. Went to a party at MR.BARBERS (George- his solicitor). Weather stormy. Fri 11 - STEPHENS (Mr.) returned home early and moved the cattle from Grasmere to PURNIM and Purnim cattle down to GRASMERE. Stayed in town all night. Weather the finest day we have had for months. Sat 12 - Saw SHELDRICK(Walter) & SNOW (Henry - both butchers) about cattle and SNOW (Henry) promised to come out for cattle on Monday. Returned home. MR.RUTLEDGE (Wm.?) came up to see cattle and took 40 head of them. STEPHENS (Mr.) & DREW (T.) went down with them. Sun 13 - Went up to Purnim. Called at MARGETTS (Edward). MATSON (John) & McKAY (Mr.) came out. Weather fine. Mon 14 - Put rest of cattle to Purnim and drew the cattle for SNOW (Henry) and to send up country. Sold twenty to MARGETTS (Edward). Took up seven head for SNOW (H.). Stayed in town all night. Weather fine and cloudy. Tue 15 - Stayed in town to the Show of Horse Stock. STEPHENS (Mr.) took up a beast for JIMMY (Bostock) and four for TOM (Bostock) to kill for beef. Also some of the young cattle to put on Coomete. Weather stormy. Wed 16 - Saw WILLIAMS (Harry) about the expense of putting up a cottage at Coomete. Rode out as far as MR.PARKERS (Samuel) new house. Stayed in town all night. Weather stormy. Thu 17 - Returned home. DREW (T.) went to bring back cattle crossed from the Rygrass flat. STEPHENS (Mr.) & TEDDY MARGETTS returned from taking cattle. Killed old bullock in back paddock for the pigs. River over the small bridge. Weather light showers. Fri 18 - Footrotting some of the sheep. Went down to KOROIT to adjourn the revision count. Went up to TARRONE and stayed there all night. W.fine. Sat 19 - Stayed at TARRONE all day. Went out kangaroo shooting in the afternoon. Weather fine. Sun 20 - Went up to BAYLES (William) land to see the huts that are being erected there. WELCHMAN (Mr.W.) went up with me to show me the road. Returned to TARRONE and stayed there all night. Mon 21 - Left Tarrone in the afternoon to return home. Called at Mr.URQUHART (Roderick) and stayed there all night. Weather rained hard in the morning - fine in afternoon. SNOW (Henry) got six head of cattle. Tue 22 - Returned home after dinner. REIDY (John) called about a beast for beef. Weather fine in morning and fine in afternoon. Wed 23 - Put cattle in yard from middle paddock and put two to make up SNOW'S (Henry) number and left one in the yard for REIDY (John) which we killed in the afternoon. Footrotted ewes and lambs. Went round cattle at Purnim. Called at MARGETTS (Edward). Blistered Tim and got Inkerman's shoes put on again. Weather fine excepting some light showers. Thu 24 - STEPHENS (Mr.) and DREW (T) footrotting the sheep. Went into Warrnambool to the MASONIC BALL. Weather fine. Fri 25 - Footrotting sheep and stayed in Warrnambool all night. Went out to MR.RUTLEDGE'S (Wm. ?) with TOM (Bostock). Weather showery. Sat 26 - Returned home. TOM (Bostock) drove some of the ladies out. STEPHENS (Mr.) and DREW (T.) footrotting the sheep. Returned to Warrnambool in the evening. Weather fine. Sun 27 - To church in the morning and up to MR.WARE'S in afternoon on way to see the huts being built for MR.BAYLES (William). Weather stormy. Mon 28 - Went on and saw the huts and found they were not finished. Stayed all night at DAWSON & MITCHELLS. Weather stormy. Tue 29 - Went over to BOORTKOI on way to see MILLIARS (Mr.) ewes. Called at COOMETE. Weather fine. Wed 30 - TOM (Bostock) and myself drove to MILLIARS (Mr.) and saw his ewes and stayed all night. Weather rather warm and frost at night. That completes another month - September 1863. Thelma (Bostock) Birrell at Maroochydore... Bostock Betts Barker Blease Wilkinson http://birrell.1hwy.com/index.htm Cox Upjohn Connell of Wimborne www.angelfire.com/rnb/mrbirrell/ Jas Cox Connell Collins http://matthewbirrell.tripod.com/index.htm