January

Thursday 1. Jany. 1818. !!!
The Native Chiefs with their respective Tribes assembled this day at the Market Place at Parramatta, agreeably to appointment, to the number of 130 Men, Women, & Children. — I presented Gorgets to Cogie as Chief of the George's River Tribe, and to Wowony [?] as Chief of the Botany Tribe, and the Order of Merit to Tindall of the Cow Pasture, and Palpin of the Hawkesbury Tribe. — The whole of the Natives were plentifully and hospitably entertained with Roast Beef, Potatoes, Bread, and Punch; and after having seen the 16 Native children now at the Institution, mustered and marched round the Circle, the Native meeting broke up and departed Peaceably for their Several Homes.

I returned to Sydney to Dinner – and entertained the Committee of the Native Institution, with several other Friends this day at Government House. —

Saturday 3. Jany. !!!
This day about 1. P.M. Our dear Boy Lachlan was innoculated with the Cow-Pock by Doctr. Redfern from a very healthy Child in the Female Orphan School, who had been vaccinated from the Matter lately received from Doctr. Burke in the Isle of France; and we are hopeful it will have the desired effect. — N.B. This first attempt failed ! —

Tuesday 6. Jany. 1818 !
This morning Sailed from Sydney Cove for Bengal – and ultimately for England – the Ship Larkins Commanded by Capt. Wilkinson; Doctr. Mc.Donald having proceeded as a Passenger on board her. —

By this Conveyance I have written to my Broyr. Chas. & several other friends at Home, I sent a Tub wt. 5 Norfolk Pines to Lord Caledon, and Mrs. M. has sent a Tub wt. the same number to Miss Meredith, and several Bulbs & Plants to our friend Mr. Strachan, all in charge of Capt. Wilkinson. —

Thursday 8 Jany. 1818 !!! —
At 12,O'Clock this day, being the time appointed for that purpose, I had the Revd. Mr. Marsden, Prinl. Chaplain, summoned to appear before me in my own Private Office at Government House Sydney, in the presence of the Revd. Mr. Cowper Asst. Chaplain, Mr. Secry. Campbell, and Lt. Watts, A.D.C., and then and there admonished and reprimanded him for his highly seditious, disrespectful, and insolent Conduct, in having recently officiously interfered with some parts of my Public Conduct and particularly with respect to my Ordering 3 free men to be Punished some time ago for Breaking into the Government Domain. — I read the Reprimand to Mr. Marsden from a Paper I held in my Hand and had written for the sake of brevity and perspicuity. — Mr. Marsden received his reprimand very Calously [sic] – and Protesting his innocence. — He tendered his Resignation as a Magistrate which I declined to accept under present Circumstances.

L. M.

Saturday 10 Jany. 1818 !
This afternoon anchored in Sydney Cove the Ship Ocean Transport, Commanded by Capt. Saml. Remington, [sic] and of which Mr. George Fairfowl is Surgeon Supdt.; having 177 Male Convicts on board from England, Guarded by a Detachment of the 48th. Regt. under the Command of Lieut. Campbell of the same Corps. — The Ocean sailed finally from England on the 21st. of August with 180 Male Convicts on board, 2 of whom died on the Passage, and one discharged and sent Home from St. Helena – where the Ocean touched on her way out thither. —

Tuesday 13. Jany. !
The Colonial Brig Govr. Macquarie Sailed this day for the Derwent and Port Dalrymple, conveying Evidences and other Persons on Government account to those two Settlements. —

Wedy. 14. Jany. ! —
Mr. Secry. Campbell mustered the Convicts on board the Ocean. —

Thursday 15. Jany. 1818 !
The Ship Friendship Commanded by Capt. Andrew Armet and of which Mr. Cosgreave is Surgeon Supdt. – having 97 Female Convicts on board – anchored this day in Sydney Cove – having Sailed from England on 12th. July – and touched at St. Helena on her Passage hither.

There embarked 101 Female Convicts, but 4 of that number died on the Passage. Fifteen Free Women, Wives of Convicts now in the Colony, with several Children, have come out in the Friendship. Messrs. Wm. Cordeaux & Thos. Walker, Dy. Asst. Comy. Generals, have arrived in the Friendship; as also Mr. Giles a Missionary – and [name omitted] Hayes a Settler with their respective Families. — Several of the Women arrived in this Ship are afflicted with Scurvy.

Friday 16. Jany. !
The Male Convicts from the Ocean were this day landed, and inspected by myself in the usual manner. — They are fine healthy good looking and young Set of Men. —

Monday 19. Jany. 1818 !!! —
The Queen's Birth-Day having this Year fallen on Sunday (yesterday) the Celebration thereof were necessarily postponed till this Day – when it was Celebrated with the usual Demonstrations of respect, loyalty, joy and festivity. The usual Royal Salutes were fired from the Batteries & Troops in Garrison. — I held a numerous Levee at 1,O'Clock, and in the Evening entertained the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Colony with a Ball and Supper –; 158 Persons, including my own Family having sat down to Supper; but there were in all 196 Invitations sent out, inclusive of those Persons living in the Interior. The Company did not break up till 4,O'Clock next morning –: 30 Couples having Danced.

Wedy. 21 Jany.
Mr. Secry. Campbell mustered the Female Convicts this day on board the Friendship, recently arrived from England.

Monday 26. Jany. 1818 !!!
This being the 30th. Anniversary of the Establishment of the Colony of N. S. Wales by Governor Phillip – who landed first at Sydney on the 26th. of Jany. 1788 – I directed 30 Guns to be fired from Dawse's Battery in honor of the occasion, corresponding with the age of the Colony, this day at 2,O'Clock, in token of my respect for the memory of the late Govr. Phillip as Founder of the Colony. — I also entertained all the Civil & Military Officers of Government residing at Sydney at Dinner –; and Mrs. Macquarie gave the Ladies a Ball and Supper in the Evening.

I also inspected the 48th. Regt., under the Command of Lt. Coll. Erskine, this day, for the first time, in Hyde-Park; and afterwards entertained all the officers of the Corps at dinner at the Government House. —

L. M.

N.B. 58 Persons Sat down to Dinner. —

Thursday 29. Jany. 1818 !!! —
This day about 3,O'Clock in the afternoon, our dear Lachlan was a second time vaccinated with the Cow-Pock in both his Arms by Doctr. Redfern, from the Vaccine-matter received from Doctr. Burke at the Mauritius in the Duplicate Parcel he sent me per the Ship Charlotte; that received in the original Packet per Schooner Jeune Ferdinand having proved Spurious, but, it is to be hoped this will prove more successful.

L. M.

Saty. 31. Jany. !
This day gave an Order to Mr. Michl. Robinson to receive Two Cows from the Govt. Herds, as a Gift, & remuneration from Government, for his Services as the Poet Laureat [sic] of the Colony. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Diary 10 April 1816 – 1 July 1818.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A773 pp.130-138. [Microfilm Reel CY301 Frames #362-370].