AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2386, 9 November 1880, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

“ Amalgan,” writing in the ‘Castlemaine [Representative, 1 says that Soudry and Mrs Greer are to be married. Thomas Stack, a boy of sixteen, who gallantly rescued three girls from drowning at Cooktown in October last, has been awarded the Victorian Society’s medal. During a debate in the Victorian Assembly Mr Bent alluded to the “cheek ” of another hon. member, and spoke of Ministerialists as a “ crowd. ” He also referred to the members generally as “ men ” but withdrew the latter expression in favor of “ gentlemen ” in deference to the Speaker. Mr Connor, solicitor of Melbourne, is commencing proceedings on behalf of the children of the late John Mooney, squatter, to recover property of the value of from £75,000 to £IOO,OOO in Elizabeth street, Melbourne, lying between the General Post Office and Latrobe street’ The Queensland Assembly has decided to allow its members free passages from their constituencies to Brisbane and vice versa once a year. A block of land at the corner of Collins street and Queen street, Melbourne having 135 ft frontage, has been purchased by the English and Scottish Bank for £60,000. The salvage stock from the Sorata realised very high prices at auction in Adelaide, the drapers running each other for advertising purposes. Jane Dull’ who some years ago, when lost in the Wimmera scrub with her little brothers, put them under a tree to sleep and covered them with clothing which she took off herself to protect them from cold, is married, and has been given £l5O, her share of the fund raised for the children at the time. Mr W. Frost, saddler, of Caramut Victoria, has patented an ingenious but simple contrivance whereb}" a bolting or kicking horse can be instantaneously released from a vehicle. The Swansea correspondent of the “Hobart Town Mercury” relates that on September 30 a young man not far from Cole’s Bay saw an unusual number of large animals floundering in the water, andj not knowing to what tribe they belonged, immediatel} r started for Swansea to obtain assistance in their capture. Messrs Glover and Quin manned a boat, and at once left for the scene, and killed in the shallow water audjou the beach the incredible number of eighty-six whales, of the kind commonly known as finbacks, or bumpers. The men waded close up to them and stabbed them with long knives behind the fin, the animals being entirely helpless in the shallow water. The bay was dyed with blood, and their dying struggles caused quite an agitation of the water for some distance. They are now all on the sand at low tide, and in very shallow water when the tide is in. The smallest of them measures from 25ft to 30ft. Those who have been to view the animals declare that the immense number would not be credited except by eye-witnesses. The fortunate possessors are now exceedingly busy cutting up and boiling down the blubber, and putting the oil into all the spare casks and other vessels they can procure.