Towards the end of 1831 the Weller brothers of Sydney decided to form a whaling establishment at Otago Harbour and purchased from the New South Wales government a barque of 214 tons called the ‘Lucy Ann’, under the Command of Captin Owen with necessary stores in September. On return Feb 29, the cargo was flax and timber consigned to J.B. Weller. At beginning of April and before the Whaling season began news was brought from Preservation that a fire had broken out accidentally at Otago establishment and burnt 80 houses, destroying the whaling establishment. This was a great blow and Wellers lost the whole whaling season.
In May when in Sydney Cove ready to sail to N.Z. an attempt was made to burn the ‘Lucy Ann’ and a reward was offered, but no culprit was ever identified. On May 28 she sailed and George Weller went with her, presumably to go to Otago. At this time Weller had a vessel building at Port Pergassas and the return cargo was such a one that could have been got at Port Pergassas, Stewart Island.
Captain Worth told on his return, that Mr. Weller while on an island had been surprised by the natives and captured with the intention of being put to death and eaten, as had happened a short time before in the Vittoria. One of the chiefs was friendly to Weller so they drew lots with pieces of wood; the friendly chief won and Wellers life was spared and he was brought in safety to another island where he had the good fortune to find his brother. The scene of this incident is not given.
On September 14th 1832 the Lucy Ann again sailed for New Zealand but under command of Captain Weller. In March 1833 the Lucy Ann was in Paterson River, Stewart Island, and was spoken by the Caroline.
On May 5th Captain Worth sailed for Otago, and returned on Nov 7 1833 with the first whale oil, 130 tons recorded as coming from Otago Harbour.
In Nov. 1833 the Lucy Ann brought news of the launching of the Joseph Weller, the first vessel built at Stewart Island.
Shortly after the arrival of the Lucy Ann, George Weller intimated to the Controller of Customs, Sidney, that his brother had launched a schooner and applied for a sailing letter and was informed that a vessel built in N.Z. could carry produce to N.S.W. or Tasmania, but no authority was given to grant licence to foreign built Vessels. Authority was given from London to the Joseph Weller, 490 tons.
On August 16th 1834 the Lucy Ann returned from her second voyage having left N.Z. on July 21. The Joseph Weller arrived the following day bringing Guard, of the shipwrecked ‘Harriett’.
Captain Anglin’s account of his Otago experience was as follows.
When the Lucy Ann was at Otago, a large body, 500 natives arrived from Cloudy Bay where they had been at war with a contending tribe. They were insolent and struck Mr. Weller repeatedly and assaulted Captain Hayward; then half left to go to Port Binn, the rest remained and resolved to take the Lucy Ann and assassinate Weller, Hayward, Anglin and the rest. Anglin heard of this and put the Lucy Ann in a state of defence; then the natives gave up the idea of taking the vessel and Captain Anglin, for the better security of the residents of Otago persuaded some of the chiefs on board and set sail for Sydney, keeping the chiefs as hostages.
Under date July 21 1834, a letter was published in the Sydney papers evidently written by Weller- Sorry inform you natives very insolent and troublesome. Were on point of plundering Lucy Ann and the Brig Mary Elisabeth, narrowly escaped capture, they would have killed most of us but that I told them the Chiefs son which you have with you would be hanged. I shall be obliged to leave the place if some protection is not offered to Europeans.’
The Joseph Weller returned to Otago on Sept 4 and Mr. Weller decided to send some oil direct to London. He chartered the John Barry, 540 tons. Four days after the John Barry left Sydney the Joseph Weller sailed from Otago under Circumstances set out in a letter published in the Sydney Herald October 16 1834, from captain Hayward.
28, Sept 1834.
The schooner Joseph Weller arrived 21 inst., all safe; her timely arrival gave us respite of a few weeks, because as soon as the Lucy Ann arrives and the two chiefs which went up in her, return, they tell us they will murder us all and divide our property amongst them. They have been taking our clothing, food of our very plates, and help themselves to oil. They say, white people afraid of them and that number of vessels have been taken by them and white man killed, and Europeans dare not punish them, They would retire into the bush and white man do not know how to fight with a New Zealander. We asked them why they wish to kill us; they answer with indifference, it was necessary for their safety that no one should know what became of us. We are under constant apprehension of being burnt in our beds, and the natives robbing and shooting those that remain. The Schooner Joseph Weller brought news that two ships of war were coming to revenge the murder of the people of the Harriet, This suppressed them a little but When they heard of the smell number of men (60), they laughed at the idea; and had the chiefs that went up to Sydney in the Lucy Ann returned, all would have been over with us. Everything is got ready for an immediate attack but we put great hopes in the statement that two men of war are on the Coast.
We are well armed and prepared for the worst, we have petitioned the Governor for assistance, but we are fearful that it will arrive to late to rescue us from destruction. I have dispatched Mr. Snowden in hope he may make arrangements for sending down two vessels to bring away all our property, as we intend to abandon the place.
The next trip Of the Joseph Weller, she was provided by the Government with 6 Swivels and a long gun. Edward Weller came up in her from Otago and brought word that the natives had become very civil and he intended to remain a few months longer.
The plethora of news from Otago in 1834 gave place to a common place repetition of arrivals and departures during 1835.
The Joseph Weller which left Sydney on May 24th for Otago with Edward Weller and a whaling gang returned on the July 25. Shortly after she left on her last trip, Joseph Weller Who had been suffering from consumption, died, his remains were preserved in a puncheon of rum and shipped to Sydney on the barque Susanna.
[Kevin Sands. My source is a book titled, "Opening the manifest on Otago's infant years" by Ian N. Smith.]
The Susanna was a British barque of 233 tons, she arrived in Sydney on 27 Sept. 1835 (with the deceased Joseph Weller on board). The JOSEPH WELLER, schooner, 49 tons, was built at Stewart Island (NZ), between 1831 and 1833. She first arrived at Sydney on 1 Jan 1834.
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The total produce of the Station from the time of its establishment in 1832 to 1836, was 800 tons of oil, 37; tons of whalebone.
On the 20 April 1836, the Joseph Weller under command of captain Gaunson took away her last cargo of oil and bone, she was then sold to Mr. Peacock for the coastal trade of Australia.
The Joseph Weller being sold, Weller had to make other arrangements and purchased a brig, the Harriett of 302 tons, for £1500, he also had the Nimrod and secured 290 tons of oil in addition to that secured by the Harriett.
In March 1837 an agitation was on foot for a rise in wages, and Jones, Weller and the Cook Strait merchants refused to grant it.
The ‘Henry Freeling’ reached Sydney on the 20 Aug. and Weller at once chartered the Dart to run down to Otago and bring up the balance of the oil. In March 1838, the ‘Dublin Packet’ was purchased by George Weller, and on June 30 sailed for Sydney with 120 tons of oil. At the end of 1839 the Dublin Packet was on the N.Z. coast and on 19 Feb was sent to the Otago and Taieri Stations. June proved a disastrous month for Weller, and the 6th she was sent with some stores to the Taieri Station and put out two anchors, but at dusk she was drifting and struck the reel with great force. Several of the crew were injured and she became a total wreck. She was insured for £1200 & £100 but George Weller bought her for £4100.
During June in Sydney a customs regulation bill was before the Legislative Council, and among others Weller gave evidence on July 8th as follows, "I have made some considerable purchases of land at New Zealand, in all about 400,000 acres, all purchased from chiefs. It was reported in August that Mr. Weller had a scheme on hand to locate about 50 families on land purchased in Otago. A number of mechanics and others expressed a desire to emigrate. In 1839 the barque Honduras was sent by Weller to collect the oil left by the Dublin Packet and take it to London. Captain Bruce reported meeting the ‘Henry Freeling’ wind bound at white Clover.
Mr. Schultze had gone down in her as a passenger, the boat was wrecked, but no passengers or lives were lost. The Lucy Ann left Otago on Jan 28 1840 for Taieri brought back Mr. Schultze who had gone down in the Henry Freeling. On March 27, Mr. Samuel Lyons held an auction of land on the Matuara River, the land sold for 7 pence an acre.
LUCY ANN, bought from the N.S.W. Sept 1831.
JOSEPH WELLER, built at Port Pegasus (near Stewart Island) New Zealand in 1832, sold 1836.
HARRIETT bought 1836.
NIMROD,
DUBLIN PACKET, bought 1838 and wrecked at Taieri Station 1840
HENRY FREELING wrecked Jan 1840 at Tautuku.
Johnny Jones bought SYDNEY PACKET for his first trip to his new whaling station at Preservation Bay in April 1835.
[Kevin Sands. My source is a book titled, "Opening the manifest on Otago's infant years" by Ian N. Smith.]
The SUSANNA was a British barque of 233 tons, she arrived in Sydney on 27 Sept. 1835.
The JOSEPH WELLER, schooner, 49 tons, was built at Stewart Island (NZ), between 1831 and 1833. She first arrived at Sydney on 1 Jan 1834.
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Other related content: Charles William Schultze, The Wellers who emigrated to Australia and New Zealand.,