Australia's famous writer Henry Lawson briefly wanted to go, as the famous poet Mary Cameron (later Dame Mary Gilmore) did actually go later and stay six years in Paraguay, but Lawson didn't have the necessary sixty pounds and later turned away from the ideology and methods of Lane, his former boss at the Brisbane Worker.

The 171-ft, copper-hulled Royal Tar, the largest vessel built in Australia at the time, was built of bluegum and bloodwood by John Campbell Stewart (and/or W Marshall) at Copenhagen Mill, Nambucca Heads, on the north coast of New South Wales in 1876, near where this almanac is produced and also not far from many modern-day utopian-style communities (the Rainbow Region of northern New South Wales). For the previous 12 years she had worked as a timber trade ship between Australia and the west coast of the US. She was wrecked on November 26, 1901 (at which time she was owned by JJ Craig of Auckland, New Zealand) on Shearer Rock, Tiritiri Matangi Hauraki Gulf en route from from Auckland to Kaipara, with one mate lost.

The New Australia headquarters in Sydney was in a stone cottage at 111 Elizabeth Street opposite the Supreme Court. William Saunders, Alfred Walker and Charles Leck were the ones who prospected the land in South America. Reports in the New Australia journal, edited by Mary Cameron and Walter Head (1861 - 1939) said that Villarrica, the capital of the department of Guairá and the town nearest to the land, was near a rail head and river, but because 600 people had signed up, Sydney HQ told the men in Paraguay to purchase more land. This they did, but the Australians were never told that it was further (27 miles) from Villarrica railway station than the first land, and further from useful waterways. Saunders, on his return from Paraguay, assembled settlers at Emerald, Queensland. Tom Hicks-Hall and Billy Wood organized an assembly camp at Bourke. Lane, who himself had been on recruiting drives in 1892-93 to Bourke in New South Wales, and Tasmania, among other places, had hoped to set sail on May 1, Labor Day, which was also the date of the opening of the trial of labor union activists in Rockhampton two years earlier. However, he and his lieutenants underestimated the amount of work and time needed to outfit the boat and organize the first 200 emigrants. At the end of May, many settlers from Queensland stayed in ten houses in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney. These Queenslanders were joined by Single Taxers (followers of the American economist Henry George), 26 people including the children, from Albury, NSW and 18 from Adelaide, South Australia. One emigrant, a bandmaster, brought with him 400 pounds worth of instruments, enough for a band, and Annie Lane, William Lane's American wife, took a piano.

Rose Soley (Mrs AJ Rose-Soley; Rose de Boheme; c. 1847-1938) wrote the 'Marching Song' for the intrepid emigrants:

Shoulder to shoulder, mates,
  Shoulders together.
Hand clasped in hand, my mates,
  Fair and foul weather,
Hearts beating close, my mates,
  Each man a brother,
Building a home, my mates,
  All for each other.

The departure was delayed by regulations imposed (perhaps for political purposes) by the Emigration Office, as well as an outbreak of measles among some of the children.

Within just a few days of setting sail from Sydney Harbour there were petty squabbles among some of the emigrants. In Paraguay, disputation became more frequent and Lane became increasingly authoritarian. The colony split in its first year and Lane and his "Royalists" as they were jokingly called left "the Rebels" and founded another colony which they called Cosme. Some of Lane's most fervent supporters also abandoned the project when Lane started crediting God with some of his actions.

James Murdoch, a classics scholar, arrived at New Australia in early 1894 intending to become the commune's school principal. When he met Lane, who told him that he was consulting God about the affairs of New Australia, Murdoch immediately decided he had to return to Japan. He later wrote, "When the leader professed to be ordering his movements and policy by the instructions of a supernatural being, New Australia was no longer any place for James Murdoch". (Murdoch went on to write a three-volume History of Japan and hold the chairs of English Literature at the University of Tokyo and Oriental Studies at the University of Sydney.)

" ... just as the Royal Tar leaves for Paraguay, David Andrade leaves Melbourne for the Dandenongs to effect his communal utopianism (approximately 85 other groups in Victoria alone) while numerous other settlements are attempted around Australia including a remnant of the Barcaldine shearers' camp which is settled near the Alice River. Significantly, Lawson goes to New Zealand and Jack Andrews tries the hermit life on Bombira Hill."   Source

The Royal Tar

"For those interested in the historical aspect, The Copenhagen Mill and Shipyard foreshore walk [at Nambucca] offers a glimpse of the past. Along the waters edge you will see the logs that were placed to support the keels of ships as they were being built over a hundred years ago. Shipwright, John Campbell Stewart, built a number of ships in this yard including the Royal Tar, completed and launched in 1876. It was the largest ship built in New South Wales at the time and was built for the North America, Japan and New Zealand trade run. It played an historical role in ferrying famous emigrants from the New Australia Association to Paraguay between 1893 and 1894."   Source

"At about 1.30am on 26 November 1901 the Royal Tar, a wooden barque, was sunk on Shearer. She was on route from Auckland to Kaipara with nineteen people on board. She went onto the rock due to strong tides, which took the off course. The mate - Kirby went down with the ship, but all others were rescued by the steamer Ngunguru. The wreck was found by Pete Field and the South Auckland Diving Club (Locker-Lampson and Francis 1979 p.81). It lies in 15 to 20 meters of water on a sand and rock bottom, with three metres of visibility. Quite a lot is still found, including fire bricks and the four metre long rudder. Kelly Tarlton and Wade Doak salvaged brass bolts, portholes and a canon, which are now in the Shipwreck Museum. A compass has also been recovered (ibid p.81). No.70, 960, the Royal Tar was of 598 tons register, was 171.2 feet long, 31.4 feet broad and 17.2 feet deep. She was built in 1876 at Nambucca River, N.S.W and was owned by [sic]. Her commander was F Morrison. In the 1890's she was chartered by the New Australian Party to take members to Paraguay." (Additional information from archive research undertaken in Sep 2000 by Tania Mace - bibliographic information follows) The Royal Tar was built in Nambucca, New South Wales in 1876 by Balmain [sic]

"The uninsured vessel was valued at £2,000 to £2,500 pounds. Ministry of Transport, Auckland Regional Office, Marine Department - National Archives, Auckland. New Zealand Heralsd 27 November 1901 p5. The vessel made 12 trips to Auckland between 12/8/1895 and 16/11/1901 (SE 4767 [36/3]:13) Information Source National Archives Auckland New Zealand Herald nzaa, book Unpublished manuscript"   Source

"The Royal Tar, No. 74,960, was a wooden barque of 598 tons register, built at Nambucca River, N.S.W., in 1876, by W. Marshall, and her dimensions were: length 171.2 ft., beam 31.4 ft., depth 17.2 ft. She was owned by Mr. J. J. Craig, of Auckland, and was under the command of Captain Finlay Morrison. The crew numbered 15 all told, including two apprentices. The barque was chartered in the 'nineties to convey members of the New Australian Party to Paraguay."   Source

More    More on Nambucca    The Headland Historical Museum at Nambucca Heads

 

For what is probably still the definitive history of New Australia, see: Souter, Gavin, A Peculiar People: The Australians in Paraguay, Sydney Univ. Press, 1968

Much more on Wm Lane, New Australia and Cosme, in the Book of Days   Mary Gilmore