Notes |
- James was born in South Australia and spent his early life there. He was married with six children, when, in the early 1890s, he decided to leave his job and family, and seek work elsewhere, initially in New Zealand and then in Western Australia. He did not return home.
Illustrated Australian News Wednesday 28th Nov 1877
RENDALL-HARRISON - On the 7th November, at Sandridge, by the Rev. F. C. Platts, M.A., incumbent of Holy Trinity Church, James, oldest son of the late David Rendall, to Jane, only daughter of Mr. Richard Harrison.
Sunday Times (Perth, WA ) Sun 4th August 1912; FOUND DEAD IN BED Mr.James Rendall, J.P.
Mr. James Rendall J.P., was found dead in his bed at his residence, Hay street, at an early hour yesterday morning. On the previous day he had been suffering slightly from ptomaine poisoning, but he has had some internal trouble for some time past, and this no doubt was the cause of his death.The deceased gentleman, who was a commercial traveller, connected with the firm of Messrs. Clark and Co.,.Murray-street, wes a member of the Liberal League, the members of which are requested to pay the last tribute of respect this afternoon.The funeral is appointed to leave Mr. D. J. Chipper's private mortuary Hay-street, Perth, at 3 p.m., for Karrakatta Cemetery.
A LETTER FROM THE WEST. ( From Jas. Rendall ). Having promised a number of friends in Port Melbourne when I left for W.A that I would write and let them know something of the place, and having failed to do so, I crave the opportunity of reaching them and others through the
medium of your widely-read columns. After nearly twelve months residence in West Australia's capital, I am enabled to take a comprehensive survey of the position of affairs. The frantic rush of immigrants continues, and recently the average of arrivals for a month was 1000 per week, but during the last week it must .have been nearly double that number. Just think of the influx and no provision made for their reception whatever. The accommodation of Perth and Fremantle is being taxed to its utmost, and in some cf the so-called respectable boarding houses, no less than five lodgers are being jammed into one room, and even then it is difficult for new arrivals to find accommodation. House rents are jumping almost daily, and have to be paid to secure a residence, in fact there are not sufficient houses, for those that require them, consequently there are a great number of families living in tents; and as they say over here, the black swan is being most liberally fed on the t'other side. Owners of house property have about the best gold mines in W.A., and they are working their claims for all they are worth, and a little bit more. I cannot but regard the outlook as ominous. In the earlier days the people who came westwards were men, who, in almost every case, had enough money to carry
them home again if W.A, did not turn out to their liking, but the late arrivals are mostly the itinerants - the crowd who scraped together just enough to pay their passage over and chanced their luck to get work on arrival. Well, as can easily be imagined, work is not waiting for them on Fremantle Pier, and starvation and misery is sure to stare them in the face before many days have elapsed. Some, of course, have the luck to get jobs,
almost immediately, but others are not so fortunate, and their lengthened visages at the street corners tell their own tales all too plainly. They have not the funds to carry them to the goldfields, where, I believe, work is yet fairly plentiful. The building trades have been fairly brisk, and bricklayers and carpenters have been in fair demand at from 10s. to 11s. per day. The only drawback has been loss of time through want of material, bricks in particular, but with this greatinflux of people from the eastern colonies the labour market is getting rather over-manned, and men, who a few months ago, could finish one job and walk straight on to another, now find some difficulty in obtaining work at all, and it is only the
best all round mechanic who can command work and wages. It is the man of no occupation and the ordinary junior clerk, etc., who suffers and is not wanted in W.A. just now. Carpenters and bricklayers on the field get 15s. per day, but against this they have to pay 30s. for board, with water
extra. Miners are in great demand, and now that the exemptions are just about over, I should say there will be plenty of work for as many strong able-bodied miners as can find their way on to the fields. In the city itself competition is very keen, and a man wants to be up very early to catch the worm. When one sees able-bodied yonng men turning to canvassing, it is a certainty that the struggle for a livelihood is very severe. All places of business, and especially public houses, seem to be doing a thriving business and seem to keep up fair prices, except the drapery establishments, whose keen competition seems to be ruinous. I am sorry I have not had the pleasure of visiting tbe fields, but can tell you what
those think of them who have been there. The general impression is that there are good mines here and there, but that not 5 per cent of the floated properties can pay, but still it is not always the ostentatious mine that pays the biggest dividend, and there should be many quietly floated properties which should return handsome profits. Witness the Great Boulder as an example. In regard to the general run of reports they are as
diversified as the colors of the rainbow, and very little comfort can be gleaned from their recital. The area of country open for prospecting is enormous, and surely in all that space there must be come good properties, and in speaking to some Victorian miners they declare that there are plenty of better prospects in the Gippsland district than many of the boomed W.A. properties, aud perhaps in time to come when a revival occurs in Victoria (which I hope wiil be soon), attention may be once more directed to this neglected field with profitable results. A percentage of the capital invested here if applied to gold prospecting in that district would be of more service than many of the thousands wasted in the Golden West. (To be continued.)
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