William Lyall and the Acclimatisation Society

William Lyall (1821-1888) (1), the owner of Harewood, on the South Gippsland Highway at Koo Wee Rup was an enthusiastic member of the Acclimatisation  Society which was established in Victoria  on February 25, 1861. The object of this Society was the introduction, acclimatisation, and domestication of all innoxious animals, birds, fishes insects, and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental ; - the perfection, propagation and hybridisation of races newly introduced or already domesticated; - the spread of indigenous animals, &c. from parts of the colonies where they are already known, to other localities where they are not known (2).

From the First Annual report of the Acclimatisation Society, 1862, listing William Lyall as a Committee member.

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/141530#/summary

I actually own a book that was part of the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society's collection - Beeton's Dictionary of Natural History: a Compedious Encyclopaedia of the Animal Kingdom, published by Ward, Lock & Tyler in 1871 - the title page is reproduced below. No doubt William Lyall would have owned his own copy.

Beeton's Dictionary of Natural History: a Compendious Encyclopaedia of the Animal Kingdom, published by Ward, Lock & Tyler in 1871.

The ownership stamp from my copy of Beeton's Dictionary of Natural History: a Compendious Encyclopaedia of the Animal Kingdom,

William Lyall introduced many species to his property, Harewood,  including deer, partridges, pheasants and hares. There was a thread of letters to the Editor of The Argus in August 1873, about the last mentioned animal, the hare, and who was first responsible for its introduction to Victoria - the Acclimatisation Society or William Lyall. William Lyall and his business partners John Mickle and John Bakewell were the owners of large tracts of land in this area from 1851 (3) and Lyall's claim was supported by Bakewell's nephew, Edward Howitt. 

From J.R. Godfrey, Zoological and Acclimatisation Society, August 21,1873

"Honour to whom Honour is due"

Sir, - I observe that my name is mentioned in connexion with that of Mr. Lyall, at the dinner given by the Coursing Club to Mr. W.J. Clarke, in connexion with the introduction of the hare into this country and though it is true that this animal was imported by us at considerable expense, I would be sorry to claim to myself the merit of their success, as they had been introduced by the Acclimatisation Society, and were sent to various parts of the country before any were imported privately from Europe. I have often been surprised on looking over the list of subscribers to the above society, to notice the absence of the names of those gentlemen who derive most pleasure from the sport of coursing - a sport for which the Acclimatisation Society is mainly to be credited. Had the sporting community waited until the hares imported by Mr. Lyall and myself were numerous enough to afford a day's sport, they would not have been enjoying this amusement so freely at the present day (4). 

From William Lyall, August 22, 1873

"Honour to whom Honour is due"

Sir, - Referring to Mr. Godfrey's letter in this day's Argus, I beg to say that I imported hares, pheasants, and partridges long before the Acclimatisation Society had an existence, and that the county of Mornington and a great part of the Western district of this colony are stocked with hares from Harewood. (5).

William Lyall's letter

The Argus, August 23, 1873 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5870071

From Edward Howitt, August 23, 1873
The Acclimatisation of Hares
Sir, - I observe opinion is divided with regard to the credit of first introducing hares into this colony. I am not aware of the date at which they were just imported by the Acclimatisation Society However, I send you the particulars with reference to (I believe) those introduced by Mr Lyall. In 1860, when in Yorkshire, I was partly instrumental in procuring - at the request of my uncle, Mr John Bakewell, then resident in London - 16 hares from the gamekeeper of Lord Middleton, at Rethington-house. Thirteen of these were shipped and five of them I believe arrived alive in Hobson's Bay. I mention this to show the probable date of their introduction by Mr. Lyall. (6).

Edward Howitt's account is confirmed by The Argus of June 9, 1860, where this short report appeared - By the Norfolk, which came into the bay a few days ago, we may add, five English hares arrived in good condition, out of ten embarked, for W. Lyall, Esq., of Yallock, where they are now (7)

In fact, so proud was the Lyall family of introducing the hare to Victoria that William's daughter, Margaret, wrote to The Argus in June 1937, 64 years after her father did, also noting the Lyall role in this matter

Sir, - In her letter on "Horsemen and Hounds" in 'The Argus" of Saturday, June 12, Mrs M. L. Drought is mistaken in thinking that Mr Godfrey was the first to bring hares into Victoria as my father, the late William Lyall released hares on his property at Western Port in the year 1858. Mr Lyall was also a member of the Victorian Acclimatisation Society. The station property was named Harewood from that date. - 

Yours &c, Margaret M. Timms, Warragul, June 14. (8).

I feel that we can conclusively confirm that William Lyall should receive all the 'credit' for the introduction of the hare into Victoria and that it was in 1860. Interesting that Margaret  says that the hares gave the Lyall property its name, Harewood. I did not know that. 

Margaret Lyall Timms' letter

The Argus, June 19, 1937 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11072967

The following is a report from April 1862, of William Lyall’s project to introduce hares at Harewood (referred to in this article as his property at Western Port) and the casual manner in which some early settlers sought to eradicate native fauna to protect the introduced species. Frogmore was the Lyall property at Carnegie.

Hares. - Mr. Lyall, of Frogmore, turned out some English hares a year or two ago on his property at Western Port. The spot he selected lies between the shore of the bay and some cultivated ground. About the spot there is plenty of clover in the form of low bushes and tall grass and solsolaceous plants. Since the hares were first turned out they have been occasionally seen, have bred, and have also appeared to be thriving well. We regret to learn, however, that an enemy, has lately attacked and killed one or two grown ones. This is a species of hawk, which either strikes them when running or darts down upon them. We should like to know what hawk it is for there are very few here large enough to attempt anything of the kind. The Australian eagle commonly called an "eagle-hawk" has been known to stoop and carry off kangaroo rats, &c, and we suppose it is this bird which has killed Mr. Lyall's hares as it is also often very destructive to young Iambs.

Strychnine is the best remedy, and in many parts of the colony it has been so much used in that eagles are not so numerous as in former years. The best mode of applying it is this - Place the skinned carcase of any dead animal on an open piece of ground that it may be seen easily; score the fleshy parts with a knife, making the cuts within half an inch of each other, and sprinkle into them a few grains of strychnine crushed to a fine powder between two pieces of writing paper. We have seen five or six poisoned a single day. (9)

Hard to believe that you would kill a wedge-tailed eagle, they are so magnificent to watch. I was going to say that they were different times then, but there was a case in 2018 where a man was charged with poisoning over 400 eagles in East Gippsland, so sadly, it still happens (10).

In December 1862, we find this report William Lyall's success with introduced species - 

English hares and pheasants. - It appears that the English hares introduced a few years ago by Mr. Lyall, and turned out on his property by the shores of Western Port Bay, are now in a prosperous condition, and seem to have multiplied greatly. Mr. Lyall informs us that recently, in crossing the field where he first turned out the two or three pairs of imported hares, he started five apparently thriving animals. Mr. Lyall, we believe, was the first to bring hares to Australia, and he now considers the experiment most satisfactory, as these animals seem thoroughly established. At the spot where they were first turned out both native-cats and tiger-cats are numerous; but it appears that such animals are not so destructive to hares as we know they sometimes are to rabbits. From Mr. Lyall's experiments we may also learn that hares are not disposed to stray from localities where they may be first turned out; a very important fact, and worthy the attention of acclimatisers. 

Mr. Lyall's introduction of pheasants has not been attended with such success, thanks to the members of a surveying party in the public service. Some Cockney sportsmen belonging to the party having come
upon the half-tamed pheasants, shot them down as they sat on the gum-trees, and then, having eaten them, carried the intelligence to Mr. Lyall that they had made an important discovery of a new Australian bird- one which no traveller had ever met with before. When charged with having shot imported English birds, the sportsmen undertook to bring a specimen of the newly-discovered bird to the injured proprietor, and next day presented a lyrebird. This style of vindication, however, was self-condemnatory, for as the lyrebird never alights on trees, it would be impossible to have shot it in the gumtree, as described by the sportsmen. (11)

This is a letter, written to the Acclimatisation Society, from William Lyall about his success with some of his introduced species -
Yallock, Sept 29, 1865.
Dear Sir - A sight of the Sambur deer has just put me in mind of my duty to the  Society - that is, to report progress. The animals entrusted to my care have, l am happy to say thriven remarkably well. The three does have three fine fawns, and all are in fine condition. To-day, a doe and a buck were enjoying themselves by taking a swim in a waterhole—indeed, they appear to be fond of the water: so much so, that I am bound to believe that swamps must be their natural habitat. I feel certain that all the islands in the great swamp will, in time, become stocked with the magnificent Sambur deer. At present there is rally one of the bucks (the youngest) remaining with the does: another has taken possession of the garden here, and a very bad gardener he has proved himself to be, I propose having him taken over to join the does in the swamp, where he will he out of harms way. I believe that this part of the colony is, perhaps, better adapted for a home for the pheasant than any other part of Victoria. If the council will send a few down, I win take charge of them.
My hares are doing well and are spreading over the country.
Wishing the society every success, believe me, dear sir, yours very truly, William Lyall. (12).

So successful were his efforts at introducing new hares to Harewood that as reported at an Acclimatisation Society meeting held in December 1867, Mr Lyall had some spare ones that he was willing to give away -

 A letter was read from Mr. W. Lyall, stating that the hares were so numerous on his property at Harewood that he thought several might be safely caught now for distribution in other localities. The council decided to at once avail themselves of Mr. Lyall's kind offer, and send down men to trap the hares. (13)

Beeton's Dictionary of Natural History: a Compendious Encyclopaedia of the Animal Kingdom, has this to say about the hare - they are very prolific, and were it not for the multitudes which are annually shot, or otherwise slaughtered for the London market, they would soon overrun the country. Hares form a great object for pursuit on the part of sportsmen, and hunting them with the greyhound is termed "coursing."  Fast forward to over 160 years since William Lyall introduced the hare to his Harewood property and there are still multitudes of hares in this area.  However, by 1919 another of his acclimatised species, the deer, was said to be in short supply; The Argus reported that  that deer are to be found in the scrub around Koo-wee-rup Swamp and Lang Lang, but they are scarce now, having been thinned down by settlers (14)

Footnotes

(1) William Lyall (1821-1888) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lyall-william-4051 and http://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2017/08/mickle-bakewell-and-lyall.html

(2) The Argus, February 26, 1861, see here.

(3) https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2017/08/mickle-bakewell-and-lyall.html

(4) The Argus, August 22, 1873, see here.

(5) The Argus, August 23, 1873, see here.

(6) The Argus, August 25, 1873, see here.

(7) The Argus, June 9, 1860, see here.

(8) The Argus, June 19, 1937, see here.

(9) Freeman's Journal, April 5, 1862, see here.

(10) https://eastgippsland.net.au/news/eagle-slaughter-update

(11) The Argus, December 4, 1862, see here.

(12) Australasian, October 7, 1865, see here.

(13) The Argus, December 4, 1867,  see here.

(14) The Argus, March 21, 1919, see here.