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92
OATLANDS
From Jerusalem Hall transferred to Oatlands , a small township
on the banks of Lake Dulverton on the main north-south highway, fifty-two
miles from Hobart Town and sixty-eight from Launceston. Although it had
the dubious distinction of being the most elevated township in
Van Diemen 1 s Land,, one thousand three hundred and thirty-seven feet above
sea level with correspondingly very cold winters, it was , nonetheless,
described by . the Colonial Times in 1840 as a 11pleasant township
progressing fast towards prosperity11 . 1 From May 13, 1848, until
January 31, 1850, Hall was in medical charge of the road station at
Oatlands and the probation camp at Jericho, some miles to the south on
the main highway. His salary, both in Jerusalem and Oatlands , remained
the same as in Westbury, 10/- per day, but in Oatlands he received an
extra 2/6 per day contingent . Both in Jerusalem and Oat lands no
quarters were provided by the Medical Department but £50 per annum
ldgng money was allowed instead. The appointment to Oatlands pleased
Mary who was able to rent a house of her own choosing instead of living
in quarters provided by the Ordnance Department . The pleasure she
received from the new arrangements was revealed in a letter she received
from her brother, Austin Latham, from Antwerp, dated August 10, 1849 :
We were all much rej oiced to hear of Mr Edward 's new
appointment and above all that you were so comfortab ly situated
with regard to domestic arrangements. 2
It is not known, however, where in Oatlands they lived.
Hall's time at Oatlands and Jericho was not without incident . Here,
as elsewhere, he frequently conflicted with both the free settlers on the
one hand and the prisoners on the other , when he attempted to perform his
dutes in accordance with the regulations and his own principles . As
Medical Officer he supervised the purchase of food for the convicts to
ensure that the quality laid down by Commissariat regulations was
maintained . Time and again he found that contractors, who were often
amngst the wealthiest and most influential of the population and sometimes
his social friends , were supplying food of such an inferior quality that
he would not eat it himself. In attempting to see justice done to the
convicts, he aroused enmity towards hims elf. Similarly, he incurred the
1
Colonial Times , Oct . 27 , 1840.
2 Hall Papers , NS 308/2/20 .
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