abstinence and temperance movements during the 1880s and 1890s.
Information on the Reverend John Ignatius Bleasedale (1822-84) who
advocated healthy, sober, jolly, wine-drinking population. The Dean of
Melbourne in 1875 who claimed " the forbidden fruit in the Garden of
Eden must have been the grape."
In 1878 the South Australian Band opf Hope and the Total Abstinence
League offered a 100 pounds (English)for the best essay proving the
worthlessness of wine as a beverage. A clergyman won it.
Anybody done research on the Liquor Licensing Act of 1882 in New South
Wales. This bill enabled a person to take out a 'Colonial Wine Shop'
license for 3 pounds and sell colonial wines by the glass or in
quantities up to two gallons. By 1887, over 400 such shops existed,
including 126 in Sydney, according Gerald Walsh. The outlets
unfortunately became sly-grog selling and did nothing to enhance the
reputation of colnial wines or drinking habits for the working classes
According to the Votes and Proceedings, Legislative Assembly of N.S.W..,
1887, P27 of Rep.

                IMPERIAL GALLONS
                BEER            SPIRITS                 WINES
N.S.W.          13.19           1.30                    0.64

VIC.            15.80           1.05                    1.15

QLD.            10.93           1.91                    0.64

S.A.            14.08           0.78                    1.56

U.K.            26.85           0.97                    0.38

NZ.             8.63            0.87                    0.26

In South Australia, wines were given that were immature to give it more
kick, but only in Victoria and South Australia did the consumption of
wine outstrip spirits.
In September 1887 Intoxicating Drink Commission reported
"Sydney is unquestionably more statistically "drunken" than most cities
in the United Kingdom, but not quite as drunken as Liverpool and not
nearly so drunken as Limerick"!
What I would like to know is any of you esteemed people have further
notations on this era in Australia...and did it influence the west coast
of the USA.?
Martin Platts  h.c.i.m.a.