S
strandloper
I found a little more info on Wikipedia.
It looks like the original seeds where from India , but by the late 1800's they where also importing many things from China and other Asian colonies, so their is likely more than one source.
"The origin of cannabis cultivation and use in Australia began with acclaimed botanist Sir Joseph Banks who arranged to have hemp seed sent to Australia from East India for the production of sails, uniforms, oakum, and rope.[1]
In 1803 Governer King wrote to Joseph Banks stating, "From a pint of hemp-seed, sent from India in 1802, I have now sown 10 acres for Government. A specimen of the rope is round the box that Cayley sends you, which I have desired may be carefully preserved. It grows with the utmost luxuriance, and is generally from 6 to 10 feet in height." [
The reference to "hemp-seed, sent from India" suggests that Governer King was in fact growing C. indica rather than C. sativa (preferred for its fibre quality) for his hemp production, as a distinction between cannabis varieties was yet to be made.
On November 16, 1964 media reported that "the dreaded sex drug, marihuana" had been discovered growing wild along a 65km stretch of the Hunter River. [citation needed] It is now believed this prolific crop had resulted from colonial cultivation by the "Bell brothers — Archibald Bell and William Sims Bell — the first white settlers of Singleton in the Upper Hunter in 1823." [citation needed] (quoted from forum link) "Their father, Archibald Bell, believed that Australia should be a colony for the production of hemp and argued this case before the Bigge Royal Commission in 1819." [citation needed] (quoted from forum link) "In those days the view that Australia should be a hemp colony was widespread."(quoted from forum link)"
It looks like the original seeds where from India , but by the late 1800's they where also importing many things from China and other Asian colonies, so their is likely more than one source.
"The origin of cannabis cultivation and use in Australia began with acclaimed botanist Sir Joseph Banks who arranged to have hemp seed sent to Australia from East India for the production of sails, uniforms, oakum, and rope.[1]
In 1803 Governer King wrote to Joseph Banks stating, "From a pint of hemp-seed, sent from India in 1802, I have now sown 10 acres for Government. A specimen of the rope is round the box that Cayley sends you, which I have desired may be carefully preserved. It grows with the utmost luxuriance, and is generally from 6 to 10 feet in height." [
The reference to "hemp-seed, sent from India" suggests that Governer King was in fact growing C. indica rather than C. sativa (preferred for its fibre quality) for his hemp production, as a distinction between cannabis varieties was yet to be made.
On November 16, 1964 media reported that "the dreaded sex drug, marihuana" had been discovered growing wild along a 65km stretch of the Hunter River. [citation needed] It is now believed this prolific crop had resulted from colonial cultivation by the "Bell brothers — Archibald Bell and William Sims Bell — the first white settlers of Singleton in the Upper Hunter in 1823." [citation needed] (quoted from forum link) "Their father, Archibald Bell, believed that Australia should be a colony for the production of hemp and argued this case before the Bigge Royal Commission in 1819." [citation needed] (quoted from forum link) "In those days the view that Australia should be a hemp colony was widespread."(quoted from forum link)"
