From The Williamstown Chronicle, 25 July 1874

I really don't think there is a place in the colony offering greater all-round attractions of a Sunday afternoon in fine weather than Williamstown. No other locality presents such variety in so small a compass and variety is pleasing, as everybody knows. Go to St. Kilda, and when you have wandered along the Beach, and looked at the pretty women, if there are any about, you have exhausted the programme, and may go home. The same with Brighton. In Sandridge you have a few ships thrown in, but the three places bunched together don't offer half the attractions for a Sunday afternoon's stroll that Williamstown presents any nice day. Here we have not only a beach, but a rocky shore in the bargain ships of every shape and size—lovely women in galore—docks, ships, promenades, and, as our "flowery auctioneer" would say, things beautiful, novel, and entertaining, in varied profusion.... The vessels lie alongside the Railway Pier for weeks together—carpeted gangways invite inspection of the internal arrangements, and I with many others accepted the invitation. It was a strange scene in which one mingled when on the deck of the ship. Forward were a lot of Lascars, with their tasteful though gaudy head dresses chattering and grinning as though life were extremely pleasant to them. There was a sprinkling of thick-lipped Africans about, but they were not so vivacious as the Lascars. Their sack-like hooded coat made them look pitiably cold, when the thermometer must have been up to 60. Some of both races stood about the deck holding in their hands cocoa-nuts which they retail at threepence or fourpence each. Those dusky foreigners are not Sabbatarians, except in the matter of work, and on that point they're wonder fully strict. [Williamstown Chronicle, 25 July 1874, p3]