As the rush of emigration in the 1850's simmered down and began to yield a more manageable flow of new settlers, emigration to the colonies became almost a respectable pastime. The hardships of the voyage were greatly improved, particularly with the coming of steam and advances in hygiene. Conditions in Australia also improved with the rapid development of cities, spread of settlements and the vast increase in population and the Government began to realise that they had a continuing responsibility for the people whom they allowed or assisted to emigrate. Government emigration was usually conducted on a far more selected basis from 1860 onwards. Emigration regulations issued in 1879 in N.S.W. instructed the Agent General to choose migrants "with a special view to the promotion of industrial pursuits." Such persons, if aged between twelve and fifty years, could come out upon payment of two pounds. Relatives of Australian citizens could be brought out for amounts varying from two pounds to eight pounds according to age and sex but their upkeep had to be guaranteed by sponsors living in Australia. Arrangements for the reception and employment of the emigrants within Australia were better than before the gold rush days. Free passes were issued to anyone wishing to travel inland. On arriving at a country town the migrants could present a pass to the local police station and receive free board and lodgings for at least forty-eight hours. Other families were permitted to use the ship as their living quarters for some days. (1)
James and Jane and their infant son, Percy, left Durham after weeks of preparations and travelled to Plymouth where they boarded the Abergeldie which set sail on 13th May 1884.(2) We cannot be certain why they decided to emigrate to Australia. There is no evidence to show that they were attracted to the colony by successful relatives, who preceded them and they were not wealthy as they came to Australia as assisted emigrants. It would have been one of the biggest decisions of their lifetime as there were no assisted passages back to England should they become dissatisfied with life in the colony. Jane was at that time about five months pregnant and would have had to cope with the constant demands of a young son and was also affected with bouts of seasickness.
The Abergeldie was one of ten steamers, as well as four sailing ships, that arrived in N.S.W. during 1884, bringing a total of 7,568 emigrants, of whom a quarter were nominated in the Colony and the remainder were selected by the Agent General.(3) The Abergeldie arrived in Sydney on Sunday, 6th July 1884, on a gloomy, cloudy and windy day with the temperature at 63 degrees.(4) All aboard were healthy and were examined by a panel consisting of a Government immigration agent, a doctor, a lawyer and one minister before leaving the ship.(5)
The following is a report as was printed in the Sydney Morning Herald describing the voyage out to Australia.
Monday 7th July 1884.
The Orient Company's chartered steamship, Abergeldie, with immigrants from Plymouth entered the Heads at 25 minutes past 5 p.m. yesterday and proceeded direct to an anchorage in Spring Cove off the quarantine station. She had been expected for some two or three days past, and all the necessary arrangements for the reception of her people at the quarantine station had been perfected beforehand. Fortunately, only a few of the passengers will be required to occupy the buildings.
Directly the steamer dropped her anchor she was boarded by the Government health officer, Dr. Mackeller and Dr. Sibley, the port health officer, who ascertained that measles had been prevalent during the voyage, no fewer than 20 cases having occurred and that there were two cases on board at the present time. Owing to darkness coming on, a proper examination of the vessel could not be made, but what was seen showed that she was in very fair order, and the immigrants who are described as a superior lot of people seemed tolerably happy and contented. There are on board altogether 409 souls, 69 of these being the crew. The immigrants are classified as follows: single men, 157, single women 115, married couples 79, children from 1 to 12, 146, 60 of these being males and 77 females and 8 male infants and four female infants. Two infants died and three were born. In addition to the measles, there were two cases of chicken pox and a like number of whooping cough. The immigrants have been under the medical supervision of Dr. J.A. Beatie, whilst Miss Jones acted as matron in charge of single girls.
This morning commencing at 6 o'clock, the usual cleansing process of all the clothing of the immigrants will be started, and as the appliances for the carrying out of this work are now of the most complete kind, it will be gone through very rapidly, the clothing is contained in trunks to the number of 1200 to 1400 which will be landed by the launch, Lorna Doone. Should the weather keep fine, it is anticipated the cleansing of the clothing will be complete by to-morrow afternoon, when the vessel will be admitted to pratique, and come up the bay with all the passengers except those at present infected with measles, or families in which that disease made its appearance during the voyage. The patients in hospital are two males, who are to be removed to the hospital ashore to-day. They will remain there till they are convalescent. The Abergeldie is commanded by Captain Smith. The Journey has been completed in 52 days.
Some of the figures on this report were not accurate. The following, a more accurate report, was printed in the S.M.Herald, which read as follows:
The Abergeldie remained at her anchorage in Spring Cove yesterday. The work of washing the clothing of the immigrants was briskly proceeded with during the day and it is expected that it will be finished by noon to-day, when the vessel will come and anchor at Neutral Bay. The patients suffering from measles, consisting of two men and girl, were landed and taken to hospital yesterday. Owing to the quarters of the immigrants undergoing the process of fumigation when the ship was visited by our reporter yesterday, they could not be inspected, but other parts of the ship were fairly clean, and the fact that there was so little sickness proves that strict sanitary precautions must have been taken by the medical superintendent. The food appears to have been good and plentiful, and also varied, fresh meat was supplied not less than three times and often four times a week, and nothing reasonable in shape of requests for food seems to have been refused. No complaints have been made by the passengers either in respect to their treatment by the Captain and officers or by medical superintendent and matron; on the contrary addressses of a flattering nature signed by all of the immigrants were presented to Captain Smith, Dr. Beatie, Miss Jones and Mr. Doyle (chief steward) for their kindness, attention and `impartiality' which had been shown to them. As stated yesterday, the immigrants seem a superior class, and consist of mainly English people, though there are some Scotch and a few Irish. There are 79 married couples, 157 single men, 69 male children, 77 female children, 8 male infants and 11 female infants or a total of 595 souls. Three births took place and there were two deaths, one from phthisis and the other from convulsions. Measles broke out on the day the ship left Plymouth, but although 20 cases occurred there were no deaths from this cause.
There has been no material alteration in the fittings of the Abergeldie since her first voyage here, but the housing of the immigrants is different. Now a portion of the married couples are placed right forward, the single men midships, then the other portion of the married couples, and single girls right aft as before. There has been a complete change in the list of officers since the last voyage. Captain James R.Smith, formerly chief officer of the Company's S.S,Lusitania, is in command, and the officers are: Mr.H.P.Sprigins, who was second last voyage, chief Mr. W.E.Dove, second, Mr. H.Bethom, third, Mr. Lynch, fourth, Mr. E. Doyle, steward in charge. Mr. Stevenson still presides in the engine room and has kept the machinery in first rate working order during the voyage. Dr. Beatie, as before, is the medical officer and has been indefatigable in the performance of his duties. Of the voyage, Captain Smith reports that the Abergeldie after embarking the immigrants, took her departure from Pyrmont (sic) at 12.36 p.m. on May 13 and experienced fine weather to Teneriffe, which was reached at 8a.m. on May 19. After taking a supply of coal, fresh water and vegetables, she left again at 9 p.m. on the same day and experienced fresh N.E. trades to 17degrees N and W and S.W. winds thence to 2 degrees N where the S.E. trades were encountered The Abergeldie crossed the Equator in 10 degrees W on May 27 and had to do some hard steaming against strong S.E. trades and a heavy head sea right along to Capetown, the passage being greatly retarded thereby. She anchored in Table Bay on June 9 at 5 p.m. and replenished her bunkers besides taking on board water, fruit and vegetables.
Owing to some repairs being required to the engines, a detention took place but the voyage was resumed at 5 p.m. on 10th June with remarkably fine weather, smooth seas and light winds, varying from N.E. to N. W. which continued to 60 degrees E, the casting being run down on the mean parallel of 89 1/2 degrees S. From 69 degrees E strong winds veering from N.E. to S.E. were met with till the ship was within 400 miles of the Otway. Thence to arrival calms and light winds from S.E.with a heavy head swell and very high barometer, were experienced to arrival. On June 20 when off the Lewin the vessel experienced a fresh gale from N.W. with a very high sea. During the gale Captain Smith tried the efficiency of towing oil bags alongside to break the force of the waves, and the result was very satisfactory, for, although the ship was running with the wind and sea quartley, she ran with almost dry decks.
From the result of this experiment Captain Smith and his officers are of the opinion that it would be invaluable to a steamer disabled in a gale of wind. Cape Otway was passed on the 4th instant at 4.30 a.m. and signalled with the company's night signal, and Wilson's Promontory at 6.17 p. m. also signalled with the Company's night signal, but from neither station was the Abergeldie reported. Gabo Island was passed and signalled at 2 p.m. on the 5th inst. a pilot was taken aboard at 4.55 p.m. on the 6th and the vessel dropped anchor in Spring Cove at 5.20 p.m. The passage including all stoppages was thus concluded in 54 days and 4 hours. The Company's steamship Garonne was passed at 1 a.m. on 6th off Montague Island, and signals were exchanged with her.
(The numbers regarding passengers also differs on this account from the first one - the number of single women having been omitted. The Immigration officer reported 595 persons landed; 182 nominated by the colony and 423 selected by the Agent General)
Shipping records show that James paid four pounds (eight dollars) for himself and two pounds (four dollars) for Jane Ann to the Agent General.
REFERENCES.
- "Whose master, Whose Man" by Michael Cannon
- Shipping Lists, N.S.W. Archives
- S.W. Legislative Council Journal, Immigration Officer's Report.
- Weather Report, Sydney Morning Herald, 7th July 1884
- S.W. L of C Immigration Officer's Report. Pages 215-216.