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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: sonofthom on Friday 14 November 14 15:10 GMT (UK)
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On of my wife's ancestors travelled from Edinburgh to Melbourne in 1854. Can somebody please confirm how long a journey would have been likely to take? He left Edinburgh in the latter part of November 1854 and we now have some evidence (a dated photograph) that he was in Melbourne in 1854, suggesting a maximum journey time of 4 or 5 weeks. Is this possible? Alex.
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The journeys I found on http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aust1850s.shtml suggest a voyage of 2 or 3 months was standard.
If you know the name of the ship it should be possible to find details.
All the best
Philip
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Thanks Phillip. As he left after 18th November 1854 it looks as if the dating of the photograph must be wrong. Alex.
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It says on http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/websites-mini/journeys-australia/1850s70s/
that a fast clipper, with favourable winds could do the trip in about 2 months?
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Here is the list of ships to OZ in the early 1850's. My lot came 1854 on the Kate and it was pretty much 3 months.
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aust1850s.shtml
As K Garrad says a clipper was faster but also much more expensive. The others lumbered along some taking the more dangerous great circle route and then after a shorter trip banged onto the rocks of Victoria's coast. It is littered with shipwrecks and a very somber place.
A lot of the time factor revolved around at what time of year they left. If they picked up the end of the roaring forties Sept-Dec then it was possible to shorten the trip be far safer and arrive here in summer.
Neil
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Thanks Neil. As no other members of my family (or my wife's - it's her ancestor) left Scotland I have never looked at ships' records before so this is all a new area to me. I notice that these lists refer to these emigrants being dispatched by public funds. My wife's ancestor, Alexander McGlashon, is a bit of an unusual case as he chose to go to Australia for a limited visit of three years, returning about 1857/58 to his wife and family who had remained in Edinburgh. He would have been reasonably well off financially with business interests in Edinburgh and London so I am not sure where his name would be listed as a passenger as I assume that he would have paid his own fare with no public funds involved. Alex
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He should be on a list as mine were. They paid their way, guessing he may have tried the Goldfields or industry in support of to see if money was to be made.
Unassisted Immigrants to NSW.
http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/searchform.aspx?id=43
I will see if he can be found.
Neil
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Interesting! He is not on the lists for either NSW or Victoria. Do you know his business interests?
Neil
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If I had known he used two spelling variations, I may have saved some time.
ALEXR MCGLASHAN AGED 38 ARRIVED VICTORIA IN APR 1855 ON THE SHIP EAGLE as an unassisted passenger.
I am unsure if the ship was called the Eagle or the White Eagle or the Black Eagle but the following gives a great insight into the voyages of that time frame.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/phillipeagles/white_eagle.html
Neil
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ALEXR MCGLASHAN AGED 38 ARRIVED VICTORIA IN APR 1855 ON THE SHIP EAGLE as an unassisted passenger.
Neil, the above Alexr MCGLASHAN arrived with his wife & two children.
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My wife's ancestor, Alexander McGlashon, is a bit of an unusual case as he chose to go to Australia for a limited visit of three years, returning about 1857/58 to his wife and family who had remained in Edinburgh.
Looks like his return voyage:
Alex MCGLASTON departed VICTORIA May 1857 for LIVERPOOL, UK.
Age: Adult
Ship: Great Britain
Page: 007
Outward Passengers to Interstate, UK, NZ and Foreign Ports 1852-1923
http://prov.vic.gov.au/index_search?searchid=42
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ALEXR MCGLASHAN AGED 38 ARRIVED VICTORIA IN APR 1855 ON THE SHIP EAGLE as an unassisted passenger.
Neil, the above Alexr MCGLASHAN arrived with his wife & two children.
Whoops, Thanks Merlin ;) Looks like the name mix up may run further than expected going on that departure.
Neil
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Thanks Neil and Merlin. It looks like that's him on the Great Britain in 1857, with presumably the letter "h" misread as "t". The person appointed to look after his business affairs in Edinburgh had died suddenly on 1st March 1857 so it looks like he might have grabbed the first boat that he could on hearing of this death. Incidentally he was a photographer and is known to have taken some early photographs of Melbourne.
As regards Alexander McGlashan on the Eagle in 1855 his age is given as 38 whereas Alexander McGlashon was born in 1811 and so would have been 43 at that time. However two of his children were John S (for Seton) and Margaret who were born in 1848 and 1846 respectively, corresponding to the names and ages of the children on the Eagle! As regards the 29 year old Jane McGlashan I do not know who she is (his wife was Mary Ann), although he did have a 10 year old daughter named Jane. Is this all just coincidence or is there more to this? My evidence that his wife and children remained in Edinburgh is an 1857 deed signed by Mary Ann McGlashon which states that she "with her children, who are all young were left in Edinburgh". Alex.