Guide to the Records of the SS Great Britain (as filmed by the AJCP)
M2346 - M2347
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2019
Collection Summary
- Creator
- SS Great Britain
- Title
- Records of the SS Great Britain (as filmed by the AJCP)
- Date Range
- 21 August 1852 - 1969
- Collection Number
- M2346 - M2347
- Extent
- 68 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Australian Joint Copying Project
- Sponsor
- The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The records include manuscripts, typescripts, diaries and logs kept on board SS Great Britain on voyages between England and Australia 1852-1876. They contain accounts of passengers and life on board.
Writers include Allan Gilmour, William Bray, Edward Byrd, Thomas Cawly, John Gifford, Andrew Alexander, James Walter, George Greaves, Rosamund D'Ouseley, Louise Buchan and John Campbell.
Conditions Governing Access
Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use
Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.
Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)
Archival History
Material selectively filmed at the SS Great Britain Project, Bristol, as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1989 (AJCP Reels: M2346-2347). Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.
At the time of filming the papers were part of the Great Britain Project. An important part of the SS Great Britain Project was the collecting of archives concerning the ship, her passengers and crew. This index lists material gathered to date that relates to the Australian voyages and which is not already available in Australia. A complete listing of the Archive collection of the Project was available from Mr. B. Wheddon, at the SS Great Britain Project, who was always interested to learn of further material.
Existence and Location of Originals
Brunel's SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, England.
For more information see, SS Great Britaincollections. [https://www.ssgreatbritain.org/brunel-institute/collections]
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2298979] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Related Materials
>
Finding-aid Notes
This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2019. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.
Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.
Subjects
Alexander, Andrew; Australia; Bray, William; Buchan, Louise; Byrd, Edward; Campbell, John (purser); Cawly, Thomas; D'Ouseley, Rosamund; Emigrant voyages; Gifford, John; Gilmour, Allan; Great Britain, SS; Great Britain; Greaves, George; Java; Walter, James
Bibliography
Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 197, p73.
Biographical / Historical
The SS Great Britain was the second ship built by I.K. Brunel, but his first to be built of iron. She was launched at Bristol in 1843 and spent her first years on the New York passenger run. After sustaining severe damage in a grounding on Dundrum Bay, Ireland, she was sold to Gibbs, Bright and Co. in December 1850. The company converted her to carry passengers and cargo between Australia and England; her last voyage from Australia (her 44th) was in 1875-1876. After a short period as a sailing vessel carrying cargo between Liverpool and San Francisco she was hulked in the Faulkland Islands in 1886. She was finally refloated in 1970 and brought back to Bristol where she underwent restoration work and is now open to the public.
Item Descriptions
Series. Material concerning the voyages, 1852 - 1896
21 itemsLiverpool - Melbourne, 7 October 1852; 1896 (File Voyage 9)
2 items
Allan Gilmour. Jottings from life for my children's perusal, 1896 (Item 83 D 1852)
Voyage with father and brother to open Commission house in Melbourne; lack of coal meant ship had to return to St. Helena; death of chinaman; visit to Capetown, pitching tent in 'Canvas City' at Melbourne; death of father and return to London on Atrevida, icebergs. 6p.
Biographical / Historical
Allan Gilmour (1835 - 1907)
Stephen [unknown] (on Board) to mother and father, 7 October 1852 (Item 73 L 1852 Reg 1/8 11/12/73)
Life on board and ceremonies leaving St. Helena, dissatisfaction with conditions on board by passengers, comments on fellow passengers, visit to Capetown. Includes lines written during a storm by Mr. Hammell. 3p. (typescript).
Liverpool - Melbourne, 12 June 1854 - 8 September 1854 (File Voyage 11)
1 itemsMelbourne - Liverpool, 28 January 1862 - 8 April 1862 (File Voyage 21)
1 itemFilmed selectively.
Melbourne to Liverpool voyage via Cape Horn by a passenger, 28 January 1862 - 8 April 1862 (Item D 1862 pp.1-157)
Difficulty of boarding due to rough seas, purchase of provisions for voyage, death of child, entertainments-music, cards, catching fish and birds, parson refuses to conduct services unless allowed into saloon, sighting iceberg, visit to engines, details of ship's company and livestock carried, serving of lime juice after 38 days at sea, fancy dress ball, thieving, presentations to stewards. (photocopy of manuscript)
Also gives daily latitude and longitude positions and air and water temperatures.
Also includes newspaper cutting from Gloucestershire and Avon Life, 'Ten Years Down, Ten to Go,' September 1980 which discusses the restoration of the SS Great Britain and the finding of this diary.
Liverpool - Melbourne, 15 October 1863 - 17 December 1863 (File Voyage 24)
1 item
Liverpool to Melbourne voyage by a passenger (Item 88 D 1863)
Departure and farewells, services on board, sighting other ships, death of child and sheep from heat, details of other passengers, crossing the line, sailors' songs, taking train to Melbourne.
Also gives latitude and longitude positions. Manuscript 48p. Typed transcript 35p.
Liverpool - Melbourne, 24 April 1866 (File Voyage 28)
1 item
Andrew Alexander (SS Great Britain, surgeon) (Hobeson's Bay) to [next of kin], 24 April 1866 (Item 82 L 1866)
Re death of William Wheatley, Steward, washed overboard on 9 April.
Also includestyped transcript and explanatory letter, 18 October 1982 - Leslie Hose (Stockport) to SS Great Britain Project.
Liverpool - Melbourne, 13 December 1867 - 13 February 1868 (File Voyage 31)
2 itemsLiverpool - Melbourne, 12 August 1869 - 13 October 1869 (File Voyage 34)
1 item
Rosamund D'Ouseley Diary, 11 August 1869 - 13 October 1869 (Item 84 D 1869)
Sea sickness, services, details of officers, activities of sailors, playing cards and dancing, publishing of ship's paper G.B. Times, concert, death of child from scarletina, met by a cousin from South Yarra. Photocopy of typescript 10p. (blurred)
Unknown Voyage, 1871 (File)
2 itemsTwo accounts of same recollections of undated voyage
Liverpool - Melbourne, 4 June 1871 - 28 July 1871 (File Voyage 37)
1 item
Diary of a passenger, 4 June 1871 - 28 July 1871 (Item D 1871)
Travelling with brother Charles, sighting of porpoises and dolphins, birds, no ceremony of crossing the line, entertainments on board including masked ball, views of Port Philip and description of Warnambull, Mr. Chinnside's estate. Manuscript 12p. Typed transcript 5p
Liverpool - Melbourne and Melbourne - Liverpool, 13 March 1872 - 28 May 1872 (File Voyage 38)
1 itemLiverpool - Melbourne and Melbourne - Liverpool, 16 December 1871 - 26 December 1872 (File Voyages 39)
1 item
John Campbell, (Chief Steward) Diary, 16 December 1871 - 26 December 1872 (Item 85 D 1871-2)
Details of passengers at Liverpool, gales, deaths of children, measles epidemic, entertainments, arrival at Port Philip 21 February; 20 March embarking passengers, gales, problems of women at sea, death of woman passenger, arrival Liverpool 27 May; leaving Liverpool 26 July, details of passengers, testimonial dinner for Captain Grey, arrive Melbourne, 21 September, visits on shore; 23 October leaving Melbourne, illness on board, 26 November suicide Captain Grey, rescue of crew of American brig, arrival Liverpool 26 December 1872. Includes a print of a gentleman.
Also gives daily latitude and longitude position, weather and milage.
Photocopy of manuscript for 22 November-26 December 1872 8p. Typed transcript 31p.
London - Melbourne and Melbourne - Liverpool, 11 January 1875 - 30 January 1876 (File Voyages 43 and 44)
2 item
John Campbell, (Chief Pursor) Diary, 11 January 1875 - 30 January 1876 (Item 85 D 1875)
Boarding of warrant and steerage passengers, sea sickness, services, concert in saloon, arrival Cape Otway 19 March; leaving Melbourne 1 May, measles among children, coaling at St. Vincent, passengers drunk on shore, arrival Liverpool 10 July, sailed for London 7 August, sailed from Gravesend 26 August, health of passengers, death of Robert Bright from Typhoid fever, arrival Melbourne 20 October; passengers embarking 26 November, suicide of passenger overboard, icebergs, death of baby, arrival Liverpool 29 January 1876. Typed transcript 20p
Series. Material concerning the ship, 1852 - 1875
41 itemsSubseries 1. Crew lists, August 1852 - August 1875
33 itemsCrew lists for voyages Liverpool / Melbourne giving: alphabetical list by surname; christian name, age, place of birth, rank or position.
Subseries 2. Logs, December 1858 - November 1872
3 itemsFilmed selectively.
Series. Miscellaneous material, 1863 - 1969
6 itemsSubseries 2. Joseph Blake, 15 December 1907 - 11 February 1908
2 items
Voyage to New Zealand on board RMS Corinthic, 15 December 1907 - 1 February 1908 (File (a))
Details of entertainment on board - playing cards, Christmas Day Concert, dancing, fancy dress ball; measles epidemic, rough weather, visit to Cape Town - 'a barren waste', landing at Hobart and trip to cider factory and cattle market; arrival at Wellington. 16p. (photocopy typescript)