THE SHIP “GREAT PACIFIC”
by Fitzroy 1920
The ship of the greatest tonnage that ever brought contract immigrants to Rockhampton, was the Great Pacific, 2088 tons, Captain W. Baillie. She sailed from Liverpool on March 27, 1866, with 644 passengers on board, and after a rough voyage arrived at her destination, Keppel Bay, on July 11, the passage lasting 106 days. The trip was more than usually healthy, and but few deaths occurred.
It was usual for the Rockhampton papers to speak in favourable terms of each shipment of new arrivals, unless there was something specially wrong with them. With regard to those by the Great Pacific they were dubbed “an inferior shipment.” Probably it would have been more correct to have stated that among the immigrants were some of the greatest blackguards ever set ashore from any of those contract vessels.
Among them were a lot of fighting men and some of a worse class, and these became so unruly during the voyage that the Captain and Surgeon Superintendent were nearly driven frantic. The Crocodile goldfield was then in the height of its glory and a lot of these ruffians took up their abode there. One of them in particular, who accurately described himself as “a Liverpool son of a b---h”, so incensed his mate at Ridglands that he struck him on the head with the edge of a tomahawk. Many other man would have been killed but the skull was damaged, the doctor cut a piece out and inserted a silver plate. Except that drink overcame him quickly, he might have lived to an old age. He ultimately died or was killed. The man who struck him had witnesses to prove that he was goaded to a state of mind that he did not care what happened. He received twelve months’ imprisonment. Those who knew the Liverpool beauty would willingly have exonerated him from all blame. The name of the fellow is forgotten, otherwise many would remember him.
Probably one cause of the rowdiness on shipboard was that a number of the single men were navies, or had come out as navies, to get work on the railway. One between Rockhampton and Westwood, then in progress. However, the financial crisis was then at its worst stage, and the government was unable to supply the contractors with funds, and Barry O’Rourke, and Munro discharged about 600 of the men already employed. These men with those by the Great Pacific caused a glut in the labour market, and it was a long time before they all became absorbed. What made matters worse was that there was also a glutted market in Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba, and a good many were coming north to Rockhampton hoping for better things, or at least a chance of winning gold at Crocodile.
The Great Pacific was largely loaded with steel rails for the railway.
Among the passengers by this great ship were Frederick and Mrs. Linthwaite. This notable man, who was of great bulk, eventually obtained the position of Locomotive Foreman on the Central Railway, a position he held for a great number of years. As time went on he took a great interest in Emu Park, and built four cottages on the hill, which are probably still known as Linthwaite’s cottages. He ultimately retired from the railway service, probably under the age limit. He then obtained a seat on the committee of the Livingstone Shire Council, which he held for some time. At length he became obsessed with the idea of going back to England to end his days, and though it was an extremely unwise proceeding, he had been so accustomed to having his own way that his agreeable wife at length gave way. He sold up his property and took ship for the old land, leaving his two married daughters, Mrs. A. J. Haswell and Mrs. S. George behind. Mrs. Linthwaite succumbed to the rigour of the voyage and was buried at sea and Frederick Linthwaite lived to reach England and take a second wife. He lived to see his mistake, but has been dead several years.
Mrs. Haswell and Mrs. George whose husband recently retired from the railway employ under the age limit, are still living and have no desire to leave genial Queensland.