THE SHIP “PERSIA”
by Fitzroy 1920
Henry Jordan, the new Emigration Agent set to work with zest on his arrival in London, and soon had his first batch of emigrants for Central Queensland ready for despatch. The Persia was a full-rigged ship of 1600 tons on board 454 emigrants, which included a few who dubbed themselves passengers. She sailed on August 6, 1861, and her destination was Port Curtis. Exactly why Port Curtis was the destination instead of Keppel was never known to the writer, but quite possibly it was a misunderstanding.
The Persia arrived in Gladstone Harbour, then known as Port Curtis, on November 16, 1861, after a pretty fair voyage. When Rockhampton people heard the Persia had arrived at Gladstone, instead of Keppel Bay, they immediately started to “raise cain”. A public meeting was at once held, and some of the leading town-men relieved their feelings with some very pointed remarks. They duly sent a request to the Government to allow some of the new chums by the Persia to be sent to Rockhampton.
Colonial Secretary E.G. W. Herbert, who was also the Premier, promptly replied that as many of the immigrants as desired to proceed to Rockhampton could do so. He also informed the Rockhampton people that he had given instructions to the Emigration Agent in England to lay on ships for Keppel Bay direct, as circumstances offered.
This information relieved the feelings of the fiery Rockhamptonites considerably, and the steamer Eagle was sent to Gladstone to bring up such immigrants as were disposed to try their future fortunes in Rockhampton. Would be employers engaged a Mr. Kelsh to engage people for them, so that there was a genuine demand.
On arrival in Gladstone Mr. Kelsh found that almost forty of the new arrivals had already been engaged at from £35 to £ 40 per annum and that many of the new arrivals had been cautioned against going to Rockhampton, which had already won the stigma of being the home of sin, sweat and sorrow.”
Picture goes here, East Street Rockhampton 1865
Mr. Kelsh soon sang the praise of Rockhampton to a good tune - by raising the annual wage, offered by Gladstone people by a “tenner”. It was a sound argument that all could understand, and the result was that the bulk of the immigrants at once boarded the Eagle and came on to Rockhampton. The Premier was as good as his word and all subsequent vessels for the Central District made Keppel Bay their port.
The memorable arrival on the banks of the Fitzroy was nearly sixty four years ago, and doubtless most of the immigrants are dead. The writer knows of one who is still alive, Mr. William Johns, who worked for many years as a compositor in the “Morning Bulletin” office, now of the “Evening News” staff. Doubtless there are others because there was a good percentage of children on board. There are probably some of the children of David Jones and wife, of Table Mountain, still living.
Perhaps the most notable passenger by the Persia was Mr. Macdonald Paterson, who is understood to have been a school teacher in Scotland. On arrival he was engage by Mr. J. A. Watt as clerk for his butchering business, of which he soon become manager. In 1878 Macdonald Paterson and William Rea opposed Charles Hardie Buzzacott and John Macfarlane as members for the Legislative Assembly and both were returned. In 1881 Macdonald Paterson and John Ferguson were returned for another three years. In the interval Macdonald Paterson studied law, passed his examinations, and was admitted as a solicitor practising his profession for many years in Brisbane.
When the Federal Government came into existence he became a member of the House of Representative till 1903. He subsequently died.
When the steamer Eagle arrived at Rockhampton the new chums speedily found occupation. All the streets of the town at that period had stumps in the fairway even if the trees had been felled, and a lot of the Persians found employment in the necessary work of grubbing out the stumps in East street and the other important thoroughfares.