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.
Passenger List
Charles BARNES Inf
Charles BARNES 22
Grace BARNES 18
Mary BARNES 20
Mary BARNES 1
William BARNES 23
William BARROWMAN 21
Ellen BATEMAN 22
Edward BEDGOOD 6
Elias BEDGOOD 29
Ellen BEDGOOD 2
George BEDGOOD 34
Hannah BEDGOOD 29
James BEDGOOD 8
Martha BEDGOOD 2
Mary BEDGOOD 33
Harriett BEGGAIN 30
James BEGGAIN 29
Henry BOURKE 26
Clara BROOKER 18
Bernard CAFFREY 18
Philip CAFFREY 16
Jacob CALDWELL 25
James CALLAGHAN 24
Annie CALLIGAN 22
Jane CALLIGAN 20
John CAMERON 43
Wilhemina CAMERON 35
George CARR 26
Mary CARR 20
Robert CARR Inf
James CASSEL 22
Ann CASSELS 25
Adam CATCART 23
Ann CAVELL 23
Edwin CAVELL 24
Catherine CAVORLAN ? 22
Elizabeth CHALMERS 19
Charlotte COLEMAN 27
Rebecca COLEMAN 19
Mary COLES 22
William COLES 20
Anna COLLETT 26
Emanuel DAVIS 1
Emma DAVIS 22
Evan DAVIS 25
Dorothy DEARLOVE 18
Sarah DEARLOVE Inf
William DEARLOVE 20
Michael DEEGAN 23
Henry EDWARDS 23
Mary EDWARDS 26
Barbara GARDEN 16
Mary GERREY 14
Charles GERRY 1
Ellen GERRY 7
George GERRY 10
Martha GERRY 43
Stephen GERRY 17
William GERRY 43
John GILLAND 21
Maria GODBEHERE 41
Agnes HEPBURN 24
Jane HERON 22
James HEWET 21
Roger HICKEY 22
John HODDA 2
John HODDA 25
Pamela HODDA 25
William H HODDA 5
Jane INGLIS 18
Clara JACKSON 18
Joan JACKSON 20
Alice JEFFCOTT 7
Charles JEFFCOTT 10
Edwin JEFFCOTT 37
George JEFFCOTT 2
Philip JEFFCOTT 12
Susannah JEFFCOTT 34
Ellen KEELEY 18
Ann KELLY 23
Alex KENNEDY 23
John KENNEDY 20
Margaret KENNEDY 24
Phelix LAMPH 21
Mary LANGTON 25
Henry LANSLEY 23
Phillip LAVERS 24
John LAW 20
Ann LEE 19
Ebenezer LESLIE 17
Elizabeth LESLIE 19
Mary LESLIE 49
Thomas LESLIE 15
William LESLIE 43
Alexander MACINTOSH 42
Christian MACINTOSH 6
Mary MACINTOSH 40
William MACINTOSH 8
Ann MACMAHON 20
Catherine MACMAHON 23
Ann MADDOX 22
Charles MADDOX 24
William MADDOX 1
Anatasia MAHER 24
Ann MAHER 16
Johanna MAHER 40
Mary MAHER 43
Patrick MAHER 46
Thomas MAHER 22
Catherine MAHONEY 21
William MAPP 23
Harriett MARSH 18
Catherine MARTIN 31
George MARTIN 8
John MARTIN 31
Michael MARTIN 21
Duncan MATHESON 20
Margaret McARTHUR? 28
Johanna McASEY? 21
Andrew McLEAN? 25
Donald McLEAN? 22
Jane McLEAN? 18
Alex McLENNAN? Inf
Alexander McLENNAN? 26
Elizabeth McLENNAN? 20
John McLEOD? 18
Malcom McLEOD? 27
Roderick McLEOD? 21
Catherine McLOUGHLIN? 2
Charles McLOUGHLIN? 32
David McLOUGHLIN? 4
Jane McLOUGHLIN? 30
Thomas McMAHON? 22
Alex McMURTRIE? 1
Andrew McMURTRIE? 25
Marion McMURTRIE? 3
Martha McMURTRIE? 29
Matthew McMURTRIE? 22
George McNAMARA? 20
Jane McNEIL? 16
Dougald McNEVIN? 31
John McPHIE? 22
Margaret McPHIE? Inf
Maria McPHIE? 22
Angus McQUEEN? 22
George MEIKLE 19
Malcom MEIKLE 17
Marion MERCER 21
Robert MERCER 22
Jane NEIL 21
John NEIL 20
John NEIL 30
Marion NEIL 3
Mark NEIL 21
Mary NEIL Inf
Thomas PAGE 19
William PARK 20
John PARSONS 14
Thomas Macdonald PATERSON 20
David PATON 23
Maria PEARSON 18
Biddy PENDER 21
Pat PENDER 19
John QUINLAN 18
Morgan RHYS 19
Michael SALMON 19
John SAWYER 25
Bartholomew SCANLON 19
Daniel SCANLON 23
Jane SMITH 18
Mary Ann SMITH 20
William SMITH 25
Maurice SPLAINE 26
Anty ST LEDGER 2
John ST LEDGER Inf
Martha ST LEDGER 28
Mary ST LEDGER 4
Michael ST LEDGER 30
Mary TALBOT 18
Thomas TAYLOR 26
Margaret THORNTON 45
Margaret THORNTON 15
Nicholas THORNTON 22
Philip THORNTON 60
Mary TRACEY 21
Catherine URQUHART 21
Duncan URQUHART 22
Jane WALLACE 26
Margaret WALLACE 23
Ann WELDON 18
Biddy WELDON 20
Mary WELDON 23
Rose WELDON 49
Biddy WELSH 21
Mary WENDOW 17
Lucy WHEELER 14
Mary WHEELER 18
Margaret WILLIAMS 23
Charles WILLMOTT 21
Henry WILLMOTT 20