ARRIVAL OF THE PESTONJEE BOMANJEE.

• Adelaide Times (SA : 1848 - 1858) 

•  Mon 9 Oct 1854 

This vessel, vrhich left Southampton on the 18th June with two hundred and fifty-two emigrants, whose names will be found in our shipping report, arrived on Saturday. The births during the voyage were six, and the deaths seven, exclusive of two lascars belonging to the crew. With one exception of fever, the passengers on board are all in good health.

The Pestonjee Bomanjee

• South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 

•  Mon 9 Oct 1854 

The Government emigrant ship above named arrived at the lightship anchorage on Saturday, October 7th, after a protracted voyage of 112 days from Southampton the departure from that port having taken place on the 18th June. The surgeon-superintendent, Mr. W. H. Motherall, reports that, with the exception of two cases of continued fever, the emigrants are in a very healthy state.

The official classification is as follows : —

Adults Males, 84  Adult Females, 127

Children under 14 years of age

Males, 41 ; Females, 51

Infants under one year

Males, 4 ; Females, 6

Total 313

The national classification is, English, 303; Irish, 10

The births on the voyage were 5 and the deaths among the emigrants, 7 in number, are thus recorded : —

June 20, Emma Fulstone, 4 years.

Sept. 3, Clara Brand, 1 years.

Sept 9, George Prior, 59 years.

Sept 25, Harriet Ellis, 1 years.

Sept 27, Ann Morgan, 22 years.

Sept 29, Elizbth. Wiltshire, 32 years.

Sept 29, Arthur Tubbs, 1 years.

There were two other cases of mortality, two Lascars numbered among the crew having died during the voyage.

The visit of inspection by Dr. Duncan, Immigration Agent and Health Officer, took place yesterday, and it was understood that the two fever patients would be removed to the Hospital. The Pestonjee Bomanjee is now in the harbour, and therefore the friends of the emigrants, or those who desire to offer any of them employment, have a convenient opportunity of visiting the ship at her moorings.

THE PESTONJEE BOMANJEE.

• Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 

•  Sat 21 Nov 1896 

A considerable amount of amusement and no small interest has been evoked | by the references to the Pestonjee Bomanjee, one of our early ships, and it has been suggested that sho carried 700 passengers and but f,000 arrived, but as a matter of fact we have not recorded so many as fifty, but there is yet another. 

Mr. William Percival, of Suramertown, a Warwickshire man, says he arrived in the Pestonjee Bomanjee on ' October 12, 1838. Some doubt is cast upon the statement of Mr. G. Phillis that she was wrecked in Encounter Bay, and it would be interesting to know what really was her fate. Mr. W. i£. Mattinson, of Port Adelaide, takes exception to the statement contained in Mr. G. Phillis's letter that ; the vessel was wrecked in 1841. He sa.vR lie I remembers her at the Port in 184!) or 1850. 

Mr. Geo. Phillis, Springvale, Mount Pleasant, savs: — " Re Pestonjee Bomanjee—Mrs. G. Johnson came out with her narents in that Bhip. She is living in that neighbourhood. I believe that the Pestonjee Bomanjee was wrecked on Encounter Bay in the year 1841. I was down at the Bay with Mr. J. Snoswell building whaleboats for the whale fishing, and in the winter with a Mr. Thomson, .who was ; n ship carpenter, we built a small craft from the re raainsof two wrecks, and launched her nearly opposite Wright's Island, and I understood that one of the ships was the Pestonjee Bomanjee, and the other was, I think,- the Australian, but I am not sure." 

Mr. VP, L. Beare writes:—"The Pestonjee Bomanjee was here long after Mr. Phillis savs ho was using her bones to build a oraft. The wrecks he alludes to were the Solway and South Australian." As to the pioneers lie eavs:— " There are but three left of the Duke of York, none of the Lady Mary Pelham, the second ship. I think the Late Harry Alford was the last of the third vessel, the John Pirie, and Messrs. W. Jacobs, Thorn and Hodges of the fourth vessel, the Rapid." 

Mr. A. Puddy writes:—As "considerable amount of amusement and no small interest has been evoked by the references to the Pestonjee Bomanjee," I may inform you that at a gathering of old colonists at the Land of Promise Hotel, Hindmarsh, on the occasion of the celebration of the jubilee of South Australia, I took the names of all present, with date of arrival, and the name of the vessel that brought them to South Australia. Amongst the company was the late Mr. E. Ellard, who for many years resided in West Street, Brompton. He informed me that be arrived in the Pestonjee Bomanjee, October 7, 1854, and that this vessel had previously visited Port Adelaide.

PIONEER SHIPS IN KUITPO COLONY COMPETITION 

No. 8-The Pestonjee Bomanjee

By Ida M. Forsyth 

MISS MEGAN BURFORD BEALE with a model of the Pestonjee Bomonjee, which she represents in the Kuitpo contest.

The Pentonjee Bomanjee 595 tons, commanded by Capt. J. R. Hill, arrived on October 12, 1838. The most distinguished passenger on board was Governor Gawler, who had been appointed to succeed Governor Hindmarsh in South Australia. With him was his wife and family. With him also was James C. Hawker (son of Admiral Edward Hawker) whose book, "Early Experiences in South Australia," is most interesting and entertaining. He relates that on their trip a man fell overboard and was rescued. Smallpox broke out. and the passengers and crew were vaccinated and the boat visited Santa Cruz for fumigation. At Rio de Janeiro. an American whaler, the Hydaspes. full of oil, collided with them. Their yards got completely locked, and were difficult to extricate. The Pestonjee claimed and received damages for work and loss of time, although her damage was slight. The whaler was badly damaged. At Rio they attended a slave sale, and also visited a captive slave ship taken by the British. 

Arrival-in Tight Boots 

Of more local interest is his description of the passengers' visit to Adelaide. With tight boots and fashionable attire, they started off walking along the rutty track from Glenelg. The weather was hot, and they were very tired and weary, but endeavored to saunter into the town in a dignified manner much to the apparent amusement of people they met, who, Mr. Hawker says, evidently recognised them as greenhorns. They were staggered at the metropolis of South Australia, principally wooden buildings and tents. In a wooden building in Gawler place they partook of damper, meat (said to be mutton), and bottled English ale. He had been requested by the Governor to look at Government House and report to him what kind of a building it was. They were thoroughly astonished at the viceregal residence. It was a hut with slabs of wood for the sides and the interstices were filled with clay and then whitewashed. The roof was of reeds. There were three rooms in the main building, and two small rooms attached with a separate entrance. 

Torrens Surprises 

They then looked for the River Torrens. Some of them had sketches showing the barque City of Adelaide at anchor opposite Government House. They were shown a miserable dribbly stream with an occasional waterhole and were obliged to believe their guide's statement. Before them was a walk back to Glenelg and still the tight boots. When they arrived there was a heavy swell on and no chance of getting back to their boats. Besides this it was raining. After a rough meal in a reed hut, which served as a bar and drinking saloon, and was crammed with people, they found some shelter under a partly erected marquee for the Governor where they were very cold. It was not a very cheerful introduction to the new land. In the morning they lit a fire by an old reed hut, and it was blazing well when an excited figure appeared and; yelled to them from a safe distance to put the fire out, as the hut was a powder magazine and was catching fire. Fortunately the heavy rain had dampened the reeds of the hut and it could be put out fairly easily. 

Governor Aboard 

Passengers in the Pestonjee Bomanjee included Governor Gawler, Mrs. Gawler, and family, Mrs. M. A. Warrall. W. N. Mitchell, B. H. A. Cawley, J. Fisher. J. Hawker, J. Hornshaw, John Knight, William Pencarrol, H. Radford, John Weston. Thomas Whitaker, T. P. Addison. John Beavis, Rebecca Cowley, Mrs. J. S. Plush. Isaac Podvin, Mary I Ann Wood, George Falkner, Sarah S. Wilkinson. Mary Ann Parsons, David Radford, W. Lapthorne. John Kenoly, Thomas H. Ayliffe, James C. Hawker, Stephen Williams, Margaret Webb, W. H. Burford, Miss Fisher. Thomas Ponney. W. Beare. John Bishop, Thomas Radford, and wife. Miss Megan Burford Beale. who represents this ship, is the great granddaughter of William Henville Burford, who arrived in this ship. Mr. Burford took a leading place in the business life of the city and was for several years in Parliament. Descendants in South Australia of passengers in this ship include Misses Burford. Misses Beale, Mr. George Ayliffe. Mr. J. R. Ayliffe, Mr. H. E. C. Burford, Mr. W. J. M. Cowley, Mrs. M. R. Fea. Mr. Guy Fisher, Mrs. Warden, Mrs. P. Britten-Jones, Mr. L. A. Kay. Mrs. M. C. Kay. Mr. D. Mackenzie, Mrs. Eliza Pavy. Mrs. F. H. Pollitt, Mr. Ernest R. Radford. Mr. Roger R. Reid. Mrs. A. J. Roberts. Misses A. M. and H. L. Roberts. Capt. L. A. White, Messrs. F. C. Addison. A. H. Addison, L. B. Addison. H. M. Addison, G. Addison. Miss Blanche Addison. and Dr. Frank M. Willcox.