Joseph Munro came out to Australia with a large contingent of young single men and a few families from Sutherland, Scotland on the Bourneuf in 1852. Most of them were agricultural labourers, a few were shepherds. Though they were assisted immigrants, most of them (including Joseph) came out "on their own account." Also on the ship were many others from Scotland, some Irish and some English passengers. The ship sailed from Liverpool on the 26th of May 1852 with 754 passengers. There were 137 married couples under 45 years of age, 9 married men over 45 (8 of them married) and 10 married women over 45, 109 men and 139 women aged 14 to 45. The rest of the passengers were children: girls, 5 aged under one year, 32 aged 1-7, and 42 aged 7-14; boys, one aged under one year, 56 aged 1-7, and 67 aged 7-14. It must have been an extraordinarily melancholy voyage, for by the time the ship reached Geelong over three months later, 88 passengers had died of measles, diarrhea, scarlatina and marasmus, and most of those who died were amongst the Scottish children under seven years old. The deaths were blamed mainly on overcrowding on the ship and were the subject of an investigation by the Victorian Health Officer.
Left: The first engraving on the page of the Illustrated London News, July 10 1852.
"Emigration Depot at Birkenhead"
"Depot at Birkenhead for the reception of government emigrants to Australia:
with a vessel alongside the wharf preparing for the voyage"
(Photograph by permission of the National Library of Australia)
The Long Farewell, Don Charlwood, Burgewood Books, Warrendyle, Victoria, 1998
Victoria. Legislative Council. Report of the Health Officer, 'Return of Diseases most Prevalent on Board Ships Performing Quarantine', during the half-year ending 31 December 1852. (quoted on p. 184 of The Long Farewell) p. 114 of the Long Farewell describes the Bourneuf with three decks, the upper deck for the cabin accommodation, the main deck for the steerage passengers and an extra deck called the Orlop deck which also held steerage passengers, and where the portholes were so close to the water that they could rarely be opened. Married people had their bunks in the middle of these two decks, with their young children (see diagram below).
Assisted immigrants from the UK, 1839-1871: Book 6, List of passengers on the ship "Bourneuf" from Liverpool, England, to Geelong, Australia, 1852
Book 6: page 10: "Bourneuf" sailed from Liverpool 26th May 185? Arrived at Geelong Victoria 3rd Sept. 1495 tons, master Robert BIDDY. p.27 Record no. 548: Joseph Munro. Calling: Ag. Labourer. Native country: Scotland, Sutherland. Age: 22. Rel: ? Read/write: ? Single Male. By whom engaged/name, address: on own acct, Geelong.
Who's Master? Who's Man: Australia in the Victorian Age, Michael Cannon (1971) pp159-160" "Five women had died of consumption, puerperal fever, or been lost overboard. Of the 180 children under seven years of age who embarked, nearly half died of diarrhoea, measles, and other complaints … Arrangements for hygiene were primitive or non-existent. The main deck leaked, so that the two migrant decks were usually damp. The water-closets (toilets) were 'of inferior construction and leaky'… The upper emigrant deck had a 'disagreeable smell' while the lower deck was dark and 'difficult to ventilate'. There was insufficient hospital accommodation or spare bedding, so that infected mattresses had to be used again. The matron was almost useless 'owing to physical want of activity or energy', while Surgeon McKevit was accused by the passengers of being 'so grossly intoxicated that he could not attend to his duty'…"
Third engraving: "Government emigrants' mess-room"
"First [engraving] is the ship Bourneuf, of 1495 tons, taking on board her passengers alongside the quay: and an exterior view of the Depot. Next is a sedction of the Bourneuf, showing her fittings up and arrangements for meals, and sleeping berths, distinguishing single male from the females and the married couples. Thirdly is the interior of the large and well-ventilated dining-hall, showing the emigrants at dinner. The room comfortably accommodates 600 people, and they are divided into classes - English, Irish, and Scotch - each table being so marked."
Photographs by permission of the National Library of Australia
Emigration depot at Birkenhead, [London]: Illustrated London
News, July 10 1852. Rex Nan Kivell Collection, NK4182/89 (NLA call no. PIC U3415
NK4182/89 LOC 3973-B)