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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: iwccc on Wednesday 23 August 17 08:59 BST (UK)
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I am researching my Scottish family and was wondering why they came to Australia. They arrived in Australia in 1928. They said they wanted a better life....but would like information on what the conditions were like in Govan, Glasgow before they made the decision to immigrate. Was there an advertising campaign to get people to leave etc? Would there be a limit on how much luggage they could bring?
How do I find out if they paid their own way or were sponsored. They came on the ss.vedic. which left on 10th March, 1928. Was this a ship sponsored by the Salvation Army or not? The names I am researching is James D. and Florence Copland & 3 children.
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This is from the Aberdeen Press and Journal in 1927, but there are also a lot of adverts in Papers all over Britain in 1928 advertising for eg young women/ young men to sail on the Vedic to Australia. Most trips seem to be sponsored by the Salvation Army.
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If you Google, "1926 General Strike, Glasgow!" it will give you some idea of the conditions at that time.
Skoosh.
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Skoosh - that's the exact reason that my maternal Scottish grandparents came from Glasgow to NZ in 1926 bringing with them my Mum and her sister, both young children at that time.
My Grandfather had been a coal miner!
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Like Skoosh, I went to Google and searched for Glasgow 1920s. There's The Glasgow Story 1914 to 1950s, a wiki page about Glasgow gangs and much more. Very interesting. Certainly gives an idea of life in Glasgow at that time. A
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thanks Anne, very interesting reading
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Hi isobelw, Very interesting newspaper article. Thank you. Do you have reference to any of the other adds you mentioned regarding 'encouraging people to the colonies"? Thanks for your help
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Thanks Skoosh, Very interesting reading about the General Strike. Thanks for that help
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If you can be more specific with names/addresses of your ancestors I'm sure more stories/pics etc. will unfold from descendants of people from that area/era.
Annie
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This is from the Sunday Post ( a popular paper still in central Scotland) June 1928. I believe this is the sailing your ancestors probably went over on.
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Also a 1928 article from an English paper.
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1928 article - sorry not in correct order
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Just noticed your family actually sailed march 1928. This doesn't appear to be a Salvation Army sponsored sailing. There are some papers pertaining to the March sailing on the NAA website ( in case you haven't seen them).
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Thanks isobelw, Interesting reading...but as you say these are the October sailings. and my relatives came in March, 1928. I don't recognise "NAA". can you advise me what is the full name of this site please. Thank you
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I can't see them mentioned as passengers, 1st column: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79222835
Salvation Army association: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122806289
National Australian Archives - www.naa.gov.au - isn't working at the mo, though.
Jamjar
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Try going straight into RecordSearch, the site seems to be playing up a bit.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx
SS Vedic 10 March 1928
http://soda.naa.gov.au/record/468689/1
Debra :)
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thanks Dundee, Still can't get into the Record search as yet but thanks so much for the help in finding the Vedic passenger list etc. on soda.naa.gov. Very helpful
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http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3916747 9 March 1928 The Argus.
No, the March 1928 voyage was not sponsored by the Salvation army. See the cutting linked above.
Salvation Army Ships
More Charters Likely.
The Vedic came under charter to the Salvation Army**….. The Vedic’s voyage was intended to be the first of a series of specially chartered sailings, but in view of the unsettled state of the labour market it was decided to postpone the project…..
** this is referring to earlier 1927 voyage.
JM
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The 1925 electoral register ( the last I can find James D and Florence listed on) finds them at 235 Moss Road, Govan. This area has been extensively redeveloped due to building of roads linking to the M8 motorway and most recently the building of Glasgow's new Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A few tenements ( numbered from 1 to 11) still survive on Moss Road, but I can't find any old photos to confirm if the housing was all similar to this.
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Found this photo which says it includes Moss Road. The area in the top right is the old Southern General Hospital which is where the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital is now located. I think the tenements to the bottom of the picture is Moss Road
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The shipping of kids to Australia then wasn't entirely all milk & honey. In recent times the Oz PM apologised for the ill-treatment & abuse some of these kids suffered.
Skoosh.
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The shipping of kids to Australia then wasn't entirely all milk & honey. In recent times the Oz PM apologised for the ill-treatment & abuse some of these kids suffered.
Skoosh.
Yes, those children were child migrants ... their parents did not know they were being sent to Australia, and our then Prime Minister offered the Apology back in 2009. The COPLAND family, (mum, dad and 3 children) all migrated together and were not part of a program that separated families.
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/110625/20091116-1801/www.pm.gov.au/node/6321.html
https://www.childmigrantstrust.com/media-and-books/oranges-and-sunshine
JM
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My father's brother departed for Sydney on the "BORDA" on 12th Jan 1928. He was one of five children and he was the oldest, so he was sent to Australia for "a better life". I am 74, and I am not sure if my memory plays me a trick, but I think I can vaguely remember the advert. It appeared on cinema screens between pictures, and might have been entitled "A Better Life", and encouraged parents to send their children there. Times were hard - but this wasn't the real reason the government wanted kids sent out there.
Australia was under-populated and weak. The UK wanted to build up the country to make it safer from any conflict that arose from an outside source. That was why they were encouraging
families, as well as kids, to go.
Can you imagine the heartbreak of a boy of 17, standing on a ship waving his family goodbye, knowing that he would probably never see them again? He had been brought up in a small place called Sandford, near Strathaven. According to my father, it was a wonderful place to grow up, with great countryside, and lots of places for boys to explore....
He never married and died alone in a Sydney hotel.
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Thank you majm, Appreciate your input.
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Thank you Dodsie4, Very sad. Glad our forebears came to Australia as a 'family'. Thank you for your help,
Now need to find whether they came out on a cheap fare or sponsored or ?
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How sad Doddsie...
A bit off topic but was your uncle forced to go?
I think the term 'better together' would fit the scenario, poor lad & to think governments still get away with untruths :(
I find these things very disturbing, going back to the mid 1800s was similar with the clearances, being told they would have a 'better life'....not true but we won't go down that road :'(
Annie
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Annie, Glasgow Corporation used to send unwanted/homeless kids to be fostered out in the country in the 1920's. Some doubtless were reared as one of the family & prospered but others, very sadly, were regarded as skivvies & had a terrible life. They became the parents of folk still living so a touchy subject yet.
Skoosh.
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This is an advert for the March 10 1928 sailing.
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Thanks isobelw, Love the copy of the newspaper add. Thanks for your help