re:Irish Domestic Servants Victoria

[skipper]

Could someone tell me where  Irish female domestic servants were housed  when they arrived in Vic. during the 1850's prior to being indentured to a family? Are there any records ?

Cheers
Skipper

[Brisgirl]

Hi Skipper,

I'm not sure they were actually housed.  I've attached a google page taken from a book called "Women, Gender & Labour Migration":

http://books.google.com.au/books?ct=result&id=HA6AQLl30a8C&dq=%22domestic+servants%22+%2Barrival+%2BAustralia+%2Bcolonial&ots=BAIO5QASmN&pg=RA4-PA147&lpg=RA4-PA147&sig=JuHeea_TusnnhR7T_FF6ufJymSg&q=%2Barrival

It suggests young women were indentured practically straight off the boat from an immigration depot. 

Regards, Brisgirl

[Brisgirl]

Hi again Skipper,

I found reference to the plans for the Immigration Barracks in Geelong, Barracks for Orphan Immigrants and the Washhouse Immigration Depot in Melbourne on the Public Records Office of Victoria website:

http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewSeries&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Series%20Details&entityId=VPRS%204107

Click on "Description of this Series" to see the limited information given.

Cheers, Brisgirl

[Brisgirl]

And finally, here is a paragraph from an online Monash University article about Melbourne:

"Queens Wharf, in front of the Customs House, was the river port around the swing basin. Private wharves were built along the river between King and Spencer Streets. The Government Immigration Depot was about one block to the north. Boarding houses sprang up around it."

The website is at:  http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/melbournecity.html

I'm not aware of any existing records for domestic servants before they were indentured, but I'm not an expert on this topic.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Brisgirl