Travel Qld. to Sydney 1883

[Annette Witherby]

Hi,
I have a Sheffield family who arrived by boat - the Merkara, in Brisbane in December, 1883.

They brought 1 daughter with them, 2yrs and the next child was born in Sydney in1887.

I cannot find a record of their next journey.

How would they have travelled from QLD to NSW in those days.  Would it have been another boat?

A suggestion as to where to look next would be appreciated.

Regards,  Annette

[Beth42]

Hi Annette
Try this -  type in the Google search box
surname 1887 site:mariners.records.nsw.gov.au
inserting your surname in the appropriate place
 and that will give you a list of ships with "your surname" in 1887

if you insert Brisbane after 1887 it will mostly be ships sailing from Brisbane.

OR      www.mariners.records.nsw.gov.au     will take you to Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters
click on Browse by Year and Month (top right hand corner) and search month by month for ships departing from Brisbane.

It looks as if 1887 is not complete but more shipping lists are being transcribed all the time.   Hope this helps     Beth

[judb]

Perhaps they may have travelled by rail.

Wikipedia suggests the Main North NSW line was built from Newcastle to Wallangarra on the Queensland border and connecting with Queensland Railway's line to Brisbane at a break of gauge between 1857 and 1888.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_Australia

Judith

[majm]

They may have journeyed by coach, perhaps Cobb & Co were the best known
and this link seems to indicate they were active in Qld, and Vic, and not just NSW

http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/heritagensw/aug98/6_art.htm

Edit to add ... another link with lots of info including opening paragraph
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/cobbandco/

For 70 years from the 1850s to the 1920s, Cobb & Co. coaches were a principle means of transport in the colonies of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Settlers moving inland, new immigrants hopeful of success on the gold fields, shearers, agents, squatters, children and their parents—everyone used Cobb & Co. stage coaches to move, as efficiently as was possible, around the colonies

Cheers,  JM

[Annette Witherby]

Hi to all,

Many, many thanks for all the time you have spent on the subject.

I have been out most of the day and intend to study all these leads tonight and tomorrow.
Cannot believe that I did not realize the Cobb & Co would have been used around the time.

Thanks again,
Annette