Cost of passage from England to Australia 1888

[LouiseB12]

Does anyone know approximately how much a 3rd class ticket from England to Australia would have cost in 1888?  My ancestor may have gone directly from eg. Liverpool to Melbourne or taken a ship from the North East and then via a European port.  Also, was it all by steamship by then and how long would it have taken.  Many thanks.

[GrahamSimons]

Not quite the right date, but this might be of interest:

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/exhibitions_talks_and_events/online_exhibitions1/north_to_south_northern_ireland_and_the_history_of_australia/free_settlement1.htm

[Sinann]

Advertisement in Kildare Observer 1886

Steamers from Londonderry, Belfast, Queenstown, Galway, Liverpool, Glasgow and London to (American And Canadian ports listed here) from £3 10s
Steamers and Sailing vessels for Australia, New Zealand, &c fares from £13 13s
(And so on)

If you want to see the original search here
http://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/KCL.Edu/

[hanes teulu]

The cheapest fare I could find in 1888 was the Grassendale, an iron sailing ship. The 3rd class fare was from 11 guineas a head with special terms for families.

It sailed from Gravesend on 20 January. On 4 February it was sighted 6 degrees South, 33 degrees West. On 12 March it was sighted 9 degrees South, 33 degrees West. Arrived Sydney 6 May.

P & O steamers were offering 3rd class from 12 guineas

[LouiseB12]

That's great.  Thank you.

[spendlove]

Hi,

There were also Assisted Passages to Australia in the 19th Century.

Spendlove

[Sinann]

Hi,

There were also Assisted Passages to Australia in the 19th Century.

Spendlove

Yes. The ad I posted mentions assisted passages but only says low cost doesn't give a price unfortunately.

[Malcolm33]

   It is only in recent years that passage fares have soared up astronomically.    I paid 77 pounds for a berth in a 6 berth cabin on the Oronsay from Navarino Bay to Melbourne (3 weeks passage) in March 1956.   In November that year I paid 104 pounds sterling - 130 Australian pounds for my return to London in Orcades - I still have the ticket.
   Whilst working at Cooks in Melbourne I looked through some old 1930's brochures which offered passages to the UK from around 28 pounds.
   Before I retired in 1997 one of the last bookings I made was for a couple to travel in the new Arcadia to Southampton and that was $14,000 each one way.
    On the other hand airfares can still be had today for almost the same price as they were between London and Australia in 1957, some specials are even cheaper than they were then.