Maggie McAfee Brisbane Queensland Assisted Immigration 1889 Merkara

[Jules1066]

I've recently discovered an index link to assisted immigration for Queensland. Maggie Mcafee arrived in Brisbane in 1889 on The Merkara.
I'd like to think there might be a diary of the voyage.
Of course I'm particularly interested in the details contained in the record and who in Australia  sponsored her voyage. I've managed to place an online order, but not heard back. Does anyone else have experience obtaining docs through Queensland State Archives.

[Maggsie]

Hi,
Where was she from?
Maggsie

[sparrett]

Good morning.
I cannot help with a diary, but I wonder if you have information from the online image.
Merkara sailed from London 30th April 1889 and arrived Brisbane 20th June 1889.

McAFEE, Maggie. Aged 27. Adult.Domestic Servant. Female. Could Read and Write. Religion P (Presbyterian?) Of Lancs.

She was for Cook Town and was listed with seven others for Cook Town, all domestic Servants.

https://www.qld.gov.au/dsiti/qsa/search/
Sue 

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

Maggie was classed as a "free" passenger.

Just for interest this was the same ship that my GGM came out on also free, she disembarked at Rockhampton.

Gerry

[Jules1066]

Maggie was my great-aunt who was born into a military family - they originated from a place near Belfast (now part of Northern Ireland). Her father was stationed near Cork for a while  in Southern Ireland which is where she was born. After the death of her mother, she moved to England where she worked as a servant. She spent some time living with her older sister. One of her brothers moved to Tasmania after leaving the army and it's possible that she tried to join him.....

How did she get a free passage and who was she travelling with? Gerry do you know?

P - would stand for Protestant I suspect.

Her descendants live in Australia and I've always been curious about the reasons that brought her to Australia aged 27.

[rosball]

A brief description of the voyage and the type of passengers on Merkara arriving in June 1889
 Fifth Column

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3497905

Ros

[sparrett]

How did she get a free passage and who was she travelling with? Gerry do you know?
 

 

If you follow the link I have given, you can see the document for yourself.

You will see on it as much as I (or others or Gerry) am able.
You will note the seven others I have mentioned.

Sue

[Aussie1947]

There was a high demand in Queensland at that time for skilled domestic servants (DS) and the Immigration Agent in England deemed that Maggie was suitable for a free passage to Queensland being skilled in that category and in the right age bracket for a single woman.  The manifest shows that Maggie could read and write as well which would have been a great asset.

I think that not all free or assisted passengers could just choose Brisbane as their destination some were required to disembark at ports starting from Thursday Island and ending in Brisbane with stops in between.  In Maggie's case it was Cooktown and of the 8 free passengers for Cooktown, 6 woman were single, all under 30 years old and domestic servants, the 2 men were also single, under 30 and farm servants.

Gerry

[Jules1066]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'd like to find out what she did next. In 1895 at the age of 34 she married Sacheverel Henry Wright who had emigrated to Australia with his siblings after the death of his mother Arabella Hatfield and father Morden Wright an English surgeon. Where did she live before her marriage?

Sacheverel was a miner (went bankrupt), a Gardner and dairyman, and later an engineer (retired in NSW).