Ormuz, Immigrant Voyage to Australia 1908-09

Date: 27 Nov 1908 to 8 Jan 1909
Location: [unknown]

The voyage of the Royal Mail Ship Ormuz to Australia in 1908/1909

Departed London, England, 27 November 1908
Departed Naples, Italy, 4 December 1908
Arrived Colombo, Ceylon, 20 December 1908
Arrived Fremantle, Western Australia, 31 December 1908
Arrived Adelaide, South Australia, 4 January 1909
Arrived Melbourne, Victoria, 6 January 1909"
Arrived Sydney, New South Wales, 8 January 1909

Newspaper Coverage

MAIL STEAMERS from the Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW : 1891 - 1954) of Saturday the 24th of October 1908, Page 4. [1]
The R.M.S. Ormuz leaves London for Australia, via ports, on the 27th November.

ABOUT PEOPLE from The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) of Monday the 30th of November 1908, Page 6. [2]
A cable message to "The Age" from London states that Dr. Nevill, Bishop of Dunedin, and Dr. Frodsham, Bishop of North Queensland, who have been on a visit to England, are returning. Bishop Nevill is a passenger by R.M.S. Ormuz, which left London on Friday last, and Bishop Frodsham is returning by Lund's Blue Anchor fine.

Dr. Higgins, Roman Catholic Bishop of Ballarat. had arranged to leave Naples on his return to Australia by the R.M.S. Ormuz yesterday. He would be accompanied by Dr. Delaney, Archbishop of Hobart, whose primary object in visiting Rome was to receive the pallium at the hands of the Pope. The vessel is due at Adelaide on 4th January next.

PERSONAL from the Daily Telegraph (Launceston, Tas. : 1883 - 1928) of Saturday the 5th of December 1908, Page 7. [3]
The Australian sculler George Towns, who has been in England for some months, is returning to Sydney by the Ormuz, which left Naples yesterday.

NEWS AND NOTES from The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) of Friday the 18th of December 1908, Page 7. [4]
Immigrants for Western Australia.
The "Australasian World" of November 19 states :- "The Orient liner Ormuz, which leaves London for Australia on November 27, will convey about 57 agriculturists to Western Australia, most of whom are being assisted by the Government Agency in London. Mr. W. H. Dolley, the Western Australian Emigration Officer, reports that the accommodation on the Orient liners for Western Australian emigrants has lately been in creased, but even the increased berth-space fails to meet the demand All passages are booked up to the end of January, 1909, and booking for February has commenced."

NEWS AND NOTES from The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950) of Thursday the 31st of December 1908, Page 4. [5]
Wanted the News. — Barely had the shore people boarded the R.M.S. Ormuz at an early hour this morning' before they were fairly rushed with Inquiries as to who had won the world's boxing championship. A feeling of disappointment was clearly manifested by a great majority of the passengers when Informed of the result. George Towns, the sculler, was, however not surprised. "I fully expected It", he said, adding, "I thought the black was a great deal too big for Tommy."

From a Little Seed. — Chatting a board the R.M.S. Ormuz this morning. Mr. R. M. Teece, general manager of the A.M.P. Society, who has just returned from opening an office of the society in London, said: — "The assets of the society can now vie with those of any office in the world; and it was a mutual office, the best of all kinds,' not a self-seeking one of speculative organisation, but one working according to the best traditions 'on a co-operative basis.' From a little seed tho A.M.P. has grown to one of Of largest offices in the world, and one of the greatest in moral and ethical standing

The American Fleet — During the Voyage of the R.M.S. Ormuz to Australia from London the passengers were treated to a sight which they are not likely to forget in a hurry. Towards midnight on December 20, just as the mail boat was approaching Colombo, everyone on board was surprised to see myriads of lights spring Into view on the port bow. When the first surprise had been overcome, it was guessed that the lights could belong to nothing else but Admiral Sperry's American Fleet, which had just finished coaling at Colombo, and was even then on their way home.

Passengers state that it was a magnificent spectacle to see the stately 16 battleships forging past in the dead of night, each vessel brilliantly lit up. The flagship Connecticut exchanged greetings and reasonable wishes with the Ormuz, and the passengers, after gazing on the Scene for fully two hours, went to rest.

A Liner's Mailbag. — English mails for Australia at this time of the year are usually heavy, and that brought by the R.M.S. Ormuz to-day was no exception to the rule. Following was the list: — Western Australia, 174 bags; South Australia, 107; Victoria, 312; New South Wales, 332; Queensland, 154; Tasmania, 69; New Zealand, 524; Fleet, 17.

Rowed for Fourpence — George Towns, the Australian sculler (one of the most popular athletes that has ever visited England), in conversation with a 'Daily News' representative on board the R.M.S. Ormuz this morning, related the story of his first match, which he rowed at the age of eight years. It was against a schoolmate, with whom he had had an argument as to which was the better 'man. They talked about pounds, but eventually' rowed for 4d. a side on 'the Hunter River one moonlight night. Towns did not forget to go round next day and claim the stakes.

PASSENGERS BY THE ORMUZ from The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) of Friday the 1st of January 1909, Page 6. [6]
PASSENGERS BY THE ORMUZ.
FREMANTLE, December 31.
The Ormuz arrived from London at 8 o'clock this morning, with 'the following passengers:—
For Adelaide- Mrs. Cowell, Misses Cowell (2), Messrs. Macleod, Cowell and Foster; 3 in other classes.

For Melbourne— Mesdames Dobson, infant, and nurse, Stewart, Lang, Paterson, Dill Macky, Roebuck, Stronach, Sutcliffe and infant, Gabbott and two children. Cla-ridge and child, Beeley and infant. Brown, Nelson, Misses Mackenzie, Stinton, Chad-wick, Black, Boyel (2), Nicholson, Marland, Macintyre, Roebuck, Douglas, and Fraser, Messrs. Bright, Mann, Dobson, Lang, Boyd, Davies, Gitchie, Price. Stronach, Claridge. Sutcliffe, Haines, McLean, Brown, and Nelson, the Rev. Mr. Dill Macky. Dr. Stewart, and 31 others.

For Sydney— Mesdames Newman. De Baillon, Redwood, Power, Mackenzie, Jackson. Goddard, Teece, Parson, Picken, Towns. Seager. Lynn, and Miller. Nurse Kendall, Misses Capper, Rouse, Mackenzie, Synott, Lyster, Teece. Picken, Matthews, and Williams, Messrs. Jackson, Gillepie, Kendall, Synnott, Teece, Parsons, Lindsay, Stewart, Youll, Beatty, Fielding,. Tate. Hooper. Murray, Harcourt, Hext, Towns, Joorstad, Siddall, Kirk, Seager. and Swayne, the Rev. Mr. Buchanan. Drs. Lewthwaite and Newmarch, and 101 others.

For Brisbane- Mrs. Benson and child. Misses Benson and Campbell, Messrs. Wilson. Campbell, Christison, Robertson, Co-nochie, Cockburn, Benson, and Swain, and 144 others.

For Launceston— Mrs: Watkin and two children, Mr. Watkin, Dr. Smith.

For Dunedin— Mr. Herbert, Bishop of Dunedin. For Auckland— Messrs. Stenhouse and child and Downing, Miss Coupe, Mr. Downing. and 20 others.

For Lyttleton— Misses Williams and McLean, Mr. Ashley.

SOURCES

• Daily Commercial News and Shipping List of Saturday the 24th of October 1908

• The Age of Monday the 30th of November 1908

• Daily Telegraph of Saturday the 5th of December 1908

• The West Australian of Friday the 18th of December 1908

• The Daily News of Thursday the 31st of December 1908

• The Register of Friday the 1st of January 1909

• The Argus of Thursday 7 January 1909

• Mariners and ships in Australian Waters A Crew and Passenger List to Sydney.