Souvenir Saturday: West Street's early days

West Street without tarmac *

• Tarmacadam, a mainly historical tar-based material for macadamising road surfaces, patented in 1902. Now superseded by asphalt.  
• Tarmac, term used incorrectly by news media for any paved surface of an airport, regardless of material, e.g. the airport aprons, taxiways, or runways

Maritime Adventures at Natal 3: 4 ships wrecked in 28 hours, 1872

This watercolour by Thomas Baines depicts a unique event in the history of Port Natal: the wreck of four wooden sailing vessels on Durban beach within 28 hours, in June 1872. It was another indication of the dangers of anchoring out in the roadstead where a gale could easily cause high seas resulting in a ship's anchor dragging or her cables parting, leaving her helpless. This problem would not be solved until the harbour entrance was dredged and guarded by breakwaters.

The ships were the Grace Piele, Trinculo, Breidablik and Princess Alice, caught in a north-east gale. The only casualties were two mules, part of a cargo from the Grace Piele, which can be seen being dragged ashore in the foreground. No lives were lost. A large crowd of sightseers gathered on the beach. The lighthouse can be seen at the seaward end of the Bluff.

The location of the wrecks was near the foot of what would later be named West Street.

Captain Bell was not at hand to assist: he had died in 1869. 

Maritime adventures at Natal 2: Earl of Hardwicke and Lord George Bentinck

Captain William Bell had his fair share of shipwrecks to cope with during his time as Port Captain at Durban. 

The 1860s were particularly busy, as the volume of sail visiting the port increased and the difficulties of the harbour entrance, with varying depths of water over the Bar, had yet to be overcome. This was also the decade which saw the beginning of immigration of Indian labour, with ships sailing from Madras and other Indian ports to Natal carrying large numbers of migrants. 

Each shipwreck which occurred in the environs of the port would be the subject of an enquiry by the Harbour Board and the findings published in the local press. Bell and George Cato as well as the Lieutenant Governor and the Surveyor General sat on this Board and were closely involved in the harbour works proposed by John Milne, Harbour Engineer. 

The Earl of Hardwicke was a British wooden ship of 903 tons commanded by Captain Maddison. She was wrecked on the Back Beach at Durban on 26 Sept 1863 during a north east gale after a voyage from Madras with a cargo of Indian Immigrants. Fortunately no lives were lost. [Natal Mercury 4 December 1863]

There had been a similar incident on 3 January 1861 when the Lord George Bentinck another British barque of 592 tons, commanded by Captain George Case, was wrecked on the Back Beach in a north-easterly wind. She was carrying Indian immigrants and had sailed from Madras. [Natal Mercury 10 January 1861] 

The Adelaide was wrecked during a strong easterly gale on 8 Feb 1866. This ship was also carrying Indian immigrants. Several men were drowned in the incident.

[Natal Mercury 8 February 1866]

Scrimshaw: Sailing vessel on whale ivory.

Maritime adventures at Natal 1: the Princeza and Bell

This snippet from the Natal Mercury 21 July 1859 emphasises that once a ship reached its destination, Natal, there could still be any number of complications before a passenger actually set foot ashore. The Reliance dragged her anchors and nearly came to grief, but was eventually hauled to safety. The Jan Van Brakel lost both her anchors, spares being supplied from the shore. This incident led to a lawsuit. On board the Van Brakel were nearly fifty Dutch immigrants destined for New Guelderland on the Natal North Coast, part of Colenbrander's scheme. 

The Princeza mentioned in the above report was a schooner of Liverpool commanded by Captain W Lee. She was almost the cause of a disaster in September 1854 when the Port Boat - whose crew on that occasion included Captain William Bell and the harbour pilot/coxswain George Archer - coming ashore in the early hours from the schooner which lay outside at anchor, had a narrow escape from drowning. The night was very dark and the Port Boat filled with water in the heavy surf. Bell and his crew were immersed chest-deep before they abandoned her and slowly groped their way to land without a light. If the incident had taken place a yard or two nearer the deep water channel all the men would have been lost. 

[Source: The Natal Mercury Supplement 27 September 1854 ‘Boat Accidents’.]

Schooner

Souvenir Saturday: DNA and Hair Jewellery

Intricately arranged bands of light and dark human hair in the simple locket above show that the
wearer is remembering a departed loved one. Though the notion of mourning jewellery dates back to the medieval era, it was during the Victorian age that memento mori ('remember death') reached its greatest popularity and production. Queen Victoria herself may have started the trend after the tragic loss of her husband, Prince Albert, when he was only 42. She resolved to wear black for the rest of her life.

Initially for the upper classes, remembrance pieces made out of the hair of the deceased gradually became popular and being less expensive than mourning jewellery made of jet (a shiny black gemstone) or other materials were more within the reach of the ordinary person. 

A family historian such as myself, on finding such a treasure among inherited memorabilia, would wonder what the hair could tell of the ancestor on whose head it originally grew. Unfortunately, the answer is 'Nothing', apart from an indication of hair colour or how fine or thick the hair might once have been. DNA cannot be extracted from hair found in a locket.

This is because hair is not formed from cells but from keratin.The same is true of fingernails.
DNA only exists in a cell. The nucleus of the cell has the organism's cellular DNA. It might be possible to extract DNA from the follicle cellular remains if the hair has fallen off or been torn out - root cells may then be present and these could be tested for DNA. Hair incorporated into mourning jewellery has generally been cut from the head and has no follicle left attached.

My ancestors worked in a dynamite factory

Workers at Nobel's Explosives Factory, Ardeer, Stevenston.
(North Ayrshire Libraries)

In the process of finding out more about my Hamilton and Gibson ancestors who had once lived in a small village called Stevenston on the coast of Ayrshire, Scotland, I discovered that several members of these families had worked at 'the dinnamit' (i.e. the Dynamite) local parlance for Nobel's Explosives Factory at Ardeer.

Census returns revealed that Hamilton and Gibson daughters as young as twelve years old had contributed to the family income by being 'carteridge (cartridge) makers' at the factory. It was an extremely dangerous occupation and the girls had to wear their hair in plaits or pigtails to lessen the risk of accidents with any of the inflammable materials used. These included nitric and sulphuric acid.

The perils inherent in the manufacture of explosives were obvious to the workers and their families. It must have been a wrench for mothers to say goodbye to young children going off to the factory to earn what was a pittance. But times were hard and every little helped to keep the family fed and clothed. My Hamilton great grandmother gave birth to fifteen children and raised thirteen of them to adulthood, no mean feat. Fortunately, her daughters survived their years at the dynamite factory despite the dangers they faced daily.

The first fatal accident at the explosives plant took place in August 1882 when a man dropped a bottle of nitro-glycerine. He was killed. Later the same year a nitro-cotton stove exploded, with the loss of two men. But the most serious accident up to that time cast a pall of pain and sorrow over the whole district when a cartridge hut blew up, setting fire to three similar huts. Poignantly, all ten fatalities were young girls between 18 and 25. Stevenston was plunged into mourning. The investigation into the incident found that a broken lever handle on a machine had fallen on to a box of dynamite causing detonation. The Company was held blameless. 

There were other incidents, some minor and some with tragic consequences, in the years that followed. The start of World War I in 1914 ended the early stage of the Nobel's Factory at Ardeer. Increasing production of explosives for military use meant a growing workforce. From January 1873 until February 1914, 37 lives were lost - less than one a year. Compared to high numbers of fatalities in heavy industries such as mining, the strict regulations enforced in the explosives industry kept down the number of deaths.

Elizabeth Hamilton

 with some of her many grandchildren.

Acknowledgement: To historian John Millar for his willingness to share his remarkable knowledge of Ardeer and environs and for his assistance with my digging into Hamilton and Gibson ancestry. His book 'In the Shadow of the Dynamite', the product of years of committed research, is packed with fascinating information.

Celebrity genealogy

Is it just me, or are you also a leetle tired of celebrity genealogy? Been there, done that, torn up the T-shirt?

I’ve watched most of the offerings available either on TV or on DVD, from more obscure productions to UK’s massively popular offering – you know the one I mean. And, yes, they do have a hypnotic, even an addictive, attraction.

It depends, I suppose, on how critically you watch the episodes: whether the quality of the research procedures employed stand up to close scrutiny or whether you’re simply riveted by the storyline and don’t mind if the nuts and bolts aren’t screwed down tightly and the conclusion is reached by the magic of television – as seen in cooking programmes where there’s a sample of the day’s recipe ‘made before’ so we can see immediately what the finished product should look like.

I’m not insinuating that these shows are half-baked, far from it. It is evident that a huge amount of research, time, effort – and, of course, money – goes into the writing, directing and polishing of each story. However, the nature of the medium brings its own limitations. It would be impossible to include in an episode of less than an hour every tiny detail discovered during the research stage or to mention all sources consulted. If that were to be attempted viewers might well be nodding off in their armchairs. People want to be entertained. What to leave out and still retain the story’s genealogical credibility must be a daunting juggling act for scriptwriters and editors.

One obvious outcome is that ‘newbies’ – ghastly term - introduced to the world of genealogy via such programmes are left with the impression that everything is easy and they should be able to climb their family tree in no time. They begin their search armed with unrealistic expectations and wonder why the magic doesn’t work for them. There’s much said about the numerous viewers who begin taking an interest in family history because of watching these programmes but is this really the best route into the topic?

There’s no doubt that it is a money-spinner for the media, for professional genealogists involved with the programmes and for other commercial enterprises associated with family history. Whether it is of benefit to the pursuit of genealogy in general, or to the average family historian, is less simple to determine. Isn’t it merely another example of the current dumbing down we’ve already seen in printed genealogy publications where bite-sized bits of information are aimed at readers who are expected to have the attention span of a gnat?

Which brings me back to my initial question: now that the attention of a wider market has been captured by playing the glossily-packaged celebrity card, could we return to real genealogy research? If there’s one thing the latter teaches us, it is that there’s no such thing as an ordinary life – we all have extraordinary ancestors to discover and to share. Let’s celebrate them.

Passengers to Natal various vessels 1858, mention of G Caithness

1858 - ARRIVAL OF VARIOUS SHIPPING

June 22 1858 - Arrival of Pet (schooner) 100t, G Caithness, from Mauritius

June 20 1858 - Arrival of Princeza (schooner) 141t, W Lee, from Liverpool
Passengers
Rev W and Mrs Mason

Mr Atkinson
Mr Ward

A 3-master of the 1850s similar to the barque Lady of the Lake

June 21 1858 - Arrival of Lady of the Lake (barque) 321t, M Taylor, from London
Passengers
Cabin: Messrs
Carbutt
Burton
Ellington
Mrs I Taylor, Miss Taylor and Mrs MH Taylor
2nd Cabin
Miss C Burton
WF Bloy
WR BloyMessrs
Kirkham
Crowder and Mrs Crowder
Mr Gavin
Miss Hillary
Mrs Hooper and 2 Misses Hooper
Mrs and Master Little
Miss Richards
Steerage
Miss Arnold
Mr Brickhill and 2 Masters Brickhill
Mrs Flemming
Mr Glenester
Mr and Mrs Gray
Messrs Hillary (17 in number)
Miss A Jenkins
L Jenkins
Messrs Inman and Long
Mr and Mrs Meldrum
Messrs
Marshall
Milne
Gawrbee (?)
Gyles
Mr and Mrs Pugh and 2 children
Mr and Mrs Ramsay and 6 children
Jane Brunton
Maria Sydnell
Mary Wilson
Messrs Thompsit and White

Souvenir Saturday: William Bell Gadsden 1934 Durban

His first car: June 1934. The Morris 8.

My father, William Bell Gadsden (1910-1995).

Passengers to Natal per Waldensian and Estafette 1858

ARRIVAL OF THE WALDENSIAN and ESTAFETTE Natal Mercury July 31 1858

The Waldensian arrived at the anchorage yesterday, about noon. She brings the English mail to the 5th of June. She left the Cape on the 20th, arrived in Mossel Bay on the 22nd, left on the 23rd, arrived in Algoa Bay on the 24th, left on the 27th; arrived at East London on the 28th, and left on the same day, having encountered heavy westerly winds the whole voyage.

PASSENGERS per Waldensian are
Mr and Mrs Crawford, two children and three servants
Mr Adamson
From Algoa Bay
Mr Taylor
Mr Whalley
Mr Broad
Mr Cousens
Steerage
Mr John Tweedie
Mrs Midgeley and child
Mr Lodge

It will be seen that Lord Derby's Cabinet is still on its legs; but Sir Bulwer Lytton is Colonial Secretary, in place of Lord Stanley. We fear a change for the worse.

The Agammenon and Niagara were to start with the Atlantic telegraphic cable on the 9th of June.

Captain Pilkington, civil engineer, of Cape Town, is dead.

The Estafette has arrived in Simon's Bay, from Amsterdam, on her way to Natal, with Dutch immigrants.

Consols 5th June, 96, ex div.

Rate of Discount, Bank of England, 6 per cent.

25,000 men are to be sent to India without an hours' delay.

Cape Wools, with some exceptions, shew a falling off in quality and condition, but towards the close of the sales prices somewhat rallied.

A war is said to be imminent between Austria and France. A feverish agitation prevails throughout the latter country.

The Early Morn sailed on the 30th May.

Sir George Grey is on his way to, if he has not already arrived in the Free State.

The Waldensian met the Madagascar on the 28th, about twenty-miles west of East London. All well.

The Nil Desperandum, the Irene, and the Anne Whyte were loading for Natal.

The Admiral would sail early in June.

Souvenir Saturday: Old House Museum, Durban

The Old House Museum is a recreation of a Natal Settler homestead - in this case, the home of Sir John Robinson, Natal's first Prime Minister, and family. The site of the Old House was donated to the city by George Churton Collins and was opened as a museum in 1954.




Gleaming kitchen utensils of yesteryear, crockery, musical instruments, clocks (one from the ill-fated Minerva), costume, paintings and other items associated with settler homes invite closer inspection. In the gardens behind the museum are examples of horse- and ox-drawn wagons. A glimpse of an era more peaceful than our own.

 


Address: 31 Diakonia Street (previously St Andrew's Street)

Tel: 031 311 2261

Passengers to Natal per The Lady of the Lake 1859

PASSENGERS FOR PORT NATAL BY THE LADY OF THE LAKE Natal Mercury April 14 1859

The following is a list of the passengers, sixty-six in number, who had engaged passages to Natal by the Lady of the Lake up to the 5th of February. The vessel sailed on the 10th, and will only call at Algoa Bay to land a few passengers for that place:

Chief Cabin
Lieutenant Goolden
Mr and Mrs Tucker and five children

Miss Charlotte Chapman
Miss Noon
Mr W Harwen
Mr T Butler
Mr NB Lock
Mr Edward Symondson
Mr E Hooper

Second Cabin

Mr and Mrs Duffy
Misses Noel (3)
Mr W Fleming
Mr Rich
Mr H Robinson

Steerage

Mr and Mrs Bancroft
Mr and Mrs Hall
Mr F Bayley
Mr and Mrs Moffitt
Mr JT Anderson
MR Harding
Mr G Brown
Mr G Deer
Mr J Forbes
Mr Glenister and family (3)
Mr and Mrs James
Mrs Orchard

Per Emigration Commissioners
Mr Tulley, wife and friends (4)
Mr P James and family (3)
Mr P Smith and family (4)
Mr R Davis and family (5)
Mr E Rogers and family (4)
Messrs
G Root
J Neville
R Broadley
R Corlett

Natal Passenger Lists from The Natal Witness 1852

NATAL WITNESS JAN 2 1852

SAILED
Kellermont, Captain SHAW, to Port Elizabeth
Rosebud, Captain A. MURISON, to Cape Town

INSIDE
Gem, J. PROUDFOOT, agent
Devonian, E. P. LAMPORT, agent, crossed the Bar on the 21st instant.

ARRIVED 

Iris, Captain DOBSON. 

CABIN
Surgeon - Mr. J. H. H. LEWELLIN (sic), wife, 3 children
Messrs. G. T. and Henry LEE
Mr. Wm. Henry MIDDLETON and wife
Mr. VIVIAN.
Mr. Charles Thomas WHEELWRIGHT

Miss SHUTTLEWORTH

INTERMEDIATE 

Miss Sophia HAWKINS
Mr. Thomas COPE and wife
Mr Wm. Hill ALLEN
Mr. J. GRANT
Mr. T. GRANT
Mr. E. HOLLAND, wife, and six children
Mr. J. C. SLATTER, wife, and three children
Mr. Wm. SLATTER, and son
Mr. Wm. BULLOCK, and five children
Mr. WEST, wife, and four children
Mr. SIMMONS
Mr. MARTIN
Mr. WITHINGTON, wife, and two children
Mr. Jeremiah WILSON
Mr. Martin HIRSCH
Mr. Moritz HIRSCH
Mr. Samuel PARISH
Mr. George GAIN

Total - 44 (56 listed, including all the children)

NATAL WITNESS JAN 9 1852

SAILED
Jan. 3rd - Gem, Schooner, Captain GLENDINING, for Cape Town. About 20 Passengers. (Not named)

INSIDE
Devonian, E. P. LAMPORT, agent.

OUTSIDE
Iris, J. Millar, and Co. Agent.

NATAL WITNESS JAN 23 1852

ARRIVED
The Duo, brig, Captain ENEROTH, from Cape Town.
Passengers -
Messrs.
CLOETE
MEURANT (45th Regt.)
MARRU
PHIPSON (and 2 children)
FAIRBRIDGE
FENTON
Mrs. SEARLE and four children
Miss SCOTT
One servant
One soldier (45th Regt.)

INSIDE
Devonian, E. P. LAMPORT, agent
Iris, J. MILLAR, and Co. Agent

OUTSIDE
Typhena (sic - error for Tryphena)

NATAL WITNESS FEB 13 1852

ARRIVED
February 6th
The barque Trent, Captain A. COLLETT, from London. 

CABIN
Mr. J. S. STEEL and Mrs. STEEL
Mr. And Mrs. SCHWIKHARD
Mr. James MACK (Surgeon) and Mrs. MACK
Mr. W. J. WILKINSON
Mr. H. F. PAXTON
Mr. And Mrs. E. RATSEY

INTERMEDIATE
Mr. Samuel OXENHAM
Mr. And Mrs. BLOCK
Messrs. Josh. and Charles PARKER
Mr. Joseph DUNCAN
Mr. (Wm.) and Mrs. BROWN and family (six)
Mr. James WIGG
Mr. Charles SHAW
Mr. E. BELLANS.
Sailed (i.e. from London) Nov 22nd, 1851

Feb. 7 - Rosebud, A. MURISON, from Cape Town
Feb. 8 - Tryphena, A. SMITH, to Mauritius

INSIDE
Devonian, E.P. LAMPORT, agent
Iris, J. MILLAR and Co. agent
Rosebud, H. JARGAL, agent

OUTSIDE
Trent, J. BROWN, agent

NATAL WITNESS FEB 20 1852

ARRIVED
Feb. 11 - Elizabeth Jane, from Mauritius, and sailed the 13th inst. for Port Elizabeth and Cape Town
Feb. 15 - Mayflower, Captain LANGMAIR from London

INSIDE
Devonian, E.P. LAMPORT, agent
Iris, J. MILLAR and Co. agent
Rosebud, H. JARGAL, agent

OUTSIDE
Trent, J. BROWN, agent
Mayflower, J. MILLAR and Co. agents

NATAL WITNESS MAR 15 1852

SAILED
Mayflower, J. MILLAR and Co. agents

ARRIVED
March 11 - Wanderer, N. GLENDINING, from Algoa Bay. Passengers:
Mrs. ADANDORFF (sic) and two children
Mrs. JONES, five children and servant.  J. PROUDFOOT, agent.

March 15 - Larne, schooner, from London, Mr. F. SIMMONS, master, for Comoro Islands, put in for water.

March 15 - Gem, J. GLENDINING from Table Bay. Passengers:
Mr. A. J. DE KOCK and family and J. DE KOCK and family
Rev. Mr. APPLEYARD and Mrs. APPLEYARD
Mrs. SNELL
Mr. and Mrs. FIELD and family
Misses BRESLER
S. DE KOCK
Revs. DUNN, SABOR, LOGEGARY, and ALLARD
Messrs. BOMPAIN, HERBERT, MOORE, and LONG. J. PROUDFOOT, agent.

INSIDE
Wanderer, Gem and Larne.

NATAL WITNESS AUG 20 1852

ARRIVED
August 14th - Sir Robert Peel, Royal Mail Steamer, 233 tons, Captain J. BOXER from Table Bay and Algoa Bay 11 August, to this port. Cargo sundries. Passengers:
Mr. and Miss FAIRBRIDGE and servant
Mr. THOMPSON and son
Mr. SYMONS
Lieut. INGLIS, R.E.

Brings a Cape Mail. Crossed the bar on the 16th inst. E. SNELL, agent. Reports the Ceres having sailed on the 30th July with the English mail for May and June.

INSIDE
Sir Robert Peel, steamer, J. BOXER, for Algoa Bay and Table Bay To sail on Saturday. E. SNELL, Agent.

OUTSIDE
Bydal, (sic, Rydal?) for Mauritius, E. P. LAMPORT, Agent

VESSELS EXPECTED
From London - Narcissus and Hannah From the Cape - Ceres, Rosebud and City of Rotterdam

NATAL WITNESS OCT 1852

ARRIVED
October 7th - Sir Robert Peel, Royal Mail Steamer, 234 tons, John Boxer, from Table Bay. Cargo - sundries. Passengers:
Captain SMALES and family
Messrs:
KUHR
BROWN
STRATTON
AMYOT
GOODRICKE
GAIN
BUCK
and another

STEERAGE:
Mr. STRETCH

VESSELS EXPECTED:
From the Cape: Lord Auckland, steamer, Sanspareil and Sarah Bell
From London: President and Wee Tottie

NATAL WITNESS OCT 1 1852

SAILED
Sept 28 - Hannah, C. J. WEATHERALL, to Australia.
Passengers:

CABIN:
Messrs
HEAP
WHITTAKER
BROWN
Mrs. ZOHRAB and 2 children
Messrs.
JACKSON
PAGE
SCHIPPER
PRICE
ZOHRAB
SILVESTER
GORDON

STEERAGE:
Mr. HASTIE
Mr. and Mrs. WEBB and 2 children
Messrs.
SUTTIE
MURRAY
GREGORY
CLARK
BUCKLEY
DIXON
BROUGH
Mr. and Mrs. MARRIOTT and 3 children
Mr. and Mrs. WEBB (repetition ? see above - & below!)
Messrs.
DAVIS
TURNBULL
GREVILLE
KINGHAM
ABBOT
COATES
Mr. RICHARDSON and child
Messrs.
FRANKLYN
STEVENS
MCCRAE
TAYLOR
EDLIN
2 VERES
HOLLETT
JONES
LOGAN
Mr. and Mrs. WEBB (again?!)
Messrs.
BLUNDELL
BARRET
8 (?) HOWDENS
HAMLEY
WITHERS
Mr. and Mrs. TAYLOR and child
Messrs.
SYMES
RICHARDSON
TAYLOR
SAGAR

Total - 70 (figure of dubious accuracy)

INSIDE

Narcissus, J. BROWN, Agent
Gem, J. PROUDFOOT, agent
Leontine Mary, S. SNELL, agent

VESSELS EXPECTED
From the Cape - Lord Auckland, steamer, Sanspareil, and Sarah Bell
From London - President

NATAL WITNESS OCT 12

SAILED
Sir Robert Peel, steamer, to Port Elizabeth and the Cape
Passengers for Port Elizabeth (in the CABIN) -
Capt. MESSUM
Rev. Mr. APPLEYARD, wife and child

STEERAGE
Messrs.
STRETCH
HIRST
CALDWELL
BRUTON
HERNES, wife and four children
For the Cape (in the CABIN) -
The Lieutenant Governor
Mr CHRISTOPHER
Mrs. CHRISTOPHER, child and servant
Messrs
BURGE
TAATS

STEERAGE
Messrs
HEYS
CROWDER
WILLIAMS
& five shipwrecked seamen (no names)

VESSELS EXPECTED
From the Cape - Lord Auckland, steamer, Sanspareil, Sarah Bell and Rosebud
From the Mauritius (sic) - Ceres
From London - President and Wee Tottie

Souvenir Saturday: Durban's Railway Station and the Old Court House

Coloured postcard showing the junction of Gardiner and West Street. The former Town Hall, later the Post Office, is at right, the Durban Railway Station in the background - this photo was taken after two floors were added to the building in 1904.  Miraculously it has survived to the present day while other landmarks have been demolished in the march of 'Progress'. Note the double-decker tram, horse-drawn transport and rickshaws. The tree at right in front of the Post Office was known as Dead Man's Tree, a historic fig tree on which various notices were traditionally posted it was cut down in 1958 by order of the Durban City Council. 

We are fortunate to retain the Old Court House in Aliwal Street, which was once marked for demolition to provide a councillors' parking lot.  It was saved from this demeaning fate largely through the efforts of Mrs Daphne Strutt who would become curator of the museum established in the building. Later (1965) the Local History Museum, this was originally Durban's first public building dating from 1860 and it is a pleasure to see its fine colonial lines and lantern ceiling still proudly giving testament to the optimism and confidence of early Natal.

The Court House after the two wings were added.  It was Durban's Court House from 25 April 1866.  For 44 years it was the centre of legal activity in Durban. Today it houses the Local History Museum.

Passengers per Golden Age Natal to Australia 1854

GOLDEN AGE departure for Australia Natal Mercury July 12 1854

The Natal Mercury announced on 12 July 1854 that the barque Golden Age (Captain W JONES) would at last depart for Melbourne after being unfortunately detained for several days - reasons for the delay are not given. She carried about 50 passengers who were Natal settlers leaving the Colony for fresh opportunities in Australia. 

We must assume that the strongly negative comments published in the same paper on 1 February of that year had done nothing to change the Golden Age passengers' minds about their destination. Under the heading 'Australia', an emigrant from Natal to that colony warns against considering the 'perilous adventure': he has nothing good to say about the climate, the health hazards ('Grown people die, and children won't live.'), high rents, or the crime rate. Even the gold diggings, the main incentive for settlers removing from Natal to Australia at this period, are described in disappointing terms.

Despite the bad press, the Golden Age did sail as planned, with several children on board. We can only speculate as to what future awaited her passengers, and whether some eventually returned to Natal.

AUSTRALIA

The following extracts from the letter of a Natal Emigrant to Australia, received by the last Mail, may supply useful cautions to those who meditate a like perilous adventure.

'So long as you can gain anything more than a living, I wouldn't advise any married man to come here. Illness has been universal and a doctor's bill is no joke, I have incurred £5 myself, besides awful rheumatics. You know of course that Byrne is here, a storekeeper at the diggings. I was at Geelong, in Court, the other day when he was called as a witness, but in coming down he broke his leg, and couldn't appear. Rents are frightful, £100 per annum, for one room, and I have to live besides three miles from town at another rent. Geelong is worse than Melbourne, nine inches in mud, in short the place and the climate is as bad as it can be, I have not met one who likes it. I believe you will soon have some of our people back again, some are at the diggings, but I have not heard of any doing well. The only persons who can ensure a living well, are carpenters, masons, and hard working labourers. Labourers who can stand any climate, - they get, - the former, £1 to £1 5s. and labourers 10s to 15s per day, but expenses are in proportion, nevertheless they do exceedingly well. Professional men are cheap enough and get cheaper every day.

'Trade is the way to make money. If I had capital I could double it every two months with safety. There is no comfort to be purchased. I send you a paper to show you the way we commit robberies here. We don't steal a few paltry pounds, but 2,300 ounces of gold. I may tell you that the escort from the diggings has been stopped, and 2,300 ozs of gold taken, the escort consisting of eight troopers, all shot dead but one; so says the report at present. They were attacked by 20 bushrangers, and shot from behind the trees. It is a common thing for one man to rob another of from £200 to £500. Last week £1,000 was taken from a digger. My room is a back room, 10 x 9, stinks like a p....y: the yard behind is full of green slush and the front little better. When you hear grumblers in Natal, ask they if they are gaining a living; if they are, they are better a hundred times than those who are doing the same here. As for houses and stores they are not to be got. Talking of winter and not requiring warm clothing, I have nearly perished of cold. All that they have written about this colony as to climate is lies, lies, lies, from beginning to end. Every imaginable disease rides rampant here, and a few extra ones to boot. Grown people die, and children wont live.'

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

SAILED

July 12 - Golden Age, bq. - W Jones - for Melbourne -
PASSENGERS
W Gallians
Mr Bayley and two children
H Baker, wife and two children
J Matters, wife and four children
J McGully
HJ Gale, wife and children
G St. Paul
J Forman
E Standish
Mrs Glover and three children
R Short
JS Erwood
J Cuthbert
E Dubois
J Clark
J Canning and wife
W Fuller
Charles Richards
Donald McPhail
R Mathew
Mrs Williams and two children
C Owen
T Poynton, wife and child
R Parker
Whitaway
Dineley