The 9th September marks the 190th
anniversary since the ship The Tranby set sail from Hull on a voyage to help establish a
new colony by Western Australia’s Swan River. Upwards of forty people from
Hull, East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and beyond, together with livestock
and farming equipment, left Hull on 9th September 1829. Their arrival in the
February of 1830 is considered one of the first significant migrations to
Western Australia.
The Tranby was built on the River
Hull at the yard of Samuel Standidge Walton. Before being chosen as the vessel to
take settlers to form the new colony in 1829, she had been a wreck, lying in
the Humber damaged after her moorings broke by Hull’s Citadel. Eventually sold,
repaired and fitted out, The Tranby left Hull on 9th September 1829. Crowds
lined the old dock, while family, friends and loved ones sailed with The Tranby
as far as Spurn Point before a steamer returned them to Hull.
 |
| Emigration Card relating to the voyage of The Tranby from Hull to the Swan River, Australia [ref C DFX/18/1] |
Early stages of the voyage were
slow with the vessel making little progress, taking almost two weeks to clear
the coast of Cornwall. The vessel almost ran aground in the English Chanel. On
the 8th December, The Tranby arrived at Cape Town and supplies were replenished
and additional livestock taken on board, including horses, geese, ducks and
pigeons. Weather conditions hindered the vessels departure, but it eventually
set sail again on December 19th.
Voyages of this magnitude brought
other dangers for crew, passengers and livestock. Passenger William Hardey died
on 21st January, though this was accidental rather than because of illness, while
towards the end of the voyage daily rations had been reduced. It wasn’t all bad
news. The voyage gained an additional passenger when infant James Brownell was born
just before landing at Cape Town, and the birth of some 17 piglets boosted
livestock numbers.
A more unusual incident took
place on 1st October. It was report that, at about 2.30pm, a fireball from the
clouds struck the deck of the vessel. It exploded, slightly injuring and
causing shock among a number of passengers and crew. A dog belonging to Mr.
Clarkson suffered a broken leg, while one of his sheep was killed. What the
passengers and crew had in fact witnessed was a small meteor strike!
Land was eventually sighted on
the 2nd February 1830, and The Tranby anchored at the mouth of the Swan River the
following day. Eventful as the voyage was, its passengers knew this was just
the beginning of an adventure in this largely unknown and forbidding land.
 |
| Extract reporting the departure of The Tranby for the Swan River, Australia, The Hull Advertiser, 11 Sep, 1829 |
Not everyone remained at the Swan
River colony. Great risks and difficulties led some settlers to move on to more
established colonies such as Hobart in Tasmania. Others returned to England.
Those that remained at Swan River put down roots. John Hewson, who arrived on
the Tranby as a member of the ship’s crew, initially left before returning with
his wife. Others influenced the development of the area. These included the passenger
John Hardey, who settled on the South Eastern side of the new town of Perth. He
together with his son Robert Hardey did a great deal in developing the Belmont
area. James Ougden, who left Hull, was the proprietor of the Pier Hotel and
Family Boarding House situated opposite the Perth Jetty.
Although The Tranby is long gone,
the house from which it takes its name can still be seen by the Swan River. One
of Western Australia’s oldest buildings, it was first built by Ann and Joseph
Hardey in 1830. The building we see today dates from 1839, and serves as a
reminder of those early settlers and the role their played in the development of
modern day Perth.
You can read about The Tranby, its
passengers, and the early years of the Swan River colony in The River Swan Adventure: being a concise
history of the voyage of The Tranby to Western Australia from 9th September
1829 to 3rd February 1830 [Reference: L.325.2]. The Local Studies holds other material
relating to emigration from Hull and the surrounding area. This can be searched
using the Hull Libraries catalogue. And remember, newly catalogued material is
being added daily so keeping checking.
Neil Chadwick, Project
Officer.
