Hull, The First Fleet and Australia - Part 2

In part one we recounted the three Hull men, William Dring, Joseph Robinson, and John Nettleton who were a part of the First Fleet to Australia. All three convicted of larceny and sentenced to seven years transportation. This journey was not unique in Hull’s history. In fact, Hull has a long history with Australia. In this second part we look at those free settlers who left Hull for a new life in Australia during the 19th century.

Tens of thousands left Britain and beyond to settle Australia, among them were those from Hull and the wider area. Being a port there is little doubt Australia and opportunities it provided were discussed in Hull, on the docks and in the pubs and taverns. Also, as a port, Hull ships and their crews were active in sailings to and from Australian shores. It wasn’t uncommon for ships to sail direct from Hull to Australia. One Hull ship, under its Hull master was implicated in what the Adelaide Observer described as ‘disgraceful proceedings whilst enroute to Australia’. A young woman, Miss Arnold received unwanted attention from the ship’s crew while another individual reported the vessel was a floating brothel full of evil sea-monsters. Neglect of duty was also reported against the ships surgeon for not attending to those unwell, including Miss Arnold. 

The chance of a new life and the opportunities it provided was the draw for many. Our blog from 2020 recounted the voyage of The Tranby to Western Australia in 1829 when upwards of forty people left Hull for a new life on the Swan River settlement, now a part of modern-day Perth.

The voyage to Australia was fraught with danger. Hull man, Francis Brown recalled in a letter home that despite the outward voyage taking 112 days (less than half the time of the First Fleet) he arrived in good health, though a number of the ship’s passengers and crew weren’t so lucky due to Cholera having spread throughout the ship.

Advertisement from the Hull Advertiser
9 Apr 1852

When those settlers arrived, they had to contend with the heat, which was too hot to be pleasant. A Hull man living in Townsville wrote home to his former employer saying the heat was no cooler than a warm summers day in England. Insects plagued many people’s thoughts when writing back home, often describing sleep as impossible due to the insects.

The cost of living in Australia was expensive. In Melbourne for example a Hull man who emigrated in the mid-19th century reported home that everything was expensive and whatever money was had, evaporated quickly. Rents too were expensive. In Townsville almost a third of wages went on rent alone. Arriving in Melbourne Francis Brown recalled how necessities were cheap, yet items such as clothing were much dearer than back in England. Many people were ill equipped for Australia’s climate. The Hull Packet for example often ran articles reporting many being caught out with inadequate clothing and that specialist retailers were available in Hull offering appropriate clothing for Australia’s climate. And of course, nothing could prepare those being away from their family and friends, which would have added to their difficulties in settling. A young women named Mary who left Hull for Australia wrote home to her father saying how she missed him, home, and her friends.

The influx of settlers led to surplus labour force. Permanent employment was difficult to find. A Hull man who emigrated to Adelaide reported due to the abundance of men arriving, many walked the streets of Adelaide looking for employment. A Hullensian in Townsville reported that the abundance of workers drove down wages, and that jobs were temporary, usually lasting just a few weeks at a time.

Extract of letter printed in the Hull Advertiser from a Hull man
18 Feb 1853

Many young men saw their opportunities in the emerging gold mines and fields of Australia. However, for many the promise of riches simply did not materialise. A Hull man who tried his hand in the gold mines north of Melbourne described men abandoning the mines to seek out opportunities elsewhere, thus only adding to the oversupply of labour. Despite challenges and hardships, many remained, forging out a life for themselves and their families.

There is little doubt that those from Hull played a role in the emergence and settling of modern Australia we think of today. Tranby House on the Swan River, Perth still survives to this today and takes its name from the ship, Tranby, which believed to have taken its name from Tranby House of Anlaby. Descendants of these early Hull settlers still reside in Australia today. Indeed, it is not uncommon to have visitors from Australia to the Hull History Centre tracing their Hull roots and ancestry.

Neil Chadwick

Librarian/Archivist