Artist & Photographer of Melbourne, Australia

CHARLIE LEAVES HOME

Bess came down to Tilbury to see me off aboard the 'Arawa' at 5 pm on March 25th 1885. The last whistle blew, friends & relatives were parted & the big ship steamed slowly down the muddy Thames and dear old smoky London, the land of our birth disappeared gradually from view.

Note: Bess was Charlie's elder sister.

On Wed 15th April. There was unusual excitement on board for we were nearing land which we sighted for the first time since leaving England, and on Thursday morning we steamed into the harbour of Capetown.

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On Monday 4th May, we arrive at Hobart after a record passage of 38 days from London

On Sunday 6th May 1885, we steam into Port Chalmers, New Zealand but having smallpox aboard, we are landed on the Quarentine Island. I shall never forget my first glimpse of Maoriland. The weather was bright and mild; no-one had been on the island for years. The wild tropical foliage and highly coloured birds; everything so peaceful. Surprised all my wildest expectations and was happy all the time fishing and wandering about through the forest.
On Thursday 14th May, we set foot on the main land, a great crowd assembled on the wharf to witness the landing of the 'new chums'. Port Chalmers was a small primitive place after London.

The main portion of the town is hidden by the hill in the foreground. On the right the cliffs are being cut away to fill in part of the harbour for building on. The railway shown was employed in carrying the stone & tipping it into the bay.

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Charlie has shown the location of his Uncle Frank's house, across the harbour at Northcote and the little ferryboat he used to get back and forth while he was staying there with this large family of cousins. Uncle Frank was his father's elder brother, William Francis Hammond, an architect.