WM. MILBURN & CO.

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The Fleet

CONNISTON was built in 1880 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2258grt, a length of 300ft, a beam of 36ft 5in and a service speed of 9 knots. She was delivered to W. Milburn & Co. and deployed on triangular voyages with a general cargo from London to Australia, thence to China in ballast where she loaded tea for the homeward run. On 28th February 1884 she made her first sailing for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. from London to Melbourne via the Cape and back. Later in the year, on 24th December, she was reported missing in the Atlantic with the loss of 24 lives.

ASCALON was built in 1882 by Campbell, MacIntosh & Bowstead at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2351grt, a length of 290ft, a beam of 37ft 2in and a service speed of 9 knots. She was the first of ten very similar flush decked ships and delivered to Wm. Milburn in June 1882. Her first sailing for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. departed on 28th June 1884. Three years later, on 13th October 1887, she was wrecked 14 miles north of Galle Point in Ceylon during a voyage from Aden to Calcutta with a cargo of salt without any loss of life.

NORMANTON was built in 1882 by Campbell, MacIntosh & Bowstead at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2367grt, a length of 291ft 2 in, a beam of 37ft 2in and a service speed of 9 knots. Similar to the Ascalon she was completed for Wm.Milburn in November 1882 and made her first voyage for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co.on 14th February 1884. On 24th October 1886, during a voyage from Yokohama to Hiogo with a cargo of tea, she was wrecked at Oosima on the coast of Japan.

HAVERTON was built in 1883 by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2531grt, a length of 300ft, a beam of 37ft and a service speed of 9 knots. Delivered to Wm. Milburn in February 1883 she made her first sailing for Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. on 31st January 1884 and thereafter sailings by the company were increased to twice monthly. On 21st July 1894, during a voyage from Sydney to Montreal, she was wrecked in the St. Lawrence River at St. Croix when her forward hold flooded and her seams split as the cargo of wool expanded.

CHOLLERTON was built in 1883 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2565grt, a length of 317ft 2 in, a beam of 37ft 1in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was delivered to Wm. Milburn in the February of 1883 for the South American service but her second voyage, which sailed on 30th April 1883, inaugurated the new Anglo-Australasian service to Sydney, Australia. In 1895 she was sold to S. S. Everilda Co. Ltd of Glasgow, retaining her name, and under the management of Maclay & Macintyre. She was sold again in 1901 to A Parodi fu B of Genoa, renamed Jolanda and remained with the company until she was scrapped in 1909.

PORT JACKSON (1) was built in 1883 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2644grt, a length of 317ft 2 in, a beam of 37ft 1in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Chollerton she was ordered as the Port Stephen but was launched as the Port Jackson. She was the first of two ships built for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. and initiated the 'Port' nomenclature. However, her first sailings were for Wm. Milburn on the scheduled service to Sydney. Some of the vessels on this service proceeded to China to load tea and while waiting for the crop to be picked were used on charters between Hong Kong and Japan. She was sold to A. Mancini of Genoa and renamed Agordat in 1891 and in 1898 was chartered to Ligure Brasiliana and made her first voyage to the River Plate on 15th February of that year. In 1903 she was sold to F. Schiaffino fu G. of Genoa with the name Beppe and two years later was renamed Jeanne Marcelle by new owners Calame & Cortesi also of Genoa. Finally, in 1908, she was sold to L. Pittaluga of Genoa ,who operated the ships he purchased with cargoes of coal until they were ready for scrapping at his own yard, and was broken up in 1909.

PORT PHILLIP (1) was built in 1883 by Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2761grt, a length of 317ft 2 in, a beam of 37ft 1in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Chollerton she made her first voyage for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. on 14th December 1883 from London to Melbourne and Sydney via the Cape. She was sold to the Blyth Steam Shipping Co. of London, with Paterson, Tate & Co. as managers, with the name Blyth in 1896 and was wrecked in the October of the following year.

TIVERTON was built in 1883 by Campbell, MacIntosh & Bowstead at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2581grt, a length of 320ft 1 in, a beam of 37ft 7in and a service speed of 10 knots. Delivered to Wm. Milburn it would appear that she was built for the normal service to South America and was used to carry Spanish emigrant labour embarked at Vigo. In 1883 she was chartered by an Andrew Ballantyne for a voyage to Australia leaving London on 20th October and arriving in Melbourne on 23rd December after calling at Plymouth on 25th October and St. Vincent on 4th November. Following an increase in demand she was transferred to the Australia run in 1884 and made her first sailing for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co on 19th April of that year. In 1895 she was sold to the Glasgow Navigation Co. with MaClay & MacIntyre as managers retaining her name and registry in London. She was sold to A. S. Vagliano of Piraeus in 1902 and renamed K. Paskhalidis before being wrecked in June 1904. (Photo: National Maritime Museum)
During the course of researching her family history Kathy Wright unearthed the following articles in the 'Register', an Adelaide newspaper, dated 21st December 1883 which gives an incite into conditions at sea at the end of the 19th century.

The Tiverton steamer is one of the latest build of modern ships on a device said to be most favourable for ocean transport, seeing she can carry an immense cargo in addition to devoting the 'tween decks to passenger accommodation. In externals she is a large schooner-rigged craft with a long promenade deck only broken by the bridge space amidships and deckhouse aft. That contains the saloon, a very neat apartment tastily fitted up with marble panels and stiles, the ceiling being white with gold moulding relief. The master's stateroom has a space here, and the steward's pantry is also a well-furnished place, while the sleeping cabins extend abaft each side of a passage way. On arrival the vessel had about 300 passengers on board, fifty-two of whom were for this colony, and from general appearance they looked quite a superior lot of people. The voyage throughout proved a pleasant one, without much to break its monotony till the little excitement of the Bell Buoy, elsewhere referred to. Captain McKenzie was here before on the ss Hankow, and has continued in the same trade ever since. He reports leaving London on October 21 at 3 a.m. and on reaching Greenhithe adjusted the compasses and proceeded to Gravesend where the passengers were embarked and Government Inspectors paid the visit of Inspection. On the 23rd sailed from Gravesend and had strong winds and heavy head seas till reaching Plymouth on the 24 inst. at 3.10 p.m. There she took on board the remainder of her passengers, coal &c., and proceeded to sea at 11 a.m. next morning. Thence to St. Vincent the passage was marked by strong southerly winds and heavy westerly swell till reaching the north-east trade in 29 degrees N. At 10 p.m. on November 3 reached St. Vincent and having replenished the bunkers sailed on the 5th and lost the north-east trades in 13' N., and had an interval of extremely unsettled weather with frequent rain squalls. On November 24 passed the Cape of Good Hope and had fresh south-east gales and heavy sea till passing Cape Agulhas and then steamed over the easting between 41 degrees and 42 degrees with varying winds and moderate weather. She is a very fine vessel being 320 feet long, 37 feet beam and 27 feet depth of hold with engines of 38 and 72 inch cylinders and 48-inch stroke, 350 horsepower nominal. (Throughout she has all the labour-saving appliances of steam winches, windlass and steerage, and in every way possible steam is applied. Immediately on arrival the vessel was visited and having a clear sanitary certificate was at once awarded pratique. The stevedores and lighters immediately commenced discharging and the agents had arranged for the passengers destined here to be landed at Largs Pier. Such expedition was used that it was expected she would sail the same day.

Kathy's grandfather who was 14 at the time said that the captain seemed to run out of food and that supplies were so short that the passengers were very hungry. If it hadn't been for Mrs Ballantyne in first class, who handed food over the dividing rail to our lot, the Ockerbys, they would almost have starved. Descendants of Mrs Ballantyne confirm that she used to make her husband Andrew, who had chartered the ship, and her eldest son go down into steerage in exchange for Mrs Ockerby and one or two of the girls having a bit of a breather up in first class. Mrs Ballantyne thought that "'tween decks was no place for a lady".

Arrivals:
TIVERTON, steamer, 1,743 tons, W. McKenzie, master from London October 23, Plymouth 26th, St. Vincent November 5. Harrold Brothers agents, Dr. Williamson, Surgeon Superintendent. Passengers - Mr. and Mrs. D.J. Bayard and two children in the saloon; and 48 in the second cabin, and 244 en route for sister colonies.

From the 'Argus, a Melbourne newspaper, dated 25th December 1883

Imports - Tiverton, from London:
1,000 pigs lead, 24 shts lead, 60cs rice starch, 504 cs window glass, 17 pkgs staves, 4 bdls iron hoops, 665 cs sewing machines and accessories, 8 bls sailcloth, 5 cks silicate soda, 20 cs soap, 12 cs pianos, 4cs essential oil, 2cs lump sugar, 30cs bitters, 2cs hydrometers, 88 pkgs shovels, 680 pkgs nails, 50 pkgs iron, 10 cks wire, 17 pkgs hardware, 468 pkgs china, glass and earthenware, 26 pkgs fancy goods, 2 pkgs soft goods, 132 pkgs oilmen's stores and provisions, 576 cs sardines, 24 cs fish, 45 hf-hhd. vinegar, 100 cs wine, 500 cs brandy, 170 cs bottled beer, 50 hhd. bulk ale, 1 pkg for Melbourne; also 44 pkgs in transit for Tasmania and 52 pkgs for New Zealand.
ANGERTON was built in 1884 by Wm. Dobson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2794grt, a length of 320ft 1 in, a beam of 37ft 7in and a service speed of 10 knots. After one voyage for Wm. Milburn to India she was transferred to the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. service. In December 1895 she stranded and was abandoned but subsequently salvaged and sold to the Northumbrian Shipping Corporation Ltd of Newcastle with L. Macarthy as managers. She was finally wrecked and became a total constructive loss in March 1899.

PORT DARWIN (1) was built in 1884 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2517grt, a length of 300ft 1in, a beam of 37ft 5in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was delivered to the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. and had enlarged passenger accommodation aft. She was replaced by a larger ship in 1891 and made her final sailing to Australia on 1st April before being sold in 1892 to A. Coote & J. A. Ridley of London.. In 1900 she was sold to F. Morgan of London for general trading and still retaining her name. Ownership became E. Morgan of the same address in 1904 and on 15th November 1905 she was wrecked off La Guardia near Vigo, Spain during a voyage from Honaine in North Africa to Rotterdam with a cargo of minerals.

PORT ADELAIDE (1) was built in 1884 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2751grt, a length of 332ft, a beam of 33ft 1in and a service speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. she was a longer version of the Port Darwin. She was sometimes confused with Crawford & Rowat's sailing ship of the same name built in the previous year by Russell & Co. In 1888 she was chartered to the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. for one voyage on their Vancouver - Yokohama - Hong Kong service. She was one of five vessels chartered by CPR before they introduced their own ships in 1891. In November 1898 she was sold to G. Brailli, of Orebich in Austro-Hungary (now Orebic in Yugoslavia) and renamed Sofia Brailli. She was finally sold to A. Merveille for breaking up in 1909.

PORT VICTOR (1) was built in 1885 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2793grt, a length of 360ft, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was the first ship delivered to Wm. Milburn & Co. with a 'Port' name which indicated that all Milburn and Anglo-Australasian S. N. ships were to be so named. Furthermore, she was the company's first ship to have a steel hull, a clipper stem and a triple expansion engine as well as being Andrew Leslie's last ship before merging with R & W Hawthorn to become R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. She commenced her first sailing for Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. from London to Sydney on 26th November 1886 and her last on 5th August 1891 before trading to the Far East. In March 1898 she was sold to the US Government for use as a supply ship during their war with Spain and from then on all trace of her was lost.

PORT PIRIE (1) was built in 1886 by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 3109grt, a length of 353ft, a beam of 39ft 4in and a service speed of 10 knots. Similar to the Port Victor she was completed for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. and undertook her maiden voyage from the Tyne - London - Sydney - Newcastle, NSW with cargo only for Allport & Hughes. She was sold to Prince Steam Shipping Co. in 1897 and renamed Spanish Prince. In the following year she was transferred to Prince Line Ltd and deployed on their Levant and Black Sea trade. She was sold in 1900 to Cia Cantabrica de. Nav. of Bilboa with Orbe y Gorbeo as managers and renamed Guernica. On 10th February 1902 she foundered in the Bay of Biscay during a voyage from Cardiff to Genoa with a cargo of coal.

PORT AUGUSTA (1) was built in 1886 by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 2883grt, a length of 347ft, a beam of 38ft 1in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was launched for Wm. Milburn and commenced her first sailing to Australia on 11th December 1886 and her last sailing for Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co on 25th October 1890. Due to the drought and decline in trade she was laid up in February 1891 before being sold to the Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co. of Odessa and renamed Czaritza. All trace of her was lost after 1917.

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