Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Ticket, voyage, P & O Branch Service, P & O, Australia via The Cape Service, Bef.3rd June 1929
The bearer of this ticket was George Thomas Henry Phillpot, who was only 17 years old when he sailed on the S.S. Ballarat (II), built in 1921. (The first S.S. Ballarat was built in 1911 and sunk after being hit by a torpedo in 1917 while serving during WWI). George relates his trip from England to Australia, summarised as follows:
He caught a bus from Bolton to Manchester, in the north west U.K., then the train from Manchester to London and the boat train to Tilbury Docks (near Gravesend). On the morning of June 7th 1929, the ship S.S. Ballarat sailed down the Thames estuary and into the English Channel. The next port of call was Southampton, UK, to take on board some technical equipment. The S.S. Ballarat then sailed through the Bay of Biscay. Instead of taking the customary route around the Cape of Good Hope, this trip, on her maiden voyage, was through the Suez Canal. She sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar, into the Mediterranean Sea and on to Malta, where George and others paid a local boat owner to take them ashore for a short time. They then sailed to Port Said, stopping to load cargo, then at night through the Suez Canal. They woke up early the next morning to watch the locals working on the banks of the canal. The excessive heat on board the ship caused much illness. As they travelled through the Red Sea, the heat and the smell of oil also caused sickness. On they went through the Arabian Sea to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka (which at that time was called Ceylon). A Navigation Slip, donated together with this ticket, shows the coordinates for a location 16 miles from Colombo. They again went ashore for a meal at four-pence a head and a bottle of lemonade for a penny. George and another passenger walked to the slums area and were shocked at the state of it compared to Britain’s slums. They then sailed via the Indian Ocean to Fremantle, stopping again for goods to be unloaded. While ashore, they played a game of soccer against the ship’s crew. Then on to Port Adelaide via the Great Australian Bight. Here they shopped for suitable clothing under the advice of some Australian passengers.
They then arrived at Port of Melbourne on July 20th 1929, and two days later (on George’s mother’s birthday). George left for Warrnambool. He received his Citizenship Award in 1971. He conducted an electrical retail business in Liebig Street for many years. His son William became principal of the accounting business Sinclair and Wilson, on the retirement of Bill Sinclair, and was actively involved in support of many community organisations. His daughter-in-law, Glenys Phillpot, is actively involved in the Warrnambool community and local government.
George was one of 3 orphans on the S.S. Ballarat. (The daughter and son-in-law of one of the other orphans also live in Warrnambool.)
Herbert B.G. Larkin, whose rubber-stamped name appears on the ticket, later migrated to Australia and passed away in NSW in 1944.
Of Historical Significance, this ticket is for the ship’s maiden voyage via the Suez Canal route (previously the ship travelled via the Cape of Good Hope). It is also the only existing ticket for the "S.S. Ballarat"(3rd) in our collection. Socially, it shows the fare, luggage restrictions, conditions and weekly provisions for a third-class passenger’s voyage from London to Melbourne, which has research potential. This ticket is also of significance to the Local Community, giving the background of the ancestor of a local family. It was also of Personal Significance to the bearer as he kept and preserved it in his possession for at least 46 years before donating it to our museum, together with a Navigation Slip, a map and a summary of his journey to Australia.Third Class steerage Passenger’s Contract Ticket, accompanied by the Navigation Slip, for passage on board the P & O line’s steamer, S.S. Ballarat, to Australia via the Cape Service, from Port of London to Port of Melbourne.
The ticket contract is printed on both sides of a thin paper page. The documents have been completed by hand, and the pages have creases as though they have been folded.
Details include the date of sailing, amount paid, and the signature of the P & O Branch Service’s representative.
The contract ticket lists weekly provisions for the voyage, a disclaimer of the shipping company, a list of dangerous goods not to be carried on board, and fines.
The page has straight edges, top and bottom, and perforated edges on the sides; some perforation holes are complete. A small fleur de lies is printed along the inside of each perforation, forming a decorative left and right border.
Stamps and inscriptions are on the contract ticket and navigation slip, which also has a black and white photo of a steam ship.The ticket has been stamped in black, No. ‘1040’.
Handwritten details are in black pen and ink.
Date of departure: ‘Seventh June [192]9’ for the cost of,’33’ [poind], and the sum of ‘33’ pounds is acknowledged as received.
‘Mr George T.H. PHILLPOT’, the age is written as ‘17’, equal to the status of ‘1’ adult, the total number of persons is ‘One’.
The fare is handwritten in pen £’33’ and the total £’33’.
It has a purple stamp ‘HERBT. B G LARKIN’ and a crossed out stamp ‘FREDERICK WHITE,
A handwritten signature ‘_Seymore’.
Under the signature, the date is stamped ‘3 JUNE 1929’.warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, s.s.ballarat, phillpot, 7 june 1929, george phillpot, george t.h. phillpot, third class passenger, steerage passenger, herbert b g larkin, ticket, voyage, p & o, australia via the cape, cape of good hope, suez canal, passengers’ contract ticket, navigation slip, s.s. ballarat, steamship, 1929, 3-6-1929, 7-6-1929, third-class, steerage, port of london, port of melboune, 33 pounds, george thomas henry phillpot, herbt. b g larkin, _seymore, bolton, manchester, english channel, southampton, bay of biscay, straits of gibraltar, maritia, port said, arabian sea, colombo, sri lanka, ceylon, indian ocean, fremantle, port adelaide, citizenship, 1971, herbert b.g. larkin, s.s. ballarat ii,
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