>From: ross [mailto:rwdownie@optusnet.com.au] >Sent: Saturday, 15 April 2006 3:49 PM >To: AUS-MELBOURNE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [AUS-MELB] The Convict Ship Hashemy - arrived Melboune May >1849??? > > >Hi Listers > >I am writing a paper on the convict ship Hashemy, which my gg grandfather, >Walter Christie Downie, was first mate of when it came to Sydney in June >1849, and set off a storm of protests regarding the resumption of convict >transportation. > >One mystery though - many historical texts say the Hashemy first tried to >land the convicts in Melbourne in May 1849 but was turned away after >protests (after arriving on 10 May 1849) - some texts say the Hashemy came >straight to Sydney. > >I have a copy of the diary of the religious instructor on the Hashemy's >1849 >voyage, and he kept meticulous notes. His diary entries for May 1849 make >no >mention of Melbourne at all, let alone protests and being turned away - one >would assume he would of made reference to stopping in Melbourne after such >a long voyage and last setting foot on land at Cape Town??? I presume the >crew would of been allowed to go ashore??? He certainly makes entries about >the convicts not being welcome in Sydney, but not even a fleeting reference >to Melbourne............ > >So, my question is - did the Hashemy try to unload the convicts in >Melbourne >in May 1849, or has this become some sort of historical myth ??? My only >thinking to solve the mystery is study the Melbourne newspapers of the time >to see if there is reference to the Hashemy protests, but a bit difficult >from Sydney. Would anyone know for sure one way or the other or have any >other ideas??? > >Best Regards >Ross Downie >Sydney Hi Ross, I had a look at the Paper of Record search engine for the Port Phillip Herald, and the only references for the Hashemy start in December 1851. http://www.paperofrecord.com/Default.asp Likewise, the Old Newscopy search engine only turned up references from 1851, in the Victorian Police Gazette. http://www.oldnewscopy.com/search/searchform.asp The Index to Port Phillip Inwards Correspondence has some references from 1850, inquiries about an exile on the Hashemy, which suggests it might have called here - you'd have to check the references. http://210.15.209.254/vprs19.htm I'm sure you already know that the Mitchell Library has Melbourne papers on Microfilm. Best wishes, Lenore Frost Essendon, Vic