Hi Neil, I cannot help you with shipping information, but at NAAIRS http://www.national.archives.gov.za/naairs.htm I found this reference at the KAB (Cape Town Archives Repository) DEPOT KAB SOURCE CO TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 4077 SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE T26 PART 1 DESCRIPTION MEMORIAL. OJ TRUTER FOR DUTCH BARK "MARIA HILLEGONDA". REGARDING A CONTRAVENTION OF POST OFFICE ORDINANCE BY THE MASTER OF THE VESSEL. STARTING 18540000 ENDING 18540000 Regards, Elva > > From: "Neil" <newpond@bigpond.net.au> > Date: 11 September 2005 11:41:13 AM > To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Ship at Simons Bay 1853-54 > > > Hello everyone > > I wonder if someone is able to give me some advice. > > I am compiling a list of arrivals and departures of ships at Western > Australia in the 1850s, using newspapers and archival sources here in > Western Australia. I am documenting as much information as possible > about each ship. I'm also researching the establishment of the steam > ship Royal Mail service at Albany in Western Australia in 1852-54. > > In 1852, a steam ship mail service to the Australian colonies was > contracted by the British Government. There were initially 2 > companies: The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and > the Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company. Because of the > long distances, coal depots were required, and both companies > established them at Albany in Princess Royal Harbour at King George's > Sound so that the steam ships could deliver mail for the Colony of > Western Australia and refuel at Albany before proceeding to the > eastern Australian colonies. Albany is about 400 km south of Perth. > The first mail steam ship arrived in September 1852. > > During 1852/1853, a number of ships carried to Albany cargoes of coals > from England and Wales. One of these that appears to have been > contracted to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company > called in at Simons Bay for some reason according to the records here: > > "Marij? Hillegonda", Dutch ship. Departed Hartlepool, England on 6 > September 1853. Called at Simons Bay, Cape of Good Hope, departed > there on 14 April 1854. Arrived at Albany on 18 May 1854. Master = T. > Visser. Tonnage = 767 tons. Cargo = coals for the P. & O. Company. > > It must have stayed at Simons Bay for 4 to 5 months, because another > Dutch ship, the "D'Elmina", also carrying coals for the P. & O. > Company, departed Hartlepool at the same time but arrived at Albany > much earlier on 13 December 1853. > > Perhaps it had a mishap on the way. I am interested in anything at > all. Perhaps there are shipping registers of arrivals and > departures/crew records held in an archive or mentioned in newspapers? > > I would very much appreciate any advice anyone is able to give me as > to available sources. > > Neil > Perth > Western Australia >