Wood from lid of packing crate from SS RUNIC
Date1924
Object number00046924
NameWood from packing crate lid
MediumWood
DimensionsOverall: 18 x 340 x 150 mm, 278.62 g
ClassificationsTools and equipment
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John Taylor
DescriptionThis wooden packing crate was used by Margaret Munro England, who migrated from Scotland to Australia on the White Star liner SS RUNIC in 1924.HistoryMargaret Munro Jack was born in 1891 at Peterhead in the north of Scotland. She met her future husband John England in England in 1919, after World War I. John was born at Ingham in north Queensland in 1889 and was an engineer and draftsman when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 16 May 1915. John was a Lieutenant in the 5th Pioneer Battalion and served at Gallipoli, where he was awarded the Gallipoli Medal. After the war, John was employed as an engineer at Bristol Docks.
Margaret England and her daughter Jeanette migrated from Scotland to Australia on the White Star liner SS RUNIC in 1924. A letter by John on modern bridge building, printed in the Sydney Morning Herald, shows he was already living at Manly in Sydney in 1924. Margaret and Jeanette travelled on a cabin class ticket (number 6848), embarking from Liverpool on 21 June 1924, bound for Sydney. Margaret was 33 years old at the time and Jeanette was one and a half.
RUNIC was one of five vessels built from 1899-1900 for the White Star service to Australia. RUNIC was launched on 25 October 1900 and embarked on its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Sydney on 19 January 1901. From 1917-1919 it operated under the Liner Requisition Scheme. In 1930 RUNIC was sold to Sevilla Whaling Company, converted into a whale factory ship and renamed NEW SEVILLA. It was torpedoed and sunk off Galway in October 1940.
Margaret and John England lived at Manly for some 50 years. Electoral rolls show John was a civil engineer and Margaret performed home duties. John died on 9 September 1973, aged 84 and Margaret died on 9 May 1981, aged 90.SignificanceThe rudimentary crate with its handwritten address 'Mrs M M England per SS RUNIC to Sydney NSW' provides an interesting contrast to the structured travelling trunks and sea chests typical of the period.
