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Diary of Benjamin Reed aboard PESTONJEE BOMANGEE
Diary of Benjamin Reed aboard PESTONJEE BOMANGEE

Diary of Benjamin Reed aboard PESTONJEE BOMANGEE

Author (1820 - 1876)
Date27 May - 14 October 1838
Object number00016993
NameDiary
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 255 mm, 0.1 kg
Copyright© Benjamin Riley Reed
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA manuscript / diary written by passenger Benjamin Riley Reed (1820-1876), between 27 May and 14 October, 1838 Ship PESTONJEE BOMANJEE, ex. London to South Australia. The text, usually one sentence per day, describes life aboard PESTONJEE BOMANJEE. Amongst the descriptions of the weather and sickness, Reed describes a wedding between a passenger and seaman, the birth of his niece and the punishment of a husband after 'using his wife ill'. One of the other passengers aboard the PESTONJEE BOMANGEE on this voyage was George Gawler who was sailing to Adelaide to take up the position of Governor of South Australia.HistoryThe PESTONJEE BOMANGEE was built 1835 at Dumbarton, Scotland. It was a wood barque of 595 tons and intended for the East India service and undertook a number of journeys between Britain and Australia. From 1845 the vessel made a number of voyages to Tasmania transporting convicts. The journey detailed in Benjamin Reed's journal from London to Australia under Captain J K Hill, touched at Teneriffe and Rio and arrived in Holdfast Bay on October 12th with 230 passengers (160 adults, 70 children) and included Governor Gawler and his family. The SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER newspaper made an announcment on Saturday October 13th, 1838 of: "...the arrival of GOVERNOR GAWLER, his family and about 200 emigrants on board, arrived in Glenelg Roads yesterday morning, all well, after a pleasant passage of about four months. His Excellency landed at Glenelg early in the afternoon, and received the congratulations of a large body of the colonists, who were introduced by G.M. Stephen Esq. (the Acting Governor). On Wednesday, we observe by the Government Orders, Colonel Gawler will formally assume the administration of the government, and hold a levee at Government House." SignificanceThe PESTONJEE BOMANGEE had a long association with Australia, from delivering colonial Governors and convicts, the ship visited various ports. This account by Reed of one of those journeys is a record of life at sea reducing the monotony of the seemingly endless days and the fragility of life in brief statements;

"21st SW by W
Thursday, Mrs Cousin’s child died and was buried in the sea very pleasant weather but making very little progress on our voyage."