James Muir's journey to Brisbane

By Kay McMeekin

In the past, newspapers published much information about the sailings and progress of shipping. This allowed anxious families at home to track the progress of their loved ones on their long and hazardous journey. 

21 year old miner James Muir and Janet Barrowman who left with their infant daughter for Brisbane in 1887 on the Wooranga  a journey of 7/8 weeks. Here is an advert for the journey.

British Australasian - Thursday 17 March 1887
accessed on British Newspaper Archive 28 Jan 2025

closer view

Batavia is the old name for Jakarta.

Here is the progress of  James and Janet Muir  on their journey to Brisbane, Queensland in 1887 on the Wooranga,  a journey of 8 weeks. Compiled from various newspapers.

Waroonga, London to Brisbane (Queensland) 1887

Sailed on 5 April according to the advert but 7 days London to Gibraltar seems a bit excessive.

5 April Gravesend, Kent (on the Thames, 21 miles from London)

12 April Gibraltar

19 April Suez 

(The Suez canal opened in 1869 considerably shortening the journey from Europe to Asia and beyond. Before this ships had to round the southern tip of Africa.)

24 Apr Aden

14 May Batavia

26 May Cooktown

31 May Brisbane

James was one of 20 miners on board

They travelled in steerage, the cheaper option and down in the bowels of the ship. Saloon was the other class.

 https://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/api/download_file/DR39554

Five babies were born on the voyage and 3 were given the name Waroonga! 

Emily Waroonga Finlay born 6 May

Waroonga Emilie Griffiths born 9 April

David Waroonga Griffiths (a cousin ? of the above)  born 26 May

Passengers were disembarked at Thursday Island, Tormsville, Rockhampton, McKay, Cooktown and Brisbane.

It looks like the Muirs had paid for their passage, but I may be misunderstanding what "remittance" means.

Others were "free", particularly domestic servants.

Remittance’ or ‘nominated’ passages were usually initiated by individuals within the colony in order to sponsor relatives or friends. Under the remittance system, those recommending a prospective migrant applied to the colonial authority and provided a deposit. 

 from The political economy of assisted immigration: Australia 1860–1913 by Timothy J. Hatton 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014498323000591#sec0002

So who in Australia sponsored them?

Once in Australia they settled in Newcastle, New South Wales and had another 6 children. Janet died in 1904 aged only 36. James died in 1944.