"ERIN-GO-BRAGH"

The search for the ship that transported Tom Beanland to Australia has been hard like the ship's voyage that brought young Tom to this country.

Stories were told by Lydia to her grandchildren about the rough and dangerous voyage to Australia that young Tom endured.

Unfortunately, many of the records were destroyed in the 1893 flood, while others are simply missing or unreadable.

However, the author has been able to ascertain that Tom sailed on the "Erin-Go-Bragh” of the Black Ball Line.

Unfortunately, the "B" is obliterated from some records and in Jim Burke’s book "Gunyah, Grit and Gantry, a Saga of the Erin‑Go‑Bragh”, the listing of the ship’s passengers appears as Thos Eanland; however, other records clearly indicate that it is Thos Beanland.

"Erin‑Go‑Bragh” or “Ireland for Ever" was an ancient clipper known as "Florida” prior to being chartered by Father P. Dunne to take Irish Immigrants from Ireland to Queensland.

The “Erin‑Go‑Bragh” started badly by taking nearly a fortnight to travel from Liverpool to Cork.

On 7 February 1862 the ship left Queenstown in Cork Harbour, Ireland, to sail to Brisbane.

"Erin‑Go-Bragh’s" basic statistics were tonnage 1111, length 250 feet, arriving Moreton Bay on 1 August, 1862, with 387 passengers.

It was a tragic voyage. It is presumed that Tom boarded at Liverpool for a voyage which took six months instead of the usual three months.

No photographs exist of the "Erin‑Go-Bragh” although Jim Burke has sketches in his book.

The Brisbane Courier Mail of 2 August, 1862, and 11 August, 1862, and Dr Hob's Health Officer's report dated 1 August, 1862, tells the story of a shocking 56 deaths on the voyage, the great majority being young children. Four days out of Queenstown typhoid fever and scarlatina broke out among the passengers.

The "Erin‑Go‑Bragh” was the first ship to be quarantined at St Helena Island in Moreton Bay. Passengers were transhipped to Brisbane on 11 August, 1862.

"Erin‑Go-Bragh” departed Liverpool 23 January, 1862, arrived Brisbane 11 August, 1862.