contd from Part 1

Petition To Queen

Settlers, and particularly the colony's developing business community, were far from happy with arrangements, complaining that it took at least 10 months to send a letter to ngland and receive a reply. Thus in September 1845 a resolution was passed in the New South Wales Legislative Council to petition the Queen to extend the arrangements under which mails were despatched by steam to India and China. The aim was to develop a branch line to Sydney from Ceylon or Singapore.

Tenders were called by the British Admiralty in 1847 and competition was hot amongst contenders for the coveted contract. Unfortunately the service was held up for another five years because several companies without ships to fulfil the contract lodged bids on speculation. Others fought to under-cut each other to the extent that the successful applicant was unable to fulfil the contract service each alternate month by two different routes. The P. & 0. mails came overland to Suez then via Mauritius to Ceylon whilst the A.R.M. ships came round the Cape of Good Hope.

During the Crimean War this contract lapsed as Lost of the steamers were requisitioned by the British Government. Once again the mails were brought under sail but this time by fast American designed clippers. The service fell into confusion following the war but in 1858 the government mail contract was again awarded to the P. & 0. Co.

Ships Flew Postal Flag

The postal flag of the old sail packets had been a red ensigi. with a large white square in the centre bearing the design of a red-jacketed post-boy riding a white horse and blowing a horn. The steamers had their own "Steam Postal Flag" consisting of a Red Ensign with a large yellow anchor and crown over it on the red of the fly. The name of each ship was followed by the initials R.M.S. — Royal Mail Steamer — and these were jealously guarded.

Letters written by Mr. F. R. Kendall, a young Englishman who seems to have spent much of his time travelling the world for P. & 0. reveal what conditions were like on these early steamers.

All the animals to be eaten during the journey were stacked on board. As an average dinner menu included several joints of mutton, and pork, sides of beef and several varieties of poultry, there must have been a regular farm yard on board. One can imagine the smell they created in the tropics and not only did this induce sea sickness amongst the passengers but the animals also suffered judging by Kendall's frequent references to the poor appearance of the birds that appeared at table.

The early mail contracts required each ship to carry an Admiralty agent to supervise the mails. They were usually very elderly lieutenants who were given this task instead of being retired on half-pay and much fun was poked at them because of all the pomp and ceremony surrounding their duties. After 1874, the Admiralty Agents were dropped and the mails entrusted to the ship's master.

When the mail was brought on board, the agent was required to stand stiffly at the gangway decked out in full ceremonial uniform of a long-tailed gold-braided, brass-buttoned coat, very high and stiff white collar, glazed cock hat with a looped gold cord, and regimental sword.

If the mail bag had to be rowed ashore, the agent accompanied it in the same full dress uniform whether it happened to be in the snow and rain of an English winter or the roasting sun of an Indian, Egyptian or Australian port. But the agents were not complete clowns. They had the authority to stop or start the ship and exercised it frequently to ensure that the mails got there.

Disease, especially typhoid, was rife and often the ships were forced to go into quarantine. Breakdowns and fuel shortages had also to be considered. Pirates were another hazard, such as those in the Java seas. In all the bays and inlets their swift sail and oar prahus lurked ready to pounce on any sailing ship becalmed, or steamer forced to stop and cool her engines or repair breakdowns.

Then out they shot crammed with men. Any prahus that got near enough showered stink balls on their victims blinding them with thick clouds of smoke and fumes. Then from every side the pirates attacked shooting, stabbing and slashing. That was usually the end.

Each ship was required to carry heavy guns, muskets and pistols and finally the steamers devised the trick of coupling up pipes to the boilers and showering the attackers with scalding steam. But this was no foil for the wily pirates who took tickets as coolie deck passengers, and when off an arranged part of the coast suddenly rose and attacked the ship's crew. But despite these possible hazards, every effort was made to ensure the mail got through on time and intact.

Thus Kendall proudly reported in 1859 that, "It is curious how unfortunate the Australian line has always been with every company, and since we opened it the Benares is the only ship out of the six that have come up from Australia without accident, although all the mails by their (i.e. P. & O.'s) own shies have been delivered in proper time."

(to be continued)

Source- Australian Post Office News no 24, July 1974