aberdeenline

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons Sorry to have to disagree again about "first naval fleet" (1891), but this photo is much more recent - the liner looks too modern for 1891. The lighthouse at Bradleys Head was built in 1905 and Robertsons (Cremorne) Point in 1910.

Looks like a regatta flagship. 1920s or 1930s due to the launches not being steam-powered, if you know what I mean.

beachcomber australia Done! It was a bit optimistic hoping for more first fleet images...

Same occasion as ...

The liner is either the Demosthenes or its outwardly identical sister Themistocles, both completed for the Aberdeen Line in 1911, with a yellow funnel. In 1928 both were transferred to the White Star Line Australia service, with the colour scheme of the illustrated ship. The Demosthenes was laid up mid 1931 and soon scrapped. Themistocles survived war service and was not dismantled until 1947. It does indeed seem that the large ship in the photo is the Regatta flagship, and being a pre-WW2 photo it must be dated between 1928 and 1939. So it's more likely that the liner is the Themistocles. nb - the tags to naval ships seem incorrect.

Here's a brief biography of A. Bertram Samuels, who may be the A. B. Samuels in the photo above. His age seems to be appropriate.

TYPHUS, WAR'S DREAD ALLY, BEATEN; News of Dr. Harry Plotz's Vaccine Discovery Comes When Europe Faces Awful Ravages from Scourge. April 18, 1915 The announcement of the discovery of a protective vaccine against typhus fever, the dreadful scourge that dogs the heels of war, following closely upon the confirmation of the germ origin of the disease by repeated demonstrations of a distinct causative agent visible under the microscope, is but another instance of the accuracy of modern laboratory methods and the continual progress of medical science. select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20C1EFE385C1373...

books.google.com/books/about/The_Etiology_of_Thyphus_Exan... indicates that Baehr was a colleague of Plotz. Another copy, at archive.org/stream/etiologyoftyphus00plotrich#page/n1/mod... indicates that "The etiology of typhus exanthematicus" was first published in July 1915 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Authors were Harry Plotz, George Baehr, and Peter K. Olitsky.

NYT of June 28, 1915 query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50F11FD3B5C13738... reported that Plotz and Baehr sailed on the Themistocles the previous day for Serbia for a year, armed with 20,000 tubes of typhus vaccine.

More about Dr. Harry Plotz: www.sciencephoto.com/media/227849/enlarge His January, 1947 obituary is here: select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70B17FF3E5A1B7B...

She was due to depart four days later at 11am on 14/11/1923 for Melbourne, Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town, Teneriffe, Southampton, Hull, and London. Saloon to London - from 92 pounds (about $5,935 now) Third Class to London - from 37 pounds (about $2,390 now) From advert SMH 12/11/1923 p.1, col.3 "Aberdeen Line" - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16105361 Equivalent values via www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/

Excellent

beachcomber australia Cheers Beachcomber - measuringworth.com is a find!

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons Yes, I often look up old prices with it, and sometimes post a comment. You have to be a bit careful with which of the five values you use - I used the retail price index here, and thought the current worth rather low - like a modern airfare - until I remembered it was one way, not return as the airfare.

gorgeous!