americanships

Historic …

A nice bit of colouring on the card but it must have been spectacular back on the day itself?

Swordscookie I think it would have been very impressive. There was also a massive firework display on the Harbour. Read All About It - including an engraving of the scene at the Town Hall (half an hour later!!) - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/1312681

And a visiting American electrician was very impressed - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/114754930

I like the ghosts the lighting is giving off.

beachcomber australia Swordscookie Hey if they can knock the socks off a visiting American electrician in 1908 - imagine what they'll conjur up this weekend? :)

The S.O.C. pennant on the lifebelt (see note) might represent Standard Oil Company, the owners of the JOHN ENA from 1916 - 1919, according to this website - www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Ships/Fourmast_ships/John_Ena(1892).html [edit - link fixed] Which suggests a date of May 1916 - does that fit in with the clothing? The JOHN ENA delivered a load of oil to Melbourne and then Sydney. trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28783328 trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28783325

beachcomber australia I think we can fairly safely assume this was taken in Sydney because the Hood photographs generally were. If we assume this, then this date is most likely the correct one, unless this photograph was taken in Newcastle in which case the date is earlier. I'm not great with men's clothing unfortunately, but my first impression of these images was that they were taken in the 1900s. Here's the research I have summarised:

JOHN ENA visited Australia numerous times throughout its career. In June 1895 it visited Port Germein in South Australia and visited the state again in December 1898 and June 1903. During its September 1895 visit to Newcastle, New South Wales, 12 seamen from the barque were charged with 'combining to disobey lawful commands'. They were sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour in Maitland Gaol. During its second visit to Newcastle in June 1901, one of the crew, Charlie Solinas committed suicide. At 11:23am on 16 May 1916, JOHN ENA arrived in Sydney from Melbourne with a load of oil from San Francisco. Another visit to Australia was made in 1919.
Apart from these, I couldn't see any other visits to Australia.

Also, an interesting report: nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95247262

EDIT: Check these out

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons Oh dear! That 1919 date of the photo-of-the-painting upsets things a bit ...

beachcomber australia Not necessarily, the photographs still could've been taken in 1916. Though I think, if we were to be on the safe side, we could put a date of 1916-1919.

A lovely photo! It was a recent winner in one of our photo colorization polls. Check it out!