pacifique

Jim Martin was the first publican of Helensburgh’s re-built Centennial Hotel in 1915. The original old single-storey timber Centennial sat on the opposite side of the road. It closed and had its license transferred to a swanky two-storey brick building in May 1915. The owners, the Hanley family, in partnership with brewers Tooth and Company opened the new Centennial in May 1915. Jim was put in charge of Hanley’s new pub. Born in 1885, his first forte into the hotel trade came in 1913 when he took the reins of the Hotel Pacifique on the Queensland NSW border at Tweed Heads. Jim was just 28. Tweed Heads’ tourist industry kept him and wife Christina in a profitable business for the short time they remained as hosts. Why he chose to leave such a profitable and thriving business to take up the license of a newly built pub in a small coal mining village on the NSW south coast remains a mystery. Source: timegents.com/2015/07/25/the-tweeds-heroic-publican/

For more information about the SS Orient: www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2362703683/ and www.laird-bogstown.com/orient 1.php

Yes, beachcomberaustralia, it looks French to me, possibly 'Pacifique', which means 'peaceful'.

Thanks for that Wardie44B, or 'Merci'. The French steamship "Pacifique" (built 1899) was owned by the M M (Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes - see note on flag) a French state-owned operation. She was 1,938 tons and (probably) operated the Marseilles - Port Said - Mahe - Reunion - Mauritius - Adelaide - Melbourne - Sydney - Noumea route. She was scrapped in 1925. Ref.- www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/mm.htm . The earliest reference to the SS Pacifique in the Sydney Morning Herald is an advertisement for sailing to Noumea at 1pm on Wednesday 15 November 1899 - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14233925?searchTerm=SS pacifique . This might not be the sailing that was about to happen in this photo, but it is certainly c.1900. The scaffolding in front of the Customs House (they were adding extra floors) also is evident in this photo - www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/3794327782/ .

Spot the differences! - acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=413341

Yes, a number of differences, beachcomber. What does is signify that the Pacifique isn't flying any flags (well, not the one on top and not the French flag) in the other image?