Black Ball Line & Clipper Ships

The Black Ball Line was founded in 1852 by James Baines & Thomas MacKay, Liverpool as a regular packet service to Australia at the time of the gold rush using clipper ships. Clipper Ships were commercial vessels built with speed

Storm King Voyage – London – Moreton Bay 1869 -1870

The voyage of the Storm King from London leaving Wednesday 20th October 1869 and arriving at Moreton Bay on 17th January 1870 was not recorded by my great grandfather Thomas Wood Hawson. We are fortunate that Alfred Midgley was on

Thomas Wood Hawson – Wombwell Yorkshire

My great grandfather Thomas Wood (son of Thomas Hawson and Hannah Wood) was born in Wombwell, Yorkshire England on 5 November 1848. He married Catherine Jane Wilson on April first  1874 in Ipswich Queensland Australia. He died in Toowoomba on