Passenger Diaries

Find out what life was like for people travelling on the SS Great Britain by reading extracts from their diaries and letters.

Allan Gilmour

Allan Gilmour, his brother Matthew, and their father travelled together to Australia in a steerage cabin.

Read his diary

Annie Henning

Annie Henning, her brother Biddulph, and his dog Gipsy emigrated to Australia in First Class in 1853.

Read her diary

Edward Mills Grace

Edward Mills Grace travelled to Australia with other members of the All England cricket team.

Read his diary

Edward Towle

Edward Towle and his brother Benjamin travelled to Australia in 1852.

Read his diary

Eugene Mallet

Eugene Mallet kept a detailed diary while he travelled to Australia in first class.

Read his diary

Frances Duberly

Frances Duberly was travelling to India with her husband Captain Henry Duberly, a British Army Officer, as he had been posted to the country.

Read her letters

Herman Zumstein

Herman Zumstein was travelling from Melbourne to Liverpool, so he could go and visit family in Switzerland.

Read his diary

Rachel Henning

Rachel Henning emigrated to Australia in 1861 to join her sister Annie and brother Biddulph who had emigrated there on the SS Great Britain in 1853.

Read her diary

Rosamond D’Ouseley

Rosamond D’Ouseley travelled on her own on the SS Great Britain so that she could visit family in Australia.

Read her diary

Samuel Archer

Samuel Archer worked on the SS Great Britain as the surgeon for two voyages.

Read his diary

Sister Mary Paul Mulquin

Sister Mary Paul Mulquin shared her journey to Australia with other nuns from a convent in Ireland. They were going to teach in a school for Catholic girls near Melbourne.

Read her diary

Susan Mary Crompton

Susan Mary Crompton travelled from Melbourne to Liverpool with her husband Joseph. They had just got married and were on their honeymoon.

Read her diary