THEMISTOCLES

My grandfather and his older sister travelled from England to Australia on the ship Themistocles, departing on the 11th September 1926. We have a few photos of them and other passengers on the ship including them dressing up for a fake wedding (not to each other!) when in dock in WA. His sister also kept a diary of the trip which details most days of their journey. I believe that a young man may have died when in port in SA and the diary stops at this point.

My father, his mother, brother ,sister and step father, travelled to Australia from England in 1926. My family disembarked from this ship (TSS Themistocles) in Melbourne under their stepfathers surname of BOAL T.J. Dad was 16yrs old. His father (my grandfather) died in WW1 in Mesopotamia (Persia).

My great grandfather & great grandmother travelled on Themistocles from London. He was in the military. Left UK 22 Dec 1919. Arrived in Melbourne on 21 Jan 1920. My grandfather was born at sea (Between Cape Town & Freemantle, Western Australia), but cannot find the record of the birth (even the military couldn't find it when my grandfather joined the army). My great-grandfather had a different name Thomas P Kelly (he had married my great-grandmother under that name). I have confirmed that he was on this ship at this time via Trove.

My Grandmother Martha Elizabeth McClure arrived from Scotland/uk aboard the Themistocles in 1920 she was born 1901 I have been led to believe. She came to Brisbane but I am not sure where she disembarked the ship.

My Grandparents Percy and Elizabeth Jane Green and their three children Alice 3, James 2, Fredrick aged just 3 months, Elizabeth was pregnant with my mother who was born on the 8th April, 1911 in the Royal Hospital for Women, Paddington, Sydney. They left London on the "Themistocles " on the 16th February, 1911, it was her maiden voyage, she was bound for Brisbane but my Grandparent disembarked in Sydney.

My Grandfather and Grandmother, James Frederick and Katherine O'Malley with their children Nellie, Leslie, Kathleen and Patricia sailed on The Themistocles leaving from London with the returning troops from WW1, to settle in Canberra, ACT. They arrived in 1920.

My husband's grandfather Roland Shaylor and his two brothers, Reginald and Rob, departed Plymouth in Feb 1st 1923 on the SS Themistocles, tavelling via Spain and South Africa to arrive at Albany on 12th March. Reg's diary entries chronicle the hot weather, rough seas, and seeing shoals of porpoises and flying fish near Spain and a whale and sharks off the coast at Albany. He writes of the entertainment on board - concerts, boxing, children's tea parties, presents given to the children, a fancy dress ball and prizes for best dressed. One memorable moment was at 11.30 am on the 1st of March 1923 when a baby girl was born on the ship and named Mary Anne Themi (sic) as the parents wanted part of the ships' name to be in her name. At the end of the journey he tells of the 300 passengers singing all night from the excitement and finally speeches and a farewell party. He writes that those 300 were the most passengers that had ever been landed at Albany. Here is a poem he wrote while he was on board: From that drab little house Every morning I go To toil for my darling all day But I wait at the gate For the kiss that I know that charms all the drabness away. The touch of her lips and the wave of her hand Stay with me wherever I roam. So that all day, I yearn for the hour, to return to the house That is haven and home.

My Great Uncle joined the Australian Army on 31st July 1915 at Blackboy Hill.He embarked on the Themistoces on 13th October 1915,it looks like this was as far as Port Suez.He must then have joined a differant ship for the trip to Britain?? He died in or around 3rd November 1916 on the Somme

I recently painted a watercolor (Gouache) Portrait of Roberta, 104 years old. Her middle name is Stevenson named after her Mother’s best friend who died in The Great War in the street. Roberta was born in Scotland and migrated to Australia when she was 9 years old. She came across from Scotland on the Themistocles. She remembers the name of the ship! It took 6 weeks to get here. Roberta is 104 in September. She trained as a contortionist, ballet dancer, and acrobat. She worked for the Tivoli and Regent theatres in Sydney and during the war, performed for the armed forces. She has poor eyesight now but still enjoys large print murder mysteries. She could just see her portrait and loved it. She has faith in God and enjoys conversation and prayer. I painted her looking out of the window to represent this era of COVID 19. During the first few years of her life, another pandemic swept the world – the Spanish flu. Pastor Ross Cochrane

My mother and grandmother were on the Themistocles on October 2, 1920. I am trying to find information on my grandmother Mary Spinelli Chigos who left Mandamadou, Greece for New York to join my grandfather Michael. When my grandfather came here they had his name as Tsingou. Both grandparents died in 1944. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

My Grandmother Preston, [Grandfather was already in Sydney.] her son and three daughters left England in May 1914 on the Themistocles and had a hazardous trip dodging U Boats through the Atlantic arriving in Melbourne on 04-10-1914, before travelling to Sydney.

My mother, her parents & sister & brother left South Hampton 8th September (my grandmother's birthday) & disembarked King George Sound Albany. They went to Qualeup? yet no work for my Grandfather. They also lived at the old Gresham Hotel in North Fremantle & in South Perth. My grandfather was a wood turner. They were the Cowlishaws.