Family:James Burgess and Tomima Burgar (1)

The Orient Company's R.M.S. Austral, from London, entered the Heads at half-past 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and moored to the company's buoy in Neutral Bay at half-past 3. The Austral on this voyage has again distinguished herself in the matter of speed, having arrived several days in advance of contract time ; and the huge number of passengers who came out by her are unanimous in their praises of the comfortable accommodation she possesses, and of the treatment they received on board from Captain Charlton and his officers, the latter being the same as on the last voyage, Mr. Marshall chief officer, Mr. M'Dougall, chief engineer, and Mr. J. C. Gibbons purser : while Dr. Bagshawe is medical officer and Mr. Cunningham chief steward. There were four deaths during the voyage. Ernest Birks, a boy, died from sunstroke after an Illness of two or three hours : Mrs. Pollock, an aged steerage passenger, and Mrs. Dingle, another steerage passenger, died from exhaustion, the result of heat apoplexy ; and Arthur Allen, a steward, died from the same cause. The rumors which have been circulated with regard to cholera having appeared on board have been found to be altogether incorrect, and the deaths recorded occurred from the causes stated. The passenger accommodation of the Austral was largely filled on the vessel leaving Plymouth, no fewer than 630 persons being booked for the colonies, the large majority, as usual being for this port, 240 being for Melbourne and 313 for Sydney. Amusements of various kinds were entered into with great spirit by the passengers, and the voyage in this respect was unusually successful. The Austral left London on August 20, and Plymouth on the following day, and arrived at Naples on the morning of August 28. Fine weather marked the passage from the Channel to Port Said, where the Austral anchored on the afternoon of the 1st ultimo. After coaling, she left at 6 p.m. on tho 2nd ultimo, and reached Suez at a quarter-past 7 p.m. on the 3rd ultimo. The mails were received at midnight, and a start was made shortly after 2 o'clock on the morning of the 4th ultimo. The heat in the Red Sea was severely felt. A call was made at Aden on the 8th ultimo, and thence a course was shaped for Diego Garcia, which was reached on the 15th ultimo. In steaming across the latitude of the S.E. trades strong winds and heavy head seas were encountered to the parallel of 20° S. The weather fallen in with afterwards was of a moderate description. The Austral arrived at Adelaide at 1 p.m. on the 29th ultimo, and after landing mails, passengers, and cargo for South Australia, the voyage was resumed at a quarter past 10 p.m. same date. Cape Otway was passed at a quarter to 5 a.m. 1st Instant, and Port Phillip Heads were entered at 10 a.m. same date. After landing the mails, consisting of 325 bags, passengers, and cargo, the Austral left Williamstown at 2.17 p.m. on the 3rd instant, passed through Port Phillip Heads at 6.12 p.m., rounded Wilson's Promontory at 3.30 a.m. on the 4th, Gabo Island at 6.34 p.m. same date, and arrived as stated. Experienced fine weather, with light to moderate winds, during the run round. The Austral has a large cargo for this port.

Tomima Burgar was born 5th February 1866 to Elizabeth Hercus and Robert Burgess. She married her third cousin James Burgess of Taft, Rapness, Westray, at her home at Cott in Pharay on 24th December 1884. James, born 15th August 1857, was the son of John Burghar and Mary Leslie. They soon left for Victoria, Australia aboard the ship "Australia" and departed or arrived in October 1885. They were "unassisted" travelers meaning they had not received government support for their passage. They settled in Newcastle, New South Wales, north of Sydney, where all their children were born:

• James Burgess, b. 7th Mar 1886 and married in 1919 Elizabeth Taylor who died in 1923. James died 9th June 1953.

• John R. Burgess, b. 4th Apr 1887 and d. 18th Jan 1888

• Robert Burgess, b. 3rd June 1888 and d. 8th Aug 1888

• Elizabeth Burgess, b. 22nd June 1889 and d. 18th July 1889

• Mary Jane Burgess, b. 5th Apr 1891 and was living in Newcastle in the 1950s

• Thomas Burgess, b 20th Nov 1895 and married Florence Maddison, 1925 in Hamilton, NSW; d. 15th June 1945

• Clifford Burgess, b. 10th July 1897 and d. 8th Sept 1898

• Reginald Burgess, b. 27th Apr 1899 and married Gwendoline Hauber Allen, 1923, in East Maitland, NSW. He retired from the NSW Railway Workshop and was living in Belmont NSW in the 1950s, near where his wife had a teashop.

• Bessie S. Burgess, b. 28th Oct 1901 and d. 16th Feb 1902

James died in Newcastle 27th Feb 1910. Tomima died in Hamilton 28th August 1943, age 77.