The trip to the Antipodes
"Close your eyes and visualise a sailing boat named Flanders leaving Marseilles arriving in Sydney on the sixth of
March 1854" Josephine Canals.
One by one, several Catalans decided to embark on a life-long adventure that would take them to the other side of the world. Ahead were thirty days on an old vessel, playing cards, learning English, sending postcards to the family, dancing with the crew, feeling seasick... They crossed oceans, discovered new lands and got to know different cultures. They left their family behind, but a new adventure just began!
Sadness and excitement. Intrigue and fear of the unknown. Illusion and homesickness. Would they ever go back home? What would this new land called Australia be like? What language did they speak? How brave, these Catalan young fellows were, to leave behind their beloved Catalonia to start a new life in the Antipodes!
James Rubira recorded every single event in his diary during his trip in 1909 to Spain. Do you want to travel with him?
Links:
-Search for ancestors: Australia passenger lists genealogy. Search for your ancestors using this interactive directory of the best free genealogy search engines.
