Bertha arrives in Australia, 1850.

Above: My great-great grandmother, Bertha Hughan Bishop.

Before each needle woman was accepted as a passenger on the first ship to sail, she had to obtain what was called an 'emigration outfit'-without it she was declined as an applicant. This consisted of 6 shifts; 2 flannel petticoats; 6 pairs of stockings; 2 pairs shoes; 2 gowns; 2 pair sheets; 16 towels; 10 pounds of soap; warm cloak or shawl; 1 bonnet; 1 hair comb and 1 brush." All of this had to be contained in a box not exceeding 24 inches in length and 18 inches in height.
In newspapers from London to Australia there were various detailed reports of the send-off of the first contingent of needlewomen, some of which I have mentioned already in my report of Hannah Hughan. Even the Perth Gazette ran a small story: " On Monday, the first detachment of the distressed needlewomen of the metropolis for whose benefit the Hon.Sidney Herbert, M.P, started a public subscription,embarked at Gravesend in the ship Culloden,Captain Ferguson, for Port Phillip, NSW.(Note: Victoria's separation from NSW was still to come-in 1851-, so Port Phillip was officially classified as 'NSW').They numbered 38 including Matron and sub-matrons, and were conveyed to Gravesend, from Blackwall,by the Satellite steamer.Mr and Mrs Sidney Herbert, the Hon.A. Kinnaired and Mrs. Kinnaired, Mr. Higgins, Mr Thackary( author of 'Vanity Fair') and a party of Ladies and gentlemen interested in the welfare of the emigrants, accompanied them to the ship.
Numbers appeared sorrowful and many wept at the position in which misfortune had placed them; but others looked smiling, happy and contented and all were most grateful to their generous benefactors.With tears of thankfulness they pressed the proffered hands of Mr and Mrs Herbert at parting and as the steamer left the Culloden,the crew uniting with the emigrants gave their benevolent friends three hearty cheers."
Each girl was given her own Bible and prayer book, and a collection of books was donated to make a small library for their 'amusement' during the long voyage.
Although Bertha sailed with the needlewomen and was included in the passenger list with them, she was not counted as one of the 36 needlewomen of the Female Emigrant Scheme's first shipment( nor was her mother). Her sisters Jessie and Marion were, however, and would have been involved in the activities supervised by Hannah Hughan and her two sub-matrons to occupy the needlewomen during the voyage.There were sixteen rules that Hannah, as the Matron, had to enforce.One of them was:
"You are to make it your daily endeavour to collect around you in the afternoon all the young women, and while they are employed in needlework, you should propose that some of those best qualified should read to the rest occasionally."
Educational training was, as far as possible, to be conjoined with needlework. The matron, Hannah,was required to arrange her charges into classes, for the purpose of scriptural and general reading, with instructions in writing, arithmetic and geography.In this task she would have been glad to have her two sub-matrons, both of whom were teachers, to assist her. A large amount of calico had been put on board, supplied by a large city house at cost price, with models of shirts generally used in the colonies, and whatever a needlewoman made during the voyage was to be delivered to her on landing.
After a journey of 119 days at sea, the Culloden arrived at her destination on July 5th, 1850. The Port Phillip Herald of July 6, 1850, reported "She has on board 36 females( needlewomen) and a number of agriculturalists with their families. No sickness of any description appeared on board. The vessel came into port exceedingly clean, and the passengers very healthy." In the 'Shipping Intelligence' section further on, it reports "Arrived July 5, Culloden, ship, 726 tons, H. Ferguson commander, from London, and off Plymouth 8th March". It names passengers, and ends the list with "36 females(needlewomen); Mrs Hughan, matron."
The story has passed down through the family how on the first night of their arrival, the Hannah and her girls had to sleep on the beach where they had docked until accommodation could be found, presumably the next day as they had been landed during the night to avoid trouble that was brewing between the captain and his crew.
I assume that it wasn't just the Hughans who were in this predicament, and that the needlewomen and perhaps the other passengers had to camp out under the Southern Cross as well.
They were all landed on the evening of Friday, July 5, but their engagement by local employers did not begin until the following Monday when they were able to present themselves at the Immigration Depot.
I have sourced so many newspaper reports of arrival and employment of this initial batch of Female Emigrants,from Glasgow to New Zealand, and England to Perth and Hobart, and every single one was glowing in their praise and support of the needlewoman. All except one, that is...upon reprinting a positive article that had appeared in other publications regarding the good class of the Culloden emigrants and their subsequent successful employment, the Editor of 'Reynold's Weekly News' from London made his own addition in brackets: " ( By advices received from Port Phillip, we are enabled to state that the above account is false in almost every particular; the greater proportion of the young women sent out by Mr Sidney Herbert are without situations, and several, unable to procure them, have abandoned themselves to prostitution. - Ed)"
This publication seemed to regularly take to task politicians and the Government, and keenly support the poor and the underdog, so it is my opinion that this lone voice of criticism was using his paper to undermine the Female Emigration Scheme of Sidney Herbert, of which he did not agree.