A bold and adventurous life - well lived!

On the 5th August 1899 Captain John Austen died.

His obituary read:
"Captain John Austen, a very old and well-known master-mariner of Auckland, died yesterday at his residence in Union St. at the advanced age of 76 years. The funeral takes place at Waikumete to-morrow. The late Mr Austen was a fine specimen of the old-fashioned sailor, and was to his last days a hard-working and able-bodied mariner. He had been at sea for over sixty years, and had a marvellous experience of sea-faring in all its phases. Austen a native of Devonshire, whence comes so many good seamen, and he went to sea at the age of 14. Many years ago he came to Auckland, and for a time he was engaged in the coasting and South Sea Islands trade. One of the vessels he had charge of was the schooner Charybdis. He also had charge some 30 years ago of the brigantine Reliance, running out of Auckland to the South Pacific and was wrecked in her near the Soloman Islands. He made a long and perilous journey from the wreck in an open boat, eventually reaching the Queensland Coast. During his island adventures he sustained a spear wound in the head, which lately began to trouble him again. He had various small vessels in the South Seas Island trade. A good many years ago Captain Austen was master and owner of a smart little 27 ton cutter called Aquilla, in which he traded along the New Zealand coast to the South Sea Islands. Of late years he served as mate on the schooners Ysabel and May Howard, and his last vessel was the schooner Croydon Lass, of which he was master. He was a very hardy old man and enjoyed good health up to within three or four weeks of his death"

Captain John owned 4 ships, captained at least 12 more, he sailed around the world from England, around New Zealand, around Australia, and around the Pacific to Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands. He survived many hurricanes, groundings and 4 shipwrecks. He sailed into his old age - as mate on the Asia to Australia in 1897, he was 73. He had 10 children, at least 30 grandchildren and many more great and great, great grandchildren.
His legacy lives on.

The Austens 1896

A snapshot of the Austens around 1896!
Anne and John were living in Inkerman Street, Freemans Bay. This street was described as being 6 chains long, with 1 business and 5 residences. In 1939 it changed its name to Herd Street but is "now stopped".
They may have had their youngest sons with them - Alfred (18 years) and Joseph (16 years) would not have been listed on any electoral roll, Arthur Austen (12 years) is listed as attending Chapel Street school.
Their eldest daughter Mary Jane Ward was living in Spring Street, Freemans Bay and her children Bailey, Blanche(8 years), Mabel(12 years) and Walter(10 years) attended the Hastings School. (There was a Hastings Road in Central Auckland at this time).
John James Austen (mariner) was living in Quay Street.
George Austen (gum packer) was living in Nelson Street and his oldest son Stanley (8 years) attended Wellesley Street School. William Austen (gum sorter) in Wellesley Street.
Caroline was living in Riverhead with her husband Arthur Postlewaight (gum digger) and 2-3 pre-school children.

The school records come from a search of this:
In 1897, around 25,000 children in the Auckland education district signed a congratulatory address to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years as Queen. The Auckland education district covered all public schools from Northland to Rotorua and Tauranga.
The information available includes the child’s name, which school they belonged, the original manuscript is held in the Sir George Grey Special Collections. You are able to search for the names of children on the Auckland libraries website.

Blackbirding

BLACKBIRDING: the 19th- and early 20th-century practice of enslaving (often by force and deception) South Pacific islanders on the cotton and sugar plantations of Queensland, Australia (as well as those of the Fiji and Samoan islands). The kidnapped islanders were known collectively as Kanakas (see Kanaka). Blackbirding was especially prevalent between 1847 and 1904.
[From theEncyclopædia Britannica]

I discovered the Reliance listed on the Australian National Shipwreck database with this comment:

General history: Crew rescued by beche-de-mer vessel 'Maid of Riverton' after 28 days in open boat;taken to Bowen;labour trade vessel; return labourers drowned.
Australian Historic Shipwreck database

Previous information listed the cargo as "10 tons of coconut oil, 1 ton of tortoiseshell ... & curiosities" no mention of indentured labourers! But then I discovered this in a small index called "Shipping losses and casualties concerning Australia and New Zealand" compiled by Ronald Parsons:

"RELIANCE W 2m brig, 118t, ON31832 84.9 x 21.4 x 11.0, B.1841 Bermuda. Owners: (1865) John Austen, mariner, reg. Auckland. With 70 native labourers or kanakas aboard struck Indispensable Reef, off Qld. Apl.2,1868 and was eventually abandoned as a total loss. When she struck the 'passengers' rushed the boats but the crew got away - with little provisions or water, and all the firearms, hoping to regain the ship when things quietened so the captain ordered the boats to standby but apart from a group leaving the ship in a raft there was little action. The raft drifted in a N.W. direction. The master decided to follow and head for Cape Deliverance, New Guinea, which was reached in 17 days, the raft, meanwhile, disappearing. An attempt to land was made but they were driven off by the locals, the steward being speared in the leg. Subsequent attempts to land at various small islands were equally unsuccessful and after 35 days, during which one boat was apparently captured by native war canoes, the captain and the men in his boat were picked up by the beche-de-mer fisher MAID OF RIVERTON, that landed them in Townsville 21 months after the stranding. No trace of the wreck or others aboard it was found. [Auck.reg. 43/1864: B Guard. Apl.2: B.C. Jul 3: SMH Jul.16, 1868]

Another sad footnote is this from the Rockhampton Bulletin and Central Queensland Advertiser 4th August 1868:
It will be in the remembrance of our readers that in our issue of a few weeks ago a telegram from Bowen appeared, stating that the captain and portion of the crew of the brig "Reliance", wrecked on Indispensable Reef on the 22nd April, had been picked up by the "Maid of Riverton", and brought into Cleveland Bay; and further, that the whale boat, with the mate Mr George Miles, was missing. A letter receieved per last mail by Mrs Miles, from the captain of the "Reliance", John Austin, states that, as her husband was in the best sailing boat, and they parted during bad weather, the whaleboat sailing away ahead of them, Mr Miles had to run further north, probably to Cape York. Mr. Miles was, for some time, connected with the Pilot Station in Keppel Bay, and that Captain Austin's supposition may prove a certainty is our wish, and that himself and crew have landed in safety.

The Brisbane Courier Tues 28 July 1868 summed it up this way "The brig belonged to the master, whose name is Austin. She is a total wreck and was uninsured, so that I fear her master must be pretty well ruined."

Waikumete Cemetery

One fine Sunday we visited Waikumete Cemetery where many of the Austen family are buried. Waikumete is one of the largest cemeteries in the Southern Hemisphere (covering 107 hectares) and the final resting place for over 70,000 people, it is situated in West Auckland and was established in 1886.
John and Anne are buried here in the Wesley Division C Row 5 Plot 64. Next door to them in Plot 62 are their two older sons, John James who died in 1898 and William in 1911. There are no grave stones, but this is the area below - they are near the top of the little hill, on the right.



Mary Jane, George and his wife Elizabeth are interred in the Anglican Division. Caroline is in the Non Conformist division. Both Mary Jane and Caroline have infants buried here in Waikumete. Alfred and Arthur were cremated and there ashes scattered here.
The only marker we could find was this one for Joseph and Agnes.

Deodarus

After discovering the wonderful Trove site we have found even more about Captain John!
In November 1885 he took over as Captain of the barque 'Deodarus' 286 tons in Brisbane Australia. The 'Deodarus' had been in the news when her captain had been accused of attempting to scuttle her by drilling holes in her side under the water line! She was then sold at auction and Captain John Austen employed as her master. He spent the next 18 months sailing her from Brisbane to Cairns and Townsville and also down to Adelaide and Sydney.
And then she struck the Great Barrier Reef and was abandoned. Yes another shipwreck! This was reported in the Cairns Post:
A COURT of inquiry was held on Wednesday last, touching the loss of the barque Deodarus, on the Barrier Beef to the S.E. of Fitzroy Island, on the morning of Saturday, the 25th day of June, before M. O'Malley, Esq., P.M., and R. T. Hartley, Esq., J.P., with John Mylchreest and Thomas James Chaplin, Master Mariners, as nautical assessors.
The evidence of Captain John Austin, the master of the wrecked vessel, showed that she had left the anchorage in Trinity Bay at about 9 o'clock on the Friday evening, and had tacked down the channel until day-light, when they were between Cape Grafton and Fitzroy Island. He (the Captain) went below at 8.30 a.m., leaving the Mate (Mr. J.E. Connon) in charge. The sand bank was then bearing about E. by N. and distant eight or nine miles. It was not visible, but he judged the distance by the chart. He felt the vessel strike at 9.45, and went on deck, saying to the Mate, " Why, the vessel is ashore," Mr. Connon replied that he had been aloft and seen a schooner standing in from the shore, so that they could not be ashore. Everything was then hove aback and the vessel worked on the reef for about half-an-hour, when she slipped off into about five fathoms of water. It was blowing hard at the time with a fresh sea on, and he had no time to let go the anchor, as she gathered way and went on the reef again. He then got out a kedge and hove her off, but she got on again and knocked a hole in her, and she soon had six feet of water in the cabin. As it was no good doing anything further, everything that could be got hold of was placed on the poop, and all hands left the vessel and made for Cairns in the boats in the face of the heavy sea. They were nearly swamped twice in coming across, but got in safely on Monday evening at 5 p.m. He valued the ship at about £2500, and the cargo at about .£300. Mr. J. Connon, the mate, was examined, and gave corroborative evidence, and said also that he attributed the wreck to the current. Edward Haywood, an A.B., who was steering at the time of the disaster, was also called, as were two others of the hands ; after which the Court considered the evidence, and found "that the cause of the vessel being wrecked was owing to the careless navigation by the mate, Mr. John Reid Connon, who was in charge when she was wrecked, and particularly by his action in not seeing that a continuous look-out was being kept ; his allowing his attention to be taken from his duties by making or mending sails instead of attending to the navigation of the vessel ; also by his not having the log and not determing the exact speed at which the vessel was going." In view of his conduct the Court suspended his certificate for three months. It was also found that Captain Austin had been guilty of carelessness in not taking cross bearings when he left the deck, and he was cautioned to be more careful in the future."
The wreck of the Deodarus was sold for just £20.
John Austen was in his sixties at this time and I have found reports of him still sailing as a mate when he was 70!

Mystery

John James Austen never married nor had children. He died very suddenly of pneumonia. I wonder if there was a 'flu epidemic in 1898? A bit sad really.
The other mystery is Annie Austen she married Agustus Sergins in 1891, according to the marriage certificate he was born in Portigal [sic] Portugal?. The spelling is all over the place in this certificate and it is frustrating because I can find no records - birth or death for Sergins.
And another one is Stanley George Austen, the son of George Austen (Captain John's third child) Stanley was born in 1889 and went off to the first World War on the 16th October in 1914. He is not listed in the casualties but I can find no records of a marriage, births or death. George's will lists three children only so Stanley must have died before him but where and when is a mystery.
The easy stuff has been found now it is just the tricky bits!

Archives New Zealand

What a fabulous place! Who knew?
We have held the last will and testament of Captain John Austen. The will was signed on board the schooner "Josephine" Latitude 24.10 (can't read the rest) on the 13th day of November 1876. his executors were Martin O'Connel, Master mariner of Auckland and James Peachy also Master mariner of Auckland. Both died before John did in 1899. As an aside Martin O'Connel married John Austen's niece Mary Jane. Mary Jane and her mother Caroline (John's sister) and father Stephen Honeyman came to New Zealand in 1858.
He left everything to Anne and the estate was valued at less than 200 pound.
There were also lots of documents about the "smuggling" - some official certainly had it in for John!
The lost item that we would love to find is a Observer Christmas Annual for 1898 it was a special supplement called "Yachting in Auckland" advertised as "beautiful pictures, amusing pictures, thrilling tales, humorous tales". In the table of contents there is "Jack Austen's Big Haul, a Whaling Yarn". Sadly the issue is missing and has not been copied onto microfilm by the National Library.