Summary

Diary written by David Yuile who came to Victoria via New Zealand from Scotland on 21 September 1872, for his health. The diary contains daily entries which describe his departure, voyage, weeks in New Zealand, arrival in Victoria and life there until the diary abruptly ends on 9 May 1874.

Yuile's descriptions of life in Melbourne during the 1870s are particularly engaging, with references to rowing regattas, visits to the library, gallery and museum, domestic and cultural entertainments, sporting events such as the Melbourne Cup and cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

David Yuile was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 24 April 1849, the son of a wine merchant. Suffering from a chronic respiratory condition, his doctors recommended a long sea voyage and in September 1872, at 23 years of age, David boarded the 'City of Dunedin' headed for Dunedin in New Zealand. He arrived in Otago Bay on 30 December 1872 and remained in Dunedin, living on board the ship, until 25 January 1873 when he left for Melbourne on the 'SS Albion'. He arrived in Melbourne on 6 February 1873 where he stayed with his cousins the Hendersons at 'Myrtle Bank' on the Maribyrnong River in Footscray. He seems to have suffered bouts of ill health but spent his time planting trees and a vegetable garden at Myrtle Bank and assisting the family with business affairs. He was also involved in rowing regattas on the Maribyrnong.

On 21 November 1876 David married Martha Miller in Yarraville. By this time David was engaged in importing art and also had shares in the Australian Ruby Company. The couple had five daughters all born in Footscray, but at the time of David's death the family was living in Camberwell. David died on 12 January 1889 of consumption at the age of 39 and was buried in Kew. He left Martha and his five daughters aged from 3 to 11 years well provided for.

Physical Description

391 page quarto size book with lined pages and blue leather cover and black leather spine. There are 147 pages completed with script and illustrations with 244 have been left blank. Entries are written on both sides of the pages and also include hand drawings of ship cabin layouts and topographical renderings of coastlines, including Victoria. The diary also contains: a letter dated 10 October 1872 from David Yuile to Mr McClure in Dunedin NZ during ship voyage; a loose empty envelope addressed to :'David Yuile Esq, 9 Hopetoun Place Glasgow Scotland'; one piece of paper inscribed with a poem; one newspaper clipping relating to the Intercolonial Gig Race between Victoria and New South Wales in Sydney; one blue piece lined paper dated 4 April 1874 and addressed to Mr Yuell (sic) Footscray from John Campbell challenging his crew to row the Regatta course on 25th April; and two scraps of paper, one with two UK addresses on one side and list of dates and sea voyage events on, and the other piece with other diary notes.

Significance

Significance:
This diary provides a fascinating insight into the voyage and early Melbourne settlement experiences of a Scottish immigrant in the 1870s. David Yuile is interesting as he originally came out for a recouperative sea voyage and decided to settle in Victoria. Such diaries are rarely offered for donation - the only 19th century immigrant diary in the collection was purchased at auction. The collection holds few original 19th century personal accounts (the other key items being the 1874 Ally Heathcote voyage journal and the 1851 Nellie Greaves letter written in Melbourne). These objects have excellent research and display potential - the Greaves letter selected for display in the Melbourne exhibition and the Heathcote diary currently on display in the Station Pier exhibition at IM. This Yuile diary will be displayed either at the Immigration Museum in the Getting In exhibition or as a changeover object in the Melbourne exhibition. Yuile's descriptions of life in Melbourne during the 1870s are particularly engaging, with references to rowing regattas, visits to the library, gallery and museum, domestic and cultural entertainments, sporting events such as the Melbourne Cup and cricket at the MCG.
Story:
David Yuile was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 24 April 1849, the son of a wine merchant. Suffering from a chronic respiratory condition, his doctors recommended a long sea voyage and in September 1872, at 23 years of age, David boarded the City of Dunedin headed for Dunedin (having caught a steamer to Greenock). It can be assumed his intention was to return. He arrived in Otago Bay on 30 December 1872 and remained in Dunedin, (a town with strong Scottish links), living on board the ship, until 25 January 1873 when he left for Melbourne on the ss Albion (via Christchurch, Wellington, Nelson and other ports). It seems he received medical advice not to return to Scotland for at least a year. He arrived in Melbourne on 6th February 1873 where he stayed with his cousins the Hendersons at 'Myrtle Bank' on the Maribyrnong River in Footscray. He seems to have suffered bouts of ill health but spent his time planting trees and a vegetable garden at Myrtle Bank and assisting the family with business affairs. He was also involved in rowing regattas on the Maribyrnong (including the challenge issued by the Footscray Rowing club to the Myrtle Bank crew in the loose paper in the diary which David's crew won).
On 21 November 1876 David married Martha Miller in Yarraville. By this time David was engaged in importing art and also had shares in the Australian Ruby Company. They had 5 daughters all born in Footscray but at the time of David's death the family was living at 2 Trafalgar Road Camberwell (which he purchased in 1886 although the family did not live there until after 6/12/1886). David died on 12 January 1889 of consumption at the age of 39 and was buried in Kew. He left Martha a widow (she never remarried) and 5 daughters aged from 3 to 11 years but it appears David left the family well provided for.
(more detail is provided in the family history & transcript provided by the family).

More Information