Summary

Pay/Hire certificate issued to J. Stegelman by the Hire Office of a Hamburg shipping firm. The certificate states Stegelman will be employed as a carpenter on the steamer 'Thasos', it also notes the ship is at Petersen quay.

Description of Content

Pay/Hire certificate issued by Hire Office of organisation of Hamburg shipping firm for J Stegelmann to work as a carpenter on steamer 'Thasos' to Levante for 'unspecified time' from 30/7/1906. Ship at Petersen quay.

Physical Description

Yellowing paper with black printed text. Personal details in black pen. Some purple inked stamps. All in German. Small tear on right hand side.

Significance

Johannes Stegelman's story is a great example of more unorthodox migration. Jumping ship was a common way to start a new life in Australia, especially for sailors on merchant ships, and dates back to the 1850s gold rush with sailors jumping ship to head for the goldfields (John Simpson Kirkpatrick of 'Simpson and his donkey' fame arrived in Australia by jumping ship). Stegelman's objects all relate to his career in both the German Navy and the merchant navy including the hire document that brought him to Australia. The story is also interesting for its cross-cultural marriage and the bringing together of two very different migrant stories from different periods in time.

Gladys Leichti's objects and story represents the push to attract young British girls for domestic service in the 1920s and the role of philanthropic organizations such as the Salvation Army in meeting this demand.

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