Passengers stories
by their descendants.
George Leake
Massingham
The story of: George Leake Massingham, 16 yrs.
George: his family life
This page is about George and his family life, including his family tree and newspaper notices.
Interestingly, George's birth certificate has his middle name spelled Leak - but every other reference to it I can find after that spells it Leake. The family consensus is that he chose to spell it Leake.
George's Genealogy and Family Tree: You can scroll left, right, up and down within this inline frame.
Great granddaughter Suzanne Barton wrote this biography about George in the lead up to the 2016 150th anniversary.
MISADVENTURE AT SEA – SUCCESS ON LAND!
Little did he know what lay in store for him when George Leake Massingham, a 16 year old labourer from Norwich, England, boarded the 53 m long wooden sailing ship “Netherby” at Plymouth.
The year was 1866 and the ship was bound for Brisbane, Australia with 452 passengers and 52 crew aboard.
The ship experienced calm seas and fair weather as far as the Cape of Good Hope but soon afterwards ran into severe storms and high seas. Captain Owens was unable to take sightings of the sun to determine their position and consequently the ship ran aground on the West coast of King Island about 56 km South of Cape Wickham lighthouse at approximately 7:30 pm on the 14th July 1866. All aboard miraculously survived the wreck.
Chief Officer Parry and eight of the crew set off northward on land in search of help. Five days later they arrived at Cape Wickham lighthouse and met assistant keeper William Hickmott.
After recovering from their ordeal Parry and five men set off in the lighthouse boat to sail to the mainland. They eventually alerted the authorities who dispatched two steamers to King Island to bring the survivors to Melbourne.
A month after the shipwreck, George wrote a sixteen page letter to his mother describing the journey to King Island and his experiences following the wreck. The original letter has passed via George’s daughter Eliza and her son Guy Pearson (born in Hobart) to Guy’s daughter Suzanne Barton. Suzanne donated the letter to the Tasmanian Maritime Museum in Hobart where it remains on display. A copy of the letter will be on show at The Netherby display on King Island.
George continued his journey to Brisbane stopping off at Sydney to meet his brother Tom. He then boarded “…the City of Melbourne, a fine steamer.” to travel to Brisbane. However, his seafaring misadventures were not over yet, as he reported in his letter to his mother “…they tried to run us ashore again but did not succeed though we had a narrow escape”.
George was born in Norfolk, England on the 30th May 1850, the second youngest of nine children. The purpose of his journey was to emigrate to Australia. By 1886 four of the brothers had emigrated to Australia and one to South Africa.
After meeting his brother Tom in Brisbane in 1867 George moved frequently around South-East Queensland for two years before moving in December 1868 to Sydney and February 1869 to Melbourne.
George travelled to Geelong where he became an apprentice photographer and thus started his career as a professional photographer.
During 1870-1873 he travelled as a photographer, back to South-East Queensland and also to Townsville, Charters Towers, Middle Camp and Ravenswood.
George liked to fossick for gold during his travels so it was probably no coincidence that he came to the last three towns above as they were prosperous towns offering photographic work and also had rich gold deposits.
April 1873 saw George become a more substantial professional photographer when he opened his “Italian Studios” in George Street, Sydney. This studio was followed by another that operated from January 1875 until June 1877 in Ruthven Street, Toowoomba opposite the Post Office Hotel.
George made his way to Melbourne from where he departed in September 1877 for London. He arrived there on the 21st of October.
We do not know the purpose of his return to England, however George displayed the same habit he had displayed in Australia, that is, the wanderer, for the two years he spent in England.
He visited his birthplace Norwich as well as Ipswich, Hull, Newcastle, Bath and Bristol plus a few others, some of them on more than one occasion.
On his return to Sydney in December 1880 he made his way to the Victorian gold fields via Wagga Wagga. It seems that George could not resist the allure of gold. He set himself up in gold rich Bendigo in 1881 to 1882.
On the 16th May 1883 he married Mary Ellen McQuilliams (Mc Williams) who was born in Bendigo. They moved to Geelong shortly after marriage and had five children in the period 1884 to 1895. Most of the children were born in Geelong including my grandmother Eliza Catherine Massingham, in 1887. Their youngest child Margaret (Madge) served in World War II as a photographer.
George Leake Massingham was prolific in producing both portrait and landscape photographs. Many of his works can be seen in Queensland, Victoria and in the National Library of Australia.
He died in Preston, Victoria on the 30th May, 1931.
Suzanne & Lance Barton 11th May 2016
News clippings and notices about George and his family through the years.
WG Massingham is Karina's Gr Gr Grandfather (William Gillan), George's brother. Travelling together from Syd to Melb - possibly for George's wedding the following month.
Brisbane Courier 22 June 1883.
Son William George.
Son, Robert Leake
Daughters Nellie and Madge
1903 Bendigo Electoral Roll
Daughters Kitty and Madge
1905 22 Dec Bendigo Independent. C Massingham is daughter Kitty (Catherine), other Miss Massingham likely Madge.
Not sure which "Miss" - Kitty or Madge
Catherine (spelled wrong as Katherine) known as Kitty.
(Note by Karina): I understand William was working as a surveyor in WA. Newcastle is now known as Toodyay. I was not able to find a headstone at the cemetery.
1909, 15 June Bendigo Advertiser. Son William George remembered.
1913, 27 October, Bendigo Independent. Son Robert Leake Massingham
1913 Murrumbidgee Electoral roll
I am in the process of building a separate Massingham website to hold news articles and notices for those in my Massingham family tree, including George's descendants.
One of these pages will follow the tragic life of George's son Robert Leake Massingham which I personally found very fascinating. View more about Robert here.
1921 Kooyong electoral roll
1922 Kooyong electoral roll
1924 Preston electoral roll
1928 Preston electoral roll
The Australasian 4 April 1931.
10 March 1934 - Paper not known
Information collected about George (from a history website about photographers - link to be located again, census and electoral roll entries, news articles and notices, notes in his bible etc) shows his wanderlust and travels around the east coast of Australia:
Occupation: Travelling Photographer (and gold fossicker) Aug 1866 - Feb 1874 throughout Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
Bible notes (George used the bible given to him in Melbourne after the shipwreck rescue as a diary - noting his movements and income): Brisbane August 1866. Toowoomba - not readable - 1866. Ipswich, June 1867. Brisbane, August 1867. Toowoomba, October 1867. Dalby, Dec 1867. Toowoomba, January 1868. Gympie, March 1868. Sydney, Dec 1868. Melbourne Victoria, Feb 1869. Sydney, March 1869. Toowoomba, April 1869. Brisbane, Aug 1869. Dalby, April 1870. Brisbane, August 1870. Townsville, October 1870. Ravenswood, January 1871. Townsville, August 1871. Ravenswood, July 3 1872. Middle Camp, October 16 1872. Ravenswood, Nov 8 1872. Townsville, January 20 1873. Charters Towers, February 10 1873. Townsville March 16 1873. Brisbane, March 25 1873. Sydney, April 3 1873. Brisbane, July 4 1873. Sydney, October 14 1873. Brisbane, November 1 1873. Toowoomba, February 1874.
Occupation pre 1874 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Photographer (Italian Studio) at 480 George Street
Advertisements for starting his photography business in Toowoomba from 2 March 1874 refers to him being 'of Sydney'.
Advertisement Dec 1874 for Artist Photographer - opposite the Post Office Hotel Ruthven Street Toowoomba
Occupation 1876/1877 Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia Photographer (Italian Studio) at Ruthven Street
Advertisement re lost dog June 1876 mentions Ruthven St.
Advertisement Feb 1876 refers to selling Ruthven St business "obliged to go to England".
Advertisement re selling household effects and photo studio due to ill health May 1877.
Bible notes: Brisbane, July 1877.
Bible notes: Sydney, August 1877.
Bible notes: Melbourne, September 1877.
Travel to visit family After Sep 1877-Feb 1880 England (Trip home to family may have been due to his ill health).
Bible notes: London 21 October 1877. Entries as "Nov & Dec 1877" include UK destinations - Ipswich, Norwich, Hull, Newcastle, (not sure of this one - Shuldo, Phildo - cant really read it), Hull, Ipswich, London. Sherbourne, March 1878. London & Ipswich April 1878. Bath, May 3 1878. Bristol, October, 1878. London, June 9 1879. Bath, October 1879. Bristol, Nov 1879. Maidenhead & unreadable. London, Croydon, Nov 1879.
Immigration 15 Feb 1880 to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Unassisted immigrant on ship "Somersetshire" from Gravesend, London. On the passenger list George is shown as a Clerk and was continuing the voyage to Sydney.
Bible notes after arriving back in Sydney in 1880 - include town names through NSW and VIC but no dates: Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Sandhurst, Echuca, not readable, Castlemaine, Sydney, Hawel (poss Stawell), Horsham, Hamilton, Charlton, unreadable, Echuca, Castlemaine, Geelong, Dimboola, Horsham, Mentone, Stawell, Sydney, unreadable, Port Melbourne, Geelong, Mittagong, Geelong, not readable, Charlton, Da____y, Geelong.
Occupation Photographer Abt 1880 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation Photographer at Howard Place 1881 Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Article Aug 1881 re Massingham and White, proprietors of American Gem Tent - studio, Fenwick Street Geelong.
Notice re dissolution of partnership with White, Dec 1881 refers to GL paying all debts in relation to the Sandhurst branch.
Advertisement Sept 1882, selling house on St James Terrace Mundy Street, Sandhurst, also selling the furniture and equipment in The American Studio, Howard Place.
Occupation Photographer 16 May 1883 Sandhurst, Victoria, Australia
Occupation Apr - Jul 1884 Donald, Victoria, Australia, Photographer - Manager Gove & Allen
Advertisement Nov 1884, Echuca, VIC, Allen & Gove's American Studio No 2 Flying Branch, GLM manager.
Advertisement Jan 1885, Barker & Templeton Streets Mt Alexander, Allen & Gove's American Studio No 2 Flying Branch, GLM manager.
Letter to Editor June 1885 regarding water rates for the American Studio in Horsham.
Notice Aug 1886 that Mr Harvey has sold his Moorabool Street Geelong business to GLM.
Occupation Photographer 1886 Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Birth notice for daughter October 1886 refers to address Ryrie Street Geelong.
Advertisment Dec 1887 refers to new studio address corner Ryrie and Moorabool streets.
Occupation 1887/1889 Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Photographer at Moorabool Street (1889 advertisements refer to "The Pivot" Portrait Rooms).
Advertisement for servant June 1889 refers to address as Corio Terrace Geelong.
Advertisement Feb 1890 refers to Stone house on Victoria Parade Geelong
Advertisement for renovator Jan 1890 for his house in Latrobe Terrace Geelong.
Article April 1891 refers to a fire in the building on Moorabool Street between the studio of Mr Massingham and and the Workingman's Boot Shop owned by Mr Woolnough.
Birth notice for daughter Oct 1893 refers to residence at Latrobe Terrace Geelong.
Birth notice for daughter Jul 1895 refers to residence at Latrobe Terrace Geelong.
Articles through 1896 and 1897 refers to the studio premises still at Moorabool Street.
Occupation 1891/1897 Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Photographer at 169 Moorabool Street
Advertisement for servant April 1897 refers to address as Latrobe Terrace Newtown.
Advertisements and news announcements from April 1897 refer to the new portrait studio Latrobe Terrace, Newtown, opposite Flinders' School.
Article March 1898 refers to the building on Moorabool and Ryrie Streets, changing name after being known as Massingham's Corner for some years.
Occupation 1899 Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Photographer at Latrobe Terrace
Occupation 1901 Newtown, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Photographer at 28 Latrobe Terrace
Occupation 1901/1902 Newtown, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Photographer at 26 Latrobe Terrace
Advertisement June 1901 Latrobe Terrace residence for sale plus photographic equipment - leaving Geelong.
Advertisements from July 1901 onwards refer to new studio at View Street Bendigo.
Article Dec 1901 refers to daughters Madge and Nellie attending Mrs Pankhurst's Private School Wattle Street Bendigo.
Electoral Roll 1903. George and Nellie, Short Street Bendigo. Occupation photographer.
Advertisement for boarders January 1906, Hazeldene, Rowan Street Bendigo.
Death notice for son William George July 1908 refers to George and Nello living in Deniliquin.
Advertisement Dec 1913 refers to selling furniture and effects from the Rowan Street Bendigo home as they are "removing from Bendigo".
Electoral Roll 1913. George, photographer, M East Street, Murrumbidgee
Marriage notice for daughter Kitty Aug 1914 refers to Mrs and Mrs GL of 'Piyawola', Fairfield Grove Caulfield.
Marriage notice for son Robert Feb 1920 refers to Mr and Mrs GL of 'Piyawola', Fairfield Grove Caulfield.
Electoral roll Kooyong 1921 and 1922 shows George, photographer and Ellen & Margaret both home duties, 153 Power Street Glenferrie.
Electoral roll 1924 shows George, Photographer, Mary Ellen, Home duties, Margaret and Nellie both photographers assistants, all of Warrawee, Frank Street Preston.
Article about George and wreck Sept 1927 refers to him being "of Preston".
Electoral Roll 1928 shows George (nil occupation, possibly finally retiring), Mary Ellen, home duties, Margaret, photographers assistant, ll of Warrawee, Frank Street Preston.
Article April 1930 refers to Madge Massingham being of Essendon.
Death notice for George 4 April 1931 refers to his home in 45 Frank Street Preston.
Death notice for George's wife Mary Ellen (known as Nellie) at her residence 281 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park.
Son William George (was known as George)
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