NameParkyn DiariesAdditional Information
In 1905, John (Jack) Parkyn travelled from Tewantin to England aboard the RMS China with his mother and father. In the first of two diaries, John describes the two month journey to Plymouth via ports in Australia, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. In England, the Parkyn family visited relatives in Cornwall.
The second diary continues with the family's travels around Cornwall, with Parkyn recording his impression of the English countryside, farming practices and the rural life of his relatives and friends. The family spent time in London before their departure, and these days are also recorded in depth, along with the homeward journey to Australia, again aboard the RMS China. On the return voyage, Parkyn describes the ports that he visited including Marseilles, Gibraltar, Port Said, Colombo, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney before arriving in Brisbane to meet the Noosa steamship 'Adonis' for the final leg to Tewantin.
"I think myself that in time to come, Sydney will be a second London, but it will have to grow a lot yet." Diary 2, p74.Date1905
