Sailing to Australia in the SS Forfarshire

In October 1881, the family of Paul and Victoria Radecki began an arduous journey - sailing on the three-masted ship S.S. Forfarshire to the far-off land of Australia (not to be confused with a much more famous brigantine of the same name which shipwrecked in 1835). The embarked at the Port of London, Southampton, with 398 other immigrants seeking to make a new start in a new land.

There isn't much hard information on their trip from Germany, where John had attended art school, to England. One bit of information comes from a letter written by Arthur Benfield, the brother of one of John Radecki's daughters-in-law (wife of Leo Radecki), who studied under John and became a great artist himself. He wrote, "His parents had him study art under a pupil of the greatest artist of the 20th Century [Arthur doesn't name this artist; it apparently was in Poznan]. They did this with a purpose. Poland was oppressed and German and Russian division and in approx 1875 at the age of 12 years the then young John Radecki was sufficiently equipped as an artist to copy and carve the stamp of officialdom to stamp forged papers which allowed John's family to emigrate to Australia." Australian historian Zophia Laba as well said that they had to leave due to persecution.

The Forfarshire set sail on October 21st. Paul (who declared his occupation as "Farmer"), Victoria and four of their children, Valentine, Clement, Stanislaus and Anastasia are all listed together on page 7 of the ship's hand-written passenger manifest, while John is listed separately on page 8, because as a 16-year-old, he was considered a single adult man, and was berthed in a separate part of the ship (the article below explains).

The Forfarshire had made the trip between England and Australia a number of times before. A newspaper article in the South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail from a voyage seven years earlier, which arrvied in Sydney in February 1874, gives an indication of the conditions that the Radeckis could expect during the almost-three-month voyage (although the ship, being seven years older, was probably somewhat worse for wear):

It is pretty evident the Commissioners showed great judgment when the Forfarshire was selected to carry emigrants, for a finer vessel could scarcely be desired. She is a ship of 1,238tons, with fine beam and good height between decks. She left London on November 13th, and Plymouth on November 23rd, having on board419 persons; and such good regulations have been observed on the voyage that the mortality has been very low. There were six births and four deaths on the voyage, and a better lot of people, have seldom arrived in the colony. The fore compartment of the vessel is devoted to young men, of whom there are quite a selection of agricultural laborers and other workers in the industrial hive. Amidships are the married folks, with as warm of children, all looking as healthy as possible. Abaft the after hatchway are the single females, who are, without exception, likely to prove a valuable acquisition to the colony. The general character of the people onboard is favorable in the extreme, both surgeon superintendent and captain speaking in most eulogistic terms of them. The state of health throughout the voyage rendered the hospitals almost useless, and on arrival there were only two or three patients on the sick list. The surgeon superintendent, although by no means so old in the service as some of his predecessors, has made, the discipline of the ship as near perfect as possible. Dr. Sprod belongs to South Australia, commenced his education at St. Peter's College, and now returns to his early home after earning his degree in England. On the ship's arrival on Saturday night there were noisy demonstrations of applause as the first shore boats were welcomed; and the people seemed in most exuberant spirits at the thought of early landing. On Sunday, morning full supplies of fresh provisions were taken off from the stations, and at 9 o'clock Dr. Duncan, accompanied by Mr. Gave, the agent of the ship, was on board to muster. Then but a very short time elapsed before the ship was open to the general public, and many of the people were soon engaged. During the afternoon both tugs were in attendance, and the ship was towed into harbor. It was supposed this fine ship would take away some portion of our immense export, but instructions from the owners will send her away to India.

The 1881 voyage arrived in Sydney on January 16, 1882, and this article ran in the Sydney Evening News on January 18:

Arrival of Immigrants

By the immigrant ship Forfarshire, which arrived in Port Jackson on Monday, 404 immigrants have been brought to the colony. The immigrants, who embarked at Plymouth, comprised 67 married couples, 51 single men, 58 single women, 140 children under 12 years, and 18 infants. Total, 404. Five deaths occurred during the voyage and two births, reducing the total who arrived in the colony to 404 [sic]. The names of those who died are Thomas Quin, aged 50 ; Robert Mortlock, aged 5, and three infants named John Marshall, Louisa Folstone, and Effie Newsome. The voyage was a pleasant one, and our new colonists speak in the highest terms of the kindness shown them on board by the matron, Miss Chicken and Dr. Dawes. The single women were landed yesterday and arrived at the Immigrants Home at 2 o'clock. As a whole, they presented a very healthy appearance, and are just the class of girls who should find ready employment as domestic servants. The immigrants, both men and women, will be open for hire on Thursday.

 On the following day, in the same newspaper, this item ran:

The Forfarshire Immigrants

To-day was the day appointed for the hiring of the immigrants who arrived in the colony a few days ago by the Forfarshire. Out of the 56 single women only10 offered themselves for engagement, and the fact that 110 applications had been made for domestic servants indicates the necessity for the introduction of that class of immigrants. The fact that such a limited number of girls offered themselves for employment caused considerable disappointment to the would-be employers, as a few girls who sought engagement quickly found places at wages ranging from 8s to 10s per week. The balance of the girls were sent out to the friends who had brought them to the colony. At Fort Macquarie there was a large attendance of the employers of labour and all the single men who offered themselves were engaged. In the majority of instances they were hired for work in the country, the average rate of wages agreed upon being about £35 per year, with rations. About a dozen quarrymen were engaged, one or two of the number to receive 10s per day. About half a dozen married couples were engaged for the country at what were stated to be the current rate of wages.

After arriving in Australia, Paul and John sought work in the coal mines near Wollongong, NSW. Shortly after arriving in Australia, Paul and John heard about the possibility of a job in a quary near Kiama, about 30km south of Wollongong, They walked the distance, only to find that the job was no longer available, and they had to walk back to Wollongong. They stopped in Shellharbour, tired and hungry, and a local man named William James allowed the two to spend the night a his house. The following morning, as James sent them on their way, he gave young John a bit of money, and asked him to use it wisely. Evidently he did, enrolling in art school in Sydney, which ultimately led to the stellar career as a stained glass artist that John is famous for.

Over 50 years later, in 1938, out of the blue, John Radecki approached the son of William James (who had died) and asked if he could donate a stained glass window in memory of William to the Wollongong Presbyterian Church. The request came as a bit of a shock to William's descendents, who had no idea of the reason, until John explained how William had been such a fundamental help. They accepted and John crafted a window depicting the story of the Good Samaritan which includes the inscription "In grateful memory of William James, of Shellharbour, and his wife Elizabeth, who befriended the artist and his father." (Here's the article that describes the gift.)