117 DAYS
THE
RITCHIE ERA 1852 THE
goldfields lured 18-year-old Manxman Thomas Ritchie to Australia in 1852. He saw no future for himself on the Isle of Man, with its age-old agriculture and fishing industries. He built up a stock of sturdy boots to sell on the goldfields and boarded the barque Isabella Watson.
After 117 days at sea, the ship sailed safely through the hazardous western entrance t o Bass Strait. At dusk it entered Port Phillip Heads, nearing Point Nepean, and passed through the rip, finally reaching smooth water. The passengers began to relax.
