2nd place Jemma Gordon Year 9

Jemma Gordon in Year 9 gained 2nd place in the inaugural Otago Settlers' Association Essay Competition. Stories could could be historical or set in the modern day but had to be based on a journey someone in the entrants family had made to Otago. Jemma won $100 and a years subscription to the Association. Her story is below:

“Assisted owed money”
Hello my name is Jane King and I am 14 years old and this is my story.

2 June 1860

I am with my family about to board the ship “The Robert Henderson”, I am standing next to my younger siblings Adam (aged 12), Agnes, Michael (both aged 9) and Margaret (aged 7). I also have 3 elder brothers, John (aged 16), James (aged 20)and Alexander, as well as 4 elder sisters Beatrice (aged 18) Mary (aged 22) Isabella(aged24) and Helen (aged 28). My parents show us the boat we will be boarding; it has three masts and looks daunting and impressive at the same time

.…Our luggage consists of 4 trunks containing all our clothes, bedding, eating utensils and all our belongings that we are allowed to take after it was checked by the boat owners. All I see around me is industrial smog blanketing the city and these majestic ships. I feel scared of the unknown especially as we will be leaving the only home I know, living with others we do not know, but I am also excited of the prospect of going to anew home where we will be going to a better life

.…All I see is the dark bunks with glimmers of light coming through the top deck giving us a glimpse of the sky. I am with my older sisters as we have been put into the single women’s berth while my brothers are in the single men’s berth. My younger siblings are with my parents in the married couples berth

.…My eldest sister has just come to see me and bearing sad news, she held my hand while telling me that my mother had succumbed to a fever and has passed away overnight on the 14 June 1860. I then cried and she comforted me, telling me shewill look after me and it will be alright and the thought of going to a new land gives us hope. My mother was buried at sea and we all said our goodbyes when she left us with another child I did not know

.…The trip is becoming a nightmare, the cramped conditions, terrible food and vermin are not pleasant but I have this image of the new land and this gives me hope. I have also met another girl my age called Elizabeth and we pass the time telling stories, needlework and sharing dreams

.…Today is the 3rd of September; everyone wakes to the sound of yelling , at first I thought it was another fight until I heard the word ‘land’, and I knew we had made it to a new land called New Zealand. We were docked at a place called Port Chalmers and we were then transferred to this small island due to our boat having scarlet fever on board. We stayed here for a week then we then walked to town and my brothers with my elder sisters helped carry our trunks too. This was a very long walk and my father was talking to my eldest sister saying he was not sure how he was going to pay for our passage here. I was just pleased that we were no longer on that wretched boat and looking up at the blue skies and hearing the birds sing made this trip worthwhile

.…My Dad has been doing odd jobs but he has now a job as a shepherd on Cottesbrook Station and we are all happy as we are living on this farm with my father’s new wife and we have a better life than the one we left in Scotland.