Tuesday, 16 November 1937
Very hot day. Tropical heat. Had out photos taken on board, then threw the leis overboard. Sat up on the top deck, played keno at night, lost 55 c/- no luck. Had cold drinks then to bed. Too hot to sleep.

A focus on family history
Tuesday, 16 November 1937
Very hot day. Tropical heat. Had out photos taken on board, then threw the leis overboard. Sat up on the top deck, played keno at night, lost 55 c/- no luck. Had cold drinks then to bed. Too hot to sleep.
Monday, 15 November 1937
Arrived here, lovely welcome band playing; men in water diving for pennies. Went ashore with Mr & Mrs Coulter, had a good look at the shops, had lunch, then met Mr & Mrs Wonden [?] Took us all around, to all the sites, in an Oldsmobile. Went to the beach, mountains, in fact saw everything that was to be seen. Got back to the boat at 5.30, sailed again at 6. Band playing sweet aloes, all had ropes of flowers, around our necks – had photo taken with Fred & Mabel, lovely send off.
[In 1936, Frederick Herbert Thearle, dentist, and wife Mabel lived at ‘Namrow’, Elfreida Street, Mosman, NSW, Australia. Frederick was born in 1892 in Moruya, NSW and married Mabel Ruddinan in Waverly in 1916. Fred was age 45 at the time, Thirza, 58.
Mr R.T. Coulter (46), his wife, Mrs P. Coulter (48) and daughter Miss P. Coulter (17) along with Fred and Mabel Thearle were fellow passengers with Thirza aboard the RMS Moldavia when Thirza sailed from Sydney in February to London, the Coulters having joined the ship in Brisbane.
Sunday, 14 November 1937
Went to Church in the lounge. Just sat about on the deck pretty warm
Friday, 12 November 1937
Sick to day. Did not get up until 5 in the afternoon
[Note: the journal is blank for November 13 so perhaps Thirza was not feeling well on that day as well.]
Thursday, 11 November 1937
At sea, nice sunny day but sea is pretty swelly.
[Being Remembrance Day, Thirza would have spent some moments in thought of her brother Percy who was killed 19 years early at Amiens, France, 24 April 1918, age 30.]
Wednesday, 10 November 1937
Dr & Mrs Montries, Bella, Reg, Flora drove me down to the boat, 25 miles from Beverly Hills, in a Pierce Arrow car – Reg bought bottle of whisky to give me a good send off. Boat [S.S. Monterey] to leave at 10. Good crowd aboard, Pat O’Brien & wife, movie star. Met Mabel & Fred [Thearle, friends from London], has she bought some lovely clothes. Had fox cape on, looking the goods. Several of the Moldavia passengers on board also. Stayed talking to Mabel until 11.30.
[Picture of the S.S. Monterey in Sydney Harbour]