Fast passage to Australia : the history of the Black Ball, Eagle, and White Star Lines of Australian packets /by D. Hollett.

This book examines the history of the Black Ball, Eagle and White Star lines against the backdrop of the 1850s Australian gold rush. As emigration rates rose, so did the demand for a fast passage to Australia, and Liverpool-based shipping companies offering Liverpool-Australia routes developed rapidly. Key among these were the firms run by James Baines (the Black Ball Line), Pilkington and Wilson (White Star Line), and Gibbs, Bright and Company. To face off competition from the White Star Line, James Baines and Gibbs, Bright and Company formed a long-standing alliance, and Hollett explores this interconnected history of the three lines. Also examined are the stories of the emigrants making the journey, and the particularly remarkable or tragic voyages they took.