The Official
Australian Mark Twain Society
website
Mark Twain's 1895 Australasian Itinerary
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Please note — the following information is adapted from a much larger and exhaustive collection of all Twain's speaking dates entitled "Chronology of Known Mark Twain Speeches, Public Readings and Lectures" compiled by Barbara Schmidt, which can be viewed here.
It should also be noted that Ms Schmidt credits Twain scholars Paul Fatout ("Mark Twain Speaking" published by University of Iowa Press, 1976) and Louis Budd for their work in assembling the original version of this information. Some additional notes have been included by AMTS, adapted from information contained in "Following the Equator" or contemporary newspaper accounts.
It should also be noted that Ms Schmidt credits Twain scholars Paul Fatout ("Mark Twain Speaking" published by University of Iowa Press, 1976) and Louis Budd for their work in assembling the original version of this information. Some additional notes have been included by AMTS, adapted from information contained in "Following the Equator" or contemporary newspaper accounts.
Go to New Zealand dates ...
Australian itinerary ...
18 September — Athenaeum Club, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dinner Speech — text not available
19, 21, 23, 24 September — Protestant Hall, 236-240 Castlereagh Street Sydney. New South Wales, Australia
25 September — packing for train trip to Melbourne: Shillingsburg p52].
27, 28, 30 September & 1, 2 October — Bijou Theatre, Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
28 September — Yorick Club Dinner, Melbourne, Australia Speech, Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 292-298 (Fatout mis-date's this speech).See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p66.
4 October — famous carbuncle lanced in Melbourne by Dr NT FitzGerald (Shillingsburg p72).During the intervening days before their departure, Twain and family entertained several guests while staying at the Menzies Hotel? (Shillingsburg p72). These included Justice William Windeyer; Sir Edmund Barton (future PM); the Wagners; the Smythes and several ladies (Shillingsburg p72/MTP: NB35)
11 October — family travels by train to Adelaide (Shillingsburg p72)
12, 14, 15, 16 October — Theatre Royal, Adelaide, South Australia
12 October — Late party, Adelaide, South Australia — Speech or story, text not available. Note: The Adelaide South Australian Register said 15 October, 1895: "Mark Twain had rather a lively and congenial social after his lecture on Saturday night amongst friends with whom wit was rampant and flourished till the 'wee sma' hoors ayont the twal.'"
14 October — Mayor's Parlor, Adelaide, South Australia. Remarks, see Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p83. Of Mark Twain's speech, the South Australian Register of 15 October: "He was reminded that Adelaide possessed advantages over America ... in that the city government was honest. He had tried himself to introduce improvements in his own way, but not always with success, but he would like to state that honest civic governments were really the rule in America. There was always a fly in the amber, but which was the particular amber the fly got into was the question; anyway it was the fly that got the amber into discredit." Speaking of the Australian landscape, he said "He recognized the grass, but the trees were new to him. However, Mr. Murphy [C. A. Murphy, American consul] knew all about the trees, and described everything about the country. He did not care whether the information was correct or not, for all he wanted was information and plenty of it."
Wednesday, 15 October — Left Adelaide on the 4.30 pm train to Horsham (Vic), arriving there at 2.30 am (Thursday)
17 October — Mechanics' Hall, Horsham, Victoria, Australia
18 October — Town Hall, Stawell, Victoria, Australia
20 October — Olivia posted letter to Susy Clemens from Ballarat. See record of correspondence from Olivia Clemens to Susy Clemens, item #4968 (transcript)http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
21 & 22 October — Mechanics' Institute, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
23 & 24 October — Royal Princess Theatre, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
23 October — Dinner, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia — dinner speech. Text not available
25 October — Mayor's Welcome, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, remarks (See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p. 110.
25 October — Town Hall, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia
26 October — Saturday matinee, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p116.
27 October — Smoke Night, Australian Institute of Journalists, Cathedral Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — 4 speeches Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 298-301
28 October — Exhibition Theatre, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
29 October — Town Hall, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
5 November — Theatre Royal, Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand
6-8 November — City Hall, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand itinerary ...
9 November — Timaru, South Island, New Zealand
11 November — Theatre Royal, Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand
13-15 November — Theatre Royal, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand
15 November — Savage Club Supper, Provincial Council Chamber, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand; supper speech, Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 302-304.
16 November — Canterbury Club Luncheon, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. Remarks; text not available
20 November — sailed into Auckland
21-22 November — Old City Hall, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
25 November — Opera House, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
26 November — At 3.00 pm, set sail from Auckland
27 November — reached Gisborne
28 November — Theatre Royal, Napier, North Island, New Zealand
2 December — left Napier in the "Ballarat Fly"
2 December — Palmerston North, North Island, New Zealand
2 December — Olivia posted letter to Susy Clemens from Palmerston North. See record of correspondence from Olivia to Susy, item #4979 (transcript) http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
3 & 4 December — Odd Fellows' Hall, Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand
5 December — Drill Hall, Hawera, North Island, New Zealand
6 December — Alexandra Hall, New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand
10 & 11 December — Opera House, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
10 December — Wellington Club Supper, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand. Supper speech; text not available
11 December — Minister for Maori Affairs Dinner, Wellington, New Zealand. Dinner speech; text not available
Australian itinerary (cont.) ...
19 December— Scone, New South Wales, Australia
20 & 21 December — School of Arts, Pitt Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
26 & 27 December — Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
30 & 31 December — Adelaide, South Australia
30 December — Commemoration Luncheon, Glenelg, South Australia. Speech; published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 305-307. An article titled "Australians Ridicule War; References to the Venzuelan Question at a Banquet in Adelaide " in The Washington Post, Dec. 31, 1895, p. 11 states: "A banquet was held at Adelaide to celebrate Foundation Day, and many patriotic speeches were made. Hon. James Henry Young, the Minister of Works of New South Wales, who is American born, ridiculed the idea of war. Mark Twain was also present and echoed the statement that talk of war between blood relations was absurd."
30 December — Mayor's Reception, Adelaide, South Australia. Remarks; text not available
1896 (extra item)
7 February 1896 — Samuel Clemens posted letter to Susy Clemens from Calcutta, India. See record of correspondence from Samuel Clemens to Susy Clemens, item #5018 (photocopy) http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
Notes from "Following the Equator": (R.Hohenhaus — 18 September 2006)
P. 311 — Dr Campbell pf Auckland told Sam about Kauri sap. Mentions speaking with NZ government's official physician about Rotorua's hot lakes - where the government-of-the-day had a sanatorium.
P. 287 — Mentions Dr Hockin (Dunedin, 6 November) as the owner of a collection of Maori art and a museum in his house. Could possibly have been surgeon named in NZ Army register list as Hockin T.M Surgeon Dunedin (Vol: Naval Brigade 9 March 1865)
P. 283 — Mentions American 'gentleman' who is curator of museum in Hobart. This seems likely to have been Alexander Morton (1854-1907), a well known explorer and naturalist at the time. Detailed biography available. Died of heart disease in 1907 at Sandy Bay and was buried in Cornelian Bay cemetery. He was survived by his wife (Eliza Mills), whom he married in Hobart, three daughters and a son. Morton eventually became the director of the Tasmanian Museum, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens (originally called the "Royal Society of Tasmania Museum").
Australian itinerary ...
18 September — Athenaeum Club, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dinner Speech — text not available
19, 21, 23, 24 September — Protestant Hall, 236-240 Castlereagh Street Sydney. New South Wales, Australia
25 September — packing for train trip to Melbourne: Shillingsburg p52].
27, 28, 30 September & 1, 2 October — Bijou Theatre, Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
28 September — Yorick Club Dinner, Melbourne, Australia Speech, Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 292-298 (Fatout mis-date's this speech).See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p66.
4 October — famous carbuncle lanced in Melbourne by Dr NT FitzGerald (Shillingsburg p72).During the intervening days before their departure, Twain and family entertained several guests while staying at the Menzies Hotel? (Shillingsburg p72). These included Justice William Windeyer; Sir Edmund Barton (future PM); the Wagners; the Smythes and several ladies (Shillingsburg p72/MTP: NB35)
11 October — family travels by train to Adelaide (Shillingsburg p72)
12, 14, 15, 16 October — Theatre Royal, Adelaide, South Australia
12 October — Late party, Adelaide, South Australia — Speech or story, text not available. Note: The Adelaide South Australian Register said 15 October, 1895: "Mark Twain had rather a lively and congenial social after his lecture on Saturday night amongst friends with whom wit was rampant and flourished till the 'wee sma' hoors ayont the twal.'"
14 October — Mayor's Parlor, Adelaide, South Australia. Remarks, see Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p83. Of Mark Twain's speech, the South Australian Register of 15 October: "He was reminded that Adelaide possessed advantages over America ... in that the city government was honest. He had tried himself to introduce improvements in his own way, but not always with success, but he would like to state that honest civic governments were really the rule in America. There was always a fly in the amber, but which was the particular amber the fly got into was the question; anyway it was the fly that got the amber into discredit." Speaking of the Australian landscape, he said "He recognized the grass, but the trees were new to him. However, Mr. Murphy [C. A. Murphy, American consul] knew all about the trees, and described everything about the country. He did not care whether the information was correct or not, for all he wanted was information and plenty of it."
Wednesday, 15 October — Left Adelaide on the 4.30 pm train to Horsham (Vic), arriving there at 2.30 am (Thursday)
17 October — Mechanics' Hall, Horsham, Victoria, Australia
18 October — Town Hall, Stawell, Victoria, Australia
20 October — Olivia posted letter to Susy Clemens from Ballarat. See record of correspondence from Olivia Clemens to Susy Clemens, item #4968 (transcript)http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
21 & 22 October — Mechanics' Institute, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
23 & 24 October — Royal Princess Theatre, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
23 October — Dinner, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia — dinner speech. Text not available
25 October — Mayor's Welcome, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, remarks (See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p. 110.
25 October — Town Hall, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia
26 October — Saturday matinee, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (See Miriam Jones Shillingburg, At Home Abroad: Mark Twain in Australasia, p116.
27 October — Smoke Night, Australian Institute of Journalists, Cathedral Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — 4 speeches Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 298-301
28 October — Exhibition Theatre, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
29 October — Town Hall, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
5 November — Theatre Royal, Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand
6-8 November — City Hall, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand itinerary ...
9 November — Timaru, South Island, New Zealand
11 November — Theatre Royal, Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand
13-15 November — Theatre Royal, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand
15 November — Savage Club Supper, Provincial Council Chamber, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand; supper speech, Published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 302-304.
16 November — Canterbury Club Luncheon, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. Remarks; text not available
20 November — sailed into Auckland
21-22 November — Old City Hall, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
25 November — Opera House, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
26 November — At 3.00 pm, set sail from Auckland
27 November — reached Gisborne
28 November — Theatre Royal, Napier, North Island, New Zealand
2 December — left Napier in the "Ballarat Fly"
2 December — Palmerston North, North Island, New Zealand
2 December — Olivia posted letter to Susy Clemens from Palmerston North. See record of correspondence from Olivia to Susy, item #4979 (transcript) http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
3 & 4 December — Odd Fellows' Hall, Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand
5 December — Drill Hall, Hawera, North Island, New Zealand
6 December — Alexandra Hall, New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand
10 & 11 December — Opera House, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
10 December — Wellington Club Supper, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand. Supper speech; text not available
11 December — Minister for Maori Affairs Dinner, Wellington, New Zealand. Dinner speech; text not available
Australian itinerary (cont.) ...
19 December— Scone, New South Wales, Australia
20 & 21 December — School of Arts, Pitt Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
26 & 27 December — Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
30 & 31 December — Adelaide, South Australia
30 December — Commemoration Luncheon, Glenelg, South Australia. Speech; published in Mark Twain Speaking, pp. 305-307. An article titled "Australians Ridicule War; References to the Venzuelan Question at a Banquet in Adelaide " in The Washington Post, Dec. 31, 1895, p. 11 states: "A banquet was held at Adelaide to celebrate Foundation Day, and many patriotic speeches were made. Hon. James Henry Young, the Minister of Works of New South Wales, who is American born, ridiculed the idea of war. Mark Twain was also present and echoed the statement that talk of war between blood relations was absurd."
30 December — Mayor's Reception, Adelaide, South Australia. Remarks; text not available
1896 (extra item)
7 February 1896 — Samuel Clemens posted letter to Susy Clemens from Calcutta, India. See record of correspondence from Samuel Clemens to Susy Clemens, item #5018 (photocopy) http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/mtp.html
Notes from "Following the Equator": (R.Hohenhaus — 18 September 2006)
P. 311 — Dr Campbell pf Auckland told Sam about Kauri sap. Mentions speaking with NZ government's official physician about Rotorua's hot lakes - where the government-of-the-day had a sanatorium.
P. 287 — Mentions Dr Hockin (Dunedin, 6 November) as the owner of a collection of Maori art and a museum in his house. Could possibly have been surgeon named in NZ Army register list as Hockin T.M Surgeon Dunedin (Vol: Naval Brigade 9 March 1865)
P. 283 — Mentions American 'gentleman' who is curator of museum in Hobart. This seems likely to have been Alexander Morton (1854-1907), a well known explorer and naturalist at the time. Detailed biography available. Died of heart disease in 1907 at Sandy Bay and was buried in Cornelian Bay cemetery. He was survived by his wife (Eliza Mills), whom he married in Hobart, three daughters and a son. Morton eventually became the director of the Tasmanian Museum, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens (originally called the "Royal Society of Tasmania Museum").
This site will remain under construction, unless otherwise advised :)
Last modified: 6 April 2007
Last modified: 6 April 2007