Victoria
The 1928 tale of a school teacher who stowed away
In 1928, Balaklava school teacher Jeanne Day disguised herself as a boy to stow away on a Finnish tall ship.
In 1928, an unusual maritime adventure unfolded when a South Australian school teacher chose to disguise herself as a boy to secure passage on a foreign vessel. Jeanne Day, a teacher from the regional town of Balaklava, successfully boarded a Finnish tall ship that was docked at Port Lincoln.
According to historical details compiled in a recent wire report, Ms Day was determined to embark on what she considered the voyage of a lifetime. To bypass the strict maritime customs and social expectations of the late 1920s, she adopted the disguise of a young male stowaway to gain entry to the vessel.
The ship, which had travelled from Finland, was moored at Port Lincoln when Ms Day made her move. While the full logistics of her plan and the duration of her stay on board remain sparse in surviving accounts, the incident highlights the lengths to which individuals went to seek adventure during the era.
Port Lincoln was a bustling maritime hub during the early twentieth century, frequently hosting international sailing ships that arrived to transport grain and other cargo. The presence of Finnish tall ships was a common sight, though a local school teacher attempting to sneak aboard disguised as a crewman was highly unusual.
Historians and local researchers continue to examine regional archives to piece together the aftermath of her discovery on the vessel.
Watch for local historical societies to digitise more shipping logs and personal diaries from the era to uncover the full journey of Jeanne Day.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
Dedicated to a Stronger Victoria.
A message from the editor, September
Every story here is free to read. Only readers keep it that way.
We take no government money, run no paywall, and answer to nobody in Spring Street. That independence is paid for by a small number of readers, not the many who benefit from it. If just one in a hundred of today's readers gave $8 a month, our Victorian politics coverage would be funded for the year.
- Funds reporting, not shareholders
- Cancel in one click, anytime
- Supporter badge and reply access
Prefer a one-off? Send a tip. It takes about twenty seconds.