Mrs Maesmore Morris was a passenger aboard the SS Wimmera departing Sydney on Saturday 11 March 1905 and arrived at Wellington on Wednesday March 15 1905. Remaining on board the Wimmera she continued her journey to Port Chalmers / Dunedin where she arrived on Saturday 18 March 1905. At that time Mrs Maesmore Morris was performing with Nellie Stewart in George Musgrove’s English Dramatic Company. The Company had completed their season at the Lyceum Theatre in Sydney and were travelling to New Zealand where they were to tour for nearly five months.
Following the conclusion of the tour in Invercargill, Mrs Maesmore Morris, Nellie Stewart and other Company members departed New Zealand from Bluff at 5.30pm on Monday 7 August. Once again they were aboard the Wimmera and on this occasion were bound for Hobart. The beginning of their voyage was not a pleasant one as the ship encountered a westerly gale with heavy head sea for nearly two days before calming to moderate westerly winds.
The arrival in Hobart of the Wimmera early in the afternoon of Thursday 10 August and her actress passengers received attention in the local press:
Many people were on the wharf to see the Wimmera arrive last Thursday. Whether they went for that purpose or not, there was a fine chance to see Miss Nellie Stewart, Mrs Maesmore-Morris, and others. The latter was especially obliging. She appeared on deck about as soon as the boat stopped, and remained there, in various attitudes, reading letters, etc., for a long time, so we had just the best opportunity to see if she is really pretty off the stage. And she is ; there is no doubt about it. And there were others. Miss Stewart is not exactly pretty out of doors, but she has an attractive face with, perhaps, a bit more character in her expression than has Mrs M. As Miss Stewart came down the gangway she seemed to look a wee bit frightened. Acting, of course, for it wasn’t especially steep. She was dressed in a travelling suit of dark plaid, green prevailing. A black veil was tied over the top of her hat and under her chin — a queer style, but not unbecoming for those whose youthful bloom is mellowing. Mrs Maesmore-Morris wore a grey skirt, white “sweater,” and tan shoes. Most of the ladies had their hair coiled in the old-new fashioned way at the nape of the neck. Miss Stewart, however, instead of having
one coil had two side by side, reaching from ear to ear. It looked rather nice.
“WOMANITIES.” The Clipper (Hobart, Tas. : 1893 – 1909) 19 August 1905: 6.
Web. 16 Oct 2019 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83629900>.
SS Wimmera 