Category: Ruby Roberts Diary

Next morning at 6.30 we arrived at Port Dickson. I had my luggage all ready and waiting for Mr Gray. I said goodbye to Miss Brown and her uncle. I watched the coolies lowering our luggage down the side of the boat to the sampan. I was so afraid they would drop my cue case […]

Mr Gray was waiting for me and he did look well in his military dress suit with all the medals. He also wore some order but I forget the name of it. Anyhow I felt very proud to be escorted by such a distinguished looking man. He had booked seats for the Victoria Theatre which […]

We left Ipoh at 1pm, had our Tiffin on the train and arrived at Kuala Lumpur at 6.30pm. We went to the Empire Hotel only to find that they were full up. All the other places were the same, even the R.H. but eventually we got in at the Bristol right in the heart of […]

Thursday morning Nov 17th I was up at 6am and packed ready for my tour through the Malay States. Went to the jetty where I had to get a launch to take me to the mainland to a place called “Prai”. Mum and Mrs Roberts came to the station to see me off. Mr Roberts […]

Arrived at Penang on Nov 9th. Mr Oxenham came to meet us and took us ashore while Mr Roberts saw to the luggage. We went to Raffles Hotel and had a lovely breakfast. Mrs Norman the proprietor’s wife showed us our rooms. Mum and I had a lovely large room on the first floor with […]

On Nov 5th we left Colombo for Penang by the German mail boat “Kleist”. We went on board about 5pm and after dinner went on deck. We were supposed to sail at 10pm but did not leave until midnight, the boat being crowded Mum had to sleep on the settee as she could not climb […]

I still have not become accustomed to the “boys” sleeping on the floor outside our bedroom door but that seems to be the custom. Our bedroom interested us, the floor is polished with a rug in front of the bed. There are no curtains on the windows. The beds are four-posters with mosquito nets right […]

We arrived in Colombo on Oct 12th at 11am. I shall never forget my first impressions of Colombo going into the harbour. It was frightfully hot, but what a sight, to see all the natives in their catamarans (small native boats) waiting to come on board. The ship anchored out in the harbour, so the […]

Sept 27th left Melbourne by P and O SS “China” for London. Arrived in Adelaide on the 29th at 6am, we were up very early and after breakfast we took the train from Port Adelaide to the city nearly one hour’s run, such a funny old train, the railway line running right through the main […]