["Tom Allen, Master" (Daily News), Perth, WA, Thursday 28 March 1912]
...
In these days of keen steamboat travel, there is something more demanded of a shipmaster than seamanship, judgment, and experience--he must have the tact, and good humour necessary to settle the manifold complaints that come from allegedly aggrieved passengers. And that is not all. The great Nor'-West coast is dotted with communities who exist in a village environment, but who imagine they possess the important citizenship of Londoners. By any mischance should a travelling vessel happen to miss unloading, say, a packet of tin tacks at one of these ports, there are frantic meetings of local councils and vigilance committees, and wires to Fremantle consequently hum with messages of indignation. And in through these shoals of parochialism the master of the Nor'-West passenger steamer has to steer a safe course.
...
notes:
This forms part of an obituary for Tom Allen, but remarks about Nor'-West parochialism
are as applicable to John Rees's time as master.
