From Ely to Queensland, and back again: Retracing the journey of a remarkable ancestor.

Three Australian women have travelled halfway across the globe on a journey of heritage, connection, and memory — retracing the path of their remarkable ancestor who left England nearly 170 years ago for a new life on the other side of the world.

Shirley Baker, her daughter Jade Baker, and niece Lorann Downer recently journeyed from Queensland to the historic city of Ely, Cambridgeshire. Their purpose was to walk the same streets once known to Julia Cross (née Thurlow), who, in 1855, left her hometown with her husband George and their five children to start anew in the distant British colony of Australia.

In October of that year, Julia and her family boarded the James Fernie at Southampton. After enduring a 91-day sea voyage, they arrived at Moreton Bay—now part of modern-day Queensland. Nearly two centuries later, Julia’s descendants live on that very soil, inspired by the legacy she left behind.

What sets Julia’s story apart is the rare and deeply personal insight she left into her life as a 19th-century emigrant woman. Unusually for a working-class woman of her time, Julia was literate—and she used that gift to maintain a long-distance relationship with her mother through letters. Across 17 years, she wrote about her hopes, hardships, surroundings, and family life in colonial Australia. These letters, cherished and safeguarded through the generations, are now held by Ely Museum.

“We feel a strong connection with Julia because we’re able to read her words,” said Shirley. “Seeing the original letters at Ely Museum brought her even closer to us. It’s one thing to know your family history, but quite another to feel it. Holding a piece of paper she once held, reading her thoughts in her own handwriting—it gave us goosebumps. We could picture her sitting quietly at a table, writing by lamplight, perhaps missing her mother, yet determined to make the best of her new life.”

Their visit to Ely was not just about archives. Shirley, Jade, and Lorann took time to walk the same paths Julia once walked, to view the same landscapes she might have looked upon, and to visit places that shaped the early years of her life. “It felt like stepping into her world,” said Lorann. “There was something grounding and sacred about standing where she once stood.”

They were also warmly welcomed by living relatives, including Vickie Jameson, a fellow Cross descendant and trustee of Ely Museum, along with her mother and children. “Vickie has been a wonderful connection for us,” Shirley said. “She’s helped us uncover more about Julia and George’s life in Ely, and it’s been a deeply emotional and enriching experience”.

Currently, Ely Museum is showcasing The Cabinet of Curiosities, a temporary exhibition that highlights meaningful objects and the stories behind them. Among these treasures is an original letter written by Julia Cross herself—a highlight for her visiting descendants.

The museum also pays tribute to Frederick Vernon Cross, another Cross family member, who made his mark in Ely by transforming his father’s bakery on Forehill into what was considered the city’s first tea shop. He was known for promoting tea and cakes in local newspapers and for converting part of the shop—now part of the Royal Standard Public House—into a small display space for archaeological finds he and his father collected at nearby Roswell Pits.

Upon Vernon’s death in 1976, his private collection, including Julia’s preserved letters, was entrusted to the care of the then newly established Ely Museum Trust. His foresight ensured Julia’s voice would not be lost to time.

“It’s been such a joy to connect with our Australian cousins,” said Vickie Jameson. “Thanks to Julia’s letters, we’ve been able to bridge the gap of generations and geography. That’s truly powerful. Her voice has carried through the decades, and now, her family has come full circle.”

In 2023, Shirley and Lorann compiled and published a detailed family history and accompanying family tree, tracing six generations of Julia’s Australian descendants. Their research paints a vivid picture of a courageous and determined woman who built a new life from scratch in an unfamiliar and often unforgiving environment.

“Julia was a strong, resourceful woman,” Shirley said. “She clearly loved her family deeply. She lived in a timber hut in the bush during her early years in Australia, faced floods—including a major one in 1863—and still found ways to appreciate the land around her. She even wrote about making parrot pies, which gives us a glimpse into both the challenges and the adaptability of early settlers.”

Despite the hardships and vast distance from her family, Julia never expressed regret. In one letter from 1861, she wrote to her mother: “My Dear Mother, I am very glad I ever came to the country, for my children’s sake.”

Her perseverance paid off. She saved enough to purchase land and provide her family with a secure home. A house still standing in Redbank, Queensland, may include the original rooms of a second home she built sometime after 1873.

Julia’s life was split almost evenly between England and Australia. She died on 23 January 1892 at the age of 73. Her funeral, held just 15 hours after her passing, drew the largest procession the township had ever seen—a reflection of the high regard in which she was held. Julia and George, who died in 1887, were both laid to rest at Goodna Cemetery.

Elie Hughes, Curator at Ely Museum, said: “It’s been incredibly special to welcome members of Julia’s family to the museum. Her letters provide such a rare and moving window into the life of a 19th-century woman, and to see her descendants engaging so deeply with her story is a reminder of the power of personal history, bringing the past vividly and emotionally to life.”

Thanks to the foresight of Vernon Cross and the dedication of Ely Museum, Julia’s voice continues to echo across time—connecting the quiet streets of Ely with the distant shores of Queensland; bridging continents, generations, and hearts.