"Townsville or Hell!" is a facsimile copy of an emigration diary written on board "Eastern Monarch" during its voyage from Glasgow to Townsville in 1883. This journey was truly a rollicking yarn, including a wealth of incidents and some wonderful characters. The ship came close to a watery grave not once but twice; the captain faced down a mutiny; there were births and deaths; and finally the whole ship's company had to live for weeks in quarantine on Magnetic Island due to an outbreak of disease.
This book would interest descendants of anyone who was a passenger on this voyage of the "Eastern Monarch" and people interested in the history of Magnetic Island, Townsville or quarantine practices in Australia.
The diary was written by the editor's great-great-grandfather. The book contains additional photographs, maps and charts that provide context for the reader.