- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: AWE6193
Volk, Wilhelmina (Mina) Evangeline
- Married name Johnson, Wilhelmina (Mina) Evangeline
- Born 26 March, 1893, Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Died 20 March, 1993
- Occupation Carer, Secretary, Traveller
Details
Wilhelmina (Mina) Evangeline Volk married Albert (Bert) Johnson – a Canadian electrical engineer who worked on the Victorian State Electricity Commission’s Yallourn Power Station – and together the pair travelled extensively. From 1928 to 1937 Mina and Bert travelled throughout Queensland, including Brisbane, Emerald and Mt Isa, and any other place Bert was able to gain employment.
In May 1937 Mina and Bert set sail on a world cruise on board the Juanita, which Bert had designed and built. They sailed to Port Douglas and Thursday Island, followed by Dutch New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, before ending up in Singapore.
The pair decided to head back to Australia however, after they set sail in March 1939, they were blown off course. Their ship was eventually grounded in Broome two months later. Setting off on foot to find help, Mina and Bert were located in dense scrubland days later.
After recuperating in Broome, the pair headed back to Mt Isa, where Bert had been offered a job in the mines. The journey overland took them five months.