English: Ray Milton Sterling was born on 20 December 1894 in his parents' native Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. On 5 July 1916, Ray Sterling arrived in Sydney with his father on board E R STERLING. At this point, he was listed as 1st Officer. On 17 December 1916, Ray Sterling married an Australian woman, Ethel May Francis, at St Peters Church in her hometown of Hamilton. Two years later, their daughter Margaret Francis Sterling was born on 8 August, and within three months, records indicate that Mrs Sterling sailed to San Francisco with her daughter on the VENTURA. In the US, the couple lived in Seattle, Washington with Ray Sterling's parents, Captain E R Sterling and Helen B Sterling. Ray Sterling was captain of the six-masted barquentine E R STERLING throughout his career following his father's footsteps.

E R STERLING was originally built in Belfast in 1883 as a four-masted iron ship by the name LORD WOLSELEY. In 1904, it was renamed EVERETT G GRIGGS and modified into a six-masted barquentine. It was sold and renamed E R STERLING in 1910, and was broken up in 1927.
For more information see our blog post on the Sterlings: bit.ly/OsqaFc
This photo is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Samuel J. Hood Studio collection. Sam Hood (1872-1953) was a Sydney photographer with a passion for ships. His 60-year career spanned the romantic age of sail and two world wars. The photos in the collection were taken mainly in Sydney and Newcastle during the first half of the 20th century.
The ANMM undertakes research and accepts public comments that enhance the information we hold about images in our collection. This record has been updated accordingly.
Photographer: Samuel J. Hood Studio Collection

Object no. 00035538