Anthony Morgan asks about hives transported to Australia in the early days.  My research has shown the following.
 
In 1805, Gregory Blaxland asked for space for "a swarm of bees in cabin, with wire cage over hive".  To date, I have not found a record of if this every was placed on board or came to Australia.  I would assume the hive would have been a skep type as there were no moveable frame hives at that time.
 
In 1810, Rev. Samuel Marsden wrote about hives he had obtained in Rio de Janeiro that "I also took out 2 hives of bees and have got them out safe, but am afraid that many of them are dead, as I have had no time to attend to them since we landed.  I really forgot them and left them in the Governor's garden, where I fear the heavy rains have injured them."
 
In March 1822, there were 7 hives put up for auction that had arrived from England.  In June 1822, there is an article about one hive which was not sold at auction.  It says "When the hive landed the number of bees were reduced to 476, and the quantity of honey to little more than half-a-pound; but now, although the depth of winter, the number of bees exceeds 6,000 and their stock of honey, about eighteen pounds.  Mr Parr will engage that this hive will cast a swarm in July next, and before Christmas three others may be expected."
 
There is an interesting account of bees coming from California in 1877.  The account is too long to put in full here but I will select some interesting parts.  "I got them from Harbison, of the Santa Clara Valley! They were in a Harbison hive, about 20inches square at sides and about three and a half feet high.  There were millions in it!.....(They were put on a ship, City of New York.).......The bees suffered fearfully.  During several days I took out fully a quarter of them daily, assuming they would all perish, as 3 or 4 lots sent out as freight had done.  I got up early in the morning, very early, before daybreak and edged the big hive out on the deck, to give the bees air.........(The ship docked at Honolulu at 4.30am)........The bees were let loose!  Poor things!  Thousands of them had been born at sea, and they fell sprawling on the deck in masses, ejecting matter which their bodies were gored, for want of exercise.  But, within a half hour of arrival, they were streaming back to the hive loaded with pollen and honey.....How the bees worked that day........Well, by the tme the word "Let's go!" was given it was dark then.  I do not think there was an absent bee that was abe to fly back......"  They arrived safely in Australia.
 
So it can be seen that bees have been transhipping in Honolulu for many years <G>.
 
There are drawings of the Strgar export cage in 1932 and the Penna export cage in 1931.  We had a beekeeper in Australia in a newspaper report in 1896 who was sending stocks to "all parts of Australasia, North America, South Africa and most of the English speaking countries and colonies".
 
This is just a selection that may spark some interest.  If people want more details, maybe best to contact me directly as it is not strickly "bee biology".
 
Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA