Governor Gawler (1840 ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Governor Gawler |
| Namesake | George Gawler |
| Owner | Emanuel Underwood |
| Builder | Emanuel Underwood |
| Launched | 1840 |
| Fate | Wrecked August 1847 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Tons burthen | 15 (bm) |
| Length | 35.3 ft (10.8 m) |
| Beam | 8.8 ft (2.7 m) |
| Depth | 7.9 ft (2.4 m) |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
| Complement | 2[2] |
| Notes | Two masts |
Governor Gawler was built in 1840. This made her the first sailing vessel built in South Australia.[1] She traded between Port Lincoln and Port Adelaide, but also carried cargo and passengers to Melbourne and Hobart Town, including soldiers, police, criminals, an executioner, as well as numerous civilians.[2] When she wrecked in 1847, she was the first South Australian ship to be wrecked.[1]
Origins[edit]
Captain Emanuel Underwood arrived in Port Adelaide in 1840 aboard Baboo. He brought with him the frame of a small vessel of 15 tons (register), together with sails, spars, ropes, and tackle.[3] He then assembled her on the mudflats of Port River and named her for George Gawler, the governor of the colony.
Fate[edit]
Governor Gawler, Underwood, master, was making for Port Lincoln when a storm drove her northward and onto a reef near Reevesby Island, in the Sir Joseph Banks Group on 1 August 1847.[1] Her two crew and two passengers survived.[4] Petrel rescued the survivors some two days later.[5]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b c d Australian National Shipwreck Database: Governor Gawler.
- ^ a b The Advertiser (2 April 1954), P.4, "Out Among the People:More about the Little S.A. Ships".
- ^ Loyau (1885), p. 272.
- ^ "Ship News". The Times. No. 19745. London. 29 December 1847. col C-D, p. 7.
- ^ South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (10 August 1878), p.20: "Recollections of a Pioneer".
References[edit]
- Loyau, George E. (1885). Notable South Australians; Or, Colonists, Past and Present. Carey, Page & Company.
- Trading With 11-Ton Cockle Shell (1937, September 30). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 47.
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