Giclee, Clipper Ship, Tallship, Composite hull, HMS Carrick, South Australia, "City of Adelaide"

"City of Adelaide - To Messrs. Devitt & Moore Owners Messrs. Wm Pile, Hay & Co., Builders & the Officers of the Ship this print is most respectfully dedicated by their obedient servant, Wm. Foster"

An Archival quality Giclee after an original hand colored lithograph by famous maritime illustrator, Thomas Goldsworthy Dutton (1820-1891), published in London by William Foster,1 August 1864, to celebrate the City of Adelaide maiden voyage. On the 6th August 1864 the City of Adelaide began her maiden voyage to South Australia when she left London and proceeded to Plymouth to collect more passengers. After six days sailing, she was sighted off Plymouth on the 12 August. The remaining passengers sailed out to her by small boat (possibly seen here to the distant left) and boarded her. The "City of Adelaide" Clipper departed the same day bound for Adelaide under the command of Captain David Bruce. Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse, seen in the distance on the right, was designed by Britain's first civil engineer, John Smeaton.

Size of image = 42cm x 56cm (16 2/3 x 22 1/3 inch)                                      

Antiquarian Maritime Series Conservation Quality Limited Edition Giclee Limited /300

A Brief History of the City of Adelaide Clipper

The clipper was commissioned to transport passengers to and goods (wool, copper and grain) from, the thirty year old Colony. It is named in honour of South Australia's Capital City that was in-turn named after George IV's wife, Queen Adelaide. South Australia had proven its worth as a worthy pastoral & agrarian based economy. Only 15 years after settlement, the Colony was represented at the Great Exhibition in 1851. The South Australian exhibit displayed wheat from Mount Barker, in the Adelaide Hills, that  won the gold medal for "Best Wheat in the World". Also, George William Francis, was the first Director of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in 1860, was commended for distilling an excellent Olive Oil at the same Exhibition. In 1845 Burra Burra, Northeast of the Adelaide, discovered the "Monster Mine", the first metal mine of the Australian colonies. The copper it produced was a most valuable export for the empire. These were all financial reasons for investing in such a Clipper. The colony's success made it more attractive for prospective colonists from Britain, another important cargo.

After the clipper's last voyage in 1887, the ensuing-use of the "City of Adelaide" Clipper was to be many and varied: back in Britain the clipper was sold to a Dover coal Merchant, then a Belfast timber trader between Britain and Canada, used as an isolation hospital by the Southampton Corporation, has a change of name to HMS Carrick as a Royal Navy refitted training ship after WWI, in 1948 used as a R.N.V.R Club moored on the River Clyde in Scotland, before being saved from demolition in 1990 by the Scottish Maritime Museum that had plans to restore the historic survivor. However in 1999, with the regaining of the Scottish Parliament, the UK funds dried up. Once again, as in 1948, then again in 1989, the Clipper was slated for demolition.

After a protracted struggle the clipper renamed "City of Adelaide" before enduring an epic journey on the MV Palanpur to a new home in her namesake, Adelaide, South Australia. The oldest surviving composite-hull (metal and timber) clipper ship now resides now resides in Port Adelaide. With the dedication of the Volunteers of the "Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Ltd. (CSCOAL)" the hull is open for tours & undergoing extensive restoration. Here is an update of the "City of Adelaide" since arrival in her new home.

This is an ideal & exciting location given the maritime history of boat-building evidenced in Garden Island Ship's Graveyard Heritage Trail in the Port.