Coromandel (1834 ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Coromandel |
| Launched | 1834, Quebec |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 662 (bm) |
| Length | 133 feet 7 inches (40.72 m) |
| Beam | 33 feet 3 inches (10.13 m) |
| Depth | 23 feet 0 inches (7.01 m) |
The Coromandel was a special sailing ship built in Quebec in 1834. She was owned by a company called Ridgeway and her home port was Glasgow, Scotland. This ship played an important role in history. She was the very first ship to bring new settlers to South Australia after it became a colony in 1836. The Coromandel also helped bring early settlers from the New Zealand Company to Wellington, New Zealand in 1840.
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Building the Coromandel
The Coromandel was a large sailing ship. She had three masts, which are tall poles that hold the sails. Her sails were "square-rigged," meaning they were set across the ship. She had many sails, including 13 foresails, three top sails, and three fore topmast stay sails. She also had two main sails and three main top sails.
For safety and travel, the ship carried one long boat and two smaller quarter boats. The Coromandel was built from strong wood like oak, black birch, and red pine. To protect her hull (the bottom part of the ship) from damage and sea creatures, she was covered with a special layer of yellow metal.
Exciting Voyages of the Coromandel
The Coromandel made several long and important journeys across the world.
First Voyage to South Australia (1836-1837)
Before her first big trip to Australia, the South Australian Commission held a special dinner on board the Coromandel. About 150 young married couples and 36 children attended. This was a big event for the future settlers!
On September 1, 1836, the Coromandel set sail from Blackwell Dock in London. Captain William Chesser was in charge. After a long journey, she reached Kingscote, Kangaroo Island in South Australia on January 10, 1837. Two days later, on January 12, she anchored at Holdfast Bay.
This voyage was very important for the new colony. Besides the settlers, the Coromandel also carried South Australia's very first bank! It even brought £10,000 in money notes, which was a huge amount back then.
Journey to Sydney (1838)
In June 1838, the Coromandel sailed from London to Sydney, Australia. This trip took about 110 days, with Captain Neale leading the way.
Bringing Settlers to New Zealand (1839-1840)
Under Captain Edward French, the ship left St Catherines docks in London on December 10, 1839, with 47 passengers. The journey was quite challenging. The ship had to take shelter from bad weather in the Bay of Biscay for six weeks! She also stopped at Cape Town for supplies.
The Coromandel then docked in Sydney, Australia. There, she picked up three more passengers. She also loaded 200 sheep, 40 bullocks (male cattle), and four horses. These animals were important for the new settlements in New Zealand. After a very long voyage of 260 days, the Coromandel finally arrived in New Zealand on August 29, 1840.
Later Journeys (1843-1845)
The Coromandel continued to travel. On July 7, 1843, she sailed from Gravesend to Bombay (now Mumbai) in India, carrying troops. In 1845, she was sailing regularly between Liverpool, England, and New Orleans in the United States.
The End of the Coromandel
The Coromandel was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1855. At that time, she was owned by Brooke & Co, and Captain Walker was her master. The exact fate of the ship after 1855 is not known.
Places Named After the Ship
The Coromandel was such an important ship that some places were named after her!
- Coromandel Valley in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia.
- Coromandel Street in Wellington, New Zealand.
