Duke of York (1817 ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
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| Name | Duke of York |
| Owner |
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| Operator | South Australia Company (1836) |
| Builder | Bideford Shipyard |
| Launched | 1817 |
| Fate | Wrecked 14 August 1837 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Barque |
| Tons burthen | 180, or 190, or 192 (bm) |
| Length | 81 ft 3 in (24.8 m) |
| Beam | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Three masted barque |
| Crew |
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| Armament | 2 × 9-pounder guns |
The Duke of York was a sailing ship built in 1817. It started as a brig, a type of ship with two masts, but later became a barque, which has three masts. It was built in Bideford, England.
For many years, the Duke of York worked as a packet ship. This meant it carried mail, passengers, and important goods. It sailed regularly between Falmouth, Cornwall, England, and places like Jamaica. In 1836, the ship played a big role in history. It carried some of the first settlers to South Australia for the South Australia Company. Sadly, the Duke of York was shipwrecked in 1837.
Contents
The Ship's Journeys
The Duke of York was a busy ship. It was listed in Lloyd's Register, a famous record of ships. This register showed that a person named "Price" was its first master and owner. The ship's main job was to be a "Falmouth packet."
Packet Ship Voyages
As a packet ship, the Duke of York made many trips. It traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to North and South America. It also sailed to places like the Mediterranean Sea. Here are some of its important journeys:
- In 1818, Captain Price sailed the ship to New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- The ship made similar trips to New York and Halifax in 1819 and 1820.
- In 1825, Captain Price took the ship to Buenos Aires and Montevideo in South America.
- Captain Snell also sailed the Duke of York to these South American cities in 1826 and 1827.
- The ship continued its voyages to places like Bermuda and Rio de Janeiro until 1835.
Bringing Settlers to Australia
In 1836, the Duke of York took on a very special mission. It was hired by the South Australia Company. The ship became part of what is known as the "First Fleet of South Australia." This fleet brought the first European settlers to the new colony.
The Duke of York left London on February 24, 1836. After 154 days at sea, it arrived at Kangaroo Island on July 27, 1836. It dropped anchor in Nepean Bay. On board were 42 passengers, including 38 adults and four children. These settlers helped create Kingscote. This was the first free settlement in Australia. The Duke of York was the very first ship to bring these pioneers to South Australia. This marked the beginning of British colonisation of South Australia.
Whaling Adventures
After dropping off the settlers on Kangaroo Island, the Duke of York changed its purpose. On September 20, 1836, it set sail to hunt whales. The ship stopped at Hobart Town (now Hobart) in Tasmania to get supplies. From there, it headed to the South Sea whaling grounds.
While whaling, Captain Robert Clark Morgan heard about another ship, the schooner Active, that had been wrecked. He rescued its captain and crew members.
The Shipwreck
The Duke of York's journey ended sadly. On July 14, 1837, the ship was hunting whales off the coast of Queensland. It was shipwrecked near Port Curtis, which is close to modern-day Gladstone.
Luckily, everyone on board survived the wreck. They got into three small boats. They then rowed and sailed about 300 miles to Moreton Bay, near Brisbane. This difficult journey took them until August 26, 1837. During this tough trip, two crew members died when the boats stopped for water. The steamer James Watt later picked up Captain Morgan and 19 survivors. The rest of the crew followed on another ship.
