John Pirie (ship)

John Pirie was a schooner and the smallest of the ships in the First Fleet of South Australia that carried colonists and supplies to the Colony of South Australia in 1836. It was the first ship to set sail for the South Australian Company, only three days after the Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia were signed.[2] It was built by Alexander Hall and Company at Aberdeen, Scotland in 1827.[1]


History
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Name: John Pirie
Owner:
Builder: Alexander Hall and Company
Fate: Wrecked near Furneaux Group
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 105 tons
Length: 62 feet 3 inches (19.0 m)
Beam: 20 feet 1 inch (6.1 m)
Depth of hold: 11 feet 1 inch (3.4 m)
Sail plan: schooner
Notes: [1]

Career

The ship was named after John Pirie, a London merchant who initially owned half of the shares in the ship, and later took full ownership. It initially traded between Britain and Italy, Spain and Nova Scotia.

Pirie was a founding member of the South Australian Company, and sold the John Pirie to the company before it sailed to South Australia. For the journey, it was loaded with stores, farm animals, and 21 passengers. The skipper was George Martin. It sailed from London on 22 February 1836, and arrived at Nepean Bay on 16 August. Another of Pirie's ships, the Emma, was chartered by the company to also make the voyage to South Australia.[1] Martin then sailed John Pirie to Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land to collect more supplies.[3]

John Pirie, along with the other South Australian Company ships, remained in Australia following delivery of its passengers. It transported goods and passengers between various settlements in South Australia, as well as settlements at Launceston, Hobart Town and Sydney. It was blown ashore in a storm in December 1837 while anchored near the whaling station at Rosetta Harbour (west of Victor Harbor) in Encounter Bay, but was refloated.[4]

John Pirie was pushed on shore in another storm on 23 September 1841 at Aldinga Bay after breaking both anchor lines.[5] She was refloated and sailed back to Port Adelaide for repairs several weeks later.[6] At the same time, Sydney newspapers carried advertisements that the John Pirie would be for sale in excellent order when it reached Sydney.[7][8] It remained under repair until the end of January 1842, at which time it sailed to New Zealand with 16 passengers and cargo.[9]

Fate

She departed Hobart Town for Port Albert, Victoria on 25 August 1848 where she loaded cattle to return to Hobart. She was overdue reaching Hobart Town at the end of 1848.[10] Wreckage was discovered on 3 October 1850 on the southwestern side of Prime Seal Island in the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait.[11][12]

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References
  1. Sexton, Bob. "John Pirie". Bound for South Australia. History Trust of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  2. "Letters Patent". Adelaideia. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  3. "The Courier". The Hobart Town Courier. Tasmania, Australia. 21 October 1836. p. 2. Retrieved 18 April 2020 – via Trove.
  4. "SHIPWRECKS". South Australian Gazette And Colonial Register. South Australia. 20 January 1838. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  5. "STRANDING OF THE SCHOONER "JOHN PIRIE."". Southern Australian. South Australia. 24 September 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  6. "EXTENSION OF THE PROVINCE". Adelaide Chronicle and South Australian Literary Record. South Australia. 27 October 1841. p. 2. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  7. "Advertising". The Sydney Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 14 October 1841. p. 1. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  8. "Advertising". The Sydney Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 30 October 1841. p. 1. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  9. "Shipping Report". Southern Australian. South Australia. 25 January 1842. p. 2. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  10. "Shipping Intelligence". Colonial Times. Tasmania, Australia. 19 December 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Trove.
  11. "View Shipwreck - John Pirie". Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database. Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  12. "Shipping Intelligence". Colonial Times. Tasmania, Australia. 29 October 1850. p. 2. Retrieved 20 April 2020 – via Trove.

See also
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