DARRA
Shipbuildervessel built by
Alexander HALL & Co.
(Footdee, Aberdeen)
Date1865
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumCOMPOSITE
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 191 1/12' x breadth 33 1/12' x depth 21 5/12'
gross tonnage: 999 ton
gross tonnage: 999 ton
Object numberABDSHIP001129
Keywords
Yard Number: 241
Official Number: 52729
Fate: beached in Lyttelton harbour, New Zealand, 1951.
Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper, 2 decks, poop deck 50', forecastle 39', 3 masts, round stern, carvel buit, iron frame, shield figurehead.
(Souce: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
Owners:
1866-67: W. O. Young, registered at London.
1868-84: Anderson & Co., registered at London.
1885-88: Trindler, Anderson & Co., registered at London.
1890: G. F. Mason, registered at Sydney.
1891-92: T. Cowlishaw, registered at Sydney.
1892-99: J.C. Ellis, registered at Sydney.
Masters:
1866-67: Master R. Stiger
1867-73: Master B. Lodwick
1874-79: Master W. Edward
1880-82: Master W. H. Mitchell
1882-84: Master J. Low
1885-88: Master R. Storey
1889-91: Master Finlayson
1892-94: Master T. R. Brown
1896: Master J. A. Berquist
1897-99: Master A. Hawkes
Voyages (Lloyd's Register):
1866-67: Aberdeen - India
1867-73: London - Australia
General History:
DARRA's maiden voyage was to India, returning as a troop ship. In June 1866 it was recorded as being ‘at St Helena, troop ship from Madras’.
However, from 1867 DARRA entered a very settled career, sailing from London to a succession of Australian ports for 20 years, which demonstrates how well suited the vessel was to this trade. Basil Lubbock wrote that ‘it was during the Sixties that the Orient Line came to be known in Australia for the remarkable speed of its beautiful little composite clippers’, among which he named DARRA A composite ship had an iron frame and wooden planking. He quoted the master after a remarkably fast passage to Adelaide in 70 days that the ship ‘dived off the Cape [of Good Hope] and come up to blow off the Leewin’. The Orient Line was a trading name of Anderson, Thomson and Co., by the 1880s known as Trinder, Anderson and Co. It was another measure of DARRA’s success that through its career on the UK-Australia trade it was under more or less the same ownership.
DARRA made an annual voyage from London to Adelaide from 1867 to 1878, to Melbourne 1879-1882 and to Brisbane from 1883 to at least 1886. The 1886 sailing was unusually from Liverpool. The advertisement for this emphasised the quality of the vessel’s accommodation, arguing that it was unsurpassed, that there was a spacious saloon [for 1st Class] and excellent berths for 2nd and 3rd class. Passage fares were offered from 14 guineas (1878) and 13 guineas (1881), then a not insignificant sum. The emigrants, who were undoubtedly part of the vessel’s trade, cannot have been without financial resources. The first accommodation awaiting them on arrival in Australia was not always of the same standard. In 1884 a Dundee emigrant on another ship was directed to a depot into which passengers from DARRA had been recently disembarked. He described it as ‘a hole not fit for pigs’, the beds crawling with vermin and the food dry bread and tea without sugar.
By the early 1890s DARRA had come into Australian ownership, tramping from Sydney as a base. In 1892 its sailings included San Francisco to Sydney and Newcastle to Tahiti with 250 tons coal, in 1893 to Honolulu and in 1896 to Shanghai. It also made Australian coastal voyages, such as to Humboldt Bay in 1897 and Port Blakely in 1898. DARRA appears to have been mainly a lucky ship, but in November 1898 suffered a very serious fire at Sydney, when about to sail for San Diego. A night watchman saw smoke coming from the forepeak. The fire quickly spread to the forehold and burst upwards through the deck to the topgallant forecastle. The fire brigade was soon on the scene, but as the vessel was lying 50 yards offshore, getting the hose across was not easy. The fire was extinguished, but the forepart of the ship was badly damaged. The ship was then purchased by the Westport Coal Company and taken to Dunedin where refitted before being towed to Lyttelton and put into service as a coal hulk. The DARRA served steamers in the port of Lyttelton for over 50 years. During this period, a community of hulk-keepers lived aboard with their wives and children. Circa 1910 J. P. Barnes was keeper of DARRA. Barnes with his wife and three girls, lived in roomy, comfortable quarters and in the big, well proportioned and beautifully panelled saloon, which was their living room, entertained various guests.
On 16 December 1950, DARRA was spruced up and fully rigged to represent the emigrant ship CHARLOTTE JANE for the Canterbury Centennial celebrations. Once the celebrations had been completed, the DARRA was dismantled, cut down and sold as scrap.
In 1951, DARRA was beached at Quail Island, in Lyttelton harbour. In April 1953 an attempt was made to destroy the vessel by the New Zealand army, who attempted to blow her up. The only damage sustained was a blown out portion of one side so the remains of the vessel are still there.
Sources:- Basil Lubbock, The Colonial Clippers (Glasgow, 1948 edition), pp.129-30. Newspapers (accessed from British Newspaper Archive): Australian and New Zealand Gazette, 27/01/1877, 02/08/1879; Australia Star, 06/08/1896; Dundee Courier,13/05/1884; Liverpool Shipping Telegraph, 09/08/1866, 07/05/1886; Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 01/08/1878, 10/08/1882, 22/08/1883; Sydney Commercial News, 23/01/1893, 29/07/1895, Sydney Morning Herald, 01/10 and 30/11/1892 23/09/1897, 19/11/1898; Western Morning News, 21/09/1867. Text for the 20th century section from Te Ūaka Lyttelton Museum - https://www.teuaka.org.nz/news/the-darra
Newspaper extracts:
16/04/1870:
Description of narrow escape of fine ship DARRA in cyclone from Cape Argus, 20 January:- arrived Table Bay 18 Jan. after fine passage of 59 days from Adelaide with cargo for London of 436 ingots silver, 7631 ingots copper, 3269 bags copper ore, 3920 bales and 29 packages wool, 1 pipe and 6 cases wine, 25 tons bark, 50 kegs preserved meat, 483 casks tallow, 13 bales leather and 9 passengers. Capt. Lodwick reports cyclone experienced 17 December 26.20S, 78E [Southern Ocean]. With barometer falling fast shortened sail and set hands to making everything secure. Fore and main topsails blew away into the clouds. Terrific gusts of wind. Lee main deck under water. Lee boat, hanging under water, was cut away so as not to injure ship. Appeared danger of everything being blown away. Sea made clean breach over ship fore and aft, washing everything moveable from decks, including most of livestock. In vortex of cyclone wind died away, but sea was tremendous, tumbling over ship, washing right through saloon and cabins. Ship then put under bare poles and allowed to drift. She behaved herself nobly in the sea and, had she not been strongly built, she must have gone down as at times sea was something frightful to look at as it rolled down upon the ship.
(South Australian Chronicle)
24/05/1873:
Death - Thomas Samuel Marjoribanks. Age 18, lost at sea from ship DARRA approaching English channel.
(Brisbane Courier)
09/02/1875:
DARRA, Adelaide - London, 21 Jan. 8S, 34W.
(Glasgow Herald)
20/07/1880:
DARRA, for Melbourne, off The Lizard 16 July.
(Aberdeen Journal)
15/01/1881:
Aberdeen Shipping 1880 (made up at Custom House) - sailing ship DARRA: built Aberdeen 1865, transferred from London 16 July.
(Aberdeen Journal)
15/09/1883:
Ship DARRA sailed from London for Brisbane with a number of emigrants from this city and surrounding district. They were despatched by local agent for Queensland Govt.
(Bristol Mercury)
19/09/1919:
Death of Grandma Tucker, who was a nurse in the Old Country and came out to Queensland in sailing ship DARRA, of Aberdeen - left Gravesend for Brisbane direct on 14 Sept. 1883 and arrived 27 Dec.
(North Coast Advertiser)
1874
1841
