BALLARAT
Shipbuildervessel built by
DUTHIE
(Footdee, Aberdeen)
DateJune 1852
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumWOOD
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 158' x breadth 30' x depth 20.1'
gross tonnage 685 tons
gross tonnage 685 tons
Object numberABDSHIP000515
Keywords
Official Number: 31778
Fate: unknown, last in Lloyd's 1873 (B19)
Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper
Owners:
1853-57: L. Dent, registered at London
1858-63: D. Dunbar
1865-70: Vanner & Co.
1872-73: Shaw, Savill & Co.
Masters:
1853-63: Master H. Jones
1865-66: Master J. Allen
1867: Master A. Craighead
1865-72: Master J. Allen
1873: Master C. Grant
Voyages (from Lloyd's Register):
1853-57: London - Port Phillipheads, Victoria, Australia
1858-65: London - China
1866-72: London - New Zealand
General History:
BALLARAT was a clipper ship built for the London- Port Philip (Melbourne) trade at the time of the Australian Gold Rush and when emigration to Australia was building up. The advertisement for its maiden voyage described Port Philip as being in ‘The Gold Regions’ and offered passages at £21, leaving Gravesend around 5 August 1852. Although owned by L. Dent (LR 1852-3) it was advertised by the agents as ‘one of W.O. Young’s clippers’. They advertised their vessels as combining high speed with high quality provisions and fitting, presumably to justify the substantial fare. Better-off emigrants were apparently the target market. They were assured that ‘families can have their berths arranged to be entirely themselves’ and promised that an experienced surgeon would be carried and every means taken to preserve health. The success of this maiden voyage was trumpeted in the advertisement for the second trip, leaving London for Melbourne in June 1853. It stated that ‘this splendid ship has proved herself as one of the fastest afloat, having made the passage last summer England- Melbourne in 77 days’ [when 100 days was common]. That the intended market was for better-off passengers is confirmed by the statement that BALLARAT had a full poop with accommodation which ‘required only to be seen to secure a preference’.
The return maiden voyage, which reached the English Channel on 23 April 1853 showed that the Gold Rush was good for business. It carried as cargo 72,000 ounces gold, valued at £288,000. Among this was a very large nugget described as ‘almost fabulous’. A large quantity of gold was claimed also to have been in the possession of passengers, presumably successful gold prospectors. It November 1854 BALLARAT brought to London a cargo of, not only 50,000 ounces gold and 20,000 sovereigns, but also wool, tallow and pepper.
In 1855 the ship maintained its reputation for speed and commercial benefit from the Gold Rush. It arrived off Dover at the end of October after a voyage of 64 days, with 100 passengers and 110,000 ounces gold, valued at half a million pounds. This passage had been delayed briefly by an encounter on 26 September with an abandoned American ship CLEOPATRA, from Callao. Since its yards were knocking about and no one at the helm Captain Jones boarded. He found it in a sinking state with a leak in the forehold. He put aboard the chief mate, the carpenter and six hands, who got sail upon the ship and one pump working. With night falling and a heavy sea BALLARAT men were ordered back. At 1.30am CLEOPATRA went down head foremost with very little warning.
Either Dent’s charges were too high or the Gold Rush was waning. By 1858 BALLARAT was owned by Duncan Dunbar and Sons, but still commanded by the long serving Capt. Henry Jones, and now engaged in the China tea trade. On 29 December of that year it arrived at London with three quarter of a million pounds of tea. It was advertised to sail from London to Shanghai in February 1859, January 1860 and February 1863. The agent was still W.O. Young.
In May 1864 BALLARAT ownership was again about to change. The advertisement emphasised again the full poop, arguing that together with its speed the vessel was admirably suited to the carriage of troops or passengers. Having been built in Aberdeen was clearly seen as a selling point, and the advertisement claimed BALLARAT had been constructed there in a superior manner.
By 1871 BALLARAT was trading for Shaw Savill and Co. on the New Zealand route, being advertised to sail in July of that year from London to Auckland and Napier. Shaw Savill did not keep the vessel for long, advertising it in May 1873. It was claimed to be in excellent condition, having been thoroughly overhauled and metalled in 1872. The selling points were now that it carried a large cargo and sailed well.
Sources (from British Newspaper Archive):-
Alloa Advertiser, 25/11/1854; Leicester Chronicle, 23/04/1853; Liverpool Journal of Commerce, 16/05/1864; London and China Telegraph, 26/02/1868; Morning Advertiser, 02/08/1852, 28/04/1853; North British Daily Mail, 19/11/1855; Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 17/03/1853, 16/02/1859, 16/01/1860, 29/05/1973; Sussex Advertiser, 30/10/1855; The Ulsterman, 29/02/1858.
Newspaper extracts:
14/01/1854:
Mr W. O. Young's ship BALLARAT, Captain Jones, made passage Lizard - Melbourne in 82 days.
(Ipswich Journal)
16/04/1854:
260 emigrants sailing on BALLARAT from Gravesend to Australia.
(Reynold's Newspaper)
The honours for the year (London-Australia) for the year 1855 were taken by the Duthie built Aberdeen Clipper BALLARAT owned by Duncan Dunbar, which went out to Sydney in under 70 days and came home Melbourne-Liverpool in 69 days with 110,000 ounces (wool).
(Basil Lubbock (1948) "The Colonial Clippers" (Brown, Son & Ferguson Ltd, Glasgow), p. 87)
04/02/1856:
Arrival of the BALLARAT from Melbourne. The clipper ship BALLARAT, Captain Jones, arrived off Dover on Saturday morning after a rapid passage of 64 days from Port Philip Heads [Melbourne]. She has on board 100 passengers from the colony and brings the large amount of 110,000 ounces of gold.
(Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane))
24/01/1859:
Thames Police Court - Summons granted to John Hemmings, Apprentice on board ship BALLARAT, against Capt. Henry Jones for alleged cruelty. The lad stated he had been thrown down by the Captain, who put his foot on his throat and nearly choked him. He was then lashed by the hands to the stauncheon and flogged by the Captain, who struck him 33 times. The boy also claimed £9.6.0 for wages due to him.
(Daily News)
05/05/1860:
Captain of the JOSEPH STEELE arrived Liverpool reported sad catalogue of misfortune befallen ship BALLARAT on voyage London - Shanghai. When ships met 22 March Captain of BALLARAT reported he had lost one of his crew overboard in Bay of Biscay (man fell from jib-boom and every exertion to save him was unavailing). Also stated smallpox to a serious and dangerous extent had broken out among crew - 1 dead, 2 others dangerously ill and 4 more slightly so. JOSEPH STEELE supplied chloride of lime, disinfecting fluid and what medicines they required.
(Morning Chronicle)
12/06/1860:
BALLARAT, Capt. J. Allan, belonging to Messrs Vanner, Prest & Lyth, arrived Portsmouth from New Zealand with a wing of the 68th Regiment. She had on board belonging to the Regiment 346 men, women and children and 10 officers.
(Daily News)
10/04/1871:
SALES BY AUCTION At LLOYD CAPTAINS’ ROOM, ROYAL EXCHANGE, THURSDAY. APRIL 13. 1871. (Unless previously sold by private contract). THE well-known and fast-sailing Barque BALLARAT. 685 tons register; built in Aberdeen in 1852. and classed A1 twelve years; in 1864 was restored for eight years A1; passed half-time survey in 1869; has been in dry dock since her return from last voyage, and is now ready to take in cargo, requiring nothing but provisions to fit her for sea. Now lying in South Side West India Export Deck. For particulars apply to TANNER and PRIST, 32. Great St. Helen's, or to GEO. BAYLEY and WM. RIDLEY. 2. 2. Cowper's-court. Cornhill London E.C.
(Shipping and Mercantile Gazette)
Note: changed to barque rig 1865
1841
