'City of Adelaide'

The 2001 Duke of Edinburgh Conference

HRH Duke of Edinburgh

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald, GCB

A conference was convened in Glasgow by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on 19th September 2001.

The conference was chaired by Sir Julian Oswald the Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy.  A large number of stakeholders, attended the conference, including Peter Christopher, Covenor, of the Action Group in Adelaide.

The outcome of the conference was categorical:

• The vessel must be saved.
• The Scottish Maritime Museum was unable to retain the City of Adelaide and she would have to be relocated to either Sunderland, where she was built, or Adelaide.
• Urgently need to move the vessel from present location in Irvine due to site costs.
• Interim ownership to pass to Maritime Trust.
• Two groups have claims - Sunderland, UK, and Adelaide, SA. First group with viable restoration plan may take ownership.
• Maritime Trust will fund refloating and delivery to transportation barge.

The following was the agreed post conference statement approved by the HRH Duke of Edinburgh's office:

"Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" Conference: 19th September 2001

The conference, held as a result of an initiative from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, reached a number of important conclusions.

"Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" is one of the most important Historic vessels in the U.K. and every effort should be made to ensure the future of the vessel. Resources available in Scotland to preserve the vessel at the Scottish Maritime Museum were insufficient to make any real progress and the Museum's stewardship of the vessel could result in the whole of the museums collections being placed in jeopardy.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh proposed that the Maritime Trust and Scottish Maritime Museum should work in partnership to fund a first phase of work. This phase would see the vessel removed from the slipway, on which the initial work had been completed, and placed on a barge or similar vessel and her transhipment to another location. The Maritime Trust would take the lead in raising the funding support for the first phase.

The 'Sunderland Maritime Trust' and 'Save the City of Adelaide 1864 Group', Adelaide, Australia, both presented the conference with proposals for the vessel to be restored and displayed. The conference agreed that both organisations should now look to securing funding support for their proposals and an active dialogue would be maintained by all concerned. The aim of the Maritime Trust and the Scottish Maritime Museum would be that final transfer to either the 'Sunderland Maritime Trust' or the 'Save the City of Adelaide 1864 Group' would take place as quickly as possible. The Maritime Trust and the Scottish Maritime Museum would work in partnership to ensure this outcome.

The final decision of the conference was that as the significance of the vessel lay in her activities under the name "City of Adelaide" she should in future be known simply as "City of Adelaide".

The conference was chaired by Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Julian Oswald, and in addition to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was attended by representatives of Australian High Commission, Save the City of Adelaide 1864 Group, City of Sunderland Council, Cutty Sark Trust, DCMS, Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, North Ayrshire Council, National Historic Ships Committee, Scottish Executive, Scottish Maritime Museum , State of South Australia, and Sunderland Maritime Heritage.

Delegates aboard the 'City of Adelaide'during 2001 HRH Duke of Edinburgh Conference. Peter Christopher from South Australia on the right.