Clipper Ship 'City of Adelaide'

On 6th August 1864 the brand-new City of Adelaide left the Thames docklands of central London to sail for South Australia on her maiden voyage with most of her passengers, 100 tons of coal, 11,300 items of general cargo (bales, cases, casks, packages and bundles for organisastions such as A.M Bickford & Co., South Australian Bank (Bank S.A.) and the South Australian Government) - and a crew of 38 men.

Her skipper was Captain David Bruce, 49, the Scottish part-owner who had conceived the ship based on his 11 years previous experience on the run as master of the Irene, and had supervised her construction in Sunderland. The First Mate was his eldest son John Bruce, 25, and another member of the crew was a younger son Alexander Bruce, 17, who was entering his second year as a seaman apprentice to his father. Both of these sons would ultimately follow in his footsteps in turn to become master of the City of Adelaide and of her sister-ship the South Australian.

The ship’s Carpenter was Thomas Bruce, 24, also born in Perth, Scotland, who was almost certainly a relative of the Captain – probably his nephew – and had sailed on the Irene with him.

Also on board was a Miss Bruce, who we believe was Janet, 21, one of David’s older daughters. Janet appears to have been part passenger and part unpaid crew, probably taking a working holiday by acting as hostess and stewardess in the luxurious first-class saloon of her father’s new ship. She would later marry a master mariner.

The Second Mate was an experienced 45 years old Cornishman, Edward Robins, while the Third Mate was up-and-coming Londoner Julian Smith, 21, who had also previously served on the Irene with Captain David and John Bruce.

The Ship’s Surgeon was Dr Edward Nason, 41 years old and single, from a prominent family of doctors in Warwickshire. Two of his brothers had migrated to South Australia ten years earlier, and he was taking an opportunity to visit them by working his passage in charge of the health of the passengers and crew.

When the ship touched at Plymouth on 12th August to pick up the balance of her 29 passengers, the 21 years old London-born trainee-officer Midshipman William H Elliott had to be put ashore because he was too ill to continue the voyage.

Only three of the crew members who provided the catering services to passengers and crew completed the round trip back to London. The others were either discharged in Adelaide by prior arrangement, or they deserted the ship there.

More than half the seamen and boys had signed on for the outward voyage only, and had to be replaced in Port Adelaide. Among these was Adelaide resident 18 years old Walter Forwood who, disillusioned with the prospect of a life at sea and stranded in London, was willing to work his passage home to start a different apprenticeship as an engineer. He founded the Adelaide firm of Forwood, Down & Co in 1873, and it prospered.

The connections of the City of Adelaide were always conscious of the responsibility to train youngsters, leading ultimately to the establishment of their own sail training ships and Pangbourne Naval College. Besides Alexander Bruce, there were four newcomers being initiated into their apprenticeships on this voyage.

Replacements at Port Adelaide

Cook’s Mate Henry Millwood was persuaded to rejoin the crew while the ship was still in Adelaide, and was promoted to replace the Cook who had deserted. Of particular interest was the recruiting of an experienced Stewardess for the Saloon. There were 56 passengers on the return voyage, and most of the catering replacements were serving in a ship’s crew for the first time.

Eleven seamen and boys were discharged in Adelaide in November, but there were only seven replacements when the ship sailed from Port Adelaide in January 1865. One of them was a young local man.

With a crew of 37 men and one woman, the City of Adelaide arrived safely in London on 3rd May 1865 after a voyage of 105 days.

_{Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London}