Captain David Bruce was at the helm of the City of Adelaide for approximately three years. He was also the father of later masters, Captain John Bruce and Captain Alexander Bruce, who served as junior officers beneath him for a time.
The City of Adelaide is always referred to as Devitt and Moore's, but they were only the managing owners. Devitt senior had just died, and Joseph Moore held a quarter share. Captain Bruce had a further quarter share. Henry Martin, with the third quarter, had emigrated to South Australia in 1839 and became established with his brother Thomas as a butcher in Hindley Street.
Joseph and Daniel Harrold, jointly the fourth owners, were also resident in London. They were better known as the Hindley Street ironmongers Harrold Brothers. They had retired to London to establish a branch of the colonial firm now conducted by Joseph's sons. Daniel had married Mary Ann Church, and it seems clear that in these two cases David Bruce had made valuable contacts through the passengers of his previous ship Irene.
"Old David Bruce was one of the good old breed of sea dog - a sturdy, weather beaten, grey whiskered Scot. He always dressed in black broadcloth, topped by a straw hat and puggaree. He possesed a merry wit - also a lame leg, which had been crushed by a run-away cask during a storm."
The Colonial Clippers, Basil Lubbock, James Brown & Sons, Publishers, Glasgow, 1921.
