Clipper Ship 'City of Adelaide'

On Friday 7th May a dinner was held at The Pavilion, Adelaide Oval to celebrate the 146th Anniversary of the launch of the City of Adelaide on the same day back in 1864.  Hosted by our Chairman, Creagh O'Connor, approximately 250 guests enjoyed a fun night 'under canvas' at the Pavilion which was festooned with nautical and historic South Australian flags.  Special guests included:

• Margaret de Rohan - wife of the late Maurice de Rohan, former South Australian Agent General in London and Chair of the 'Cutty Sark' Trust.
• Julia Whittle - great-great-grand-daughter of Captain David Bruce, first master of the City of Adelaide and a quarter-owner.
• Marion Wells - great-grand-daughter of Matilda Methuen who migrated to Adelaide on the maiden voyage to marry Peter Waite. Two weeks after Matilda arrived, the couple were married at the home of their fellow Scotsman, Robert Barr Smith. Marion Wells wore Matilda Methuen’s 1864 engagement ring to the 2010 dinner.

Piper Des Ross welcomed guests during pre-dinner drinks and singer-songwriter Steve Foster sang his song 'City of Adelaide'. Trust Directors Peter Christopher and Peter Roberts provided reports of campaign developments during the evening, and a silent auction raised funds for the campaign.

Chairman Creagh O'Connor read letters from the Trust's Patron, South Australia’s Governor, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR, and Chairman of Trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum, Sam Galbraith, who wrote "The proposal to move the vessel for preservation in Adelaide is the only viable alternative to the complete loss of an internationally important historic vessel."

A new painting of the City of Adelaide by Robert Carter, President of the Australian Society of Marine Artists, took a pride of place on stage.

The clipper ship City of Adelaide was purpose built to serve South Australia with fifty percent of the funding coming from South Australian investors. Launched on the 7th May 1864, the City of Adelaide is a few years older than the world’s only other surviving composite clipper ship, the Cutty Sark.

In August 1864, under the command of Scotsman Captain David Bruce, the City of Adelaide departed London and commenced the long and arduous voyage to the other side of the world. Onboard were passengers who were about to establish a new life in the young colony of South Australia, which was then only 28 years old. In November 1864, after a three month voyage, the handsome clipper arrived at Port Adelaide with all passengers safe and sound.

Over the following quarter century, the City of Adelaide carried all classes of passengers from the rich to the poor, from people 'of substance', to government assisted emigrants. The first class cabins were considered to be the finest of the sailing ship era. Today the descendents of the Scottish, English, German and Cornish migrants now living in South Australia number in the hundreds of thousands.

The Pavilion at Adelaide Oval was a perfect setting for the dinner. Adelaide Oval is widely regarded as the most picturesque cricket ground in the world and was established during the quarter century that the City of Adelaide voyaged between Britain and Australia:

• 1864: City of Adelaide launched on 7th May; first annual voyage arrives in South Australia in November.
• 1871: Adelaide Oval established after the formation of the South Australian Cricket Association.
• 1873: Cricket first played at Adelaide Oval.
• 1877: Australian football first played at Adelaide Oval.
• 1884: First Test match between Australia and England played at Adelaide Oval.
• 1887: City of Adelaide departed on final voyage from South Australia.

The following are photographs provided through the generous support of Helen Roberts Photography.  (Please note that the previews below crop  the photos.  Please click on the images to see the full images.)