Historical Ships

For many people, Australians included, the history of Australia is one that isn’t necessarily well-known. Despite being one of the most powerful English-speaking nations in the world, Australia is still a relatively new country. Compared to many countries that it now completely outstrips in terms of international prestige; Australia is very much a young nation. How, though, did things get started here? Given the landscape of Australia, it’s no surprise that Australian history begins after…

The HMAT Boonah was a German ship that was built in the early part of the 20th century i.e. 1912 to be exact. It was built for the Australian trade which is why it was also known as the Melbourne. In 1914, the ship was renamed to Boonah after it was caught by the Commonwealth Government. The ship suffered a lot of tragedies when it reached Australia. Woodman Point was the main centre where the…

Whenever we talk about racing clippers, the two most famous names that come to mind are Cutty Sark and Thermopylae. They were designed to appear almost the same; hence, no one could decide which of them was the finest in terms of build quality. History reveals that both these clippers were designed as rivals to each other; just a little material variation is the main comparative point between them. There is no doubt to say…

James Cook, a famous British Naval Captain, was born on 27th October 1729 at Yorkshire, England. He is better known as an explorer and navigator who sailed along the coasts of Canada for many years ranging from 1763 to 1767. History reveals that he conducted three journeys to the Pacific Ocean in different years; the first one was completed between 1768 to 1771; whereas second and third expeditions were completed between 1772 to 1775 and…

The Titanic might be one of the most famous shipwrecks in the history of our world but did you that there have been thousands of other shipwrecks spread all around the world as well. Australia alone has 8000 registered shipwreck cases recorded since the 17th century. Australia has a very lengthy coastline which is why it has such a high rate of recorded shipwrecks. Out of the 8000 registered shipwrecks only 2000 have been found.…

During the mid-nineteenth century, and most notably in Western cultures, steamships and steamboats became one of the most prominent forms of transportation. This travel revolution took place on a global scale, as travel via steamship allowed goods and people to be transported at a fraction of the time that it took to sail. Prior to the introduction of the steamship, the most common forms of transportation were fueled by man, wind, and horsepower. However, each…

You might be aware of the fact that the extremely large replica HMS Bounty ship was designed for Mutiny in 1962. Note that, this tall ship sank off the North Carolina coast in a disastrous accident. Although, the sail was set from Connecticut with a hope that the ship could be saved by avoiding Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately, the water started accumulating on the ship, and finally, the crew was ordered to abandon the ship. During…

The first fleet was the 11 ships that left Portland, England to start the first penal colony in New South Wales which later became the country of Australia. Captain Arthur Philip was selected to lead this ambitious undertaking on 13 May 1787 to relieve the pressure on the overcrowded prisons in Britain. The first fleet was the first settlers of Australia who founded the nation we know today. These first settlers included prisoners who were…

Matthew Flinders (born March 16th, 1774) was a renowned English explorer, navigator, and naval officer who circumnavigated (sailed entirely around) Australia and mapped its coastline. In fact, he and George Bass were the first Europeans who realized that Tasmania was an island and sailed around it. Flinders first embarked on their quest to Australia in 1795 for the British Navy on a ship named the “Reliance”. He and his friend George Bass who was a…

Almost 107 years ago, one of the most famous and deadliest disasters took place. On April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 a.m., the Titanic, deemed to be the luxurious unsinkable ship for the elite class hit an iceberg and sunk at the coast of Newfoundland taking down with it more than 1,500 lives. This event has proven to be quite a historic day in the timeline of mankind and people still get chills when they witness…