Neva (1835) Ship Model 100cm – Historic Bass Strait Shipwreck (Last one)

The Neva was a British three-masted barque built in Hull in 1813 and later refitted as a convict transport in the early 1830s. In 1835, she sailed from Cork to Sydney carrying female convicts, children, and crew during the era of transportation to Australia. While navigating the treacherous waters of Bass Strait on 13 May 1835, the ship struck a reef north of King Island and was wrecked in heavy seas, resulting in one of the most tragic maritime disasters in Australian convict history.

This handcrafted model of the Neva captures the classic form of a 19th-century convict transport barque, featuring a traditional wooden hull, three-masted rigging, and handmade sails. Built using plank-on-frame construction with fine period details, the model is mounted on a wooden display base and makes a meaningful historical display piece and tribute to this significant vessel.

Key Features of the 100cm Neva Model Ship:

• A realistic replica of the Neva, fully assembled and ready for display—not a kit.
• Dimensions: 100cm L x 27cm W x 74cm H.
• Built to scale using historical references, plans, and imagery of the original 19th-century convict transport barque for an accurate and refined finish.
• Made hand-built with everything created using individual model wooden planks.
• High-quality wood is used to help make sure that it can handle changes in temperature.
• All of the major features, like anchors, are made directly using sculpted metals.
• Additional intricate details include rigging lines, rudder chains, lifeboats, deck structures, and period-accurate fittings.
• Handmade sails included, with a series of fine linen prepared for the best finish.
• The Neva model ship is mounted on a solid wooden display base.
• A historical fact sheet is also provided, making it easy to share the story and significance of the Neva.

About the Neva

The Neva was a British wooden sailing barque built in Hull in 1813 by the shipbuilders Bunney & Firbank. During the early part of her career, she operated as a merchant vessel trading on long-distance routes before later being refitted in the early 1830s for use as a convict transport during the period of British transportation to Australia. Like many vessels of the era, the Neva was a three-masted sailing ship designed to carry passengers, cargo, and prisoners across the demanding voyages to the Australian colonies.

In 1833, the Neva successfully completed a convict voyage to New South Wales, carrying male prisoners from Britain to Port Jackson. After returning to Britain and undergoing repairs, she was prepared for another voyage, reflecting the continued reliance on sailing barques to transport convicts and settlers to Australia in the early 19th century.

Her final voyage began in January 1835 when the Neva departed from Cork, Ireland, bound for Sydney carrying female convicts, children, and crew. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope and approaching the southern coast of Australia, the ship entered the notoriously dangerous waters of Bass Strait, an area well known for reefs, strong currents, and severe weather that had caused numerous shipwrecks during the age of sail.

On 13 May 1835, the Neva struck a reef north of King Island in Bass Strait during the night and was rapidly wrecked in heavy seas. Of the approximately 230 people on board, only a small number survived, making the disaster one of the most tragic shipwrecks in Australian convict history and a significant chapter in the maritime heritage of Bass Strait and early colonial Australia.