Colonist (1861)

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Colonist (1861)

Colonist was a small wooden cargo and passenger schooner built in 1861 at Dumbarton, Scotland by the shipbuilders Denny & Rankine. It was about 105 tons and was described as a fast, versatile vessel with a skin made of Muntz metal. For nearly three decades it worked mainly in the Western Pacific, sailing from Sydney to ports in New Zealand and across the region, including Guam, Foo Chow (Fuzhou), Batavia (Jakarta), New Caledonia, and Port Moresby.

Key moments in its career

- 1862: After a long voyage, Colonist reached Dunedin, New Zealand, in April 1862. It then joined the Australian trading fleet and was bought by Haynes, Brown & Co in Sydney for colonial trade. It was praised as a capable and speedy ship suitable for coastal work.

- 1862–1865: The schooner carried general cargo and passengers along the Australian coast, making runs such as Sydney–Rockhampton. It faced rough weather, including a gale off Smoky Cape, and several captains steered the vessel during these years.

- 1870: Colonist ran aground on Elizabeth Reef off Sydney during a regular trading voyage to New Caledonia. After leaving Sydney with a full cargo, it struck the reef in a storm and the crew spent about 40 days on the wreck. Salvage work began soon after, with help from other ships, and by March 1871 Colonist was towed back to Sydney and repaired.

- 1878: The ship joined a major gold-prospecting expedition to Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea). About 25 prospectors sailed from Sydney, with a smaller group loading at Cooktown. The expedition reflected growing European interest in Papua New Guinea’s resources.

- 1889: While at Havannah Harbour in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), the shipmaster William Greenlees was shot and killed by Henry Weaver, the supercargo. Weaver was arrested and later tried; he was sentenced to death, which was commuted to life imprisonment.

- 1890: Colonist’s career ended in a collision in Sydney Harbour. On March 1, 1890, it collided with the steamer Adelaide near Bradleys Head and Garden Island, sank quickly, and two crew members survived by clinging to the Adelaide; the mate, Frederick Taylor, was lost. A Marine Court of Enquiry found the Colonist’s captain at fault for the circumstances of the collision but offered only a reprimand.

The wreck and afterlife

- After the 1870 Elizabeth Reef wreck, salvage continued into 1871, with parts of the ship raised and the hull repaired. The wreck sits on Elizabeth Reef in about 20 meters of water; the hull’s muntz metal exterior and some debris remain as traces of the ship.

- In 2013, divers located the wreck site again, where only the skin and some remaining structure could be seen, with much of the original hull buried in sediment.

Overall, Colonist (1861) had a long and eventful life: built in Scotland, it served as a bustling cargo and passenger schooner in the Australian and Pacific trades, endured a dramatic wreck and extensive salvage, participated in early Papua New Guinea gold exploration, and ended its days after a mid-harbor collision in Sydney.