Australian Heritage (Victoria/Tas) question.

[Rick01]

Just as a matter of interest I've noticed that although there are a number of models available depicting ships involved in our development one little guy is missing - the topsail schooner Enterprize. A small ship I know but not without importance to some of us. Is anyone aware of this having been built as a model, either scratch or bashed from another topsail schooner? Way above my skill levels at the moment but something I'd like to consider at a later date.

 

Rick

[Rick01]

At this stage I'm still struggling with my first ever build (planking even with the practicums here is a little bit of a challenge) so a build of Enterprize would lay in the future. However to kit bash I guess I'd need to get hold of a set of plans for Enterprize as a start then look for a kit with similar hull dimensions. I have no problems with scaling up/down but with no working knowledge of ships I really am not sure where I'd start as far as research is concerned.

 

Rick

[BANYAN]

Rick, the Enterprise replica is Melbourne based and could be used for reference - I have a few photos somewhere.  More to the point, the replica was constructed to plans drawn up by one of our club's members.  If there is sufficient interest, we could ask whom has the copyright to those plans and maybe produce a model.  The club is currently researching and building a model of another ship of significant historical  interest to Victoria and Tasmania (having transported the roe from Melbourne to Tasmania to start the very successful Salmon industry they now have - the HMCSS Victoria.  Perhaps the Enterprise may be of interest to our club for a future build if no one takes it up?

 

Thanks for raising this.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Rick01]

Perhaps a poll of other Australian members would show the level of interest in a project regarding the Enterprize. At my current skill level this is just academic but a little further down the track it would definitely interest me.

 

Rick 

[Terry N]

Now that this topic has been opened, I would like to add my two bob's worth.

 

Amongst the ships that are important in AUST/NZ history, the Atholl Class frigates (later classified corvettes) are significant.However there is very little information about them and plans seem difficult to obtain.I have checked the usual sources.

 

The Atholl Class was a class of 6th rate 28 gun frigates built after the Napoleonic wars from 1820-1828.14 were built,of which 7 served on the Australian station as warships and survey ships. Those were HMS Rattlesnake,North Star,Rainbow,Alligator,Termegant (later Herald),Success,and Crocodile.

 

They played a significant part in Australian and New Zealand history.Amongst their accomplishments were:

 

Charting of the Swan river - HMS Success- Capt. James Stirling.

Survey of Port Phillip Bay - HMS Rattlesnake - Capt .William Hobson

Survey of the north Queensland coast and Papua New Guinea -HMS Rattlesnake - Capt Owen Stanley

Establishment of the Port Essington Colony - HMS Rattlesnake - Capt Owen Stanley

Survey of the NSW Northern Rivers and Moreton Bay - HMS Rainbow -Capt James Rous

Transport of troops to the first Moari war - HMS North Star and HMS Crocodile.

 

It seems to be very difficult to get plans for this class of ship.My interest is in building a model of HMS Rainbow, as a Men's Shed project for display in our excellent Maritime Museum in Ballina NSW.

 

Can anybody be of assistance?

 

Regards,

Terry N

[BANYAN]

Hi Terry, a very interesting subject you have raised and perhaps if there is interest it should be raised in a new thread rather than hijacking this one?

 

A quick search of the NMM showed several watercolours and illustrations of the Rattlesnake but no plans (see http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!csearch;searchTerm=HMS_Rattlesnake_1822;start=0 ).

 

I would suggest a search of the NMM plans under each ship in the class (as well as Atholl Class) if you have not already tried that option.  As these ships were not built in or for Australia (or the colonies back then) there will be little or no information in the usual sources we used for the Victoria (Colonial Office in London, and the Parliamentary Records of Victoria).

 

Of interest: according to Robert Gardiner in his book "The Sailing Frigate: A History in Ship Models " [page 119] he states that these vessels (6th Rates) were subject to much variation due to experimentation in design with the ships of the Atholl Class being constructed of different timbers for comparative purposes. 

 

Good luck on this one as it would be an interesting build.

 

cheers

 

Pat

p.s. Have you seen this: http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66667.html (Rainbow) and http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66666.html (Samarang)?

Edited October 28, 2014 by BANYAN

[Bob Legge]

David Lyon list 31 NMM plans for the 17 ships of the Sucess Class in his book "The Sailing Navy List", Generic - 9; ATHOLL - 11 - 1832-1845 As troopship and 1851 as storeship; RATTLESNAKE - 7 - As troopship and As survey ship 1846; CROCODILE - 4 - As a troop ship.

Generic plans are - Lines, Profile, Orlop, Gun Deck, Upper Deck, Quarter Deck and Forecastle, Framing, Midships Section, Specification.

Design by the Surveyors of the Navy. Several were built of exotic and unusual types of timber.

Bob.

[Bob Legge]

Enterprize query.

Marquardt, Karl H.; "THe Schooner Enterprize (1830-1847); Model Shipwright Magazine, Volume 97, Page 70, September 1996, ISBN 0 85177 6809, Conway Maritime Press.

This magazine has an article on the vessel and also a good set of plans sheets loose in the volume.

Bob.

[BANYAN]

Thanks Bob - that answers the copyright then    Karl was the member I was referring to.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Rick01]

Thanks for that Bob - I'll try and hunt up a copy with the plans still intact.

 

Rick

[Terry N]

Pat,I apologize for seeming to hijack the thread,I did not intend to do so.The Samarang reference was new to me.Thanks.

 

Incidentally Float A Boat in Melbourne has a plan of the Enterprise.Try floataboat.com .

 

Terry N

[Rick01]

No problem with hijacking - I've basically got an answer to my part of the query so any other heritage questions remarks are welcome -  let the thread run and go where it will, :-) 

 

Rick