Definition
Coromandel was a three‑masted, square‑rigged sailing barque built in Quebec in 1834. She served as a migrant and transport vessel for the United Kingdom, notably bringing the first settlers to the colony of South Australia in 1837 and later transporting New Zealand Company emigrants to Wellington in 1840.
Overview
Owned by the Ridgway (sometimes recorded as Ridgeway) Shipping Company of Glasgow, Coromadelaunched from Quebec and was registered with Glasgow as her home port. Throughout her career she operated on routes linking Britain with the Australian colonies, New Zealand, the United States, and India. The ship is remembered for her role in early colonial settlement and for lending her name to places such as Coromandel Valley in South Australia and Coromandel Street in Wellington, New Zealand.
Etymology/Origin
The vessel was named “Coromandel,” a name derived from the Coromandel Coast of southeastern India, a common source of ship names in the British merchant fleet of the period. The name reflects the practice of naming vessels after geographical regions within the British Empire.
Characteristics
- Tonnage: 662 tons (burthen, bm)
- Dimensions: Length 133 ft 7 in (40.72 m); Beam 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m); Depth 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)
- Construction: Built of oak, black birch, and red pine; sheathed in yellow metal for protection against marine growth.
- Rigging: Three masts with a square rig; carried 13 foresails, three topsails, three fore‑topmast stay‑sails, two mainsails, and three main‑top sails. Equipped with one long boat and two quarter boats.
- Ownership & Registration: Initially owned by Ridgway, later listed under Brooke & Co in Lloyd’s Register of 1855 with Captain Walker as master.
- Notable Voyages:
- September 1836 – sailed from Blackwell Dock, London to South Australia, arriving at Holdfast Bay in January 1837 with settlers and the colony’s first bank notes.
- 1840 – transported New Zealand Company settlers, arriving in Wellington after a 260‑day voyage.
- 1843 – carried troops from Gravesend to Bombay.
- Mid‑1840s – operated on the Liverpool–New Orleans run.
Related Topics
- Colonial Migration to Australia – early ships that facilitated settlement of South Australia.
- New Zealand Company – organization that organized emigration to New Zealand, using vessels such as Coromandel.
- Maritime History of the 19th‑Century British Merchant Fleet – broader context of barques and migrant ships.
- Coromandel Valley (South Australia) – geographic area named after the ship.
- Lloyd’s Register of Shipping – source of technical data on merchant vessels of the era.