HMS Buffalo (1797)

HMS Buffalo was a storeship of the British Royal Navy, launched in 1797. Primarily used for transporting supplies and convicts, Buffalo played a significant role in the early colonization of Australia.

Her construction began as a West Indiaman named Liverpool, but she was purchased by the Royal Navy during construction and completed as Buffalo.

Buffalo made several voyages to New South Wales, Australia, carrying convicts, provisions, and livestock. She is noted for her role in transporting convicts and settlers, as well as for carrying plants and animals crucial to the development of the colony. She also contributed to the establishment of the first vineyards in Australia by transporting vine cuttings.

In 1800, while under the command of Captain William Bligh, Buffalo was diverted to Timor to obtain supplies for the struggling colony of New South Wales. This occurred after Bligh's original ship, Porpoise, was deemed unsuitable.

The Buffalo was wrecked in Mercury Bay, New Zealand, in 1840 during a gale. She was en route to Auckland with timber for government buildings. The wreck site is now a protected archaeological site and popular diving location. Her remains provide valuable insights into shipbuilding practices and maritime life of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.