HMS Porpoise (1798)

HMS Porpoise was a 14-gun sloop-of-war of the Royal Navy, launched in 1798. She was originally the civilian vessel Informant, purchased by the Navy in 1798 and renamed.

Porpoise is most notable for her role in Matthew Flinders' voyage of exploration to Australia. She was part of the expedition that departed England in 1801, alongside HMS Investigator and the tender Lady Nelson.

In 1803, while en route to Sydney from England with passengers and stores, Porpoise was wrecked on Wreck Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef. No lives were lost. After the wreck, Flinders, in command of Investigator, was forced to leave many of the survivors on a sandbank. Flinders subsequently sailed to Sydney to obtain rescue ships. Two vessels, HMS Cato and the merchant ship Bridgewater, were dispatched to rescue the survivors. Cato was also wrecked on the reef, further complicating the rescue efforts. The survivors were eventually rescued, and Flinders continued his exploration, albeit under more challenging circumstances.

Following the wreck, a court martial exonerated the officers and crew of Porpoise for the loss of the vessel, attributing it to navigational hazards. The wreck site of Porpoise is now a protected historical site in Australia. The Porpoise wreck provides valuable archaeological information about naval vessels and maritime activity of the early 19th century.