The Port’s historic clipper ship is on the move
THE historic City of Adelaide clipper has moved 200 metres to its new temporary home in Port Adelaide today.
- Dock One work begins but clipper must move
- Great-granddaughter of Clipper ship’s first captain makes donation
- Clipper finally arrives home in Adelaide
- 12 facts you didn’t know about the City of Adelaide clipper ship
THE City of Adelaide clipper has moved to its new temporary home in Port Adelaide.
The 1864 passenger ship has been relocated 200m toward the Lighthouse to make way for the Dock One housing development.
Project director Peter Christopher said it was a big job to move the historic vessel which combined with a barge weighs about 2600 tonnes.
“The ship is a very large ship and its on a very large barge which means the wind effects it quite significantly so it involves two quite big tugs and a fairly major operation but a very worthwhile one because it is now more accessible to the public,” Mr Christopher said.
In order to move the ship, all of the electricity had to be disconnected, the gangway removed and the barge turned around so it could be pulled forward by local firm Maritime Constructions.
“It has involved some pretty serious construction work — Maritime Constructions has had to hire cranes, semi-trailers, trucks, tugs the whole bit and there has had to be new construction built around it,” he said.
“In terms of the tourist attraction to the Port though, it is well worth it.”
The operation — paid for by Renewal SA — cost about $50,000.
The clipper ship returned to Dock One on February 3, 2014, almost 128 years after it last left the city it helped build during the golden age of sailing.
The remains of the historic clipper ship that carried settlers to South Australia in the late 19th century — and the oldest of only two surviving wooden clipper ships — arrived at Outer Harbor aboard the cargo ship MV Palanpur after being rescued from rot and neglect on a slipway in Scotland.
Mr Christopher said he expected the temporary site to be the City of Adelaide’s home for the next two years after which it will most likely move to Dock Two — the State Government’s preferred site for a heritage shipyard.
Although Mr Christopher says he is open to other options such as Cruickshank’s Corner where Alberton-based firm Southern Sea Eagles is planning a $5 million maritime tourist attraction.
It was an emotional moment for the great-granddaughter of the City of Adelaide’s first captain David Bruce, Pam Whittle, and her daughters Julia and Meredith who said they had “goosebumps” watching it approach the wharf.
“The fact that it is being preserved is the most important thing and the fact that it is so visible,” Mrs Whittle said.
Her daughter, Julia, said she felt really touched because she hadn’t seen the clipper arrive in Adelaide from Scotland in 2014
“Now seeing her turn around, she seems much closer, it just makes me feel really emotional,” she said.
