Title: Shipping Arrivals and Departures South Australia 1627-1850
Author: Robert Sexton
Media: paperback, 272 pages
ISBN: 0947284192
Year: 1990
Other Data: b&w photos, maps, chronology, appendix, indexes
Item Code: SXT006
Price: $25.00
Link to website

This was my choice for today’s highlight, and why not since it is has just dropped in price to $25.00, and it’s to do with South Australian shipping history.

Let me start off by saying this book does NOT contain the names of passengers, but rather it is a listing of ships arriving and departing from South Australia, so is a guide for genealogists and maritime historians wanting to know more about the movement of vessels.

Covering the period 1627 -1850 it lists the arrivals and departures of ships of all kinds – explorers, sealers, local coasters, whale ships, intercolonial and overseas traders, emigrant ships, government vessels, naval ships, yachts, pleasure boats, fishing boats, un-named boats that made coastal voyages, and vessels on the River Murray. Where available it gives details of vessels, names of captains and some prominent passengers.

The text is divided into three sections: the Exploring Era, which commenced with the discovery of Pieter Nuyts’ Land by the Dutch in 1627; the Sealing Era; and the Colonial Period, following the establishment of the Province of South Australia in 1836. A ship index which also provides basic dimensions and the name of the builder, where known, indicates the years which should be searched for entries concerning a particular ship, and a person index indicates the name of vessels associated with nearly 3,000 companies or individuals who receive mention. A chronological list of all arrivals at Port Adelaide – the destination for the overwhelming majority of incoming shipping to South Australia – is provided for those who wish to know the names of ships arriving at a particular time.

Features of the book are:

– the grouping together of all voyages made by a particular vessel within each year
– a chronological list of all shipping arrivals at Port Adelaide, 1836-1850
– an indication of cargo and notable passengers carried
– rig, tonnage, place & date of building
– dimensions and name of builder where known
– details of ownership for South Australian vessels
– indexes and guide to the location of illustrations & models known to exist

Contents:
Introduction
– Historical Review
– Pattern of Shipping
– Names of Ships
– Place Names
– Sources of Information
– Specialised Terminology
– Abbreviations
Arrivals and Departures
– The Exploring Era 1627-1803
– The Sealing Era 1803-1835
– Colonial South Australia 1836-1850
– 1836
– 1837
– 1838
– 1839
– 1840
– 1841
– 1842
– 1843
– 1844
– 1845
– 1846
– 1847
– 1848
– 1849
– 1850
Chronological List of Shipping Arrivals 1836-1850
Appendix: List of Pictorial Records and Contemporary Models of South Australian Ships
Ship Index
Person Index