Tag: Diary

Happy 151st Anniversary City of Adelaide/Carrick

By Rita Bradd

I am feeling very nostalgic tonight. Celebrations are taking place tonight on board Bradley Barge on which sits the wonderful, oldest surviving clipper ship in the world, City of Adelaide aka SV Carrick with whom I voyaged on board MV Palanpur. I say “whom” because she is a living, breathing entity.

On our voyage I wrote a diary in tandem with that of someone who was on the maiden voyage in 1864. Her Day One was 12 August 1864, my Day One was 26 November 2013, leaving Rotterdam en route for South Australia. This is an extract for 7 November 1864. This was her day 87, the final one in her voyage from Plymouth, England to Port Adelaide, South Australia. Our diaries are the core of my up-and-coming book which I’m bringing to a conclusion now. Keep looking back for more news. You are most welcome.

 

“A beautiful day.  I woke about 5am and saw land from the porthole.  We went on Deck nearly  an hour before breakfast.  The land at first looked rather low and barren.  We were busy packing in the morning.  After lunch addresses were presented to the Captain and Doctor.  We anchored about noon.  The health officer came on board immediately ……..”

 

 

 

Serendipities – 12 August

By Rita Bradd

Serendipities today:

 

1.  This afternoon I was in Edinburgh for Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse.  Outside the Blind Poet I passed two girls.  One had pink and blue hair.  I heard her say ‘Adelaide’.  I stopped dead in my tracks and spoke to her.  She had come across especially to take in the wealth of Edinburgh Festival.

2.  I caught a wee bit of Ade At Sea (http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week12/ade-sea) and lo and behold, after a map appeared with Plymouth on the map, he visited the Eddystone Lighthouse.

150 years ago today City of Adelaide picked up passengers from Plymouth and set off for Adelaide, South Australia on her maiden voyage.  Diary entry for 12 August 1864:

August 12, 1864 – Friday

A beautiful day.  About 9.50 A.M. a boatman came to tell us that the City of Adelaide was in sight.  Tom and I took a walk and bought several little things.  At 1 P.M. we took a boat and sailed to the ship.  Blanche and I wrote letters to the Patersons.  Tom stayed on board for about two hours.  We sailed at 4 P.M.  We stayed on deck till after we had passed the Eddystone Lighthouse and then went down to bed but not to sleep.  We were dreadfully seasick during the night.

This is Day One.  My diary of City of Adelaide‘s final voyage as cargo on the deck of heavy lift ship MV Palanpur begins on 26 November 2013 and is written in tandem with this diary from the maiden voyage.

All images

© Rita Bradd

Lashing the City of Adelaide in her cradle to the deck of MV Palanpur
Lashing the City of Adelaide in her cradle to the deck of MV Palanpur

This image is taken in Rotterdam, City of Adelaide has been wrapped in plastic after being fumigated to conform with quarantine regulations for Australia.