Clipper Torrens figurehead

**pindimar** · 15th January 2012, 07:07 PM

Hello all,

Came across this article when looking for stuff on the internet regarding the clipper Torrens and thought some people might find it interesting. The people who found this carving on Macquarie Island have pinned it down to being the figurehead lost from the Torrens when she struck an iceberg in the Southern Ocean in the late 1890s.

Interesting thing about the Torrens is that she was the last composite clipper built in the UK apparently and stills holds the record for the fastest passage to Adelaide from the UK. Joseph Conrad was her First Officer for a while.

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/fahan_mi.../swangel14.pdf

GregF

**petertrinder** · 5th March 2012, 04:58 AM

The Torrens was owned by Capt Angel and was in my great grandfathers employ sailing between London and Adelaide, flying the Elder Line flag. I am interested to know where and what has happened to the figurehead that was found in the 1970s. My company was Trinder, Anderson & Co Ltd who in more recent years owned the Australind ships which flew the Black Swan in the house flag. We also in my time managed the Avenue ships for P & O previously the K class of the NZSCo

Peter Trinder

**petertrinder** · 5th March 2012, 05:09 AM

I also have here a model of Torrens reputedly made by the Bosun after the collision with the island (no! not an Iceberg which is what was entered in the log book!) because the forecastle has a straight rail at the after end.

In London on HMS President is a builders model of Torrens which shows the aft railing of the foredeck configured so that there is a safe place for the leadsman to heave the line. This was a complex piece of construction which either confounded the shipwrights in Adelaide or there was no time to get proper drawings etc..

P Trinder

**pindimar** · 5th March 2012, 07:37 AM

Hello Peter

Great to see someone new come to this forum!

I did a search to find what happened to the figurehead found on Macquarie Island but couldn't find out much. In the attached document the implication would seem to be that it is in Adelaide??

http://www.douglasmawson.com.au/Newsletters/2003_4.pdf

Hope this helps, at least

GregF

**petertrinder** · 9th March 2012, 03:17 AM

Hi Greg

I visited the Cutty Sark on Monday, only outside the barriers as it is not yet open again. The curator tells me that the Arabella figurehead is being restored and will be on board. I have a PDF copy of an extract from Eric Lubbock's book covering the Torrens. If you click on this link it will download from Dropbox.

Enjoy!

Peter Trinder

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