Maritime and shipping Archives

A 1915 San Francisco newspaper advertisement for the Success

Success: the convict ship that wasn’t

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:March 22, 2024
Post category:History Maritime and shipping
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Falsely touted as a former convict transport, the Success was a giant marketing fraud. But as a fake it was a commercial success in Britain and the USA, earning good money for its owners. Fakery aside, the career of the Success was certainly remarkable. Recently I saw an article posted on-line that discussed the convict ships that brought the first unwilling European residents to what became Australia. A photograph that accompanied the article confused me, since it showed a row of prison-cell-style doors below decks on the ship which somehow didn't match my understanding of how…

Lawhill off the coast of Newcastle, NSW, 1944

The sailing ship Lawhill at Newcastle in 1944

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:September 28, 2023
Post category:History Maritime and shipping Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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On September 9, 1944, when the veteran four-masted barque Lawhill arrived at Newcastle, NSW, on a trading visit, the city must have responded with excitement. With the world still at war - although by now it was clear the Allies were on the front foot in both Europe against Germany and the Pacific against Japan - the appearance of a big sailing ship would have taken the minds of old-timers back to their youth, when such vessels were regular visitors in the busy harbour. Younger people would have realised too, that this was likely to be…

A young Jack Laverick (left), the launch of Aurora Australis and Don Laverick (right)

Carrington Slipways and the Laverick family

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:July 6, 2023
Post category:History Maritime and shipping Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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During the 1970s the Newcastle firm of Carrington Slipways was seen as part of the strong backbone of NSW industry. Over some decades the firm, founded and owned by the Laverick family, had invested in excellent ship-building and repair facilities and had developed a strong skills base. Carrington Slipways launched about 120 ships of various types before the government wound back protection for the Australian ship-building and repair industry. In its last years, culminating with its closure in 1990, Carrington Slipways campaigned to be part of Australia's big submarine and frigate contracts. These contracts were subject…