Cygnet (barque)

{{Short description|Ship in the first fleet to South Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox ship  |infobox_caption=  |display_title=  |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= |image_size= |image_caption= }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country=United Kingdom |flag={{shipboxflag|UKGBI|civil}} |name=''Cygnet'' |owner=Thomas Ward (from 1829) |ordered= |builder=John Gilmore and Company |original_cost= |laid_down= |launched=1827 |acquired= |commissioned= |decommissioned= |in_service= |out_of_service= |renamed= |struck= |reinstated= |honours= |captured= |fate= |status= |notes= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class= |tons_burthen=238 tons |length={{convert|91|ft|1}} |beam={{convert|24|ft|1}} |draught={{convert|16|ft|1}} |hold_depth= |propulsion= |sail_plan=[[Barque]] |complement= |armament= |notes= }} }} '''''Cygnet''''' was a [[barque]] built in 1827. It was {{convert|91|ft|1}} long with a beam of {{convert|24|ft|1}} and draught of {{convert|16|ft|1}}. It sailed as part of the [[First Fleet of South Australia]] in 1836.

''Cygnet'' was built by John Gilmore and Company at Sulkea (across the [[Hooghly River]] from [[Calcutta]]) in India, and the primary material was [[teak]]. It first sailed from Calcutta to [[Singapore]] and [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]]. It then traded to [[Madras]] and [[Bombay]] before heading to [[London]] under Captain Morce in 1829. It was bought by Thomas Ward and registered in London with John Rolls as master.<ref name="sext11"/>

''Cygnet'' carried emigrants to the [[Swan River Colony]], including [[George Lazenby (cabinetmaker)|George Lazenby]] who arrived in January 1833.<ref name=DAAO>{{cite web|url=http://www.daao.org.au/bio/george-lazenby/biography/ |title=George Lazenby |work=Design and Art Australia Online |date=2010 |first=Dorothy |last=Erickson}}</ref> Its next voyage was to [[Van Diemen's Land]].<ref name="sext11"/>

''Cygnet'' was chartered in 1836 by the [[South Australian Colonization Commission]] to carry emigrants including many of the surveying staff for the new [[Colony of South Australia]], including deputy surveyor [[George Strickland Kingston]] and assistant surveyor [[B. T. Finniss]].<ref name="sext11">{{cite web |title=Cygnet |first=Bob |last=Sexton |url=http://boundforsouthaustralia.com.au/journey-content/cygnet.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306032329/http://boundforsouthaustralia.com.au/journey-content/cygnet.html |archive-date=2020-03-06 |website=Bound for South Australia |publisher=History Trust of South Australia, Government of South Australia |access-date=2020-04-11 }}</ref> ''Cygnet'' anchored in [[Nepean Bay]] on [[Kangaroo Island]] on 11 September 1836, and moved on to [[Holdfast Bay]] on 5 November 1836.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44579008 |title=THE INFANCY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SETTLEMENT. |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |location=South Australia |date=27 July 1886 |access-date=11 April 2020 |page=6 |via=Trove}}</ref>

''Cygnet'' was posted at Port Lincoln to await the {{ship|HMS|Buffalo|1813|2}} carrying [[John Hindmarsh|Governor Hindmarsh]] to advise him that the new capital would be near Holdfast Bay and he should continue to there. Both ships then proceeded to Holdfast Bay together.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65061644 |title=PROCLAMATION DAY, 1836. |newspaper=[[The Register (Adelaide)]] |location=South Australia |date=28 December 1923 |access-date=11 April 2020 |page=8 |via=Trove }}</ref>

==Legacy== The longest river on Kangaroo Island and the related locality of [[Cygnet River, South Australia|Cygnet River]] are both named after this ship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://manning.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/pn/c/c17.htm#cygnetR |publisher=[[State Library of South Australia]] |title=Place Names of South Australia |work=The Manning Index of South Australian History |accessdate=15 April 2020}}</ref> The river empties into Nepean Bay.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/sa/kangaroo-island/brownlow/cygnet-river-delta |title=Cygnet River Delta |website=Beachsafe |publisher=[[Surf Life Saving Australia]] |accessdate=15 April 2020}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Colony of South Australia]] [[Category:Migrant ships to Australia]] [[Category:1827 ships]]