Name/TitleModel of the ship CATO
About this objectModern scale replica of a ship associated with Matthew Flinders, that would shortly become one of the most famous early shipwrecks in eastern Australian waters.
CATO, a 430-ton vessel launched near Whitby in about 1800 and painted by Luny soon after her launching, made her way quickly to New South Wales. In August 1803, as part of a group of three ships, she headed northwards on the east coast of Australia and ran aground together with her sister ship HMS PORPOISE on the consequently named Wreck Reef on the Great Barrier Reef. Matthew Flinders, returning to England in search of a ship to replace INVESTIGATOR, was one of those aboard the small fleet, as was his artist William Westall. In a great feat of seamanship, Flinders navigated Porpoise‘s cutter more than 700 miles back to Port Jackson, and arranged for the relief and rescue of his wrecked shipmates from Wreck Reef.
Still unexplained today are the actions of the third ship, BRIDGEWATER. According to the survivors, she made no effort to rescue survivors, quickly putting about for Batavia after the wreck. Once in Batavia, she reported both PORPOISE and CATO lost with all hands.
The wreck site was identified by Ben Cropp in 1965.
MakerThe Model Shipyard - Model maker
Maker RoleModel maker
Date MadeModern reproduction
Period21st century
Place MadeAustralia
Medium and MaterialsWood, Canvas
Object TypeShip Models
Object numberSF001081
Copyright Licence
Attribution - Non-commercial - No Derivatives (cc)
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The mug is decorated with an underglaze and a blue transfer print. On the body, it is titled ‘Emigrants to Australia’. This type of body and glaze was discontinued by 1840. Comparison of the handle shape and the profile of the foot, point to the attribution of manufacture by the Davenport Factory.
Delta was a ship-rigged vessel with two decks and three masts. It was built in Dordrecht, Netherlands in 1839 at the shipyard of Jan Schouten and registered in the same port. Its hull was constructed of oak and sheathed in ‘yellow metal’. Delta was owned by H. van der Sande at the time of its loss and was engaged as a cargo trader.
The Delta carried 29 crew and passengers, while sailing from Melbourne to Batavia in ballast when wrecked at Kenn Reefs on 30 May 1854 whilst under the command of Captain J.G. Kunst. This vessel loss supports the pattern of shipwrecks located on a well-travelled shipping route that was poorly charted until the mid-nineteenth century. The crew of the Delta could see four other shipwrecks at Kenn Reefs at the time of their vessel’s loss.
Important image of a ship associated with Matthew Flinders, that would shortly become one of the most famous early shipwrecks in eastern Australian waters. This is a fine ship’s portrait, by one of the great exponents of the art