In February 1954, Tasmania, the second oldest of the Australian colonies, commemorated its 150th anniversary. One of the three stamps issued on this occasion, the 2s. value, depicts the arrival of H.M.S. Calcutta at Sullivan Cove, at the foot of Mount Wellington—the site of the present city of Hobart. The stamp design is based on the picture "First Settlement on the Derwent River" in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. H.M.S. Calcutta was formerly the East Indiaman Warlay, which in 1796 was delivered to the Transport Board and fitted in 1803 to carry convicts to New South Wales. In 1805 she was captured by a French Squadron off Sicily when convoying six merchantmen from St. Helena. As a French ship she was destroyed by Admiral Gambier's fleet in the Basque Roads in April 1809. An account of the Calcutta's voyage to New South Wales is given in "Britain's Sea Soldiers—A History of the Royal Marines" by Col. G. Field, R.M.L.I., published in 1924 (Lyceum Press). Until 1853, Tasmania (as Van Diemen's Land) was of course a dependency of New South Wales.
SG270 Sea Breezes 6/54
THE FOLLOWING IS FROM Jean-Louis Araignon [jean-louis.araignon@9online.fr] It would appear that the CALCUTTA is the "OCEAN", but I will leave this entry under "CALCUTTA" as that is the name in the SG catalogue and it might help anyone who wishes to look up the stamp. My thanks to Jean-Louis for his interest and correction.
Log Book vol 7 pag 96 and vol 16 page 154 deals with this vessel. The stamp depicts a scene on the Sesquicentenary of Tasmania and titles the stamp 'Sullivans Cove, Hobart Town Feb. 1804. the following comes from LB 16/154
The ship illustrated has 3 mast with square sails on all three. The Australian P.O. states she is the "Ocean" of 481 tons and the design closely follows a sketch 'The First Days of Hobart' held in the Mitchell Library at Sydney.
However, Ernest Argyle in his 'Ships on Stamps', 2nd series Pt 1 page 17 gives her name as "Calcutta" and acknowledges ' she could be the transport "Ocean".
In the book Wooden Hookers of Hobart Town by Harry O'May wich has a list with all vessels entering the Derwent (Hobart Town) from 1803 untill 1816, (altogether 66 vessels entered in that time). Not any ship with the name "Calcutta" is mentioned, but the ship "Ocean" is in the list.
On page 10 of the same book I found.
The bark (now named bark) "Ocean" sailed up the Derwent under the command of Capt. Mertho with Lieut. Governor Collins (on the 3rd of the same set) on board on February 15th 1804. With Collins was the Reverend Robert Knopwood.
The first settlement on the Derwent was founded in Risdon Cove, but Collins saw that Risdon was not suitable, so on the 18th he dropped down the river with the "Ocean" and "Lady Nelson" and chose a little bight under Mount Wellington, wich he named Sullivan Cove, named after the then Under-Secretary, Mr. John Sullivan.
The first time I see the name "Calcutta" in the book 'The Convict Ships' by Charles Bateson is in 1830 when she arrived in Australia with on board 307 convicts. She can not be the same ship HMS "Calcutta" was captured by the French in 1805, and destroyed 1809.
A other scoure (Logs of Logs) gives HMS "Calcutta" (storeship) under command of Capt. D.Woodriffe sailed from Portsmouth 24-04-1803, sailed via Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope, arrived 09-10-1803 Port Phillip, she was then used as prison vessel at Sydney and returned to England afterwards, loaded with timbers. She sailed generally in company with the "Ocean", but the source never mention that the vessel sailed to, at that time van Diemen Land (Tasmania). I believe the mixup between the two vessels is that Reverend Robert Knopwood sailed with the "Calcutta" to Port Phillip, changed ship there and sailed with the "Ocean" to the Derwent.
The same source gives for the "Ocean" ship rigged, 481 ton, chartered transport, Capt John Mertho, owner Hurry & Co., armament 12 guns, crew 35, sailed from Spithead 24-04-1803 via Rio to Port Phillip, arrived there 07-10-1803.
Sailed 25-11-1803 Port Phillip to Derwent twice, with "Lady Nelson" (brig) in company the first voyage, the second voyage she sailed from Port Phillip
12-12-1803 to the Derwent.
Sailed from Sydney 07-10-1804 to the NI-Kwajalen-China, discovered that voyage Ocean Island and a group in the Marshall Islands. She made this voyage in company with "Experiment".
The vessel on the stamp is ship rigged and not as a brig, that the vessel on the stamp I am pretty sure must be the "Ocean", and not the "Lady Nelson" or HMS "Calcutta".
I like to have some more details on the vessel "Ocean" .