FLY HMS 1832
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:32 pm
On Papua New Guinea stamps 15t and 17t you can find the HMS FLY under command of Capt. Francis Price Blackwood.
She was built as a sloop at the Pembroke Drydock as one of the Fly Class for the Royal Navy.
30 January 1829 ordered.
November 1829 keel laid down.
25 August 1831 launched under the name HMS FLY.
Tonnage 485 ton (bm), dim. 34.9 x 9.7 m.
Armament: 2 – 9pdrs. bow and 16 – 32pdrs. carronades, which was reduced on the FLY in 1848 to 16 guns.
Crew 120.
27 January 1832 completed in Plymouth.
1832 Under command of Capt. Peter M’Quhae, and she sailed under his command in September 1832 to the West Indies.
1835 At Plymouth.
She sailed in July 1836 to South America. 1837 Under command of Capt Russell Elliott
Under his command she arrived at the Pitcairn Islands on 29 November 1838, and he drew up a few regulations for the new colony, after a vote was held under the inhabitants of the island in which the islander’s unanimous choice was to be a colony of Great Britain.
29th November 1838 is now regarded the date when Pitcairn Island became a British Crown Colony.
1839 was she under command of Capt. Granville Loch in South America.
October 1841 she became a survey vessel, and in November that year she came under command of Capt. Francis Blackwood.
Blackwood was born on 25 May 1809, the second son of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood. He entered the Royal Navy in 1821, and obtained his first commission in 1828. In 1833 he served with the east India Station and as commander of the HMS HYACINT, he gathered hydrographic data on the Queensland coast. In 1838 was he promoted to Captain.
In 1841 Capt Blackwood was appointed by the British Admiralty to command an expedition undertaking hydrographic surveys of the Coral Sea area.
16 October 1842 she arrived at Sydney, Australia under his command, and from there she was accompanied by the cutter HMS BRAMBLE under command of Lt. Charles Yule.
23 November 1842 both ships set course Coral Sea, they landed at a coral island of the Capricorn Group both vessels as well as their boats were engaged in surveying all islands of the Capricorn Group, and all islands were named.
22 January 1843 both vessels sailed again north in search for some reefs that had been reported shortly before by the navigator Swain in the ELIZA, the reefs were found and surveyed in the beginning of February and named the Swan Reefs.
For some minor repairs on the FLY both vessels entered Port Bowen on 14 February. After the repairs both vessels remained in the vicinity for one month, then sailed along the coast and investigate the bays north of Cape Palmerston including the present site of Mackay. The coast was surveyed and several coastal rivers in that area.
17 May both vessels sailed from Cape Upstart to Rockingham Bay which was surveyed the next fortnight.
02 June both vessels sailed to the Endeavour River, what was reached two days later.
The place Cook careened and repaired his vessel, not any item was found belonging to the ship or crew of the ENDEAVOUR.
Slowly both vessels sailed northwards surveying the coast and the reefs along the coast.
On 24 June one of the crew members of the BRAMBLE during a landing was speared in the back by an Aborigine, heavily wounded he was brought back to the vessel were he died two days later.
The survey of the Great Barrier Reef continued, the FLY anchored in Pandora Entrance on 1 August, on 5 August they were on Murray Island and on 07 August the FLY sailed to the west of Cape York.
On 11 August the FLY arrived in a small bay, which they named after the captain. The same month both vessels passed through the narrow passage north of Wednesday Island in the Arafura Sea.
Both vessels sailed the back to Sydney were she arrived on 20 January 1844.
27 March 1844 both vessels sailed out again from Sydney to Cape York were she arrived on 20 August, many islands in the Torres Strait were surveyed, under which the Darnley Islands which was reached on 28 March 1845.
Near the end of April the surveys were continued towards the New Guinea coast and on 2 June they made their chief discovery in New Guinea; the river named after the vessel the Fly River.
By the end of 1845 the survey was completed and both vessels sailed home in December 1845.
After Blackwood returned in England he married on 12 October 1848, but he died six years later on 22 March 1854.
Yule the commander of the BRAMBLE became a lieutenant under Capt. Owen Stanley during the expedition to the New Guinea coast and the Louisiade Archipelago in HMS RATTLESNAKE (1846-1850).
When Capt Stanley died he took over the command of the RATTLESNAKE.
In 1854 the FLY became a coal hulk at Plymouth; and later a yard craft under the name C.2.
1903 Broken up at Devonport.
On Papua New Guinea 1987 15t and 17t sg 546 and 547.
Pitcairn Island 1988 40c sg 321 and 1998 $3 sg 533.
Source: The Sail & Steam Navy List by Lyon and Winfield. The Discovery and Exploration of Australia by Feeken & Spate. Ships Arrivals in Sydney 1840-1844.
Ships on the Australian Station by Bastock. The Pitcairners by Nicolson.
She was built as a sloop at the Pembroke Drydock as one of the Fly Class for the Royal Navy.
30 January 1829 ordered.
November 1829 keel laid down.
25 August 1831 launched under the name HMS FLY.
Tonnage 485 ton (bm), dim. 34.9 x 9.7 m.
Armament: 2 – 9pdrs. bow and 16 – 32pdrs. carronades, which was reduced on the FLY in 1848 to 16 guns.
Crew 120.
27 January 1832 completed in Plymouth.
1832 Under command of Capt. Peter M’Quhae, and she sailed under his command in September 1832 to the West Indies.
1835 At Plymouth.
She sailed in July 1836 to South America. 1837 Under command of Capt Russell Elliott
Under his command she arrived at the Pitcairn Islands on 29 November 1838, and he drew up a few regulations for the new colony, after a vote was held under the inhabitants of the island in which the islander’s unanimous choice was to be a colony of Great Britain.
29th November 1838 is now regarded the date when Pitcairn Island became a British Crown Colony.
1839 was she under command of Capt. Granville Loch in South America.
October 1841 she became a survey vessel, and in November that year she came under command of Capt. Francis Blackwood.
Blackwood was born on 25 May 1809, the second son of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood. He entered the Royal Navy in 1821, and obtained his first commission in 1828. In 1833 he served with the east India Station and as commander of the HMS HYACINT, he gathered hydrographic data on the Queensland coast. In 1838 was he promoted to Captain.
In 1841 Capt Blackwood was appointed by the British Admiralty to command an expedition undertaking hydrographic surveys of the Coral Sea area.
16 October 1842 she arrived at Sydney, Australia under his command, and from there she was accompanied by the cutter HMS BRAMBLE under command of Lt. Charles Yule.
23 November 1842 both ships set course Coral Sea, they landed at a coral island of the Capricorn Group both vessels as well as their boats were engaged in surveying all islands of the Capricorn Group, and all islands were named.
22 January 1843 both vessels sailed again north in search for some reefs that had been reported shortly before by the navigator Swain in the ELIZA, the reefs were found and surveyed in the beginning of February and named the Swan Reefs.
For some minor repairs on the FLY both vessels entered Port Bowen on 14 February. After the repairs both vessels remained in the vicinity for one month, then sailed along the coast and investigate the bays north of Cape Palmerston including the present site of Mackay. The coast was surveyed and several coastal rivers in that area.
17 May both vessels sailed from Cape Upstart to Rockingham Bay which was surveyed the next fortnight.
02 June both vessels sailed to the Endeavour River, what was reached two days later.
The place Cook careened and repaired his vessel, not any item was found belonging to the ship or crew of the ENDEAVOUR.
Slowly both vessels sailed northwards surveying the coast and the reefs along the coast.
On 24 June one of the crew members of the BRAMBLE during a landing was speared in the back by an Aborigine, heavily wounded he was brought back to the vessel were he died two days later.
The survey of the Great Barrier Reef continued, the FLY anchored in Pandora Entrance on 1 August, on 5 August they were on Murray Island and on 07 August the FLY sailed to the west of Cape York.
On 11 August the FLY arrived in a small bay, which they named after the captain. The same month both vessels passed through the narrow passage north of Wednesday Island in the Arafura Sea.
Both vessels sailed the back to Sydney were she arrived on 20 January 1844.
27 March 1844 both vessels sailed out again from Sydney to Cape York were she arrived on 20 August, many islands in the Torres Strait were surveyed, under which the Darnley Islands which was reached on 28 March 1845.
Near the end of April the surveys were continued towards the New Guinea coast and on 2 June they made their chief discovery in New Guinea; the river named after the vessel the Fly River.
By the end of 1845 the survey was completed and both vessels sailed home in December 1845.
After Blackwood returned in England he married on 12 October 1848, but he died six years later on 22 March 1854.
Yule the commander of the BRAMBLE became a lieutenant under Capt. Owen Stanley during the expedition to the New Guinea coast and the Louisiade Archipelago in HMS RATTLESNAKE (1846-1850).
When Capt Stanley died he took over the command of the RATTLESNAKE.
In 1854 the FLY became a coal hulk at Plymouth; and later a yard craft under the name C.2.
1903 Broken up at Devonport.
On Papua New Guinea 1987 15t and 17t sg 546 and 547.
Pitcairn Island 1988 40c sg 321 and 1998 $3 sg 533.
Source: The Sail & Steam Navy List by Lyon and Winfield. The Discovery and Exploration of Australia by Feeken & Spate. Ships Arrivals in Sydney 1840-1844.
Ships on the Australian Station by Bastock. The Pitcairners by Nicolson.