Wrought iron anchor that belonged to HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet which arrived at Port Jackson in 1788.
The anchor was recovered off Norfolk Island in 1905 where it had lain since the Sirius went down on 19th March 1790. The Sirius was laden with supplies for Norfolk Island and foundered on Norfolk Reef.
The anchor now sits on an unpolished granite plinth in Macquarie Place Park, Sydney. It commemorates the first hoisting of the British flag in eastern Australia.
The inscription around the plinth reads: 'This anchor belonged to H.M.S. Sirius, which conveyed the First Fleet, sailed from the Isle of Wight 13th May, 1787, arrived in Botany Bay 20th January, 1788, anchored in Sydney Cove, Saturd’y 26th January, 1788, and was wrecked 19th March 1790, at Point Ross, Norfolk Island, whence the anchor was recovered through efforts of Sir F. Suttor. Erected 1907.'
I liked the view of Sydney now through the anchor. I always wonder what the First Fleet arrivals, with all the privations they suffered setting up the new settlement, would think of Sydney now.
The connections with your part of the world interesting. In those days, the people would likely never have seen Britain again and here we are chatting across the world.
It is an heroic story, though. The waters here were, at that time, uncharted and Sirius was continued working towards the welfare of the fledgling and struggling settlements. There's a Wikipedia entry that tells her full story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sirius_(1786) @skipt07
The connections with your part of the world interesting. In those days, the people would likely never have seen Britain again and here we are chatting across the world.
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@skipt07
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