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German four-masted barque GUSTAV at the farewell buoy in Sydney Harbour
German four-masted barque GUSTAV at the farewell buoy in Sydney Harbour

German four-masted barque GUSTAV at the farewell buoy in Sydney Harbour

Photographer (Australian, 1899 - 1953)
Date1 February 1927
Object number00024953
NameGlass plate negative
MediumEmulsion on glass
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis photograph depicts the German four-masted barque GUSTAV at the farewell buoy possibly departing Sydney on 1 February 1927 bound for the United Kingdom.HistoryThe four-masted steel barque AUSTRASIA was built for J and W Goffey of Liverpool by Russell and Company in Glasgow in 1892. In May 1910, it was sold to Aug Bolten of Hamburg, Germany and renamed GUSTAV. It was sold again in 1913 to Vinnen Gebr of Hamburg. On 19 December 1926, GUSTAV arrived in Sydney after a 14-day voyage from Auckland. The barque anchored in Rose Bay to load a full cargo of wheat. On 1 February 1927 the barque sailed for the United Kingdom. Later that year, GUSTAV was sold to HWFM Engel of Altona, Victoria and renamed MELBOURNE; however, within a year it was sold again to Captain Gustaf Erikson of Mariehamn in Aland, Finland. In June 1930, the barque was run down and sunk by the tanker MT SEMINOLE off South Fastnet, Ireland. The captain and 10 members of the crew were drowned while 15 others survived.SignificanceThe Samuel J Hood photographic collection records an extensive range of maritime activity on Sydney Harbour, including sail and steam ships, crew portraits, crews at work, ship interiors, stevedores loading and unloading cargo, port scenes, pleasure boats and harbourside social activities from the 1890s through to the 1950s. They are also highly competent artistic studies and views - Hood was regarded as an important figure in early Australian photojournalism. Hood’s maritime photographs are one of the most significant collections of such work in Australia.