Half block model of SS INVESTIGATOR

Model Maker Spencers Gulf Steamship Co Ltd

Date1880s

Object number00007889

NameHalf block model

MediumWood, brass, varnish

DimensionsOverall: 275 x 1,600 x 125 mm,

ClassificationsModels

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

half block models

DescriptionThis half block model represents SS INVESTIGATOR of the Spencers Gulf Steamship Co Limited. INVESTIGATOR was used in South Australia on the coastal trade route. Models such as this were used to demonstrate the shape of the ship's hull.HistoryShip builder half-block models were produced to demonstrate the shape of a vessel and were constructed by joining a series of planks together. Builders then used the model as a reference point when cutting and fitting timbers for the full scale vessel. Half models rarely survive as the names of the ships they represented are usually lost or they are often mistaken for scraps of wood. The museum holds a large number of half models depicting vessels of different types, including steamships, skiffs, dinghies, launches and tugs. The SS INVESTIGATOR was built in 1882 in Glasgow, Scotland. It operated for the Adelaide Steamship Company and was employed in the coastal trade run in South Australia. INVESTIGATOR wrecked off Wardang Island, near Port Victoria, South Australia in 1918. Port Victoria, an influential trading port in the early 1900s, was one of the last of the Australian ports to dock commercially operated large square-rigged sailing vessels.SignificanceThis model is representative of ship building techniques and maritime trade in South Australia during the late 19th century. It highlights the career of SS INVESTIGATOR and its role in Australian trade.