Ben Boyd's brig yacht WANDERER

Artist B O'Connor

Date1840s

Object number00000461

NamePainting

MediumOil on board

DimensionsOverall: 312 x 450 mm, 0.3 kg

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Collections

Ship portraits

Terms

DescriptionThis ship portrait of the WANDERER is based on an earlier lithograph by Oswald Brierly. The WANDERER was a lavishly fitted out yacht that frequently sailed on Sydney Harbour and Twofold Bay in the 1840s. It was owned by Benjamin Boyd, the entrepreneur who established a whaling station at Twofold Bay.HistoryThe WANDERER arrived in Australia in 1842 and made many trips along the Australian coastline with its Scottish owner Benjamin Boyd. Boyd established settlements and pastoral stations between Eden and Sydney, with the WANDERER being a regular sight in Sydney Harbour. The yachts expensive interiors and opulence made it a popular attraction with fashionable society in Sydney. By 1849, Boyd was in great financial difficulty and preparing to leave the colony. The next two years proved to be disastrous for the WANDERER and Boyd. Sailing out of Port Jackson on 26 October 1849 the vessel lost a bow anchor on the reef. Then in 1851, Boyd was presumed murdered by natives on the Solomon Islands and the WANDERER wrecked off Port Macquarie on its return to Australia. SignificanceThis is a fine example of a ship portrait and represents the presence of Benjamin Boyd and the WANDERER in Australia.