Half block model of the double-ended ketch KATHLEEN GILLETT
Maker
OD-IN AS
Date1994
Object number00029900
NameHalf block model
MediumWood, metal
DimensionsOverall: Height: 200 mm, width: 600 mm, depth: 30 mm
ClassificationsModels
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Roger Marchant
DescriptionHalf block model of the double-ended ketch KATHLEEN GILLETT. Made in Kristiansand, Norway, by the Jorgensen family company Od-In AS. A brass name plate, engraved 'KATHLEEN GILLETT' has been affixed centrally on the backing board, below the hull.HistoryKATHLEEN GILLETT was built by Charles Larsen for Sydney artist and sailor Jack Earl and named for Earl's wife. Larsen designed and built the ketch based on original designs by Colin Archer (1832-1921), a celebrated Norwegian naval architect and shipbuilder whose vessels were well-known for their durability and safety in heavy seas. Launched in 1939, KATHLEEN GILLETT enjoyed a long and adventurous career on the sea. The vessel was first home to the Earl family during the war years, and was also used at this time for NSW coastal patrol. In 1945 KATHLEEN GILLETT sailed in the first Sydney - Hobart Yacht Race, which was organised in part by Jack Earl. In 1947 the vessel, with Jack Earl and crew, was the second Australian yacht to successfully circumnavigate the world. Jack Earl sold the yacht in the 1950s and KATHLEEN GILLETT went onto to work in island trade in the Torres Strait and in crocodile hunting expeditions in the area of Bougainville and the Soloman Islands. In 1967 the vessel reverted back to a cruising yacht once more and participated again in the Sydney - Hobart.
In 1987 KATHLEEN GILLETT was located by the Norwegian Government and shipped to Sydney as a Bicentennial gift to the people of Australia. Work soon began on the vessel's restoration by Carl Halvorsen, a boatbuilder of Norwegian descent. KATHLEEN GILLETT is now part of the National Maritime Collection and can be seen at the museum's wharves.SignificanceBefore a ship was built a half model such as this was created to plan a vessel's design and to display the hull to the ship builders and clients. These skilfully crafted models are replicas of their full scale counterparts and provide details of the design and build of individual vessels. The ketch KATHLEEN GILLETT was a Bicentennial gift to Australia from Norway in 1988, and has strong connections to both countries.
