NOT CONVICT SHIP.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20233, 17 February 1934, Page 17 (Supplement)

NOT CONVICT SHIP.

Success Still Sails Under False Colours. CENTENARY PROJECT. LONDON, January 24. A PLAN IS AFOOT to bring the fake convict ship Success from America to England to exhibit, contemporaneously with the centenary celebrations. Mr C. H. E. Coles, the originator of the scheme, has gone to New York to discuss terms with the owners. Australians, aware that the ship has never carried convicts, will endeavour to prevent the scheme being carried out, as it would involve injurious exploitation of the centenary interest in Australia. Mr Coles, interviewed by the “ Journal of Commerce,” maintained that the Success was a genuine convict ship. ” The ship was intimately connected with Melbourne history,” he said, “ although her later role has created considerable ill-feeling among those who do not appreciate the part the convicts played in Australian development. My father was strongly opposed when he attempted to bring the vessel to England. His idea, like mine, was to demonstrate that Australia could be proud of the convict period, because many of the convicts did great service to the country.” Australia House believes that the exhibition would constitute injurious publicity, and is endeavouring to obtain documentary evidence of the falsity of the owners’ claims, with a view to a public rebuttal if the scheme eventuates, although it is doubtful whether the decayed hulk could be brought safely across the Atlantic. The United

States may be asked, if the proposal develops, to refuse a shipping clearance, or Britain may be asked to prohibit the arrival of the Success. Adventurous Career. The Success was never a convict ship in the generally accepted sense of a vessel that transports convicts; but for forty years she was used as a prison hulk, moored near the mouth of the j Yarra. The old ship has had an adventurous career, but she was not built until 1840, twenty years after transportation of convicts to Australia ceased for ever. Listed as of 621 tons, fully rigged, she first went to Australia in 1843, taking 134 immigrants to Fremantle. She was blown ashore at Fremantle and salvaged after seven days. For nine } ears the Success traded as a passenger and emigrant ship, once going ashore at Port Adelaide. Then, one day in March, 1852, she dropped anchor in Corio Bay. Those wgre the gold rush days, and the entire crew deserted and made for the diggings, leaving the Success swinging idly at her mcorings. A contemporary account says that nearly 400 crewless ships swung at anchor off Geelong, while offers of £IOO each for men to work a voyage back to England went unheeded. More might be made in an hour at Ballarat, the sailors reasoned. But gold brought more than wealth to Victoria. Crime was rampant, there, was nobody to build gaols, so the Government obtained four ships, including the Success, and moored them in the Yarra as prison hulks. The worst desperadoes were housed in the Success, in which cells were specially constructed. Mutiny. Desperate men they were. Once, in 1557, they mutinied, and after a terrific battle were forced below and battened ; down under hatches. But for three days no guard ventured below, although the gunboat Victoria was moored alongside with all her guns trained on the lower deck of the hulk. For forty years the Success lived the grim life of a prison hulk. Then in 1891 she was bought and converted into a show ship, labelled a convict ship, fitted with ring-bolts, great chains, and all the paraphernalia of the cruel transportation system. In j 1892 she sank at her moorings in Syd- j ney. Some said that she had been j scuttled by people who resented the stigma she represented. Ever since, the Success has sailed j under false colours. In 1912 she was ; sold as a convict ship to American in- j terests, and she seemed doomed to J spend her days as a useless object of , curiosity. But in 191 S the high freights prevail- : ing induced her owners to fit her out \ as a merchantman once more. She i foundered at Carrolltown, Kentucky, ! but was salvaged and returned to her ‘ role of convict ship. From time to time there have been protests against the employment of the * ship in giving false and undesirable ! pubilicity to Australia.