Dunbar (ship)
The Dunbar was a full-rigged ship designed and built from 1852 to 1853 by James Laing & Sons of Deptford Yard in Sunderland, England and used for maritime trade, as a troop ship and transport. The Dunbar was wrecked near the entrance to Sydney Harbour, Australia in 1857 with the loss of 121 lives. The wreck of the Dunbar ranks as one of Australia's worst maritime disasters, with the event still retained in the social history of Sydney and New South Wales.
Hand-coloured lithograph of the Dunbar. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dunbar |
| Builder | James Laing at Sunderland, England |
| Launched | 30 November 1853 |
| Fate | Wrecked 20 August 1857 near Sydney Heads |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Blackwall Frigate |
| Tonnage | 1321 |
| Length | 201.9 ft 10 in (61.79 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
| Depth | 22.7 ft 10 in (7.17 m) |
New South Wales Heritage Register | |
| Official name | Dunbar Group |
| Type | State heritage (archaeological-maritime) |
| Designated | 17 October 2003 |
| Reference no. | 1675 |
| Type | Shipwreck |
| Category | Transport - Water |
| Builders | Ship: James Laing & Sons, Sunderland |
The location of the wreck is now a heritage site, at Watsons Bay. An anchor from the Dunbar, a memorial and remains of the 121 onboard are located within Camperdown Cemetery. The property is owned by the NSW Land Registry Services. The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 17 October 2003. The Australian National Maritime Museum holds the John Gillies Collection of artefacts from the Dunbar wreck.