Imagine yourself as a sailor aboard the Polly Woodside. Can you feel the iron deck beneath your feet?
The Polly Woodside. She is not just a ship. She is a time capsule. She is a symbol of Melbourne’s maritime past. This iron-hulled barque is a beauty that proudly sits as the central feature of the South Wharf precinct.
Launched in Belfast in 1885, the Polly Woodside embarked on a life of hard work and adventure. William J. Woodside and Co built her. She got her name from the owner’s wife, Marian Woodside, fondly known as Polly. Imagine Mrs. Woodside christening her namesake vessel.
For nearly two decades, she was a workhorse. She carried coal, nitrate, and wheat. Her routes stretched from British ports to South American destinations. She sailed to Montevideo, Valparaiso, and Buenos Aires. Sixteen voyages included passages around the treacherous Cape Horn. The crew was small. Less than 20 men worked to keep the Polly Woodside sailing.
In 1904, she was sold to A.H. Turnbull of New Zealand. The ship was renamed Rona. This was in honor of Miss Rona Monro, the daughter of a company shareholder. She then sailed between New Zealand and Australia. She transported timber, salt, cement, grain, and coal.
The Rona faced mishaps too. In 1920, a schooner collided with her in San Francisco harbour. Then in 1921, she grounded on Steeple Rock off Wellington Heads. Yet, she persevered.
By 1922, the age of sail was ending. Many ships were scrapped after the great war. But not the Rona. She was sold to the Adelaide Steamship Company. She became a coal hulk in Australia. For 40 years, she bunkered coal-burning ships in Melbourne.
During World War II, the Royal Australian Navy used her. She served as a dumb lighter in New Guinea waters. Captain Douglas Strath called her the “queen of this dumb but mighty workforce”.
By the 1960s, she was the last of her kind afloat in Australia. The National Trust of Australia stepped in. They purchased her for one cent in 1968. A massive restoration project began with volunteer labor. After 60,000 hours of work, the Polly Woodside was reborn.
In 1978, she opened to the public under her original name. She is now permanently moored at Duke and Orr’s Dry Dock. She is a static display that cannot sail again.
In 1988, the World Ship Trust recognized her preservation. In 2007, she was added to the Victorian Heritage Register.
In 2006, a redevelopment project moved the ship temporarily. Her dry dock was refurbished. Permanent keel supports were built. In 2009, she returned to her home.
Today, the Polly Woodside stands as a testament to a bygone era. She represents the thousands of smaller iron barques that sailed the world. The Polly Woodside continues to inspire.