Parmelia (barque)
The Parmelia was a barque that was used to transport the first civilian officials and settlers of the Swan River Colony to Western Australia in 1829.
Parmelia was built in Quebec, Canada in 1825, and registered on 31 May of that year. She was 117 feet (36 metres) long, 29 feet (9 metres) wide and 20 feet (6 metres) deep in the hold; and she was rated at 443 tons. Johnson (1987) writes that she was more of a plain working girl than the great and beautiful lady of the sea. Parmelia was sent to London, and on 17 November she was transferred from the Quebec to the London register. In 1826 she was used as a troop carrier. Some time in the first half of 1827, Parmelia was sold to Joseph Somes, who was also a director of the British East India Company. For the next year, she operated under charter to the British East India Company, carrying goods and passengers between London and Bengal.
In 1828 the British government, at the urging of Captain James Stirling, decided to establish a colony at the Swan River in Western Australia. HMS Challenger was despatched under Charles Fremantle to annex the colony, and it was arranged that a contingent of soldiers, officials and settlers would follow on HMS Sulphur. Stirling however argued that the passengers and goods to be carried exceeded the capacity of HMS Sulphur, and asked for an additional ship to be chartered. The government reluctantly agreed to the extra cost, chartering the Parmelia in December 1828. It was then arranged that HMS Sulphur would carry the military personnel, with the Parmelia responsible for carriage of the civilian officials and settlers.
HMS Sulphur and Parmelia sailed from England in early February 1829, sighting their destination on 1 June. Contrary to popular belief, Stirling did not captain the Parmelia; on arrival, however, he assumed the duties of pilot. He initially tried to enter Cockburn Sound through a passage that he had discovered in 1827, but was prevented by strong winds and a heavy swell. Instead he hove to off Rottnest Island for the night. The following day, he tried to bring Parmelia into the Sound from the north, against the advice of Fremantle, and ran aground on a sand bank, later to be named Parmelia Bank. Despite the best efforts of the crews to dislodge her, Parmelia remained on the bank for over 18 hours, finally coming off the bank by herself early the following morning. By that time, she had lost her foreyard, rudder, windlass, spare spars, longboat and skiff, and was leaking at a rate of 4 inches (10 cm) per hour. Parmelia then rode out a storm at anchor for three days before finally being brought to a safe anchorage. The passengers were able to disembark on 8 June.
HMS Challenger was due to depart once HMS Sulphur and Parmelia had arrived, but Parmelia needed repairs that it could not get without access to the skilled labour amongst HMS Challenger crew. Fremantle therefore took the decision to remain and assist with the repairs, which were completed many weeks later. Later that year, Stirling chartered the Parmelia to bring food supplies from Java. In 1830, she returned to England.
For the next nine years, Parmelia was used to transport convicts to the penal colonies on the east coast of Australia. She made nine such voyages, each of them carrying at least 200 prisoners. In 1839, Parmelia was refitted for the purpose of carrying migrants to the Americas. She was intended to run between Britain and Quebec, but on 3 May 1839, her refit almost complete, she was destroyed by fire in Bank's Yard, at Frank's Queery, Cremyll. Five days later, Lloyd's of London wrote her off; any remaining timbers were probably salvaged for other purposes.
The Kwinana suburb of Parmelia is named in honour of the Parmelia, as is Parmelia Bank.
Passengers on the Parmelia, 1829
| Name | Quality |
| Captain James Stirling | Governor |
| Ellen Stirling | Wife of Captain Stirling |
| Andrew Stirling | Son of Captain Stirling, 3 yrs old |
| Frederick Henry Stirling | Son of Captain Stirling, born at sea on 16 April 1829. |
| George Mangles | Cousin of Ellen Stirling |
| George Elliot | Clerk to Captain Stirling |
| Thomas Blakey | Servant of Captain Stirling |
| Sarah Blakey | Wife of Thomas Blakey; servant of Captain Stirling |
| John Kelly | Servant of Captain Stirling |
| Elizabeth Kelly | Wife of John Kelly; servant of Captain Stirling |
| Peter Brown1 | Colonial Secretary |
| Caroline Brown | Wife of Peter Brown |
| Macbride Brown | Son of Peter Brown |
| Ann Brown | Daughter of Peter Brown |
| Richard Evans | Servant of Peter Brown |
| Margaret McLeod | Servant of Peter Brown |
| Mary Ann Smith | Servant of Peter Brown |
| John Morgan | Storekeeper |
| Rebecca Morgan | Wife of John Morgan |
| Rebecca Morgan | Daughter of John Morgan |
| Ann Skipsey | Servant of John Morgan |
| Commander Mark Currie RN | Harbourmaster |
| Jane Currie | Wife of Commander Currie |
| Frederick Ludlow | Servant of Commander Currie |
| Mildred ("Kitty") Ludlow | Wife of Frederick Ludlow; servant of Commander Currie |
| Jane Fruin | Servant of Commander Currie |
| John Septimus Roe | Surveyor-General |
| Matilda Roe | Wife of John Septimus Roe |
| Charles Wright | Servant of John Septimus Roe |
| Henry Sutherland | Assistant Surveyor |
| Ann Sutherland | Wife of Henry Sutherland |
| William Sheldon | Clerk to the Colonial Secretary |
| James Drummond | Horticulturalist |
| Sarah Drummond | Wife of James Drummond |
| Thomas Drummond | Son of James Drummond, 18 yrs |
| Jane Drummond | Daughter of James Drummond, 16 yrs |
| James Drummond | Son of James Drummond, 15 yrs |
| John Drummond | Son of James Drummond, 13 yrs |
| Johnston Drummond | Son of James Drummond, 9 yrs |
| Euphemia Drummond | Child of James Drummond, 3 yrs |
| Elizabeth Gamble | Servant of James Drummond |
| Charles Simmons | Surgeon |
| Tully Davy2 | Assistant Surgeon |
| Jane Davy | Wife of Tully Davy |
| Jessie Jane Davy2 | Daughter of Tully Davy, 8 yrs |
| Joseph Davy | Son of Tully Davy, 6 yrs |
| Henry Davy | Son of Tully Davy, 4 yrs |
| Edward Davy | Son of Tully Davy, 2 yrs |
| Emily Rose Davy | Daughter of Tully Davy, 2 months |
| James Elliott | Servant of Tully Davy |
| Patrick Murphy | Servant of Tully Davy |
| Alex Fandom | Cooper |
| Mary Fandom | Wife of Alex Fandom |
| William Hokin3 | Bricklayer |
| Mary Hokin | Wife of William Hokin |
| William Hokin | Son of William Hokin, 14 years |
| John Hokin | Son of William Hokin, 12 yrs |
| Mary Hokin | Daughter of William Hokin, 10 yrs |
| Thomas Hokin | Son of William Hokin, 8 yrs |
| David Hokin | Son of William Hokin, 5 yrs |
| Charles Hokin | Son of WIlliam Hokin, 2 yrs |
| Thomas Davis | Smith |
| Catherine Davis | Wife of Thomas Davis |
| John Davis | Son of Thomas Davis, 3 yrs |
| Charlotte Davis | Daughter of Thomas Davis, 2 yrs |
| John Davis | Nephew of Thomas Davis, 13 yrs |
| James Smith | Boatbuilder |
| Sarah Smith | Wife of James Smith |
Notes
- Brown later adopted the spelling Broun.
- Tully and Jessie Davy were lost overboard and drowned on 25 April 1829.
- Hoking also used.
References
- Appleyard, Reginald and Toby Manford (1979). The beginning. Nedlands, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0-85564-146-0.
- Johnson, G. L. (Les) (1987). "The Parmelia Barque". Early Days 9 (5).
