HMS Sirius (1786)
The melancholy loss of HMS Sirius off Norfolk Island March 19th 1790, George Raper | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Sirius |
| Builder | Watson, Rotherhithe |
| Launched | 1780 |
| Acquired | November 1781 |
| Renamed |
|
| Fate | Wrecked 19 March 1790 29°03′37″S 167°57′18″E / 29.06028°S 167.95500°E |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | 10-gun ship |
| Tons burthen | 51183⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 110 ft 5 in (33.7 m) (gundeck), 89 ft 8.75 in (27.3 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 50 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Sirius was a 10-gun sloop-of-war of the Royal Navy, launched in 1781 as the merchant ship Berwick. She was the flagship of the First Fleet, which sailed from Portsmouth, England, in 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales, Australia. Sirius played a critical role in supplying and protecting the fledgling colony, including transporting essential provisions from the Cape of Good Hope. On 19 March 1790, she was wrecked on a reef at Norfolk Island while landing supplies, leaving the colony with only a single naval vessel. Her wreck site and surviving artefacts are now protected as part of Australia’s maritime heritage.