Historical information

This teak wood sample was taken from a handrail on the wreck of the ship Otago. The fully rigged iron-hulled sailing ship Otago was built in Glasgow for the New Zealand Government as an immigrant ship, launched in 1869. The captain of the Otago died while the ship was in port at Bancock. Joseph Conrad took command of the vessel as a qualified captain and continued the journey to Sydney and Matitius. It was the only ship he ever commanded.

Joseph Conrad (1857-1927)
Polish-born Joseph Conrad became a British subject in 1886. He was a renowned marine fiction writer and also, for a short time, a mariner and Captain.

As a boy of 13 years old, Joseph Conrad desired to be a sailor. At 19, he joined the British merchant marine, working in several roles. He eventually qualified as a captain but only served in this role once, from 1888-89, when he commanded the barque Otago sailing from Sydney to Mauritius.

In 1889 he also began writing his first novel, Almayer’s Folly. He retired from life as a mariner in 1894, aged 36. Conrad’s visits to Australia from 1878 to 1982, and his affection for Australia, were later commemorated by a plaque in Circular Quay, Sydney.

Conrad continued as an author. It is said that many of the characters in his books were inspired by his maritime experiences and the people he had met. By the end of his life, he had completed many stories and essays, and 19 novels, plus one incomplete novel titled ‘Suspense’ that was finished and published posthumously. Shortly before he passed away, in 1924, Conrad was offered a Knighthood by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald for his work but declined.

The Otago: -
The 1869 iron-hulled barque Otago changed hands several times in the late 19th century. In 1903 the Melbourne shipping company Huddart, Parko & Co., purchased the ship and it was converted to a coal hulk for use in Sydney. The Otago was later sent to Hobart in Tasmania where it was in use used as a hulk until 1931. The ship was eventually abandoned to lay on the banks of the Derwent River near Hobart at a place now known as Otago Bay until destroyed by fire in 1957.

Significance

The wood sample is significant for its association with the ship Otago, the only ship that author Josep Conrad had command of as Captain. It was known as Joseph Conrad's Otago.
The sample of teak is significant as an example of materials used in the construction of the 1869 iron-hulled sailing ship, built in Glasgow, Scotland.
The association with the Otago is also significant for its use in building an immigrant ship for New Zealand.

Physical description

Wood sample; a rectangular section of a teak wood handrail that has a bead planed along one side. Two cards with the sample have inscriptions, one handwritten and one typed. The sample is from the wreck of the barque Otago, once under the command of Captain Joseph Conrad.

Inscriptions & markings

Handwritten card: "PART OF TEAK HANDRAIL / from / Joseph CONRAD'S ship / OTAGO / (HULK at RISDON, DERWENT River, TASMANIA)
Typed card: "PART OF THE TEAK HANDRAIL / FROM JOSEPH CONRAD'S SHIP / "OTAGO" / (HILK AT RISDON, DERWENT / RIVER, TASMANIA)"