Historical information

This photograph of the Monkbarns was taken prior to 1927 before the sailing ship was converted for use as a hulk.

The steel-hulled, 3-masted fully rigged ship was built in 1895 by Archibald McMillan & Son at Dumbarton in Scotland. It was 267 feet long, 40.1 feet wide and 23.5 feet deep. In 1914 John Stewart & Co. owned ten sailing vessels, one of which was the Monkbarns, but by the end of the first World War, the fleet had only four vessels survived the war, including the Monkbarns.

The Monkbarns traded across the world. Some of the destinations included Port Adelaide, Table Bay in South Africa, Liverpool, Sydney, London and New York. Her last commercial voyage was in 1926. Overall, the ship traded for 32 years before it was converted in Spain in 1927 for use as a hulk for carrying coal.

There were several owners of the ship over its lifetime. They were
- 1895, first owner, Charles Webster Corsar, Liverpool
- 1902, the owner was D. Corsar & Son, Liverpool
- 1909, owned by John Hardie & Sons, Glasgow
- 1911, John Stewart & Co., Liverpool
- by1915, James A. Young, London
- 1926, L.H. Wilson, Liverpool
- 1927, Ballener Espando (Brunn & van Lippe, Tonsberg).

Significance

The postcard shows and example of the sailing ships that traded across the seas and into Australia in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Physical description

Black and white postcard of a sailing ship, fully rigged, at sea. Handwritten on front of card is "Monkbarns"

Inscriptions & markings

Handwritten on front "MONKBARNS".