Historical information

Title: The romance of the "Edina" : the world's oldest screw-steamship : with chapters on the auxiliary steamship :Great Britain", and the Port Phillip Bay steamers past and present / by C. Dickson Gregory
Author: Gregory, C. Dickson (Charles Dickson)
Publication Information: Melbourne : Robertson & Mullens, 1935
Physical Description: xii, 84 p., [24] p. of plates : ill. ; 23 cm
Series Link: Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
General Note:
Item no.
Corporate Subject: Edina (Ship)
Great Britain (Ship)
Subject Term: Shipping -- Victoria
Geographic Term:
Port Phillip Bay Region (Vic.) -- History
Format: Books
Holds: 0
Copies: 2

Significance

This iron hull single screw steamer had a long and distinguished carrier operating between 1853 and 1938. She served in the Crimean war carrying stores and horses to the Black Sea and later trading in the Mediterranean, and carrying cotton for the Confederate States in the American Civil War. Edina arrived in Melbourne under sail in March 1863 and was purchased by Stephen Henty for use from ports in western Victoria and later carried gold prospectors across the Tasman to New Zealand. After a refit in 1870 she was used in the coastal trade along the Queensland coast for Howard Smith until returning to Victoria and the Melbourne-Geelong trade as a cargo-passenger vessel. The Edina had two narrow escapes from destruction in 1898 and 1899 when she collided with other steamers, both being sunk. A further refit in 1917 altered her appearance with a new mast, funnel, bridge and promenade deck. By 1924 Edina had made over 12,000 Melbourne-Geelong passages and carried over one million people on the service. A further collision in July 1931 which sank the tug Hovell forced Edina onto a mudbank on Port Phillip Bay. She was taken out of service in 1938 but was later renamed Dinah and used as a lighter until 1958 when she was broken up and her remains used as land-fill.

Physical description

Extract from the book 'The Romance of the Edina' showing signatures of her last voyage crew in 1938.

Inscriptions & markings

'The Romance of the Edina'