Norfolk (sloop)

The Colonial sloop Norfolk was built on Norfolk Island in 1798. The 25 ton sloop was constructed from Norfolk Island Pine.

In his book Geoffrey Ingleton states Norfolk "... started life as the longboat of HMS Sirius" This is unfounded, [as it is impossible to widen a boat] Ingleton used the above as his reference.Governor Hunter quickly put Norfolk under the command of Matthew Flinders to be used as a survey vessel. In 1798-99 Norfolk was used by Flinders and Bass to circumnavigate Tasmania – proving the existence of Bass Strait. Flinders also took Norfolk north to chart Cook's Morton's Bay (now Moreton Bay) and Hervey's Bay (Hervey Bay).

Norfolk was then used to supply produce from the Winsor Area to Port Jackson, until 1800 when she was seized by convicts, at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. Intending to sail her to Maluku, the convicts ran her aground at what was later called "Pirate Point" on the northern side of the mouth to the Hunter River. Today, the point is in the suburb of .

In 1998-99 Bern Cuthbertson OAM from Sandy Bay, Tasmania, re-enacted all of Norfolk's journeys in a replica vessel, constructed of Tasmania Huon and Celery Top pines. The replica Norfolk is now on display at The Bass and Flinders Centre in George Town on Tasmania's Tamar River.

A limited amount of Sterling Silver or 18k Gold medallion, were hand-made to commemorate Bern Cuthbertson's Norfolk. These medallions were mainly given to those that sailed with Bern.

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Wikipedia