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POLLY WOODSIDE
1-23 SOUTH WHARF PROMENADE SOUTH WHARF, MELBOURNE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
POLLY WOODSIDE SOHE 2008
POLLY WOODSIDE SOHE 2008
POLLY WOODSIDE SOHE 2008
14368 Polly Woodside Bow 4 Oct 2006 mz
14368 Polly Woodside Stern 4 Oct 2006 mz
14368 Polly Woodside 4 Deck Oct 2006 mz
14368 Polly Woodside Hold 4 Oct 2006 mz
Before Photograph - Reference F3930 2014
After Photograph - Reference F3930 2016
Before Photograph - Reference F3930 2014
During Photograph - Reference F3930 2015
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Polly Woodside was built in Belfast in 1885 by Workman Clark & Co Ltd for William J Woodside, and operated as a cargo vessel, initially carrying coal, nitrate and wheat between England and South America, and also visiting North America, Africa and Australia (Newcastle, N S W). In 1904 the ship was sold to a New Zealand company and renamed Rona (a Maori name) and until 1921 sailed mainly between various ports in Australia and New Zealand. In 1923 it was dismantled to become a coal hulk, and towed to Melbourne. The ship was temporarily requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War, and used in New Guinea as a refuelling barge for navy ships, then returned to being a coal hulk in Melbourne. In 1968 the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) purchased the ship for one cent. It underwent extensive restoration, most of which was done by volunteers, and in 1978 was opened to the public, moored permanently at the 1875 Duke's & Orr's Dry Dock at Southbank. In 1988 the Polly Woodside was awarded the World Ship Trust Medal for supreme achievement in the preservation of maritime heritage.

The Polly Woodside is a three-masted iron barque with a clipper bow and rounded counter-stern. The hull is of riveted wrought iron, with clinker built (raised and sunken) plates. The three lower masts are of steel, the topmasts, topgallants and royals are of wood. The ship's registered gross tonnage was 678 tons. The hull length is 59 m (192 ft), overall length is 70 m (230 ft), beam 9 m (30 ft) and draft laden 4 m (14 ft). The main mast is 37.2 m high. The estimated area of sail when all sails are set is 1110 sq metres (12,000 sq ft). The ship has been restored, but is not currently in sailing condition.

How is it significant?
The Polly Woodside is of historical, scientific (technological) and social significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
The Polly Woodside is of scientific (technological) significance as a rare surviving example, and one of the best examples in the world, of a nineteenth century barque rigged, iron-hulled, ocean-going trading ship.

The Polly Woodside is of historical significance for being representative of the type of ship that that serviced Victoria through the intercolonial and international trade in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. These ships were once very common as the kind of vessels which carried most of the world's bulk cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. As they became obsolete to steamships their numbers diminished and the Polly Woodside is now only one of less than ten known surviving examples world wide.

The Polly Woodside is of historical significance for its long association with the Port of Melbourne, first as a trading ship, then as a coal hulk and lately as part of Melbourne Maritime Museum.

The Polly Woodside is of historical and social significance for its links to Victoria's maritime history. The Polly Woodside is representative of the many thousands of ships that linked Victoria with the rest of the world through trade and immigration throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The Polly Woodside is of social significance for the public support it received for its preservation and conservation , for its contribution to the development of historical maritime skills, and as a popular tourist destination since 1978.

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    • History

      POLLY WOODSIDE - History

      1885 - Built in Belfast

      1885 -1904 - The ship made seventeen trips to all parts of the world, including South and North America, Africa and Australia, and rounded the Horn sixteen times.

      Used as a bulk carrier. Fist voyage one month after launch put into South American trade with a crew of fifteen, taking coal from the great coal-fields of Wales around Cape Horn to Chile and returning a year later via Uruguay carrying nitrate for use in the chemical industry and as fertilizer

      1904 - Sailed from New Zealand to Glasgow with a cargo of wheat. In Glasgow she was bought by New Zealand owners and was renamed the Rona.

      1905-1916 - Used out of New Zealand as a Pacific trader sailing within New Zealand waters and to Australia, chiefly to Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and ports in southern Tasmania, carrying mainly timber, coal, manure, grain, cement and sand.

      1916-1922 - Heavy shipping losses in World War I then led to Rona being used in the New Zealand to California trade until 1920, mainly carrying copra and coal to the USA and case oil/benzene home. The ship remained under various New Zealand owners from 1904 until 1922.

      1922 - Sold to Adelaide Steamship Company for conversion into a coal lighter.

      1923 - Dismantled in Sydney. The masts were truncated, and the rigging and bowsprit removed.

      1925 - Towed to Melbourne in March

      1925 - 1943 - Used as a lighter on the Yarra

      1943 - 1946 - Towed to New Guinea and used by the Royal Australian Navy as a refuelling barge for naval Ships.

      1946 - Returned to Melbourne

      1946 - 1968 - Used as a coal hulk supplying engined ships.

      1968 - Sold to the National Trust for one cent to restored under original name Polly Woodside.

      1972 - 1978 - Underwent restoration.

      1978 - The Victorian Government allocated the Duke's & Orr's Dry Dock, as a permanent home for the ship.

      March: Governor General opens the ship and the Maritime Museum to the public.

      1988 - The World Ship Trust, an international body based in London, awarded their Medal for supreme achievement in the preservation of Maritime Heritage to Polly Woodside, the first merchant ship in the world to be awarded the prestigious award

      Ships like the Poly Woodside were the prime movers of the 19th C. They were perhaps the most common form of shipping due to their size speed and efficiency to sail. They could carry large bulk cargoes with minimum crews and up until the beginning of the 20th C. were faster and cheaper to run than comparable steam ships.

      However as steam shipping technology improved the demand for barques such as the poly declined and the ships were discarded in favour of steamers or larger sailing ships. Of the 1000s of sailing cargo ships of the 19th C. it is estimated that the number remaining is now around ten. As the ships became redundant they were turn into hulks and lighters like the Polly or were scuttled or used to from reefs or sold to ship wreckers or just left to deteriorate.

      Most of the sailing ships that survive were built in the 20th C. and are usually larger than ships such as the Polly and often carry more masts. Many of these ships are four masted barques. These ships represent later developments in shipping and unlike the Polly do no represent shipping and trade from the 19th C.

      Plaque Citation

      POLLY WOODSIDE - Plaque Citation

      Built in Belfast in 1885, the barque Polly Woodside is a rare surviving example of the type of ship that serviced Victoria through intercolonial and international trade in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

      Permit Exemptions

      POLLY WOODSIDE - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan endorsed by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it. Note: The existence of a Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan endorsed by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable.

      Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A person proposing to undertake minor works may submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be contacted.

      * All maintenance works that are directly related to the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) management of the Polly Woodside as a museum exhibit as part of the Melbourne Maritime Museum are permit exempt.

      * Temporary relocation of the Polly Woodside for maintenance of the ship or the Duke & Orrs Dry Dock is permit exempt.

      * Temporary relocation of the Polly Woodside for exhibition purposes is permit exempt.

      Description of otherwork/activity exempted from requiring a permit:

      "Like for like" replacement or refurbishment of the timber upper and topgallant masts, timber yards, timber blocks and mizzen gaff.

      "Like for like" replacement of canvas hatch covers and deckhouse roof canvas.

      Replacement of unserviceable ratlines, and rigging ropes with reproduction materials.

      Improvements to the electrical and lighting systems using new but sympathetic materials.

      Replacement of sacrificial anodes.

      Inspection of rigging and fittings by climbing.

      Caulking of decks using oakum and pitch.

      Refurbishment of the pin rail.

      Repair of deck using similar materials.

      Permit Exemption Policy

      POLLY WOODSIDE - Permit Exemption Policy

      The purpose of a Permit Exemption is to allow works that will not impact on the significance of the heritage place to occur without the need for a permit. Works other than those mentioned in the permit exemptions may be possible but will require permit approval or the written approval of the Executive Director.

      The purpose of the Permit Policy is as a guide only in assisting when considering, or making decisions regarding, works to the place.

      It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage Victoria before they are undertaken or a permit is applied for.

      The Polly Woodside is significant as one of very few remaining examples of a once common from of vessel that operated in the latter half of the nineteenth. Although the ship has been significantly restored much of the ship's original fabric is extant, particularly in the hull and below the deck. The restoration has been particularly thorough and although not original, the restored elements provide a clear understanding of the ship as she was during the latter part of the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries. While it is reasonable to expect that ongoing maintenance of the fabric will be required, any works that would affect the fabric of the hull should be avoided, as should any works that would alter the understanding of the restored elements of the ship.

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