The Polly Woodside is an iron-hulled, three-masted barque that was built by William J. Woodside. The Tall Ship was built in 1885 in Belfast, Ireland where it first set sail from the Workman Clark yards. Originally, Polly Woodside was a general cargo ship taking part in the nitrate trade between the Uk and South America. During World War II, she operated in New Guinea as a coal lighter until the war ended and was transported to Melbourne to continue her role as a coal hulk. Once Polly Woodside was handed over to Australia’s National Trust, she was ferried to Duke’s drydock where she remains as a museum. The museum was opened in 1978. The exhibit aboard the Tall Ship presents the importance of the ship as well as its effect on Australia and the world. Polly Woodside became the first merchant ship in the world to receive the World Ship Trust Medal in 1988. Exhibits range from Polly Woodside’s introduction in the coal industry to its role in World War II. Extraordinarily, the ship is widely known for travelling 1.5 million miles across the globe.
Categories