Picture sought of noted Norfolk ship

THE Norfolk Island Administration, which is featuring ships associated with Norfolk Island on its new definitive issue of postage stamps, has so far been unable to locate a picture of the most notable ship of all— —the “Morayshire”, which brought the Pitcairners to Norfolk Island in 1856. The Pitcairners were the pioneers of the present Norfolk settle ment. The “Morayshire", built of wood at Moulmein, Burma, in 1853 for D. Dunbar, of London, was chartered in Sydney for the Pitcairn- Norfolk job. Burns Philp’s senior skipper, Captain Brett Hilder, made an extensive search for a picture of the ship in 1956 so that he could design a postage stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Pitcairners’ arrival at Norfolk. However, he was unable to find one and he finished up using a picture of another Moulmein-built Dunbar ship, as the model for his stamp design. The design (which is reproduced above ) was not accepted, and the stamps that were issued for the centenary showed the Norfolk Island Seal and two Pitcairners landing. Captain Hilder’s design shows the “Morayshire ” (right) and HMS “Herald ” anchored off Kingston pier, with some of the Pitcairners coming ashore in boats.

The “Herald’, under Captain H. M. Denham, happened to be surveying at Norfolk Island at the time. Captain Denham stood on the pier to welcome the newcomers, despite rain which fell occasionally during the landing.