The ''Enterprize'' is a replica

topsail schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

built in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. It is currently operated by a not-for-profit group for the purpose of providing the people of Melbourne with a means of experiencing nineteenth century sailing and the city's history.

Building the replica

Planning of a replica began in 1989 and construction commenced in 1991, with the

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

laid at the Melbourne Maritime Museum. It was completed at the Old Ports and Harbour Yard in

Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Williamstown recorded a population of 14,407 at the 2021 census. ...

, and was officially launched by Felicity Kennett, the wife of the

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government in the Australian state of Victoria. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assemb ...

, Jeff Kennett, on the 162nd Melbourne Day in 1997. The replica took six years to build, as it was constructed using traditional 19th century methods. It was made using Australian-grown timber, much of which was recycled, including varieties of wood such as

jarrah ''Eucalyptus marginata'', commonly known as jarrah, djarraly in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with rou ...

Huon pine ''Lagarostrobos franklinii'' is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine (Pinace ...

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

celerytop pine ''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'', commonly known as the celerytop pine, is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands. Its ‘leaves’ appear similar ...

and

ironbark Ironbark is a common name of a number of species in three taxonomic groups within the genus ''Eucalyptus'' that have dark, deeply furrowed bark. Instead of being shed annually as in many of the other species of ''Eucalyptus'', the dead bark accum ...

. The ship's two masts are local California redwood. Its sails are traditional hand-sewn flax, and its rigging is traditional tarred hemp. The replica was launched on 30 August 1997 at Hobson's Bay for a total cost of $2.5 million. The ''Enterprize'' was the first

square-rigged Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called ''yards'' and ...

commercial sailing ship to be built in Melbourne in 120 years.

The original ''Enterprize''

The original schooner was built in Hobart in 1829 by William Pender. It was used as a cargo vessel till 1835, after which it was purchased by

John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner (20 October 1792 – 4 September 1869) was an early Australian pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Australia. In 1835 he financed a party of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (now called Tasmania), to sail ...

to carry a settlement party to the future site of Melbourne. It was captained by Peter Hunter. After the settlement, the ship was then used as a trading vessel till 1847, when it was wrecked on the shoal of the

Richmond River The Richmond River is a river situated in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features The river rises at the northern end of the Richmond Range, near its junction with the McPherson Range, on the Queensl ...

in northern New South Wales.

Current activity

The replica ''Enterprize'' operates both short and long sails for the public, and for school and private groups. Her most common sails have been one hour daytime sails, 1.5 hour evening sails, one day school excursions, and evening and overnight voyages between Docklands and Geelong, Portarlington, and Mornington. It has also offered 4–5 day school voyages, 6–8 day public voyages, one day private charters, and overnight private charters.

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite web , title=About Enterprize , publisher=Enterprize Ship Trust , url=http://www.enterprize.org.au/#!aboutenterprize/c20r9 , accessdate=2015-09-18 {{cite web , title=Enterprize Sailing Calendar , publisher=Enterprize Ship Trust , url=http://www.enterprize.org.au/#!calendar/cc0u , accessdate=2015-09-18 {{cite book , last=Coombes , first=John L. , title=Tall Ships: The Sixteen Square Riggers of Australia and New Zealand , url={{Google Books, lKr0c9l1XhYC, plainurl=y , year=2006 , location=Wollombi, New South Wales , publisher=Exisle Publishing , isbn=978-0-908988-84-6

External links

''Enterprize'' – Melbourne's Tall Ship
website Replica ships