The Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Ltd (CSCOAL) is a volunteer run, not for profit organisation, dedicated to preserving the historic 1864 City of Adelaide, the world’s oldest clipper ship, and making it the centre-piece of a seaport village in Port Adelaide’s inner harbour.
The Clipper Ship City of Adelaide was built in Sunderland, England, by William Pile, Hay and Co. and launched on 7 May 1864. She was built for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia. Of composite construction (iron frame with timber hull) it was the pinnacle of sailing ship design. She is the older of only two surviving composite clipper ships.
Between 1864 and 1887 the ship made 23 annual return voyages from London and Plymouth to Adelaide, South Australia. During this period she played an important part in the immigration of Australia. An estimated 250,000 Australians can trace their ancestry to the City of Adelaide.
On the return voyages she carried passengers, wool, and copper from Adelaide and Port Augusta to London. Among the fastest clippers on the London—Adelaide run, the City of Adelaide shares the record of 65 days with Yatala, which was later broken only by the Torrens.
Arrived in Port Adelaide in 2014 after Peter Christopher and a group of maritime enthusiasts spent fourteen years fighting to bring the clipper to South Australia from its dock in Scotland where it was going to be destroyed.
The City of Adelaide is currently berthed in Dock 2, Honey St, Port Adelaide.
A maritime precinct has been proposed for Dock 2 at Port Adelaide as part of the State Government’s plans to preserve and promote the district’s unique maritime heritage. It is planned that the City of Adelaide will be its centrepiece, offering the perfect interactive environment for visitors to learn about Australian maritime and colonial history.