Woman who sailed with famous Sunderland-built ship the City of Adelaide on her last journey to Australia to give insight into history

The City of Adelaide, a forerunner to her more famous relative the Cutty Sark, was built in Sunderland in 1864 to her namesake city in South Australia.

The Adelaide was built by Pile, Hay and Co.to transport passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.

After a variety of adventures and mishaps, the ship ended up in the ownership of the Scottish Maritime Museum, which had plans to restore the vessel until funding ran dry.

There was a fierce campaign to return the Adelaide to Sunderland and make her a visitor attraction and tribute to Wearside’s shipbuilding history.

But a rival bid from Down Under won out, and the ship was transported to her namesake city in Australia, arriving in 2014.

Wranglings did not end there, however, but the ship was finally moved to a permanent home in Port Adeliade this summer.

Author Rita Bradd was aboard the transport ship when the Adelaide was taken to Australia from Scotland, and is now giving a talk in Sunderland on her experiences.

“I travelled with Sunderland-built 1864 clipper ship City of Adelaide on a heavy lift cargo vessel from Rotterdam to Adelaide over the winter of 2013/14, a voyage of 10 weeks with a crew of 15 Ukrainians and two Russians,” she said

“It took 10 weeks and 14,000 miles during which we touched 4 Continents.

“I have followed the fate of the ship since 1999 and have been back to Adelaide several times including in June this year when I saw the ship settled on land at last, after her floating on a barge since her first arrival in February 2014.”

Rita’s talk takes place on Saturday, September 28, from 2pm at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

“My book 'Clipper Ship "City of Adelaide" Beneath The Southern Cross' will be on sale which I will be delighted to sign,” she said.