Lady Chelmsford was a Wooden screw steamer built by Rock Davis in Blackwall, New South Wales. First launched in 1910 she had a gross weight of 98 tons, and was 110 feet long.
The boat was one of the last surviving Lady class ferries in substantially original condition. The Lady Scott is virtually unrecognisable and the other member of the class, Lady Denman, survives as an out-of-water static display.
She is a near sister to Lady Denman, Lady Edeline, Lady Scott and Lady Ferguson. She was the most recognisable of the Ladies as she had a much skinnier smokestack than the others.
She survived the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and was modernised with a diesel engine in 1933 which was replaced in 1957.
Lady Chelmsford continued working the harbour until 1971 when she was sold to Adelaide. She was modified in Adelaide by the removal of her aft bridgehouse. After remaining there for a few years she was again sold, this time to Melbourne. In 2002 see was cited in a Marine Safety Victoria collision report for making contact with the Rob Roy during docking. In Melbourne she operated as a cruising restaurant, being taken out of service and sold in 2005. At that time she was also out of survey and unable to operate in a mobile role. More recently in 2007, she was sold again to her first Melbourne owners and returned to a static dining experience. In the first half of 2007 she came close to sinking at her moorings, and in February 2008, slipped beneath the waves.
Updated from - http://www.ferriesofsydney.com/ladychelmsford.html
Is this the end for the Lady Chelmsford Afloat Magazine, July 2008
Historic ferry sinks at Docklands The Age 19 Feb 2008
Old ferry sinks in Melbourne harbour Sydney Morning Herald 19 Feb 2008
Lady Chelmsford Goes Down at the Wooden Boat Forum
Lady Chelmsford takes final plunge Herald Sun, 19 Feb 2008
Historic former Sydney ferry sinks at Docklands Herald Sun, 19 Feb 2008
Can You Spot The Difference...??? 'Craig' - Radio Forums, 19 Feb 2008
"Everyone at Docklands loved that old boat... It had a really nice sounding steam horn. Not sure if after they fish it out they can restore it or not. It was used as a party boat. This boat is one of only two of it's type left...it was 98 years old and a converted steam paddle ship originally from Sydney Harbour in
the early 1900's."
theblindfrog at RedBubble
"Unfortunately this historic ferry sunk while moored in dockland Melbourne, Australia. A wooden board, breaking under pressure is believed to be the root cause for the sinking
My uncles’ brother owns the boat, and this is one of the few things that floated to
the surface. I’d sat on that seat all the way up and down the Yarra,
and it is quite sad that I will not get to do so again."
Other References
Preserved & Historic Ships at the Oceania Shipping Forum
Collision with the Rob Roy in 2002 Marine Safety Victoria, 2002
Trams Down Under - mailing list