James Craig, Barque, Sydney
The James Craig is a three-masted square-rigged, iron hulled [75% steel after restoration] sailing ship of riveted construction. She was constructed at Sunderland England for Thomas Dunlop, a merchant and ship owner of Glasgow, and launched in February 1874 as the Clan Macleod.
Over the 43 years she plied the trade routes of the world carrying general cargo; she rounded Cape Horn 23 times, completed the round trip across the Tasman Sea 35 times and traversed Bass Straight many more times.
In August 1899 she was sold to Joseph James Craig a New Zealand shipowner and over the next 11 years, she plied across the Tasman Sea no less than 35 times, typically with coal from Newcastle and bringing timber back from New Zealand. In December1905 she was re-named James Craig, after the owner’s son.
In 1921 following an inspection by a Lloyds surveyor in Melbourne, the James Craig was condemned and she was taken to Hobart. Subsequently she became a hulk, was abandoned in Coal Pit Bay, Tasmania, and vandalised.
Then in the early 1970s she was rescued by a resourceful and determined salvage crew from the Sydney Heritage Fleet, and made seaworthy for a tow to Sydney, where she arrived in January 1981. Over the next 19 years she was painstakingly restored, and commenced sailing trials in 2000; she now carries tourists on cruises off-shore and attends special events.
The James Craig is now the only 19th century vessel of its type in survey left in the southern hemisphere and is one of only four operational 19th century barques left in the world.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | National Engineering Landmark (NEL) |
| Award Date | May 2018 |
| Heritage Significance | The James Craig is now the only 19th century vessel of its type in survey left in the southern hemisphere and is one of only four operational 19th century barques left in the world. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet | Not Available. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel | None Installed. |
