HMS Opal (Ship : 1875-1892)

Date: ca1889-1890s

By: Main, William, 1934-2023; Wright, Henry Charles Clarke, 1844-1936

Reference: PAColl-1871

Description: Quantity: 9 b&w original photographic print(s) in one envelope.

Date: 1887-1891

Reference: PA1-q-610

Description: There are three main themes in this album. 1. The Royal Navy, Australian Squadron, based at Sydney. Pictures of naval cadets and war ships, some of which are in dry dock. The creator of the album, or a relative, seems to have been associated with HMS Orlando. Many photos of this ship appear in the album. The Orlando served as the flagship of the Australian Squadron from July 1888 to December 1897. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on 11th Feb 1889 that HMS Orlando and Dart were docked in Calliope Dock, Auckland, because Sydney facilities could not undertake the work. There are a number of Photographs of HMS Orlando in dock at Auckland in this album. Thus the photos of officers and naval cadets may also have associations with the Orlando. There are also 3 photos of a gun accident which occurred on the HMS Cordelia of the Australian Squadron. This happened on the 26 June 1891 while the Cordelia was on a cruize from Fiji to Noumea. During Gun Practice a gun burst killing 6 ratings and wounding 13 others. The photos show the broken gun casing littering the deck. 2. Of the New Zealand section much of it concentrates on the town of Lawrence. Many of the captions and photographs relate to the Anglican parsonage at Lawrence. This suggests the possibility of the album belonging to the Vicar or a member of his family. If this were the case, and given the period of the late 1880s-early 1890s, it may be associated with the Rev George Pice Beaumont vicar and archdeacon from 1872 to 1900. On the other hand the name of Beaumont does not appear anywhere in the album. 3. Samoan civil wars of the late 1880s and the hurricane of 1889 Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s).

Date: January 1889

From: Wright, Henry Charles Clarke, 1844-1936 :Negatives

By: Wright, Henry Charles Clarke, 1844-1936

Reference: 1/1-020418-G

Description: Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s).

Date: [ca 1880s]

By: Easter, Theophilus, 1832-1913

Reference: PAColl-8511

Description: Photographs of Akaroa, looking towards the harbour, and Lyttelton, including a photograph of HMS Opal in Lyttelton Harbour, taken ca 1880s. Two of the photographs were taken by Theophilus Easter. Source of title - Title supplied by Library Quantity: 5 b&w original photographic print(s) mounted on 3 album pages. Provenance: Purchased at auction, 2005

Date: 1784-1962

From: Australian Joint Copying Project : Miscellaneous Series microfilm

Reference: Micro-MS-Coll-20-2637

Description: Quantity: 1 microfilm reel(s).

Date: 1883 - 1892

By: Walsh, Philip, 1843-1914

Reference: E-369

Description: Scenes of Port Said and Suez, and New Zealand including: Paihia, Kerikeri (including Kemp's house), "Swallow" and "Triton" in Bay of Islands, Great Barrier Island, Rawene, New Plymouth, Wellington harbour, Preservation Inlet, and Roman Catholic Church, Lyttelton. Supplied title. Sandys visited New Zealand in 1888. Inscriptions: Album page - Edwin Sandys Esqr H.M.S. Opal Quantity: 1 sketchbook(s). Physical Description: 75 art originals; pencil on paper 110 x 180 mm, in album, navy morocco. Provenance: Purchased from Walsh's family.

Date: 1889

By: Brown, Thomas and Company; Blundell Brothers Ltd

Reference: C-059-014

Description: Ships in Wellington Harbour. Identifies Raven, Calliope, Orlando, Lizard, Rapid, Opal. Inscriptions: On image: Evening Post, Wellington Quantity: 1 b&w art print(s). Physical Description: Lithograph, 163 x 535 mm on sheet 260 x 640 mm Transfers: To Other - Transferred from: Pam 1889 BLU (acc.61,654).

Date: 1889

By: Edwin, Robert Atherton, 1839-1911; Gorton, Millicent, 1877-1966

Reference: C-059-001

Description: View from the waterfront at Wellington looking towards the Hutt Valley. two small boats in the foreground, a floating barrel, and the six Australian ships in the middle distance. The ships are identified as Calliope, Raven, Orlando, Rapid, Lizard and Opal The artist was a commander in the Royal Navy who came to New Zealand, joining the public service in 1871, He became the first Director of the Meteorological Service in 1900. Quantity: 1 watercolour(s). Physical Description: Watercolour 508 x 749 mm

Date: 1888

From: Ryan, Thomas, 1864-1927 :[Whangarei and Waiwera sketchbook. 1886-1888].

Reference: E-598-010

Description: Shows five sailing ships with yellow funnels, at anchor, with the shore in the distance. The date is likely to be around 16 February 1888 when the Calliope Dock was opened (See the following picture in the sketchbook). The HMS Nelson and the four other ships are all listed in the "New Zealand herald" of 17 February 1888, as lying "in stream" at Auckland. Extended Title - from his Whangarei and Waiwera sketchbook, 1886-1888, page 10. Quantity: 1 watercolour(s). Physical Description: Watercolour on sketchbook page 145 x 223 mm. Provenance: Purchased in 2002.

Date: 1889

From: De Maus, David Alexander, 1847-1925 :Shipping negatives

Reference: 1/1-003368-G

Description: HMS Opal, photographed in Port Chalmers harbour by David Alexander De Maus. Inscriptions: Photographer's title on negative - bottom centre - H.M.S. Opal Third class cruiser which came to New Zealand as one of a fleet of six vessels of the Australian Squadron of the Royal Navy. They visited New Zealand to take part in the opening of the Calliope Dock in Auckland. Commanded by Captain DH Bosanquet. See "New Zealand's naval history" by TD Taylor. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Dry plate glass negative 6.5 x 8.5 inches

Date: 1889

By: Aubrey, Christopher, active 1868-1906

Reference: C-030-025

Description: Shows Australian squadron (Orlando, Calliope, Opal, Raven, Lizard & Rapid) in Wellington harbour, Jan. 1889 View includes The Terrace on the left, Te Aro Street in the foreground, Willis Street with St John's and St Peter's spires. The gasworks are also prominent on the shore, towards Oriental Bay on the right. The view is very similar to the central part of the work at D-032-002, and the scale of the drawing is very similar. Like D-032-002, "Wellington from Brooklyn", but unlike most other Aubrey works held by the Library, this work uses some gum arabic in the foreground. Reproduced 1979 as one of ATL Endowment Trust prints Inscriptions: Recto - bottom right - C Aubrey 1889 Quantity: 1 watercolour(s). Physical Description: Watercolour and gum arabic, 330 x 510 mm

Date: 1888

By: Sandys, Edward Roper Stapleton, 1845-

Reference: C-075-003

Description: A rowboat, probably with crew members from H. M. S. Opal, moored alongside a rock. The water, bush-clad cliffs and mountains of George Sound are behind the group. The waterfall mentioned in the title is visible only as mist on the far left of the view Inscriptions: bottom left - Signed: E. Sandys; Verso - "George Sound, at the foot of the waterfall" Quantity: 1 drawing(s). Physical Description: Charcoal sketch, 470 x 515 mm on sheet 500 x 650 mm