OCEAN CHIEF

OCEAN CHIEF WAS A VESSEL OF 1,026 TONS BUILT IN MAINE IN 1853 BY JOSHUA C MORTON

SHE WAS OWNED BY JAMES BAINES ( BLACK BALL LINE )

DURING THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSHES OCEAN CHIEF WAS USED REGULARLY FOR EMIGRANTS TO AUSTRALIA IN SEARCH OF RICHES BETWEEN JUNE 1854 AND DECEMBER 1861

ON 19TH FEBRUARY 1855 SHE LEFT MELBOURNE BOUND FOR HOBART

ON 3RD JUNE 1855 SHE LEFT SYDNEY BOUND FOR LIVERPOOL ARRIVING THERE ON 26TH AUGUST 1855 CARRYING MAIL

SHE LEFT LIVERPOOL WITH 220 PASSENGERS ONBOARD WITH CAPTAIN J TOBIN IN COMMAND ON 6TH NOVEMBER 1855 ARRIVING 26TH JANUARY 1856

 ( IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE SHIPS PURSER LOST THE ORIGINAL PASSENGER LIST AND HAD TO RE-WRITE IT FROM MEMORY )

SHE WAS CHARTERED BY THE WHITE STAR LINE IN 1856  ( THE ABOVE VOYAGE  IS PROBABLY THE WHITE STAR LINE CHARTERED VOYAGE THOU SHE COULD HAVE HAD TIME TO RETURN TO LIVERPOOL AND COME BACK OUT AGAIN )

IN 1862 SHE ARRIVED AT BLUFF WITH CAPTAIN T BROWN IN COMMAND CARRYING A CARGO OF 4000 SHEEP.SHE CAUGHT FIRE ON 23RD JANUARY 1862 ( WOULD SEEM
IT WAS ARSON BY THE SHIPS CREW WHO THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD THEN GO AND GET RICH IN THE OTAGO GOLDRUSH )

THE ABOVE IMAGE SHOWS HER FLYING THE BLACKBALL LINE HOUSE FLAG

WILD RANGER / OCEAN CHIEF


WILD RANGER / OCEAN CHIEF A VESSEL OF 930 TONS BUILT BY J O CURTIS OF MEDFORD IN 1853.

IN 1862 SHE WAS PURCHASED BY JAMES BAINES BLACKBALL LINE AND RENAMED OCEAN CHIEF

SHE LEFT PLYMOUTH ON 4TH JANUARY 1864 ARRIVING AT PORT ADELAIDE ON 7TH APRIL 1864 WITH CAPTAIN SAMUEL DUDER IN COMMAND

IN 1872 SHE SANK OFF CALCUTTA

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS VESSEL WAS EVER CHARTERED BY THE WHITE STAR LINE