The nine ships employed by the South Australian Company to carry its staff and the first European settlers for the establishment of the City of Adelaide. It is difficult, if not impossible to arrive at a definitive list, as extant primary evidence is limited, due to poor record keeping and management, and a series of misfortunes resulting in the loss of records. Readers are advised to be cautious in accepting the names on this page as factual.
"I notice that Sir George Kingston gives the date of the arrival of the Duke of York at Nepean Bay as July 28, but Robert Russell, the second mate, is positive that it was the 27th, and they are also at variance as to date of the arrival of the Lady Mary Pelham, Russell making it only a day after the Duke of York, which is probably correct, as the two vessels spoke each other on the voyage out, and the Lady Mary was in close company with the Duke."