Name Ocean Chief (1) Operator Black Ball Line | Owner James Baines & Co. Completed 1853 | |
Route United Kingdom−Australia Builder Joshua C. Morton, Thomaston, Maine, USA | ||
The Ocean Chief, a clipper ship, used as a regular packet service and passenger ship for bounty emigrants to Australia between June 1854 and Dec. 1861 at the time of the gold rush.
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Original
The original Ocean Chief was built in Thomaston, Maine, USA by Joshua C. Morton (Born 1789) and his son Charles, one of two clippers that they built.
She was a fast and consistent sailer and made an average passage of 74 days.
The Black Ball Line (founded 1852 – ceased 1871) owners James Baines & Thomas MacKay, Liverpool purchased the vessel for a regular mail service between Liverpool and Melbourne. It also visited other ports including Hobart, Tasmania and New Zealand.
In 1862 the Ocean Chief arrived at Bluff Harbour under Captain T. Brown, with 4000 sheep. On the morning of 23 January 1862, the ship was burned by the crew believing that they could get rich on the nearby Otago Gold Rush.
Replacement
Another ship which was built 1853 by J. O. Curtis, Medford, Mass named Wild Ranger was purchased in 1862 as a replacement ship and renamed the Ocean Chief. This ship was slightly smaller being 930 tons. It was sold in 1866 sold to E. Angel, Liverpool. It went down in a large storm off Calcutta in 1872.