Figurehead of Samuel Plimsoll

Illustrations, ancient and modern, and archaeological materials, clearly indicate that traditions of decorating sea-going vessels go right back to the dawn of time and have been maintained up to the present day. The progression from eyes painted on the bows of ships in Greek and Roman times, to the dragon’s head on the prows of Viking ‘knaars’, to the gorgeous, gilded carvings on VOC ‘retourships’, highlight that a tradition became an industry.  The figurehead of the full-rigged ship Samuel Plimsoll is a perfect example of the artwork which was produced by professional wood carvers to decorate the bows of ships, both under sail and in steam, in the 19th century.

The first thing to note is that the figurehead is not made from a single piece of wood. It is actually made from at least four pieces comprising the two wings (through which fittings were placed to enable the whole thing to be bolted to the hull), body and head. Built in 1873, Samuel Plimsoll served in the immigrant, wool and wheat trades. It caught fire in the Thames in 1899 and had to be scuttled but was subsequently raised and repaired. In 1902 Samuel Plimsoll was badly dismasted on passage to Port Chalmers, New Zealand, and was declared not worth repairing. First towed to Sydney, then Fremantle, where its figurehead was crudely sawn off, it ended its days as a coal hulk. The Samuel Plimsoll wreck lies on Beagle Rock, off South Mole.

Samuel Plimsoll was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for campaigning for more safety at sea. He devised the Plimsoll line - a load line on a ship's hull indicating how low it may rest in the water without sinking. 

Ship's figurehead from the Samuel Plimsoll.
Credit: State Library of Queensland, 99183506371802061