The Wanderer Replica Project has entered a new phase with official approval of its registration by the Department of Fair Trading as a non-profit incorporated association, and the election of a new Executive Committee.

During its first year, the project was under the guidance of a community support organization, Resilience, now disbanded. Now, with the approval of the new legal entity – Wanderer Replica Project – Eden, Inc. – the long-held dream of building a full scale replica of Ben Boyd’s luxury topsail schooner moves a step closer to reality.

Built at Cowes in 1837, Ben Boyd’s original Wanderer was a 140-tonne topsail schooner, approximately 90 feet overall, 14ft draft, flush decks, 13 guns, with a luxury fitout and a very fast sailer.

The new President of the newly incorporated Wanderer Project committee is Morrie Lynch, the well-known Eden shipwright. Morrie will also take charge of the construction phase of the Wanderer replica on a special site at Boydtown, Twofold Bay.

During its first year of meetings so far, the Wanderer replica project group has achieved a great deal. The proprietor of Boydtown, Mr Bruce Lyon, has provided excellent support in the form of a construction site lease near the Princes Highway entrance to Boydtown. Bega Valley Shire has also approved a development application with plans for the Boydtown construction site. The lease and the DA are being amended to reflect the new incorporated status of the project group.

As well, the project group commissioned a naval architect in England to visit Ben Boyd’s descendant, Lord Boyd, at Ince Castle early in 2014 to take professional measurements from the original shipwright’s model of the Wanderer.

These are now being worked on in Sydney by Peter Lowe Design Pty. Ltd, naval architects who worked with the legendary America’s Cup designer, the late Ben Lexcen. In co-operation with Morrie Lynch, this process will produce concept plans for the Wanderer replica, followed by detailed drawings for submission to the maritime regulator.

Mr Lynch emphasised that the Wanderer Replica Project aims to provide employment, education/training and tourism opportunities throughout the build process as well as when she is a sailing concern.

The construction phase will include the participation of local shipbuilding apprentices and provide facilities for visual inspection by school and tourist groups as the hull takes shape at Boydtown.

Fundraising for the replica project began in 2013 with the “Purchase a Plank” program offering interested supporters a specified plank of the replica for $50 each. The Wanderer group will now look to initiate the larger fundraising program needed to fund the start-up of the construction site at Boydtown.

Apart from Morrie Lynch as President, the newly elected Executive Committee for the Wanderer Replica Project includes: Vice-President, Allan Drummond (Wallagoot); Treasurer, Jim Morris (Eden); Secretary Clare Whiter (Eden) and Committee Members: Jon Gaul (Tura); John Seckhold (Tathra); Ian Whiter (Eden) and Dave Brown (Merimbula).

Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Wanderer Replica Project is welcome aboard. Please contact Clare Whiter at the Eden Community Access Centre on 6496 3970 or at accesscentre@eden.nsw.au

BACKGROUND ON BEN BOYD IN AUSTRALIA

The Scottish entrepreneur, Benjamin Boyd, arrived in Sydney harbour in his luxury topsail schooner, Wanderer, in 1843. Crowds lined the Sydney foreshore to applaud his arrival. Boyd soon proposed to base his Steamship Company at Twofold Bay, Eden.

As well as extensive holdings the Government town of Eden, Boyd purchased a large section of land in the southern part of Twofold Bay where he began to build Boydtown and East Boyd in 1843, commencing with the “Seahorse Inn”, now restored as a boutique hotel, and later that year the area’s first Post Office. Boyd also commissioned the building of Boyd’s Tower from Pyrmont sandstone blocks shipped from Sydney as an unofficial lighthouse and whale spotting structure on the south headland of Twofold Bay.

In a census of 1849 only 49 people were listed as living in Eden town, whereas over 200 resided in Boydtown. Boyd himself spent little time in Twofold Bay preferring to operate from his property in Neutral Bay, Sydney.

Benjamin Boyd is a colourful and controversial figure in Australian history. He soon became one of the largest landholders in Australia with over two million acres in the Monaro, Gippsland, along the Murray and other parts of the colony. As well as interests in whaling, shipping, export, banking and finance he was also elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly.

He instigated many grandiose schemes but his financial empire was plagued by shipping losses, labour disputes and financial mismanagement until he was ultimately declared bankrupt in 1848 and departed in the Wanderer in 1849 for an unsuccessful bid to revive his fortunes on the Californian goldfields.

Boyd disappeared presumed dead in the Solomon Islands in 1851 after leaving the ship to hunt ducks ashore. His body was never recovered despite searches initiated by his creditors. Caught in a major storm, Wanderer was wrecked on the NSW coast near Port Macquarie a few months later, her timbers salvaged over the years to form parts of smaller vessels.

By this time, Boydtown had become a virtual ghost town, with its church roofed but otherwise unfinished as it remains today.

For further information contact Jon Gaul at  jon.gaul@bigpond.com or visit www.benboydswanderer.com.au