# searching for HMS Virago 1800s



## spyda57 (Dec 14, 2011)

doing history seasrch on HMS virago sailed Australia 1860? 
With Royal Marines onboard to Sydney
any info on her or other HMS ships to aust 1800's 
Crew, passenger List, photos what ever would be great 
thanks spyda57


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## murrayis (Aug 20, 2010)

HMS Virago 
1st class paddle sloop , Launched 25 July 1842 Hull Wooden , Builders measure 1059 tons , Displacement 1669 tons Guns 6 , 1876 scrapped at Chatham Dockyard
25 May 1843 - 18 May 1846 Commanded by Commander George Graham Otway, Mediterranean 
20 May 1846 - 16 November 1847 Commanded (until paying off at Woolwich) by Commander John Lunn, Mediterranean 
5 August 1851 - 1853 Commanded by Commander William Houston Stewart, Pacific (recapturing the Chilean colony of Punta Arenas in the Strait of Magellan from revolutionaries) 
5 April 1853 Commanded by Commander Edward Marshall, Pacific (including 1854 Anglo-French squadron during the Russian War) 
(1854) Commanded by Commander James Charles Prevost, on the west coast of Canada. Gold discoveries in the Queen Charlotte Islands led Prevost to produce surveys of harbours in the Islands, adjacent coastal channels, and the Port Simpson area 
6 May 1856 Commanded by Commander Henry Vachell Haggard, south-east coast of America 
15 March 1858 Commanded by Commander Montagu Buccleuch Dunn, Devonport 
31 July 1861 - January 1865 Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness) by Commander William George Hope Johnstone, Channel squadron, then (August 1863) West Indies 
25 August 1869 Commanded by Commander Elibank Harley Murray, Australia. She undertook survey work of the Great Barrier Reef, the Queensland coast, Norfolk Island and the coast of New Zealand


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## spyda57 (Dec 14, 2011)

thanks for that it great info , would you be able to help with info on any2nd/14th Royal Marines Light Infantry Regiments travels on the ship to aust or any thing on the R M,S would be helpful 
thanks Spyda57


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## spyda57 (Dec 14, 2011)

any one have anything on Ships The Salamanda , The Robert Rowe , 
The Fiery Star, al came to Australia in 1860 -1870 betweeen dates 
any Crew, passenger List, photos what ever would be great 
thanks spyda57


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## murrayis (Aug 20, 2010)

Some info on the Salamanda with a picture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Salamander_(1832)
http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8668


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## nfcowling (Feb 2, 2012)

Hms Virago is shown in D K Brown's book Paddle Warships by Conway, plus several photos available from Australian War Memorial site (includes one above).
Her voyage to the Pacific 1851-55 is covered in the book, HMS Virago in the Pacific by G P V Akrigg, available online from second hand book sellers.
Crewman nos 49, John Collum, born Tavistock 1827, was my gt gt Grandfather.
He was a boatman on the ill fated Darian gap expedition.
Her figure head is preserved in the Auckland Maritime Museum.
Her engines were featured in the Mechanics Magazine @1841, this was found on Google Books.


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