A Humble but Historic Craft: The Long, Strange Journey of Spitfire, Australia’s First Homegrown Warship

Colonial New South Wales had long relied on Britain for its defence, but in the mid19th century, the spectre of foreign invasion prompted the construction of local defence vessels, of which Spitfire was the first. A humble craft by naval standards of the day, Spitfire would serve in a military capacity for only two years. The quality of the vessel’s design and construction, however, ensured its survival and continued use for nearly half a century, during which it contributed to the maritime development of colonial Queensland. Dr James Hunter traces its history.