Rosebud

Rosebud. . The schooner “Rosebud" from which the town Rosebud gets its name was blown ashore on this site on 2nd June, 1855. Press reports of weather conditions on this date indicate strong westerly gales, with several boats in distress on Port Phillip Bay., The "Rosebud" was built in Whitby in Yorkshire, England, in 1841 by boat builder Harry Barrick, and registered in the port of London in June 1842., Technical Details. Two masted ship, square rigged forward and schooner rigged aft. One deck and a break, square stern, carvel built, with wooden frame and planking. It had a standing bowsprit with female bust and head., History. The original owner was John Clark of Hoxton, England. Registered in London on 17th June, 1844, No: 265., Records from the public records office in London show some interesting agreements and crew lists of voyages undertaken., (1) "Rosebud" - registered London No. 283, 3rd September, 1848. 139 tons. Agreement for a voyage to Port Adelaide and ports in Australia, South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Indian and China Seas and back to Australia., (2) “Rosebud" left London on 26th October,1849. Master Mark Todd aged 54, was born in Hartlepool. Agreement of voyage to Algoa Bay and thence to Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius and any ports in Australia or the Indian Ocean. , (3) "Rosebud" left London on the 12th October, 1850, for Genoa and other ports, and returned to Liverpool on 4th March, 1851. Crew lists show the "Rosebud" was usually manned by the Master, a mate, a carpenter, a cook/seamen, three able seamen and an apprentice., The "Rosebud'" was registered in Melbourne on 27th July, 1852, No: 22 under the names of three Melbourne shipping agents - Thomas Scott, Charles Hovell Turner and Sitwell Harris. Her masters were Joseph Ayers, Cyril Roy and Emmanuel Underwood., The final registration was at Melbourne on 13th June, 1854, No. 123., The last owner, Edward William Hobson was an early land holder on the Southern Peninsula from June 1837, before leaving to open grazing land around Traralgon in Gippsland in 1843., During installation of sewerage drains in 1976, contractors discovered some timber and an unusually shaped scrubbing brush at a depth of 4 meters. This was the same location pinpointed by the late Mitch Lacco as being the site of the wrecked "Rosebud". Rotarian Ron Archer endeavoured to halt work for further investigation. However Rotary decided this was not viable as costs were prohibitive., In May 1992 local historian Peter Wilson, aware of the position indicated by the late Mitch Lacco as the wreck of the "Rosebud" contacted Ron Archer who agreed that both lots of information confirmed the wreck site., Rosebud Rotary and all local residents are indebted to the late John Purves for his extensive research into the history of the schooner "Rosebud”.