A barque of 476 tons, the Strathfieldsay was built at Chepstow in 1829, and was owned by T Ward of London. She was given repairs in 1838, 1839 and 1841. Engaged mainly in bounty transport, she also usually carried some cargo.
The Strathfieldsay sailed from London on 2 August 1831, calling at Plymouth before proceeding to HobartTown, which she reached on 15 November. Commanded by William Harrison, she brought 221 prisoners and their guard to Australia on this voyage.
Departing Dublin mastered by Captain Philip Jones, the Strathfieldsay arrived HobartTown on 27 June 1833. The barque brought 54 passengers and 316 emigrants to Hobart, as well as general merchandise. She had a crew of just 23 men, and was armed with four guns. Passengers on this voyage included the Newell family.
On her next voyage, she departed Gravesend to dock in HobartTown on 15 August 1834.
With Philip Jones as master and having started from London, the Strathfieldsay left Portsmouth on 18 February 1836 and travelling via Rio reached Sydney on 15 June with 276 male prisoners.
The Strathfieldsay is listed as departing Port Phillip for India on 6 June 1840 under Captain Spence. In 1841, mastered by N Warren and carrying migrants, the Strathfieldsay journeyed from London on 1 May, called at Plymouth and Port Phillip, before sailing on to Sydney which she reached on 5 October .
The labour market in Melbourne had tightened considerably by August 1841, an impact of the tension between England and America. 90% of would-be emigrants to America in 1840 did not re-apply in 1841, and indeed no vessels left for America in the first three months of 1841. Instead many chose Australia as a destination, resulting in an over-supply of labour and under-supply of accommodation in places such as Port Phillip.
Source(s):
Brett (1928) mentions a 660 ton Strathfieldsay
under Captain Brown arriving in Port Chalmers NZ with 263 passengers
on 29 April 1858. This A1 vessel, which had departed the
United Kingdom on 22 January, was not the same as the Strathfieldsay
described above. It had been built at Sunderland in 1852, and
worked the London - New Zealand route for her W Connal of London.