POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Decanter set used onboard the ship 'Cimba'

Object No. A5215

This decanter set belonged to Captain James William Holmes (1855-1932), a British Master of clipper ships in the 1890s and early 1900s. His most notable command was of the wool clipper 'Cimba' from 1895 to 1906 on which he acquired a reputation for fast voyages due to his knowledge of the weather and pioneering use of perforated sails. Captain Holmes' fastest voyage was from Sydney to London in 1889 which took 75 days. He wrote that the 'Cimba' was "heavy aloft and narrow, but she was beloved by both her masters and certainly by most of the men who sailed her". The ship had an iron hull was painted green with gold stripes and her three masts were white. The ship's distinctive figurehead was a lion rampant. As Master, Holmes had ultimate authority, determining the ship's route and carrying responsibility for the crew and cargo on behalf of the ship's owner. His quarters were located separately from the crew and, as befitting his higher status, were more spacious and comfortable. His cabin included a work desk on which he consulted his charts and recorded the ship's daily advances and events. The decanter set is part of a collection of memorabilia donated to the Museum by Captain Holmes' daughter, Mrs Nora Coughlan, which also includes his charts, photographs and paintings of ships. The collection provides a detailed insight into the sailing career of this respected captain as well as British merchant shipping during the heyday of clipper ships which were vital for trade between Australia and Britain and in the Pacific. Judith Campbell, MAAS volunteer, under the supervision of Margaret Simpson, Curator, December 2018