During the 17 years that the ‘City of Adelaide’ has lain on a slipway at Irvine, various proposals have been put forward for her preservation or restoration; the options considered have ranged from restoring her to seagoing condition to preserving her afloat or ashore as a museum ship.
The cost of restoring the City of Adelaide as a ship is considerable due to her composite construction and also because only her bare hull remains without fixtures, fittings, furniture or rig. As a result of the high costs no proposal for her restoration or preservation has progressed and the Scottish Maritime Museum, who own the ship, are, as a last resort, intending to cut her into sections, some of which can then be displayed under cover in museums. We do not think this is a fitting solution for one of the most historically significant passenger ships of the 19th century.
Our proposal approaches the problem of the City of Adelaide differently. Instead of restoring or preserving her as a ship, we propose to convert the ship’s hull to a unique and distinctive building while retaining the features of the hull that made the ship so successful; her iron frame, her timber planking and her lines will all be preserved.
To download an abridged version of our proposal document please click here .