Figureheads from the 19th century sailing ships are a fascinating blend of maritime superstition, ship branding, and high-seas sculpture. On Australian-built ships, as with others around the world, figureheads were not just decorative ornaments—they were talismans, mascots, and marketing all rolled into one. Let’s dive into the lore and legacy of these proud prow-dwellers.
A Carved Enigma: Rare 19th-Century Figurehead of First Nations Woman Joins National Maritime Collection
In a bold new addition to the Australian National Maritime Museum, a striking wooden figurehead carved in the 19th century has quietly dropped anchor — but it’s causing big waves. This isn’t your typical sea maiden or Roman warrior.
This figurehead, newly acquired with support from the National Cultural Heritage Account and the Museum Foundation, depicts a First Nations woman. And in doing so, it’s rewriting what we thought we knew about colonial maritime iconography.
Advertisement:
A Silent Guardian, Now Speaking Volumes
Traditionally, figureheads were the soul of a ship — part protector, part symbol, part superstition. They were carved to embody strength, grace, or divine favour, proudly mounted on the prow to lead the vessel through uncertain waters.
But this particular figurehead, whose original ship remains unconfirmed, carries an emotional heft far beyond its aesthetic craftsmanship.
It represents a First Nations woman, carved during a time when settler ships were both lifelines and instruments of dispossession.
“It is a remarkable piece of colonial maritime decorative art,” said Senior Curator Daina Fletcher.
“It’s a catalyst for exploring connections between First Nations and settler communities, and a window into the early colonial world where boats were critical lifelines.
The motifs the carver employed — the Christmas bells, the emu, and traces of a kangaroo at its base — speak of aspirations and identities at the time.”
Fletcher adds that the mystery surrounding the ship it once adorned and the identity of its carver only enhances its historical weight.
“The fact that we cannot confirm the figurehead’s host vessel or the carver raises tantalising research questions. It’s this very ambiguity that gives it such interpretive power.”
Advertisement:
A Complex Reflection of History
For Matt Poll, the museum’s Indigenous Programs Manager, the object cuts to the core of Australia’s conflicted maritime and colonial history.
“It makes a profound statement,” he said. “Figureheads were meant to be the protective spirit of a ship. Yet, this particular figurehead, created by the very settler society that was dispossessing and displacing First Nations people, depicts an individual from that same culture.”
It’s an irony as deep as the Pacific. While Indigenous people were being forcibly removed from their lands, one of their likenesses was chosen to guide a settler ship. “This stark contrast forces us to look at these historical objects through multiple, sometimes clashing, perspectives,” Poll said.
Globally, such a depiction is extraordinarily rare. Few figureheads in European, American, or Indian maritime museums claim to portray colonised peoples as symbolic guardians. And even fewer show them with dignity, strength, and reverence.
Its presence in Sydney’s national collection offers a singular opportunity to unpack colonial ideologies, maritime trade, and the subtle — if often troubling — ways First Nations identities were woven into the settler imagination.
The Hunt for Origins
So far, the museum team has narrowed the possible list of host vessels to several colonial ships, each with roots in early Australian shipbuilding centres:
- Taree (1834), built on the Manning River, NSW
- Yarra Yarra (1837), constructed on the Williams River, NSW
- Truganina (1839), a Tasmanian schooner named with a loaded historical reference
- Settler’s Friend (1867), built in Ulmarra, northern NSW. A new steam drogher, belonging to Messrs. Harker and Mayor, named the “Settlers’ Friend” made an experimental trip down the river in 1866.
Taree (1834)
The Wingham Chronicle, 14 September 1934, notes: “… inspired William Wynter to build his own vessel. This inspiration was consummated when he launched the carvel built brigantine “Taree” of 48 25-94 tons, which had one deck, a standing bowsprit, square stern and no galleries. Her dimensions were: Length 52 feet 6 inches, wales 15 feet, and depth of hold 7 feet 6 inches. In keeping with her name, which was derived from the word “Taree-bit’ used by the aborigines to denote the fruit of the rough leaved fig tree (Ficus Scabra) indigenous to the Manning, it is interesting to be able to record that the “Taree” was fitted with a black native figure head. Unfortunately the launching date of the “Taree” is unknown. She arrived on her maiden voyage at Sydney on 12th September, 1834 — a century ago — with a cargo of cedar which was probably cut by her owner’s employees from his own rich brush land. On her arrival in Port Jackson, the “Taree” was described as “a smart little schooner (sic), and reflects much credit on her builder.”
Each of these ships was built in a region with contact — sometimes conflictual, sometimes cooperative — between settlers and local Indigenous nations. The final identification may take months, if not years, but researchers are determined to follow the trail of timber and time.
Despite the mystery, the condition of the figurehead is remarkably good for an outdoor sculpture that once faced sun, salt, and sea gales. Its survival alone is notable. Its subject, though, is what makes it invaluable.
Advertisement:
Cultural Significance and the Role of the National Cultural Heritage Account
Acquiring the figurehead wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the National Cultural Heritage Account — a federal grant program that helps cultural organisations acquire significant items that would otherwise be out of reach. As the curators note, objects of this rarity and historic weight don’t surface often, and the museum’s quick action has ensured this artefact remains in public hands.
Organisations can apply for Cultural Heritage Account funding at any time, which allows Australian institutions to secure artworks, artefacts, and historically significant objects of cultural relevance.
A New Chapter at the Bow
The figurehead now resides within the Australian National Maritime Collection — not nailed to a hull, but instead to a moment. A moment when we begin to rethink who gets to represent the “spirit” of the ship, the story of a nation, and the winds that shape our collective memory.
As for its original name, ship, and carver? That story is still out at sea — but with this figurehead safely docked, we may just hear it whisper ashore.
Advertisement:
What Did a Figurehead Symbolise?
The figurehead—carved and fixed to the bow of a ship—symbolised the spirit of the vessel.
Sailors were a superstitious bunch, and many believed the figurehead acted as a protective guardian, guiding the ship through perilous waters and appeasing the temperamental gods of the sea.
It was thought to hold the “soul” of the ship, and damaging or disrespecting a figurehead could invite misfortune—or worse, mutiny.
Figureheads often took the form of:
- Women with flowing hair (representing calm seas and safe passage),
- Mythical creatures (like mermaids, sea serpents, or griffins),
- National icons (such as Britannia or eagles),
- Political figures or ship namesakes (think Queen Victoria, Lord Nelson, or abstract virtues like “Hope” or “Liberty”).
For many colonial ships built in Australia, British naval tradition was the template—but local motifs, such as Aboriginal figures, native fauna, or gold rush references, occasionally crept in during the mid-to-late 19th century.
Shown left is a Missouri River Boat Carved Fir Figurehead, circa 1860, from the The Anchorage Marine Antiques, Seattle, Washington.
What Were Figureheads Made From and Who Carved Them?
Figureheads were usually carved from hardwoods, most often oak, pine, or cedar, chosen for their durability and relative ease of carving.
Australian shipbuilders often relied on red cedar, hoop pine, or blue gum, depending on what was available locally and what port the ship was built in (e.g., Sydney, Hobart, Port Adelaide).
Carving was a specialist job, and figurehead sculptors were often artists moonlighting as artisans. In some cases, former cabinet makers or church woodcarvers took on this work
The best-known figurehead carvers in the British tradition, like James Hellyer or the Hellyer family of Plymouth, didn’t have direct Australian counterparts, but talented unknowns in the colonies followed similar stylistic cues.
Figurehead design for HMS Apollo by Hellyer & Son dated 1817, CC BY 4.0 The National Archives (ADM 106/1889).
Advertisement:
Famous Figureheads Around the World
Some figureheads have become famous in their own right, surviving long after the ships they adorned. Many of the remaining figureheads from the Age of Sail are displayed in maritime museums, naval collections, or private estates around the world. Some are still attached to preserved ships, such as:
- HMS Victory – Admiral Nelson’s flagship, preserved in Portsmouth, still bears her ornately gilded figurehead depicting a classical warrior.
- Cutty Sark – The famed tea clipper has a striking female figurehead named Nannie Dee, from Robert Burns’ poem Tam o’ Shanter, wearing a short shirt (a “cutty sark”) now in Greenwich, London.
- HMS Ganges – Her figurehead of Britannia, now housed at the Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent, is nearly 3 metres tall and astonishingly detailed.
- USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) – Features a modern replica of a 19th-century Hercules figurehead.
- The James Craig, a restored 19th-century Australian tall ship berthed at Wharf 7 in Sydney, occasionally features reproductions inspired by original designs.
In Australia, the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and the Queenscliff Maritime Museum in Victoria hold several historic figureheads. The ANMM even has some salvaged from shipwrecks—charred, worm-eaten, but still majestic.
The Royal Museums Greenwich has one of the largest figurehead collections globally, while in Scotland, the Mystic Seaport Museum and V&A Dundee also display naval figureheads in dramatic gallery settings.
Today, original 19th-century figureheads are very rare, especially from Australian-built ships. Their survival depended on many factors: whether they were salvaged from wrecks, stored after decommissioning, or simply forgotten in maritime sheds until rediscovery.
Because of their historical and artistic value, authentic figureheads are highly collectible and can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction—particularly if linked to a named ship, event (like a battle or a famous voyage), or carved by a known artisan. Museums prize them for their rarity and storytelling potential.
These shipborne guardians are more than weathered wood and flaky paint—they’re storytellers from the era of sail. Each scar and splash of salt tells a tale of shipwrights, sailors, storms, and shores far from home. For those restoring old ships or collecting maritime history, spotting an authentic figurehead is like finding Poseidon’s autograph carved in cedar.
Related stories
Our Feature series on HMB Endeavour
