Australia: The historic 1864 clipper ship 'City of Adelaide' has been saved and will be moved from Scotland to Adelaide, South Australia.
Scottish Government Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said that Adelaide had been identified as the only "viable alternative to deconstruction".
City of Adelaide Preservation Trust Chairman, Creagh O'Connor, said he was "thrilled and delighted" with the news and elated that the decade long campaign to bring the clipper to Adelaide had succeeded.
The Preservation Trust proposes to preserve the 'City of Adelaide' on a land-based maritime precinct at Port Adelaide, and provide for the co-location of other historic vessels at the same site.
The South Australian Government has agreed to provide land for the maritime precinct.
The objective is for the ship to be moved in time to celebrate South Australia's 175th anniversary of settlement in 2011.
Trust Director and Naval Architect, Peter Roberts, said the 'City of Adelaide' was in "quite sound condition" for a ship built in 1864, and that the massive size (55 metres in length) of its hull will make an exceptional display.
"Until only 20 years ago the ship was in use as naval club rooms and a restaurant," he said.
The South Australian campaign, with extensive community support, had succeeded against bids to demolish the ship and the passionate campaign to relocate it to the English city of Sunderland where it was built.
Ongoing discussions will occur to further develop educational and cultural links between Scotland and South Australia.
The 'City of Adelaide' undertook 23 return trips between the UK and Adelaide, carrying thousands of passengers and significant amounts of cargo between the two countries.
Genealogists have calculated that almost a quarter of a million Australians can trace their heritage to passengers and crew of the historic ship.
