SS Croesus
An iron frigate-built screw steamship, 280ft. long between perpendiculars, 43ft. beam, 33ft. 6in. deep in hold, and 2500 tons burden.
1852 The Croesus was laid down for the General Screw Steam Shipping Co
1853 Launched at Messrs C. J. Mare and Co's yard at Blackwall, she was to be the first of a new line of mail steamers to run between Southampton and Port Phillip, Victoria. On her maiden voyage from Southampton to Australia, she suffered severe damage when the propeller was lowered for use off the Cape of Good Hope. This required running repairs and the ship continued under sail to Australia where fuller repairs were carried out at Sydney, using a coffer dam improvised on the spot but without the help of riveting machines of the size used to build her. She returned to Britain under sail the next year[1]