Belinda (ship)

{{Short description|Brig wrecked in 1824 off Western Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag= |Ship name= Belinda |Ship owner= |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 1810 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship fate=Wrecked in 1824 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship tonnage= {{cvt|160|LT|t}} |Ship length= |Ship beam= |Ship draught= |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion= |Ship speed= |Ship range= |Ship complement= 29 |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }}

Belinda was a brig that was wrecked in 1824 off the coast of Western Australia.

The brig of {{convert|160|LT|t}} was built in Great Yarmouth, England in 1810. It arrived in Sydney on 23 February 1824, captained by Thomas Coverdale and crewed by 28 sailors. The ship sailed for the sealing grounds of Recherché Archipelago from Sydney on 17 May 1824 and on arrival was wrecked on 19 July 1824{{cite book |last=Bateson |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Bateson |year=1972 |title=Australian Shipwrecks |page=66 |volume=1, 1622–1850 |publisher=A. H. and A. W. Reed |location=Sydney |isbn=0-589-07112-2 |lccn=72079013 |oclc=595343 |ol=OL5298442M }} off Middle Island at {{coord|34.09009|S|123.21031|E|display=inline,title}}.{{Cite web|url=http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks/belinda|title=Belinda | Maritime Archaeology Databases}}{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}}

While the ship was completely wrecked, two small ships boats were saved and the crew attempted to return to Sydney. After travelling {{convert|200|mi|km|order=flip}}, one of the boats was swamped and sank. The party split into two with one half walking back to Middle Island in the Recherché Archipelago and the others keeping time with them in the remaining boat. After considerable struggle they returned to Middle Island where they were found in an exhausted state with all their provisions gone by the sealing brig Nereus, under the command of Thomas Swindles on 8 December 1824. All the crew were rescued and returned to Sydney on 11 March 1825. In 1826 the schooner Liberty undertook salvage work and returned to Sydney with a quantity of iron work, including two sea anchors.{{cite news |work=The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser |date=15 Apr 1826 |page=1 }}