1878 Loch Ard Minton Peacock: shipwreck survivor

3D Model

The wreck of the Loch Ard is one of the most dramatic in Victoria’s history. There were only two survivors when the ship crashed into rocks near the entrance of what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge on the south west coast.

As well as passengers, the Loch Ard was bringing objects from England to be displayed at the 1880 Great Exhibition of Melbourne. The Minton Peacock was one such item and miraculously survived the wreck and washed up on the beach a few days after the wreck.

The life-sized earthenware peacock was modelled by renowned French animalier Paul Comolera and made by the English pottery company Minton & Co. It was originally designed as a conservatory ornament and is one of only 12 ever made. The artefact is now at the centre of the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. The peacock is so significant to Victoria that it was included on the Victorian Heritage Register in 2010.

For more information about Flagstaff Hill: www.flagstaffhill.com

3D model assembled by Jane Mitchell