| Brief Description |
Model of the sailing ship "The Golden Hind". This model was donated to the Museum by Dr E J E Topham who migrated to New Zealand in 1930 to take up the position as radiologist at Wanganui Hospital.
"The Golden Hind" was captained by Frances Drake during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by Drake for his 1577 journey of exploration and treasure-seeking. It was described as an unsophisticated ship, but a classic example of a mid-16th century warship during the transition from the carrack to the galleon. The original ship weighed around 120 tons. "The Golden Hind" was fast and highly manoeuvrable in battle and able to be sailed into and hidden in small ports around coastal waters.
Drake commissioned his flagship in Plymouth, England. The keel was registered in 1575. The majority of the work was done in 1576, and it was completed early the next year.
The ship was not always known as "The Golden Hind". Its first name was "Pelican", but Drake renamed it on 20 August 1578 to honor his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose family crest was a golden hind (a female red deer).
After his voyage of 1577-1580, Drake's ship was taken to Deptford, London, and put on public exhibition in honour of his remarkable achievement. It was the first "museum ship" in the world.
In 1581 Drake was knighted onboard the "Golden Hind" by the French ambassador, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth I. This was a piece of political shrewdness; the Queen could not be seen to support someone who was, to the Spanish anyway, a ruthless pirate.
The ship remained at Deptford for nearly 70 years where she eventually disintegrated from rain and weather and was broken up. Nothing remains except a chair carved from its timbers, which can be seen in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. Some people still believe, however, that the remains of the ship could be located at Convoys Wharf, once a large Tudor-era shipyard in Deptford.
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