Matilda (1779)

Matilda was a convict ship dispatched in 1791 from England to Australia. She was built in 1779 in France. Under the command of Master Matthew Weatherhead, she departed Portsmouth on 27 March 1791, with 250 male convicts as part of the third fleet and arrived on 1 August 1791 in Port Jackson, New South Wales. Twenty-five convicts died during the voyage, and the ship required repairs. Matilda was used as a whaler after her arrival. She left Sydney for the Marquesas Islands, however was wrecked in February 1792 on a shoal, later named Matilda Island. The survivors, 21 crew members and one convict stowaway were later rescued, with some later picked up by Captain William Bligh on HMS Providence (1791) at Matavi Bay, while others were picked up by Jenny and Britannia.