THIS SHIP WESTERN MONÁRCH, BELONGING TO THE ROYAL EXCHANGE SHIPPING COMPANY, LONDON.

THE wool season would bring to the Circular Quay in Sydney some exceedingly fine sailing vessels, and berths, for loading wool in proximity to the principal stores, was eagerly sought after.
One of the finest vessels in port in 1881, was the Western Monarch.
She was an iron vessel of 1315 tons, and was built by the Barrow Ship Building Company,
and launched in 1875 being owned by the Royal Exchange Shipping Company of London,
who were the proprietors of numerous fine sailing vessels, besides a line of
steamers trading from London to New York.
The Western Monarch made her maiden passage to Brisbane with immigrants in 91 days,
thence to Sydney, where she loaded for London. She had unrivaled passenger accommodation,
the cabins were roomy and well fitted, and the saloon, very commodious, also, bathrooms and other
comforts were provided.
Her second voyage in 1879 was to Sydney direct, which she made in 82 days, thence to New Zealand, where
she took on board 2000 tons of wheat, made the passage to London, from dock to dock,
in 72 days, one of the fastest sailing passages on record. She was then under the command of
Captain Watson, who later became marine superintendent in New York.
He was succeeded in the command by Captain A. H. Cooke, who, after taking
the Monarch on a voyage from London to Calcutta and back, brought her to Sydney for the third
time in 1881. On that occasion she brought out a general cargo valued at £30,740, and
not-withstanding the fact that she was very deep, and the heavy weather experienced at the
latter part of the passage, the whole of the cargo was been landed in excellent order and condition.
On this last voyage she left the docks at 8 p.m. on the 7th June, and landed her pilot at
Dover on the following day. Crossed the Equator on July 8 in longitude 31*39 W., and the
meridian of the Cape was passed in latitude 41*48 S.
Her easting was ran down in 45 and 46, with heavy continuous gales and high cross seas.
Bounded Tasmania, and made the first land (Jervis Bay) on September 1, when for six days
the vessel had to battle against one of the heaviest
gales known on the New South Wales coast, which, however, she withstood nobly without losing
a spar or a sail, and entered the Heads at 3 p.m. on the 7th September.



BELOW: an engraving of the Western Monarch
She was chartered by Messrs. Dalton Brothers, the well-known merchants
of Pitt-street, to load wool and produce for London, and she would come
round to the Circular Quay to load at Talbot's Store, as soon as there was a berth vacant.