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One of the largest fleets operating off the north coast of Australia belonged to James Clarke, a Queenslander (Bain 1982:195-196). Clarke began pearling in the 1870s in Torres Strait but soon gained experience working in Indonesia and West Australian waters. He returned to the Aru Islands pearl grounds in about 1906 and operated his fleet with a mother schooner, keeping outside the three-mile limit of terri-torial waters. At Dobo he formed the Celebes Trading Company, which gave him greater indepen-dence. Previously the pearls of this area had been bought from the local Indonesians by Chinese and Arabs who took them to Makassar, whence they were sent on to Singa-pore and then to London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Now the Nether-lands Indian Government was giving concessions to British firms so that shell could be shipped di-rectly to London. Source: www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/sampans-belangs-and-junkos/

From 1863 to the 1980's hundreds of pearling vessels worked the East and West coasts of Queensland, Torres Strait and for some years in the Aru Islands of Indonesia. Of these, we believe that there are only 14 identified Torres Strait pearling luggers, 1 former pearl shell carrier and 2 former Torres Strait missionary vessels remaining. TORRES PEARL Formerly named SEDNEY, the Torres Pearl is currently located in Tasmania in private ownership. She has an aft-wheelhouse and those lugger lines. TORRES HERALD Torres Herald was also built by Norman Wright and Sons with her last known location being when she sank in 2014 in the Calliope River near Gladstone. Source: pearlingluggers.com.au/last-of-the-luggers

Sketty Belle (ship, 1877) Type: Pearling schooner Completed: 1877 History 1877 Named 'Crest of the Wave Official number: 74939 Port: Sydney Owner: John Saunders 1898 Owner: George Smith 1900 or 1901 Renamed Sketty Belle; Flag: Australia Port: Sydney Owner: George Smith 1907 No longer in register Source commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sketty_Belle_(ship,_1877)