Parmelia was a barque built in Quebec, Canada, in 1825. Originally registered on 31 May in Quebec, she sailed to Great Britain and assumed British registry. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), in 1827–1828. In 1829 she transported the first civilian officials and settlers of the Swan River Colony to Western Australia. She then made two voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales, Australia. A fire damaged her irreparably in May 1839.
Career
Parmelia "was more of a plain working girl than the great and beautiful lady of the sea". Parmelia sailed to London and on 17 November she was transferred from the Quebec to the London register. In 1826 she was used as a troop carrier.
EIC voyage
Some time in the first half of 1827, Parmelia was sold to Joseph Somes, who was also a director of the EIC. For the next year, she operated under charter to the British East India Company, carrying goods and passengers between London and Bengal.
Captain John Wimble sailed from the Downs on 19 June 1827, bound for Bengal and Madras. Parmelia arrived at Calcutta on 3 December. Homeward bound, she was at Fultahm, on the Hooghly River, on 18 January 1828. She was at Vizagapatam on 30 January, and Madras on 9 February. She reached Saint Helena on 30 April and arrived at the Downs on 3 July.
Settlers to Western Australia
In 1828 the British government, at the urging of Captain James Stirling, decided to establish a colony at the Swan River in Western Australia. was despatched under Charles Fremantle to annex the colony, and it was arranged that a contingent of soldiers, officials and settlers would follow on . Stirling, whom the government had appointed the civil superintendent of the colony, however argued that the passengers and goods to be carried exceeded the capacity of Sulphur, and asked that an additional ship to be chartered. The government reluctantly agreed to the extra cost, chartering Parmelia in December 1828. It was then arranged that Sulphur would carry a detachment of the 63rd Regiment, with Parmelia carrying the civilian officials and settlers.
Sulphur and Parmelia sailed from Spithead off Portsmouth, England on 3 or 6 February 1829, sighting their destination on 1 June. Contrary to popular belief, Stirling did not captain Parmelia (J. H. Luscombe did
In 1839 Parmelia was refitted to carry migrants to the Americas. She was intended to run between Britain and Quebec, but on 1 May 1839, as her refit was almost complete, a fire in Bank's Yard, at Frank's Queery, Cremyll, destroyed her. Eight days later she was surveyed and declared a constructive total loss. She was then sold for breaking up.
The Kwinana suburb of Parmelia is named in honour of Parmelia, as is Parmelia Bank.
Passengers on Parmelia, 1829
The following people embarked Parmelia when she left Portsmouth in February 1829.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name || Notes
|-
| Captain James Stirling || Governor
|-
| Ellen Stirling || Wife of Captain Stirling
|-
| Andrew Stirling || Son of Captain Stirling, 3 yrs old
|-
| Frederick Henry Stirling || Son of Captain Stirling, born at sea on 16 April 1829.
|-
| George Mangles || Cousin of Ellen Stirling
|-
| George Eliot || Clerk to Captain Stirling, also his nephew
|-
| Thomas Blakey || Servant of Captain Stirling
|-
| Sarah Blakey || Wife of Thomas Blakey; servant of Captain Stirling
|-
| John Kelly || Servant of Captain Stirling
|-
| Elizabeth Kelly || Wife of John Kelly; servant of Captain Stirling
|-
| Peter Brown || Colonial Secretary
|-
| Caroline Brown || Wife of Peter Brown
|-
| Macbride Brown || Son of Peter Brown
|-
| Ann Brown || Daughter of Peter Brown
|-
| Richard Evans || Servant of Peter Brown
|-
| Margaret McLeod || Servant of Peter Brown
|-
| Mary Ann Smith || Servant of Peter Brown
|-
| John Morgan || Storekeeper
|-
| Rebecca Morgan || Wife of John Morgan
|-
| Rebecca Morgan || Daughter of John Morgan
|-
| Ann Skipsey || Servant of John Morgan
|-
| Commander Mark Currie RN || Harbourmaster
|-
| Jane Currie || Wife of Commander Currie
|-
| Frederick Ludlow || Servant of Commander Currie
|-
| Mildred ("Kitty") Ludlow || Wife of Frederick Ludlow; servant of Commander Currie
|-
| Jane Fruin || Servant of Commander Currie
|-
| John Septimus Roe || Surveyor-General
|-
| Matilda Roe || Wife of John Septimus Roe
|-
| Charles Wright || Servant of John Septimus Roe
|-
| Henry Sutherland || Assistant Surveyor
|-
| Ann Sutherland || Wife of Henry Sutherland
|-
| William Sheldon || Clerk to the Colonial Secretary
|-
| James Drummond || Horticulturalist
|-
| Sarah Drummond || Wife of James Drummond
|-
| Thomas Drummond || Son of James Drummond, 18 yrs
|-
| Jane Drummond || Daughter of James Drummond, 16 yrs
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| James Drummond || Son of James Drummond, 15 yrs
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| John Drummond || Son of James Drummond, 13 yrs
|-
| Johnston Drummond || Son of James Drummond, 9 yrs
|-
| Euphemia Drummond || Daughter of James Drummond, 3 yrs. The last of Parmelia's passengers to die, on 4 December 1920 aged 94 (at Culham near Toodyay).
|-
| John Davis || Nephew of Thomas Davis, 13 yrs
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| James Smith || Boatbuilder
|-
| Sarah Smith || Wife of James Smith
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| James Moore || Servant
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| — Cameron || Government mariner
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| John Ferguson || Government carpenter
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| John McKail || Turner
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| Thomas Welch || Mariner
|-
| Stephen Knight || Carpenter
|-
| John Hall || Painter
|-
|}