Polly Woodside, Museum ship at South Wharf, Melbourne, Australia

The Polly Woodside is a three-masted iron-hulled barque with a black upper hull, a broad white band along its side and a red lower hull, its bowsprit wrapped in brown rope netting. It is moored in the old Duke and Orr's Dry Dock on the Yarra River at Melbourne's South Wharf, its name painted in white near the bow.

Built at Workman, Clark and Co. in Belfast and launched on 7 November 1885, the iron barque made sixteen voyages between December 1885 and August 1903, carrying coal, nitrate and wheat between Britain and ports such as Montevideo, Valparaíso and Buenos Aires. Sold in 1904 and renamed Rona, she later served as a coal hulk in Melbourne from 1925. The National Trust bought her for one cent in 1968 and reopened her under her original name in 1978.

The ship is named after Marian "Polly" Woodside, wife of owner William J. Woodside, who christened it at launch in 1885. When sold to New Zealand owners in 1904 it was renamed Rona after Rona Monro, a shareholder's daughter. It carried that name through its coal-hulk years until 1978, when it reopened to the public under its original name.

The ship is accessible most days, with guided tours lasting around 45 to 60 minutes that allow you to explore all decks and rooms. Comfortable clothing and slip-resistant shoes are recommended, as the decks can be uneven and stairs are narrow.

In 1988 the Polly Woodside became the first cargo ship awarded the World Ship Trust Medal. Its chief rigger for 27 years of restoration was Tor Lindqvist, a former able seaman and sailmaker on Lawhill, Passat and Viking. The National Trust bought the hulk from Howard Smith Industries for one cent in 1968.