Ship's wheel boss - the brass fitting covering the hub of the wheel with four screw holes for attachment. It is inscribed across the centre 'MACQUARIE' and round the edge 'R & H GREEN BLACKWALL YARD'.

'Macquarie' was a three-masted ship-rigged vessel, built as the 'Melbourne' by R. & H. Green of Blackwall for their Blackwall line run to Australia. She was sold to Devitt & Moore in 1888 and they changed her destination port from Melbourne to Sydney and her name to 'Macquarie'. She was one of Devitt & Moore's best known ships and mainly carried passengers on the outward run. On the return journey, the second- and third-class cabins were dismantled to accommodate a cargo of wool. She was sold to J. Bryde of Sandefjord, Norway in 1904 and renamed 'Fortuna'. From 1909 (now owned by the Wallarah Coal Company), she was used as a coal hulk in Sydney Harbour. She was converted to a coal-carrying barge in 1949 and was broken up by T. Carr & Co, Sydney in 1953.

Sir Philip Devitt visited the vessel when in Sydney in 1939 and the owners presented the ship's wheel to him. It was then set up as a lectern in the Nautical College, Pangbourne. There are letters relating to the building of the ship as the 'Melbourne' in NMM MS GRN 23.