"The world’s oldest active sailing ship. She began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863.
Iron ships were experiments of sorts then, with most vessels still being built of wood.
In 1871 she was purchased by the Shaw Savill line of London and embarked on a quarter century of hauling emigrants to New Zealand, sometimes also touching Australia, California and Chile.
She made 21 circumnavigations in this service, some of them lasting up to a year."
Source: Maritime Museum

From 1901-26 she was in Alaskan cargo service and renamed "Star of India". In 1926, Star of India was sold to the Zoological Society of San Diego, California, to be the centerpiece of a planned museum and aquarium.
The Great Depression and World War II caused that plan to be canceled, and it was not until 1957 that restoration began.
Alan Villiers, a windjammer captain and author, came to San Diego on a lecture tour.
Seeing Star of India decaying in the harbor, he publicized the situation and inspired a group of citizens to form the "Star of India Auxiliary" in 1959 to support the restoration of the ship.
Progress was still slow, but in 1976, Star of India finally put to sea again. She houses exhibits for the Maritime Museum of San Diego, is kept fully seaworthy, and sails at least once a year.

In this photograph part of the foremast is dismantled for restoration.