Records comprising 91 volumes of photographs of ships, organised under type of ship, or ownership, and with basic caption information. The volumes were compiled by shipping enthusiast Arthur Edwardes, using original prints if available, but most commonly copy prints. See below for details of ships in the various volumes.

Victor Harbor was one of the earliest ports in the state of South Australia, but opinions were much divided on its suitability, as it was open to the seas of the Southern Ocean, protected only by several offshore islands, including Granite Island. Sealers and whalers were the first to use it, and the first Governor of South Australia John Hindmarsh was strongly in favour of the new colony's chief city being sited there.

It was not until 1861 that considerable improvements to the port facilities were made. It had been found that Port Elliott, the terminus for the River Murray paddle steamer trade, was unsuitable. The railway line was extended to Victor Harbor and work commenced on building a jetty and pier. This was subsequently extended right across to Granite Island and a wharf built alongside the island. Further expensive extensions again in the early 1880s were made, but Victor Harbor had reached the peak of its activity as a shipping centre, as the railways carried the river trade directly to Port Adelaide and the harbour was found unsuitable for the increasingly large ships of the late 19th century.

The barque Inverneill at the jetty was later renamed Garthneill; its remains are in the ships' graveyard at Port Adelaide, and the figurehead is displayed at the South Australian Maritime Museum.

Page, Michael F. Victor Harbor: from pioneer port to seaside resort [Victor Harbor, S. Aust.]: District Council of Victor Harbor, 1987

Parsons, Ronald, Southern passages: a maritime history of South Australia Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, 1986

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. Wooden Walls and Iron Sides August 2004-