Corlett Proposes Historic Ship Rescue
Naval architect Ewan Corlett publicly advocated saving Great Britain and helping return the historic vessel to Bristol.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Ewan Corlett Biography and Timeline
Follow Ewan Corlett through 12 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Ewan Corlett, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
12Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1967–2006Years on this page
1967
1968
Great Britain Recovery Organisation Formed
Supporters established an organised recovery effort to bring the former Brunel steamship home from the Falklands.
Great Britain Recovery Organisation Formed
The campaign to recover SS Great Britain built support after naval architect Ewan Corlett publicly argued that the abandoned iron vessel should be rescued.
1970
Ship Raised Onto Transport Pontoon
The abandoned Great Britain was lifted onto a submersible pontoon to prepare for its long tow to Britain.
Historic Vessel Begins Return Voyage
Great Britain began the ocean tow from the Falkland Islands that would eventually take it back to Bristol.
Recovered Steamship Reaches Barry
The salvaged ship reached Barry in Wales on a transport pontoon after its Atlantic journey.
Original Bristol Dry Dock Receives Ship
Great Britain returned to its original building dock in Bristol after a century away from the city.
Salvage Engineering Survey Supports Recovery
Ewan Corlett helped establish the technical feasibility of recovering and transporting the decayed iron vessel.
2000
Historic Hull Conservation Funding Awarded
A major Heritage Lottery Fund grant enabled an extensive scheme to conserve Great Britain and improve visitor access.
Conservation Planning Addresses Serious Hull Corrosion
Conservation surveys revealed that SS Great Britain remained vulnerable to corrosion and prompted plans for controlled dry dock preservation.
2005
Preserved Steamship Gains Glass Sea
A major conservation project at Brunel's former building dock incorporated a protective glass waterline around the vessel.
2006
Historic Vessel Wins National Museum Prize
The preserved Brunel steamship attraction received the Gulbenkian prize recognising museum achievements.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.