[Front]
Queen's Island
From Pleasure Garden to Shipyard
Edward Harland and Gustav Wolff's shipyard, which would go on to become the most successful in the world, was established in 1861.
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The first modern passenger liner Oceanic, launched by Harland and Wolff in 1870, was powered by a combination of steam and sail and boasted such luxuries as promenade decks and baths with running water.
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Above Edward Harland and Gustav Wolff
Below Holywood's lighthouse provided essential guidance for the many ships navigating Belfast Lough's busy shipping lanes
Above These plans demonstrated how the shipyard developed over a 12 year period. By 1874, Hamilton Dock and Abercorn Basin had been constructed and a number of extra slipways had appeared.
Above, top The spectacle of a ship being launched from its slipway always drew crowds. Here people are watching from the muddy banks of the Lagan as Norah Graeme is launched from Queen's Island in 1858.
Above White Star Line's Oceanic, 1871
[Back]
Belfast's Industrial Growth
When the construction of Hamilton Graving Dock commenced in 1864, Belfast was experiencing unprecedented growth
in industry. Between 1821 and 1901, Belfast developed more quickly than any other British city.
A massive workforce was required to meet the demands of developing businesses. The population of the city had trebled between 1821 and 1861 to over 120,000.
Linen manufacturing was Belfast's main industry during the mid 1800s. By 1870, over 50,000 people (mostly women) were employed at the linen mills - almost half the city's population. Improvements to the River Lagan in the 1840s had aided the expansion of Belfast's fledgling shipbuilding industry, which was well underway by the 1860s.
The population of Belfast trebled between 1821 and 1861 to over 120,000.
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By 1861, the year Harland and Wolff's shipyard was established, Belfast's shipbuilding industry had spread to both sides of the River Lagan.
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This Ordnance Survey map from 1833 predates the formation of Queen's Island.
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Queen's Bridge, c.1861
Above, right The original course of the [R]iver Lagan is shown in blue. The river was straightened by excavating a new channel in the 1840s, shown in red. Queen's Island was formed along the new eastern bank using the material excavated.
Background Belfast Harbour Office, c.1857
Below Belfast developed
more quickly than any other British city between 1821 and 1901. At this time, most of its population was concentrated on the western bank of the Lagan.
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