The SS Great Britain was launched in 1844 - the biggest ship in the world.

She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the greatest British engineers.

The Victorians, including Queen Victoria herself, were astounded by her. She was a huge ship at almost 100m long with a modern wrought iron hull and steam driven by the latest technology - a screw propeller. After Brunel used this new form of propulsion, everybody wanted it.

The SS Great Britain was built for the transatlantic passenger trade and first powered across to New York in an astonishingly fast 14 days. But during her second voyage most of her propeller blades fell off.

She had lots more problems. After all, she was an entirely new kind of vessel. She finally became an emigrant ship, carrying 16,000 people to a new life down under in Australia.