Prince George, 1844
Type: Hired Cutter (a revenue cutter for the colonial government) ;
Hired : from NSW Government 1845 ;
Notes:

It would appear that the Prince George was initially lent in order to assist with the work of building a beacon at Raines Islet, to mark a passage through the Barrier Reef, but required significant repairs and alterations to make her suitable.

14 Feb 1844, the Bramble is to undergo a refit in preparation for the preparatory survey of the Bass Strait starts, and the Prince George cutter, is to be fitted up as a tender to the Fly, during her next exploratory trip through Bass's Strait.

27 Mar 1844, departed Sydney, for Raines Islet, Torres Straits, via Port Stephens, Sandy Cape, passing through the Capricorn Group, the Percy and Northumberland Islands to Cape Upstart, for more water, and eventually started landing stores on Rsine's Islet on 27 May.

27 May,1844, a tented camp was built, and a quarry opened up near where the beacon was to be built. There being no suitable anchorage near the island, the Fly had to anchor 12 miles away, whilst the Bramble, Prince George and Midge fan back and forth bringing provisions, and since the lime had to be slaked large quantities of wood had to be found to burn the lime, water from the Sir Charles Hardy Islands, and timber and a water tank from the wreck of the Martha Ridgeway, found on reefs 25 miles to the south of the Fly's anchorage, the tank being used to catch the rainwater from the roof of the beacon. Cocoa nuts plants, along with maize etc were planted.

14-25 Sep 1844, the Bramble was employed surveying Endeavour Strait, whilst the other vessels survey the area around Raine's Islet, more water being found at Cape York.

21 Sep 1844, the Fly departed for Port Essington arriving there on 27th inst., and then after 5 or 6 days departed for Sourabaya, Java.

19 Oct 1844, arrived at Sourabaya with crew of "Lady Grey," lost on the coast of New Holland, and was shortly joined by the Bramble and Prince George. The latter was then sent to Singapore with the shipwrecked seamen, and to carry mail and despatches.

4 Jan 1845, returned to Sourabaya from Singapore.

16 Aug 1845 HM cutter Prince George, Lieutenant Aird, from Port Essington, put into Twofold Bay windbound and to obtain a supply of water, when she would come on to Sydney. She reported that the Hydrabad and Coringa Packet had been totally lost in the Torres Straits, on their passage from Sydney to India.

11 Oct 1845 Prince George, HM Cutter, Aird, off the Patent Slip