Aorere, which is Maori for 'Flying Cloud', was a beautiful clipper bowed yacht about 38ft length on deck, 7'10" beam with a draft of 5'9", a long bowsprit for jib and staysail,and a boom hanging over the counter stern about four feet. The luff of the mainsail was attached to the mast with 9 cane rings and these served as a ladder to climb the mast and make fast the large jackyard topsail.

Aorere in the mid-1920s with Skipper Watts at the helm

She was built by a Mr. E.G. Phillips of St Kilda for Messrs Scott and Ames and launched 21st March 1898 to immediately go on a maiden voyage to Mornington some 30 miles down the coast. It has been said and recorded that Aorere was a Fife design, and although she shows many similarities to Fife's yachts, there is no proof of Fife being the designer.

Photos of Aorere from 1900 and 1901 from the State Library of Victoria Collection

For the 1901-1902 season she was sold to Dr Retallack, who appears to have only owned her for a short time as there is a result on 17/3/1904 of her winning an important race in the name of Dr. Hodgson. She was sold again for the 1907-08 season to another St Kilda Yacht Club member Mr A.C. (Bert ) Watts, a wealthy Western Australian grazier and cattle station owner affectionately known as "Skipper Watts"

Aorere became his social racing and entertaining boat, being beautifully lined in French polished Australian red cedar with red plush cushions and furnishings, and she was always a treat to behold above and below decks.

Skipper Watts was a well known figure on Port Phillip and on the reintroduction of the Six Metre class at the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, had built for the Northcote Cup Challenge 'Judith Pihl'.

Aorere in the meantime was skippered by Skipper Watts and Judith Pihl by champion 14 footer skipper H.C. (Mick) Brooke. When the Six Metre class broke up in 1937 due to a class dispute Judith Pihl was sold to Sydney. Mick Brooke then became full time skipper on Aorere.

It was about 1938 that Aorere, then fitted with a mast and sails retained from Judith Pihl, was entered in the 38 mile Williamstown to Geelong race. It was blowing 35-45 mph from the southwest with big seas. Immediately successful, Aorere tramped, or rather submarined her way through the fleet of great yachts, including "Acrospire IV" and "Eun-na-mara" , and eventually gained line honours. It was a memorable feat to be talked about for years. Skipper Watt's was so delighted with Aorere's performance that he sent her plans to Fife in Scotland and asked to design a Marconi rig which was eventually put into Aorere.

On July 29th, 1943, Aorere was sold by the estate of the late A.C Watts to Russel Coutie of the Royal St Kilda Y.C. who retained her for a number of seasons. She was then on the register of Sandringham Y.C. and Royal Brighton Y.S. until purchased in 1948 by Royal Geelong Yacht Club member Ran McAllister.

Ran McAllister sailed Aorere with success in R.G.Y.C. events for a number of years winning the A class Aggregate in the 1949-50 season.

Aorere was sold again to a solicitor by the name of Hewison in the early fifties and again to Graham Gates in 1958, who enlarged the coachroof to its most recent shape. She was sold again to South Australia and little is known of her time there except that her last known owner was Vic Hutchison, who lived aboard for some time until ill health forced him ashore.

Aorere is thought to have been sent to Western Australia around 1987, and was purchased at auction in 1992 and taken out of the water for restoration. The old deck and superstructure were stripped off and the majority of ribs replaced before the hull was sold to Nicki King Smith and John Buchanan.

Aorere was purchased in December 1995 by Andrew Mason and Ed van Beem and underwent a full two year restoration to original condition, relaunching in February 1998.