FALLS OF HALLADALE
Statement of Significance
Iron ship building revolutionised the shipbuilding industry and dramatically altered the structure, organisation and traditional distribution of shipbuilding yards. Iron as a material was used for a very short space of time, steel took over by the turn of the century. Iron ships had been built in response to the demand by shippers for strength, lightness, stowage, capacity, safety, durability and speed as well as economy in repairs. Iron hulls presented special problems because of the chemical factors bringing about corrosion and fouling the outer hull in marine environments and the corrosion and damage from the chemical make up of the cargoes. Iron as a hull material created a new set of problems for navigation as compasses were thrown out by the magnetic field created by the hull itself.