The Lawhill was one of the many ships involved in the Australian grain trade. Before that she had carried jute and then case oil for the Anglo-American Oil Company before being bought by Gustaf Erikson in 1917. After her first voyage for Erikson to South America he placed the ship in the South Australian grain trade and she continued in this right through the Second World War. However in 1941 she was taken over by the South African government and ended her career in 1947 under the South African Blue Ensign. From this we may assume that the date on the photograph is incorrect.

Lawhill was a steel four masted, bald-headed, stump-topgallant barque, a consistent sailer which earned the name the 'Lucky Lawhill'; between 1921-39 Lawhill made 14 voyages to the Spencer Gulf with an average sailing time of 121 days.