HMS Guardian was a 44-gun fifth-rate two-decker of the Royal Navy, later converted to carry stores. She was completed too late to take part in the American War of Independence, and instead spent several years laid up in ordinary, before finally entering service as a store and convict transport to Australia, under Lieutenant Edward Riou. Riou sailed Guardian, loaded with provisions, animals, convicts and their overseers, to the Cape of Good Hope where he took on more supplies. Nearly two weeks after his departure on the second leg of the journey, an iceberg was sighted and Riou sent boats to collect ice to replenish his water supplies. Before he could complete the re-provisioning, a sudden change in the weather obscured the iceberg, and Guardian collided with it while trying to pull away. She was badly damaged and in immediate danger of sinking. The crew made frantic repair attempts but to no apparent avail. Riou eventually allowed most of the crew to take to Guardian boats, but refused to leave his ship. Eventually through continuous work he and the remaining crew were able to navigate the ship, by now reduced to little more than a raft, back to the Cape, a nine-week voyage described as "almost unparalleled". Riou ran Guardian aground to prevent her sinking, but shortly afterwards a hurricane struck the coast, wrecking her. The remains were sold in 1791. Construction and commissioning She was ordered from Robert Batson, Limehouse on 11 August 1780 and was laid down in December that year. Guardian was launched on 23 March 1784, too late to see service in the American War of Independence and was instead fitted out at Deptford Dockyard for ordinary. The builder was paid for her construction, with the Admiralty paying another to fit her out. After five years spent laid up she was fitted out at Woolwich in 1789 to serve as a store and convict transport, commissioning under Post-Captain Edward Riou in April. Voyage to Australia Riou was tasked with delivering the stores consisting of seeds, plants, farm machinery and livestock, with a total value of some , and convicts to the British settlement at Botany Bay. At least some of the plants and seeds were provided by Hugh Ronalds, a nurseryman in Brentford. Also aboard Guardian was a young midshipman named Thomas Pitt, the son of politician Thomas Pitt, and nephew of Prime Minister William Pitt. With