Back home after 150 years, grand piano that survived Great Barrier Reef shipwreck

A remarkable grand piano that survived being shipwrecked off Australia's Great Barrier Reef along with its owner has been returned to its original home after 150 years. Once owned by the celebrated concert pianist Arabella Goddard - hailed in her time as "The Queen of Pianists" - the beautiful Broadwood piano survived maritime disaster, scandal, and even a hostage situation in a Sydney theatre.

Now, after more than a century away, it is back on display where it once held pride of place at the National Trust's Cragside in Northumberland. Goddard was a global sensation in the 1870s, touring internationally with her Broadwood piano to promote the new rosewood model. But the Australian leg of her worldwide tour was riddled with bad luck.

In June 1874, she was marooned off the coast of Queensland when the RMS Flintshire ran aground on part of the Great Barrier Reef during a storm. After a harrowing night in an open boat, she was recovered - along with her piano - and continued with her concerts across Australia.

But the drama didn't end there. In Sydney, Arabella's agent fell out with the manager of the Victoria Theatre and refused to let her share billing with a local 'Burlesque Opera' performer. This was made public by a scandalous letter, supposedly written by Arabella. It mocked and insulted Australian performers and audiences and inflamed tensions. Goddard denied authorship and had to flee Sydney, leaving her piano behind. It was held hostage by the theatre manager until negotiations secured its release.

The piano resurfaced in London in May 1875 and was purchased by William Armstrong for 250 guineas - around £26,000 in today's money. He transported it to his home Cragside - famous at the time as the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectricity. The piano remained at Cragside until at least 1901, but after that its whereabouts remained unknown for a century.

The piano reappeared in 2006 and was sold to private buyers. Intrigued by its history, they conducted extensive research and confirmed its provenance as Arabella Goddard's piano, and the very instrument once housed at Cragside.

In fact, under the piano's cover is a sticker that reads "Sir Wm Armstrong" alongside pencilled dates, believed to show when it was tuned. The couple have now generously given the piano to Cragside for redisplay in the Drawing Room - exactly 150 years after it was originally purchased by Armstrong.

Daisy Gibbs, National Trust Research Officer and music historian, said: "In today's world of streaming and digital playlists, it's easy to forget how central live music and home instruments once were to everyday life.

"For middle-class Victorian families having a piano in the home was normal - but owning a luxury model, like a Broadwood, was a true status symbol, and it was a piece of product placement as Arabella toured the world. Favoured by royalty and celebrated composers such as Chopin and Beethoven and referenced by Jane Austen in her novels, these instruments represented both cultural refinement and social prestige."

Claire Teasdale, Cragside's Collections and House Manager, added: "It's entirely plausible that William Armstrong admired Arabella Goddard as a performer, and he may even have intentionally chosen this piano for his visionary home - just as iconic instruments once belonging to rockstars are sought after today. We're excited to bring it home to Cragside and share its remarkable story of resilience and survival with visitors for generations to come."

Visitors can view the piano in Cragside's Drawing Room, offering a rare glimpse into a story that spans continents, centuries, and the enduring power of music.

• For more information, visitnationaltrust.org.uk/cragside