HMS Trincomalee is hoping to kick start its bicentenary celebrations with the launch of a new display on board the historic ship.

The world’s oldest warship still afloat, which forms part of The National Museum of the Royal Navy family in Hartlepool, is fundraising to create the display in honour of the first female passenger to travel on her.

The HMS Trincomalee Trust is hoping to raise £500 through crowdfunding for its Eliza Bunt display. Eliza travelled on the ship from Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, to Portsmouth from 1818-1819 after her husband died and the Royal Navy took responsibility for her journey home.

She recorded her journey, which was a frank account of a woman’s experience onboard the ship, and the display will include items mentioned in her diary. The event is timed coincide with the centenary year of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS).

Helen Loynes, fundraising manager for the HMS Trincomalee Trust, said: “Eliza Blunt was an inspirational woman and her diary offers a rare insight into life on board a Naval ship in the early 19th Century. A display depicting her journey and the wider history of the Royal Navy at that point in time would be a great addition to HMS Trincomalee and allow visitors to gain even more knowledge.”

Anyone wanting should visit www.justgiving.com