Cygnet was built by John Gilmore and Company at Sulkea (across the Hooghly River from Calcutta) in India, and the primary material was teak.

It was bought by Thomas Ward and registered in London with John Rolls as master.

[1] Cygnet carried emigrants to the Swan River Colony, including George Lazenby who arrived in January 1833.

[1] Cygnet was chartered in 1836 by the South Australian Colonization Commission to carry emigrants including many of the surveying staff for the new Colony of South Australia, including deputy surveyor George Strickland Kingston and assistant surveyor B. T.

[3] Cygnet was posted at Port Lincoln to await the Buffalo carrying Governor Hindmarsh to advise him that the new capital would be near Holdfast Bay and he should continue to there.