1854

The colony of Van Diemen's Land provided the English Emigration Commissioners with funds sufficient to pay transport expenses for 300 Shetland women.
The vessel Elizabeth (1854) went ashore at an unspecified location. All of the crew were saved and the vessel was later refloated and repaired.

January

31st
The Charles Jones, a barque, laden with a general cargo, of Liverpool, England, from Leith, Scotland and for Valaparasio, Chile wrecked at Eshaness. All aboard perished.

3rd
A small boat, believed to possibly belong to a larger vessel, and marked Matilda, of Inverness, H. McIntosh reported found at Cullingsburgh, Bressay. It is not know whether there indeed was a larger vessel to which this boat belonged, and if there was, that the discovery of her small boat indicates whether she had been lost at some unknown time and location previously, or that the small boat had simply broken loose and drifted away. This is also presumed to be the date of reporting, rather than the date of discovery.

15th
Out Skerries first temporary lighthouse lit, on the island of Grunay. A permanent lighthouse was later completed on Bound Skerry, in 1858

11th
The first temporary Muckle Flugga Lighthouse on Unst is lit. A permanent lighthouse was finished in January 1858.

15th
A fishing vessel, registered in Lerwick, but otherwise unidentified, is recorded as having wrecked "near" Lerwick.