Rottnest Island shipwrecks

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Plan of the old main Rottnest Island lighthouse
Plan of the old main Rottnest Island lighthouse

The following list of shipwrecks off Rottnest Island (32°0′S 115°31′E / -32, 115.517) shows twelve larger and surveyed wrecks close to the island, which is off the Western Australia coast. The wrecks are listed in chronological order.

Since the first Europeans visited the west coast of Australia in the 16th century, Rottnest has seen numerous recorded shipwrecks. The 11 kilometre long and 4.5 kilometre wide island is surrounded by hidden and partly exposed reefs whilst being buffeted by the Roaring Forties. It is situated 12 km west of the port of Fremantle meaning that much of the maritime traffic to Western Australia's major port passes close by.

Details on every shipwreck at the island are unknown as many thousands of vessels of varying size visit the island each year. Other ships have been lost in waters further off-shore including some closer to Fremantle. Still others were stranded on rocks at Rottnest but were re-floated. The Anitra II is in this latter category but is included in the list as the hull was on display on the island near the main settlement.

All of the wrecks are protected under Commonwealth legislation in the Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) and State legislation in the Maritime Archaeology Act (1973). Plaques have been located next to the wrecks as well as onshore to indicate their locations.

Contents

[edit] Lighthouses

The first stone lighthouse built in Western Australia was completed in 1849 and built in the centre of the island.[1] The 20 m tower was replaced in 1896 with a new tower as the current Wadjemup Lighthouse.

Following an inquiry after the City of York disaster in 1899, a second lighthouse was built at Bathurst Point on the north eastern end of the island.[2]

[edit] Map

Wadjemup lighthouse (1849)
Bathurst lighthouse(1901)
Image:Crosshair.gif Transit (1842)
Image:Crosshair.gif Lady Elizabeth (1878)
Image:Crosshair.gif Macedon (1883)
Image:Crosshair.gif Mira Flores (1886)
Image:Crosshair.gif Janet (1887)
Ulidia (1893) Image:Crosshair.gif
Image:Crosshair.gif Denton Holme (1890)
Image:Crosshair.gif Raven (1891)
City of York (1899) Image:Crosshair.gif
Image:Crosshair.gif Euribes (1942)
Image:Crosshair.gif Anitra II (1979)
Image:Crosshair.gif Kiryo Maru 1 (1984)

[edit] List

Ship Date wrecked Location Notes
Transit 9 May 1842 Transit reef (Duck rock), Thomson Bay
31.983° S 115.55° E		 Wooden schooner, 124 tons, 88.8 feet long. Voyage from the Cape of Good Hope. There was a suggestion that her master had been careless or had deliberately wrecked the vessel. No lives lost.[3][4]
Gem 18 May 1876 Thomson Bay
31°59′33″S, 115°33′65″E		 Wooden cutter, 52 tons. Carrying 500 tons of wheat from Port Irwin to Fremantle, Western Australia. The day after she left port, the assistant lighthouse keeper on Rottnest reported seeing her three kilometres east of the island. The lighthouse keeper at Arthur Head also saw the vessel, but later saw only the top mast and crosstree visible above the water. The Fremantle harbour master found the vessel sunk with no sign of survivors. Two days later, divers found a rug in the captain’s cabin. Three days later decking, personal possessions and sacks of grain began washing ashore. “A cover-up by the harbour-master was also suggested because of the discrepancies in the information he gave about the vessel’s position. He is thought to have profited from unlawful salvage.”

[5][6][7]
Lady Elizabeth 30 July 1878 near Dyer Island
32.0191° S 115.5475° E		 Wooden barque 658 tons. From Fremantle for Shanghai, one life lost. Wreck lies on a sandy bottom in Bickley Bay with the bow wedged into a reef in about ten metres with a portion of her hull and ribs exposed. Some artefacts remain.[8][9]
Macedon 21 March 1883 Transit Reef
31°59′24″S, 115°33′31″E		 Iron steamship, 826/796 tons. Carrying passengers, luggage, and a cargo of horses from Fremantle to Beagle Bay. She struck a reef and began taking water quickly filling the engine room with water. Rough weather quickly destroyed the vessel. The hull was sold for salvage at auction for £170.[10][11][12]
Mira Flores 1 February 1886 Horseshoe Reef (north)
32°00′49″S, 115°28′15″E		 German owned iron barque, 500 tons, 161.5 feet. From London under charter by the Western Australian Shipping Association. Crew saved. Lies on a shallow reef in about ten metres of water showing considerable damage to her stern and midships.[13][14][15]
Janet 11 December 1887 Transit Reef

31°59′25″S, 115°33′41″E

 Three masted wooden schooner, 211 tons built in Fremantle (at the time, the largest vessel having been built there). Wrecked while inward bound to Fremantle from Colombo. Wreckage including two anchors lies in about five metres of water a short distance from the Macedon and Denton Holme.[16][17][18]
Denton Holme 25 September 1890 Transit Reef
31°59′24″S, 115°33′31″E		 Iron barque, 998 tons, 213.2 feet long. Built as the Star Of Denmark in 1889, name changed. From Glasgow to Fremantle, wrecked almost on top of the Macedon in about six metres of water.[19][20]
Raven 11 March 1891 Dyer's Island Reef
32°01′26″S, 115°33′08″E		 Wooden barque, 344 tons, 121.1 feet long. Lies partly buried in the sand at a depth of about six metres.[21][22]
Ulidia 17 May 1893 Stragglers Reef south of Rottnest
32°03′47″S, 115°37′69″E		 Iron ship, 2405 tons, 300 feet long. Left Fremantle for Newcastle, England.[23][24]
City of York 12 July 1899 200 metres offshore at Cape of York Bay
32°20′10″S, 115°37′98″E		 1218 tons, 229.8 feet long. On a voyage from San Francisco to Fremantle carrying timber cargo. Wrecked during a storm after receiving confused signals from the lighthouse operator on the island. 11 men drowned.[25][26]
Uribes  ? July, 1942 Just north of False Jetty at Phillip Rock, Thompson Bay
31°59′54″S, 115°33′38″E		 Auxiliary powered three-masted wooden schooner, 250 tons, 110 feet long. Built in Stockton-on-Tees. Engines failed and she dragged her anchors, going ashore. Cargo included 150 six-inch shells and two motor vehicles. Lies in shallow water about 12 metres from shore.[27]
Anitra II 25 November 1979 Cape Vlamingh (West End) 26 ton ketch. Was competing in the 14,000 nautical mile Round the World Yacht Race and nearing the finish at Fremantle. Hull was salvaged and was on display near main settlement.[28]
Kiryo Maru 1 6 August 1984 Cathedral Rocks
32°01′28″S, 115°26′95″E		 Japanese tuna boat, 36 metres.[29]
Rottnest from space, showing the extensive reef system surrounding the island's coast.
Rottnest from space, showing the extensive reef system surrounding the island's coast.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The Wadjemup Lighthouse on Rottnest Island. Lighthouses of Western Australia. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  2. ^ The Bathurst Lighthouse on Rottnest Island. Lighthouses of Western Australia. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  3. ^ Henderson, Vol 1
  4. ^ wreck details: Transit (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  5. ^ Passmore, N. et al., Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, Vol. 8.1, p5-12
  6. ^ Western Australian Museum – Maritime Archaeology/Shipwrecks
  7. ^ wreck details: Gem (database). Historic Shipwrecks of Perth 1656-1942. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  8. ^ Henderson, Vol. 2, p?
  9. ^ wreck details: Lady Elizabeth (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  10. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p43-47
  11. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p169-171
  12. ^ wreck details: Macedon (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  13. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p76-79
  14. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p169-171
  15. ^ wreck details: Mira Flores (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  16. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p112-115
  17. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p169-171
  18. ^ wreck details: Janet (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  19. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p169-171
  20. ^ wreck details: Denton Holme (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  21. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p181-183
  22. ^ wreck details: Raven (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  23. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p214-217
  24. ^ wreck details: Ulidia (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  25. ^ Henderson., Vol. 3, p312-319
  26. ^ wreck details: City of York (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  27. ^ wreck details: Uribes (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  28. ^ wreck details: Anitra II (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  29. ^ wreck details: Kiryo Maru 1 (database). National Shipwrecks database. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.

[edit] References

  • Henderson, Graeme (1988). Unfinished Voyages - Shipwrecks of Western Australia 1622-1850 (Volume 1). UWA Press, Nedlands. ISBN 0 85564 176 2. 
  • Henderson, Graeme (1988). Unfinished Voyages - Shipwrecks of Western Australia 1851 - 1880 (Volume 2). UWA Press, Nedlands. ISBN 0 85564 283 3. 
  • Henderson, Graeme (1988). Unfinished Voyages - Shipwrecks of Western Australia 1881-1900 (Volume 3). UWA Press, Nedlands. ISBN 0 875560 24 6. 
  • Loney, Jack (1994). Wrecks on the Western Australian Coast. Lonestone Press. 

[edit] External links