Lorne Victoria Australia

Bass straight is notorious for many shipwrecks along the shores. Strong winds turned the shallow waters into mountainous seas and many ships became victims.

Some ship disasters along Lorne’s coastline include:

1. Schooner Rebel
2. Schooner Osprey
3. Schooner Otway
4. Ketch Henry
5. Clipper Paul Jones
6. Barque Hinemoa

1. Schooner Rebel

The Schooner Rebel, with length 71 .8 ft as a 2-masted schooner with a beam of 17.9 ft and 104 tons was built in Yarmonth, 1833 and registered at Geelong. It was thought to have been wrecked on the 17th February 1855, during a south easterly gale. The common practice is those days, was for the ship to put down kedge anchors and come in on the rising tide, the ship was then unloaded at low tide, then reloaded and winched back out on the next high tide.

After 1855, there are reports that show that the Rebel was trading along the Australian coast. It seems the Rebel was refloated and was never wrecked at Lorne.

2. Schooner Osprey

The Osprey was built in Bristol in 1834 with a length 78.8 ft as a  3-masted schooner with beam 20.7 ft, depth 13.7 ft and weighing 104 tons.

It was under the command of Captain Hawkins, went ashore with two anchors down early on Sunday morning 18th June 1854. An easterly wind was blowing a gale and huge waves were breaking over the stranded vessel. All hands and most of the ship’s gear was saved. When the storm abated, she was left lying on her side, only a few yards out, but badly sanded up. Her owners (Messrs Morrison & Co. Geelong) believed she could be salvaged, but their attempts failed and she became a total wreck. The ship had a figurehead in the form of an osprey.

1970s, remains of the Osprey. (LHS photo 8544)

Wreck of the Osprey, photo Leigh Hammerton

3. Schooner Otway

The Otway was built inHobart in 1850 with a length 48.6 ft, beam 13.4 ft, depth 5.7 ft and 33 tons.

It was registered at Geelong, carried provisions for local storekeepers. She was lost when heavy seas and gale force winds pounded her, finally forcing her ashore, where she listed badly, filled with sand and became a total wreck.

Schooner “Otway” 1862

4. Ketch Henry

Henry was a 2-masted ketch built in 1854 with length 48 ft, beam 13.9 ft and 32 tons

It visited Lorne regularly with provisions, building materials and general supplies. After her cargo was unloaded, then timber, wattle bark or ballast was taken on board. The only landing point was a small jetty near the mouth of the Erskine river, but it was found to be more convenient to beach the vessel on a rising tide. After reloading she was winched off on a falling tide. During a visit in August 1878 a strong wind drove her hard ashore. Efforts to refloat her failed and soon after a rising wind and sea from the east battered her to pieces.

5. Clipper Paul Jones

Plaque on Doug Stirling Walk, below Lorne Hospital

6. Barque Hinemoa

1908, Hinemoa