Shipwrecks Near Lorne

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

Shipwrecks near Lorne

Godfrey

Barque “W. B. Godfrey”

1891 artefacts from the wreck of the Godfrey: bolt from ship, barnacled gun, ship’s porthole

Henry

Length 48 ft, 2 master ketch, beam 13.9 ft, built 1854, 32 tons

The ketch Henry visited Lorne regularly with provisions, building materials and genera! 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.

Jack Loney at the unveiling of the plaque for the “Henry”, 17 March 1991.

Hinemoa

Length 271.1 ft, 4 masted barque, beam 41.9 ft, depth 25.2 ft, 2283 tons, built in Greenock, 1890

The four masted steel barque Hinemoa commanded by Captain Royan, grounded on the 21st January 1908 after losing her bearings due to thick smoke caused by fierce bushfires. The ship sat on an even keel with all sails set until she was towed off the next day by the tug Eagle. Her sailing days ended when she was torpedoed by a German submarine in the English Channel on the 7th September 1917.

Osprey

Length 78.8, 3 master schooner, beam 20.7 ft, depth 13.7 ft, 104 tons, built in Bristol 1 834

The schooner Osprey 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. Aft 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.

Otway

Length 48.6 ft beam 13.4 ft, depth 5.7 ft, 33 tons, built inHobart, 1850

The schooner Otway 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.

Otway shipwreck plaque

Paul James

Rebel

Length 71 .8 ft, 2 masted schooner, beam 17.9 ft, 104 tons, built in Yarmonth, 1833

The Schooner Rebel, registered at Geelong, was 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.

Speculant

Speculate wreck, Cape Pattern, 10th February 1911

Sources:

• AUSTRALIA’S SHIPWRECK COAST by Jack Coney