Firefly crash.

A story about the Firefly aeroplane that crashed into Jervis Bay back in 1956 appeared in the South Coast Register today. Here is a link to that fascinating story. Story Here http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/4057341/missing-aircraft-wreckage-found-in-jervis-bay-photos/?cs=202#slide=1 Follow the link below to see  this fantastic image of the plane sitting on the bottom. http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/4057341/missing-aircraft-wreckage-found-in-jervis-bay-photos/?cs=202#slide=1 Divers explore the wreck of VX 381 in Hare Bay. Photo: Mick Tait - www.micktait.com

I have previously posted other information about this and other Fairy Firefly incidents including some amazing images and the only ones in existance of a forced wheel up crash landing on Callala Beach taken by relatives who lived there at the time of the accident. - Continue Reading. – More Here.

White Bellied Sea Eagle

I photographed this magestic fully grown eagle souring effortlessly in slow circles between the shoreline and the sea today.   It doesn’t matter how many times you see one of these magnificent birds, it’s always a fantastic experience.

Around the grounds

 

I took a leisurely stroll around the grounds of the museum today with the camera. If you want to spend a couple of hours of discovery,  come along to the museum you won’t be disappointed.  Take your time and search out the small details amongst the larger displays.  If your anything like me they can be the most interesting things.

The old boat frame. Fascinating to see just how a boat is constructed.

The Crest – an ongoing volunteer recovery project.

Memorial to Alf Setree,  the last of the timber framed boat builders working on the Currambene and a hard working friend and volunteer of the museum.

Flowers

Here are just a few of the many flowers starting to appear – a sure sign we are slowly heading towards spring. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

Cape St George Lighthouse.

Midnight shadow chasing.

I went out to the Old Lighthouse around midnight recently and took a time lapse photo of  my favourite part of the coast.  The remains are cold and quiet, in stark contrast to some of the activities that use to go on there.  This link ‘good old friends of yore” takes you to a fascinating story about old friends making a huge effort to get to the lighthouse and surprise the keeper and his family in 1892. Continue reading for more about the lighthouse.

Kingfisher

The work continues on the Kingfisher – the old hull is being completely stripped down and anything that is rotten is being replaced with new materials. The engine is being given a complete overhall as well. There is still plenty of work to do before she is watertight,  but the volunteers are determined to see the job through to completition. More information here.

The barque Loch Katrine adrift off Jervis Bay 1910.

A mighty conflict with the elements.

The iron ship 'Loch Katrine', 1252 tons, in an unidentified port. Aprox 1880. REF:   http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/15/4

You don't usually find such a graphic account of the circumstances surrounding this types of incident,  but this account brings you right onto the decks of the Loch Katrine. It takes you to a place where frightened men battled the elements trying to stay alive as they tried to avoid flying debris as the ship was being torn apart around them, you can imagine the sounds of the waves engulfing the ship, the grinding of timber against timber,  the groans of the rigging and the steel hull as the Loch Katrine strained against the sea and wind.  Ill start with an understated comment from the very experienced  Captain Martin,   Master of the Loch Katrine, he had spent most of his life at sea serving on the "Loch" line of clippers.          " It was the most trying experience I had passed through"                      after reading the story I can see why. The Loch Katrine was overdue in Sydney and a certain uneasiness was felt about the fate of the vessel. April 27th Wednesday  -  2.30am. The barque Loch Katrine of the Loch line of clippers was on a trip between Melbourne and Sydney carrying a cargo of general goods from Gladscow with a crew of 22. When off the eastern entrance to Bass Straight she ran into a  violent hurricane four days after leaving Melbourne, driving her down to leeward.  Almost immediately down came the main top mast short of the cap,  bringing with it the mizzen topgallant mast.  The wreckage fell with a terrific crash,  and some of it,  hanging from aloft swung to and fro for half an hour,  threatening to pierce the hull and send the ship to the bottom. Eventually the crew managed to cut it away,  but then the heavy rolling of the vessel caused the main mast to come down.   It snapped 3ft from the deck,  the  wreckage smashing the starboard boat on the chocks to atoms before going over the side. With only the foremast complete the barque was left a floating hulk,  and she rolled to such an extent that the crew stated they had never experienced anything like it.. “She fairly rolled with the rails under and the men were working waist deep in water in their efforts to keep the ship under something like control’'. The storm had left behind a heavy sea, and the violent rolling and pitching had it's effect. The crane of the lower top sail yard carried away,  the yard coming down on the foreyard taking with it the truss.  This bought the upper top sail yard down also.  8 a.m Wednesday. Three topmast back stays went off the starboard side,  and the topmast crashed overboard, leaving only the foremast and foreyard standing.   The vessel was tumbling so badly that the men could not keep their feet. 10a.m.Wednesday. The mizzen topmast went with a crash,  half the mast along with the gaff,  remaining aloft,  swinging about to the peril of all.  The spanker boom also came down on deck,  smashing the pooprail and starboard compass. 12 p.m. 28th Thursday. The foremast broke off 4ft from the deck.  The wreckage went through the main hatch and also smashed the pumps.  The crew had a lively time dodging the falling wreckage and they subsequently kept busy clearing it off the deck.  It was dark before the decks were cleared, an examination showed the jib boom had broken off short of the cap. Sleep was impossible because the rolling ship kept tossing them out of their bunks. April 29th. Friday The barque passed through a westerly gale,  and made very bad weather,  the decks being kept in a chronic state of flood. Efforts were made by the crew to set up a jury rig with little success. 3 p.m. The crew cut a tow rope up and had fourstay sails set.  They then took the spanker boom onto the main deck to make it ready to send aloft. May 1st Sunday. The boom was rigged. May 2nd - Monday. They set the spanker boom over the end and lashed it to the foremast so as to set a royal fore top mast stay sail.  The lifeboat was put over the side and readied for assistance, the Loch Katrine was perfectly helpless in the sea way,  and was hove to,  the idea being to try and hold the vessel in the vicinity of the event incase of assistance being sent. A change of wind drove her away north. May 3rd - Tuesday. In a moderating sea the Captain decided to dispatch the lifeboat, with six men. Volunteers were asked for and every man put his hands up,  6 men were chosen, 4 for hauling and to spelling,  they were now 150 miles south-east of Cape Howe, they estimated it would take four days to see Gabo Island,  they were provisioned for 10 days. The mate was instructed to steer for Twofold Bay,  they were furnished with the necessary charts. The Captain felt sure they would soon reach land and report their condition. May 5th. - Friday. She was going before a southerly blow.  Having jury-rigged the vessel in order to navigate they made fair progress,  and logged 72 miles on the first day. May 7th - Sunday She had been swept into the vicinity of Montague Island by noon.. 6 p.m The same day they sighted Point Perpendicular light. May 8th - Monday. By the next morning they were abreast of Jervis Bay still heading north 16 miles off land. The wind fell away and under the influence of a strong southerly current swept them 5 to 6 miles southward again.  The wind freshened from the south again and the captain headed in for the land in a north-west direction. 3p.m They were once again abreast of Jervis Bay. The Jervis bay lighthouse was again in sight. The barque had signal "N.C". flying,  but there was no answer.  Rockets were fired Sunday night,  but without result, but the captain was confident they had been seen. N.C International Distress Signal Flag November / Charlie The Loch Katrine crew had no way of knowing her plight had been reported, and arrangement had been made with the agents to dispatch the 125ft long tugboat Heroic on the 7th to find the stricken vessel, not knowing where she was located this could have taken many weeks,  but fortunately the tug came upon the vessel the next day. The watchful crew noticed a tug steaming towards their stricken vessel. On arrival at the scene the Heroic dispatched meat, potatoes, vegetables and tobacco to the distressed crew, and all hands were thankful for their deliverance. Her arrival into Port Jackson as reported in the Advertiser May 11th. "Rolling lazily at the end of a long length of towline from Fendwick's tug Heroic,  the dismasted barque Loch Katrine hove in sight off Sydney Heads at daylight.  The tug picked her up east of Jervis Bay,  and bought her along at easy pace. He appearance at the south reef was the signal for much satisfaction, and loud cheers were set up from the crews of passing vessel as the crippled barque swung into the eastern channel and up the harbour. The old Glasgow clipper was in a sorry plight. Never before, perhaps,  has a vessel made port in such a dismasted condition.  But for a short boom rigged up on the stump of the foremast and mizzen mast there has been a clean sweep of everything and viewed from the poop deck the vessel presents a battered and weather beaten appearance. - Distress call unanswered by Jervis Bay Lighthouse? The Captain was at a loss to understand why his distress signals were ignored by the Jervis Bay Lighthouse.  He said that as soon as he sighted the lighthouse on Sunday Evening he fired several rockets,  and when abreast of Jervis Bay,  only 10 miles off land, on Monday afternoon,  he hoisted a flag code signal that he was in distress,  and wanted immediate assistance. No notice was taken of either signal, although from the Loch Katrine the flagstaff of the signal station could be distinctly seen with the naked eye. The alarm was raised after the men who had left the boat on Tuesday the 3rd headed for Twofold bay came within sight of Gabo Island.  They were then seen and picked up by the Swedish steamer  “Tasmanic” on Friday the 6th. They were well looked after, given seperate cabins and they had their first sleep in nine days.

I couldn’t find any photographs of the Loch Katrine,  but I found this photograph of the Barque Hougomont in a South Australian Port after her battle with a terrific gale around the same time… From the description above the Loch Katrine fared much worse.

The distance covered by the damaged Barque is quite amazing.

What became of the Loch Katrine.

After being so badly damaged the Loch Katrine was sold in June 1910 to Dalgety & Co., Sydney for conversion to a coal hulk. In May 1924, the Loch Katrine was purchased by Burns Philp and Co. Ltd and towed to Rabaul where for some years it was used as a coal lighter for ships of the Burns Philp line, subsequently taken to Rabaul and eventually sunk as a breakwater. REF: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/loch.shtml REF: http://www.pngaa.net/Library/LochKatrine.htm

Loch Katrine was named after a Scottish Lake.

Many rescues at sea during these times mention the tugboats from Sydney. Here is a description of the tug boat “Heroic” one of  a small fleet of tugs operated by the Fenwick Company in salvage, recovery, towing and rescue work.

The boy in the boat–Huskisson

Another wonderful image from the museum’s collection showing a view of the entrace to Currambene Creek. Sometime around 1957.

Warden Head Lighthouse

Today I took the opportunity to visit the Warden Head Lighthouse at Ulladulla. It been a long time between visits. Full story on the Lighthouse here.

In the background we have whale watchers scanning the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of these beautiful animals as they swim by on their northerly winter migration.

Tathra Wharf.

The historic coastal steamer wharf was constructed in 1862 from funding provided by local farmers and the Illawarra Steamship Company.  Steamers from the Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Co – the ‘Pig and Whistle Line’ use to call at the wharf to unload and load all manner of cargo and passengers.  By 1893 the wharf had become one of the most important ports of call for the company.     By 1958 the wharf was no longer commercially viable as road transport became the preferred mode of transporting goods and people, and the wharf started to fall into disrepair. The wharf’s location protects it from the storms coming from the south,  but it is exposed to anything coming from the North.   The recent large north swell in June 2016 generated by an East Coast Low that shook the whole eastern sea board and reported to be the biggest storm since the Signa storm in 1994,   saw huge swell slamming into the wharf causing it to shake on it’s foundations causing sever damage. I first visited the wharf in the late 1970s and the old wharf was falling apart, nothing had be done to it in years, it had been battered from many storms and was left to deteriorate. At the time inside the wharf was all but empty,  open holes and no windows made it a breezy place,   there was a high wire fence erected around the wharf to keep people out for fear of falling through the rotting structure.   The NSW Public Works Department wanted the wharf demolished. The fence proved useless as that also fell into disrepair and people simply climbed through the holes in the fence to swim and fish.

From one of my slides - Unglazed window openings 1978. . The wharf was completly empty at the time this dark image was taken. . .

With the threat of demolition local people rallied together forming the Tathra Wharf Action Group.  They raised money and peoples awareness of the importance of saving the old wharf and preserving a small but important part of our short but important heritage. It was eventually restored by the National Trust Department of Planning,  and local residents. The Tathra wharf is the last surviving coastal steamer wharf in NSW,  and is an important link to our rural and maritime history. I found this little poem from the Southern Star paper 1905.  At the time there was a proposal for the wharf to be leased to the I.S.C.S.N. ( Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company ) There was much debate about the issue and it’s advantages and disadvantages.  The meeting became quite fiery and the article titled “The Indignation Meeting”  ended with this poem penned by Mick O’Grady. It was decided at the time for the wharf to remain a public wharf. The issue was again raised in 1919 – and again it was defeated.

Sydney Mail 1902.

When Bega's men some object good      would show The project labors wearisome and slow, The School of Arts echoes the sad display Of empty seats in beggarly array; Be if the Ambulance, Brigade or Band No voices cheer it -  comes no helping hand, In lonesome apathy the meeting palls Postponed for ever and the curtain falls Not so, when Sydney side would take      away The common right to land at Tathra Bay, In righteous wrath the citizens attend And all their views in one fixed impulse       blend, Impassioned speech the angry hearts       infuse, Oh! how they buck when they have        ought to lose. Hats off! that precious wharf we still       can keep, And weary Bega turns again to sleep.                            —Mick O 'Grady,

Timetable advertisement in the same issue.

There are many stories associated with the Tathra wharf but the one below is rather interesting and unusual.

The wharf has a small maritime museum that is only open on Sunday afternoons,  if you have a chance,  take the time and visit the wharf and with a bit of imagination you may even hear the whistle of a small steamer approaching..

Yesterday and Today

The old boat frame arriving at Lady Denman Park. John Hatton secured the frame from a boat builder in Batemans Bay. Originally housed under cover in the Settree Boat Shed it had to make way for the Crest Restoration project and today it stands in the open alongside the old boat shed. This old frame gives you an insight into the process that goes into making a boat.   Hopefully once the Crest if complete this old frame will again find some shelter from the elements..

Present day. The blackened area on the bow was caused by the 2001 Xmas Bushfires that ravaged the area…….The old frame was lucky to survive…

Aberation of Intellect

As reported in the South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail 14 Feb 1880.

838 gross tons, 615 net. Lbd: 251'4" x 28'3" x 16'6". Iron steamship, 3 masts Barque rigged, built by J & G Thomson of Govan, Glasgow for the ASN Co. Designed as a passenger vessel, carrying 194 in two classes on the Australian coastal run. Ref: http://www.flotilla-australia.com/hrsn.htm

Whaling Jervis Bay.

These small pieces of information are important insights into the movement of steamers into and out of Jervis Bay. They appear hidden away amongst long lists of shipping movements advertised in the old newspapers.

The plight of the mariner.

A typical Barque – a public domain image. 1875 the “good”  ship Indus. Setting sail and leaving the safety of the harbour for the open sea must have been quite an amazing experience.  The early sailors had to have trust in many things,  the captain they would hope had the experience and knowledge to get them to their destination,  they would have to have faith in their vessel to be able to handle extremes in weather that could push the limits of man and equipment. How bad a condition must a vessel be in to make sailors  refuse to go to sea. January 12th 1875. The Indus left Newcastle port laden with coal for Dunedin,  around Nobby’s Head she was becalmed and with no wind to drive her windmill the pumps failed to relieve her of the water now seeping through her hull, as a  consequence she returned to port for repairs. January 13th 1875. Four seamen off the Indus were sentenced by the courts to eight weeks jail with hard labour for refusing to go to sea , alledging she was unseaworthy. February 20th. News was received from Captain Mc’Coll that the “ Indus had gone down south of Jervis Bay,  all crew were saved”. In this case the opinion of the crew members that refused to go to sea appears to have been justified. As reported by the correspondent from the 1875 Newcastle Chronicle.

But the final word must go to the correspondent from the Morning Bulletin.