According to the booklet, Australian shipwrecks became so common The Sydney Morning Herald began writing a ”shipwrecks” section within its shipping column. Photos: Region.
Here’s something for your next trivia night: Where was the only spot where a ship carrying convicts ran aground on the Australian mainland?
The answer is Bherwerre Beach, near Jervis Bay, where the Hive ran into trouble in 1835.
It’s also one of the more than 150 shipwreck stories compiled in a new booklet from the South Coast History Society Inc.
For president Peter Lacey, searching under the waves has brought ashore an appreciation of modern travel.
“I don’t think people today appreciate what the early settlers in the area were faced with,” he said.
“[Travellers were] to a great extent, taking their lives in their own hands.
“The ships would set sail when the weather was calm, and then there was a light breeze and within hours, things would change, and the people on the ship would be in peril.”
The group began its search around Batemans Bay before following the coast north up to Kiama.
“The history of somewhere like Port Kembla or Wollongong is totally different to the history of the rural area,” Mr Lacey said of choosing the focus area.
“The history of Kiama is basically the same as the history of Eden, basically the same as Merimbula or whatever. It’s formed by the geography of the area – the sea to one side, the mountains to the other side.”
Their search led the researchers through historical records, Google searches and news articles from decades past.
“You’d be looking to see what the story was of any [one] ship, and you’d find that in the report it was shipwrecked near where such and such ships were wrecked,” Mr Lacey said.
“One would lead to another, and that would lead to another. Eventually, we’ve come up with almost 150 shipwrecks, up and down the coast.”
The South Coast History Society compiled its findings in a booklet, South Coast Shipwrecks, and released it online in May.
Among its stories are the Ly-ee-Moon (which ran into rocks at the base of Green Cape Lighthouse in good conditions in 1886) and the Cumberland (it sank after it struck a German mine between Merimbula and Eden in 1917).
But despite the danger, communities, producers and businesses had to rely on ships to transport goods and people around.
The waves look calm now, but South Coast waters have a centuries-long history of ships coming to grief in them.
According to the booklet, most of the ships were small vessels or steamers. They were often caught out by sudden weather changes, while their skippers would struggle with limited maps or knowledge of the conditions.
It all meant shipping and travel would continue over the decades – and so did the disasters.
“If you wanted to go anywhere, if you wanted to get information … it had to come down here by ship,” Mr Lacey said.
“You couldn’t send them by road.
“Shipping was also very important for the people who lived up on the tablelands, because they had exactly the same problem until the railways were built [relying on sea travel].”
Although the South Coast Shipwrecks booklet’s tally is a tad shy of the 200 sinkings some historians cite, Mr Lacey is confident his group found the major ones.
And they’re always open to hearing about any other shipwrecks.
“I don’t think we’ve come to the end of the road yet,” he said.
“I’m sure that some of the local historical societies or whatever might have some information tucked away in them that we have yet to uncover.”
The South Coast Shipwrecks booklet is available on the South Coast History Society Inc. website.
