INQUIRY NOT TO BE HELD IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 29 May, 1911.

THE YONGALA WRECK.

BRISBANE, Sunday.

In connection with the loss of the steamer

Yongala, the Premier has received a telegram

from the Acting Premier of South Australia

stating: "The Marine Board of this State does

not consider it its duty to hold an Inquiry

into the disappearance of the Yongala."

Mr. Denham is referring the matter to the 

Attorney-General for his opinion on the 

constitution of the Inquiry which it is 

proposed to hold in Queensland.

How intriguing. Why would this have been?

The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 31 May, 1911.

LOSS OF THE YONGALA.

INQUIRY TO BE HELD IN

QUEENSLAND.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OPINION.

When the Premier (Hon. D. F. Denham) 

received information that the Government 

of South Australia would not hold an 

inquiry into the loss of the Yongala, 

Adelaide being the port of registration 

of the vessel, he sought the opinion of the 

Attorney-General (Hon. T. O'sullivan) on 

the position of the Queensland Marine 

Board in making an investigation. 

Mr. O'sullivan wrote: 

"I am of the opinion that an inquiry into the 

wreck of the Yongala can be held by the 

Marine Board of Queensland - By section 

11 of the Navigation Act of 1870 the board 

has power to inquire into any matter in 

connection with wrecks or casualties. 

Under section 3 of the Merchant Shipping 

(Colonial Inquiries) Act, 1982 (repealed 

by the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894), 

every court or tribunal then or thereafter 

authorised in a British possession to make 

inquiries as to ship-wrecks or other casualties 

affecting ships was empowered to hold an 

inquiry into a shipwreck or casualty occurring 

to a British ship on or near the coast of the 

British possession or to a British ship in the

course of a voyage to any port within a

British possession. Before the coming into 

operation of the Merchant Shipping Act

of 1896 the Marine Board of Queensland

had power to inquire as to shipwrecks so

occurring. Section 478 of the Act of

1896 provides 'that the Legislature of a

British possession may authorise any court

or tribunal to make inquiries as to ship-wreck 

or casualty so occurring. This section is more 

restrictive in its terms than the corresponding 

section under the Act of 1882, but was not, 

I think, intended to take away the powers 

possessed before 1895 by the Marine Board 

as to holding inquiries in cases such as that 

of the Yongala. (R. V. Mason, 0 W.A., L.R. 134.)"

The Premier said yesterday afternoon

that the State Treasurer is the authority

for issuing instructions to the Marine

Board, and as soon as he returns to 

Brisbane such instructions will be issued to

hold an inquiry in regard to the loss at

the Yongala.

This was a strange turn of events. That there was almost a refusal on the part of the Government of South Australia to hold the Inquiry begs questions. From a practical point of view there would not have been logistical obstacles to holding the Marine Inquiry in Adelaide. I can only think that there remained some form of animosity between the city of Adelaide and the Adelaide Steamship Company which might have had a negative impact on the outcome of the Inquiry. See:

http://yongalarevisited.blogspot.co.za/2016/08/complaint-against-custom-regulation.html

It will be very interesting to take a detailed look at the Marine Board Inquiry transcript which I intend to do shortly.

Marine Board and Customs Officers, South Australia 1885 (courtesy Arthur Collection)