ONLY PRODUCE.

The Argus, Melbourne, Friday 31 March, 1911.

NO SEARCH FOR SALVAGE.

EXPENDITURE USELESS.

As the cargo of the Yongala mainly consisted of produce there 

is no possibility of any search being made for salvage.

It will be remembered that after the Pericles struck a sunken

rock, and foundered off Cape Leeuwin, hundreds of boxes

of butter were discovered in the vicinity of the wreck, several

vessels being engaged in the search. This course will not 

be followed in the case of the Yongala, even if the wreck 

is located.The principal items in the manifest were flour, bran, 

fruit, pollard and potatoes. These would be so damaged by their 

immersion the in salt water that arrangements for salving would 

mean expenditure without any return.

This seems feasible on the surface but rather hasty considering that Yongala had disappeared only a week prior. The owners gave an impression of being adamant about this matter despite the financial loss - at least 40 000 pounds carried by the company. One would imagine that any form of recovery would be better than nothing. It's as though they did not want Yongala found, removing the all-important lure of salvage reward. Why? One could argue that they did not want any form of evidence that Yongala might simply have been overwhelmed by the storm rather than striking an object. As we know from the wreck site, Yongala did not strike anything and foundered at the mercy of the elements. This points to the tenderness factor! A group of adventurers found what must have been the Yongala site in November of 1911, a well-defined patch of oil rising from the depths at a location off Cape Bowling Green and within the steamer track. If salvage had been on the table I believe that there would have been adequate motivation to find proof of the wreck and cause of the disaster - which is certainly NOT what the owners wanted. How the plot thickened...

There is a source which suggests that there was more than just produce on board.