REMEMBERED.

Daily Mercury, Mackay, 5 July, 1947.

THE YONGALA.

Sir,— The possibility of the

wreck discovered near Cape Bowling 

Green, in the vicinity ,of Ayr, being 

the 36-year-old wreck of the

Yongala was of more than passing 

interest to myself, as I was a

passenger from Sydney on that

ill-fated voyage, disembarking at

the old Flat Top anchorage. The

loss of such a fine vessel with all

hands constituted one of Australia's 

greatest maritime disasters. 

Cyclonic weather prevailed along 

the coast. The data available then 

was not as complete as that available 

now by the extensive use of wireless; 

and the ill-fated vessel left a safe 

anchorage to sail into the teeth of a 

gale.

Yongala was a steel screw steamer 

of 3664 tons gross. She was only

eight years of age when lost. The

cost was £102,000, She was noted

for her speed. My first contact

with Yongala was in 1907, when

she was my means of transport

from Brisbane to Sydney. The

following year I made my initial

voyage to Mackay in the same

vessel. On that occasion the S.S.

Cooma was given nearly two

hours' start at Sydney. The 

Yongala berthed at Brisbane two

hours ahead.

It was customary when the

Yongala was leaving port for the

ship's trumpeter to play a farewell 

tune. I can still see the trumpeter 

standing on the top deck, his trumpet 

glinting in the sunlight, as the Yongala 

left Sydney on that last tragic voyage,

and the tune he played was Auld

Lang Syne. 

After an uneventful voyage Yongala 

arrived at Flat Top anchorage on 

March 23, 1911. After transhipping 

passengers and cargo to and from 

the connecting lighters it left the 

anchorage at 1.40 p.m. the same 

day.

Within a very short time after

the departure of the Yongala

from Flat Top, my cousin, the

late George Bond who was then

State meteorologist, advised the

signal station at the island that

cyclonic conditions prevailed 
between Mackay and Townsvllle,

and to warn all shipping. Although 
other vessels profited by the 
warning, unfortunately the message 
could not be passed on  to the 
Yongala. Wireless was practically 
unheard of then.

The last person to sight the

doomed vessel was the lighthouse

keeper at Dent Island, which

point she passed at 6.30 p.m., a

few hours after leaving the 

anchorage. From then on the 

Yongala passed beyond human ken,

to add one more to the long roll

of mysteries of the sea.— Yours

etc.

JOHN GRANT MACKAY,

Goldsmith-street, Mackay.

THE YONGALA

Lost In Cyclone

TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO

(By .'Junius")

On March 21st, 1911, friends and

relatives of a number of passengers

assembled at a Brisbane wharf to bid

them God-speed. The travellers were

embarking on the 1825-ton steamer

Yongala for North Queensland ports,

and had anyone suggested the 

possibility of their never reaching their 

destination, or that the farewells were,

literally, being taken on the brink of

the grave, it is more than likely that

consternation would have been blotted

out by incredulity. The Yongala was

well-found, properly loaded and in 

excellent trim, and was commanded by

Captain W. J. Knight, whose knowledge

of Northern Queensland conditions and

skill in the handling of large vessels

was beyond question. He also had under

him experienced officers, and a staunch,

well-trained crew.

On the same day, a small rotary

storm of great intensity was operating

about 130 miles north from Willis Island. 

There was then no meteorological

station on Willis Island, so that nobody 

knew of the storm's existence, and

even had its presence been suspected,

few people would have connected this

small, virulent body upwards of 1000

miles away with the proud steamer

which passed rapidly out of the Brisbane 

River to the open sea and sped 

northwards with her living freight.

On the 22nd at noon the Yongala

was not far from North Reef lighthouse.

A ship at sea really was more of a

colony in those days before wireless,

than now the ether carries its messages

of shore doings with incredible speed

and unswerving fidelity. The company

on board soon settled down to the 

enforced isolation from the kind, and

looked forward to the next port when

contact with world doings would be 

re-established. By this time, the cyclone

had moved on a south-south-west

course, and was about 50 miles west

south-west from Willis Island. These

two strangely unlike bodies had moved

much closer together in the last 24

hours. Their paths were converging,

and for a large ship and 120 (122) 

souls the sands of life were running low.

120 SOULS ON BOARD.

On the morning of the 23rd the Yongala 

steamed into Flat Top, the anchorage at 

Mackay, where she landed 60 tons of 

cargo and some passengers. Whatever 

was the changing of personnel at Mackay, 

when the Yongala steamed away on her 

last journey at 1.40 p.m., she had on board 

120 (122) souls made up of crew 72, 1st 

class passengers 29, and 2nd class 

passengers 19. About two hours after she 

sailed the Meteorological Department at 

Melbourne advised coastal towns that 

cyclonic conditions prevailed between 

Mackay and Townsville. That warning was 

issued on data which were collected at 

9 that morning and telegraphed to Melbourne.

The reason for this seems to have been

that Melbourne was the seat of the

Federal Government-that is to say, no

other reason worth considering has been

propounded. Whatever the reasons, the

facts were that the 9 a.m. readings

that day showed the existence of a

dangerous storm moving down on to the

coast, and a valuable ship and 120 lives

steamed to their doom, nearly five

hours after those observations were

taken without any warning reaching

them. Bureaucratic pundits in Melbourne 

knew, but the master of a ship on the 

Queensland coast with 120 (122) lives

in his charge knew nothing of the

menace ahead.

As the boisterous evening drew to a

close, lighthouse keepers at Dent Island, 

which lay 58 miles from Flat Top anchorage 

along the route taken by the Yongala saw 

the smoke of a large steamer hurrying north 

through Whitsunday Passage. The south-east 

wind drove the smoke head of her, sometimes 

enveloping her like a funeral pall.

As she drew near it was seen that she

was the Yongala, but although Dent Island 

light station was for years described

presumably by some humourist as a signal 

station, it was never connected or had any 

means of connecting with the mainland. 

Hence the station had no news of the mighty

force which lay ahead, and as the Yongala 

surged majestically past at 6.30 she was 

seen for the last time by mortals. As she 

faded into the growing dusk (dusk = 6 p.m.) 

and increasing welter of storm, the mists of eternity 

closed down behind her and the sea  gained 

yet another tragic secret.

I disagree with this time. It would have been difficult to confirm the ship's identity well after dark and with overcast gale conditions developing.

Residents of Cannon Valley saw the steamer passing at dusk (6 p.m.) one hour after passing Dent Island.

From Dent Island the Yongala had

106 miles to run before reaching the

next light on Cape Bowling Green, and

although the area within the Barrier

widens out considerably after clearing

Whitsunday Passage, it is still far too

narrow for ships to fight out a battle

of life and death with a cyclone. 

Additional to this, as the paths of the

cyclone and of the Yongala were 

approximately at right angles to each

other, the south-east wind which drove

her on her way, and in such a feature

of Queensland coast weather over the

greater part of the year, actually was

the direction the wind would blow in

the forward left-hand quadrant of the

cyclone. That is to say, the Yongala

was within the cyclone field soon after

she left Flat Top anchorage, but there

was nothing on board to show that

the strong wind was other than a 

seasonal south-easter. Only comparison of

barometer readings at ports along the

coast could tell this, and this, of

course, Captain Knight did not have. 

Such poignant, wise words. The truth of the matter.

It took several years of agitation to get

that simple and obvious safeguard 

established, but that exchange of 

readings has been in vogue now for 

upwards of 20 years, and was extended to

Western Australia. But bureaucracy

resisted strenuously this invasion by

citizens into its preserves.

"SIMPLY OVERWHELMED."

What actually happened on board the

doomed ship will, of course, never be

known. How long after night closed

down it was before Captain Knight

realised that the ship was running into

the path of a cyclone is, of course, a

matter for conjecture, but it is hardly

likely that any of the passengers knew

of the imminence of their danger until

the vessel was actually overwhelmed.

There were many theories, including an

explosion and a faint whistle : uncharted 

rocks and even islands. Searching steamers 

found a copper band on Nares Rock, 

obviously the driving band of a shell fired 

by one of the Queensland gunboats 

Gayundah on Paluma - which used this 

rock as a target when operating from 

Bowen on training cruises. There remained, 

however, very little doubt in the minds of 

experienced men that the Yongala and the 

cyclone centre met sometime in the small 

hours of the 23rd when about half-way 

between Capes Upstart and Bowling Green, 

and that the Yongala was simply 

overwhelmed. 

It was closer to Cape Bowling Green, but the assessment was spot on.

The cleared track behind Cape Upstart, 

in which huge trees were twisted like reeds 

and thrown down like nine-pins, indicated 

the fury of the gale.

It is common belief that no trace of

the vessel was even found. This is

wrong, as the beaches of islands to the

north were littered with scraps of

wreckage, much of it easily identifiable 

as coming from the lost ship. But no 

human bodies were ever found, 

although the vessels Alert, Barratta,

Magnet, Ouraka, Tarcoola, and Teal

searched the whole of the reefs and the

coast from Cape Upstart to Lucinda

Point was patrolled by special bodies

of police.

Wireless has robbed sea travel along

the coast of North Queensland of many

of its old terrors. Had Willis Island

meteorological station been in existence,

the storm which was to wreck a proud

ship and carry consternation and 

mourning into hundreds of homes, would 

have been located on the day the Yongala

left Brisbane. As it was, the Yongala 

was in the position of the train which

is sent out blindfolded to cross a line

of rails that another train is using,

with the Aniel of Death officiating as

time-keeper to ensure the two meeting

at the intersection.

Cloncurry Advocate, 24 March, 1934

Loss of the Yongala.

DISAPPEARANCE IN A CYCLONE.

The disastrous cyclone of last week. 

when a number of luggers were

swamped and 79 lives lost brings to

mind other maritime disasters along

the Queensland Coast and we cull

the following regarding the loss of the

Yongala, twenty three years ago from

Cummins and Campbell's monthly

magazine of September, 1933; —

.. On Wednesday, March 29th, 1911, 

flags were flying at half mast over a

number of the business houses and

public buildings of Townsville. The SS

Yongala was several days overdue on

a voyage from the South and all hopes

were lost of finding her. Captain Romer

the  Harbourmaster, said it is simply

cruelty to try to keep up the hopes of

those who have friends on board.

On the previous Saturday the Harbour
master was quite satisfied that something 
serious had happened when the vessel 
had not come to port. Judging by where 
some cargo had been found near Cape 
Bowling Green, he had little doubt that the 
vessel had struck a reef. The locality would 
be about 22 miles east of Cape Upstart 
(actually north), here there were masses 
of big boulders which are covered at high tide.

To strike that reef the Yongala would

have to be only ten miles off her

course. In rough weather the captain

would try to keep in the centre of the

channel (which was precisely Yongala
was when she went down) but trouble 
would arise from strong winds and thick 
visibility. If the vessel did strike that reef it 

would tear a hole in her side and she

might keep a float for a quarter of a

mile into 27 fathoms of water. Captain

Romer was of the opinion that the 

vessel met with her disaster about

midnight on Thursday, March 23rd.

Extraordinary!! Time, exactly right.

The Yongala was a favourite 

passenger and cargo steamer which

had been built in Newcastle, England,

to the order of the Adelaide Steamship

Company. Her gross register was 3,668

tons, length 350 feet, beam 45 feet and 

depth 27 feet. For some years prior to 

being transferred to the Queensland

service she was engaged to run to

West Australian ports. On her ill-fated

voyage the Yongala carried 49 passengers

and a crew of 72, including the Captain,

stewardesses and boys. 

Within a few hours steaming from 

Townsville 121 (122) persons went to

their deaths and not one body was 

recovered. Truly it must have been the

most marvelous disaster that ever

occurred on an Australian coast.  

The best known among the passengers

was Mr. Mathew Rooney, who was 

accompanied by his wife and youngest

daughter. He was principal of the firm of

Rooney and Co and the business still

flourishes as Rooney Ltd.. Mr. Rooney

was a prominent figure in the public 

life of Townsville. For a lengthy period

he served as Alderman on the City 

Council and was an active member 

of the Harbour Board and the Hospital.

In his charitable work he was always ably

assisted by his wife. His daughter, Miss

Lizzie Rooney was a noted vocalist and

her loss was greatly felt by the Sacred

Heart Choir.

Besides the loss of Mr. Rooney, the 

Townsville Hospital mourned for the

death of Nurse Buxton, who was 

returning from a holiday. It was stated

that she had her wedding in view.

Then there was a popular sporting man, 
Mr. J. Campbell, who was bringing up a 

racehorse named Moonshine for Mr.

W. Duncan of south Townsville. It was

known that the horse was on board.

Among the passenger list for Cairns

appeared the names of Mrs. Abl. 

Murray and four children; Mrs. S.W.

Davids and Mrs. B.J. Magee.

Another well known northern name

was A.S. Letta of Mungana, and 

formerly of the Excelsior Hotel. 

For several weeks the coast from

Cape Upstart to Lucinda Point was

searched by all sorts of craft. It was

impossible to locate the lost steamer,

but wreckage was picked up as far as

the Palm Islands, and five mail bags

with letters for Townsville and Cloncurry

were found by kanakas.

On Cassady's Beach near Ingham 
the writer of these notes saw a letter 
for one in the Cloncurry district. It was 
perfectly legible. 

A mail hamper containing parcels was 
recovered by the tug Alert. The addresses 
were undecipherable, but the printed labels 
showed that certain articles came from the 
firms of Finney Isles and Co, Pike Bros. and 
T.C. Beirne. After considerable amount of 
trouble the owners were found. 

At Palm Island, a cribbage board was 
picked up marked "Smoke Room Yongala", 
also a piece of 4 by 1 pine painted white. 
On this was fixed a slab of ivory with the

intimation, "Passengers are requested

to switch the light off when leaving the

cabin."

The aboriginals found a case of cooking 
apples with A.L. over T. in a circle. 

On Eclipse Island a seaman's chest 

was washed ashore bearing the initials

J.R.D. This had been the property of

Mr. J.R. Donald the second officer of

the Yongala. The captain's name was

W. Knight. 

In the Magnet Mr. R. Haylee performed

extensive search work along the coast

to Cape Bowling Green; produce of 

various kinds were picked up on the

beaches, notably a bag of pollard

C.S.R. over B. Pumpkins lay scattered

in several places.

A considerable amount of wreckage was 
found by captain Tutty of the Alert who 
explored Keeper's Reef. One object was 
a door with fancy glass panels containing 
the lettering "Festina Lente, Inc. 1900". 
Festina lente means hasten slowly. The 
pane of glass containing the word Lente 
was broken. The date was taken to refer 
to the incorporation of the Adelaide Steamship 
Company. 

Some of the other vessels out in search for 
the Yongala were the steamships Tacoola; 
Ouraka; Teal and Barratta.

At the time of the disaster Hon. D.F. Denham,

then premier of Queensland was a visitor to

Townsville and he used his authority to the 

full in the search for the missing vessel. When

hope was given up, public meeting was held

in the Town Hall for the purpose of forming a

relief fund for the widows and orphans of men

who went down with the ship.

The Mayor, Alderman George Murray, occupied

the Chair. There were present Bishop Frodsham,

Foley M.L.R., J. Botten, D. Baxter, W. Dalgliesh,

G.W. Chapman, P.Grant, H.R. Thompson, R.T.

Hartley, A. Campbell, C.J. Kendarine, Major

Galdersmith and the Town Clerk, H.G. Johnson.

Foley informed the meeting that as far as 

Queensland was concerned the Workers'

Compensation Act would not cover the case

of the seamen. A representative committee

was formed to collect subscriptions and to

organise benefit entertainments.

The brutal reality of a bygone era. 

The Yongala was insured for  £ 90,000, one

fourth of the risk was undertaken by the

Adelaide Steamship Company who were

the owners. The remaining three fourths

was divided between the Union Insurance

Company, the Canton Insurance Company

and the South British Insurance Company.

The cost of the construction of the vessel 

was £ 102,000.

It would have made financial sense to make every effort to find the wreck, and because she went down in a cyclone in relatively shallow waters, could theoretically have been salvaged / re-floated. This had been done in other cases of this era. 

But perhaps the objective of the Adelaide Steamship Company was to stick to the 'striking a rock' theory rather than acknowledge Yongala's un-seaworthiness in a severe storm = culpability = costly payouts.

On her northern voyage she was heavily 
loaded with merchandise of all kinds. 
Her last port of call was Mackay.

She was only 29% full, re cargo.

Captain Knight was a man of great

experience and was considered to be

one of the most capable men in the

Adelaide Company's service. He first

arrived in Australia in the ship Southern 
Belle, which landed passengers and 
cargo at Rockhampton in 1873. Shortly 
before reaching the coast, this vessel 
ran into a furious cyclone and was saved 
by a miracle

N.B.— It is the opinion of Mr. R.

Hayles that the Yongala was struck

side on by the cyclone and turned

over. The locality of the disaster might

be twenty miles east of Cape Cleveland

in 12 to 15 fathoms of water. It is possible

that the remains of the unfortunate vessel

will be discovered.

It was actually 30 miles east of Cape Cleveland. Mr. Hayles certainly had a grip on the reality of the tragedy.

courtesy Google Earth

Truth, Sydney, 5 October, 1952

Letters To TRUTH

A Final Word

On Yongala

The s.s. Yongala (3664 tons) was

definitely lost on the night of March

23, 1911. I was the last man to leave

the ill-fated passenger ship at Flat Top Island.

I was a member of the

crew of the 90-ton tender, 

Brinawar, based on Mackay, 

which met the Yongala at 
Flat Top, then the port for the 
North Queensland sugar town.

The weather was threatening 
when we came alongside the 
Yongala about midday and the 
skipper, Captain William Knight 

would not wait for any cargo. 
Passengers and mail were 
transhipped to the Brinawar 

and we put mail and luggage 
aboard the Yongala.

A few minutes before the Yongala 
sailed for Townsville, a black cat, 
which had strayed aboard the 
Brinawar in Mackay the previous 

night, raced across our bridge deck.

Our captain, who was a Swede, had 

told me earlier that I must get rid of 
the black cat when we got back to 
shore. He was a superstitious sailor 
of the old school. At the sight of the 
cat on the bridge he reminded me 
again about getting rid of it.

The chief mate of the Yongala 
was a friend of mine and I asked 
him if he would give the cat a

passage for luck. 'Sure.' he said, 
'bring him aboard.' I took the cat 
up and said goodbye to the mate

just as the Yongala was preparing 
to head out into the cyclone which 
was to spell her doom.

The Yongala was sighted

by Dent Island lighthouse

six hours after leaving Flat

Top and that was the last

ever heard of the eight-year

old ship and 120 souls on

board. 

Had falling tides in the

Had falling tides in the 

Pioneer River not forced

the Brinawar to leave

Mackay half an hour before

her scheduled sailing time

for Flat Top, there would

have been 123 lives lost on

the Yongala.

When we put out to meet

the Yongala we left three

commercial travellers behind 

in Mackay. We put their 

samples aboard the Yongala 

and when we returned to 

Mackay we faced three angry 

men on the wharf.

I remember vividly the

abuse they hurled at the

Swedish skipper of the

Brinawar. Two days later

they came back and 

apologised very meekly when

there were no tidings of

the Yongala.

Two of the mailbags

we put aboard the Yongala

were the first things washed 

up from the wreck,

which has never been

found. The mail apparently 

had not been stowed

away.

JOHN LUCK,

1 Windmill St.,

Miller's Point.

Truth, Sydney, 31 August, 1952

SKIPPER of the

Yongala, Captain

William Knight,

one of the most popular

and skilled seamen on the

coastal service, apparently

had some premonition of

the disaster that was to

overtake his ship.

Just before she left the

berth, he told a friend that

this would be his last trip

'in the old girl.'

'They'll never part the

Yongala and me,' he said,

quietly.

Sunday Mail, Brisbane, 1 April, 1934.

TRAGIC LOSS

OF

s.s. YONGALA

Foundered in Cyclone: 140 Lives Lost

Search for Wreckage Recalled

The recent cyclonic disaster in

the North has recalled many such

disastrous happenings of the past.

In the following article Mr. Allan

M'Kie tells of the foundering of

the s.s. Yongala in a cyclone be-

tween Mackay and Townsville

with the loss of all lives— 140 (122) 

passengers and crew — and narrates

some facts never previously published.

(By Allan McKie)

ON the night of March 24, 1911,

the north coast of Queensland was 

swept by a terrific cyclone, and the 

full fury of the storm struck the s.s.

Yongala somewhere between Mackay

and Townsville. She disappeared be-

neath the waves, and from then till

now no trace of the ill-fated vessel,

her passengers and crew, has ever

been discovered. Her disappearance

remains one of the sea's mysteries, and

will probably never be solved till the

sea gives up its dead. Her loss will

ever be sorrowfully remembered by

the relatives and friends of the 140 (122)

poor souls who with their vessel, in

the dead of night, were hurled to their

last rest.

While many people remember the

wreck and the first evidences of her

loss, a racehorse and bangle, which

were picked up near Alligator Creek,

south of Townsville, very few ever

heard more. That a considerable

amount of wreckage, definitely proved

as having come from the ill-fated vessel, 

was discovered, never came to light.

Two weeks later, at the Palm Islands, 

40 miles north of Townsville, some of 

the residents of the late Harry Butler's 

health resort decided to make a 

thorough search for traces of the

missing ship. Harry Butler was an

experienced pilot, and knew every reef

and cay along that part of the coast.

Many hours were spent poring over

a chart, and from the knowledge of

the time the Yongala had been last

seen, passing Dent Island Light (be-

tween Mackay and Bowen), we 

endeavoured to work out her 

approximate position when the 

cyclone struck her.

FIXING LOCATION OF THE

DISASTER

For a few days after the cyclone the

wind blew towards the south, and any

wreckage found was south of Cape

Cleveland; but with a change to the

east all wreckage from then on was

found north of that point. 

Butler said that at the Four-foot Rock,

abreast of the cape, the current set

due north and south. With the

change in the drift and his opinion

of the vessel's position, he decided she

had met her fate on the Wheeler

Reef, about 26 miles east and slightly

north of Townsville.

courtesy Google Earth

Having to await some gear from

Townsville before being able to start

searching for the boat, we confined our

early attentions to looking for wreckage 

on the adjacent islands. In Butler's ketch, 

the Palm Queen, we made many visits 

to them, and later went to the Barrier 

and Wheeler Beefs.

WRECKAGE FOUND

Having noticed some odd objects on

Eclipse Island (4½ miles south-west),

our primary endeavours were centred

there. 

courtesy Google Earth

Here we found a good lot of broken 

timber, several boats' sweeps (oars)

and hatch coverings. The latter were 

intact, but the timber was badly splintered 

at the ends, and bore evidence of 

having been forcibly torn apart.

The splintering was quite different

from the bruising and chafing from

contact with the reef.

An important analytical observation confirming that Yongala was destroyed by the cyclone and not by striking a reef.

On another occasion the vessel's

cribbage board was found by one of

our number, Mr. Staines, of New Farm,

Brisbane. (Recently he told me he

had parted with the relic.) Another

day produced stronger evidence, as in

addition to some cases of butter,

petrol, and kerosene, a steward's box

and cap were found side by side. The

butter was in splendid order, full proof

of the short time it had been in the

water.

As the box and cap were the first

personal effects recovered, the full

force of the disaster was more 

poignantly brought before us.

Back again at the homestead a

thorough check was made of the 

various articles found in the box. We

were much disappointed at the 

complete absence of identification marks.

By advice from the shipping company

concerned the clothing was handed

over to the natives at the aboriginal

settlement on the Island.

LIFEBELTS RECOVERED.

Our next visit was made to

Brisk and Esk Islands (adjoining

Eclipse), and at the first named, in

addition to a haul of timber, we re-

covered the keel and garboard strake

of a ship's boat, and floating amongst

the coral a boat's mast with rigging

complete. 

It was reported at the Inquiry that portion of lifeboat 1, port side, was recovered, and this might very well have been the lifeboat in question. 

The lifeboat drifted north. If there had initially been survivors on board who sent up a distress rocket, allegedly heard the next day, Friday 24 March, (whistle and explosion) the sounds would not have been heard south of Cape Bowling Green as reported, but further north relative to the site of the disaster.

Another extract fleshes this out:

The Courier Mail, 19 July, 1954

At 9 am on the day the

ship was reported missing,

Mr. T. Mitton and I were

shifting some of his cattle to

high ground when we heard

three loud blasts of a ship's

whistle and a shot 'like a dis

tress signal.' I swam the

Hannah branch of the lower

Burdekin and went to Ayr,

about 10 or 12 miles, and 

reported this to the Post Office, 

from where a message

was sent to Harbour Master at

Townsville.

From where we were, the

direction would be east of

-Cape Bowling Green. — 

E. Tappenden, 31 Manson Parade,

Fix this text

Yeronga.

At the latter, results were even more 

encouraging, as a life buoy and two 

lifebelts came to light. The latter bore 

evidence of having been used, as the 

lacing was knotted together and had 

been forcibly torn apart from the 

canvas on one side.

This is the first reference in all the material I have perused which refers to a human being who anticipated disaster by donning a lifebelt. What happened subsequent to that is a matter for conjecture. It is possible, given the close association with the remnants of a lifeboat, that this person was on board but succumbed as the lifebelt was torn from his or her body by the hurricane conditions. It is a moment for pause and reflection on the lives lost in this disaster. 

In addition to these relics we found

the top rail of the companionway

lying on the sand, and close by, nearly

buried, two boards. One bore the

words, "Smoking Saloon," the other

'This vessel has twin screws.'

Yongala had a single propeller. I am puzzled by the reference and a possible explanation?

SEARCHING FOR THE VESSEL.

Although results so far had definitely

proved the loss, we were no closer

to achieving our main object, the 

finding of the vessel. To that end we 

decided on a trip to portions of the

Barrier Reef and from thence to the

Wheeler Reef. To help our search

we had a kerosene tin, the ends of

which had been removed and a piece

of glass inserted at one. With this

we could see the bottom clearly at

about 60ft.

Practical and ingenious.

Notwithstanding a careful search at

different spots of the Barrier Reef

results were negative; we did not even

discover any wreckage. On the Wheeler

Reef we met the same disappointment.

Sailing home in a direct line with

the Palm Group a small floating

parcel was overtaken, which Dick (one

of the ketch's native crew) hauled

aboard with his fishing spear. This

turned out to be a lot of catalogues,

but the writing on them was so badly

disfigured as to be practically in-

decipherable. From a few odd non-

obliterated letters we came to the 

conclusion that the parcel had been 

sent by T. C. Beirne and Co., Brisbane.

The catalogues were unfortunately use-

less, even as relics, having been, 

practically reduced to pulp.

PASSENGER'S BOX

When nearing home, about 41 miles

from the Great Palm, Dick pointed

to the end thereof and said, 'Bokis

(box) over there.' We sailed to the

spot and after some hours hard work

recovered a solid yellow wooden box,

about 4 ft. long, heavily bound with

rope. This bore the words: 'Mrs.

S. H. Wanby, passenger to Townsville.'

We communicated particulars of our

find to the Police Inspector at Towns-

ville, and received his advice, "Mrs.

Wanby was a passenger on the ill-

fated Yongala. "She had lived in

Charters Towers many years, and was

on the eve of completing a trip round

the world. She had braved the terrors

of the deep over many thousands of

miles, and then was lost almost in

sight of home.

The box was sent in due course to

the inspector, to be handed the 

deceased lady's relatives. Later we

heard it contained presents for them.

Practically nothing more was found

and from the small amount of wreck-

age, and from the splintered state

of all timber picked up we all came

firmly to the opinion that the ship's

bottom had been ripped open. 

We know from the wreck that Yongala's bottom is intact.

Had she foundered, as many had claimed,

surely her decks would have burst and

released a large quantity of cargo and

more effects.

There certainly was a fair amount of light cargo from the lower hold discovered along the coast. 

From the constant direction of the

drift, direct from the Wheeler Reef to

the Palm Group, after many weeks'

searching, we left the island, firmly

convinced that Harry Butler's idea

that the Yongala was lost somewhere

about the former spot was correct.

No, it was not.


The Telegraph, Brisbane, 29 March, 1934

OLD WRECK RECALLED.

SIR, — Your correspondent, "G.S." writes

in Friday's "Telegraph" regarding the

anniversary of the loss of the inter-State

coastal steamer Fougald through encountering 

a cyclone between Mackay and Townsville 

on March 23, 1911. I think he is sadly astray 

in regard to the name of the steamer.

I take It "G.S." was referring to the extremely 

high-funnelled Yongala, which, if

my memory is not playing me a trick, was

lost between Mackay and Townsville on

the date mentioned. The Yongala was in

command of Captain J. Knight, who was

noted for his fearlessness in bad weather.

courtesy Trove