Lazy Rottnest Island, playground for the residents of Perth and Fremantle, lies only 32 kilometres west of the mainland. It is a beautiful island, with quiet white sand coves and a tranqulity that is lost only at peak holiday times. It is eleven kilometres long and a varying width of up to four kilometres. The main lighthouse was constructed in 1836 and replaced with the current tower in 1851, high in the centre of the island. Another light was constructed at Thompson Bay on the north-east point in 1900. The island is surrounded by several reefs and rock outcrops, adding to the toll of vessels lost - Parker Rocks, Transit Rocks, Twin Rocks, Kingston Reefs, Cathedral Rocks, Stragglers Rocks, and the tiny Dyer Island off Porpoise Bay.
How many smaller vessels have been lost or damaged off the island is not recorded, as many hundreds of pleasure craft visit each week. Seventeen vessels of reasonable size haave been recored as ending their days off Rottnest. The largest of these was the 2405 ton iron ship Ulidia, ashore on Stragglers Reef south of Rottnest Island in 1893. The 1218 ton fully-rigged ship City of York was lost in 1899, the 998 ton iron barque Denton Holme in 1889, and the steamship Macedon, 826 tons in 1883. With the ocation of most of the vessels known, it is little wonder that the island is popular with recreational divers.
References:
Loney [LW] is the predominant source at the moment, but is must be
noted that the excellent three volume set covering the shipwrecks of Western
Australia by Graeme Henderson has not been included. This is the definiate
work, Henderson being the head of the Maritime Atchaeology unit at the
WA Museum.
[25 records]
Associated links: WESTERN
AUSTRALIA NORTHERN
WA ABROLHOS
Amsterdam. Dutch vessel.Commander Frederick de Houtman. In company with Durdrecht, Crews on the ships and sighted the coast near the present town of Bunbury on 19 July 1619. Sailing north, de Houtman named Rottnest and Houtman Abrolhos. [LW]
Anitra 11. Ketch, 26 tons Yacht. Wrecked on Rottnest Island, 25
November 1979. She was competing in the Round the World Yacht Race. Her
hull was salvaged and is displayed near the Rottnest Museum. [LW]
Blue Jacket. Wooden ship, 1,790 tons. Built 1854. Lbd 235 x 41.6 x
24 ft. Abandoned on fire off the Falkland Islands, 9 March 1869.
She had left Lyttleton for Liverpool with 71 passengers and crew; thirty
six survivors were picked up after a week, and a second boat with three
occupants was found three weeks later; 32 lives lost. On 8 December a figurehead
was washed ashore at Rottnest. Although badly charred it was identified
as coming from the famous clipper. [LW]
City of York. Iron ship, 1218 tons. Built Glasgow 1869. Lbd 222.7
x 35.8 x 21.7 ft. Wrecked in a gale when she struck a reef on the northern
side of Rottnest Island whilst approaching Fremantle, 12 July 1899.
She was 89 days out from San Francisco laden with oregon when she sent
up blue flares to signal the lighthouse that a pilot was required to take
her in to Fremantle. As all pilots were engaged the lighthouse lit a flare
at the base of the tower intending it to be a signal warning the ship to
stand off. The master misunderstood the warning and allowed his ship to
continue on, hitting the reef. Two lifeboats were launched. The first,
with the mate and five men reached safety. The second, containing the captain
and sixteen men stood off the wreck hoping the high seas would ease and
they could return on board. Suddenly, a huge wave engulfed their boat and
they were swept away. Five regained the ship but the other eleven were
not seen alive again. Controversy over the wreck continued until 1902 when
the State Supreme Court ordered that an indemnity be paid to the owners
of the vessel because of the apparent misleading signal from the lighthouse.
Local port authorities appealed, but in April 1903 this was abandoned and
damages and costs were paid. (See also Carlisle Castle wrecked
at the same time). [LW],[LI]
@ The wreck has broken up leaving a tangle of iron ribs, beams and
plates only a couple of hundred metres off shore. [LAH]
Commiles. Vessel of 264 tons. Built 1918 as the Matthew Flynn. Lbd 125.6
x 23.4 x 12.6 ft. Lost off Rottnest, 1952. [LW]
Denton Holme. Iron barque, 998 tons. Built as the Star Of Denmark in
1863; name changed in 1889. Lbd 213.2 x 32.1 x 21.7 ft. Cptain Rich. From
Glasgow to Fremantle, wrecked ashore on Rottnest Island, 25 September 1890.
The vessel struck Transit Reef, almost on top of the wreck of the Macedon.
Although the sea was calm when she went aground, a north westerly gale
destroyed her next day. [LW],[LI],[ASW6]
@ She lies almost on top of the Macedon in about six metres of water.
The tangle of wreckage from both vessels makes an interesting dive. [LAH]
Eulie. Barque. Stranded on rocks off Rottnest island, 1877. It appears
that she was refloated. [LI]
Euribes. Auxiliary three-masted schooner. Built England, 1868. During early World War 2, used as a lighter. Sank just north of False Jetty in Thompson Bay, Rottnest Island, 1942. [LI]
Evelyn. Cutter. Lost at Rottnest Island, WA, 1891. [LW]
Hamelin. Small craft. Foundered between Rottnest and the mainland,
17 August 1915. [LW]
Janet. Three masted schooner, wood, 211 tons. Built Fremantle 1878;
reg. Femantle. Lbd 120 x 23.9 x 10.8 ft. Wrecked on Transit Reef off Rottnest
Island while inward bound to Fremantle from Colombo, 11 December 1887.
Crew rescued. When lost she was the largest vessel built at Fremantle.
Wreckage from her, including two anchors lies in about five metres of water
a short distance away from the remains of the Macedon and Denton Holme.
[LW],[LAH],[ASR]
Kiryo Maru 1. Japanese tuna boat. Length 36 metres. Wrecked on a reef
near Cathedral Rocks, Rottnest Island, 6 August 1984. [LW]
Lady Elizabeth. Wooden barque 658 tons. Built 1847. Lbd 160 x 30.5
x 18.1 ft. Captain Scott. From Fremantle for Shanghai, struck a reef
near Dyer Island off Fremantle, 30 July 1878. One life lost. Her remains
lie on a sandy bottom with the bows wedged into a reef, in about ten meres,
with portion of her hull and ribs exposed.. [LW],[LI],[LAH]
Macedon. Iron steamship, 826/796 tons. Built Liverpool 1870. Howard
Smith & Co. Captain Craig. Struck a rock off Rottnest Island and wrecked,
21 March 1883. The lighter Amy was used to unload passengers, luggage,
and a cargo of horses, after some of the steamer’s lifeboats were found
to be unseaworthy. Rough weather quickly destroyed the vessel, littering
the South Beach with wreckage. [LW],[LI],[DG]
@ Wrecksite is known; two vertical sides and a boiler remain, with
coal and iron scattered about. [LAH]
Mira Flores. Iron barque, German owned, 500 tons. Built Liverpool 1867.
Lbd 161.5 x 27.1 x 17.1 ft. Out of London, wrecked on Horseshoe Reef at
the northern end of Rottnest Island, WA, 1 February 1886. Crew saved. She
lies on a shallow reef in about ten metres of water showing considerable
damage to her stern and midships. [LW],[LI],[ASW6]
Norwhale. Steel vessel, 365 tons. Built 1943. Lbd 184.7 x 30.1 x 7.1
ft. After sinking in Fremantle Harbour on 18 February 1968, the was refloated,
towed south west of Rottnest, then scuttled.. [LW]
Paratch. Lugger. Lost off Cape Preston, WA, in a cyclone, April 1889.
No survivors.
Pastime. Yacht. Left Rottnest with five on board on 24 December 1934
but not seen again. [LW]
Raven. Wooden barque, 344 tons. Built Sunderland 1864; reg Adelaide.
Lbd 121.1 x 27.5 x 17 ft. Struck Dyers Island Reef near Rottnest Island,
11 March 1891. The crew took to the boats and were picked up by the Maid
Of Lincoln. She lies partly buried in the sand at a depth of about six
metres. [LW],[ASR],[LAH]
Sea Witch. Yawl. Foundered in a squall off Rottnest, 19 April 1931.
Three lives lost. [LW]
Transit. Schooner, 124 tons. Built 1834. Lbd 68.6 x 20.8 x 12.6 ft.
From the Cape of Good Hope, lost on Rottnest Island, night of 9 May 1842.
No lives lost. [LW],[ASW1]
Ulidia. Iron ship, 2405 tons. Built 1889; reg. Belfast. Lbd 300
x 42 x 24 ft. Captain Patey. Left Fremantle for Newcastle, England; ashore
on Stragglers Reef south of Rottnest Island, 17 May 1893. After the failure
of attempts to tow her free she was auctioned in Perth for four hundred
and twenty five pounds, then dismantled. Portion of the hull remains.
Loney describes her as a magnificent ship. [LW],[ASW6],[LAH]
Uribes. Wooden auxiliary schooner, 250 tons. Built 1868. Lbd 110.8 x
24.1 x 14 ft. Wrecked off Rottnest Island, WA, when her engines failed
and she dragged her anchors, going ashore near Phillip Rock, 1942. Being
a recent wreck she is quite well preserved, lying in shallow water only
about twelve metres from the shore. [LW]
Wattle. Yacht. Sprang a leak and foundered midway between Rottnest
and the mainland, 24 January 1930. Only one survivor from the crew
of four. [LW]
UNIDENTIFIED
Uidentified.1883. A quantity of wreckage was seen floating about three nautical miles south of Rottnest Island by the schooner Planet on 22 July 1883. [LW]