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Boiler on the wreck of the Wauchope
SS Wauchope was originally built for the NSW coastal trade, but in 1910 it began to sail between Melbourne, King Island and Launceston. Like the few other ships that sailed that route, Wauchope was the lifeline between the mainland and the rugged Bass Strait island. Wauchope served as a passenger ship and delivered mail, food, machinery and other necessities to the small settlement.
In the early 1900s, shipping to King Island was limited because the harbours were small, shallow and narrow and approaches to the small jetties were tricky. The seas of Bass Strait had a reputation for being unpredictable and discouraged all but the most determined seafarers.
Wauchope was wrecked by fire as it was anchored off Portsea. At the time, the Seaman's Union was striking for better conditions and wages. The SS Wauchope was one of the few ships able to round up a loyalist crew (non-unionists) to work the vessel.
The Seaman's Union had in fact made a very substantial contribution to the war effort and had been the only union not to make a wages claim during that time. The strike dragged on for several months before it was resolved and claims by the Union were met.
The Final Voyage of Wauchope
On August 1, 1919, Wauchope was anchored at Portsea for a compulsory quarantine stop of seven days. The ship was carrying a cargo of 250 tons including flour, sugar, maize, machinery, one car, drapery, benzine, oil and 28 cylinders of acetylene gas for the lighthouses on King Island. Five crew and 19 passengers were also on board. At 7pm that night, as many of the passengers were getting ready for bed, the crew and Captain were frantically trying to extinguish a fire in the fore hold of the ship.
The passengers were alerted and ordered to dress and pack their belongings. Meanwhile, the captain and crew used the ship's water pumps to try and stop the fire spreading. However their task was made difficult because the benzine stored in the hold was fuelling the fire. The captain ordered the crew to lower the two lifeboats for the passengers.
As the fire was gaining the upper hand, the captain signalled two nearby steamers for help. Hall Cain was the first on the scene and towed the passengers and their luggage to safety. A tug, Plover which supplied the Quarantine Station with water came alongside Wauchope and sprayed the water on the flames and into the hold. Still the fire continued to rage.
At 11.00pm the situation looked hopeless and the captain and crew abandoned ship. Of concern to the captain were the gas cylinders which were still stowed on board the ship. In the early hours of the morning the fire became more intense and caused the gas cylinders to explode. After each explosion a great ball of flame rose above the ship. The noise rattled windows at the Quarantine Station and could be heard in Queenscliff and Sorrento.
The next morning, the burned-out remains of Wauchope had drifted toward Sorrento Pier. It was burned to the water line and there was nothing on board to be salvaged. The wreck was eventually sold by auction for £130.
The Court of Marine Inquiry held an investigation into the wreck, but the cause of the fire remained a mystery. Some suspected that the fire was deliberately lit as a protest against the non-union crew. However this was never proven.
Ship Construction
Wauchope was built in northern NSW and was owned by King Island Steamers, a subsidiary of William Holyman and Sons. It was a two masted wooden screw steamer with one 22 inch stroke engine and a combined horsepower capable of ten and a half knots. The SS Wauchope had a gross tonnage of 196 tons and measured 127ft (38.7m) in length, 25ft (7.6m) in width and 9.2ft (2.8m) in the hold.
Diving on the wreck of Wauchope
Wauchope is one of the many historic shipwrecks included in Victoria's Underwater Shipwreck Discovery Trail. Qualified divers can explore the wrecks of old wooden clippers, iron steamships and cargo and passenger vessels located along the coast and in Port Phillip Bay. Some of these wreck dives are suitable for beginners while other wrecks require the skills and experience of advanced divers.
Victoria's historic shipwrecks
In the 18th and 19th centuries, an enormous number of ships sailed in Victorian waters. For instance, at the height of the gold rush, 50 ships were reported sailing past Cape Otway Lighthouse in one day. In 1852, 150 ships were reported anchored in Hobson's Bay at one time.
Despite Victoria being such a busy shipping region and although Bass Strait and the entrance to Port Phillip Bay presented many hazards to the unwary sailor, only 800 shipwrecks have occurred along the Victorian coast since 1797. Fewer than 200 of these wrecks have actually been found. All Australian shipwrecks over 75 years old are protected by state and Commonwealth historic shipwreck laws. Some younger wrecks may also be especially declared to be historic eg; World War II wrecks.
Dive information sheet
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