The new White Star Clipper, Victoria Tower was on its maiden voyage to Melbourne when it was wrecked on rocks at Bream Creek, near Barwon Heads.
In the latter half of the 19th century, iron hulled ships dominated shipping, particularly in Britain and Europe where builders were facing a shortage of timber. However, the use of iron had its problems. Ships' compasses were frequently affected by the ship's inherent magnetic field, in turn affecting navigational accuracy. Victoria Tower had encountered problems with its compasses during its 85 day voyage to Australia.
Victoria Tower was thought to be have been a magnificent ship. After the vessel was wrecked, the Geelong Advertiser reported;
“One or two of the sails were still flapping uselessly in the breeze and had it not been that the foremast had gone by the board, one could have imagined that the splendid vessel was still pursuing her course. Certainly under full sail, she would have been a beautiful sight. Her lines were greatly admired by those having any knowledge of such subjects”.
The final voyage of Victoria Tower
Victoria Tower began its voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne on July 24, 1869. Its cargo included slate, iron pipes, Guinness Extra Stout and various items of hardware. The ship also carried 40 passengers and a crew of 36. On October 17, 1869, the ship was almost at its destination. That night, the weather was stormy and a thick fog blanketed the coast. Although the compasses had been out, and sightings of land were difficult to make due to the poor weather conditions, Captain Kerr was confident of the ship’s position and decided to fire blue lights and rockets to attract the attention of the Port Phillip pilot boat.
With no response from the pilot, the Captain ordered the crew to maintain the ship on a starboard tack towards Cape Schanck lighthouse which was only just visible in the distance. Unknown to the Captain, treacherous currents in the area were pulling Victoria Tower off its set course. At 1am, the ship crashed into rocks between Bream Creek and Spring Creek. The ship hit with such force that the main mast was driven through the keel. Anchors were immediately let go to hold the ship, but it was driven broadside onto the sea, some 400 yards from shore.
The Captain ordered the second mate and four seamen to lower one of the lifeboats and find help ashore. As the small boat was lowered, the main mast snapped in two. The five crew members dived out of the boat to avoid being hit by the falling timber and managed to swim ashore.
The men spent four hours walking through muddy swamps before finding a fence line to follow. Eventually they arrived at the house of Mr Pierce, who with a local fisherman was able to raise the alarm and organise a whale boat to rescue those still on board.
The crew and passengers who remained on Victoria Tower would not have known what was to become of them. They had no idea whether the sailors had made it to shore or if the ship would break-up. Early the next day, all 76 passengers and crew had been brought to safety. One of the special passengers, a dog by the name of Ben, (who had become a favourite among the children during the voyage) was greeted with delight after he swam to shore.
There was a great deal of excitement in Geelong as news of the shipwreck spread among the townsfolk. The road to Bream Creek was apparently lined with vehicles of all descriptions and there was “not a horse or any vehicle to be obtained in town”.
The Geelong Advertiser remarked at the generosity of the local people towards the shipwreck survivors. “Nearly everybody carried something for the relief of the sufferers; whisky, brandy, tins of preserved meat and loaves of bread”. The sailors were also greeted with a tonic of gin, whiskey and rum!
An inquiry held by the Steam Navigation Board on October 27, 1869, found Captain Kerr guilty of negligence and his Captain’s certificate was suspended for six months. Victoria Tower was originally valued at 25,000 but the hull and cargo were sold for 6,000. Most of the 2,400 tons of iron pipes, Guinness, hardware and slate cargo were salvaged.
Ship construction
Victoria Tower was a three masted vessel of 1750 tons, measuring 247ft (75.3m) in length, 40ft (12.2m) in breadth and had a depth in the hold of 23.7ft (7.2m). The ship’s keel was 11 inches (28cm) thick and above this was an 18 inch (45.7cm) thick iron framework.
Diving on the wreck of Victoria Tower
Victoria Tower 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 Tower is located on the Surf Coast and requires calm seas to dive it. There is surge present on the site even in low swell conditions. Visibility can be affected by outflow from nearby Bream Creek.
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.
Victoria Tower was protected as a Historic Shipwreck on January 17, 1989, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Any deliberate damage or interference to Victoria Tower is an offence under the Act and offenders face tough penalties.
Dive information sheet