Andrews, Johansen and Matterson

On Sunday, 27 November 1892, a fishing smack left Fremantle at around 5.45am heading for fishing grounds around Carnac Island. On board that day were John (Jack) Andrews, Carl Johansen (Jensen), Fred Matterson and William Henry Rose. Jack and Carl were both seamen, Fred a carpenter and William an engine cleaner. William had gone out for pleasure, the other three to catch fish for sale.

The boat was owned by a William Bourgeest, about 18foot long with a 7foot beam and was considered to be a good sea boat. The boat was worked on shares between Jack, Carl, Fred and the owner, with the proceeds of each fishing trip being allotted in equal parts.

Carl Johansen was in charge of the boat and frequently expressed his conviction that nothing could beat, or upset her, in rough weather. Bourgeest however did say in his statement to the police ‘that Johansen was a rather careless man in a boat,’ which may have contributed to the loss of the vessel.

William Rose later told the Coroner that the boat arrived at Carnac between 12pm and 1pm, remaining there for around three quarters of an hour before heading off to the whiting grounds, and leaving there around 3.30pm.

It was at this point in time that they met another boat about two miles from Carnac. William changed boats, leaving Jack, Carl and Fred to continue their trip. William wanted to get back to Fremantle and the three men had told him that they intended to stay on Carnac all night and head to Penguin Island the next morning.

Meeting the other boat gave William the opportunity to jump on board and sail back to Fremantle. William later gave a detailed account to the Coroner’s court, which included the fact that there was no liquor on board, and that all three men were sober at the time of his departure.

On the night of Sunday, 27 November, some rough squalls came up from the South and by Wednesday the owner, William Bourgeest, became uneasy as there had been no signs of the boat. He then reported the matter to police and searched the North Beach for 25 miles and the South Beach as far as Rockingham, however to no avail.

On the morning of 6 December, Bourgeest found the body of a man just above the surf about eight miles north of Fremantle. The body was face down and very much decomposed, clothed apart from hat, boots and socks.

Bourgeest, and another man named Hausen, moved the body up from the water and he immediately recognised the body as that of Jack Andrews. He knew the body from the clothing and proceeded to cut off portions of the clothing, which he gave to the police, and which were later identified and confirmed by William Rose as being those of the clothes belonging to Jack Andrews, which he was wearing on the fishing trip. Jack’s hat was eventually washed ashore and found on Saturday 10 December.

An inquest was held and the Coroner and Jurors declared that John Andrews came to his death by accidental drowning by the capsizing of a boat.

The bodies of the other men were never recovered.