Blossom

Blossom was a small pearling vessel, probably a cutter between 10 and 20 tons (at times she was described as a small schooner). Like so many other small vessels she was unregistered and unlicensed, so her builder, measurements and owners were not recorded. It is also possible that in a sale, the vessel was renamed. Newspapers have recorded Blossom operating along the Western Australian coast, collecting pearl shell in the Exmouth pearling ground.

Blossom was pearling in Exmouth Gulf, with Hope, Industry and Ariel in the mouth of the gulf at the end of December 1875. There were at least 15 other vessels scattered around the gulf at the time. The exact number is unknown because there were many unlicensed vessels built by unregistered builders. One report had Blossom returning to the mainland from another pearl ground to replenish her fresh water supply.

In these early days of pearling, little was understood about the danger of the cyclone season, and luggers operated all year round, often with dire consequences.

Blossom was anchored at the mouth of the gulf, in Troubridge Creek, near the Hope (part of the Messrs. J. & W. Bateman fleet) when the barometer began to drop significantly on 23 December 1875 towards a low 29.7 inches of mercury.

On 24 December the low pressure dropped further, and the weather deteriorated as a cyclone formed. Troubridge Creek was not sheltered from the gale force winds and violent seas. Hope survived, but Blossom slipped her chains, foundered and was wrecked on the rocky shore. Her crew of five divers were lost, having gone down with the boat.

The wreck of the Blossom was found, washed up and partially burnt, by Mr C. Annois sometime later. The Western Australian Times stated that Mr Annois was her owner and was looking for her after the cyclone. That newspaper also reported her crew as two Manila divers and three Malayan crew. Graeme and Kandy-Jane Henderson reported in their "Unfinished Voyages" that the crew were Filipino. We will never know these details for sure, nor will we know the names of the dive crew members. All that is certain is that none of them were ever found.

Of the 18 vessels in the Exmouth pearling ground that day, a total of 61 crew members were lost, and most are able to be accounted for.