Waratah

The Waratah was a schooner built in 1889 by William Chamberlain (or AE Brown) in Fremantle for James Clark, one of Broome’s pearl masters. She was registered in Fremantle, and her Official Number was 101510.

Waratah was 12.3 tons, a two-masted gaff-rigged pearling vessel measuring 34 feet in length and 10.5 feet 93.2 metres) across her beam. She drew 5.5 feet 91.6 metres) of water, so could move in shallow water.

She was a small schooner which made her suitable for lightering, moving between fleet vessels, and reasonably fast sailing for mail, errands and reprovisioning as well as pearling operations.

Waratah’s maiden voyage to Roebuck Bay started in Fremantle on 19 February 1889 under command of Master Robert Owen.

Robert Austin Owen was born in Surrey, England in 1841. He was one of seven children born to Edward Owen and Sophia Austin.

Robert left school and joined the merchant navy. He was a third mate at the age of 21 years of age. In 1964 he earned his second mate certificate. In 1868 he had his Civil Service Certificate of Age and worked his passage to Australia as a first mate.

He settled in Fremantle and studied for his master’s certificate. He gained experience £cargo was lost. By the time she was found, she had been washed off the reef, which damaged her further.

The number of vessels lost and sunk was revealed. The loss was staggering. Twelve boats sank and 21 were wrecked. Another 49 were seriously damaged. There were a large number of boats missing, still to be accounted for. The number of lost lives was not possible to calculate until the stranded crews were rescued.

Sergeant Kennedy of Roebourne Police advised the Police Commissioner of the lost and missing boats and crews and was given authority for any available schooners to search and “save any life or property” they came across. All available boats at Broome were dispatched to render assistance to boats and crews caught in the cyclone.

There was no sighting of Waratah’s crew. Clark’s order to search the islands off the coast was undertaken by the schooner Dawn. They found nothing.

Master Robert Owen left his wife Clara and four young children in Fremantle. Also in the crew was a young man called George Boyle. He was the son of Warder Boyle at the Fremantle Prison. Boyle’s family keenly felt their loss. George had been preparing to join the many gold hunters searching the Pilbara goldfields.

For James Clark, there was a £400 loss. Waratah was not insured.

Weeks after the cyclone, recovery of two men from Waratah’s crew was made public. When Waratah sank and was thrown onto the island, her crew was flung into the sea. Two of the crew were washed directly over another submerged boat. As they passed the masts sticking out above the waterline, they grabbed the rigging. They were still there when the schooners dispatched for rescue found them.

Dawn was tasked with towing the Waratah to Cossack. She was patched, but Dawn left her at Fortescue River. She was badly damaged.

Before long Waratah was refloated. She was repurposed as a lighter for James Clark’s fleet. She was re-registered in Fremantle 8/1892 with repairs and some adjustments made to her hull.

Sadly, history repeated herself in a cyclone in 1910.There were 120 licensed boats lost out of Fremantle including 28 luggers and 54 lives. Among the wrecked was Waratah, owned by A. Davis, a northwest pearl master. She was one of 21 pearl boats wrecked. A further 12 boats sank and 49 were damaged.

Almost a year after the 1910 cyclone a whiskey bottle was found with a message in it, signed by a crew member of the Waratah.