The vessel
Janet was built in Fremantle by James Storey. The schooner-rigged
vessel was reputed to be a 'perfect model' for vessels of this kind and
the largest to be built out of this port. It was launched shortly before
27 February 1878. It was carvel-built on a wooden frame, with one deck,
three masts and an oval (elliptical) stern.
The vessel was built for the intercolonial trade and by May 1878 was
commissioned to transport sandalwood to Singapore. W. D. Moore and Company
acted as the ship's agents. Owned by Daniel J. Avery, a well-known horse
exporter, the vessel made regular trips to Sri Lanka with horses, usually
taking on Indian produce for the return voyage. It also made frequent voyages
to Singapore, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, Batavia and Surabaya. Outward
journeys also called at the colonial ports of Shark Bay or Bunbury.
The last outward voyage of Janet was on the 17 August 1887, to
Schooner, with a cargo of horses. The vessel then returned to Fremantle
with a cargo of 2 000 sacks of Indian corn and furniture from Ceylon. Also
on board were Captain William Miles, a crew of eleven and three passengers,
apparently the grooms who had cared for the horses on the outward journey
(Cairns & Henderson, 1995).
The wreck event
The Rottnest Island light was sighted at 7.30 p.m. on 11 December. At
the time the vessel was on a course east by south and the island 13 kilometres
off. The shoreline was hazy but the captain had twenty years of experience
sailing into Fremantle although it was his first as master of Janet.
At approximately 9 p.m., Miles, who had no harbour chart aboard, believing
he had gone far enough around the island, 'hauled the ship up', after which
the Fremantle lights were seen off to the bow of the vessel (Cairns &
Henderson, 1995).
The news that Janet had been wrecked on Transit Reef, off Bathurst
Point during a gale was conveyed by the pilot boat that had responded to
the signals of the distressed vessel. The decks of Janet were completely
covered with water and the crew were clinging to the spars in order to keep
above the rising water (Boocock, 1990:4).
Despite Miles' previous experience of the port, the schooner must have
been hugging the island too closely because it sank just 90 metres from
where SS Macedon was lost on Transit Reef in 1883. By early the next
morning the vessel had begun to break up. Janet was equipped with
only one very leaky boat that could not transfer all the crew at once, so
a whaleboat was enlisted to take the extra men ashore. Following the rescue
there was little hope of salvaging any of the cargo. Two days later quantities
of furniture were washed up on North Beach. |
Inquiry
The preliminary inquiry charged Captain Miles with neglect for failing
to call the pilot, and neglecting to take adequate bearings or soundings.
His certificate was suspended for four months. Avery insured the vessel's
cargo for £23 000, however, The British Insurance Company was reluctant
to pay out and a lengthy legal battle ensued (Cairns & Henderson, 1995).
This caused significant hardship for Avery and to the Western Australian
economy as failure to find a quick replacement for Janet meant that
the Schooner horse trade was subsequently supplied by South Australia.
Site location
The wreck lies 113 metres on a bearing of 55° from the wreck site
of SS Macedon's bow, west-north-west of Bathurst Point .
Site description
The Janet wreck site lies on a shallow honeycomb reef in a depth
of 3 to 4 metres rising to 1 metre from the surface. The most conspicuous
features on the site are a small donkey boiler measuring 0.5 metres across,
and two anchors that lie nearby. One anchor lies on its side with the stock
missing while the other stands in a deep hole with only the square and stock
visible. Glass and ceramic shards are also present. There are few other
removable fittings or other artefacts on the site (McCarthy, 1980a:1).
Statement of significance
Technical and historical
The wreck of Janet is of particular significance as an example
of Western Australian shipbuilding. It was described as the most 'perfect'
ship and the largest vessel to have been built at the colony at the time.
The site is also significant as the remains of a vessel involved in the
export of Australian goods overseas and the development of the sandalwood
trade. This was vital to the development of the Western Australian colony
and the repercussions of the wrecking resulted in the loss of a significant
export to interstate competition.
References
Boocock, A., 1990, The loss of the Janet , Rottnest 1887, unpub. Post Graduate Diploma Course Report, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum.
McCarthy, M., 1980a, Janet , unpub. Wreck Inspection Report, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 59.
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