The vessel
SS Macedon was a 532-ton iron screw steamer, built in Liverpool,
England in 1870 by W. H. Potter. The Register of British Ships, Melbourne
recorded that the barque-rigged vessel with one deck was powered by 96-hp
engines. The original owner was W. H. Smith.
Immediately after launch, SS Macedon sailed to Victoria to take
part in the extensive coastal trade that serviced Western Australia. The
following year the vessel was involved in a dramatic sea rescue of passengers
and crew from the SS Auckland which ran aground near Cape Everarde,
Victoria. For ten years the steamer serviced ports along the eastern seaboard
until it was purchased by the Western Australian shipping company, James
Lilly and Company.
The vessel was engaged in the transport of the Kimberley Survey Party
together with horses and equipment to the North-West, under Captain Craig.
There had been considerable pressure to open up this area of Australia.
Fifty-seven horses were required, seven of which had already departed on
Amur together with four men and supplies. On board SS Macedon
on the afternoon of 21 March 1883 were 50 passengers, supplies, government
mails, bullion and 200 tons of general cargo.
On the previous day it had been realised by the harbour authorities that
the marker buoy on Kingston Spit had disappeared but notification of this
did not reach Captain Craig before the vessel set sail. After dropping officials
and supplies off at Rottnest Island, SS Macedon,with engines full
steam and the helm hard to port grazed over a section of reef. The missing
Spit buoy may have caused the captain to misjudge the distances (Cairns
& Henderson, 1995:46).
The wreck event
About three minutes later, at 5.40 p.m., the steamer struck Transit Reef.
The full astern order was given and a stream anchor and winch used to try
and heave off the vessel. This process continued through the night. It was
finally refloated at 6.30 a.m., only to strike a pinnacle of rock, which
broke through the plate and immediately filled the vessel with water.
The crew began the work of lightening the vessel as it began to break
up. The passengers and their luggage were taken ashore. About 6.00 p.m.
that evening the captain finally left the vessel.
Inquiry
Captain Craig admitted that he had made an error in judgement with regard
to the SS Macedon's position but that the absence of the Kingston
Spit buoy had been the cause. The setting sun, the large number of passengers
and perhaps the glass of whisky consumed were factors contributing to the
loss. The captain was found negligent in that he deviated from the proper
course, had failed to take soundings, compass bearings and to consult the
Admiralty charts. His certificate was suspended for three months (Cairns
& Henderson, 1995:47).
Salvage
Lilly and Company managed to salvage the anchor chains, sails and rigging
before rough weather caused the vessel to further break up. On 7 April it
was reported that the hull and lead ore ballast had been sold to H. Atwell
and by May he had retrieved 26 tonnes of lead ore and a steam winch. Further
attempts at salvage using a diver failed due to stormy weather, and some
diving equipment was lost.
There has been a high incidence of illegal salvage on the site. This
was prolific during the 1970s when the importance of shipwreck protection
was not widely understood. Small items such as bottles and clay pipes have
been the main target for divers (Garratt, 1994a:3). |
Site location
The site lies approximately 20 kilometres off Fremantle on the eastern
side of Rottnest Island. It is 1.6 kilometres (0.85 nautical miles) west-north-west
of Bathurst Point .
Site description
The site lies in an area that is prone to strong surging swell and conducive
to the active corrosion of iron. The depth of water over the site ranges
from 3 to 6 metres. The hull is intact to the main deck line amidships,
however the bow is canted over on the starboard side and the stern is completely
broken up. The bow area contains a winch, bollards and hawsepipes.
Coal and the remains of cargo of iron can be seen scattered over the
site. Small items such as clay pipes and bottle and ceramic fragments can
be seen. Inspection of the site in 1992 by the Museum staff revealed that
the site had deteriorated since previous assessments in 1987. Two sections
of deck beams have collapsed and several sections of hull plating have been
dislodged. The boiler has no parent metal remaining. An area of the boiler
had been damaged by the illegal use of hull scrubbing machinery resulting
in the formation of concretion, and the boiler is now indiscernible from
the rest of the site.
Excavation and artefacts
The initial survey of SS Macedon took place in 1971, and in 1976 a diving
helmet used in the contemporary salvage was recovered from the site by the
Museum. In 1980 MAAWA members reported seeing previously unexposed artefacts
on the wreck site and evidence of scouring (Murphy, 1991b:22). To prevent
further loss of and damage to this material, surface finds were removed
from the site. Artefacts included mainly cargo items and ship's fittings,
and these are on display at the Museum and the Rottnest Island Museum.
Statement of significance
Historical
The wreck of SS Macedon has historical significance by marking
a pivotal event in the history of Western Australian coastal shipping. It
signalled the end of a locally-based trade monopoly since the vessel's owners
Lilly, Anderson and Marshall never fully recovered from the financial loss
associated with the wrecking. The Adelaide Steamship Company was able to
take control of the coastal commerce for a great part of Australia.
References
Cockram, C., 1990, The Macedon and Denton Holme,
Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia Reports, July 1989-June.1990:18-21.
1994, SS Macedon plan provided by artist.
Garratt, D., 1994a, Management plan for the Historic Shipwreck
SS Macedon 1870-1883, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian
Maritime Museum, Report No. 61.
McCarthy, M., 1980b, Macedon, unpub. Wreck Inspection Report, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 81.
Murphy, M., 1991b, The Macedon, Maritime Archaeological
Association of Western Australia Reports, July 1990-March 1992, 5:22.
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