The vessel
In July 1889, the colonial government of Western Australia took delivery
of a Priestman dredge, which arrived aboard the steamer SS Albany.
The dredge was mounted on the remodelled barge Pioneer, and placed
in service at Fremantle (Cairns & Henderson, 1995:207).
Fremantle harbour works began in 1892 when the first load of stone was
tipped at the commencement of the North Mole (Carpenter, 1984:16). Dredges
were used to remove blasted rock from the bar across the mouth of the Swan
River, and to clear sand from the inner basin. The grab-crane dredger Priestman
was mentioned in the Public Works Department Report of October 1896 as having
excavated channels in the Swan River.
The wreck event
On the night of 10 May 1893 the dredge was left moored on the south side
of Fremantle jetty in Bathers Bay, south of the Swan River mouth. It had
been used for putting down mooring buoys. The vessel was afloat late that
night, but the following morning it had capsized and was floating bottom
upwards.
On board the dredge was a large amount of equipment, including a steam
winch and crane, a donkey engine, mooring cables, diver's gear and pumps.
Rough seas during the night are thought to have been responsible for the
capsize of the top heavy dredge. Suggestions that the vessel was fouled
by the SS Albany after mooring the dredge were discounted when the
wreck was examined by divers who found no sign of a collision (Cairns &
Henderson, 1995:207).
On 12 May Will Watch and Rescue were engaged to try and
right the dredge but only succeeded in turning it over and it then sank.
When trying to do it this way, after upending the crane so
that the sheaves were about a foot out of the water, while the platform was resting
on the bottomI got the Rescue alongside the jib to lift that while I had
a purchase to the platform-he hove all he could but was not able to move it (Russell,
1893:401).
Salvage
It was expected that much difficulty would be encountered in further
attempting to raise the vessel and its machinery. However, within a week,
most of the screw mooring chains, the mooring anchors, a diving pump and
boiler, the crane and other items had been recovered.
Site location
The site is located 120 metres offshore from Bathers Beach in Bathers
Bay, south of the South Mole. As this site is currently buried, transit
photographs are not available for its relocation. |
Site description
The wreck lies in 4 to 6 metres of water on a sand bottom. The covering
of weed make the low relief site difficult to distinguish from the sea-bed.
The remains (12 metres long by 4.7 metres wide) are composed of limestone
boulders weighing up to 20 kilograms, interspersed with iron fittings and
some underlying hull timber.
In 1979, at the western end on the site a hawsepipe was found with stud
link chain running out northward for 12.6 metres. More chain was evident
nearby, and a round axle with three raised cogs was visible. Lumps of coal
and a few copper spikes have also been recorded, together with intrusive
material including beer bottles.
The site was inspected in 1982 and was more exposed at this time. A section
of keel was identified running approximately north-south and frames were
lying partially buried in the sand. The timbers were worm eaten and about
55% deteriorated.
Artefacts
A number of items were recovered from the site and have been conserved
at the Museum. They are a wooden pulley block, a piece of coal, a sample
of hull planking with felt layer and one copper fastening spike. The artefacts,
together with the wreck inspection were able to confirm the identification
of the vessel through the size of remains, the oversized chain, and the
presence of steam machinery.
Statement of significance
Historical
This site is of particular historical significance for its association
with the dredging operation opening up the mouth of the Swan River. By 1900
dredging had proceeded sufficiently to enable ships to pass safely into
the port. This drew the trade away from Albany, and Fremantle became the
pre-eminent port of Western Australia.
Technical
The site has technological significance as the only known wreck site
representing this sort of vessel. Historical documents do not record its
design and construction details or the machinery on board.
References
Carpenter, J., 1984, 'Early development in the Port of Fremantle,
Bathers Bay and the Long Jetty', Port of Fremantle Quarterly, 7.10:14-16.
Russell, Capt., 1893, Letter to the Under Treasurer dated 3 June, Harbour Masters Letterbook, 6:401, Battye Library.
|