Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

J.L. Hall (1916/07)

Western side of Herald Bay

The full rigged iron ship J.L. Hall was built by Marshall Bros, and launched in July 1859 with one deck, a round stern, two bulkheads, two tiers of beams and had been cemented. It was built for John L. Hall of South Shields. Sold to William Wells in 1872, it was registered at Port Adelaide as No. 11/1872. The next owners were Henry Simpson, Thomas Elder and Robert Barr Smith also of South Australia. This partnership was known as the Black Diamond Line. With the death of Henry Simpson in April 1884 ownership of the J.L. Hall passed to his son, J.L. Simpson, who retained the partnership with Elder and Smith. At this time the ship was given a new deck and the rig altered to that of a barque. It was again registered at Port Adelaide (No. 5/1884). In 1891 the brothers J.L. and W.A. Simpson became owners and the J.L. Hall was registered in their names at Port Adelaide (No. 6/1891). In 1895 they sold the barque to the Adelaide Steamship Company Limited.

In 1898 at Albany it was stripped for use as a coal hulk. This involved removing all but the lower masts, widening the hold hatchways and removing all accommodation apart from, usually, the captain’s quarters in the stern. This was kept for the hulk keeper and his family.

THE LOSS
In July 1916 the J.L. Hall was condemned, and after stripping it of any useful material it was taken to the area between Herald and Ledge points and sunk by gunfire from HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Yarra. The registry at Port Adelaide states:
Vessel condemned as unfit for further use. Handed over to Naval Authorities, for gunnery practice and subsequently taken out to sea and sunk. Advice from owners (McKenna, n.d.(c)).

SITE LOCATION
The exact position of the wreck of the J.L. Hall is not known, but an area of iron wreckage approximately 40 m to the east of the Athena wrecksite is believed to be possibly the remains of the hulk J.L. Hall.

SITE DESCRIPTION
The site measures about 10 m by 8 m, and if it is the remains of the J.L. Hall, would only consist of a small section of the hulk after being blasted apart by gunfire.

Ship Built

Owner Adelaide Steamship Co.

Builder Marshall Bros.

Country Built UK

Port Built South Shields

Port Registered Albany

When Built 1859

Ship Lost

Gouped Region South-Coast

Sinking Condemned and handed to RAN for gunnery practice. Sunk by naval gunfire from HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Yarra.

When Lost 1916/07

Where Lost Western side of Herald Bay

Ship Details

Engine N

Length 50.84

Beam 9.33

TONA 707.00

TONB 685.00

Draft 5.97

Museum Reference

Official Number 27045

Unique Number 1266

Sunk Code Scuttled

File Number 195/72, 193/79

Protected Protected Federal

Found N

Inspected N

Confidential NO