Thistle (1903/05/09)

Between Bunbury and Durban

Thistle formerly Gio. Batta Repetto (1876–1903)
Official Number: 102225
Port of Building: Glasgow
Year built: 1876
Port of Registration: Fremantle
Rig Type: Barque
Hull: Wood
Length: 209.6 ft (63.9 m)
Breadth: 36.6 ft (11.16 m)
Depth: 22.6 ft (6.89 m)
Tonnage: 1227.43 gross, 1147.13 net, 1140 under deck
Port from: Bunbury
Port to: Durban, South Africa
Date lost: May 1903
Chart Number: Aus 755
Protection: The site when found will be protected under the general provisions of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
Significance criteria: 2 & 7
THE VESSEL
The Thistle was built by L. Durante in Italy as the barque Giovanni Batta Repetto, more commanly referred to as Gio. Batta Repetto. It had one deck, a round stern and a figurehead, and cost £22?000 to build. The framing was of Italian oak with planking of pitch pine. On 10 March 1899, while leaving Albany, the barque struck a reef, believed to be Michaelmas Reef. Badly damaged, it was towed back to Albany harbour where the cargo was discharged, but after examination and despite temporary repairs by a diver, it was condemned as a wreck.
The wreck was bought by John Bateman of the firm of J. & W. Bateman for £300. Fremantle shipwright Robert Howson was employed by Bateman to heave the vessel down and repair the badly damaged planking, including sheathing it with felt and yellow metal The repaired barque sailed for Fremantle on 3 September, arriving six days later having cost Bateman a total of only £1?800. On 8 November 1899 at Fremantle it was registered as the Thistle, No. 8 of 1899 (McKenna, 1959) or No. 2 of 1899 (Dickson, 1996). The official number was changed to 102225, with John Bateman owning all 64 shares. Its first voyage under the new registration was to Shanghai on 29 November 1899.
THE LOSS
The Thistle departed Bunbury for Durban, South Africa, on 9 May 1903 and was not heard of again. On board were the master, O. Williams, 15 crewmen and one passenger. The vessel’s value was £3 000 and the cargo of jarrah was valued at £4 500. Its disappearance remains a mystery. Some large timbers found in deep water by a fisherman may be associated with the disappearance of the Thistle.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
TECHNICAL (2)
The Thistle is technically significant as a large vessel which was wrecked and written off, but subsequently salvaged and repaired before being put back into overseas service.
RARE (7)
The Thistle is rare in being the only Italian-built vessel lost from a south-west port.
REFERENCES
Cairns, L. & Henderson, G., 1995, Unfinished Voyages: Western Australian Shipwrecks 1881–1900. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands.
Dickson, R., 1992, Marine accidents and Incidents in Western Australian waters: compiled from the Register of Wrecks and Casualties in Western Australia 1897–1942, Her Majesty’s Customs, and the Register of Accidents and Incidents from 1916–1972, from the Department of Marine and Harbours. Report—Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 56.
Dickson, R., 1996, Ships registered in Western Australia from 1856 to 1969: their details, their owners and their fate. Report—Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 80.
Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1877. Lloyd’s, London.
Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1902–03. Lloyd’s, London.
McKenna, R., 1959, Vessels registered with the British Register of Ships at the Port of Fremantle, WA. Unpublished manuscript, McKenna Collection, Western Australian Museum.
McKenna, R., 1967, Record of wrecks, strandings, mishaps etc. on or near the WA coast. Unpublished manuscript, McKenna Collection, Western Australian Museum.

Formerly Italian barque Gio Batta Repetto