An index to posts about the ship 'Loch Ard'

"Flotsam", from Gillian Lodge's 'Loch Ard' series.  Thanks Gillian for permission to use this lovely artwork on the blog.  Readers can check out her work at http://gillianlodge.com/index.html 

When I first sought to blog about the Loch Ard I thought I would be finished after three posts. I set myself a challenge to have it done in three months.  But the story has hooked me, so I am making no commitment about the final number of posts, or if I will even deem the collection finished.

However I am reorganising the blog, updating some bits, and breaking longer posts into multiple shorter ones.  Given that I can get sidetracked onto other historical matters I have decided to index the Loch Ard posts, this will allow my readers to follow this story more clearly than scrolling through the blog.

You can get a sense of some the material in the 'drafts' section of my blog by observing the not yet published material.  But as with most research you start a journey to one place and find other noteworthy stops and detours along the way.  Undoubtedly some of these discoveries will result in redaction or revision of the posts below, or perhaps new posts altogether.

Context

Loch Ard the last of the Clippers? - a stub

The Ship and her Cargo

Loch Ard - A ship and her manifest
The Loch Ard Peacock
Loch Ard's Lead Ingots
Loch Ard and the Carmichael Watch - not yet published

Events at 'Loch Ard Gorge'

The wrecking of the Loch Ard
Loch Ard - her dead and their burial
Loch Ard - salvage and looting
Eva and Tom an heroic tale from the Loch Ard

Later Events

Honouring Tom Pearce

A poem sequence

The wreck of the Loch Ard - a poem by W. S. of Blackwood.

Reflections on the Wreck of the Loch Ard by W. S. of Blackwood

Critique and response to the poem 

The question of authorship 

 

A musical tribute - not yet published

Associated writing

A rough ride on the Great Ocean Road

The Loch Ard Wreck - Eva and Tom

While at its core the Loch Ard story is a tragedy this component of that story is often portrayed as a romance and as such it captured the imagination the newspapers of the day.

In a previous blog post we interrupted the narrative at the point where Eva has been washed overboard and is holding onto a hen coup to keep afloat, and Tom has been capsized from his lifeboat.

We continue the narrative first from Miss Carmichael's perspective ...

Miss Carmichael and her two companions, finding the hen-coop very awkward to hold on to, as it was continually throwing over, left it for a spar which came near them, and on  this they floated into the entrance of the gorge, and then her two companions, fancying they could reach a rocky point near the entrance, left the spar and struck out for it, but the undercurrent carried them out to the sea. She still clung to the spar,  and was gradually drifted until a portion of her clothing caught a projecting point of the rocky side, and where fragments of it can be seen. It was then that, looking shoreward, she saw Pearce walking on the wreckage, which she mistook for rocks. She screamed out to him, and then lost consciousness, only recovering  her senses when he was half carrying, half dragging her to the cave ... for warmth and shelter.

The rescue of Eva Carmichael as seen in the dramatised re-enactment at Flagstaff Maritime Village.  This is back projected onto a screen of water from an fountain in the museums lake.  This clever show is well worth the visit.

Tom Pearce enters the surf to rescue Eva Carmichael who is holding onto the spar of a ship.

 And now from Tom Pearce's perspective ...

... the boat capsized, and Pearce states that when he again came to the surface he found himself under the boat. Here, he says, he remained for some time, as there was plenty of air, but this is a matter of doubt. At last he dived down and came outside the boat, holding on to the life-lines. He saw nothing about him but wreckage, but he also noticed that he had drifted into a gorge, and at the same moment the boat struck against the rocks at the side, and he then left her and struck out for the beach, where he arrived safely. He was then very much exhausted, and finding plenty of spirits on the beach, he helped himself to them, and also got something to eat. 

After being about an hour on the beach he heard somebody screaming out, and looking seawards he saw a young lady holding on to some wreckage and drifting through the gorge. He at once swam out to her, and getting hold of some of her clothing in his teeth, he brought her safely to land, and managed to drag her into the cave, where he cut some grass for a bed. She was then in an insensible state, and he tried to restore animation by pouring a quantity of brandy down her throat, and also by rubbing her body with the same spirit. She recovered somewhat, but appeared to have lost her senses, and was raving. Being exhausted, he lay down, and when he awakened he found her asleep, and left her to try and get assistance. 

He managed to clamber the side of the gorge, and at once coming upon horse-tracks, he followed them, and at last came upon George Ford, an employe of Mr. Gibson. Pearce told him that there was a lady in the caves wanting assistance, and at once went back to her, and Ford shortly after met Mr. Gibson, who sent him to the station for blankets, a lantern, and other articles he thought might be wanted, while he himself galloped off to the caves, overtaking Pearce on the way. 

Having scrambled down to the cliff, they went straight to the cave where Pearce had left Miss Carmichael, but she  could not be found. There was the grass that Pearce had cut  for her bed, but she had vanished. They searched every nook  and corner of the cave, but could find no trace of her, and by  this time it was dark. Ford had arrived with blankets and a  billy for boiling water, together with some coffee and a lantern.  Having lit the lantern, another and closer search was made in the cave for the young lady, but again without success. Mr.  Gibson then proceeded to the second cave, which is about 100  yards distant, and this was also closely searched, but again without success. Fears were now beginning to be entertained for the young lady's safety, as it was thought that in her  distracted state she might have destroyed herself, as they were  quite certain that unaided she could not have climbed the cliff.  They cooey'd continually to attract her attention. As after events  proved, this was the cause of the delay in finding her. Never having heard the Australian cooey before, she fancied that it  was the cry of some of the natives, and in mortal fear and trembling she concealed herself within a few yards of the search  party. As a last resource they tried to track her footsteps in the loose sand. They could see that she had left the cave, but  her steps were so light, and they had crossed and recrossed the  sand so often, that the tracks were quite confused, and at last  they were almost tempted to give up the search. There is in the gorge a single clump of dense ti-tree scrub, and as they were passing this, talking somewhat loudly, a voice was heard  among the bushes. Mr. Gibson at once rushed in, and found  the young lady, almost perished with cold and exhaustion, having  scarcely any clothes on. He took off his own coat and covered her up, and also put on her his own warm stockings and boots.  A fire was at once made from some of the wreckage, and in a very short time some hot coffee was in readiness, and a pannikin full of this with a good dash of brandy in it was given her, and this helped to revive her. She was wrapped in blankets and  placed before a large fire until she regained some little natural warmth, but Mr. Gibson plainly saw that by some means she  must be taken to the station, and not allowed to remain in the gorge all night. She was, however, incapable of helping herself up the almost perpendicular cliffs, and at last, when the buggy  arrived, the men succeeded in partly carrying her and partly dragging her to the top, and she was then driven to the home station and put to bed by Mrs. Gibson, by whom she has since been attended. 

Eva is assisted in her egress from Loch Ard Gorge by Tom Pearce and Mr Gibson.

Lets go back to the comment about the "Cooey", and Eva being terrified about aboriginal people. This part of Australia is a high density area for colonial violence toward aboriginal people, have a look at the University of Newcastle's Colonial Massacre Map, there are 11 recorded massacres in an arc around Warrnambool out to Portland, Hamilton and Colac, there are no recorded massacres of non-aboriginal people in the same arc.  One wonders what stories were told to would be immigrants about the indigenous inhabitants of this land.

Eva remained at the Gibson's homestead, Glenample, for some time recovering from her ordeal. But Glenample would not have been a quiet place in which to recover, a reporter from the Warrnambool Standard reports:

Mr. Gibson's house at Glenample has been be sieged by visitors since Monday ; every available inch of accommodation on his premises, huts, &c, has been occupied. So much so, that in the room where I the was sleeping on Wednesday night the reporters of Argus, Age and Telegraph lay together on the floor. Did ever the representatives of our three metropolitan, journals lie under the same blankets before?

Portraits of Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce overlaid onto a scene of the Lord Ard Wreck.

Eva Carmichael returned to England / Ireland in August 1878, passage paid for by the Victorian Government (Geelong Advertiser, 11 July 1878)

Eva Carmichael departing aboard the steamer XXX.  The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil 31 Aug 1878.

By the last mail steamer from our shores 'Miss Carmichael's Departure' took place. This lady was, it will be remembered, one of the two survivors from the ill-fated ship Loch Ard, and was saved by Mr. Thos. Pearce, the only other person who escaped from the wreck. She was accompanied to the steamer by Mr. and Mrs. Gibson and several friends, and Mr. Thos. Pearce was also there to say good-bye. Miss Carmichael appeared to have quite recovered her health, but she was, naturally, much affected at having to say farewell to those who had been so kind to her in her great sorrow and distress. There was a very large crowd, principally of the fair sex, on board the mail steamer, who were present, apparently, from a desire to see the young lady.

Did they meet again? Here is one answer from the Sydney Morning Herald

Click here to go to Under the Lino's 'Loch Ard Index'

Loch Ard, her dead and their burial

Only four bodies were recovered from the wreck they were the bodies, of Mrs Carmichael (Eva's mother), Raby Carmichael (Eva's sister), Arthur Mitchell and Reginald Jones (both passengers).  They were placed in two graves, marked with capstan bars (see illustration below).  The bars were later replaced with marble headstones, which are still in place at the Loch Ard Gorge graveyard.

The missionary, Mr. McIntyre, provided pastoral service during the aftermath of the disaster, including the funeral service for the four people whose bodies were recovered.  Below are some notes of interest from his account to The Sydney Morning Herald on 14 Jun, 1878.

He quotes Eva's account of her struggle with her life belt.

One of the strings attached to my life-belt broke, and the belt shifting up and down forced my head under the water several times, which almost cost me my life.

That Reginald Jones (one of the buried men), according to Carmichael had foreboding about the journey.

We had a splendid passage, having encountered but one half-gale when west of the Cape of Good Hope. We were indulging the hope of all safely landing ; but it is remarkable that Reginald Jones had a dark foreboding of disaster. He often told me that he had a presentiment that he should never plant his foot on Victorian soil ; and I have repeatedly endeavoured to dispel his fears. His fears were more than verified, for I am afraid forty-nine have perished with him.  

He notes that Eva drew her lineage to royalty,

She informed me that her late mother was a Plantagenet, a descendant of King Henry VII., and that she is related to some of the Irish nobility.

McIntyre then later recounts this incident at that burial.

Before the lid of Mrs. Carmichael's coffin was nailed down, a countryman of my own, who seemed to have a "wee drap in his ee," said to his companion, " Here lies royal bluid, ma frien'. We dinna drap across a Plantagenet everyday; sae, let's jist tak a wee pickle o' her hair, by way o' a keepsake, ye ken." Whereupon they cut off a small portion of her hair, reverentially wrapped it up in paper, and seriously walked away with their treasure.

And further

The initials of the names were roughly carved with a penknife on the lids of their primitive-looking coffins, so that each body might be identified in the case of its being removed by friends or relatives
to other sepulture.

The Flagstaff Museum will note in it's 'strange but true signage', that the two buried Carmichaels were both keen pianists and were buried in coffins made of piano crates found on the shore after the wreck.

Headstone for Arthur Mitchell and Reginald Jones.  Loch Ard Gorge.

Headstone for Mrs Evory and Raby Carmichael, together with memorial for other family members lost in the wreck but whose bodies were not retrieved.  Loch Ard Gorge.

Three panels image showing (top) the route of the Loch Ard, reference to the sow and pigs is the old name for the twelve apostles, scene at the burial of the four bodies recovered (bottom left), the farmhouse (bottom right).
Source: The Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier of 13 Jul 1878

Three panel image showing (left) the cave into which Mr. Pearce helped Miss Carmichael, (top right) the graves of the
four persons whose bodies were drifted ashore ; they are buried in two graves, with a capstan bar standing for sole memorial at the head of each. (bottom right), the gorge leading landward, and exhibits the scrub in which Miss Carmichael had hidden herself when found by the party searching.  Source: Australasian Sketcher 6 Jul 1878

Despite McIntyre delivering a short address at the funeral from the words—"And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it" (Rev. xx., 13), the sea proved unwilling to allow the burial of any other crew or passengers.  Some of their bodies were seen from the cliffs, and some even identified on the basis of these observations.  But conditions did not allow for the bodies to be recovered. The Article in Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier reports:

The dead bodies have drifted into the bights and indentations west of Pearce Inlet, and all present a mutilated appearance. One stout-built bald-headed man is believed to be Dr. Carmichael, while the other is evidently that of a sailor who was transfixed by the falling mast, as a portion his bowels are protruding from the back. These bodies present a dreadful sight as they are tossed to and fro by the heavy surf ; the rags still clinging to them give the the appearance of stuffed figures most horrible to look upon. The body of the female is conjectured to be that of Mrs. Stuckey, as she was the only lady with fair hair on board the unfortunate vessel. A man from town has been living on the coast for some days engaged in looking out for the corpses of Mr. and Mrs. Stuckey and in all weathers he may be seen religiously carrying out his instructions. I am of opinion that some of the bodies have been washed into the subterranean cave known as the Blow Hole. The entrance to this cannot be observed from the land, but about 500 yards inland among the scrub there is a huge hole about fifty yard long by twenty wide, with sides running vertically down to a depth of about sixty feet. Here the sea rushes in with terrific force through the channel connecting it with the ocean, and after spending its fury against the rocky sides of the hole, passes on through another cave which penetrates further inland, but to what extent it impossible to estimate. Should any of the bodies have been washed in here, they would never be extricated. 

A telegram received subsequently states that dead bodies have been seen in this place, but they could not be recovered.

The Australian Maritime Museums Council notes that -

Some days after the wreck about 12 bodies were seen washed into a blowhole to the west of the Loch Ard wreck site. They were all covered in a ‘ghostly green glow’. (true story: the ship was carrying phosphorous matches)

These matches are listed as vesta or lucifera in the ships manifest, see my previous blog.

Cover of Australasian Sketcher showing an attempted body recovery, note the body floating in the water.
Source: Australasian Sketcher.

The following text accompanied the above image in the Australian Sketcher of 3 Aug 1878.

DESCENDING THE CLIFF. 

The attempted recovery of bodies from the wreck of this unfortunate vessel was rendered a most difficult and dangerous operation by the nature of the cliffs, which are at this part perfectly perpendicular, and at places even overhanging. The only means of getting down at such places is by being lowered over the cliffs by a rope. But it was then found to be quite impossible, while hanging by a rope over the heaving sea, to do anything towards the recovery of the body which was tossed like a broken seaweed by the wave beneath, and we believe that it was not found practicable to recover any by this means. The sketch of our artist depicts the descent of the cliff by a rope of a man who was locally known, from his odd dress, by the name of "Robinson Crusoe."

Click here to go to Under the Lino's 'Loch Ard Index'

Loch Ard wreck - salvage and looters

I assume that salvage from shipwrecks was an important consideration and for this reason the newspapers of the day published extensive manifests (see my previous blog post).  The papers then would go on to report on the likelihood of return from a salvage operation.  There was also interest in the looters or wreckers.

Miller and Matthews (who have a share with Mr. Howarth and two or three others) arrived at Cobden on Friday, 14th June, en route to the wreck. They keep a sharp look out after the wreckers, who have completely outwitted police and customs officials, and plundered cargo to an amazing extent. At the Sherbrooke River there is an open beach about half a mile long, on which much of the cargo was washed ashore, consisting principally of broken harmoniums and numberless cases of wax vestas ; also a large quantity of furniture, table tops, and other articles, but these were speedily removed
by persons who came down from Port Campbell, Scott's Creek, and other places with carts and pack horses. It is a well-known fact that hundreds of pounds' worth of goods have been conveyed away by people who honestly believed they had a perfect right to all they could lay hands upon, provided the police did not catch them. A case of toys and another of Birmingham jewellery found their way up to Cowley's Creek.

Clearly some drapery was retrieved as the Geelong Advertiser 13 July, 1878 ran salvage sales.  Such sales are a common 'hit' if one searches for "Loch Ard" on Trove.

But retrieving material from the Loch Ard was dangerous business.  The following report from The Argus was repeated in several papers.

A selector at the Gellibrand River, named [John] Borlace, is missing under circumstances that lead to the supposition that he had lost his life in endeavouring to recover wreckage on the Gellibrand beach. He left his home on Thursday morning, telling his wife he would return about 10 o'clock. His dog came home about two hours afterwards, but although every search has been made, Borlace has not been seen since. He was traced into the water at the beach, and it is supposed in endeavouring to recover wreckage he has been carried away by the drawback in the surf.

Click here to go to Under the Lino's 'Loch Ard Index'

Loch Ard - the last of the clippers?

The Loch Ard was the last of the clippers to run passengers to Australia.  While some commentators may note the tragic loss of life as the cause for the clipper route demise, the Loch Ard was not the wreck with the greatest body count.

Rob Mundle in his recent (2016) book, Under Full Sail (ABC) traces the emergence and decline of the clippers that ran the England to Australia run during the gold rush and beyond.  He does not mention the Loch Ard, and perhaps for good reason, the era of the clipper had passed, and tragic though it was the Loch Ard disaster was probably not the catalyst for its end. Mundle gives two reasons,  (1) the rise fo steam powered ships like the SS Great Britain that were not subject to the vagaries of the wind, and (2) the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which could reduce distance traveled by as much as 3750 nautical miles (Mundle: p, 322).  Due to the nature of the winds in that part of the world the Suez was not negotiable by sail.

Click here to go to Under the Lino's 'Loch Ard Index'

The Loch Ard Peacock

Two items aboard the Loch Ard were destined for display at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880.  This Peacock was one of them, I'm not sure what the other one was, although other items of Milton Pottery were in the hold. An exhibition catalogue from 1880 is available for perusal, but it does not mention the lost peacock.

The Loch Ard Peacock at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.  Photograph by Simon Hamlet.

The peacock now described as the Loch Ard Peacock would have once been labelled a Minton Majolica Peacock.  Minton referring to the manufacturing house and majolica referring to the type of glaze used.  Its creator was the French animal sculptor, Paul Comolera.  In 1873 Comolera kept a live peacock in his studio to inform his production of this piece (The Australian).  Reports of the number of peacocks manufactured to this pattern vary, with published estimates between 8 and 20.

Other examples of the peacock are held at:

• The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney (acquired in 1984 for its opening in 1988)
• The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool (acquired 1891)
• Christie's listed one for auction in 2010

Remarkably the Loch Ard Peacock washed ashore in Loch Ard Gorge mostly intact, two days after the sinking of the Ship.  It was known to have come ashore and was identified for what it was even though salvaging rights were not yet decided.  This indicates that the crate would have been opened.

Salvaging rights to the wreck were sold at public auction 10 days after the wreck, by which time some of the material which had washed ashore had been washed out again in another storm.  Fortunately the peacock been moved beyond the reach of the following storms.

The Peacock is the most valuable shipwreck artefact in Australia, valued at $4 Million dollars.  It is one of very few artefacts listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.  The Heritage Register normally lists buildings.

The list below is a highlight list for the artefact since its recovery.

• 1878 - Retrieved from the wreck, owned by the Miller family of Geelong.
• 1935 - Displayed at Melbourne National Museum Exhibition - on loan.
• 1943 - Purchased by Ridley-Lee of Hiedleberg
• 1974 - Put up for auction during the sale of the Ridley-Lee estate but failed to reach the $4500 reserve.
• 1975 - Purchased by Flagstaff Hill for $4500, in part by public subscription by the people of Warrnambool.
• 1980 - Displayed at the Royal Exhibition Building (Melbourne) centenary celebrations.
• 1988 - Displayed at the Victorian Exhibition at Expo 88, Brisbane
• 2010 - Entered into the Victorian Heritage Register.

return to the Under the Lino : Loch Ard Index

Loch Ard's Lead Ingots

A lot of lead

Lead ingots at Flagstaff Maritime Village.  Photograph by Simon Hamlet.

In another post detailing the ships manifesto lead ingots appear twice in the lists, in the first list as "pig lead, 50 tons" and in the second as "994 pigs and 37 rolls of lead."  825 of the ingots have made their way to Flagstaff Hill.  Each ingot weighs approximately 59 kg and has the words "PONTIFEX AND WOOD LONDON" clearly 'stamped' into the metal.

Following the initial salvage operation in 1878, the location of the wreck seemed to surprisingly fall out of public knowledge until it was rediscovered in 1967.  Following this rediscovery, looters collected a lot of the metal, until a police investigation managed to retrieve much of it.

The Woman's Weekly of 1972 writes 

Five years ago the clipper's iron hull was found in 70ft. of water, and it was blown open in 1969. Rival groups of abalone divers disputed a cargo of lead, copper, and minting metal - estimated to be worth about $50,000 - until the Commonwealth Receiver of Wrecks took control of the wreck and all salvage work.

The lead was then kept in a government store until being presented to The Flagstaff Maritime Village (Warrnambool City Council) in 1984.

Victoria Collections provided some insight into the large volume of lead on board.

Subsequent classification has rendered this section of cargo as “Lead Ballast”. This could be true. The international price per ton of lead ore plunged from a high point of £17 in 1853 to a low of £8 in 1882. The cheaper price of lead at the time of the vessel’s loading in early 1878 may have meant it was considered as an alternative to other ballast material (traditionally stone) for the journey to Melbourne. 

Line ships generally returned to Britain laden with Australian wool. Even though wool bales were “screwed in” to the hold to less than half their “pressed weight”, they still made an awkwardly light cargo for the passage around the Horn. The concentrated weight of lead pigs along the keel line would help steady and centre the ship, and perhaps the artefacts in this case were to be retained for this purpose, rather than being sold on to the ready colonial market. 

However this is conjecture. Demand for building materials in the gold and wool rich Colony of Victoria was high in the 1870s, and much of the LOCH ARD cargo was intended for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880, which was another example of buoyant economic conditions. In the nineteenth century lead was valued for its density (high ratio of weight to volume), flexibility (relative softness for working into shape), and durability (corrosion resistant and waterproofing properties). It was used for pipes and water tanks, roof flashing and guttering, window sealing and internal plumbing. Many large private residences and new public buildings were at planning or construction stage in the colony during this period. The LOCH ARD lead ingots could equally have been destined for this ready market.