The Wreck of the Loch Ard - A poem by W. S. of Blackwood (1878) with some notes

Thank you Carmel Wooding for your reading of the poem (above). You can find Carmel via her Facebook page 'Carmel Wooding Bush Poet'.

This particular post has had a gestation best measured in years. Today I post the first of a series of poems about the ill fated Ship, the Lord Ard, which was wrecked off the Victorian coast at a place that now bears its name, Loch Ard Gorge. The Loch Ard story is well told at the nearby Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. There are also a number of articles about the wreck on this blog already, so much so I have created an index.

This post will simply present the first poem in the series, in both written and audio form. Other posts will provide:

• a subsequent poem which is a reflection on the events written some weeks later
• an analysis of the poem from a poetic perspective
• a poetic critique of the poem and the author's poetic response
• a shallow dive into questions of authorship with a collection of thematically unrelated poems by Zachariah Sutcliffe.

The Wreck of the Loch Ard

The ship Loch Ard from England sailed
For Hobson's Bay. Alas! she failed,
And deeply is her fate bewailed.
All souls but two are lost!

Near Moonlight Head, a place forlorn,
With close-reefed topsails leeward borne
She, June the first, at dawning morn
Was wrecked upon the coast.

The night before, all glad and gay
Retired with thoughts of Hobson's Bay
And landing there the coming day,
They softly fall asleep.

Save steady breezes sighing low
And fitful splash upon the prow
All's still above and hushed below--
She glides along the deep.

At four a.m.
The captain throws the deep sea lead;
Hoarse sounds are heard of rocks ahead,
Which roused the slumberers from their bed.

They wake to fall asleep in death!
Midst gurgling sounds of stifling breath,
And seething wave and reel and shock,
And bumping ship and callous rock,
And falling spars and crashing mast,
And mangled bodies grim and ghast, 
And screech and creak and horrid sound,
And lurid lightning's flashing round,
And faces pale amidst the glare,
And cries for help and sounds of prayer,
And piping winds and tempest's swell,
And ocean yawning like a hell!
Redoubling force and fatal stroke,
And sounds that peals of thunder make,
And shriek and groan and drowning yell,
And waves by fury driven,
And breakers' roar on rock-bound shore,
And cries for help to Heaven!

The captain last seen at his stand,
Ready to help or give command,
In sorrow shook a lady's hand
And tearfully he said,

"If from this awful scene of strife,
Dear lady, you escape with life,
Tell, Eva, tell my widowed wife
I like a sailor died!"

No more was seen of the affray
Except some fighting with the spray.
Young Pearce was early borne away
And now had reached the coast.

There wet and weary does he stray,
Loth to leave and loth to stay.
All signs of life had died away
He thought all else were lost.

While musing on that boisterous beach
Through dangers great he had to reach,
His ear caught something like a screech--
It was a human shout.

A floating spar was dancing there
Clutched by a maiden in despair.
The hero did at once declare
"I'll die, or bring her out."

Ungoaded by the love of fame--
Untwitted by the taunts of shame--
No crowds were there to praise or blame,
Or weep suppose he died,

Yet swift as eagle on his prey,
Or lightning's flash he's borne away
Headlong dashing through the spray
He stems the seething tide!

Now desperate strains our hero brave,
He steals a victim from the grave
And lays her in a lonely cave
Till better may be done;

Then brings he brandy from the tide
And rushes from the mountain side
And both are properly applied--
His prize is so far won.

On rushy bed, where she was laid
Unconsciously, the slumbering maid
Breathed a deep sigh and trembling said
"Tell mother I am here;

And tell dear father, tell him how
I'd like him to be with me now,
He'd take these seaweeds from my brow
And kiss his Eva dear."

Those words near broke the hero's heart;
No mother has she now,
Nor father dear with playful art
To kiss his Eva's brow;
No brother's help she now may crave
Nor sister's words to cheer;
All, all, have found a watery grave
That were to Eva dear!

"Then I will bathe thy brow," he said,
"And will a father be,
Pray drink this cordial now sweet maid
Our Father sent by me.
And wisdom with a heavenly grace
May animate thy brow,
And reason light that once bright face
So dull and cloudy now."

Then soon like flowers at dawning day
Her opening eyes yet wet with dew
Shone bright in reason's genial ray--
Her face assumed its radiant hue.
Oh! cruel fate, assuage her tears;
Thou who hast laid her kindred low
Enable me to quell her fears
Protect her, and subdue her woe.

With consciousness come grief and fears,
Enquiring looks and silent tears;
While through the gloomy cave she peers
Sad horror o'er her creeps,
She sees, for garments seaward gone,
Rushes are kindly o'er her thrown.
In gratitude to Pearce alone
The blushing maiden weeps.

With mingled horror and surprise
The scene affects the lady's eyes,
Who to her brave deliverer sighs
In gratitude and grief.
Distracted by his tale of woe
She begs that he too may not go
And leave her situated so
Unless to find relief.

He said, "your wish is granted, miss,
Now take an ample draught of this,
A cordial that can soothe distress
Or woe however deep."
Both deeply drank, and it was well;
The spirit acted like a spell,
And in short time both sufferers fell
Into a balmy sleep.

Soon much refreshed young Pearce arose,
And seeing the lady in repose
For further comforts once more goes
To search that dreary coast.

He finds a gloomy rock-bound shore
From whence he may return no more;
Unless their heights he can climb o'er
Both lives he knows are lost.

He faced the rocks with nerves of steel,
His only thoughts the lady's weal
His youthful bosom burns with zeal
To find some timely aid.

Then up the cliffs, like ocean sprite,
He nimbly climbs to dizzy height
To find assistance where he might
To nurse the famished maid.

The noble youth, though tired and worn,
With scratch and bruise and garments torn,
Though baffled oft and downward borne
Unconquered yet remains;

Again his eyes are upwards cast,
Now with a firmness unsurpassed,
And grips more desperate than the last
Those awful heights he gains.

And shortly here our hero finds
A track that to a station winds;
This he resolves to keep;
He landward started with a bound
And kept the track until he found
A shepherd with his sheep.

The shepherd heard his tale of woe,
And told him not to further go.
"Return at once" he said,
"And I will to the station ride,
Some aid and comforts to provide,
Meantime you tend the maid."

Gibson, a man of generous heart,
With others quickly made a start
To the disastrous scene;
Eager to succour or to save
They shortly reach the well-known cave
No lady could be seen!

Soon after Pearce had climbed the rock,
The maid in fear and trembling woke
And found she was alone.
With bated breath and anxious fears,
Afraid to speak, she thinks she hears
At times a dismal moan.

Can that be Pearce, in thought she said,
Can he be dying--is he dead:
Or is he here, or has he fled?
Desperate with fear, at last she cried,
"Ho, Pearce, are you not coming?"

Startled where silence reigned profound,
Voices like hers rise from the ground,
Words like her own are whispered round,
Each gloomy nook returns a sound
Like "coming, coming, coming."

Dark shadows seem to float in air,
While eyes like cats in darkness glare;
The maid in fear and wild despair
Ran screaming from the cave;
But soon fresh cause for fears abound,
The crags with yells of "cooey" resound,
She feared wild natives were around
Who had no heart to save.

"The savages are near," she said,
And midst the bushes cowered.
"I hear their yell, I hear their tread;
Heaven! must I be devoured!"
"Oh! Providence, with power to save,"
Exclaimed the afflicted Miss;
"Why take me from the kindly wave
To die a death like this?"

Here must I lay my aching head,
Whate'er my fate may be,
If Heaven ere helped a friendless maid
It must be kind to me."
But hark! a footstep coming here
The lady tried to fly,
But falling in some bushes near
Cried "Help me, God, I die!"

Still rushing forward Gibson said
"Your cry is heard, you've naught to fear."
He threw his coat around the maid
And gave kind words of cheer.

Now charmed indeed are the lady's ears;
Those words like angel's accents sound,
No savage monster there appears
But kind and Christian friends are round.

Again like incubus dispelled,
Her fears have faded with the dream;
In grateful raptures now she's held
And Hope reflects a ray serene.

Then with a modesty and grace
That well became the lady here,
She looked in Gibson's kindly face
And anxious asked if Pearce was near.

Again her heart rebounds with joy,
Again is apprehension fled,
Again she sees the sailor boy
By kind and generous Gibson led.

"Take comfort now, my youthful friends,
Affliction's tears we all must shed,
But Providence will make amends,"
The hospitable squatter said.

Then we will hasty homeward go,
Where care and comfort shall be thine;
Where tender hearts with kindness glow
To comfort you with all that's mine.

And soon they reach his mansion fair,
Where worldly blessings round them flow;
The lady meets a mother's care
And all the household sooth their woe.

By care and kindness thus caressed,
The wrecked in health and spirits mend;
And Gibson's by Australia blessed--
He to the friendless proves a friend.

W.S. Blackwood, June 18, 1878.

Notes

I first encountered this poem in the online archive of the State Library of Victoria (SLV), where it is attributed to Zachariah Sutcliffe on an undated poetic brochure. Subsequent investigation suggests it is better attributed to a 'W. S. of Blackwood'. This later poet I have been unable to provide much biographical material about, we assume he lives in Blackwood in 1878 and it would be safe to say he reads the Bacchus Marsh Express.

This poem was written on the 18th June 1878, a fortnight after news of the wreck first broke. The poem was first published by The Bacchus Marsh Express 29 June 1878 [1], and then again by the same paper on 13 July [2]. 

On the day the poem was published for the second time, 'W. S.' wrote a sequel which was published on 27 July [3]. Placement of the second poem within the paper on 27 July seems strategic as it immediately follows a somewhat ambiguous compliment or criticism from an anonymous contributor [4].  W. S. then writes a response in poetic form to the critic [5], which is published by the paper on 17 August.

The paper publishes the poem a number of times as a stand alone pamphlet to raise money for the Loch Ard Fund. Given the clear and repeated use of 'W. S.' in the paper's publication, I doubt that the pamphlet where I first encountered poem is one of these. The SLV pamphlet was printed in Emerald Hill (South Melbourne) and the Bacchus Marsh Express had its printing house in Bacchus Marsh [6].

The poem's 47 verses have a complex structure and if you have read newspaper reports of the wreck, it would be possible to consider a source analysis from the newspaper coverage (a project I have not yet attempted).

I express my gratitude to fellow Trove participant, ‘cvening’, for cleaning up much of the text used here.

References

[1] THE WRECK OF THE LOCH ARD. (1878, June 29). The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1945), p. 3. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702371

[2] THE WRECK OF THE LOCH ARD. (1878, July 13). The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1945), p. 4. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702705

[3] REFLECTIONS ON THE WRECK OF THE LOCH ARD. (1878, July 27). The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1945), p. 3. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702151 

[4] To the Editor of the Express. (1878, July 27). The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1945), p. 3. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702152 

[6] Heritage Council of Victoria (n.d.)  Bacchus March Express Office and Printing Works. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/44

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'

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.