Ledley, R. G.

University of Queensland eSpace

1066 
A NOTABLE SHIPWRECK OF TORRES STRAIT 
[By CAPT. R. G. LEDLEY] 
(Read by Mr. A. A. JORDAN at a meeting of the 
Society on August 25, 1955.) 
Probably no part of Torres Strait has been respon-
sible for so many wrecks, as what is known as Raine 
Island Entrance. So many wrecks occurred during the 
1830's and 1840's, that the Government eventually 
erected a beacon, circular in shape, and seventy-five 
feet high above low water, visible about fifteen miles, 
this tower being erected by Captain Blackwood of 
H.M.S. survey ship "Fly". It was painted red and 
white stripes, and convicts were carried from Sydney 
to help in the construction of the beacon. 
During the early days of Torres Strait traffic, 
thei^ cj were no ports north of Brisbane, so when ships 
were wrecked at the Northern part of the Strait, the 
prevailing winds being from the South and South-East, 
the survivors usually up helm and stood with a fair 
wind towards Timor—Captain Bligh being a case in 
point. The Government also established on Booby Is-
land, seventy miles West of Thursday Island, a cache 
of stores, for the benefit of shipwrecked mariners; 
these were placed in a cave on the Island, then known 
as the Post Office; ships bound for India or China left 
their mail there, other ships bound South for Sydney 
collected this mail, and delivered it on arrival. 
In August 1859, a ship called the "Sapphire", 
loaded at (Gladstone, some horses for Calcutta; after 
leaving there, she was wrecked on the Sir James Hardy 
Islands, inside of Raine Island (i), on September 23, 
1859; the crew took to the boats and as they had no 
time to save stores from the wreck, with a fair 
wind, they made their way to Booby Island, to re-
plenish their depleted stock. 
After leaving Booby Island, the "Sapphire's" boats 
called at Friday Island, but the wind had changed to 
North and both boats were then bound South; while at 
Friday Island, the crew of the Captain's boat were at-
tacked by the natives and all killed; the mate's boat 
1. See also "Pageant of the Pacific", Capt. F. Rhodes, Vol. II, p. 49. 
1067 
got clear and arrived back at Sir James Hardy Islands, 
on their way to Gladstone, at which point we will leave 
the "Sapphire's" crew for the present. 
On October 30, 1859, a ship called the "Marina" 
was wrecked at Raine Island. Captain Jamieson was 
fortunate enough to be able to stock his boat with 
stores, before he abandoned the "Marina", after which 
he kept away for Gladstone, with a fair wind; shortly 
after leaving Raine Island he called at the Sir James 
Hardy Islands, and there found papers and documents 
showing that the "Sapphire" had been wrecked there, 
a month previous to the wreck of the "Marina." 
At Sir James Hardy Islands, the crew of the 
"Marina's" boat took on board two guns found on the 
Islands, one brass and one cast iron, these being taken 
as ballast, as it was found that the "Marina's" boat 
was inclined to be cranky, after which the boat was 
kept away for Gladstone, this port being reached safely 
in November 1859. We will now return to the chief 
officer of the "Sapphire", who as previously stated 
had arrived back at Sir James Hardy Islands where 
they were astonished to find the "Marina" afloat, al-
though damaged and leaking, and the "Sapphire's" 
crew boarded her, and after grounding three times, 
duly arrived at Gladstone on February 17, 1860; they 
were rewarded £600 by the Underwriters for their five 
months arduous toil and hardship, which they had cer-
tainly earned. 
Amongst the crew of the "Marina", was a seaman 
called Jensen who decided to live at Gladstone and he 
later became Captain Jensen and was appointed pilot 
at that port. 
The late Captain Mackay, Portmaster of Brisbane, 
related that he saw the "Marina" at Gladstone, the 
"Sapphire's" crew having tarred the deck house of 
the "Marina", and in large letters notified any ships 
they might meet on their journey South, that the crew 
of the "Sapphire" were on board, this to relieve any 
anxiety that would probably be felt for their safety. 
Years after, someone with a romantic turn of mind, 
stated that the brass gun, stamped with the name 
"Santa Barbara", landed at Gladstone by Captain 
Jamieson of the "Marina", the gun which he had taken 
1068 
from Sir James Hardy Islands as ballast for his boat, 
must have been brought there by De Quiros, and had 
belonged to an old Spanish Galleon, wrecked on Facing 
Island opposite Gladstone. 
The matter might have ended there, but in 1899, 
Cardinal Moran paid a visit to Gladstone, and he had 
heard about the "Santa Barbara" gun, and in the 
course of a speech, declared that, "There is the spot 
where De Quiros landed and where the first mass was 
celebrated by a Franciscan friar on Australian soil 
nearly 300 years ago." 
This started a controversy regarding the authen-
ticity of this statement, but all the keenest historical 
workers at that time exploded the statement that any 
Spanish galleon had ever been wrecked on Facing Is-
land, opposite Gladstone; among those questioned was 
the seaman Jensen, who, as previously stated, had 
been a member of the crew of the "Marina", his ver-
sion of the cannon branded "Santa Barbara" being 
that it was one of the two cannons they had picked up 
at Sir James Hardy Islands and loaded into their life-
boat that was cranky, the same cannon branded "Santa 
Barbara" being unloaded at Gladstone. All ships large 
and small carried guns, and were compelled to do so at 
that period by the authorities for signalling and firing 
distress rockets; later, a more efficient rocket was 
carried, and this rocket is still in use to-day. 
The "Marina" was later patched up and sailed for 
Sydney. She was not in a very satisfactory state, so 
a schooner was sent with her as a precautionary meas-
ure, but off Cape Moreton she opened up her seams; 
the accompanying vessel took her crew off, set the 
"Marina" on fire, and remained with her until she 
sank. 


A notable shipwreck of Torres Strait

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A notable shipwreck of Torres Strait

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