17 August 1933

FORGOTTEN SEA TRAGEDY OF GUICHEN BAY

How A Ship Was Swept From Port By A Memorable Gale

This is a tale of the days when the Chinese came to South Australia in hordes, on their way to the Victorian gold diggings, and tramped across the scrub in quaint processions to the border — the story of the fate of a ship which brought them to these shores.

About 16 years ago a number of skeletons were discovered in the sand-hills which skirt the Long Beach near Robe. These were grim reminders of a sea tragedy which occurred 76 years ago. In 1857, hundreds of Chinese were being landed at Guichen Bay, from which point they walked overland to the Victorian gold-diggings. On June 25, 1857, the 800 ton Dutch barque Koenig Wilhelm arrived at Guichen Bay with Chinese emigrants who safely landed. Owing to tempestuous weather the vessel was unable to leave port for several days. Instead of the storm abating it increased in fury until on June 29 it developed into a screaming and westerly gale and the ship commenced to drag her anchors. The vessel continued to drift until on the following day, the windlass was torn from her. The commander (Captain Geizen) ordered sails to be run up with an intention of beaching. The vessel took ground about four miles east of Robe. Terrific seas hurled themselves upon the doomed vessel and within a few minutes she commenced to break up. [illegible] ...

... The lifeboat was swamped by the huge breakers, and its human freight were left struggling in the sea A number of the men on the beach formed a human chain by holding hands and wading into the water. By this means, at great risk to the rescuers, eight sailors were hauled from the very jaws of death. All the men were partially insensible. The captain could be seen aboard the ship pacing the few yards of deck which remained above water, and his voice could be heard above the shrieking of the wind. The poor man pointed to where two stove-in boats had been cast up on the beach. But even if they had been undamaged it would have been useless to attempt to reach the wreck through the raging sea. No life saving apparatus was available. It appeared inevitable that the captain must perish. Hours passed. The sun set in a sky of fiery red. Darkness set in. Still the unfortunate man remained aboard the stricken vessel. Efforts were made to float a line to the ship but failure resulted. A small boat was carted to... [illegible] ...

... Out of a crew of 25, 16 perished. Several large coffins were constructed from wreckage and the bodies interred in the sandhills close by where the disaster occurred. Seventy-five years later the wind uncovered their resting place. The huge boxes in which they had been buried had long since rotted away, but the skeletons were in a perfect state of preservation. The local constable (Mr. Smart) reburied these reminders of this long -forgotten tragedy— "A.H.B.," Adelaide.

Real Life Stories Of South Australia (1933, August 17). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90889353 See also https://wreckedatrobe1857.com/south-australian-parliamentary

Davenport Creek

There is a little-known place on the Upper West Coast which will hold its own against any of the 'touched-up' scenery that Hollywood sometimes puts on the silver screen. It is Davenport Creek. Situated on the coastline about 15-20 miles west of Ceduna, there is something wild and beautiful about Davenport.

Its one drawback is that it lies in a lonely locality, and always will, for there are square miles of swampy and useless country which prohibit settlement. Fish abound in millions. Some months ago, there were 30 cutters the creek, mostly Greek fishermen. Years ago, an old man caught several dozen snapper in a few hours off the bank, and others have caught as many as fifty dozen whiting with lines.

Davenport creek is 12 fathoms deep in many places, and ranges from a few chains to half a mile in width, and several miles in length. The creek has a rather peculiar setting. To approach it from land, one must travel over a road which winds through dense mallee and ti-tree, round the edges of numerous swamps, some bordered with crumbling bush covered cliffs that were probably washed by the ocean thousands of years ago, and on your left a line of gigantic camel-backed sandhills reputed to be among the largest in the world.

On the south side opposite the first bend, there is a firm beach for about a quarter of a mile, the only decent place to approach the creek, for the rest of it is bordered with a forest of dense mango. It looks beautiful and inviting.

But it is really eerie and sinister. If you stand on the bank when every thing is calm and peaceful you can see millions of bream near the edge, and perhaps the faint, sinister shadow of a shark will flash by. Then, as if by magic, there is not a fish to be seen.

Years ago, when the Coast was one large sheep station, boats used to load wool from this bank. When the now famous Jimmy Mollison used to operate machines on the West Coast, he commented on the grandeur of Davenport. He considered it the most picturesque seascape in the State.— 'C.D..' Ceduna.

Davenport Creek (1933, August 17). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90889352

Boy And The Death Adder

One day, when I had just turned ten years old, the members of the family went to Kimba. I went to school. On returning home I started on various duties for the evening. One was to fill nosebags with cocky chaff for the milking cows.

I had nearly filled the bags, end was picking some chaff up in my hands to ram the bags tighter, when I noticed what I thought was a stick partly buried in the chaff. I picked up, and to my horror I saw I had a live death adder.

It did not take me long to drop it. I ran out of the shed, found a large bar of iron, and settled Mr. Reptile. I took it out, dug a hole and buried it. I admit I had a little howl after my excitement. When my people returned home I told them my adventure, and dug up the adder to show them.

Not long afterwards my sister and I were walking across the paddocks to school, when she nearly stepped on another, which was near some rabbit burrows. — Leslie Henderson, Buckleboo.

Boy And The Death Adder (1933, August 17). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90889351

Glenelg In 1839

Nearly a hundred years ago the following was written by Mr. W. H. Leigh, who, in 1836, was appointed surgeon to the South Australian Company's barque, 'South Australia,' which was engaged in conveying immigrants to this State:—

'Glenelg — The situation of this place as a settlement will never do unless immense expense be incurred by draining. There is here on the beach a kind of hovel called a store, as empty as the pockets of the man who keeps it, and that, added to some half-dozen miserable and comfortless-looking slab hats, is the town of Glenelg, named in honor of that illustrious nobleman. They find it does not answer, and are about to desert it.

The four families who had fixed their residences here were planted pleasantly under the gum tree when lo! the place of their rest was surrounded in the night by a torrent of water four or five feet deep, and all hands were forced to run for their lives.

Dr. Everard, who, from being so utterly surrounded by water, was unable to fly, got upon the table, and with his family waited till day-light when he turned out and dug a trench in the distance which carried off some of the flood. He has now a kind of embankment round his hut.

On the right is a swamp, filling round the remainder of his dwelling, which swarms with mosquitoes and bullfrogs that keep up their music day and night. "Oh" quoth the doctor, when I visited him "these are the beauties of emigration."

The illustrious nobleman referred to was Lord Glenelg, after whom John Hindmarsh (Governor) peremptorily named the town in 1836. Prior to this it had been known as Holdfast Bay.— 'F.F.,' Unley.

Glenelg In 1839 (1933, August 17). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90889355