MAFFRA

Statement of Significance

Physical Description
Construction Material	Wood
Rig	Schooner
Hull Details	1 deck, square stern, carvel built, no galleries, billet head
Propulsion	Sail
Number of Masts	2
Length / Breadth / Depth	71.0 Feet / 18.3 Feet / 5.5 Feet
History
Builder	Robert Kennedy
Built Date	1876
Built Port / Country	Yarra Bank, Melbourne / Australia
Registration Number	No. 33 of 1876
Registration Port / Country	Melbourne / Australia
Details	The Maffra was a 46 ton, carvel-built wooden two-masted schooner with one deck and a square stern. Built at Yarra Bank in 1876 by Robert Kennedy, it was registered at the Port of Melbourne for its owners Archibald Brown and others of the Gippsland Steam Navigation Company (ASRO Melbourne Registry, 33 of 1876). The Maffra traded between Melbourne and the Gippsland Lakes throughout its career. It had been repaired and overhauled on two occasions - in June 1879 and July 1887 ( ASN 28/6/1879, Argus 14/7/1887). In April 1880 it ran aground at Lakes Entrance but was floated off after several days (ASN 10/4/1880). On its final voyage the Maffra departed Lakes Entrance with a cargo of hardwood and bark, and had reached Port Phillip Heads which it was unable to enter due to a strong northerly wind. The Maffra’ó master P. Holten was forced to stand the vessel out to sea, but the wind suddenly changed to the south-west with a squally gust, and the jib stay foresail and boom foresail were torn to ribbons. The Maffra instantly became unmanageable and began drifting towards the shore in high seas. The anchors were dropped but failed to hold, and the Maffra strcuk reef two miles west of Point Lonsdale (GA 7 May 1888). The crew were swept by seas as they clung onto the wreck for two hours, all the time fearing it would break up. Fortunately however, the vessel was forced over the reef to become beached broadside onto the sand. As the tide dropped the crew found themselves high and dry and all were able to clamber down to safety. The Maffra was not insured, and the hull and gear was sold to James Miller for 25 pounds on 17 May 1888 (QS 26/5/1888). As the Master P. Holten did not hold a Certificate of Competency the Steam Navigation Board decided against further action. A number of secondary sources have stated the Maffra was wrecked on Point Nepean, which is incorrect. One report stated that the Maffra lay nearby to a safe channel that had been used by lighters salvaging cargo from the Light of the Age (Age 7/5/1888) From an environmental and historical perspective, the wreck of the Maffra is interesting as it led to changes in the foredune structure of Lonsdale Beach, exposing the wreck of another vessel or vessels: "During the past few days the sea in the vicinity of Point Lonsdale has encroached upon a part of the beach in an alarming manner. The wrecked schooner Maffra has in some way caused the tide as it rises to flow in a kind of eddy towards the westward, and this has gradually forced itself up the beach until now the water is about 100 yards or so further inland than it was a fortnight ago, and the tents of the men engaged in repairing the damage to the schooner have had to be shifted further back, whilst the sand dune has risen in height from about 7 feet to nearly 40 feet. A most singular circumstances in connection with the encroachment of the sea is that the washing away of what has been hitherto looked upon as the surface sand has left exposed to view portions of the hull, masts, and spars of some vessel evidently wrecked in the locality many years since; wreckage has been carefully examined but so far it has not been identified, although it is evident that the wreck was that of a large-sized vessel. The wooden hull shows all the signs of having been under the sand for very many years and it is in an advanced stage of decay (QS 23/6/1888). The site of the Maffra has not yet been located nor reported, though the efforts to refloat it were unsuccessful - three months later the Queenscliff Sentinel reported succinctly "the Maffra has gone the way of all wrecks" (QS 25/8/1888).
Voyage Details
Date Lost	06/05/1888
Voyage	from Lakes Entrance to Melbourne
Cargo	Hardwood, bark
Owner	2/11/1876: Archibald Brown, ships chandler of Melbourne 32/64 shares Louis Lars Jensen, merchant of Sale 32/64 shares 7/4/1887:Archibald Brown, ships chandler of Melbourne 21/64 shares Marion Taylor, spinster of Essendon 16/64 shares John Griffiths,
Master of Vessel	P. Holten
Weather conditions	Sudden change, squally conditions, south-west wind, heavy seas
Cause of Loss	Blown ashore
Further Details
Number of Passengers	0
Number of Crew Members	0