NOWRA

Statement of Significance

Physical Description
Construction Material	Wood
Rig	Schooner
Hull Details	Wood, round stern, carvel built, no galleries, scroll head,fore and aft schooner Surveyed 1881, not metalled
Propulsion	Sail
Number of Masts	2
Length / Breadth / Depth	68.4 Feet / 18.7 Feet / 6.0 Feet
History
Builder	J. &. M. Brown
Built Date	1874
Built Port / Country	Shoalhaven, New South Wales / Australia
Registration Number	29/1874
Registration Port / Country	Sydney / Australia
Former Details of Registration	Previous owner J. & M. Brown (1874) (UID154); S. Reeds, Geelong (UID 2)
Details	Experienced very bad weather after leaving Penguin on Thursday, 2 July. Unable to reach Heads, was driven onto London Bridge rocks about 3 pm. Captain Lancaster swept overboard by a sea that broke over the schooner just before it struck. A crew member, Gallagher jumped overboard and managed to reach shore in a very exhausted condition. T. Lancaster (a son of the captain) and Robertson (the cook) then jumped overboard. Robertson, whose arm had been injured by a falling spar, was unable to make any headway and drowned. Lancaster was washed ashore unconscious. Keys, the telegraph operator at the Quarantine Station, was walking on the beach, saw the men jump overboard, waded into surf and pulled Lancaster ashore. Cargo insured, vessel not insured. (UID 9). Unity was wrecked on Sorrento Back Beach earlier the same day. Previous owners:J. and M.Brown; Gippsland Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. Loney gives sailing date as 8 July, but this does not tie in with Argus report, giving Thursday, 2nd July as sailing date. Argus incorrectly reports the vessel as ' Narra '.
Uses of Vessel
Primary Use	Transport
Voyage Details
Date Lost	12/07/1891
Voyage	from Penguin to Melbourne
Cargo	Potatoes
Owner	R.P. Lord and C. Crook (1882-3)
Master of Vessel	Captain Lancaster
Weather conditions	Severe storms at Heads and in Bass Strait
Cause of Loss	Experienced very bad weather after leaving Penguin on 2nd July. Unable to reach Heads, was driven onto London Bridge rocks about 3.00pm. Captain Lancaster swept overboard by a sea that broke over the schooner just before it struck. A crew member Gallagher, jumped overboard and managed to reach shore in a very exhausted condition. T Lancaster, a son of the captain, and Robertson, the cook, then jumped overboard. Robertson whose arm had been injured by a falling spar was unbale to make headway and drowned. Lancaster was washed ashore unconscious. Key, the telegraph operator at the Quarantine Station was walking on the beach, saw the men jump overboard, waded into the surf and pulled Lancaster ashore. (UIT 495)
Further Details
Number of Passengers	0
Number of Crew Members	4
Comments on Crew Members	Including Captain Gallagher; T. Lancaster (son of captain); Matthew Roberston (cook) (UID 9)