BRITANNIA

Statement of Significance

Physical Description
Construction Material	Wood
Rig	Brig
Propulsion	Sail
Number of Masts	2
Length / Breadth / Depth	0.0 / 0.0 / 0.0
History
Built Port / Country	Teignemouth / Britain
Details	The brig Britannia left Melbourne in November 1839 bound for Sydney but failed to arrive. The vessel's longboat was later found washed up on the beach near Cape Howe, but it was not known if any survivors had made it to the shore. Had been previously wrecked but refloated March 1839. Last voyage to Sydney was for re-registration. Sarah (1837), Britomart (1839), Britannia (1839) and the ‘×čite Woman legend A persistent story relating to Aborigines and shipwrecks on Victoria’ó east coast relates to reported sightings of a mysterious ‘÷čite woman’¬ as well as sightings of half caste children, over a number of years. . The woman was supposed to be held a captive by Aborigines, and sightings were reported in the Port Albert and eastern Gippsland areas, By 1846 in Melbourne the white woman story had reached the stage of official and public concern. The fact that these three vessels had all disappeared in Bass Strait (wreckage from the Britomart was eventually found on Preservation Island in the Furneaux Group) and were carrying female passengers led to months of police searches between 1846-49 supported by the media, skirmishes with Aboriginal tribes and one private search that involved placing handkerchiefs with both English and Gaelic messages in the bush (Loney, 1994; Bateson, 1972)). The evidence of sightings were to lead to disaster for the Kurnai tribe. Hundreds were killed during the search including a Kurnai leader Bunjilee-nee and his wife who died after being held for eighteen months in police custody, despite there being no legal basis for their detention (Pepper and De Arrango, 1985: 74). Ironically, following reports from Aborigines that a boat was lying on Ninety Mile Beach and they had seen footprints in the sand, the revenue cutter Prince George was despatched from Sydney to look for survivors. Wreckage identified as being from the Brittania and bodies were found, but the cutter’ó master formed the opinion that any survivors would have been murdered by Aborigines (Loney, 1994; Bateson, 1972). In fact some years after 1848 a white woman was eventually found living among the Kurnai. She was a Mrs Capel who had been a passenger on the Brittania. However she could no longer speak English, was in an ‘éäiotic state and was placed in the care of her husband after being returned to Melbourne (Pepper and De Arango: 75). In 1875 the Port Albert harbour master D. Fermaner reported that he had seen both the white woman and local Aborigines with a carved wooden figurehead that he recognised as being from the Sarah, a wooden sailing vessel that went missing after departing Sydney in 1837. (Victorian Historical Society Magazine Vol. 31: 24, 175) This raises interesting questions such as why would a group of Aboriginals be carrying the figurehead. In fact the leader Bunjilee-nee described above had told searchers that he had this figurehead in his possession, and described it in detail (Pepper and De Arrango: 69). The Sarah was believed to have gone missing shortly after leaving Sydney, but a later newspaper account suggests the Sarah was wrecked off the Gippsland coast, possibly on the Ninety Mile Beach near Woodside. It said that the crew were killed, but persistent reports of sightings of another white woman in the Port Albert area who had been a passenger on the Sarah gave birth to the White Woman legend. (Victorian Historical Society Magazine Vol. 31: 7-12) Vessel appears to have foundered off the Victorian coast. It is thought that some survivors landed in a boat which was found later near Cape Howe. Wrecked but refloated March 1839. Last voyage to Sydney was for re-registration.
Voyage Details
Date Lost	11/1839
Voyage	from Melbourne to Sydney
Owner	H. Watts of Port Phillip (ASR) Captain Hugh McLean (Loney, Fermaner)
Master of Vessel	Captain Morgan
Cause of Loss	Foundered
Further Details
Number of Passengers	4
Comments on Passenger	Mrs Capel
Number of Crew Members	0