| The TSS Wandra was a wooden coastal
cargo ship constructed by D. Sullivan at Coopernook in the Taree
area of NSW in 1907. The new ship was owned by Allen Taylor and
Company, which started business in 1893 carrying timber from the
North Coast to Sydney (the company was still operating in June
1984, but not with ships). The Wandra was 36 metres long,
with a beam of just over 8 metres and displaced 164 tons. The
small vessel had twin compound engines which were powered from a
single boiler.
On 15 December 1915 at 2pm, the TSS Wandra left Moruya
Heads with a cargo of timber for Sydney. She passed the Point
Perpendicular Lighthouse (at the entrance to Jervis Bay) at
9.20pm with a moderate south-easterly winds and sea. One mile
off Crocodile Head (a few kilometres to the north of the light),
a wave came over the bow and then another. The hull's timbers
came apart under the pressure of the waves and water flowed in
and she listed to port (why do most ships in NSW list to port
before sinking?). The ship's pumps were started but made no
difference. The Wandra was out of real control but
Captain Reubin Lucey managed to steer her further along the
coast and into the relative safety of The Drum and Drumsticks
where the anchor was dropped.
The crew lowered on of the lifeboats and climbed aboard. As
Captain Lucey entered the lifeboat, the Wandra sank. The
12 survivors (everyone on board) rowed to shore (probably a
small protected inlet to the west-north-west) and then walked to
Point Perpendicular where they arrived at 1.30am.
The wreck of the TSS Wandra was discovered by John
Harrington and Paul Jones in 1973 while searching for aquarium
fish near the Drums and Drumstick. |