Bullarra, built in 1890 by Gourlay Bros. Dundee:
1725 gross tons; 1087 net tons; length 260 ft. 2 in.; beam 37 ft. 2 in.; draught 16 ft. 5 in..
Triple expansion engine - 11.5 knots.
We know that Bullarra followed Koombana out of Port Hedland 20 minutes to half an hour later, +/- 10.50 a.m.. Bullarra drew a maximum of 16 ft. 5 in. which means that Captain Upjohn could depart Hedland (bar depth 19 ft.) with his tanks full. He did not need to fill his tanks out at sea, as did Koombana.
We know that at midday, the two steamers were stern on to each other, five miles apart, Bullarra tracking 'southwestward' and Koombana with her bow into the gale-force wind from NE. The wind force had deteriorated within an hour from fresh breeze to gale-force
Bullarra traversed a total of 7 miles to arrive at this position. Even if we use a very conservative average of 10 knots, with the gale-force wind behind her, Bullarra should have been 'double' the distance from Koombana by midday.
Had Captain Upjohn of the Bullarra decided to 'hang around' to make sure that there were no complications?? Koombana with her ugly list to port, rolling heavily and pitching in the rough sea, attempting the dangerous task of filling her ballast tanks at sea, and with no prospects of safely re-entering Port Hedland if it all went pear shaped.
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| courtesy Google Earth |
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| SS Bullarra (courtesy History Trust of South Australia) |
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| SS Bullarra (courtesy State Library of Western Australia) |
https://www.flotilla-australia.com/adsteam.htm
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