The following telegram throws a spanner in the works. Transcribed as follows:
"Port Hedland, 5 April, 1912.
Irvine Harbormaster file
Arrived last night , searched from Broome to Rowley Shoals & into Hedland, saw nothing, spoke Moira 31st who reports nothing, spoke Bullarra 3rd who reports picked up quantity of wreckage about sixty miles E.N.E. Bedout. Portion of boat bow with Adelaide 'Company's' Badge, Bottom Board, tanks, lifebelt, and portion of saloon panels. Lighter Una cruising off Bedout. I am leaving Hedland today for Broome, will endeavor to fix Bedout light.
Dalziel."
This is a unique account of wreckage being discovered so far to the 'east' of Bedout Island (see image below). If it were to be true the location of the wreck shifts considerably to the E.N.E. The description of what was found is interesting and the word 'lifebelt' did not appear in the mainstream catalogue of wreckage; which was strange considering that these items were generally found in association with shipwrecks, for obvious, buoyancy reasons.
My feeling is that in the turmoil of searches and telegrams being sent, Dalziel got the details of where the wreckage had been found, wrong. The reason for this is that the Bullarra log gave coordinates for the two predominant sets of wreckage discovery. The coordinates in the above case represented a position 20 miles north of Bedout Island, not 60 miles ENE, a vast difference. The second set of coordinates and the potential site of the wreck represent a position some 30 miles to the northeast of Bedout Island. If the account is accurate it implies a massive cover up conspiracy, which seems a bit far fetched.
Once again it all comes down to where the wreck is ultimately found to validate whichever account.
Very intriguing though....
"Port Hedland, 5 April, 1912.
Irvine Harbormaster file
Arrived last night , searched from Broome to Rowley Shoals & into Hedland, saw nothing, spoke Moira 31st who reports nothing, spoke Bullarra 3rd who reports picked up quantity of wreckage about sixty miles E.N.E. Bedout. Portion of boat bow with Adelaide 'Company's' Badge, Bottom Board, tanks, lifebelt, and portion of saloon panels. Lighter Una cruising off Bedout. I am leaving Hedland today for Broome, will endeavor to fix Bedout light.
Dalziel."
This is a unique account of wreckage being discovered so far to the 'east' of Bedout Island (see image below). If it were to be true the location of the wreck shifts considerably to the E.N.E. The description of what was found is interesting and the word 'lifebelt' did not appear in the mainstream catalogue of wreckage; which was strange considering that these items were generally found in association with shipwrecks, for obvious, buoyancy reasons.
My feeling is that in the turmoil of searches and telegrams being sent, Dalziel got the details of where the wreckage had been found, wrong. The reason for this is that the Bullarra log gave coordinates for the two predominant sets of wreckage discovery. The coordinates in the above case represented a position 20 miles north of Bedout Island, not 60 miles ENE, a vast difference. The second set of coordinates and the potential site of the wreck represent a position some 30 miles to the northeast of Bedout Island. If the account is accurate it implies a massive cover up conspiracy, which seems a bit far fetched.
Once again it all comes down to where the wreck is ultimately found to validate whichever account.
Very intriguing though....
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| courtesy State Records Office, Western Australia, series 2357, cons 066 |
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| courtesy Google Earth |
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