A PROPOSAL TO SEARCH FOR KOOMBANA.

Recent searches (Shipwreck Hunters Australia) for the wreck of Koombana have not been successful but from what I have been told there will be a fresh search based on computer-modeling of flotsam drift patterns. I wish the team every success.

Personally, I believe the following proposal would have yielded the Koombana wreck site had resources been accessible:

"SS Koombana (1912) – Proposal for search Ross Anderson Report —Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum, No. 333 November 2019  

Background: 

The disappearance of the Adelaide Steamship Company’s 3,668 ton coastal passenger ship SS Koombana with 157-158 crew and passengers in a cyclone, while on a voyage between Port Hedland and Broome, remains Australia’s worst civilian maritime disaster, and one of Australia’s abiding maritime mysteries. Previous searches have focused on magnetic anomalies discovered by aerial magnetometer searches, or contemporary reports of flotsam or aerial sightings of submerged dark objects. 

One significant report that has not yet been followed up is from Captain Harry Upjohn of the Adelaide Steamship Company’s SS Bullarra, which was caught in the same cyclone (and miraculously survived after going through its eye). At the Court of Marine Inquiry into the loss of Koombana, Captain Upjohn stated that while searching for Koombana in early April 1912 he had located an oil slick from which he recovered a number of samples: 

MR. MOSS. When you were searching for the wreckage of the "Koombana" did you notice any oily substance floating on the surface? 

- Yes. Please tell the Court? - It was in latitude 19.11 and 119.25 E. 

What distance would that be off Bedout Island? 

- About 27 or 28 miles - I cannot say which. 

Did you take any samples of this oily substance? 

- Yes. Two or three dozen bottles. 

What depth was there at this place? 

- 30 or 35 fathoms. 

Did you see any trace of the vessel in that depth? 

There would be nothing to indicate that the Koombana or any other vessel would be there? 

- It was getting dark and it looked like the outline of a vessel. The Chief Officer said "It must be one of her decks," I said "No, the decks would not look like that." I could see no more. The engines were stopped and we drifted for about 4 miles. 

What was the stuff in the bottles? 

- Oily, greasy water. 

Have you any idea as to how that came there? 

- It looked as if it came from a wreck. 

There would be stuff on the ship to make this? 

- Yes. 

Where are those bottles? 

- At the Company's office. We will produce these if desired. 

MR. DOWLEY. You saw this at dusk? 

- Yes. 

(Extracts, Court of Marine Inquiry, loss of S.S. "Koombana", Harbour & Lights Department, Western Australia, 25 April—6 May, 1912. Copy held by Annie Boyd, Testimony of Harry Upjohn, Master of S.S. “Bullarra": http://koombanadays.com/ch12/src/ct/kd12ct002.html) 

Although Captain Upjohn’s report was tendered at the Court of Marine Inquiry there is no evidence that this location, was further investigated either at the time, or by any surveys since then. Though further out that his reported 27-28 nautical miles from Bedout Island (the position is within 30 nautical miles) it is significant that Captain Upjohn’s coordinates correlate with the charted depths in the area, and the outer steamer track between Port Hedland and Broome. It is logical that Koombana’s Captain Allen would have attempted to maintain Koombana’s course from Port Hedland to Broome as closely as possible given that: 

a) Broome was scheduled as Koombana’s next port of call and was his stated destination; 

 b) upon reaching the open sea after leaving Port Hedland he would have likely interpreted a large northwest groundswell (reported by other vessels) as indicating the location of the centre of the cyclone i.e. some distance to the northwest; 

c) on this basis if he would have known that if he remained on course to Broome he would have been steaming away from the centre of the cyclone. Koombana may have been forced to deviate from the steamer route due to weather stress or unintentional, hypothetical factors such as a flooded engine room, lost steering or broken-down machinery. 

Captain Allen may also intentionally have turned Koombana’s bows into large seas (i.e. in a northwest direction) to maintain headway and increase the ship’s stability if he was experiencing difficulty in maintaining stability in large swells and strong winds. 

Proposed search area Mapping of previous searches for Koombana on the Department of Maritime Archaeology’s Geographic Information System (GIS) show that Captain Upjohn’s reported location lies within proximity to the steamer route from Port Hedland to Broome and has not been covered by any searches to date. 

Following the above the most logical location to search for Koombana is along the steamer route between Port Hedland and Broome, with a priority search area being Captain Upjohn’s coordinates for the oil slick he reported as likely emanating from a wreck. Captain Upjohn’s coordinates of 19.11 S and 119.25 E lie 30 nautical miles (a bit further out than the 27-28 nautical miles from Bedout Island he stated), bearing 30.6 degrees north-east, from Bedout Island in an area of uneven bottom ranging from 23.5 to 34 fathoms (43-62m) depth at chart datum. 

It is not clear if Captain Upjohn’s quoted 30-35 fathoms (54-63m) depth refers to different seabed soundings in the vicinity, minimum and maximum height of an object on the seabed, or minimum depth and tidal range. 

The shaded box (see below) surrounding Captain Upjohn’s reported coordinates for an oil slick is the proposed search area (WA Museum). The proposed search area is defined by the following coordinates (WGS84): NW corner 119.316 E, 19.151 S NE corner 119.438 E, 19.097 S SW corner 119.388 E, 19.307 S SE corner 119.507 E, 19.256 S This equates to a 14.26 x 18.9 km search area, or 269.51km square search area. 

Site formation:  

The Koombana shipwreck site is predicted to be protruding above a sandy seabed. If sunk on an even keel it is likely to be buried to around its waterline, consistent with site formation processes of other large steel and iron steam shipwrecks on sandy seabeds (Riley 1988: 191-197). If capsized it would be similarly partially buried with hull remains expected to be exposed above the seabed. The depth of burial may vary with scouring and sand movement in the area. 

Much of the upper bridge and cabin superstructure constructed of wood, and wooden deck planking is likely to be deteriorated and missing. The hull plating and deck beams may have partially or totally collapsed, with bow and stern structures, boilers, engines, propeller shaft and other machinery remaining substantially intact. 

Search methodology: 

The search should utilise appropriate personnel, vessels and equipment for remote sensing of both protruding and magnetic seabed features including side-scan sonar, magnetometer and multi-beam sonar (MBS). 

There are geological magnetic disturbances in the Turtle Island and Bedout Island area that may affect magnetometer searches, so side scan sonar and/or multibeam sonar should be employed if possible. Offshore survey vessels such as used in the oil and gas industry based or operating in the Port Hedland area, or scientific research vessels such as CSIRO’s RV Investigator could undertake the work. 

Environmental indications such as bird activity and fish shoaling have been reported on other wrecks in northern Australian waters, and may be an indication of a large shipwreck site nearby. 

Recording methodology: 

If the wreck is located in divable depth a dive team could record the wreck using camera and video. If found to lie in deep water a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) suitably equipped with cameras and lighting could record the wreckage and surrounding seabed. The WA Museum and imaging experts from Curtin University’s Hub for Immersive Visualisation Experiences (HIVE) have worked closely together using specialised 3D imaging and processing equipment to record deep-water shipwrecks, including HMAS Sydney, HSK Kormoran, (Figure 4) and AE1 submarine, and can provide advice and equipment in this area.  

Reporting: 

Reporting the finding of any shipwreck or other underwater cultural heritage (UCH) such as submerged aircraft is a legal requirement of the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018. The WA Museum is the delegated agency for the reporting and management of Commonwealth UCH in Australian waters off the coast of Western Australia. Reporting the results and data from any search for SS Koombana—whether successful or not—should be provided to the WA Museum to incorporate into the state archive and Department of Maritime Archaeology’s GIS, to inform any future planning for search areas. 

References: 

Boyd, A., 2013, Koombana Days, Fremantle Press, Perth. Boyd, and Koombana Days website. Available at http://koombanadays.com/index.html Extracts, Court of Marine Inquiry, loss of S.S. "Koombana", Harbour & Lights Department, Western Australia, 25 April—6 May, 1912. Copy held by Annie Boyd, Testimony of Harry Upjohn, Master of S.S. “Bullarra": http://koombanadays.com/ch12/src/ct/kd12ct002.html Rensburg, A., September 2019, ‘Koombana revisited: Coordinates conclusion’. Available at http://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/08/coordinatesconclusion.html Riley, J. 1988, The waterline theory of iron ship disintegration, in McCarthy, M. (ed.) Iron Ships and Steam Shipwrecks: Papers from the First Australian Seminar on the Management of Iron Vessels and Steam Shipwrecks, Western Australian Museum, Fremantle: 191-197. WA Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, SS Koombana file (189/73). 

Acknowledgements: 

Thanks to independent researcher Annie Boyd for sharing her historical research into SS Koombana. Thanks to both Annie Boyd and independent researcher Andrew Van Rensburg for email discussions on the search area, and maintaining a strong interest in the search for SS Koombana. Front cover image of SS Koombana: Allan C. Green (1878–1954) - State Library of Victoria – Accession Number: H91.250/1542 Image Number: b41089 (higher resolution version)"

Proposed search block, courtesy Dr Ross Anderson.
Bedout Island central.

FACT OR FICTION?

There is controversy surrounding the extent and location of the Balla Balla Cyclone morning of 20 March, 1912. I have covered this subject extensively during the course of the blog but in summary, the cyclone was reported by the official meteorological bureau of the time to be roughly 90 miles in diameter (centre, Depuch / Balla Balla), approaching the coast from the north northwest; roughly 100 miles northwest of Port Hedland 8 a.m. and making landfall after 4 pm that afternoon. Eye witnesses on board Bullarra off Port Hedland saw evidence of the cyclone on the horizon to the southwest in which direction they were headed. Koombana was headed northeast, away from the cyclone as depicted. Opinion exists that the cyclone was directly in Koombana's path, in the vicinity of Bedout Island. This is not substantiated. One of the points raised in favour of this argument is based on a period report (see below) which refers to 'dead and maimed birds' littering Bedout Island, proof therefore, that the cyclone battered the island. This does not hold up given all period reports.

The West Australian, Perth, 13 April, 1912.

UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCHES.

Captain Dalziel, the harbourmaster at

Broome, who was in charge of the search

party organised by the resident magistrate

and the Mayor, arrived back during the

week. In an interview he said ....

He zigzagged down to Bedout Island by 16

mile tacks, and sighted the island in the

forenoon of April 3. 

....and arrived at Port Hedland 

at 9 p.m. on the 4th inst..... 

After leaving Port Hedland at 2 p.m. on the 

5th inst. (April) he proceeded to Bedout Island, which 

was thoroughly searched, but no trace of wreckage 

of any description was found. It had been reported 

earlier that the island showed no sign of having been 

visited by a storm, but he was of opinion, from the 

number of dead and maimed birds, that there was 

ample evidence of a severe gale.

Captain Dalziel (official):

'After wiring report to you (Chief Harbour Master Irvine) I left Port Hedland at 2 p.m. on April 5th and proceeded to Bedout Island. I landed on the island at noon, April 6th and found the light extinguished, but evidently in good order. To gain admittance I had to remove one of the larger panes of glass in the outer lantern. The lamp inside was in apparently thorough order and the automatic gear working satisfactorily. I put a match to the jets and they lit immediately. I then replaced the pane of glass and made a thorough search of the island but found no trace of wreckage of any description. I then got under weigh at about 8 p.m..' 

NO mention whatsoever of 'dead and maimed birds'.

courtesy: series 2357, cons 066

Bullarra, 27 March:

"At half-past 9 o'clock the same night the 

Bullarra was off Bedout Island. The light 

there was not burning. At 5.30 the next 

morning the chief officer was sent ashore, 

and he searched and found no trace of 

wreckage. The light house is unattended. 

The glass was found to be not encrusted 

which showed that the island did not meet 

the full force of the gale."

At 9.30 p:m. the Premier (Mr. Scaddan)

received the following cable message from

the resident magistrate at Broome:--"Bullarra 

arrived here at 4 p.m. Captain reports having 

left Hedland on March 27 at 2 p.m., and 

circumnavigated Little Turtle Island; no trace 

Koombana. The chief officer landed at Big Turtle 

Island at 3 p.m.: no trace. Reached Bedout 

Island at 9.40 p.m. Light out. Anchored and 

landed 5.30 a.m.; searched island and adjacent

rocks, but no traces whatever. Do not think 

blow was severe at Bedout. The glass in the 

lighthouse is not crusted, and there are no 

indications of a disturbance."

Captain Mills, Minderoo:

"and anchored for the night off Cape Preston, weighted and proceeded at daylight 30th, and examined all the islands and passages from Cape Preston to Cossack where arrival at 1.45 pm, 30th. During the whole of our search we saw nothing and from the looks of the islands the storm does not appear to have reached that far west."

courtesy series 2357, cons 066

Why distortion of the truth in the above reported (alleged) interview? Koombana missing without trace was sensational news and references to 'dead and maimed birds' played into the hysteria of destruction by a cyclone.

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/08/rattus-rattus.html

https://koombanarevisited.blogspot.com/2019/09/150-ft-bilge-section.html

courtesy Trove and Google Earth.

THE END OF AN ERA.

The West Australian, 16 January, 1928.

GORGON DEPARTS.

Going to New Owners.

Commencing her 91st and final trip from

Fremantle to Singapore, steamer Gorgon 

left port yesterday morning. In addition to 

those who were on the quay to say goodbye 

to passengers proceeding on the vessel to 

Singapore and intermediate ports, were many 

North-West residents to bid farewell to the 

Gorgon's complement, and to see possibly for 

the last time one of the vessels which has

played its part in the development of

the coastal districts. 

Captain J. Ward Hughes, one of the best-liked 

commanders in the Singapore and coastal service, 

was in charge of the vessel. After delivering

the Gorgon at Singapore to her new

owners, Captain Ward-Hughes will return

to Western Australia. Most of the officers 

and engineers will proceed from Singapore to 

England, and among those who will return 

to this State is Mr. J. Edward, the second officer, 

whose home is in Perth. Associated with Captain

Ward-Hughes were the following:—

Messrs. B. Bowlt (chief officer), J. Edward (second), 

A. Wright (third), A.J. Gourley (chief engineer), 

Boss (second), Halliday (third), Marie (fourth), 

and R.W. Lowry (purser).

After being launched, and fulfilling every

requirement of her owners on her trials,

the Gorgon entered the Fremantle Singapore 

service towards the end of 1908, in

place of the Sultan. She was brought from

England by Captain P. Townley; her present 

commander was then the chief officer, and the 

purser was Mr. W. E. Collins, who is now 

secretary of the Perth Club. Except for the period 

between November, 1915, and February 1920, 

when the Gorgon was carrying troops, the vessel 

has remained in the service since 1908. 

On the return of the Gorgon from war service, 

Captain Ward-Hughes took over the command.

In 1921, while the Gorgon was between

Broome and Port Hedland, a fire broke out in 

cargo in one of the holds. At the time the Gorgon 

was on her southern run from Java, and she was 

brought direct to Fremantle. Water having failed to

check the fire, steam was injected into the affected 

hold, but the outbreak was not mastered until the 

hold was opened, and the cargo removed at Fremantle. 

No structural damage to the boat was sustained. 

The Gorgon weathered two or three cyclones, one 

of which was the worst experienced along the coast 

for many years. An interesting incident of the Gorgon's

career was recalled yesterday by Mr. W. E. Collins, 

the ex-purser. He said that shortly after the mysterious 

disappearance of the steamer Koombana on the

North-West coast, the Gorgon joined in the search 

for survivors or signs of wreckage. Several days were 

spent in zigzagging across the Koombana's last known

position, and finally a door, which was afterwards 

identified as having belonged to the ill-fated ship, was 

recovered from the water. As far as was known, Mr.

Collins said, the door was the only sign of the Koombana 

which was found. 

Mr. Collins was purser of the Gorgon from the time she 

arrived in West Australian waters until about four years ago, 

with the exception of the war period, when he served in 

Gallipoli, and acted as embarkation officer at Fremantle during 

the closing stages of the war.

SS Gorgon - courtesy 'Men of the Merchant Navy'.

Courtesy Flotilla Australia:

SS Gorgon, 3,533 gross tons; 336 ft. x 51 ft.; service speed 12 knots. Built by Caledon Ship Building & Engineering Co, Dundee; operated by Ocean Steamship Co and West Australian Steam Navigation Co.

courtesy Trove.

REFUSED TO ENTER PORT HEDLAND.

 

The Pibarra Goldfield News, 3 March, 1906

Port Hedland

(From our own Correspondent.) .

Our Port Hedland correspondent

writes, under date February 19, as

follows :—

Last Friday the mail boat Tyrian

arrived in the roads and refused to

approach the jetty, notwithstanding

the tide gauge registered 19ft. of water,

which was signalled to the steamer.

The captain, however, preferred the

delay of sending in two of the ship's 

boats with the passengers and mails.

One boat leaked to such an extent that

on arriving at the jetty it was nearly

half full of water. Much indignation

was shown by the passengers and

shippers towards the action adopted by

the captain without a reasonable cause

as the steamer was only drawing 15ft.,'

3in.

This was the reality. Koombana drew 16 ft. aft and the the 'gauge' read 19 ft. over the bar when she made her run for open sea. There can never be any doubt as to the challenges presented entering and exiting Port Hedland. That 20 March offered a heavy ground swell coming in from the northwest and turbulence over the bar weighed very heavily on Koombana's captain who was reported to have looked ill - who wouldn't?

SS Tyrian - courtesy State Library of Queensland.

courtesy Flotilla Australia:

SS Tyrian. 1,455 gross tons; 260 ft. x 33 ft.; passenger/cargo steamer built by Day Summers, Northham for Union S Co Ltd, Southampton. Single screw, steel hull. Triple expansion engine. 1895 - 1938.

courtesy Trove.

THE AGE OF KOOMBANA.

Daily Herald, 13 April, 1912.

LIFE IN THE WEST

THE CATTLE CAMPS.

ABORIGINAL CUSTOMS.

By the steamer Koombana, since

wrecked in a cyclone on the Western

Australian coast, arrived at Broome

under engagement to manage Frazier

Down cattle station for Mr. Mark

Ruben, who is credited at Broome with

being the largest pearl buyer in the

world. He has been living in London

for several years. Mr. Davis, his brother-

in-law, manages the Broome business. I

was engaged by Dalgety & Co. Limited,

Perth, on behalf of Mr. Ruben. The

station is 120 miles south of Broome

overland, and 80 miles by sea (writes

W. EL B. in the "Herald").

I stayed in Broome for a few days,

until arrangements were made for me

to go down the coast - to the station by

Joe Johnstone's 25-ton schooner Muriel,

the crew being six Malays, with Johnstone, 

the owner, in charge. We left Broome on 

Wednesday, July 5, and arrived at Cape

Frazier, the coastal boundary of the 

station, on the following Friday morning -

anchoring about two miles off the land,

Johnstone informed me I had arrived

at my destination, and that the Malay

crew would row me ashore, and I would

see the station homestead from the sand

hummock. I rather demurred to this

arrangement, as I told Johnstone - no

doubt he knew all about the coastline,

but as I had never been on the coast

before his knowledge was useless to

me as I might be landed 50 miles from

nowhere. However, we compromised

on matters in a way—on my arrival 

onshore I was to keep the boat's crew 

until I could see the homestead.

On going up on , a hill I could see no

house, but met about 50 aborigines who

could speak broken English. They put

me on the track. I then let the boat's

crew return to the schooner. On my

arrival at the station homestead some

three miles from the coast there was

only one white man and about 100

natives. The homestead had three

rooms, with iron sides, and roof, and

back and front verandah. This station,

was 129,000 acres; stock, 3500 cattle, 

400 goats, and 30 horses.

All the stations at West Kimberley

are leased from the Government for 25

years, the rentals being 6/ per 1000

acres per annum. The country is very

flat, and the herbage is spinifex and salt

grass. The average rainfall at La Grange

Bay for the last 20 years is 18' inches

per annum, and three-fourths of this

average falls in the willy-willy season.

The cattle, are small - Bullocks, when

fat, average about 650 lb., and in the

vicinity of La Grange Bay there are no

cattle diseases. At the same time the

cattle are getting very much inbred.

The only market for cattle is Java,

three days' steam from Broome. The

vessel takes 250 head per fortnight 

from Broome and Derby; the price 

being 15/ per head, delivered, at either 

of the above ports. If the vendor and 

purchaser cannot agree as to the average 

weight, the former will pick out the largest 

bullock, and the latter the smallest, have 

them slaughtered, and average the weight, 

this average to be accepted as the average 

weight of this mob. 

The Java trade with Kimberley opened up a 

little over 12 months ago. There is a plentiful 

water supply - within 20 miles of the coast; at 

12 to 20 ft. good cattle water, but there is some 

mineral in the water which rots the iron tanks 

and troughs within three years. Tar is useless 

as a preservative. I had three Edison pumps on 

the station. 

The balance of the report has been redacted due to the nature of commentary regarding indigenous 

West Australians.

Mr. C.W. Pidduck (?).

courtesy Trove.