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| RMS Koombana looking a little battered after her adventures, running aground and generally confronting the harsh realities of the brutal Nor'West run. courtesy Annie Boyd. |
Sunday Times, Perth, 22 September, 1946
AND here's how Fate show-
ed her hand. Over 100
passengers were drawn, like
marionettes on strings, aboard the
Koombana and to their death;
yet there are scores of instances
of men and women who desper-
ately wanted to make the voyage,
but whom Fate prevented.
For instance, meet Harry Swan,
manager of the former de Vant
sheep station at Port Hedland.
The station had recently been
bought by Davis, one of the
State's biggest pearl buyers; and
he was aboard Koombana when
she called at Hedland. He sent
for his manager, Swan.
"You've been working hard.
Swan," said Davis, when the men
met on the wharf. "Go home,
pack your port and come with me
to Broome for a spell."
But Swan shook his head.
"Can't be done, Mr. Davis. Thanks
for the invitation, but we're busy
on the station."
"What rot!" said Davis, "You've
got an overseer. Come on and no
excuses."
Still Swan was obdurate. "I've
got to get those rams to work
while the season's going, sir. I
know it's your station, but it's my
job to see that it's working
smoothly. I appreciate the invita-
tion, and I'll accept it later."
Davis gave it up, walked off
muttering something about all
work and no play . . . walked
aboard ship and to his death,
while Fate smiled as it thought of
the lease of life it had given
Harry Swan.
Davis and Swan-like you and
me-just pawns in the great game.
Let no man, be he prince or paw-
per, think he is anything else.
This is a powerful piece. Harry Swan probably mulled many a long night over how close he had come to death and had his work ethic 'saved him'? But in truth it was just luck that sultry, cyclonic Wednesday in March, 1912.
I have committed myself during the course of this blog to pointing out where the owners of Koombana frankly created and set up the factors leading to the disaster and escaped any form of censure at the Inquiry through eloquent misinformation and misdirection.
Captain Allen, in my opinion, had very little choice but to depart Port Hedland into the weather risk factor. He was under a great deal of pressure and some on-lookers commented that he looked unwell (stressed) prior to departure. Captain Allen was even alleged to have said:
"I don't like the glass,"
was Captain Allen's remark,
"and another 24 hours
here will not matter."
If Captain Allen had done just this all would have been saved; but it was company policy to put out to sea and face storms offshore rather than risk the steamer being wrecked in port - if the cyclone had hit Port Hedland, Koombana could have ended up in the mangroves. It really just came down to property (Koombana) vs. lives.
Mr. Moxon:
His company's rule No. 4 stated that
'No order will be held to excuse the
endangering of the ship.'
As it turned out history was written that day, destinies foretold ; 157 people confronted by horror, a loss lingering well into the future, trickling down the generations - that sense of never knowing what form the disaster had taken; how quickly had it unfolded; the degree of suffering and where Koombana rests?
Perhaps all we can do in these modern times is doggedly pursue the discovery of the wreck, whatever that might require, however costly and at least offer those wretched souls and history some form of closure.
RIP all 157 souls lost with RMS Koombana
