WRECKED AT PORT HEDLAND

 Northern Times, 21 September, 1935

Port Hedland Notes

(From our own Correspondent.)

Port Hedland, September 19

The s.s. Minderoo ran aground on 

a sandbank near the Port Hedland 

jetty in attempting to berth

on Saturday morning's tide. The tides

are equinoxial, and would run at the

rate of 10 knots at the time the 

accident happened. The anchor was let

down and would not grip with the 

result that the vessel ran on to the

sandbank. The captain thought it would

be an easy matter to free the vessel

and used his engines, but although

the prow and stern moved, the vessel

was fast amidships. The tide rose five

feet after the first grounding, but had

the effect of leaving the vessel higher

on the bank, and the vessel became

pivoted in the centre on the top of the

sand bar. When the tide went out the

prow and stern sagged with the weight

of the cargo and severely strained the

vessel, causing leaks amidship, and 

disturbed the engine bed, throwing

the engine out of action. Steam can be

generated for steerage and winch work,

but it is impossible to turn the propeller. 

At low tide many of the townsfolk went 

out in boats and it was possible to 

practically walk around the vessel. A 

distinct corrugation could be

seen in the ship's side. The lifeboats

were ready in the davits for immediate

use. There were only 15 passengers

aboard. With the ebb of the tide early

Sunday morning the boat drifted off

the bank. Ropes had been made fast

to the jetty, enabling the captain to

pull his vessel clear. Passengers who

were going to Singapore returned south

by the Centaur, and the freezer cargo

was also transhipped. The Minderoo

is berthed by the jetty and with the

assistance of a diver, plates have been

screwed over the holes in her side, and

cement blocks placed on the inside.

The Captain himself donned the diving

jacket and examined the damage and

issued instructions accordingly. It will

be impossible to tow the vessel until

the next spring tides and it will re-

quire two tugs to negotiate the turns

in the channel. The surveyor will ar-

rive shortly and then it will be known

what can be done to the vessel. Only

cargo for Hedland has been removed,

and the master awaits further 

instruction. The Customs Department is

keeping a strict guard, and nobody

is allowed to board the vessel.

courtesy Flotilla Australia.

probably stranded on Middle Bank

The West Australian, 21 October, 1909. 

THE KOOMBANA AGROUND.

EXPERIENCE AT PORT HEDLAND.

DREDGING OF CREEK ADVOCATED.

Port Hedland, October 20.

After striking the bank about a mile up

the creek here at 1 o'clock this morning,

the steamer Koombana became fast about

200 yards from the jetty on the eastern bank

of the creek. The vessel will probably be

got off at high tide.

In view of the increased traffic likely to

take place during the next year or two the

dredging of the creek is a very necessary

work.

[Later services state that the Koombana 

sailed for Cossack at 12.45 p.m. yesterday.]

courtesy Trove and Google Earth.

WALTER BARKER QUITS PORT HEDLAND.

West Australian Worker, 5 July, 1912.

A newspaper that unostentatiously 

faded out of existence recently was

the Port Hedland "Advocate". It

was run by Mr. W. H. Barker, an

outspoken person, who has little time

for Liberalism, and who told it so 

emphatically last October. For having

the courage to express his opinions

Barker was frozen out of Port Hedland. 

The victim of of a boycott (a

deadly instrument in a small rigidly

conservative town) then went up to

Broome, where he has launched the

"Nor'-West Echo." 

This was only 3 months after the loss of the Koombana (2 months after the Inquiry) and one does wonder if Mr. Barker's publicized criticisms of the Inquiry and his exposure of the truth landed him on the wrong side of Port Hedland's community elders; rather than anti-Liberalism views which surely would have resonated in 'a small rigidly conservative town.' ?

Mr. Moxon is well known to us as the manager of the Western Australia branch of the Adelaide Steamship Company - owners of the Koombana. And my distant relative.  Mr. Barker's undiluted criticisms of the ship and Company would surely have caused animosity?

Here is the rub.....

Mr. Moxon was a man who wore more than one cap and the following extract reveals the extent of his influence in Port Hedland; beyond port and jetty. He was in a position to open or close the door of opportunity in this under-developed little coastal town.

Hedland Advocate, 27 November, 1909.

Mr Moxon said he was pleased,

as president of the Fremantle

Chamber of Commerce, to meet the

local Progress Association (Port Hedland), 

which had a desire to avoid centralisation.

A number of the questions brought

forward came under his personal

observation. Unless considerable

dredging were done the eastern

channel would be little availed of

by the ships now likely to visit the

port. 

The beacons on the west

channel made entrance easier, and

it was perfectly simple to have

those beacons properly lit up. 

He was quite prepared to advocate that

something be done to clear the

western channel. It would be as

wise to suggest that the train

should be run without an engine as

to suggest that shipping must come

into the port without something

being done to the channel. 

He would ask for the departmental 

report on the foreshore, and see what

help could be given. In connection

with the native prison labor, he

understood that it was desired to

divert the laborers from other towns

to Hedland. As a family man, he

thought proper accommodation

should be provided in tropical

schools, and in regard to the overland

telegraph line he was quite

sure it was urgently needed. Goods

shed.—Perhaps some departmental

genius had had old barns pulled

down and a new one erected, which

was not a step towards progress.

The Government should build with

an idea of a larger Hedland rather

than a smaller Hedland. He took

their reception as a complement to

the chamber of which he was president,

and thought their requests

obviously reasonable. He could

tell them that Mr. Smith had already

helped them in regard to the laying

down of rails at the old jetty.

Mr. Smith said he occupied no

official capacity, but would do his

best in backing up Mr. Moxon. 

Regarding the goods shed, there was

provision in the railway contract for

another shed, also a stationmaster's

house, yards,. workshops, etc. ,

about a mile out along the line.

Those present afterwards met

Messrs. Moxon and Smith and

drank their health.

Walter Barker started off his Port Hedland career brandishing an impressive arsenal of credentials!

Cootamundra Herald, 27 January, 1906.

Walter Barker.

Many of our readers will remember the

lad Walter Barker, son of Mr. Joseph

Barker; settler of this town, and he was a

apprentice in the Cootamundra Herald

works. By the ' Western Argus' we

note that he is placed in a group of

municipal councillors ; and we find that

he has been very much honoured in

Western Australia, besides being 

endowed with much good fortune. His

next promotion will probably be

to Parliament. At present he is in 

Claremont, but he recently sold out the

'Leonora Miner' newspaper for a nice

little margin of profit.

At Leonora he held the position of a

justice of the peace also, and on three

occasions he was selected by the 

Government as one of the justices to sit 

with the chairman of the Licensing Bench, 

a practice which is resorted to annually as

a check up bench packing. He was also

deputy mining registrar, having put

thousands of pounds through his hands ;

he was President of the Prospectors'

Association. The best news of him is that

he is the happy father of a fine, healthy

looking pair. He is about to start a

paper at Port Hedland, which is a growing 

place, and is likely to become a centre.

Mr. Barker has his mother and her two

youngest children staying with him, his

eldest brother (William) haying been

drowned two months ago in the Swan

river while bathing.

His present address is " Acrasia, ''

Claremont (W. A.).

By 1925, the loudest voice proclaiming Koombana-injustice fell silent, passing to a quieter place where I choose to believe commiseration and comfort could finally replace indignation and despair.

The West Australian, 6 August, 1925.

Mr. Walter Henry Barker, proprietor

of the 'North-West Echo,' published at

Broome, died on July 28 at Broome in his

54th year. He was born at Burrowa

(New South Wales) and served an 

apprenticeship to the printing trade in the

office of the Cootamundra 'Herald.' He

came to Western Australia in 1895 and

was subsequently connected with news-

papers at Esperance, Albany, Leonora,

and Claremomt. In 1906 he established the

Port hedland 'Advocate,' and after 

conducting it for six years he removed to

Broome where he founded the 'North-

West Echo.'

courtesy Trove.

'WOULD BE AMONG THE MANGROVES.'

The West Australian, 31 March, 1913. 

GALE AT PORT HEDLAND.

HEAVY RAINS.

Port Hedland, March 30.

The heavy rains which extended over a

large area, ceased yesterday morning. 

During the last three days 1,071 points 

fell at Port Hedland, Boodarrie had nearly 

seven inches, Pippingarra 650 points, 

Poondina nine inches, Mundabullangana 

nine inches, Marble Bar 55 points, and 

Condon 10 inches. The train due here on 

Thursday has not yet arrived, and is not 

expected for two or three days.

The steamer Bullarra lay outside Port 

Hedland for 37 hours. The captain 

considered that the blow was as severe as 

that of last year. It was impossible to stand

up on the deck of the vessel, and he had

two anchors down 90 fathoms and 110

fathoms, and steamed up to them at three

quarter speed, but could make no headway.

The hatches were battened down. The engines 

stopped once and he was preparing to put up 

sails when the gale moderated.

He did not expect to see Port Hedland standing, 

and thought that the steamer Western Australia, 

which had been in port since Wednesday, would 

be among the mangroves. The blow was not so 

severe at Port Hedland as that of last year, and 

no damage was done. The gale blew furiously 

for just about 14 hours.

This report provides us with an important clue. When Captains Upjohn and Allen met for the last time before departing Port Hedland, 20 March, 1912, it was alleged that Captain Upjohn encouraged Captain Allen to depart, despite the latter's concerns about the barometer. Captain Upjohn's actions mirrored his comments; 'did not expect to see Port Hedland standing' and 'ending up in the mangroves'. Ironically Koombana like Western Australia would have been unscathed had she remained in port that tragic Wednesday.

courtesy National Maritime Museum.