Dunbar (ship) facts for kids
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Hand-coloured lithograph of the Dunbar.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name | Dunbar |
| Builder | James Laing at Sunderland, England |
| Launched | 30 November 1853 |
| Fate | Wrecked 20 August 1857 near Sydney Heads |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Blackwall Frigate |
| Tonnage | 1321 |
| Length | 201.9 ft 10 in (61.79 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
| Depth | 22.7 ft 10 in (7.17 m) |
| Official name | Dunbar Group |
| Type | State heritage (archaeological-maritime) |
| Designated | 17 October 2003 |
| Reference no. | 1675 |
| Type | Shipwreck |
| Category | Transport - Water |
| Builders | Ship: James Laing & Sons, Sunderland |
The Dunbar was a large sailing ship that sank near the entrance to Sydney Harbour, Australia in 1857. This terrible event caused the loss of 121 lives. Today, the Dunbar shipwreck site is a special heritage site. It is located at Watsons Bay in New South Wales, Australia.
The ship was built in England between 1852 and 1853 by James Laing & Sons. The area where the ship sank is now known as the Dunbar Group. It is protected by the government of New South Wales. The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2003.
Contents
The Ship's Story
The Dunbar was launched on November 30, 1854. It was built for a ship owner named Duncan Dunbar. This ship was one of many large sailing vessels that started trading with Australia. This was because of the gold rushes happening at the time.
The Dunbar was designed to carry both passengers and cargo. It was a very well-built ship. When it was launched, it was the biggest wooden ship ever built in Sunderland, England. This was due to the high demand for ships to take people to the Australian goldfields. However, the Dunbar first served as a troop ship during the Crimean War. It only started its journey to Australia in 1856.
The Shipwreck
On the night of August 20, 1857, the Dunbar was sailing towards the entrance of Port Jackson. But heavy rain and a strong storm made it very hard to navigate. The ship's captain, James Green, made a mistake. He thought he had already passed the harbour's southern headland. Or he might have confused a smaller break in the coastline, called The Gap, for the harbour entrance.
Because of this mistake, the ship crashed onto the rocks. There were 59 crew members and 63 passengers on board. The ship was pushed hard against the cliffs of South Head. It quickly broke apart due to the strong storm.
Tragically, only one person out of 122 survived. His name was James Johnson, an Able Seaman. He was thrown against the cliffs by the force of the crash. He managed to hold onto the cliff face until he was rescued about one or two days later. All the other passengers and crew drowned.
After the Disaster
Bodies and parts of the ship filled the harbour after the wreck. A large funeral was held in Sydney for the dead. Many important people from the city were among the victims. The city closed down for the ceremony. Streets were filled with mourners, and flags flew at half-mast. A day of public mourning was announced.
The remains of 22 victims were found. They were buried together in a large tomb at Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown. Other victims have their own memorials. The ship's bell was found and given to St John's Anglican church in Sydney. It was placed in the bell-tower of the nearby St John's Primary School. For many years, head-boys would ring it to start the school day.
An investigation later found that the disaster happened because there were not enough navigation aids in the harbour. Because of this loss, and another shipwreck soon after, the government built the Hornby Light. This lighthouse was placed at the tip of South Head to make the entrance safer.
James Johnson, the only survivor, later became a lighthouse keeper in Newcastle. On July 12, 1866, he helped rescue the only survivor of another shipwreck, the paddle steamer SS Cawarra. Memorial services for the Dunbar victims are still held every year at St Stephen's Church.
Ship's Features
The Dunbar was a timber ship with three masts. It was built from British Oak and East India Teak. It was a large ship, measuring about 61.5 meters (201.9 feet) long. Its width was about 10.8 meters (35 feet). The ship had a figurehead of a rampant lion, carved by James Brooker.
Memorials and Inscriptions
The Dunbar shipwreck site is located below the South Head cliffs. An anchor from the ship was found in 1910. This anchor is now part of a memorial.
Dunbar Anchor Memorial
The Dunbar Anchor Memorial is a very large iron anchor, about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. It is attached to the natural sandstone cliff face above the southern end of The Gap. There is also a stone plinth (a base) with details about the monument. A timber fence surrounds the memorial area.
Rock Inscription
There is also an inscription carved into the flat sandstone cliff top. This is right above where the ship sank. The inscription says: "DUNBAR C.P. 25th AUG 1857 RECUT BY E.S.S. 20 AUG 1906". It seems someone carved it soon after the tragedy. Later, someone else re-carved it on an anniversary of the wreck.
Heritage Importance
The Dunbar shipwreck and its related items are a very important part of Australia's history. The sinking had a huge impact on the colony of New South Wales in 1857. It also led to better navigation tools in Port Jackson, like the building of the Hornby Lighthouse. This disaster is considered New South Wales' worst peacetime shipping tragedy. The loss of 121 lives, with only James Johnson surviving, deeply affected Sydney and the whole country.
The Dunbar Anchor Memorial and the rock inscription are also important. They are directly linked to the shipwreck story. They help people remember the tragedy and its impact on the people of Sydney. The memorial at "The Gap" and the nearby inscription offer places for the public to learn about this sad event.
The Dunbar site is important for showing how sea safety has changed over time. It also shows the dangers of travel during the 1850s gold rushes. The events after the wreck, like finding and burying the victims, greatly affected the growing colony. Many people had traveled by sea and could understand the hardships and fears.
The anchor memorial was set up by the local government to remember the huge loss of the Dunbar, its passengers, and crew. The "Dunbar Disaster" shocked everyone. The beautiful ship, built to high standards, was destroyed in minutes by a terrible storm. The loss of 121 lives, including many women and children, had a devastating effect on the community.
The cliff face where the ship hit is now known as Dunbar Head. This shows how much the event affected the area. Artists at the time even created famous artworks showing the terrifying scene.
The Dunbar shipwreck is special because it's a rare example of a shipwreck with a huge loss of life. It happened very close to a major port and city. The anchor monument, recovered in 1910 and set up in 1930, is unique in New South Wales. It's a large and visible memorial to a major shipping tragedy at Sydney's entrance. It helps keep the memory of those lost alive.
Images for kids
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The Dunbar Anchor Memorial in 2019
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