Apollo Bay Fieldwork Report Heritage March 2009

1

Acknowledgements

Fisheries Victoria and Parks Victoria at were very accommodating, providing secure storage for the boats in addition to wash-down facilities, and use of their computers for checking weather forecasts.

We were very ably assisted by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, including: past Heritage Council member and Chair of the former HSAC Peter Ronald, Maritime Heritage Advisory Committee members Kellie Clayton, Peter Taylor, Shirley Strachan and Scott Allen. We also had the privilege of hosting Gay Lacsina, a Museum Researcher from the Underwater Archaeology Section of the National Museum of the Philippines, here in as an ALA Fellow through Flinders University.

With a permanent staff of 3 maritime archaeologists, Heritage Victoria could not run field operations without the generous assistance of our pool of volunteers, and we are grateful to all of those who gave their time to help us in the field.

Our media officer Angie Phelan worked hard while we were away, with Pete fielding many enquires from the local media, including the Standard, Colac Herald, ABC Warrnambool, and Red Symons.

2 Contents

Introduction……………………………………..………………………..……. 5 Background……………………………………..………..……………………. 6 Site Histories………………………………………………………..…………. 7 Fieldwork Results…………………………………………………………..…. 9 SS Casino………………………………………………………….……… 9 Eric the Red……………………………………………………………….. 11 Rover………………………………………………………………………. 21 Blanket Bay historical remains……………………………………….…. 21 Wollomai………………………………………………………………..….. 23 Speculant………………………………………………………..…………. 24 jetty…………………………………………………………..… 24 Grange………………………………………………………….………….. 26 Discussion…………………………………………………………….……….. 28 Appendix I – Big anchor project recording sheets………………….……... 29 Appendix II – Media………………………………………….……………….. 33

3

List of Figures

Figure 1. Map of the Victorian coastline………………………………….. 6 Figure 2. Anchor from the Casino , now in Apollo Bay…………………... 10 Figure 3. Wreckage from Eric the Red , near Blanket Bay……………… 11 Figure 4. Drawing of a section of Eric the Red , Blanket Bay…………… 12 Figure 5. Eric the Red Point Franklin site C……………………………… 12 Figure 6. One of the concentrations of iron bolts at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C……………………………………………………. 13 Figure 7. Site plan of Eric the Red Point Franklin site C………………... 14 Figure 8. Iron strapping and bolt features at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C……………………………………………………. 13 Figure 9. Detail of iron strapping and bolt features at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C……………………………………………... 15 Figure 10. Iron fastening on the Joseph H. Scammell at Torquay, Victoria…………………………………………………………….. 15 Figure 11. Timber section at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C………… 16 Figure 12. Anchor and plaque, Eric the Red , Point Franklin…………….. 17 Figure 13. Frame and plank from Eric the Red , …………… 18 Figure 14. Drawing of plank from Eric the Red at Parker River…………. 18 Figure 15. Drawing of frame from Eric the Red at Parker River………… 18 Figure 16. Eric the Red , anchor and plaque, Lighthouse…. 19 Figure 17. Eric the Red object at Bimbi Park……………………………… 20 Figure 18. Eric the Red objects at Bimbi Park…………………………….. 20 Figure 19. Eric the Red frame at Bimbi Park………………………………. 20 Figure 20. Eric the Red object at Bimbi Park……………………………… 20 Figure 21. Hut ruins, Blanket Bay…………………………………………... 22 Figure 22. Recorded hut remains, Blanket Bay…………………………… 22 Figure 23. Artefacts identified on the surface in the immediate vicinity of the hut ruins at Blanket Bay…………………………………….. 22 Figure 24. Fireplace and chimney remains, Blanket Bay………………… 23 Figure 25. Recording the Speculant anchor, Apollo Bay park…………… 24 Figure 26. Jetty remains, Wye River……………………………………….. 25 Figure 27. Jetty remains at Wye River……………………………………... 25 Figure 28. Remains of the Grange , Little Henty Reef…………………….. 27 Figure 29. Rough site plan of the Grange , Little Henty reef...... 27

4 Introduction

Fieldwork was undertaken between the 22 nd February and 2 nd March 2009 in the Apollo Bay area by Heritage Victoria in conjunction with volunteers. The fieldwork was part funded by the Historic Shipwrecks Program through the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

All diving took place from the HV boats Trim (8m Kevlacat) and Stessl (5.5m Mako), skippered by Peter Harvey, Cassandra Philippou, Hanna Steyne and Peter Ronald.

All diving was undertaken using scuba equipment to AS2299 and DCIEM tables were used. Diving was undertaken by Peter Harvey, Hanna Steyne, Cassandra Philippou, Rhonda Steel, Gay Lacsina, Kellie Clayton, Scott Allen, Peter Taylor and Shirley Strachan. This report was written by Rhonda Steel and Hanna Steyne.

The main aims of the fieldwork were to undertake site inspections and survey of a number of significant historic shipwrecks which have not been visited by Heritage Victoria since the early 1990’s including: • SS Casino, • Eric the Red • Wollomai • Grange

These sites are protected under the Victorian Heritage Act 1995 and Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.

In addition, it was hoped to work in conjunction with the Water Police to undertake side-scan sonar search for a number of as yet un-located shipwrecks which historical research indicated to be in the Apollo Bay area. Due to the bushfire emergency, many Police staff were deployed elsewhere rendering their side-scan sonar unavailable.

Studying shipwreck and maritime infrastructure sites in the Cape Otway region is important to further understanding of the discovery, settlement and development of the area. Shipwrecks are areas of archaeological, historical, social, cultural, recreational and scientific value for the Victorian public. Visual inspection and recording of sites is crucial for the development of specific management plans, and periodic visitation allows staff to gain an understanding of site alteration over time. Management of underwater cultural heritage resources also benefits from contact with, and the participation of, local communities that occurs during fieldwork.

All positions in this report are in datum WGS84.

5 Background

The rugged west coast of Victoria has been the location of a large number of shipwrecks and approximately 40% of all located shipwrecks in Victoria are on the West Coast. The treacherous tides, reefs, weather and cliffs provide a challenge for even the most experienced mariners. Cape Otway was discovered by Europeans in 1800 and is one of the landmarks passed while navigating . The term ‘threading the eye of the needle’ was attributed to the gap between Cape Otway and King Island on this route. It took two catastrophic shipwrecks, Neva (1835) and Cataraqui (1845), before a lighthouse was called for. The terrain and isolation made finding a suitable site for the lighthouse difficult, but the was eventually opened in 1848.

Following its discovery by Europeans, sealers and whalers entered the region and a station established at Point Bunbury. The first settlement there was named Middleton and was based on the timber logging industry. The name Apollo Bay came into being in 1845 when the schooner Apollo used it as a refuge while traveling from to Warrnambool. Infrastructure started to appear in the 1870s and 1890s with the building of a school, church, post office and pub. The area became less isolated in 1932 with the opening of the .

Figure 1: Map of the Victorian coastline, Australia. Boxed area outlines the coastal region specific to this study.

6 Site Histories

SS Casino HV ID 108 The SS Casino was built in Scotland in 1882 and spent the next 50 years trading between Melbourne and the Western District of Victoria. In July 1932 the Casino was attempting to pull up to the Apollo Bay jetty in large swells, resulting in the ship hitting the seafloor. When the Captain realized the vessel was taking on water and attempted to run it up the beach, the ship keeled over and capsized 400m from shore. Locals could do nothing but watch as passengers and crew either clung to the hull or tried their luck swimming to shore - 10 people lost their lives. It later turned out that the Casino anchor was trapped under the hull and it was this that caused significant damage allowing water to flow into the ship.

The SS Casino is historically significant for its vital role in the Western District coastal and passenger trade, this significance is enhanced by the length of its service.

The steering wheel and port and starboard lights are on display at the Apollo Bay Hotel and the anchor is on display outside the Apollo Bay Post Office. The propeller and lifting davits are on display at 's municipal parks. One of the company flags recovered from the wreck, step treads, seat cushions, the binnacle and artefacts representing the cargo it was carrying can be seen at the Apollo Bay Cable Station Museum.

The wreck site lies is in around 9 meters of water on a flat sandy seabed. It lies 400m offshore almost opposite Wild Dog Creek. When last visited in 1990 the hull was relatively intact but the stern had collapsed exposing the propeller shaft, steering gear and engine.

Eric the Red HV ID 239 Eric the Red left New York carrying cargo bound for the International Exhibition in Melbourne. The ship came to grief on 3 September 1880 when the Captain misjudged its position while approaching Cape Otway and ran it onto Otway Reef. Four of the twenty-nine on board perished and wreckage was found strewn from Point Franklin to . The survivors were rescued the next day by the crew of the steamer Dawn . At the time of the wreck parts of it were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture and fittings from the ship, and a dining room floor made out of its timbers. The ketch Apollo was built from Eric the Red timbers and sailed in Tasmanian waters.

Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. The wreck event led to the establishment of an additional warning light at the Cape Otway Lighthouse which was visible to ships approaching from a dangerous direction. The site is archaeologically significant due to the remains of its large and varied cargo and fittings scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large

7 wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.

At the last comprehensive survey of all the wreck fragments took place in 1986 whilst the last recorded site inspection was in 1990 at Point Franklin.

In addition to the scattered sections of the ships structure, one anchor is on the rocks at Point Franklin, and another is mounted at the Cape Otway lighthouse. Other parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park caravan park and at the Apollo Bay museum.

Grange HV ID 297 The Grange was built in Scotland in 1840 and had previously worked in the Caribbean. On the 22 March 1858 while on a trip from Melbourne to Guam the Grange headed for the Cape Otway lighthouse, the only light on the coast. In the poor light the small timber-cutting settlement of Apollo Bay was mistaken for the lighthouse and the vessel ran straight onto Little Henty Reef at Apollo Bay. No lives were lost and the cargo, hull, sails and fittings were all salvaged while the rest of the vessel broke up over time.

The Grange is archaeologically significant as an example of a Scottish built wooden barque and international trader. It was a typical vessel used in international and coastal cargo and passenger trades in the early to mid 19th century. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of the only wooden vessels accessible to recreational divers along this stretch of the coast.

The site is located 300m from shore in a maximum 7m of water within the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary. The site is broken up and scattered along approximately 100m of the reef. Much of the site is covered by a dense cover of Bull Kelp over 1m tall. The site is prone to surge but relatively sheltered. It is a widely scattered site consisting of fastenings, hanging knees and timber planking. The site had not been inspected by Heritage Victoria until this trip.

Rover HV ID 587 The Rover arrived in Blanket Bay on 6 January 1892 carrying cargo for a local station owners. That night rough weather drove the vessel onto the rocks and all passengers and crew were forced to abandon ship. The cargo was unloaded and transhipped to Apollo Bay. An attempt was made to tow the vessel off the rocks, but this failed and the cutter became a total wreck. The remains of the Rover have yet to be located.

Speculant HV ID 626 The barquentine Speculant was involved in the UK and Russian timber trade before being moved to Warrnambool in 1906 where it operated trading white pine from New Zealand.

The crew of the Speculant had been attempting to sail from Portland to Melbourne for the vessels overhaul when they encountered bad weather and heavy seas near Cape Otway. After rounding the Cape the vessel was

8 pushed shoreward by strong cross winds and seas, then, during the night of 10 February 1911 the Speculant hit rocks. The crew managed to make it to shore using a line from the ship and found shelter in a local farm, before walking six hours through the bush to Apollo Bay for help.

The Speculant is historically significant as the largest ship to have been registered in Warrnambool, and is believed to have been the largest barquentine to visit Melbourne. The Speculant one of the last large commercial sailing vessels involved in the Victorian and New Zealand timber trade, at a time when steam ships were predominant.

Remains of the wreck can be found on the southern shoreline of, and directly below, Cape Patton. Other parts were buried during construction and maintenance works on the Great Ocean Road. The Speculant’s anchor is mounted on the Apollo Bay foreshore.

Wollomai HV ID 733 The Wollomai was built in Melbourne in 1876 and was a regular Bass Strait trader. On 4 June 1923, while travelling from Burnie to Adelaide, the vessel was caught in a severe gale and was driven ashore at Mounts Bay. Apollo Bay residents noted the ships distress signal and sent a rocket crew to aid those onboard. The crew and single passenger were all brought ashore safely. The wreck and cargo were purchased by local Apollo Bay residents and large quantities of goods were salvaged.

The Wollomai has archaeological and technical significance as it is likely to be a well preserved example of a late 19th century Victorian/ Australian-built coastal trading ketch, and is therefore representative of this type or class of vessel.

The wreck lies in the intertidal zone at Mounts Bay and is occasionally visible when beach sand is eroded away. A Probe survey and magnetometer survey undertaken by the Maritime Heritage Unit in 1987 indicated that further remains are likely to be buried at the site.

Fieldwork Results

SS Casino (1932) Monday, 23 rd February, 2009 Location: Apollo Bay Sea conditions: Large swells .

The team headed to inspect the SS Casino with Pete, Hanna & Kellie diving first. The site was heavily covered with marine growth and surrounded by a number of fish. The bow, boiler and engine block were easily visible, upstanding from the seabed by approximately 2m. The starboard side of the wreck contained some upstanding portions while the majority of the port structure has collapsed. A modern anchor and portion of chain was found

9 buried on site but proved too difficult to remove. Whilst the visibility was reasonable, the swells made it difficult to undertake recording or photography.

Whilst a second dive had been planned, most of the second dive team had become seasick on the boat due to the sea swells. It was decided to leave the site and check the position of the Grange (1858) on Little Henty Reef for a future dive. A GPS position was taken where local divers and fisheries officers had suggested the site was.

Friday, 27 th February, 2009 Sea conditions: High winds and swells Location: Apollo Bay

The anchor from the Casino now lies on the corner of Nelson Street and the Great Ocean Road in Apollo Bay, having been presented to the in 1982 by the Apollo Bay and District Historical Society to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the wrecking (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Anchor from the Casino , now in Apollo Bay.

The anchor was recorded using the Big Anchor Project form and guidelines, and results are presented in Appendix I.

10 Eric the Red (1880) Tuesday, 24 th February, 2009 Location: Blanket Bay & Point Franklin Sea conditions: High winds and large swells.

High winds and rough seas meant a day on shore looking for and recording previously identified sections of Eric the Red on shore.

The first fragment was located in a creek to the east of Blanket Bay, and consisted of approximately 5 joined planks (Figure. 3). The timber has characteristically wide growth rings and is heavily fastened with iron and copper alloy bolts, typical of previously recorded fragments of Eric the Red . This fragment was partially buried in the edge of the creek, and whilst the timber was in reasonable condition, large U shaped cuts, and the stub end of a copper alloy bolt suggested that the wreckage had been deliberately damaged to remove the copper alloy bolts.

Figure 3: Wreckage from Eric the Red , near Blanket Bay . (scale 30cm with 5cm increments)

The visible portion of the fragment was photographed and recorded and is shown in Figure 4. The three U shaped cuts are visible on the exposed plank edge.

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Figure 4. Drawing of a section of Eric the Red , Blanket Bay.

A second, much larger piece of wreckage was located at Point Franklin. This section correlates with a section first reported in 1984, and was named Eric the Red Point Franklin site C (figure 5).

Figure 5. Eric the Red Point Franklin site C .

This area of wreckage covers approximately 15m x 6m on a rocky area of beach, and includes a section of hull 3m x 2m, an iron bit, a section of iron strapping and bolts, and a large number of scattered iron bolts (figure 6).

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Figure 6. One of the concentrations of iron bolts at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C. (scale 30cm with 5cm increments)

The site was surveyed using tape measures, photographs and positioned using hand held GPS (Figure 7).

Figure 8. Iron strapping and bolt features at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C (scale 30cm with 5cm increments)

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Figure 7. Site plan of Eric the Red Point Franklin site C.

14 The iron strapping and bolt feature (figures 8 and 9) is quite unusual, but comparison with a similar feature on the Joseph H Scammell (figure 10) suggests that it may be a feature of North American built pine hulled ships.

Figure 9. Detail of iron strapping and bolt features at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C (scale 30cm with 5cm increments)

Figure 10. Iron fastening on the Joseph H. Scammell at Torquay, Victoria.

15 The timber section at Point Franklin site C displays features typical of Eric the Red , including wide timber growth rings and lots of fastenings (figure 11).

Figure 11. Timber at Eric the Red Point Franklin site C (scale 30cm with 5cm increments)

To the west of Point Franklin site C, was a concentration of concreted iron bolts wedged within the rocks. Whilst none of these could be recorded in great detail, it is likely that they represent another section of Eric the Red .

In the 1984 wreck report for this site, Point Franklin site C is reported to be the original location for one of Eric the Red’s anchors. This anchor was relocated by the Cape Otway fishing club and set in concrete along the coast to the west. The anchor was recorded for the Big Anchor Project according to their guidelines as best as possible. The anchor recording sheets are found in Appendix I. The anchor is of an early type with a pointed crown and straight arms. Whilst the flukes were in poor condition, they appear to be triangular. The anchor appears to have had an iron stock, as the last remains of it are concreted in place, although very little of its original length survives.

The anchor lies above the high tide line, however its location on the beach has resulted in continued corrosion, and it is now in very poor condition (figure 12).

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Figure 12: Anchor and plaque, Eric the Red , Point Franklin .

Wednesday, 25 th February, 2009 Location: Point Franklin - Parker River & Stinko Bay Sea conditions: High winds and large swells.

The team headed back to Point Franklin to continue the search for sections of Eric the Red last surveyed by Heritage Victoria in 1986 at Parker River and Stinko Bay.

The wreck inspection report for 1986 records two sections of wreckage at Parker River, with a third in the water just outside the mouth of Parker River. Parks Victoria staff had recently buried a large section at Parker River after evidence that pieces had been burnt by campers and rumours of timbers being souvenired.

No large sections of wreckage were found at Parker River, and it was too rough to look for wreckage in the water, however, one frame and one plank were located, which had been recently moved (Figure 13). The two timbers were photographed and recorded (Figure 14 and 15). The timbers were of similar wood to that seen at Point Franklin site C and both timbers had evidence of many treenails and iron fixings.

17

Figure 13. Frame and plank from Eric the Red , Parker River.

Figure 14. Drawing of plank from Eric the Red at Parker River.

Figure 15. Drawing of frame from Eric the Red at Parker River.

18 The 1983 a large section of wreckage was reported exposed at Stinko Bay, to the west of Point Franklin and Crayfish Bay. The coastline west of the cemented anchor to the end of the beaches past Stinko Bay was searched on foot, but no remains of Eric the Red were found.

A second anchor from Eric the Red is located at the Cape Otway Lighthouse station (Figure 16). This was recorded for the Big Anchor project, and the record sheet is in Appendix I. This anchor is shorter than the anchor on the beach, and is a typical Admiralty patent type. The anchor was in much better condition than the one on the beach, due to its location away from the sea.

Figure 16: Eric the Red , anchor and plaque, Cape Otway Lighthouse.

19 Thursday, 26 th February, 2009 Location Bimbi Park, Cape Otway. Sea conditions: No wind, large swells.

Bimbi Park has had a number of objects from Eric the Red on ‘display’ since the 1980’s. These objects include pieces of standing rigging, mast hoops and a frame likely to be from Eric the Red (figures 17-20).

Figure 17. Eric the Red object at Bimbi Park Figure 18. Eric the Red objects at Bimbi Park

Figure 19. Eric the Red frame at Figure 20. Eric the Red object at Bimbi Park Bimbi Park

A number of other objects are included in the Eric the Red display, including a jetty pile, two wagon wheels and a camping stove, and whilst their provenance is unknown, they are unlikely to be associated with the shipwreck. The inclusion of the jetty pile is interesting, as no jetty remains were located around Cape Otway during this fieldwork, although there are some recorded in are historical photographs and documents.

20 Rover (1892) Thursday, 26 th February, 2009 Location: Blanket Bay Sea conditions: No wind, large swells.

A historic photograph in the café at the Cape Otway Lightstation showed a jetty at Blanket Bay with the cutter Rover wrecked in the shallows. With continuing poor weather it was decided to investigate the possible wreck site for any remains. With a copy of the historic photograph, it was possible to identify the rough location of the wreck site. Cass and Rhonda attempted to wade out to the Rover site, however the tide was too high and the seas too rough to effectively search the reef.

Blanket Bay historic remains Thursday, 26 th February, 2009 Location: Blanket Bay Sea conditions: No wind, large swells.

Historic photographs seen in the café at the Cape Otway Lightstation showed a jetty and store shed. Using copies of the historic photograph it was possible to identify the position of the jetty, but no remains were found. Searches in the scrub behind the beach, however, revealed two areas of stone remains, neither of which were previously recorded in the Heritage Inventory.

The largest of the two structures was the ruin of a small 3 sided house/hut (Figure. 21 and 22). The hut was recorded and photographed, and positions of survey datums obtained using hand held GPS. The site has been allocated Heritage Inventory number H7620-0013.

Figure 21: Hut ruins, Blanket Bay .

21 The structure was surrounded by a ditch, and had the remains of a chimney in the far wall. The hut was constructed with mortar and some degree of care, although there was no evidence of a fourth wall, suggesting that it was always open, looking out to sea.

Figure 22. Recorded hut remains, Blanket Bay.

A number of artefacts were found in the debris surrounding the hut, including broken glass bottles and an iron bolt of similar dimensions to those found on the remains of Eric the Red (figure 23).

Figure 23. Artefacts identified on the surface in the immediate vicinity of the hut ruins at Blanket Bay .

22 The second stone built feature was a fireplace and chimney which had clear evidence of recent reconstruction in some areas, with new mortar visible (figure. 24). The chimney measured 2.96m high and tapered from a width of 1.46m at the base to 00.80m at the top. The chimney was positioned at the following location: -38.82575°, 143.58358°.

Figure 24: Fireplace and chimney, Blanket Bay.

Wollomai Friday, 27 th February, 2009 Sea conditions: High winds and swells Location: Apollo Bay

The Wollomai was last visited by Heritage Victoria in 1987, when the winch and a section of hull was visible. A visual search was undertaken along the beach at Mounts Bay but the site was not be re-located.

23 Speculant anchor Friday, 27 th February, 2009 Sea conditions: High winds and swells Location: Apollo Bay

The barquentine Speculant , wrecked on Cape Patton in 1911, to the east of Apollo Bay. The anchor from the Speculant was “restored for posterity” by the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria in 1970 and is now in the park at Apollo Bay (figure 25).

Figure 25. Recording the Speculant anchor, Apollo Bay park

The anchor is a typical Admiralty patent type, and in reasonable condition. It is currently painted white, although the scuffed paint suggests that it acts as a climbing frame for many. The anchor was recorded using the Big Anchor Project form and guidelines, and the results are presented in Appendix I.

Wye River Jetty remains Saturday, 28 th February, 2009 Location: Wye River Conditions: Moderate wind

A small team spent one afternoon recording the remains of one of two visible jetties at Wye River (figure 26). The jetty is thought to be associated with the early timber industry in the area. The large boulder field associated with

24 construction of the Great Ocean Road buries the landward part of the jetty suggesting that the jetty pre-dates the construction of the road.

Figure 26: Jetty remains, Wye River .

Whilst the jetty was well constructed, sections have been deliberately deconstructed, and the cross timbers have been cut through leaving short stubby. An historic photograph of the jetty was found in the pub across the road, which shows the full extent of the jetty in the early 1900’s.

The jetty was photographed and recorded, (figure 27) and the site has been allocated Heritage Inventory number H7620-0014.

Figure 27. Survey of jetty remains at Wye River.

25 Grange (1858) Saturday, 28 th February, 2009 Location: Little Henty Reef Sea conditions: Moderate wind.

Both boats were deployed in the morning to Little Henty Reef to confirm the position of the Grange .. Cass, Rhonda & Shirley dropped in on the position collected earlier in the week, but found no sign of the site. Scott, PT & Gay entered the water closer to the reef amongst the kelp and immediately found remains of the wreck. The site was comprised of ferrous objects, including iron knees concreted to the reef and occasional copper alloy fastenings.

During a second dive, Cass, Rhonda & Shirley located iron remains including a large pipe at the reef/sand interface. It was clear that the site was large and that remains of the wreck were widely dispersed and hidden amongst the rock by a significant covering of Bull Kelp.

Sunday, 29 th February, 2009 Location: Little Henty Reef Sea conditions: Low wind With good weather and reduced team numbers, Trim ran between the reef and Apollo Bay boat ramp to ferry divers to the site of the Grange . The first team of Shirley, PT and Scott were tasked with placing a star picket in the sand adjacent to the main scatter of objects, to act as a datum from which searches could be orientated. This team started a mud map, sketching in features using radial searches from the picket.

Hanna, Cass, Kellie and Rhonda continued the radial searches to the south- east of the picket, looking for the features found the day before. A 12m arc heading north-east through south to west from the picket located no artefacts, however a number of artefacts were seen on a second arc beyond the 12m range (figure 28). The team did not re-locate the remains that had been found the previous day.

26

Figure 28: Remains of the Grange , Little Henty Reef

Rhonda and Cass surfaced whilst Kellie and Hanna continued the search to the north-west along the reef. At 30m from the datum they located a pile of anchor chain, knees and other items which indicated the remains of the bow. The information collected from the radial searches and sketches was compiled to create a rough site plan (figure 29).

Figure 29. Rough site plan of the Grange , Little Henty reef,

27 Discussion

Eric the Red Remains of Eric the Red are spread over a number of different sites around Cape Otway. The popularity of the area with walkers and campers, combined with the relative isolation makes active monitoring and management of the sites difficult. The damage seen on the Blanket Bay section, and the reported burning and souveniring of the large pieces at Parker River attest to the vulnerability of these pieces of historic shipwreck. Collaboration with Parks Victoria and Fisheries officers who patrol the area will be vital to the long term survival of Eric the Red .

Grange This site is difficult to search systematically due to the long and dense growth of Bull Kelp, and the sloping uneven sides of the reef. These local factors will also make any detailed recording and survey difficult. The three dives undertaken during this field season did however demonstrate that the site is large and potentially spreads for 100m along the north-eastern side of Little Henty reef. Further work needs to be done on the site to establish the full extent, and record all the artefacts visible within the kelp

Further work is planned to complete mapping the Grange with the aim of providing a site plan to Parks Victoria for use in heritage interpretation for the Marengo Marine Sanctuary.

28

Appendix 1

Anchor recording form for the Casino anchor, Apollo Bay.

29 Anchor recording form for the Eric the Red anchor, Point Franklin.

Section 1: General Information Context Features Recorders Hanna, Cass, Pete, Kellie, Category Land Stock y Names Gay Squaring of Site n shank Point Franklin Ring n Date 24/02/2009 Location Shackle n Group/Org Heritage Victoria 38.85384º S, 143.54816º E No. of arms 2 Reference # HV ID 1058 Inscriptions n Big Anchor ID Ship name Eric the Red Ship size 15800 tons gross Ship type Function Features Anchor type Shape of flukes Triangle Stoke type Metal straight Stock section Unclear Date and Origin Stock shape Brocken Date 04/09/1880 Stock fasteners n/a Period Late 19 th Century Stock key n/a Nationality USA Shank form Possibly square, but very corroded Certainty Confirmed Crown Pointed Arms Straight Weight Unknown

Section 2: Anchor Dimensions (recorded in m, cm, mm units)

Shank Key Length of shank 2.61m Height of key n/a Diameter of top of shank n/a Distance of key n/a Diameter of bottom of shank n/a Fluke Diameter of stock eye n/a Width of fluke 15cm approx Arms Length of fluke 43cm Length of one arm 96cm Ring Amplitude of arms / Diameter of ring n/a Height of bills / Diameter of eye of ring n/a Distance between bills 1.53m Thickness of ring n/a Shackle Stock Diameter of shackle n/a Length of stock n/a Diameter of eye of shackle n/a Max. diameter n/a Thickness of shackle pin n/a Min diameter n/a Opening of shackle n/a Max. thickness n/a Min thickness n/a Max. width n/a

Min width n/a

30 Anchor recording form for the Eric the Red anchor, Cape Otway Lightstation.

Section 1: General Information Context Features Recorders Category Land Stock n Names Cape Otway Light Squaring of Site y Hanna, Pete, Cass, Kellie, Gay station shank Cape Otway Light Ring n Date 25/02/2009 station Location 38.85538º S Shackle n Group/Org Heritage Victoria 143.51262 º E Reference HV ID 1059 No. of arms 2 # Ship Eric the Red Inscriptions n Big Anchor ID name Ship size 1580 tons gross Ship type Features Function Shape of flukes Tipped spade Anchor Stock type n/a type Stock section n/a Stock shape n/a Stock fasteners n/a Date and Origin Stock key n/a Date 04/09/1880 Shank form Unknown, very worn Period Late 19 th century Crown Rounded Nationality USA Arms Arc Certainty Confirmed Weight Unknown

Section 2: Anchor Dimensions (recorded in m, cm, mm units)

Shank Key Length of shank 1.92m Height of key n/a Diameter of top of shank / Distance of key n/a Diameter of bottom of shank 12cm Fluke Diameter of stock eye 6cm approx Width of fluke 30cm approx Arms Length of fluke 47cm Length of one arm 88cm Ring Amplitude of arms / Diameter of ring n/a Height of bills / Diameter of eye of ring 7.5cm approx Distance between bills 1.37m Thickness of ring n/a Shackle Stock Diameter of shackle n/a Length of stock n/a Diameter of eye of shackle 7.5cm approx Max. diameter n/a Thickness of shackle pin n/a Min diameter n/a Opening of shackle n/a Max. thickness n/a Min thickness n/a Max. width n/a

Min width

31 Anchor recording form for the Speculant anchor, Apollo Bay.

32 Appendix II

33