Australian history. Explorer John Oxley uses boat (1818) from wreck of the 'Jane'. Forster, Tuncurry, Port Macquarie, Harrington, Newcastle

[ Home ] [ Up ]

BUY

PRINT

EDITION

BOOKS

FATE

How much good fortune, luck or coincidence plays in every day life is never calculated, but sometimes when documentary evidence exists we are able to see how fate seems to have pre-planned the way things turn out.

THE 'JANE', SHIPWRECKED (1816)

For instance, in the case of one Captain Mills, who in his small vessel 'Jane' set out from Sydney to seek shell beds in estuaries of the coastal rivers. Shell was the chief source of lime that the buildings of brick and sandstone blocks being erected in the settlement of Sydney urgently required.

This was in 1816, and in company with a similar little vessel, the 'Edwin', he sailed north.

The weather deteriorated, control of the vessels was lost to their masters and they became playthings for the elements. 'Jane' ran aground just south of Old Bar (about 25 kilometres north of Forster / Tuncurry) and no word has ever been heard of her crew, but we can assume that they were either drowned or were slain by the natives.

However, as flotsam washed away from the stricken vessel, their dinghy (a boat of only twelve feet in length) drifted north and came to rest on the beach north of Harrington. Harrington sits on the northern shore of the mouth of the Manning River.

The boat

(Sketch by Mick Constable)

JOHN OXLEY TRUDGES SOUTH (1818)

Our story is the coincidence that place the boat in that spot - for two years later, on 18 October 1818, John Oxley, Colonial Surveyor and his thirteen companions, trudged wearily south, homeward bound after their trip of exploration along the eastern slopes of the continent to Port Macquarie.

THE BOAT FROM THE 'JANE'

In his journal, Oxley wrote: -

'On the beach where we halted we found a small boat nearly buried in the sand but quite perfect. It had belonged to a Hawkesbury vessel belonging to one Mills which had been lost some time ago and the crew of which perished.'

MANNING RIVER'S NORTH ENTRANCE

The expedition travelled on, and on 19 October we read: -

'About four miles further along the beach towards Cape Hawke our progress was stopped by a very extensive inlet, the mouth of which was nearly a mile wide.

It was near high water and the sea broke right across with tremendous violence affording us little hope, circumstanced as we were of being able to effect a passage.

Resting the horses, whilst the men sought a way around the obstruction took most of the morning, but despite walking some six to eight miles up the shore of the water, no easy way across could be found, and whilst the tide ran out at three knots or better it was felt that the horses would be lost as they were weak from constant travel.

Being in this state, the boat which had washed on the beach suddenly occurred to us. It was true that we were twelve or fourteen miles distant from it and that we should have to carry her that distance on men's shoulders; but to persons in our situation such difficulties were as nothing.

It was therefore determined that twelve men should depart before day and use their efforts to bring her to the tent, whilst those that remained to take care of the horses and baggage should be preparing materials to give her such repair as must necessarily be required.

October 20. At four o'clock the people set out to bring the boat and at two o'clock they had brought her safely to the tent, having gone upwards of twenty - six miles, thirteen of which they carried a twelve feet boat on their shoulders; a proof of how much may be effected with steady perseverance.

In fact, I had no occasion to be anxious for the result of any measure which at all depended on their personal exertions.

We had the satisfaction to find that the boat would be easily repaired, wanting little besides caulking and oars, and we did not lose a moment in commencing the necessary operations.

October 22. Yesterday we employed in giving the boat such repairs as our means permitted. Before six o'clock this morning we had transported a good part of the baggage; when the tide answering, we began towing the horses over, which we safely effected by half past eight.

I consider the discovery of the boat most providential for without its assistance we should never have been able to transport the horses; being obliged to cross near the entrance, the force of the tide, and their own weakness would have swept them among the breakers and they would consequently have perished.'

MANNING RIVER'S SOUTH ENTRANCE

They continued on their journey only to find their way barred then by the southern entrance, now Old Bar, the northern waterway having been named Harrington by Oxley.

The only recourse was of course again the little boat. Oxley wrote: -

'When all our strength was immediately dispatched, to being up our little boat, we found that we could not cross without its aid. The men voluntarily undertook to carry the boat on their shoulders until we reached Port Stephens - a service, reduced as their strength was by constant exertion, I should have been unwilling to have imposed upon them, however it might facilitate our future progress.'

'JANE'S' FATE IS OXLEY'S FORTUNE

So with the good old saying in mind that 'it is an ill wind…..etc' we realise how fortunate was the loss of the 'Jane' to Oxley's party, for without that boat their expedition might have ended up in a far different manner from the facts as we know them.

BOAT USED AT TUNCURRY

Good fortune for Oxley, from the disaster of the 'Jane' and her crew and again this little boat came into play at the Wallamba / Wallis Lake crossing where Forster Tuncurry are found today.

Copyright © 2002, Great Lakes Historical Society Ltd, C/- Great Lakes Museum, Capel Street, (P.O. Box 23), Tuncurry, New South Wales, Australia, 2428. Original content in these Web pages is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be produced by any process or any other exclusive right exercised without written permission from the copyright holder.