Loch Ard (1873-1878)

The ship was bound for Melbourne loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Cambell.

Of the 54 crew and passengers on the ship only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael who lost all of her family in the tragedy.

The wreck of the ship still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some of the cargo had washed up at Loch Ard Gorge following that faithful day of the shipwreck.

Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged by wreck poachers over the years.One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck, was a Minton porcelain Peacock - one of only nine in the world.

The Peacock was destined for the Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions in 1889 and 1890 it had been well packed, which no doubt had given it good protection during the violent storm which battered the stricken ship.

Today , the original Peacock from the Loch Ard can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village.

Ships Construction

In 1867 it was not possible to visit the waterfront in the Port of Melbourne without seeing one or more of the Loch Line vessels.

Built in Glasgow, by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the Loch Ard was a three masted square rigged iron sailing ship. The ship measured 262ft (79.87m) in length, 38ft (11.58m) in width, 23ft (7m) in depth and had a gross tonnage of 1693 tons.

The ships main mast measured a massive 150ft in height.

The ship was built at a time when steamships were starting to make the journey from England to the colonies.

Shipbuilders were forced to make their vessels as fast and comfortable as possible to attract more passengers.

The ship made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its final voyage which ended in tragedy near Port Campbell.

The Final Voyage of the Loch Ard

The ship carried a general cargo which reflected the affluence of Melbourne at that time.

On board were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen, candles as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper.

The ship also had a crew of 37, and 16 passengers.The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful.

At 3am on the 1st June 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land and the passengers were becoming exited as they prepared to view their new homeland in the early morning.

But the ship was running into a thick fog which had greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse.

At 4am the fog lifted and a man aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of the Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realized that the ship was much closer to them than expected.

He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the boat further out to sea.

On coming head on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and the Loch Ard's bow swung back.

Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be dropped. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold the ship. By this time the Loch Ard was among the breakers, and the tall cliffs of Mutton Island rose behind the ship.

Just half a mile from the coast, the ships bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef running out from Mutton Island.

Waves broke over the ship and the top deck was loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard.

It took time to free the lifeboats and when one was finally released and launched, it crashed into the side of the Loch Ard and capsized.

Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it.

He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came back into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed and found a cave in which to shelter.

Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water.

Eva Carmichael had raced onto deck only to find large towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said. "if you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a true sailor".

That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Clinging to a spar, the young woman spent five long hours in the water until she too was swept into Loch Ard Gorge.

She saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore.

He took her to the cave and broke open a case of brandy which had washed ashore. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman.A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help.

He followed hoof prints and came by chance, upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy.

Tom returned to the Gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark.

The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland, by steamship.

In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a heroes welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and $1,000 pound cheque from the Victorian Government.

Concerts were performed to honour the young mans bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the Loch Ard disaster.

Everyone followed the story of Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael with great interest and were disappointed when the two went their own ways.

Ten days after Loch Ard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for $2,120 pounds.

Cargo valued at $3,000 pounds was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most was washed back into the sea.

Check this wreck on the Shipwreck Map

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