William Salthouse

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William Salthouse (1824 - 1841)

The William Salthouse is one of the oldest and most important shipwreck to be discovered in Victoria. As a British cargo ship built for the Salthouse Company in Liverpool, the William Salthouse sailed on trading voyages to the West Indies, Mauritius, India, Singapore and Batavia.

In 1841 it was sold and sent to Canada where it picked up cargo for the young Australian settlement at Port Phillip Bay.

As the ship was the first cargo vessel to sail between Canada and Australia and as, at the time, British law banned direct trade between its colonies, this was indeed a pioneering voyage.

It was also an example of the mercantile spirit of the time which led to the British laws being changed in 1849.

Unfortunately, the ship never delivered its cargo to its final destination, but sank on its way to through Port Phillip Heads.

From reports in the Port Phillip Patriot of 1841, this was a great disappointment. Many settlers felt it would jeopardize future trade between Canada and Australia.

Ships Construction

The William Salthouse was typical of the small British trading ships built in the early 19th century to carry cargo between Britain and its colonies. The 251 ton wooden barque was built in Liverpool. The ships ribs were made of white oak.

Its hull was constructed from an African timber resistant to marine borers and sheathed in yellow metal.

The William Salthouse had three masts and a single deck beneath where the crew slept and cargo was stowed.

The ship measure 90ft (27.5m) long, 27ft (8.2m) in width and had a depth in the hold of 16ft (4.9m).

The Final Voyage of the William Salthouse

The ship was carrying a cargo valued at 12,000. It included 394 barrels of flour, 241 barrels of salted beef, 355 barrels of salted pork, six hogshead of cider, 149 barrels of salted fish, ten casks of vinegar, a large quantity of pine boards, 20 wicker baskets of champagne, five cases of sauterne, 1000 bars of iron as well as nails, whisky, bottles of stout, snuff, crackers, cheese, corn, brooms, mustard and oars.

The voyage from Canada to Port Phillip Bay took five long months. On Saturday 27th November, 1841 the ship entered Port Phillip Bay.

A strong south-westerly wind was blowing and as the ship steered through the Heads it hit a submerged rock off Port Nepean. The rudder was damaged and within an hour there was eighteen inched of water in the hold.

A Port Phillip Pilot boarded the vessel and managed to sail it into the bay. But the ship became unmanageable as the water level rose in the hold.

An anchor was thrown overboard, but the anchor chain snapped. The ship ten ran ashore on Pope's Eye sandbar. The Captain and crew managed to salvage the ships saiils, papers and some their personal belongings and row to shore in lifeboats.

The following morning the ship settled on the seabed with six feet of water over its deck. The ships agent inspected the wreck but stormy weather made it impossible to salvage the ships cargo.

The wreck was quickly sold for 275 pounds. Several early salvage attempts were unsuccessful, however some cargo was recovered in late December, 1841.

A Remarkable Discovery

From the time the cargo ship sank in 1841 to when it was discovered by divers in August 1982, the wreck of the ship lay partially buried in a sand dune. When found, it was well protected and in remarkable condition.

During March and April 1983, the Maritime Archaeology Unit carried out a survey and excavation of the ship. Although the upper portion of the hull had disintegrated, about three metres of the structure remained above the keel.

It was packed with remains of the cargo and covered in sand. Two narrow trenches were carefully excavated across the ships. As the sand was removed it revealed intact barrels stowed as they were over 140 years ago.

Baskets of champagne and crates of wine were also found. Many of the corks were still in place although the contents were undrinkable. Some of the barrels and other artefacts were raise from the wreck.

Brands and marks on the barrel lids indicated what they contained, the date and place of packing, the name of the merchant and confirmed the site as the William Salthouse.

This collection represents the only mid-19th century provision barrels in Australia.The ships bilge pumps were raised and found to be well preserved with the wooden and leather valves still in working order.

A clay pipe and part of a leather shoe were some of the smaller items uncovered.

Preserving the Wreck of the William Salthouse

After the excavation, the Unit continued to monitor the wreck, and found that the site was being badly eroded by strong tidal currents.

As the sand dune encompassing the wreck was being washed away, the hull was likely to break up and the remaining barrels and artefacts were at risk from being swept away.

Realizing the situation was urgent, the Maritime Archaeology Unit built six sandbag walls against the hull to support the wreck. The sand, bagged in Hessian was a good temporary measure, but further work was needed.

In early 1990, artificial sea grass mats were installed around the wreck to strap sand and stabilize the site.

Although the system has been successful, the site requires continual monitoring because of seasonal changes in sand levels.

Check this wreck on the Shipwreck Map