Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

Era (1928/07/16)

15 miles S/W Dongara

e Era was originally built as an 80-ft racing yacht for Alfred George Milson of North Shore, Sydney, at a cost of £5?000. Its poured lead keel weighed 23 tons. Its racing career lasted only a few years, and for a time it was laid up. A subsequent owner was Nicholas Johnson of Sydney. It was then purchased by Charles Nelson on behalf of Winter, Brandt & Co. of Geraldton, and sailed in full racing trim by Nelson to Fremantle. The voyage took only 21 days, which was considered to be a very fast passage at the time. One of the conditions of the sale was that the Era be taken out of eastern states waters, as Milson could not bear to see it converted into a fishing boat.
In Fremantle the vessel’s large counter stern was cut off, the interior stripped, and a 16?000?lb (7?273 kg) capacity icebox installed. The purchase cost of the Era is said to have been recovered from the sale of its luxury fittings. The ketch was then used as a mother ship to smaller fishing boats at Shark Bay, taking their catch to markets in Geraldton and Fremantle. The vessel retained much of its racing yacht speed after alteration—‘On a trip to [from] Shark Bay, skippered by Ben Green, the Era gave the State Ship Koolinda a start from the Carnarvon jetty and beat her to Geraldton by several hours’ (Cooper, 1996: 96). The 40 hp motor fitted in 1924 was seldom used. This engine only lasted three years, and for the next 23 years Era was worked without an engine. In 1950 a 40 hp Lister motor was installed.
Its great spread of canvas enabled the boat to often cover the distance from Fremantle to Geraldton in 23 hours. On a later voyage it was stated that on:
One trip from Red Bluff to Fremantle, a distance of approximately 600 miles, was completed in 68 hours, and on that occasion several periods of contrary winds were encountered, and occasionally the vessel was becalmed (Burns, 1978).
It should also be noted that this would probably have been with a full load of fish for the Fremantle market, collected from numerous other smaller boats working in the area.
The Era was the cause of considerable concern in October 1934 when a fisherman named Frank Money (also referred to as Mooney) came across what appeared to be a sunken vessel near Leander Reef, 9 miles south of Dongara and 7 miles offshore. Sticking up 3–4.6 m above the surface of the sea were two masts. Money could approach no closer than 100 m to the spars, but knew that the depth of water at that place was 6 m. A party of fishermen lead by George Travia subsequently made an extensive search of the beach for clues to the wreck, but without success. Later the party went to the site in a launch, and found that the ‘wreck’ was actually the mast and bowsprit from the Era. These had been snapped off and swept overboard some six weeks previously during a storm. Amazingly, both spars had then been caught on rocks 6 m underwater in such a way that they remained upright.
THE LOSS
On 16 July 1928 a strong southerly wind caused the Era to break its mooring and drift down Geraldton Harbour until it hit the viaduct. It was badly holed and sank quickly, a contributing factor being its very heavy lead keel.
INITIAL SALVAGE
After several weeks underwater the Era was raised, using drums filled with air. A refit was carried out on the slipway in Geraldton and it was launched back into the fishing fleet. Masts and rigging were replaced at this time. It finally sank on 28 April 1958 in South Passage, Shark Bay, where the lead keel remains.

Most sources state that Era was built in 1887. However Harry Akerstrom in a letter to Kerr states that it was built in 1883. He worked on the vessel a few years before it was finally wrecked in Shark Bay, and says that:
Era…was an 80 foot racing yacht type drawing about 11 ft of water, she had a lead keel, do not know exact tonnage of lead but it was a fair amount, beautiful fishing boat, do not know who she was built for, but do know she was built in 1883, as it was stamped on its rudder stock, a big brass plate holding the tiller. There was no wheels in those days (Kerr, 1988: 228).
If this date is correct, Era was 75 years old at the time it was finally lost. If 1887 is the correct date of building, Era was still an exceptionally old boat in 1958.
The Era as a specialist vessel was one of the forerunners of modern carrier boats, today used extensively in the rock lobster fishing industry along this section of the Western Australian coast.

The Era must have been exceptionally well designed and constructed to have had such a long working life, firstly as a racing yacht and later as a fishing craft. Though badly damaged against the viaduct at Geraldton and remaining underwater for several weeks in the harbour while salvage was organized, the owners obviously considered it valuable enough to warrant the financial outlay of having the boat repaired and put back into service.

Ship Built

Country Built Australia

Port Built Waterview Bay, Sydney, NSW

When Built 1887

Ship Lost

Gouped Region Mid-West

When Lost 1928/07/16

Where Lost 15 miles S/W Dongara

Ship Details

Engine 40 hp fitted 1924

Length 24.42

Beam 4.40

TONA 60.00

Draft 434.00

Museum Reference

Official Number 93587 Later fishing boat registration number G 11

Unique Number 1186

File Number 115/80

Chart Number 1033, 33, A 752

Protected Protected Federal

Found N

Inspected N

Confidential NO