Britannia (1931/07/31)

16 miles north of Port Gregory and 1.5 miles offshore

As a pearling lugger the Brittania was licensed in Broome and carried the number B 322. John Byrne owned it in 1923. It was one of the luggers that Dennis (Dinny) Ahearn received as payment as part of a business deal, and which he then used for fishing. The Brittania was heading to Shark Bay when wrecked.
THE LOSS
Brittania ran on to a reef about 5 miles north of Lucky Bay, and despite the efforts of the crew they could not get it off. The crew then rowed their dinghy to Port Gregory to seek assistance. They returned with help, but despite the efforts of all concerned, the lugger could not be saved.
INITIAL SALVAGE
Sails, spars and various other items were salvaged but the vessel and the 2.5 tons of fish in the icebox were lost. The Brittania was not insured.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
SOCIAL (3)
It appears that the previous owner of Brittania used it as part payment in the purchase of farming land from Ahearn, who wanted to enter the fishing industry. This business deal shows the movement of entrepreneurial interest from one industry to another in the years before World War II in the Geraldton area.
REFERENCES
Burns, A.C. 1978, Sailing into the past. A record of early fishing industries of Geraldton WA in the days of sail. A.C. Burns, Geraldton.
Cooper, R., 1996, The way it was: Midwest fishermen and their boats from 1894. L.G. Cogan, Geraldton.
Dickson, R., 2002, The price of a pearl. Hesperian Press, Victoria Park