Water Lily (1907)

30 miles south of Bunbury

Water Lily (1875–1907)
Official Number: 74465
Port of Building: Rutherglen, UK
Year built: 1875
Port of Registration: Fremantle
Rig Type: Twin screw steamer
Hull: Iron
Length: 85.2 ft (26 m)
Breadth: 14.2 ft (4.3 m)
Depth: 7.35 ft (2.2 m)
Tonnage: 52.32 gross, 31.53 net
Engine: 2 sets vertical double acting steam engines, 30 NHP
Port from: Hamelin Bay
Port to: Bunbury
Date lost: 1 February 1907
Location: 15 n miles (27.8 km) from Bunbury
Chart Number: Aus 755 & WA 859
Protection: The site when found will be protected under the general provisions of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
Significance criteria: 4
THE VESSEL
The Water Lily was built in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, UK, by Thomas B. Seath (McKenna, 1959) or Thomas Louth (Dickson, 1996) and was clinker built having one deck and a round stern. The vessel was fitted with two sets of vertical, double acting steam engines built by A. Campbell & Sons of Glasgow of 30 NHP, in an engine room 5.5 m long. The steamer was originally registered at Liverpool and later at Manchester, UK, for use as an excursion steamer carrying up to 100 passengers.
In 1896 The Western Australian Steam Packet & Transport Company Limited purchased the Water Lily and two other vessels, the St Mawes and the Manx Fairy. In company the three steamers sailed for Fremantle. The Water Lily, rigged as a 2-masted schooner because of the small size of its coal bunkers, struck severe weather off the west coast of Africa and had to call at Bahia, Brazil, for extensive repairs. It arrived at Fremantle on 4 November 1897, over twelve months later than the Manx Fairy. The St Mawes disappeared en route and was presumed lost.
On 11 May 1898 Water Lily was sold to Zebina Lane (48 shares) and Frank Wilson (16 shares). It was first registered in Western Australia on 19 May 1898 (No. 6/1898) with Lane and Wilson shown as the owners. The steamer was then sold for £1 276 only eight days later on 27 May 1898 to the M.C. Davies’ Karri & Jarrah Timber Co. Ltd of Karridale for use as a tug, and was used in this capacity at both Hamelin and Flinders bays.
THE LOSS
The Water Lily, under the command of Donald Beaton, with a crew of able-seaman John Paddon, foundered 15 miles (27.8 km) from Bunbury on 1 February 1907 while under tow by the steam tug Vigilant from Hamelin Bay to Bunbury.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL (4)
When found the Water Lily may yield information contributing to further knowledge of vessels which were built for a specific purpose, but during their working life were converted for a very different purpose. Water Lily was built as an excursion steamer for northern English waters, but ended up as a tug in the south-west of Western Australia.
REFERENCES
Hamling, B.F., 1969, Maurice Coleman Davies. Early Days: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Weestern Australian Historical Society, 6, 8.
Loney, J., 1994, Wrecks on the Western Australian Coast. Ocean Enterprises, Yarram, Victoria.
McKenna, R., 1959, Vessels registered with the British Register of Ships at the Port of Fremantle, WA. Unpublished manuscript, McKenna Collection, Western Australian Museum.
McKenna, R., 1967, Record of wrecks, strandings, mishaps etc. on or near the WA coast. Unpublished manuscript, McKenna Collection, Western Australian Museum.
Murray, K.O. 1981, From Oars to Diesel on the Swan. Early Days: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society, 8.5.
Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, File No. 405/71—Bunbury & 112/80—Busselton.