Eveline Mary (1891/06/01)
16 Km North of Geraldton
Evelyn Mary was built in Fremantle. It was a cutter with an oval stern and was initially owned by William Edward Marmion, merchant of Fremantle. He sold it to Richmond Burton, lighterman of Geraldton, on 21 April 1890. Only a couple of weeks later the Evelyn Mary went ashore on Long Island in the Abrolhos Islands, on a voyage from Fremantle to Geraldton with Burton in command. This occurred during a violent storm in which the schooner Planet was wrecked at Port Irwin, and the Electra damaged. The Evelyn Mary was subsequently refloated.
THE LOSS
The Evelyn Mary was to take a cargo of fresh water from Geraldton to the Abrolhos Islands. Halfway across the Geelvink Channel heavy seas were encountered, kicked up by a strong southerly wind. The skipper, a man known as ‘Duchy’, decided to put the vessel about and make back to port. However the cutter was driven off course, and finished up 16 km north of Geraldton near the mouth of the Oakajee River. As the boat was leaking badly, the anchor was dropped to enable the crew to man the pumps. Unfortunately the cable parted, so a decision was made to make sail and beach the boat. It was run into what appeared to the crew to be a safe place, but the cutter subsequently broke up in the heavy surf.
Ship Built
Owner Richard Burton
Master Duchy
Country Built WA
Port Built Fremantle
Port Registered Fremantle
When Built 1874
Ship Lost
Gouped Region Mid-West
Sinking Leaking, broken up
When Lost 1891/06/01
Where Lost 16 Km North of Geraldton
Port From Geraldton
Port To Abrolhos
Cargo Water
Ship Details
Engine N
Length 13.00
Beam 4.70
TONA 18.47
TONB 17.65
Draft 1.60
Museum Reference
Official Number 61113
Unique Number 221
Registration Number 3/1874
Sunk Code Foundered
File Number 117/80
Chart Number A 751
Protected Protected Federal
Found N
Inspected N
Confidential NO