Victory (1875/06/28)

West Cape Howe

Victory was built with one deck and an elliptical stern for William Douglas of Albany. It was launched in early May 1874, and registered at Fremantle (No. 11/1874). It is not known who built the cutter, but it is possible that John Odgers Peters, a boat builder at Albany at that time, was responsible. Only about two weeks after launching, on 18 May, the cutter was blown ashore, but salvaged with little damage. In June 1875 Douglas presumably had either sold the cutter or chartered it to Joshua Josiah Harwood of Fremantle as a contemporary newspaper report names him as the owner. The Victory was under the command of Captain Wood.

THE LOSS
The Victory departed Albany on Saturday 26 June 1875 for Fremantle, but later that day was driven ashore and wrecked by bad weather at West Cape Howe. The crew managed to lower a boat in which they made it safely to the shore near Torbay. They arrived at Albany three days later having saved only the clothes they were wearing. The steamer Georgette reported that it had experienced a strong gale and heavy seas at around the same time while east of Cape Leeuwin en route from Albany to Fremantle.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
HISTORIC (1)
The Victory was the earliest vessel to be owned by William Douglas, the first of the well-known family involved in the maritime history of Albany.

REFERENCES
Dickson, R., 1996, Ships Registered in Western Australia from 1856 to 1969. Report - Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 80.

Dickson, R., 2012, Maritime Matters of the South Coast of Western Australia: Every Known Maritime Incident from the Leeuwin to Eucla. Hesperian Press, Victoria Park.

Henderson, G. & K., 1988, Unfinished Voyages: Western Australian Shipwrecks 1851-1880. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands.

Marshall, G., 2001, Maritime Albany Remembered. Tangee Pty Ltd, Kalamunda.

Parsons, R., 1981, Ships Registered at Fremantle before 1900. Self published, Lobethal, South Australia.

The Inquirer and Commercial News, 30 June 1875: 2d, 7 July 1875: 2c Supplement 10 July 1875: 1d & 14 July 1875: 2e & f.

The Western Australian Times, 29 June 1875: 4a.