Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum
  • Carib

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    This is one of the accounts of shipwreck survivors living with Aboriginals. William Jackman published a book in Auburn, USA in 1853, called ‘The Australian Captive’. In the book he states that he was on board a whaler, the Carib in 1837 which foundered on ...

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  • Cervantes

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    The Cervantes was an American whaler, wrecked near Jurien Bay 20 June 1844. Captain Gibson and his crew got ashore and attempted to walk to Fremantle. Several made the trek, but one man was left exhausted about 30 miles north of the Moore River. Another si ...

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  • Chofuku Maru

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    On 5 February 1931, the SS Chofuku Maru went to the aid of the ship SS Shunsei Maru which had ran onto a reef near to the North West Whaling Station at Norwegian Bay. Unfortunately, the Chofuku Maru also got into trouble on the reef. Two members of the loc ...

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  • City of York

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 1 Nov 2013

    The second wreck associated with contact art is the City of York . This ship was wrecked on the west side of Rottnest Island on 12 July 1899. The Captain was unfamiliar with the area and misinterpreted a signal from the lighthouse keeper and ran onto the ...

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  • Corrieo de Azia

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    On 25 November 1816, the Correo de Azia, a Portuguese ship, came to grief after suffering a fire in the binnacle. They were situated near Point Cloates. The Captain and crew abandoned ship into the launch, unable to save anything except 3 barrels of biscui ...

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  • Cumberland

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    The Cumberland was wrecked on 4 March 1830 near Cape Hamelin. The crew took to the ships four boats and two of these boats arrived at Fremantle on the 7 March. The other boats went ashore near Cape Naturaliste and began walking to Fremantle. They were resc ...

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  • Duchess of Kent

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    The Duchess of Kent was wrecked on 28 August 1895 near Cervantes Island. The Captain and crew were able to get ashore in the ship’s dinghy but were only able to save three wet loaves and a botle of water as provisions to take with them. They attempted to s ...

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  • Dulverton

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    The Dulverton is an incident with a happy ending. On the 26 May 1956 it became stuck on a sandbank at West Bay. The Captain was authorised to dump the cargo if necessary to save the ship. With the assistance of the Kalumburu Mission barge and its Aborigina ...

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  • Emma

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    On 3 March 1867, the schooner Emma set sail for Fremantle from Port Walcott. She was never seen again. Almost ten years later Charles Tuckey, a well known identity in the North West and in the pearling industry told the Inquirer newspaper of a story he had ...

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  • Enchantress

    Stranger on the Shore | Updated 22 Feb 2011

    The Enchantress struck a reef off Champagny Island 15 August 1874. She managed to limp into Brecknock Harbour and became a complete wreck. There were then encounters between the crew and Aboriginals to the extent that two crew and eight Aboriginals were ki ...

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