Mayflower (1880/07/14)

Augusta, Deere Reef

Mayflower (some sources list this brig as May Flower) was built under Special Survey by W. Pickersgill, with one deck and a round stern. It was copper fastened and sheathed with felt and yellow metal, and was launched in May 1867. The first owner was G. Lawson who sold it to Captain Peter Dickson of Adelaide in 1873 (registered Adelaide 31/1874). Dickson collected the vessel at London, sailed it to Antwerp and there loaded a cargo of dynamite for Adelaide and Melbourne. Over the next few years the vessel successfully traded between Australian ports, New Zealand, Mauritius and Cape Town. By 1880 it was jointly owned by five men; Peter Dickson (Sr) 13 shares, Peter Dickson (Jr) 13 shares, James MacGeorge 12 shares, Captain William B. Walker 13 shares and Alf Russell 13 shares. Under the command of William B. Walker, a part-owner, the Mayflower had departed Cape Town for Guam, an island destination often used by ships’ masters to hide their real objective, or sometimes when, without a definite destination, they went seeking cargoes in Asian ports.
THE LOSS
Anchored in Flinders Bay on 15 July 1880 the Mayflower was subject to south-south-east winds that produced squalls and rain. At 1.15 a.m. a heavy ground swell caused the vessel to touch bottom. All hands were called on deck and the jib, topmast staysail and main topmast staysail were set. Captain Walker was attempting to bring the vessel’s head more towards the east so as to get the port anchor down. This was successfully done at 3.00 a.m. and the brigantine was kept clear of the ground by heaving ahead on both anchors.
At daylight, after using the ship’s boat to lay out a kedge anchor, Walker sent a message ashore to obtain the use of a boat to assist in laying out a stream anchor. At 7.00 a.m. the Mayflower started bumping on the bottom again, and the stream anchor was laid out. With the wind freshening from the south and the heavy swell still rolling into the bay, the vessel was hove ahead on the kedge and stream anchors. At about 8.00 a.m. the pawls of the windlass carried away, so the anchor chains were secured to the fore and main masts. About 9.00 a.m. the windlass bitts also carried away, the pounding unshipped the rudder and the port anchor cable parted. The brig dropped astern and bumped even more heavily. At this stage there were 12 in (30 cm) of water in the pump well, which doubled within an hour to 24 in (60 cm). With the vessel striking heavily and starting the sternpost, even all hands manning the pumps could not prevent the water from gaining.
At midday another boat was hoisted out and the personal effects of the crew were taken ashore. Two hours later the Mayflower was abandoned as there was a danger of the masts going overboard. The crew landed at Augusta and the Mayflower became a total wreck on the southern edge of Deere Reef, some 750 m north of Barrack Point.
INQUIRY
The subsequent Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Mayflower found Captain Walker guilty of negligence in anchoring too close to the shore, and suspended his certificate for six months.
INITIAL SALVAGE
The wreck of the Mayflower was sold at an auction conducted by James Moore, held at the Vasse Hotel in Busselton at 11 a.m. on 4 August 1880.
SITE LOCATION
The wreck of the Mayflower lies approximately 300 m offshore, 10 m from the seaward side of the southern section of Deere Reef.
SITE DESCRIPTION
The Mayflower wreck lies on a sandy bottom, with the main axis lying north-south. The 32 m long wreck site consists of iron deck supports, bronze bolts, timber, some unidentified ironwork and, at the southern end, the remains of the windlass with two sets of stud-link chain leading southwards.
EXCAVATION AND ARTEFACTS
During a wreck inspection carried out by the Western Australian Museum in April 1981 a number of items were recovered from the site of the Mayflower. These included a rudder gudgeon, bolts, alloy sheathing, a spike, a sample of timber with a treenail, part of a chain plate and a broken vinegar bottle. The rudder gudgeon is now on display at the Augusta Historical Museum.