Duffie (1909)

Duffie (1909)
Rig type: Fishing boat
Hull: Wood
Date lost: 10 August 1909
Location: Near Dongara
Chart number: Aus 333, Aus 752, BA 1033
Protection: The site when found will be protected under the general provisions of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
Significance criteria: 3 & 8
THE VESSEL
Nothing is known regarding the specifications of this vessel, who built it or where it was built. The fishing boat registration number was 12.
N.B. In some records this vessel is mistakenly referred to as the Gussie.
THE LOSS
Wrecked on the inner reef near Dongara. No detailed information is known regarding the incident. The Daily News stated:
Fishing Boat Wrecked off Dongara.
All Hands Saved.
During the forenoon the chief harbourmaster, Fremantle (Captain C.J. Irvine) received an urgent telegram from Dongara conveying the information that the fishing boat Duffie, registered No. 12, had been wrecked in the north during the recent heavy weather. The particulars to hand are very meager, but the wire mentions that all hands were saved.
The Duffie foundered on the inner reef off Dongara.
The West Australian the following day reported that: ‘As far as the Observatory records go back, this was the most severe disturbance that had visited the State during the month of August’.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
SOCIAL (3)
While little is known of the Duffie and no lives were lost during its wrecking, for some fishermen the misfortune must have had important social and economic consequences. This is an example of how easily the history of a district may be lost.
REPRESENTATIVE (8)
The Duffie was representative of the many fishing boats operating along the Western Australian coast in the early years of the 20th century.
REFERENCES
DN, 11 August 1909: 3.
McKenna, R., 1967, Record of wrecks, strandings, mishaps etc. on or near the WA coast. Unpublished manuscript.
WA, 12 August 1909.
Western Australian Maritime Museum computer records Official number 30397—Gussie.