Nautilus (1897/08)

Gun Island

THE VESSEL
The Nautilus is described as a yacht belonging to the firm of Broadhurst, MacNeil and Company. William Alexander Chamberlain of Fremantle built it and a photograph indicates a sloop-rigged vessel having a straight bow with a short bowsprit, and a counter stern. There is a foredeck from the bow to the mast, but it is open abaft of the mast. A very similar vessel built by Chamberlain in 1888 ‘after the style of the Nautilus’ (WA, 3 September 1888, in Dickson 1998: 55) was constructed of jarrah and kauri planking on American elm frames. The decks were kauri, some fittings in teak, and with brass pumps.
THE LOSS
While anchored at Gun Island a strong gale from the north-east caused the Nautilus’ cable to part and the yacht was driven onto the reef and wrecked.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
HISTORIC (1)
The Nautilus was one of the vessels owned by Broadhurst interests when the family were engaged in the guano industry at the Abrolhos. It was probably not used as a guano carrier, but more likely as a general purpose vessel.
REFERENCES
Dickson, R. 1998, They kept this state afloat. Hesperian Press, Victoria Park, Western Australia.
Gray, H., 1999, The western rock lobster, Paulirus Cygnus, book 2: a history of the fishery. Westralian Books, Geraldton, Western Australia.
McCarthy, M.,1981, Colonial wrecks in the Abrolhos Islands. Report—Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum, No. 27.
Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, File No. MA-56/72—Area Abrolhos Colonial