Start (1879/03)
Pollock Reef
Start was built at Fremantle by James Storey, and was jointly owned by William Edward Marmion, William Dalgety Moore and Storey. It was powered by a 20 HP engine manufactured by Patterson & Atkinson of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
The Start under the command of Captain Allen left Melbourne for Fremantle on 20 August 1878, and on 29 November a Perth newspaper reported:
Fears are entertained for the safety of the small screw steamer Start, belonging to Messrs W.D. Moore and others, which left Melbourne for Fremantle as far back as the 20th August last. She was, when out about a fortnight, spoken by the Cleopatra on her passage from Melbourne, and the master, Captain Allen, reported the machinery had broken down and that he would have to make the remainder of the voyage under sail. Nothing has been seen or heard of her since (WA Times, 29 November 1878: 2c).
THE LOSS
On 18 March 1879 a newspaper reported that ‘the stern plate of a boat, and an oar, both branded Start’ (WA Times, 18 March 1879: 2d) had been discovered on the beach at Israelite Bay a few days earlier. The items had evidently been found by the assistant telegraph operator at Israelite Bay, a man named Scott.
There was a supposition in a contemporary newspaper that the Start was wrecked on Pollock Reef, but there is no direct evidence for this.
Ship Built
Owner William Dalgety Moore, William Marmion and James Storey
Master Catain Allan
Country Built WA
Port Built Fremantle
Port Registered Fremantle
When Built 1876
Ship Lost
Grouped Region South-Coast
Deaths All
When Lost 1879/03
Where Lost Pollock Reef
Ship Details
Engine 20 horsepower screw steam engine
Length 23.65
Beam 5.39
TONA 66.00
TONB 52.46
Draft 2.19
Museum Reference
Official Number 75289
Unique Number 524
Sunk Code Foundered
File Number 69/72
Protected Protected Federal
Found N
Inspected N
Confidential NO