Alert (1875/07/22)

Murray River Bar

Alert was built in Fremantle by a member of the well-known boat-building family led by Thomas William Mews, and launched in October 1867. It had one deck and a square stern. Dickson (1996) states that Thomas built the vessel, and that the first owner was his son, John Charles Mews. Henderson (1988) gives the builder as John Charles Mews. McKenna (1959) states the first owner as John Charles Mews. In March 1868 Mews sold the cutter to William Bartram and Edward Newman (joint owners of 32 shares), and John Chester (32 shares). Newman died on 25 November 1872, and Bartram died on 23 May 1874. In both cases Ellen Newman and Barrington C. Wood, executors of the two wills, were granted probate. In August 1874 they sold the 32 shares to William Owston (Jr). Ellen Newman and Wood, trading as J. & H.C. Carter & Co. had previously bought John Chester’s 32 shares in June 1874. The cutter was not insured.
The Alert under the command of John Kelly had gone to the Mandurah jetty, inside the bar at the mouth of the Peel Inlet, to load sandalwood for shipment to Fremantle.
THE LOSS
Before he left the Mandurah Jetty Kelly sounded the bar at the mouth of Peel Inlet, and found 1.8 m of water over it. As the Alert was only drawing 1.4 m he considered it safe to sail. The wind was from the south-south-east. As the cutter sailed over the bar a heavy sea caused the after part of the keel to strike the ground very heavily. A strong current was setting out of the estuary and this, combined with the seas which broke over the vessel, caused the Alert to swing broadside on to the sea. The vessel filled with water and within one hour was a complete wreck.
INQUIRY
John Kelly held no certificate of competency and the Preliminary Court of Inquiry, although finding Kelly was to blame for the accident, did not have the power to hold a formal inquiry.
SITE LOCATION
A wreck of about the right size was located by Jack Yates in 1967 some 550 m north-east of the mouth of the Peel Inlet. This was reported to the Western Australian Museum but subsequent attempts to locate the wreck have been unsuccessful. The wreck may be either the Alert, or the Preston which was wrecked in much the same area in 1861.