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The waters of Western Australia are littered with the wrecks of ships that ran afoul of bad weather, reefs, rocks and plain poor seamanship.
It is estimated that over 1200 ships have foundered in West Australian waters since the 1600s. Many of these were salvaged or broken up for scrap, but close to 750 still lie undiscovered
on the sea bed.
In the early days many losses were due to poor or non-existent charts and a lack of lighthouses warning of marine hazards.
Modern technology is no guarantee of safety as ships of all types are still lost along our long and dangerous coast.
The two areas with the highest number of wrecks are around Fremantle and Rottnest Island with over 120 recorded sinkings
and Broome with 108 ships recorded as being sunk.
In 1874 a Royal Commission was held into the number and causes of shipwrecks and the following results were obtained:
1. Losses due to unseaworthiness of vessels 5%
2. Weather and circumstances beyond human control 30.5%
3. Drunkenness, ignorance and incompetence 65.5%
For a list of ship wrecks in West Australian waters visit : Western Australia - Shipwrecks
Ships lost between 1890-1900
|
Year
|
Ships Lost
|
Lives Lost
|
|
1890
|
12
|
1
|
|
1891
|
5
|
4
|
|
1892
|
7
|
0
|
|
1893
|
2
|
3
|
|
1894
|
3
|
0
|
|
1895
|
3
|
0
|
|
1896
|
4
|
3
|
|
1897
|
15
|
2
|
|
1898
|
24
|
0
|
|
1899
|
24
|
41
|
|
1900
|
23
|
7
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Related Pages:
Ship Arrivals |
HMAS Sydney |
HMS Challenger |
HMS Success
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