‘Alexander Berry’, 1901

The ‘Alexander Berry’ was a 74-foot, 80-ton wooden screw steamer built in Pyrmont, Sydney in 1873. It was a drogher (basically a working barge), owned by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company, that normally operated along the Shoalhaven River. On 29th June 1901 she left the Crookhaven River (which is connected to the Shoalhaven River by Berry’s Canal) bound for Merimbula. Whilst the vessel mostly operated inshore, she was described as being a well-equipped ‘good seaworthy drogher, and often went outside’.

She was caught in what was described as a ‘raging gale’, sought shelter and anchored in Abraham’s Bosom (at the eastern end of Currarong), but her anchor rope parted and her rudder head (the hardware that holds the rudder blade in place) was lost making the vessel unmanageable, and she was swept onto rocks at Long Point (now Bass Point) on 1st July 1901. Four of the five crew on board lost their lives.

This is the description of the events from the only survivor, Walter Pierce, who was the ship’s fireman:

‘After leaving the river they proceeded about half-way between Beecroft Heads and Jervis Bay, the weather being perfectly fine, with a smooth sea and no wind. When they reached that point the sea began to rise. Captain Marshall gave orders to turn back, and to return to Abraham's Bosom - a place of shelter on the coast. They arrived at Abraham's Bosom between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and anchored close to the beach in two fathoms of water.

During Saturday night the wind and sea commenced to rise, and continued till Sunday night at 8.30, when the cable parted. A heavy sea was running at that time. When the cable parted the man on watch, Jansen, called the captain, and reported the matter. The captain went to the wheel, and the engineer started the engine, there being 45lb. of steam on at the time. It was then pitch dark, and raining.

The steamer had drifted so that they did not know exactly where they were. The vessel was tossed about at the mercy of the waves until daybreak, when they sighted Kiama light, when they were between two and three miles off land. At daybreak the captain signalled with a red blanket at the top of the mast; but it was speedily blown away. The captain then tried to rig up a jib with blankets, as he saw they were on to the rocks.

They could see Shellharbour beach, and the captain thought that if he could keep the vessel off the rocks they would be able to get on to the beach. The blankets would not answer as a jib, and as they saw they were going on to the rocks they launched the lifeboat, but it filled with water. The vessel then drifted on to the rocks. Before she struck, the captain ordered all hands to put on life belts, and they had them on when she struck. All hands were cast into the water, and witness saw no more of the others afterwards. After being about an hour in the water he was washed on to the rocks, and was rescued by two men named Engstrom and Warren. The steamer was provided with a good boat, life buoys, and life-belts. She had 10 tons of coal on board, in addition to bunker coal.’

Efforts were made to assist the ‘Alexander Berry’. Life saving apparatus was sought from Kiama and ‘the steamer Peterborough is in port, but cannot leave moorings, owing to mountainous sea.’ The 'Alexander Berry' became a total wreck.