‘Caroline’, 1859

The ‘Caroline’ was a 21.5-metre, 111-ton wooden brigantine that had been built in Canada in 1851 and was owned by Young and Martin, shipping agents of Melbourne.

She was on a voyage from Melbourne to Newcastle when, on 26th January 1859, she encountered a strong north-easterly wind off the coast from Jervis Bay. The captain put into Jervis Bay for shelter.

The following day, the ‘Caroline’ again put to sea, on this occasion with a ‘fresh southerly breeze’ blowing. However, just off Point Perpendicular the breeze ‘suddenly
fell calm’ and the vessel lost steerage only to drift onto the shore. ‘In in a very short time she became a total wreck’.

The crew made it safely to shore then walked through the bush to a property owned by James Kinghorne. They were later picked up by the steamship ‘Illawarra’ and were transported to Sydney.