‘Favourite’, 1852

The ‘Favourite’ was an 85-foot, 96-ton wood schooner. It left Port Phillip bound for Sydney on 9th April 1852. It was carrying at least eight cabin passengers ‘together with several in the steerage’, plus a crew, plus a cargo of about 2,000oz of gold ‘besides a large amount belonging to Capt. Kersopp, Mr. Smyth, and Mr. Peppers’ (this was soon after the Victorian gold rushes had started).

Around Cape Howe it ran into a gale. ‘It was sighted by the ‘Margaret and Mary’, and ‘Spencer’, to the westward of the Howe on the 17th…At the time she was last seen she appeared to be making bad weather, having apparently a fore trysail bent for a mainsail - doubtless through having lost her canvass; a heavy gale set in from the south-east, and all accounts agree that such weather has not been experienced for many years. Most probably loss of spars may have ensued.’

The vessel is believed to have foundered…so, somewhere, perhaps on the NSW South Coast, are 2,000+ oz gold waiting to be recovered!