‘John Penn’, 1879

The T.S.S. ‘John Penn’ sank after running onto rocks at the foot of Burrewarra Head (north of Broulee) in calm seas in the early hours of 8th November 1879.

She was owned by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company and had, for nine years been working the NSW South Coast. Familiar ports of call included Eden, Tathra, Merimbula and Wollongong. Typical cargoes included butter, whale oil, wattle bark, potatoes, cheese and livestock.

The vessel had been built in London in 1867 specifically to work along the west coast of New Zealand. She had a shallow draft and a sliding keel, enabling it to navigate dangerous entrances to local harbours and ‘to keep off a lee shore when passing between ports’ (i.e. to avoid it being blown ashore). She was 140-feet in length, 199-tons, had two pairs of direct acting cylinders working twin propeller shafts that were capable of achieving 50 horse power (that’s about ¼ of the power of today’s average car – for propelling a 140-foot, 199-ton vessel through often rough water!) and was capable of reaching speeds of 10 knots. She could carry 70 first- and second-class passengers plus cargo and livestock.

The ‘John Penn’ did not work in New Zealand waters for long. It was purchased by Montefiore and Company of Sydney and arrived there on 14th February 1871. A month later it was purchased by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.

In June 1879 (so, 5 months before it became a wreck), the vessel was cut in half and lengthened by 20 feet. This modification was undertaken at Morts Dockyard in Sydney at a cost of several thousand pounds. It was designed to make the vessel more commercially productive.

The ‘John Penn’ left Tathra for Sydney on Friday, 7th November, 1879 with a mixed cargo and a number of passengers. By midnight, it had sailed into fog that was so thick it was impossible to see ahead by more than half the length of the vessel. The captain did not reduce speed but steered a course that he thought would keep the vessel well off the coast.

However, just before 2 am, the ‘John Penn’ drove up on rocks at the foot of Burrewarra Head in flat seas. The captain later blamed the grounding on a faulty compass.

All on board disembarked onto the rocks and one of the ship's boats was dispatched to Bateman's Bay to advise of the incident. The following morning, the steamer ‘Hunter’ arrived and took the passengers and cargo on board. At highwater, with some effort, the ‘John Penn’ was dragged from the rocks and towed stern first towards nearby Broulee Bay. However, whilst under tow it foundered and sank in 12 metres of water. A later attempt to drag the steamer ashore by the ‘Hunter’ and ‘Kiama’ failed.

A Marine Board of Enquiry found the captain culpable for not having slowed his speed and for not having used a sounding lead in the foggy conditions. His certificate was cancelled for three months.