‘Maggie Scott', 1889

The ‘Maggie Scott’ was a 59-foot, 30-ton ketch that was built at Brisbane Waters in 1868. She left Tomakin for Sydney on 13th June 1889 and the next day she foundered. The crew took to the ship's lifeboat, and tried to make land. They failed to do so but were rescued by the barquentine ‘Veritas’ that was travelling to Sydney. The captain of the ‘Maggie Scott’ later described the incident to a Marine Board of Enquiry:

‘The Maggie Scott left Tomakin Creek with a cargo of 13,500ft of sawn hardwood for Sydney on Thursday evening. She experienced moderate westerly winds until abreast of Ulladulla, when the wind freshened from the same quarter, and on rounding Cape St. George the vessel was hove-to under close-reefed mainsail. On Friday, at 8 a.m., she was kept on the small jibsail again, sailing under the small jib-stay sail and close reefed mainsail. At 11 a.m. the jib was taken in and it was then found that the vessel had sprung a leak. She was then in the middle of the Shoalhaven Bight. Every effort was made by pumping and bailing to keep her afloat but without success, the water gaining rapidly and the vessel apparently fast going down. At 12 noon, when about three miles off Black Point (just south of Gerringong), the vessel being in a sinking condition, the boat was launched and the crew had only just time to get into her when the vessel foundered. The crew, three all told, pulled shorewards but could make no headway, the boat drifting seaward. About five hours later the barque Veritas, bound to Sydney, hove in sight, and with some difficulty picked them up. The shipwrecked people were then in an exhausted condition, and their boat could not possibly have floated much longer. Captain Creighton, the master of the barque, showed the distressed people every attention, supplying them with food and clothing, and landing them all well in Sydney on Saturday morning.’