The Loss of the SS Waratah

Australians are obsessed with monuments. In almost every town, city and park, didactic monuments
and memorials can be found scattered across the landscapei. When travelling across the country,
historic monuments, cairns and plaques assume prominent positions, individualising collective
memoriesii. We embrace monuments as a way of paying homage to our understanding of our
picturesque historyiii. War memorials can be found in almost every community nationwide, while
certain events have been immortalised in Australian memories. Cultural narratives of nation
building have eternalised heroic tales of exploration, rebellion and democracy, inscribing these
events into bronze or stoneiv. These narratives inscribe the values of national identity onto those
seeking reassuring nationalismv. For others in Australia, cultural narratives such as Gallipoli have
become religious objects and their monuments places to remember those who were lostvi.
Consequently, in Australia’s short white history, certain historical events have been forgotten or
overshadowed by other greater or more well-known events. The beginning of 20th century Australia,
is marked by Federation, women’s suffrage, the exploration of Sir Douglas Mawson and the
catastrophic loss of life during the Great War. We remember these events and people because they
have been documented extensively within Australia’s public monuments. Yet, the incredible
narrative of the SS Waratah has been lost amongst these historical events, jostling for public
recognitionvii.

In 2014, the world and Australian nation were shocked to learn of the disappearance of the
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, somewhere in the Indian Oceanviii. The disappearance and
subsequent lack of evidence sent the world into a frenzy of intrigue. How could an airliner just
disappear? For us, what makes history interesting and remembered, is when history is used to
provide answers or suggestions for current day problemsix. The mystery of the disappearance of
flight MH370 somewhere in the Indian Ocean, reopened the 105-year-old mystery of the Australian
passenger liner, the SS Waratah, lost also in the Indian Ocean.

At the start of the 20th century, Australia was swept by a wave of nationalistic pride, as the young
nation came of age. Australians saw themselves closely aligned with Britain; however, the young
nation was quickly finding its feet as a prosperous, democratic societyx. To celebrate this, Lund’s
Blue Anchor Line company gave the Australian nation their prize vessel, the elaborate steam ship
‘Waratah’, named after the floral emblem of NSW. Australia, like her Western counterparts could
now boast about owning a ‘big ship’ to mark the new age. To own a big ship placed Australia within
competition of the European markets racing to accommodate European emigration to the United
States and the Pacificxi. Competition was fierce in Europe to create the fastest and most elaborate
passenger liner to win the Blue Riband transatlantic prizexii. In an age before air travel, luxurious
passenger liners offered emigrates a way to travel throughout the world in comfort. This would be
the purpose of the 500ft long, 9339 tonne Waratah, that boasted eight state rooms, one hundred first-
class cabins, a saloon and luxurious music hallxiii. The Waratah was to carry a new wave of
immigration between Britain and Australia, to accommodate the newly formed White Australia
Policy. Like the Waratah, many of these great ships of the new age would prove no match for the
wild oceans of the world, not even the unsinkable Titanic.

The SS Waratah was constructed in Glasgow. The construction of the coal powered, twin-screwed
flagship Waratah was completed in 1908 and was considered by many at the time to be
unsinkablexiv. Her maiden voyage to Australia was in the same year. She left London bound for
Adelaide on the 6th of November under the careful guidance of experienced and well respected
Captain Ilberyxv. The SS Waratah reached Adelaide on the 15th of December 1908 and later Sydney
on Christmas Eve. All the estimated 689 passengers on board reached Sydney reporting that the ship
had been a wonder to sail onxvi.

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The Waratah returned to Australia in 1909, on her second voyage. On her return voyage back to
London, she left Adelaide on the 7th of Julyxvii. On board were 212 passengers and crew mostly
from Sydney and Adelaidexviii. The Waratah was also carrying a heavy load of farming produce and
1000 tonnes of lead concentratesxix. On board the ship were Tasmanians Alf Clarke and Jack Calder.
Calder and Clarke were well known throughout Tasmania as champion wood choppersxx. They had
chosen to travel on the Waratah on their voyage to London to compete in a wood chopping
competition at the Royal Exhibition building. Another prominent member was a Mrs Hays who was
well-known in South Australiaxxi. Perhaps the most well-remembered passenger on the Waratah was
Claude Sawyer. Sawyer had boarded the ship at Sydney bound for London. Sawyer was an
experienced sea traveller and had travelled between Australia and London beforexxii. Although this
voyage would prove to be much different.

Between Adelaide and Durban, Claude Sawyer had many restless nights. Sawyer experienced a
reoccurring dream whereby a demonic figure would rise from the sea wielding a blood dripping
sword cursing the Waratahxxiii. Accounts of Sawyer's dreams vary but all allude to the fact that
Sawyer believed the reoccurrence of the dream was a premonition and one to not take lightly. The
Waratah reached Durban on the 25th of July and had experienced a relatively uneventful trip. The
dreams experienced by Sawyer were enough for him to leave the Waratah in Durban. Sawyer
telegraphed his wife explaining that he had left the Waratah, as he “thought Waratah top-heavy”xxiv.
Sawyer later revealed that this was only an excuse to get off the ship.

On the 27th of July, the Waratah left Durban minus Claude Sawyer. The Waratah's destination was
Cape Town in a journey predicted to take four daysxxv. At 9.20 am the Waratah contacted via flag
signals the steamer Clan McIntyre and was never seen againxxvi. The Clan McIntyre made it to Cape
Town having battled rough seas, but nothing out of the ordinary. Strangely, the captain of the Clan
McIntyre later proclaimed that on the night of the Waratahs disappearance, he spotted in the
distance the outline of a ship he believed to be the 'Flying Dutchman' heading in the same direction
as the Waratahxxvii. In sea lore, sighting the Flying Dutchman spells disaster. There were no
immediate fears for the whereabouts of the Waratah as it wasn't unusual for ships to be delayed in
days prior to telegraphic communications. Four days passed and the Waratah had not been sighted
sparking alarm for the Blue Anchor Line company. Thus, began a major search for the company's
prize ship. The British Admiralty sent war ships within the area to search for the Waratah, all
trading vessels were asked to take alternative courses to search for the ship and the Blue Anchor
Line company chartered three ships including the Sabine to find the Waratahxxviii. Naval experts and
experienced navigators spent 88 days aboard the Sabine as she searched 14,000 miles of oceanxxix.
The south islands in the Indian Ocean were scoured and no debris found. A steamer, the SS
Tottenham reportedly observed the body of what the crew believed to be a young girl, but this
observation was never provenxxx. In December 1909, the search efforts for the Waratah ceased and
the ship was officially declared missing. In the following year, due to public donations, the family
members of the lost passengers commission the SS Wakefield to search for their loved ones. After
months at sea, their search proved fruitless and the ship was forced to return for homexxxi. What
remained a mystery for even the most experienced of sea travellers was the fact that no debris had
been found from such a large vessel in one of the world's most populated shipping routes.

Sadly, the Waratah was due to be fitted with telegraphic communications once she had reached
London.

The news of the loss of the Waratah shocked the young Australian nation. Parliament sittings
paused to acknowledge the loss of life, Tasmanians Jack Calder and Alf Clarke were grieved for by
the state of Tasmaniaxxxii and the nations newspapers were flooded with revelations about the ships

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tragic fate. In 1910, an official inquiry was launched whereby, former crew and passengers were
questioned about the Waratah and their experiences on aboard. This inquiry would continue the
trend of bizarre stories that encompassed the great ship. A Mr. Johnson was interviewed who had
been a passenger on the Waratah's maiden voyage and who was a close friend of the Chief engineer
Mr Hodder. Johnson and Hodder had met the night before the Waratah had left Sydney in 1909xxxiii.
The men conversed about their last voyage through the Backstairs passage near Adelaide. The
Waratah had been signalled to by the coastal lighthouse warning them that the ship was about to run
agroundxxxiv. Mr Hodder had exclaimed to Captain Ilbery "aren't you going to turn her out?" Captain
Ilbery replied "wait until I go down and get my glasses"xxxv. This incident had been enough for Mr
Hodder to question the Captain's ability to control the ship. A Mr Skailies had remarked to Mr
Johnson that "it’s a nice thing to feel all the time we're aboard that we may never reach another
port"xxxvi. With over forty years’ experience, Captain Ilbery was considered by many as a fine
seaman. Passengers Mr Charles Richard Campbell and Mr Robert G. Millar told the inquiry that
they had never been on a more sea worthy ship. Although, both men did remark on the fact that the
Waratah had an unusual list where the ship would lean to one side even in calm seas, sometimes
taking hours to correct herselfxxxvii. Mr Millar also stated that on one occasion the waves had been
so high that they washed over the ship, knocking two passengers over and entered the port
holesxxxviii. Another witness claimed that while he was having a bath, the ship experienced one of its
extreme rolls and the water in his bath tub spilled onto the floor. When the ship corrected itself, he
noticed that the water in the tub remained unlevelled, meaning that the ship was possibly alarmingly
unbalancedxxxix.

Many believed the SS Waratah to be cursed. In fact, five ships previously called Waratah had all
met tragic ends around the coastline of Australia.

An Australian gazette the ‘Newsletter’, while the inquiry was taking place had encouraged former
crew members to talk about their experiences on the Waratah. Six men came forward damningly
stating that they would rather die than spend another minute on the Waratahxl. They testified that the
ship was a ‘floating coffin’xli. On the ships, maiden voyage only six members of the entire crew
were in fact crew members the others being one voyage workers such as coal stockersxlii. These
workers were dressed in Blue Anchor Line uniforms and passed as crew members. They reported
that the ship had rotting lifeboats and the unusual roll was going to be the end of the shipxliii. Perhaps
most damning was the report given by a junior engineer who when embarking on the ship at
Sydney, had run into Mr Hodder the chief engineer trying to flee the ship with all his possessionsxliv.
Yet, all this information resulted in a lack of evidence and the inquiry reached no conclusive result.

The Newsletter also ran a story about a South African child seer who had experienced a similar
dream to Claude Sawyer the night the Waratah disappeared. The child claimed to have seen a
great ship swallowed by a gigantic wave.

Over the years, many theories as to what happened to the Waratah have been suggested from
explosions, rogue waves and supernatural theories. The most plausible of these explanations is the
theory of the rogue wave due to the strong Agulhas current in the Indian Oceanxlv. Scientific
knowledge is relatively limited on rogue waves and rogue waves have only been taken seriously
since the 1960'sxlvi. Although, no ship has been known to have been swallowed by a rogue wavexlvii.
If the Waratah had been swallowed by a rogue wave aided by the ships uneven roll, then an
explanation of why no debris was found could be provided. If a rogue wave had swallowed the
Waratah, it could have possibly sucked everything to the bottom of the ocean floor wherever the
ship lies.

South African marine archaeologist Emlyn Brown and Clive Cussler have spent 30 years searching
for the SS Waratah. Using the latest modern day technology and examining all possible accounts of

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the last sighting of the ship. Emlyn Brown concluded painfully, in 2004 that he had “exhausted all
options and had no idea where to look”xlviii.

Fascinating tale I know. In terms of mysteries of the sea, the tale of the SS Waratah is equal to that
of the Mary Celestexlix. But is that all the Waratah will ever be, a fascinating tale? The loss of the
Waratah has been overshadowed by other major events of the time, especially the loss the RMS
Titanic in 1912 and the enormous death tolls of the First World War. Only has public awareness
once again resurfaced for the Waratah as a link to the lost MH370 flight, with information scattered
across online blogs. Yet, tragically, the facts about the disappearance of the SS Waratah are often
masked by the mysterious and intriguing events that encompass the ships two voyages. In a
maritime mystery that stems beyond Australia, it is tragic that a greater monument beyond the small
plaque in Queenscliffe, Victoria has not been dedicated to the lives lost on the SS Waratah, the
Titanic of the South.

References:

4
i Paul Ashton & Paula Hamilton, ‘Connecting with history: Australians and their past’ in Paul Ashton & Hilda Kean
(eds.), People and their Pasts (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), 23.
ii Jane Lydon, ‘Driving by’: Visiting Australian colonial monuments, Journal of Social Archaeology, 5/1, (2005), 109.
iii Ashton and Hamilton 2009, 23.
iv Ann Curthoys and Ann McGrath, ‘How to write history that people want to read’ (University of NSW Press, 2009),
15.
v T Sheckles, ‘Australian Film’, in N Birns and R Mineer (ed.), A companion to Australian literature since 1900
(Boydell and Brewer, 2009).
vi B Kapferer, Legends of People Myths of State: Violence, Intolerance, and Political Culture in Sri Lanka (New York:
Berghahn Books, 2011).
vii Janis Wilton, Museums and Memories: Remembering the Past in Local and Community Museums, Public History
Review, vol.12, (2006), 8.
viii Samuel Davey, Neil Gordon, Ian Holland, Mark Rutten & Jason Williams, Bayesian Methods in the Search for
MH370 (Singapore: Springer, 2016), 1.
ix Edward Hallett Carr, What is history? (Camberwell, Victoria: Penguin, 2008), 8.
x Vanessa Collingridge, The Story of Australia (Victoria: The Five Mile Press, 2008), 59.
xi Tom McCluskie, Michael Sharpe & Leo Marriott, Titanic & Her Sisters Olympic and Britannic (London: Parkgate
Books, 1998, 63.
xii Ibid.
xiii J Haynes, The Best Australian Yarns: And Other True Stories, (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2013).
xiv Flinders Ranges Research, ‘The Lost Ship’, (website), https://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/waratah.htm,
viewed 10th September 2018.
xv Ibid.
xvi Ibid.
xvii Ibid.
xviii Pauline Conolly, The mystery of the Waratah, Quadrant, 56/5, (2012), 85.
xix SS Waratah inquiry-evidence seaworthiness, D, 596, National Archives, Canberra.
xx Pauline Conolly 2012, 85.
xxi Ibid.
xxii P Taylor, Great Australian Tales, (Victoria: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, 2005), 216.
xxiii Ibid.
xxiv ‘The Mystery of the “Waratah”, The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, 12th March 1910, New South Wales.
xxv J Haynes, 2013, 129.
xxvi Peter Ilbery, ‘The loss of the Waratah 1909, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 82/1 (1996).
xxvii J Haynes, 2013,129.
xxviii Peter Ilbery, 1996.
xxix Ibid.
xxx Pauline Conolly, 2012, 86.
xxxi Ibid.
xxxii Ibid.
xxxiii SS Waratah Inquiry, Canberra, 1910, A5522, National Archives of Australia.
xxxiv Ibid.
xxxv Ibid.
xxxvi Ibid.
xxxvii Ibid.
xxxviii Ibid.
xxxix Ibid.
xl ‘The Waratah Scandal, The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People, 19th March 1910, Sydney, (online
database).
xli ‘Waratah inquiry Humbug’ The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People, 2nd April 1910, Sydney,
(online database).
xlii ‘The Waratah Scandal, The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People, 19th March 1910, Sydney,
(online database).
xliii Ibid.
xliv Ibid.
xlv Anonymous, Science and Technology: Monsters of the deep; Rogue waves, (The Economist, 2009), 94.
xlvi Ibid.
xlvii Ibid.
xlviii Pauline Conolly, 2012, 87.
xlix Lionel & Patricia Fanthorpe, Unsolved Mysteries of the Sea (Dundurn, 2004), 77.

Primary:
SS Waratah inquiry-evidence seaworthiness, D, 596, National Archives of Australia, Canberra.

SS Waratah Inquiry, Canberra, 1910, A5522, National Archives of Australia, Canberra.

The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘The Waratah Search Ship’, Wednesday 16th February 1910, 8.

‘The Waratah Scandal, The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People, 19th March 1910,
Sydney, (online database).

‘Waratah inquiry Humbug’ The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People, 2nd April
1910, Sydney, (online database).

Secondary:
Anonymous, Science and Technology: Monsters of the deep; Rogue waves, (The Economist, 2009),
94.

Ashton, P & Hamilton, P ‘Connecting with history: Australians and their past’ in Paul Ashton &
Hilda Kean (eds.), People and their Pasts (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), 23.

Carr, H.E, What is history? (Camberwell, Victoria: Penguin, 2008), 8.

Collingridge, V, The Story of Australia (Victoria: The Five Mile Press, 2008), 59.

Conolly, Pauline, The mystery of the Waratah, (Quadrant, 56/5, 2012), 85-87.

Curthoys, A and McGrath, A, ‘How to write history that people want to read’ (University of NSW
Press, 2009), 15.

Davey, S, Gordon, N, Holland, I, Rutten, M & Williams, J, Bayesian Methods in the Search for
MH370 (Singapore: Springer, 2016), 1.

Fanthorpe, L & Fanthorpe, P, Unsolved Mysteries of the Sea (Dundurn, 2004).

Flinders Ranges Research, ‘The Lost Ship’, (website),

Ilbery, Peter, The Loss of the Waratah 1909, (Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society,
82/1, 1996).

Kapferer, B, Legends of People Myths of State: Violence, Intolerance, and Political Culture in Sri
Lanka (New York: Berghahn Books, 2011).

Lydon, J, ‘Driving by’: Visiting Australian colonial monuments, Journal of Social Archaeology, 5/1,
(2005), 109.

McCluskie, T, Sharpe, M & Marriott, L, Titanic & Her Sisters Olympic and Britannic (London:
Parkgate Books, 1998, 63.

Sheckles, T, ‘Australian Film’, in N Birns and R Mineer (ed.), A companion to Australian literature
since 1900 (Boydell and Brewer, 2009).

Taylor P, Great Australian Tales, (Victoria: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, 2005), 216-217.
The Mystery of the “Waratah”, The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, 12th March 1910,
New South Wales.

Wilton, J, Museums and Memories: Remembering the Past in Local and Community Museums,
Public History Review, vol.12, (2006), 8.

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First-class music saloon of the Waratah, [Image], (2018), http://historydaily.org/the-nautical-

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Launch of Lund’s Blue Anchor Liner Waratah, 1908, [image], (2015),

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‘Where is the Waratah?’ The Daily Telegraph 1909, SS Waratah Inquiry, Canberra, 1910, A5522,
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