Wreck of the ship George Roper, Point Lonsdale by Fred Kruger

George Roper was a four-masted barque that launched from Liverpool, England on 10 February 1883, and, reaching Australia on its maiden voyage, got caught on the reef at Point Lonsdale on 4 July 1883 while being tugged into Port Melbourne. It sat there for a little under two months before breaking up and sinking on 26 August.[1]

The George Roper was built in the W. H. Potter and Son shipyard in Liverpool for W. T. Dickson and Son specifically for the transport run between England and Australia.[2][1] It was carrying 3842 tons of cargo, including 1,400 tons worth of railway rails for the Victorian Government (valued at £20,000) as well as liquor, chemicals, drapery, and 30 tons of dynamite, for a total value of £50,000.[2][1][3] While coming in to Port Melbourne on 4 July 1883, it encountered headwinds at Bass Strait so the steam tug Williams under the command of Pilot Gifford (or possibly Gafford) began to pull the George Roper into port. However, the sudden appearance of heavy fog caused the tug to drift too far west, and it hit the reef at Point Lonsdale.[2] While the Williams was able to free itself, the George Roper also hit the reef, and became stuck.[3][1] After discovering the ship was taking on water, the captain, John Ward, and his 31 crew were transferred to another ship (the Albatross) and brought to safety at Queenscliff.[3][2]

It was initially believed that the ship could be refloated at high tide,[3] but this proved impossible.[1] The underwriters sold the salvage rights to a Melbourne syndicate, who recovered much of the cargo before selling the remaining salvage to a Geelong syndicate. During the salvage, on 8 July, the tugboat Blackboy also sank after ropes got tangled around its propeller and it hit the reef before navigation could be restored.[4] All crew were rescued without harm.[1] The George Roper finally broke up and sank on 26 August.[1]

In the investigation of the accident, Pilot Gifford (or Gafford) of the Williams was accused of negligence for not bringing the George Roper back to safer water when the fog came in, and his licence was suspended for two years.[1]

The shipwreck is in 4-5 meters (15 ft.) of water and is accessible to recreational divers, with parts of it remaining clearly identifiable. Artefacts were recovered from the wreck in the 1970 and 1980s, some of which are held by the government of Victoria.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Shipwreck - GEORGE ROPER". Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database. Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "George Roper". Victorian Heritage Database. Government of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "STRANDING of the SHIP GEORGE ROPER and the BARQUE JULES MARIE". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. Thu 5 Jul 1883, Page 6. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "STEAM NAVIGATION BOARD". The Argus. No. Sat 21 Jul 1883, Page 13.
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