the ship was floated off & anchored at Garden Island. It was repaired & put out to sea. It soon returned, ‘in a most leaky state’, was surveyed & determined to be unseaworthy. It would appear to have later sunk, in Apl. 1831, at its Garden Island moorings. In Jan. 1833, the hulk of the ship was offered for sale by William Lamb, of Fremantle, along with ‘chain cable & an anchor for a ship of 500 tons’, likely gear from the Rockingham. The wreck is apparently still there today.
Built:
1818 Built in Sunderland, England, by Sir James Laing & sons at Sunderland UK
Location:
Vessel went in aground at Careening Bay, Garden Island.
Sinking:
The Rockingham had previously travelled to India in 1822-3 under Captain Charles Beach. She was the last of Peel’s three ships to arrive, having left London in January 1830, and arrived in mid May under command of Captain Haliburton. Her late departure was due to bad weather and doubts of the Swan River Colony’s viability, which were circulating in England. Upon her arrival, a naval officer guided her through reefs to Cockburn Sound. Peel wished for the settlers and cargo to be brought ashore at once, despite the worsening weather. This meant the Rockingham was nearer shore when a huge storm blew up during the night. The ship’s capstan broke due to the strain put upon it, her rudder was damaged and the strong winds drove her and four other onto the beach. The 180 settlers were landed in the surf, but all survived.
