SARAH BURNYEAT 1862–1894

Coal hulk at Port Adelaide, State Library of South Australia, PRG-1373-38-77

Description:

Barque, later two-masted brig. The vessel had one deck, a square stern, iron frames and wood planking. It was copper fastened and sheathed with felt under yellow metal. It had a raised quarterdeck 8.23 m long and a three-quarter figurehead of a woman.

Owner:

Last owner: the Adelaide Steamship Company

Construction:

Composite

Sunk:

28 December 1894

Size:

Length: 104.0 ft (31.7 m) Beam: 25.0 ft (7.6 m) Depth: 16.1 ft (4.9 m) Tonnage: 317 gross, 272 net, 264.92 underdeck (before refit) 276.93 gross, 276.93 net, 264.92 underdeck (after refit)

Underwater:

The wreck lies on a gently sloping sandy bottom in only 2–3 m of water. It lies on a north-east/south-west alignment with the bow pointing towards the shore. It is canted to port, and the lower part of the starboard side of the hull projects about a metre above the sea bed. The port side only projects 20–30 cm above the sand. There are very few timbers visible, apart from some of the floors. A substantial mound of coal has a number of items protruding through it, including the lower part of the masts, some stanchions and a few timber pieces. A number of iron frames and copper alloy fastenings are also visible, as is some yellow metal sheathing.

Built:

James Hardie, Southwick, County Durham, England

Location:

The Sarah Burnyeat lies in shallow water 500 m offshore from the Residency, Albany. Parts of the wreck are visible at low water.

Sinking:

On 28 December 1894 the Sarah Burnyeat was coaling a French mail steamer. There was some 150 tonnes of coal on board the Sarah Burnyeat when, at 9 pm, a flare that had been illuminating the work fell to the deck. The resulting fire was thought to have been put out, but at 4.50 am the next morning the hulk was again on fire. It was impossible to save the hulk, so it was towed away and beached. The tow lines burned through several times. It burned all day until only the bottom remained.

Longitude:

117.876677

Latitude:

-35.033232