'Star of Greece' breaks up on reef close to shore in 1888 as Adelaide's Aldinga Beach residents left to watch helplessly
Aldinga Beach residents, south of Adelaide, saw The Star of Greece crew members killed by debris as they tried to swim to shore in July 1888.
Image by G.F. Gregory, courtesy State Library of South Australia
The Star of Greece, wrecked off Port Willunga, south of Adelaide, in 1888 with 17 of its crew killed, caused public outcry against the South Australian government for the chain or errors and lack of planning for another maritime disaster so close to shore.
A three-masted ship of 1227 tons, built in 1868 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, The Star of Greece left London with a crew of 28 in March 1888 loaded with a 22-ton gun for the proposed defence fort at Adelaide’s seaside Glenelg. She arrived in Port Adelaide on June 1888 and drew many onlookers as the gun was unloaded.
The vessel was then loaded with wheat for the United Kingdom and left port again at 6pm on 13 July. The vessel didn’t get far out to sea when squally weather set in, causing it to drift off course and close to shore. This wasn’t noticed by the due to the weather conditions. The anchor was let out to hold the vessel but was later found to be fouled in its chain and failed to grip the seabed.
Between 2am and 4am, a large wave lifted the vessel and she crashed down on a reef off Port Willunga. The vessel broke in two, leaving those men up on the mizzen section stranded. At 7.55 am, the alarm was raised at Aldinga Beach as its residents could see the top of the wreck and the men clinging in the rigging. Waves were crashing violently over the vessel, sweeping the deck clear, and at 9am the rear of the vessel broke away completely and the eight men including the captain who were in the mizzen rigging were all drowned.
At 9am, when the telegraph service was opened, a telegram was sent for help and a request for a rocket device to send a line out to the wreck. One crew member reached the shore safely after jumping from the rigging. The other survivors had no option but to swim for shore as all the lifeboats were smashed and the ship was being broken up by the still-raging storm.
The Aldinga Beach residents gathered to offer help but saw crew members being killed by debris as they tried to reach the shore. The local policeman swam out repeatedly to try to help the men swim in and to recover their bodies. He was later honoured for bravery.
The nearest rocket device, the best way to reach the stricken vessel, was at Normanville, and arrived at 4.40pm – just as the last sailor died trying to escape from the vessel which had broken up irretrievably.
The figurehead and other relics from the wreck went on display at The South Australian Maritime Museum.
