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Observer, Volume 2, Issue 34, 7 May 1881, Page 361

Captain Garrard Avas engaged to be married to a Miss Buckhurst, the daughter of a Avealthy merchant residing at Emerald Hill, near Melbourne. This Avould have been his last voyage in the "Tararua," in fact the wedding Avas to have taken place immediately on the steamer's arrival at Port Philip. He told his friends he should probably leave the sea, and join his father-in-law in business. Just before the steamer left Queen-street wharf on the 21st, a number of boon companions assembled in the captain's cabin and wished him all sorts of good luck and happiness. He pledged them in water, but Avould'nt touch a drop of liquor. Those Avho kneAV him intimately say Garrard was the very reverse of a daring, happy-go-lucky skipper. His anxiety to be on the safe side seemed indeed excessive at times, and passengers often chaffed him about it. _ We think our contemporaries might have Avaited a bit before they censured a dead man so severely. The information to hand, though full, is by no means scientific. There has been no inquiry yet, and for all Aye knoAV it may turn out that the compasses had deviated seriously or Avere out of order. Instances of steamers being wrecked on the South coast through such causes are by no means rare. Not many years ago the " South Australian" turned right round and ran into the Molyneux, and the "Victory" Avas wrecked off Wycliffe Bay, and the " Otago " on Chasland's Mistake, through somewhat similar mishaps.