PEACOCK RELIC

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 240, 17 October 1935, Page 2

PEACOCK RELIC

TRAGIC WRECK OF LOCH ARD STRUCK A REEF MELBOURNE, June 2. Mute 'reminder of one of the most tragic wrecks in Australian shipping history, the foundering of the clipper Loch Ard off Port Campbell just fiftysevfen years ago—a five-foot high peacock in highly glazed Minton pottery now stands gracefully in a glass case in the McAllen galleries of itihe National Gallery. Designed and modelled in the Staffordshire potteries by the Italian genius Paul Comolera, in 1871, the peacock is on loan to the National Gallery from Miss Florence Miller, of Malvern. It was the only article to be salvaged from the wreck. It was on May 31, 1878, justj one day before she was due to reach the port of Melbourne, that the Loch Ard struck an island mow known as Mutton Bird Island, near the gorge that now carries its name, just five miles from Port Campbell. Of the crew of 36 and 16 passengers, all were drowned save two —Tom Pearce, ship’s apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, a passenger, both aged nineteen. Only four bodies were recovered of the 50 who were drowned. An error in determining the ship’s position was the cause of the tragedy. Instead of being, as supposed, 150 miles from land, it was discovered too late that she was in reality close inshore near the entrance of Sherbrooke ' Creek. After 'Strniking the island reef, the Loch Ard was carried inshore, and sank in deep .wafer just 120 yards from the rugged coast.