KING ISLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17277, 13 December 1927, Page 4

KING ISLAND.

“THE GRAVEYARD.” One of the most dreaded places off the Australian coast to mariners is King Island, at the wbstern entrance to Bass Strait, 80 miles south of Port Phillip Heads (writes C.S. in the Melbourne Age). Nicknamed ‘The Graveyard,” on account of 40 officially recorded wrecks having happened there, the island was discovered and named by Commander Black, of the Harbinger, in 1801. It is about 3a miles long from north to south, with a varving breadth of from five to 10 miles/' The area is 27,000 acres, and the soil generally, appears to be good. It forms a portion of dasmanian teiriBetween 1835 and 1881 there were no fewer than 32 ships wrecked and 805 lives lost on King Island. The most disastrous was the loss of the immigrant ship Catarqui, which foundered on August 4, 18-15, when only nine souls were saved of a total of 245. Of the 416 who were lost 304~bodies were recovered and buried by' a Mr David Howe, who had a sealing party on Ihe island.. The news of the wreck caused a great sensation in Melbourne, and relief funds were immediately opened. Prominent in the field was the laic George Coppm, the well-known actor-manager, who was subsequently awarded a gold medal for his services. During the previous 10 years four .other, vessels had been wrecked upon the island. . Some disasters, however, were unattended with loss of life. In 1866, for instance, the immigrant ship Netherby crashed on a reef there, but Plough the castaways were . marooned upon, the island for a fortnight they alt survived. They subsisted chiefly on provisions washed ashore from the wreck, and game and ilsh were also obtained in . abundance. The barque Rebecca was wrecked on King Island on September 28, 1843. Her crew and a few passengers' were landed in one of the ship’s boats by her cap- ' tain. There they passed a miserable night, and, the weather having moderated 'towards morning, some of the party swam, to the ship and boarded her. A quantity of stores was then obtained by adjusting a back stay from the masthead to the beach Shortly afterwards the vessel broke UP Two years ago aMr William Hickmott, who was at that time the oldesl resident on the island, died at the age ' of 87. He was induced to visit the place 65 years ago by 7 a scttlei whe had been shipwrecked there. Mi ' Ilickmott made it his permanent home 1 —a handful, of sealers ancl hunter; composing the population at that Lime j Of the 40 wrecks above mentioned, Mi . ilickmott remembered 27, and ii many instances assisted in the rescui > work.

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