Barque Cataraqui wrecked on King Island (1845)

The British emigrant barque Cataraqui wrecked on King Island in Bass Strait on 4 August 1845. The vessel, bound for Port Phillip, struck rocks during a severe storm, resulting in approximately 400 deaths. Only nine survivors, including eight crewmen and one emigrant, reached the shore.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Cataraqui was an 802-ton British barque registered in Liverpool for transporting assisted emigrants to Port Phillip. The ship departed Liverpool on 20 April 1845 under Captain Christopher Finlay. King Island, located in Bass Strait, is part of the New Year Group and lies off the north-western tip of Tasmania, serving as a land divide between the Great Australian Bight and Bass Strait.

Wreck. On the early morning of 4 August 1845, Cataraqui encountered a severe storm as it entered Bass Strait. At approximately 04:30 hours, the ship was cast suddenly onto jagged rocks just off Fitzmaurice Bay on King Island. The island, situated in the centre of the western entrance to Bass Strait, has been the location of more than 60 known shipwrecks involving over 2,000 lives.

Survivors. Eight crewmen managed to reach the shore by clinging to floating wreckage. There, they encountered Solomon Brown, the only emigrant survivor. The total number of lives lost in the Cataraqui disaster is recorded as 400. King Island was originally part of a land bridge linking Tasmania with the mainland, submerged around 12,000 years ago.

People involved

Sources

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