The Young Recruit Wreck

The cutter Young Recruit was wrecked at Port Gawler on 4^th November 1902. Not much more than that seemed to be known, other than that it ‘foundered’, according to “Wrecks on the South Australian Coast” by Jack Loney. “South Australian Shipwrecks - A Data Base (1802-1989) by Peter Christopher says that some information is included in another of Jack Loney’s books - “Australian Shipwrecks Volume 4”.

According to Trove (The Daily Telegraph, Fri 7 Nov 1902), “LOSS OF A CUTTER OFF PORT GAWLER (ADELAIDE, Thursday)

The cutter Young Recruit sank on Tuesday off Port Gawler in about six fathoms. She was laden with firewood at the time. 'The cutter had been recently over-hauled and was on her way to Port Adelaide. She had for years been engaged in the firewood trade along the coast. Two men who were aboard escaped in a dinghy, but lost everything.”

I asked the Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant, “What is known about the wrecked cutter Young Recruit at Port Gawler in 1902?”

The Assistant’s response was, “Here’s what the historical record shows about the cutter Young Recruit, which foundered off Port Gawler in November 1902. The key information comes from contemporary Marine Board reports and newspaper coverage.

🚢 The Wreck of the Young Recruit (1902) — What We Know

🌊 The Incident

• On 6 November 1902, the Marine Board received word that the cutter Young Recruit had sunk off Port Gawler in approximately 6 fathoms (≈11 metres) of water.
• The vessel was reported as “foundered”, meaning it filled with water and sank, rather than being wrecked on rocks or driven ashore.

🛠 Circumstances

The available newspaper summaries do not provide a full narrative of the sinking, but the Marine Board’s notification indicates:

• The sinking occurred offshore, not in the river mouth or on the beach.
• No immediate mention of casualties appears in the snippet, suggesting the crew likely escaped safely (a common outcome for small coastal cutters in fair weather).

⚓ About the Vessel

While the search results don’t include a detailed description of the cutter itself, vessels named Young Recruit operating in South Australia at the time were typically:

• Small fore‑and‑aft rigged cutters, often used for coastal trading, fishing, or lightering.
• Operated by private owners or small trading companies.”

Further, “Port Gawler was historically:

• A minor coastal landing place
• A site with shifting sandbars
• A river mouth prone to silting …..
• The Port Gawler jetty (1870s–1930s) was offshore, so vessels didn’t need to enter the river.

….. Port Gawler (was) a busy minor grain port in the 1870s, with numerous small vessels arriving and departing.

• …… The port handled small, shallow‑draft craft
• ….. Traffic was regular and commercial

Historically:

• Port Gawler was used for fishing and cockling
• Small unregistered boats were common
• Minor mishaps would rarely reach newspapers unless fatal

Given the complete absence of reports, we can infer:

• No recorded drownings or small‑boat losses at Port Gawler in the historical press
• Any such incidents were either minor or unreported”

 

Re the comment “The Port Gawler jetty (1870s–1930s) was offshore”, “The Jetties of South Australia – Past and Present” by Neville Collins makes no mention of a jetty there, only the wharf within the Gawler River itself.

According to Bing, “Port Gawler's lost Jetty -

Port Gawler's lost jetty was a significant part of the local transport network, serving as a vital point for the movement of goods and passengers. The jetty was built at the mouth of the Gawler River estuary and was used for loading and unloading cargoes such as grain, produce, and other goods. It was a crucial part of the early South Australian economy, facilitating communication and trade with isolated coastal settlements and their hinterlands. The jetty's history is closely tied to the development of Port Gawler and the broader South Australian economy, reflecting the region's growth and evolution over time.”

I told the Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant, “I can see no reliable confirmation that Port Gawler's jetty was offshore, meaning that vessels did not need to enter the Gawler River.” The Assistant conceded, making this correction: -

“Correction regarding Port Gawler’s jetty:

Yesterday, it was stated that “The Port Gawler jetty (1870s–1930s) was offshore, so vessels didn’t need to enter the river.” This is incorrect.

Historical evidence — including the Lisbon Wharf interpretive sign and local archival sources — confirms that:

The structure was Lisbon Wharf, not an offshore jetty.

It was located within the tidal estuary, not projecting into open water.

Vessels had to cross a sandbar and enter the creek to reach the wharf, and operations were tide-dependent.

This means Port Gawler functioned as a creek port, not a seaward jetty. The misconception likely stems from modern usage of the term “jetty,” which doesn’t reflect the original infrastructure or navigational requirements.”