The ‘Wreck’ of the Tam O’Shanter

The 360-ton barque Tam O’Shanter was built in North Hylton, County Durham, England in 1829. In 1836, Osmond Gilles chartered it for the migrant fleet of ships carrying the first settlers to South Australia. It was involved in transporting emigrants and provisions and is credited with being one of the first ships to reach South Australia.

There is an 1836 drawing of the Tam O’Shanter, thought to be done by J.M. Skipper, in “The South Australian Colonizing Ships of 1836” by L.J. Ewens (1962).

It ran aground in 1836 and was later wrecked in 1837 when it ran aground again off Tasmania. According to Wikipedia, it “ran aground in 1837, off Tasmania and was considered a write-off.”

Of the voyage to South Australia, Wikipedia says, “In 1836, Tam O'Shanter, (Captain) Whiteman Freeman, master, accompanied HMS Buffalo on the trip, with (Osmond) Gilles travelling on Buffalo. They left London on 29 July, arriving at Kingscote on 20 November. They then entered Holdfast Bay, but ran aground when they tried to enter Port River. Tam O’Shanter ran aground on 19 December* 1836, was refloated on 23 December, and was beached.”

* (According to “The South Australian Colonizing Ships of 1836” by L.J. Ewens (1962), “On 18^th December she endeavoured to enter the Port by Light’s passage, but, whilst manoeuvring to enter, fouled the Outer Bar at the entrance, broke a cable in trying to haul off, and grounded. Receiving assistance from the Rapid, and lightening ship, Capt. Freeman succeeded four days later in getting off and up the river, the two ships moving in together. ….. The Tam O’Shanter had a damaged rudder, and her hull was strained, so repairs became necessary. These were undertaken by Capt. Philip Mitchell, who had taken command, and she was laid on the side of the river for repair by Daniel Simpson, ship-builder. ….. The land battery of guns on board the Tam O’Shanter was removed to the lighten the ship when she grounded, ….. Seven months afterwards, on completion of the repairs, the Tam O’Shanter again sailed to Holdfast Bay from the Port River, and  on 16^th August, 1837, cleared for Sydney, …. A week later, meeting with heavy weather in Bass Strait, she began to leak badly. Having some seven feet of water in the hold, she put about to make for Launceston, but became waterlogged, and was beached in a bay near Georgetown, and was later sold …..

Of the wrecking off Tasmania, Wikipedia says, “Tam O’Shanter was wrecked on 30 August 1837, on the north coast of (then) Van Diemen's Land, 16 nautical miles (30 km) east of the mouth of the Tamar River. She was on a voyage from South Australia to Sydney.

Unfortunately, “Sagas of Steam and Sail” by Neil W. Cormack says that the Tam O’Shanter ran aground as she entered the Port Adelaide River Estuary on August 29^th, 1837, but this was the time when the ship was probably entering Tasmania’s Tamar River before becoming waterlogged and beached there.

In a strange twist, there was another vessel called Tam O’Shanter that was twice damaged in the Port River. This vessel, however, was a 15-ton cutter. It is listed in “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base (1802-1989)” by Peter Christopher as having been ‘wrecked’ in the Port River  on 7^th May 1880. Said to have been built in Port Adelaide in 1879, its dimensions are given as having been 45 X 12 X 5.

According to Passengers in History , the cutter Tam O’Shanter was built in 1879 at Port Adelaide. Its tonnage was 15 tons, and its dimensions were 44.8 x 11.9 x 4.8. Of its demise, Passengers in History says “J.McBeath, reg. Port Adelaide. 1880 May 7: Ran upon a broken pile near the entrance of the Port River and foundered. Raised a week later. 1891 June 8: Beached between No.1 & 2 beacons in the Port River following a collision with the Lund (owned) steamer Echuca. 1935: Register closed, broken up.”