The 1920s wreck of the 89.63 gross-ton iron-hulled lighter York at Port Pirie doesn’t seem to be listed in any of my shipwreck books at all.
This Heritage SA information sheet about the wreck can be
found at https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/york.pdf
According to Bing, “The York wreck is a significant
historical site located off the southern shore of Weeroona Island,
approximately 240 kilometres northwest of Adelaide. It was once a lighter used
at Albany in the late 1870s and later became a mallee stumper carrier. The
wreck is best viewed at low tide, when it is exposed on the beach.
“Weeroona Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway,
features sandy beaches, coastal shacks, and a rich history, including its use
as a munitions dump during World War II. The island’s connection to the
mainland is maintained by a 300 m-long causeway spanning mangroves and tidal
flats.”
These details were sourced from Weekend Notes.
According to Weekend
Notes, “The little of her that remains can be seen on the beach at low
tide.
“Built in Scotland, the York measured 23 metres in length, 5
metres in breadth and 2 metres in depth. She somehow made her way to Western
Australia and was used as a lighter at Albany in the late 1870s under the
ownership of P&O Company. In 1877, she was purchased by Adelaide Steam Boat
Company for lightering work at Port Adelaide. She had a long life with them
until 1925 when she was sold to William Pillberg to carry mallee stumps from
Whyalla to Port Pirie. However, being too large, she was eventually beached at
Weeroona Island.”
This Facebook
photo of the York was taken by Matthew Diggens on 13-04-2006: -
According to comments
made by John Biggs on the Facebook post, “The lighter York was built
c.1862 in Scotland for the P&O Company’s King George’s Sound coaling
station at Albany, WA. The iron hulled vessel, measuring 75.5 feet (23.0 m)
length, 18.2 feet (5.5m) breadth, 7.0 feet (2.1 m) depth and 89.63 gross tons,
was shipped to Australia in pieces, probably by one of the sailing vessels
supplying the coal depot. In 1877, when ships no longer needed to refuel in WA
and P&O’s operations were being scaled down, the lighter was sold to the
Adelaide Steam Tug Company on the condition that P&O was given preference
for its use when one of their mail vessels was off Glenelg. For its delivery to
South Australia the vessel was jury-rigged as a cutter, but in September was declared
unseaworthy by the WA marine authorities and prohibited from departing. The events
of the next few months are uncertain, but it is known that the vessel
eventually departed Albany on 13 November 1877 under unusual circumstances:
The York, which broke through the rules of the Port
on Thursday by running in without being boarded, accounts for the circumstance
by the want of ground tackle. She reports leaving King George’s Sound on the 13th,
and for a couple of days had light winds. (Register, 30 November 1877)
Although no documentation has been found to support the
theory, the absence of ‘ground tackle’ suggests that the captain had decided to
‘cut and run’ – leaving King George’s Sound illegally by cutting the vessel’s
anchors and setting sail without authorisation. By 15 December 1877 the York
was engaged in lightering work for the Adelaide Steam Tug Company. In 1920,
after many years lightering in Port Adelaide and Glenelg, the barge was transferred
to Port Pirie to act as a coal lighter to the tugs.
In 1922 the York was sold to Captain William Pillberg and
was largely employed carrying mallee stumps
from the Whyalla area to Port Pirie. It proved too large for that purpose and
was beached at nearby Weeroona Island. For some time, the abandoned vessel was
used as a wharf or loading platform for barges carting stone from the island to
Port Pirie.
The York’s registry was closed on 20 January 1925 with
advice received from the owner that it was to be broken up.”
(Source: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/york.pdf )
