DISASTER RECALLED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1938, Page 15

DISASTER RECALLED

WRECK OF RODONDO

ANNIVERSARY TODAY

Today is the forty-fourth anniver- . tsary of the loss of the Howard Smith steamer Rodondo, which foundered - after striking Pollock Reef in the > Groat Australian Bight on October 6, 1894, when on a voyage from Sydney to Fremantle, W.A. Amongst the , passengers were a large number of New Zealanders who were on their way to the Coolgardie goldflelds, which had been discovered a> few months . , previously. The Rodondo struck the reef, which ,;.'- van out from South-east Island at the :; extreme point, at midnight. There was - no. wireless in those days with which .' to* summon aid, and the passengers, who numbered approximately 225, had a terrifying* experience, quite a num- .' bor being drowned or killed through «being smashed against the sides of the steamer in the launching of the lifeboats, while a number, thinking land was near, jumped overboard to try to * Jswim ashore. Actually, the reef ran out for about forty or fifty miles and ' those who jumped overboard were never seen again. RESCUE BY SCHOONER. The survivors were subsequently rescued by a small sailing vessel, the , Grace Darling, commanded by Cap- - tain Douglas, of Albany, and taken to Esperance Bay, a landing stage where stores were left for a sheep station some hundreds of miles inland "On getting to the mainland, wool bales which the Grace Darling was carrying were served out, also some flour that had been in the schooner's stores. The passengers had a trying experience as nearly all lost their clothes and belongings when the Rodondo foundered. But for the timely rescue by the Grace Darling there would have been very few survivors as all the 'boats with the exception of one were smashed to pieces on the island, which was really a big rock jutting ..- out of the sea. RETURN TO ADELAIDE. The Western Australian Government subsequently sent the A.U.S.N. steamer Flinders to Esperance Bay and the Rodondo's passengers were taken off iind brought back to Adelaide, a distance of about 800 miles, where the ..Howard Smith Company arranged for the s.s. Gabo to take them to Fremantle. A number of New Zealanders broke the trip and returned home. ' The Rodondo was commanded by * Captain Hill who had previously . served in Captain W. R. Williams's steamers, trading out of Wellington and was captain of the s.s. Koranui { ' when * that well-known trader was wrecked at the French. Pass on a voyage from Wellington to Nelson. -■•Amongst the survivors of the Rodondo was Mr. J. G. Fa]der, of J. . H. Bethune and Co.'s staff; Mr. T. - W."* Twist,- of Plimmerton; and Mr. : Mott'Welch, formerly of Taita but now of Masterton. Amongst the passengers was a Petone syndicate of goldseekers headed by the late Mr. A. Fraser. a well-known Petone builder.