Derry Castle (barque)
Encyclopedia
The Derry Castle was a 1367 ton iron barque
built at Glasgow in 1883, and initially operating out of Limerick, Ireland. In 1887 while voyaging from Australia to the United Kingdom with a cargo of wheat, it foundered off Enderby Island, in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands
, on a reef which now bears its name.
On 20 March 1887, the Derry Castle, ran aground off of Enderby Island, nine days into its journey en route from Geelong, Victoria
to Falmouth, Cornwall
. Manned by a crew of twenty-three, it carried one passenger and a cargo of wheat. At the time, the Derry Castle was registered out of Boston, Massachusetts and owned by P. Richardson & Co. It was under the command of Captain J. Goffe.
After foundering, eight of the 23 crew made it ashore. At that time the New Zealand
government maintained a number of castaway depot
s on their subantarctic islands
equipped with emergency supplies. Unfortunately, the depot at Sandy Bay on Enderby Island had been looted of all but a bottle of salt. The castaways constructed crude shelters and subsisted on shellfish and a small quantity of wheat recovered from the wreck.
On a cliff overlooking the water, they buried the bodies of their fellow crew members that had washed ashore. The grave was marked with the ship's figurehead.
After 92 days they discovered an axe head in the sand and were able to build a boat from the wreckage. Two men navigated the boat to nearby Erebus Cove, Port Ross on Auckland Island
, where they obtained supplies from the government depot there. The group lived at Port Ross until rescued by the 45 ton steamer Awarua on 19 July. The Awarua arrived in Hobson's Bay, Victoria on the September 21, 1887, returning from an illegal sealing expedition in the Auckland Islands.
192 days after leaving Geelong, the Derry Castle had been officially posted as missing by Lloyd's of London
.
The Derry Castle grave site was maintained for many years by the New Zealand government until it sank into the ground. However, during World War II
, the figurehead was resurrected by those stationed on the islands. The figurehead can now be viewed (along with other items from the wreck) at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. In its place, a tombstone now marks the site of the sailors' graves. The make-shift punt was used as a grave headstone for a while before being removed to the Southland Museum
, where it is on display.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
built at Glasgow in 1883, and initially operating out of Limerick, Ireland. In 1887 while voyaging from Australia to the United Kingdom with a cargo of wheat, it foundered off Enderby Island, in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands
Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands are an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, Ewing Island, Rose Island, Dundas Island and Green Island, with a combined area of...
, on a reef which now bears its name.
Shipwreck
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
to Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
. Manned by a crew of twenty-three, it carried one passenger and a cargo of wheat. At the time, the Derry Castle was registered out of Boston, Massachusetts and owned by P. Richardson & Co. It was under the command of Captain J. Goffe.
After foundering, eight of the 23 crew made it ashore. At that time the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
government maintained a number of castaway depot
Castaway depot
A castaway depot is a store or hut placed on an isolated island to provide emergency supplies and relief for castaways and victims of shipwrecks...
s on their subantarctic islands
New Zealand sub-antarctic islands
The five southernmost groups of the New Zealand Outlying Islands form the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands. These islands are collectively designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site....
equipped with emergency supplies. Unfortunately, the depot at Sandy Bay on Enderby Island had been looted of all but a bottle of salt. The castaways constructed crude shelters and subsisted on shellfish and a small quantity of wheat recovered from the wreck.
On a cliff overlooking the water, they buried the bodies of their fellow crew members that had washed ashore. The grave was marked with the ship's figurehead.
After 92 days they discovered an axe head in the sand and were able to build a boat from the wreckage. Two men navigated the boat to nearby Erebus Cove, Port Ross on Auckland Island
Auckland Island
Auckland Island is the main island of the Auckland Islands, an uninhabited archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean belonging to New Zealand. It is inscribed in the together with the other subantarctic New Zealand islands in the region as follows: 877-004 Auckland Isls, New Zealand S50.29 E165.52...
, where they obtained supplies from the government depot there. The group lived at Port Ross until rescued by the 45 ton steamer Awarua on 19 July. The Awarua arrived in Hobson's Bay, Victoria on the September 21, 1887, returning from an illegal sealing expedition in the Auckland Islands.
192 days after leaving Geelong, the Derry Castle had been officially posted as missing by Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
.
The Derry Castle grave site was maintained for many years by the New Zealand government until it sank into the ground. However, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the figurehead was resurrected by those stationed on the islands. The figurehead can now be viewed (along with other items from the wreck) at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. In its place, a tombstone now marks the site of the sailors' graves. The make-shift punt was used as a grave headstone for a while before being removed to the Southland Museum
Southland museum and art gallery
The Southland Museum and Art Gallery is located in Gala Street, Invercargill, New Zealand. It is Southland's largest cultural and heritage institution, and contains a wide variety of the region's art, history and natural history collections.-Observatory:...
, where it is on display.
External links
- Derry Castle details, New Zealand Bound site
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa topic file
- Images relating to Derry Castle from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Timaru Herald report 1888
- Derry Castle Reef: site of the wreck
- Derry Castle lifesaving buoy
- Photograph of punt, Te Ara Encyclopaedia