The Mahogany Ship is one of Australia's greatest mysteries.
There are three sites between the Australian towns of
Warrnambool and Port Fairy that could be worthy of archaeological investigation.
This article links to a video about my Site 1 and explains my Sites 2 and 3 in detail. I
have put dates of activities at Site 2 in bold so that they can be found
easily.
In
my opinion "The Mahogany Ship" is a popular collective title for
several shipwrecks stranded inland in the Warrnambool hummocks that were observed in
the nineteenth century. Witnesses didn't report that they were constructed of
mahogany, but several mentioned the colour of mahogany. The Mahogany Ship is
therefore probably not merely one shipwreck, but several shipwrecks that were
stranded inland, and they were unlikely to have been built of mahogany. However
I am not suggesting that the term "The Mahogany Ship" should be
abandoned.
Reading academically reputable books about the Mahogany Ship makes it clear that there were probably at least three inland shipwrecks in the 11 kilometre wide hummocks area. All were covered by windblown sand and lost by the late nineteenth century.
Site 1 is in the hummocks (sand dunes) halfway between
Gormans Lane and The Cutting (an inlet from the sea to an inland lake). My
reasoning is explained in a documentary video on YouTube called Quest for the Mahogany Ship. Please click on the link or if that doesn't work, copy and paste it.
The YouTube link for Quest
for the Mahogany Ship is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_FOkhnL4Go&t=634s
The
coordinates at the centre of the site are: 38°20’58”S, 142°21’38”E. To find the
site on Google Earth, copy and paste the coordinates without a full stop at the
end in the search bar. Please note: Use Google Earth – not Google Maps.
Site 2
is in the hummocks one kilometre (.62 of a mile) east of The Cutting. There is a very short video on YouTube showing this. It has the uninspiring title of Shape! Please click on the link or if that doesn't work, copy and paste it. The link to this video is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tplpFsnR6RI
Site 2 is explained further down the page.
Site 3 is in the hummocks one nearly two kilometres east of The Cutting. It includes a feature that could resemble a sand covered wall. Site 3 is explained at the end of this article.
Site 1 - Referencing for the Quest for the Mahogany Ship video on YouTube
The time of the start of each section of the Quest for the Mahogany Ship video is given in minutes and seconds.
4:07. John Mason
1876 spoken by Daryl Francis:
John Mason speaking: Riding along the beach from Port Fairy
to Warrnambool in the summer of 1846, my attention was attracted to the hull of
a vessel embedded high and dry in the hummocks, far above the reach of any
tide. The hull was full of drift sand. The timber of which she was built had
the appearance of cedar or mahogany. The wreck lies about midway between Port
Fairy and Warrnambool, and is probably by this time entirely covered with drift
sand.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 11). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Letter from
John Mason to a leading Melbourne newspaper, The Argus, in 1876.
6:08. Alexander
Rollo spoken by James Simpson (stage name James Jackson):
Alexander Rollo speaking: In the years 1854 and 1855, when
residing at South Warrnambool, I and others were in the habit of walking along
the Port Fairy beach. I remember a wreck that was lying far above high water
mark. Her stern pointed towards Port Fairy and only her timbers were standing
about three or four feet above the sand, surrounded with vegetation. From the
position and appearance of the wreck, I am perfectly sure, she came ashore
before the district was inhabited by white people. She could not be seen from
the water's edge, being high up in the hummocks.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 21). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Letter from Alexander
Rollo to the Warrnambool newspaper, The Warrnambool Standard, in 1890.
7:10. Alexander
Rollo spoken by James Simpson (stage name James Jackson):
Alexander Rollo speaking: The wreck was between two hummocks a
quarter of a mile east of Gorman’s Lane and 4 chains north from the sea.
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 21). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Archibald’s Notes
Relating to the Ancient Wreck at Warrnambool, Mitchell Library,
Sydney.
13:14. Alexander
Rollo spoken by James Simpson (stage name James Jackson):
Alexander Rollo speaking: She could not be seen from the water’s
edge, being high up in the hummocks.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 21). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Letter from Alexander
Rollo to the Warrnambool newspaper, The Warrnambool Standard, in 1890.
13:42. Alexander
Rollo spoken by James Simpson (stage name James Jackson):
Alexander Rollo speaking: It was opposite Helen Rock.
I altered the wording slightly for simplicity, but not the
meaning.
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 21). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Archibald’s Notes
Relative to the Ancient Wreck at Warrnambool, Mitchell Library, Sydney.
A1701.
16:40. James Rock
spoken by Andrew Simpson:
James Rock speaking: There was a channel cut through the
hummocks by Mr Rutledge to drain a large area of swamp considerably east of
Gorman’s Lane. The wreck lies about halfway between Gorman’s Lane and this
channel; but, if anything, nearer the channel than Gorman’s Lane.
I have altered the wording slightly for simplicity, but not the
meaning.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 43). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
McDowell,
James. Letter to George G McCrae, 21 January 1910. Flagstaff Hill collection.
17:47. Mrs Dickie
spoken by Peg McGinley:
Mrs Dickie speaking: The Mahogany Ship was very close to the
end of Gorman’s Lane, a little to the east. A large spar or mast was visible,
sticking up out of the sand.
Reference:
Henry, Jim.
Alternative Locations for the Wreck of the Mahogany Ship. In The Mahogany
Ship: Relic or Legend? The Mahogany Ship Committee and Warrnambool
Institute Press, (p.91). ISBN 0 949759 09 0
Primary
source:
Jim Henry,
Warrnambool historian interviewed Mrs Dickie, aged 84, in 1980.
18:21. Mrs Smith spoken by Roslyn Cooke:
Mrs Smith speaking: It had not been seen for some years, but at
the picnic somebody saw the ship, and most of the people went over to it. It
was a short walk from the end of Gorman’s Lane. Mother told us the timbers were
very solid and smooth, and polished (she supposed) with the drift sand. The
ship was well in the sand hills. It was seen a year or two later but only the
top timbers, then it disappeared and has never been seen since.
Reference:
Henry, Jim.
Alternative Locations for the Wreck of the Mahogany Ship. In The Mahogany
Ship: Relic or Legend? The Mahogany Ship Committee and Warrnambool
Institute Press, (p.91). ISBN 0 949759 09 0
Primary
source:
Jim Henry,
Warrnambool historian, received the information in a letter from Mrs Smith,
aged 84, in 1980.
19:42. Pat Madden spoken by James Simpson (stage name James Jackson) at
Pat Maddon Speaking: East of the
lane, up near the cutting’. My father-in-law had a cow that calved ‘over that
way’, and when he went looking, the calf could not be found. The old cow had
hidden it in the tussocks. He started to drive the cow home, thinking that she
would break back to the calf, but she did not. He met up with another local
resident, Doherty, and asked him to look for the calf, which was soon found.
The calf was tied to the wreck until it could be brought to the farm.
I have altered the wording slightly for simplicity, but not the
meaning.
Reference:
Henry, Jim.
Alternative Locations for the Wreck of the Mahogany Ship. In The Mahogany
Ship: Relic or Legend? The Mahogany Ship Committee and Warrnambool
Institute Press, (p.91). ISBN 0 949759 09 0
Primary
source:
Anecdotal
evidence.
Discovery
of Site 2
I discovered Site 2 on 18-01-09. I was
accompanied by my son James. I was immediately struck by the obvious symmetry
of the large complex of sand and grass covered shapes looming above ground
level. They are unlikely to have been created by nature. This was reinforced by
further investigation.
On 19-01-09 I returned with my camera and
made the video.
Aerial
archaeology using Google Earth
For this purpose I don't use Google Maps which is for
finding streets. It is much better to use the Google Earth program – free
online.
The ghostly outline of the structure can be seen on
Google Earth:
I have drawn yellow lines for clarification.
It is not the familiar shape of a ship, but
it is symmetrical. The image is quite typical of traces of buried structures
found by this method. See the many articles about aerial archaeology online.
Aerial archaeology is not to be confused with mere aerial photography which is
taking photos from the air of objects that are completely recognisable at
ground level, such as buildings or archaeological sites that have already been
excavated.
The centre of the object, according to Google
Earth, is at 38°21'05" S, 142°22'48" E.
Once found, click on View/Historical Imagery
and slide the pointer to the extreme left. This gives an image made in 2004. (Added on 6-10-25: This is no longer so as Google Earth has updated. The image above is my screenshot of the original.)
Drought
and aerial imagery
I have now realised why it may be that the
older aerial images of both sites show the outlines of the buried objects more
clearly. Much more vegetation covers the sites now than in 2004. Certainly,
comparing my 2009 movies with my 2015 movies taken at identical places makes it
very clear that there is a much thicker covering of vegetation in 2015.
It says: "By 1995 the drought had spread
to many parts of Australia and by 2003 was recognised as the worst on
record."
In my opinion the 2004 images on Google Earth
show more sand and therefore the outlines of what might be concealed beneath;
and the more recent images show the vegetation that has grown since and covered
the sand.
I am not dismayed that the more recent images
don’t show the outlines and that the older images do. Different conditions,
lighting and methods of photography can give quite contrasting results.
Matching
of the shapes with the Google Earth outline
I visited it again on 30-10-14 with an
associate. The object was to ascertain whether the outline that can be seen on
Google Earth does in fact match the striking geometrical shapes that can be
seen on the landscape. We used three different GPS devices – all of which gave
similar results. We found that the shapes are indeed in the same place as the
Google Earth outline.
Investigation
of geometrical alignment
The associate and I returned on 1-11-14 to
investigate whether the northern and southern sections are in geometric
alignment and therefore might be two parts of one object. It is difficult to
judge from the side (where the video was shot) because a hummock seems to have
formed over the centre of the object. However standing on the hummock makes it
possible to view the two visible sections on either side. Their alignment
strongly suggests that they are sections of one large object.
I also took more photos and movies –
particularly of Tower Hill in the distance.
Measurement
of length
The associate and I visited it again on
15-4-15. Our aim was to measure the shapes – particularly to see whether the
length is 180 feet as on Google Earth. This was confirmed, although the
ruggedness of the terrain made measuring difficult. I do not claim that the
measuring exercise is necessarily perfectly accurate - given the wildly
undulating topography.
We returned on 16-4-15 to take more movie
clips and photos. I noticed something that had not been obvious before – that
there is in fact a symmetrical prow shape (covered in sand and vegetation)
where a prow appears to be lacking on the Google Earth outline. The
"prow" was measured as 20 feet long.
Therefore, as best as it is possible to
gauge, the shape is about 200 feet long if the hypothetical prow is included.
We did not measure the width due to the sheer difficulty of working there. But
measuring it on Google Earth, the width at the widest point is about 100 feet.
The vessel seems to be unexpectedly large –
but then fact has a way of being stranger than fiction!
Near the south end an irregular feature can
be seen within the structure. It gives the impression that a large mast has
fallen across the object on an angle. It can also be seen clearly on Google
Earth. However I am not prepared to claim that it is a buried mast without
proper evidence.
19th
Century anecdotal evidence – Mrs Manifold
Mrs Manifold's evidence about the Mahogany
Ship says (among other things) that it was "strangely designed and
constructed". This evidence is second hand and relayed through others.
Different versions of it appear in various books about the Mahogany Ship.
Reference:
Frizell, Helen.
(1985) Secrets of the Sands. In The Proceedings of the First Australian
Symposium on the Mahogany Ship. (p. 26). ISBN 0 9599121 9 3
Primary
source:
The
article originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, September 13, 1980.
19th
Century anecdotal evidence – Mr Mason
Mr Mason's evidence includes the information
that "her general appearance bespoke a very slight acquaintance of the
builder with marine architecture". Both of these witnesses therefore
claimed that the vessel they saw was not shaped like a normal ship.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 15). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Letter from
John Mason to T. H. Osborne, secretary of the Western Steam Navigation Company
at Warrnambool in 1890. Note that the same letter does not say where the
shipwreck was, although there was an accompanying map, now lost. The letter gives
the opinion that it would have been a small ship – but is vague on that point.
19th
Century anecdotal evidence – Captain Mills
It is compatible with the famous and often
repeated evidence of Captain Mills:
Well to
the eastward of Gorman's Lane. Proceed eastward along the beach till you bring
the point of land on which the old iron church stood in line with the highest
point of Tower Hill Island. The wreck would be almost in a straight line with
those objects, well in the hummocks.
The innocent sounding word "almost"
suddenly becomes crucial – it is in fact almost in a straight line with those
objects as my photos and movie clips show! A sighting that is truly in line
with those objects ends about three kilometres to the east – where it is much
more difficult to see them. It seems unlikely that Captain Mills intended one
to proceed along the beach that far! Please note that the Mills evidence is
second hand and relayed through a contemporary acquaintance. It is to be found
without variation in many books about the Mahogany Ship.
The site is therefore "almost in a straight line with those objects, well in the hummocks".
 |
Tower Hill from the site. The old iron church was just to the right of the peak. It is sometimes called "Tower Hill Island" because it is nearly surrounded by lakes - not because it is in the sea.
|
 |
The old iron church.
|
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 28). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Letter of
March 20, 1890 from James Lynar, Port Fairy Postmaster in the late nineteenth
century to Joseph Archibald. Lynar and Mills were acquaintances. 19th
Century anecdotal evidence – Mr Saul and his son
It is quite possibly compatible with the
Saul's fence evidence.
A letter
from Saul's son on 28th April 1909 states: I cannot give you the exact time,
but I think it must be 40 years ago, he erected a fence for the Warrnambool
Borough Council across the hummocks, about three-quarters of a mile east of
Gorman's Lane. When he came home after completing the contract he informed me
that he came across an old wreck high up in the hummocks, and I believe he said
it was to the eastward of the fence but I cannot say the exact distance. It was
within a half mile of the fence and nearly buried in the sand.
"About three-quarters of a mile"
plus "within half a mile" is about 1.25 miles or less. According to
the Google Earth ruler, the site is 1.28 miles east of Gormans Lane. The
vagueness of the evidence makes it possible that this could be the object that
Mr Saul saw – perhaps from a distance and without using an accurate method of
measurement. If it was "nearly buried in the sand" by about 1869,
whatever is left could be deeply buried by now.
Reference:
Powling,
J.W. (2023) The Mahogany Ship: A Survey of the Evidence. Osburne Group,
Warrnambool. (p. 29-31). ISBN 0-9592576-3-2
Primary
source:
Saul, W.
Letter to E. P. Cleverdon, April 28 1909. Flagstaff Hill collection.
The
Lieutenant Stanley Locality Plan of 1872
The site is in the same place as the black
cross on the Lieutenant Stanley Locality Plan of 1872 that appears in books
about the Mahogany Ship. It is a hand drawn map, so of course the details are
not absolutely precise. The map bears the inscription:
The Mahogany Ship
Locality Plan, enlarged from Lieutenant Stanley's
Admiralty Chart, 1872
Approximate position of wreck marked X
A line has been drawn from the highest point
of Tower Hill Island to the cross. The line almost transects the point of land
on which the old iron church stood. (I have altered the cross to make it larger
as it was rather lost in other features of the drawing when the size of the
picture was reduced.)
Conclusion
I believe that the symmetrical shapes above
ground level are likely to have built up over a human made object. Surely it
would be a seagoing vessel – although it is not the usual shape of a ship.
There is anecdotal evidence that people in the nineteenth century saw a
shipwreck of unfamiliar design in the Warrnambool hummocks.
In my opinion the site is worthy of
archaeological investigation. I cannot, of course, judge how much of the
original object might survive today. In my opinion (and in the opinions of my
supporters) action should be taken to prevent further deterioration.
RECENT
INVESTIGATIONS
October
25, 2016 – Ground-penetrating radar
A GPR company scanned the site, assisted by
some associates. The exercise was difficult to conduct due to the extreme
ruggedness of the territory. With such a large site, it was not possible to
scan in fine detail during one day. The equipment was dragged and pushed - with
difficulty - over the shapes. This was done in lines several metres apart.
There are no results for the northern section
due to technical issues.
Seventeen objects were detected under the
surface on or near the southern half at a shallow depth of about one to two
metres. Deeper investigation was not attempted.
It was not possible to understand the nature
of the objects.
I am very grateful to those who enabled this project - thanks so much.
February
15, 2017 – investigation with a two metre archaeology probe
The associate and I returned with a GPS device
and an archaeology probe to try to find the objects. I had entered the latitude
and longitude of each object into the GPS device. The device can then recreate
the position – but not always with perfect accuracy. We also had marking
stakes.
We were unable to find anything. The
exercise was not aided by the extremely rugged territory, unpredicted heat and
very strong winds. The probe got stuck in the hard sand with monotonous
regularity. I returned exhausted and overheated, and had to go to a local hotel
for a giant ice-cream sundae!
February
16, 2017 – more investigation with the archaeology probe
Weather conditions were not a problem. We
continued to try to find the objects but were unable to do so. At the end we
did find something that seemed to be wood rather than metal or rock nearly a metre below
the sand – but were too exhausted to dig by then. It was not at a coordinate
found by the GPR. It might only be compact sand.
March
16, 2017 – more investigation with the archaeology probe and an auger
The auger consists of half a dozen
extensions, each about 1½ metres long.
The associate and I went to the site
intending to drill some deep auger holes. But unfortunately, that was not to
eventuate. It was a very windy day, making negotiating the site more difficult
than usual. The sand was blowing to the extent that in some places it looked
like snow on the vegetation.
We spent a long time pushing the archaeology
probe into the ground, with the idea that if we couldn’t find something at two
metres, the work of putting in deep auger holes might be self-defeating.
Despite doing a lot of work with the two metre probe, nothing seemed to be
touched. This could be because any remains of an object would be deeper than
two metres. It seems that all we have found is very compact sand. As usual, the
probe kept getting stuck.
Eventually, unable to get any clues from the
probe, we decided to try the auger. It took some time to decide on a likely
place to start. The site is about 1,000 square metres.
Using the auger was tough going indeed as the
sand is very compact and the auger kept getting stuck all the time. Progress
was unexpectedly slow and we only managed to make one auger hole that was two
metres deep.
November 2 and 3, 2017 – Los Angeles movie studio scout and producer
A Los Angeles movie studio that makes documentaries about world mysteries is going to do an episode about the Mahogany Ship. I travelled to Warrnambool to show a scout and a producer the site. We had a very happy time!
November 12, 2017 – Los Angeles movie studio crew
The Los Angeles movie studio spent the day at the site filming. They were at Warrnambool during the week filming material connected with the Mahogany Ship. The documentary will be shown on American TV during 2018.
 |
| Some of the film crew assembling near the site. |
January 15 to 17, 2018 – investigation with auger
Two associates and I drilled with an auger in 7 places at the site. We drilled to depths of 2 to 4 metres. Unfortunately we were not able to strike anything solid.
In the
near future
We know, from the GPR equipment readings,
that the site is at least 12 metres above sea level, and somewhat higher than
that in some places. We also know that up to 15 metres of sand has blown onto
the Warrnambool hummocks since European settlement, because European snail shells have been found at that depth. We also know that plastic –
invented during the 20th century – has been found more than 3 metres below the sand
in the same vicinity as the site. It seems likely that any remains of a seagoing vessel would be
found at a much deeper level than three metres. We can conclude that investigation at
a deep level is now needed.
July 4, 2018 – deep ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
This was done by Jason Brewerton of GPR Imaging Solutions. Jason was assisted by me and an associate. He was
extremely competent and knowledgeable, and did a most thorough job! The data is
currently being processed and analysed.
 |
| Jason Brewerton at the site with the ground-penetrating radar equipment. |
 |
The west
arm. It disappears into a hummock. I find it difficult to believe that sand dunes
form at random in the shape of the symmetrical inner ribs of a sailing ship. However, I don’t want to indulge in conjecture without proof. |
 |
Standing on the same arm, taken
from the south
after the site became more overgrown with vegetation. |
 |
I find it difficult to believe
that such symmetry can occur naturally in sand dunes. It looks like symmetrical
objects with a large amount of sand built over them. The arm on the left is the
same arm as in the previous two photos.
|
 |
| The hummocks |
Site 3
In
1985, Jim Henry, Warrnambool historian (and mentor to me), was given
information that originated from Mr R. Scutcheon of the Victorian city of
Ballarat. This included a map. Between 1914 and 1920 Mr Scutcheon spent
holidays in Lynch’s Road, Warrnambool.
“He wrote: “On the hummocks
almost directly opposite the end of the road, about 2-3 chains [40-60 metres]
in from the sea, on the side of a dune stood two masts which I and others
climbed on.””
Using Google earth Historical
Imagery, there is an outline that resembles the prow of a ship 1.8 kilometres
opposite the end of Lynch’s Road, Warrnambool. The shape is 23 metres long and
12 metres wide. It is 50 metres from the beach. The shape is symmetrical and
could resemble the bow of a ship, as though the stern is too deeply buried to
cause an outline. At the site I have been unable to find ridges that represent
the outlines. As it is a 1.95 kilometre walk from The Cutting, I have been
unable to give it nearly as much attention as the other two sites.
However I have taken photos and videos, and it has been investigated with
GPR.
Copy and paste 38°21'17" S, 142°23'16" E into the Google
Earth search bar, then go to Search/View/Historical Imagery/adjust the slider
to 2/2007/then zoom in. The shape and the wall are then very easy to see.
Reference:
Henry, Jim. Alternative Locations
for the Wreck of the Mahogany Ship. In The Mahogany Ship: Relic or
Legend? The Mahogany Ship Committee and Warrnambool Institute Press,
(p.95). ISBN 0 949759 09 0
Primary source:
Letter and map from Mr R.
Scutcheon of Ballarat.
Wall at Site 3
Immediately next to this shape
and only 10 metres from it is an almost completely straight wall that is 200
feet long. It can be seen clearly on Google Earth and also at the site. Today
it is covered in vegetation. I have been unable to measure the height, but it
was taller than me and very easily recognisable. Might is be a sealer's wall? I
suggest this as there is a sealer’s wall on King Island (238 kilometres south
of Warrnambool) that resembles it. The Warrnambool wall is of course covered in
sand, and it is therefore impossible to know what it is constructed of
underneath the sand.
The centre of the "wall" is at 38°21'17" S, 142°23'17" E.
Articles and photos can be found online by typing in “Sealer's Wall on King
Island”.
Reference:
Bateson, C. (1973) Dire
Strait – A History of Bass Straight. A. H. & A. W Reed, Pty. Ltd.
Sydney. (p. 70 and 71 – photo and caption of the King Island Sealer’s Wall).
ISBN 0 589 07116 5
© 2017 Rob Simpson
rsaustr@yahoo.com.au
