On Saturday November 18, archaeologists Greg Jackson and Pam Forbes will be speaking at Sutherland Shire Historical Society's monthly meeting on 'The Melancholy Wreck of the Dunbar'.
On a stormy night in 1857, the sailing ship Dunbar was thrown by the raging seas against the sheer sandstone cliffs of South Head. The ship and her passengers, immigrants and well-to-do colonists returning to Sydney, were destroyed except for one survivor.
The devastating wreck on Sydney's doorstep drew horrified crowds to South Head and the subsequent funeral procession. Accounts, poems and paintings proliferated, and memorabilia made from the ship's timbers appeared. This appalling disaster left a lingering scar on the emerging colony: an annual Dunbar service continues to this day.
The Australian National Maritime Museum holds a significant collection of artefacts from the wreck. Other relics remaining on the seabed have been surveyed and monitored with the aid of the museum's maritime archaeology program.
Learn about the wreck from two experts who volunteer at the ANMM. Find out about its lasting impact and how you can help preserve memories of this terrible event.
All are welcome to attend this meeting to be held at 1.30 on Saturday 18 November 2023. Sutherland Shire Historical Society meets at Stapleton Centre, 3A Stapleton Avenue Sutherland - just a short walk from Sutherland station. Make sure you reserve your place by registering at shirehistory@gmail.com.
