The Risks of Maritime Work
The nature of maritime work has changed considerably over the last 150 years, but the work of seafarers and waterside workers has inherent risks. These risks were arguably most profoundly felt during the Second World War, with the significant loss of lives amongst merchant mariners. S.S. Allara was one of many merchant ships that came under attack during the Second World War. She was transporting a cargo of sugar from Cairns to Newcastle on 23 July 1942, when in the early hours of the morning, she was hit by a Japanese torpedo. The impact destroyed most of the stern and propeller. Five men were killed and eight injured. It was eighteen long hours before the injured received any medical assistance. This led to the Seamen’s Union advocating for improvements to medical aid for merchant seaman.
An earlier maritime disaster was the loss of S.S. Koombana in 1912. S.S. Koombana was built in Glasgow in 1908 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was purpose-built for service in Australia’s north-west and was operated by the Adelaide Steamship Company as a passenger and cargo service. It was appointed with the finest luxuries of the time, including mahogany and velvet seating and electric fans.
On 20 March 1912 at 10.30am the Koombana set out from Port Hedland to make the journey to Broome with approximately eighty passengers and seventy-four crew on board. It was last seen at 12.30pm that day. Among the passengers were seven women including Louise Sack, a mother of nine and manager of the Port Hotel at Derby, returning from Perth after visiting her daughter and newborn twin granddaughters. Twenty-two shearers were also on the fateful voyage, all en route to work at Liveringa Station. Ten of the passengers had links to the pearling industry, including the affluent Broome-based pearl trader Abraham de Vahl Davis.
On this voyage, S.S. Koombana was accompanied SS Bullarra. Several hours into the voyage the ships encountered damaging gales and became separated. The Bullarra managed to limp back to port, reporting that a tropical cyclone had passed directly overhead. The Koombana was never seen again.
When the Koombana failed to arrive in Broome, search ships began scouring the area but failed to locate the Koombana. On 2nd April 1912 some wreckage was located approximately 46km north of Bedout Island and approximately 100km offshore, but despite subsequent searches, and the recovery of a small number of doors, planks and air tanks, the wreckage of the Koombana has never been located.
A later loss that was profoundly felt by seafarers and the Seamen’s Union was the loss of M.V. Noongah. On 25 August 1969 the MV Noongah was en route from Newcastle to Townsville. Around midnight, crew members noticed the ship had developed a list, which dramatically worsened over the next few hours.
At 4.23am a mayday call was transmitted. Within 15 minutes the crew were ordered to abandon ship. Engineer Jay Lingard recounts that around 4.30am he felt the ship shudder. He managed to run only a couple of yards before the ship quickly sank. Lingard was pinned to a stay and went down with the ship. When he eventually surfaced, he could see some survivors bobbing in the water and could hear men calling to each other. Lingard, and some of his crewmates, clung to passing flotsam to await daylight and hopefully rescue.
Lingard reported seeing a rescue plane that morning but it missed him and his mates, Ken McIntyre and Russell Henderson. McIntyre heard Chief Cook Thomas Ford call for help. He swam to him and dragged him to the plank the men were clinging to, but in huge seas and hail, he could not hold on and drifted away, the men unable to reach him.
A 4-day search effort by the MV Meringa and other merchant vessels, RAN ships Vendetta and Hobart, RAAF Hercules aircraft, Japanese tanker Koyo Maru and a number of civilian ships resulted in the rescue of 5 men and the recovery of 1 body. 21 of the crew, including veteran seafarers and a 16 year old seamen on his first ship, were lost.
Memorial services were held by all seven sea-going unions in all major ports and on all Australian vessels. The Noongah Disaster Committee was formed in 1969, establishing a disaster fund to assist families. Della Elliott, wife of SUA Secretary E.V. Elliott, largely managed the fund for 23 years, ensuring that some funds were used to pay for the education of the many children who had lost their fathers.
