Waratah 27 July 1909: In Remembrance

Waratah’s ghost has been quietly waiting at C Shed, Durban to pass once more along her misty sea-way. Perhaps Peter Ilbery has been watching over her ...

On the 27^th July 1909, at 7.30 pm, the SS Harlow was steaming north-east for Durban under the command of Captain John Bruce, when he saw a large steamer coming up astern of his ship at about 10 miles away when off Cape Hermes. At that time, flashes of light were seen astern and suddenly the steamer’s lights were no longer visible.  Might this have been the Waratah on her way back to Durban, having come about due to the bad weather? Had she broached in the large swells and the flashes caused by the ship rolling and the boiler fires exploding out of the funnel? However, if this was not the case, the Waratah might still have been heading for Cape Town.

The Waratah was lost at sea with all hands!

All over the world, debate and argument, theories and a search for proof has persisted for the past 109 years to understand and locate the SS Waratah, but no substantiation of what really happened that fateful night has emerged.

On her final port departure from Durban Harbour on Monday 26^th July at 8.00 pm, she turned south past the Durban Bluff, headed for Cape Town. Captain Ilbery and his crew knew a heavy southerly storm was blowing up from the Cape and they would soon be confronted by enormous seas. This stretch of the South African coastline was notorious and treacherous, because it took ships close to the Continental Shelf, which generated gigantic swells, especially with strong winds opposing the south-running coastal current.

The Waratah had not been well-received by many passengers on the earlier Adelaide to Durban run, when moderate seas manifested her top-heavy promenade deck design being the cause of her insecure righting motion and large cracks opening up between the structural joints on the superstructure. Would Captain Ilbery and his more senior officers have felt apprehensive in anticipation of this wild storm ahead of them?

As they progressively headed into stronger winds, at around 6.30am on 27^th July the following morning, Waratah‘s last communication from Latitude 31.36 degrees South and Longitude 29.58 degrees East, positioned her due East of Cape Hermes near Port St. Johns, where abnormal waves are at their worst. Had she later tried to come about and broached, or had she continued a further 100 kilometers down the coast to a position due east of the Mbhashe (Bashee) River mouth?

[https://molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-waratah-storm-27-july-1909.html

The Waratah Storm by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson]

Lost on the Waratah:

 

Passengers Ada (nee Dawes) and Ernest Page: The young Ada (Dawes) Page, whose parents were caretakers of the Treasury Buildings in Spring Street, Melbourne, was travelling with her husband Ernest Page, ‘Master of Mesmer’s Mysterious Art’ (hypnotist). 

Acknowledgement: photos of the Page couple - Bev Morling

Peter Ilbery: Waratah connection lost

We are now the poorer for the passing of Peter, who had a unique and strong connection to one of the greatest sea mysteries of all time; the 108-year-old maritime intrigue surrounding the loss of the passenger steamer, SS Waratah, off the South African coast in 1909.  Commodore of the Blue Anchor Line and commanding the ship was Captain Josiah Edward Ilbery, described by Peter as a highly skilled mariner with an excellent reputation and a lovable man whom he referred to as Cousin Joe.

Peter possessed the only authentic photograph of Captain Josiah Ilbery, as well as the original sketch map detailing the associated ships and coastline sailed by the ill-fated ship. This intriguing relationship established his lifelong interest in the disappearance of the ship and the many attempts to establish her exact resting place.

Peter served in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII as a bomber pilot and was fortunate to fly many missions and come back each time.  That fortune was not lost to his fallen colleagues or us and he wrote two books detailing the activities of those Beaufighters and their crews of the Empire Air Training Scheme.   He was also instrumental in organizing memorials to his colleagues lost from the Wagga flight schools and Australian Beaufighters in the UK.

Post-war, his academic strengths led to a medical degree and with an interest in nuclear radiation effects, became a specialist in researching, instituting changes and lecturing on the effects of radiation.  

Peter was held in very high regard for his pioneering work leading to significant changes in radiation therapy, becoming a sought-after practitioner for advice and holding numerous top roles in Hospitals and Organisations related to radiation medicine.

For those of us who had the pleasure to spend some time in the company of Peter and Marianne, we will hold his memory dear and fondly recall his dry wit, sharp mind, upright carriage, gentlemanly manner and for someone who achieved so much in the field of nuclear medicine, his humility.

During our lives, some unique people come into our sphere for but a few hours, yet, their presence and charisma permanently remains.  Years later, there is still that clear recollection in what they achieved, who they were and what they stood for.

So it is for Peter.

To Marianne and the families, our thoughts are with you.

Guest post by Suzanne Jo-Leff Patterson who also provided the photograph of Peter.