shipdisasters

A recent photo of the Dunbar memorial in Camperdown Cemetery, Sydney from john cowper:

Andy Brill Cheers thanks Andy & John! Great find :)

On the night of August 20 1857 during stormy conditions, the Dunbar slammed into the cliffs between The Gap and Macquarie Lighthouse. Sergeant Healey who was stationed in Sydney at the time, was sent to the scene of the disaster with 12 other policemen in his charge to police the site. While patrolling the cliff above the scene, two boys ran up to Sergeant Healey and said "Master, we saw a blue shirt shaking at the bottom of the rocks!". Healey immediately went to see for himself, but was unable to see any such distress signal. Healey then recruited two foreigners who were passing at the time, who assisted him by holding his legs as he stretched out further over the cliff, and after about 10 minutes was able to see the blue shirt waving. Healey immediately sent for a rope from the Pilot Station. The Pilot himself brought the rope which was lowered with a bag of sand attached, down to the survivor James Johnson. Johnson was then promptly hauled up to the cliff top. Sergeant Healey was the first to talk to Johnson and asked him if there was anyone else alive down there. Johnson replied that "I think I heard the boatswain on the next ledge to me last night." Healey then took Johnson to the public house, gave him a stimulant, and put him to bed. Mr. Thornton (then Mayor of Sydney) took Johnson's statement and Healey returned to the cliff top where the young lad Wollier had volunteered to be lowered down to look (unsuccessfully) for the boatswain. Sergeant Healey then took up a collection in his hat for the 'brave and venturesome lad'. When this collection amounted to around 10 pounds, Healey handed over the collection to Mr Thornton who had come back from attending Johnson, and Healey then went back to attend Johnson and stayed with him through the night. The next morning Captain McLerie, the Inspector-General of Police, came by Steamer from Sydney and took Johnson, Healey and others back to the city. On arrival they went to Kellet House, Darlinghurst, the residence of the Colonial Secretary Mr. S.A. Donaldson and after a conversation it was decided that Johnson would stay at Sergeant Healey's own residence. Healey supplied Johnson with a suit of his own clothes and he stayed with Healey and his family for 6 weeks while he assisted with inquiries and identification of the remains of the 121 people who lost their lives that night. As the sole survivor, Johnson became somewhat of a celebrity, and soon gained an appointment on a custom-house boat and proceeded to the Port Curtis gold rush near Rockhamption. Sergeant Healey was also sent to this gold rush around this time. Healey and Johnson remained friends and according to oral family history, Johnson was a frequent visitor to the Healey family home. This is my condensed version of the story straight from John Healey (The Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser (NSW : 1863 - 1947), Friday 9 September 1887, page 2) on the 30th anniversary of the event. John Healey was my 2nd great grandfather.

Wow!!!

Timmy Harms He's a pretty tough looking customer...

great shot