Laughing Wave Shipwreck
The ship Laughing Wave was an early colonial ship built in Western Australia (reference). The ship is a representation of Bunbury's dependency on the shipping trade (reference). The vessel was constructed and registered in Fremantle in 1868 by William Jackson at South Beach, Fremantle and owned by John and Walter Bateman, prominent Fremantle merchants (reference). Other owners included William Douglas, M. J. Davis, F. W. Hankinson and F. Kopler (reference).
The Laughing Wave was launched at noon on Saturday 21 March 1868 at South Beach, Fremantle with a crowd of spectators watching (reference). The launch was not completed until Monday due to a slight impediment. Miss Samson officiated as sponsor to the schooner (reference).
"The Laughing Wave; may you laugh at every wave, steer clear of reefs, rocks, and shoals, and prosper whiter you may go. May God speed the Laughing Wave (reference)."
The Laughing Wave had been damaged before it sank at Bunbury (reference). It was blown ashore twice, once at Woodman Point in March 1872 and at South Beach Fremantle in June 1896 (reference; reference). In March 1889, it was damaged when a storm drove it against the Fremantle Jetty (reference).
The Laughing Wave made its last journey on 27 August 1903 from Fremantle to Bunbury, carrying ten malt tanks for the local brewery, spirits, kerosene and 20 tons of general cargo (reference). Upon arrival in Bunbury, the weather turned bad, with the wind pushing the Laughing Wave against the shipwreck Solglyt, which caused damage to the rudder (reference). Two days later, a heavy swell caused the ship to hit the Bunbury Jetty and caused more damage, letting in more water than the pumps could handle (reference). At 8 am the Laughing Wave saw the surface for the last time, sinking to the bottom on Koombana Bay with only the rigging above sea level (reference). Divers were sent to salvage the cargo, which was relatively undamaged (reference). The wreck remains are buried east of the end of the causeway and wooden jetty (reference).
"Disastrous effects have long been predicted as the result of the unprotected state of the jetty and the climax has at last arrived in the foundering of the schooner Laughing Wave, which occurred early this morning. The schooner arrived from Fremantle on Thursday and was placed in the south berth. During the heavy weather which prevailed that night, she parted with her port cable, drifting on to the Solglyt wreck, she lost her rudder. She was brought back to her berth again; and the whole of yesterday she appeared to be fairly snug. Last night, however; she bumped heavily against the jetty, and, about 3 o'clock this morning, it was found that she was leaking badly. All hands were called to man the pumps, but, notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts made to keep the water under, she was seen to be rapidly foundering. About 6 o'clock the steam pump of the tug Dunksey was called into requisition, but any assistance which might otherwise have been rendered from this source was by that time too late, as she had then completely foundered, and was resting on a rough rocky bottom. The actual amount of the damage to the vessel is as yet unknown, seeing that she is almost completely under water, but it is supposed that in bumping against the jetty she sprung her butts.
All was excitement on the jetty this morning. A large crowd of spectators stood watching the operations of the men on board who were working like Trojans to relieve the vessel of weight hoisting out large tanks of malt and other heavy substances. The work was of anything but a pleasant nature, some of the men being over their waists in water. The vessel rolled heavily all the time, it was not an easy matter for them to retain a foothold; in fact; one man received a couple of immersions through losing his balance and falling over the side.
The Laughing Wave is a very old wooden schooner, and was brought here for the purpose of loading timber for Geraldton. As a consequence of the rough state of the rock on which she is resting, it is doubtful whether it will be possible to raise her; successfully, as there is a danger of the bottom of the vessel being too seriously damaged (reference)."
In February 2000, a team of experienced divers surveyed the seafloor near the Jetty, looking for traces of the Laughing Wave. Low visibility hindered their task (reference).