Leaves from a Diary

22 September 1939 & 13 October 1939

The first schooner that I can recollect on the coast was called the “Speculator.” She was built by Daddy Wenn and McCourt some years before I knew her, and went on the bar at the mouth of the estuary one night in February 1864 and was freed at high tide a couple of days after. No damage was done. McCourt got out of temper with Wenn over it and they came to blows. McCourt knocked Wenn down with a piece of wood but did not do much harm. They then split up and Wenn worked her on his own a while. Mr. R H. Rose and a Mr. Piggott had a flat-bottomed boat that they used to bring potatoes and timber down from Parkfield field at the head of the estuary Mr. David Hay bought her and used her in 1872 to take timber off to the Midass that was wrecked when loaded on March 10, 1872 in the big blow. A whaler, the "Canton," left the day before so was out of danger. Later on Mr. Stevens and Mr Moore got the deck planking off the "Midas" and Mr. Gibbs built a boat called "Our First," out of the planking.

A vessel called the "James Hanell '' took the timber out of the wreck and took it to New Zealand. There was a lot of damage done in the town when the "Midas" went ashore and a very high tide. Nearly all the place was flooded. A Mr. W. Reid and Mr. A. Steward had a boat built and called the "Belle of Bunbury." Mr. Gibbs and sons built her on the north side of the river. She was about 35 tons and they ran her for a long while on the coast. Mr. Moore had a lighter built called the "Star of the South," about 15 tons, and Charles Berry and Chas. Westerbury ran her for him for a long time. Years afterwards she was wrecked in the mouth of the estuary when owned by Mr Mr. Jas. Hough of Collie Bridge. There were quite a lot of cutters and schooners on the coast at different times. Cross's "Wild Wave '' was first a cutter rigged but later he put another mast in and made her a fore and aft schooner. About the year 1878 a boat called the "lone'' came in and was just off the Nor-West of the wharf. While her crew were ashore a blow came up and she was driven through the wharf and a man jumped on her as she went through and managed to get her other anchor down so she did not go ashore. Her crew went off the next morning and managed to get the other two to go ashore for a drink and so got the boat back without any trouble. I do not know what the other men got as salvage but I do not think that it was very much. They might have got a bottle or two of rum. 

In 1879 a barque called the Bengall'' (Capt. Hommell was part owner) dragged her anchor and nearly went ashore but the wind went down all of a sudden and her small anchor held her. W. Reid and a crew of four men went to her but the captain would not have anything to do with them. They took it to the Supreme Court in Perth and got a few pounds salvage when they seized the vessel. Mr. Moore was the agent, also the bailiff, so he put Mr. Edward Henry Withers on board and he was there till the case was finished nearly three weeks later, so he got as much or more than the salvage men got, as he got wages and all found while on board. There have been a good few wrecks or the north beach in times gone by. The remains of the "Carbert Castle" still lie on the beach. She went ashore in 1897.

In the early seventies and eighties there was a town herd of cows belonging to the several hotels and other people. A man, Jimmie the Fake, used to take them out past the racecourse and mind them through day and deliver them for the milking in the afternoon. The people paid him 1/ per cow a week and had to pay the council 2/-6 per year per cow at certain times of the year. There used to be up to 35 head. The old fellow used to cut wood while he was out and Daniel North and John Berry used to cart the wood and sell it in the town at about 7/6 a cord; at times it would go as high as 10/61 per cord. They would have to pay Jimmie 3/ per cord and he paid 2/6 per month for the right to cut it on the commonage. Other men used also to cut wood and sell it by the cord and the buyer had to pay cartage.

A good axeman could cut three cord a day. Of course, they were not eight hour days, but nearer twelve. There were several men who had bullock teams and carted the wood, lime and other odd cartage. Most of the streets of the town were made by the convicts from the depot in charge of a warder; they also quarried the stone at different places. After the town council was appointed things were done by contract. For years then the council took on the work themselves, and thus have continued up to date to do so.

People have built in all sorts of places of late years and the council has been pretty well at its wits' end to get roads and footpath, water and light to the different suburbs. Now, lately, they are having a lot of trouble with the drainage as lots of the old drains have been filled up. The Lagoon, where the railway station stands, used to be all mud and water that rose and fell with the tides; but I suppose that it will overcome all these things in due time.