13a["Arrival of the Bullarra", Broome Chronicle and Nor'West Advertiser (WA), Saturday 30 March 1912, page 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article260024788]

Arrival of the Bullarra.

Nothing to Report.

The Adelaide Company's steamer Bullarra was sighted about 2.30 yesterday afternoon, and came to an anchorage about 5, having first signalled the Lighthouse that she had no news. The Mayor (Mr. H. D. Norman, J.P.), Major Wood, R.M., and Mr. Archie Male (Streeter and Male, Ltd., agents for the missing ship), at once put off to the Bullarra in a dinghy to ascertain all possible details, and, as the R.M. as representing the Government had instructions to do everything necessary, to give Captain Upjohn further directions. The captain reported as follows:--"Went into Hedland on the 19th for 190 head of cattle, and left again next day, the Koombana leaving twenty minutes after. Before leaving the two skippers had a conversation over the weather conditions, which were dirty looking at the time, but it was decided to put out. The Bullarra steered a course to Balla Balla, where she had to pick up some passengers; the Koombana towards Broome. When about 22 miles from Balla struck very bad weather, after making all preparations for same. As the wind and the sea increased in fury bent a stockless anchor on 120 fathoms of chain and dropped this over the bow, and placed men f'rward with oil, which was allowed to drip, and this was very effective in breaking the seas. At midnight the funnel was carried away, and when the weather lulled steamed into Point Sampson and rigged a jury funnel, which answered very well. Left here on the 26th and steamed to Hedland and sent mails ashore with the Chief Officer, and was much surprised to hear that Hedland had suffered little from the gale. He having received full information and instructions as to the Koombana, proceeded to Little Turtle Island on the 27th, but found no trace of anything; spoke to some pearling boats, but they had seen nothing. At 9:30pm same night was off Bedout Island, and judged the position as 5 miles S.W. from island, and found the light there not burning. At 5.30 next morning found the island was bearing S.W 4 miles. Sent the Chief Officer ashore, who searched and found no trace of wreckage. After an examination of the lighthouse (which is an unattended light) the glass was found not to be encrusted, which showed that the island did not meet the full force of the gale. After leaving Bedout made a detour and zigzagged along the 90-mile Beach, always standing within nine miles of the shore in order to sight any wreckage on beach. Passed close to Patterson's shoals, saw nothing. Stood along towards Broome, passing Latouche Treville nine miles off. Picked up Cape Villaret, and stood out for Broome, which was reached about 5 p.m."

Captain Upjohn stated that he passed through the centre of the gale, and had a very bad time, the old 'Bull' behaving splendidly. About 45 head of cattle were lost. Late last night the vessel came alongside for water and to await orders from the Company. While at Port Hedland he learned of the loss of the ships Crown of England and Concordia at Balla Balla, as well as the loss of life.

AB notes:

This is interesting:

"Before leaving the two skippers had a conversation over the weather conditions,

which were dirty looking at the time, but it was decided to put out."

At the inquiry, Captain Upjohn denied any discussion with Tom Allen about whether to put to sea.

Captain Upjohn's comments regarding Bedout Island and the storm drew criticism:

"After an examination of the lighthouse (which is an unattended light) the glass was found not to be encrusted, which showed that the island did not meet the full force of the gale."

13b[Collins, W. E. (Algy), speech (untitled), Recollections of Koombana search, and discovery of wreckage in particular. Transcript: undated copy provided to the author by the late Malcolm Barker]

...but before I speak of the search I will mention a curious incident which puzzled me then and puzzles me now. We were in Singapore and one morning my Chinese boy - a stripling of 60 summers by the way - but all Chinese on ships are boys, told me that he had heard of a big blow on the North West Coast and that a steamer had gone down. I mentioned this to my Commander (Captain Townley) who said "There is often truth in these Chinamen's tales." He enquired from our agents whether they had any news of such a blow and I made similar enquiries from a friend in the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co. We got no confirmation of the Chinese boy's story from either source and new news of a big storm had been received from Singapore, so we dismissed the matter from our minds.

On our arrival in Batavia, Captain Townley said "What do you think of this, Collins?" and handed me a cable instruction to search for the "Koombana" which had disappeared on the very day that the Chinese boy had told me of the big storm and the lost steamer.

We left Batavia at full steam, and searched for days for the missing steamer. It was our melancholy fortune to come upon the only evidence of the "Koombana's" fate that was discovered at sea. This was a State Room Door, with the Adelaide Steamship's marks on it. The extraordinary thing about it was that the door was later identified as having come from an inside cabin. The lock and hinges had been burst, but whether by water pressure or human agency it was of course impossible to decide. I shall never forget the lowering of our boat to retrieve this solitary fragment of evidence. In striking contrast to the mental picture of a raging hell of wind and waves, the sea was like a sheet of glass, literally teeming with sharks and thousands of birds wheeled and screamed overhead. I believe that later some tanks from the "Koombana's" lifeboats were discovered on the beach near Pt Hedland. We made for Broome where we met the "Bullarra". After her battering she had taken part in the search, and a strange sight she was with a short smoke stack constructed of timber to replace the lost funnel. Other vessels engaged in the fruitless search were the "Mindaroo", "Moira" and "Una". The loss of this fine vessel was a very heavy blow to the Company and the State, and there were many sad hearts in Perth and Fremantle mourning the tragic end of relatives or friends.

Soon after the "Gorgon's" arrival in Fremantle I met Mr. Archie Lewis of the Adelaide Steamship Company who told me an interesting story. A day after the "Koombana" had left Pt. Hedland, a woman came into the Company's office and asked if a certain man was passenger on her. The passenger list was turned up and there was the name of the man mentioned entered as having booked at Fremantle for Derby. The woman explained that this man was her husband from whom she had been separated for years. She had had a vivid dream in which she had seen her husband struggling in the water. There was then no anxiety for the safety of the "Koombana" and Mr. Lewis assured the woman that she had no cause for alarm as the "Koombana" had left Pt. Hedland that morning and no untoward incident had been reported.

Concluding my talk I might mention the remarkable coincidence that twelve months to the day before the loss of the "Koombana" the Adelaide Steamship Company's Steamer "Yongala" dissapeared in a cyclone off the north coast of Queensland, and in each case the disastertook place on about the 22nd parallel of latitude.

GOODNIGHT EVERYONE.