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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: girtbysea on Monday 25 February 08 22:50 GMT (UK)
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I am searching for two Irish great uncles drowned at sea and think they may have been on board the QUETTA. I cannot find a passenger list for this British and East Indian Navigation Copmpany ship which sank off the North Queendland coast in Feb 1890. Their surname was O'Sullivan and one may have been called Frank.
Any seafarers out there with records of such events, please help!
Many thanks
Girtbysea
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Hi,
Sorry I can't direct you to a list of lost passengers but I did find the following -
Shortly after the accident a visiting Anglican priest, the Rev. AA Maclaren, conducted a burial service over the site of the wreck of the Quetta. At a meeting of the Thursday Island Church of England Committee on 10 April 1890, Rev. Maclaren proposed that members of the Anglican Church be invited to subscribe to the erection of a church on Thursday Island, as a memorial to those lost in the Quetta. The idea was put to a general meeting of Thursday Island's Anglican congregation, held at the courthouse on 20 July 1890 and chaired by Bishop Stanton, where it was resolved
That in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable that a Church and Parsonage be erected on Thursday Island; the Church to be a fitting memorial of those who were lost in the wreck of the 'Quetta' on the night of February the 28th last, and that the Church Committee take the necessary steps for carrying this into effect.
Some discussion ensued as to whether the memorial should be a Union Church, but only an Anglican church could be erected on Church of England property.
I wonder if the Church would have a list of those drowned. Alternatively there is the book by John Foley but it is no longer in print, you would have to find a library that still has a copy.
THE QUETTA - Queensland's Worst Disaster.
John C.H. Foley.
The story of the loss of RMS Quetta in the Torres Strait in 1890 with the loss of 134 lives - only five women were saved, including a baby girl. The ship has been relocated and dived upon. This is an incredible story of hardship and tragedy, exceptionaly well researched by the author. The history of the ship, her last voyage, subsequent inquiry, and the survival of the women are well covered in detail.
Softcover, 162 pages, mono and several underwater colour photographs.
$18.00
Quetta
RMS Quetta The luxury passenger liner RMS Quetta was built in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1881. She was a steamer of 3481 tons. On the night of 28th February 1890 on her way to Europe she struck an uncharted coral mound at low tide in Adolphus Channel, Torres Strait, and sank with the loss of 134 lives. There were a total of 158 survivors.
Although this does not answer your question it might just help.
Andcarred
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Hi,
I have a copy of John Foley's "The Quetta". But there are no O' Sullivans listed in either the shipping list or the list of "Deaths in the District of Somerset' Register in the Thursday Island Court House. Sorry, Gazania
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Dear Gazania
Thnakyou very much for your efforts. Strangely, their not being on board is still quite helpful as it rulrs it out and the search continues.
Another thread I'm following is that they were on a pearling lugger hit by a tidal wave in the 1890's so I'll pursue
that line of thought.
Your efforts have saved me a lot of work barking up the wrong tree.
Thankyou very much indeed!
Girtbysea
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Hi,
No trouble at all. A thought that could really dash your hopes is that if no body was recovered would a death be registered? But coroners reports and newspapers may tell some story. Try the newspaper "The North Queensland Register" if you are handy to the State Library, Brisbane.
I am still looking for a person who was on the electoral roll for Chillagoe and then no further trace. Happy Hunting, Gazania