This may well be the final chapter in my musing about the Ben Larig, the previous chapter being at https://mlssa.org.au/2024/02/24/benlarig-reportedly-the-mystery-wreck-at-cape-jervis/ .
I have since been alerted to the availability of a SUHR Research & Site Report form for the Ben Larig. All I had to do was track it down to check it out. It turned out that it had been passed on to Heritage SA for storage.
I asked Heritage SA to find Item No. 9. BEN LARIG Research & Site Report form from SUHR Box No.2. Heritage SA found the file for me and emailed a scan of it back to me. Although there wasn’t too much written on the four pages of the form, the little bit that was written on it was helpful, being pretty well all that I had to work on.
The name of the ship is given as Benlarig (one word).
It is described as being a sailing ship that had come “Ashore at Sonata* Point near Cape Jervis; towed to Port Adelaide”.
* (Presumably meant to be ‘Sorata Point*’ after the screw steamer Sorata which was grounded east of Cape Jervis in 1880.)
* (Also given as “Sorato Point” in another source.)
(No further details are given on the form.)
This tied in with my previous comments, “a ship called the Benlarig (one word) was stranded (“Ashore at Cape Jervis”) in 1900 (NOT 1889). It was reportedly towed free by the tug Euro. So, what does this mean regarding our mystery ship? It means that there once was a grounded ship called the Benlarig at Cape Jervis, but not before 1900. It seems that the ship was soon towed away from the site.”
The ‘Ben Larig’ at Port Adelaide [PRG 1373/18/111]
(This image is from the A.D. Edwardes Collection)
According to Trove , “THE STRANDING OF THE BENLARIG –
The following is the finding of the Marine Board in the enquiry into the grounding of the ship Benlarig, near Cape Jervis, on Saturday night. January 27:— ‘The Board are of opinion that the grounding was caused by the master navigating the vessel unnecessarily close to the Cape Jervis shore, so close thereto that he came within the influence of the local wind and eddying effect of the current near the land. The two combined prevented the ship answering her helm at a critical time. In other respects, the master had evidently taken a good deal of care, and as the vessel, according to the report of the diver and the evidence, has not sustained any material damage. the Board do not propose to take any further action.’ The Benlarig left for the United Kingdom on Sunday morning.”
(South Australian Register Mon 5 Feb 1900, Page 4)
So, there you have it, the Benlarig became grounded near Cape Jervis on 27th January (1900) but, having sustained little damage, was towed away (to Port Adelaide) by the tug Euro. It left the Port on 4th February 1900.
According to Trove, the Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail for Sat 3 Feb 1900 indicated that the (Adelaide) Marine Board had met on that same day (Sat 3 Feb 1900) for an inquiry into the stranding of the Benlarig.
As indicated above, ‘The Board (were) of opinion that the grounding was caused by the master navigating the vessel unnecessarily close to the Cape Jervis shore, so close thereto that he came within the influence of the local wind and eddying effect of the current near the land. The two combined prevented the ship answering her helm at a critical time. In other respects, the master had evidently taken a good deal of care, and as the vessel, according to the report of the diver and the evidence, has not sustained any material damage. the Board do not propose to take any further action.’
(Fishery Beach, near Cape Jervis, with Kangaroo Island in background)
My original comments at https://mlssa.org.au/2021/05/26/the-mystery-wreck-at-cape-jervis/ stated, “June 1968 (“Body of diver, 26, found”), the “old wreck (of the Ben Loric was) about 150 yards off the coast”. The article concerned the recovery of a spearfisherman’s body from the wreck. Further in the article, it was reported that the wreck was an “old steel vessel Ben Loric”. The article continued on page 34 where it was (again) reported “The Ben Loric sank 150 yards off Cape Jervis in 1889. The bow is only 8 ft. from the surface at low tide.”
If you follow my work at each of:
https://mlssa.org.au/2021/05/26/the-mystery-wreck-at-cape-jervis/
https://mlssa.org.au/2021/06/23/is-the-mystery-wreck-at-cape-jervis-hopper-barge-no-3/
https://mlssa.org.au/2024/02/24/benlarig-reportedly-the-mystery-wreck-at-cape-jervis/
https://mlssa.org.au/2024/07/18/more-about-the-ship-benlarig/
you will agree that it could not be possible for the deceased diver to have been trapped in either of the Benlarig or the Sorata as both vessels had long left the area. The only vessel that remained about that time was Hopper Barge No.3.
Just recapping about the Benlarig – “the Benlarig became grounded near Cape Jervis on 27th January (1900) but, having sustained little damage, was towed away (to Port Adelaide) by the tug Euro. It left the Port on 4th February 1900.”
Two dates appear on the SUHR Research & Site Report form (No. 9. BEN LARIG) – “Jan 28, 1900” and the reference (OBS) “Feb 3, 1900 (300)”.
I’m unaware just why the date of “Jan 28, 1900” is given rather than 27th January 1900. I’m also unaware of just what the reference (OBS) “Feb 3, 1900 (300)” is all about. Perhaps “OBS” refers to the UK newspaper The Observer.
I have now added some details about the Ben Larig/Benlarig to page 2 (Research Information) of the SUHR Research & Site Report form (No. 9. BEN LARIG) as shown below: –
I now see that a thorough search of Trove on this topic reveals many results.
Unless something hugely relevant to this topic comes to hand, I expect this to be the last report on it.
(My thanks got to Heritage SA for their assistance with the above details.)