The whole catastrophe of the wrecking was watched by most of the population of the Island as well as the convicts, marines and crews of the Sirius and Supply. As a result we have today three journals, a diary and a set of letters recording the events of the day, written by some of the senior persons involved.

Captain Hunter and Lt. Bradley of the Sirius wrote official journals of the entire life of the ship, which of course ended on Norfolk Island. Lt. Bradley was responsible for the day-to-day logging of weather, position, speed, miles covered and all other relevant details that were necessary for the trip to be accurately presented so that future fleets could know of the difficulties encountered in this long and arduous voyage.

Lt. King was, at the time of the shipwreck, the Commandant of Norfolk Island. He also kept a journal of the trip out from England on the Sirius and life on the Island from March 1788.

A personal diary was written by Lt. Ralph Clark of the Royal Marines – he had arrived in Sydney on the Friendship and his presence on the Sirius on this last fateful voyage was as second-in-command of the Marines. Major Ross, the officer in charge of the Royal Marines did not appear to keep a journal of this trip, but as he was coming to the Island to relieve Lt. King as Commandant, it is presumed that he would have had to keep some sort of records. Research has not yet found anything he wrote in a diary, which is not surprising as Ralph Clark mentioned that Major Ross had lost all his papers in the wrecking. We do however have letters he wrote back to Governor Phillip during his time as Commandant on the Island.

Lieutenant Newton Fowell wrote letters home to his family. These describe times and circumstances and there are many personal references to friends, his ambitions, money needed and domestic items.

Excerpts From the Journals, Diaries and Letters

Captain John Hunter:

“the anchor was therefore cut away and all halyards, sheets and tacks let go,

but before the cable could be brought to check her she struck upon a reef of coral rocks”

William Mineard Bennett Portrait of Vice-Admiral John Hunter, Governor of New South Wales (National Library of Australia)

Captain John Hunter was an efficient, reliable, very well informed man and his Journal shows his intense interest in the natural world. His descriptions of the fish, birds, weather, seas and places where the Sirius had made landfall are very well documented and his writing of the wreck are comprehensive and detailed. A few days before the wreck occurred, the weather was unfavourable to allow anchoring in Sydney Bay so the ships went to Cascade Bay. Hunter writes about the transfer of marines and convicts to the shore. 

“These people were no sooner on shore than the wind shifted to the eastward and the weather became hazy and blew strong so that I had no prospect of being able to land any part of the provisions. We had put on shore from the Sirius and Supply 270 people and had no opportunity of sending any stores with them as we were now driven out of sight of the island. I knew the exhausted state of stores there … and considerations gave me much anxiety and uneasiness”.

Three days later the ships returned to Sydney Bay as the weather had abated, but just at the time when the ships were making their last tack before dropping anchor, the wind shifted and the Sirius was blown onto the reef. Hunter writes: 

“She came up almost head to wind and there hung some time but her sails being all a-back, had fresh stern way, the anchor was therefore cut away and all halyards, sheets and tacks let go, but before the cable could be brought to check her she struck upon a reef of coral rocks which lie parallel to the shore and in a few strokes was bulged. When the carpenter reported to me that the water flowed fast into the hold, I ordered that the masts be cut away which was immediately done. There was some chance, when the ship was lightened of this weight, that by the surges of the sea which were very heavy, she might be thrown so far up the reef as to afford some prospect of saving the lives of those onboard if she should prove strong enough to bear the shocks she received from every sea.” 

John Hunter wrote at length about the actual wrecking of the ship and his account without doubt, helped his honourable acquittal at the court martial held in England in 1792.

 

Lieutenant John Bradley:

“We had all escaped from the shipwreck with our lives, yet our situation with respect to provisions was very
precarious, it being doubtful if any could be saved”

Lieutenant Bradley’s Journal has accurate reports of the positions of the ship on both her voyages. This was done by calculations of latitude and longitude that was made possible by winding Mr. Kendal’s timepiece at noon each day. His account of the wreck agrees with Hunter’s. He records strength and direction of wind and tides, depth of water on the days before and after the disaster and subsequent problems of recovering goods and chattels. He writes:

Philip Gidley King:

“(I) Hauled the Captain & part of the Officers and people on shore and saved their lives with difficulty
having dragged them across the reef through a very great surf”.

Governor Philip Gidley King (National Library of Australia)

Philip Gidley King was appointed Commandant of the group going to Norfolk Island to establish a colony and was on shore at the time of the wreck. He writes on March 19th:

“Moderate gales at daylight made the signal that landing was very good and that the large Boats could Land. The Supply in the roads & the Sirius Standing in. Received every thing from the Supply. at Noon the Sirius having twice missed Stays & being Embayed, struck on the outer part of the Reef – Received a Small Quantity of Provisions from her by the boats, but the Surf being much increased along side her & the Wreck of her Masts having staved some of the Boats, no more Could lay along side. In the Evening The Weather having a very bad appearance & knowing that the ship would not possibly hold together if the Surf increased more on the Flowing tide which was very likely to happen, I made signs for that remaining onboard the Ship was dangerous. Having got some hawsers from the Ship & a Traveller to one of them. Hauled the Captain & part of the Officers and people on shore & saved their lives with difficulty having dragged them across the Reef thro’ a Very great Surf. Most part of the Officers and people remained on board the Sirius’s wreck all night.”

Sunday March 21st: “Very Strong Gales of Wind & a great Sea Running. The Sirius end on off the Reef, & altho’ a very great Surf runs with Violence Yet she does not appear worse than Yesterday when the last of her company quitted her from which Circumstance It is hoped that every Article of Provisions as well as most of her Effects will be saved. At daylight I accompanied Capt. Hunter to Cascade Bay where we met Lieut. Ball and Capt. Hunter Settled the Number of Men to be sent to Port Jackson Convicts Carrying my things to Cascade Bay where they were sent onboard ye Supply & the Sirius’s Ships Company Clearing the Wreck of the Main Mast.”

Monday March 22nd “ Fresh Gales and Cloudy at 8 AM. Every person in the Settlement were assembled under the lower Flag-staff. where the Union was hoisted. The Troops were drawn up in two lines, leaving the Union at their head in the Centre, with the Colours of the detachment displayed; the Sirius’s Ships Company on the right & the convicts on the left; the Officers in the Centre, When the proclamation was read, declaring Law Martial, to be that by which the Island was in future to be governed by, until further orders. The Lieut. Governor addressed the Convicts, after which the Whole gave three Cheers & then every person beginning with the Lieut. Governor and Capt. Hunter passed under the Union in token of a promise or oath to submit & be amenable to the Law Martial then declared. The Convicts & Sirius’s Ships Company were then sent round to Cascade Bay, where a proportion of Flour and pork were received from the Supply and brought round to the Settlement.”

Wednesday March 24th “Moderate Breezes and pleasant weather at 8 A.M. I went in the Coble to Cascade Bay where I found the Supply & Embarked onboard her as did Lieuts. Fowell and Waterhouse with 22 of the Sirius’s Company, at 12 we Sailed for Port Jackson. When I left Sydney Bay there was every appearance of seeing every thing that remained onboard the Wreck & The provisions will not be damaged as every thing is on the Gun, and Upper decks.”

Lieutenant Ralph Clark:

“gracious god what will become of us all”

Lieutenant Ralph Clark of the Marines kept a personal diary. He was an unhappy man as, for political reasons, he and many others were forbidden to take their families with them. His diary entries reflect his state of mind and he is often critical of people and events. He bemoans his dislike of the sea and his propensity for seasickness; he loathes the convict women and their ways and has a great animosity towards them, no doubt accentuated by the absence of his wife and young son.

He boards the Sirius on Saturday, March 6th and immediately succumbs to seasickness when the ships pass through the Heads on their way to Norfolk Island. No sooner than they were in the open sea than he writes: 

“I have been very sick all day, seasick as was every body in the Ship for a few hours after we got out of the Harbour – about 12 o’clock we were out of sight of land – could eat nothing all day nor drink anything except a little tea – I am a poor soul at sea for I am mostly always seasick.” 

He complains of the disagreeable smell below decks that has been caused by the women being sick.

After passing Lord Howe Island, the weather improved and by Saturday 13th they came in sight of Norfolk Island. No signal flags saying it was safe to land were seen so the ships proceeded round to Cascade Bay. They stood out from the shore and landed as many male convicts as possible, then Ralph Clark came ashore:

“Got on shore without getting my feet wet. I never landed at such a bad place in my life – at the best of times it is a very bad landing for there is always a great swell round the Island and you are obliged to wait for a smooth time to pull the boat in to a rock and you back the boat in stern foremost and you are obliged to be very quick to jump out one at a time and then the boat pulls off to wait another smooth wave for it is impossible for the boat to lay alongside of the rocks for should a swell come while the boats there it would dash her to pieces…Soon after our landing a boat load of women and children came on shore but while they were landing them a sea broke into the boat which frightened them very much – I wonder that the boat was not lost and everybody in her for the women would not sit still but made a terrible noise both them and their children but they all got safe on shore.

Returned on board again and with the people that were landed proceeded to the Town as quick as we could – the Town from Cascade is between four and five miles a very bad road….before we got into the road we had a terrible high hill to get up almost perpendicular …The country is much thicker of wood than at Port Jackson .… you can hardly get through the wood it is so thick.”

Sunday 14th “ Walked to Cascade to meet Major Ross’s coming ashore – on the road we met a great many convicts both men and women – particularly the women that had young children who told me that they had been obliged to sleep in the woods for they could not get to Town, poor devils….We got to Cascade about 11 o’clock when soon after Major Ross came on shore and landed very well … I think Captain Hunter might have been more civil in sending Major Ross on shore than in the manner he did for I think that had Major Ross been a convict he could not have been treated worse than he was today by Capt. Hunter in the manner he was shoved out of the ship by him into a boat loaded full with cots, hammocks, hogs, pigs, geese, turkeys, fowls etc. – so much he had not room for his feet and when he landed on the rocks he was so much crampt that he could hardly stand.”

Thursday 18th “ Blows fresh but very little surf .. I wish to god the ships came in sight that I might get my things so that I might have a clean shirt to put on for the shirt and things which I have on now are as black as the back of a chimney.”

Lieutenant Ralph Clarke of the Marines.

Friday 19th “ This morning about seven o’clock the ships came in sight …about 11 o’clock the Sirius had been well in the bay, hoisted her boats out and sent them ashore with provisions – at this time she was laying too under Nepean Island – soon she made sail and was endeavouring to get farther out on the bay for she was too near shore – she was obliged to go about for she could not weather the reef off Point Ross but she missed stays – everybody thought she would have been on shore at the reef. Endeavoured to put her about but she would not stay – she got in the trough of the sea which forced her stern foremost on the reef – as the bell rung 12 o’clock she struck – when they found that she had struck they cut away all her mast – gracious god what will become of us all, the whole of our provisions in the ship now a wreck before us. I hope in God that we will be able to save some if not all but why do I flatter myself with such hopes – there is at present no prospect of it except that of starving – what will become of the people that are on board for no boat can go alongside for the sea and here am I who has nothing more than what I stand in and not the smallest hope of my getting anything out of the ship for everybody expects that she will go to pieces when the tide comes in. Soon after the ship struck Major Ross declared Martial Law and for the remainder of what followed in the day I am so low that I cannot hold the pencil to write in my pocket book is full and will not hold any more.”

Saturday 20th “Soon after the ship went on shore trunks, boxes, beds etc. and what was nearest at hand was thrown overboard in hopes that it would float on shore – a great deal has come on shore but as yet nothing of mine. I was very nearly drowned yesterday when I was going out on the raft to assist the people that were coming on shore – almost drowned with one of the convicts who could not swim, fell off the raft and pushed him along with me, in which case we should have both been drowned if I could not have swimmed – for the raft went over us both and I was obliged to swim back to the shore with him holding fast to me by the waistband of my trousers – when I got to shore he was almost dead but he soon recovered on which I took a stick out of one of the Serjeants hand and gave him a damned thrashing for pulling me off the raft with him – he better have been drowned for I will give him the same every day for this month to come that I meet him.”

Sunday 21st “Everybody got safe on shore – here there is above 500 souls and not above six thousand weight of flour in the Island to feed us with – what will become of us god only knows.”

Monday 22nd .”Several of the seamen got on board of the wreck who threw overboard what they could get at - my trunk came on shore with the bottom out and I am afraid the greatest part of the things which were in it are lost as I have not as yet got any of them except an old coat and four shirts and I am afraid all my other things are gone the same way as the people say that went on board that every thing that was in my cabin they threw over board if so, here I am without five shirts a waistcoat a pair of trousers a pair of old shoes a hat or a coat and jacket and not a single thing to dress me, a single bit of victuals nor a single bit of soap to wash me a shirt – no body that came in the ship has lost so many things as I have – most of them have saved the greater part of their coaths (clothes ?) – all I can say I am a child of bad luck – Major Ross has also lost all his things and what he thinks worse than his coaths he has lost most all his papers.”

Wednesday 24th “One of the Lieuts of the Sirius has been very kind to me finding that I had lost all my things sent me six of his shirts as he has saved most of his which I refused accepting as I did not see a probability of repaying him – it was very kind of him… By the General order of this day Major Ross has given several of us Brevet Rank – amongst the number he has appointed me to act as Quarter Master General and Keeper of the Public Stores during the continuation of the Martial Law or until His Excellency the Governor in Chief and Captains Generals pleasure is known… If I am paid for it it will be a good thing – I wish to god I may – it will help to pay for the things which I have lost in the Sirius.”

Thursday 25th “Some of the officers and the seamen went on board who sent on shore some provisions and what things they could get at – all the Marines off duty employed as Sentinel along the beach to prevent people from embezzle things…….one of the convicts found my best coat laying on the reef which was brought to me – I got another of my shirts in the same way as I did my coat”.

Friday 26th “ Everybody employed as yesterday – one of the seamen in coming on Shore from the ship to day Mr.Walker the Captains Clerk, seeing him with a white shirt on over all his other cloaths which proved to be one of mine which I took from by which they must have broke my trunk open and taking all my things out of it and then throw the trunk with the bottom empty – my small trunk came also today on shore without any thing in it – I own that I never shall be able to get the quarter of my things in short I now give them up for lost – I represented of the sailor having my shirt to Major Ross.”

From Saturday 27th March to the middle of April, Clark’s diary tells of rescuing provisions such as flour and rice, hardware and what ever could be brought ashore as it seemed possible that the wreck would break up if the weather deteriorated. From there onwards his duties as Quarter Master take up his time and his journal entries reflect this.

From this time until November 1791 there are very descriptive passages of life on the Island; punishment and praise for those convicts deserving of either, weather patterns, food procurement by hunting and fishing, planting and growth of crops and, of course, the disagreements between members of the Marines, the convict men and the constant problem of the demeanour of the women convicts. As a small, isolated settlement there were many problems of interactions between the different classes of people and his diary brings this to life in such circumstances.

One of the last entries in his diary is:

“A List of things which I lost in His Majestys Ship Sirius when She was wrecks at Norfolk Island March the 19, 1790”

By January 1792 Clark had embarked upon the Queen transport ship and sailed for England, very anxious to see his wife and child again.

 

Newton Digby Fowell:

                                              “Captain Hunter thought it proper to send me with them to give the Dismal Account”

Newton Digby Fowell was only 12 years old when he became a midshipman on HMS Ocean. From there he went to the Berwick and stayed with her when she was commissioned as the Sirius and sailed to Port Jackson. He frequently wrote home to his parents and these letters show him to be an intelligent young man who was anxious to rise through the ranks.

One particular letter that he wrote was posted on November 10th, 1787 at Cape Town:

“Mr. King the Second Lieut. has been very much my friend he has been with the Commander before in Europe to the East Indies– he will  be made Governor of Norfolk Island and I shall surely jump into his vacancy – he told it me as a secret and I have not told it to anyone on board the ship.”

This is in direct contrast to King announcing in February 1788 that he is surprised be appointed to the position of Governor on Norfolk Island.

Fowell was appointed second lieutenant in December 1788 during the Sirius’ second voyage to Cape Town and return to Port Jackson. His letters home are infrequent as the ship only called at Cape Town after a passage of three months and then set sail for New South Wales. He writes of the seasickness, want of fresh provisions, scurvy and general disabilities of the crew and the death of three men – apparently the appearance of the men was so bad that:

“Many of them are so reduced that I am obliged to ask them their names.”

He spends six weeks in Cape Town and goes on to say:

“as I am now acting as Lieut. In a very good vacancy which is that of Mr. King being as Comodant at Norfolk Island. I mess in the Wardroom, wear the proper uniform and am considered as one of those Lieuts. of the Ship in every respect.”

He tells of his experiences in Cape Town and the problems of the voyage back to the home port in his next letter dated July 19th 1790. The wrecking of the Sirius is included in this letter. He describes it at great length and his account agrees with the other official journals and Clark’s diary. He returns to Sydney in the Supply and notes that Captain Hunter:

“thought it proper to send me with them to give the Dismal Account so on Wednesday 24th I embarked with Mr. Waterhouse and 32 of the people. We arrived in Sydney Cove the 5th of April after a fair passage...”

On March 14th 1791, Governor Phillip wrote to Secretary Stephens from Sydney, New South Wales, acquainting the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty with information about the ships. Included is the following report:

“The Supply lost five men in the voyage and left six in the Hospital in Batavia… Mr. Newton Fowell who I had appointed second lieutenant on the Sirius (when Lieutenant King was sent to Norfolk Island} and the gunner of the Sirius likewise died on the voyage. Both these officers were to have been landed at Norfolk Island had the Supply made it in her passage to Batavia”.

Fowell and others had contracted a “fever” and he died on August 25th 1790. His obituary wrote of him as “a young gentleman greatly respected for his professional knowledge and amiable qualities”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bradley, William,
A Voyage to New South Wales, The Journal of Lieutenant William Bradley, RN of HMS Sirius 1786 – 1792. Public Library of New South Wales and Ure Smith, 1969.

Clarke, Ralph,
The Journal and letters of Lt. Ralph Clark 1787 – 1792. Fidlon, P. and Ryan, R.., (eds) Australian Documents Library, Sydney, 1980.

Fowell, Newton,
The Complete Letters of Newton Fowell, Midshipman and Lieutenant, Nancy Irvine,(ed.)The Fairfax Library, Sydney, 1988.

Hunter, Captain John, in Bach, John (ed.)
Captain John Hunter, An Historical Journal 1787 – 1792. Angus and Robertson Sydney N.S.W. 1968.

King, Philip Gidley,
The Journal of Philip Gidley King, Lieutenant RN, 1787 – 1790. Fidlon, P. and Ryan, R.,(eds) Australian Documents Library, Sydney, 1980