On August 5, 1859, the SS Admella set sail from Port Adelaide, with Captain McEwan, a seasoned and cautious master, at the helm. The vessel carried 113 people, including 26 crew members and 87 passengers, among them 16 women and 12 children. The journey, intended to be routine, soon became one of Australia’s most tragic maritime disasters.


The ship navigated through Backstairs Passage amidst heavy seas, a prelude to the challenges ahead. As the Admella steamed along the South East coast, an unseen inshore current silently dragged her off course.


At dawn, believing they were safely offshore, the crew and passengers were unaware of the imminent peril.


At 5am, the Admella struck Carpenters Reef, lifted by a large wave and gently placed onto the jagged rocks.


The impact was deceptively soft, but the consequences were catastrophic.


The ship’s hull fractured along the rivet lines, breaking into three sections.


The central engine compartment sank, while the fore and aft sections remained partially above water, offering a precarious refuge for the survivors.


The immediate aftermath was chaos. In the cold, stormy darkness, the survivors faced relentless waves and chilling winds.


With the lifeboats lost in the initial chaos and all signaling equipment damaged beyond use, their plight seemed hopeless.


The survivors clung to the wreckage, enduring eight days of horror, exposed to the elements, without food or fresh water.


Many succumbed to the cold and exhaustion, while others were swept away by the relentless sea.


Despite being only a mile from shore, rescue was agonisingly slow.


On August 7, as the fore section of the ship began to sink, 15 men attempted a perilous crossing to the aft section. The situation grew increasingly desperate as the women and children trapped in the fore section perished.


In a courageous act, two sailors, John Leach and Robert Knapman, constructed a makeshift raft and set out for shore.


By the evening, they staggered onto the beach and, after a brief rest, made their way to the MacDonnell Light.


The next morning, they delivered the devastating news to the lighthouse keeper.


With no horses available, the keeper walked 25km to Kongorong, where the station overseer saddled a horse and Gambier Town. By 4pm, the news reached Adelaide, Melbourne, and coastal stations via telegraph.


Rescue efforts were immediately launched, but the stormy seas hampered all attempts.


Fires were lit on the shore as a beacon of hope for those still clinging to the wreck.


On August 10, the Port Adelaide vessel, the Corio, arrived but was unable to assist due to the treacherous conditions.


Despite these setbacks, the determination to save lives never wavered.


On August 13, with the seas finally calming, the repaired Admella lifeboat managed to rescue three survivors.


The Ladybird, a ship from Melbourne, arrived later that day and rescued 19 more. These survivors were transported to Portland, where they were greeted with rockets, bonfires, and heartfelt celebrations on the beach.


The Admella disaster, one of the deadliest in Australian history, claimed many lives but also highlighted extraordinary acts of bravery and determination. The survivors’ courage, the rescuers’ relentless efforts, and the community’s support remain etched in history.


Echoes of the Admella


The wreck of the SS Admella, though a tragic event, left a lasting impact on the region and beyond. The disaster not only shaped the lives of those who experienced it but also left physical and cultural imprints that resonate to this day.


In Port MacDonnell, a house was built from the wreckage of the Admella, while further afield boiler plates recovered from the Admella were used to fortify the walls of the jail at Robe.


The artifacts from the Admella also found their way into museums at Millicent, Beachport and Port MacDonnell along with educational institutions, preserving the memory of the event for future generations.


A bell from the ship was later donated to the Glencoe School, while another bell made its way to an Adelaide school, connecting students to the region’s maritime history.


Interestingly, all three ships that played crucial roles in the rescue efforts – the Ant, the Corio, and the Ladybird – eventually met their own fates at sea.


Beyond the physical remnants and artifacts, the Admella disaster had a profound impact on maritime safety in South Australia.


The tragedy underscored the need for a dedicated lifeboat service, leading to the establishment of such a service in South Australia. This development marked a significant step forward in ensuring the safety of seafarers and provided a lasting legacy of the disaster.


These echoes of the Admella disaster – through physical relics, cultural memory, and institutional changes – continue to remind us of a dark chapter in Australia’s maritime history.


They serve as enduring symbols of the bravery, resilience, and determination of all those who faced the tragedy and worked tirelessly to save lives.