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Commander John Thomas GowllandPrint Page 
A monument commemorates Commander Gowlland who drowned at Dobroyd whilst carrying out a survey of Middle Harbour.
Born of a Kent naval family, an admired graduate of the Royal Naval College Greenwich and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Gowlland distinguished himself in the Crimean War. He also took part in a trail-blazing survey of the Pacific coasts of North and South America and eventually commanded a naval survey of the coastline of Her Majesty’s colonies in Australia. In 1874, while surveying near Dobroyd Head on Sydney’s Northern Beaches Peninsula, an unexpected wave across a submerged reef - or ‘bomborra’ - hit Gowlland’s small boat amidships, capsizing it. While several crew on board swam to safety, Gowlland and another sailor, Henry Petersen, drowned. In 1963, Manly Council installed a cairn and plaque at Arabanoo Lookout - overlooking the scene of the tragedy - commemorating Gowlland’s brilliant career and untimely death. Unfortunately vandals destroyed the original cairn. A new plaque was unveiled as part of a Centenary Federations Program.
Location
| Address: | Dobroyd Scenic Drive, Arabanoo Lookout, Balgowlah Heights, 2093 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.807856 Long: 151.269016 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Military |
| Actual Event STart Date: | 14-August-1874 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 14-August-1874 |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1963 |
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