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"S. S. Yongala" MemorialPrint Page Print this page

22-July-2015
22-July-2015

Photographs supplied by Ian Bevege

The monument commemorates the loss of the ship, S. S. Yongala.

On the 23rd March in 1911 the passenger and freight steamer the Yongala sank during a cyclone off the Townsville coast, with the loss of 122 lives. The ship was last sighted heading into the brewing storm by a lighthouse keeper on Dent Island in the Whitsunday Passage north of Mackay. She never arrived in Townsville and was reported missing on the 26th of March.

The only body ever found washed ashore was that of the racehorse Moonshine, which was being shipped north to compete in the Townsville Cup. Only fragments of wreckage were found along north Queensland beaches and despite searches at the time, and a reward, no sign of the wreck could be found. It wasn`t until 1958 that the wreck was officially located, 48 nautical miles south east of Townsville and 12 nautical miles east of Cape Bowling Green, lying in about 20 metres of water.

Location

Address:42 - 68 Palmer Street, Maritime Museum of Townsville, South Townsville, 4810
State:QLD
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -19.259244
Long: 146.823733
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Disaster
Sub-Theme:Maritime
Actual Event Start Date:23-March-1911
Actual Event End Date:23-March-1911

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Wednesday 23rd March, 2005
Front Inscription

The S. S. Yongala Memorial

Lost 23 / 3 / 1911  No survivors

"and some there be, which have no memorial who are perished as though they had never been"  Ecclesiasticus XLIV

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au