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BuckawallPrint Page Print this page

14-February-2020
14-February-2020

Photographs supplied by David Brighton

The plaque commemorates aboriginal man, Buckawall who helped saved the crew of the Enterprise.  

The Enterprise was anchored in Lady Bay prior to sailing with a full cargo of potatoes and wheat, when the wind commenced from the south and gradually veered to the south east, increasing to gale force. She carried only one anchor and when this dragged, she lost her rudder and blew broadside on the surf well up on the sand.

Buckawall swam out with a rope tied around his waist, and despite a terrific buffeting succeeded in getting a line aboard, thus enabling Captain Caught and his crew to land

Location

Address:Walkway, Lady Bay, Warrnambool, 3280
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -38.400246
Long: 142.475345
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Indigenous

Dedication

Front Inscription

Enterprise (1847 - 1850)

On September 14th, 1850 the 58 ton New Zealand built schooner Enterprise was moored in Lady Bay laden with wheat and potatoes.

The vessel rode out a south-easterly gale but eventually dragged anchor and beached near this point.

Buckawall, a local aboriginal, braved the heavy surf and reached the stricken vessel with a rescue line, saving all those on board.

Previous cargoes carried by the Enterprise included local agricultural produce and general commodities traded between Melbourne and other colonial ports.

Warrnambool Textiles 1987 Community Project.

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