The Angurugu Lifeboat
- M.M. Whitaker - Nyack New York 1899 -
The building of a WW2 airfield in close proximity to the Emerald River Mission caused a great deal of problems for the Mission - not the least of which was the attention of Japanese aircraft which had bombed and strafed Milingimbi forward air base. The solution was relocation of the mission to Angurugu. Hitherto, stores had come up the Emerald River to the landing but the shift meant that stores would now have to be lightered ashore necessitating the acquisition of two large, galvanised lifeboats which had been constructed at NYAK in New York in 1899/1900. One of the boats was swamped in the mouth of the Angurugu River where it remains below the sand and the other was a dumb barge to the stores vessel in Mud Cod Bay - being manhandled ashore along a cable. The bay is very shallow and a jetty was attempted - the remains of which are in the images below. At last the lifeboat was simply scull-dragged into the bush where it remains today - bushfires have accounted for most of the galvanising and the remains are rapidly rusting away.
Following discussions with the senior TOs, East Arnhem Shire Council and the Anindilyakwa Land Council, an attempt was made to retrieve the lifeboat for display in a cutaway container. When the party arrived on site it was discovered that the keel has rusted away and the plates either gone or wafer thin where in contact with the ground. It was decided that lifting the hull would result in catastrophic damage which would render it beyond the point at which it could be displayed. The absence of a suitable building, conservation expertise and on-going preservation capacity sealed her fate.
20 foot Metal Lifeboat - MIT Museum MA, USA - Whitaker Collection Ref. FJC062311-1 {Higher res pdf below}
Plan Actual
20’ = 609.6 CM 670 cm (21’ 11.8”) Includes prominent stem, keel and stern reinforcing & lifting bar.
6’ = 182.9 CM 220 cm (7’ 2.6”)
The wreck is Wider and Longer - she has slumped fore & aft - splayed at the beam and broken her back in a catastrophic loss of integrity.
20’ = 609.6 CM 670 cm (21’ 11.8”) Includes prominent stem, keel and stern reinforcing & lifting bar.
6’ = 182.9 CM 220 cm (7’ 2.6”)
The wreck is Wider and Longer - she has slumped fore & aft - splayed at the beam and broken her back in a catastrophic loss of integrity.
n.b. As of April 30, 1852 the US Government required all passenger vessels to carry at least one metal lifeboat. This followed a succession of appalling shipboard fires and horrific loss of life.
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Images from January 2008
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The Stern showing rudder mount
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The Bow showing ring for the running line
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Images taken 22nd April 2008 - Gordon Walsh & TO's Japani
Seams overlapped & rivetted - water settles at top & rusts out.
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The detached silver coloured plate at 3 o'clock is a rowlock sleeve.
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Cleats below the gunnel took the rope held by survivors unable to enter the boat.
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Exterior rope cleat & welded patches with anodes.
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Shows ring for attaching line to bow & stern as boat was pushed in & out carrying stores
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The failure of the keel rib and bottom plating has caused significant distortion such that at first sight she appears quite sound. The brackets and slots are supports for the bench style seating below which was located the floatation tanks. The thwarts correspond to the holes in the gunnel to receive the robust rowlock support sleeves. Sacrificial anodes were sent out but it is not known whether they were ever attached to the hull.
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Remains of old Angurugu Mission Jetty - Mud Cod Bay Groote Eylandt
Mud Cod Bay Groote Eylandt