Posted inMaritime & Naval History Ship Histories Shipwrecks & Nautical Disasters

Collision Between the Steamers Black Swan and Luna

Illustration of the collision between the Black Swan and the Luna, showing the two steamers collided with the vessel to the left, the Black Swan, going down by the bow. Rescuers row boats toward the disaster.

The steamer Black Swan, belonging to the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company, left the Queen’s’ Wharf, Melbourne, at 10 o’clock on Tuesday, morning, 16th July, for Launceston, and had at 11 o’clock got nearly abreast of the breakwater running off from Williamstown, when the steamer Luna, coming from Geelong, reached the same spot. The two vessels then came into collision, the Luna striking the starboard bow of the Black Swan stem on, cutting into her to a considerable distance. So great was the force of the shock that it was with difficulty the Luna could, by backing astern, extricate herself, and the Black Swan‘s head was forced from the course she was going right round.

Posted inWorld War 2

Japanese Drop Leaflets for A.I.F.

Appeal To Lay Down Arms MELBOURNE, Friday.—Leaflets in pidgin English, urging Australians to cease fighting have been dropped by the Japanese in Malaya during indiscriminate bombing raids. The leaflets, crudely…
Posted inNatural World

Topography of Central Australia

By D. L. Beetson.

In May last it happened to be my fate to be attached as assistant to an exploring expedition, the original programme being, I believe, that we were to visit the Ruby Fields, returning via Western MacDonnell, round Lake Amadeus, and thence through the Musgrave Ranges to Charlotte Waters. One of the principal objects of the expedition was the obtaining of reliable information from a competent authority as to the geological formation of that portion of Central Australia. Mr. J. J. East accompanied the party as geologist, and to that gentleman I am indebted for much useful and interesting information that I could not otherwise have acquired.

Posted inLocal Histories

The Queen’s Birth Day

On Friday last, the Anniversary of the Queen's Birth Day, was celebrated with the usual formal festivities. A review of the troops in the domain— a Levee at Government House,…