The Ethel after hitting a reef and being forced onto todays Ethel Beach
In 1876 the 711 tonne, 3 masted Iron Barque was built by S.P.Austin & Hunter in Sutherland, England and was Christened the Carmelo. During its short sailing life, the ship had changed hands a few time and was later to be known as the Ethel.
The last registered owner was Acties Bark Ethel (S.A. Sande) of Norway and during its fateful voyage from South Africa on route to
Port Adelaide in late 1903, it entered Investigator Straight during servere storms, which forced the Ethel off course and with poor visibility, passed too close to
Cape Spencer and on the 2nd January 1904 and struck a reef and sustained serious damage to its rudder and was finally beached in what today is know as
Ethel Beach.
Wreck of the Ethel on Ethel Beach
In a bid to get help, one of the crew attempted to swim to shore with a rescue line and was drowned while doing so. Stranded on
the beach, there was no way to refloat the vestle and in an attempt to try and cover money, the wreck was sold by auction to Mr A Hasell, manager of the Marion Bay Gypsum Co for 100 pounds.
The ancher from the Ethel now stand on top of the cliff overlooking the remains down on the beach below
Memorial to the Ethel at the top of the cliff
The steps now give easy access to the wreck below
Over time the forces of nuture have taken its toll and today all that remains are the rusted sections of the hull.
Looking down to Ethel Beach
I was fortuate to see the Ethel hull nearly fully intact in the early 1970's when the only way to get down to
the beach was very carefull footings and bum sliding. in the mid 1980's servere storms finally collaped the remaining hull structure, resulting in the bare skelleton that can be seen today.
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Modern day visitors to the wreck site now have a step structure to safely get down top
Ethel Beach. If you are ever down at the bottom of the
Yorke Peninsula, a visit to the Ethel wreck is
well worth a visit.
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
Heavy surf crashes over part of the rusting structure of the Ethel.
Today's remain of the Ethel Wreck
The stairs that now lead down to the Ethel wreck
The images of the old Ethel are with permission from the South Australian Maritime Museum and the State Libray of South Australia.