Identification & Site Information

• Name: AUSTRALIA
• Former Names: None reported
• Official Number: 370
• Date Built and Launched: 1862
• Builder: B. Parsons, Vermilion, Ohio
• Homeport: Chicago, Illinois
• Final Owner: William Horn, Chicago
• Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Masts: Likely two or three
• Power: Sail-powered
• Measurements: Length: 109 ft (33.2 m) Beam: 23 ft (7.0 m) Depth: 9 ft (2.7 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 159 tons
• Net Tonnage: 151 tons
• Primary Cargo: Cedar posts (as seen in its final voyage)
• Final Route: Beaver Island to Chicago, diverted to Holland, MI, for shelter

Vessel Type

The AUSTRALIA was a wooden Schooner, a common cargo-carrying vessel on the Great Lakes during the 19th century.

Key Features of Great Lakes Schooners:

• Used for transporting bulk cargo typically lumber, grain, and general freight.
• Typically had two or three masts and relied on wind power.
• Often operated as independent vessels or as consorts to steam-powered freighters.

At 109 feet in length, the AUSTRALIA was a mid-sized Schooner, designed for coastal and Great Lakes trade.

History

The AUSTRALIA 1862: Built in Vermilion, Ohio, by B. Parsons for the timber trade operated for 26 years, carrying timber, posts, and other cargo across Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes before it Foundered in Holland, Michigan, in 1888.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1862: Built in Vermilion, Ohio, by B. Parsons for the timber trade.
• 1888, September 30: Lost near Holland, Michigan, in a storm.

Final Disposition

The AUSTRALIA was lost on September 30, 1888, when it sprung a leak and Foundered at the entrance to the Holland, Michigan harbor.

The Disaster

• The vessel was en route from Beaver Island to Chicago, carrying cedar posts.
• A strong gale struck, causing the vessel to heel over (lay on its beam ends).
• The crew attempted to take shelter at Holland Harbour, but the Schooner struck a sandbar at the entrance.
• The vessel sprung a leak and quickly Foundered, blocking the harbour entrance.
• The crew was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service.
• The U.S. government removed the wreck on October 5, 1888, to reopen the harbor entrance.

The AUSTRALIA was a Total Loss, and no lives were lost in the accident.

Located By & Date Found

Since it was removed by the government, any remnants will be scattered or buried beneath harbor sediments.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported in Holland, Michigan, Lake Michigan.

Resources & Link

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Local Archives & Museums:
• Holland Museum (Holland, MI) (Possible shipwreck records)
• Michigan Maritime Museum (South Haven, MI) (Historical accounts of the U.S. Lifesaving Service)
• Ottawa County Historical Society (Newspaper reports on the 1888 storm)

Conclusion

The AUSTRALIA was a hardworking Schooner that served the Great Lakes timber trade for over two decades.

Its loss in 1888 near Holland, Michigan, highlights the dangers of navigating Lake Michigan during fall storms, as well as the critical role of the U.S. Lifesaving Service in rescuing stranded sailors.