MARITIME Shipwrecks WEST AUSTRALIANA –
The elegant, ultra-modern S.S. Koombana arrived in Western Australia in March 1909.After only three years of Nor’-West service, the ship and her entire complement disappeared in a late-summer cyclone off the Pilbara coast. The vessel has never been found and the tragedy remains unexplained. Koombana Days is the story of the ship and of the people in whose lives she figured so large. From Koombana’s first appearance, Nor’-Westers shaped their schedules to her arrival and flocked to her saloon at every opportunity. At sea and in port, she was an island of ice and electric light: a cool relief from the present and a bright depiction of a future imagined.
After only three years of service in the North West of Australia, the ship and her entire complement disappeared in a late-summer cyclone off the Pilbara coast in 1912. All 156 lives were lost but the wreck was never found. This thoroughly researched and compelling book comes closer than ever before to solving the mystery of Australia’s most significant maritime disaster. Author Annie Boyd spent months camping along the coast, diving and investigating wrecks, researching the Koombana, and meeting with descendants of those lost in the tragedy. This insightful account is the culmination of her work, which includes a 20,000 page online resource with background material and primary sources.
- xiii, 386 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 26 cm
- Koombana (Steamship)
- Shipwrecks — Western Australia — Port Hedland Region
- Western Australia — Social conditions — 20th century
- Western Australia — History
- Australian
First Edition #0419/170424/271225