Local Government
Manjimup
Region
South West
Mandalay Beach Rd Walpole
Manjimup
South West
Constructed from 1911
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 10 Jul 1997 | Category C | |
Historic and Representativeness
• Steps lead from car park to viewing platform which overlooks the sea; • Timber decking and railing; • Rough timber plinth; • Plaster cast of woman’s head, mounted on plinth; • Story of wreck on plastic panels mounted on plinth, and; • Wreck only becomes visible under certain conditions.
The Mandalay was a 914 ton, three masted Norwegian barque skippered by Captain Emile Tonnessen, which was wrecked off the coast between Chatham Island and Long Point on 15 May 1911. The ship was on its way from Dalagoa Bay in South Africa to Albany, to pick up orders, when it was caught in a wild storm and wrecked. The skipper and crew managed to beach the vessel. All lives were saved and most of the provisions on board. The crew spent five days sheltered on the beach in crude shelters made with canvas and spars. A couple of men set out to look for help but returned exhausted after two days. Captain Tonnessens diary recalls how they shot a ‘buffalo’ which provided an excellent stew. (Later they were told it was one of the local farmer’s cattle) At the time there were only two pioneering families living in the area, the nearest being 13km away. A search party found help in the form of a member of the Thompson family who took them back to Tinglewood Lodge. A memorial cairn has been erected on the shore overlooking the wreck site. The figurehead is a cast of the original which is being held by a local farmer. The ghostly wreck only appears every few years as the beach erodes, only to be reclaimed by shifting sands. Nearby is a plaque, noting the story of Captain Vancouver’s expedition.
Poor
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage & Conservation Professionals; "Shire of Manjimup Municipal Heritage Inventory". | Shire of Manjimup | 1995 Adopted 1997. | |
| Plaque at site of wreck. |
Historic Site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Other |
| Present Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | River & sea transport |
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