Local Government
Wyndham-East Kimberley
Region
Kimberley
Wyndham Port Wyndham
Wreck approx 100m due NW of Wyndham Wharf
Wyndham-East Kimberley
Kimberley
Constructed from 1938
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RHP - To be assessed | Current | 26 Nov 2010 |
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09469 Wyndham Wharf & M V Kalama Wreck site & Wharfies Mess
· The bombing of the Koolama during WWII was the first aerial attack by the Japanese in Western Australia and reflects the strategic importance of shipping and the northwest port of Wyndham during WWII.
· The MV Koolama shipwreck has social significance among local Wyndham residents, families and relatives of persons who served aboard State ships, and the maritime heritage community for its role as a State ship, the story of its destruction by the Japanese, and its place amongst the list of Western Australian shipwreck sites.
· The MV Koolama, the Koolama stranding site at Koolama Bay, and survivor camp at Pangali Cove are socially and culturally significant to the Kwini people who helped the 180 passengers and crew reach safety.
· The place demonstrates the importance of maritime communication in the twentieth-century, and its role in the occupation and settlement of the remote northwest of the State.
‘The Koolama was a twin screw combined passenger vessel and freighter of 4000 tonnes displacement with an overall length of 106m, a beam of 17m and a draft of 6m. She was built and launched in Glasgow in 1937 and sailed to Fremantle under her master, Captain Jack Egglestone, arriving in Perth in April 1938. Koolama was fitted with a reinforced keel to allow her to sit on the bottom during low tides at the ports of Broome and Derby. She was one of three WA State Shipping Service ships plying the coastal route from Perth to Darwin, the other two being the Koolinda and the Kybra’.1 The M.V. Koolama was bombed by the Japanese in February 1942 and the wreck of the ship is believed to be largely intact. Oil and unexploded ordinance are understood to be present on site.
The State Shipping Service of Western Australia was established in 1912, with coastal ships operating as far north as Darwin and south to Albany and Eucla in its early years. Commencement of the Second World War saw the Service running three ships, Koolama, Koolinda and Kybra’. The service provided a passenger and freight service in State owned vessels that were not operated by the military. The following was provided by the nominator. ‘On 20 February 1942 the State ship MV Koolama was attacked by Japanese bombers off Cape Ruilhieres, approximately 150 kilometres west of Wyndham while carrying 91 passengers, 89 crew and a cargo of war supplies destined for the Australian Army at Wyndham. It was the first aerial attack by the Japanese in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Japanese flew a total of 22 air attacks in the Kimberley region from bases in Timor between 20 February 1942 and July 1944, including five raids on Broome that destroyed 23 aircraft and resulted in the loss of some 100 lives. The Koolama was damaged in the attack and though partially disabled, was able to be beached nearby in what is now known as Koolama Bay. Fortunately no lives were lost though some passengers and crew were wounded in the attack. The Koolama was bombed again the next day, but was able to send radio SOS signals. However the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese on 19 February delayed an official rescue response to this remote area. Meanwhile the 180 passengers and crew were landed among the mangroves at Pangali Cove, where the local Kwini people found them and sent messages via runners between Pago Mission and the survivors’ camp, separated by 80 kilometres of rough country. The Pago Mission lugger arrived on 24 February and took away the sick, wounded, women and an infant with his parents a few days after the bombing. A seaplane arrived on 3 March and was able to evacuate a further 25 survivors. The remaining 93 survivors walked to Pago Mission guided by Kwini people. During this stage two Kwini men risked their lives to cross the flooding Drysdale River, run to Pago Mission and return with a rope to help the survivors across (A bay of stories, Balanggarra Native Title Working Group).
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.