A town destroyed and a ship lost, March 1911

In the first half of the Century there were no satellites or radar, and it wasn't until 1921 that a weather station was established on Willis Island. Ships and coastal communities were therefore not always aware of cyclones approaching from the Coral Sea. Even when a cyclone's existence was known, it was often difficult to know where it was, or its direction of movement.

In February 1911, a cyclone caused considerable damage to Port Douglas and battered coastal shipping. Five weeks later a second, much more powerful system hammered the area. This second cyclone almost completely destroyed Port Douglas and nearby Mossman, with the loss of two lives. In addition, the tramway connection between the two towns was wrecked by the destruction of the termini and the intervening bridge.

On Tuesday 21 March the Yongala, at some 3600 tonnes one of the largest ships on the coastal trade, left Brisbane on its way north. Unknown to the captain, 72 crew members and 48 passengers, the Yongala was on a collision course with the cyclone moving down the coast. Few ships in those days had radio communication, and Yongala, despite its size, was no exception - so there was no way of warning the vessel of the approaching storm. The ship was last seen passing the Whitsundays on 23 March.

When she did not arrive at Townsville, ships were sent out to search, but to no avail. On Thursday 30 March the first wreckage from the Yongala was found washed up near Cape Bowling Green. It subsequently became clear from damage to trees that the centre of the cyclone had come ashore between Cape Upstart and Cape Bowling Green. The Yongala had evidently met the intense core of the cyclone, which she was unable to withstand. The ship was completely destroyed, with the loss of all 120 people on board.

It wasn't until many years later, in 1947, that the actual location of the wreck was found, and some years later again that a positive identification was made - hence bringing down the curtain on one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history.

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