Loch Ard shipwreck ingots accounted for at Flagstaff Hill

By Peter Collins
December 23 2014 - 4:30am
Flagstaff Hill service manager Helen Sheedy assesses the lead ingots retrieved from the wreck of the Loch Ard. 141222AM12 Picture: ANGELA MILNE
Flagstaff Hill service manager Helen Sheedy assesses the lead ingots retrieved from the wreck of the Loch Ard. 141222AM12 Picture: ANGELA MILNE

WARRNAMBOOL’S Flagstaff Hill Village manager Peter Abbott and city executive Bruce Anson have scotched conjecture that some historic lead ingots from the Loch Ard shipwreck have been lost.

Rather, a few unaccounted for pieces are hidden in mud at the bottom of the lake and under water as ballast in a rotten display vessel.

Mr Abbott dismissed a query raised by city councillor Brian Kelson who told a recent open council meeting he understood 66 of the 800 ingots at the village were missing.

“Staff conducted an initial audit and reported some were unaccounted for,” Mr Abbott explained. “We did a further count and determined that a number were in the Reginald M and Rowitta as ballast.

“Because the Rowitta is so decayed we could only peer in. The rest are under the water and I’m not sending anyone in to count the ingots.

“We’ll wait until she is dismantled next year to recover the ingots. I think there may also be a few buried in the mud after a few incidents where trespassers came in at night and threw things into the water. I’m confident all will be recovered.

“We have more than 10,000 items in our collection and are progressively auditing them.”

Mr Anson said ingots were located under floorboards of the Reginald M and the remainder were in or near the Rowitta.

The ingots and copper sheets from the Loch Ard 1878 wreck were made available to Flagstaff Hill in 1984 by the Commonwealth government. Each of them weighs about 59kg and measures 89 by 14 centimetres.

On the Loch Ard manifest is listed 50 tons of pig lead comprising 944 ingots. They were positioned along the keel line to help steady and centre the ship.

Looters took some of the lead and copper, but subsequent police investigations in the ’60s resulted in most of it being recovered and offenders prosecuted.

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