The lives of those who drowned in a Warrnambool tragedy that has been labelled the state's worst ferry disaster are being remembered 100 years on.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This year's cemetery tours will visit the graves of six of those who lost their lives on the fateful voyage up the Hopkins River on January 9, 1920.
Tour guide Ray Welsford said 50 people were on board the 50-foot boat when it set out on a journey upstream to Jubilee Park.
Mr Welsford said they got a mile up the river when the boat started to take on water.
"It was so bad that (skipper Edward) Geary tried to beach it on the mud flat on the south side of the river, but there was a reasonably strong wind and it blew it back towards the cliff on the other side of the river," he said.
"The boat just sunk midstream in the deepest part of the river."
In the days after, they were able to hook the boat up to horses and pull it out of the river onto the mud bank.
The tour will visit the Warrnambool graves of the six of those who lost their lives that day - drowning victims include Mary Dalton, William Middleton, Norah Moore, James Scully Jane Walsh and Constable William Sharrock.
Of the other four drowning victims, Patrick Powell is buried at Camperdown, Ellen Greenwood and her nine-year-old daughter Evelyn are buried at Stawell, and Kate Leahy is buried at Borum Borum cemetery at Penshurst.
The cemetery tour will visit the Warrnambool graves of four others who were involved in the Nestor sinking story.
Builder, owner and skipper of the vessel, Mr Geary was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery after his death in 1962.
William Molesworth, the solicitor who represented Mr Geary at the subsequent inquest, is also buried in the Warrnambool cemetery.
Following an inquest into the sinking, Mr Geary was sent for trial on 10 counts of manslaughter, Mr Welsford said, but in April 1921 the Crown solicitor dropped all charges.
Desmond Dunne, a solicitor who represented some of drowning victims, will also be a stop on the cemetery tour as will the grave of Leslie Tinker who was awarded by the Royal Humane Society for his rescue efforts.
Constable Sharrock who was travelling on the boat as a passenger and lost his life trying to rescue people was awarded a medal of honour by the police.
Mr Welsford said the highest honour from the Royal Humane Society was awarded to a Melbourne woman who was on the boat, Mary Le Marquand.
An experienced swimmer, she saved a lot of people's lives, Mr Welsford said.
"Although she's not buried here, we're drawing her into the story as well."
The tours will operate on Saturday, January 2 at 10am, January 3, 9, 13 and 26 at 2pm, and January 6 and 10 at 6pm.
Meet at the rotunda. COVID-safe rules will apply.
Read more:
Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
