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Bound For Australia by Edward J Bourke
Bound For Australia by Edward J Bourke
Bound For Australia by Edward Bourke is a seriously researched history of the loss three miles from Dublin of the iron clipper ship Tayleur, which set out from Liverpool in January 1854 heading - or so those aboard thought - for Australia.
There were 581 emigrants aboard on Tayleur's maiden voyage, hoping to make their fortunes in the goldfields at Kalgoorlie. Seventy-one crew were meant to get these eager passengers safely to Melbourne in the largest iron sailing ship built in Britain up to that time, 250ft long with a 40ft beam.
Their high hopes were dashed on the rocks of Lambay Island two days after she sailed, when more than 360 people, including most of the women and children, died.
Eddie Bourke has done today's divers and maritime history students a great service by writing and publishing this detailed examination of the wreck. He covers the building of the ship, her fitting-out, the recruitment by Captain John Noble of his crew, their shortcomings, the maiden voyage and the gale-torn wrecking. He names the victims and survivors, tracks down their family histories and lists the immediate salvage.
He also takes us into the four inquiries into her loss, from which we learn of the causes of the Tayleur's demise - lousy compasses, lousy crew, lousy navigation, lousy steering gear and, above all, lousy weather.
Yet, despite all this, her captain seems to have been officially exonerated from all blame.
Irish scuba-divers have been familiar with the Tayleur since the Irish Sub-Aqua Club rediscovered it in 1957 in less than 20m. Today it is much dived, with at least six diving boats over the site on a calm Sunday morning.
This is masterly historical research. If anyone asks me about the Tayleur, my reply will be: Buy Bourke!
Kendall McDonald
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Bound For Australia by Edward J Bourke (published by the author, ISBN 095230273). Softback, 236pp, £12
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