HMS Sirius Wrecked on Norfolk Island - 19th March 1790

This year is 233 years since HMS Sirius foundered on the Norfolk Island coastline. Living on Norfolk Island, we all know the strength of the ocean and the care needed on the water – especially in the coastal reef areas. The history of the wreck of HMS Sirius is recorded on plaques and displays at Kingston and many of the artefacts recovered from the Kingston wreck site are proudly on display in the Norfolk Island Museum at Kingston.

The wreck of HMS Sirius story has been well documented, and the following is information that I have read and learnt during the past twelve years.

HMS Sirius’ links to Norfolk Island started when the vessel sailed as the flag ship for the First Fleet on the journey from England to Australia (New Holland), arriving in 1788. HMS Sirius sailed under the command of Captain John Hunter and HMS Sirius was a merchant ship originally named “Berwick”, it had been purchased for the voyage.

The first British settlers, the First Fleeters, which included convicts, sailors, and military along with their families sailed to Australia and Norfolk Island. Foundation Day on Norfolk Island was on 6 March 1788, about six weeks after Australia had been settled.

Two years later, in 1790, after First Fleeters had settled in Australia and Norfolk Island, the food situation in Port Jackson was low and reports from Norfolk Island stated that the crops were successfully growing in the fertile soils. The last two remaining First Fleet vessels, HMS Sirius and HMAT Supply sailed to Norfolk Island in March 1790, with 275 people onboard, in hope of relieving the pressure on the Australian settlement. The voyage from Port Jackson included Marines from two companies and their families, convict men, convict women and children.

When the two ships arrived at Norfolk Island, the marines and most of the convicts were put ashore at Cascade and the remaining cargo and passengers were

to be unloaded at Kingston or Sydney Bay on the southwestern side of Norfolk Island. The Kingston side of the island had proved to be more suitable for unloading, but there was a difficult reef to navigate, so conditions had to be right.

On 19 March 1790, there were strong winds again, which threatened the ships after they entered the bay. The HMAT Supply managed to turn around and headed out to safety, but HMS Sirius was stranded in the bay, with onshore winds and currents making it impossible for the ship to avoid a reef lying 200 metres from shore. The crew were unable to tack against the prevailing wind, HMS Sirius was thrown backwards on to the reef and its hull was damaged beyond repair. HMS Sirius foundered on the reef at Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island, and was never to sail again.

The days and weeks which followed has many stories and documents, recording the hardship and endurance the remote Norfolk Island settlement experienced. Amazingly there was no loss of life during the wreck of HMS Sirius. There are excellent books and interesting displays at the Norfolk Island Museums, which are fascinating to visit. There is also a DVD, “Search for the Sirius”, which is about the 1983 and 2002 dive expedition and the artefacts recovered.

As part of their survival after HMS Sirius was wrecked, Norfolk Island sea birds the “Providence Petrel” or “Mount Pitt Bird” were collected from Mt Pitt to assist with food for the doubled population. The Petrel is a winter breeding bird and they nested in earth burrows up Mt Pitt in the forest, which is how it got the name “Mount Pitt Bird”. Eggs and birds became an important part of the meals and military diary ledgers were kept, so it is interesting to see the population of the birds at that time back in 1790. More than 171,000 birds were taken over a four-month period. One internet site I have read says “up to 5000 birds were taken each night”. This level of harvest continued until 1795, but the bird’s colony was also destroyed in the following years, possibly also by rats and pigs. So many birds were killed, that they are no longer found on Norfolk Island, but in recent years there has been small breeding group found on Philip Island.

Many artefacts have been retrieved from HMS Sirius wreck. They include three anchors and two eighteen pounder carronades. In 1983 and 2002 many of the objects were recovered by the dive teams during the official expedition. There are approximately 6,000 to 7,000 artefacts on displayed in the “HMS Sirius Museum”. Another anchor, as well as a cannon, are on display in Macquarie Place, Sydney, Australia. Other HMS Sirius artefacts including an anchor can be viewed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. A detailed 1:24 scale model of HMS Sirius is displayed in the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. You can also view a small model of all the First Fleet ships, which are displayed in the Museum of Sydney. The Norfolk Island Museum collection is on permanent display and represents the most significant display of First Fleet cultural heritage material held anywhere in Australia and its Territories.

If you wish to learn more about the history and view the artefacts, visit Norfolk Island and the Norfolk Island Museum “HMS Sirius Museum”, down in Kingston.

The wreck site of HMS Sirius is protected by the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and is listed on the Australian National Heritage List. The shipwreck of HMS Sirius is our most significant links to a vessel of the First Fleet. Located southeast of Kingston Pier in Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island, the archaeological remains of HMS Sirius are the only known in-situ remains of a vessel of the First Fleet.

If you would like to read more about HMS Sirius and the wreck site on Norfolk Island, please check out these internet sites:

http://norfolkislandmuseum.com.au/collections/hms-sirius/

https://www.nla.gov.au/stories/blog/treasures/2020/03/19/a-melancholy-loss

http://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/hms-sirius-her-final-voyage/

https://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/marines/the-wreck-of-sirius-at-norfolk-island/

https://cosmosarch.com/protecting-hms-sirius-a-heritage-management-plan-for-one-of-australias-most-important-wrecks/

https://www.navyhistory.org.au/sirius-hms-wreckage-recovered-from-first-fleet-flagship/

Attached are a few photographs I have taken at Kingston, Norfolk Island, looking out to the Slaughter Bay reef area where HMS Sirius came to rest in 1790. I highly recommend visiting the Norfolk Island Museum “HMS Sirius Museum” and I have included images of the items recovered and on display

Betty Matthews

March 2023