The Disappearance of The Waratah

On the evening of 26 July 1909, the SS Waratah sailed from Durban, South Africa, bound for Cape Town. A luxury passenger liner, she was coal-fired and boasted eight watertight compartments. She was said to be “practically immune from any danger of sinking”. Yet, she never arrived. No wreckage was conclusively identified and no survivors were found. With 211 people aboard, the Waratah disappeared into the Indian Ocean, becoming one of the greatest maritime mysteries of the twentieth century. The Waratah. Credit: Wikipedia Commons The Waratah was a relatively new vessel. Built in 1908 by Barclay, Curle & Co. in Glasgow for the Blue Anchor Line, she was designed to carry both passengers and cargo on the busy route between Britain, Australia, and South Africa. At over 450 feet long and displacing nearly 10,000 tons, she was considered modern and well-appointed, with electric lighting, luxurious cabins for first-class passengers, state rooms, a salon, and other amenities. Part of her cargo hold was fitted with refrigerating machinery and cold chambers to carry frozen produce. But when required, this space could also be converted into large dormitories, capable of holding almost 700 steerage passengers. The Waratah was named after the bright pink emblem flower of New South Wales. In retrospect, the choice proved an unfortunate one. Between 1848 and 1887, no fewer than four other vessels bearing the name Waratah had met with unhappy ends. Superstition aside, the ship inspired genuine unease. On her maiden voyage to Australia, Captain Josiah Edward Ilbery complained that she rolled excessively and lacked the steady behavior of his older vessel. He was particularly concerned about the difficulty of loading the steamship correctly in order to maintain her stability. Waratah at Port Adelaide just before her last voyage.