It was one hundred and six years ago today that the Waratah vanished with 211 souls on board in 1909 leaving no trace of her demise. Here in Australia we remember and will never forget and as a fitting tribute to all those that go down to the sea in ships I have included the first verse of that wonderful hymm For Those In Peril On The Sea, written in 1860 by William Whiting.
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep,
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh hear us when we cry to thee,
For those in peril on the sea.
On the 27th of July 1909 a gathering of 100 descendants of the passengers and crew of the Waratah
gathered at the Queenscliff Museum for the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the sad occasion.
They later boarded the Queenscliff ferry across Port Phillip Bay in Victoria Australia and cast a wreath and flowers on the sea surface, then attended a luncheon at the Victoria Hotel Queenscliff to hear speeches. It was a wonderful and touching experience.
The Queenscliff Ferry.
