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Lifeboats for Glenelg or Semaphore
Title : Lifeboats for Glenelg or Semaphore Lifeboats for Glenelg or Semaphore
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Source : South Australian register, 9 October 1865, p. 2, col. c
Place Of Creation : Adelaide
Publisher : Robert Thomas and Co.
Date of creation : 1865
Format : Newspaper
Catalogue record
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In the editorial, the editor calls for a lifeboat to be placed at either Glenelg or Semaphore, rather than at Port Adelaide. This followed the tragic loss of life at Marino when a private boat, with a scratch crew, was used in a rescue attempt.

A lifeboat service had been established by late 1861, following the wreck of the Admella on the south coast in 1859. By its very nature the stretch of coast from Cape Jervis to Cape Northumberland was the worst in the colony, pounded by the constant surf of the Southern Ocean. It led directly into Victoria's notorious Shipwreck Coast. Hence the placement of the first lifeboats along that coast.

As is evident in the article there was some feeling that the coast of St Vincent Gulf would benefit from the positioning of a lifeboat at Glenelg or Semaphore, waters well frequented by vessels of all sizes. There was a lifeboat stationed at Port Adelaide, but this was too remote to be of immediate service in the Gulf itself.

A boat was placed at Semaphore jetty sometime later.

Subjects
Coverage year : 1865
Period : 1852-1883
Region : Adelaide metropolitan area
Further reading :
Parsons, Ronald. Southern passages: a maritime history of South Australia Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, 1986
Syme, Marten A. Lifeboats for Victoria: the story of lifeboats and their crews in Victoria 1856-1979 Melbourne : Roebuck Press, 2001
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State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. Wooden Walls and Iron Sides August2004-


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