Ship History: 243/116 tons. Built at Glasgow, 1877, for Huddart Parker. Lbd 169 x 19.6 x 9.8 ft.
Sailed to Australia as a three-masted schooner with her funnel and propeller stowed in the hold, which was common for the time. She replaced the SS Despatch on the Gippsland-Melbourne run in 1893 whilst the Despatch was being refitted. The ship foundered in stormy seas near Cape Schanck, 28 December 1893. Fifteen lives lost. The one survivor, Robert Ponting, grasped portion of a cabin door and clung to it for sixteen hours before staggering on to the beach about 15 km from where the Alert foundered. That morning he was found unconscious on the back beach of Sorrento by four young ladies, unconscious and half hidden in the sand. The ladies sheltered him as best they could with their cloaks and umbrellas until a man, Austin Stanton, and his St. Bernard dog, Victor Hugo, appeared and rendered first aid. The dog nestled close to Ponting and kept him warm while further assistance was sought. The loss of the vessel saw not only a Court of Marine Inquiry, but also civil action against owners Huddard Parker, by the wife of the second engineer, who had been lost in the disaster. Although, the Chief Engineer's wife won her case, Huddard Parker appealed & eventually won the appeal. Of the 1600 pounds she was awarded 1300 of it went to the lawyers.
SS Alert location was discovered by Southern Ocean Exploration group.
Site was dived on 3 June 2007 and wreck identified as the SS Alert. Special credit for the history: Peter (PT) Taylor, a SOE group member, researched material for the Ships Graveyard Project, helping to positively identify the wreck sites around the bays & coast lines.
Key research, and driving members of the Team that made it happen,
Greg Hodge, Mark Ryan, Mick Whitmore and PT.