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The ''Nimbin'' was a steel
screw steamer A screw steamer or screw steamship is an old term for a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine, using one or more propellers (also known as ''screws'') to propel it through the water. Such a ship was also known as an "iron screw steam shi ...
built in 1927 at
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, that was the first motor vessel placed into the New South Wales coastal trade. It was owned and operated by the
North Coast Steam Navigation Company The North Coast Steam Navigation Company was a shipping company that operated in Australia, formed as the Grafton Steam Navigation Company in 1855. The company was later renamed the Clarence & Richmond River Steam Navigation Company before being ...
and was the first Australian registered merchant ship to be lost during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
when it struck a mine laid by the German auxiliary cruiser ''Pinguin''. The ''Nimbin'' was on its way from
Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...
to its home port,
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, with a cargo of bundled three-ply timber and a cargo of pigs. One third of the ship was blown away and it sank in three minutes. Seven men were killed. The remaining thirteen clung to bundles of plywood. Some hours later an air force plane from
RAAF Base Rathmines RAAF Base Rathmines is a heritage-listed former RAAF Second World War seaplane base and now used as community venues, sports venues and a visitor attraction at Dorrington Road, Rathmines, City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It ...
saw the survivors and directed the coastal ship SS ''Bonalbo'' to the scene to retrieve them.


Ship description and construction

The ''Nimbin'' was the first motor ship to be employed on the New South Wales coast, and run between Sydney and the northern rivers. The vessel was built on the slips at the yards of the builders, Burmeister and Wain in Copenhagen, and completed in late June 1927. Upon arrival in Sydney the vessel was described as:
The ''Nimbin'' is a vessel of with a length of , a width of , and a depth of . She has a total cargo space of 60,900 cubic feet, and is fitted for the carrying of refrigerated cargo. She is a single-screw vessel, propelled by a Burmeister and Wain 6-cylinder 4-cycle Diesel marine engine, with two auxiliary engines for maintaining the electric light and refrigerating services, and for working the winches and other gear. At her speed trials she developed 12.1 knots. A feature of the vessel is the accommodation for the crew, who have, for Instance, a bathroom fitted with hot and cold showers, in fresh and salt water. The three lifeboats are fitted with patent disengaging gear, which it is claimed, can be set afloat by unskilled hands in the space of half a minute.


Ship service history


Delivery and maiden voyage

The ''Nimbin'' left Copenhagen, her launching port, under the command of Captain R.M. Beedie on June 21 with a cargo of 305,000 superficial feet of Baltic pine from
Hargshamn Hargshamn is a locality situated in Östhammar Municipality, Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, S ...
, Sweden, and completed the journey to Sydney in 65 days, arriving on 27 August. During the delivery voyage the vessel ran into a gale in the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
(the so-called “calm belt”) which continued unabated for four days. Upon passing out of the Red Sea, the vessel then encountered the full force of the monsoonal winds, which persisted until it reached
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
. Then from Colombo to
Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent, in the state of Western Australia. Description A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further in Flinders Ba ...
the ship was, in the words of her officers, "under water the whole way," and lost a quantity of her deck cargo of timber. Through it all the ''Nimbin'' did not once develop engine trouble. After arrival, the vessel was taken to
Mort's Dock Mort's Dock is a former dry dock, slipway, and shipyard in Balmain, New South Wales, Australia. It was the first dry dock in Australia, opening for business in 1855 and closing more than a century later in 1959. The site is now parkland. Histor ...
for inspection and was docked for overhaul before being placed in commission and into the so-called North Coast Butter Run to the
Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...
and
Richmond River The Richmond River is a river situated in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features The river rises at the northern end of the Richmond Range, near its junction with the McPherson Range, on the Queensla ...
. A similar but of lighter draught vessel was then ordered for use in the
Macleay River The Macleay River is a river that spans the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River r ...
trade. The North Coast Steam Navigation Company's then new motor ship left Sydney on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September 1927 on her maiden voyage in the coastal trade. She was the first motor ship to be employed on the New South Wales coast, and ran between Sydney and the Clarence River.


Early incidents

Seven weeks after going into service, Frederick Hoskins, the second officer on the ship, was fatally injured on 2 November when he fell down the hold of the vessel while the ship was between Lismore and Ballina. The crew, under the direction of Hoskins, were erecting a chute for the loading of sugar when, by some unknown means, Hoskins fell the 15 feet into the hold. He was put ashore and taken to
Coraki Coraki is a small town that sits on the confluence of the Richmond and Wilson Rivers in northern New South Wales, Australia in Richmond Valley Shire. At the 2016 census, Coraki had a population of 1,277 people. Material was copied from this ...
Hospital, where he died the following morning. Nearly a year later in mid-October 1928, while coming in across the Richmond bar, the ''Nimbin'' touched the northern wall lightly, causing the steering gear to be carried away. Some slight damage was done to one of the plates at the water line. Temporary repairs were affected at Ballina. The steamer proceeded up the river. No tug was available to help the disabled vessel and had the accident happened further out, the steamer might have become a wreck.


Ballina grounding

At 6am on Monday, 22 February 1932, in a heavy fog, the ''Nimbin'' went ashore about three miles south of Ballina Heads. The sea was calm at the time, with the fog driving from the north. The ports pilot at Ballina, Captain Lyttle, on learning of the plight of the ''Nimbin'', immediately left port in a motor launch and called upon the dredge ''Tethys'', commanded by Captain Munro, which was ordered to the scene at about 7:30 am, and stood by the stranded vessel. A heavy cable was passed on board and an attempt was made to tow her off, but a fall in the tide had left the ''Nimbin'' more firmly wedged on the sand. The attempt was abandoned for the time, and it was decided to await the high tide and the arrival of stronger salvage gear. The dredge returned to port to take on more coal and to take out the cables and anchors available at Ballina for salvage purposes. She returned to the ''Nimbin'' in the afternoon, but her efforts met with no success. The North Coast S.N. Company ordered their steamer ''Ulmarra'', which was close by, to proceed to the ''Nimbin''. It was hoped that she would be able to effect a salvage on the following morning's flood tide, as it should be powerful enough to tow the ''Nimbin'' off the sand if the ''Nimbin''s position did not become worse during the night. Additionally the company ordered its steamer ''Arakoon'' to leave Sydney with Captain D W Gibson, of the Sydney Marine Underwriters' and Salvage Association, on board the latest salvage gears being taken to Ballina by Captain Gibson on the ''Arakoon''. After being aground on the beach for 24 hours the ''Nimbin'' was successfully refloated under her own power about 9:15am Tuesday, 23 February. The cargo was intact but a quantity of oil was pumped from the tanks. The company's vessel ''Ulmarra'', which had been ordered to the scene, was standing by, and had a tow line aboard, but her assistance was not required. The dredge ''Tethys'' from Ballina also stood by. Sea anchors had been placed some distance to seaward, and were secured with lines to the ''Nimbin''. When the tide was at flood, the ''Nimbin''s motors were started, and she hauled on the anchors, and soon slid off the sand. The salvage gear had been taken to the ''Nimbin'' on Monday night. After picking up the gear the ''Nimbin'' proceeded on the Richmond River, safely negotiating the bar. She then commenced to discharge her Sydney cargo. The ''Ulmarra'' proceeded to the Clarence River. Captain Raymer of the ''Nimbin'' stated that the vessel was travelling at half speed in a heavy haze, which was hanging low over the sea, when the stranding occurred. He said that no damage had been done to the vessel. The steamer ''Arakoon'', which had been loaded with a quantity of salvage gear and had dispatched from Sydney late on Monday night to assist the ''Nimbin'', was advised the same morning that the ''Nimbin'' had been refloated by a message sent from the lighthouse-keeper at Seal Rocks.


Later incidents

In late December 1934 the ''Ulmarra'' was partly disabled by the loss of a propeller blade which was snapped off by a submerged object in the Clarence River. The ''Nimbin'' came to assistance and towed the ''Ulmarra'' the voyage of nearly 300 miles. The master of the ''Ulmarra'' (Captain Bysanton) said that the ''Ulmarra'' was not rendered helpless by the accident, and she could, if necessary, have steamed unaided, but as the motor ship ''Nimbin'' was coming down to Sydney from Richmond River, it was considered advisable for her to assist. During the long tow the ''Ulmarra'' was able to run her engines, and at times a speed of well over 11 knots was attained. On Thursday, 9 September 1937, the ''Nimbin'' and the small tug ''Teven'' collided on the Richmond River near Coraki. Joseph Smith, 72, the engine driver of the tug ''Teven'' was killed, and Charles Young, a seaman on the ''Teven'', was seriously injured. The ''Teven'' was towing a timber barge when the collision occurred. Young, who was steering, was hurled onto the barge, suffering severe injuries to the back. Smith, who was in charge of the engine, was crushed and flung into the water. His leg was smashed practically to pulp, and he was dead when picked up. While coming down the coast in July 1938 the ''Nimbin'' came across the coastal motor vessel ''Comara'', which had a mechanical breakdown where a bolt had broken and some cogs were partially stripped in the engine room. The vessel had been just north of Seal Rocks and was fortunate to escape into Seal Rocks Bay for shelter. Had the ''Comara'' been farther on, shelter would not have been available, and the wind was high at the time. The ''Nimbin'' took the ''Comara'' in tow at Seal Rocks and brought the vessel into Newcastle during the night.


Shipwreck event

Early in World War II, the German auxiliary cruiser ''Pinguin'' had laid a number of minefields between
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
and Sydney as well as off the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Their first victims were the British cargo ship ''Cambridge'' off
Wilsons Promontory Wilsons Promontory, is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria. South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearb ...
, on 7 November 1940, and the day after, the American merchant ship ''City of Rayville'', which sank off
Cape Otway Cape Otway is a cape and a bounded locality of the Colac Otway Shire in southern Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Great Otway National Park. History Cape Otway was originally inhabited by the Gadub ...
. This was the first American casualty of the war, in which the United States was not yet involved. A month later, on 5 December 1940, the ''Nimbin'' was the first Australian registered merchant ship to be lost when it ran into a mine off
Norah Head Norah Head, originally known as Bungaree Noragh Point, is a headland on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, south of Newcastle and north of Sydney. The nearest suburbs are Noraville, Canton Beach and Toukley. Soldiers Beach is l ...
on the Central Coast. It was on its way from
Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...
back to Sydney, with a cargo of three-ply timber packed in bundles and a load of pigs. Without warning, there was a large deafening explosion at 3.25 p.m. just aft of the engine room; the whole after section or about a third of the vessel disappeared and the vessel settled by the stern. The explosion resulted in timber and debris being shot into the air as well as oil from the fuel tanks spurting up like a geyser. Luckily, the oil did not catch fire. Seconds later the survivors found themselves in the calm sea, struggling around, grasping bundles of plywood six feet long and three feet wide which were scattered over a fairly wide expanse. The bundles of plywood acted as rafts as there had been no chance of even getting near the life-boats, let alone launching any of them. There had been no chance of sending out a wireless distress call. At 3.15 p.m. an amphibian aircraft, piloted by a senior officer of the RAAF based on the Rathmines, took off on a reconnaissance flight to seaward. Soon after taking off the pilot saw smoke several miles out to sea. He altered course and made for the spot immediately. He found a great deal of wreckage floating on the surface with the amphibian sighting the wreck site within ten minutes of the explosion. The pilot landed the plane but found the water much rougher than he had expected. Because of the seas and the extent of the wreckage, he was unable to taxi close to one large piece of the flotsam, to which he could see a group of men clinging desperately. He taxied the machine some distance to the lea of a small island, where sheltered water enabled him to take off. The pilot intended to return directly o his base to obtain help. Soon afterwards, however, he sighted another ship in the vicinity. Flying low, he signalled to it with an Aldous lamp, informing it of the position of the wreckage and directing it to steam immediately to the scene. The SS ''Bonalbo'' arrived about two and a half hours after the explosion to pick up the survivors at approximately 6 pm. An ambulance met them and rushed the injured to hospital. The rest, in clothes borrowed from their rescuers on the ''Bonalbo'', were sent home by car. At the time most of the ''Nimbin''s crew were old employees of the North Coast Steam Navigation Company. Captain Bryanston and Chief Officer Charles Chapman, who both died, had been with the company for 20 years and 26 years respectively.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nimbin Shipwrecks of the Central Coast Region Ships built in Copenhagen Coastal trading vessels of Australia 1927 ships Maritime incidents in December 1940 1940 in Australia Interwar period ships of Australia World War II merchant ships of Australia Ships sunk by mines World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean