On the afternoon of 3 November 1927, Sydney was rocked by the news of the worst disaster on its picturesque harbour - the ferry 'Greycliffe' has just been run down and sunk by the outward-bound trans-Pacific Royal Mail Steamship 'Tahiti', and some forty of her passengers were dead or missing.
A Marine Court of Inquiry, formal Inquest and Admiralty Court of Inquiry gradually shifted blame for the disaster from 'Tahiti's' pilot, Captain Thomas Carson, to the ferry's master, William Barnes, and the probable failure of 'Greycliffe's' steering gear that allowed her to swing off course and into the path of the liner.
'Greycliffe: Stolen Lives' is the first comprehensive study of the tragedy and its aftermath to be published, correcting many misconceptions including the number of lives lost and the causes and blame for the collision.
Extensive appendices detail the lives and careers of those involved in the disaster, including passengers lost and saved, the crews of both vessels, legal authorities in various inquiries, and details of individual court actions for compensation. Over fifty photographs, many of then never before published, enhance the text.
'Greycliffe: Stolen Lives' will be of great value not only to maritime enthusiasts and students of law, but also to the many descendants of whose lives were so dramatically and tragically affected three quarters of a century ago.
Contents:
Preface
The School Boat
The Mail Steamer
The Collision
The Cost
State versus Commonwealth Jurisdiction
The Court of Maritime Enquiry, 1927-28
The Coronial Inquest, 1927-28
The Bow Theory
The Admiralty Court, 1928-30
Conclusion
Epilogue: The Loss of the Tahiti, 1930
Appendix 1. Greycliffe's Passengers, the Victims
Appendix 2. Greycliffe's Passengers, the Survivors
Appendix 3. Greycliffe's Crew
Appendix 4. Tahiti's Crew
Appendix 5. Tahiti's Passengers
Appendix 6. First Hand and Professional Witnesses
Appendix 7. The Court of Marine Enquiry
Appendix 8. The Coronial Inquest
Appendix 9. The Admiralty Court
Appendix 10. Individual Actions for Compensation
Appendix 11. Greycliffe and Tahiti, Vital Statistics
Notes and References
Further Reading
Bibliography
Ship Index
Personal Name Index
Subject Index
