The Loss of the S.S. Waratah (1909)

The loss of the ‘Waratah’ has often been dubbed ‘The Australian Titanic’, and rightfully so given the impact she undoubtedly had in Australian-maritime history. Built for the Blue Anchor Line in 1907, she was the largest and most luxurious vessel built for the Blue Anchor Line steamship company, and perhaps the most comfortable Australian-route steamship built at that particular time. Though after merely one year of service, she disappeared without a single trace, and is still lost to this day. Despite her absolute disappearance, there have been several theories which have surfaced, where one particular theory, the theory of her having been unstable, prevails over the others. In this documentary, we explore the history of ‘Waratah’, and touch on the theory of her having been unstable, and the other theories that have also surfaced.

[@liamsharpe23]

Special thanks to Gavriel Bar-or for helping out, especially with his deep knowledge of the ‘Waratah’! I suggest you check out his website www.waratahrevival.com for more information and material regarding ‘Waratah’ and the Blue Anchor Line. 🙂 The stability of ‘Waratah’ is a touchy subject I wanted to note, given that it has been hotly debated upon during the inquiries especially. Some claim that she had excellent stability, others claim she had dangerous instability. The story of the ‘Waratah’ is a mystery, plain and simple. We do not know for sure if it indeed was her stability that brought the fine vessel down, although I do focus on her stability quite a bit in this particular production due to the overwhelming amount of detailed accounts I found in regards to this subject, and given how it seems to be the most logical way in which she went under, especially when you look at the other theories that have been brought to the table. This documentary was originally made for a school-finals project about two weeks ago, where I decided to publish it as I thought that it would be the right thing to do, especially given how unknown the story of ‘Waratah’ seems to be. I hope to make more productions similar to this one in the future. Thanks for checking this documentary out, and I hope that you enjoyed! 🙂 -Liam

[@shaynewheeler9249]

Coal fired steamship Titanic

[@liamsharpe23]

@@shaynewheeler9249 I second this.

[@gonbe6812]

@@liamsharpe23 I third this

[@shaynewheeler9249]

Save Ukraine

[@nlogan1989]

Great video, well done! If you're looking for constructive criticisms: slow the tempo of your speech just a little bit, like 10-15%. Talking fast usually comes across as nervousness, feels a bit like you're just trying to get through the script. Understandable... Slow down to appear more comfortable. Seriously though, good job.

[@oceanicstarline1899]

This was an incredible production, and I am very pleased with how it turned out! I hope to see more from you in the future, as it was very informative, and, a beautiful way to remember all who were lost, god rest their souls.

[@xXColCoolXx]

Civ 5 background music

[@stephencoyne5391]

Thanks, Liam, congratulations on your engrossing production! And your music selection was unnervingly appropriate . . . I first encountered the charismatic 'Waratah', (pronounced, worra-tar, after the Australian flower), as a 10-year-old in a book of Australian folklore, and the combined sensations of mystery and ghastly drama have never left me. Thanks for fleshing out my enduring mind-pictures.

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much for your compliments, I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed it! There will be to come soon. 🙂

[@gd2234_]

As a commonwealth kid in the states (who watches rugby with their dad and knows of the rugby team) I never knew a waratah was a flower!

[@anormalcommentor9452]

Gorgeous video, and incredibly made. I've learned a lot from this, and I hope you make more documentaries like this - RIP to all lost on board and the families involved in this calamity.

[@gonbe6812]

Slovakia

[@ocean8608]

Amazing video! A perfect example of what a documentary should be, Informative and yet a entertaining watch. This is overall a amazing video!

[@scurly0792]

I'm blown away by the quality of this documentary. The editing skills alone are professional tier, the addition of your own drawings and clips where you talk to the camera show how much effort you put into it. It always surprises me how underrated you are for the work that goes into these. The research you carry out on any vessel always amazes me, but the fact that you found enough to create 17 minutes of video is absolutely incredible. The music choice too, reminds me of my SS President video last year and carries the same undertone of a missing vessel. I must also congratulate your attention to detail by using a map accurate to the time for the route, and your further interpretations as to what it would be like for the people of the time which I think really wraps the connection to the past I think any official documentary should have. Again, another top-notch work from you, Liam, I really hope to see more of these.

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much for your compliments! :D I hugely appreciate it. I will consider making another video, preferably about a forgotten wreck of some sort, though that may be some time away. Thanks again for your complements!

[@EpicJoshua314]

Very interesting video. There's a book called Ghost Ship by Clive Cussler which gives an alternate version (but not widely out there ;) ) of the Waratah's disappearance which is a great read.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

Someone claimed to have found her in 2010 but refused to give an exact location, allegedly to avoid unscrupulous looters from going to the ship, although by the sound of it she is deep enough for this not to be a problem.

[@Ro6entX]

Depending on the depth in which she sank and how she landed on the bottom, which if she came to it upside down (“turtle” as it is called), then time and tide likely made her hull blend it more with the terrain. Years ago a WW2 ship went missing for 60+ years until bad hurricane or earthquake (can’t remember which) kicked up the bottom enough to shift the wreckage and leaked oil. No one could locate her prior because she was upside down.

[@liamsharpe23]

That’s an absolutely excellent point and observation you made there, thanks for bringing this up! I’d imagine that if this indeed is to be the case, Waratah’s hull must be practically invisible by now then.

[@petercollingwood522]

I grew up in Durban and heard about he Waratah often as a kid. My family would talk about it from time to time because my grandfather had met Claude Sawyer in the Durban Club, so the story went. Sawyer had told him about his misgivings regarding the stability of the ship and my grandfather took him to the ticket office to cancel his passage. As for the most likely occurance. The seas between Durban and CapeTown can be some of the roughest imaginable. That part of the coast is aptly named "the Wild coast".There are so many "Rogue" waves in this strech of ocean, probabaly caused by the interaction of the shape of the seafloor on the continental shelf, the fast flowing south westerly Aghulas current and the prevailing storm winds heading in the opposite north easterly direction, that I'm not sure it's even accruate to describe them as Rogue. Not hard to believe at all that a ship with such stability issues in the first place, sailing into a storm off the "Wild Coast' would encounter such waves and capsize.

[@liamsharpe23]

That’s truly an incredible story, It’s incredible that you have that huge connection to the Waratah. Thank you so much for sharing this, Peter!

[@brantleyfoster021]

The problem with this stretch is it's the Ocean convergence zone. The ocean current meets other currents flowing in different directions & it's all pretty much near the westerlies. My grandfather used to be a sailor & he never went near the westerlies due to it being renowned for collossal waves that would destroy your ship. South Africa is the area where Rogue waves form the most due to so many factors like these. In fact, you can see them from the coast quite easily. Often time many form at once & have a sort of Tsunami effect on the beach, since they suck in surrounding area's of the ocean in order to form.

[@wildcolonialman]

Fine telling Liam. A terrible tragedy, and it seems the building was flawed from day one. Very sad....

[@Miakel]

In Australia Waratah is pronounced Woh-reh-tar.

[@sydneykloba7827]

In Big Old Boats’s video on the Waratah, he recounted the reoccurring prophetic dream, and it was horrific, a titan rising from the ocean, brandishing a sword and blood drenched rag, howling ‘waratah’ over and over. Three, maybe even four previous ships, had been named waratah, and all sank. Strange, because ships that take damage, not even sink, are usually renamed because of superstition, but it seemed like a lot about this ship was overlooked. Great video, well done.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

There is supposedly a tugboat named Waratah that is still afloat.

[@raymondromanos1479]

Great video, well-produced. You've earned yourself a new subscriber. One criticism. Plough is the British spelling of plow and is spoken that way. Also, be aware of repetition. Synonyms are important.

[@jocuvie]

So wonderful to see people finally talking about the Waratah!! My uncle worked aboard and disappeared along with everyone else, and it has been heartbreaking to see that many popular maritime yt channels haven’t spoken about the Waratah story, but it seems to be gaining popularity now, which is so great! My uncles life and disappearance has inspired me throughout everything I do, as I find myself thinking often “I hope Charlie, wherever he is, can see the world through my eyes to live the life he never got to”. He was only 27 when he disappeared. Thank you for covering the Waratah’s story, from all of us who had family on board❤️

[@Kaidhicksii]

First and foremost, I commend you for your fantastic video presentation skills. You're sharp both in your posture and in your subject, and you present your videos in a very clean manner. They are interactive in how you use images of the ship to demonstrate her rolling, passing other ships, and you even include your own depictions of the ship and what her fate may have looked like. You also did a good job in explaining in detail the history of the Blue Anchor Line, the Waratah herself, the theories about her disappearance, and in remembering the families of those lost. I look forward to seeing what else you may have coming up. As for the Waratah, this is the third video about her I've watched now, and once again, I have learned even more details about her story. For example, there was her making her return trip from Australia. I knew she was on her second voyage when she went down, but I didn't know she actually made it to her destination and was now heading inbound for home. There's also some of the other theories which I never heard of before, perhaps most interesting being the whirlpool theory. I never knew that the waters and geography of the Cape are capable of producing whirlpools, but knowing the Capes, I shouldn't be too surprised. Still, I also doubt that was what did the ship in. As far as I'm aware, such giant whirlpools only exist in fantasy, not in real life. I don't think the case of the Waratah is much of a mystery: going by the reports by her captain - a very seasoned veteran with 30 years experience - her crew and even her passengers about her instability, coupled with her relatively meager size and the ferocity of storms by the Cape, and it sounds like she simply got overwhelmed by the storm and went down. This is backed up by the man in the lighthouse who claimed to see her get broadsided by large waves and disappear, the latter of which I don't remember whether or not I heard he witnessed. The rogue wave _(not tidal wave; there's a big difference between the two, in that tidal waves are simply regular beach waves, whereas rogue waves are deep ocean waves which have no singular cause and occur without warning)_ theory would make plenty of sense, since they have been responsible for many shipwrecks in the past and likely to this day. I also like how you drew parallels to the Derbyshire to further demonstrate your point. However, if the Waratah was as unstable as it sounds she was, then I doubt it would've taken a rogue wave to sink her in what was already a very powerful storm. I think she sailed into a certain patch of waves at a certain point by the Cape - possibly where the lighthouse man claimed to have sighted her - had already rolled to a specific angle, and then just got done in. It's fascinating that attempts are being made to find the ship. If they're still going, then I bet they will. Until then, rest in peace to those lost. Before I go, just some advice on how you could perhaps better improve your already excellent presentation skills. Try not to say the same things over and over again: I noticed near the end you had said we can only imagine the horrors that occurred in the ship's final moments at least three separate times. If you can work on that, that'd be great. :) 👍

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much for your kind compliments, and the helpful feedback especially! 🙂 This documentary was me testing the waters I will admit, as I have never done such a video before. And so there as a result, certainly were a few issues throughout the video, mostly with the script layout and occasional choppy editing. My next production is about the sinking of the ‘Princess Alice’, and the subsequent disappearance of the ship which sank her, the ‘Bywell Castle’. Im a CGI artist, and so I do intend to include 3D animations in that one, and all my future productions down the road! I believe this will be far more interactive than using that of animated images to convey my point. Thanks again for your kind words, and for the helpful critiques! I will keep your words in mind, and hope to see you in the comments of my future videos! 🙂

[@glengrieve544]

Great content and beautifully presented thanks for showing this great video greetings from Melbourne Australia

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Bravo Liam!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much, Mike! 🙂

[@joaomateus6787]

This was an awesome documentary

[@Miakel]

This was great, other Australian maritime disasters that may be of interest include the SS Koombana and SS Yongala.

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much! And thanks for the suggestions, I’ll be looking into those wrecks. 🙂

[@robertfolkner9253]

You didn’t mention Emlyn Brown’s underwater search, which was immense. His teams searched for TWENTY YEARS, they found a few of what turned out to be false leads, but that was it. What about the possibility that the ship’s engineering broke down and, unable to navigate, she was carried swiftly southward by the prevailing currents to Antarctic waters? She could have sunk there and no one would know: the ship was due to be fitted with a wireless system only when she returned to England after her second voyage. In all, a horrific catastrophe no matter how it happened. Let us never forget her hapless passengers, crew, or the vessel herself.😢

[@liamsharpe23]

Emlyn Brown’s search will be covered in a separate video! ;) I’ve got a lineup of Waratah videos planned.

[@robertfolkner9253]

@@liamsharpe23 Thank you, Mr. Sharpe! I hope I didn’t come off as sounding strident. This video in and of itself is excellent for all the information you provided. Your research was obviously extensive and your delivery was nothing short of impeccable!

[@liamsharpe23]

@@robertfolkner9253 no worries at all, thank you so much for your compliments, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! This video admittedly was me testing the waters. My future videos I can assure you, will be much more professional. 🙂

[@OldShippinglines]

well done sir i enjoyed this video very much well done once again

[@Brian-nw2bn]

Love finding brilliant young channels just getting their start and getting to be apart of the journey from the beginning. Wonderful job brother, looking forward to all the content you have in store for us! Subscribed, God Bless!!!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much! I’ve got another video coming soon, regarding another unknown maritime mystery. 🙂

[@williamcarter3949]

Good stuff mate !! It’s really well put together

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much! 🙂

[@debbicks3793]

That was very interesting and excellent presentation. Thank u from new Zealand 🤓

[@mannymorales7913]

Wonderful production, Liam! Awesome value of narrative, imagery, human interest and discussion of a couple of possibilities of her demise. The production brought life and depth to the subject matter. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing! Cheers!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much! I do intend to update this documentary someday in the future, and make a more comprehensive one. I am nonetheless though, pleased to hear that you enjoyed the video, thanks so much for the compliments! 😊

[@nathanhudson-young2460]

This is real life Poseidon Adventure times 10 if it was a rogue wave

[@matthewlips2228]

Which is a distinct possibility. That stretch of coast is commonly known as the Wild Coast, and with good reason. Winter gales are a reality around there, one of which would also claim the Oceanos in the same general vicinity many decades later.

[@sparklemontgomery5004]

I'm a subscriber good luck ur channel is going to grow well love the content

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much!

[@Mitch2294]

I feels like you were competing with the background music felt like i was listening to the announcer of a 1920’s horse race.

[@liamsharpe23]

If I sounded like a 1920’s ‘announcer’, then I did my job. :P

[@PaddyBaxter-ji8in]

Good video. Thanks! There’s a novel by Geoffrey Jenkins, a South African author, called “Scend Of The Sea” that involves the Waratah’s disappearance. Without going into the plot, he goes with the theory that a rogue wave turned her turtle making her go straight down at once and land slap bang upside down on a large reef, with the result that any potential wreckage was stopped from reaching the surface because it was all completely trapped inside the upturned hull right from the moment of impact. While it was written some time ago when there was far less interest from the general public in shipwreck discovery, in what ships go through structurally and the damage that takes place to them on the way down and the state they ultimately end up in on the sea floor (like in Clive Cussler’s “Raise The Titanic” book and film from 1980, although he’s upped his game since then) and while the passage of time hasn’t been kind to this book considering what we know now and even though the plot gets a bit ridiculous towards the end, I think Jenkins’ theory as to what happened to the Waratah is quite plausible.

[@GraemeCree]

The Waratah is one of the least mysterious mysteries ever to be so widely touted as a mystery. A top heavy ship without a radio sailed into a hurricane, in one of the most dangerous areas in the world, and was never heard from again. It would be mysterious if not for the Elephant in the Living Room. There's really not much similarity between the Waratah and the Titanic, except that both went down at about the same time. The Waratah didn't have any precious cargo, no famous passengers. It was never considered unsinkable, or seen as a symbol of human hubris. It made the news, but was never really seared in the public consciousness. It was about half the size of Titanic. It had seven times fewer casualties. It had more than enough lifeboats. There were no indifferent strangers who might have saved it if they hadn't ignored distress signals. Nobody even knows any specific details about how it went down. If you asked Leonardo DiCaprio if he'd like to do a Waratah movie, he'd probably laugh in your face. But that is precisely what makes the Waratah an interesting case. Not the sinking itself, but the perversity of Australia actually WANTING their own Titanic, and spending decades looking for it just to be able to market it that way. Now, here's an article which mentions a ship called the SS Yongala, which they've also tried to dub as "Australia's Titanic". So, just as Waratah stole Titanic's kitsch, Yongala has stolen Waratah's. Never has tragedy been so chic. One day every ship that goes down will be another Titanic. theconversation.com/from-australias-titanic-to-deadly-mutineers-4-infamous-shipwrecks-found-on-the-great-barrier-reef-175339

[@borntoclimb7116]

Incredible and interesting

[@Camdouin]

I remember we went to look for the Waratah. It was back in 2003 I was a deckhand on the Ocean Mariner, cut a long story short we sent divers down to retrieve the ships bell only to find out it was the lost SS Nailsea Meadow. Nailsea Meadow had been sunk by U boat during WW2. So we went home that day with more questions and great disappointment about the SS Waratah.

[@brianmercado1842]

Liam, when doing a documentary like this , it is imperative to get your facts correct. I encourage you to revisit your dialogue. Not all is correct. As an example, the bush fires which were spoken of, seem to indicate being off Australia’s coast. This was never the case. The fires were off the South African coast. The info needs to be update. I do compliment you on delving into the history of such a nebulous ship. Well done.

[@Menta2ity]

gud vidio i enjoyed good good yes great

[@gonbe6812]

oh mY God its it;s the menta li1ty

[@Wonderwhoopin]

Liam, keep it up bo. Your video is awesome and information great. I’m subbed.

[@frankz5864]

Keep them coming Liam, great stuff!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you! :D I’ve got one regarding the S.S. ‘Cimbria’ and another on the ‘Princess Alice’ coming up, be on the lookout for that!

[@bobgary6150]

Well produced and very informative

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you!

[@yangjungwonniee8760]

Where do you find these deck plans i couldn't find some?

[@change_your_oil_regularly4287]

👍

[@robc9136]

great work producing this! well done

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much!

[@mariuszszymczak3644]

I love the video! I want more! Great job!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much! :D I’ve got another video in the works regarding the ill-fated liner ‘Cimbria’, with CGI animation in it - as I’m a 3D artist. That will be released soon, along with more ‘Waratah’ videos. Keep an eye out for those! 🙂

[@scottyp1348]

All good but I’ll just say slow it all down, feels like your doing 500 mph

[@liamsharpe23]

Will do. :P

[@Jayhsia1215]

New subscriber

[@alistairclarke6726]

Great stuff!

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks so much!

[@That_One_Guy_In_A_Band]

Out of curiosity, are you a fan of Part-Time Explorer? The video production is fantastic, and reminded me a lot of his videos. You've earned a sub from me, my friend. Great video.

[@liamsharpe23]

I’m good friends with him, actually! I was the one that did the CGI work for his Collins Line series. 🙂 Thanks so much for the compliments!

[@That_One_Guy_In_A_Band]

@@liamsharpe23 That's awesome! I loved that video, you did a fantastic job on that animation! Can we expect any crossovers/collaborations between your channel and his? Or is that a secret for the future?

[@liamsharpe23]

@@That_One_Guy_In_A_Band Thanks a ton! Glad to hear you enjoyed that video, I’m sure Tom appreciates that as well. 🙂 From here on out, I intend for my future productions to have CGI work in it, similar to the Collins videos. As for channel crossovers, nothing is currently planned, though I’d love to do one someday! 🙂

[@MF99K]

just a quick terminology thing, but I believe it would have been a "rogue wave" and not a "tidal wave"

[@liamsharpe23]

I was aware of the differences, though when writing the script, I suppose that error flew overhead without me realizing.. :P

[@gavinh6921]

There is a theory that it is now a ghost ship

[@alannilsson6509]

Good research and exploration of various theories. Just check pronunciation before recording in the future. "Waratah" is pronounced "War-ah-ta" and "Clan McIntyre" is "Clan Mac-In-Tire". Good production and fine presentation otherwise. Still gave it a Like.

[@dakotafire3515]

you just earned a sub dude, i commend your efforts

[@liamsharpe23]

Thank you so much! 🙂

[@charlesfitton9677]

turn down the music...

[@SlykillerB]

Hey man I see you're new to documentaries. Slow down a bit and take your time. If the video is long then let it be long. you're spitting out info like you made a diss track.

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely be slowing it down in the future. Would you believe me if I told you that this was my normal talking speed? 😛

[@SlykillerB]

@@liamsharpe23 no problem buddy ❤️

[@simplyywolf1477]

May I ask where did you get the Deck Plans for it

[@liamsharpe23]

These plans are historian-owned, of which by asking around, I was able to obtain a photo of those particular plans that the historian owns. 🙂 There certainly are better plans out there, and available online, though with the majority sadly, you have to pay for them. 😕

[@simplyywolf1477]

@@liamsharpe23 Thanks for the information

[@davhuf3496]

Well done.

[@user-ny4fw5mo5k]

Well Done

[@gonbe6812]

HI LIAM

[@liamsharpe23]

Yo

[@gonbe6812]

@@liamsharpe23 liam the shrappe

[@TheStevGr]

Wonderfully researched and presented. Pronunciations are closer to “WARR-I-TAHH” and “MEL-BURN”, and DerbyShire is spoken as “DERBY-SHEER”.

[@liamsharpe23]

Thanks for the compliments! I’m aware of the mispronunciation of Waratah - that’s an error that flew overhead. Though as for the Derbyshire, there seems to be several ways to pronounce that particular name. The ship seems to have been more often then not, pronounced ‘Derby-Shire’, hence why I said it that way. 🙂

[@carloschristanio4709]

I think she tipped, sank but due to the air bubbles she didnt hit bottom for a real long time. She kind of sailed underwater for quite sometimes.

[@liamsharpe23]

Very interesting theory!

[@audreyireton5840]

I believe that could be a distinct possibilty. Although lacking absolute proof, I am open to other theories such as mechanical breakdown, boiler explosion, coal bunker fire, shifting cargo, driven under by a breached cargo hatch on deck, which would begin filling the ship with water. A lot of probabilities, although I do lean towards the above possibility.