When the 968-ton iron steamer Wotonga struck rocks near Tacking Point, Port Macquarie, on 2 January 1882, there was no hope of recovery.
It was an unfortunate event for the respected Australasian Steam Navigation Company (ASN). The Chief Officer had been instructed to wake Captain McLean at 1.20 a.m., whilst on a voyage north from Sydney. When he was awoken too late at 2.00 a.m., Captain McLean observed the clear moonlit night and thick fog close ashore. He immediately ordered the vessel to stop but the Wotonga struck rocks while running engines in reverse.
The 40-odd passengers lost all their belongings in the wreck, together with the general cargo comprising fruit, potatoes, brandy and a mail coach. While the vessel's owners did all they could, passengers later complained about the time taken to transfer them to other ports. The steamer had been built at Dumbarton, Scotland in 1876 with a length of 69.80 m. Today the fatal rock is known as Wotonga Rock.
