H. R. CARLETON. LXXXIli 



An accurate survey of our coast extending from the shore to 

 beyond the 100 fathom contour, shewing all reefs, islands, nature 

 of the bottom, and variations in depth, was completed by joint 

 arrangement between the Admiralty and the Colonial Government 

 in 1889, and leaves nothing more to be desired in this respect. 

 It is not unusual when a vessel has been wrecked to attribute the 

 cause to striking on an uncharted rock, but when these statements 

 have been investigated before the properly constituted tribunal, 

 in no single instance have they been substantiated. 



Wrecks on Coast of New South Wales. 



A complete record of the wrecks on the coast of New South 

 Wales has been kept by the Marine Board since the establish- 

 ment of that body in 1871. Only the more notable wrecks seem 

 to have been recorded prior to the creation of the Board. 



Between 1873 and 1896 419 wrecks occurred on the coast, 

 consisting of 96 steamers and 323 sailing vessels. The total 

 tonnage lost amounted to 68,817 tons, carrying in crews and 

 passengers 4,344 souls, and the number of lives lost was 595, or 

 an average of one person in every seven wrecked. The estimated 

 value of the vessels lost during this period is £1, 180,736, and 

 134 vessels of those lost were insured to the amount of £335,345. 

 The greatest number of lives lost in any one vessel was 71 in the 

 Ly-ee-moon. 



Ninety-nine wrecks occurred through foundering at various 

 points along our coast line, 34 wrecks have taken place at Port 

 Stephens, which place is chiefly used as a harbour of refuge, 28 

 wrecks occurred at Sydney, 27 at Newcastle, 24 at the Richmond 

 River, and the others as shewn in the table (Appendix I.) 



Earliest Lighthouses on Coast. 

 Macquarie Lighthouse was the first building of its description 

 erected in New South Wales — the first lighthouse in the Southern 

 hemisphere. Its foundation stone was laid on the 11th July, 

 1816, by Governor Macquarie, as the following extract from the 

 Government Gazette of 13th July, 1816, sets forth: — "On Tuesday 

 last, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, His Excellency 



