The messages and memos continued to run back and
forth from April to July 1903 as these examples show.
23rd April
'The syndicate who purchased the wreck charted a ketch called Victoria
to carry on salvage operations. It is absolutely necessary that
an officer of Customs should accompany the vessel so as to protect
the receiver and also obtain a list of all goods salved.'
18th May
'There is fully half of the cargo still in the ship. Two divers
have been engaged at the work and they both state that the cargo
is so tightly wedged in and held down by heavy cross beams etc.
that nothing will remove it except dynamite.
27th May
'There is no one in the locality who would take the responsibility
of watching the interests of the (Customs) Department, and as there
are some local fishermen who have been previously convicted of smuggling,
it would I think, be unwise to withdraw the watchman as his presence
at present prevents them from boarding the wreck at low tide and
pilfering whatever goods they could obtain.)
3rd June
' Very Urgent The severe gales which raged last week along the coast
and at Anglesea had the effect of considerably shaking the wreck
Inverlochy with the result that about three tons of timber spars
etc. and the figurehead of the vessel has been washed ashore.
As there is no one employed now looking after the
interests of the Department at this place I shall be glad to be
informed what is to be done in the matter as the beach combers will
now have the free run of the locality.'
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It seems that the local residents were conscientiously
contriving to provide plenty of employment for workers in
the Customs Department!
Being an iron ship it was a year or more before
she broke up and disappeared completely.
Another interesting fact is that at the time
of the wrecking of the Inverlochy there was a telegraph service
between Cape Otway and Geelong, but it didn't serve Anglesea
or Winchelsea. Furthermore, it wasn't until 1921 that the
telephone reached to Anglesea.
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