Kyarra
.jpg)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Name | Kyarra |
| Owner | Australian United Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. |
| Port of registry | Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Builder | William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton |
| Launched | 2 February 1903 |
| Fate | Sunk on 26 May 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 415 ft 5 in (126.62 m)[1] |
| Beam | 52 ft 2 in (15.90 m)[1] |
| Draught | 31 ft 5 in (9.58 m)[1] |
| Propulsion | 2 × 375 hp (280 kW) triple expansion engines[1] |
| Speed | 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph)[1] |
| Capacity | |
| Armament | 4.7 in (120 mm) gun[2] |
The Kyarra was a 6,953-ton (7,065 t) steel cargo and
Construction and launch
The Kyarra was built at Dumbarton by William Denny and Brothers, and launched on 2 February 1903 on the River Clyde, Scotland. Her name was taken from the aboriginal word for a small fillet of possum fur.
Career
For ten years Kyarra sailed between
On 6 November 1914 she was requisitioned in Brisbane and converted into a hospital ship (HMAT A.55 Kyarra) for the purpose of transporting the Australian medical units to Egypt. The hull was painted white with a large red cross on the side. She carried the full staff and equipment of the Nos. 1 and 2 General Hospitals, the Nos. 1 and 2 Stationary Hospitals, and the No. 1 Clearing Hospital.[3][4]
In March 1915, Kyarra was converted into a troop transport. Commonwealth control ended 4 January 1918.[5]
Wireless telegraphy
In October 1911, the then wireless operator,
Sinking
On 5 May 1918, Kyarra was sailing from
The captain of UB-57,
SS Kyarra was discovered in the late 1960s by a member of the Kingston and Elmbridge British Sub-Aqua Club, which later bought the wreck. The wreck, which lies one mile (1.6 km) off Anvil Point, remains popular with divers.[2]
In honour of this vessel, a house was named in Ipswich, Queensland, built in 1920.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "SS Kyarra". sskyarra.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ a b c "The S.S. Kyarra". Swanage Boat Charters. 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ "HOSPITAL SHIP KYARRA". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 23, 988. New South Wales, Australia. 26 November 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 24 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Brisbane Courier. No. 17, 742. Queensland, Australia. 25 November 1914. p. 7. Retrieved 24 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "His Majesty's Australian Transports". Australian Light Horse Studies Centre. 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ "Record by the Kyarra". The Sun. No. 411. New South Wales, Australia. 23 October 1911. p. 10 (Latest Edition). Retrieved 14 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1918 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
