W. B. Godfrey
S 38° 36.477 E 143° 55.104
54H E 754122 N 5722687
Struck rocks during a bushfire in 1891.
Waymark Code: WM70P
Location: Victoria, Australia
Date Posted: 02/02/2006
Views: 90
The 'W.B. Godfrey' struck rocks west of Lorne, towards Wye River, where a small stream, now known ironically as Godfrey Creek enters the sea. Several attempts to salvage the ship and estimated '20000 feet of timber' cargo from America, led to the loss of five lives, including that of a Captain Gortley and Victor Godfrey both of the 'Clara'. Their two bodies were buried on the low cliff overlooking the wreck, and it is believed that the bodies of the drowned seamen now 'remain buried beneath the present road surface' of the Great Ocean Road. Some remains of the wreck of the 'W.B. Godfrey' are still visible today scattered on the rocks below the cliff.
Date of Shipwreck: 1891
Type of Boat: Sailboat
Military or Civilian: civil
Cause of Shipwreck: low visibilty from bushfire smoke
Accessibility:
Easy parking, and access to viewing platform.
Good low tide access to rock shelf.
Diving Permitted: no
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Visit Instructions:
Only log the site if you have visited it personally.
Floating over a site does not qualify as a find if it is a wreck that requires diving - you must have actually visited the site - therefore photos of the site are good.