Godfrey Grave & Shipwreck - VIC

Very small pull over bays on both sides of road allow visitors to safely stop to view this grave and small platform lookout over the water where on low tide you might see the shipwreck of Godfrey.March 8, 1891 Sailing from San Francisco to Melbourne with vision obscured by dense bushfire smoke the barque W. B. Godfrey was wrecked on these rocks. All passengers and crew survived. In April of the same year, the barquentine Chittoor arrived to salvage timber and other cargo from the wreck. Five of the ship's crew were rowing towards the Godfrey when their small boat capsized. Three were saved, but the ship's mate and a seaman lost their lives. The following June another five men attempted a salvage operation and again the boat capsized. Four men reached the shore, but a fifth, was unable to swim and drowned. His body was later washed up on a beach near Baron Heads. Despite the mounting catastrophe a third ship, Clara attempted to salvage the Godfreys cargo. Three of the crew rowed towards the wreck while Captain T.J. Gortley watched in horror from the Clara as this boat also capsized. Two of the men made it to shore, but the third, Victor Godfrey, remained struggling at the seas mercy. Though unable to swim, Captain Gortley tried to save his seaman from a small dinghy. Tragically both V. Godfrey and Captain T.J. Gortley perished. Today the tragic shipwreck offers new life playing an important role in the intertidal ecosystem of this beach.