Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Edward Lombe shipwreck 1834

Wreck of the barque, the Edward Lombe, on Middle Head on 25 August 1834. It was the first shipwreck in the harbour with an associated loss of life and was one of the worst maritime disasters to have occurred in Sydney waters.

-33.82766506866, 151.2690322811

Milestone
Date of event
25 Aug 1834
Destroyed
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Died
25 Aug 1834
Type

The wreck of the Edward Lombe

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2019

In August 1834 one of the worst maritime disasters in Sydney waters took place when the Edward Lombe was wrecked off Middle Head. The story has been overshadowed by the catastrophic wreck of the Dunbar in 1857, but at the time, the wreck of the Edward Lombe was a significant and distressing incident for the colony. Never before had the colony witnessed the destruction of a large sailing vessel with a resulting loss of life and the event generated widespread debate in the colony about the safety of shipping in the harbour.