Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Sow and Pigs Reef Lightship

A series of ships anchored adjacent to Sow and Pigs Reef in Sydney Harbour as an aid to navigation. The first was the Rose in 1836. She was replaced by HMS Bramble in 1856 which was in turn replaced by Bramble II in 1877. In 1912 an acetylene gas light was used instead.

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.