The shipwreck of the Walter Hood, 26 April 1870
If you love a good horror story, did you know that Milton-Ulladulla has one its very own? Here are your clues – a man’s heart-stopping dream predicting nearby disaster, widespread floods, desperate cries for help, the killing and eating of a small dog, the grisly discovery of a severed arm, and maybe even a mutinous murder. And, of course, the best horror stories need some crazy comical elements, so let’s throw in some wild drinking, dress-up parades on the beach, a man found guilty for wearing a crimson shirt, and thousands of broken tiles meant for a cathedral floor.
They might sound like scenes from a tragic and gruesome movie but they’re all real, except probably the dream. These extraordinary events began 150 years ago this month when the heavily-loaded clipper ship Walter Hood was pushed by a fierce storm onto a reef at the southern end of Wreck Bay, just north of Bendalong Point.
ONLINE EXHIBITION
The Milton Ulladulla Historical Society had been preparing an exhibition about this anniversary to display at Ulladulla High School library but COVID19 means we’ve had to tailor this for an online exhibition instead.
So be prepared to be thrilled, horrified and scandalised as you learn more about the grand tragedy that was The Wrecking of the Walter Hood!
To navigate through the online exhibition, click the link below of the first story about Walter Hood the man, the shipyard and the ship. You can then navigate your way through the unfolding story by clicking the main link at the end of each page.