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Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial
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British Queen (1850)
The plaque reads ...
Yacht 'British Queen'
Filled and sank on Tues. 3.12.1850 at
Hobart Town's 13th Anniversary Regatta
during 1st sailing race after naming
of Constitution Dock in presence
of Governor Sir William Denison.
John Petchey ~ owner skipper
his nephew and 4 convict crew lost,
Ticket of Leave man J. Thompson saved.
John Petchey, the first Governor of the Hobart Gaol, was drowned by the swamping of his yacht, the British Queen, at the Hobart Regatta in 1850.
Petchey was an exporter of mimosa to England probably from an area in the Huon valley now known as Petchey's Bay. Mimosa was the name used for Acacia dealbata [Silver Wattle] the bark of which was used for tanning hides.
Reference: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25560262
Nobody could have foreseen the tragic outcome of the 13th anniversary regatta commemorating Tasman's discovery of Van Diemen's Land in 1642, which took place on Tuesday December 3, 1850 at Pavilion Point on the banks of the River Derwent.
“The flotilla left the New Wharf from the Constitution Dock, which was formally but briefly named by Mr. T. D. Chapman Esq., as His Excellency Sir William Denison and suite sailed from the steps amid the cheers of the assembled spectators who lined the margin of the Dock in considerable numbers. The aquatic cortege was towed to Pavilion Point by a number of 'native youths' and although the steamer was absent, the water procession, when viewed from the land, had an imposing effect.” HTC .7.12.1850.
The day's events commenced as soon as His Excellency's party landed. The 7th event on the program was for Sailing Boats - First Class, to be sailed over the same course as that of the Native Youth's Race - to pull round the flag-boat at New Town Bay, then down the river to round the flag-boat moored off Montagu's Point and back to the starting point. The first placegetter was to receive 20 pounds (the gift of Sir William Denison), second - 10 shillings, third - 5 shillings, fourth - entrance money returned.
During the race a very heavy rain squall obscured the yachts from view, and when it cleared, one of them - 'British Queen' , a 10 ton schooner - had disappeared. She had filled and sunk, drowning the owner-skipper John Petchey of Kangaroo Point, his nephew Mr. Soutry, and 4 convict crewmen (one local paper carried the names of 5 convicts drowned - James Hill, a ticket-of-leave (t.l.) man; Bernard McCabe, passholder, in service of Mr. Abbott; Andrew Smith, passholder, in the service of Mr. Petchey; Henry Davis t.l. and Thomas Coleman, t.l.). One crewman, John Thompson t.l., was rescued. Only the owner's body was recovered.
The Coroner gave a verdict of accidental death, but severely criticised the owners of two of the other vessels in particular for failing to render assistance to the stricken crewmen. The newspapers of the day carried much criticism of the cruel, inhumane and mercenary conduct of the other crews and called for the presence at all future regattas of a number of boats to be strategically placed on the water in case of similar accidents.
The General Regatta Committee reconvened after the handing down of the Coroner's report and expressed appreciation to all who had assisted during the tragedy. They resolved to recommend that John Thompson be given five pounds reward from the subscribed amount of twenty-five pounds raised on the spot at the Regatta Ground for those tragically affected, because of his attempts to save Mr. Petchey and the evidence he gave at the Inquiry. They also recommended to the Lieutenant-Governor that Thompson receive a conditional pardon, as a ' useful example to others' .
With regard to the disgraced crews who failed to render assistance, the Committee stated that all future regatta committees would be justified in refusing them to enter, or sail, or sail in, any boat under their control.