Emergencies and World Disasters
- final Australian voyage was the 99th
26 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
- final Australian voyage was the 99th
A trusted coastal steamer, 350 feet long and carrying at least 122 people, vanished on the night of March 23, 1911 - no distress signal, no survivors, no bodies, and a wireless set that arrived 47 days too late. How could a ship that made the same run 98 times simply cease to exist between Mackay and Townsville?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure to disappearance, following the ship, its passengers and cargo, the cyclone warning raised ashore, and the search that turned up only scattered wreckage. What precisely happened in the hours after the last lighthouse sighting remains the question that drives the story.
Person: Captain William Knight
Date: March 23, 1911
Location: Between Mackay and Townsville, Queensland
Event: Disappearance of SS Yongala
Cargo: 677 tons freight, a Lincoln Red bull, racehorse Moonshine
- The SS Yongala measured 350 feet in length and consumed 67 tons of coal per day.
- The ship was making its 99th Australian voyage after being built in 1903 at Armstrong Whitworth, yard number 736.
- Official manifest recorded between 120 and 121 people; researchers established at least 122 aboard.
- A telegraph warning about an approaching cyclone reached Flat Top Island before the Yongala cleared sight but the ship had no wireless receiver yet.
- Seven vessels were ordered into the search area and shoreline wreckage, cargo fragments and one dead racehorse were found, but no human remains.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A trusted coastal steamer, 350 feet long and carrying at least 122 people, vanished on the night of March 23, 1911 - no distress signal, no survivors, no bodies, and a wireless set that arrived 47 days too late. How could a ship that made the same run 98 times simply cease to exist between Mackay and Townsville?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure to disappearance, following the ship, its passengers and cargo, the cyclone warning raised ashore, and the search that turned up only scattered wreckage. What precisely happened in the hours after the last lighthouse sighting remains the question that drives the story.
Person: Captain William Knight
Date: March 23, 1911
Location: Between Mackay and Townsville, Queensland
Event: Disappearance of SS Yongala
Cargo: 677 tons freight, a Lincoln Red bull, racehorse Moonshine
- The SS Yongala measured 350 feet in length and consumed 67 tons of coal per day.
- The ship was making its 99th Australian voyage after being built in 1903 at Armstrong Whitworth, yard number 736.
- Official manifest recorded between 120 and 121 people; researchers established at least 122 aboard.
- A telegraph warning about an approaching cyclone reached Flat Top Island before the Yongala cleared sight but the ship had no wireless receiver yet.
- Seven vessels were ordered into the search area and shoreline wreckage, cargo fragments and one dead racehorse were found, but no human remains.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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