Minnamurra Boating Tragedy

On December 26th 1893  there was a terrible boating tragedy at the mouth of the Minnamurra River. Seven people drowned.

On that fateful day, Captain Honey and Mrs Honey (nee Pike) went on a boating expedition with Mrs Honey's sister's family - Mrs Wood, her husband Mr George Wood, and three children Elsie (aged 12), Henry (aged 11) and Eliza (aged 10), and another Miss Pike. It appears the small boat floated too near the mouth of the river and Rangoon Island, and was carried out seaward where it capsized in the surf. All were drowned except Mrs Wood, who managed to cling to the overturned boat. The accident was witnessed by many people on the shore and they were able to rescue Mrs Wood. Mr Wood was alive when they reached him but they were not able to bring him safely to shore in time and he drowned.

Captain Thomas Honey was 46 years old at the time of the tragedy and was quite an important person in the community. He was a coroner and magistrate for the district and one of the vice-presidents of the Kiama Agricultural Society.

Mrs Wood survived after losing her husband, two sisters and her three children. Fortunately her fourth child was not in the boat that day.

Stack Island (now Rangoon Island) and the mouth of the Minnamurra River, c.1880s. The boating accident happened right at the mouth of the river just before the island.

The Wood family - George Wood and his wife and their four children. Mrs Wood was the sole survivor of the accident, along with the little girl at the top of the photo who did not venture out in the boat that day.

Captain Thomas Honey, c.1880s.

Rangoon Island and the mouth of the Minnamurra River. c.1977