On the Opening Occasion of the New Western Australian Maritime Museum and the Anniversary of the Barque 'Stefano' Shipwreck

摘要

The ancient barque from Dubrovnik, called 'Stefano'shipwrecked off North West Cape the night of October 27, 1875. The old votive painting, kept in the Museum gallery of Chapucins' monastery of Her Lady of Mercy in Dubrovnik, is the witness of the unlucky event. The painting and the story about shipwreck described in the book The wreck of the barque 'Stefano' off the North West Cape of Australia in 1875, were among the most impotrant happenings during the opening occasion of the new WA Maritime Museum in Perth – Freemantle, called The World Maritime Museum for the New Millenium. When the brig 'Alexandra' arrived at Roebourne WA, in May 1876, the master George Vinal, reported that he had passed the pearling cutter 'Jessy', 65 kilometres north-west of North West Cape and bound for Freemantle. There was too much wind and sea for spoken communication, but as the two vessels approached each other, the men on the 'Jessy' had held up a board chalked with the words: Barque Stefano wrecked on NW Cape. There are only two survivors on board.* Oko Australije su se ?esto doga?ali brodolomi, ali se u australskim novinama 19. stolje?a malo pisalo o brodolomcima, ljudskim dramama i osobnim reakcijama. Zanimanje za takav jedan doga?aj raslo je samo ako se radilo o velikom broju ljudskih ?rtava. Iznosile su se osnovne ?injenice koje su morale ugoditi javnosti. Prava istina se ?esto pre?u?ivala. O stvarnoj situaciji, obi?no te?oj od onoga ?to je objavljeno, ljudi su mogli samo naga?ati. Uglavnom je javnost samovoljno procjenjivala doga?aje i zadovoljavala se pukim prepri?avanjem.