Cultural Artefact: George III
Details
George III, convict ship of 394 tons, was wrecked on reefs at the south-eastern entrance to the D'Entrecasteaux Channel on 12 March 1835 near the end of a voyage from Woolwich to Hobart Town. While 133 of 220 male convicts on board lost their lives, only five of the 88 crew, guards and their families were drowned. Firearms had been discharged to keep the convicts below decks while the latter were being evacuated. The loss of the George III was the third worst shipping disaster confirmed in Tasmanian waters, after the Cataraqui and Neva.
Graeme Broxam