Photos: Phillip Island and District Historical Society
By Pamela Rothfield
OLDER residents of Rhyll may remember the hulk of the Eagle Star, which sat in the waters off Rhyll for years from the late 1970s. This is the story of what happened to that ferry and how its remains came to rest there.
The Eagle Star, formerly a Sydney Harbour ferry, was a 50-tonne passenger ferry which had commenced service from Stony Point - Tankerton (French Island) - Cowes in 1949 with a capacity to carry 270 passengers.
OLDER residents of Rhyll may remember the hulk of the Eagle Star, which sat in the waters off Rhyll for years from the late 1970s. This is the story of what happened to that ferry and how its remains came to rest there.
The Eagle Star, formerly a Sydney Harbour ferry, was a 50-tonne passenger ferry which had commenced service from Stony Point - Tankerton (French Island) - Cowes in 1949 with a capacity to carry 270 passengers.
It was operated by Harry Crole and his son Mervyn as a passenger ferry until 1978, when it was purchased by the French Island Co-operative which had been formed in 1977.
The French Island Co-op had owned the ferry not twelve months when on December 30, 1978, the Eagle Star set off from Stony Point for Phillip Island, carrying over 190 passengers. It arrived at Tankerton and dropped off 65 passengers there. Leaving French Island on what was expected to be a routine trip, the first sign of trouble was the public address system failing.
Captain Brian Peters, a 30-year-old from French Island, went to investigate the problem and found a metre of water flooding the generator room, jeopardizing the engines. He started the pumps and notified Harbour Control of the problems, assuming the pumps would contain the issue.
Twenty-four-year-old Joe Ferris and his wife, were among the passengers enjoying the journey, eagerly looking forward to New Year’s Eve celebrations on Phillip Island, and blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding below deck.
Determined to keep the vessel going, Captain Peters, who had only been the ferry captain for one week, stripped to his underwear to work in the flooded engine room, frantically trying to keep the pumps running and the vessel afloat. Despite his heroic efforts, the water continued to surge in, until finally the engines cut out - signalling a worsening of the situation.
The ferry continued drifting until it collided with the Cowes jetty. The impact sent it bouncing back, but with the tide going out and the engines dead, the vessel began drifting out into the depths of Westernport once more, pulled by the outgoing tide.
As the Eagle Star approached Cowes, it was evident that something was wrong. The Cowes Yacht Club, observing the ferry’s unusual angle and speed toward the pier, acted swiftly. The yacht club’s sailing master, Ian Samuel, noted the vessel’s low position in the water and raised the alarm. Seconds later, he witnessed the ferry ramming the Cowes jetty, which left it dead in the water and listing heavily.
The French Island Co-op had owned the ferry not twelve months when on December 30, 1978, the Eagle Star set off from Stony Point for Phillip Island, carrying over 190 passengers. It arrived at Tankerton and dropped off 65 passengers there. Leaving French Island on what was expected to be a routine trip, the first sign of trouble was the public address system failing.
Captain Brian Peters, a 30-year-old from French Island, went to investigate the problem and found a metre of water flooding the generator room, jeopardizing the engines. He started the pumps and notified Harbour Control of the problems, assuming the pumps would contain the issue.
Twenty-four-year-old Joe Ferris and his wife, were among the passengers enjoying the journey, eagerly looking forward to New Year’s Eve celebrations on Phillip Island, and blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding below deck.
Determined to keep the vessel going, Captain Peters, who had only been the ferry captain for one week, stripped to his underwear to work in the flooded engine room, frantically trying to keep the pumps running and the vessel afloat. Despite his heroic efforts, the water continued to surge in, until finally the engines cut out - signalling a worsening of the situation.
The ferry continued drifting until it collided with the Cowes jetty. The impact sent it bouncing back, but with the tide going out and the engines dead, the vessel began drifting out into the depths of Westernport once more, pulled by the outgoing tide.
As the Eagle Star approached Cowes, it was evident that something was wrong. The Cowes Yacht Club, observing the ferry’s unusual angle and speed toward the pier, acted swiftly. The yacht club’s sailing master, Ian Samuel, noted the vessel’s low position in the water and raised the alarm. Seconds later, he witnessed the ferry ramming the Cowes jetty, which left it dead in the water and listing heavily.
Boats, paddleboarders, and swimmers joined the rescue, creating a chaotic scene with luggage, life rafts, and people scattered across the water. |
Passengers began to realize the peril they were in. Joe Ferris recalls the chaos and fear, particularly when he went below deck to find his wife, only to see water surging through the doorway, blocking their escape. With quick thinking, he smashed a window, allowing his wife and others to climb to safety. As they scrambled for life vests, which had been stowed “a bit too securely”, a community of onlookers and nearby boats began to gather, alerted by the ferry’s distress call and the sight of it sinking lower into the water.
The Cowes Yacht Club’s patrol boat, skippered by Howard Smithson, immediately set out to assist. Smithson’s team managed to secure a tow line, and despite the increasing weight of water pulling the ferry down, they were able to pull it closer to the beach. By this time, passengers clung desperately to the railings or jumped overboard in a bid for safety. Other boats, paddleboarders, and swimmers joined the rescue, creating a chaotic scene with luggage, life rafts, and people scattered across the water.
In one heart-stopping moment, a man in the water handed a baby up to rescuers, while other vessels struggled to navigate the crowded waters safely. The Cowes Yacht Club patrol boat took on as many people as it could, though it nearly capsized under the strain. Despite the confusion and the jostling for safety, no lives were lost – a testament to the courage of the rescuers and the co-operation of the passengers in a tense, life-or-death situation.
As the incident unfolded, local doctors and nurses vacationing on the island hurried to Warley Hospital, preparing for potential casualties. In the end, it was a miraculous outcome: ten people were treated at the hospital for minor injuries and shock, yet no one was seriously harmed.
In one heart-stopping moment, a man in the water handed a baby up to rescuers, while other vessels struggled to navigate the crowded waters safely. The Cowes Yacht Club patrol boat took on as many people as it could, though it nearly capsized under the strain. Despite the confusion and the jostling for safety, no lives were lost – a testament to the courage of the rescuers and the co-operation of the passengers in a tense, life-or-death situation.
As the incident unfolded, local doctors and nurses vacationing on the island hurried to Warley Hospital, preparing for potential casualties. In the end, it was a miraculous outcome: ten people were treated at the hospital for minor injuries and shock, yet no one was seriously harmed.
Following the rescue, the Eagle Star was ultimately deemed unseaworthy and towed to Rhyll, where its hulk stood as a stark reminder of the near disaster that Christmas. It was sold to a private owner and transported to northern NSW. In 2014, the vessel was destroyed by fire, concluding the final chapter for the Eagle Star.
Today, the Phillip Island & District Historical Society preserves the story, recently enriched by Joe Ferris’s recollections, reflecting both the courage of the crew and the swift and courageous response of the Phillip Island community.
Today, the Phillip Island & District Historical Society preserves the story, recently enriched by Joe Ferris’s recollections, reflecting both the courage of the crew and the swift and courageous response of the Phillip Island community.