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The Brigantine "Stirling Castle" hit Swain's Reef May 22nd 1836. It's Captain James Fraser 56, was ill; wife Eliza 37, pregnant; and the crew took to the long boats, after 32 days and birth and death of Eliza's baby in the long boat, the party landed North of Waddy Point, not knowing it was an island. The local Kabi aboriginal tribe stripped the captain and Eliza and crew. Eliza wrapped herself in vine leaves where she hid her wedding ring. They then walked to the southern tip of the island, they were treated as slaves and fed scraps. Captain Fraser had to haul logs for fires and when his strength failed he was speared and died in Eliza's arms. Two crewmen who were tied to trees by the Kabi, set on fire died in agony. Two others vanished trying to swim to the mainland, Eliza and five surviving crew were taken by canoe to the mainland and separated, she was made to work hard gathering wood, food and assist aboriginal woman, if she couldn't keep up was burnt with hot sticks. Coralis with two others, walked to Bribie island, by sheer luck met Lieutenant Otter on leave from Morton Bay settlement shooting game with friends, they all proceeded to Morton Bay where Captain Fyans organised a rescue party headed by Lieutenant Otter, two soldiers, 14 convicts and John Graham who had lived with the Kabi aborigine's for six years and spoke their language.
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They set out in two whale boats on August 11th 1836 to Amity Point, North Stradbroke Island then Caloundra and arrived at Noosa inlet on August 13th. John Graham spoke to natives on the beach offering gifts, was told of white woman up the coast and two white men on the west side of Lake Cooribah where he rescued Dayman and Carey, they then boarded the whale boat arriving at Double Island Point on August 14th 1836. The next day Graham walked up to Inskip Point and met and spoke to two aboriginal women and found out of "SHE GHOST" not far away and a "HE GHOST" on Fraser Island, he found and repaired a canoe and paddled to the island where he rescued "Stirling Castle's" 2nd mate Baxter. Returning to Otter's camp at Double Island Point Graham decided to walk down Teewah Beach on August 16th 1836, after 25 miles he left a mark on the beach near a clump of rock where Lieutenant Otter was to wait. He then struck out inland wading miles through swamp, he found Eliza in a Kabi Gunya at "Wa Wa" (place of crows) now called Fig Tree Point, where the North Noosa River enters Lake Cootharaba, some of the natives were angry and waved spears, but an elder who knew him let Eliza free. John Graham left her in behind the sand dunes, while he fetched some clothes from Lieutenant Otter. They then joined the rescue party on August 16th 1836. |
