While I'm on a roll, here is the memorial at St Jude's Cemetery at Brighton for the four drowned crew from the boat that attempted to aid those onboard of the stricken Electric: -
The plaque fixed to the memorial was placed there by the Brighton Historical Society in 1989.
As can be seen on the plaque, William Biddle, John Bailey Gard, Mark Skull and Richard Barber Spencer were all "part of a boat crew who drowned after giving aid to the emigrant ship Electric" which was "in danger off Marino Rocks on 23rd September 1865".
According to https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/disaster/maritime/display/101444-electric, when Captain (John Finlay?) Duff*, the harbourmaster at Glenelg, heard that a ship was aground near the rocks at Marino at 9am on 23rd September 1865, he "telegraphed to the Port for a steamer to render immediate assistance, and then manned Mr. Flood's boat, in which he at once sailed to the distressed vessel, making the run of six miles, with a fair wind, in three quarters of an hour. His boat's crew consisted of Richard Barber, Mark Skull, William Biddle, John Gard, James Burton, and Thomas Shepherd (coxswain).
The vessel, which proved to be the Electric from London, was lying in shallow water, and in dangerous proximity to the rocks half way between Marino and Field's River.
At this time the sea was very high, and the position of the boat was becoming dangerous. The men, therefore, as soon as the steamer had the Electric fairly in tow, and was beginning to move with her, determined to seek their own safety by pulling at once for the jetty or the sandy beach, hoping at least to clear the rocks before getting ashore.
They had made about half-a-mile from, the ship, when "a tremendous sea came rolling in towards them like a wall" (we quote the words of one of the survivors). It broke into the boat, and " was too much for her." All the men were thrown into the sea, and Shepherd, the coxswain, received a violent blow in the chest from the steer oar.
Meanwhile some twenty or thirty persons were watching on the rocks, anxious but utterly powerless to render assistance. They had ropes with them, but none had skill or daring to use them to any purpose. At this time it happened that Mr. Phillips, brother-in-law of the Bishop of Adelaide, who had been riding on the beach with one of his nieces, joined the throng. He saw at once that lives might be saved by an act of daring which very few men would have ventured upon.
Seizing a rope, and urging those on shore to hold it fast, he rode over the rocks, and, regardless of all remonstrance, dashed into the foaming surf. He first reached Burton, to whom he handed the rope, and turning his horse's head landward, succeeded by two desperate plunges in dragging him out of the water. The bold rider was instantly again among the waves.
He threw the rope to Gard and Biddle, but they were unable to catch it and they were never seen again. Mr. Phillips, seeing that there was still another life to be saved, again, urged his horse seaward, and reached Shepherd, who was considerably further from the rocks, supported by the oars. In doing this the daring horseman very nearly lost his own life but the second survivor was rescued. Mr Phillips has saved two lives at the risk of his own ; and, in doing so, averted from two women the grief of widowhood, and ten children the calamity of orphanage. But it is sad to remember that, there are still four widows and still ten orphan children.
South Australian Register (Adelaide), 25 September 1865."
* (According to John Finlay Duff | Monument Australia, "John Finlay Duff (was) Captain of the barque the "African" and for many years harbourmaster at Glenelg". According to Africaine (1832 ship) - Wikipedia, "In its early years, Africaine was owned by Thomas Finlay and John Finlay Duff, who registered the vessel in London". ("Africaine (or African, or Africanus) was a barque launched in 1831 at Jarrow on the River Tyne in England. In 1836 she carried immigrants as part of the First Fleet of South Australia. She was wrecked on 23 September 1843.")
So, there were 7 men in Mr. Flood's rescue boat, Captain Duff (the harbourmaster at Glenelg) Richard Barber, Mark Skull, William Biddle, John Gard, James Burton, and Thomas Shepherd (coxswain). Only Mr Flood, James Barton and Thomas Shepherd survived the ordeal. Mr Phillips managed to save Thomas Shepherd.
Below are the 'graves'* of the four boat crew who drowned: -
* (Those last two men, William Biddle (21) and Richard B. Spencer (47), are said to have been interred in a "communal grave".)
Here are close-up shots of the graves of Mark Skull (27) and John B. Gard (32): -
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