The Tug Moree and Lincoln Star wreckage

The 45-foot tuna fishing boat Lincoln Star was wrecked near Port Lincoln (at Rock(y) Island?*) on 27^th February 1961. It was a brand new wooden fishing boat on its maiden fishing trip. There were 7 casualties in the wrecking.

* (Rock(y) Island was reported as being the site of the wrecking. See more details further below.)

The tug Moree was wrecked in the Coorong that same year (1961) on 8^th July. It was also brand new. It was salvaged in September 1961.

A post by Stephen Winnall on the Eyre Peninsula Yarns and Family History Facebook page on 26^th April 2026, featured an August 1961 photo of “The Tugboat Moree aground” and “and still being rescued, which was the reason for taking the drive that revealed some Lincoln Star wreckage.”

The Tugboat Moree aground and and still being rescued

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

(Source: Eyre Peninsula Yarns and Family History Facebook page)

There was a comment that the Moree “did have many years of service in SA and Newcastle too”.

This photo shows “Just old boat wreckage on the 30 mile drive up to the Moree": -

Old boat wreckage on the 30 mile drive up to the Moree

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

 (Source: Facebook post by Stephen Winnall)

This photo from Stephen Winnall shows “Joe O' Reilly holding up a large, new plank of wood:- 

Joe O' Reilly holding up a large, new plank of wood

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

(Source:  Facebook post by Stephen Winnall)

The wood plank has got steel bits secured at each end. Joe was a quite tall man, more than 6ft. This was when he noticed a round object in the sand higher up the beach about 50 yards away. The round object was a half-buried lifebuoy off the Lincoln Star.

An earlier Facebook post by Stephen Winnall provided these details and photographs: -

The "Lincoln Star" was a fishing boat owned and skippered by Eric Tapley which on 27th Feb 1961 was lost at sea with all 7 souls. Eric had previously radioed to another boat that he was heading back to Pt Lincoln and would arrive in the morning. He said that he was about 10 miles south of Rocky Island* and had 9 tonnes of Tuna.

* (Stephen Winnall later told me the following details: -

On the 27th Feb 1961, the Lincoln Star had radioed another fishing boat at about 4.30pm ..... . (The skipper) Eric Tapley said that he was about 10 miles south of Rocky island, but he did not get wrecked on Rocky island. In fact, he probably was not at the location he said that he was, as was the norm for that era. He had probably wanted to keep his location private??

It was bad wather, but he said he would be back at Port lincoln by the morning, I recall it being reported as being at least 150 -200 miles journey.

He was not quite fully loaded, but perhaps the boat design was never tested at 9 tonnes??

I look at the journey he took, and it is complete speculation, but if he did hit the peninsular, the boat would most likely break up?? so some of it might be on the rocks?? But nothing was ever found after very large beach searches over all of the beaches by foot or by air.

My guess is that, during the night, it was unlucky to hit a set of waves that tipped it over??? ie, it was not near a coast or rocks at all??

That Rocky Island report of Eric's was well a known look at see location, quite soon after the other skipper got back and said this. It was all searched by air, although not for several days delay. But it isn't correct to say that the boat was wrecked on Rocky Island.)

Two of those people onboard and lost forever were his two sons, 20 y.o. Barry Tapley and 14 y.o. Robert Tapley. It was a devasting loss for all of the families.

Many still believe that despite extensive searching, nothing was ever found of the 45ft, brand new wooden fishing boat on its maiden fishing trip.

This text will correct the record with pictures that have never previously been seen elsewhere.

The story:

-  later in 1961 (8th July), a new tugboat called "The Moree" was being delivered from Newcastle and travelling up the gulf to Adelaide, when it floundered and ran aground on the Coorong beach. This occured about 40km south of the Murray Mouth and its story was covered well in 'The Advertiser. This tugboat was eventually retrieved and repaired after considerable efforts in late 1961.

- My father, with two friends from Keith, SA, decided in August 1961 to use his 1949 Land Rover and have a 4WD weekend away, with a tourists look at 'The Moree' being retrieved by contractors.

- They travelled west from Keith to get near 'Salt Creek', where they used the '42 Mile Crossing' over the Coorong itself, then over the sand dunes and onto the beach.

-'The Moree' was about 30 miles North of the 42 mile crossing, so a slow trip to the Moree along the beach unfolded.

- Some old shipwrecks were seen and photographed along their way north to see the Moree, but one quite new looking and large plank of wood caused the group to stop and pick it up and photograph it.

- This picture of Joe O' Reilly (see above photo) with that plank of wood has never previously been seen. Was it from 'The Lincoln Star?

- When picturing that plank of wood, it was Joe who noticed another strange looking round object 'about 50 yards away' from the plank of wood, higher up on the beach.

- The round object was a 'half buried lifebuoy off the Lincoln Star.

The lifebuoy (& shoes) off the Lincoln Star

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

(Source: Facebook post by Stephen Winnall)

- Many other objects which looked like ship wreckage was also nearby but only some of it could be carried and retrieved. A fishing net with floats and a kit bag with shoes was recovered.

Land Rover loaded up with retrieved Lincoln Star items

(Note the glass net floats captured within rope)

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

(Source: Facebook post by Stephen Winnall)

- In total, there was about 5 miles of 'boat like' bits and pieces of which looked very out of place on the beach, but there was a concentration of stuff near the large plank of wood. (was the wood from a 1961 fishing boat) ?

Retrieved Lincoln Star items at the rear, LHS

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Winnall)

(Source: Facebook post by Stephen Winnall)

- Upon reaching the Moree and camping for the night, most of the retieved boat stuff was photographed in the background of a 'selfie'. The kit bag with shoes in it was pictured too.

- The kit bag with shoes would have needed an empty thermos or something else with buoyancy to have floated from Pt Lincoln?

- The news soon got out after stopping for fuel at the Salt Creek service station when the Land Rover with boat stuff pulled in, and they all saw the attached lifebuoy and other fishing boat stuff.

- Quite soon after getting back to Keith, a fisherman from Pt Adelaide called Frank 'Pluto' Miller arrived at Keith from Adelaide in a VW beetle. He was apparently familiar with the Tapley family and he took the collected remnants of the Lincoln Star back to Adelaide and the family or the Police.

- There were no further trips along the Coorong to retrieve and/or identify any more additional boat material."

This cutting from the Port Lincoln Times of 17th August 1961 reported the discovery of some wreckage from the Lincoln Star nearly six months after the wrecking: -

Many photos of the Moree, courtesy of Stephen Winnall, Garry & Jane Keywood can be found at Moree.