Augusta, brigantine: Totally wrecked on August 24, 1884, on Point Island, outside the New River Heads. The Augusta was bound from Newcastle to Invercargill with a cargo of coal, and ran in close to take a pilot on board, the wind being light and uncertain. A pilot put off, but by the time he reached the brigantine it was impossible to do anything to save the vessel, which had missed stays. She went on to the rocks and soon became a total loss. By August 27, the vessel was completely broken up. The wreck was sold for 31 pounds. The Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Augusta found that no blame was attached to the master or crew, the vessel being run too far to leeward by the misdirection of the semaphore arm, which was made to point in a wrong direction, an accident which arose from the in sufficiancy of the pilot staff at the New River. (The pilot staff was undermanned and the harbour master’s children had to operate the signals on this occasion).The Augusta, No, 66,573, was a brigantine of 138 tons register, built at Tellamook, Oregon, U.S.A. in 1871, and her dimensions were; length 98.8ft, beam 23.3ft, depth 8ft. She was owned by Messrs, Green and Company, of Rockhampton, and was under the command of Captain Robert Murdoch
