"The Wreck"  99  x 130cm acrylic on canvas. 2009 

During a cyclone in 1921 the ship the SS Wollongbar  broke free from the old Byron Bay Pier and sank just offshore at Belongil Beach. The Wreck lays there to this day and is a well - liked surfing spot with excellent surf breaks. The exposed boiler provides a physical link to the past when the SS Wollongbar was one of the fastest ships in Australian waters carrying up to 300 passengers and cargo. The ship was berthed at the Byron Bay jetty loaded with produce bound for Sydney. An easterly gale created hazardous conditions however the captain decided to release the vessel in an attempt to get her out to sea. The anchor failed to hold the ship and it was blown inshore and received considerable hull damage making it impossible to re-float. The ninety crew were rescued and eventually the vessel was sold at auction and completely dismantled.

The idea for the painting The Wreck came about whilst walking the beach after massive storms and an unusually low tide. It was a beautiful experience, a calm overcast day with an unusual color in the sky.  The boiler is the main feature of The Wreck, it protrudes out of the ocean in a powerful way and is covered with rust and crustaceans. The waves were breaking and swirling over the boiler creating magnificent clouds of spray and movement. I was struck at how low the tide was, exposing the boilers against the crashing waves with Julian Rocks in full view in the background.

The low tide gave me the opportunity to get in close, I could almost touch it. I got as close as possible then quickly had to retreat because of the incoming tide which was starting to cover the ships boiler again. I noticed the boiler, dotted with crustations and shells, slowly decaying. I often think about how the wreck is a link to the history of Byron Bay. This was an image etched in my mind, I returned to the studio and started to paint what I saw and felt. The positive raw energy, the extremely low tide, the ambient light, the swirling waves and whitewash of water flying across the boiler into the sky offered me a new way of observing The Wreck, I felt like I was part of it, I stood in knee deep water not thinking too much about process, but more about not losing the feeling of awe at that moment. I wanted to allow this experience to morph into my vision for the painting, holding that vivid memory and feeling is the most exciting part of the process for me, finding these moments is a magical experience. 

Painting ‘The Wreck’ was a very rewarding experience, I had discovered a day when all the elements of nature presented the perfect painting opportunity. I walk past the old wreck most days yet it took a combination of elements and my mood to ignite a creative urge, a feeling that the scene had to be interpreted. This short video was inspired by the many people who have talked about growing up in the Byron Shire and how The Wreck was a big part of their childhoods e.g. surfing, walking, snorkeling and sun baking around this great Byron icon. The Wreck offers many magical moments and if your patient the rewards come. I discovered energetic, risk taking teenagers diving from the boiler and groups of chilled out surfers patiently waiting for the next big waves.

 

Hi Sean...thought I would drop you a note to let you know "The Wreck" looks great in our lounge room.  Like you, I think of the boilers and the stack as being the defining element of that end of the beach. When I was a kid my mum would not let me swim out to the boilers as she was worried a shark would eat me. 30 years later my 4 year old daughter is very excited about going to see the wreck next time we go to Byron.  John Murphy