Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 15 April 1915, page 6


The Dunbar's Sole Survivor.

Word comes from Sydney of the death

of Mr. James Johnson, the sole survivor othe wreck of the Dunbar 58 years ago It is a well known story that the vessel, inward bound from England, and well laden with passengers, mistook, on the night of August 20, 1857, the gap at Watson's Bay for the entrance to Sydney Harbour, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below the precipitous cliffs, upwards of 120 lives being lost. Johnson, then 20 years of age, was a member of the crew, and he had the luck to be lifted by a wave on to a high ledge of the cliff, and to be able to cling there until, 30 hours later, he was seen from above and rescued. He was the only person saved. Not long afterwards he was appointed to a position under the old Marine Board at Newcastle (N.S.W.).

and while so serving had the unique ex-perience of saving the only survivor of the Cawarra, Frederick W Hedges. That steamer was, on July 13, I868, wrecked on the Oyster Bank in Stockton Bight, im-mediately to the north of the Newcastle entrance during a memorable gale, and Johnson pulled out by himself in a boat toward the wreck, which occurred in day-light. He was thus able to pick up Hedges, who had partly swam and partly been washed into the river entrance. For a lengthy period, up till some 10 years ago, Mr Johnson was in charge of the lighthouse at The Nobbys Newcastle, whence on the Anniversary of the Dunbar disaster it was the practice of many of his friends, to make a pilgrimage to renew their congratulations. Latterly he had resided in Sydney.