Members and volunteers of the Margaret River and Districts Historical Society kicked up their heels at their annual Christmas Sundowner on Thursday, to coincide with the 14th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Georgette.
The group met at the Bramley School at the historic Old Settlement to mark the occasion, commemorating the tragedy of December 1, 1876 off the coast of Calgardup.
Prior to the social sundowner portion of the evening, author Dr Marcia Van Zeeller presented her novel ‘The Capes’, which gives her version of historical fiction about the wreck. An extract from the novel’s web page gives a summary of the book;
“A new historical novel challenges traditional accounts of a daring horseback rescue that unfolded near Margaret River, Western Australia, in 1876. It has long been held that 16-year- old Grace Bussell and Aboriginal stockman Samuel Isaacs rode their horses into treacherous surf to deliver fifty souls from the stranded Georgette. The incident made heroes of them both. In this novel The Capes, Perth author Marcia van Zeller proposes an alternative reading of this tragic shipwreck tale”.
Also on the evening, long-time member, Jan Matthews was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for her dedication to the Old Settlement.
At the Bramley School is a display, including photos of the medals awarded to Sam Isaacs and Grace Bussell and photos of a gold fob watch presented to Grace Bussell by the British Government.
